• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.38 no.7
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• pp.495-502
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• 2005

This study was performed to investigate effects of dietary folic acid supplementation on plasma homocysteine levels, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance s (TBARS) level s and liver SAM/SAH ratio in hyperhomocysteinaemia-induced pregnant rats. Forty-two female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided three groups (C: control diet, HFD: $0.3\%$ homocystine and 0 mg folic acid diet, HFS: $0.3\%$ homocystine and 8 mg/kg folic acid diet) according to homocystine and folic acid levels in the diet. They were fed experimental diets for 5 weeks prior to the mating and also during the entire period of pregnancy till gestational day 20. Dietary folic acid supplementation caused a significant decrease in plasma homocysteine levels which had been increased by a homocystine-diet, with a concomitant increase in plasma and liver folate levels. Liver TBARS levels in homocysteine-folic acid-deficient group (HFD) were higher than those in control group. Dietary folic acid supplementation increased hepatic SAM/SAM ratio in homocysteine-folic acid- sopplemetantion group (HFS) when compared to the HFD (p < 0.05). These data suggest that folate depletion and elevated plasma homocysteine may promote oxidative stress in rat livers and influence the remethylation cycle of the homocysteine metabolism detrimentally. In conclusion, dietary folic acid supplementation was found to be effective for lowering plasma homocysteine levels, relieving oxidative stress, and improving the methylation status in the body.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.7
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• pp.1134-1145
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• 2021

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with Allium mongolicum Regel extracts on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, fat color, and concentrations of three branched-chain fatty acids related to flavor in ram lambs. Methods: Sixty 3-month-old, male, small-tailed Han sheep were selected and randomly allocated into four groups in a randomized block design. Four feeding treatments were used: i) a basal diet without supplementation as the control group (CK); ii) the basal diet supplemented with 10 g/lamb/d Allium mongolicum Regel powder as the AMR group; iii) the basal diet supplemented with 3.4 g/lamb/d Allium mongolicum Regel water extract as the AWE group; and iv) the basal diet supplemented with 2.8 g/lamb/d Allium mongolicum Regel ethanol extract as the AFE group. Results: The results demonstrated that the dry matter intake was lower for the AFE group than that in other groups (p = 0.001). The feed conversion ratio was greater for the AFE than that in other groups (p = 0.039). Dietary supplementation with Allium mongolicum Regel powder and its extracts decreased the concentrations of 4-methyloctanoic acid (MOA) (p<0.001), 4-ethyloctanoic acid (EOA) (p<0.001), and 4-methylnonanoic acid (MNA) (p = 0.044) in perirenal adipose tissue compared to those observed in the CK lambs. Dietary supplementation with Allium mongolicum Regel powder and its extracts decreased the concentrations of MOA (p<0.001) and EOA (p<0.001) in dorsal subcutaneous adipose tissue compared to those in the CK lambs. The concentrations of MOA (p<0.001) and EOA (p = 0.002) in omental adipose tissue were significantly affected by treatment, although there was a tendency for lower MNA (p = 0.062) in AMR, AWE, and AFE lambs than that in CK lambs. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Allium mongolicum Regel and its extracts could significantly promote feed efficiency, although dry matter intake decreased and could decrease the MOA and EOA concentrations related to characteristic flavor and odor of body fat in lambs, except for tail adipose tissue.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.287-292
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• 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with shrimp soluble extract (SSE) on growth performance, feed utilization, innate immunity and digestibility of Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei. A basal diet (Con) was formulated and three other diets were prepared with SSE supplementation at different levels of 1, 2 and 4% (designated as SSE1, SSE2 and SSE4, respectively). Triplicate groups of shrimp (1.20±0.01 g) were fed one of the experimental diets for 6 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, growth performance and feed utilization of the shrimp were significantly improved by dietary supplementation of SSE4 compared to those of shrimp fed the Con diet. Shrimp fed SSE4 diet had significantly higher phagocytic activity than shrimp fed the Con diet. Dietary supplementation of SSE improved the protein and dry matter digestibility of shrimp. These results indicate that SSE can be used as a functional additive in the diets for Pacific white shrimp.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.547-560
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• 2022

The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract on the growth performance and physiological properties of broiler chicks. Two diet energy levels (Positive and Negative) and four additives (0.0, 0.05, and 0.1% peanut shell extract and commercial antioxidant) were factorially arranged for eight treatments. The overall weight gain of the broilers was slightly improved at 0.05% for the antioxidant treatments regardless of the diet energy levels, but there was no statistical difference among the treatments (p > 0.05). The carcass characteristics of the broilers, such as cooking loss, crude protein content, antioxidant activity, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values, were improved by the feeding diets containing the 0.05% peanut shell extract. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract did not have a negative effect on the immune responses of the broilers show by the lack of statistical differences in the liver and bursa Fabricious weight and cytokine level among the treatments. From the economic analysis, dietary supplementation of peanut shell extract significantly influenced the compensatory growth and food efficiency and, in turn, led to a decrease in the duration needed to reach 1.5 kg compared to the control. These results suggest the possibility that the peanut shell extract could be used as a functional feed additive by improving the growth performance and carcass characteristics with no detrimental effects on broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.182-187
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• 2000

Forty-two Holstein cows (21 multiparous) were assigned by calving date and parity to three dietary sequences to evaluate the effect of time of initiating fat supplementation to diets on lactation and reproductive performance. The dietary sequences were: 1) control, no supplemental fat from 1 to 98 days in milk (DIM) ; 2) control diet from 1 to 28 DIM then 3% supplemental fat (calcium salts of long-chain fatty acids) from 29 to 98 DIM; or 3) 3% supplemental fat from 1 to 98 DIM. Feeding supplemental fat did not enhance mean milk and 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) yields, but efficiency of FCM production was higher for cows fed supplemental fat. Milk fat percentage was unchanged whereas milk protein percentage was depressed with fat supplementation. Feeding supplemental fat reduced DMI and energy balance but there were no differences among treatments on time to resumption of ovarian cyclicity or conception rate to first service. Concentrations of progesterone during the first two ovulatory cycles tended to be greater in the fat-supplemented groups. Feeding supplemental fat starting at either parturition or 29 DIM increased efficiency of FCM production, but did not greatly enhance reproductive performance.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.265-273
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• 1997

The minimum amounts of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala) required to improve the performance of cattle on a straw diet has been studied. Four levels of leucaena, namely 0 (0%), 2 kg (10%), 4 kg (18%) and 6 kg (27% of dietary dry matter intake) were supplied to 4 adult indigenous bulls ($355{\pm}21.5kg$ weight) fed rice straw alone, in a $4{\times}4$ latin square design. Measurements were made on intake, digestibility, N balance and microbial N yield. Up to 10% level of leucaena supplementation, there were no significant improvement on intake, digestibility, microbial N yield and N balance. Both straw and total dry matter intake showed diminishing return to increasing levels of leucaena supplementation and the maximum intake was observed at around 20% level. However, dietary N and digestible organic matter intake, the microbial N yield and the N balance increased linearly to the increasing levels of leucaena supplementation. On a rice straw based diet, the minimum level of leucaena required to improve the animal performance would probably be at around 20% of the dietary intake.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.707-715
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• 2020

An experiment was designed to assess ractopamine supplementation on growth, meat quality and carcass, and fecal scores of pigs. The 96 crossbred pigs ([Yorkshire× Landrace] × Duroc) had an average body weight of 72.8 ± 2.5 kg. Randomized allocation was followed in the allotment of the pigs according to their body weight into 1 of 2 dietary treatments: 1) CON, basal diet and 2) RAC (ractopamine hydrochloride), CON + 1% ractopamine with 12 replication pens per treatment including equal numbers of barrows (2) and gilts (2) per pen. At the end of the experiment, the lean meat percentage was higher (p < 0.05) for the RAC group compared to the CON group. Dietary ractopamine supplementation did not influence (p > 0.05) the growth performance and fecal score throughout the experimental period. In regard to sensory evaluation, higher (p < 0.05) scores for color and firmness were observed in the RAC group than in the CON group. Drip loss (p < 0.05) was higher in the ractopamine fed diet group compared to the control diet group at day 1. Additionally, longissimus muscle was improved (p < 0.05) in the ractopamine treated diet group than in the control diet group. In conclusion, in the early stage, ractopamine supplementation may not influence the growth performance, but it improves the leanness in the meat of finishing pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.1
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• pp.115-124
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• 2024

This study investigated the impact of clay mineral 'illite' (IL) on the growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility, and meat-carcass grade quality in growing-finishing pigs. One hundred fifty pigs were divided into two groups with fifteen pens/group and five pigs/pen, a control group that was fed with a corn-soybean meal-based diet and IL treated group were fed a meal-based diet supplemented with 0.5% IL. Compared to the control, IL supplementation increased average daily feed intake (ADFI) and reduce gain to feed ratio (G:F) in the pigs during days 43 to 70 and 99 to 126 and increased dry matter during days 42 and 126, and backfat thickness on day 98 (p<0.05). The drip loss was reduced on day 7, meat firmness tended to increase with dietary IL supplementation. In summary, dietary 0.5% IL supplementation improved ADFI, nutrient utilization of dry matter, and firmness and reduced G:F and drip loss of growing-finishing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.9
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• pp.1345-1353
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary rapeseed meal (RSM) on growth performance, blood profiles, nutrient digestibility and economic benefit of growing-finishing pigs. A total of 120 growing pigs ($[Yorkshire{\times}Landrace]{\times}Duroc$) with an initial body weight (BW) $29.94{\pm}0.06kg$ were used in this experiment. Pigs were randomly allotted into 1 of 5 treatments in a randomized complete block design and 6 replicates with 4 pigs per pen. Treatments were divided by dietary RSM supplementation levels (0%, 3%, 6%, 9%, or 12%) in growing-finishing diets. A linear decrease (p<0.05) of BW and average daily gain (ADG) were observed at 13th wk of finishing and overall periods of pigs. Additionally, gain-to-feed ratio (G/F) tended to decrease by dietary RSM supplementation in growing-finishing diets (linear, p = 0.07 and quadratic, p = 0.08). Concentrations of serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine were not influenced by dietary RSM treatments whereas thyroid gland and liver weight were increased at 13th wk of finishing period (linear, p<0.05; p<0.01) by increasing dietary RSM supplementation level. In blood profiles, serum total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were not differed by dietary treatments at 13th wk of finishing period whereas concentration of serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol was affected by the supplementation level of RSM, resulting in a linear RSM level responses (p<0.05). Serum blood urea nitrogen concentration tended to decrease (linear, p = 0.07; p = 0.08) at 6th wk of growing and 13th wk of finishing periods and digestibility of dry matter tended to decrease by dietary RSM (linear, p = 0.09). Crude protein, crude fat and nitrogen retention, whereas, were not affected by dietary RSM supplementation level. In the economic analysis, feed cost per weight gain was numerically decreased when RSM was provided up to 9%. Consequently, RSM could be supplemented to growing-finishing diets up to 9% ($3.07{\mu}mol/g\;Gls$) without detrimental effects on growth performance of growing-finishing pigs.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.368-371
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• 2001

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary onion supplementation on the growth rate and blood cholesterol level in finishing pigs. Sixty $Duroc\;{\times}\;Yorkshire\;{\times}\;Landrace$ pigs ($69.75{\pm}0.79kg$ average BW) were used in a 50 day growth assay. Dietary treatments included 1) corn-SBM (Con), 2) 1)+dietary onion rice bran 1.0% (ORB1), 3) 1)+dietary onion rice bran 2.0% (ORB2). For overall period, average daily weight gain and average daily feed intake were increased by the addition of dietary onion compared with Con (linear effect; p<0.01). Feed efficiency ratio was successfully improved by supplementation of dietary onion (linear effect; p<0.01). The total cholesterol concentrations in serum decreased as the concentration of onion in the diets was increased (linear effect, p<0.06). Also, LDL-cholesterol concentrations in serum tended to decrease in pigs fed onion than in those fed Con diet group (linear effect, p<0.04; quadratic effect, p<0.09). The HDL-cholesterol and triacylglyceride concentrations in serum were not influenced by the onion supplementation. The results obtained from this feeding trial suggest that the dietary onion supplementation for finishing pigs weighed 70 to 108 kg had improved growth performance and reduced total cholesterol level of serum.