• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.8
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• pp.1452-1462
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Agaricus blazei polysaccharide (ABP) at varying concentrations on the performance, egg quality, blood biochemistry, intestinal morphology, and microflora of quail. Methods: The study involved a total of 2,700 Korean quails, which were randomly divided into three groups. The measured variables encompassed productive performance, egg parameters, carcass parameters, serum metabolites, immune response parameters, antioxidative properties, and gut microbiome. Results: The addition of ABP did not have a significant effect on average daily feed intake. However, it was found to increase the average daily egg weight and egg production rate, reduce the feed-egg ratio. There were no significant impacts on egg quality measures such as egg shape index, egg yolk index and color, egg yolk and protein content. However, ABP supplementation significantly increased the Hough unit (p<0.01) and decreased the rate of unqualified eggs (p<0.01). Regarding serum parameters, the inclusion led to an increase in total protein concentration (p<0.05) and a reduction in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05). There were no significant effects observed on immune indicators such as immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM. ABP supplementation increased the levels of serum antioxidant indicators, including glutathione peroxidase, total superoxide dismutase (p<0.05), and total antioxidant capacity colorimeter (p<0.05). Furthermore, ABP supplementation significantly elevated the intramuscular fatty acid content in quail meat. Additionally, ABP supplementation demonstrated a significant improvement in the diversity of gut microbiota and induced alterations in the composition of the gut microbiota. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicate that dietary supplementation of ABP enhanced production performance and antioxidant capacity while increasing the levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in quail muscle.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.26 no.12
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• pp.726-737
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• 2023

Piperine, the main bioactive component of black pepper (Piper nigrum Linn.), has anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and antibacterial properties. This study evaluated the supplemental effects of piperine or black pepper on innate immunity, growth, feed utilization efficiency, and intestinal morphology in red seabream (Pagrus major). Six experimental diets were formulated, supplementing piperine at 0.0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg levels (Con, P25, P50, P100, and P200) or 1.0 g/kg black pepper (BP100). Juvenile fish (7.6 ± 0.1 g) were randomly stocked into 18 circular tanks (220 L), including 30 fish per tank. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups, and the feeding trial was conducted for 8 weeks. The results showed that final body weight, specific growth rate, weight gain, and feed utilization efficiency were significantly improved (p < 0.05) when piperine was supplemented into diets at 0.25-2.0 g/kg levels compared to the Con group. Compared to the Con diet, condition factor was significantly increased (p < 0.05) in fish fed with dietary piperine at 0.25-2.0 g/kg or BP100 diet. Serum myeloperoxidase activity was increased (p < 0.05) in P25 and P100 groups and antiprotease activity was increased (p < 0.05) in P100 group compared to the Con group. Significantly higher (p < 0.05) lysozyme activity was observed in P50, P100, P200 and BP100 groups, while total immunoglobulin level was increased in P50, P100 and BP100 groups than Con group. Superoxide dismutase activity was increased (p < 0.05) by dietary piperine at 0.25-2.0 g/kg levels and BP100 diet compared to Con diet. Plasma cholesterol was significantly lower (p < 0.05) in fish fed with piperine (0.5-2.0 g/kg) or BP100 compared to the Con diet. Compared to the Con diet significantly longer (p < 0.05) intestinal villi were observed in fish fed with piperine at 0.25-1.0 g/kg levels, and higher goblet cell count was observed in P25 and BP100 groups. Dietary inclusion of piperine would be a potent immunostimulant in fish diet and the optimum supplementation level would be 0.25-1.0 g/kg.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.170-174
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• 2014

This study evaluated the efficacy of soluble canine small intestinal submucosa gel in comparison to bovine thrombin in activating rabbit platelet rich plasma (PRP) by detecting growth factors. PRP from rabbits was activated by using soluble canine SIS gel, bovine thrombin, or both. The surface morphology of each group of samples was examined by scanning electron microscopy. The release of transforming growth factor (TGF)-${\beta}1$ from each set of samples was measured over 7 days using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The PRP-canine SIS gel group exhibited the highest total amount of released TGF-${\beta}1$. However, there were no significant differences between any groups. The use of soluble type of canine SIS gel could be an effective alternative to bovine thrombin.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.582-589
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• 2008

This study attempted to determine effects of recombinant porcine epidermal growth factor (pEGF) and glutamine (Gln) supplement on the growth performance and intestinal development of piglets weaned at 14 days of age. A total of ninety-six piglets were allotted to one of four dietary treatments which comprised inclusion of 1.0 mg pEGF supernatant/kg diet or 0.5% Gln both alone and in combination. Each treatment consisted of four replicates with six pigs per pen for a 28 days experimental period. Two pigs per replicate were sacrificed and gastrointestinal tract samples were collected on day 14. Data showed that dietary treatment failed to promote growth performance. On day 14, diets supplemented with pEGF elevated pancreatic chymotrypsin, jejunal alkaline phosphatase, sucrase, lactase and maltase activities (p<0.05), but failed to alter the small intestinal villus morphology, DNA, or protein content of gastrointestinal mucosa. Diets supplemented with Gln increased pancreatic chymotrypsin activity, tended to enhance the protein contents of gastric (p = 0.08) and jejunal mucosa (p = 0.09) but did not influence the serum IgA level or the enzyme activity in the gastrointestinal tract. On day 28, the diets supplemented with Gln increasedt (p<0.05) serum IgA and the proliferation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells by PHA stimulation. However, a combination of pEGF and Gln did not have a synergistic effect on these biomarkers in early-weaned piglets. The results demonstrate that diets supplemented with recombinant pEGF supernatant indeed improve intestinal digestive enzyme activity and diets supplemented with Gln increases the immune response in early-weaned piglets.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.23.1-23.16
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• 2023

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional bowel disorder (FBD). Objectives: To assess the therapeutic effects of paeoniflorin (PF) on IBS in rats. Method: Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into normal, model, positive drug, low-dose PF, medium-dose PF and high-dose PF groups (n = 10). After gavage for 2 consecutive weeks, the effect of PF on abdominal pain symptoms was assessed based on the abdominal withdrawal reflex (AWR) score, fecal water content and pathological changes in colon tissues. D-lactate, interleukin-1β (IL-1β), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and phosphorylated nuclear factor kappa B (p-NF-κB) p65 was detected by Western blotting. The abundance and diversity changes of intestinal flora were explored using 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing. Result: In PF groups, the mucosal morphology of colon tissues was intact, and the glands were arranged neatly and structured clearly, without obvious inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared with the model group, PF groups had significantly elevated pain threshold, and mRNA and protein levels of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin, decreased AWR score at 20 mmHg pressure, fecal water content, mRNA levels of IL-1β, TGF-β, and TNF-α, protein level of p-NF-κB p65 and level of serum D-lactate, and reduced levels of serum IL-1β, TGF-β, and TNF-α (p < 0.05, p < 0.01). PF groups had higher abundance of Lactobacillus, Akkermansia, Alistipes, and Bacteroides, but lower abundance of Desulfovibrio, Parasutterella, and Enterococcus than those of the model group. Conclusions: PF exerts therapeutic effects on IBS in rats probably by regulating the intestinal flora, and then up-regulating the expressions of ZO-1 and occludin in colon tissue while down-regulating the levels of IL-1β, TGF-β, TNF-α, D-lactate and p-NF-κB p65.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.11
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• pp.1718-1726
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• 2023

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with enzymolytic soybean meal (ESBM) on broilers fed low crude protein (CP) diets. Methods: A total of 360 one-day-old broilers were randomly assigned to six treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 10 chicks per replicate for a period of 42 days. Chicks were fed a basal standard high-CP diet as a positive control (PC), a low-CP diet (reducing 10 g/kg CP from the PC) as a negative control (NC), or an NC + 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, or 2.0% ESBM diet. Results: Compared to chicks fed the PC, chicks fed the NC had a decreased body weight gain (BWG, p<0.05) from 1 to 42 days, but supplementation with 2.0% ESBM restored BWG (p<0.05) and even linearly improved the feed conversion rate (FCR, p<0.05). Digestibility of CP and ether extract was increased (p<0.05) in chicks fed a 1.0% ESBM diet compared to the PC. With increasing levels of ESBM, nitrogen (N) excretion decreased (p<0.05). The addition of ESBM to the diet did not affect (p>0.05) serum concentrations of total protein, albumin and total cholesterol but led to a descending trend in triglycerides and an ascending trend in calcium and urea N at 42 days (p<0.10). There were no differences (p>0.05) in villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and VH/CD (V/C) of the duodenum and jejunum between the PC and NC at both 21 days and 42 days, while increasing dietary ESBM levels linearly (p<0.05) decreased CD and increased V/C of the duodenum and jejunum at both 21 days and 42 days. Conclusion: The findings indicated that ESBM could be used in broiler low-CP diets to improve production performance, decrease N excretion, and enhance intestinal health.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.250-256
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• 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of graded levels of isomaltooligosaccharides (IMO) on the performance, immune function and intestinal microflora and intestinal mucosal morphology of weaned pigs. In a 28-day experiment, one hundred eighty, twenty eight-day-old, crossbred (Duroc${\times}$Large White${\times}$Landrace), weaned pigs, with an initial body weight of $8.19{\pm}1.45kg$, were fed either an unsupplemented corn-soybean meal based diet or similar diets supplemented with 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, or 0.8% IMO added at the expense of corn. Each treatment was replicated six times with six pigs (three barrows and three gilts) per pen. From day 0 to 14, weight gain was linearly increased (p<0.05), while gain:feed (p<0.05) was linearly improved and diarrhea rate (p = 0.05) linearly declined as the IMO level increased. On d 14, the level of the immunoglobulins IgA, IgM, and IgG in the serum of pigs were linearly increased (p<0.05) with increasing IMO supplementation. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was linearly (p<0.05) and quadratically (p<0.05) decreased as IMO intake increased. From day 15 to 28, there was a trend for weight gain to be linearly increased, and IL-2 was linearly (p<0.05) increased as IMO supplementation increased on d 28. Over the entire experiment, weight gain was linearly increased (p<0.05), while gain:feed (p<0.05) was linearly improved and diarrhea rate (p<0.05) was linearly decreased as the IMO level increased. Supplementation with IMO had no effect on the intestinal microflora of pigs in the ileum and cecum of pigs, as well as the villus height and crypt depth in the ileum and jejunum (p>0.05). These results indicate that dietary inclusion of IMO increases weight gain, gain:feed and enhanced the immune status of pigs, and could be a valuable feed additive for use in weaned pigs, particularly during the period immediately after weaning.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.41-47
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• 2003

This study was conducted to investigate the in vivo and in vivo antibiotic effect of crude fucoidan extracted from Hizikia fusiforme, and to investigate any possible structural changes of broiler chick's intestinal villi by the supplementation of fucoidan. Total 84 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 7 treatments, control and Salmonella typhimurium infection groups. The broiler chicks was infected with Salmonella typhimurium at third days, and antibiotics, fucoidan, dried Hizikia fusiforme, dried Undaria pinnatifida and yeast cell debris was respectively supplemented for each group. Each treatment had 4 chicks with three replications. Extraction yield of crude fucoidan from Hizikia fusiforme was 5.453%. Antibiotic effect of fucoidan was not detected in vitro, inhibition zone and micoorganism growth test. Weight gains of broiler chicks were tend to higher in fucoidan treatment group and yeast cell significance was not found. In in vivo test, the number of viable Salmonella typhimurium was low in the antibiotics and fucoidan treatment groups. The intestinal villi were short in the fucoidan and marine algae treatment groups. The intestinal villi were densely distributed on the large intestinal wall, but the morphology was not different among treatments.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.10
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• pp.1558-1564
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• 2019

Objective: This study investigated the effects of 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan added to the diet of Haidong chicks reared under hypoxic conditions, to ascertain the growth performances, immunity and intestinal morphology changes. Methods: A total of 750 chicks were divided into five groups and fed diets containing 0.5 g/kg, 1.0 g/kg, and 2.0 g/kg 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan from yeast (G1, G2, G3, respectively), 0.2 g/kg Taylor rhizomorph and a control feed. Results: The body weight and body weight gain were higher in chicks fed 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan and Taylor rhizomorph than in control group. Feed conversion ratio significantly differed for G2 and G3 groups in comparison to control group. The relative weight of bursa was higher in G1, G2, and G3 groups. The white blood cells and lymphocytes were significantly increased in groups fed 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan. The immunoglobulin G of serum peak appeared in the G3 group. The villous height of the duodenum was higher in 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan feed groups. In the jejunum, the villous height was higher in G2 and G3 groups and crypt depth for all the groups fed ${\beta}$-glucan. At ileum level the villous height and crypt depth was higher for groups G1, G2, and G3. Conclusion: The growth performance of Haidong chicks is improved when 10 and 20 g/kg 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan is included in the diet; hence, it is suggested that 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan be included in poultry diet to reduce and replace the use of antibiotics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.1011-1016
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• 2005

In this study, 90 crossbred weaned pigs（Duroc${\times}$Landrace${\times}$Large White）weighing - 7.86${\pm}$0.06 kg each were randomly allotted to one of three dietary treatments. Control pigs were a fed corn-soybean meal diet with no additives. The two treatment groups were fed the basal diet supplemented either with 75 mg/kg Aureomycin or 0.4% fructooligosaccharides (FOS) in order to study the effects on performance, serological indices, and enteric morphology in addition to examining the content of volatile fatty acids in intestinal digesta. The results indicate that the diets containing FOS and antibiotics had a significant effect on feed conversion ratios (FCR) and diarrhea incidence, as well as increasing the concentrations of isobutyric and butyric acid and total VFAs in the caecum, and acetic acid, isovaleric acid, and total VFAs in feces. Supplementation with FOS also resulted in significantly longer mucosal villi height and a higher percentage of goblet cells compared with the control. No difference was found in crypt depth among the three treatments. While serum glucose levels were significantly higher following FOS supplement, differences in serum total protein, albumin, globulin, and urea nitrogen levels were not significant.