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Second Edition of Feed Additives in Nonruminant Nutrition, Metabolism, and...
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Second Edition of Feed Additives in Nonruminant Nutrition, Metabolism, and Gut Microorganisms

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2023) | Viewed by 7335

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zhihong Sun

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
Interests: metabolism; amino acids; intestinal health; low-protein diets; nonruminant nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Bing Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agriculture, Environmental and Veterinary Science, Gulbali Institute, Charles Sturt University, Wagga, NSW 2678, Australia
Interests: nutritional glycobiology; sialobiology and brain function
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The development of new/different feed additives to modulate metabolism and stimulate gut health in pigs and poultry, in order to improve growth performance while minimizing the use of antimicrobial compounds and heavy-mineral compounds, is essential for the long-term sustainability of the pig and poultry industry. Some feed additives, for example, prebiotics, probiotics, enzymes, and plant extracts, are seen as alternatives/replacements to antibiotics and have evolved in some cases to have important roles in regulating nonruminant metabolism and intestinal health. Nevertheless, there remains inconsistency and variability in the efficacy of some feed additives, and studies still need to be done if feed additives are to be used with greater regularity and reliability.

We invite original research papers or reviews that address the effects of feed additives on the performance and health of nonruminant animals. Topics may include growth performance, quality of animal products, metabolism, and gut microbiota to help understand the efficacy of feed additives.

Prof. Dr. Zhihong Sun
Prof. Dr. Bing Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • feed additive
  • gut microorganism
  • metabolism
  • amino acids
  • intestinal health
  • low-protein diets
  • nonruminant nutrition

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1252 KiB  
Article
Effects of Jujube Powder on Growth Performance, Blood Biochemical Indices, and Intestinal Microbiota of Broiler
by Jing Liang, Zejian Nie, Yapeng Zhao, Shizhen Qin, Fang Nian and Defu Tang
Animals 2023, 13(21), 3398; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213398 - 2 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1261
Abstract
In total, 576 Cobb broilers were randomized into 6 treatment groups, with 8 replicates in each treatment group and 12 broilers in each replicate. Each treatment group was fed six different experimental diets containing 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% jujube powder. [...] Read more.
In total, 576 Cobb broilers were randomized into 6 treatment groups, with 8 replicates in each treatment group and 12 broilers in each replicate. Each treatment group was fed six different experimental diets containing 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% jujube powder. The group receiving 0% jujube powder was considered the blank control group. The experimental period was 42 days and was divided into two periods: starter (0–21 days) and finisher (22–42 days). Compared with the control group, the addition of 8% jujube powder significantly improved the ADG of broilers (p < 0.05), and 8% and 10% jujube powder significantly improved the total tract apparent digestibility of organic matter in broilers (p < 0.05). Adding 10% jujube powder significantly improved the apparent metabolic energy of broilers (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, 4–10% jujube powder significantly increased IgA, IgG, IgM, and sCD4 levels (p < 0.05) and T-AOC and SOD contents, and it reduced the MDA content in the serum of broilers (p < 0.05). In addition, the relative abundance of Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, Lactobacillus, and Romboutsia significantly increased in the broiler ileum, whereas that of Proteobacteria and Enterobacter decreased significantly (p < 0.05) when 8% jujube powder was added to the diet. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria, Bacteroides, and Faecalibacterium in the cecum increased significantly (p < 0.05), whereas that of Bacteroidetes decreased significantly (p < 0.05). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Nonruminant Nutrition, Metabolism, and Gut Microorganisms)
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16 pages, 1456 KiB  
Article
Supplementation with Antimicrobial Peptides or a Tannic Acid Can Effectively Replace the Pharmacological Effects of Zinc Oxide in the Early Stages of Weaning Piglets
by Limin Tan, Yuyue Xi, Chengyu Zhou, Yetong Xu, Jiaman Pang, Xie Peng, Zhiru Tang, Weizhong Sun and Zhihong Sun
Animals 2023, 13(11), 1797; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111797 - 29 May 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
Zinc oxide (ZnO) harms the environment and can potentially increase the number of drug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find safe and effective alternatives to improve gut health and reduce the incidence of diarrhea in weaned piglets. This study conducted [...] Read more.
Zinc oxide (ZnO) harms the environment and can potentially increase the number of drug-resistant bacteria. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find safe and effective alternatives to improve gut health and reduce the incidence of diarrhea in weaned piglets. This study conducted an antibacterial test of ZnO, antibacterial peptides (AMPs), and tannic acid (TA) in vitro. Thirty piglets were randomly allotted to one of the following three dietary treatments: ZnO (2000 mg/kg ZnO diet), AMPs (700 mg/kg AMPs diet), and TA (1000 mg/kg TA diet). The results showed that the minimum inhibitory concentrations of ZnO and TA against Escherichia coli and Salmonella were lower than those of AMPs, and the minimum inhibitory concentrations of ZnO, AMPs, and TA against Staphylococcus aureus were the same. Compared to ZnO, AMPs increased the digestibility of dry, organic matter and the crude fat. Additionally, TA significantly (p < 0.05) increased the digestibility of dry and organic matter. On experimental day 14, the plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) content of piglets supplemented with AMPs and TA was increased significantly (p < 0.05). On experimental day 28, alanine aminotransferase activity in the plasma of weaned piglets in the ZnO and TA groups was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in piglets in the AMPs group. The levels of plasma IL-6 and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the ZnO and AMPs groups than in the TA group. On experimental days 14 and 28, no significant differences were observed in the antioxidant capacity among the three experimental groups. Intestinal microbial diversity analysis showed that the Chao1 and ACE indices of piglets in the AMPs group were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those in the ZnO and TA groups. At the genus level, the relative abundance of Treponema_2 was higher in the feces of piglets fed a diet supplemented with TA than in those fed diet supplemented with ZnO (p < 0.05). The relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae was higher in the feces of piglets fed a diet supplemented with AMPs than in those fed diet supplemented with ZnO or TA. Overall, AMPs and TA could be added to feed as substitutes for ZnO to reduce diarrhea, improve nutrient digestibility and immunity, and increase the abundance of beneficial intestinal bacteria in weaned piglets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Nonruminant Nutrition, Metabolism, and Gut Microorganisms)
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20 pages, 3947 KiB  
Article
Effects of Different Combinations of Sodium Butyrate, Medium-Chain Fatty Acids and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids on the Reproductive Performance of Sows and Biochemical Parameters, Oxidative Status and Intestinal Health of Their Offspring
by Caiyun You, Qingqing Xu, Jinchao Chen, Yetong Xu, Jiaman Pang, Xie Peng, Zhiru Tang, Weizhong Sun and Zhihong Sun
Animals 2023, 13(6), 1093; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13061093 - 19 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2211
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the comparative effects of different combinations of sodium butyrate (SB), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) on the reproductive performances of sows, as well as on the biochemical parameters, oxidative [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the comparative effects of different combinations of sodium butyrate (SB), medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) on the reproductive performances of sows, as well as on the biochemical parameters, oxidative statuses, and intestinal health of the sucking piglets. A total of 30 sows were randomly allocated to five treatments: (1) control diet (CON); (2) CON with 1 g/kg of coated SB and 7.75 g/kg of coated MCFAs (SM); (3) CON with 1 g/kg of coated SB and 68.2 g/kg of coated n-3 PUFAs (SP); (4) CON with 7.75 g/kg of coated MCFAs and 68.2 g/kg of coated n-3 PUFAs (MP); (5) CON with 1 g/kg of coated SB, 7.75 g/kg of coated MCFAs and 68.2 g/kg of coated n-3 PUFA (SMP). The results showed that sows fed the SP, MP, and SMP diets had shorter weaning-to-estrus intervals than those fed the CON diet (p < 0.01). The piglets in the SM, SP, and MP groups showed higher increases in the plasma catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities than those of the CON group (p < 0.01). The diarrhea incidence of piglets in the SM, SP and SMP groups was lower than that of piglets in the CON group (p < 0.01). Additionally, the addition of SM, SP, MP, and SMP to the sow diets increased the contents of immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G, fat, and proteins in the colostrum (p < 0.01), as well as the plasma total superoxide dismutase activities (p < 0.01) in the suckling piglets, whereas it decreased the mRNA expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1β, and toll-like receptor 4 in the jejunum mucosa of the piglets. The relative abundances of Prevotella, Coprococcus, and Blautia in the colonic digesta of the piglets were increased in the SM group (p < 0.05), and the relative abundances of Faecalibacterium increased in the SMP group (p < 0.05), compared with the CON group. The relative abundances of Collinsella, Blautia, and Bulleidia in the MP group were higher than those in the CON group (p < 0.05). Collectively, dietary combinations of fatty acids with different chain lengths have positive effects on the growth performances and intestinal health of suckling piglets. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Nonruminant Nutrition, Metabolism, and Gut Microorganisms)
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16 pages, 1369 KiB  
Article
Effect of High Efficiency Digestion and Utilization of Organic Iron Made by Saccharomyces cerevisiae on Antioxidation and Caecum Microflora in Weaned Piglets
by Yan Zeng, Liwen Jiang, Bingyu Zhou, Yubo Liu, Lingang Wang, Zhijin Hu, Chunping Wang and Zhiru Tang
Animals 2023, 13(3), 498; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13030498 - 31 Jan 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1676
Abstract
Organic iron is expected to replace inorganic iron used in diets as an iron source. Organic iron possesses high absorption efficiency and low fecal iron excretion. This study aims to study the effect of organic iron produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast iron) on [...] Read more.
Organic iron is expected to replace inorganic iron used in diets as an iron source. Organic iron possesses high absorption efficiency and low fecal iron excretion. This study aims to study the effect of organic iron produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae (yeast iron) on digestion, utilization, antioxidation and caecum microflora in weaned piglets. In total, 20 piglets that had been weaned after 28 days were divided into 4 groups, each of which followed a different basal diet. The basal diet of each of these 4 groups contained, respectively, 104 mg/kg iron (ferrous sulfate, CON), 84 mg/kg iron (yeast iron, LSC), 104 mg/kg iron (yeast iron, MSC) or 124 mg/kg iron (yeast iron, HSC). This experiment lasted 35 d. The apparent digestibility of iron in LSC, MSC and HMS was higher than that in CON (p < 0.01) and the fecal iron content in LSC, MSC and HMS was lower than that in CON (p < 0.01). Serum iron contents in LSC, MSC and HMS were higher than that in CON (p < 0.01). The iron contents of the heart, lungs, liver, kidney and left gluteus muscle in the MSC and HMS groups were higher than that in CON and LSC (p < 0.05). Serum catalase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase activity, superoxide anion, glutathione, hydroxyl free radical scavenging rate, total antioxidant capacity, and liver superoxide anion clearance rate and peroxidase in MSC and HMS were higher than that in CON and LSC (p < 0.05). The contents of nitric oxide and peroxide of the weaned piglets in MSC and HMS were lower than that in CON and LSC (p < 0.05). The abundance of Firmicutes, Blautia and Peptococcus in LSC, HSC and MSC was higher than that in CON (p < 0.01). The abundance of Lactobacillus in CON and LSC was higher than that in MSC and HSC (p < 0.01). The abundance of Acinetobacter, Streptococcus and Prevotella in LSC, MSC and HSC was lower than that in CON (p < 0.01). The results suggested that a diet containing 84 mg/kg iron of yeast iron has the same effect as a diet containing 104 mg/kg iron of ferric sulfate, and that a diet containing 104 or 124 mg/kg iron of yeast iron is superior to a diet containing 104 mg/kg iron of ferric sulfate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Nonruminant Nutrition, Metabolism, and Gut Microorganisms)
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