Explore the vast range of titles available.

Neonatal supplementation with resveratrol (RSV) or nicotinamide riboside (NR) programs in male mice brown adipocyte-like features in white adipose tissue (WAT browning) together with improved metabolism in adulthood. We tested the involvement in this programming of long-term epigenetic changes in two browning-related genes that are overexpressed in WAT of supplemented mice, Slc27a1 and Prdm16. Suckling mice received orally the vehicle, RSV or NR from postnatal days 2-to-20. After weaning (d21) onto a chow diet, male mice were habituated to a normal-fat diet (NFD) starting d75, and split on d90 into continuation on the NFD or switching to a high-fat diet (HFD) until euthanization on d164. CpG methylation by bisulfite-sequencing was analyzed on inguinal WAT. Both treatments modified methylation marks in Slc27a1 and Prdm16 and the HFD-dependent dynamics of these marks in the adult WAT, with distinct and common effects. The treatments also affected gene expression of de novo DNA methylases in WAT of young animals (euthanized at d35 in independent experiments). Studies in 3T3-L1 adipocytes indicated the direct effects of RSV and NR on the DNA methylation machinery and favoring browning features. The results support epigenetic effects being involved in WAT programming by neonatal RSV or NR supplementation in male mice.

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed efficiency defined as the difference between the observed feed intake and that predicted from the average requirements for growth and maintenance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the response in a selection experiment consisting of a line selected for low RFI and a random control line and to estimate the genetic parameters for RFI and related production and carcass traits. Beginning with random allocation of purebred Yorkshire littermates, in each generation, electronically measured ADFI, ADG, and ultrasound backfat (BF) were evaluated during a ~40- to ~115-kg of BW test period on ~90 boars from first parity and ~90 gilts from second parity sows of the low RFI line. After evaluation of first parity boars, ~12 boars and ~70 gilts from the low RFI line were selected to produce ~50 litters for the next generation. Approximately 30 control line litters were produced by random selection and mating. Selection was on EBV for RFI from an animal model analysis of ADFI, with on-test group and sex (fixed), pen within group and litter (random), and covariates for interactions of on- and off-test BW, on-test age, ADG, and BF with generations. The RFI explained 34% of phenotypic variation in ADFI. After 4 generations of selection, estimates of heritability for RFI, ADFI, ADG, feed efficiency (FE, which is the reciprocal of the feed conversion ratio and equals ADG/ ADFI), and ultrasound-predicted BF, LM area (LMA), and intramuscular fat (IMF) were 0.29, 0.51, 0.42, 0.17, 0.68, 0.57, and 0.28, respectively; predicted responses based on average EBV in the low RFI line were -114, -202, and -39 g/d for RFI (= 0.9 phenotypic SD), ADFI (0.9 SD), and ADG (0.4 SD), respectively, and 1.56% for FE (0.5 SD), -0.37 mm for BF (0.1 SD), 0.35 cm² for LMA (0.1 SD), and -0.10% for IMF (0.3 SD). Direct phenotypic comparison of the low RFI and control lines based on 92 low RFI and 76 control gilts from the second parity of generation 4 showed that selection had significantly decreased RFI by 96 g/d (P = 0.002) and ADFI by 165 g/d (P < 0.0001). The low RFI line also had 33 g/d lower ADG (P = 0.022), 1.36% greater FE (P = 0.09), and 1.99 mm less BF (P = 0.013). There was not a significant difference in LMA and other carcass traits, including subjective marbling score, despite a large observed difference in ultrasound-predicted IMF (-1.05% with P < 0.0001). In conclusion, RFI is a heritable trait, and selection for low RFI has significantly decreased the feed required for a given rate of growth and backfat.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of yeast culture (YC) and modified yeast culture [YC + cell wall product (CWP) containing mannan oligosaccharides] in pig diets on the performance, gut integrity, and blood cell composition of weanling pigs and to determine whether these dietary supplements could replace antimicrobial growth promoters (AGP) in pig diets. A total of 480 weanling pigs (27 d old and 7.8 ± 0.1 kg of BW) were assigned to 1 of 4 experimental treatments: 1) diets without AGP or YC (control diet); 2) control + AGP; 3) control + 0.125% YC; and 4) control + 0.125% YC + 0.2% CWP. Piglets were fed experimental diets for 5 wk after weaning. Blood samples were collected from 8 piglets at weaning and from 8 piglets per treatment on d 14 and 35 after weaning for blood cell composition. These piglets were slaughtered for measurement of villous length and crypt depth in the jejunal mucosa and microbial profiling on the intestinal digesta. Average daily gain (P = 0.06) and G:F (P = 0.02) were improved for piglets that were fed the supplemented diets compared with piglets that were fed the control diet. Average daily feed intake was unaffected by dietary treatment. Performance was similar in piglets fed diets supplemented with AGP, YC, and YC + CWP. Blood cell composition, villous length, crypt depth, and microbial composition in the gut were unaffected by dietary treatment, but they were affected by time after weaning. Red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit value, mean cell volume, mean cell hemoglobin, percentage of lymphocytes in the leukocyte population, villous length, and crypt depth were greater (P < 0.05) at 5 wk after weaning than at 2 wk after weaning. Eosinophils (P = 0.06) in the leukocyte population tended to be greater at 5 wk after weaning. Concentration of neutrophils in the leukocyte population and percentages of CD4 and CD8 cells were lower (P < 0.02) at 5 wk after weaning. The CD4:CD8 ratio (P = 0.07) tended to be lower at 5 wk after weaning. Results suggest that yeast culture could be an alternative to AGP in the diets of weanling pigs and that addition of CWP to diets containing YC would not improve the performance or health of weanling pigs above that of YC alone. Thus, more insight into the mode of action of YC is needed.

Sodium butyrate (SB) provided orally favours body growth and maturation of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) in milk-fed pigs. In weaned pigs, conflicting results have been obtained. Therefore, we hypothesised that the effects of SB (3 g/kg DM intake) depend on the period (before v. after weaning) of its oral administration. From the age of 5 d, thirty-two pigs, blocked in quadruplicates within litters, were assigned to one of four treatments: no SB (control), SB before (for 24 d), or after (for 11–12 d) weaning and SB before and after weaning (for 35–36 d). Growth performance, feed intake and various end-point indices of GIT anatomy and physiology were investigated at slaughter. The pigs supplemented with SB before weaning grew faster after weaning than the controls (P < 0·05). The feed intake was higher in pigs supplemented with SB before or after weaning (P < 0·05). SB provided before weaning improved post-weaning faecal digestibility (P < 0·05) while SB after weaning decreased ileal and faecal digestibilities (P < 0·05). Gastric digesta retention was higher when SB was provided before weaning (P < 0·05). Post-weaning administration of SB decreased the activity of three pancreatic enzymes and five intestinal enzymes (P < 0·05). IL-18 gene expression tended to be lower in the mid-jejunum in SB-supplemented pigs. The small-intestinal mucosa was thinner and jejunal villous height lower in all SB groups (P < 0·05). In conclusion, the pre-weaning SB supplementation was the most efficient to stimulate body growth and feed intake after weaning, by reducing gastric emptying and intestinal mucosa weight and by increasing feed digestibility.

Honeybees are important pollinators, having an essential role in the ecology of natural and agricultural environments. Honeybee colony losses episodes reported worldwide and have been associated with different pests and pathogens, pesticide exposure, and nutritional stress. This nutritional stress is related to the increase in monoculture areas which leads to a reduction of pollen availability and diversity. In this study, we examined whether nutritional stress affects honeybee gut microbiota, bee immunity, and infection by Nosema ceranae, under laboratory conditions. Consumption of Eucalyptus grandis pollen was used as a nutritionally poor-quality diet to study nutritional stress, in contraposition to the consumption of polyfloral pollen. Honeybees feed with Eucalyptus grandis pollen showed a lower abundance of Lactobacillus mellifer and Lactobacillus apis (Firm-4 and Firm-5, respectively) and Bifidobacterium spp. and a higher abundance of Bartonella apis, than honeybees fed with polyfloral pollen. Besides the impact of nutritional stress on honeybee microbiota, it also decreased the expression levels of vitellogenin and genes associated to immunity (glucose oxidase, hymenoptaecin and lysozyme). Finally, Eucalyptus grandis pollen favored the multiplication of Nosema ceranae. These results show that nutritional stress impacts the honeybee gut microbiota, having consequences on honeybee immunity and pathogen development. Those results may be useful to understand the influence of modern agriculture on honeybee health.

Increasing food production for the growing human population off a constraining land base will require greater efficiency of production. Genetic improvement of feed efficiency in cattle, which is cumulative and permanent, is one likely vehicle to achieving efficiency gains. The objective of this review is to summarize genetic parameters for feed efficiency traits in dairy and beef cattle and also to address some of the misconceptions associated with feed efficiency in these sectors, as well as discuss the potential use of feed efficiency in breeding programs. A meta-analysis of up to 39 scientific publications in growing cattle clearly showed that genetic variation in feed efficiency exists with a pooled heritability for residual feed intake (RFI) and feed conversion efficiency of 0.33 ± 0.01 (range of 0.07 to 0.62) and 0.23 ± 0.01 (range of 0.06 to 0.46), respectively. Heritability estimates for feed efficiency in cows were lower; a meta-analysis of up to 11 estimates revealed heritability estimates for gross feed efficiency and RFI of 0.06 ± 0.010 and 0.04 ± 0.008, respectively. Meta-analysis of genetic correlations between feed intake, feed efficiency and other performance traits are presented, and selection index theory is used to calculate the proportion of genetic variation in feed intake that can be explained by easy to measure, and often already collected, data. A large proportion of the genetic variation in feed intake could be explained in both growing animals and lactating animals using up to 5 predictor traits, including BW, growth rate, milk yield, body composition, and linear type traits reflecting body size and muscularity. Knowledge of genetic merit for feed intake can be used, along with estimates of genetic merit for energy sinks, to calculate genetic merit for feed efficiency. Therefore, the marginal benefit of collecting actual feed intake data, using the genetic parameters used in this study, appears to be low. There is now sufficient information available to develop a road map on how best to direct research to ensure long-term food security for a growing human population. Gaps in knowledge are identified here, and possibilities to address these gaps are discussed.

Environmental effects on parents can strongly affect the phenotype of their offspring, which alters the heritability of traits and the offspring's responses to the environment. We examined whether P limitation of the aquatic invertebrate, Daphnia magna, alters the responses of its offspring to inadequate P nutrition. Mother Daphnia consuming P-poor algal food produced smaller neonates having lower body P content compared to control (P-rich) mothers. These offspring from P-stressed mothers, when fed P-rich food, grew faster and reproduced on the same schedule as those from P-sufficient mothers. In contrast, offspring from P-stressed mothers, when fed P-poor food, grew more slowly and had delayed reproduction compared to their sisters born to control mothers. There was also weak evidence that daughters from P-stressed mothers are more susceptible to infection by the virulent bacterium, Pasteuria ramosa. Our results show that P stress is not only transferred across generations, but also that its effect on the offspring generation varies depending upon the quality of their own environment. Maternal P nutrition can thus determine the nature of offspring responses to food P content and potentially obfuscates relationships between the performance of offspring and their own nutrition. Given that food quality can be highly variable within and among natural environments, our results demonstrate that maternal effects should be included as an additional dimension into studies of how elemental nutrition affects the physiology, ecology, and evolution of animal consumers.

Bacillus circulans PB7, isolated from the intestine of Catla catla, was evaluated for use as a probiotic supplement in the feeds for the fingerlings of Catla catla. The effect of supplement on the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency, and immune response was evaluated. Catla fingerlings (ave. wt. 6.48 ± 0.43 g) were fed diets supplemented with 2 x 10⁴ (feed C1), 2 x 10⁵ (feed C2), and 2 x 10⁶ (feed C3) B. circulans PB 7 cells per 100 g feed for 60 days at 5% of the body weight per day in two equal instalments in triplicate treatments. The control feed (CC) was not supplemented with the B. circulans. All the feeds were isocaloric and isonitrogenous. Fish fed with feed C2 displayed better growth, significantly (P <= 0.05) highest RNA/DNA ratio, a lower feed conversion ratio (FCR), and a higher protein efficiency ratio (PER) than the other experimental diets. Highest carcass protein and lipid was also observed in the fish fed C2 feed compared to the others. Significantly (P <= 0.05), highest protease was recorded in fish fed feed C2 (47.9 ± 0.016) and lowest in fish fed feed C3 (32.10 ± 0.009), where α-amylase activity did not differ significantly (P <= 0.05) beyond the lowest inclusion level. ALP, ACP, GOT, and GPT in the liver of Catla catla were the highest (P <= 0.05) in fish fed C2 feed. The highest TSP, albumin, and globulin was observed in fish treated with C2 feed after 60 days feeding trial, but the lowest glucose level was observed in the same treatment. After the feeding trial, the non-specific immunity levels and disease resistance of fish were also studied. Phagocytic ratio, phagocytic index, and leucocrit value were the highest in fish fed feed C2. After the feeding trial, the fish were challenged for 10 days by bath exposure to Aeromonas hydrophila (AH1) (10⁵c.f.u. ml⁻¹ for 1 h, and, after 7 days, 10⁷c.f.u. ml⁻¹ for 1 h). Highest survival percentage was observed in fish fed with feed C2 compared with only 6.66% in the controls, which indicated the effectiveness of B. circulans PB 7 in reducing disease caused by A. hydrophila.

Carrion provides a resource for a subset of animal species that deliver a critical ecosystem service by consuming dead animal matter and recycling its nutrients. A growing number of studies have also shown various effects of carrion on different plant and microbial communities. However, there has been no review of these studies to bring this information together and identify priority areas for future research. We review carrion ecology studies from the last two decades and summarise the range of spatial and temporal effects of carrion on soil nutrients, microbes, plants, arthropods, and vertebrates. We identify key knowledge gaps in carrion ecology, and discuss how closing these gaps can be achieved by focusing future research on the (1) different kinds of carrion resources, (2) interactions between different components of the carrion community, (3) the ways that ecosystem context can moderate carrion effects, and (4) considerations for carrion management. To guide this research, we outline a framework that builds on the 'ephemeral resource patch' concept, and helps to structure research questions that link localised effects of carrion with their consequences at landscape scales. This will enable improved characterisation of carrion as a unique resource pool, provide answers for land managers in a position to influence carrion availability, and establish the ways that carrion affects the dynamics of species diversity and ecological processes within landscapes.