Heat stress can lead to decreased feed intake, apoptosis of mammary epithelial cells, and decreased milk yield and quality. Selenium is an important element in the composition of at least 25 selenoproteins. Hydroxy-selenomethionine (HMSeBA) is a novel organic selenium that has been shown to have a better deposition effect. However, whether HMSeBA alleviates damage to the mammary gland blood-milk barrier caused by heat stress and how this affects the performance of dairy cows remain largely unexplored. Therefore, 32 healthy Holstein cows with similar gestation days (150.41 ± 20.07 d), milk yield (36.15 ± 3.02 kg) and parity (3.25 ± 0.51) were selected and randomly divided into two total mixed rations with different selenium (Se) sources: sodium selenite (SSe) and HMSeBA. This study evaluated the outcomes of HMSeBA on antioxidant capacity, immunity, and blood-milk barrier damage in dairy cows during heat stress by collecting the samples of blood, rumen fluid and mammary gland biopsy. The experiment was conducted over 35 d, including a 5-day pre-feeding period and a 30-day experimental period. The temperature and humidity index (THI) were all above 80 throughout the experiment period. The results showed that HMSeBA decreased the respiratory rate (P < 0.001) and the content of inflammatory cytokines in the serum and increased the content of immune factors and antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05). In addition, HMSeBA reduced the expression of inflammatory cytokines and heat shock proteins in mammary gland (P < 0.05). Hematoxylin-eosin-stained pathological sections showed massive thickening of acinar walls and severe destruction of glandular structures in the SSe group, but the structure of the acinar mammary gland in the HMSeBA group was intact. Furthermore, HMSeBA promoted the expression of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K, P < 0.001)/protein kinase B (AKT, P = 0.011)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR, P = 0.008) pathway and improved the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1, P = 0.014) and occluding (OCLN, P = 0.012) in the mammary gland, suggesting less damage caused by heat stress to the blood-milk barrier. Our results demonstrated that HMSeBA can improve the antioxidant capacity and immunity of dairy cows and the expression of tight junction proteins in mammary gland to help alleviate the blood-milk barrier damage by heat stress, which could reduce the damage of heat stress on milk yield.

The use of next-generation probiotics (NGP) in pigs for combating diseases has been subject to limited research. Here we explored the potential of a well-known NGP candidate Akkermansia muciniphila targeting pig gut health. In the first screening experiment, we found that the abundance of A. muciniphila peaked at 14 d old but decreased at weaning (21 d old; P < 0.05), suggesting the weaning period may be an effective window for A. muciniphila intervention. Following that, 48 crossbred weaned pigs at 28 d old were randomly assigned to five groups: control (CON), high/low live A. muciniphila (HA/LA), and high/low heat-killed A. muciniphila (HIA/LIA). From 1 to 28 d old, the CON group received gastric infusion of anaerobic sterile saline every other day; the HA and LA groups were gavaged every other day with 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/5 mL and 5 × 10⁸ CFU/5 mL live A. muciniphila, respectively; and the HIA and LIA groups were gavaged every other day with 1 × 10¹⁰ CFU/5 mL and 5 × 10⁸ CFU/5 mL heat-killed A. muciniphila, respectively. At d 29, pigs in the CON group were randomly and equally divided into two groups, one of which was named the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) group, and all groups except CON received a 5-d ETEC challenge. The supplementation of A. muciniphila numerically reduced the diarrhea rate of weaned pigs compared to the pigs that only received the ETEC challenge (P = 0.57), but the LIA group had a higher diarrhea rate than the CON group (P < 0.05). Consistent with this, the supplementation of A. muciniphila improved the small intestinal morphology and structure, proportion of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes in the blood, as well as the expression of genes related to intestinal barrier and antioxidant indices of pigs with ETEC challenge, especially for the LA group (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, A. muciniphila supplementation reduced the expression of ETEC virulence factor genes in the ileum and colon of pigs challenged by ETEC (P < 0.05). Therefore, A. muciniphila may protect the intestinal health of weaned piglets from damage caused by ETEC infection, but the effect may vary depending on the concentration and activity of A. muciniphila.

Feedstuffs derived from canola, predominantly canola meals plus whole, "full-fat" canola seed, and even canola protein isolates and/or concentrates, have the potential to decrease soybean meal inclusions in diets for broiler chickens. The protein content of soybean meal exceeds that of canola meal; however, canola meal contains more methionine and cysteine in absolute and relative terms. The purpose of this review is to explore this potential as Australian chicken-meat production is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this opportunity to the extent that it can be realised. Australia harvests ample quantities of canola, the bulk of which is exported as seed; alternatively, soybean production is very limited; therefore, large quantities of soybean meal are imported as the principal source of dietary protein for broiler chickens. This importation of soybean meal is not sustainable; however, canola meal inclusions in broiler diets do not usually exceed 100 g/kg. Regression equations derived from 15 recent studies indicate that dietary inclusions of 150 g/kg solvent-extracted canola meal would compromise weight gain by 4.04% and feed conversion ratio (FCR) by 4.72%. The foremost factors driving these depressions in canola meal are probably (1) high fibre contents coupled with low energy densities and (2) the presence of glucosinolates, which may be converted into toxic metabolites including thiocyanates. Moreover, regression equations from nine studies suggest that calculated dietary glucosinolate concentrations of 2.00 μmol/g would compromise weight gain by 5.72% and FCR by 6.56%. The nutritive value of canola meal could be enhanced by improvements in canola breeding programs, processing methods in canola meal production, and dietary formulations including judicious application of exogenous enzymes. Consideration is given to these aspects in this review as any improvements would increase the extent to which canola meal can feasibly replace soybean meal in broiler diets. An additional pathway to decrease the reliance on soybean meal could be the adoption of reduced-crude protein (CP) diets containing canola meal. The combined strategy of canola meal replacing soybean meal in reduced-CP diets, if successful, would tangibly decrease soybean meal requirements in global chicken-meat production.

This study investigated the effect of peroxidized lipids on piglets' growth performance, intestinal morphology, inflammatory reactions, oxidative stress in the liver, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon, and ileal microbiota. Twenty piglets (Duroc × [Landrace × Yorkshire]; age = 21 d old, BW = 6.5 ± 1 kg) were randomly assigned to two groups with 10 replicates per group and one piglet per replicate. The control group was fed 6% fresh soybean oil and the peroxidized soybean oil (PSO) group fed 6% PSO. The experimental feeding period lasted 24 d. The study found no impact on ADFI, ADG and gain to feed ratio (P > 0.05). However, the PSO group increased the diarrhea index and the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P < 0.05), along with decreased concentrations of alanine aminotransferase and blood urea nitrogen (P < 0.05). For oxidative enzymes, PSO increased the concentration of F2-isoprostane in urine (P = 0.032), malondialdehyde (MDA) in the duodenum (P = 0.001) and jejunum (P = 0.004), decreased thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in the liver (P = 0.001) but increased TBARS in duodenum (P = 0.001), and carbonylated proteins in the duodenum (P = 0.003). For antioxidant enzymes, PSO decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the liver (P = 0.001), colon (P = 0.002), and jejunum (P = 0.015), along with glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in the liver (P = 0.008) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) in ileum (P = 0.001). For inflammatory reactions, PSO increased interleukin (IL)-1β concentrations in the duodenum and colon, and IL-10 in the jejunum, while decreasing IL-4 concentration in the duodenum (P < 0.05). For intestinal morphology and ileal microbiota, PSO increased ileal crypt depth, while decreasing the crypt-to-villus ratio (P < 0.05). Peroxidized soybean oil increased the relative abundance of Prevotella, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Clostridium_sensu_stricto_6, Pasteurella and Klebsiella (P < 0.05). In conclusion, this study revealed that PSO worsened diarrhea, increasing the ileal crypt depth and the relative abundance of harmful microbiota, and induced oxidative stress and inflammation in the intestines and liver, primarily in the jejunum and ileum.

This study sought to determine the effects of rosemary leaf powder (RP) on laying performance, egg quality, serum indices, gut barrier function, and cecal microbiota and metabolites of late-phase laying hens. A total of 84 "Jing Tint 6" laying hens at 65-week old were randomly divided into 2 groups and fed either a basal diet (CON) or a basal diet supplemented with 0.3% RP. Our study revealed that RP improved the Haugh unit and decreased yolk n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio of laying hens, increased serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), jejunal activities of SOD and catalase (CAT), and jejunal zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) expression, as well as decreased serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) level and jejunal TNF-α mRNA expression. Rosemary leaf powder markedly enhanced (P < 0.05) cecal abundances of Rikenellaceae, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, and Turicibacter, tended to promote (P = 0.076) butyrate concentration, and reduced (P < 0.05) cecal abundances of Erysipelatoclostridiaceae, Sutterellaceae, Fusobacteriaceae, Campylobacteraceae, Sutterella, Campylobacter, and Fusobacterium, which were closely linked with Haugh unit, yolk n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, serum SOD and TNF-α. In addition, RP altered the metabolic functions of cecal microbiota and enhanced the abundances of butyrate-synthesizing enzymes, including lysine 2,3-aminomutase, β-lysine 5,6-aminomutase, and 3-oxoacid CoA-transferase. Together, 0.3% RP has the potential to enhance egg quality by partially modulating serum antioxidant status, jejunal barrier function, and cecal microbiota structure and metabolites, indicating that RP could be considered a promising feed additive to promote the production performance of late-phase laying hens.

It has been found that thymol (Thy) and rosmarinic acid (Ros-A) improve the growth performance of piglets and relieve intestinal inflammation in animals. The effects of Thy and Ros-A separately or in combination (Thy × Ros-A) on the intestinal function and health of piglets challenged with Escherichia coli K88 (E. coli K88) were investigated. A total of 30 piglets aged 21 d were assigned to 5 groups (n = 6). The control (Con) and K88 groups piglets received a basal diet, while the Thy, Ros-A, and Thy × Ros-A groups were fed a basal diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg Thy, 500 mg/kg Ros-A, and 250 mg/kg Thy + 250 mg/kg Ros-A, respectively. On the 19th and 20th day, piglets in the K88, Thy, Ros-A, and Thy × Ros-A groups were orally administered 10 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing approximately 1 × 10⁹ CFU/mL of E. coli K88, while the Con group received an equal volume of PBS. The results showed that the Thy × Ros-A treatment reduced the damage to ileal villi induced by the E. coli K88 challenge, leading to longer villi in the ileum (P < 0.05). Thy and Ros-A modulated the composition of the ileal microbiota. Compared to the K88 group, the Thy × Ros-A group had a higher abundance of Lactobacillus and Romboutsia, while Escherichia-Shigella and Desulforvibrio were lower (P < 0.05). Additionally, the Thy × Ros-A group showed elevated levels of gene and protein expressions for zonula occludens-1, occludin, and claudin-1 compared to the K88 group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, combining Thy and Ros-A reduced ileal damage and relieved the inflammation in weaned piglets challenged with E. coli K88 by regulating intestinal microflora and improving barrier function.

Diarrhea is the leading cause of mortality in postnatal goat kids, seriously impacting breeding efficiency. This study aimed to explore the effects of Bacillus pumilus 315 (B. pumilus) on goat kids’ diarrhea and its regulatory mechanism. Thirty-six 1-day-old goat kids were assigned into four treatments, the control (CON) group and low-, medium- and high-dose groups supplemented with B. pumilus at 1 × 10⁸ (BP1), 5 × 10⁸ (BP5), and 1 × 10⁹ CFU/d (BP10). Each group consisted of 9 replicates with 1 goat kid per replicate. The results showed that the incidence of diarrhea and fecal scores decreased significantly (P < 0.05). A dose of 5 × 10⁸ CFU/d B. pumilus reduced pro-inflammatory factors (including tumor necrosis factor-α [TNF-α], interleukin-1β [IL-1β], interleukin-6 [IL-6], P < 0.05), increased the expression levels of anti-inflammatory factors (including transforming growth factor-β [TGF-β], peroxisome proliferate-activated receptor-gamma [PPAR-γ], interleukin-10 [IL-10], P < 0.05), immune indicators (including immunoglobulin G [IgG], immunoglobulin A [IgA], immunoglobulin M [IgM], secretory immunoglobulin A [sIgA], P < 0.05) and antioxidant indicators (including total antoxidative capacity [T-AOC], superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GSH-Px], catalase [CAT], P < 0.05) in both jejunum and colon, and ultimately improved the barrier function of the jejunum and colon mucosa. The enhanced gut immunity and barrier function were associated with increased abundance of Enterococcus and Lactobacillus (P < 0.05) and decreased abundance of Campylobacter and Escherichia-Shigella (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary addition of B. pumilus may improve gut health by modulating the composition and function of the flora, ultimately alleviating diarrhea in goat kids.

Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are well-known prebiotics that have the potential to improve sow reproductive performance and increase piglet growth. However, previous studies were observed in sole FOS-supplemented diets of sows or weaned piglets and did not consider the sow-to-piglet transfer effect on the performance and diarrhea rate of weaned piglets. This study explores the effects of dietary FOS supplementation on the reproductive performance of sows, and the effects of FOS supplementation at different stages on the growth performance and diarrhea rate of weaned piglets. A split-plot experimental design was used with sow diet effect in the whole plot and differing piglet diet effect in the subplot. Fifty-two multiparous sows (223.24 ± 14.77 kg) were randomly divided into 2 groups (0 or 0.2% FOS). The experiment lasted from day 85 of gestation to day 21 of lactation. Reproductive performance, glucose tolerance, placental angiogenesis, and intestinal flora of sows were assessed. At weaning, 192 weaned piglets were grouped in 2 × 2 factorial designs, with the main effects of FOS supplemental level of sow diet (0 and 0.2%), and FOS supplemental level of weaned piglet diet (0 and 0.2%), respectively. The growth performance and diarrhea rate of the weaned piglets were analyzed during a 28-d experiment. Maternal dietary supplementation of FOS was shown to reduce the stillbirth and invalid piglet rates (P < 0.05), improve the insulin sensitivity (P < 0.05) and fecal scores (P < 0.05) of sows, increase the abundance of Akkermansia muciniphila (P = 0.016), decrease the abundance of Escherichia coli (P = 0.035), and increase the isovalerate content in feces (P = 0.086). Meanwhile, the placental angiogenesis marker CD31 expression was increased in sows fed FOS diet (P < 0.05). Moreover, maternal and post-weaning dietary FOS supplementation reduced the diarrhea rate of weaned piglets (P < 0.05) and increased the content of short-chain fatty acids in feces (P < 0.05). Furthermore, only post-weaning dietary FOS supplementation could improve nutrient digestibility of weaned piglets (P < 0.05). Collectively, FOS supplementation in sows can reduce stillbirth rate, perinatal constipation, and insulin resistance, as well as improve placental vascularization barrier. Additionally, maternal and post-weaning dietary FOS supplementation reduced the diarrhea rate of weaned piglets, but only FOS supplementation in piglets alone at weaning stage could improve their nutrient digestibility.

The objectives of the current study were to compare the difference between standardized ileal digestibility (SID) and standardized total tract digestibility (STTD) of phosphorus (P) in pigs using published data and investigate the factors that affect the hindgut disappearance of P in pigs. A total of 156 observations from 32 experiments that determined the apparent ileal digestibility and total tract digestibility of P in pigs were collected. The SID and STTD of P were calculated by accounting for basal endogenous losses of P. Standardized hindgut disappearance (SHD) of P was determined by subtracting the SID of P from the STTD of P. The Chi-square test was performed to investigate the association between SHD of P and categorical variables, including the use of phytase, the use of inorganic P sources, the use of corn-soybean meal-based diets, and body weight (BW) of pigs. To determine the effects of the SID of P on the SHD of P, a linear equation for the SHD of P was developed using the SID of P as an independent variable. The BW of pigs ranged from 10.0 to 104.8 kg and the SHD of P ranged from −22.8% to 39.8%. The STTD of P was greater than the SID of P (47.1% vs. 49.7%; P = 0.019). Based on the Chi-square analysis, the supplementation of inorganic P sources tended to result in a higher occurrence of a positive value for the SHD of P (P = 0.079). In addition, the occurrence of a positive value in the SHD of P was lower when the BW of pigs was below 30 kg. However, as the BW of pigs increased, the occurrence of a positive value in the SHD of P increased (P = 0.061). A regression analysis of the SHD of P against the SID of P in pigs indicated that the SHD of P decreased as the SID of P increased in pigs (r² = 0.17; P < 0.001). In conclusion, the STTD of P is greater than the SID of P in pigs, and the SHD of P depends on the diet composition, the amount of P entering the large intestine, and the BW of the pigs.