Preliminary study on Se-enriched Lentinula edodes mycelium as a proposal of new feed additive in selenium deficiency

The presence of selenium in European soil is low and this causes its deficiency in livestock and, in consequence, in humans. This study aimed to obtain Lentinula (L.) edodes mycelium with the maximum content of selenium. This species was used for experiment based on its documented medicinal properties. Calves were fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium, and serum selenium concentration, average daily weight gains and selected immune parameters were estimated. The selenium-enriched mushroom was found to be safe based on cytotoxicity tests (MTT and LDH tests) and for this reason it was used for further experiments. The mean quantity of selenium in the serum of calves fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium was significantly higher than that of control calves. Additionally, the calves fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium had higher body weight gains than those of control calves. White blood cell counts and subpopulations of lymphocytes in the experimental and control calves were within the reference range. The administration of L. edodes enriched with selenium had a beneficial effect on state of health of the calves

Urinary hepcidin levels in iron-deficient and iron-supplemented piglets correlate with hepcidin hepatic mRNA and serum levels and with body iron status

Among livestock, domestic pig (Sus scrofa) is a species, in which iron metabolism has been most intensively examined during last decade. The obvious reason for studying the regulation of iron homeostasis especially in young pigs is neonatal iron deficiency anemia commonly occurring in these animals. Moreover, supplementation of essentially all commercially reared piglets with iron entails a need for monitoring the efficacy of this routine practice followed in the swine industry for several decades. Since the discovery of hepcidin many studies confirmed its role as key regulator of iron metabolism and pointed out the assessment of its concentrations in biological fluids as diagnostic tool for iron-related disorder. Here we demonstrate that urine hepcidin-25 levels measured by a combination of weak cation exchange chromatography and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (WCX-TOF MS) are highly correlated with mRNA hepcidin expression in the liver and plasma hepcidin-25 concentrations in anemic and iron-supplemented 28-day old piglets. We also found a high correlation between urine hepcidin level and hepatic non-heme iron content. Our results show that similarly to previously described transgenic mouse models of iron disorders, young pigs constitute a convenient animal model to explore accuracy and relationship between indicators for assessing systemic iron status

The Membrane Interactions of Nano-Silica and Its Potential Application in Animal Nutrition

Nanoparticles are increasingly popular in numerous fields including electronics, optics and medicine (vaccines, tissue engineering, microsurgery, genomics and cancer therapies). The most widely used nanoparticles in biomedical applications are those designed by man. Scientists have obtained many types of silica nanoparticles with defined shape and chemical composition, but different properties and applications. Nanoparticles include particles with at least one dimension ranging from 1–100 nm. Silica nanoparticles (Sn), reaching values from several dozen to several hundred m2/g, have unique physicochemical properties due to their porous structure and well-developed specific surface. Currently, the use of Sn in animal nutrition, with a focus on gastrointestinal tract function, is of great interest

Determining the Effect of Pancreatic-like Enzymes (PLEMs) Added to the Feed of Pregnant Sows on Fetal Size of Piglets to Minimize IUGR Syndrome Caused by Fetal Malnutrition

The present study aimed to develop a feeding strategy for pregnant sows that involved the prenatal administration of a mixture of pancreatic-like fungal enzymes, such as lipase, amylase, and protease, at (1) 1–115 days of gestation (group D1) and (2) 80–115 days of gestation (group D2) and to carry out a comparison with groups of sows that were not receiving such supplementation (negative control (NC) and positive control (PC)). It was found that the administration of the enzyme supplement resulted in a significant shortening of gestation (p ≤ 0.01). The pancreatic enzymes administered to sows had a significant effect on the number of liveborn piglets and weaned piglets, which was higher compared with the control groups that did not receive supplementation: D1—12.1 ± 1.1 and 11.12 ± 1.1 and D2—12.8 ± 1.3 and 11.75 ± 0.07 vs. the control groups KN—10.7 ± 1.0 and 9.62 ± 0.95 and KP—10.9 ± 1.2 and 10.15 ± 1.0 (p p ≤ 0.007). In contrast, insulin levels were significantly lower in groups D1 and D2, with values of 6.8 IU/mL and 6.7 IU/mL, respectively, compared with groups NC (14.6 IU/mL) and PC (16.6 IU/mL) (p ≤ 0.01). Piglets in group D2 had a significantly better feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.604 ± 0.10 compared with the other dietary groups: KN—1.986 ± 0.14; KP—1.704 ± 0.11; and D1—1.932 ± 0.15 (p ≤ 0.03). Histological imaging confirmed a significantly thicker intestinal epithelium and intestinal mesenteron in animals from groups D2 and PC (p ≤ 0.03). Animals from the groups KP, D1, and D2 receiving enzymes showed a highly significant increase in the surface area of pancreatic follicles and pancreatic surface area compared with the group without KN supplementation (p p ≤ 0.01)

Native Oils from Apple, Blackcurrant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Seeds as a Source of Polyenoic Fatty Acids, Tocochromanols, and Phytosterols: A Health Implication

The oils from strawberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, and apple seeds were characterized by a high content of unsaturated fatty acids (90.8%, 88.6%, 94.0%, and 86.9%, resp.). Strawberry and raspberry oils had high levels of C18:2 (45.4% and 49.0%) and C18:3 (29.0% and 33.0%, resp.). Blackcurrant oil was the richest source of C18:3 (18.5%) and C18:4 (3.6%). Apple oil had high levels of C18:2 (55.5%) and C18:1 (29.4%). Blackcurrant oil had 229.5 mg/100 g of tocochromanols, predominantly -tocopherol (117.8 mg/100 g) and -tocopherol (84.3 mg/100 g). Raspberry oil was rich in -, -, and -tocopherol (193.5; 65.6; and 32.2 mg/100 g, resp.). Strawberry oil contained -and -tocopherol, 49.0 and 6.1 mg/100 g, respectively. Apple contained all isomers of -, -, -, and -tocopherols at 41.7, 62.7, 13.6, and 21.8 mg/100 g, respectively. The level of tocotrienols in the analysed oils ranged from 0.85 to 6.73 mg/100 g. Ten different phytosterols were found in the tested oils. The richest sources of phytosterols were blackcurrant oil (6824.9 g/g) followed by raspberry (5384.1 g/g), strawberry (4643.1 g/g), and apple oil (3460.0 g/g). The dominant compound in the analysed oils was sitosterol, from 2630 g/g in apple oil to 3630 g/g in blackcurrant oil

Native Oils from Apple, Blackcurrant, Raspberry, and Strawberry Seeds as a Source of Polyenoic Fatty Acids, Tocochromanols, and Phytosterols: A Health Implication

The oils from strawberry, blackcurrant, raspberry, and apple seeds were characterized by a high content of unsaturated fatty acids (90.8%, 88.6%, 94.0%, and 86.9%, resp.). Strawberry and raspberry oils had high levels of C18:2 (45.4% and 49.0%) and αC18:3 (29.0% and 33.0%, resp.). Blackcurrant oil was the richest source of γC18:3 (18.5%) and C18:4 (3.6%). Apple oil had high levels of C18:2 (55.5%) and C18:1 (29.4%). Blackcurrant oil had 229.5 mg/100 g of tocochromanols, predominantly γ-tocopherol (117.8 mg/100 g) and α-tocopherol (84.3 mg/100 g). Raspberry oil was rich in γ-, α-, and δ-tocopherol (193.5; 65.6; and 32.2 mg/100 g, resp.). Strawberry oil contained γ- and δ-tocopherol, 49.0 and 6.1 mg/100 g, respectively. Apple contained all isomers of α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocopherols at 41.7, 62.7, 13.6, and 21.8 mg/100 g, respectively. The level of tocotrienols in the analysed oils ranged from 0.85 to 6.73 mg/100 g. Ten different phytosterols were found in the tested oils. The richest sources of phytosterols were blackcurrant oil (6824.9 μg/g) followed by raspberry (5384.1 μg/g), strawberry (4643.1 μg/g), and apple oil (3460.0 μg/g). The dominant compound in the analysed oils was sitosterol, from 2630 μg/g in apple oil to 3630 μg/g in blackcurrant oil