Relationship between true digestibility of dietary phosphorus and gastrointestinal bacteria of goats

Evaluating the nutritional impact of co-expressed phytase genes from Escherichia coli and Aspergillus niger in Pichia pastoris on broiler chickens

Two phytase genes originating from Escherichia coli (6-phytase) and Aspergillus niger (3-phytase) (appA and phyA) were co-expressed in Pichia pastoris as the expression host. In vivo and in vitro tests were employed to assess the biological properties of the recombinant phytase. The recombinant protein had a phytase activity equal to 160.97 U/ml and was tested in the feed of 180 broilers to measure Crude Protein, Dry Matter, Fat, Phosphorus, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc and p-phytate digestibility. The experimental chickens were subjected to six dietary treatments in six replicates (5 birds per replicate). The treatments included one control group (basal diet), and three feed treatments with 500, 1000, and 1500 FTU phyA + appA. The basal diet contained 500 FTU/kg Hostazym® P, and the basal diet contained native Pichia pastoris. Total tract apparent disappearance of phytate-P and nutrient retention were assessed at 19-21 days of age. Broilers fed with phytases had greater retention of P, Ca, Mg, Fe and p-phytate, and the digestibility of CP and DM (P < 0.05) was greater than the control group. Fat digestibility and Zn retention were not significantly different. As a result, the recombinant phytase used in this study could be used as a feed supplement in poultry farming to enhance mineral digestibility.

Gut Microbiota of Ruminants and Monogastric Livestock: An Overview

The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota are widely recognized as fundamental factors influencing the well-being and productivity of domestic animals. Advancements in sequencing technologies have revolutionized studies in this research field, allowing for deeper insights into the composition and functionality of microbiota in livestock. Ruminants and monogastric animals exhibit distinct digestive systems and microbiota characteristics: ruminants rely on fermentation, while monogastrics use enzymatic digestion, and monogastric animals have simpler stomach structures, except for horses and rabbits, where both processes coexist. Understanding the gut microbiota's impact and composition in both animal types is essential for optimizing production efficiency and promoting animal health. Following this perspective, the present manuscript review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the gut microbiota in ruminants (such as cattle, sheep, and goats) and monogastric animals (including horses, pigs, rabbits, and chickens).

Oregano essential oil modulates colonic homeostasis and intestinal barrier function in fattening bulls

Oregano essential oil (OEO) primarily contains phenolic compounds and can serve as a dietary supplement for fattening bulls. However, the precise molecular mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains largely elusive. Therefore, this study investigated the impact of adding OEO to diet on the integrity of the intestinal barrier, composition of the colonic microbiome, and production of microbial metabolites in fattening bulls. Our goal was to provide insights into the utilization of plant essential oil products in promoting gastrointestinal health and welfare in animals. We employed amplicon sequencing and metabolome sequencing techniques to investigate how dietary supplementation with OEO impacted the intestinal barrier function in bulls. The inclusion of OEO in the diet resulted in several notable effects on the colon of fattening bulls. These effects included an increase in the muscle thickness of the colon, goblet cell number, short-chain fatty acid concentrations, digestive enzyme activity, relative mRNA expression of intestinal barrier-related genes, and relative expression of the anti-inflammatory factor IL-10. Additionally, α-amylase activity and the relative mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines decreased. Moreover, dietary OEO supplementation increased the abundance of intestinal Bacteroides, Coprobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_UCG_001, and Faecalitalea. Metabolomic analysis indicated that OEO primarily increased the levels of 5-aminovaleric acid, 3-methoxysalicylic acid, and creatinine. In contrast, the levels of maltose, lactulose, lactose, and D-trehalose decreased. Correlation analysis showed that altered colonic microbes and metabolites affected intestinal barrier function. Taken together, these results demonstrate that OEO facilitates internal intestinal environmental homeostasis by promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria while inhibiting harmful ones.

Comparison of growth performance and rumen metabolic pathways in sheep and goats under the same feeding pattern

Diet and species are important factors affecting the rumen microbiota, with roughage stimulating rumen development and concentrate feeds being broken down by the decomposition of Ruminal flora to provide the organism with a large amount of energy. This study aimed to explore the effects of host and dietary factors on rumen flora composition and diversity, as well as on host metabolism. The study reports the research conducted on 5-month-old male Small-tail Han sheep and 5-month-old male Boer goat, each with an average weight of 33.87 ± 1.70 kg. Five animals of each species were divided into two groups, namely, the S group (Small-tail Han sheep) and the B group (Boer goat). The experiment was carried out in two various periods, namely, X and Y for groups S and B, respectively. The rations were fed with concentrate-to-roughage ratios of 3:7 and 5:5, respectively. Growth performance was measured by the weight increase index. The results showed that, under the same raising conditions, the ratio between body weight increases and the amount of feed was lower in the S group than in the B group, but the differences were not significant. According to the analysis of the apparent digestibility ratio of nutrition ingredients, the XS group had a significantly higher apparent digestibility ratio for acid detergent fiber than the XB group (p < 0.05). Even though the analysis of rumen fermentation parameters showed that the rumen pH has no significant differences between the XS and XB groups, it was significantly lower in the YS group than in the YB group. The XS group contained a significantly lower content of total volatile fatty acids than the XB group (p < 0.05). Analysis of the 16S rDNA sequencing results revealed that, compared to the B group, the S group was highly enriched with the following bacteria: Proteobacteria, γ-proteobacteria, Aeromonadales, and Succinivibrionaceae. Thus, the host species affected the abundance and diversity of rumen bacteria. Feed utilization efficiency of Small-tail Han sheep was higher than Boer goats, which might be specifically associated with Succinivibrionaceae. The results from this study show that animals belonging to the same family but different genera and species can differ in metabolic pathways even when they are provided with the same animal feed.

Gut Microbiome Studies in Livestock: Achievements, Challenges, and Perspectives

The variety and makeup of the gut microbiome are frequently regarded as the primary determinants of health and production performances in domestic animals. High-throughput DNA/RNA sequencing techniques (NGS) have recently gained popularity and permitted previously unheard-of advancements in the study of gut microbiota, particularly for determining the taxonomic composition of such complex communities. Here, we summarize the existing body of knowledge on livestock gut microbiome, discuss the state-of-the-art in sequencing techniques, and offer predictions for next research. We found that the enormous volumes of available data are biased toward a small number of globally distributed and carefully chosen varieties, while local breeds (or populations) are frequently overlooked despite their demonstrated resistance to harsh environmental circumstances. Furthermore, the bulk of this research has mostly focused on bacteria, whereas other microbial components such as protists, fungi, and viruses have received far less attention. The majority of these data were gathered utilizing traditional metabarcoding techniques that taxonomically identify the gut microbiota by analyzing small portions of their genome (less than 1000 base pairs). However, to extend the coverage of microbial genomes for a more precise and thorough characterization of microbial communities, a variety of increasingly practical and economical shotgun techniques are currently available.

Ruminal and post-ruminal phytate degradation of diets containing rapeseed meal or soybean meal

This study aimed to investigate ruminal and post-ruminal degradation of phytic acid (InsP₆) in diets containing either rapeseed meal (RSM) or soybean meal (SBM). In Experiment 1, the effective degradability of crude protein (CPED) and InsP₆ (InsP₆ED) was evaluated by incubating RSM and SBM in situ in three rumen-fistulated lactating Jersey cows for 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 24, 48 and 72 h, and calculating effective degradability at rumen passage rates of 2% and 5%/h. In Experiment 2, eight wethers were assigned for 8 weeks to two dietary treatments (Diet RSM and Diet SBM) containing 150 g of either meal and 100 g of maize silage per feeding time and had free access to hay and water. Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) was added to the diets for the last 5 days of the study. The wethers were then stunned, exsanguinated and digesta from the reticulo-rumen, omasum, abomasum, jejunum, colon, and rectum were sampled. In Experiment 1, the InsP₆ED of RSM (InsP₆ED₂: 83%; InsP₆ED₅: 64%) decreased almost identically to that of CPED with increasing passage rate (CPED₂: 78%; CPED₅: 63%) and was significantly lower than that of SBM (InsP₆ED₂: 93%; InsP₆ED₅: 85%). In Experiment 2, ruminal InsP₆ disappearance was significantly higher in wethers fed Diet SBM (89%) than in those fed Diet RSM (76%). Total post-ruminal InsP₆ degradation was 6% for Diet RSM and 4% for Diet SBM (p = 0.186). The total tract InsP₆ disappearance was higher in Diet SBM (93%) than in Diet RSM (82%). Considering higher InsP₆ contents in RSM, Diet RSM resulted in significantly higher amounts of ruminally (Diet RSM: 4.5 g/d; Diet SBM: 3.4 g/d) and total tract (Diet RSM: 4.9 g/d; Diet SBM: 3.5 g/d) degraded InsP₆. InsP₅ was quantified in most of the digesta samples after feeding Diet RSM but was not detectable in the majority of digesta samples for Diet SBM. Concentrations of myo-inositol (MI) tended to be higher (p = 0.060) in the blood plasma of wethers fed Diet RSM. The consistency between ruminal InsP₆ disappearance in wethers and in situ calculated InsP₆ED₂, along with the very low extent of post-ruminal InsP₆ degradation, suggests that at a low rumen passage rate, InsP₆-P from the feed becoming available to ruminants is almost entirely from InsP₆ degradation in the rumen.

Mineral Phosphorus Supply in Piglets Impacts the Microbial Composition and Phytate Utilization in the Large Intestine

A sufficient supply of phosphorus (P) to pigs in livestock farming is based on the optimal use of plant-based phytate and mineral P supplements to ensure proper growth processes and bone stability. However, a high P supplementation might bear the risk of higher environmental burden due to the occurrence of excess P and phytate degradation products in manure. In this context, the intestinal microbiota is of central importance to increase P solubility, to employ non-mineral P by the enzymatic degradation of phytate, and to metabolize residual P. A feeding experiment was conducted in which piglets were fed diets with different P levels, resulting in three groups with low, medium (covering requirements), and high concentrations of available P. Samples from caecum and colon digesta were analysed for microbial composition and phytate breakdown to estimate the microbial contribution to metabolize P sources. In terms of identified operational taxonomic units (OTU), caecum and colon digesta under the three feeding schemes mainly overlap in their core microbiome. Nevertheless, different microbial families correlate with increased dietary P supply. Specifically, microbes of Desulfovibrionaceae, Pasteurellaceae, Anaerovoracaceae, and Methanobacteriaceae were found significantly differentially abundant in the large intestine across the dietary treatments. Moreover, members of the families Veillonellaceae, Selenomonadaceae, and Succinivibrionaceae might contribute to the observed phytate degradation in animals fed a low P diet. In this sense, the targeted manipulation of the intestinal microbiota by feeding measures offers possibilities for the optimization of intestinal phytate and P utilization.