Protecting crude protein in the rumen may reduce extensive protein degradation and ammonia emission and increase available bypass protein in ruminants. This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of two Bioprotect (15 and 30 mL/kg dry matter (DM)) and two tannin extract (TE) (20 and 40 g/kg DM) inclusion rates on protein protection and in vitro fermentation characteristics of canola and soybean meals incubated for 24 h using an ANKOM in vitrogas production system. The treated canola and soybean meals produced lower soluble protein (fraction ‘a’) and larger slowly degradable protein (fraction ‘b’) than its untreated counterparts, p< 0.01. However, the 20 g/kg DM TE inclusion showed lowest effect on the amount of protein fractions ‘a’ and ‘b’ in both meals compared to their other treated counterparts. The increasing concentration of additives reduced the total volatile fatty acids (VFA), p< 0.001. The effects of additives differed between the treatments as 15 mL/kg DM Bioprotect and 20 g/ kg DM TE did not affect the acetic to propionic acid ratio (A:P) and the time before gas production began. The increase in fraction ‘b’ and reduction in protein fraction ‘a’ confirm successful protein protection in this experiment. However, the extensive reduction in ammonia-N and in vitro degradable protein after using 30 mL/kg DM Bioprotect suggests possible toxicity to the microbes responsible for protein digestion in higher doses. Therefore, 15 mL/kg DM Bioprotect and 40 g/kg DM TE could be promising protein protection doses for in vitro experiments.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of tannic acid (TA) derived from gallnut supplementation on growth performance and health status of weaned piglets.Atotal of 432 weanling piglets (7.05±1.05 kg) were randomly allocated into 4 treatment groups with 6 replicates of 18 pigs/pen. Piglets were fed either a basal diet (CON), or basal diets supplemented with 1.5 kg/t TA, 3.0 kg/t TA, or 1.8 kg/t zinc oxide (ZnO) for 21 days. The results showed that, compared to the CON, dietary TA supplementation did not affect (p > 0.05) growth performance and serum biochemistry of weaned piglets. However, 3.0 kg/t TA had higher SOD, GPX, and CAT activities and a lower MDA concentration in the jejunum than those of the CON or the ZnO group. Meanwhile, 3.0 kg/t TA increased (p < 0.05) villus height and villus height/ crypt depth, and decreased (p < 0.05) crypt depth in the small intestine. Dietary TA also downregulated (p < 0.05) IL-1β and TNF-α expression in jejunum. Furthermore, 3.0 kg/t TA reduced (p < 0.05) the abundance of Candidatus Brocadia and Escherichia-Shigella in cecal digesta. Notably, both Candidatus Brocadia and Escherichia-Shigella had a negative correlation with antioxidant enzymes activities (R < -0.60, p < 0.01), but Escherichia-Shigella was positively correlated with MDA concentrations (R=0.44, p < 0.05) in the jejunum. In conclusion, compared to the CON, 3.0 kg/t TA supplementation improved the gut health status of weaned piglets, potentially by regulating redox homeostasis and gut microbiota.
Proliferation of granular cells (GCs) plays an important role in ovary development, providing energy and a microenvironment for oocyte ovulation. In this study, we explored the spatiotemporal expression of SEMA4G and its effects on the growth and development of goat GCs using primary GCs cultured in vitro as a model. The results showed that the expression level of SEMA4G was significantly higher in the ovaries of high-fertility goats than in those of low-fertility goats (p < 0.05). The mRNA and protein expression levels of the cell proliferation markers of GCs were significantly increased after the overexpression of SEMA4G in goat primary GCs. The EdU and CCK8 results showed that cell viability was elevated in goat GCs and that proliferation was promoted by an increase in the number of proliferating cells. The proliferation of goat GCs was significantly inhibited by SEMA4G inhibition (p < 0.05). The results of online miRNA and target gene prediction software and dual luciferase activity analysis confirmed that SEMA4G could bind to mi-363-5p and was one of its target genes. The RT–qPCR results showed that the expression level of miR-363-5p was significantly lower in the ovaries of high-fertility goats than in those of low-fertility goats in contrast to the expression level of SEMA4G (p < 0.05). After the overexpression of miR-363-5p in goat GCs, the expression of SEMA4G was significantly suppressed (p < 0.05). Collectively, the results of this study could lay the foundation for exploring the molecular mechanisms by which SEMA4G and miR-363-5p regulate the growth and development of goat GCs and provide targets for breeding high-fertility goats.
African swine fever (ASF) is an acute and severe contagious disease triggered by the African swine fever virus (ASFV), which severely threatens the global swine industry. At present, no safe and efficacious vaccine has been provided to prevent and control this disease. The pathogenesis and immune evasion mechanism of ASFV are still unknown, which seriously hinders the development of safe and effective ASF vaccines. Certain proteins of ASFV involved in immunosuppression helped to evade the host innate immune response. The cGAS-STING signaling pathway is important to the innate immune system. It induces the production of type I interferons (IFNs) and other cytokines by recognizing cytoplasmic DNA, mediating antimicrobial innate immunity through type I IFN, and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathways. In the present study, E120R, a late-phase expression protein and a key virulent factor of ASFV inhibited cGAS-STING mediated promoter activities of IFN-β and NF-κB in HEK293T cells. The ectopic expression of E120R down-regulated IFN- β pathway by targeting interferon regulatory factor 3 (IRF3) and p65, inhibited the phosphorylation of STING, and further inhibited the phosphorylation of TANK-binding kinase 1 (TBK1) and IRF3, with no significant effects on p65 phosphorylation. Additionally, E120R also inhibited the NF-κB pathways by inhibiting the nuclear translocation of p50 and p65, which was mediated by Sendai virus (SeV). Further, the study showed that the 61–80 amino acids sites in the C-terminal domain of E120R were crucial for these functions. In conclusion, our work preliminarily elucidated a novel mechanism of inhibiting host innate immune response by ASFV E120R, which will provide a new target for the ASFV live gene deletion vaccine development and the theoretical basis for ASFV prevention.
Although live mixed coccidiosis vaccines are widely used for Eimeria control, the side effects (e.g., damaging the intestinal mucosa and decreasing their weight gain) are not negligible. This study aimed to filter out the lowest dose of coccidiosis mixed vaccine with Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis) NZ3900/pNZ8149-IL-4-IL-2 (RLIL4/2) coimmunization against Eimeria reduces the side effects for Eimeria vaccination. Chickens oral 1.0 ×, 0.9 ×, 0.8 ×, 0.6 ×, 0.4 × dose of live vaccine, and RLIL4/2 with 1.0 × 109 CFU/chicken, respectively. The blank control group, challenge-only group and 1.0 × dose vaccine-only group are used as references. The survival rate, weight gain, bloody stool, intestinal lesions scores, oocyst output oocysts per gramme (OPG), and anticoccidial index (ACI) were detected by challenging with virulent coccidiosis. All the results indicated that the weight gain during the immune period or bloody stool/intestinal lesions scores/OPG during the challenge period were oppositely correlated with vaccine doses. The survival rate, weight gain, and ACI were positively correlated with vaccine doses during the challenge period. The ACI of 0.6 × the dose group was 167.69, which was considered a moderate efficiency. The weight gain, ACI of 1.0 ×, 0.9 × and 0.8 × dose groups were higher or intestinal lesions were lower than 1.0 × dose vaccine-only group (p < 0.05), respectively. In conclusion, the coimmunization of RLIL4/2 with Eimeria mixed vaccine could reduce 40% of the dose and the side effects (e.g., weight gain and intestinal lesions) from live mixed coccidiosis vaccine.
This article aims to establish a multiplex real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the simultaneous detection of Streptococcus suis (SS), Streptococcus suis serotype 2 (SS2), and Glaesserella parasuis (GPS). In this study, three pairs of primers and three probes were designed based on the specific sequences of SS (gdh), SS2 (cps2j), and GPS (infB). The results showed that the assay was not cross-reacted with other swine pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pasteurella multocida, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus agalactiae, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae, Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae, and Enterococcus faecalis; Streptococcus pyogenes). 108 to 102 copies/µL showed the R2 values for SS, SS2, and GPS were 0.999, 0.992, and 0.990, respectively. The multiplex real-time PCR efficiency was 93.816% for gdh, 105.260% for cps2j, and 93.175% for infB. The sensitivity result showed that SS, SS2, and GPS could be detected at 10 copies/µL. The repeatability result showed that intra-assay and inter-assay coefficients of variation of SS, SS2, and GPS were <2%. The best cutoff values for SS, SS2, and GPS were determined from ROC curves to be 35.085, 35.620, and 34.940, respectively. Areas under the curve were 0.943, 0.968, and 0.958. In total, 88 clinical samples were analyzed. The results indicated positive rates of 11.364% (10/88) for SS, 20.455% (18/88) for SS2, and 18.182% (16/88) for GPS. In conclusion, the developed one-step multiplex real-time PCR assay may be a valuable tool for the early detection of the SS, SS2 and, GPS with high specificity and sensitivity.
Supplementation of diets with a modest amount of zinc methionine (ZM) has been documented to improve the growth performance and antioxidant function of dairy calves, but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. In the present study, 16 dairy calves were allocated to a control (CON) group (calves consumed a basal diet) and a ZM group (calves ingested the basal diet and had an additional 455 mg ZM/day, corresponding to 80 mg zinc/day). The calves were fed these diets for 2 weeks, after which their serum antioxidant parameters, lipids, and jejunal mucosal proteome and microbiota were analyzed. The ZM group had lower levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and malondialdehyde but higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glutathione peroxidase activity in the serum. A total of 142 differentially expressed proteins in the intestinal mucosa between theCONandZMgroups had been identified (ZM upregulated 117 proteins and downregulated 25 proteins). In addition, the protein expression of acyl-coenzyme A oxidase 1, fatty acid binding protein 2, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma was higher in the ZM group. 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated beneficial microbes, such as Veillonellaceae, Akkermansia_muciniphila, and Bifidobacterium adolescentis, which were more abundant, whereas Acinetobacter lwoffii was less abundant in calf jejunal mucosa in the ZM group. Finally, the propionate, butyrate, and iso-valerate concentrations in the jejunal digesta were greater in the ZM group than those in the CON group. Collectively, the present study shows that ZM supplementation improves the serum and intestine mucosal lipid metabolism associated with the alterations in mucosal fatty acids β-oxidation and microbiota.
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in various sectors has led to significant advancements, with the animal industry being no exception. This review aims to investigate the benefits, limitations, and future prospects of AI technology in improving animal welfare. First, it examines the role of AI in understanding animal behaviors and emotions, providing deeper insights into their well-being and sources of stress. Next, the paper explores how AI can revolutionize animal nutrition through innovative algorithms and data analytics. The health aspect emphasizes the ability of AI to identify and manage illnesses through intelligent systems. This review also highlights the application of AI in improving animal living conditions, with a focus on environmental management and automated cleaning and disinfection systems. In conclusion, the review emphasizes AI-driven techniques for early prediction, close monitoring, and accurate diagnosis of animal diseases, ensuring healthier and more sustainable livestock management. By leveraging its advantages, addressing limitations, and exploring future directions, AI has the potential to significantly enhance animal welfare, sustainable agriculture, and veterinary practices.
China has a rich cultural heritage spanning thousands of years, and the significance of animal welfare and sustainability are reflected in China’s diverse traditional philosophies, beliefs, and literature. These concepts have shaped Chinese people’s perception of nature and treatment of animals throughout history. In this article, we will explore how animal welfare and sustainability are reflected in traditional Chinese culture, and discuss their significance and implication in modern Chinese society.