• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1718-1728
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• 2011

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the in vitro ability of keratinase to hydrolyze soybean glycinin and ${\beta}$-conglycinin and to evaluate the in vivo effects of keratinase when included in corn-soybean diets with different levels of crude protein and fed to nursery pigs. In experiment 1, a saturated keratinase solution (1 ml) was added to two blank controls of either glycinin or ${\beta}$-conglycinin resulting in the hydrolysis of 94.74% glycinin and 88.89% ${\beta}$-conglycinin. In experiment 2, 190 pigs (8.3${\pm}$0.63 kg BW) were allotted to one of four treatments in a 2${\times}$2 factorial arrangement on the basis of body weight, and sex was balanced among the pens. The effects of crude protein (19 vs. 22%) and keratinase (0 vs. 0.05%) were studied. Each treatment was applied to six pens with seven (two pens) or eight pigs per pen. Pigs were fed the experimental diets for 21 d. Weight gain and feed conversion ratio were improved (p<0.05) with keratinase supplementation while feed intake was reduced (p<0.05). Keratinase supplementation increased (p<0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, energy, crude protein and phosphorus. Keratinase supplementation also increased n-butyric acid in the cecum and colon, lactobacilli and total anaerobe counts in the colon as well as the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the ileum. Additionally, fecal score, ammonia nitrogen and branch chain volatile fatty acids in the colon, E. coli and total aerobe counts in the colon, crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum as well as serum interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 concentrations were also decreased (p<0.05) by keratinase supplementation. A reduction in dietary crude protein decreased (p<0.05) colon ammonia nitrogen concentration and cecal propionic acid and branch chain volatile fatty acid concentrations. In addition, cecal E. coli counts, colon total anaerobe counts, ileal crypt depth, and serum interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 concentrations were also decreased (p<0.05) with the reduction of dietary crude protein. With the exception of fecal scores, there were no significant interactions between crude protein and keratinase. This study provides evidence that dietary keratinase supplementation improved nursery pig performance by improving intestinal morphology and ecology, thus improving nutrient digestibility and alleviating the inflammatory response.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.29.1-29.6
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• 2014

This study compared the effects of varying lipid content and dietary concentration of a lipid-encapsulated (LE) ZnO product to those of native ZnO and thereby to find insights into optimal lipid coating and dosage of the Zn supplement. A total of 192 21-d-old weanling pigs were allotted to 48 pens, after which each six pens received a ZnO-free basal diet supplemented with 125 ppm ZnO (100 ppm Zn; BASAL), 2,500 ppm Zn as native ZnO (HIGH), or 100 or 200 ppm Zn as LE ZnO (LE-100 or LE-250) containing 8%, 10%, or 12% lipid [LE-8%, LE-10%, or LE-12%, respectively; $2{\times}3$ factorial arrangement within the LE-ZnO diets (LE-ALL)] for 14 d. Forty pigs were killed at the end for histological and biochemical examinations. None of ADG, ADFI, gain:feed, and fecal consistency score differed between the LE-ALL and either of the BASAL and HIGH groups. Hepatic and serum Zn concentrations were greater (p <0.05) in the HIGH vs. LE-ALL group, but did not differ between LE-ALL and BASAL, between LE-100 and -250, or among LE-8%, -10%, and -12% groups. Villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and the VH:CD ratio in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum did not differ between the LE-ALL and either of the BASAL and HIGH groups, except for a greater CD in the duodenum in the LE-ALL vs. HIGH group. Additionally, VH and CD in the duodenum and VH:CD in the jejunum were greater in the LE-250 vs. LE-100 group. Specific activities of sucrase, maltase, and leucine aminopeptidase in these intestinal regions and those of amylase and trypsin in the pancreas were not influenced by the lipid content or dietary concentration of LE ZnO and also did not differ between the LE-ALL and either of the BASAL and HIGH groups, except for a greater pancreatic amylase activity in the former vs. HIGH group. In conclusion, the present results indicate that the LE ZnO, regardless of its lipid percentage or supplementation level examined in this study, has no significant effect on growth performance, fecal consistency, or digestive enzyme activities of weanling pigs under the experimental conditions.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.4
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• pp.321-328
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• 2009

A total of fourteen, 1-wk-old male Holstein calves were allotted into two groups consisted of control (CON) and IGY which was orally administrated with immunoglobulin yolk (IgY) for 1wk. Calves in both groups were provided with milk replacer according to feeding program and had ad libitum access to timothy hay for the entire experimental period (7wks). At 0, 7 and 49 day of experiment, blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of calves to investigate blood biochemical profiles and the differential count (%) of white blood cell (WBC). We also monitored growth performance and colony forming unit (CFU) of fecal microbial population in calves. The adminstration of IgY in calves did not affect body weight and weight gain during 49 days feeding trial compared with control group. The CFU of E. coli and Lactobacilli in the feces of calves were not significantly affected by IgY treatment, whereas the score of the calf scours during day 43 to 49 in IgY group showed a significant (P<0.05) solid type. There were no differences in plasma biochemical components including total protein, albumin, immunoglobulin and the other indicators. As for WBC differential count (%), there was no statistical difference in the percentages of neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil and basophil at 0, 7 and 49 days after the oral supplementation of IgY. In conclusion, the oral supplementation of IgY as an immunostimulant did not affect growth performance, fecal microbial population, blood biochemical profile and WBC differential count in Holstein calves.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.60 no.1
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• pp.29.1-29.6
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• 2018

Background: Dietary supplementation of zinc oxide (ZnO) to 2000 to 4000 mg/kg is known to be effective for the prevention and treatment of post-weaning diarrhea in the pig. Such a 'pharmacological' supplementation, however, can potentially result in environmental pollution of the heavy metal, because dietary ZnO is mostly excreted unabsorbed. Two experiments (Exp.) were performed in the present study to determine the effects of a lipid-coated ZnO supplement Shield Zn (SZ) compared with those of ZnO. Methods: In Exp. 1, a total of 240 21-day-old weanling pigs were fed a diet supplemented with 100 mg Zn/kg as ZnO (ZnO-100), ZnO-2500, SZ-100, or SZ-200 in 24 pens for 14 days on a farm with its post-weaning pigs exhibiting a low incidence of diarrhea. Exp. 2 was performed using 192 24-day-old piglets as in Exp. 1 on a different farm, which exhibited a high incidence of diarrhea. Results: In Exp. 1, fecal consistency (diarrhea) score (FCS) was less for the ZnO-2500 and SZ-200 groups than for the SZ-100 group (P < 0.05), with no difference between the SZ-100 and ZnO-100 groups. Both average daily gain (ADG) and gain:feed ratio were less for the SZ-200 group than for the ZnO-2500 group, with no difference between the ZnO-100 group and SZ-100 or SZ-200 group. The villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD), and VH:CD ratio of the intestinal mucosa were not influenced by the treatment. In Exp. 2, FCS was lowest for the ZnO-2500 group, with no difference among the other groups. However, neither the ADG nor gain:feed ratio was influenced by the treatment. Conclusion: Results suggest that physiological SZ supplementation has less beneficial effects than pharmacological ZnO for the alleviation of diarrhea irrespective of its severity and for promoting growth without influencing their integrity of the intestinal mucosal structures with little advantage over physiological ZnO in weanling pigs with a small pen size.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.4
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• pp.271-280
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Aspergillus niger-derived multi-enzyme complex supplementation to feedrestricted lactating sows on performances, milk yield, blood profiles, and manure excretion as compared with ad libitum-fed sows without supplementation of enzyme. Fifty multiparous lactating Berkshire sows were allotted to 5 treatments of 10 sows per treatment during a 28-d lactation period and litter per sow was standardized to 9 suckling piglets. Treatments were ad libitum-fed sows without enzyme and feed-restricted sows supplemented with four increasing levels (0, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08%) of multi-enzyme complex derived from Aspergillus niger. Blood samples from all sows were collected to determine serum metabolite concentrations before the morning feeding on d 27 of lactation. Litter body weight and a piglet weight at weaning, and litter weight gain significantly (P<0.05) increased with increasing levels of multi-enzyme complex, but there was no significant difference between ad libitum-fed sows without enzyme and feed-restricted sows supplemented with multi-enzyme complex. Body condition score and backfat depth at weaning significantly (P<0.05) increased as multi-enzyme complex level increased. Lactational backfat depth tended (P>0.05) to less decrease with increasing levels of enzyme complex. Serum inorganic phosphorus and non-esterified fatty acid concentrations significantly (P<0.05) increased with increasing levels of enzyme complex. Daily milk yield was not significantly different across treatments, but milk fat yield significantly (P<0.05) increased as multi-enzyme complex level increased. Manure output was significantly (P<0.01) higher for ad libitum-fed sows than for feed-restricted sows, but there was no significant difference among feed-restricted sows supplemented with increasing levels of multi-enzyme complex. Fecal phosphorus amount significantly (P<0.05) decreased with increasing levels of multi-enzyme complex. Feed costs of sows per litter weight gain were reduced by 1.25% to 9.67% with increasing levels of multi-enzyme complex as compared with ad libitum-fed sows without enzyme. The results indicated that multi-enzyme supplementation to feed-restricted lactating sows not only increased litter performances, but also was comparable to ad libitum-fed sows, resulting in reduced feed costs. Moreover, the reduction of fecal phosphorus amount with increasing levels of enzyme complex would contribute to the reduction of environmental pollution.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.643-649
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of feeding direct-fed microbials (DFM) on the growth performance and prophylaxis of calf diarrhea during the pre-weaning period as an alternative to antibiotics. A multi-species DFM was formulated including three lactic acid bacteria (Lactobacillus salivarius Ls29, Pediococcus acidilactia Pa175, and L. plantarum Lp177), three Bacillus strains (B. subtilis T4, B. polymyxa T1 and SM2), one yeast, Saccharomyces boulardii, and a nonpathogenic E. coli Nissle 1917. Lactic acid bacteria and Bacillus strains were selected based on the antibacterial activity against various animal pathogens, especially pathogenic E. coli using agar diffusion methods in vitro. Test and control groups were fed milk replacer and calf starter supplemented with DFM ($10^9$ cfu each of eight species/d/head, n = 29) or with antibiotics (0.1% neomycin sulfate in milk replacer and Colistin 0.08% and Oxyneo 110/110 0.1% in calf starter, n = 15), respectively. Overall fecal score and the incidence rate of diarrhea were reduced in the DFM group compared to the antibiotics one. About 40% of calves in antibiotic group suffered from diarrhea while in DFM group only 14% showed diarrhea. There was no difference in the average daily gain and feed efficiency of two groups. The hematological levels of calves were all within the normal range with no significant difference. In conclusion, the feeding of multispecies DFM during the pre-weaning period could reduce calf diarrhea and there was no difference in the growth performance between the groups, thus showing the potential as an alternative to antibiotics.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.57 no.1
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• pp.4.1-4.5
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• 2015

The study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of a lipid-encapsulated Zinc oxide on growth parameters and intestinal mucosal morphology piglets born to Duroc-sired Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire dams. Twenty-four 30-day-old piglets weaned at 25 days of age were orally challenged with $5{\times}10^8$ colony forming units of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) K88 and fed one of the four diets for 7 days: (i) a nursery basal diet containing 100-ppm ZnO (referred to as BASAL), (ii) BASAL supplemented with 120-ppm apramycin (referred to as ANTIBIO), (iii) BASAL with 2,400-ppm ZnO (referred to as HIGH), and BASAL containing 100-ppm lipid-encapsulated ZnO (referred to as LE). All piglets were killed at the end of the experiment for histological examination on the intestine. The results showed that the average daily gain (ADG), the villus height: crypt depth (CD) ratio in the ileum, and the goblet cell density of the villus and crypt in the duodenum, jejunum, and colon were greater in the LE-fed group that those of the BASAL (p < 0.05). Fecal consistency score (FCS) and the CD ratio in the ileum were less in the LE-fed group, compared to the BASAL-fed one (p < 0.05). The effects observed in the LE-fed group were almost equal to those of the HIGH-fed group as well as even superior to those of the ANTIBIO-fed group. Taken together, our results imply that dietary supplementation of 100-ppm lipid-encapsulated ZnO is as effective as that of 2,400-ppm ZnO for promoting growth diarrhea and intestinal morphology caused by ETEC infection.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.705-713
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• 2019

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary non-genetically modified organism (non-GMO) wheat-based diets on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profile and meat quality of grower-finisher pigs. A total of 70 [(Landrace × Yorkshire) × Duroc] growing pigs with an initial body weight of 26.15 ± 1.57 kg were used in a 112 day trial. The dietary treatments were as follows: (I) CD, corn-based diet and (II) non-GMO WD, a non-genetically modified organism wheat-based diet. Each treatment consisted of 7 replicate pens with 5 pigs per pen. In the current study, the pigs fed the corn-based diet had a higher body weight than the pigs fed the non-GMO wheat-based diet at day 21 and day 77 (p < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the average daily gain (ADG) during the first 21 days (p < 0.05). The non-GMO wheat-based diet had no effect on nutrient digestibility. In addition, the non-GMO wheat-based diet had no effect on the blood profile except for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) at d 21. In conclusion, the non-GMO wheat-based diet only had a slight effect on the growth performance of growing pigs but had no significant impact on the nutrient digestibility, fecal score, blood profile and meat quality of the pigs during the grower-finisher period.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.254-260
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• 2017

The primary goals of this research were to evaluate the impact of diet supplemented with 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ ($Hy{\cdot}D(R)$) on sow's body condition and reproduction performance. A total of sixteen multiparous sows [(Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire), average parity = $3.79{\pm}0.32$] and their litters were randomly allotted to 2 treatments to give 8 replicates per treatment. Diet treatments were randomized to receive a non-active (ND) or active 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ (AD) diet (0.36 mg cholecalciferol/g) during pregnancy. The results of this experiment were observed at the gestation of d 58 - 75, d 76 - 95, d 96 - 110, and d 111 - 115. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements recommended by NRC (2012). Results indicated that the sows' farrowing duration was shortened (4.71, 5.38 h), and the average number of mummified fetuses decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in AD treatment compared with ND treatment (0.1, 0.5) while birth weight was significantly (p < 0.05) improved (1.44, 1.18 kg). There were no significant effects on body weight, backfat thickness, and fecal score during the gestation of sows in different phases (p > 0.05). And the total birth, stillbirth, live birth, and survival rates of the litter did not change (p > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the farrowing duration of sow pigs will be shortened and the number of mummies will be decreased while their litters' body weight may be improved, if fed active 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ (0.36 mg/g) during pregnancy phase.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.374-378
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• 2004

One hundred and twenty crossbred pigs [(Duroc$\times$Yorkshire)$\times$Landrace] were used to determine the effects of plant extract (PE) supplementation on performance and blood characteristics in weaned pigs fed a corn-dried whey-SBM based diet. Treatments were 1) NC (antibiotic free basal diet), 2) PC (NC diet+100 ppm apramycin and 100 ppm oxytetracycline), 3) PE 0.1 (NC diet+0.1% plant extract), 4) PE 0.2 (NC diet+0.2% plant extract) and 5) PE+AB (PC diet+0.1% plant extract). Through the entire experimental period, ADG of pigs fed PC (300 vs. 281 g/d), PE 0.2 (310 vs. 281 g/d) and PE+AB (306 vs. 281 g/d) diets was higher than that of pigs fed NC diet (p<0.05). However, no differences were found among the treatments for ADFI and gain/feed. At day 2 after the onset of the experiment, fecal consistency score of pigs fed PC, PE 0.1, PE 0.2 and PE+AB diets was lower than that of pigs fed NC diet. There were no significant differences in red blood cell, white blood cell, lymphocytes, neutrophils and monocytes concentrations of blood among the treatments. In conclusion, PE can be used to replace antibiotics in diets for weaned pigs without negative affects on performance. Optimal PE levels seemed to be 0.2% and the results obtained point out to a synergic effect of the combination of PE and antibiotic on performance in weaned pigs.