Seaweeds, including the green Ulva lactuca, can potentially reduce competition between feed, food, and fuel. They can also contribute to the improved development of weaned piglets. However, their ...indigestible polysaccharides of the cell wall pose a challenge. This can be addressed through carbohydrase supplementation, such as the recombinant ulvan lyase. The objective of our study was to assess the muscle metabolism of weaned piglets fed with 7% U. lactuca and 0.01% ulvan lyase supplementation, using an integrated transcriptomics (RNA-seq) and proteomics (LC-MS) approach. Feeding piglets with seaweed and enzyme supplementation resulted in reduced macronutrient availability, leading to protein degradation through the proteasome (PSMD2), with resulting amino acids being utilized as an energy source (GOT2, IDH3B). Moreover, mineral element accumulation may have contributed to increased oxidative stress, evident from elevated levels of antioxidant proteins like catalase, as a response to maintaining tissue homeostasis. The upregulation of the gene AQP7, associated with the osmotic stress response, further supports these findings. Consequently, an increase in chaperone activity, including HSP90, was required to repair damaged proteins. Our results suggest that enzymatic supplementation may exacerbate the effects observed from feeding U. lactuca alone, potentially due to side effects of cell wall degradation during digestion.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is a major constraint to extensive animal production systems. The Australian sheep production is based on merino sheep, a European breed not tolerant to SWL. Tolerant ...alternative breeds such as the fat‐tailed Damara and the Dorper have been increasingly used in Australia and elsewhere, due to their robustness. The aim of this study was to understand the mineral profile of muscle and liver tissues of Australian Merino, Damara and Dorper, when subjected to SWL in order to understand SWL‐tolerance physiology. Twenty‐four lambs were divided randomly between growing (control) and nutritionally restricted groups for each breed. The trial lasted 42 days. Animals were weighed bi‐weekly and at the end of the trial, lambs were slaughtered. Liver and muscle samples were taken immediately after slaughter. Mineral assessment was carried out using inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry. Analysis of variance showed mineral concentrations were generally increased in the muscle of restricted animals, mainly because of fat tissue mobilization. An increase in Zn and Fe concentrations indicates an increase of enzymatic activity in the liver of restricted sheep as well as differential abundance of Fe‐containing proteins. High concentrations of Cu in the liver of Dorper indicate higher ability to accumulate this element, even under SWL.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The aim of the study was to determine the effect of dietary supplementation of a probiotic and a synbiotic on the morphometric parameters of the small intestine of broiler chickens. The experiment ...was conducted on three hundred sixty, one‐day‐old female Ross 308 chicks, which were randomly selected from 20,000 birds and divided into three treatment groups (n = 120) with ten replicates per treatment. The control group (C) was fed a commercial diet, the probiotic group (PRO) was fed the same diet with an added 1% of the probiotic Lavipan® (Lactococcus lactis, Carnobacterium divergens, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum and Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and the synbiotic group (SYN) was fed the commercial diet with an added synbiotic: 0.8% of the prebiotic RFO (extracted from lupin seeds) and 1% Lavipan®. According to the manufacturer's data, apart from the typical probiotic action,microorganisms contained in the preparation release anti‐bacterial substances (hydrogen peroxide and bacteriocins) and, therefore, are antagonistic towards pathogenic bacteria present in the gut of animals. Supplementation took place in the first seven days of rearing, and all birds had ad libitum access to water and feed during the 42 days of the experiment. On the last day, all birds were slaughtered and samples from three segments of the small intestine were taken. Villi area, height, width and crypt depth ratios were read using Multiscan software. Synbiotic supplementation increased the BWG of broilers from first to tenth day of rearing, compared to the control group. The PRO group had improved villi morphometric parameters of the duodenum. In the jejunum and ileum, both bioactive substances improved villus width and villus surface area. Crypts were deeper in the small intestine of birds supplemented with bioactive substances, which allows greater renewal of the villi. As expected, the intestinal morphometric parameters of broiler chickens benefited from bioactive substance supplementation.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Laminaria digitata is a novel feedstuff that can be used in pig diets to replace conventional feedstuffs. However, its resilient cell wall can prevent the monogastric digestive system from accessing ...intracellular nutrients. Carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) supplementation is a putative solution for this problem, degrading the cell wall during digestion. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of 10% L. digitata feed inclusion and CAZyme supplementation on the meat quality and nutritional value of weaned piglets. Forty weaned piglets were randomly allocated to four experimental groups (n = 10): control, LA (10% L. digitata, replacing the control diet), LAR (LA + CAZyme (0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP)) and LAL (LA + CAZyme (0.01% alginate lyase)) and the trial lasted for two weeks. The diets had no effect on any zootechnical parameters measured (p > 0.05) and meat quality traits, except for the pH measured 24 h post-mortem, which was higher in LAL compared to LA (p = 0.016). Piglets fed with seaweed had a significantly lower n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio compared to control, to which the higher accumulation of C20:5n-3 (p = 0.001) and C18:4n-3 (p < 0.0001) contributed. In addition, meat of seaweed-fed piglets was enriched with bromine (Br, p < 0.001) and iodine (I, p < 0.001) and depicted a higher oxidative stability. This study demonstrates that the nutritional value of piglets’ meat could be improved by the dietary incorporation of L. digitata, regardless of CAZyme supplementation, without negatively affecting growth performance in the post-weaning stage.
Seaweeds have caught the attention of the scientific community in recent years. Their production can mitigate the negative impact of anthropogenic activity and their use in animal nutrition reduces ...the dependency on conventional crops such as maize and soybean meal. In the context of monogastric animals, novel approaches have made it possible to optimise their use in feed, namely polysaccharide extraction, biomass fermentation, enzymatic processing, and feed supplementation with carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Their bioactive properties make them putative candidates as feed ingredients that enhance meat quality traits, such as lipid oxidation, shelf-life, and meat colour. Indeed, they are excellent sources of essential amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and pigments that can be transferred to the meat of monogastric animals. However, their nutritional composition is highly variable, depending on species, harvesting region, local pollution, and harvesting season, among other factors. In this review, we assess the current use and challenges of using seaweeds in pig and poultry diets, envisaging to improve meat quality and its nutritional value.
Bioactive substances may constitute an alternative to antibiotics. Probiotics are mixtures of microorganisms that enhance the effectiveness and yield of nutrient absorption by competing for the ...substrate against pathogens that may cause intestinal infections. Prebiotics are organic substances which include complex carbohydrates and have an influence on the growth and activity of desirable intestinal microflora. Synbiotics are a combination of both of them. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of synbiotics added to commercial feed on Pectoralis major muscle microstructure in broiler chickens. Research material consisted of 240 one-day-old Ross 308 female chicks. Birds were divided into 2 groups, 12 broilers each (replicated 10 times). The control group (C) was fed a commercial diet, and the SYN group was fed the same diet with added synbiotic: 0.8% of prebiotic RFO (raffinose family oligosaccharides) extracted from lupin seeds and 1% of probiotic Lavipan®. Birds were slaughtered at day 42. Immediately after slaughter, samples of the Pectoralis major muscle for histological analysis were taken and frozen in liquid nitrogen. The staining procedures performed were: hematoxylin and eosin staining to evaluate fibre diameter and histopathological changes, oil red staining to determine intramuscular fat content, NADH-TR (tetrazolium reductase) activity to distinguish muscle fibre types and alkaline phosphatase reaction for counting the number of capillaries. The tendency to reduced muscle fibre diameter in chickens supplemented with synbiotics indicates an increase in muscle fibre density, which gives meat a more delicate structure. When assessing the occurrence of histopathological changes, significantly more fibre splitting was observed in the control group. Moreover, the positive effect of feed supplementation with synbiotics on muscle microvascularization could have an important practical meaning, because low physical activity of chickens during rearing may lead to ischemic muscles, increased changes in the structure of muscle fibres, and reduction of meat quality.
Muskox (
Ovibos moschatus
) and caribou (
Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus
) are wild ruminants that inhabit the Greenland tundra. They are part of the diet of many Greenlanders, being important ...sources of protein and micronutrients such as iron. The objective of this study is to analyse the element profiles of three tissues from these species: skeletal muscle, liver and adipose tissue, and to determine if they are affected by species and sex (male vs. female). Samples were obtained from annual hunts in two different regions of West Greenland. Element profiles were analysed using inductively-coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry. The interaction between species and sex was only detected in Na (sodium) in the muscle and adipose tissue, where male and female caribou had the highest concentrations, respectively. The effect of sex was not statistically significant in the liver samples and only occasionally in the other tissues. Species was the most relevant factor in element profiles found in this study. Caribou had higher concentrations of K (potassium) and S (sulphur) in the muscle and liver. Fewer differences were detected between species in the adipose tissue, compared to the other tissues. These differences may reflect the feeding behaviour and the geographical location of both species. This study contributes to evaluate the element composition of the edible tissue of these wild ungulate species, as well as evaluating the factors of sex and species that could differentiate their composition.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
Seed germination tests have been widely used in recent years to indicate the toxicity levels of samples of organic compounds, biosolids, residues and effluents. Lactuca sativa L, commonly known as ...lettuce, has been one of the main indicative species for these tests due to its high sensitivity to low levels of toxicity, when compared to other seeds and also because it is cultivated worldwide. Although this type of analysis or essay is being widely used, it is necessary to reflect on the various adaptations of methods used by different researchers worldwide. This work presents an innovative methodology that makes it possible to compare the different phytotoxicity methods currently used in the world, through four stages that include the coefficient of variation (CV) as the main classification criterion, also counting on an eliminatory criterion. The existence of a significant difference (P value < 0.05) between the evaluated tests was proven. The phytotoxicity test that presented the lowest CV was T8 (test with lettuce seeds at 25 °C, 60 min agitation, resting overnight, 5 mL of sample on the plate, 90 mm size plate). It has concluded that not all adaptations of this type of test are reliable. It has also concluded that there is a lack of standardization for the phytotoxicity test on a global scale, which makes the various researchers in the field end up promoting variations, adaptations for the phytotoxicity test; therefore, there is an urgent need for ways to compare these variations, as the innovation proposed by this work. With a single standard methodology, we conclude that it will make it possible to compare phytotoxicity in samples directly between countries and continents, being able to generate a worldwide panorama of phytotoxicity, publicizing and comparing the standardized phytotoxicity levels in each region.
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•The proposed innovation allows to compare different phytotoxicity tests.•There is a significant difference between the different phytotoxicity methods.•The need for standardization is urgent, given the new scientific discovery.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The impact of the dietary incorporation of 7% Ulva lactuca, a green seaweed, on the quality and nutritional value of piglet's meat was assessed. U. lactuca is rich in nutrients and bioactive ...compounds but its cell wall is composed of complex polysaccharides that reduce their bioavailability. Therefore, the effect of supplementing piglet diets with exogenous carbohydrases was also assessed here. A total of 40 male weaned piglets were divided into four dietary groups, each with 10 piglets: control (wheat, maize and soybean meal-based diet), UL (7% U. lactuca replacing the control diet), UL + R (UL and 0.005% Rovabio®), and UL + E (UL and 0.01% ulvan lyase). The piglets were fed the diets for 2 weeks. The results showed that incorporating U. lactuca in piglet diets did not influence most of the meat quality traits (P > 0.05). However, the incorporation of U. lactuca with the commercial carbohydrase (UL + R) increased the amount of the docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3) in their meat (P = 0.011) compared with the control, by 54%. In addition, meat from piglets fed seaweed diets showed a nearly two-fold increase in iodine contents (P < 0.001). Meat tenderness, juiciness and overall acceptability of piglets fed the control diet and the UL diet were lower than those fed the diets containing seaweed and carbohydrases (P < 0.001). Overall, the findings indicate that 7% U. lactuca in the diets of weaned piglets had no major detrimental effects on meat quality and their carbohydrase supplementation has the potential to improve meat sensory traits.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Seasonal weight loss (SWL), is a major limitation to animal production. In the Canary Islands, there are two dairy goat breeds with different levels of tolerance to SWL: Majorera (tolerant) and ...Palmera (susceptible). Our team has studied the response of these breeds to SWL using different Omics tools. The objective of this study was to integrate such results in a data driven approach and using dedicated tools, namely the DIABLO method. The outputs of our analysis mainly separate unrestricted from restricted goats. Metabolites behave as “hub” molecules, grouping interactions with several genes and proteins. Unrestricted goats upregulated protein synthesis, along with arginine catabolism and adipogenesis pathways, which are related with higher anabolic rates and a larger proportion of secretory tissue, in agreement with their higher milk production. Contrarily, restricted goats seemingly increased the synthesis of acetyl-CoA through serine and acetate conversion into pyruvate. This may have occurred to increase fatty acid synthesis and/or to use them as an energy source in detriment to glucose, which was more available in the diet of unrestricted goats. Lastly, restricted Palmera upregulated the expression of PEBP4 and GPD1 genes compared to all other groups, which might support their use as putative biomarkers for SWL susceptibility.
Seasonal weight loss (SWL) is a major issue influencing animal production in the tropics and Mediterranean. By studying its impact on the mammary gland of tolerant and susceptible dairy goat breeds, using Omics, we aim at surveying the tissue for possible biomarkers that reflect these traits. In this study, data integration of three Omics (transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics) was performed using bioinformatic tools, to relate putative biomarkers and evaluate all three levels of information; in a novel approach. This information can enhance selection programs, lowering the impact of SWL on food production systems.
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•Majorera and Palmera goats are resilient and susceptible to seasonal weight loss (SWL).•Multi-omics data integration can reveal and relate biomarkers of interest.•PEBP4 and GPD1 genes are possible indicators of SWL susceptibility.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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