A review: nutrition and process attributes of corn in pet foods

Vegetable oils: Classification, quality analysis, nutritional value and lipidomics applications

Lipids are widespread in nature and play a pivotal role as a source of energy and nutrition for the human body. Vegetable oils (VOs) constitute a significant category in the food industry, containing various lipid components that have garnered attention for being natural, environmentally friendly and health-promoting. The review presented the classification of raw materials (RMs) from oil crops and quality analysis techniques of VOs, with the aim of improving comprehension and facilitating in-depth research of VOs. Brief descriptions were provided for four categories of VOs, and quality analysis techniques for both RMs and VOs were generalized. Furthermore, this study discussed the applications of lipidomics technology in component analysis, processing and utilization, quality determination, as well as nutritional function assessment of VOs. Through reviewing RMs and quality analysis techniques of VOs, this study aims to encourage further refinement and development in the processing and utilization of VOs, offering valuable references for theoretical and applied research in food chemistry and food science.

Effect of feeding a dried distillers' grains with solubles diet on the metabolism of the intestinal wall in Guanling crossbred cattle: a preliminary assessment

Dried distillers' grains with solubles (DDGS)-based diets are nutritious and can improve the inflammations and intestinal immunity in livestock. However, there is limited research examining the effect of feeding DDGS-based diets on changes in intestinal metabolites and related pathways in livestock. In this study, six Guanling crossbred cattle (Guizhou Guanling Yellow cattle × Simmental cattle) were selected and divided into a basal diet (BD) group and an experimental group fed with DDGS replacing 25% of the daily ration concentrates (DDGS) (n=3), respectively. Fresh jejunum (J), ileum (I) and cecum (C) tissues were collected for metabolomic analysis. Differential metabolites and metabolic pathways were explored by means of univariate and multivariate statistical analysis. In comparison to the J-BD group, 123 differential metabolites (VIP > 1, p < 0.05) were identified in the J-DDGS group, which (top 20) were mainly divided into superclasses, including lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, and organoheterocyclic compounds. Compared with the I-BD group, 47 differential metabolites were obtained in the I-DDGS group, which were mainly divided into superclasses, including lipids and lipid-like molecules and organic acids and derivatives. The C-DDGS vs. C-BD comparison revealed 88 differential metabolites, which were mainly divided into superclasses, including lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic oxygen compounds, and nucleosides. A total of 34 significant metabolic pathways were found (p < 0.05, -log(p) > 1.3). Among them, 3 significant pathways were significantly enriched in the J-DDGS group, 11 significant pathways were significantly enriched in the I-DDGS group, and 20 significant pathways were significantly enriched in the C-DDGS group. Importantly, primary bile acid biosynthesis, linoleic acid metabolism, and arachidonic acid metabolism correlated with intestinal inflammation and immunity by regulating gut microbiota, prostaglandin synthesis, and cell signaling. The data suggest that DDGS-fed cattle unregulated three metabolic pathways mentioned above and that a DDGS-based diet was able to maintain a balance of these three metabolic pathways, thus resulting in improvement of intestinal inflammation and enhanced immunity in cattle. In conclusion, the DDGS diet has the potential to improve intestinal inflammation and enhance the immunity of Guanling crossbred cattle by regulating the metabolic patterns of lipids and lipid-like molecules, organic acids and derivatives, and related metabolic pathways. These results allude to potential metabolic regulatory mechanisms of DDGS diets and also provide a theoretical basis for the application of DDGS in livestock feed.

Processing of corn-based dog foods through pelleting, baking and extrusion and their effect on apparent total tract digestibility and colonic health of adult dogs

Different food processing parameters may alter starch granule structure and its cooking degree. With lower thermomechanical energy, more resistant starch (RS) is retained in the food, which may benefit gastrointestinal (GI) health. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of food processing on dietary utilization and dog gut health. Experimental diets containing 56% corn as the sole starch source were produced through pelleting, baking, and extrusion and compared to a baked control diet in which the corn was replaced with dextrose. The extruded diet resulted in the highest level (P < 0.05) of in vitro starch cook and lowest RS, while baked was intermediate and pelleted had the lowest starch cook and highest RS. To evaluate the in vivo effects of these treatments, 12 dogs were adapted to foods for 9 d, and feces were collected for 5 d in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Feces were scored for consistency using an ordinal scale, and parametric data included apparent digestibility (ATTD), parameters indicative of gut health, and the microbial composition, which was centered log-ratio transformed before operational taxonomic unit (OTU) analyses. Fecal scores were analyzed by ordinal logistic regression, and parametric data were analyzed as mixed models. Overall ATTD was greater (P < 0.05) in extruded, followed by baked and pelleted. Dogs fed the control had osmotic diarrhea, whereas dogs fed the other treatments had mostly acceptable fecal scores, with extrusion leading to the best fecal quality. The control also led to high fecal pH and low SCFAs, indicating dysbiosis. All corn foods had similar (P > 0.05) fecal SCFAs and extruded tended (P = 0.055) to promote higher fecal butyrate than baked and pelleted. The microbiome of dogs fed the corn foods had similar α diversity indices, and OTUs at the species and phyla levels were mostly alike and different from the control. In conclusion, the higher levels of in vitro RS did not translate into a better in vivo fermentation profile, and extruded kibble performed best regarding fecal quality, ATTD, and fecal SCFAs.

Effects of resistant starch on anti-obesity status and nutrient digestibility in dogs

This study investigated the effects of corn resistant starch (RS) on the anti-obesity properties, nutrient digestibility, and blood parameters in healthy beagles. Four spayed and six castrated beagle dogs were divided into a control group (CON) with a diet comprising rice and chicken meal and a treatment group (TRT) with a diet comprising corn with an increased RS content by heating-cooling and chicken meal. All dogs in the CON and TRT groups were fed a 1.2-fold higher energy diet than the daily recommended energy requirement for 16 weeks. Throughout the study period, the body weight of dogs in CON increased, whereas no change in body weight was observed in TRT, resulting in a significant difference in body weight between the two groups at the end of the experiment. Moreover, a significant reduction in the apparent total tract digestibility was observed upon the analysis of dry matter, nitrogen-free extract, and organic matter in TRT compared with that in CON. The complete blood cell composition and biochemical parameters were within the reference range in both groups. A significant increase in the concentration of serum adiponectin was found in TRT at the end of the experiment. These results suggest that the corn RS may be beneficial for weight management owing to its reduced nutrient digestibility.

It Keeps the Good Boy Healthy from Nose to Tail: Understanding Pet Food Attribute Preferences of US Consumers

The study provides insights for marketing managers in specialized pet supplies retailers, as well as for vets and animal welfare organizations. This study proposes a model that investigates the importance pet owners place on convenience, natural ingredients, and value and health claims as product attributes. For this purpose, an online survey with a sample size of 206 pet-owning US residents was conducted. Partial least squares structural equation modelling shows that pet food purchase involvement positively impacts subjective and objective knowledge about pet food. Subjective knowledge appears to be the strongest factor impacting the importance consumers place on all three attributes. This is followed by objective knowledge. Socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, income, and education appear to have a limited impact as predictors for the importance consumers place on the product attributes.

A Low to Medium-Shear Extruded Kibble with Greater Resistant Starch Increased Fecal Oligosaccharides, Butyric Acid, and Other Saccharolytic Fermentation By-Products in Dogs

The objective of this study was to assess whether diets with increased resistant starch (RS) had a positive effect on markers of colonic health in dogs. Three identical diets were extruded with high, medium and low shear (HS, MS and LS) to incrementally increase RS, and fed to 24 dogs in a replicated 3 × 3 William's Latin square design for 28-day periods. Fasting blood and fresh feces were collected on the last week of each period. Fecal quality was maintained among treatments. Gut integrity markers were measured by ELISA. Fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were measured by LC MS/MS. In addition, the microbiota of dogs was determined from fresh feces by 16s rRNA high throughput sequencing. Untargeted metabolomics of both feces and serum were determined by UPLC. Data were analyzed using mixed models. There were no treatment effects on satiety hormones or gut integrity markers. Dogs fed LS or MS diets had marginal evidence (p < 0.10) for decreased fecal pH and for higher concentration (p < 0.05) of butyric acid and fecal oligosaccharides, succinate and lactate. Also, dogs fed the MS or LS diets had a shift towards more saccharolytic bacteria.

Extrusion Processing Modifications of a Dog Kibble at Large Scale Alter Levels of Starch Available to Animal Enzymatic Digestion

The objective of the present work was to produce dog foods from a single recipe at three levels of resistant starch (RS). The low (LS), medium (MS), and high shear (HS) foods were produced on a single-screw extruder at target screw speeds of 250, 375 and 460 rpm, respectively, and with increasing in-barrel moisture as shear decreased. Post-production, kibble measurements and starch analyses were conducted. Kibble parameters were compared by ANOVA with significance noted at p < 0.05 with a single degree of freedom orthogonal contrasts for extrusion outputs, starch analyses, and viscosity (RVA). The MS and LS kibbles exiting the extruder were denser and less expanded (p < 0.05) than the HS treatment. Resistant starch, starch cook, and raw:cooked starch RVA AUC increased linearly as shear decreased. These results confirmed that lower mechanical energy processes led to decreased starch gelatinization and greater retention of in vitro RS.