Supplementation of protease and different nutrient density diets in growing-finishing pigs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of protease supplementation and different nutrient density of diets in growing-finishing pigs. A total of one hundred-eight crossbred growing pigs ([Landrace × Yorkshire] × Duroc) with an initial body weight (BW; 18.74 ± 3.46 kg) were used for 15 weeks. Pigs were randomly assigned to six dietary treatments with 6 replicates of 3 pigs per pen in a 3 × 2 factorial through the following arrangement: Three groups of protease (1, Basal diets; 2, Protease A: 125 mg/kg protease derived from Streptomyces sps; 3, Protease B: 100 mg/kg protease derived from Bacillus licheniformis) at two different nutrient density diets (1, Basal requirement; 2, 0.94%-0.98% higher than requirement in dietary protein and 50 kcal/kg in energy). High nutrient (HN) diets showed higher average daily gain (ADG) (p < 0.05) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of crude protein (CP) (p < .0001) compared to basal nutrient (BN) diets during growing periods. Supplementation of protease showed higher BW (p < 0.05) and ADG (p < 0.05) compared to non-supplementation of protease during growing periods. Also, supplementation of protease showed higher ATTD of CP (p < 0.01), ATTD of gross energy (p < 0.05) and decreased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level (p = 0.001) compared to non-supplementation of protease during finishing periods. Pigs which fed the protease showed decreased ammonia (NH3) emissions (p < 0.05) during experiment periods and decreased hydrogen sulfide (H2S) emissions (p < 0.01) during finishing periods. Interactions between nutrient density and protease were observed, which decreased the feed conversion ratio (p < 0.05) in HN diets without protease compared to BN diets without protease during weeks 4 to 6. Also, interaction between nutrient density and protease was observed, which resulted in improved ATTD of CP (p < 0.01) in response to PTA supplementation with HN diets during the finishing period. In conclusion, supplementation of protease reduces NH3 in feces and BUN in whole blood by increasing the digestibility of CP and improves growth performance. Also, diets with high nutrient density improved growth performance and nutrient digestibility in growing periods.

Effects of driving style and bedding in pigs transported to slaughterhouse in different temperatures.

Animal welfare during transport became an largely issue because of increasing demand for improved animal welfare standards. Most studies on the animal welfare during transportation have concentrated on the atmosphere and the temperature of the truck compartments. Thus, the objective of study was to collect and quantify three axis acceleration and determine the effect of bedding for transporting pigs from farm to slaughterhouse. A total of 2,840 crossbred fattening pigs with a live weight of approximately 115 kg were used. They were raised in the same commercial farms and transported to the same commercial slaughterhouse. A 3×2×2 completely randomized factorial design was used to investigate effects of rubber type bedding (bedding or non-bedding) and two levels of driving style (aggressive or normal) in three different time periods with different outside temperatures. Air temperature treatments were as follow: high temperature ([HT] higher than 24°C); low temperature ([LT] lower than 10°C); normal temperature ([NT] 10°C to 24°C). In our experiment, pigs transported under aggressive driving style showed lower (p < 0.05) pH and water holding capacity (WHC) than those transported under normal driving style. Pigs transported under normal driving style showed a lower percentage of drip loss (DL) (p < 0.05) than those transported with an aggressive driving style. Also, transported with bedding showed higher (p < 0.05) lying behavior but lower (p < 0.05) sitting behavior than those transported without bedding. Pigs transported under normal driving style showed lower (p < 0.05) cortisol level than those transported under aggressive driving style. In conclusion, aggressive driving style cause acute stress in pigs, while bedding helps alleviate acute stress in pigs during transportation in LT.

Effects of stimbiotic supplementation on gut health, immune response, and intestinal microbiota in weaned piglets challenged with E. coli.

In order to make piglet diets more effective, it is necessary to investigate effective methods for breaking down xylan in cereal. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of dietary stimbiotic (STB) supplementation on growth performance, intestinal morphology, immune response and intestinal microbiota in weaned piglets. A total of 24 (Duroc × Yorkshire × Landrace) weaned pigs (initial body weight of 8.01 ± 0.38 kg and 28 ± 3 d old), were assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment. Pigs were housed in individual pens for 17 days, including 5 days adaption period and 12 days after the first Escherichia coli (E. coli) challenge. The experiment was conducted in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of two levels of challenge (challenge and non-challenge) and two levels of STB (0 and 0.5 g/kg diet). Supplementations of STB 0.5 g/kg improved the gain to feed ratio (G:F) (P < 0.05) in piglets challenged with shiga toxigenic E. coli (STEC). STB supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. Supplementation of STB improved (P < 0.05) the lymphocytes and neutrophils in piglets challenged with STEC on 12 dpi. Supplementation of STB also improved (P < 0.05) the villus height to-crypt depth ratio of ileum in piglets challenged with STEC. Supplementation of STB increased (P < 0.05) the expression levels of claudin-1 of ileum. In genus level, supplementation of STB increased (P < 0.001) the abundance of Prevotella compared to non-supplementation of STB groups in pre-inoculation period. Also, supplementation of STB decreased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Faecalibacterium and Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group compared to non-supplementation of STB groups in post-inoculation period. In phylum level, supplementation of STB increased (P < 0.05) the abundance of Desulfobacterota and Fibrobacterota in pre-inoculation period. E. coli challenge increased the abundance of Fibrobacterota compared to non-challenged group in post-inoculation period. In conclusion, these findings indicated that STB supplementation could alleviate a decrease of the performance, immune response, and inflammatory response in piglets induced by the STEC challenge.

Effects of Combinations of Toxin Binders with or without Natural Components on Broiler Breeders Exposed to Ochratoxin A.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of toxin binders on broiler breeders fed an ochratoxin A (OTA)-contaminated diet. A total of 60 45-week-old female Arbor Acres broiler breeder birds with an initial body weight of 3.65 ± 0.35 kg were randomly divided into 6 treatment groups, with 10 replicates per group and 1 bird per replicate. The trial was conducted for 9 weeks (including 1 week of adaptation). Feed additive 1 (FA1) was composed of clay minerals (85% bentonite and 12% clinoptilolite) with 3% charcoal. FA2 was composed of clay minerals (66.1% aluminosilicates) with natural components (0.8% artichoke and rosemary plant extracts), 7% yeast extract, 0.5% beta-glucans, and 25.6% carriers. The dietary treatment groups were as follows: (1) birds fed an OTA-free basal diet (Negative Control; NC); (2) lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged birds fed a diet including OTA (4 mg/kg) (Positive Control, PC); (3) the PC with 0.05% FA1 (Treatment 1, T1); (4) the PC with 0.10% FA1 (Treatment 2, T2); (5) the PC with 0.10% FA2 (Treatment 3, T3); and (6) the PC with 0.20% FA2 (Treatment 4, T4). The LPS challenge (an intramuscular injection of 1 mg E. coli O55:B5 LPS per kg of body weight) was performed on the first day of the experiment. The results of this experiment show that the PC treatment negatively affected (p < 0.05) egg production, hatchability, Haugh unit, bone mineralization, relative organ weight (abdominal fat, liver), the levels of glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and total cholesterol in the blood, and OTA accumulation in the liver compared with the NC. However, supplementation with toxin binders mitigated (p < 0.05) the negative effects of the OTA. Specifically, supplementation with 0.10% FA1 and 0.10% FA2 increased (p < 0.05) eggshell strength by week 4, and the Haugh unit and bone mineralization (phosphorous) by week 8, while decreasing (p < 0.05) the relative weight of the liver and the levels of GOT and HDL in the blood. Supplementation with 0.10% FA2 led to greater improvements in various parameters, including laying performance and bone mineralization, than the other treatments. In conclusion, toxin binders with or without natural components can be effective tools in the mitigation of OTA-induced problems due to their synergistic effects.

Effects of dietary supplementation of Pediococcus pentosaceus strains from kimchi in weaned piglet challenged with Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella enterica (SE) infections in pigs are major source associated with enteric disease such as post weaning diarrhea. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of Pediococcus pentosaceus in weaned piglets challenged with pathogen bacteria. In Experiment.1 90 weaned piglets with initial body weights of 8.53 ± 0.34 kg were assigned to 15 treatments for 2 weeks. The experiments were conducted two trials in a 2 × 5 factorial arrangement of treatments consisting of two levels of challenge (challenge and non-challenge) with E. coli and SE, respectively and five levels of probiotics (Control, Lactobacillus plantarum [LA], Pediococcus pentosaceus SMFM2016-WK1 [38W], Pediococcus acidilactici K [PK], Lactobacillus reuteri PF30 [PF30]). In Experiment.2 a total of 30 weaned pigs (initial body weight of 9.84 ± 0.85 kg) were used in 4 weeks experiment. Pigs were allocated to 5 groups in a randomized complete way with 2 pens per group and 3 pigs per pen. Supplementation of LA and 38W improved (p < 0.05) growth performance, intestinal pathogen bacteria count, fecal noxious odor and diarrhea incidence. In conclusion, supplementation of 38W strains isolated from white kimchi can act as probiotics by inhibiting E. coli and SE.

Effects of exogenous protease on performance, economic evaluation, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, intestinal morphology, blood profile, carcass trait, and meat quality in broilers fed normal diets and diets considered with matrix value.

This study was conducted to estimate the effects of exogenous protease on performance, economic evaluation, nutrient digestibility, fecal score, intestinal morphology, blood profile, carcass traits, and meat quality in broilers fed normal diets and diets considered with matrix value. A total of 90, one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chickens were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicates and each replicate of 5 broiler chickens. Treatments were as follows: 1) Basal diet (positive control, PC), 2) Basal diet formulated with full ProAct 360 matrix at 50 g/MT without addition of ProAct 360 (negative control, NC), 3) NC + 50 g/MT ProAct 360 (PA). Supplementation of exogenous protease to nutrient deficient NC diet by matrix values (PA) tended to increase growth performance and significantly improved intestinal morphology compared with the NC group. The PA group had significantly lower fecal score, and higher ATTD of crude protein and amino acids than those of the NC group. Furthermore, supplementation of exogenous protease to NC diet decreased feed cost, resulting in improved profit margin. However, there was no significant difference on carcass yield and relative organ weight. In conclusion, supplementation of exogenous protease using matrix value could be used as economic additive to improve growth, profit margin, digestibility, and gut health in broiler chickens.

Effects of supplemental different clay minerals in broiler chickens under cyclic heat stress.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementing clay minerals and organic chromium in feed on broiler chicken under heat stress (HS). A total of 90 one-day-old broiler chicken (Arbor Acres) with an initial body weight of 45.0 ± 0.2 g were assigned to five treatment groups (six replications, three birds each cage): 1) NC group, basal diet under room temperature environment; 2) PC group, basal diet under high temperature (HT) environment; 3) ILT group, basal diet + 1% illite + HT; 4) ZLT group, basal diet + 1% zeolite + HT; 5) OC group, basal diet + 400 ppb/kg organic chromium + HT. The ILT and ZLT groups had significantly higher body weight than the PC group in 4 weeks. Apparent total tract digestibility of gross energy was increased in the ILT, ZLT, and OC groups compared to the PC group. The NC group had lower foot-pad dermatitis score than other groups. Escherichia coli population in the cecum and feces was decreased in the ZLT group than in the PC group. Lactobacillus in cecum and feces was significantly increased in the ZLT group than in the PC group. Regarding blood profiles, blood cortisol was decreased in the NC and ILT groups compared to the PC group. Water holding capacity and pH were increased in the ZLT group than the PC group. In conclusion, according to the results of growth performance, nutrients digestibility, bacteria counts, and meat characteristics, supplementation of the ZLT in broiler diet can alleviate HS.

Effects of different levels of organic chromium and selenomethionine cocktails in broilers.

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace mineral that plays an important role in physiological processes by regulating the antioxidant defense system and enhancing immunity. Chromium is an essential mineral involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism and also plays a role in maintaining normal insulin function. Based on these advantages, we hypothesized that the addition of selenomethionine (SeMet) and organic chromium (OC) to broiler diets would increase Se deposition, antioxidant capacity and immune response in meat. Therefore, this study analyzed the effects of OC and SeMet on growh performance, nutrients digestibility, blood profiles, intestinal morphology, meat quality characteristics, and taxonomic analysis of broilers. A total of 168 one-day-old broiler chicken (Arbor Acres) were randomly allotted to 3 groups based on the initial body weight of 37.33 ± 0.24 g with 7 replicate per 8 birds (mixed sex). The experiments period was 28 days. Dietary treatments were folloewd: Basal diets based on corn-soybean meal (CON), basal diet supplemented with 0.2 ppm OC and 0.2 ppm SeMet (CS4), and basal diet supplemented with 0.4 ppm OC and 0.4 ppm SeMet (CS8). Supplementation of OC and SeMet did not affect on growth performance, nutrient digestibility. However, CS8 supplementation increased in duodenum villus height and villus height : crypt depth, and increased in breast meat Se deposition. In addition, CS8 group showed higher uric acid and total antioxidant status than CON group. Taxonomic analysis at phylum level revealed that Proteobacteria and Firmicutes of CS4 and CS8 were lower than CON group. In genus level, the relative abundance of fecal Lactobacillus and Enterococcus of CS4 and CS8 groups were higher than CON group. In short, 0.4 ppm OC and 0.4 ppm SeMet supplementation to broiler diet supporitng positive gut microbiome change, also enhancing antioxidant capacity, and Se deposition in breast meat.

Effect of black soldier fly larvae as substitutes for fishmeal in broiler diet.

This study investigated the effect of processed forms (defatted or hydrolyzed) of black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens L., BSFL) as a protein substitute on broilers. Experiment 1 was a feeding experiment, and Experiment 2 was a metabolism experiment. In Experiment 1, a total of 120 day-old Arbor Acres broilers (initial body weight 39.52 ± 0.24 g) were used for 28 days. There were 8 replicate pens, and 5 broilers were assigned to each pen. In Experiment 2, a total of 36 day-old broilers (initial body weight 39.49 ± 0.21 g) were used for the metabolism trial. There were 2 broilers in a metabolism cage and six replicate cages per treatment. The dietary treatments were as follows: a basal diet (CON), a basal diet without fishmeal and substitute with defatted BSFL (T1), a basal diet without fishmeal and a substitute with hydrolyzed BSFL (T2). In Experiment 1, during the entire experimental period, the T2 group significantly increased (p < 0.05) body weight gain and feed intake compared to the CON and T1 groups. The feed conversion ratio showed a lower tendency (p = 0.057) in the T2 group than in the CON and T1 groups. At 2 weeks, the CON and T2 groups were significantly higher (p < 0.05) crude protein (CP) digestibility than the T1 group. At 4 weeks, the total protein level significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the CON and T2 groups compared to the T1 group. In Experiment 2, the CP digestibility significantly increased (p < 0.05) in the T2 group compared to the CON and T1 group at weeks 2 and 4. At week 4 amino acid digestibility, the T2 group significantly increased (p < 0.05) lysine, methionine, tryptophan, and glycine digestibility compared to the T1 group. There was no difference in fecal microbiota among the treatment groups. In conclusion, feeding hydrolyzed BSFL as a fishmeal substitute in broiler diets improved growth performance, CP digestibility, and specific amino acid digestibility. Therefore, it is considered that hydrolyzed BSFL in broiler diets can be sufficiently used as a new protein source.

Effect of loading density and weather conditions on animal welfare and meat quality of slaughter pigs.

There are several factors that affect the welfare and meat quality of pigs during pre-slaughter transport. Among various factors, the effects of weather conditions and loading density were studied. A total of 3,726 finishing pigs were allotted to one of nine groups arranged in a 3 × 3 factorial design according to the weather conditions (low temperature [LT], under 10°C; normal temperature [NT], 10°C-24°C; high temperature [HT], upper 24°C), and loading density (low density [LD], upper 0.43 m2/100 kg; normal density [ND], 0.37-0.43 m2/100 kg; high density [HD], under 0.37 m2/100 kg). Each treatment group follow as: LTLD, LTND, LTHD, NTLD, NTND, NTHD, HTLD, HTND, HTHD. In terms of carcass composition, pigs had the highest carcass weight and backfat thickness at LT. Comparing the HD transport to the ND transport, the meat quality indicated a lower pH and more drip loss. The incidence rate of pale, soft, exudative (PSE) pork was high in the order of the HD, LD, and the ND transport (20%, 9%, and 2%, respectively). The HT transport showed the lowest pH and greatest L* value under the given weather conditions. Pigs transported under the HTHD and LTLD conditions had the greatest rates of PSE pork (40% and 20%, respectively). Pigs exposed to HD transport had the shortest laying time and the highest overplap behavior. The LDLT transport pigs had a shorter laying time than the LDNT and LDHT transport pigs. In conclusion, too high or too low density transport is generally not excellent for meat quality or animal welfare, however it is preferable to transport at a slightly low density at high temperature and at a slightly high density at low temperature.

Infantile Colic and the Subsequent Development of the Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

Background/Aims: Little is known about the association between infantile colic and the later onset of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Methods: This study examined all 917 707 children who were born in Korea between 2007 and 2008. Infantile colic was defined with 1 or more diagnoses of ICD-10 code R10.4 or R68.1 at the age of 5 weeks to 4 months, and infants with a diagnosis of infantile colic and without were allocated into the infantile colic group and the control group. IBS was defined as 2 or more diagnoses of ICD-10 code K58.X after 4 years of age. Each child was traced until 2017. The risk of IBS with infantile colic was evaluated using a Cox proportional hazards model with propensity score inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW). Results: After IPTW, 363 528 and 359 842 children were allocated to the control group and the infantile colic group, respectively. The infantile colic group had a higher risk of developing IBS in childhood (hazard ratio [95% CI], 1.12 [1.10 to 1.13]) than the control group. Moreover, the subgroup analyses according to the feeding status, birth weight, sex, or economic status, showed that the risk of IBS with former infantile colic remained statistically significant. Conclusions: Children with a diagnosis of infantile colic during the infant period had a significant risk of developing IBS after 4 years of age. Understanding the pathogenesis of infantile colic in the neonatal period may reduce the prevalence and severity of functional gastrointestinal disorders from childhood to adolescence to adulthood.

Stimbiotic Supplementation Alleviates Poor Performance and Gut Integrity in Weaned Piglets Induced by Challenge with E. coli.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of stimbiotic (STB), a xylanase and xylo-oligosaccharide complex. A total of 36 male weaned pigs with initial body weights of 8.49 ± 0.10 kg were used in a 3-week experiment. The experiment was conducted in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (six replicates/treatment) of treatments consisting of two levels of challenge (challenge and non-challenge) and three levels of STB (0, 0.5, and 1 g/kg diet). Supplementations STB 0.5 g/kg (STB5) and STB 1 g/kg (STB10) improved the G:F (p = 0.04) in piglets challenged with STEC. STB supplementation, which also decreased (p < 0.05) the white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6. Supplementations STB5 and STB10 improved (p < 0.01) the lymphocytes and neutrophils in piglets challenged with STEC on 14 dpi. Additionally, supplementations STB5 and STB10 improved (p < 0.01) the tumor necrosis factor-alpha in piglets challenged with STEC on 3 dpi. Supplementations STB5 and STB10 also improved the villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (p < 0.01) in piglets challenged with STEC. Supplementation with STB reduced (p < 0.05) the expression levels of calprotectin. In conclusion, STB could alleviate a decrease of the performance, immune response, and inflammatory response induced by the STEC challenge.

Characteristics and Treatment of Anaphylaxis in Children Visiting a Pediatric Emergency Department in Korea.

Anaphylaxis is a serious life-threatening allergic disease in children. This study is aimed at determining the characteristics of pediatric patients who experienced anaphylaxis along with treatments administered in order to determine the usefulness of tryptase level assessment as a marker of anaphylaxis in Korean children. A total of 107 patients who were diagnosed with anaphylaxis in a single pediatric emergency center over a 3-year period were included in the study. Patient clinical characteristics, symptoms, signs, allergy history, trigger factors, treatments, and laboratory findings, including serum tryptase levels, were included in the analysis. Food allergies (39.3%) were the most commonly reported patient allergic history, and 58 patients (54.2%) were triggered by food. Among this group, nuts and milk exposure were the most common, affecting 15 patients (25.9%). History of anaphylaxis and asthma were more common in severe anaphylaxis compared to mild or moderate anaphylaxis cases. Epinephrine intramuscular injection was administrated to 76 patients (71.0%), and a self-injectable epinephrine was prescribed to 18 patients (16.8%). The median tryptase level was 4.80 ng/mL (range: 2.70-10.40) which was lower than the 11.4 ng/mL value commonly documented for standard evaluation in adults with anaphylaxis. The most common cause of pediatric anaphylaxis was food including nuts and milk. The rate of epinephrine injection was relatively high in our pediatric emergency department. The median tryptase level associated with anaphylaxis reactions in children was lower than 11.4 ng/mL. Further studies are needed to help improve diagnostic times and treatment accuracy in pediatric patients who develop anaphylaxis.

Serum Periostin Is Negatively Correlated With Exposure to Formaldehyde and Volatile Organic Compounds in Children.

Epidemiological studies have shown that exposure to tobacco smoke causing irritation and inflammation in the airways tends to reduce serum periostin concentrations in adults. We now investigate prospective cross-sectional study on 135 Korean students aged 7 years in the first grade who were participating in the Seongnam Atopy Project for Children's Happiness 2016 (SAP2016) cohort. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show significant inverse correlations between serum periostin concentration and exposure to xylene and formaldehyde in children. Our findings suggested the need for caution in using the serum periostin level as a marker for allergic diseases, since exposure to volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde may confound the interpretation of these results.

Low levels of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 at birth may be associated with subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia in preterm infants.

PURPOSE: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is characterized by inflammation with proteolytic damage to the lung extracellular matrix. The results from previous studies are inconsistent regarding the role of proteinases and antiproteinases in the development of BPD. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-8, MMP-9, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-2, and TIMP-1 levels in the serum of preterm infants at birth are related to the development of BPD. METHODS: Serum was collected from 62 preterm infants at birth and analyzed for MMP-8, MMP-9, TIMP-2, and TIMP-1 by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MMPs and TIMPs were compared in BPD (n=24) and no BPD groups (n=38). Clinical predictors of BPD (sex, birth weight, gestational age, etc.) were assessed for both groups. The association between predictors and outcome, BPD, was assessed by using multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS: Sex, birth weight, and mean gestational age were similar between the groups. BPD preterm infants had significantly lower TIMP-2 levels at birth compared with no BPD preterm infants (138.1±23.0 ng/mL vs. 171.8±44.1 ng/mL, P=0.027). No significant difference was observed in MMP-8, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 levels between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that the TIMP-2 levels were predictive of BPD after adjusting for sex, birth weight, gestational age, proteinuric preeclampsia, and intraventricular hemorrhage (ß=-0.063, P=0.041). CONCLUSION: Low TIMP-2 serum levels at birth may be associated with the subsequent development of BPD in preterm infants.