• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.9
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• pp.1309-1315
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• 2012

A total of 140 weaning pigs ((Landrace${\times}$Yorkshire)${\times}$Duroc, BW = $6.47{\pm}0.86$ kg) were used in a 5-wk growth trail to determine the effects of phytoncide supplementation on growth performance, nutrient apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), blood profiles, diarrhea scores and fecal microflora shedding. Pigs were assigned randomly by BW into 5 treatments, dietary treatments were: i) NC, basal diet; ii) PC, NC+0.05% tylosin; iii) EO, NC+0.1% essential oil; iv) PP, NC+0.2% PP (phytoncide with 2% citric acid), and v) PA, NC+0.2% PA (phytoncide). Each treatment had 7 replicate pens with 4 pigs per pen. All pigs were housed in pens with a self-feeder and nipple drinker to allow ad libitum access to feed and water throughout the experimental period. During 0 to 2 wks, supplementation with essential oil and PA decreased (p<0.05) G/F compared with the other treatments. During 2 to 5 wks, supplementation with PA led to a higher (p<0.05) G/F than the other treatments. At 2 wk, ATTD of dry matter (DM) and gross energy (GE) in EO treatment were decreased (p<0.05) compared with NC treatment. Dietary PC treatment improved (p<0.05) ATTD of DM and E compared with the CON group, and PA and PP treatments showed a higher (p<0.05) ATTD of E than that in NC treatment. Pigs fed phytoncide (PA and PP) had a greater (p<0.05) ATTD of DM than those of NC and EO treatments at 5 wk. Moreover, supplementation with phytoncide elevated (p<0.05) the concentration of immunoglobulin (IgG) in blood at 2 wk. The inclusion of EO, PP and PA treatments showed a greater (p<0.05) amount of fecal Lactobacillus compared with CON group. However, no difference (p>0.05) was observed in diarrhea scores among treatments. In conclusion, phytoncide can elevate feed efficiency, nutrient digestibility, and improve the fecal Lactobacillus counts in weaning pigs. Our results indicated that the phytoncide could be used as a good antibiotics alternative in weaning pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.90-96
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• 2008

We compared the effects of supplementing $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ to L-lysine HCl on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and nitrogen retention in weaning pigs. A total of 96 crossbred pigs, weaned at $21{\pm}3$ days of age and with an average initial body weight (BW) $6.23{\pm}0.01kg$, were given one of 4 treatments, which translated into 6 replicates of 4 pigs in each pen. The animals were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments according to a randomized completely block design (RCBD) as follows: 1) control-no synthetic lysine, lysine deficient (0.80% total lysine); 2) L-C (= 0.2% L-lysine HCl); 3) K-L-S (= 0.332% $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$, A company); 4) C-L-S (= 0.332% $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$, B company). Diets were formulated with corn, soy bean meal, and corn gluten meal as the major ingredients, and all nutrients except the lysine met or exceeded NRC requirements (1998). The lysine content of supplemented synthetic lysine was the same in all treatment groups except the control. No clinical health problems associated with the dietary treatments were observed. During the entire experimental period, body weight, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G:F ratio) increased (p<0.01) in pigs fed the experimental diets supplemented with L-lysine??HCl or $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ produced by A company, irrespective of the two synthetic lysine sources. Although the supplementation of $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ produced by B company tended to improve the ADG and G:F ratio, significant differences were not seen among all treatments and tended to be lower than the L-C (L-lysine HCl) and K-L-S ($L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ groups using the product from A company). The digestibility of crude protein (CP) was increased by the supplementation of synthetic lysine (p<0.05), irrespective of the L-lysine source (L-C, K-L-S, C-L-S). The results of this study showed that ADG, G:F ratio, and CP digestibility improved when $L-lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ or L-lysine HCl was supplemented into the weaning pigs' diet. There was a clear difference in efficacy between the two $lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ products based upon the growth performance of weaning pigs. Consequently, the bioavailability of $lysine{\cdot}SO_4$ products should be evaluated before supplementation of synthetic lysine in swine diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.226-233
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• 2010

Different dietary cereal sources and fat types in the lactation diet were evaluated to investigate their effects on reproductive performance, milk composition, blood metabolites and hormones in multiparous sows. Twenty-four sows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments according to a 2${\times}$2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Each treatment had 6 replicates comprising 1 sow. Two cereal (corn or wheat) and two fat (tallow or soybean oil) sources were used to prepare iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets. Sows fed corn-based diets lost less body weight (p = 0.003) and backfat thickness (p = 0.034), consumed more feed (p = 0.032) and had shorter wean-to-estrus interval (p = 0.016) than sows fed wheat-based diets. Fewer piglets and lower body weight of piglets (p<0.05) at weaning were noted in sows fed wheat-based diets than in sows fed corn-based diets. However, no significant effects (p>0.05) of dietary fat source and its interaction with dietary cereal source on sow body condition and reproductive performance were observed during lactation. Feeding of a corn-based diet improved (p<0.05) sow milk total solid, protein and fat, increased blood urea nitrogen (p = 0.032) and triglyceride (p = 0.018), and decreased blood creatinine (p = 0.011) concentration at weaning when compared with sows fed wheatbased diets. Sows fed corn-based diets had higher concentration of insulin (p = 0.048) and LH (p<0.05) at weaning than sows fed wheatbased diets. The results indicate that feeding corn-based diets to lactating sows improved sow body condition and reproductive performance compared with wheat-based diets regardless of fat sources.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.381-384
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• 1998

Twenty-three crossbred (Yorkshire $\times$ Duroc $\times$ Hampshire $\times$ Chester White) primiparous sows were used to evaluate the effects of the mineral-salt laxative in lactation diets on sow and litter performance. The sows were fed a sorghum-extruded soybean-based diet with .85% lysine, .90% Ca, .80% P, and 3.2 Mcal ME/kg. Sow body weight (p > .54) and backfat loss (p > .61), average daily feed intake (p > .42), and litter weight gain (p > .74) were not affected by the mineral-salt laxative in the diet. However, survivability of piglets was greater (p < .06) for sows with the mineral-salt laxative in their diet and, thus, number of pigs weaned was increased. As expected, fecal moisture was increased (p < .09) in sows fed the mineral-salt laxative. Apparent digestibilities of DM, N, and GE were not affected by treatment (p > .26). After weaning, stomachs were collected and scored for ulcers and keratinization using a scoring system of 0 = normal to 3 = severe. Severity of ulceration and keratinization was not significantly affected by treatment (row mean scores differ test p > .25), but scores for sows fed the diet containing the mineral-salt laxative were numerically lower than sows fed the control diet. Thus, our data indicate that sows fed the mineral-salt laxative during lactation had improved piglet survivability, greater fecal moisture, and tended to have fewer lesions in the mucosa of the stomach.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 2016

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Changes in nutritional status during gestation and lactation have detrimental effects on offspring metabolism. Several animal studies have shown that maternal high-fat diet (HFD) can predispose the offspring to development of obesity and metabolic diseases, however the mechanisms underlying these transgenerational effects are poorly understood. Therefore, we examined the effect of maternal HFD consumption on metabolic phenotype and hepatic expression of involved genes in dams to determine whether any of these parameters were associated with the metabolic outcomes in the offspring. MATERIALS/METHODS: Female C57BL/6 mice were fed a low-fat diet (LFD: 10% calories from fat) or a high-fat diet (HFD: 45% calories from fat) for three weeks before mating, and during pregnancy and lactation. Dams and their male offspring were studied at weaning. RESULTS: Dams fed an HFD had significantly higher body and adipose tissue weights and higher serum triglyceride and cholesterol levels than dams fed an LFD. Hepatic lipid levels and mRNA levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism, including $LXR{\alpha}$, SREBP-2, FXR, LDLR, and ABCG8 were significantly changed by maternal HFD intake. Significantly lower total liver DNA and protein contents were observed in dams fed an HFD, implicating the disturbed liver adaptation in the pregnancy-related metabolic demand. HFD feeding also induced significant oxidative stress in serum and liver of dams. Offspring of dams fed an HFD had significantly higher serum cholesterol levels, which were negatively correlated with liver weights of dams and positively correlated with hepatic lipid peroxide levels in dams. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal HFD consumption induced metabolic dysfunction, including altered liver growth and oxidative stress in dams, which may contribute to the disturbed cholesterol homeostasis in the early life of male mice offspring.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.683-690
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• 2013

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of resveratrol and essential oils from medicinal plants on the growth performance, immunity, digestibility, and fecal microbial shedding of weaned piglets. A total of 48 weaned piglets (8 kg initial weight, 28-d-old) were randomly allotted to four dietary treatments with 3 replications of 4 piglets each. The dietary treatments were NC (negative control; basal diet), PC (positive control; basal diet+0.002% apramycin), T1 (basal diet+0.2% resveratrol), and T2 (basal diet+0.0125% essential oil blend). All piglets were orally challenged with 5 ml culture fluid containing $2.3{\times}10^8$ cfu/ml of Escherichia coli KCTC 2571 and $5.9{\times}10^8$ cfu/ml Salmonella enterica serover Typhimurium. The PC group (p<0.05) showed the highest average daily gain (ADG) and average daily feed intake (ADFI) throughout the experimental period, although feed conversion ratio (FCR) was improved in the T1 group (p>0.05). Serum IgG level was increased in the T1 group, whereas TNF-${\alpha}$ levels was reduced in the supplemented groups compared to control (p<0.05). The PC diet improved the dry matter (DM) digestibility, whereas PC and T2 diets improved nitrogen (N) digestibility compared to NC and T1 diets (p<0.05). Fecal Salmonella and E. coli counts were reduced in all treatment groups compared to control (p<0.05). Fecal Lactobacillus spp. count was increased in the T2 group compared to others (p<0.05). Dietary treatments had no significant effect on fecal Bacillus spp. count throughout the entire experimental period. Based on these results, resveratrol showed strong potential as antibiotic alternatives for reversing the adverse effects of weaning stress on growth performance, immunity and microbial environment in E. coli and Salmonella-challenged piglets.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.409-415
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• 1997

The influences of dietary supplement of citron tea on the hepatocellular chemical carcinogenesis have been studied by examining placental glutathione S-transferase(GST-P) positive foci area in a liver tissue, contents of total cytochrome P450, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) and glucose 6-phosphatase(G6Pase) in hepatic microsome and glutathione S-transferase(GST) activity. Weaning Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed AIN76 diet with or without citron tea supplement. Rats of CTR and CTR+ groups were fed diet without citron tea supplement while CDI and CDI+ groups were fed diet with citron tea supplement for the entire experimental period(13 weeks). Rats of CDP and CDP+ groups were fed diet without citron tea supplement for the first 7 weeks and swiched to citron tea containing diet for the last 6 weeks of experimental period. CTR+, CDI+ and CDP+ groups were carcinogen treated group. Diethylnitrosamine(DEN) was used as a carcinogen initiator and injected to the rats of carcinogen treated groups as a single dose of 200 mg/kg body weight intraperitoneally after 4 weeks of feeding. 2-Acethylaminofiuorene(AAF) was used as a carcinogen promoter and supplied in the diets of carcinogen treated rats as 0.02% content for the last 6 weeks starting from 2 weeks after DEN injection. Rats were sacrificed after 13 weeks of feeding. Liver/body weight ratio and GST activities were increased by carcinogen treatment. However, they were not changed by citron tea supplement. Total cytochrome P450 contents were not changed by carcinogen treatment or citron tea supplement. TBARS contents of carcinogen treated rats showed tendency to decrease by citron tea supplement. G6Pase activity decreased by carcinogen treatment and citron tea supplement. The area of GST-P positive foci detected in carcinogen treated rats were decreased by citron tea supplement and not affected by the timing and the duration of citron tea supplement. These results suggest that citron tea has suppressive effects on hepatocellular chemical carcinogenesis probably through antioxidant compounds by decreasing TBARS contents.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.32 no.7
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• pp.885-891
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• 2022

Plant-based protein sources such as soybean meal have low digestibility and are generally promoted accumulation of undigested proteins into the intestine by enzymatic treatments. Moreover, potential intestinal pathogens ferment undigested proteins, producing harmful substances, such as ammonia, amines and phenols, leading to an overactive immune response and diarrhea in weaned pigs. As a solution, dietary proteases hydrolyze soybean-based antinutritive factors, which negatively affect immune responses and gut microbiota. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary proteases (PRO) in a low-crude protein (CP) commercial diet on the immune responses and gut microbiota of weaned pigs. The experimental design consisted of three dietary treatments: a commercial diet as a positive control (PC; phase1 CP = 23.71%; phase 2 CP: 22.36%), a lower CP diet than PC as negative control (NC; 0.61% less CP than PC), and NC diet supplement with 0.02% PRO. We found that PRO tended to decrease the frequency of diarrhea in the first two weeks after weaning compared with PC and NC. In addition, pigs fed PRO showed decreased TNF-α and TGF-β1 levels compared with those fed PC and NC. The PRO group had a higher relative proportion of the genus Lactobacillus and lower levels of the genus Streptococcus than the PC and NC groups. In conclusion, the addition of PRO to a low CP commercial weaned diet attenuated inflammatory responses and modified gut microbiota in weaned pigs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1344-1354
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• 2021

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of brown rice (Japonica) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters of weanling pigs. A total of 60 weanling pigs (28-day-old, 30 barrows and 30 gilts, 6.73 ± 0.77 kg body weight [BW]) were randomly allotted to 2 dietary treatments (6 pigs per pen; 5 replicates per treatment) in a randomized complete block design with the initial BW and sex as blocks. The dietary treatments were a typical nursery diet based on corn and soybean meal (CON) and the CON replaced 50% of corn with brown rice (BR). Pigs were fed respective dietary treatments for 5 weeks. For the last week of experiment period, pigs were fed respective dietary treatments containing 0.2% chromic oxide as an indigestible marker. Fecal samples were collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen daily for the last 3 d after the 4-d adjustment period. Blood was collected from randomly selected 1 pig in each pen on d 0, 3, 7, and 14 after weaning. Compared with pig fed CON diet, pigs fed the BR diet were found to have higher (p < 0.05) final BW, overall average daily gain, and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter and energy. However, there were no significant differences between the groups with respect to average daily feed intake, gain to feed ratio, frequency of diarrhea, and the AID and ATTD of crude protein during overall experimental period. Similarly, there were no significant differences on blood parameters between the groups. Thus, the findings of this study indicate that brown rice (Japonica) can be used to replace 50% of corn in the diet of pigs during the nursery period without negatively affecting growth performance, nutrient digestibility, or blood parameters.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2001

This study was conducted to develope an automatic liquid feeder for early weaning piglets and to test the efficacy of the system. The liquid feeder consists of water heating and discharge unit, dry diet storing and discharge unit, mixing and discharge unit, mixed liquid feed-delivering unit, and the central control part which control each unit, feeding frequency and the amount of feeding. For investigating the possibility of practical use, a feeding trial was carried out using eighteen three way crossbred piglets weaned on 19 days of age for the experimental period of six weeks. Experimental diet was provided in liquid form using the automatic liquid feeder for the first three weeks and in dry form for the later three weeks. The water heating and discharge unit exactly supplied warm water by 27 $m\ell$/s, into the mixing unit. The dry diet storing and discharge unit supplied dry feed by 3.7g/s, into the mixing unit. Being compared with the standard growth rate suggested by NRC, average daily gain of the piglets during the first three weeks of liquid feeding was lower by 10%, while it was higher during three weeks of dry feeding and over the whole experimental period by 24 and 17%, respectively. Feed/gain was 1.09, 2.14 and 1.89 for the first 3 weeks, later 3 weeks, and whole period, respectively. Diarrhea was observed for three days from day 3 to day 7 after feeding liquid diet, but no pig died of it. In conclusion, a preliminary test for the newly developed an automatic liquid feeder using 19 days of age weaning piglets showed that the unit was successfully operated without any major problems. Piglets raised on a liquid diet through the unit developed grew less during the first three weeks, but their growth and feed intake were greatly improved thereafter, indicating the developed automatic liquid feeder may be practically used in swine industry.