Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-22DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.008
Avila-Valbuena Samuel David, Pérez-Rubio María del Rocío
{"title":"Termites and their gut microbiome in animal nutrition: Advances and biotechnological applications","authors":"Avila-Valbuena Samuel David, Pérez-Rubio María del Rocío","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.008","url":null,"abstract":"Since the late 20th century, termites have attracted attention due to the vast potential of their gut microbiome and digestive enzymes, which enable them to efficiently degrade lignocellulosic biomass, making them a promising resource for animal nutrition, particularly for recovering fibrous waste. Termite gastrointestinal symbionts and enzymes are highly effective at decomposing plant fiber, thus positioning them as natural bioreactors with significant biotechnological potential. This review examines the evolving applications of termites in animal feed, including their incorporation as protein sources in diets for monogastric animals and fish, as well as the utilization of bacteria, fungi, and enzymes derived from their guts as additives to enhance the digestibility of agricultural byproducts in both ruminants and non-ruminants. Furthermore, recent developments have demonstrated the identification and heterologous expression of lignocellulolytic enzymes and metabolites with prebiotic and detoxifying properties. The diversity of termite species offers an exceptional source of microbial communities, highly adaptable to various fibrous substrates due to their diet, which enhances their potential despite existing limitations in cultivation and process standardization. However, their gut microbiota remains an untapped resource with immense potential to improve feed efficiency, promote sustainability, and reduce reliance on conventional inputs. It is concluded that in vivo studies at larger scale are needed to fully realize the potential of these symbiotic systems in animal nutrition.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-21DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.005
Xuezhao Sun, Fiona Matiya, Pablo S. Alvarez-Hess, Katherine Lowe, Silke Jacques, Martin J. Auldist, David Pacheco
{"title":"Dose-dependent inhibitory effects of an investigational feed additive containing bromoform on methane emissions from cattle fed fresh pasture","authors":"Xuezhao Sun, Fiona Matiya, Pablo S. Alvarez-Hess, Katherine Lowe, Silke Jacques, Martin J. Auldist, David Pacheco","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"Bromoform, a bioactive compound in certain seaweeds, has gained attention for its methane-mitigating effects in ruminants. Research is underway to use synthetic bromoform as an alternative for providing consistent and predictable dosing of the bioactive compound, but its inherent volatility and liquid form limit its application. To address these challenges, an investigational feed additive (IFA) in the form of a powder containing synthetic bromoform has been developed by Rumin8 Pty Ltd., West Perth, WA, Australia. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Rumin8 IFA on methane emissions from cattle fed fresh pasture. Sixteen 18-month-old Hereford × Friesian heifers (427±11 kg; mean ± SD) were stratified by weight and randomly allocated to control and treatment groups using a randomised block design. Treatments included IFA doses at 100, 300, or 500 mg/d of bromoform per heifer, plus a placebo control. The heifers were fed fresh pasture twice daily with a total feed allowance set at a level of 1.6 to 1.8 times their maintenance energy requirements with 800 g of dried distiller's grain pellets containing treatments or placebo before each meal. After 16 d, the heifers’ methane emissions were measured in open-circuit respiration chambers for 48 h. The results showed that pasture-fed heifers produced less methane when treated with the bromoform-containing IFA at every dose level (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Reductions of up to 50% in methane emissions were observed in the first 4 h after feeding (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Methane yield declined linearly with bromoform dose (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001), showing 16% (300 mg) and 24% (500 mg) reductions vs. control (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). No treatment effect on feed intake or bromoform accumulation in muscle or fat was observed. In summary, the IFA containing synthetic bromoform significantly reduced methane emissions in pasture-fed heifers, with a clear dose-response relationship, no adverse effect on feed intake, and no detectable residues in muscle or fat. These results have significant implications for reducing the environmental impact of cattle production, offering a practical solution to the challenge of methane emissions in pasture-fed systems where animals have access to supplements.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"201 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Influence of coated cobalamin on lactation performance, nutrient digestion, and proteins related to mammary epithelial cell proliferation and milk fatty acid synthesis in dairy cows","authors":"Jing Zhang, Jiaojiao Lang, Changjian Xue, Qiang Liu, Caixia Pei","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.006","url":null,"abstract":"Cobalamin (vitamin B<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>, VB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>) has the potential to enhance the digestion of dietary nutrients, optimize energy distribution, and stimulate the proliferation of mammary epithelial cells (MECs), which in turn can promote milk production performance. The influence of VB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> on nutrient digestion and energy distribution has been studied; however, its effects on MEC proliferation and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. This study investigated the influence of coated VB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> (CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>) on milk production, nutrient digestion, MECs proliferation and milk fatty acid synthesis in dairy cows. This in vivo study involved 88 multiparous Holstein cows with similar body weight (BW; 633 ± 16.2 kg), previous 305-d milk production (9035 ± 186.2 kg), parity (3.1 ± 0.28), and age (5.6 ± 0.31 years). These cows were selected from 6 weeks preparturition to 9 weeks postparturition. They were blocked by parity, previous milk yield, and expected calving date and divided into four treatment groups of 22 cows per group: control, low CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> (LCVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>), medium CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> (MCVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>), and high CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> (HCVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>), receiving 0, 6, 12, and 18 mg of VB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> per cow per day, respectively. Although dry matter intake was unaffected, yields of actual milk, 4% fat-corrected milk, energy-corrected milk, and milk components (fat, true protein, and lactose) increased quadratically (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Milk fat content increased linearly (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.021) with no significant changes in milk true protein and lactose contents after CVB12 supplementation. The apparent nutrient digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, ether extract, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber increased linearly (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) following the provision of CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>. Serum contents of VB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf>, glucose, and total protein linearly increased (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), while those of methylmalonic acid, nonesterified fatty acid, and β-hydroxybutyric acid linearly decreased (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) following CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> provision. Supplementing 12 mg/d of CVB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> promoted MECs proliferation and fatty acid synthesis, as indicated by the upregulated expression of proliferation-related proteins, the suppression of apoptosis-related proteins, the phosphorylation of protein kinase B (Akt) and rapamycin target protein (mTOR), and the increased expression of fatty acid synthesis-related proteins. The in vitro study verified the promoting effect of VB<ce:inf loc=\"post\">12</ce:inf> on MECs proliferation and further eluci","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144901794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-12DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.004
Xiaosong Wang, Shu Li, Jiali Chen, Lei Liu, Fuchang Li
{"title":"Effects of the α-ketoglutaric acid on the performance, hair follicle development and antioxidant capacity of Rex rabbit","authors":"Xiaosong Wang, Shu Li, Jiali Chen, Lei Liu, Fuchang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of α-ketoglutaric acid (AKG) supplementation on hair follicle development and to evaluate the effects on performance and antioxidant capacity in Rex rabbits. The mechanism was explored in an in vitro model and validated in an animal trial. Firstly, dermal papilla cells (DPCs) line was cultured with AKG as an in vitro model. Next, a total of 160 Rex rabbits (120-d-old, body weight 2473.20 ± 17.08 g) were divided into 4 groups with 40 rabbits in each group (20 male and 20 female) and fed with 0, 0.5%, 1.0% and 1.5% AKG diets for 35 d. The result showed that 6 mmol/L AKG significantly promoted cell proliferation (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.001), reduced the proportion of cells in the synthesis (S) phase and increased the gap 2 (G2) phase (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.01). Transcriptomics results indicated that AKG enhanced DPCs exosome secretion capacity, increased susceptibility to extracellular signaling molecules, and improved their regulatory effects on neighboring cells. Additionally, the findings suggested that AKG-mediated promotion of hair follicle development may be associated with wingless/integrated (Wnt) signaling pathway. Meanwhile, AKG enhanced the expression levels of genes and proteins in the Wnt signaling pathway in DPCs and Rex rabbit skin tissue (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). AKG treatment increased the concentrations of glutamine, glutamic acid, asparagine and aspartic acid amino acids in the DPCs (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.05). Finally, 1.5% AKG significantly increased the performance, slaughter performance, primary hair follicle density, secondary hair follicle density and total hair follicle density of Rex rabbits, significantly increasing the antioxidant capacity in the skin, liver and serum of Rex rabbits, while up-regulating the expression of anti-apoptotic and antioxidant-related genes in skin tissues (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.05). In summary, dietary supplementation of 1.5% AKG significantly improved performance, hair follicle density and antioxidant capacity in Rex rabbits. AKG may promote hair follicle development by reducing intracellular amino acid breakdown and enhancing the Wnt signaling pathway.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-11DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.014
Ranran Zhao, Xuan Wang, Huihui Zhou, Chengdong Liu, Kangsen Mai, Gen He
{"title":"Replacing fishmeal with composite plant protein meal affects nutrient metabolism via mTOR signaling pathway of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)","authors":"Ranran Zhao, Xuan Wang, Huihui Zhou, Chengdong Liu, Kangsen Mai, Gen He","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.014","url":null,"abstract":"This study evaluated the effects of a fishmeal-reduced diet containing a composite plant protein meal (soybean meal:peanut meal:gluten meal ratio = 20:10:3) on growth performance, metabolic homeostasis, and nutrient-sensing signaling pathway activation in Pacific white shrimp (<ce:italic>Litopenaeus vannamei</ce:italic>). In an 8-week feeding trial, 720 shrimp (initial weight = 0.85 ± 0.01 g) were randomly divided into 12 tanks (3 tanks per group) and fed four isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets with different plant protein levels (30%, 36%, 43%, and 50%) named as PP30, PP36, PP43, and PP50, respectively. Results showed that increasing dietary plant protein levels significantly reduced the growth performance, feed utilization, survival rate (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and the muscle free amino acid concentrations from 22.50 to 18.73 mg/g (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001), and significantly increased the hepatopancreas lipid droplet area from 11.52% to 23.70% (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.002), while enhancing the lipogenesis pathway (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). It also suppressed the protein synthesis pathway, the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway, and activated the general control non-derepressible 2 (GCN2) pathway, which detects uncharged tRNA and inhibits protein synthesis. The AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway was activated indicating energy deprivation in response to dietary plant protein. In summary, high levels of dietary plant protein inhibited the mTOR signaling pathway, activated the GCN2 and AMPK signaling pathways, and promoted lipid deposition in the hepatopancreas. These findings provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic changes in shrimp fed different protein sources.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.013
Yu Pi, Chunlong Mu, Kan Gao, Zhuang Liu, Yu Peng, Kaifan Yu, Yong Su, Weiyun Zhu
{"title":"Increasing carbohydrates or nitrogenous compounds by cecal infusion leads to an opposite influence on colonic microbiota and host metabolism in a pig model","authors":"Yu Pi, Chunlong Mu, Kan Gao, Zhuang Liu, Yu Peng, Kaifan Yu, Yong Su, Weiyun Zhu","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.013","url":null,"abstract":"Gut microbes, particularly those in the hindgut, play an important role in fermenting undigested nutrients (carbohydrates and proteins) and in regulating host metabolism via the gut-host metabolic axis. However, the effects of variations in the ratio of carbohydrates to proteins on host metabolism remain largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the response of large intestinal microbiota and host metabolism to changes in nutrient substrate availability by infusing corn starch or casein hydrolysate via cecal cannulas. Twenty-four growing pigs with cecal cannulas were randomly divided into three groups (<ce:italic>n</ce:italic> = 8): a control group infused with saline; a starch group infused with corn starch; and a casein group infused with casein hydrolysate (50 g/d) dissolved in saline. The infusion was performed daily for 19 d. Compared with the control, starch infusion significantly increased the relative abundances of <ce:italic>Bifidobacterium</ce:italic>, Bacteroidales S24-7 group and <ce:italic>Megasphaera</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), while decreasing <ce:italic>Anaerovibrio</ce:italic>, <ce:italic>Campylobacter</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>Veillonella</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Conversely, casein hydrolysate infusion significantly increased <ce:italic>Streptococcus</ce:italic>, <ce:italic>Desulfovibrio</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>Mogibacterium</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), while decreasing <ce:italic>Coprococcus</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>Ruminococcus</ce:italic> at the genus level (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Starch infusion increased short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001), whereas casein hydrolysate infusion reduced them (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.001); these effects were observed in both colonic digesta and liver. Additionally, serum metabolomics and liver gene expression analysis revealed that host metabolic states were significantly altered in different ways following starch and casein hydrolysate infusion (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Starch infusion enhanced host energy metabolism, gluconeogenesis and lipid metabolism by increasing concentrations of tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle-related metabolites (e.g., succinic acid, oxaloacetic acid, L-malic acid) and fatty acid (FA) synthesis (e.g., D-glyceric acid, stearic acid and palmitic acid) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), alongside upregulation of FA synthase (<ce:italic>FAS</ce:italic>), stearoyl-CoA desaturase (<ce:italic>SCD</ce:italic>), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (<ce:italic>ACC</ce:italic>), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (<ce:italic>PCK1</ce:italic>) and pyruvate kinase (<ce:italic>PK</ce:italic>) gene expression (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In contrast, casein hydrolysate infusion enhanced glycolysis and reduced FA synthesis by increasing glucose-6-phosphate, L-lactic acid, glycerol, glycolic acid, etc. (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900500","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2024.12.010
Li Dong, Yangshu Zhou, Mengxuan Wang, Qingqing Yuan, Guangzhi Qiu, Jun Liu, Hongrong Wang, Aimin Wu, Lihuai Yu, Daiwen Chen
{"title":"Terpine-4-ol alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced intestinal injury in weaned piglets by regulating intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway","authors":"Li Dong, Yangshu Zhou, Mengxuan Wang, Qingqing Yuan, Guangzhi Qiu, Jun Liu, Hongrong Wang, Aimin Wu, Lihuai Yu, Daiwen Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2024.12.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2024.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"This study aims to elucidate intestinal injury from the perspective of intestinal epithelial cell homeostasis and to explore the modulatory roles of terpine-4-ol (a major bioactive component of tea tree oil). Forty 28-day-old piglets (7.82 ± 0.43 kg) were randomly divided into 5 groups with 8 pigs per group. Piglets in the control (CON) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) groups were fed a basal diet, while those in the remaining 3 groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 30 (LTP), 60 (MTP), or 90 mg/kg terpine-4-ol (HTP), respectively. Piglets in the LPS and terpine-4-ol supplementation groups were intraperitoneally injected with 100 μg/kg BW of LPS at the end of the 21-day growth period. Six hours after injection, 6 piglets from each group were randomly selected and slaughtered to detect intestinal cell homeostasis. The results showed that the average daily weight gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) of piglets in MTP and HTP groups were higher than those in the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), whereas the feed conversion ratio (FCR) of piglets in LTP group were lower as compared to the CON group (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Terpine-4-ol supplementation also decreased the diarrhea rate of piglets. Lipopolysaccharide challenge decreased the villus length and the ratio of villus length to crypt depth (V/C) in the jejunum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), decreased the V/C ratio and increased the crypt depth in the ileum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In contrast, terpine-4-ol supplementation led to increased villus length and V/C ratio in the jejunum, raised the V/C ratio in the HTP group, and decreased crypt depth in the LTP and MTP groups in the ileum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Lipopolysaccharide reduced the number of Ki67<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> cells and increased the number of caspase 3<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> cells (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) in both the jejunum and ileum, whereas terpine-4-ol increased the number of Ki67<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> cells in the crypts of the jejunum and ileum, while decreasing the number of caspase 3<ce:sup loc=\"post\">+</ce:sup> cells of the the ileum and in the jejunum of MTP and HTP groups (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). Lipopolysaccharide down-regulated the expression of the intestinal stem cell marker leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05, execpt for <ce:italic>Lgr5</ce:italic> gene in the jejunum), while terpine-4-ol supplementation alleviated the effect. Lipopolysaccharide decreased the number of goblet cells and mucin 2 (Muc2) secretion (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), whereas the number of goblet cells and Muc2 secretion in the small intestine of MTP group was increased (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). In addition, LPS injection led to a reduction in the expression of endocrine cell marker chromogranin A and absorption cell marker villin (<ce","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-08-06DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.012
Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Ester Arévalo Sureda, Matthias Corion, Luke Comer, Haoran Zhao, Martine Schroyen, Nadia Everaert
{"title":"Effects of coarse corn or oat hulls on growth performance, intestinal health, and microbiota modulation in underperforming broilers","authors":"Muhammad Zeeshan Akram, Ester Arévalo Sureda, Matthias Corion, Luke Comer, Haoran Zhao, Martine Schroyen, Nadia Everaert","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.04.012","url":null,"abstract":"Intra-flock body weight (BW) variability in broilers increases production costs, as underperforming chicks often show suboptimal gut development and performance. Increasing grain particle size and dietary fiber content has been shown to improve digestive efficiency and intestinal health. This study investigated whether dietary inclusion of coarse corn (CC) and oat hulls (OH) could improve gut health and reduce the performance gap between low- and high-BW (LBW and HBW) broilers. On d 7, 1400 Ross 308 male broilers were categorized as LBW or HBW, with 504 LBW chicks assigned to 4 isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets with 10% fine corn (LBWC), 7% CC with 3% fine corn (LBW+CC), 3% OH with 10% fine corn (LBW+OH), or 7% CC and 3% OH (LBW+CO). High BW chicks received a 10% fine corn diet (HBWC). Each group had 6 replicates with 21 chicks per pen. The HBWC group showed the highest BW at each timepoint (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05). By d 38, LBW+OH chicks had significantly reduced the weight difference with HBWC chicks and significantly outperformed LBWC chicks (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001), whereas other groups showed intermediate values. CC and OH, individually or combined, reduced the relative plasma FITC-dextrann concentration d 14 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.014) and increased gizzard weights on d 21 and 38 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05) as compared with LBWC group. The LBW+OH group showed increased pancreas relative weight on d 21 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.005, vs. HBWC) and villus height (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.042, vs. LBWC) on d 38. Additionally, LBW+OH group reduced isobutyrate and isovalerate levels in caecum (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05, vs. HBWC and LBWC) on d 21, and upregulated ileal genes related to gut barrier function (<ce:italic>CLDN1,</ce:italic> vs. HBWC and LBWC; <ce:italic>CLDN4</ce:italic>, vs. HBWC; <ce:italic>CLDN5,</ce:italic> vs. LBWC), amino acid and glucose transporters (<ce:italic>SLC15A1</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>SLC1A4,</ce:italic> vs. HBWC and LBWC), and immune function (<ce:italic>NOS2</ce:italic>, vs. HBWC and LBWC; <ce:italic>TLR4</ce:italic>, vs. HBWC) on d 14 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.05), and sodium-phosphate transporter <ce:italic>SLC34A2</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.049, vs. HBWC) on d 38. LBW+CC birds upregulated <ce:italic>SLC15A1</ce:italic> (vs. HBWC and LBWC) on d 38 (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> < 0.001). <ce:italic>Lactobacillus</ce:italic> was enriched in the caecum of HBWC birds, while <ce:italic>Escherichia-Shigella</ce:italic> was abundant in LBWC birds on d 14, with CC and OH promoting beneficial bacterial shifts in LBW groups. Overall, incorporating structural components into diets, particularly 3% OH, enhanced gastrointestinal development, intestinal integrity, and growth performance in LBW broilers. These improvements reduced disparities in BW between LBW and HBW birds, thereby contributing to more uniform flock performance at slaughter age.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"31 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144900501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-21eCollection Date: 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.05.003
Wen Ren, Estefanía Pérez-Calvo, Jiri Broz
{"title":"Benzoic acid-the cornerstone of any swine nutrition program.","authors":"Wen Ren, Estefanía Pérez-Calvo, Jiri Broz","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Benzoic acid (BA) is an organic acid that has become a key dietary supplement in swine production, offering a comprehensive approach to improving gut health and performance while addressing challenges such as antimicrobial resistance and environmental sustainability. This review explores the existing literature on dietary BA supplementation across different physiological stages of pigs: weaned piglets, growing-finishing pigs, and sows. Although the exact mechanism of action of BA is not yet fully understood, three non-mutually exclusive mechanisms have been proposed: 1) modulation of the microbiota, which may inhibit pathogenic bacteria in both the feed and the gut; 2) a reduction in gastric pH, leading to increased pepsin activity and improved nutrient digestibility; and 3) urine acidification resulting from BA metabolism, which may limit bacterial activity in the urinary tract and lower the pH of slurry. Consequently, BA supplementation has been shown to improve growth performance, reduce the incidence of diarrhea, and enhance nutrient digestibility, thereby promoting overall pig health. Additionally, BA supplementation has been associated with a reduced risk of urinary tract infections in sows during farrowing and a decrease in ammonia emissions from slurry. This review highlights BA's potential as a viable alternative to conventional antimicrobial growth promoters. It also stresses the need for further research to optimize BA supplementation strategies and investigate its synergistic effects with other additives. Such knowledge is crucial for developing sustainable swine production systems that prioritize animal health and environmental stewardship without compromising performance or economic viability.</p>","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"22 ","pages":"352-362"},"PeriodicalIF":7.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12395077/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144940155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Animal NutritionPub Date : 2025-07-18DOI: 10.1016/j.aninu.2025.03.021
Shuang Li, Jie Zheng, Yang Zhao, Jiaqi He, Hao Liu, Wei Zhong, Yingyan Huang, Zhen Li, Min Yang, Xilun Zhao, Bin Feng, Lianqiang Che, Zhengfeng Fang, Jian Li, Shengyu Xu, Yan Lin, Xuemei Jiang, Lun Hua, Yong Zhuo, De Wu
{"title":"Lactobacillus strains from sows improve swine appetite by reducing the pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations","authors":"Shuang Li, Jie Zheng, Yang Zhao, Jiaqi He, Hao Liu, Wei Zhong, Yingyan Huang, Zhen Li, Min Yang, Xilun Zhao, Bin Feng, Lianqiang Che, Zhengfeng Fang, Jian Li, Shengyu Xu, Yan Lin, Xuemei Jiang, Lun Hua, Yong Zhuo, De Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.aninu.2025.03.021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aninu.2025.03.021","url":null,"abstract":"Lactational feed intake (LFI) is important for the efficiency of sow production. Previous studies indicated that the gut microbiota participated in host appetite regulation. The role of the gut microbiota, especially <ce:italic>Lactobacillus mucosae</ce:italic> LM1 and <ce:italic>Lactobacillus amylovorus</ce:italic> in LFI regulation of sows was proved in the previous study. However, it is unclear whether and how <ce:italic>L</ce:italic>. <ce:italic>mucosae</ce:italic> and <ce:italic>L. amylovorus</ce:italic> affect feed intake. Forty-nine sows with similar backfat thickness (15.81 ± 0.31 mm), parity (3.36 ± 0.16), and initial litter size (10.08 ± 0.10) were used in the current study. They were stratified into high- (H group; LFI = 6.37 ± 0.10 kg/d, <ce:italic>n</ce:italic> = 26) and low LFI (L group; LFI = 4.85 ± 0.15 kg/d, <ce:italic>n</ce:italic> = 23) groups. The performance data and fresh feces samples were collected. The differences in the gut microbiota of sows were analyzed. On d 110 of gestation, the relative abundance of the phylum Proteobacteria (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.05) and the concentration of fecal endotoxin (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.032) were lower in H group sows than in L group sows, while <ce:italic>L. mucosae</ce:italic> (<ce:italic>P</ce:italic> = 0.021) was the dominant strain in high LFI sows. Three strains, <ce:italic>L</ce:italic>. <ce:italic>mucosae</ce:italic> (L.M), <ce:italic>L. amylovorus</ce:italic> 1 (L.A1) and <ce:italic>L. amylovorus</ce:italic> 2 (L.A2), from the feces of high LFI sows on d 7 of lactation were isolated. Whole genome sequencing results showed these strains had probiotic properties. Then, 50 piglets (the commercial pig offspring from a three-way cross between Landrace × York gilts and Duroc boars) at 28 d of age (initial body weight = 7.38 ± 0.26 kg) and 32 germ-free (GF) mice at 28 d of age (initial body weight = 13.45 ± 0.77 g) were used as models to verify the role and mechanism of dominant strains in host feeding regulation. Two gavage experiments confirmed that these strains of <ce:italic>Lactobacillus</ce:italic> reduced plasma or colon pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.05). These strains of <ce:italic>Lactobacillus</ce:italic> increased plasma glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) concentration in both animals and decreased the number of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1r) positive cells in the colon of GF mice (<ce:italic>P <</ce:italic> 0.05). Taken together, these findings suggested that these strains from high LFI sows improved in host feeding regulation by increasing the GLP-1 level to lower the inflammation level when reducing the number of GLP-1r positive cells to inhibit the GLP-1 activation on the satiety pathway. These results would provide novel information to enhance the feed intake of sows during lactation and even treat anorexia.","PeriodicalId":8184,"journal":{"name":"Animal Nutrition","volume":"25 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":6.3,"publicationDate":"2025-07-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144669811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}