Antioxidant Activity of Different Tissues from Rabbits Fed Dietary Bovine Colostrum Supplementation

Meat quality and sensory traits in rabbits fed with two different percentages of bovine colostrum

The nutritional, antimicrobial, and antioxidant properties of bovine colostrum (BC) have encouraged its use in animal nutrition as a functional food in recent years. Nonetheless, the potential implications of BC supplementation on meat quality remain to be thoroughly assessed. To address this, thirty-nine New Zealand White rabbits (n = 13/group) were fed different dietary regimens until slaughter.: commercial standard diet for the control group (C) and C with 2.5% and 5% w/w of BC for BC-2.5 and BC-5 groups, respectively. Rabbits were slaughtered at 91 days of age and meat quality, and sensory characteristics were evaluated at days 2 (48 h after slaughter), 5, and 10 of refrigerated storage at 4 °C. The addition of colostrum in the diet resulted in a reduction of the total viable count, albeit only at the highest concentration and at the final detection, whereas for Lactobacillus spp. and Pseudomonas spp., there was little or no effect. The colour coordinates showed no differences between the groups, but they varied over time according to diet. Some differences between groups emerged in the definition of sensory attributes but did not affect the overall liking and overall scores of individual descriptors. These results indicate that the use of colostrum in rabbit feeding does not significantly impart meat quality and sensory attributes, but the potential of this valuable by-product for the food industry needs further investigation.

Bovine Colostrum Supplementation in Rabbit Diet Modulates Gene Expression of Cytokines, Gut-Vascular Barrier, and Red-Ox-Related Molecules in the Gut Wall

Rabbits, pivotal in the EU as livestock, pets, and experimental animals, face bacterial infection challenges, prompting a quest for alternatives to curb antibiotic resistance. Bovine colostrum (BC), rich in immunoregulatory compounds, antimicrobial peptides, and growth factors, is explored for disease treatment and prevention. This study assesses BC diet supplementation effects on rabbit intestines, examining gene expression. Thirty female New Zealand White rabbits at weaning (35 days) were divided into three experimental groups: control (commercial feed), 2.5% BC, and 5% BC. The diets were administered until slaughtering (81 days). BC-upregulated genes in the jejunum included IL-8, TGF-β, and CTNN-β1 at 5% BC, while PLVAP at 2.5% BC. Antioxidant-related genes (SOD1, GSR) were downregulated in the cecum and colon with 2.5% BC. BC 5% promoted IL-8 in the jejunum, fostering inflammation and immune cell migration. It also induced genes regulating inflammatory responses (TGF-β) and gastrointestinal permeability (CTNN-β1). BC 5% enhanced antioxidant activity in the cecum and colon, but no significant impact on anti-myxo antibody production was observed. These results suggest that BC has significant effects on the rabbit gastrointestinal tract's inflammatory and antioxidant response, but further research is required to fully understand its histological and physiological impact.

Anti-oxidant effects of herbal residue from Shengxuebao mixture on heat-stressed New Zealand rabbits

Heat stress can lead to hormonal imbalances, weakened immune system, increased metabolic pressure on the liver, and ultimately higher animal mortality rates. This not only seriously impairs the welfare status of animals, but also causes significant economic losses to the livestock industry. Due to its rich residual bioactive components and good safety characteristics, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) residue is expected to become a high-quality feed additive with anti-oxidative stress alleviating function. This study focuses on the potential of Shengxuebao mixture herbal residue (SXBR) as an anti-heat stress feed additive. Through the UPLC (ultra performance liquid chromatography) technology, the average residue rate of main active ingredients from SXBR were found to be 25.39%. SXBR were then added into the basal diet of heat stressed New Zealand rabbits at the rates of 5% (SXBRl), 10% (SXBRm) and 20% (SXBRh). Heat stress significantly decreased the weight gain, as well as increased neck and ear temperature, drip loss in meat, inflammation and oxidative stress. Also, the hormone levels were disrupted, with a significant increase in serum levels of CA, COR and INS. After the consumption of SXBR in the basal diet for 3 weeks, the weight of New Zealand rabbits increased significantly, and the SXBRh group restored the redness value of the meat to a similar level as the control group. Furthermore, the serum levels T3 thyroid hormone in the SXBRh group and T4 thyroid hormone in the SXBRm group increased significantly, the SXBRh group showed a significant restoration in inflammation markers (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and oxidative stress markers (total antioxidant capacity, HSP-70, MDA, and ROS) levels. Moreover, the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR analysis found that, the expression levels of antioxidant genes such as Nrf2, HO-1, NQO1, and GPX1 were significantly upregulated in the SXBRh group, and the expression level of the Keap1 gene was significantly downregulated. Additionally, the SXBRm group showed significant upregulation in the expression levels of HO-1 and NQO1 genes. Western blot experiments further confirmed the up-regulation of Nrf2, Ho-1 and NQO1 proteins. This study provides a strategy for the utilization of SXBR and is of great significance for the green recycling of the TCM residues, improving the development of animal husbandry and animal welfare.

Association Study between Antioxidant Nutrient Intake and Low Bone Mineral Density with Oxidative Stress-Single Nucleotide Variants: GPX1 (rs1050450 and rs17650792), SOD2 (rs4880) and CAT (rs769217) in Mexican Women

Oxidative stress is essential in developing multiple bone metabolism diseases, including osteoporosis. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) have been associated with oxidative stress, promoting an imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species and the ability to neutralize them, and it has been reported that antioxidant nutrient intake can influence bone mineral density (BMD). This work reports the association between oxidative stress-related SNVs (GPX1-rs1050450, rs17650792, SOD2-rs4880, and CAT-rs769217), BMD, and antioxidant nutrient intake. The study included 1269 Mexican women from the Health Workers Cohort Study. Genotyping was performed using predesigned TaqMan assays. Dietary data were collected using a 116-item semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. A dietary antioxidant quality score (DAQS) was used to estimate antioxidant-nutrient intake. Association analysis was estimated via linear, logistic, or quantile regression models. The results showed an association of the rs1050450-A and rs17650792-A alleles with femoral neck BMD (p = 0.038 and p = 0.017, respectively) and the SNV rs4880-A allele with total hip BMD (p = 0.026) in respondents aged 45 years or older. In addition, antioxidant-nutrient intake was associated with the rs4880-GG genotype, being significant for fiber (p = 0.007), riboflavin (p = 0.005), vitamin B6 (p = 0.034), and vitamin D (p = 0.002). The study showed an association between oxidative stress-related SNVs, BMD, and antioxidant-nutrient intake in Mexican women. Therefore, treatments for low BMD could be developed based on antioxidant supplementation.

Intestine Health and Barrier Function in Fattening Rabbits Fed Bovine Colostrum

The permeability of the immature intestine is higher in newborns than in adults; a damaged gut barrier in young animals increases the susceptibility to digestive and infectious diseases later in life. It is therefore of major importance to avoid impairment of the intestinal barrier, specifically in a delicate phase of development, such as weaning. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of bovine colostrum supplementation on the intestinal barrier, such as the intestinal morphology and proliferation level and tight junctions expression (zonulin) and enteric nervous system (ENS) inflammation status (through the expression of PGP9.5 and GFAP) in fattening rabbits. Rabbits of 35 days of age were randomly divided into three groups (n = 13) based on the dietary administration: commercial feed (control group, CTR) and commercial feed supplemented with 2.5% and 5% bovine colostrum (BC1 and BC2 groups, respectively). Rabbits receiving the BC1 diet showed a tendency to have better duodenum morphology and higher proliferation rates (p < 0.001) than the control group. An evaluation of the zonulin expression showed that it was higher in the BC2 group, suggesting increased permeability, which was partially confirmed by the expression of GFAP. Our results suggest that adding 2.5% BC into the diet could be a good compromise between intestinal morphology and permeability, since rabbits fed the highest inclusion level of BC showed signs of higher intestinal permeability.

Colostrum Quality in Different Goat Breeds Reared in Northern Italy

This study aimed to characterize the colostrum quality in three different local goat breeds of Northern Italy (i.e., Frisa Valtellinese, Orobica, and Lariana) and a cosmopolitan one (i.e., Camosciata delle Alpi) (n = 30 per breed), reared under traditional semi-extensive and intensive systems, respectively. Lariana showed the highest percentage of fat (10.18 ± 3.14%) and total solids (30.73 ± 4.89%) but the lowest percentage of lactose (1.87 ± 0.82%; p < 0.05); Orobica had the lowest percentage of fat (7.13 ± 2.48%), total solids (24.11 ± 5.48%), and protein (10.77 ± 4.53%) but the highest percentage of lactose (3.16 ± 0.73%; p < 0.05). This suggests that breeds which have a more pronounced meat aptitude (i.e., Frisa and Lariana) have a higher concentration of components than breeds with more dairy aptitude (i.e., Orobica and Camosciata). Uni- and multivariate analyses showed that IgG is the parameter that best differentiates local breeds from cosmopolitan ones (p < 0.01). Colostrum from Frisa goats showed the highest IgG concentration (100.90 ± 8.11 mg/mL), while the lowest concentration was in the Camosciata breed (74.75 ± 20.16 mg/mL). Finally, the highest lactoferrin concentration was in Frisa (1781.3 ± 892.6 µg/mL) and the lowest in Camosciata and Lariana (763.1 ± 357.9 and 1148.0 ± 858.6 µg/mL, respectively; p < 0.05). Differences between Camosciata and local breeds could be due to the different farming systems, in addition to the genetic characteristics. The higher quality of colostrum produced by some local goats could be an adaptive characteristic that helps the growth and survival of the kids.