The effects of mangosteen peel (Garcinia mangostana L.) and Turmeric (Curcuma domestica Val) flour dietary supplementation on the growth performance, lipid profile, and abdominal fat content in Cihateup ducks

Serum Metabolic Characterization of Vitamin E Deficiency in Holstein Cows during the Transition Period Based on Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant, is a necessary and complex micronutrient for cows. During the transition period, vitamin E deficiency (VED) is among the highest prevalent micronutrient deficits in dairy cows. It may eventually result in oxidative stress and immunological malfunction, and it increases the risk of peripartum disorders. At present, detailed data on blood metabolites in VED cows are limited. Consequently, the purpose of this research was to examine the alterations in the serum metabolic profile of VED cows throughout the early postpartum period. Using comprehensive 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR), the alterations in serum metabolic activities of VED cows were analyzed. In total, 28 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned according to serum α-tocopherol (α-Toc) concentrations into normal (α-Toc ≥ 4 μg/mL, n = 14) and VED (α-Toc < 3 μg/mL, n = 14) groups at 21 days postpartum, and their blood samples were collected for biochemical and 1H NMR analyses. A t-test on independent samples as well as multivariate statistics were used to assess the findings. In comparison with normal cows, VED cows showed significantly worse body condition scores, milk yield, and dry matter intake (p < 0.05). Significantly higher levels of serum non-esterified fatty acids, aspartate aminotransferase, low-density lipoprotein, and malonaldehyde were found in VED-affected cows, as well as lesser concentrations of serum albumin, high-density lipoprotein, and total antioxidant capacity in comparison with normal cows (p < 0.01), while other vitamins and minerals concentrations showed no distinction between the groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, 24 upregulated serum metabolites were identified under VED conditions. The metabolomics pathway analysis of these metabolites demonstrated that a global metabolic response to VED in cows was represented by changes in 11 metabolic pathways, comprising energy, carbohydrate, and amino acid metabolism. From these results, we conclude that VED cows were more likely to experience a negative energy balance characterized by alterations of common systemic metabolic processes and develop oxidative stress, inflammation, and ultimately liver injury. This study provides the first evidence of metabolic changes in cows with VED.

A comprehensive review on natural phenolic compounds as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics

Intensive livestock and poultry farming in China largely relied on the use of in-feed antibiotics until July 2020. The consequences of antibiotic overuse in animal feed include accumulation in animal products and the development of bacterial antibiotic resistance, both of which threaten food safety and human health. China has now completely banned the circulation of commercial feed containing growth-promoting drug additives (except Chinese herbal medicine). Therefore, alternatives to in-feed antibiotics in animal production are greatly needed. Natural phenolic compounds (NPCs) exist widely in plants and are non-toxic, non-polluting, highly reproducible, and leave little residue. Many natural flavonoids, phenolic acids, lignans, and stilbenes have polyphenol chemical structures and exhibit great potential as alternatives to antibiotics. In this review we delineate the characteristics of plant-derived NPCs and summarize their current applications as alternatives to in-feed antibiotics, aiming to provide new strategies for antibiotic-free feeding and promote the development of more sustainable animal husbandry practices.

Preparation of Mangosteen Peel Extract Microcapsules by Fluidized Bed Spray-Drying for Tableting: Improving the Solubility and Antioxidant Stability

Mangosteen fruit has been widely consumed and used as a source of antioxidants, either in the form of fresh fruit or processed products. However, mangosteen peel only becomes industrial waste due to its bitter taste, low content solubility, and poor stability. Therefore, this study aimed to design mangosteen peel extract microcapsules (MPEMs) and tablets to overcome the challenges. The fluidized bed spray-drying method was used to develop MPEM, with hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) as the core mixture and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the coating agent. The obtained MPEM was spherical with a hollow surface and had a size of 411.2 µm. The flow rate and compressibility of MPEM increased significantly after granulation. A formula containing 5% w/w polyvinyl pyrrolidone K30 (PVP K30) as a binder had the best tablet characteristics, with a hardness of 87.8 ± 1.398 N, friability of 0.94%, and disintegration time of 25.75 ± 0.676 min. Microencapsulation of mangosteen peel extract maintains the stability of its compound (total phenolic and α-mangosteen) and its antioxidant activity (IC50) during the manufacturing process and a month of storage at IVB zone conditions. According to the findings, the microencapsulation is an effective technique for improving the solubility and antioxidant stability of mangosteen peel extract during manufacture and storage.

Effect of Dietary Curcumin Supplementation on Duck Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity and Breast Meat Quality

This study aimed at examining the effects of curcumin supplementation on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and meat quality of ducks. To investigate these effects, 600 healthy ducks were randomly assigned to four treatment groups with 10 replicates pens, and each pen contained 15 ducks. Ducks were fed a diet containing curcumin at levels of 0, 300, 400, and 500 mg kg^-1 in different groups. The results demonstrated that curcumin supplementation is beneficial to the growth performance (p < 0.05) of ducks and antioxidant capacity (p < 0.05) of duck meat. In addition, dietary curcumin raised the meat quality of ducks, improving the meat color, increasing water-holding capacity, and inhibiting lipid and protein oxidation. In conclusion, the present study provides important insights into both the nutrient and qualities of ducks, finding that a dietary inclusion of 400-500 mg/kg of curcumin (kg^-1) has the greatest effect.

Phytotherapy for Cardiovascular Disease: A Bench-to-Bedside Approach

At present, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and global trends suggest that this panorama will persist or worsen in the near future. Thus, optimization of treatment strategies and the introduction of novel therapeutic alternatives for CVD represent key objectives in contemporary biomedical research. In recent years, phytotherapy-defined as the therapeutic use of whole or minimally modified plant components-has ignited large scientific interest, with a resurgence of abundant investigation on a wide array of medicinal herbs (MH) for CVD and other conditions. Numerous MH have been observed to intervene in the pathophysiology of CVD via a myriad of molecular mechanisms, including antiinflammatory, anti-oxidant, and other beneficial properties, which translate into the amelioration of three essential aspects of the pathogenesis of CVD: Dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis, and hypertension. Although the preclinical data in this scenario is very rich, the true clinical impact of MH and their purported mechanisms of action is less clear, as large-scale robust research in this regard is in relatively early stages and faces important methodological challenges. This review offers a comprehensive look at the most prominent preclinical and clinical evidence currently available concerning the use of MH in the treatment of CVD from a bench-to-bedside approach.

Effect of mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) peel extract as an antibiotic growth promoter on growth performance and antibiotic resistance in broilers

Background and Aim:

Antibiotic resistance poses a risk to human health and has therefore been the focus of research. One of the causes of this resistance is the use of antibiotics as feed additives for animal nutrition. The development of antibiotic resistance in poultry through nutrition feed has drawn attention to the need for alternative antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs). Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.), as a natural source of bioactive phytochemicals, is a potential AGP, but the effect of mangosteen-based treatment on antibiotic resistance in poultry has not been reported to date. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of mangosteen peel extract as an AGP on body weight gain, feed conversion rate (FCR), and the antibiotic resistance in broilers.

Materials and Methods:

In this study, 30 1-day-old broiler chicks were divided into three groups. Group A (control) was not administered any treatment in the feed, Group B was treated with 0.3 g/kg colistin as the AGP in the feed, and Group C was treated with 2% mangosteen peel extract as the AGP in the feed; the treatments were administered for 30 days. The observed parameters included the effect of the treatments on body weight gain, feed intake, FCR, and the presentation of antibiotic resistance before and after the treatments (pre-treatment and post-treatment, respectively).

Results:

Post-treatment, the body weight gain, and feed intake in the broilers were not significantly different among all the groups; however, the body weight gain and FCR were significantly different between the control group and the treatment groups in the 3rd week of treatment and were not significantly different between Groups B and C. The rate of antibiotic resistance to chloramphenicol increased significantly by 40% in Group B post-treatment, but no such increase was observed in Groups A and C.

Conclusion:

The findings of our study indicate that compared with using colistin as an AGP using mangosteen peel extract as a natural AGP did not have any significantly different effect on body weight gain, feed intake, and FCR (p>0.05) but had a significantly different effect on the rate of antibiotic resistance in broilers (p<0.05). This study indicates the usefulness of mangosteen for improving the overall growth and production performance of broilers without increasing their antibiotic resistance.