Dietary replacement of inorganic trace minerals with lower levels of organic trace minerals leads to enhanced antioxidant capacity, nutrient digestibility, and reduced fecal mineral excretion in growing-finishing pigs

Source of dietary iron and zinc affects meat quality by altering muscular fatty acid profile, flavor substances, and metabolomics in finishing pigs

This study evaluated the effects of dietary iron and zinc supplementation from inorganic (CON) and organic sources (ORG) on growth performance, meat quality, fatty acid profile, and metabolome in pigs. Growth performance was unaffected by the treatments, but carcass traits such as loin muscle area, hot carcass weight, and yield in the ORG group were higher than in the CON group. The ORG supplements improved the quality (color, pH, shear force, marbling scores, IMF, IMP, and zinc) of raw meat and sensory traits (odor, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and soup freshness) of cooked meat. Postmortem time significantly affected meat quality such as L*, a*, b*, and pH, as well as interacted with diet to affect pH of the LT. The ORG supplements altered fatty acid composition of pork. The results indicated that organic iron and zinc improved carcass traits, pork quality, and eating acceptability by increasing flavor substances and by altering fatty acid profile and metabolome.

Impact of Low-Dose Amino Acid-Chelated Trace Minerals on Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, and Fecal Excretion in Growing-Finishing Pigs

Our previous study has shown that replacing 100% inorganic trace minerals with 30% amino acid-chelated ones can enhance antioxidant capacity, improve nutrient digestibility, and reduce fecal excretion in growing-finishing pigs without compromising performance. This study aimed to further reduce the amino acid-chelated trace minerals content in pig diets and assess its impact. Seventy-two growing-finishing barrows (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire), with an initial average body weight of 67.04 ± 0.12 kg, were divided into four groups: negative control (NC, no additional trace minerals), high-dose inorganic trace minerals (HITM, 100% inorganic; 75 mg/kg Fe, 10 mg/kg Cu, 65 mg/kg Zn, 25 mg/kg Mn), and two low-dose groups (15 mg/kg Fe, 4 mg/kg Cu, 12.5 mg/kg Zn, 5 mg/kg Mn) receiving either inorganic sulfates (LITM) or amino acid-chelates (LOTM). The trial concluded when the body weight of pigs reached ~130 kg. Results showed that low-dose trace mineral substitution did not adversely affect growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, or nutrient digestibility in growing-finishing pigs (p > 0.05). The LOTM pigs exhibited significantly higher serum glutathione peroxidase, liver total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and CuZn-SOD activities, muscle CuZn-SOD and catalase activities, and lower liver malondialdehyde content compared with LITM (p < 0.05). Muscle CuZn-SOD in LITM was lower than HITM (p < 0.05), but not in LOTM (p > 0.05). LOTM showed significantly higher muscle Fe content and lower muscle Mn content compared with HITM (p < 0.05), yet its muscle Mn level was higher than that of LITM (p < 0.05). Liver Zn content decreased in LITM compared with HITM (p < 0.05), but remained unchanged in LOTM (p > 0.05). Both LITM and LOTM significantly reduced fecal emissions of Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn compared with HITM (p < 0.05), with greater reductions in Cu, Zn, and Mn in LOTM. In conclusion, low-dose substitution of inorganic or organic trace minerals did not negatively affect growth, carcass traits, meat quality, or nutrient digestibility in growing-finishing pigs, while it effectively reduced fecal heavy metal emissions. Organic trace minerals were more effective in enhancing antioxidant activity and trace mineral deposition.

Efficacy of advanced chelate technology-based 7-mineral supplementation in mitigating aflatoxin B1-induced impairments in broiler chicken performance and intestinal health

BACKGROUND

Optimal levels and bioavailability of trace minerals (TM) in the broiler diet are important for improving performance and health status in the presence of dietary toxins.

METHODS

The study examines the effectiveness of advanced chelate technology-based 7-minerals (ACTM) in broilers fed aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-contaminated diets, involving 768 chickens in eight treatments with six replicates, following a completely randomized design. Treatments contained (1) negative control (NC) group receiving a basal diet without AFB1 and containing recommended inorganic TM (ITM) levels (NC + ITM), (2) positive control (PC) group receiving a basal diet with 0.5 mg AFB1/kg and recommended ITM levels (PC + ITM), (3) PC diet + toxin binder (ITM + TB), (4 and 5) PC diet with 50 % and 100 % ACTM instead of ITM (ACTM50 and ACTM100), (6 and 7) PC diet with 12.5 % and 25 % extra ACTM (ITM + ACTM12.5 and ITM + ACTM25), and (8) PC diet with 125 % ITM levels (ITM125).

RESULTS

The results showed that the ACTM100 and ITM + ACTM25 treatments resulted in higher average weight gain and European production efficiency index compared to the PC + ITM treatment, but lower than the NC + ITM treatment. Key indicators of gut health, such as ileal digestibility of crude fat and phosphorus, AMEn value, duodenal villus height to crypt depth ratio, villus surface area, and gene expression of junctional adhesion molecule 2 were significantly improved in the ACTM100, ITM + BT, and NC + ITM groups compared to the PC + ITM group. Additionally, jejunal occludin expression increased in the ACTM100, ITM + ACTM25, ITM + TB treatments, and the jejunal zonula occludens-1 expression increased significantly in the ACTM100 and ITM + ACTM25 groups.

CONCLUSION

The results indicate that completely replacing ITM with ACTM or adding ACTM supplement to ITM diets at 25 % extra commercial levels can improve growth performance, gut health, and nutrient digestibility in the presence of AFB1 challenge. These effects are comparable to diets containing a commercial toxin binder.

The potential of supplementing compound organic trace elements at lower levels in Chinese yellow- feathered broiler diets, part II: Impacts on growth performance, gut health, intestinal microbiota, and fecal mineral excretion

This study aimed to investigate the effects of reducing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) by supplementing compound organic trace minerals (OTM) chelates on growth performance, fecal mineral excretion, intestinal health, and cecal microbiota of yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 960 one day old male broilers were randomly assigned to 6 treatments, among which birds were fed with the basal diets (negative control, NC), or supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg (positive control, PC), 300, and 500 mg/kg ITM or OTM, respectively. Dietary supplementation of OTM significantly increased the average daily gain (ADG) during 22-53 d and 1-53 d, and reduced the fecal emissions of Fe, Cu, Zn, and Mn of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the OTM300 group significantly reduced the crypt depth in the duodenum, and increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (V/C) in the duodenum and jejunum (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of TGF-β, Bcl-2, CAT, and GPX4 as well as tight junction proteins (occludin, ZO-1, claudin-1, and claudin-5) in jejunum mucosa were significantly increased by compound OTM when comparing with ITM300 group (P < 0.05). Moreover, dietary compound OTM significantly changed the Chao1 index and β diversity index of cecal microbiota of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers. The abundances of Firmicutes (phylum), Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (family) and Oscillibacter (genus) were increased, while the abundances of Bacteroidetes (phylum) and Rikenellaceae RC9 group (genus) were decreased by OTM treatment. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the mRNA of occludin and jejunal V/C ratio were positively correlated with the abundance of Firmicutes (phylum), but negatively correlated with the abundance of Bacteroidota (phylum). In addition, the abundance of Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group (family) was positively correlated with the mRNA of claudin-1, Bcl-2, and TGF-β. PICRUST prediction of microbial function revealed that OTM treatment enriched the pathways related to amino acid metabolism and DNA replication. In conclusion, dietary supplementation at lower levels of compound OTM to replace ITM could improve growth performance and intestinal health, and reduce the fecal excretion of trace elements by modulation of cecal microbiota community and diversity in Chinese yellow-feathered broilers.

Technologies and practices to improve feed and nutrient utilization by pigs

This review aims to summarize the current practices producers can use to improve feed and nutrient utilization with a focus on providing critical information for use within future life cycle assessments of the swine industry. Nutrient utilization by pigs can be improved by closely meeting the nutrient requirements for maintenance, growth, and reproduction, which reduces nutrient excretion. For example, N excretion can be reduced by 8% and 3.7% for every percentage unit reduction in crude protein for growing pigs and lactating sows, respectively. Similarly, reducing excess trace minerals or replacing inorganic Cu, Zn, and Mn with lower additions of organic sources can reduce excretion by 28% to 42%, 38% to 53%, and 12% to 20%, respectively. Adoption of precision feeding strategies can lower N and P excretion by at least 11%. Ingredient selection and use of feed additives that enhance nutrient digestibility are also an important component in improving feed efficiency and nutrient utilization. The use of exogenous carbohydrase and protease can improve feed efficiency by 1.8%, while phytase can enhance P digestibility by 30% to 50%. At the feed mill, feed efficiency can be improved by 1% for every 100-µm reduction in particle size and by 8% with pelleting. At the farm, management practices such as reducing overfeeding of developing gilts and sows, increasing meal frequency, and minimizing feed wastage can also improve feed utilization. For example, feed wastage is estimated to represent 5% to 6% of total feed disappearance, and feeder type can reduce this by 1% to 10%. Lastly, non-nutritional strategies to improve feed efficiency should be considered, including genetic selection, managing thermal environment, and improving herd health. Current genetic selection results in a reduction in greenhouse gas production by 0.5% to 1.5% per year. Likewise, compared to healthy pigs, disease-challenged pigs have 6.3%, 7.9%, 7.4%, 5.8%, and 5.8% greater climate change potential, soil and water acidification potential, eutrophication potential, cumulative energy demand, and land application requirements, respectively. Currently, the swine industry primarily focuses on feed and management practices that optimize growth and minimize production costs. The challenge to future swine production will be to find emerging technologies that further reduce environmental impacts while still optimizing performance and production costs.

The potential of supplementing compound organic trace elements at lower levels in Chinese yellow-feathered broiler diets, Part I: Impacts on plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, carcass traits, meat quality, and tissue mineral deposition

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of replacing inorganic trace minerals (ITM) with compound organic trace minerals (OTM) at lower levels on plasma biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, carcass traits, meat quality, and tissue mineral deposition in Chinese yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 960 one-day-old male broilers were randomly allocated to six treatment groups. The birds were fed with either the basal diets (negative control, NC), or diets supplemented with 1,000 mg/kg (positive control, PC), 300 mg/kg, and 500 mg/kg ITM or OTM for 53 d, respectively. The results showed that the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of the OTM300 group was significantly higher than that of the NC, PC, and ITM300 groups (P < 0.05). Dietary OTM supplementation could significantly increase the serum concentrations of Fe and Cu, promote the deposition of Zn and Cu in breast muscle, and increase Zn content in the tibia of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary OTM300 treatment could significantly increase plasma CAT and CuZn-SOD activities, as well as the CAT activity in the liver (P < 0.05). The liver GSH-Px activity of the OTM500 group were significantly higher than the other groups (P < 0.05). Moreover, the supplementation of dietary OTM could significantly increase the pH45min of breast muscle, as well as decrease drip loss24h and drip loss48h of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, pH45min was positively correlated with liver T-AOC activity and the concentrations of Zn, Fe, Cu, and Mn in breast muscle, while drip loss48h was negatively correlated with liver T-AOC activity, plasma CAT and CuZn-SOD, as well as the concentration of Cu and Zn in breast muscle. Trace mineral sources or levels had no significant effect on the carcass traits of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers (P > 0.05). Compared with the ITM groups, OTM300 significantly increased the heart index of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers (P < 0.05). Dietary OTM upregulated the mRNA expression of TGF-β and downregulated the mRNA expression of IL-1β in the spleen (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with compound OTM at lower levels could promote the deposition of trace minerals in serum and tissues, enhance antioxidant capacity, and improve the meat quality of Chinese yellow-feathered broilers.

Effects of organic trace minerals chelated with oligosaccharides on growth performance, blood parameters, slaughter performance and meat quality in sheep

The present study assessed the effects of oligosaccharide-chelated organic trace minerals (OTM) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, blood parameters, slaughter performance, and meat quality indexes of mutton sheep. A total of 60 East Ujumuqin × small-tailed Han crossbred mutton sheep were assigned to two groups (10 duplicates per group) by body weight (26.12 ± 3.22 kg) according to a completely randomized design. Compared to the CON group, the results of the OTM group showed: (1) no significant changes in the initial body weight, final body weight, dry matter intake, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio (p > 0.05); (2) the activities of trypsin, lipase, and amylase in the jejunum were significantly increased (p < 0.05); (3) serum total protein, albumin, and globulin of the blood were significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the growth factor interleukin IL-10 was significantly higher (p < 0.05), while IL-2, IL-6, and γ-interferon were significantly lower (p < 0.05). Immunoglobulins A, M, and G were significantly higher (p < 0.05); (4) the live weight before slaughter, carcass weights, dressing percentage, eye muscle areas, and GR values did not differ significantly (p > 0.05); (5) shear force of mutton was significantly lower (p < 0.05), while the pH45min, pH24h, drip loss, and cooking loss did not show a significant difference (p > 0.05). The content of crude protein was significantly higher (p < 0.05), while the ether extract content was significantly reduced (p < 0.05), but no significant difference was detected between moisture and ash content; (6) the total amino acids, essential amino acids, semi-essential amino acids, and umami amino acids were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Although umami amino acids were not significant, the total volume increased (p > 0.05). Among these, the essential amino acids, threonine, valine, leucine, lysine in essential amino acids and arginine were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Also, non-essential amino acids, glycine, serine, proline, tyrosine, cysteine, and aspartic acid, were significantly higher (p < 0.05). The content of alanine, aspartate, glutamic acid, phenylalanine, and tyrosine in umami amino acids was significantly higher (p < 0.05).