The Effects of Dietary Manganese and Selenium on Growth and the Fecal Microbiota of Nursery Piglets

The objective of this study was to determine the impact of varying dietary manganese and selenium concentrations, antioxidant cofactors, on the growth performance and fecal microbial populations of nursery pigs. The piglets (N = 120) were blocked by weight (5.22 ± 0.7 kg) and sex. The pens (n = 5/treatment) within a block were randomly assigned to diets in a 2 × 3 factorial design to examine the effects of Se (0.1 and 0.3 mg/kg added Se) and Mn (0, 12, and 24 mg/kg added Mn) and were fed in three phases (P1 = d 1-7, P2 = d 8-21, P3 = d 22-35). The pigs and orts were weighed weekly. Fecal samples were collected d 0 and 35 for 16S rRNA bacterial gene sequencing and VFA analysis. The data were analyzed as factorial via GLM in SAS. There was a linear response (p < 0.05) in overall ADG across dietary Mn. Supplementing 24 mg/kg Mn tended to decrease (p < 0.10) the relative abundance of many bacteria possessing pathogenic traits relative to Mn controls. Meanwhile, increasing Mn concentration tended to foster the growth of bacteria correlated with gut health and improved growth (p < 0.10). The data from this study provide preliminary evidence on the positive effects of manganese on growth and gut health of nursery pigs.

Taurine Attenuates Oxidized Fish Oil-Induced Oxidative Stress and Lipid Metabolism Disorder in Mice

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary taurine on lipid metabolism and liver injury in mice fed a diet high in oxidized fish oil. The ICR mice (six weeks old) were randomly assigned to six groups and fed different diets for 10 weeks: control (CON), normal plus 15% fresh fish oil diet (FFO), normal plus 15% oxidized fish oil diet (OFO), or OFO plus 0.6% (TAU1), 0.9% (TAU2) or 1.2% (TAU3) taurine. Compared to the CON group, OFO mice showed increased liver index, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum (p < 0.05). In addition, OFO mice had increased cholesterol (CHOL)/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and decreased HDL-C/low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio in serum (p < 0.05) compared with CON mice. Notably, dietary taurine ameliorated the liver index and AST and MDA levels in serum and liver in a more dose-dependent manner than OFO mice. In addition, compared to OFO mice, decreased levels of CHOL and ratio of CHOL/HDL-C and n-6 PUFA/n-3 PUFA in serum were found in TAU3-fed mice. Supplementation with TAU2 and TAU3 increased the relative mRNA expression levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, adipose triglyceride lipase, lipoprotein lipase, hormone-sensitive lipase and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 in liver compared with the OFO group (p < 0.05). Moreover, impaired autophagy flux was detected in mice fed with the OFO diet, and this was prevented by taurine. These findings suggested that dietary taurine might provide a potential therapeutic choice against oxidative stress and lipid metabolism disorder.

Effect of a Carotenoid Extract from Citrus reticulata By-Products on the Immune-Oxidative Status of Broilers

Although carotenoids generally possess antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, the in vivo synergistic action of carotenoid blends derived from plant-based by-products has not been thoroughly studied. Therefore, the carotenoid characterization and antimicrobial potential of Citrus reticulata extract as well as the impact of this carotenoid-rich extract (CCE) dietary supplementation on the performance, meat quality, and immune-oxidative status of broiler chickens were determined. One hundred and twenty one-day-old hatched chicks (Ross 308) were allocated to two dietary groups, with four replicate pens of 15 birds each. Birds were fed either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% CCE (25 mg carotenoid extract included in 1 g of soluble starch) for 42 d. β-Cryptoxanthin, β-Carotene, Zeaxanthin, and Lutein were the prevailing carotenoid compounds in the Citrus reticulata extract. The CCE feed additive exerted inhibitory properties against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and negative (Klebsiella oxytoca, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella typhimurium) bacteria. Both the broiler performance and meat quality did not substantially differ, while the breast muscle malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration tended to decrease (p = 0.070) in the CCE-fed broilers. The inclusion of CCE decreased the alanine aminotransferase and MDA concentration, and the activity of glutathione peroxidase, while the activity of superoxide dismutase was increased in the blood. Catalase and NADPH oxidase 2 relative transcript levels were significantly downregulated in the livers of the CCE-fed broilers. Additionally, Interleukin 1β and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) relative transcript levels were downregulated in the livers of the CCE- fed broilers, while TNF and interferon γ (IFNG) tended to decrease in the spleens and bursa of Fabricius, respectively. The present study provided new insights regarding the beneficial properties of carotenoids contained in Citrus reticulata in broilers’ immune-oxidative status. These promising outcomes could be the basis for further research under field conditions.

Research advance in gas detection of volatile organic compounds released in rice quality deterioration process

Rice quality deterioration will cause grievous waste of stored grain and various food safety problems. Gas detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by deterioration is a nondestructive detection method to judge rice quality and alleviate rice spoilage. This review discussed the research advance of VOCs detection in terms of nondestructive detection methods of rice quality deterioration, applications of VOCs in grain detection, inspection of characteristic gas produced during rice spoilage, rice deterioration prevention and control, and detection of VOCs released by rice mildew and insect attack. According to the main causes of rice quality deterioration and major sources of VOCs with off-odor generated during rice storage, deterioration can be divided into mold and insect infection. The results of literature manifested that researches mainly focused on the infection of Aspergillus in the mildew process and the attack of certain pests in recent years, thus the research scope was limited. In this paper, the gas detection methods combined with the chemometrics to qualitatively analyze the VOCs, as well as the correlation with the number of colonies and insects were further studied based on the common dominant strains during rice mildew, that is, Aspergillus and Penicillium fungi, and the common pests during storage, that is, Sitophilus oryzae and Rhyzopertha dominica. Furthermore, this paper pointed out that the quantitative determination of characteristic VOCs, the numeration relationship between VOCs and the degree of mildew and insect infestation, the further expansion of detection range, and the application of degraded rice should be the spotlight of future research.

Substitution of ramie (Boehmeria nivea) for alfalfa in improving the carcass and meat quality of Liuyang Black goats

Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is noted for the production of a large biomass that has a high protein content and is rich in antioxidants. It may thus serve as a high-quality forage material to replace alfalfa and improve the meat quality of farmed animals. In this study, we evaluated the carcass characteristics and meat quality of goats when 0, 35%, 75%, and 100% of dietary alfalfa was replaced with ramie. Crude protein content (linear, P < 0.0001) and key muscle color values at 24 h after slaughter decreased with increasing ramie levels. The content of most individual amino acids, non-essential amino acids (NEAA), total amino acids (TAA), branched chain amino acids (BCAA), functional amino acids (FAA), and flavor amino acids (DAA) decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary ramie. The diet in which 35% of alfalfa was replaced with ramie yielded meat with the highest amino acid content, whereas the fatty acid profile was unaffected by the inclusion of ramie. These results indicate that ramie could be used as a potential dietary forage resource for goats, and that substituting 35% of alfalfa with ramie, which is equivalent to 126 g/kg DM content, would be optimal in terms of goat meat quality.

Exploring With Transcriptomic Approaches the Underlying Mechanisms of an Essential Oil-Based Phytogenic in the Small Intestine and Liver of Pigs

Phytogenics are plant-based feed additives utilized in animal nutrition to support animal growth and health. Worldwide restrictions and bans on the use of antibiotic growth promoters resulted in an increased demand for in-feed alternatives including phytogenics. However, several challenges remain for technology readiness in animal industry, especially regarding the standardization of the ingredients as well as our knowledge on the cellular mechanisms underlying their biological effects. In the present study, 32 weaned piglets were allocated for 28 days to four experimental diets, a control diet, a phytogenic feed additive (PFA) diet, or the same two diets but with the addition of oxidized oil (OO) at 10%. The last two diets aimed at evaluating the antioxidant properties of PFA. At the end of the trial, the ileum and the liver of the pigs were sampled, and RNA were isolated for profiling their transcriptome via RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq). In the ileum, the gene set enrichment analysis showed that the activity of several immune pathways (NF-kB, interferon α/β, antimicrobial peptide, and collagen pathways) was reduced in piglets fed PFA compared to the control piglets. As expected, the addition of OO induced strong effects on the liver transcriptome and most likely accounted for the significant growth impairment. The likelihood ratio test across the four diets revealed a global response driven by the oxidative stress challenge with hundreds of genes associated with fatty acid β-oxidation and peroxisome in the liver. The expression levels of those genes in the piglets fed OO+PFA were much less affected by the challenge. Collectively, the effects seen at day 28 suggest that substances in the PFA formulation provide anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The use of RNA-Seq in animal nutrition allows exploring and deciphering novel mechanisms of natural growth promoters.

Effects of guanidinoacetic acid and complex antioxidant supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant function of broiler chickens

BACKGROUND

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of adding guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), or complex antioxidant (CA), or their combination, in diets on the growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity of broilers. A total of 192 25-day-old broilers were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design including two dietary supplements at two different levels, in which the main effects were the addition of GAA (0 or 600 mg kg^-1 ) and CA (0 or 150 mg kg^-1 ). This trial lasted for 18 days.

RESULTS

Compared with the control group, the GAA group, CA group, and GAA + CA group, decreased feed conversion ratio by 7.02%, 6.58%, and 11.40%, respectively. Guanidinoacetic supplementation increased eviscerated yield, pH_24h (P < 0.05). Complex antioxidant supplementation increased the a* values (P < 0.05). The combination of GAA and CA did not affect the carcass traits and meat quality. Guanidinoacetic acid alone and CA alone and combined with GAA and CA decreased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level and malonaldehyde (MDA) content (P < 0.05), and the GAA + CA group had the lowest ROS level and MDA content of broilers.

CONCLUSION

Dietary supplementation of GAA, CA or their combination had beneficial effects on growth performance and breast antioxidant capacity, and the combination of GAA and CA could exert a synergistic effect in improving antioxidant capacity. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Changes in carcass traits, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, and liver function of finishing pigs fed high level of fish oil

The study was aimed to investigate the changes in carcass traits, meat quality, muscle fiber characteristics, and liver function in pigs fed with high levels of fresh fish oil and oxidized fish oil. About 30 piglets were randomly assigned to receive basal diet plus 2% fish oil (LFO), basal diet plus 8% fish oil (HFO), or basal diet plus 8% oxidized fish oil (OFO) for 120 d. Pigs of the HFO and OFO group showed reduced carcass weight, dressing percentage, loin eye area, and increased yellowness of the longissimus dorsi muscle compared with LFO group (P < 0.05). Dietary HFO and OFO suppressed the relative expression levels of myosin heavy chain (MyHC) isoform (I and II a), glutathione peroxidase 4, and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase-1 and mitochondrial biogenesis in longissimus dorsi muscle (P < 0.05). Dietary HFO or OFO increased the serum aspartates aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, oxidized low-density lipoprotein, liver index, and concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in liver (P < 0.05). In conclusion, high levels of fresh fish oil and oxidized fish oil have adverse effects on carcass traits, muscle fiber characteristics, and liver function, which may be partly due to the mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired antioxidative capacity.

Vitamin E improves antioxidant status but not lipid metabolism in laying hens fed a aged corn-containing diet

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine whether a dietary vitamin E (VE) supplement could alleviate any detrimental effects of aged corn on lipid metabolism and antioxidant status in laying hens.

METHODS

The experiment consisted of a 2×3 factorial design with two corn types (normal corn and aged corn (stored for 4 yr) and three concentrations of VE (0, 20, and 100 IU/kg). A total of 216 Lohmann laying hens (50 wk of age) were randomly allocated into six treatment diets for 12 wk. Each treatment had 6 replicates of 6 hens per replicate.

RESULTS

The results show that aged corn significantly decreased the content of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (p<0.05), and reduced chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1) mRNA expression (p<0.05) in the liver compared to controls. Diet with VE did not alter the content of crude fat and cholesterol (p>0.05), or acetyl-CoA carboxylase, lipoprotein lipase, fatty acid synthase or CMKLR1 mRNA expression (p>0.05) in the liver among treatment groups. Aged corn significantly increased the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p<0.05) and decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (p<0.05) in the liver. The VE increased the content of MDA (p<0.05) but decreased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in serum (p<0.01) and in the ovaries (p<0.05). Adding VE at 20 and 100 IU/kg significantly increased GSH-Px activity (p<0.05) in liver and in serum (p<0.01), 100 IU/kg VE significantly increased SOD activity (p<0.05) in serum. Aged corn had no significant effects on GSH-Px mRNA or SOD mRNA expression (p<0.01) in the liver and ovaries. Addition of 100 IU/kg VE could significantly increase SOD mRNA expression (p<0.01) in the liver and ovary.

CONCLUSION

Aged corn affected lipid metabolism and decreased the antioxidant function of laying hens. Dietary VE supplementation was unable to counteract the negative effects of aged corn on lipid metabolism. However, addition of 100 IU/kg VE prevented aged corninduced lipid peroxidation in the organs of laying hens.

Effect of dietary inclusion of antioxidants and organic trace minerals on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and meat quality of finishing pigs with pre-slaughter transportation

A total of 320 pigs (body weight = 98 ± 4 kg) were assigned to four treatments, with eight replicates (pens) per treatment. Pigs were fed the following diets: a control diet (CON), the CON diet plus antioxidant blends (AOX), organic trace minerals (OTM), or both (AOX + OTM). After the feeding trial, two pigs from each pen were selected for slaughtering right away or after transportation. The inclusion of AOX, OTM, or AOX + OTM had no significant effect on feed intake, average daily gain, and feed efficiency compared with CON (P > 0.05). The pre-transportation significantly reduced the pH value of loin meat at 24 h post mortem and leg meat at 45 min post mortem (P < 0.05). The pigs in the AOX, OTM, and AOX + OTM group had significantly lower plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) content than the CON group (P < 0.05). Pre-transportation resulted in significantly higher meat MDA contents (P < 0.05), clearly influencing the oxidative stress of pigs. The inclusion of antioxidant blends or organic trace minerals had no significant effect on the growth performance and antioxidant capacity of finishing pigs.

Influence of feeding thermally peroxidized soybean oil on growth performance, digestibility, gut integrity, and oxidative stress in nursery pigs

The objectives of the current experiments were to evaluate the effect of feeding soybean oil (SO) with different levels of peroxidation on lipid, N, and GE digestibility, gut integrity, oxidative stress, and growth performance in nursery pigs. Treatments consisted diets containing 10% fresh SO (22.5 °C) or thermally processed SO (45 °C for 288 h, 90 °C for 72 h, or 180 °C for 6 h), each with an air infusion of 15 L/min, with postprocessing peroxide values of 7.6, 11.5, 19.1, and 13.4 mEq/kg and p-anisidine values of 1.92, 6.29, 149, and 159, for the 22.5 °C, 45 °C, 90 °C and 180 °C processed SO, respectively. In experiment 1, 64 barrows (7.1 ± 0.9 kg initial BW) were randomly allotted into 2 rooms of 32 pens and individually fed their experimental diets for 21 d, with a fresh fecal sample collected on day 20 for determination of GE and lipid digestibility. In experiment 2, 56 barrows (BW 9.16 ± 1.56 kg) were placed into individual metabolism crates for assessment of GE, lipid, and N digestibility and N retention. Urinary lactulose to mannitol ratio was assessed to evaluate in vivo small intestinal integrity, and urine and plasma were collected to analyze for markers of oxidative stress. Pigs were subsequently euthanized to obtain liver weights and analyze the liver for markers of oxidative stress. In experiment 1, pigs fed the SO thermally processed at 90 °C had reduced ADG (P = 0.01) and ADFI (P = 0.04) compared to pigs fed the other SO treatment groups, with no differences noted among pigs fed the 22.5 °C, 45 °C, and 180 °C SO treatments. No effects of feeding thermally processing SO on dietary GE or lipid digestibility (P > 0.10) were noted in either experiment. In experiment 2, there was no dietary effect of feeding peroxidized SO on the DE:ME ratio, N digestibility, or N retained as a percent of N digested, on the urinary ratio of lactulose to mannitol, on serum, urinary, or liver thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, on plasma protein carbonyls, or on urinary or liver 8-OH-2dG (P > 0.10). In experiment 2, pigs fed the SO thermally processed at 90 °C had the greatest isoprostane concentrations in the serum (P ≤ 0.01) and urine (P ≤ 0.05) compared to pigs fed the unprocessed SO. These results indicate that the change in fatty acid composition and/or the presence of lipid peroxidation products in peroxidized SO may reduce ADG and ADFI in nursery pigs, but appears to have no impact on GE, lipid, or N digestibility, or gut permeability. These data suggest that the presence of lipid peroxidation products may affect certain markers of oxidative stress.

The changes in growth performance and lipid metabolism of pigs with yellow fat induced by high dietary fish oil

The aim of this study was to investigate the alteration in growth performance and lipid metabolism during the development of yellow fat in pigs. A total of 30 pigs (9.23 ± 0.21 kg) were assigned to three treatments: (1) low fish oil (LFO), basal diet + 2% fresh fish oil; (2) high fish oil (HFO), basal diet + 8% fresh fish oil; and (3) oxidized fish oil (OFO), basal diet + 8% OFO (peroxide value = 250 meqO2kg−1). Pigs fed HFO and OFO diets showed yellow staining of fat and decreased growth performance, including average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and final body weight (P < 0.01). The oxidized lipid markers malondialdehyde, yellowness b* of backfat, perirenal fat, and abdominal fat were markedly increased in the pigs fed with HFO and OFO (P < 0.05). Furthermore, following HFO feeding, pigs showed significant decreases in n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratio and mRNA expression levels of CCAAT-/enhancer-binding protein alpha, fatty acid synthase, lipoprotein lipase, and hormone-sensitive lipase in backfat (P < 0.01). Overall, pigs with yellow-fat trait showed decreased growth performance and altered lipid metabolism by the high fish oil feeding.

Presence of lipid oxidation products in swine diet lowers pork quality and stability during storage

Studies examining the effects of feeding lipid oxidation products (LOPs) to pigs on pork quality and storage stability have mostly focused on refrigerated storage and produced mixed results. We investigated the effects of adding yellow grease, containing commercially relevant levels of LOPs, to swine diets on quality and storage stability of ground salted pork. Twenty-four domestic pigs were divided into three study groups and fed the following diet regimens for five months: (1) Standard Diet (STD), (2) STD + yellow grease (YG, high LOPs), or (3) STD + corn oil (CO, negligible LOPs). Post-harvest carcass characteristics and the effects of frozen and refrigerated storage on color and lipid oxidation of salted pork patties were studied. While feeding of yellow grease had no impact on color, it increased the susceptibility of pork patties to lipid oxidation during storage (186% and 73% higher accumulation of LOPs in patties from pigs fed STD + YG when compared to those fed STD and STD + CO, respectively).

Effects of thermally oxidized canola oil and tannic acid supplementation on nutrient digestibility and microbial metabolites in finishing pigs1

The present study investigated the effects of oxidized canola oil and tannic acid (TA) supplementation on nutrient digestibility and microbial metabolites in finishing pigs. Four experimental diets were formulated to include 5% of either fresh canola oil (0 mEq/kg of peroxide value) or oxidized canola oil (180 mEq/kg of peroxide value). An equal portion of each diet was supplemented with 0.1% TA. Eight pigs (initial body weight of 82.89 ± 2.26 kg) were surgically fitted with a T-cannula at the distal ileum. At the beginning of the experiments, all pigs were fed a nitrogen-free diet for 7 d. Then, they were assigned to 4 dietary treatments according to an incomplete replicated 4 × 3 Latin square design with 3 periods to give 6 replicates per treatment. Each experimental period lasted for 9 d, starting with a 5-d adaptation period followed by 2 consecutive 2-d periods for fecal (day 6 and day 7) and ileal digesta (day 8 and day 9) collection. The inclusion of oxidized oil reduced (P < 0.05) the standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of Pro and the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of NDF. Also, pigs fed the oxidized oil tended to have lower (P ≤ 0.10) lactate and ammonia-nitrogen concentrations in the ileum and lower (P ≤ 0.10) acetate and propionate concentrations in the feces than those fed the fresh oil. The supplementation of 0.1% TA reduced (P < 0.05) the AID of NDF and the ATTD of gross energy, crude protein, and NDF. Additionally, the TA-supplemented diet tended to have a lower (P ≤ 0.10) digestible energy content than the nonsupplemented diet. Pigs fed the TA-supplemented diet showed reduced (P < 0.05) AID and SID of His, Cys, and Pro compared with those fed the nonsupplemented diet. There were interactive effects (P < 0.05) of oxidized oil and TA supplementation on acetate, isovalerate, total short chain fatty acids, and pH level in the ileum. In conclusion, the results indicated that the effects of oxidized oil are greater on microbial activities rather than nutrient digestibility. Although negative effects of dietary TA supplementation were observed in relation to nutrient digestibility, TA supplementation was found to ameliorate these negative effects of oxidized oil on microbial metabolites. Therefore, further studies are required to investigate the interaction between dietary oxidized oil and TA in relation with the gut microbiota in pigs.

Effects of dietary ramie powder at various levels on growth performance, antioxidative capacity and fatty acid profile of finishing pigs

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ramie (Boehmeria nivea, previously known as a fibre crop and also called "China grass") included in diets on growth performance, antioxidative capacity and muscular fatty acid profile of finishing pigs. A total of 180 Xiangcun Black pigs (initial body weight =70.71 ± 1.21 kg) were randomly allotted to 1 of 5 dietary treatments with six pens of six pigs per pen. The pigs were provided a basal diet or a diet contained 3%, 6%, 9% or 12% of ramie powder during a 50-day experiment period. The results showed that the inclusion of ramie increased (quadratic, p < 0.05) the average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed ratio (G:F) with the highest value of ADG and G:F in 3% ramie group, but ramie content in the diet up to 9% reduced the growth performance of the pigs compared with that of 3% ramie group. The activity of serum total superoxide dismutase (SOD) was increased (linear, p < 0.05) by ramie, while content of malondialdehyde was decreased (linear, p < 0.05). As increasing the dietary ramie level, the mRNA expression level of SOD1 was increased quadratically (p < 0.05) in muscle tissues. Moreover, the addition of ramie linearly increased (p < 0.05) polyunsaturated fatty acids content, whereas it linearly reduced (p < 0.05) the lipid indices of atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) in muscle tissues, and lower values of AI and TI reflect a "healthier" fat composition. The results indicated that ramie in a diet not more than 9% may improve antioxidative capacity with no detrimental impact on growth performance of Chinese native finishing pigs; meanwhile, it could beneficially change the pork fatty acid pattern which has a positive impact on consumer's health.

Influence of feeding thermally peroxidized soybean oil to finishing pigs on carcass characteristics, loin quality, and shelf life of loin chops

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of feeding soybean oil (SO) with varying levels of peroxidation on carcass traits and shelf life of loins. Fifty-six barrows were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 diets containing 10% fresh SO (22.5 °C) or thermally processed SO (45 °C for 288 h, 90 °C for 72 h, or 180 °C for 6 h), each infused with air at a rate of 15 liter/min. Individually housed pigs were provided ad libitum access to feed for 81 d. At 82 d, pigs were slaughtered and hot carcass weight and liver weights were recorded. Carcass characteristics and fresh loin quality were evaluated 1 d postmortem. Loin chops from each carcass were overwrap-packaged and subjected to a 10-d simulated retail display. Daily measurements of L*, a*, b*, reflectance, and visual discoloration were conducted, evaluation of cooking loss and Warner-Bratzler shear force (WBSF) was conducted on chops stored 0, 5, and 10 d, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were evaluated on chops stored 0 and 10 d. Shelf life-related data were analyzed as a completely randomized design with repeated measures in time, with storage location (shelf) as a random effect. Carcasses of 90 °C pigs weighed 6.0, 8.6, and 6.9 kg less (P < 0.03) than 22.5 °C, 45 °C, and 180 °C carcasses, respectively. Livers of 90 °C and 180 °C pigs were 14.3% and 11.7%, respectively, heavier (P ≤ 0.02) than those from pigs fed 22.5 °C SO, with livers of 45 °C being intermediate. Livers of 90 °C pigs represented 0.12 percentage units less (P = 0.02) of ending live weight than livers of 180 °C pigs, and 180 °C livers were 0.12 percentage units less (P < 0.01) of ending live weight than those from pigs fed 22.5 °C SO, with 45 °C being intermediate. There was no difference (P ≥ 0.19) in back fat depth, loin muscle area, or estimated carcass lean percentage among SO treatments, nor was there an effect (P ≥ 0.13) of SO on any early post-mortem loin quality traits or loin composition. There was no effect (P > 0.14) of SO on cooking loss, WBSF, L*, a*, b*, hue angle, reflectance, discoloration, or TBARS; however, there was a tendency (P = 0.09) for chops of 45 °C pigs to have greater (P < 0.04) chroma than either 22.5 °C or 180 °C, with 90 °C being intermediate. Overall, feeding SO cooked at 90 °C for 72 h resulted in reduced carcass weight and dressing percentage; however, there was no evidence that feeding peroxidized SO was detrimental to shelf life of loin chops.

Effect of dietary selenium source (organic vs. mineral) and muscle pH on meat quality characteristics of pigs

This study evaluates the effect of organic (Se‐enriched yeast; SeY) versus inorganic selenium (sodium selenite; SeS) supplementation and the different response of selenium source according to muscle pH on pork meat quality characteristics. Pigs (n = 30) were fed the Se‐supplemented diets (0.3 mg/kg) for 65 days. Neither electric conductivity (EC) nor drip loss were affected by the selenium source. The SeY group had lower TBARS in muscle samples after day 7 of refrigerated storage and higher a* values on days 1 and 7 than the SeS group. The effect of dietary selenium source on some meat quality characteristics was affected by muscle pH. Hence, as the muscle pH increases, the drip loss decreases but this effect is more marked with the dietary organic Se enrichment. Muscle pH seems to modulate the action of selenium in pork, especially some meat characteristics such as drip loss.

Dietary supplementation of pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium protects against oxidative stress and liver damage in laying hens fed an oxidized sunflower oil-added diet

The protective effects of dietary pyrroloquinoline quinone disodium (PQQ.Na2) supplementation against oxidized sunflower oil-induced oxidative stress and liver injury in laying hens were examined. Three hundred and sixty 53-week-old Hy-Line Gray laying hens were randomly allocated into one of the five dietary treatments. The treatments included: (1) a diet containing 2% fresh sunflower oil; (2) a diet containing 2% thermally oxidized sunflower oil; (3) an oxidized sunflower oil diet with 100 mg/kg of added vitamin E; (4) an oxidized sunflower oil diet with 0.08 mg/kg of PQQ.Na2; and (5) an oxidized sunflower oil diet with 0.12 mg/kg of PQQ.Na2. Birds fed the oxidized sunflower oil diet showed a lower feed intake compared to birds fed the fresh oil diet or oxidized oil diet supplemented with vitamin E (P=0.009). Exposure to oxidized sunflower oil increased plasma malondialdehyde (P<0.001), hepatic reactive oxygen species (P<0.05) and carbonyl group levels (P<0.001), but decreased plasma glutathione levels (P=0.006) in laying hens. These unfavorable changes induced by the oxidized sunflower oil diet were modulated by dietary vitamin E or PQQ.Na2 supplementation to levels comparable to the fresh oil group. Dietary supplementation with PQQ.Na2 or vitamin E increased the activities of total superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in plasma and the liver, when compared with the oxidized sunflower oil group (P<0.05). PQQ.Na2 or vitamin E diminished the oxidized sunflower oil diet induced elevation of liver weight (P=0.026), liver to BW ratio (P=0.001) and plasma activities of alanine aminotransferase (P=0.001) and aspartate aminotransferase (P<0.001) and maintained these indices at the similar levels to the fresh oil diet. Furthermore, oxidized sunflower oil increased hepatic DNA tail length (P<0.05) and tail moment (P<0.05) compared with the fresh oil group. Dietary supplementation of PQQ.Na2 or vitamin E decreased the oxidized oil diet induced DNA tail length and tail moment to the basal levels in fresh oil diet. These results indicate that PQQ.Na2 is a potential antioxidant and is as effective against oxidized oil-related liver injury in laying hens as vitamin E. The protective effects of PQQ.Na2 against liver damage induced by oxidized oil may be partially due to its role in the scavenging of free radicals, inhibiting of lipid peroxidation and enhancing of antioxidant defense systems.

Supplementing antioxidants to pigs fed diets high in oxidants: I. Effects on growth performance, liver function, and oxidative status

The objective of the study was to determine the effects of a dietary antioxidant blend (ethoxyquin and propyl gallate) and vitamin E on growth performance, liver function, and oxidative status in pigs fed diets high in oxidants. Crossbred barrows (n=100, 10.91±0.65 kg BW, 36±2 d of age, Landrace×Duroc) were allotted to 5 treatments on the basis of BW (5 replicate pens per treatment, 4 pigs per pen). Treatments included 1) HO, high-oxidant diet containing 5% oxidized soybean oil and 10% PUFA source (providing 2.05% docosahexaenoic acid in the diet), 2) VE, the HO diet with 11 IU/kg of added vitamin E, 3) AOX, the HO diet with antioxidant blend (135 mg/kg), 4) VE+AOX, the HO diet with both vitamin E and antioxidant blend, and 5) SC, a standard corn-soy control diet. The trial lasted for 118 d; on d 83, the HO diet pigs were switched to the SC diet because the animals were displaying very poor health. Compared with SC pigs, HO pigs had decreased ADG (0.92 vs. 0.51 kg for d 26 to 55, 1.29 vs. 0.34 kg for d 56 to 82; P<0.05) and ADFI (1.84 vs. 0.96 kg for d 26 to 55, 3.41 vs. 1.14 kg for d 56 to 82; P<0.05). However, switching the HO pigs to the SC diet resulted in HO pigs having a greater ADG than VE-fed pigs from d 83 to 118 (0.90 vs. 0.60 kg; P<0.05). The antioxidant blend restored pig performance to a level similar that of pigs fed the SC diet (P>0.05) with greater G:F for the entire period (0.44 vs. 0.38; P<0.05). A greater liver to BW ratio was found in HO compared with other treatments on d 55 and in VE on d 118. Total bilirubin concentration in plasma of HO pigs on d 55 was greater than that in VE+AOX pigs (P<0.05), whereas on d 118, bilirubin concentration in VE was higher than those in VE+AOX and SC (P<0.05). A similar trend was observed in aspartate transaminase. Plasma concentrations of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and carbonyl were elevated (P<0.05) in the HO pigs compared with the SC pigs on d 55 but not on d 118. Liver TBARS and carbonyl concentrations showed a similar trend, except that HO pigs had the greatest carbonyl concentration on d 118. Pigs fed AOX diets had plasma and liver TBARS and carbonyl concentrations similar to those fed SC diets. In the oxidative stress model used in this study, dietary addition of antioxidant blend or antioxidant blend+vitaimin E was effective in improving growth, liver function, and plasma markers of oxidative stress, but VE alone was not.