The research involving the beneficial aspects of amino acids being added to poultry feed pertaining to performance, growth, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio is extensive. Yet currently the effects of amino acids on the gut microbiota aren’t fully understood nor have there been many studies executed in poultry to explain the relationship between amino acids and the gut microbiota. The overall outcome of health has been linked to bird gut health due to the functionality of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) for digestion/absorption of nutrients as well as immune response. These essential functions of the GI are greatly driven by the resident microbiota which produce metabolites such as butyrate, propionate, and acetate, providing the microbiota a suitable and thrive driven environment. Feed, age, the use of feed additives and pathogenic infections are the main factors that have an effect on the microbial community within the GIT. Changes in these factors may have potential effects on the gut microbiota in the chicken intestine which in turn may have an influence on health essentially affecting growth, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio. This review will highlight limited research studies that investigated the possible role of amino acids in the gut microbiota composition of poultry.
Rapid and early detection of infectious diseases in pigs is important, especially for the implementation of control measures in suspected cases of African swine fever (ASF), as an effective and safe vaccine is not yet available in most of the affected countries. Additionally, analysis for swine influenza is of significance due to its high morbidity rate (up to 100%) despite a lower mortality rate compared to ASF. The wide distribution of swine influenza A virus (SwIAV) across various countries, the emergence of constantly new recombinant strains, and the danger of human infection underscore the need for rapid and accurate diagnosis. Several diagnostic approaches and commercial methods should be applied depending on the scenario, type of sample and the objective of the studies being implemented. At the early diagnosis of an outbreak, virus genome detection using a variety of PCR assays proves to be the most sensitive and specific technique. As the disease evolves, serology gains diagnostic value, as specific antibodies appear later in the course of the disease (after 7–10 days post-infection (DPI) for ASF and between 10–21 DPI for SwIAV). The ongoing development of commercial kits with enhanced sensitivity and specificity is evident. This review aims to analyse recent advances and current commercial kits utilised for the diagnosis of ASF and SwIAV.
The objectives of this review are to identify the nutritional challenges faced by modern sows and present potential solutions to mitigate excessive maternal tissue loss and reproductive failure as it relates to recent genetic improvements. Current feeding programs have limitations to support the rapid genetic improvements in reproductive performance for modern sows. Since 2012, both litter size at birth and fetal weight have increased by 2.26 pigs per litter and 0.22 kg per piglet, respectively, thereby increasing the nutrient needs for sows during gestation and lactation. Prediction models generated in this review predict that modern sows would need 31% more lysine during gestation when compared with current feeding programs. Physiological challenges facing modern sows are also addressed in this review. High oxidative stress, pelvic organ prolapse, and lameness can directly affect the sow, whereas these physiological challenges can have negative impacts on colostrum and milk quality. In response, there is growing interest in investigating the functional roles of select bioactive compounds as feed additives to mitigate the severity of these challenges. Selenium sources, catechins, and select plant extracts have been utilized to reduce oxidative stress, calcium chloride and phytase have been used to mitigate pelvic organ prolapse and lameness, algae and yeast derivatives have been used to improve colostrum and milk quality, and fiber sources and probiotics have been commonly utilized to improve sow intestinal health. Collectively, this review demonstrates the unique challenges associated with managing the feeding programs for modern sows and the opportunities for revision of the amino acid requirements as well as the use of select bioactive compounds to improve reproductive performance.
Considering an ever-growing global population, which hit 8 billion people in the fall of 2022, it is essential to find solutions to avoid the competition between human food and animal feed for croplands. Agricultural co-products have become important components of the circular economy with their use in animal feed. Their implementation was made possible by the addition of exogenous enzymes in the diet, especially carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). In this review, we describe the diversity and versatility of microbial CAZymes targeting non-starch polysaccharides to improve the nutritional potential of diets containing cereals and protein meals. We focused our attention on cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases which were often found to be crucial in vivo. We also highlight the performance and health benefits brought by the exogenous addition of enzymatic cocktails containing CAZymes in the diets of monogastric animals. Taking the example of the well-studied commercial cocktail Rovabio™, we discuss the evolution, constraints and future challenges faced by feed enzymes suppliers. We hope that this review will promote the use and development of enzyme solutions for industries to sustainably feed humans in the future.
The current state of the world challenges pig reproduction as an important part of One Health, which involves interrelationships between animal, human and environmental health. The One Health concept underlines a comparative aspect in reproductive physiology and disease occurrence, bridging knowledge from one species to another. Seasonal changes in the environment affect pig reproduction and climate change may further strengthen those effects. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), and specifically phthalates and heavy metals, interfere with endocrine function, and thereby sexual behavior, fertilization capacity and steroidogenesis. Reproductive infections and extended semen storage are important indications for antimicrobial use. Innovative solutions are needed to explore alternatives to antimicrobials. Efforts to ensure reproductive efficiency have prolonged farrowing as litter size has doubled over the past three decades, compromising immune transfer and welfare. Physiological, metabolic and programming related events around parturition are key areas for future One Health research in pig reproduction. In conclusion, climate change challenges reproductive management and breeding. More resilient pigs that can tolerate harsh environment but maintain high reproductive performance are needed. EDCs continue to grow as an environmental challenge for reproductive management and alternatives to antibiotics will be required.
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) is one of the most economically important diseases of swine, with losses due to poor reproductive performance and high piglet and growing pig mortality. Transmission of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) may occur by both direct and indirect routes; the latter includes exposure to PRRSV-contaminated fomites, aerosols, and arthropod vectors. This review has collected available data on the ex-vivo environmental stability and persistence of PRRSV in an effort to highlight important sources of the virus and to determine the role of environmental conditions on the stability of the virus, especially temperature. The ex-vivo settings include fomites (solid, porous, and liquid fomites), insects, people, and pork meat, as well as the role of environmental conditions on the stability of the virus, especially temperature.
Current knowledge on porcine circovirus diseases (PCVD) caused by Porcine circovirus 2 (PCV-2) includes the subclinical infection (PCV-2-SI), systemic (PCV-2-SD) and reproductive (PCV-2-RD) diseases, and porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS). Criteria to establish the diagnosis of these conditions have not changed over the years; thus, the triad composed by clinical signs, lesions and viral detection in lesions are still the hallmark for PCV-2-SD and PCV-2-RD. In contrast, PCV-2-SI diagnosis is not usually performed since this condition is perceived to be controlled by default through vaccination. PDNS is diagnosed by gross and histopathological findings, and PCV-2 detection is not recognized as a diagnostic criterion. Molecular biology methods as a proxy for PCVD diagnoses have been extensively used in the last decade, although these techniques should be mainly considered as monitoring tools rather than diagnostic ones. What has changed over the years is the epidemiological picture of PCV-2 through the massive use of vaccination, which allowed the decrease in infectious pressure paralleled with a decrease in overall herd immunity. Consequently, the need for establishing the diagnosis of PCVD has increased lately, especially in cases with a PCV-2-SD-like condition despite vaccination. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to update the current knowledge on diagnostic criteria for PCVDs and to contextualize the interest of using molecular biology methods in the overall picture of these diseases within variable epidemiological scenarios of PCV-2 infection.
African swine fever is a contagious disease, affecting pigs and wild boars, which poses a major threat to the pig industry worldwide and, therefore, to the agricultural economies of many countries. Despite intensive studies, an effective vaccine against the disease has not yet been developed. Since 2007, ASFV has been circulating in Eastern and Central Europe, covering an increasingly large area. As of 2018, the disease is additionally spreading at an unprecedented scale in Southeast Asia, nearly ruining China's pig-producing sector and generating economic losses of approximately USD 111.2 billion in 2019. ASFV's high resistance to environmental conditions, together with the lack of an approved vaccine, plays a key role in the spread of the disease. Therefore, the biosecurity and disinfection of pig farms are the only effective tools through which to prevent ASFV from entering the farms. The selection of a disinfectant, with research-proven efficacy and proper use, taking into account environmental conditions, exposure time, pH range, and temperature, plays a crucial role in the disinfection process. Despite the significant importance of ASF epizootics, little information is available on the effectiveness of different disinfectants against ASFV. In this review, we have compiled the current knowledge on the transmission, spread, and control of ASF using the principles of biosecurity, with particular attention to disinfection, including a perspective based on Polish experience with ASF control.
The efficiency of pig production using nutrients has increased over the years. Still, better efficiency of nutrient utilization can be achieved by feeding pigs with diets adjusted to their estimated requirements. An increase in nutrient efficiency of utilization represents economic gains while maximizing environmental performance. The objective of this paper is to review the impact of different methods of diet formulation that provide farm animals with the amount of nutrients to satisfy their needs while minimizing nutrient excretion and greenhouse gas emissions. Diet formulation is one tool that can help to maximize nitrogen and energy utilization by decreasing crude protein content in diets. The use of local feedstuff and non-human-edible products (e.g., canola meal) associated with synthetic amino acid inclusion in the diet are valuable techniques to reduce carbon footprint. Precision feeding and nutrition is another powerful tool that allows not only daily tailoring of diets for maximal nutrient efficiency of utilization but also to reduce costs and improve nitrogen efficiency of utilization. In this review, we simulated through mathematical models the nitrogen and energy efficiency of utilization resulting from crude protein reduction in the diet. An 8% crude protein reduction in the diet can increase nitrogen efficiency of utilization by 54% while costing 11% less than a control diet without synthetic amino acids. The same reduction in crude protein represented a major improvement in available energy due to the decrease of energetic losses linked to protein deamination. Urinary and hindgut fermentation energy losses were 24% lower for pigs fed with low-protein diets when compared to control diets. In terms of modern feeding techniques and strategies, precision feeding and nutrition can decrease nitrogen excretion by 30% when compared to group phase feeding. The benefits of feeding pigs with low-protein diets and precision feeding techniques are additive and might result in a 61% nitrogen efficiency of utilization. There is room for improvement in the way nutrient requirements are estimated in pigs. Improving the understanding of the variation of nutrient utilization among pigs can contribute to further environmental gains.
Poultry is an imperative domesticated livestock species that provides high quality protein and micronutrients as meat and eggs. In poultry production, feed is the single major input constituting 70–75% of total production cost. Feed mainly consists of cereal grains, those provide energy to the birds. However, these grains contain different levels of anti-nutritional factors such as non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). These NSP are indigestible by poultry birds due to the lack of vital endogenous enzymes (carbohydrases) thus increase intestinal viscosity which slower the migration and absorption of nutrients. Consequently, these NSP may also increase the chances for infection by inducing competition within gut microbiota for digestible nutrients. This affects bird's health and increases the production cost. Therefore, there is a need to find efficient and effective solutions for these problems. Carbohydrases supplementation have an important role in poultry diets with high NSP contents. Feed enzymes are being used from years to enhance growth performance and digestibility but have limited activity for selective ingredients. New generation carbohydrases with a board range of activity and stability help to degrade the complex substrates and improve growth performance of poultry. Present review summarizes the updated literature on the use of carbohydrases to improve bird's performance and intestinal health.
极端高温天气引起畜禽产生热应激,进而会导致畜禽激素分泌紊乱,引发一系列非特异性生理生化反应,从而发生代谢障碍.本文论述了猪的最适温度,热应激对猪的危害,如何缓解热应激等,为养猪从业人员如何在夏季高温时节科学合理地应对热应激提出了合理的建议.
9 月 20-22 日,由上海市农业科学院和上海市畜牧兽医学会联合主办的"2023 兽医科技发展论坛暨上海兽医公共卫生论坛"在上海嘉定隆重举行.院党委委员/党委副书记徐伟林(图 1)、上海市畜牧兽医学会理事长马志永研究员(图 2)出席会议并致辞.协办单位上海市动物疫病预防控制中心、上海市农林职业技术学院、上海交通大学农业与生物技术学院领导出席开幕式.来自全国各地近 200 名代表现场参会,800 多人次线上参加会议.会议开幕式由上海市畜牧兽医学会副理事长兼秘书长、上海市农业科学院畜牧兽医研究所所长刘惠莉研究员主持(图3).
禽传染性支气管炎是由传染性支气管炎病毒引起的一种高度接触性传染病,给全球养禽业造成了巨大的经济损失.本文介绍了禽传染性支气管炎病毒的形态结构和分类,生产中临床症状、诊断方法以及免疫接种,为兽医在生产中抓住防控关键点提供帮助.
人工授精技术的发展使优良种公畜的基因得以延续,在畜禽养殖中占有越来越重要的地位,而精液的保存技术也相得益彰.本试验通过在基础稀释液中分别添加不同浓度的雌二醇和黄体酮,初步研究了生殖激素对猪精液冷冻保存效果的影响.结果显示,雌二醇、黄体酮对猪精液冷冻保存后精子活率和活力的维持均有一定效果,最适浓度分别为 10、200 μg/mL,但在细胞膜完整性方面没有突出效果.
为了探究黄芪多糖与恩诺沙星对仔猪黄白痢的治疗效果,试验选用临床上感染致病性大肠杆菌后发生白痢和黄痢的仔猪为研究对象,采用单独或联合使用黄芪多糖和恩诺沙星的3 种方案对发病仔猪进行治疗,治疗期间统计各方案的治愈率、无效率和复发率.结果发现,给发病仔猪单独或联合服用黄芪多糖和恩诺沙星,对仔猪黄痢和白痢均起到较好的治疗效果,并且联合使用黄芪多糖和恩诺沙星的治疗效果强于单独使用黄芪多糖或恩诺沙星的效果,且复发率较低,这表明联合使用黄芪多糖和恩诺沙星对仔猪黄白痢具有较好的治疗效果,可应用于兽医临床.
本研究介绍了一种草药饲料添加剂的体外开发过程,该添加剂能够选择性抑制病原菌组(如产气荚膜梭菌或螺旋体)的增殖,从而使育肥猪在无抗生素的情况下健康无腹泻,且生产性能更好.体外研究表明,日粮中添加 1 kg/t的草药饲料添加剂可抑制 76%的猪场特异短螺旋体和 73%产气荚膜梭菌分离株的生长,日粮中添加 2 kg/t的草药饲料添加剂可成功抑制胞内劳森菌分离株(PHE/MN1-00 株和 963/93 株)的生长.
本试验旨在研究牛磺酸对生长育肥猪抗氧化功能的影响,为牛磺酸在生长育肥猪上的使用提供参考.试验选择 280 头体重约 65 kg健康的生长育肥猪,随机分成 4 组.对照组生长育肥猪饲喂不含有牛磺酸的日粮,试验 1 组、试验 2 组和试验 3 组的生长育肥猪分别饲喂含有1000、1500、2000 mg/kg牛磺酸的试验日粮,饲喂 30 d.试验结束时采集各组生长育肥猪的血液,检测血液抗氧化指标.结果表明,与对照组生长育肥猪相比,添加1500、2000 mg/kg的牛磺酸显著提高了试验 2 组和试验 3 组生长育肥猪血液中过氧化氢酶和超氧化物歧化酶活性(P＜0.05),显著降低了丙二醛的浓度(P＜0.05),显著增强了总抗氧化能力(P＜0.05);而牛磺酸对生长育肥猪血液中的谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶活性未产生显著影响(P＞0.05).综上所述,在日常生产中日粮中添加适量的牛磺酸可提高生长育肥猪血液中抗氧化酶活性,降低脂质氧化产物丙二醛浓度,增强机体的抗氧化功能;考虑饲养效果及成本,生长育肥猪日粮中添加1500 mg/kg牛磺酸较为适宜.
本试验旨在研究不同教保料对杜梅断奶仔猪及保育前期猪生长性能的影响.选取 90头 23 日龄杜梅哺乳仔猪,预试期 7 d,30 日龄断奶,并进入正试期.试验开始前将它们随机分为 3 组,每组 3 栏,每栏 10 头.对照组仔猪饲喂猪场常用的教槽料,试验 1 组和试验 2 组仔猪饲喂上海新邦公司提供的教槽料.第一阶段试验从 30 日龄到 45 日龄仔猪饲喂教槽料.第二阶段,选择生长性能与对照组仔猪差异不显著的试验 1 组,从 46 日龄到 70 日龄饲喂保育前期日粮.结果表明,优质教槽料可提高杜梅断奶仔猪的生长性能,降低杜梅猪教槽阶段的腹泻率;优质保育前期料可以提高仔猪后续生长性能,降低腹泻率.
