• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.9
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• pp.1345-1352
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• 2016

The hindgut of horses is an anaerobic fermentative chamber for a complex and dynamic microbial population, which plays a critical role in health and energy requirements. Research on the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses has not been reported until now as far as we know. Mongolian horse is a major local breed in China. We performed high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA genes V4 hypervariable regions from gut fecal material to characterize the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and compare them to the microbiota in Thoroughbred horses. Fourteen Mongolian and 19 Thoroughbred horses were used in the study. A total of 593,678 sequence reads were obtained from 33 samples analyzed, which were found to belong to 16 phyla and 75 genera. The bacterial community compositions were similar for the two breeds. Firmicutes (56% in Mongolian horses and 53% in Thoroughbred horses) and Bacteroidetes (33% and 32% respectively) were the most abundant and predominant phyla followed by Spirochaete, Verrucomicrobia, Proteobacteria, and Fibrobacteres. Of these 16 phyla, five (Synergistetes, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria, TM7, and Chloroflexi) were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. At the genus level, Treponema was the most abundant genus (43% in Mongolian horses vs 29% in Thoroughbred horses), followed by Ruminococcus, Roseburia, Pseudobutyrivibrio, and Anaeroplasma, which were detected in higher distribution proportion in Mongolian horses than in Thoroughbred horses. In contrast, Oscillibacter, Fibrobacter, Methanocorpusculum, and Succinivibrio levels were lower in Mongolian horses. Among 75 genera, 30 genera were significantly different (p<0.05) between the two breeds. We found that the environment was one of very important factors that influenced horse gut microbiota. These findings provide novel information about the gut microbiota of Mongolian horses and a foundation for future investigations of gut bacterial factors that may influence the development and progression of gastrointestinal disease in horses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1164-1173
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• 2006

Cellulase from Aspergillus niger, (${\alpha}$-amylase from Bacillus sp. and protease from Bacillus globigii were used as enzyme sources in this study to examine how their respective substrates protect them in two kinds of simulated gastrointestinal tract digesting processes. Avian total digest tract simulation test showed that filter paper, Avicel and cellulose resulted in 7.7, 6.4 and 7.4 times more activity than of unprotected cellulose, respectively. Protease with addition of casein, gelatin or soybean protein showed no significant protection response. Starch protected amylase to be 2.5 times activity of the unprotected one. Monogastric animal total tract digestion simulation test showed that filter paper, Avicel and cellulose resulted in 5.9, 9.0 and 8.8 times activity of unprotected cellulase, respectively. Casein, gelatin and soybean protein resulted in 1.2, 1.3 and 2.0 times activity of unprotected protease, respectively. Starch did not protect amylase activity in monogastric animal total tract simulation. Protection of mixed enzymes by substrates in two animal total tract simulation tests showed that filter paper in combination with soybean protein resulted in 1.5 times activity of unprotected cellulose, but all substrates tested showed no significant protection effect to protease. Soybean protein and starch added at the same time protected the amylase activity to be two times of the unprotected one. Test of non-purified substrate protection in two animal total digest tract simulation showed that cellulase activity increased as BSA (bovine serum albumin) concentration increased, with the highest activity to be 1.3 times of unprotected enzyme. However, BSA showed no significant protection effect to protease. Amylase activity increased to 1.5 times as BSA added more than 1.5% (w/v). Cellulase activity increased to 1.5 times as soybean hull was added higher than 1.5%. Amylase had a significant protection response only when soybean hull added up to 2%. Protease activity was not protected by soybean hull to any significant extent.

• Journal of Animal Environmental Science
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.63-78
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• 1996

The main purpose of this research project is to monitor the present state of agricultural environment and to develope the countermeasures for the protection of the environment from the pollution by animal wastes. The results of this research were described largely 3 parts, 1) Monitoring of present state of environmental pollution by animal wastes, 2) Monitoring of animal wastes treatment technology, 3) Strategies for the protection of environmental pollution from animal wastes in future. The current most important problems from animal wastes are water pollution and air pollution commonly regardless of domestic or foreign country. Especially, intensive livestocks breeding pattern in restricted area is actually a real reason of eutrophication, soil acidification, ground water contamination, irrigation water pollution. As a result from this research project, authors recommend the 3 type of strategies for the protection of environmental pollution by animal wastes, 1 . Development of non-discharge type of wastes treatment technology 2. Manufacturing local structure for animal waste recycling system 3. Development of new international environmental program for transfer bioresource and soil environment prevention.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.788-797
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• 2018

In many countries, vaccines are used for the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). However, because there is no protection against FMD immediately after vaccination, research and development on antiviral agents is being conducted to induce protection until immunological competence is produced. This study tested whether well-known chemicals used as RNA virus treatment agents had inhibitory effects on FMD viruses (FMDVs) and demonstrated that ribavirin showed antiviral effects against FMDV in vitro/in vivo. In addition, it was observed that combining the administration of the antiviral agents orally and complementary therapy with vaccines synergistically enhanced antiviral activity and preserved the survival rate and body weight in the experimental animals. Antiviral agents mixed with an adjuvant were inoculated intramuscularly along with the vaccines, thereby inhibiting virus replication after injection and verifying that it was possible to induce early protection against viral infection prior to immunity being achieved through the vaccine. Finally, pigs treated with antiviral agents and vaccines showed no clinical signs and had low virus excretion. Based on these results, it is expected that this combined approach could be a therapeutic and preventive treatment for early protection against FMD.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.147-152
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• 2022

Objective: This study was conducted to obtain an objective index that can be quantified and used for establishing an animal welfare certification standard in Korea. For this purpose rumen pH, ruminating time, milk yield, milk quality, and blood components of cows reared in farms feeding high forage level (90%) and farms feeding low forage level (40%) were compared. Methods: Data on rumen pH, rumination time, milk yield, milk fat ratio, milk protein ratio, and blood metabolism were collected from 12 heads from a welfare farm (forage rate 88.5%) and 13 heads from a conventional farm (forage rate 34.5%) for three days in October 2019. Results: The rumination time was longer in cattle on the welfare farm than on the conventional farm (p<0.01), but ruminal pH fluctuation was greater in the cattle on conventional farm than the welfare farm (p<0.01). Conventional farms with a high ratio of concentrated feed were higher in average daily milk yield than welfare farms, but milk fat and milk production efficiency (milk fat and milk protein corrected milk/total digestible nutrients) was higher in cattle on welfare farms. Blood test results showed a normal range for both farm types, but concentrations of total cholesterol and non-esterified fatty acid were significantly higher in cows from conventional farms with a high milk yield (p<0.01). Conclusion: The results of this study confirmed that cows on the animal welfare farm with a high percentage of grass feed had higher milk production efficiency with healthier rumen pH and blood metabolism parameters compared to those on the conventional farm.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.11
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• pp.1642-1650
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• 2008

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of clinoptilolite (a natural zeolite) on growth and performance of broilers as well as on the quality of their litter. A total of 5,200 one-day old broiler chickens (Cobb 500) were used in two consecutive rounds lasting 42 days each. The broilers were given free and continuous access to a nutritionally non-limiting diet (in meal form) that was either a basal diet (B) or a 'zeolite diet' (Z; the basal diet supplemented with clinoptilolite at a level of 2%). A $2{\times}2$ factorial design consisted of two feeding treatments (B and Z) and two bedding types, sawdust (S) and sawdust with zeolite (Sz, which was the result of adding $2kg\;zeolite/m^2$), was used. In each round the broilers were randomly assigned to one of four (n = 650), treatment groups: two fed on the basal diet (B) and had bedding of either sawdust (group BS) or sawdust and zeolite (group BSz) and two fed on the Z diet and had as bedding either sawdust (ZS) or sawdust and zeolite (ZSz). Average growth rates were significantly (p<0.05) different between broilers of different groups; broilers that were fed on the 'zeolite diet' (Z) and were placed either in a compartment with sawdust bedding or sawdust bedding and zeolite (ZS and ZSz) as well those that were fed on the basal diet in a compartment with sawdust bedding and zeolite (BSz) grew at a faster rate (p<0.05) compared with those of the control group (BS). The incorporation of NZ in broilers diets and in their bedding material decreased the organic content in litter samples throughout the experimental period. The lowest organic content was recorded in group ZSz where NZ was added in both feed and litter. Mean ammonia concentration (ppm) was significantly higher in group ZS in comparison to groups BSz and ZSz (27.00 vs. 20.55 and 21.71 respectively). The results of this study showed that the incorporation of the clinoptilolite both in feed and into the litter had a positive effect on broiler growth and also on the quality of their litter.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.144-155
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• 2023

Objective: Adipocyte differentiation is regulated by a variety of functional genes and noncoding RNAs. However, the role of miRNAs in lipid deposition of goat white adipose tissue is still unclear. Therefore, this study revealed the miRNA expression profile in goat subcutaneous adipocytes by sRNA-seq. Methods: The miRNA expressed in goat subcutaneous preadipocytes and the mature adipocytes were sequenced by sRNA-seq. The differentially expressed miRNAs (DEm) were screened and gene ontology (GO) and Kyoto encyclopedia for genes and genomes (KEGG) analyses were performed. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function combined with oil red O staining, Bodipy staining, and quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) were utilized to determine the effect of miR-133a-3p on adipocyte differentiation. Results: A total of 218 DEm were screened out. The target genes of these DEm were significantly enriched in GO items such as biological regulation and in KEGG terms such as FAK signaling pathway and MAPK signaling pathway. qPCR verified that the expression trend of miRNA was consistent with miRNA-seq. The gain-of-function or loss-of-function of miR-133a-3p showed that it promoted or inhibited the accumulation of lipid droplets, and CCAAT enhancer binding protein α (C/EBPα) and C/EBPβ were extremely significantly up-regulated or down-regulated respectively (p<0.01), the loss-of-function also led to a significant down-regulation of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) (p<0.01). Conclusion: This study successfully identified miRNAs expression patterns in goat subcutaneous adipocytes, and functional identification indicates that miR-133a-3p is a positive regulator of the differentiation process of goat subcutaneous adipocytes. Our results lay the foundation for the molecular mechanism of lipid deposition in meat-source goats from the perspective of miRNA.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.535-542
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• 2000

Canola meal and seed are poor sources of ruminal undegraded protein (RUP). On average, canola meal and canola seed contains 35 and 14% RUP, respectively. Several protection methods are effective in reducing ruminal degradation of canola protein and in increasing RUP without affecting total tract protein digestibility. Heat (e.g., dry heat, moist heat and jet-sploding) and chemical (e.g., formaldehyde) treatments are the most common methods used to reduce ruminal degradability of canola protein. In most cases, heat treatments were found to be more effective than chemical treatments in protecting canola protein form ruminal degradation. Despite improvement in RUP content and intestinal availability of RUP, data form several studies showed little or no improvement in animal performance as a result of increasing the RUDP level of canola meal and seed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.231-235
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• 1996

Bangladeshi indigenous chickens of mixed ages vaccinated twice at a three week interval with either conventional vaccines-$F_1$ (ocular) and M (mukteswar, Intramuscular), or heat resistant $V_4$ vaccine administered by either the ocular or oral routes, all showed satisfactory hemagglutination inhibition antibody (HI) responses and protection against Newcastle Disease (NCD) challenge persisting for four months. The antibody response to $F_1$ and M was higher than for $V_4$, which was similar whether administered by the ocular or oral routes. All vaccinated treatments have a significant level of protection compare to the control group (p<0.01). No significant difference (p>0.05) in the protection against controlled challenge with virulent NCD virus was found between vaccinated groups.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1796-1804
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• 2016

The high incidence of deaths during transport for slaughter is associated with poor welfare and represents a considerable loss to the poultry industry. In the period from 2009 to 2014, all shipments of broiler chickens to poultry processing plants were monitored in the Czech Republic and the numbers of chickens transported and those dying as a result of their transport were recorded and analysed. Overall transport-related mortality of broiler chickens transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic was 0.37%. It ranged from 0.31% to 0.72%, the increase approximately corresponding to the increasing transport distance. Statistically highly significant (p<0.001) differences were found when comparing transport-related mortality rates in individual seasons of the year. The greatest mortality (0.55%) was associated with transports carried out in winter months whereas the lowest death losses (0.30%) were found in chickens transported for slaughter in summer months. Our study revealed greater transport-related mortality rates in broiler chickens transported for slaughter in the Czech Republic than expected when considering earlier studies. The most pronounced increases were found in transports for shorter distances and in winter months. However, an increase was found at all transport distances monitored except for distances exceeding 300 km and all seasons except for summer. Furthermore, a general increasing tendency in chicken losses during the monitored period was found. The particularly alarming finding is that the mortality of broiler chickens being transported to processing plants has been showing a long-term increasing tendency over the last two decades. Further research should focus on the identification of specific factors leading to such high and growing mortality rates and developing practical guidelines to improve the welfare of the birds in transit accordingly.