• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.830-835
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• 2004

An experiment of 10 weeks duration was carried out to study the influence of supplemental effective microorganism (EM) culture, yeast culture and enzymes on nutrient digestibility and gut microflora in rabbit gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Twenty four eight to nine weeks old, New Zealand White rabbits were allotted to four dietary treatments; a basal (control) feed, basal feed supplemented with either EM (1%), yeast culture or enzymes (400 ppm). Nutrient flow in digesta and their digestibility at ileum, caecum, colon and in the total tract as well as gut microflora distribution were studied. Feed dry matter was diluted from 92% to about 14% up to the ileum and about 95% of this water was reabsorbed by the colonic rectal segment followed by caecum (25%). EM and yeast improved protein digestibility at a lower rate than enzymes. Ileal, caecal, colonic and total tract digestibility of crude protein with enzymes were higher by 10.8, 9.4, 11.3 and 10.7%, respectively, as compared to the control. Yeast and enzymes increased crude fiber digestibility at ileum, caecum, colon and in the total tract by 8.5, 9.6, 9.0 and 8.3%, respectively, while EM improved them at a lower rate. Irrespective of treatments, total tract digestibility of crude protein (0.698-0.773) and fiber (0.169-0.183) were greater (p<0.05) than the ileal digestibility. Even though a post-caecal protein digestibility was observed, fiber digestion seemed to be completed in the caecum especially with yeast and enzymes. High precaecal digestibility of crude fiber (97%) and protein (95%) were observed even without additives probably due to caecotrophy. EM and yeast culture promoted the growth of lactic acid bacteria especially in the caecum but they did not influence gut yeast and mould. Present findings reveal that even though rabbits digest nutrients efficiently through hind gut fermentation, they can be further enhanced by EM, yeast and enzymes. Of the three additives tested, enzymes found to be the best.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1624-1628
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• 2008

Experiments were conducted to evaluate the nutritional value of yellow-seeded rapeseed meal (YRSM). In the first experiment nutrient retention was recorded by 48 Arbor Acres-broiler chickens (28-d old) to determine AMEn (nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy), coefficient of apparent protein digestibility based on ileal digesta nitrogen, excreta nitrogen and uric acid nitrogen. The second experiment was carried out with 304 Arbor Acres-broiler chickens to compare effects of SBM (soybean meal) and YRSM on performance, carcass and digestive tract status. In the control treatment, SBM was replaced by graded levels of YRSM at 15, 22.5 and 30% of diet. Digestibility of YRSM protein was significantly lower (p<0.001) than SBM protein. The protein digestibility based on ileal measurement was significantly higher (p<0.001) than protein digestibility from excreta samples. There was no significant difference (p>0.001) between ileal and excreta digestibility of protein based on uric acid. AMEn as a fraction of gross energy was 0.54 in SBM and 0.45 in YRSM. With the exception of 30% YRSM, other YRSM treatments resulted in major effects on length and weight of the gastrointestinal tract. The results of this study have shown no adverse effect on performance as well as protein digestibility and energy value in response to replacement of SBM by YRSM with the exception of 22.5 and 30% YRSM.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.9
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• pp.1353-1362
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• 2005

The stressful physiological and environmental conditions around weaning often promote the proliferation of pathogens in the digestive tract of piglets resulting in diarrhoea and reduced daily weight gain. Typical dietary practices to maintain growth performance and health have led to an increased use of antimicrobial growth promoters. Due to the advanced ban of antibiotics in pig production, new concepts have been developed to secure animal health and growth performance, feed efficiency, and product quality as well. Several naturally occurring compounds seem to beneficially affect the composition and activity of the microflora in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of pigs. These are, among others, organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics, and enzymes. Organic acids are already widely used, especially in pigs, due to their positive effects on GIT health and growth performance. Probiotics have been shown to be effective against diarrhoea though effects may be dependent on diet composition and environmental conditions. Prebiotics may influence composition and activity of the intestinal microflora. Additionally, pre- and probiotics may exert positive influences on immune response, whereas enzymes may enhance feed digestibility by breaking down anti-nutritional factors. In the following, the focus will be directed to the role of organic acids, probiotics, prebiotics, and feeding enzymes as potential modulators of GIT health.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.383-390
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• 2014

A 15-wk feeding trial was conducted to examine the supplemental effects of Barodon on growth performance, gastrointestinal histology, feed digestibility and innate immunity in olive founder. A basal commercial diet was used as a control and two other diets were prepared by spraying 0.1% or 0.2% of Barodon. Triplicate groups of fish (BW, 145 g) were fed one of the test diets to apparent satiation twice daily. At the end of the feeding trial, fish growth performance was not significantly affected by dietary treatments; however, feed utilization was significantly improved (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) by Barodon supplementation. Significantly higher (p<0.05) survival rates were obtained in fish fed Barodon containing diets. Hepatosomatic index increased significantly in Barodon treated groups. Also, the use of Barodon resulted in significant increase (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) of intestine length and number of goblet cells. Significantly higher (Quadratic, p<0.05) apparent digestibility coefficient of DM was obtained by supplementation of Barodon. Lysozyme and myeloperoxidase activities increased quadratically and linearly, respectively, in Barodon treated fish. Also, significantly higher (linear and quadratic, p<0.05) superoxide dismutase activity was found in Barodon fed fish. The findings in this study show that inclusion of Barodon in diets for olive flounder improves feed utilization and digestibility, and positively affects digestive tract histology and innate immunity.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.72-81
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• 2013

Four Luxi beef cattle ($400{\pm}10$ kg) fitted with ruminal, duodenal and ileal cannulas were used in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square to assess the effects of soybean small peptide (SSP) infusion on rumen fermentation, diet digestion and flow of nutrient in the gastrointestinal tract. The ruminal infusion of SSP was 0 (control), 100, 200 and 300 g/d. Ruminal SSP infusion linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) increased microbial protein synthesis and rumen ammonia-N concentration. Concentrations of total volatile fatty acid were linearly increased (p = 0.029) by infusion SSP. Rumen samples were obtained for analysis of microbial ecology by real-time PCR. Populations of rumen Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Streptococcus bovis, Ciliate protozoa, Ruminococcus flavefaciens, and Prevotella ruminicola were expressed as a proportion of total Rumen bacterial 16S ribosomal deoxyribonucleic acid (rDNA). Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens populations which related to total bacterial 16S rDNA were increased (p<0.05), while Streptococcus bovis populations were linearly (p = 0.049) and quadratically (p = 0.020) decreased by infusion of SSP. Apparent rumen digestibility of DM and NDF were (Q, p<0.05; L, p<0.05) increased with infusion SSP. Total tract digestion of DM, OM and NDF were linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) increased by infusing SSP. The flow of total amino acids (AA), essential amino acids (EAA) and individual amino acids were linearly (p<0.01) and quadratically (p<0.01) increased with infusion SSP. The digestibility of Lysine was quadratically (p = 0.033) increased and apparent degradability of Arginine was linearly (p = 0.032) and quadratically (p = 0.042) increased with infusion SSP. The results indicated that infusion SSP could improve nutrient digestion, ruminal fermentation and AA availability.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.855-861
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• 2014

This experiment was performed to investigate the effects of exogenous xylanase supplementation on performance, nutrient digestibility and the degradation of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in different sections of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of broilers fed wheat-based diets. A total of 120 7-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly allotted to two wheat-based experimental diets supplemented with 0 or 1.0 g/kg xylanase. Each treatment was composed of 6 replicates with 10 birds each. Diets were given to the birds from 7 to 21 days of age. The results showed that xylanase supplementation did not affect feed intake, but increased body weight gain of broiler at 21 day of age by 5.8% (p<0.05) and improved feed-to-gain ratio by 5.0% (p<0.05). Xylanase significantly increased (p<0.05) ileal digestibilities of crude protein (CP) by 3.5%, starch by 9.3%, soluble NSP by 43.9% and insoluble NSP by 42.2% relative to the control group, respectively. Also, compared with the control treatment, xylanase addition increased (p<0.05) total tract digestibilities of dry matter by 5.7%, CP by 4.1%, starch by 6.3%, soluble NSP by 50.8%, and had a tendency to increase (p = 0.093) insoluble NSP by 19.9%, respectively. The addition of xylanase increased the concentrations of arabinose and xylose in the digesta of gizzard, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p<0.05), and the order of their concentration was ileum>jejunum>duodenum>>gizzard> caecum. The supplementation of xylanse increased ileal isomaltriose concentration (p<0.05), but did not affect the concentrations of isomaltose, panose and 1-kestose in the digesta of all GIT sections. These results suggest that supplementation of xylanase to wheat-based diets cuts the arabinoxylan backbone into small fragments (mainly arabinose and xylose) in the ileum, jejunum and duodenum, and enhances digestibilites of nutrients by decreasing digesta viscosity. The release of arabinose and xylose in the small intestine may also be the important contributors to the growth-promoting effect of xylanase in broilers fed wheat-based diets.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.433-441
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• 1995

A series of experiments was conducted to determine the influence of various pepsin-HCL pretreatment factor, hereby the factors of duration of washing for the retrieved bags, inherent to the mobile nylon bag technique (MNBT), on apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein (AIDCP) and apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter (AIDDM). At last, the AIDCP and apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids (AIDAA) in maize, barley, wheat, rapeseed meal, cottonseed meal and three mixed diets were determined with the MNBT and ileo-rectal anastomis pigs (IRAT). For the MNBT techniques, bag measuring $25{\times}40$ MM and containing 0.75 g feedstuff samples, after pre-digestion in vitro, were introduced into the ileo-rectal anastomis pigs (IRAT) gastrointestinal tract through a duodenal cannula and recovered in the ileal digesta between 6 and 12 h. later. 1. The apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter (AIDDM) and crude protein (AIDCP) of the tested samples, with the exception of fish meal, determined by MNBT were not affected by the different pepsin-HCL pretreatment times in vitro between 2.5 h. and 4 h. 2. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference of the AIDCP and AIDDM of maize determined by the MNBT among different pepsin concentration (0.03%, 0.07% and 0.1 %) treatment in vitro. 3. The AIDCP determined with the MNBT was affected by the washed and unwashed recovered bags from the ileal digesta. 4. The AIDCP and AID amino acids (AIDAA) of maize, barley, wheat, rapeseed meal, soya-bean meal, cottonseed meal and three mixed diets from the MNBT, with a solution of 0.01N HCL (PH 2) and 0.1% of pepsin concentration, a pepsin-HCL pretreatment time in vitro or 4h. and a washing time of the recovered bag from the ileal digesta compared well with those from the IRAT. The linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation (p < 0.01) of AIDCP and AIDDA between the IRAT and MNBT.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.66 no.2
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• pp.340-352
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• 2024

This study measured the potential changes of the microbiota in the gastrointestinal tract and energy and nutrient digestibility by supplemental bacteriophages in pigs. Twelve castrated male pigs (initial mean body weight = 29.5 ± 2.3 kg) were surgically cannulated using T-cannula. The animals were housed individually in pens equipped with a feeder and a nipple waterer. The pigs were allotted to 1 of 3 experimental diets in a quadruplicated 3 × 2 Latin square design with 3 experimental diets, 2 periods, and 12 pigs resulting in 8 replicates per diet. The 3 diets were a control mainly based on corn and soybean meal with no antibiotics or bacteriophages, a diet containing 0.1% antibiotics, and a diet containing 0.2% bacteriophages. On day 5 of the experimental period, feces were collected and on days 6 and 7, ileal digesta were collected. Genomic DNA for bacteria were extracted from the ileal digesta and feces and the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was amplified. The ileal and fecal digestibility of energy, dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, and fiber was unaffected by dietary antibiotics or bacteriophages. At the phylum level, the supplemental antibiotic or bacteriophage tended to result in a higher proportion of Firmicutes (p = 0.059) and a lower proportion of Bacteroidetes (p = 0.099) in the ileal digesta samples compared with the control group with no difference between the antibiotic and bacteriophage groups. At the genus level, the supplemental antibiotic or bacteriophage tended to result in a higher proportion of Lactobacillus (p = 0.062) and a lower proportion of Bacteroides (p = 0.074) and Streptococcus (p = 0.088) in the ileal digesta compared with the control group with no difference between the antibiotic and bacteriophage groups. In the feces, supplemental antibiotics or bacteriophages reduced the proportion of Bifidobacterium compared with the control group (p = 0.029) with no difference between the antibiotic and bacteriophage groups. Overall, supplemental antibiotics and bacteriophages showed positive effect on the microbiota of in the ileal digesta without largely affecting energy or nutrient digestibility, with no differences between the antibiotic and bacteriophage groups in growing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.401-409
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• 2004

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of a complex Lactobacilli preparation on performance, resistance to E. coli infection and gut microbial flora of weaning pigs. In exp. 1, twelve pigs (7.65$\pm$1.10 kg BW), weaned at 28 d, were randomly allotted into 2 groups and placed in individual metabolic cages. During the first 7 d, one group of pigs was provided ad libitum access to water containing $10^5$ colony forming units (CFU) Lactobacilli per ml and the control group was provided tap water. The Lactobacilli preparation included Lactobacillus gasseri, L. reuteri, L. acidophilus and L. fermentum, which were isolated from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract mucosa of weaning pigs. On d 8, 20 ml of $10^8$ CFU/ml E. coli solution (serovars K99, K88 and 987P at the ratio of 1:1:1) was orally administered to each pig. Diarrhea scores and diarrhea incidence were recorded from d 7 to 14. On d 14, pigs were euthanized and digesta and mucosa from the stomach, duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum and colon were sampled using aseptic technique to determine microflora by culturing bacteria in selective medium. The results showed that Lactobacilli treatment significantly decreased E. coli and aerobe counts (p<0.01) but increased Lactobacilli and anaerobe counts (p<0.01) in digesta and mucosa of most sections of the GI tract. A 66 and 69.1% decrease in diarrhea index and diarrhea incidence, respectively, was observed in the Lactobacilli treated group. In exp. 2, Thirty-six crossbred Duroc$\times$Landrace$\times$Yorkshire piglets, weaned at 28$\pm$2 days, were selected and randomly allocated into 2 groups. There were 18 piglets in each group, 3 piglets in one pen and 6 replicates in each treatment with 3 pens of barrow and 3 pens of female piglet in each treatment. Piglets had ad libitum access to feed and water. The initial body weight of piglet was 7.65$\pm$1.09 kg. Dietary treatments included a non-medicated basal diet with Lactobacilli ($10^5$ CFU/g diet) or carbadox (60 mg/kg) as control. On d 21, six pigs per group (one pig per pen) were euthanized. Ileal digesta was collected to determine apparent amino acid digestibility. Microflora content was determined similarly to exp.1. The results showed that Lactobacilli treatment significantly improved average daily feed intake (ADFI) of pigs compared to carbadox (p<0.05) during the first 2 wks after weaning and average daily gain (ADG) and ADFI increased significantly (p<0.05) from d 8 to 14. Nitrogen and total phosphorus digestibility also increased (p<0.05). Bacterial counts were similar to exp. 1. The results indicate that the complex Lactobacilli preparation improved performance for 2 wks after weaning, enhanced resistance to E. coli infection, and improved microbial balance in the GI tract.

• BMB Reports
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• v.45 no.8
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• pp.433-441
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• 2012

Human milk, which nourishes the early infants, is a source of bioactive components for the infant growth, development and commensal formulation as well. Human milk oligosaccharide is a group of complex and diverse glycans that is apparently not absorbed in human gastrointestinal tract. Although most mammalian milk contains oligosaccharides, oligosaccharides in human milk exhibit unique features in terms of their types, amounts, sizes, and functionalities. In addition to the prevention of infectious bacteria and the development of early immune system, human milk oligosaccharides are able to facilitate the healthy intestinal microbiota. Bifidobacterial intestinal microbiota appears to be established by the unilateral interaction between milk oligosaccharides, human intestinal activity and commensals. Digestibility, membrane transportation and catabolic activity by bacteria and intestinal epithelial cells, all of which are linked to the structural of human milk oligosaccharides, are crucial in determining intestinal microbiota.