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Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of Sophora alopecuroides (SA) on the rumen fermentation and microbial diversity of sheep.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different doses of Sophora alopecuroides (SA) on the rumen fermentation and microbial diversity of sheep.
METHODS
A total of 32 healthy Dumont crossbred male lambs weighing 25.73 ± 2.17 kg were randomly assigned to 4 treatment groups with 8 replicates each: a control group (CG) fed a basal diet with a concentrate-to-forage ratio of 7:3 and three experimental groups - the 0.1% group(TG1), 0.3% group (TG2), and 0.5% group (TG3), which were fed the same basal diet but supplemented with increasing doses of SA.
RESULTS
(1) Increasing the SA dose led to a significant linear increase (-< 0.05) in acetate, propionate, butyrate, and total volatile fatty acid (TVFA) concentrations in the rumen, as well as a significant quadratic effect (-< 0.05) on the propionate concentration. In contrast, there was a significant linear decrease (-< 0.05) in the NH-N concentration in the rumen. (2) At the level of rumen bacterial phyla, the abundance of Bacteroidetes in the rumen increased, and that of Firmicutes decreased ( = 0.08). At the genus level, the rumen abundances of Ruminococcus and Phocaeicola of sheep in the three experimental groups were significantly higher than in the control group (-< 0.05), and the abundances of Clostridiales and Candidatus-Hepatincola were significantly increased in the 0.1% and 0.3% groups ( < 0.05). (3) Regarding rumen anaerobic fungi, the differences between the control group and experimental groups at the phylum level and genus level were not significant ( > 0.05), but the relative abundances of Neocallimastigomycota and Piromyces in the 0.1% group were significantly higher than that in the control group.
CONCLUSION
SA addition to a high grain diet could increase the VFA concentration and pH in the sheep rumen, reduce the NH-N concentration in the rumen and improve rumen fermentation function. Although there was no significant change in rumen bacterial or fungal diversity, SA addition increased the rumen abundances of , Phocaeicola, and , decreased the rumen abundance of , and had a positive effect on the rumen microbiota to improve sheep health.
PubMed: 37609056
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1200272 -
Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Decrease Foraging But Not Recruitment After Neonicotinoid Exposure.Journal of Insect Science (Online) Jan 2022Honey bees (Linnaeus, Hymenoptera: Apidae) are widely used as commercial pollinators and commonly forage in agricultural and urban landscapes containing...
Honey bees (Linnaeus, Hymenoptera: Apidae) are widely used as commercial pollinators and commonly forage in agricultural and urban landscapes containing neonicotinoid-treated plants. Previous research has demonstrated that honey bees display adverse behavioral and cognitive effects after treatment with sublethal doses of neonicotinoids. In laboratory studies, honey bees simultaneously increase their proportional intake of neonicotinoid-treated solutions and decrease their total solution consumption to some concentrations of certain neonicotinoids. These findings suggest that neonicotinoids might elicit a suboptimal response in honey bees, in which they forage preferentially on foods containing pesticides, effectively increasing their exposure, while also decreasing their total food intake; however, behavioral responses in semifield and field conditions are less understood. Here we conducted a feeder experiment with freely flying bees to determine the effects of a sublethal, field-realistic concentration of imidacloprid (IMD) on the foraging and recruitment behaviors of honey bees visiting either a control feeder containing a sucrose solution or a treatment feeder containing the same sucrose solution with IMD. We report that IMD-treated honey bees foraged less frequently (-28%) and persistently (-66%) than control foragers. Recruitment behaviors (dance frequency and dance propensity) also decreased with IMD, but nonsignificantly. Our results suggest that neonicotinoids inhibit honey bee foraging, which could potentially decrease food intake and adversely affect colony health.
Topics: Animals; Appetitive Behavior; Bees; Insecticides; Neonicotinoids; Nitro Compounds; Sucrose
PubMed: 35137133
DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieab095 -
Food Chemistry Feb 2023With raising consumer demand for plant-derived proteins, there has been an increased interest in the utilization of pea ingredients in food formulations. It was...
With raising consumer demand for plant-derived proteins, there has been an increased interest in the utilization of pea ingredients in food formulations. It was hypothesized that differences in processing history and composition affect their colloidal properties and their breakdown during in vitro simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The gastrointestinal fate of three different commercial pea protein ingredients, two protein isolates and one less refined concentrate was compared. The concentrate dispersion showed greater solubility, different protein composition and smaller particle size than the reconstituted pea protein isolates. When heat-treated, the release of free amino groups decreased for the isolates, but increased for the concentrate dispersions. LC-TQMS of free amino acids in the intestinal digestates indicated a significantly higher release of methionine (limiting amino acid in pea protein) in the concentrates than in the isolates. This work highlights the influence of processing and composition on techno-functional and digestion properties of pea ingredients.
Topics: Pea Proteins; Powders; Amino Acids; Plant Proteins; Methionine
PubMed: 36099815
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.134178 -
Animal : An International Journal of... Nov 2023Increased ruminal butyrate production is considered to have mostly positive impacts on rumen macro- and microanatomy and its functions. However, excessive ruminal...
Increased ruminal butyrate production is considered to have mostly positive impacts on rumen macro- and microanatomy and its functions. However, excessive ruminal butyrate production may also affect the rumen negatively. Forty-two growing rams were allocated into six treatments and fed a diet with low (22.5% of diet DM; LOW) or high (60% of diet DM; HIGH) inclusion of concentrates in combination with no, low (1.6% of diet DM) or high (3.2% of diet DM) sodium butyrate (SB) supplementation to obtain low or high reticuloruminal (RR) pH with different concentrations of butyrate. Both absolute (L/day) and relative (% of BW) water intake increased linearly with increasing dose of SB (P ≤ 0.02). The RR fluid pH was lower for HIGH compared to LOW treatments (P < 0.01) but was not affected by SB supplementation (P = 0.35). Total short-chain fatty acid concentration, propionate and valerate concentrations in the RR fluid were higher for HIGH compared to LOW treatments (P ≤ 0.01), but were not affected by SB supplementation (P ≥ 0.22). Reticuloruminal butyrate was higher for HIGH compared to LOW treatments and increased linearly with increasing dose of SB (P < 0.01). High concentrate inclusion in the diet (P < 0.01) decreased and SB supplementation tended to (P = 0.10) decrease fibrolytic activity in the RR. Increasing doses of SB linearly decreased acetate, isovalerate and NH-N concentrations in RR fluid, and RR digesta DM weight (g DM/kg BW; P ≤ 0.02). Relative RR and rumen tissue weights (g/kg BW) were higher for LOW compared to HIGH (P ≤ 0.03) treatments but were not affected by SB inclusion in the diet (P ≥ 0.35). Also, there was no impact of concentrates or SB inclusion in the diet on ruminal epithelium DM weight (mg/cm), either in the ventral or dorsal sac of the rumen (P ≥ 0.14). Under conditions of the current study, SB supplementation in the diet decreased RR digesta DM concentration and weight, acetate, isovalerate and NH-N concentration in the RR fluid, and tended to reduce fibrolytic activity in the RR. At least part of this response could be due to increased intake of water, and consequently passage of digesta from the RR to lower regions of the gastrointestinal tract.
Topics: Sheep; Animals; Male; Butyric Acid; Fermentation; Animal Feed; Fatty Acids, Volatile; Diet; Acetates; Sheep, Domestic; Dietary Supplements; Rumen; Digestion
PubMed: 37558584
DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100899 -
Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2023The transition of young lambs and calves from a non-ruminating to a ruminating animal include substantial, developmental changes to alter saliva production. Due to the...
The transition of young lambs and calves from a non-ruminating to a ruminating animal include substantial, developmental changes to alter saliva production. Due to the simultaneous development of the forestomach system, the salivary glands must transfer more and more substances such as bicarbonate and phosphate (Pi), but also sodium (Na), into saliva in order to create and to maintain optimal environmental conditions for microbial metabolism. The objective of the present study was to characterize the effects of different dietary energy levels on the ability of the salivary glands to concentrate minerals in young ruminants in more detail during the first 7 weeks of life. Blood and saliva samples were collected from twelve female calves of the German Holstein breed fed different levels of milk replacer. Plasma and saliva samples were collected over 7 weeks postpartum and Na, Pi and potassium (K) concentrations were measured. Salivary Na and Pi concentrations ( < 0.001) increased as a function of time and were not affected by varying energy intake, while K concentration ( < 0.001) decreased over the developmental period and was also not affected by energy intake. This suggests that the ability to specifically concentrate minerals such as Na and Pi in saliva follows a genetic program in the salivary glands rather than being influenced by dietary factors such as energy intake in young ruminants.
PubMed: 38169624
DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1294899 -
Transplantation and Cellular Therapy Apr 2023Tacrolimus is widely used as prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). It has a narrow therapeutic index...
Tacrolimus is widely used as prophylaxis for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). It has a narrow therapeutic index range; high tacrolimus concentrations are associated with toxicity, whereas low concentrations are associated with an increased risk of GVHD. Although dose adjustments based on therapeutic drug monitoring are performed, unexpected large variations in tacrolimus concentration are sometimes encountered. The available evidence suggests that the factors affecting tacrolimus concentration are not fully understood. This study was aimed primarily at investigating the factors affecting day-to-day variations in tacrolimus concentration in children and young adults who received continuous tacrolimus infusion after allo-HSCT. The secondary objective was to identify the factors causing large variations (>20%) in tacrolimus concentrations. This retrospective cohort study comprised 123 consecutive pediatric and young adult patients (age <25 years) who received continuous i.v. tacrolimus infusion after allo-HSCT at Shinshu University Hospital, Matsumoto, Japan, between January 2009 and December 2021. To compare day-to-day variations in tacrolimus concentration without consideration of the tacrolimus dose, 2 consecutive days when the tacrolimus dose was not changed were selected from between the first post-allo-HSCT day of a tacrolimus concentration >7 ng/mL and day 28 post-allo-HSCT. Subsequently, information for the subsequent 24 hours was collected along with the tacrolimus concentrations and hematocrit values. Tacrolimus concentration was determined using whole blood samples. Tacrolimus concentrations were significantly higher in patients who received red blood cell concentrate (RCC) transfusions (P < .0001) and methotrexate (P = .0162), patients with persistent fever (P = .0056), and patients with a decline in fever (P = .0003). In contrast, tacrolimus concentrations were significantly lower in patients who received platelet concentrate (PC) transfusions (P < .0001), who redeveloped fever (P = .0261), and who had a replaced tacrolimus administration route set (P = .0008). Variations in tacrolimus concentration were significantly correlated with variations in hematocrit (r = .556; P < .0001). Body weight (P < .0001), RCC transfusion (P < .0001), methotrexate use (P = .0333), persistent fever (P = .0150), and decline in fever (P = .0073) were associated with a sharp increase in tacrolimus concentration. In contrast, body weight (P < .0001), PC transfusion (P = .0025), and replacement of the tacrolimus administration route set (P = .0025) were associated with a sharp decrease in tacrolimus concentration. RCC and PC transfusions, fever, methotrexate administration, and replacement of the tacrolimus administration route set were independent factors affecting day-to-day variations in tacrolimus concentration. In addition to these factors, low body weight was a risk factor for both sharp increases and decreases in tacrolimus concentration. These findings suggest the need for better control of tacrolimus concentration using whole blood samples.
Topics: Humans; Young Adult; Child; Adult; Tacrolimus; Methotrexate; Retrospective Studies; Carcinoma, Renal Cell; Graft vs Host Disease; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; Kidney Neoplasms
PubMed: 36682473
DOI: 10.1016/j.jtct.2023.01.014 -
Animal : An International Journal of... Jul 2022Nitrogen (N) excretion from livestock production systems is of significant environmental concern; however, few studies have investigated the effect of dietary CP...
Nitrogen (N) excretion from livestock production systems is of significant environmental concern; however, few studies have investigated the effect of dietary CP concentration on N utilisation efficiency at different stages of lactation, and the interaction between dietary CP levels and stages of lactation on N utilisation. Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (12 primiparous and 12 multiparous) used in the present study were selected from a larger group of cows involved in a whole-lactation study designed to examine the effect of dietary CP concentration on milk production and N excretion rates at different stages of lactation. The total diet CP concentrations evaluated were 114 (low CP), 144 (medium CP) and 173 (high CP) g/kg DM, with diets containing (g/kg DM) 550 concentrates, 270 grass silage and 180 maize silage. During early (70-80 days), mid- (150-160 days) and late (230-240 days) lactation, the same 24 animals were transferred from the main cow house to metabolism units for measurements of feed intake, milk production and faeces and urine outputs. Diet had no effect on BW, body condition score, or milk fat, protein or lactose concentration, but DM intake, milk yield and digestibilities of DM, energy and N increased with increasing diet CP concentration. The effect of diet on milk yield was largely due to differences between the low and medium CP diets. Increasing dietary CP concentration significantly increased urine N/N intake and urine N/manure N, and decreased faecal N/N intake, milk N/N intake and manure N/N intake. Although increasing dietary CP level significantly increased urine N/milk yield and manure N/milk yield, differences in these two variables between low and medium CP diets were not significant. There was no significant interaction between CP level and stage of lactation on any N utilisation variable, indicating that the effects of CP concentration on these variables were similar between stages of lactation. These results demonstrated that a decrease in dietary CP concentration from high (173 g/kg DM) to medium level (144 g/kg DM) may be appropriate for Holstein-Friesian dairy cow to maintain milk production efficiency, whilst reducing both urine N and manure N as a proportion of N intake or milk production.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Cattle; Diet; Dietary Proteins; Female; Lactation; Manure; Milk; Nitrogen; Silage
PubMed: 35709555
DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2022.100562 -
Journal of Dairy Science Apr 2023This study consists of milk fatty acid (FA) data collected during 2 in vivo experiments. For this study, 8 cows from each experiment were included in a replicated 4 × 4...
This study consists of milk fatty acid (FA) data collected during 2 in vivo experiments. For this study, 8 cows from each experiment were included in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. At the start of experiment 1 (Exp1) cows were at (mean ± standard deviation) 87 ± 34.6 d in milk, 625 ± 85.0 kg of body weight, and 32.1 ± 4.17 kg/d milk yield and at the start of experiment 2 (Exp2) cows were at 74 ± 18.2 d in milk, 629 ± 87.0 kg of body weight, and 37.0 ± 3.2 kg/d milk yield. In Exp1, we examined the effects of gradual replacement of barley with hulled oats (oats with hulls) on milk FA composition. The basal diet was grass silage and rapeseed meal (58 and 10% of diet DM, respectively), and the 4 grain supplements were formulated so that barley was gradually replaced by hulled oats at levels of 0, 33, 67, and 100% on dry matter basis. In Exp2, we examined (1) the effects of replacing barley with both hulled and dehulled oats (oats without hulls) and (2) the effects of gradual replacement of hulled oats with dehulled oats on milk FA composition. The basal diet was grass silage and rapeseed meal (60 and 10% of diet DM, respectively), and the 4 pelleted experimental concentrates were barley, hulled oats, a 50:50 mixture of hulled and dehulled oats, and dehulled oats on dry matter basis. In Exp1, gradual replacement of barley with hulled oats decreased relative proportions of 14:0, 16:0, and total saturated FA (SFA) in milk fat linearly, whereas proportions of 18:0, 18:1, total monounsaturated FA, and total cis unsaturated FA increased linearly. Transfer efficiency of total C18 decreased linearly when barley was replaced by hulled oats in Exp1. In Exp2, relative proportions of 14:0, 16:0, and total SFA were lower, whereas proportions of 18:0, 18:1, monounsaturated FA, and cis unsaturated FA were higher in milk from cows fed the oat diets than in milk from cows fed the barley diet. Moreover, in Exp2, gradual replacement of hulled oats with dehulled oats slightly decreased the relative proportion of 14:0 in milk fat but did not affect the proportions of 16:0, 18:0, 18:1, total SFA, monounsaturated FA, trans FA, or polyunsaturated FA. In Exp2, transfer efficiency of total C18 was lower when cows were fed the oat diets than when fed the barley diet and decreased linearly when hulled oats were replaced with dehulled oats. Predictions of daily CH emissions (g/d) using the on-farm available variables energy-corrected milk yield and body weight were not markedly improved by including milk concentrations of individual milk FA in prediction equations. In conclusion, replacement of barley with oats as a concentrate supplement for dairy cows fed a grass silage-based diet could offer a practical strategy to change the FA composition of milk to be more in accordance with international dietary guidelines regarding consumption of SFA.
Topics: Female; Cattle; Animals; Milk; Hordeum; Avena; Fatty Acids; Silage; Zea mays; Lactation; Diet; Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; Brassica napus; Brassica rapa; Edible Grain; Rumen
PubMed: 36823002
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22327 -
The Science of the Total Environment Nov 2020The COVID-19 epidemic broke out in Wuhan, Hubei in December 2019 and in January 2020 and was later transmitted to the entire country. Quarantine measures during Chinese...
The COVID-19 epidemic broke out in Wuhan, Hubei in December 2019 and in January 2020 and was later transmitted to the entire country. Quarantine measures during Chinese New Year effectively alleviated the spread of the epidemic, but they simultaneously resulted in a decline in anthropogenic emissions from industry, transportation, and import and export of goods. Herein, we present the major chemical composition of non-refractory PM (NR-PM) and the concentrations of gaseous pollutants in an urban site in Shanghai before and during the quarantine period of the COVID-19 epidemic, which was Jan. 8-23 and Jan. 24-Feb. 8, respectively. The observed results show that the reduction in PM can be mainly attributed to decreasing concentrations of nitrate and primary aerosols. Nitrate accounted for 37% of NR-PM before the quarantine period when there was no emission reduction. During the quarantine period, the nitrate concentration decreased by approximately 60%, which is attributed to a reduction in the NO concentration. Ammonium, as the main balancing cation, showed an approximately 45% simultaneous decrease in concentration. The concentrations of chloride and hydrocarbon-like organic aerosols from primary emissions also declined due to limited human activities. By contrast, sulphate and oxygenated organic aerosols showed a slight decrease in concentration, with their contributions increasing to 27% and 18%, respectively, during the quarantine period, which resulted in two pollution episodes with PM exceeding 100 μg/m. This study provides a better understanding of the impact of quarantine measures on variations of the PM concentration and chemical compositions. Atmospheric oxidation capacities based on the oxidant (O = O + NO) and oxidation ratios have been discussed for elucidating the source and formation of haze in an environment with lower anthropogenic emissions. With increasing contribution of secondary aerosols, lower NO and nitrate concentrations did not completely avoid haze in Shanghai during the epidemic.
Topics: Aerosols; Air Pollutants; Betacoronavirus; COVID-19; China; Coronavirus Infections; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Pandemics; Particulate Matter; Pneumonia, Viral; Quarantine; SARS-CoV-2; Seasons
PubMed: 32653718
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140758 -
Journal of Dairy Science Apr 2022Protein-polysaccharide-polyphenol noncovalent ternary complexes possess unique physicochemical, structural, and functional properties. In the present study, ternary...
Protein-polysaccharide-polyphenol noncovalent ternary complexes possess unique physicochemical, structural, and functional properties. In the present study, ternary complexes based on whey protein concentrate (WPC; 2%, wt/vol) and high methoxyl pectin (HMP; 0.5%, wt/vol) complexes and 0.2 to 0.6% (wt/vol) chlorogenic acid (CA) or rosmarinic acid (RA) were formed and characterized at 3 pH values (4, 4.5, and 5). The pH conditions were decided according to phase diagram of WPC and HMP during acidification. Fluorescence quenching experiments indicated that WPC-HMP complexes bound RA stronger than CA and the binding constant increased with increasing pH for both phenolic acids. Particle size of ternary complexes decreased and absolute ζ-potential increased with pH values changing from 4 to 5, and RA influenced the particle size of WPC-HMP complexes greater than CA. The CA and RA in ternary complexes showed good stability against UV light with pH order of pH 5 > pH 4.5 > pH 4. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy spectra indicated the involvement of hydrogen bonding between WPC-HMP and CA or RA. Antibacterial tests showed that ternary complexes had good antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli at concentrations of 6.2 mg/mL and the ability increased with decreasing pH values. All ternary complexes possessed strong scavenging radical capacities with median inhibitory concentration (IC) values ranging from 2.71 ± 0.05 to 6.20 ± 0.41 μg/mL. Antioxidative ability of ternary complexes increased as pH went up and WPC-HMP-RA showed significantly higher antioxidative property compared with WPC-HMP-CA. Data may provide useful information for rational design of ternary complexes and applications of the formed complexes in food matrices such as beverages and emulsions.
Topics: Animals; Emulsions; Hydroxybenzoates; Pectins; Whey Proteins
PubMed: 35123781
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21088