Effectiveness of maifanite in reducing the detrimental effects of cadmium on growth performance, cadmium residue, hematological parameters, serum biochemistry, and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in pigs

Effect of Maifan Stone on the Growth of Probiotics and Regulation of Gut Microbiota

Maifan stone is a kind of mineral medicine in Chinese medicine, which has good adsorption, dissolution, mineralization, and biological activity. It has an excellent therapeutic effect on livestock, poultry, and aquatic animals suffering from intestinal diseases. This study explored the effect of Maifan stone on the growth ability of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG (L. rhamnosus GG) and the effect of Maifan stone-L. rhamnosus GG fermented product on the intestinal inflammation and gut microbiota. We find that Maifan stone can adsorb L. rhamnosus GG to form a carrier bacteria. Maifan stone has the characteristics of acid tolerance and bile salt tolerance and can also improve the activity of L. rhamnosus GG in artificial gastrointestinal juice. The fermented product can reduce the degree of diarrhea and colon pathology in rats to a certain extent and significantly improve intestinal inflammatory factors and gut microbiota. This study improves the application effect of L. rhamnosus GG in the prevention and treatment of diarrhea animals and provide a scientific basis for the rational development of Maifan stone resources.

AMPK/PPAR-γ/NF-κB axis participates in ROS-mediated apoptosis and autophagy caused by cadmium in pig liver

The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of Cadmium (Cd) on growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, oxidative stress, hepatocyte apoptosis and autophagy of weaned piglets. A total of 12 healthy weaned piglets were randomly assigned to the control and the Cd group, which were fed with a basal diet and the basal diet supplemented with 15 ± 0.242 mg/kg CdCl₂ for 30 d, respectively. Our results demonstrated that Cd significantly decreased final body weight, average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG) and increased feed-to-gain (F/G) ratio (P < 0.05). For blood biochemical parameters, Cd treatment significantly decreased the red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), hematocrit (HCT), total protein, albumin, copper content and iron content (P < 0.05). In addition, liver injury was observed in the Cd-exposed group. Our results also demonstrated that Cd exposure contributed to the production of ROS, activated the AMPK/PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway (increasing the expressions of P-AMPK/AMPK, NF-κB, I-κB-β, COX-2, and iNOS, decreasing the expressions of PPAR-γ and I-κB-α), finally induced autophagy (increasing the expressions of Beclin-1, the ratio of LC3-II/LC3-I and p62), and apoptosis (increasing the expressions of Bax, Bak, Caspase-9, and Caspase-3, decreasing the expression of Bcl-2). Overall, these findings revealed the vital role of AMPK/PPAR-γ/NF-κB pathway in Cd-induced liver apoptosis and autophagy, which provided deeper insights into a better understanding of Cd-induced hepatotoxicity.

Influence of fermentation on antioxidant and hypolipidemic properties of maifanite mineral water-cultured common buckwheat sprouts

Buckwheat sprouts (BS) becomes popular due to its' health-promoting properties as food product. The effects of fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus plantarum on antioxidant and hypolipidemic activities as well as functional composition in common BS cultivated in maifanite mineral water were investigated here. DPPH and ·OH results showed higher antioxidant potential in fermented BS compared to unfermented BS, due to the higher rutin, orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, and total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The S. cerevisiae-fermented BS also exhibited 113% and 110% higher DPPH and ·OH scavenging activities than the L. plantarum-fermented BS, respectively. In hyperlipidemic mice, blood lipid parameters were improved as dose-dependent manner when supplemented the food with S. cerevisiae-fermented BS. Fermented BS also restored liver antioxidant levels significantly. The fermented BS had greater effect on different parameters than those of unfermented BS. Therefore, fermentation is a valuable method to enhance the bioactive potential of BS.

Vitamin C protects piglet liver against zearalenone-induced oxidative stress by modulating expression of nuclear receptors PXR and CAR and their target genes

Zearalenone (ZEN), a common mycotoxin found in human food and animal feed, is effectively detoxified by vitamin C by modulation of the nuclear receptor signaling pathway.

Microstructure and Ultrastructure Alterations in the Pallium of Immature Mice Exposed to Cadmium

The aim of this study was to investigate microstructure and ultrastructure alterations in the pallium of immature mice exposed to cadmium. Forty immature mice were randomly divided into control, 1/100 LD₅₀ (1.87 mg/kg, low), 1/50 LD₅₀ (3.74 mg/kg, medium), and 1/25 LD₅₀ (7.48 mg/kg, high) dose groups. After oral cadmium exposure for 40 days, the pallium of mice was obtained for microstructure and ultrastructure studies. The results showed that both microstructure and ultrastructure alterations of the pallium were observed in all treated mice and the most obvious alterations were in the high dose group. Microstructural analysis showed seriously congested capillary in the pia mater of the pallium in the high cadmium group. Meanwhile, vacuolar degenerate or karyopyknosis presented in some neurocytes, capillary quantity, and the number of apoptotic cells increased, some neurocytes became hypertrophy, the pia mater separated from the cortex, and local hemorrhage and accompanied inflammatory cell infiltration were also observed. Ultrastructural analysis showed that rough endoplasmic reticulum was expanded, heterochromatin marginalized, perinuclear space distinctly broadened, swelling and vacuolization mitochondria appeared, synapse was swelling, presynaptic and postsynaptic membranes presented fusion, and most of mitochondrial cristae were ambiguous. The results indicated that cadmium exposure for 40 days induced dose-dependent microstructure and ultrastructure alterations in pallium of immature mice.

Effects of dietary tin on growth performance, hematology, serum biochemistry, antioxidant status, and tin retention in broilers

Tin (Sn) is widely used in daily life and distributed in many tissues and nutrients. Although over-ingestion of Sn can cause health problems, relatively little attention has been given to the toxic effects of Sn in livestock health and productivity. This study was performed to investigate the toxic effects of prolonged high intake of dietary Sn on broilers. 150 one-day-old Avian broilers were randomly divided into five treatment groups, with five replicates of six birds. For 6 weeks, each group was fed a corn-soybean basal diet (BD) or BD + Sn (as SnCl2) at 120, 240, 480, or 720 mg/kg, respectively. Compared with the control, hepatic glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly decreased when supplemented with Sn up to 480 mg/kg, while malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased until Sn supplementation at 720 mg/kg. Moreover, dietary Sn supplementation at 720 mg/kg decreased BW gain, feed intake, and impaired feed conversion ratio. The 720 mg Sn/kg group also increased activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), while decreased hemoglobin (HGB), red blood cell (RBC), and hematocrit (HCT) in the blood. Furthermore, the accumulation of Sn in various tissues was dose dependent on Sn ingestion. It was found that the tibia and feather are the two main tissues for Sn accumulation, followed by the liver, kidney, and other tissues in broilers. In conclusion, the adverse effects on broilers were induced when diets supplemented with Sn up to 480 mg/kg. Sn levels also managed to accumulate in the tibia and feather of broilers.