• Proceedings of the Ginseng society Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.41-63
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• 2005

Ginseng has been useful for the treatment of diverse disease in oriental countries for thousands of years. In addition, a folk medicine prescribed by seven herbal drugs including Panax ginseng has been antinarcotics in the treatment of morphine-dependent patients. Many articles have been reported on these works. Therefore, we review the protective effects of Panax ginseng on the neurotoxicity induced by abuse drugs. Ginseng total saponins (GTS) extracted and isolated by Panax ginseng antagonized morphine-induced analgesia, and inhibited the development of analgesic tolerance to and physical dependence on morphine. CTS inhibited morphine-6 dehydrogenase, which catalyzes production of mophinone from morphine, and increased hepatic glutathione level responsible to toxicity. Therefore, wehypothesized that these dual actions of ginseng can be associated with the detoxication of morphine. In addition, the inhibitory or facilitated effects of GTS on electrically evoked contraction in guinea pig ileum (${\mu}$-receptors) and mouse vas deferens(${\delta}$-receptors) were not mediated through opioid receptors, suggesting non-opioid mechanisms. On the hand, antagonism of U-50,488H (${\kappa}$-agonist)-induced antinociception is mediated by serotonergic mechanisms. GTS also inhibited hyperactivity, reverse tolerance (sensitization) and conditioned place preference-induced by psychostimulants such as methamphetamine, cocaine and morphine. On the other hand, GTS reduced the dopamine levels induced by methamphetamine. Moreover, GTS blocked the development of dopamine receptor activation, showing antidopaminergic effect. We suggest that GTS prevent the methamphetamine-induced striatal dopaminergic neurotoxicity. In addition, Ginsenoside also attenuates morphine-induced CAMP signaling pathway. These results suggested that GTS might be useful for the therapy of the adverse actions of drugs with abuse liability.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.473-478
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• 2011

A wide diversity of liquid fertilizers and composts produced from the livestock manure in Korea is commonly applied to agricultural lands as an alternative of chemical fertilizers. However, their effects on the crop production and environmental impacts are still vague. The current study was conducted to understand the effects of the pig manure-based liquid fertilizer on the growth of Zea mays L. and soil properties. Four different liquid fertilizers were treated to each cultivated upland plot located in Gyeong-gi province, Korea while no fertilizer (control A) and a chemical fertilizer (control B) were treated to separate plots for comparison. The liquid fertilizer treatment did not make a significant difference in the fresh weight of Zea mays L. compared to the controls. This is probably due to the nutrient residues carried over from the last year fertilization. Electric conductivity (EC) and organic matter contents in soils were increased right after the liquid fertilizer treatments compared to the controls. However, soil pH was maintained as the same as the level of control A. A long-term effect of the continuous treatment of the manure based liquid fertilizer will be carried out in the successive study.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.5
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• pp.1142-1158
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• 2021

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are metabolic products produced during the microbial fermentation of non-digestible fibers and play an important role in metabolic homeostasis and overall gut health. In this study, we investigated the effects of supplementation with multispecies probiotics (MSPs) containing Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Limosilactobacillus reuteri, and Levilactobacillus brevis on the gut microbiota, and fecal SCFAs and lactate levels of weaned pigs. A total of 38 pigs weaned at 4 weeks of age were fed either a basal diet or a diet supplemented with MSPs for 6 weeks. MSP administration significantly increased the fecal concentrations of lactate (2.3-fold; p < 0.01), acetate (1.8-fold; p < 0.05), and formate (1.4-fold; p < 0.05). Moreover, MSP supplementation altered the gut microbiota of the pigs by significantly increasing the population of potentially beneficial bacteria such as Olsenella, Catonella, Catenibacterium, Acidaminococcus, and Ruminococcaceae. MSP supplementation also decreased the abundance of pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia and Chlamydia. The modulation of the gut microbiota was observed to be strongly correlated with the changes in fecal SCFAs and lactate levels. Furthermore, we found changes in the functional pathways present within the gut, which supports our findings that MSP modulates the gut microbiota and SCFAs levels in pigs. The results support the potential use of MSPs to improve the gut health of animals by modulating SCFAs production.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1903-1911
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters and various litter trait trends of Danish pigs in South Vietnam, including the number born alive (NBA), number weaned (NW), and litter weight at the 21st day (LW21). Methods: Records of 936 Yorkshire sows with 3361 litters and 973 Landrace sows with 3161 litters were used to estimate the variance components, genetic parameters, and trends of NBA, NW, and LW21. The restricted maximum likelihood method was applied using VCE6 software to obtain the variance components and genetic parameters. Thereafter, the best linear unbiased prediction procedure with an animal model was applied using PEST software to estimate the breeding values of the studied traits. Results: The heritability estimates were low, ranging from 0.12 to 0.21 for NBA, 0.03 to 0.04 for NW, and from 0.11 to 0.13 for LW21. The genetic correlation between the NBA and NW was relatively strong in both breeds, at 0.77 and 0.60 for Yorkshire and Landrace, respectively. Similarly, the genetic correlation between the NW and LW21 was considerably stronger in Landrace pigs (0.71) than in Yorkshire pigs (0.48). The estimates of annual genetic progress were 0.0431, 0.0233, and 0.0461 for NBA, NW, and LW21 in Landrace pigs and 0434, 0.0202, and 0.0667 for NBA, NW, and LW21 in Yorkshire pigs, respectively. Conclusion: The positive genetic trends estimated for the additive genetic values of the selected traits indicated that the current breeding system has achieved favorable results.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.12
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• pp.1987-1994
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• 2021

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying standardized ileal digestible lysine:threonine (SID Lys:Thr) ratio in the diet on the performance and meat quality of finishing pigs. Methods: In total 192 crossbred pigs ([Landrace×Yorkshire]×Duroc, 17 weeks old), with an initial body weight (BW) of 70.6±3.9 kg were used in an 8-wk trial. Pigs were randomly allotted to one of six dietary treatments based on their initial BW and sex (8 replications; 4 pigs per pen, 2 barrows and 2 gilts). The pigs in the 6 treatments were fed diets having different SID Lys:Thr ratios such as 1:0.65, 1:0.66, 1:0.67, 1:0.68, 1:0.69, and 1:0.70. Results: A linear increment (p<0.05) in average daily gain (ADG) and trends in reduction in feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed during day 29 to 56 of the experiment and the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter tended to increase linearly (p = 0.094) at the end of the experiment (day 56) with the increase in the dietary SID Lys:Thr ratios. The backfat thickness and lean percentage increased (linear effect, p<0.05) on day 28. In addition, at day 56, a linear (p<0.05) increment in lean percentage was observed. Significant quadratic responses (p = 0.02) for pH and drip loss at day 7 (p = 0.02), a linear increase (p<0.05) in cooking loss and drip loss at day 7, and a trend in quadratic response (p = 0.07) in the lightness of meat color (L^*) were observed, whereas other meat quality indices were unaffected by varying the SID Lys:Thr ratios. Conclusion: The SID Lys:Thr ratio for maximum ADG, minimum FCR and enhanced digestibility was found to be 0.70. However, for carcass trait and meat quality, the SID Lys:Thr ratio of 0.65 was enough.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1632-1642
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• 2021

Objective: The hypothesis was that apparent ileal digestibility (AID), basal endogenous losses, and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA) are not affected by adding acid to collection containers or bags used to collect ileal digesta from pigs. Methods: Twenty-four growing barrows (initial body weight: 77.8±4.5 kg) that were fitted with a T-cannula in the distal ileum were fed diets for three 7-d periods. An N-free diet and 3 diets containing corn, soybean meal, or wheat middlings as the sole source of AA were used. Within each period, each of the 4 diets were fed to 6 pigs. Among the 6 pigs, digesta from 3 pigs were collected in bags containing no HCl, whereas 40 mL of 3 N HCl was included in the bags used to collect digesta from the remaining 3 pigs. Every other bag collected from each pig was emptied into a container without adding HCl, whereas the remaining bags were added to a container along with 40 mL of 3 N HCl for each bag. All digesta were stored at -20℃ immediately after collection. Data were analyzed using a model that included feed ingredient, HCl in bags, HCl in containers, and all 2-way and 3-way interactions as fixed effects. No 3-way interactions were significant, and data were, therefore, reanalyzed independently for each diet as a 2×2 factorial. Results: There were no interactions between adding HCl to collection bags and to containers, and no effects of adding HCl to collection bags or containers for AID, basal endogenous losses, or SID of most AA were observed. Conclusion: It is not necessary to add acid to digesta collection bags or collection containers if ileal digesta are stored at -20℃ immediately after collection.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.922-930
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• 2021

Objective: Tibetan pigs, predominantly originating from the Tibetan Plateau, have been subjected to long-term natural selection in an extreme environment. To characterize the metabolic adaptations to hypoxic conditions, transcriptomic and proteomic expression patterns in the livers of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs were compared. Methods: RNA and protein were extracted from liver tissue of Tibetan and Yorkshire pigs (n = 3, each). Differentially expressed genes and proteins were subjected to gene ontology and Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes functional enrichment analyses. Results: In the RNA-Seq and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation analyses, a total of 18,791 genes and 3,390 proteins were detected and compared. Of these, 273 and 257 differentially expressed genes and proteins were identified. Evidence from functional enrichment analysis showed that many genes were involved in metabolic processes. The combined transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that small molecular biosynthesis, metabolic processes, and organic hydroxyl compound metabolic processes were the major processes operating differently in the two breeds. The important genes include retinol dehydrogenase 16, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase, prenylcysteine oxidase 1, sorbin and SH3 domain containing 2, ENSSSCG00000036224, perilipin 2, ladinin 1, kynurenine aminotransferase 1, and dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase 1. Conclusion: The findings of this study provide novel insight into the high-altitude metabolic adaptation of Tibetan pigs.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.895-903
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• 2021

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of various dietary unsaturated to saturated fatty acids ratios (UFA to SFA ratios) on growth performance, carcass traits, blood lipid parameters, tissue fatty acid (FA) composition, and meat quality of finishing pigs. Methods: A total of 45 crossbred pigs ([Duroc×Landrace]×Yorkshire), with an average initial body weight of 60.3±2.4 kg, were randomly allocated to three treatment groups of 1:1, 2:1, and 3:1 dietary UFA to SFA ratios. Results: Both average daily gain and average daily feed intake of pigs were decreased linearly (p<0.05), whereas backfat thickness was decreased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing of dietary UFA to SFA ratio. Serum triglyceride and low density lipoprotein cholesterol were decreased quadratically or linearly (p<0.05) respectively, whereas high density lipoprotein cholesterol was increased quadratically (p<0.05) with increasing dietary UFA to SFA ratio. In M. longissimus thoracis, the proportion of C18:1 and monounsaturated FA was decreased linearly (p<0.05), whereas the proportion of C18:2n-6, C20:4n-6 and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) were increased linearly (p<0.05) as dietary UFA to SFA ratio increased. In the subcutaneous adipose tissue, the proportion of SFA was decreased linearly (p<0.05), whereas the proportion of n-6 PUFA, n-3 PUFA, and the UFA to SFA ratios were increased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing of dietary UFA to SFA ratio. Meat color scores and shear force of pigs were decreased linearly (p<0.05), whereas drip loss and cooking loss were increased linearly (p<0.05) with increasing of dietary UFA to SFA ratio. Conclusion: Appropriately boosted dietary UFA to SFA ratio could be conductive to optimize blood lipid parameters and tissue FA composition. However, when the ratio is too high or too low it tends to have negative effects on growth performance and meat quality.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.31 no.12
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• pp.1852-1862
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• 2018

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate a single step genome-wide association study (ssGWAS) for identifying genomic regions affecting reproductive traits in Landrace and Large White pigs. Methods: The traits included the number of pigs weaned per sow per year (PWSY), the number of litters per sow per year (LSY), pigs weaned per litters (PWL), born alive per litters (BAL), non-productive day (NPD) and wean to conception interval per litters (W2CL). A total of 321 animals (140 Landrace and 181 Large White pigs) were genotyped with the Illumina Porcine SNP 60k BeadChip, containing 61,177 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), while multiple traits single-step genomic BLUP method was used to calculate variances of 5 SNP windows for 11,048 Landrace and 13,985 Large White data records. Results: The outcome of ssGWAS on the reproductive traits identified twenty-five and twenty-two SNPs associated with reproductive traits in Landrace and Large White, respectively. Three known genes were identified to be candidate genes in Landrace pigs including retinol binding protein 7, and ubiquitination factor E4B genes for PWL, BAL, W2CL, and PWSY and one gene, solute carrier organic anion transporter family member 6A1, for LSY and NPD. Meanwhile, five genes were identified to be candidate genes in Large White, two of which, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A3 and leucine rich repeat kinase 1, associated with all of six reproduction traits and three genes; retrotransposon Gag like 4, transient receptor potential cation channel subfamily C member 5, and LHFPL tetraspan subfamily member 1 for five traits except W2CL. Conclusion: The genomic regions identified in this study provided a start-up point for marker assisted selection and estimating genomic breeding values for improving reproductive traits in commercial pig populations.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.23-30
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• 2019

Objective: Recent studies have demonstrated that lin-28 homolog B (LIN28B)/miRNA let-7 (let-7) plays a role in the regulation of pubertal onset in mammals. However, the role of LIN28B/let-7 in the onset of ovine puberty remains unknown. We cloned the Duolang sheep Lin28B cDNA sequence, detected the expression change of LIN28B, let-7a and let-7g in hypothalamus, pituitary and ovary tissues at three different pubertal stages. Methods: The reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to clone the cDNA sequence of LIN28B gene from Duolang sheep and the bioinformatics methods were applied to analyze the amino acid sequence of LIN28B protein. The mRNA expression levels of the LIN28B gene at different pubertal stages were examined by real time RT-PCR. Results: LIN28B cDNA of Duolang sheep was cloned, and two transcripts were obtained. The amino acid sequence of transcript 1 shares 99.60%, 98.78%, and 94.80% identity with those of goat, wild yak and pig, respectively. Strong LIN28B mRNA expression was detected in the hypothalamus, pituitary, ovary, oviduct and uterus, while moderate expression was found in the liver, kidney, spleen and heart, weak expression was observed in the heart. No expression was found in the lungs. Quantitative real-time PCR (QPCR) and western-blot analysis revealed that the LIN28B was highly expressed in the hypothalamus and ovary at prepuberty stages, and this expression significantly decreased from the prepuberty to puberty stages (p<0.05). Markedly increased levels of mRNA expression were detected in the pituitary from prepuberty to puberty (p<0.05) and then significantly decreased from puberty to post-puberty (p<0.05). The expression levels of let-7a and let-7g showed no significant changes among different pubertal stages (p>0.05). Conclusion: These results provided a foundation for determining the functions of LIN28B/let-7 and their role in the onset of sheep puberty.