1. Studies were conducted with tall oil fatty acids (TOFA) to determine their effect on broiler chicken performance and ileal microbiota. TOFA, a product originating from coniferous trees and recovered by fractional distillation of side-streams from pulp production, mainly comprises free long-chain fatty acids (~90%) and resin acids (~8%). Conjugated linolenic acids and pinolenic acid are characteristic fatty acid components of TOFA.
2. TOFA products at 750 mg/kg feed were tested in two 35-day broiler chicken trials, each using a wheat soya-based diet and with 12 replicate pens per treatment. In both trials, TOFA improved body weight gain at all time points (P < 0.001) and feed conversion efficiency during the first 21 days (P < 0.01). Two different dry TOFA formulations (silica carrier and palm oil coating) were tested and showed performance effects similar to liquid TOFA.
3. Ileal digesta of the broiler chickens was analysed for total eubacteria, Lactobacillus spp., Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli and Clostridium perfringens on days 14 and 35. TOFA significantly increased total eubacteria and lactobacilli density on day 14 (P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between these bacterial groups and broiler body weight on day 14 (P < 0.01).
4. A numerical reduction in C. perfringens was observed. In vitro growth inhibition studies showed that C. perfringens was strongly inhibited by 10 mg/l TOFA (P < 0.001), while common lactobacilli were resistant to >250 mg/l. The in vitro results were thus in line with in vivo observations.
5. The mechanisms behind the bacterial shifts and their role in performance improvement are unknown. Further purification of TOFA components is needed to identify the effective agents. 相似文献
A 6-month-old Thoroughbred colt was referred to Rossdales Equine Hospital with a recent history of discomfort and inability to protrude the penis whilst urinating, resulting in accumulation of urine within the prepuce. Careful examination and manual palpation revealed a constrictive ring of fibrous tissue at the level of the preputial orifice. With no evidence of trauma or a persistent penile frenulum, a tentative diagnosis of phimosis due to congenital preputial stenosis was made. Exploratory surgery confirmed the diagnosis and surgical transection and release of the fibromuscular ring at three sites allowed the colt to protrude the penis and urinate normally immediately post-operatively. At follow-up examination 11 months later, the colt continued to be able to extrude the penis and urinate conventionally. A slight excess of skin was present at the end of the prepuce but this was only of minor cosmetic concern. 相似文献
Essential oils are plant-derived aromatic volatile oils, and they contain bioactive compounds that have been shown to improve poultry nutrition. In this study, we investigated the effects of oregano essential oil (OEO) on intestinal antioxidative capacity, immunity, and gut microbiota of young yellow-feathered chickens. A total of nine hundred and sixty 1-d-old female Qingyuan partridge chickens were randomly allocated to four treatment groups with six replicates of 40 birds each, and the feeding trial was lasted for 30 d. The controls were fed on a basal diet without in-feed antibiotics; the birds in the antibiotic group were fed the basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg virginiamycin; the remaining birds were fed the basal diet containing 150 or 300 mg/kg OEO, respectively. Dietary supplementation with 150 or 300 mg/kg OEO increased average daily feed intake (P = 0.057) and average daily gain (P < 0.05). The activities of glutathione peroxidase and total antioxidative capacity in plasma, jejuna, and ileal mucosa were increased by OEO supplementation (P < 0.05), with a trend of lower jejunal content of malonaldehyde (P = 0.062). Moreover, dietary OEO increased the content of secretory immunoglobulin A (P = 0.078) and the relative expression of Claudin 1, Mucin 2, and Avain beta-defensin 1 in ileum (P < 0.05). Sequencing data of 16S rRNA indicated that dietary OEO increased the relative abundance of Firmicutes phylum, and Clostridium and Lactobacillus genera, and decreasing that of Romboutsia. Functional analyses indicated that microbial amino sugar and nucleotide sugar metabolism, replication, and repair systems were higher in OEO groups than those of controls and antibiotic treatment. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with OEO enhanced growth performance, alleviated local oxidative stress in intestine, improved production of natural antibodies, and favorably modulated intestinal microbiota composition. 相似文献
Objectives To report the clinical outcome in seven horses following use of a newly described surgical technique for treating caecal impaction. Methods The medical records of seven horses with caecal impaction treated surgically using a stapling technique to create a complete caecal bypass without ileal transection were reviewed. Data were obtained from the records and through telephone interviews with case-associated personnel. Results The mean age was 10 years (range 2–22 years) and duration of colic ranged from 24 h to 2 weeks. Five horses had type II motility dysfunction and the remaining two had type I. Mean surgical time was 185 min (range 146–245 min) and the horses were hospitalised for a mean of 12.4 days (range 9–22 days); 71% (5/7) were discharged from hospital and all five were alive 60 days from the surgery date. One horse was lost to follow-up. The four (66.7%) available remaining horses were alive ≥ 1 year (long-term survivors). Conclusions Complete caecal bypass without ileal transection for clinical cases of caecal impaction had comparable outcomes to complete bypass with ileal transection. The technique is easy to perform, has the potential to reduce surgical time, compared with traditional bypass techniques, and may reduce the risk of intraoperative abdominal contamination. It is recommended for use in clinical cases in which caecal bypass is desirable. 相似文献