Effect ofCamellia sinensis L. whole plant extract on piglet intestinal ecosystem

Maximum levels of cross-contamination for 24 antimicrobial active substances in non-target feed. Part 13: Diaminopyrimidines: trimethoprim

The specific concentrations of trimethoprim in non-target feed for food-producing animals below which there would not be an effect on the emergence of, and/or selection for, resistance in bacteria relevant for human and animal health, as well as the specific antimicrobial concentrations in feed which have an effect in terms of growth promotion/increased yield were assessed by EFSA in collaboration with EMA. Details of the methodology used for this assessment, associated data gaps and uncertainties, are presented in a separate document. To address antimicrobial resistance, the Feed Antimicrobial Resistance Selection Concentration (FARSC) model developed specifically for the assessment was applied. The FARSC for trimethoprim was estimated. Uncertainties and data gaps associated to the levels reported were addressed. To address growth promotion, data from scientific publications obtained from an extensive literature review were used. No suitable data for the assessment were available. It was recommended to perform further studies to supply more diverse and complete data related to the requirements for calculation of the FARSC for trimethoprim.

Medicinal plants--prophylactic and therapeutic options for gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in calves and piglets? A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in calves and piglets lead to significant economic losses in livestock husbandry. A high morbidity has been reported for diarrhea (calves ≤ 35%; piglets ≤ 50%) and for respiratory diseases (calves ≤ 80%; piglets ≤ 40%). Despite a highly diverse etiology and pathophysiology of these diseases, treatment with antimicrobials is often the first-line therapy. Multi-antimicrobial resistance in pathogens results in international accordance to strengthen the research in novel treatment options. Medicinal plants bear a potential as alternative or additional treatment. Based on the versatile effects of their plant specific multi-component-compositions, medicinal plants can potentially act as 'multi-target drugs'. Regarding the plurality of medicinal plants, the aim of this systematic review was to identify potential medicinal plant species for prevention and treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases and for modulation of the immune system and inflammation in calves and piglets.

RESULTS

Based on nine initial sources including standard textbooks and European ethnoveterinary studies, a total of 223 medicinal plant species related to the treatment of gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases was identified. A defined search strategy was established using the PRISMA statement to evaluate 30 medicinal plant species starting from 20'000 peer-reviewed articles published in the last 20 years (1994-2014). This strategy led to 418 references (257 in vitro, 84 in vivo and 77 clinical trials, thereof 48 clinical trials in veterinary medicine) to evaluate effects of medicinal plants and their efficacy in detail. The findings indicate that the most promising candidates for gastrointestinal diseases are Allium sativum L., Mentha x piperita L. and Salvia officinalis L.; for diseases of the respiratory tract Echinacea purpurea (L.) MOENCH, Thymus vulgaris L. and Althea officinalis L. were found most promising, and Echinacea purpurea (L.) MOENCH, Camellia sinensis (L.) KUNTZE, Glycyrrhiza glabra L. and Origanum vulgare L. were identified as best candidates for modulation of the immune system and inflammation.

CONCLUSIONS

Several medicinal plants bear a potential for novel treatment strategies for young livestock. There is a need for further research focused on gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases in calves and piglets, and the findings of this review provide a basis on plant selection for future studies.

Effects of Cocoa Husk Feeding on the Composition of Swine Intestinal Microbiota

A two-diet/two-period change over experiment was performed to investigate the effects of cocoa husks, as a source of dietary fiber and polyphenols, on pig intestinal microbial composition. Six pigs were fed a conventional cereal-based diet or a diet obtained by substitution of 7.5% of the conventional diet with cocoa husks for 3 weeks. Experimental diets were isoproteic and isoenergetic. At the end of each 3 week testing period, samples of fresh feces were collected and analyzed for microbial composition by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Cocoa husks did not affect feed intake, weight gain, and feed efficiency. Analysis of fecal microbial populations, grouped by phyla, showed a decrease of Firmicutes and an increase of Bacteroidetes in cocoa husk-fed pigs. Particularly, cocoa husks reduced fecal populations of the Lactobacillus-Enterococcus group and Clostridium histolyticum and increased the Bacteroides-Prevotella group and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, suggesting a potential for cocoa husks in the improvement of intestinal microbial balance.

Antibiotic alternatives: the substitution of antibiotics in animal husbandry?

It is a common practice for decades to use of sub-therapeutic dose of antibiotics in food-animal feeds to prevent animals from diseases and to improve production performance in modern animal husbandry. In the meantime, concerns over the increasing emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria due to the unreasonable use of antibiotics and an appearance of less novelty antibiotics have prompted efforts to develop so-called alternatives to antibiotics. Whether or not the alternatives could really replace antibiotics remains a controversial issue. This review summarizes recent development and perspectives of alternatives to antibiotics. The mechanism of actions, applications, and prospectives of the alternatives such as immunity modulating agents, bacteriophages and their lysins, antimicrobial peptides, pro-, pre-, and synbiotics, plant extracts, inhibitors targeting pathogenicity (bacterial quorum sensing, biofilm, and virulence), and feeding enzymes are thoroughly discussed. Lastly, the feasibility of alternatives to antibiotics is deeply analyzed. It is hard to conclude that the alternatives might substitute antibiotics in veterinary medicine in the foreseeable future. At the present time, prudent use of antibiotics and the establishment of scientific monitoring systems are the best and fastest way to limit the adverse effects of the abuse of antibiotics and to ensure the safety of animal-derived food and environment.

Evaluation of green tea by-product and green tea plus probiotics on the growth performance, meat quality and immunity of growing–finishing pigs

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of green tea by-product (GTB) and green tea plus probiotics (GT+P) on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, blood parameters and immunity of growing–finishing pigs. In total, 80 crossbreed growing pigs were assigned to receive four dietary treatments for a period of 8 weeks. The dietary treatments were a basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with 0.003% chlortetracycline (antibiotic), basal diet with 0.5% GTB (GTB) and basal diet containing 0.5% GT+P (GT+P). The results of our study indicated that bodyweight gain increased (P < 0.05) in response to the addition of GT+P to the basal diet. Crude protein and crude ash content, and shear values of loin meat were significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the GT+P group, although moisture and juiciness were decreased (P < 0.05). The GTB group had higher (P < 0.05) serum glucose concentrations, whereas the GT+P exhibited lower (P < 0.05) insulin concentrations. The values of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances of fresh loin meat and meat that had been preserved for 1 week were lower (P < 0.05) in the GT+P group than those of the control and GTB groups. The growth of spleen cells incubated in concanavalin A (Con A) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) medium was statistically higher (P < 0.05) for the GT+P group than for the GTB or antibiotic group. IL-6 and TNF-α production by spleen cells induced by Con A and LPS was increased in the GTB and GT+P group (P < 0.05) compared with the antibiotic group. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that GT+P exerts positive effects on weight gain, meat composition, blood parameters and immunity in pigs, and could be used as an alternative to antibiotics for growing–finishing pig feeds.