• Animal Bioscience
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.228-239
• /
• 2024

Objective: The objective of the experiment was to study yeast supplementation (yeast, Y) and dried kratom leaves (DKTL) on the digestibility, ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites and nitrogen balance in goats. Methods: Four of 7 to 8 months old male crossbred (50% Thai Native-Anglo Nubian) goats with average liveweight 20±0.13 kg were randomly assigned according to a 2×2 factorial arrangement in a 4×4 Latin square design to receive four diets ad libitum basis. The study investigated the effects of two levels of yeast (Y) supplementation (Y, 0 and 0.5g/kg dry matter [DM]) along with two levels of DKTL supplementation (DKTL, 0 and 4.44g/kg DM). The experimental groups were as follows: T1 = control group with 0Y+0DKTL, T2 = 0Y+4.44 DKTL, T3 = 0.5Y+0DKTL, and T4 = 0.5Y+4.44 DKTL. Results: The results showed that there were no interactions between Y levels and DKTL levels with respect to total DM intake, but there were significant effects (p<0.05) by levels of Y; goats receiving 0.05 g/kg DM Y had higher than goats fed 0.0 g/kg DM on average (kg/d). A percentage of body weight (% BW) and grams per kilogram of metallic weight (g/kg w^0.75) had no influence on yeast levels and DKTL, but there was a difference (p<0.05) by yeast level Y at 0.5 g/kg DM, being higher compared to the non-supplemented group. Apparent digestibility coefficient of nutrition in the form of (DM, organic matter, crude protein, neutral detergent fiber, and acid detergent fiber) was an increased trend in the Y-level complementary group at 0.5 g/kg DM and DKTL at 4.44 g/kg DM, respectively. Protozoa populations decreased in the group receiving Y levels at 0.5 g/kg DM and DKTL levels at 4.44 g/kg DM when compared to group T1. The acetic acid concentration and methane gas generation decreased (p<0.05) in the group receiving Y levels of 0.5 g/kg DM and DKTL levels of 4.44 g/kg DM, while the amount of propionic acid increased (p<0.05). Conclusion: Effects of feeding combinations of Y and DKTL supplementation on feed showed no interaction effect (Y×DKTL) on feed intake, rumen fermentation, bacterial and fungi population. The effect on protozoal populations was lower in the group that was supplemented with DKTL at 4.44 g/kg DM related to synthetic CH₄ was reduced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.558-564
• /
• 1999

A series of experiments were conducted to determine the effects of standard (ST), long-term (LT), and expander (EX) conditioners on nutritional value of phase-three nursery and finishing swine diets. In Exp. 1, 180 pigs (average initial BW of 11.7 kg) were fed com-soybean meal based diets (1.3% lysine) during a 28 d growth assay. Gain/feed was improved (p<0.004) with pelleting and pellet durability index (PDI) increased with degree of conditioning (LT>ST). However, there was no advantage for LT vs ST conditioning in rate or efficiency of gain (p>0.5). In Exp. 2, 180 pigs (average initial BW of 10.4 kg) were fed con-soybean meal based diets (0.9% lysine) during a 28 d growth assay, Pelleted diets tended to support greater ADG (p<0.08) and gain/feed (p<0.002) with no marked advantage from EX vs ST conditioning. In Exp 3, a total of 70 barrows (average initial BW of 54 kg) was used in a growth assay to determine the effects of feeding a com-soybean meal based diet processed with a standard (ST) steam conditioner, a long-term (LT) steam conditioner, and an expander (EX) conditioner. The conditioned diets were fed as mash (M) or pellets (P) to give a $2{\times}3$ factorial plus a meal control. PDI increased with degree of conditioning (EX>LT>ST). There was a trend (p<0.07) for greater ADG in pigs fed diets that had been thermally conditioned. Also, there was a general advantage in gain/feed with pelleting (p<0.04), but this advantage was pronounced only with standard conditioning. Indeed, the greatest gain/feed was observed for pigs fed the expander treatments (p<0.03) and the expander mash was used as efficiently as the expander pellets. There was no difference in backfat thickness among pigs fed the treatments (p>0.3). but the more extreme the processing technique. the greater the incidence and severity of stomach lesions (p<0.04). These results suggest maximum rate and efficiency of growth with pelleting after standard steam conditioning or simply feeding an expanded mash.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.24 no.5
• /
• pp.623-635
• /
• 2011

Inefficient rumen microbial fermentation is a major factor limiting intake of low quality roughage in ruminants. In this study, the effect of energy supplementation on rumen microbial fermentation, absorption of balanced digestion products and voluntary feed intake in sheep was investigated. A basal diet of a urea-treated mixture of wheaten chaff and barley straw (3:1 DM) containing 22.2 g N/kg DM was used. Four Merino-cross wethers weighing $45{\pm}4.38\;kg$ and fitted with permanent rumen and abomasal cannulae were allocated to four treatments in a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The dietary treatments were basal diet ($E_0$), or basal diet supplemented with sucrose (112.5 g/d) administered to the animals intra-ruminally ($E_R$), abomasally ($E_A$), or through both routes (50:50) ($E_{RA}$). Feed intake (basal and dietary) was increased (p<0.05) by sucrose supplementation through the rumen ($E_R$) or abomasum ($E_A$). However, there was no difference (p>0.05) in intake between animals on the control diet and those supplemented with sucrose through both intraruminal and abomasal routes ($E_{RA}$). The digestibility of DM and OM was highest in $E_R$ and $E_A$ supplemented animals. Although the rumen pH was reduced (p<0.001) in animals supplemented with sucrose entirely intra-ruminally ($E_R$), the in sacco degradation of barley straw in the rumen was not adversely affected (p>0.05). Intra-ruminal sucrose supplementation resulted in a higher concentration of total VFA, acetate and butyrate, while the pattern of fermentation showed a higher propionate: acetate ratio. Intra-ruminal supplementation also increased (p<0.05) the glucogenic potential (G/E) of the absorbed VFA. However, there was no difference (p>0.05) in microbial protein production between the four dietary treatments. Protozoa numbers were increased (p<0.05) by intra-ruminal supplementation of sucrose.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.23 no.9
• /
• pp.1198-1204
• /
• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with multiple enzymes composed of phytase plus carbohydrolases (ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max, RM) on growth performance, nutritional availability and intestinal viscosity in broiler chicks. A total of one thousand, one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into treatment groups that received one of five experimental diets for 32 days. Each group consisted of 40 birds and all experiments included five replicates. The dietary treatments included PC (a positive control diet), NC1 (65 kcal/kg, 0.15% and 0.10% less ME, available phosphorus and calcium levels, respectively, than the PC diet), NC2 (85 kcal/kg, 0.20% and 0.10% less ME, available phosphorus and calcium levels, respectively, than the PC diet), NC1+RM (NC1 plus ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max) and NC2+RM (NC2 plus ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max). The average body weights, daily body weight gains and feed conversion rates of the chicks fed a diet containing RM improved significantly or tended to improve. The treatments also had no effect on the carcass characteristics or blood parameters, but the viscosity of the intestinal contents of the chicks fed the diet containing RM was significantly lower than that of chicks in the NC without RM groups. Additionally, chicks fed the dietary RM showed increased breaking strength and ash content of the tibia when compared to chicks that received the non-RM diets. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that the addition of multiple enzymes consisting of phytase plus NSP enzymes improved the growth performance and mineral status of the tibia in broiler chickens fed corn-wheat-soybean meal-based diets with reduced levels of nutrients. Further, these findings suggest that the improved animal performance is associated with reduced intestinal viscosity by the dietary enzyme complex.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.18 no.9
• /
• pp.1320-1325
• /
• 2005

A 2${\times}$3 factorial arrangement of treatments was used to determine the effects of olaquindox and cyadox on immune response of Landrace${\times}$Large-White geld piglets that had been orally given 10$^{10}$ CFU of Escherichia coli (E. coli, O$_{139}$:K$_{88}$). Factors included (1) E. coli inoculation or control, and (2) no antimicrobials, 100 mg/kg olaquindox and 100 mg/kg cyadox in the basal diet respectively. E. coli inoculums were orally administered 7 days after the diets were supplemented with olaquindox and cyadox. The effects of the two antimicrobials were assessed in terms of: (1) average daily gain (ADG), (2) systemic immune response (the number of white blood cells and lymphocytes, leukocyte bactericidal capacity, lymphocyte proliferation response to PHA, immunoglobulin concentrations, and total serous hemolytic complement activity), and (3) intestinal mucosal immunity including the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes (IELs) and immunoglobulin A secreting cells (ASCs) in the intestinal lamina propria. E. coli inoculation reduced ADG (p<0.05) during the period of d 0 to d 14 after the challenge while the antimicrobial supplementations improved ADG (p<0.01) during the experiment. ADG in cyadox-supplemented pigs was higher (p<0.05) than that in olaquindox-supplemented pigs. The antimicrobials decreased IEL and ASC counts in the jejunum and ileum (p<0.01) while E. coli inoculation caused them to increase (p<0.01). Jejunal ASCs in the cyadox-supplemented pigs were lower (p<0.05) than those in the olaquindox-supplemented. E. coli elicited increase (p<0.05) in white blood cell counts, leukocyte bactericidal capacity, lymphocyte proliferation rate, serous IgA concentrations, and serous hemolytic complement activity. The antimicrobials decreased the measured systemic immune parameters, but not significantly (p>0.05). The data suggest that olaquindox and cyadox suppress E. coli-induced immune activation, especially intestinal mucosal immune activation, which may be involved in the observed growth promotion.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.17 no.11
• /
• pp.1562-1569
• /
• 2004

The objective of this experiment was to determine the effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs)-enriched diet supplemented with different levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol on the activities of hepatic lipogenic-related enzymes and the contents of liver and plasma lipid fractions in laying Tsaiya ducks. A total of 180 30-wk-old laying Tsaiya ducks, at the beginning of peak production, were allotted into 6 treatments with 3 replicates each. Ducks were fed one of the 6 experimental diets, containing 4% tallow (control), and 4% fish oil supplemented with graded levels of $\alpha$-tocopheryl acetate ($\alpha$-tocopherol) at 0, 100, 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg, respectively, for 6 wks. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum throughout the experimental period. The results indicated that the n-3 PUFAsenriched diet supplemented with different levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol did not affect (p>0.05) egg weight, feed intake, body weight change or liver and abdominal fat weights. Egg production, egg mass and feed efficiency significantly (p<0.05) improved as dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels increased. The activities of hepatic lipogenic-related enzymes including acetyl-CoA carboxylase (EC 6. 2. 1. 3; ACC), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1. 1. 1. 49; G-6-PDH), ATP-citrate cleavage enzyme (EC 4. 1. 3. 8; CCE), NADP-malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.40; NADP-MDH) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) were higher (p<0.05) in birds fed with the tallow diet than in those fed with fish oil diets and increased with increasing dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels. None of the dietary treatments significantly affected the contents of triglyceride and total cholesterol in the liver, or total cholesterol, phospholipid and total lipid in the plasma. However, the contents of phospholipid and total lipid in the liver, and triglyceride in the plasma increased as dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels increased. Increasing dietary $\alpha$-tocopherol levels decreased the non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA) content in the plasma and trended to decrease the cholesterol contents in the egg yolk. The lipid metabolism of laying Tsaiya ducks was influenced not only by the dietary fat but also by the supplementation levels of $\alpha$-tocopherol.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.25 no.11
• /
• pp.1546-1552
• /
• 2012

A feeding experiment with 40 lactating Holstein cows and 4 dietary treatments was conducted to investigate supplementation with different levels of alcohol fermented feed to the TMR on lactating performance, blood metabolites, milk fatty acid profile and cholesterol concentration of blood and milk. Forty Holstein lactating cows ($106{\pm}24$ d post-partum; mean${\pm}$SD) were distributed into four groups and randomly assigned to one of four treatments with each containing 10 cows per treatment. The treatment supplemented with TMR (DM basis) as the control (CON), and CON mixed with alcohol-fermented feeds (AFF) at a level of 5%, 10% and 15% of the TMR as T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Dry matter intake and milk yield were not affected by supplementation of AFF. An increased 4% FCM in the milk occurred in cows fed T3 diet compared with CON, while T1 and T2 diets decreased 4% FCM in a dose dependent manner. Supplementation of AFF increased the concentration of albumin, total protein (TP), ammonia, and high density lipoprotein-cholesterol in serum compared with CON. In contrast, supplementation with AFF clearly decreased concentration of blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and total cholesterol (TC) compare with CON. AFF supplementation increased the proportion of C18:1n9 and C18:2n6 compared to CON. A decrease in the concentration of saturated fatty acid (SFA) for T1, T2 and T3 resulted in an increased unsaturated fatty acid (USFA) to SFA ratio compared to CON. Concentration of cholesterol in milk fat was reduced in proportion to the supplemental level of AFF. Feeding a diet supplemented with a moderate level AFF to lactating cows could be a way to alter the feed efficiency and fatty acid profile of milk by increasing potentially human consumer healthy fatty acid without detrimental effects on feed intake and milk production. A substantially decreased cholesterol proportion in milk induced by supplementation AFF suggests that alcohol fermented feed may improve milk cholesterol levels without any negative effects in lactating cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.27 no.10
• /
• pp.1461-1468
• /
• 2014

This study was aimed to examine the antibacterial and antioxidative properties of seven edible plants from Thailand to develop alternative antibiotics as feed additives. The plants include Citrus aurantifolia Swingle (Lime) fruits and its leaves, Sesbania grandiflora L. (Agati sesbania) leaves, Piper sarmentosum Roxb (Wild betal) leaves, Curcuma domestica Valeton (Turmeric) roots, Morinda citrifolia L. (Beach mulberry) leaves, Cassia siamea britt (Siamea cassia) leaves, and Cocos nucifera L. (Coconut) peels. The plants were extracted by methanol, n-hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol and water. Antibacterial activities with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined by agar diffusion assay against Escherichia coli, Burkholderia sp., Haemopilus somnus, Haemopilus parasuis, and Clostridium perfringens that were considered pathogenic strains in livestock infection. Methanol extracts of C. aurantifolia Swingle fruits and leaves showed the broadest spectrum of antibacterial activities except for C. perfringens. Butanol extract of S. grandiflora L. leaves showed the strongest activity against Burkholderia sp. with MIC, $135{\mu}g/mL$. P. sarmentosum Roxb leaves showed antibacterial activities against E. coli, Burkholderia sp. and H. parasuis. Ethyl acetate and water extracts from C. domesitca Valeton roots showed MIC of $306{\mu}g/mL$ and $183{\mu}g/mL$, respectively against only C. perfringens. Antioxidative activity was determined by 2-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl photometric assay. The methanol extracts of C. aurantifolia Swingle fruits and P. sarmentosum Roxb leaves showed the highest antioxidant activity among all the extracts with 3.46 mg/mL and 2.70 mg/mL effective concentration 50% ($EC_{50}$) values, respectively. Total contents of phenolics and flavonoids were measured from the plant extracts. Methanol extracts of S. grandiflora L. and chloroform extracts of C. domestica Valeton were found to have the highest amount of total phenolics, 41.7 and $47.8{\mu}g/mL$, respectively. Flavonoid content of methanol extracts in S. grandiflora L. T was $22.5{\mu}g/mL$ and the highest among plant extracts tested. These results indicated that C. aurantifolia Swingle, S. grandiflora L., P. sarmentosum Roxb, and C. domestica Valeton have antibacterial and antioxidant activities and can be used as alternative antibiotics or potential feed additives for the control of animal pathogenic bacteria.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.820-826
• /
• 2013

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of rain tree pod meal with palm oil supplementation on feed intake, digestibility, microbial protein synthesis and microbial populations in dairy cows. Four, multiparous early-lactation Holstein-Friesian crossbred (75%) lactating dairy cows with an initial body weight (BW) of $405{\pm}40$ kg and $36{\pm}8$ DIM were randomly assigned to receive dietary treatments according to a $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. The four dietary treatments were un-supplementation (control), supplementation with rain tree pod meal (RPM) at 60 g/kg, supplementation with palm oil (PO) at 20 g/kg, and supplementation with RPM at 60 g/kg and PO at 20 g/kg (RPO), of total dry matter intake. The cows were offered concentrates, at a ratio of concentrate to milk production of 1:2, and chopped 30 g/kg of urea treated rice straw was fed ad libitum. The RPM contained condensed tannins and crude saponins at 88 and 141 g/kg of DM, respectively. It was found that supplementation with RPM and/or PO to dairy cows diets did not show negative effects on feed intake and ruminal pH and BUN at any times of sampling (p>0.05). However, RPM supplementation resulted in lower crude protein digestibility, $NH_3$-N concentration and number of proteolytic bacteria. It resulted in greater allantoin absorption and microbial crude protein (p<0.05). In addition, dairy cows showed a higher efficiency of microbial N supply (EMNS) in both RPM and RPO treatments. Moreover, NDF digestibility and cellulolytic bacteria numbers were highest in RPO supplementation (p<0.05) while, supplementation with RPM and/or PO decreased the protozoa population in dairy cows. Based on this study, supplementation with RPM and/or PO in diets could improve fiber digestibility, microbial protein synthesis in terms of quantity and efficiency and microbial populations in dairy cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.33 no.12
• /
• pp.1985-1990
• /
• 2020

Objective: The objective of this experiment was to investigate the effects of fat-soluble vitamin injection on plasma and tissue vitamin status in nursery pigs. Methods: A total of 16 pigs (initial body weight: 7.15±1.1 kg) were allotted to 2 treatments at d 7 post-weaning. Pigs were fed a corn-soybean meal-based basal diet with no supplemental vitamin A and i.m. injected with 300,000 IU of retinyl palmitate, 900 IU of d-α-tocopherol and 30,000 IU of vitamin D₃ with control pigs having no vitamin injection. Blood (d 0, 3, 7, and 14 post-injection) and tissue samples (liver, brain, heart, lung, and muscle; d 7 and 14 post-injection) were collected from pigs. Retinyl palmitate, retinol, and α-tocopherol concentrations were analyzed in plasma and tissues, while plasma was assayed for 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OHD₃). Results: Plasma retinol and 25-OHD₃ concentrations increased by the vitamin injection from d 3 to 14 post-injection (p<0.05) whereas plasma retinyl palmitate was detected only in the vitamin treatment at d 3 and 7 post-injection (115.51 and 4.97 ㎍/mL, respectively). Liver retinol, retinyl palmitate, and retinol+retinyl palmitate concentrations increased by retinyl palmitate injection at d 7 and 14 post-injection (p<0.05) whereas those were not detected in the other tissues. The d-α-tocopherol injection increased α-tocopherol concentrations in plasma at d 3 and 7 post-injection (p<0.05) and in liver, heart (p<0.10), and muscle (p<0.05) at d 7 post-injection. Conclusion: Fat-soluble vitamin injection increased plasma status of α-tocopherol, retinol, retinyl palmitate and 25-OHD₃. As plasma levels decreased post-injection, vitamin A level in liver and vitamin E level in muscle, heart and liver increased. The α-tocopherol found in plasma after injection was distributed to various tissues but retinyl palmitate only to the liver.