Effects of Chronic Exposure to Diets Containing Moldy Corn or Moldy Wheat Bran on Growth Performance, Ovarian Follicular Pool, and Oxidative Status of Gilts

AFB1 Toxicity in Human Food and Animal Feed Consumption: A Review of Experimental Treatments and Preventive Measures

AIMS

The current review aims to outline and summarize the latest research on aflatoxin, with research studies describing natural, herbal and chemical compound applications in animal (pig) models and in vitro cellular studies. Aflatoxin, a carcinogenic toxin metabolite, is produced by Aspergillus flavus in humid environments, posing a threat to human health and crop production. The current treatment involves the prevention of exposure to aflatoxin and counteracting its harmful toxic effects, enabling survival and research studies on an antidote for aflatoxin.

OBJECTIVES

To summarize current research prospects and to outline the influence of aflatoxin on animal forage in farm production, food and crop processing. The research application of remedies to treat aflatoxin is undergoing development to pinpoint biochemical pathways responsible for aflatoxin effects transmission and actions of treatment.

SIGNIFICANCE

To underline the environmental stress of aflatoxin on meat and dairy products; to describe clinical syndromes associated with aflatoxicosis on human health that are counteracted with proposed treatment and preventive interventions. To understand how to improve the health of farm animals with feed conditions.

Dietary Protein Regulates Female Estrous Cyclicity Partially via Fibroblast Growth Factor 21

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a hormone predominantly released in the liver, has emerged as a critical endocrine signal of dietary protein intake, but its role in the control of estrous cyclicity by dietary protein remains uncertain. To investigated the role of FGF21 and hypothalamic changes in the regulation of estrous cyclicity by dietary protein intake, female adult Sprague-Dawley rats with normal estrous cycles were fed diets with protein contents of 4% (P4), 8% (P8), 13% (P13), 18% (P18), and 23% (P23). FGF21 liver-specific knockout or wild-type mice were fed P18 or P4 diets to examine the role of liver FGF21 in the control of estrous cyclicity. Dietary protein restriction resulted in no negative effects on estrous cyclicity or ovarian follicular development when the protein content was greater than 8%. Protein restriction at 4% resulted in decreased bodyweight, compromised Kiss-1 expression in the hypothalamus, disturbed estrous cyclicity, and inhibited uterine and ovarian follicular development. The disturbed estrous cyclicity in rats that received the P4 diet was reversed after feeding with the P18 diet. Liver Fgf21 mRNA expressions and serum FGF21 levels were significantly increased as dietary protein content decreased, and loss of hepatic FGF21 delayed the onset of cyclicity disruption in rats fed with the P4 diet, possibly due to the regulation of insulin-like growth factor-1. Collectively, severe dietary protein restriction results in the cessation of estrous cyclicity and ovarian follicle development, and hepatic FGF21 and hypothalamic Kiss-1 were partially required for this process.

Nondestructive Classification of Maize Moldy Seeds by Hyperspectral Imaging and Optimal Machine Learning Algorithms

Mildew of maize seeds may affect their germination rates and reduce crop quality. It is crucial to classify maize seeds efficiently and without destroying their original structure. This study aimed to establish hyperspectral datasets using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) of maize seeds with different degrees of mildew and then classify them using spectral characteristics and machine learning algorithms. Initially, the images were processed with Otus and morphological operations. Each seed's spectral features were extracted based on its coding, its edge, region of interest (ROI), and original pixel coding. Random forest (RF) models were optimized using the sparrow search algorithm (SSA), which is incapable of escaping the local optimum; hence, it was optimized using a modified reverse sparrow search algorithm (JYSSA) strategy. This reverse strategy selects the top 10% as the elite group, allowing us to escape from local optima while simultaneously expanding the range of the sparrow search algorithm's optimal solution. Finally, the JYSSA-RF algorithm was applied to the validation set, with 96% classification accuracy, 100% precision, and a 93% recall rate. This study provides novel ideas for future nondestructive detection of seeds and moldy seed selection by combining hyperspectral imaging and JYSSA algorithms based on optimized RF.