• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.32 no.12
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• pp.991-994
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• 2023

This study aimed to investigate the effects of feeding mealworm pellets on protein digestibility and fecal composition of companion canines. The canine breeds used in the specification test were Maltese (average weight 2.0 kg) and Poodle (average weight 2.5 kg), with a total of six canines, three of each breed, without discriminating between males or females. The control feed for the two canines was based on 100 g of commercially available general feed, to which the dogs were allowed to adapt for approximately 3 d. Ony on Day 0 of the experiments, dogs were fed twice, in the morning and afternoon. One day later, the treated group was 80 g of regular feed with 20 g of mealworm pellets added, and the dog was fed for 1 to 7 d in the same manner as the control group. The addition of mealworm pellets increased the protein digestibility in both canine breeds, however, the differences were no significances (p>0.05). Based on the normal stool score of 3, no remarkable changes were observed in stool score from Days 1 to 6, showing that the canines had adapted to the mealworm pellet feed. In particular, on Day 7, feeding mealworm pellet appeared to affect the fecal properties differently between the two breeds. This difference can be owing to differences in the intestinal environment and digestion and absorption ability between the two breeds. Consequently, using mealworm pellets improved the protein digestibility of canines as well as maintained normal fecal properties.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.10
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• pp.1447-1451
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• 2004

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of different dietary crude protein (CP) levels on growth performance, nutrient utilization, small intestine protease activity and immunity index of weaner to 2 month-old New Zealand rabbits. Eighty weaner rabbits were allocated in individual cages to five treatments in which they were fed diets with CP at 14%, 16%, 18%, 20% and 22%, respectively. The growth performance and nutrient digestibility of rabbits increased firstly when dietary CP increased, then decreased. The average daily gain was the highest and feed conversion rate was the lowest when dietary CP reached 20%, namely 34.9 g/d and 2.74:1, respectively. Maximum CP digestibility was 72.1% in the 18% CP group, maximum crude fiber digestibility of 28.4% occurred in the 16% CP group and was significantly different from other treatments (p<0.01), apparent digestibility of Lys and Val followed the same trend as CP digestibility, and reached their maximum when dietary CP was 18%. Apparent digestibility of Cys, Tyr, Leu and Thr also had a similar trend to CP digestibility. Nitrogen retention (RN) increased with CP level (p>0.05), and was highest for 20% CP treatment (1.5 g/d). The effect of CP level on the rate of digestible nitrogen (DN) converted RN was small. The spleen index, thymus index, chymotrypsin and trypsin activities in small intestine were highest when dietary CP was 16%, which were 1.0, 2.8, 15.7 U/g and 125.7 U/g, respectively. There was no significant difference among treatments (p>0.05). According to the above results, the appropriate dietary CP level from weaner to 2 month-old meat rabbits was 18-20%.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.325-330
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• 2010

The apparent digestibility coefficients of dry matter, crude protein and energy in white fishmeal, herring meal, anchovy meal, salmon meal, sardine meal, mackerel meal, squid meal, soybean meal, corn gluten meal and wheat flour were determined for olive flounder. Digestibility coefficients were determined using a reference diet and test diets that contained 70% of the reference diet mixture and 30% test ingredients. All diets contained 0.5% chromic oxide as a digestibility indicator. The fish averaging 220 g were held in 500 L tanks at a density of 20 fish per tank. Feces were collected from three replicated groups of fish using a fecal collection column attached to a fish-rearing tank. The apparent dry matter, crude protein and energy digestibility coefficient values observed were in the ranges 29-79%, 59-95% and 45-91%, respectively, for various test ingredients. The apparent dry matter, crude protein and energy digestibility of white fishmeal, herring meal, anchovy meal, salmon meal, sardine meal, mackerel meal and squid meal were significantly higher than those of soybean meal, corn gluten meal and wheat flour.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1653-1662
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• 2021

Objective: This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of insoluble cellulose supplementation to diets on the growth performance, intestinal morphology, the incidence of diarrhea, nutrients digestibility, and inflammatory responses in altering environmental conditions of animals housing. Methods: A total of 108 male pigs (Duroc×[Yorkshire×Landrace]) were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments (cellulose 0%, 1%, 2%) and two environmental conditions (good sanitary condition vs. poor sanitary condition) to give 6 replicate pens per treatment with three pigs per each pen at 14 days post-weaning. Results: Pigs were in good sanitary condition had higher average daily gain (p<0.01) and improved feed efficiency (p<0.05) from day 1 to 14 after weaning compared to their counterparts. The interactions were found between environmental conditions and dietary treatments (day 7: crypt depth [p<0.01], villous height to crypt depth [p<0.001]; day 14: crypt depth [p<0.001], villous to crypt ratio [p<0.01]) in ileum morphology. Crypt depth was decreased (p<0.05), and villous to crypt ratio was increased (p<0.05) only in poor sanitary conditions. Pigs exposed to the good sanitary condition had higher (p<0.05) apparent ileal digestibility (day 7, gross energy; day 14, dry matter), apparent total tract digestibility (day 14, dry matter and crude protein) compared to pigs housed in the poor sanitary condition. Meanwhile, pigs fed a diet supplemented with 2% cellulose had decreased (p<0.05) apparent ileal digestibility (day 7, dry matter; day 14, crude protein), apparent total tract digestibility (day 7, dry matter; day 14, crude protein, gross energy) compared to pigs fed a diet supplemented with 0% or 1% cellulose. Conclusion: Our results indicated that a diet supplemented with 1% cellulose increased villous to crypt ratio, however feeding a diet containing cellulose (1% or 2%) impaired nutrient digestibility for 14 day after weaning in both good sanitary and poor sanitary conditions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.211-218
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• 1991

The effects of dietary fiber on true digestibility of amino acids by growing pigs were studied, using semi-purified diets formulated from alfalfa meal, cassava leaf meal, rubber seed meal and leucacna meal at 20% level. A protein-free diet including 5% cellulose was formulated for correcting the endogenous amino acid loss. Across all the diets, arginine was the most digestible while the least at ileal level was threonine; methionine and/or histidine at fecal level respectively. The true digestibility value of amino acids at ileal level were higher than at fecal level except control diet (cellulose). The true digestibility values at ileal level were similar for all diets but differed at fecal level in different magnitude. These results indicate that undigestible compound in individual feedstuff might confound. True digestibility should be studied together for accurate diet formulation as apparent digestibility decreased when their amino acid concentration in the diet was reduced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.11
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• pp.1496-1502
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• 2010

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of diet complexity and fermented soy protein on growth performance and amino acid digestibility. In Exp. 1, a total of 120 crossbred weanling pigs ($5.68{\pm}0.80\;kg$ BW) were randomly allocated into 4 treatments. Each treatment had 6 replicate pens comprising 5 pigs in each replicate. Experimental diets consisted of simple (soybean meal as protein source) and complex (soybean meal, rice protein concentrate, potato protein concentrate and fish meal as protein sources) diets; each diet contained 0 or 5% fermented soy protein (FSP), respectively. Dietary treatments included: i) simple diet; ii) simple diet with 5% FSP; iii) complex diet; iv) complex diet with 5% FSP. Pigs were provided each experimental diet for 20 d (phase 1) and then fed the same common diet for 10 d (phase 2). During days 0-10, pigs fed FSP diets had greater ADG than those fed non-FSP diets (p<0.05). G/F in FSP treatments was significantly higher than that in non-FSP treatments (p<0.05) from days 0 to 10. Throughout the overall period, G/F was greater in FSP treatments compared with non-FSP treatments (p<0.05). On d 10, N digestibility was higher in pigs fed FSP diets than in those fed non-FSP diets (p<0.05). Diet complexity did not affect growth performance and nutrient digestibility (p>0.05) in this experiment. In Exp 2, 12 ileal-cannulated, weanling barrows were housed in individual metabolism crates and randomly assigned to 1 of 4 treatments (same as Exp. 1) by using a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Among the essential amino acids, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of Met and Val were increased in pigs fed FSP diets compared with those fed non-FSP diets (p<0.05). AID of Met, Phe and total essential amino acids were higher in pigs fed complex diets than in those fed simple diets (p<0.05). Among the non-essential amino acids, AID of Ala in FSP treatments was greater than that in non-FSP treatments (p<0.05). In addition, Asp, Cys, Glu, Pro, Ser and total non-essential amino acid digestibilities in pigs fed complex diets were higher compared with those fed simple diets (p<0.05). Interaction was observed in AID of Met, Asp and Pro. In conclusion, these results indicated that feeding of 5% FSP to nursery pigs improved feed efficiency and AID of amino acids, and diet complexity did not maximize the growth performance of pigs in the subsequent phase.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.217-222
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• 2007

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of mud flat bacteria origin protease supplementation by crude protein level on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, total protein and BUN (blood urea nitrogen) concentration in broilers. A total of four hundred eighty broilers were randomly allocated into four treatments with six replications for five weeks. Dietary treatments included 1) high crude protein diet, 2) high crude protein diet + 0.1% protease, 3) low crude protein diet and 4) low crude protein diet + 0.1% protease. During the entire experimental period, weight gain and feed/gain were improved in treatments of high crude protein diets and low crude protein diet added protease compared with treatment of low crude protein diet without protease (P<0.05). Similarly, DM digestibility was also improved in treatments of high crude protein diets and low crude protein diet added protease compared with treatment of low crude protein diet without protease (P<0.05). N digestibility was improved in treatment of high crude protein diet added protease compared with low crude protein diet without protease (P<0.05). Total protein concentration in blood was increased in treatment of high crude protein diet without protease compared with other treatments (P<0.05). In conclusion, mud flat origin protease was effective in improving weight gain, feed/gain and nutrient digestibility, and influenced blood total protein in broilers.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.3
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• pp.491-500
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• 2021

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of low protein diets added with protease on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood profiles of weaned piglets and growing-finishing pigs. A total of 96 weaned pigs ([Yorkshire × Landrace] × Duroc) with average body weight (BW) of 6.99 ± 0.21 kg were used in a 20-week experiment. The dietary treatments were arranged in a 2 × 3 factorial design. Treatments were as follows: In phase 1 (1-2 weeks), two protein levels as high protein (HP; 19.0%), low protein (LP; 17.0%), and three protease (PT) levels (PT0, 0%; PT1, 0.3%; and PT2, 0.5%); in phase 2 (3-4 weeks), protein levels (HP, 18.05%; LP, 16.15%) and protease levels (0%, 0.3%, and 0.5%); in phase 3 (5-12 weeks), protein levels (HP, 17.1%; LP, 15.3%) and protease level (0%, 0.15%, and 0.3%); in phase 4 (13-20 weeks), protein levels (HP, 16.15%; LP, 14.45%) and protease level (0%, 0.15%, and 0.3%). At 4 weeks and 20 weeks after treatment, BW was higher (p < 0.050) in the PT2 group than PT0 group. From weeks 0 to 4, average daily gain (ADG) and feed efficiency (G/F) were higher (p = 0.006 and p = 0.014; p = 0.014 and p = 0.044, respectively) in the PT2 group than PT0 and PT1 groups. From weeks 16 to 20, ADG and G/F were higher (p < 0.001 and p = 0.009; p = 0.004 and p = 0.033, respectively) in the PT2 group than PT0 and PT1 groups. Crude protein (CP) digestibility was higher (p = 0.013, p = 0.014, and p = 0.035, respectively) in the low protein (LP) group than high protein (HP) group at weeks 4, 12, and 20. At weeks 4 and 20, the LP diet group had lower (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively) blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels than the HP diet group. Therefore, a low CP diet added with protease could increase growth performance and CP digestibility of weaned piglets and growing-finishing pigs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.643-650
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• 2009

Two metabolism trials were conducted with 24 wether lambs to investigate the effects of feeding crab meal and other protein supplements on N utilization, digestibility and Ca and P balance in sheep. The lambs (avg. BW, 25 kg) were randomly allotted to eight diets in each of two trials. The supplements were: i) none, negative control (NC); ii) soybean meal (SBM), control; iii) supplement based on industrial byproducts of both plant and animal origin (IPA); iv) experimental supplement based on byproducts of animal origin (ESA); v) hydrolyzed supplement No 4. (HESA); vi) commercial supplement based on animal protein (CS), $Pro-Lak^{(R)}$ vii) crab meal (CM); and viii) urea (U). The supplements supplied 33% of the total dietary N (CP, 9.8%; DM basis). Lambs fed the NC diet had lower (p<0.05) DM and OM digestibility. Lower (p<0.05) apparent absorption of N was recorded for the lambs fed the HESA and NC diets. Sheep fed CM had lower Ca absorption compared to SBM. Highest (p<0.05) P absorption was observed for lambs fed CS and CM and lowest for U and NC diets. Sheep fed CM had higher (p<0.05) total VFA concentration (65.7 ${\mu}mol/ml$), compared to those fed ESA, CS, and NC diets (47.3, 49.8, and 49.5 ${\mu}mol/ml$, respectively). Highest (p<0.05) ruminal $NH_3$ N (29.6 mg/dl) was observed in lambs fed the U diet, while those fed the NC diet had the lowest (p<0.05) average value (7.66 mg/dl). Lambs fed the U diet had the highest (p<0.05) blood urea N (10.67 mg/dl). The present study showed that N utilization of diets supplemented with experimental supplements based on feather meal and blood meal; commercial supplement based on animal protein, $Prolak^{(R)}$ supplement based on plant protein and blood meal; and crab meal are comparable with that of soybean meal.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.27-34
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• 1977

The present study was carried out to evaluate the nutritional quality of rabbit meat protein. The composition of amino acids contained in rabbit meat was compared with those of other animal meats such as beef, pork and chicken. Also included in this study was the question whether the cooking and storage conditions affect the amino acid composition and the pepsindigestibility of rabbit meat protein. The results are summarized as follows: 1. The large variation observed from sample to sample of EAA (essential amino acid) composition in rabbit meat was found to be an interesting but peculiar property of rabbit meat protein. The most limiting amino acid of rabbit meat protein was phenylalanine, whereas methionine was the first limiting amino acid of both beef and pork proteins. Chemical scores of various meat proteins were 68, 65, 66, and 74 for rabbit meat, beef, pork, and chicken respectively. 2. In pan roasting, the EAA damaged most by heat was methionine (15%). When cooked after two months of frozen storage, lysine decreased most. 3. Higher pepsin digestibility was obtained by cooking rabbit meat after seasoned in alcohol, ginger juice, and other spices compared with various other cooking conditions without seasoning. The pepsin digestibility value was even higher for the seasoned meat than for the raw meat. 4. Among various meats tested the rabbit meat showed the lowest pepsin digestibility. 5. A simple measurement of released methionine could be used to determine relative digestibility instead of measuring $NH_2-N$ content after pepsin digestion. From all the results obtained in this study it can be concluded that rabbit meat is a good Protein food item when used fresh and stored properly to prevent rancidity problems. It is suggested to study further the peroxidation effect of unsaturated fatty acids on protein quality. This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Korea.