• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.155-161
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• 2022

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) is known as an important biomarker for fetal abnormality during first trimester and has a pivotal role in follicle development and corpus luteum formation. And also, it is being revealed that an expression of PAPP-A in various cells and tissues such as cancer and lesion area. PAPP-A is the major IGF binding protein-4 (IGFBP-4) protease. Cleavage of IGFBP-4 results in loss of binding affinity for IGF, causing increased IGF bioavailability for proliferation, survival, and migration. Additionally, PAPP-A can be used as a promising therapeutic target for healthy longevity. Despite growing interest, almost nothing is known about how PAPP-A expression is regulated in any tissue. This review will focus on what is currently known about the zinc metalloproteinase, PAPP-A, and its role in cells and tissues. PAPP-A is expressed in proliferating cells such as fetus in uterus, granulosa cells in follicle, dermis in wound, cancer cells, and Sertoli cells in testis. They have common characteristics of proliferation faster than normal cells with stimulating IGFs action and inhibiting IGFBPs. The PAPP-A functions and expression studies in livestock have not yet been conducted much. Further studies are needed to use PAPP-A as a marker for healthy longevity in animal science.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.479-489
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• 2023

Livestock production depends on the utilization of nutrients, and when this is accomplished, there is accelerated momentum toward growth with a low cost-to-feed ratio. Public concern over the consumption of pork with antibiotic residues in animals fed antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) has paved the way for using other natural additives to antibiotics, such as herbs and their products, probiotics, prebiotics, etc. Numerous feed additives are trending to achieve this goal, and a classic example is vitamins and minerals. Vitamins and minerals represent a relatively small percentage of the diet, but they are critical to animal health, well-being, and performance; both play a well-defined role in metabolism, and their requirements can vary depending on the physiological stage of the animals. At the same time, the absence of these vitamins and minerals in animal feed can impair the growth and development of muscles and bones. Most commercial feeds contain vitamins and trace minerals that meet nutrient requirements recommended by National Research Council and animal feeding standards. However, the potential variability and bioavailability of vitamins and trace elements in animal feeds remain controversial because daily feed intake varies, and vitamins are degraded by transportation, storage, and processing. Accordingly, the requirement for vitamins and minerals may need to be adjusted to reflect increased production levels, yet the information presented on this topic is still limited. Therefore, this review focuses on the role and function of different sources of minerals, the mode of action, the general need for micro and macro minerals in non-ruminant diets, and how they improve animal performance.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.533-550
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• 2024

Peptides with bioactive effects are being researched for various purposes. However, there is a lack of overall research on pork-derived peptides. In this study, we reviewed the process of obtaining bioactive peptides, available analytical methods, and the study of bioactive peptides derived from pork. Pepsin and trypsin, two representative protein digestive enzymes in the body, are hydrolyzed by other cofactors to produce peptides. Bicinchoninic acid assay, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, chromatography, and in vitro digestion simulation systems are utilized to analyze bioactive peptides for protein digestibility and molecular weight distribution. Pork-derived peptides mainly exhibit antioxidant and antihypertensive activities. The antioxidant activity of bioactive peptides increases the accessibility of amino acid residues by disrupting the three-dimensional structure of proteins, affecting free radical scavenging, reactive oxygen species inactivation, and metal ion chelating. In addition, the antihypertensive activity decreases angiotensin II production by inhibiting angiotensin converting enzyme and suppresses blood pressure by blocking the AT1 receptor. Pork-derived bioactive peptides, primarily obtained using papain and pepsin, exhibit significant antioxidant and antihypertensive activities, with most having low molecular weights below 1 kDa. This study may aid in the future development of bioactive peptides and serve as a valuable reference for pork-derived peptides.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.57-63
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• 2017

Objective: Two experiments were conducted to determine the effects of adding exogenous phytase and xylanase, individually or in combination, as well as pelleting on nutrient digestibility, available energy content of wheat and the performance of growing pigs fed wheat-based diets. Methods: In Experiment 1, forty-eight barrows with an initial body weight of $35.9{\pm}0.6kg$ were randomly assigned to a $2{\times}4$ factorial experiment with the main effects being feed form (pellet vs meal) and enzyme supplementation (none, 10,000 U/kg phytase, 4,000 U/kg xylanase or 10,000 U/kg phytase plus 4,000 U/kg xylanase). The basal diet contained 97.8% wheat. Pigs were placed in metabolic cages for a 7-d adaptation period followed by a 5-d total collection of feces and urine. Nutrient digestibility and available energy content were determined. Experiment 2 was conducted to evaluate the effects of pelleting and enzymes on performance of wheat for growing pigs. In this experiment, 180 growing pigs ($35.2{\pm}9.0kg\;BW$) were allocated to 1 of 6 treatments according to a $2{\times}3$ factorial treatment arrangement with the main effects being feed form (meal vs pellet) and enzyme supplementation (0, 2,500 or 5,000 U/kg xylanase). Results: In Experiment 1, there were no interactions between feed form and enzyme supplementation. Pelleting reduced the digestibility of acid detergent fiber (ADF) by 6.4 percentage units (p<0.01), increased the digestibility of energy by 0.6 percentage units (p<0.05), and tended to improve the digestibility of crude protein by 0.5 percentage units (p = 0.07) compared with diets in mash form. The addition of phytase improved the digestibility of phosphorus (p<0.01) and calcium (p<0.01) by 6.9 and 7.6 percentage units respectively compared with control group. Adding xylanase tended to increase the digestibility of crude protein by 1.0 percentage units (p = 0.09) and increased the digestibility of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) (p<0.01) compared with control group. Supplementation of the xylanase-phytase combination improved the digestibility of phosphorus (p<0.01) but impaired NDF digestibility (p<0.05) compared with adding xylanase alone. In Experiment 2, adding xylanase increased average daily gain (p<0.01) and linearly improved the feed:gain ratio (p<0.01) compared with control group. Conclusion: Pelleting improved energy digestibility but decreased ADF digestibility. Adding xylanase increased crude protein digestibility and pig performance. Phytase increased the apparent total tract digestibility of phosphorus and calcium. The combination of phytase-xylanase supplementation impaired the effects of xylanase on NDF digestibility.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.61 no.1
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• pp.1-9
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• 2019

Little is known about the effects of the plane of nutrition on growth performance and meat quality of grow-finish pigs under commercial production conditions. The present study was thus addressed to this virtually unanswered question. One hundred and two barrows and 102 gilts weighing approximately 24 kg were fed phase I and II grower diets with a high, medium, or low plane of nutrition (HP, MP, or LP) to approximately 43 and 70 kg, respectively, in 6 replicates (pens). Subsequently, the HP and MP groups were fed the HP and MP1 finisher diets, respectively, the LP group being fed a second MP (MP2) finisher diet (LP1 group). Moreover, 68 LP-grower-fed barrows and gilts were added to the feeding trial and fed the MP1 and LP finisher diets to approximately 95 kg and thereafter, respectively (LP2 group). All MP diets had the lysine:calorie ratios comparable to the RNC recommendations, with < 18% differences between those of the HP and LP diets. The finisher pigs were reared in 16 pens and slaughtered at approximately 115 kg. The gain:feed ratio, but not average daily gain (ADG), was greater for the HP group than for the MP and LP during the grower phase I whereas during the grower phase II, ADG was greater (p < 0.05) for the HP and LP groups vs. MP. During the finisher phase I, ADG was less for the LP (LP1 + LP2) group vs. HP and MP, with no difference between the HP and MP groups; the gain:feed ratio was less for the LP vs. MP group. Backfat thickness was greater for the LP vs. HP group. The water holding capacity of fresh longissimus dorsi muscle (LM) and the sensory juiciness score for cooked LM were greatest for the LP group, the sensory flavor and tenderness scores being greater for the LP group vs. MP. In conclusion, results suggest that compensatory growth occurred for the LP and MP groups during the grower phase II and finisher phase I, respectively, with fat deposition increased for the LP group and that meat quality could be improved by the use of LP.

• Journal of Korean Philosophical Society
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• v.143
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• pp.87-118
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• 2017

In this paper, I will show several theoretical nonconformities which can be found in P. Singer's concept of human beings. As we know, P. Singer is a well-known animal liberalist. On the one hand, Singer regards man as a subordinate being to nature and on the other, as a transcendent being. This is the first inconsistency of Singer's concept of man. His second inconsistency is related to his position on the power of reason. He believes that it is the product of evolution, and at the same time that it is a power to resist the blindness of evolution. Thirdly, he also exposes the contradictory attitude in evaluation on man's moral ability. Considering these three contradictions, it becomes clear that Singer has failed to prove his claim that there is no qualitative difference between human beings and animals. Despite the popularity of his theory, I believe the theoretical foundation of Singer's animal liberation theory is rather weak. The reason for revealing the weakness of Singer's theory is not to return to the practice of mercilessly handling animals but to show that it is wrong to undermine human dignity under the guise of animal welfare.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.10
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• pp.1365-1371
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• 2011

The intensity and duration of sexual behavior in Bos indicus was assessed through the continuous observation of sexual receptivity. Two groups of cows were formed: only synchronized (n = 50) and other group further superovulated (n = 20). An intravaginal implant that released progesterone over 9 d was used. After removing the implant, 25 mg of $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ was administered. In the superovulated group, the administration of 280 mg (Follicle stimulant hormone) FSH-P1 per cow with a decreasing dosage over 4 d was utilized. In both groups, behavioral observations began at the moment of implant removal. Sexual behavior was analyzed using a Kruskal-Wallis test to compare the mean of hours in estrus, effective mountings and number of mounts/hour during estrus. A nonparametric survival analysis was performed using the time in two ways: i) when an event happened it was placed in a 24 h timeframe and, ii) the time of observation in continuous form (96 h) assessing the difference between curves by the log rank test Chi-square. The only significant difference was the number of mounts/h during receptivity (p<0.05). In the superovulated group three periods of sexual activity during the day were identified, with these events being of greater frequency and duration than the synchronized group (p = 0.02); besides, the superovulated group began estrus before the synchronized group (p = 0.0035) when using the total period. In a simulation study, when the number of observations went from two (06:00-18:00) to three periods (06:00, 12:00 and 18:00) cows detected accurately (<6 h after the onset) increased more than 20%. The results show that superovulated cows presented greater intensity and duration of sexual activity in contrast with only synchronized animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.12
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• pp.2039-2049
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• 2020

Objective: This study was conducted to provide models to accurately predict nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) excretion of dairy cows on smallholder farms in Indonesia based on readily available farm data. Methods: The generic model in this study is based on the principles of the Lucas equation, describing the relation between dry matter intake (DMI) and faecal N excretion to predict the quantity of faecal N (Q_FN). Excretion of urinary N and faecal P were calculated based on National Research Council recommendations for dairy cows. A farm survey was conducted to collect input parameters for the models. The data set was used to calibrate the model to predict Q_FN for the specific case. The model was validated by comparing the predicted quantity of faecal N with the actual quantity of faecal N (Q_FNACT) based on measurements, and the calibrated model was compared to the Lucas equation. The models were used to predict N and P excretion of all 144 dairy cows in the data set. Results: Our estimate of true N digestibility equalled the standard value of 92% in the original Lucas equation, whereas our estimate of metabolic faecal N was -0.60 g/100 g DMI, with the standard value being -0.61 g/100 g DMI. Results of the model validation showed that the R² was 0.63, the MAE was 15 g/animal/d (17% from Q_FNACT), and the RMSE was 20 g/animal/d (22% from Q_FNACT). We predicted that the total N excretion of dairy cows in Indonesia was on average 197 g/animal/d, whereas P excretion was on average 56 g/animal/d. Conclusion: The proposed models can be used with reasonable accuracy to predict N and P excretion of dairy cattle on smallholder farms in Indonesia, which can contribute to improving manure management and reduce environmental issues related to nutrient losses.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1507-1519
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• 2020

Objective: The current research was aimed to profile the transcriptomic picture of the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) associated with immunity in Chinese Holsteins supplemented orally with coated folic acid during the periparturient period. Methods: The total of 123 perinatal cows were selected for this study and divided into three groups; group A (n = 41, 240 mg/500 kg cow/d), group B (n = 40, 120 mg/500 kg cow/d) and group C (n = 42, 0 mg/cow/d) based on the quantity of folic acid fed. Three samples of PBLs were selected from each folic acid treated group (high, low, and control) and RNA sequencing method was carried out for transcriptomic analysis. Results: The analysis revealed that a higher number of genes and pathways were regulated in response to high and low folic acid supplementation compared to the controls. We reported the novel pathways tumor necrosis factor (TNF) signaling, antigen processing and presentation, Staphylococcus aureus infection and nuclear factor (NF)-kappa B signaling pathways) and the key genes (e.g. C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 10, TNF receptor superfamily member 1A, cluster difference 4, major histocompatibility complex, class II, DQ beta, NF-kappa-B inhibitor alpha, and TNF superfamily 13) having great importance in immunity and anti-inflammation in the periparturient cows in response to coated folic acid treatment. Conclusion: Collectively, our study profiled first-time transcriptomic analysis of bovine lymphocytes and compared the involved cytokines, genes, and pathways between high vs control and low vs control. Our data suggest that the low folic acid supplementation (120 mg/500 kg) could be a good choice to boost appropriate immunity and anti-inflammation as well as might being applied to the health improvement of perinatal dairy cows.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.10 no.11
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• pp.185-194
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• 2020

The emergence of post-human beings in the 4th Industrial Revolution era led to an epistemological shift in the need for reflection on new relationships with non-human beings, away from human-centered modern humanism. For this reflection, post-human sensibility to empathize and understand the surrounding world is required. In order to cultivate this sensibility, we analyzed the case of art works that can think about and experience the post-human era based on the criteria of 'animal-becoming', 'earth-becoming', and 'machine-being' presented by post-humanist researcher Bridotti. Since the work of art reflects the spirit of the era, we confirmed the positive aspect of the text that can reflect and experience the post-human era. This study is meaningful as a basic study by presenting art works that can be used in art education to improve post-human sensitivity.