Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.2
3.0
Journals
Animals
Special Issues
Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for...
share announcement

Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2021) | Viewed by 35746

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Piotr Dobrowolski

E-Mail Website1 Website2 Website3
Guest Editor
Department of Functional Anatomy and Cytobiology, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University, Akademicka St. 19, 20400 Lublin, Poland
Interests: histology; histomorphometry; connective tissue and epithelia; bone and skeleton development and metabolism; gastrointestinal tract structure, development and regeneration; gut-bone axis; animal feed; nutrition; functional food; procollagen amino acids and their precursors and derivatives; prenatal programming; postnatal development; probiotics; biostatistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Law regulations, climate change, and even sociological and political factors across numerous countries enforce the search for new sources of energy and proteins in livestock feeding. At the same time, the matter of food production safety and animal welfare is becoming important in highly developed countries. Furthermore, genetically modified cereal crops still raise many concerns across the public opinion. Thus, there is a rising need for modern cereal crops with high yield, profitability, potential for increasing production, and confirmed value as the feeding component for animals. Nevertheless, low levels of anti-nutrient substances and resistance to fungal contamination are also very desirable. On the other hand, many feed additives based on minerals, microelements, herbs, and lately, probiotics, are constantly introduced to the market, aiming to stimulate or regulate metabolism, improve health status, or increase the digestibility and absorption of nutrients. Both approaches have their pros and cons. So, combining these approaches seems to be a good idea. However, in many cases the specific mechanisms of interactions of especially modern cereals and feed additives—particularly with the gut microbiome or intestinal structures—are not fully known. These interactions may affect other organs or systems in the organism. Moreover, recent findings underline the ambiguity of so-called anti-nutrients from wheat and rye, which are commonly cultivated in Europe and used as a partial energy replacement of corn. It appears that maybe we should search for a balance between some minor decrease in the performance parameters in livestock caused by, for example, non-starch polysaccharides in the raw materials of traditional feed, in favor of the recently reported health benefits contributed by other substances present in, for example, rye. Rye has a great potential for increasing production and confirmed value as a feeding component for animals.

Taking all the above into consideration I would like to propose this Special Issue. Papers from different research areas of animal science, veterinary medicine, biology, biotechnology and other related fields are invited to contribute to this Special Issue which aims to cover all topics regarding the new and in-depth insight into the effects of modern cereals and feed additives on livestock organs, productivity, and health status. I am hoping that we all together will assemble original studies that address any aspects of structural changes in gut, bone, skin, and other organs or systems, animal development and maintenance, as well as productivity in view of the raised question. Review articles that address all aspects of postnatal growth and development in laboratory and livestock animals concerning the topic are also welcomed. Topics of special interest also include hormonal balance, supplements, nutritional factors, as well as nutrition in general in relation to the occurrence of anti-nutritional or toxic factors.

Assoc. Prof. Piotr Dobrowolski

Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Feedstuff
  • Livestock
  • Cereals
  • Nutrition
  • Antinutrients
  • Organ structure and function
  • Animal welfare
  • Hormonal factors
  • Metabolism and development

Published Papers (11 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

24 pages, 303 KiB  
Article
The Effects of Prenatal Supplementation with β-Hydroxy-β-Methylbutyrate and/or Alpha-Ketoglutaric Acid on the Development and Maturation of Mink Intestines Are Dependent on the Number of Pregnancies and the Sex of the Offspring
by Piotr Dobrowolski, Siemowit Muszyński, Janine Donaldson, Andrzej Jakubczak, Andrzej Żmuda, Iwona Taszkun, Karol Rycerz, Maria Mielnik-Błaszczak, Damian Kuc and Ewa Tomaszewska
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1468; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani11051468 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2136
Abstract
Prenatal and postnatal supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) and alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) affects the development and maturation of offspring. Both substances have the potential to stimulate cell metabolism via different routes. However, parity affects development and may alter the effects of dietary supplementation. This [...] Read more.
Prenatal and postnatal supplementation with β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB) and alpha-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) affects the development and maturation of offspring. Both substances have the potential to stimulate cell metabolism via different routes. However, parity affects development and may alter the effects of dietary supplementation. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of gestational supplementation with HMB and/or AKG to primiparous and multiparous minks on the structure and maturation of the offspring’s small intestine. Primiparous and multiparous American minks (Neovison vison), of the standard dark brown type, were supplemented daily with HMB (0.02 g/kg b.w.) and/or AKG (0.4 g/kg b.w.) during gestation (n = 7 for each treatment). Supplementation stopped when the minks gave birth. Intestine samples were collected from 8-month-old male and female offspring during autopsy and histology and histomorphometry analysis was conducted (LAEC approval no 64/2015). Gestational supplementation had a long-term effect, improving the structure of the offspring’s intestine toward facilitating absorption and passage of intestinal contents. AKG supplementation affected intestinal absorption (enterocytes, villi and absorptive surface), and HMB affected intestinal peristalsis and secretion (crypts and Goblet cells). These effects were strongly dependent on parity and offspring gender. Present findings have important nutritional implications and should be considered in feeding practices and supplementation plans in animal reproduction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
13 pages, 248 KiB  
Article
The Concentration of Selected Heavy Metals in Muscles, Liver and Kidneys of Pigs Fed Standard Diets and Diets Containing 60% of New Rye Varieties
by Agnieszka Chałabis-Mazurek, Jose Luis Valverde Piedra, Siemowit Muszyński, Ewa Tomaszewska, Sylwia Szymańczyk, Sylwester Kowalik, Marcin B. Arciszewski, Anna Zacharko-Siembida and Tomasz Schwarz
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1377; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani11051377 - 12 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2398
Abstract
The carry-over of heavy metals from feed to muscles is generally low if animals are fed with a standard diet containing amounts below the maximum permissible levels. However, prolonged exposure to heavy metals can lead to their accumulation in some organs like muscles, [...] Read more.
The carry-over of heavy metals from feed to muscles is generally low if animals are fed with a standard diet containing amounts below the maximum permissible levels. However, prolonged exposure to heavy metals can lead to their accumulation in some organs like muscles, liver, and kidneys. This paves the way for human health risks related to the consumption of products of animal-origin. Thus, using feed mixtures with a low level of heavy metals in pig production will contribute to increasing public health and safety and is of environmental concern. The study aimed to assess the impact of the level of some heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Hg, Cu, Zn, Fe and Mn) in standard (control) feed mixtures and in alternative feed mixtures based on maize or new rye varieties (population and hybrid) on the heavy metal concentration in muscles, liver and kidney of fattened pigs at slaughter. While some differences between heavy metals content in examined tissue samples from experimental groups were observed, all of them were in the range of allowable levels according to European Community rules. In conclusion, new rye varieties, especially the hybrid variety, could be an alternative source of cereal grains for pig nutrition. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
15 pages, 1357 KiB  
Article
Modern Hybrid Rye, as an Alternative Energy Source for Broiler Chickens, Improves the Absorption Surface of the Small Intestine Depending on the Intestinal Part and Xylanase Supplementation
by Janine Donaldson, Sylwester Świątkiewicz, Anna Arczewka-Włosek, Siemowit Muszyński, Sylwia Szymańczyk, Marcin Bartłomiej Arciszewski, Anna Zacharko Siembida, Katarzyna Kras, Jose Luis Valverde Piedra, Tomasz Schwarz, Ewa Tomaszewska and Piotr Dobrowolski
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1349; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani11051349 - 10 May 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2407
Abstract
The current study investigated the effects of the inclusion of modern hybrid rye (Brasetto variety) to a corn–wheat-based diet, with or without xylanase, on the absorptive surface of the small intestine of broilers. A total of 224 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks [...] Read more.
The current study investigated the effects of the inclusion of modern hybrid rye (Brasetto variety) to a corn–wheat-based diet, with or without xylanase, on the absorptive surface of the small intestine of broilers. A total of 224 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into four experimental groups with seven replicate cages of eight birds/replicate. A 2 × 2 factorial study design was used, with rye inclusion (0% or 20%) and xylanase supplementation (0 or 200 mg/kg of feed) as factors. Inclusion of rye increased duodenal and ileal crypt depth, villi height, the villus-to-crypt ratio and absorption surface area (p < 0.05), and ileal mucosa thickness and crypt width (p < 0.05). Xylanase supplementation attenuated the effects of rye in the duodenum and ileum and decreased the villi height and villus-to-crypt ratio in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Rye and xylanase had no effect on the spatial distribution of claudin 3 and ZO-1 protein, but xylanase supplementation reduced the amount of claudin 3 in the duodenum and jejunum (p < 0.05). The findings of this study indicate that 20% inclusion of modern hybrid rye to the diets of broilers improved the structure of the duodenum and ileum, but these effects were attenuated by xylanase supplementation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 784 KiB  
Article
Propylene Glycol and Maize Grain Supplementation Improve Fertility Parameters in Dairy Cows
by Robert Mikuła, Ewa Pruszyńska-Oszmałek, Paweł Antoni Kołodziejski and Włodzimierz Nowak
Animals 2020, 10(11), 2147; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10112147 - 18 Nov 2020
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2066
Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of propylene glycol and maize grain content by-pass starch supplementation during the transition period and the first 56 days of lactation on blood metabolic indices, milk production and fertility parameters in dairy cows. [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of propylene glycol and maize grain content by-pass starch supplementation during the transition period and the first 56 days of lactation on blood metabolic indices, milk production and fertility parameters in dairy cows. Seventy-five Polish Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were assigned to treatment 21 days before calving. The treatments included: TG—2.5 kg triticale grain/cow per day supplemented from 14 days prepartum to day 56 postpartum, PG—2.5 kg triticale grain/cow per day supplemented from day 14 before parturition to day 56 postpartum, and 400 g propylene glycol/cow per day from 14 days prepartum to 14 days of lactation and MG—2.5 kg maize grain/cow per day supplemented from day 14 before parturition to day 56 postpartum. PG and MG had an effect resulting in the highest glucose concentration at 28 d of lactation. Cows assigned to the PG and MG groups had significantly higher cholesterol levels confronted with TG group at day 14 of lactation, while at days 28 and 56 the same difference was observed only between the MG and TG groups. PG had an effect on shortening the period to first ovulation. PG and MG improved the first service conception rate and decreased the number of services per conception in cows. In conclusion, both treatments of dairy cows with PG and MG improved their fertility parameters, while they had a slight effect on their metabolic profile and no effect on their milking performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 2624 KiB  
Article
Combination of Bacillus licheniformis and Salinomycin: Effect on the Growth Performance and GIT Microbial Populations of Broiler Chickens
by Jacek Trela, Bartosz Kierończyk, Veerle Hautekiet and Damian Józefiak
Animals 2020, 10(5), 889; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10050889 - 20 May 2020
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 3346
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Bacillus licheniformis and salinomycin supplementation in broiler diets as individual factors or in combination on the growth performance, GIT morphometry, and microbiota populations. Four hundred one-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly distributed [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of Bacillus licheniformis and salinomycin supplementation in broiler diets as individual factors or in combination on the growth performance, GIT morphometry, and microbiota populations. Four hundred one-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly distributed to four dietary treatments (10 replicates, 10 birds each). The following treatments were applied: NC—no additives; NC + SAL—salinomycin addition (60 mg/kg diet), NC + PRO—B. licheniformis DSM 28710 preparation (1.6 × 109 CFU/kg; 500 mg/kg diet), and NC + SAL + PRO—combination of salinomycin and B. licheniformis. Probiotic administration resulted in improvement (p < 0.05) of the performance parameters, including body weight gain (1–10 d, and 11–22 d) and feed conversion ratio (11–22 d, 1–36 d). An interaction (p < 0.05) between experimental factors was observed in terms of lower pH values in the crop (tendency, p = 0.053) and ceca. Both factors lowered the alpha diversity and Enterobacteriaceae and promoted Bacillaceae communities in the jejunum (p < 0.05). Interactions were also observed in terms of reducing Clostridiaceae in the ceca. In conclusion, the combined use of B. licheniformis and salinomycin in broilers’ diets had beneficial effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1381 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Time-Fed Concentrate-Based Diets on Plasma Metabolites, Rumen Histology, and mRNA Expression of Hepatic Enzymes of Wethers
by Ghazanfar A. Chishti, Isaac J. Salfer, Krum V. Nedelkov and Tara L. Felix
Animals 2020, 10(4), 686; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10040686 - 15 Apr 2020
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2771
Abstract
Transition to grain increases inflammation and causes parakeratosis, which can decrease growth performance in fattening animals. It is unknown if ruminants adapt to these inflammatory responses over time. In a three-phase, 49-day experiment, all wethers (n = 13, BW = 50.6 ± [...] Read more.
Transition to grain increases inflammation and causes parakeratosis, which can decrease growth performance in fattening animals. It is unknown if ruminants adapt to these inflammatory responses over time. In a three-phase, 49-day experiment, all wethers (n = 13, BW = 50.6 ± 4.7 kg; 4.9 ± 0.3 months of age) were fed an 80% forage diet during P1(day 0 to 21). On day 21, 4 wethers were slaughtered to obtain baseline liver and rumen tissue. During P2 (day 22 to 25), the remaining wethers were fed an 80% concentrate diet. Four wethers were slaughtered on day 25 to obtain P2 liver and rumen tissue. During P3 (day 22 to 49), the remaining five wethers were fed 80% concentrate diets and were slaughtered on day 49 to obtain P3 liver and rumen tissue. Rumen parakeratosis was greater (p ≤ 0.02) in wethers sampled in P2 and P3 when compared to those sampled in P1. Among positive acute phase reactants, expression of serum α-amyloid (SAA) and haptoglobin (HPT) tended (p ≤ 0.12) to be 6- and 10-fold greater, respectively, in wethers sampled in P2 compared to wethers sampled in P1; however, SAA and HPT expression was not different between wethers sampled in P3 and P1. Plasma glucose and β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) increased (p ≤ 0.03) in wethers sampled in both P2 and P3 compared to the wethers sampled in P1, while total protein and cholesterol decreased (p ≤ 0.06) only in wethers sampled from P2 compared to those sampled in P1. Hepatic acute phase responses suggest that the wethers adapted to an 80% concentrate diet over time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 2097 KiB  
Article
Effects of Microencapsulated Blends of Organics Acids (OA) and Essential Oils (EO) as a Feed Additive for Broiler Chicken. A Focus on Growth Performance, Gut Morphology and Microbiology
by Alessandro Stamilla, Antonino Messina, Sabrina Sallemi, Lucia Condorelli, Francesco Antoci, Roberto Puleio, Guido Ruggero Loria, Giuseppe Cascone and Massimiliano Lanza
Animals 2020, 10(3), 442; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10030442 - 06 Mar 2020
Cited by 31 | Viewed by 5268
Abstract
The goal of the trial was testing the effects of a blend of organic acids and essential oils dietary supplementation on growth performance and gut healthiness in broiler chickens. In total, 420 male Ross 308 chicks (1-day old) were randomly assigned to two [...] Read more.
The goal of the trial was testing the effects of a blend of organic acids and essential oils dietary supplementation on growth performance and gut healthiness in broiler chickens. In total, 420 male Ross 308 chicks (1-day old) were randomly assigned to two dietary treatments: basal (BD) and organic acids and essential oils (OA&EO) diets (three replicates/treatment; 70 broilers/replicate). BD group received commercial diets whereas OA&EO group basal diets + 5 g/kg of microencapsulated organic acids and essential oils. OA&EO treatment improved the average daily gain (p < 0.01) and feed conversion ratio at 37–47 days compared to BD treatment. OA&EO treatment improved gut morphology mostly at ileum and duodenum levels in terms of villi height, crypt depth, number of villi, mucosa thickness and villi area at 24 and 34 sampling days. A certain selective action against Clostridium perfringens in ileum of OA&EO group was shown at 33 (p = 0.053) and 46 days (p = 0.09) together with lower median values for Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococci, Mesophilic bacteria and Clostridium perfringens at ceca level. Overall, organic acids and essential oils supplementation improved growth performance in the final growth stage and some morphological gut traits and reduced to a certain extent Clostridium perfringens count in ileum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 282 KiB  
Article
Diet Supplementation with a Bioactive Pomace Extract from Olea europaea Partially Mitigates Negative Effects on Gut Health Arising from a Short-Term Fasting Period in Broiler Chickens
by Javier Herrero-Encinas, Marta Blanch, José J. Pastor and David Menoyo
Animals 2020, 10(2), 349; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10020349 - 22 Feb 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2873
Abstract
The effects of supplementing chicken diets with an olive pomace extract (OE) from Olea europaea on performance and gut health after a challenge of intestinal permeability (IP) increase were studied. Treatments included a control diet with no additives (CF), and diets supplemented with [...] Read more.
The effects of supplementing chicken diets with an olive pomace extract (OE) from Olea europaea on performance and gut health after a challenge of intestinal permeability (IP) increase were studied. Treatments included a control diet with no additives (CF), and diets supplemented with 100 ppm of monensin (MF) or with 500 (OE500F) and 1500 ppm (OE1500F) of an OE. At 14 d, all birds, except those allocated in a control group (CNF), were submitted to a 15.5 h short-term fasting period to induce IP increase. Fasting increased (p < 0.05) lactulose/mannitol ratio and Alpha 1 Acid Glycoprotein concentration, and reduced (p < 0.001) villus/crypt ratio. Moreover, a down-regulation of Claudin-1 (p < 0.05), an up-regulation of TLR4 and IL-8 (p < 0.05) ileal gene expression was observed in CF birds compared to CNF. OE500F treatment reduced duodenal crypt depth compared to CF (p < 0.05; OE linear effect). Mannitol concentration and ileal IL-8 expression were reduced in OE500F compared to CF and OE1500F (p = 0.05). Fasting challenge induced an increase in IP triggering an inflammatory response. Supplementation of OE up to 1500 ppm did not affect growth performance and alleviated some of the negative effects of the fasting challenge. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
11 pages, 2381 KiB  
Article
Effect of Antimicrobial Peptide Microcin J25 on Growth Performance, Immune Regulation, and Intestinal Microbiota in Broiler Chickens Challenged with Escherichia coli and Salmonella
by Gang Wang, Qinglong Song, Shuo Huang, Yuming Wang, Shuang Cai, Haitao Yu, Xiuliang Ding, Xiangfang Zeng and Jiang Zhang
Animals 2020, 10(2), 345; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10020345 - 21 Feb 2020
Cited by 62 | Viewed by 4354
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of antimicrobial peptide microcin J25 (MccJ25) on growth performance, immune regulation, and intestinal microbiota in broilers. A total of 3120 one-day-old male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly allocated to five groups (12 [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of antimicrobial peptide microcin J25 (MccJ25) on growth performance, immune regulation, and intestinal microbiota in broilers. A total of 3120 one-day-old male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly allocated to five groups (12 replicates, 52 chickens per replicate). The treatments were control, challenge (0 mg/kg MccJ25), different dosages of antimicrobial peptide (AMP) (0.5 and 1mg/kg MccJ25), and antibiotic groups (20 mg/kg colistin sulfate). The MccJ25 groups increased the body weight gain (starter and overall) that was reduced in the challenge group. The overall (day 1 to day 42) feed-to-gain ratio (G:F) was significantly decreased in AMP groups compared with the challenge group. Birds fed AMP had a decreased population of total anaerobic bacteria (day 21 and day 42) and E. coli (day 21 and day 42) in feces, as well as a lower Salmonella infection rate (day 21 and day 42) compared with birds in the challenge group. The villus height of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum, as well as the villus height/crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum were greater in AMP groups than birds in the challenge group. Moreover, MccJ25 linearly improved the villus height of the duodenum and jejunum. The addition of MccJ25 decreased the concentration of TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 compared with challenge group. At d 21, MccJ25 linearly reduced the level of IL-6. In conclusion, dietary supplemented MccJ25 effectively improved performance, systematic inflammation, and improved fecal microbiota composition of the broilers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 256 KiB  
Article
Dietary Supplementation with Phytase and Protease Improves Growth Performance, Serum Metabolism Status, and Intestinal Digestive Enzyme Activities in Meat Ducks
by Junjie Jiang, Hao Wu, Dan Zhu, Jiameng Yang, Jianying Huang, Shuo Gao and Gang Lv
Animals 2020, 10(2), 268; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10020268 - 08 Feb 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2681
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with protease and phytase on growth performance, serum physiochemical parameters, and activities of digestive enzymes in jejunal digesta of meat ducks. Experiment 1 was carried out to determine the effects of different [...] Read more.
Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with protease and phytase on growth performance, serum physiochemical parameters, and activities of digestive enzymes in jejunal digesta of meat ducks. Experiment 1 was carried out to determine the effects of different protease or phytase on growth performance, serum physiochemical parameter, and activities of digestive enzymes in jejunal digesta of meat ducks to select the optimal phytase or protease. According to the hatching age and initial weight, a total of 5040 Cherry Valley ducks (15 days of age) were randomly assigned into six treatments. Treatments included a basal control diet (CON) and 5 basal diets supplemented with different enzyme preparations, which were phytase preparation A (PA, 160 g/t), phytase preparation B (PB, 800 g/t), protease preparation A (PTA, 80 g/t), protease preparation B (PTB, 300 g/t) and protease preparation C (PTC, 200 g/t). The enzyme activities were as follows: Phytase A and B as well as protease A, B, and C were 50,000, 10,000, 250,000, 50,000, and 60,000 U/g, respectively. Each treatment had 7 replicates with 120 meat ducks per replicate. Experiment 1 lasted for 28 days. The results showed that: compared with the CON group, the PA group significantly decreased contents of serum phosphorus and calcium (p < 0.05), and the PTA, PTB, and PTC groups had higher activities of trypsin in jejunal digesta (p < 0.05), and the activity of jejunal chymotrypsin in PTA group was greater (p < 0.05). Experiment 2 was carried out to determine the effects of dietary supplementation with protease and phytase in low-energy and low-protein diet on growth performance, serum physiochemical parameters, and activities of digestive enzymes in jejunal digesta of meat ducks. According to the hatching age and initial weight, a total of 5760 Cherry Valley ducks (15 days of age) were randomly assigned into four treatments on the basis of a trial of 2 × 2 factorial design. Treatments included a basal control diet (PC), basal diet supplemented with enzymes (PCE), low-energy and low-protein diet (LEP), and low-energy and low-protein diet supplemented with enzymes (LEPE), the nutrient levels of energy and CP of basal diet were 2747.2 cal·ME/kg and 16.80%, respectively, and the nutrient levels of energy and CP of low-energy and low-protein diet decreased 45.90 kcal·ME/kg and 0.52% on the basis of basal diet, respectively. According to the results of experiment 1, phytase A and protease A were determined as the optimal enzyme combination of Experiment 2, and additional dosage of which were identical with Experiment 1. Each treatment had 6 replicates with 240 meat ducks per replicate. Experiment 2 lasted for 28 days. The results showed that: compared with PC and LEP groups, PCE and LEPE groups had higher final weight and average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05), higher activities of trypsin and chymotrypsin in jejunal digesta (p < 0.05), lower contents of serum calcium and phosphorus as well as higher levels of high-density lipoprotein in the serum (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with phytase and protease in different energy and protein diets could increase digestive enzymes in jejunal digesta, effect serum physiochemical parameters, improve metabolic status, and increase the growth performance of meat ducks. Meanwhile, with the dietary supplementation with phytase and protease in the lower energy and protein diet, the growth performance could reach to the degree of the higher energy and increased protein diet, but without the addition of phytase and protease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
15 pages, 309 KiB  
Article
Nisin as a Novel Feed Additive: The Effects on Gut Microbial Modulation and Activity, Histological Parameters, and Growth Performance of Broiler Chickens
by Bartosz Kierończyk, Mateusz Rawski, Zuzanna Mikołajczak, Sylwester Świątkiewicz and Damian Józefiak
Animals 2020, 10(1), 101; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/ani10010101 - 08 Jan 2020
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4352
Abstract
Two independent experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of nisin alone or with monensin on gut microbiota, gut microbial activities, and histomorphology (exp 1) and the effect of nisin application in a dose‒response manner on the growth performance of broiler chickens (exp [...] Read more.
Two independent experiments were performed to evaluate the effect of nisin alone or with monensin on gut microbiota, gut microbial activities, and histomorphology (exp 1) and the effect of nisin application in a dose‒response manner on the growth performance of broiler chickens (exp 2). A total of 900 one-day-old female Ross 308 chicks (400, exp 1; 500, exp 2) were randomly distributed to four groups (exp 1; 10 replicate pens per treatment with 10 birds each), i.e., NA, no additives; MON, monensin (100 ppm); NIS, nisin (2700 IU/kg diet); and MON + NIS, a mixture of monensin (100 ppm) and nisin (2700 IU/kg diet); or 5 treatments (exp 2), NA, no additives; NIS100, nisin (100 IU/kg diet); NIS200, nisin (200 IU/kg diet); NIS400, nisin (400 IU/kg diet); and NIS800, nisin (800 IU/kg diet). Nisin supplementation positively affected the microbiota of the gut by reducing potentially pathogenic bacterial populations in the jejunum and ceca. The bacterial fermentation in the jejunum was significantly lowered by nisin addition. The addition of nisin from 100 IU to 800 IU decreased the FCR value over the entire experimental period. According to the results, nisin can be considered a natural dietary supplement for broiler chickens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modern Cereal Varieties or Feed Additives—Is There a Winner for the Health and Welfare of Animals?)
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-11
Back to TopTop