Evaluation of seaweeds from marine waters in Northwestern Europe for application in animal nutrition

The increasing demand for animal protein by the growing world population intensifies the exploration of novel feed sources. This study evaluated the nutritional value of six intact seaweed species (i.e. the brown species Saccharina latissima, Laminaria digitata, and Ascophyllum nodossum, the red species Palmaria palmata, and Chondrus crispus and green species Ulva lactuca), collected from the coast of Ireland, Scotland and France as an ingredient for animal feed. The nutrient composition, in vitro digestibility, and in vitro gas production simulating rumen fermentation, were determined. The nutrient contents (g/kg dry matter), both between and within species, were highly variable, ranging from 45–248 for crude protein, 351–691 for non-starch polysaccharides, and 173–445 for ash. Overall, the brown seaweeds had the highest non-starch polysaccharides content, whereas samples of the red and green seaweeds had an amino acid content up to 265 g/kg dry matter. All samples had a substantial non-protein nitrogen fraction, varying from 0.12–0.29 of nitrogen. The fibre fractions of brown seaweeds showed different properties than land-based plants, as illustrated by a lower analysed neutral detergent fibre than acid detergent fibre content. The ileal organic matter and nitrogen digestibility, as well as the total tract organic matter digestibility (mean digestibility coefficients: 0.81, 0.89 and 0.88, respectively) were lower for all seaweeds compared to soybean meal (digestibility coefficients: 0.84, 0.98 and 0.97, respectively). S. latissima, L digitata, P. palmata and U. lactuca had a higher maximum gas production than alfalfa, but lower than sugar beet pulp. Based on the protein content and amino acid-pattern, intact P. palmata and U. lactuca would be a valuable protein source for farm animals, with the high non-starch polysaccharides and non-protein nitrogen contents and a low in vitro digestibility potentially limiting their use as a feed ingredient for monogastric species. The fermentability of L. digitata, S. latissima and P. palmata indicate that these intact seaweeds may have a higher nutritional value in ruminants. The high ash content in all seaweed species hampers the use of intact seaweed for both ruminants and monogastrics. Extraction of protein and other favourable components, while reducing the ash content, seems an important step towards seaweed inclusion in animal diets. Further identification and characterisation of seaweed polysaccharides is required to understand and improve the digestibility of seaweed fractions.</p

Timing of colonoscopy after resection for colorectal cancer: Are we looking too soon?

BACKGROUND: Based on current National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines, colonoscopic surveillance after colorectal cancer resection should begin at 1 year

Improving ruminal degradability of oil palm fronds using white rot fungi

The use of oil palm fronds (OPF) in livestock production is limited as up to 0.20 of their dry biomass is lignin. White rot fungi (WRF) are very effective basidiomycetes for biological pre-treatment as they degrade lignin extensively. Ten WRF were screened for their potential to increase OPF digestibility, which were colonized with one of the 10 WRF for 3 or 9 wks at 30 °C. After colonization, weight loss, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, lignin(pm), cellulose, crude protein and ash were determined. Further, in vitro gas production was determined using rumen fluid either, or not, adapted to OPF. Finally, in vitro degradability of organic matter was determined using cellulase. Results showed that longer colonization was associated with higher dry matter (DM) losses. Phanerochaete chrysosporium had the highest weight loss, whereas OPF colonized for 9 wks with Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, Pleurotus ostreatus, Phlebia brevispora, Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus eryngii and Trametes versicolor had the highest lignin(pm) degradation. Treatments with the highest lignin(pm) loss, rather than selective lignin(pm) degradation, had the most potential to increase in vitro gas or volatile fatty acid production. Nevertheless, total lignin(pm) loss explained only 0.60 of the variation in in vitro DM degradability. It appeared that within the selected group of fungi which had the highest lignin(pm) degradation (i.e., C. subvermispora, Ganoderma lucidum, L. edodes, P. brevispora and P. eryngii), additional cellulose degradation was essential to substantially increase in vitro DM degradability either with rumen fluid adapted, or not, to OPF. C. subvermispora (3 wks) and L. edodes and P. brevispora (9 wks) were most promising for OPF pre-treatment, but relatively high biomass losses during fungi colonization need further research attention

Prospect of yeast probiotic inclusion enhances livestock feeds utilization and performance : an overview

An important aspect of live yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) inclusion in the diets of ruminants is improved animal productivity. Inclusion of yeasts in ruminant diets may alter rumen microbes and their metabolites and promote a favorable intestinal microflora by increasing the population of beneficial microorganisms. Beneficial microbes compete for nutrients and attachment sites with pathogens, thereby reducing the growth of harmful microbes in the rumen. Yeasts enhance growth and average daily weight gain of animals by improving nutrients digestion and absorption. Probiotics can alter the fatty acid composition of meat and milk, and it is common knowledge that a lower fatty acid profile may directly confer health benefits to consumers by reducing harmful cholesterol levels in animal products and thus favorable to human nutrition. Furthermore, yeast probiotics have been shown to enhance immunity by inducing an immunomodulatory effect on the animal in addition to their ability to lower cholesterol, adhesion properties of the intestinal mucosa, and colonial resistance to strengthen gut integrity. This review highlights that yeast probiotics play a role in the ruminal microbial population dynamics, cholesterol-lowering ability and immunostimulatory potentials, yeast adhesion properties, and colonial resistance. Additional benefits include a healthy gut with concomitant increase in animal productivity, nutrient digestion, and absorption and general animal welfare. Overall, yeast probiotics appear to be a viable alternative to the use of antibiotics to improve animal welfare

High fat intake by ponies reduces both apparent digestibility of dietary cellulose and cellulose fermentation by faeces and isolated caecal and colonic contents

Inclusion of extra fat in the diet of horses, at the expense of an iso-energetic amount of nonstructural carbohydrates, has been shown to decrease the apparent digestibility of the various dietary fiber fractions, but the mechanism was unknown. It was hypothesized that inclusion of extra fat in the diet depresses the caecal and/or colon microbial degradation of fiber, leading to a decrease in fiber digestion. The hypothesis was tested using six ponies fed either low fat or a high fat ration. In the ponies, the high fat ration lowered apparent NDFom digestibility by 0.089. The 12 ponies were killed and intestinal contents isolated to be used as inoculum with in vitro gas production technique. In general, groups mean maximum gas production from either cellulose or xylan by caecal, colon and faecal bacteria was lower when the ponies had been fed the high fat diet. Cumulative gas production by caecal fluid with xylan as substrate after 20 h of incubation was depressed when the donor animals had been fed the high fat diet. With cellulose as substrate, gas production by caecal contents was lowered by on average 20% after fat feeding of the ponies. There was a diet effect of cell-free caecal fluid on gas production from cellulose by a standard inoculum: fat feeding had an inhibitory impact. It is concluded that fat feeding in ponies inhibits microbial activity in the caecum, which in turn leads to a decrease in fiber digestibility. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved