High-fat, high-sucrose, and combined high-fat/high-sucrose diets effects in oxidative stress and inflammation in male rats under presence or absence of obesity

The study examines the influence of three types of hypercaloric diets on metabolic parameters, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress in experimental model. Male Wistar rats (n = 40) were randomized in control (C), high-sucrose (HS), high-fat (HF), and high-fat with sucrose (HFHS) for 20 weeks. Nutritional, metabolic, hormonal, and biochemical profiles, as well as histological analysis of adipose and hepatic tissues were performed. Inflammation and oxidative stress were determined. HF model caused obesity and comorbidities as glucose intolerance and arterial hypertension. In relation to hormonal and biochemical parameters, there was no significant difference between the groups. All groups showed increased deposition of fat droplets in the hepatic tissue, even though adipocyte areas were similar. Biomarkers of oxidative stress in serum and adipose tissues were similar among the groups. HF model was effective in triggering associated obesity and comorbidities in male rats, but all hypercaloric diets were unable to promote oxidative stress and inflammation.

Assessment of cecal microbiota modulation from piglet dietary supplementation with copper

BACKGROUND

Swine production expanded in the last decades. Efforts have been made to improve meat production and to understand its relationship to pig gut microbiota. Copper (Cu) is a usual supplement to growth performance in animal production. Here, two performance studies were conducted to investigate the effects of three different sources of Cu on the microbiota of piglets. A total of 256 weaned piglets were randomly allocated into 4 treatments (10 replicates per treatment of 4 piglets per pen in Trial 1 and 8 replicates of 3 piglets per pen in Trial 2). Treatments included a control group (fed 10 mg/kg of Cu from CuSO₄), a group fed at 160 mg/kg of Copper (II) sulfate (CuSO₄) or tri-basic copper chloride (TBCC), and a group fed with Cu methionine hydroxy analogue chelated (Cu-MHAC) at 150, 80, and 50 mg/kg in Phases 1 (24-35 d), 2 (36-49 d), and 3 (50-70 d), respectively. At 70 d, the cecum luminal contents from one pig per pen were collected and polled for 16 S rRNA sequencing (V3/V4 regions). Parameters were analyzed in a completely randomized block design, in which each experiment was considered as a block.

RESULTS

A total of 1337 Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) were identified. Dominance and Simpson ecological metrics were statistically different between control and treated groups (P < 0.10) showing that different Cu sources altered the gut microbiota composition with the proliferation of some bacteria that improve gut health. A high abundance of Prevotella was observed in all treatments while other genera were enriched and differentially modulated, according to the Cu source and dosage. The supplementation with Cu-MHAC can modify a group of bacteria involved in feed efficiency (FE) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) production (Clostridium XIVa, Desulfovibrio, and Megasphera). These bacteria are also important players in the activation of ghrelin and growth hormones that were previously reported to correlate with Cu-MHAC supplementation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicated that some genera seem to be directly affected by the Cu source offered to the animals. TBCC and Cu-MHAC (even in low doses) can promote healthy modifications in the gut bacterial composition, being a promising source of supplementation for piglets.

Comparison of functional-oil blend and anticoccidial antibiotics effects on performance and microbiota of broiler chickens challenged by coccidiosis

This study aimed to compare the effects of different levels of cashew nutshell liquid (CNSL) and castor oil (CNSL-castor oil) with growth-promoting antibiotics associated with anticoccidials in broiler chickens challenged with coccidiosis. In this work, 2520 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb) were randomly assigned to 84 pens, containing 30 birds each. The experimental design was completely randomized, with seven treatments: enramycin (8 ppm), virginiamycin (16.5 ppm), and tylosin (55 ppm); different doses of CNSL-castor oil (0.5, 0.75, and 1.00 kg/t); and a control diet (without additives). All treatments received semduramicin + nicarbazin (500 g/t; Aviax® Plus) from 0 to 28 d and monensin sodium (100 ppm; Elanco) from 29 to 35 days of age, when the feed was without antibiotics. The challenge was introduced at 14 days of age by inoculating broiler chickens with sporulated Eimeria tenella, Eimeria acervulina, and Eimeria maxima oocysts via oral gavage. In addition to performance parameters, intestinal contents were collected at 28 and 42 days of age for microbiota analysis by sequencing the 16s rRNA in V3 and V4 regions using the Illumina MiSeq platform. Taxonomy was assigned using the SILVA database (v. 138) with QIIME2 software (v. 2020.11). After one week of challenge, the broilers that received tylosin had a higher body weight gain (BWG) than those in the control group (p < 0.05), while the other treatments presented intermediate values. At 28 d, the BWG was lower for the control, CNSL-Castor oil 0.5 kg/t, enramycin, and virginiamycin treatments than that in the tylosin treatment. The inclusion of CNSL-Castor oil at concentrations of 0.75 and 1 kg/t acted as an intermediate treatment (p < 0.05). For alpha diversity, using the Shannon index, it was possible to observe the effect of age, with substantial diversity at 42 d. The Firmicutes phylum had the highest abundance, with values between 84.33% and 95.16% at 42 d. Tylosin showed better performance indices than other treatments. CNSL-castor oil treatments with concentrations of 0.75 and 1 kg/t showed similar results to those of enramycin and virginiamycin. Furthermore, CNSL-castor oil acted as a modulator of intestinal microbiota, reducing the abundance of pathogenic bacteria.

Effect of dietary copper sources on performance, gastric ghrelin-RNA expression, and growth hormone concentrations in serum in piglets

Two performance studies were conducted to investigate the effects of 3 different sources of Cu on production parameters of piglets. A total of 256 piglets weaned at 24 ± 2 d were randomly allocated into 4 treatments with 10 or 8 replicates per treatment of 4 or 3 piglets per pen in Exp. 1 and 2, respectively. The experimental period was divided into 3 feeding phases: Phase 1 (24 to 35 d), Phase 2 (36 to 49 d), and Phase 3 (50 to 70 d). Treatments included a Control group (fed 10 mg/kg of Cu from CuSO4), a group fed 160 mg/kg of either CuSO4 (CuSO4-160) or tri-basic copper chloride (TBCC), and a group fed Cu methionine hydroxy analogue chelated (Cu-MHAC) at 150, 80, and 50 mg/kg in Phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The methionine value of Cu-MHAC was accounted during diet formulation to achieve the same levels of methionine across treatments. Phases 1 and 2 diets contained 2,200 and 1,500 ppm of ZnO, respectively; and antibiotics were used as growth promoters. Performance parameters were analyzed as completely randomized block design, in which each experiment was considered as a block. In trial 2, blood serum and mucosal samples, from the fundic region of the stomach, were collected from 1 piglet per replicate at day 70 and tested for serum growth hormone levels (GH) and ghrelin mRNA expression, respectively. The contrast between Cu-MHAC vs. CuSO4-160 + TBCC showed that piglets fed Cu-MHAC exhibited better feed conversion ratio (FCR) in all feeding phases compared with feeding inorganic Cu (P < 0.05). Overall, feeding Cu-MHAC improved body weight (BW), BW gain, feed intake (FI), and FCR vs. Control diet fed piglets; yet, it improved BW and FCR vs. TBCC fed piglets, and improved BW, BW gain, and FI vs. CuSO4-160 fed piglets (P < 0.05). Feeding TBCC promoted similar performance than feeding CuSO4-160, regardless of age (P > 0.05). Both ghrelin expression and growth hormone serum levels were significantly increased by feeding Cu-MHAC vs. Control diet fed animals (P < 0.01). Feeding CuSO4-160 upregulated ghrelin expression vs. Control (P < 0.01) while GH serum levels and ghrelin expression did no change by feeding TBCC compared with Control diet fed animals (P > 0.05). It was concluded that feeding Cu-MHAC at the levels tested herein can improve growth performance of piglets beyond feeding 160 ppm of either CuSO4 or TBCC, which may be partially explained by the increased expression of ghrelin and GH serum levels.

Differential Effects of High Sugar, High Lard or a Combination of Both on Nutritional, Hormonal and Cardiovascular Metabolic Profiles of Rodents

BACKGROUND

Dietary interventions in rodents can induce an excess of adipose tissue and metabolic disorders that resemble human obesity. Nevertheless, these approaches are not standardized, and the phenotypes may vary distinctly among studies. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different dietary interventions on nutritional, metabolic, biochemical, hormonal, and cardiovascular profiles, as well as to add to development and characterization of an experimental model of obesity.

METHODS

Male Wistar rats were randomized into four groups: control diet (C), high-sugar (HS), high-fat (HF), or high-sugar and high-fat (HFHS). Weekly measurements of body weight, adiposity, area under the curve (AUC) for glucose, blood pressure (BP) and serum triglycerides, total cholesterol level, and leptin were performed.

RESULTS

HF and HFHS models were led to obesity by increases in adipose tissue deposition and the adiposity index. All hypercaloric diets presented systolic BP increases. In addition, the AUC for glucose was greater in HF and HFHS than in C, and only the HF group presented hyperleptinemia.

CONCLUSIONS

HF and HFHS diet approaches promote obesity and comorbidities, and thus represent a useful tool for studying human obesity-related disorders. By contrast, the HS model did not prove to be a good model of obesity.