The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggers oxidative stress in cells by oxidizing and modifying various cellular components, preventing them from performing their inherent functions, ultimately leading to apoptosis and autophagy. Glutathione (GSH) is a ubiquitous intracellular peptide with multiple functions. In this study, a hydrogen peroxide (H${}_2$O${}_2$)-induced oxidative damage model in IPEC-J2 cells was used to investigate the cellular protection mechanism of exogenous GSH against oxidative stress. The results showed that GSH supplement improved the cell viability reduced by H${}_2$O${}_2$-induced oxidative damage model in IPEC-J2 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, supplement with GSH also attenuated the H${}_2$O${}_2$-induced MMP loss, and effectively decreased the H${}_2$O${}_2$-induced mitochondrial dysfunction by increasing the content of mtDNA and upregulating the expression TFAM. Exogenous GSH treatment significantly decreased the ROS and MDA levels, improved SOD activity in H${}_2$O${}_2$-treated cells and reduced H${}_2$O${}_2$-induced early apoptosis in IPEC-J2 cells. This study showed that exogenous GSH can protect IPEC-J2 cells against apoptosis induced by oxidative stress through mitochondrial mechanisms.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of citrus extract (CE) on plasma free amino acids, intestinal morphology and enzymes activity, fecal nitrogen and phosphorus emissions in piglets. The experiment was performed on 144 weaned piglets (Duroc × Landrace × Large White) divided into three groups. Control (CON), fed a basic diet; Antibiotic (ANTI), fed a basic diet supplemented with 75 g/t chlortetracycline; Citrus extract (CE), fed a basic diet supplemented with 300 mL/t CE. The albumin content of the CE group was significantly higher than the CON group. Compared with the CON and ANTI groups, the CE group had increased concentrations of plasma total essential amino acids and threonine. Compared with the CON group, CE increased the α-aminoadipic acid concentration, while compared with ANTI group, it increased the 3-methylhistidine concentration. Compared with the CON group, the crypt depth of duodenum, jejunum and ileum decreased, and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth of ileum increased in the ANTI and CE groups. CE increased the activity of alkaline phosphatase and lipase in duodenum, and the activity of alkaline phosphatase and trypsin in jejunum. In brief, CE improved the absorption and utilization of nitrogen, intestinal morphology and digestive enzymes activity.

Mulberry leaves are rich in nutrients but contain anti-nutrient factors that hinder their digestion and absorption. Feeding animals with mulberry leaves directly could harm their health. The microbial fermentation of mulberry leaves could reduce their anti-nutritional factors’ content and improve their nutritional value. Sequencing and analyzing mulberry leaves before and after fermentation showed that fermentation increased the relative abundance of Pediococcus, Bradyrhizobium, Hydrotalea, and Rhodanobacteria, and decreased that of Enterobacter. Fermentation improved the quality of mulberry leaves by rebuilding the bacterial community. Finishing pigs were raised on fermented mulberry leaves (FML), and their carcass performance, meat quality, economic benefits, and gut microbiome were evaluated. FML had no negative impact on pig carcass performance, meat quality, and antioxidant capacity, and could somewhat improve the economic benefits. FML decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in the colon and Streptococcus in the feces, and increased that of Actinobacteria (cecum, colon, feces) and Prevotella (colon). The gut core microorganisms in the FML group were mainly enriched with Actinobacteria, Bifidobacterium, Bifidobacteriaceae, Bifidobacteriales, and other beneficial microorganisms. Dietary FML reduced ammonia, indole, and skatole contents in the feces. In conclusion, FML reshaped the gut microbiota without negatively affecting pig product performance, produced cleaner waste, and improved environmental protection and sustainability, making it an attractive prospective feed for pigs.

Aflatoxin B₁ (AFB₁) is one of the most toxic, naturally occurring carcinogen compounds and is produced by specific strains of fungi. Crop contamination with AFB₁ can cause huge economic losses and serious health problems. Many studies have examined the microbiological degradation of AFB₁, especially the use of efficient AFB₁-degrading microorganisms, to control AFB₁ contamination. Here, we reported the identification of a new Rhodococcus pyridinivorans strain (4-4) that can efficiently degrade AFB₁ (degradation rate 84.9%). The extracellular component of this strain showed the strongest capacity to degrade AFB₁ (degradation rate 83.7%). The effects of proteinase K, SDS, temperature, pH, incubation time, and AFB₁ concentration on the AFB₁ degradation ability of the extracellular component were investigated. We sequenced the complete genome of this strain, encoding 5246 protein-coding genes and 169 RNA genes on a circular chromosome and two plasmids. Comparative genomic analysis revealed high homology with other Rhodococcus strains with high AFB₁-degradation ability. Further proteomic analyses of this strain identified a total of 723 proteins in the extracellular component, including multiple potential AFB₁-degrading enzymes, along with enzymes that are reported to response to AFB₁ treatment. Overall, the results demonstrate that R. pyridinivorans 4-4 would be an excellent candidate for the biodegradation and detoxification of AFB₁ contamination.

This study investigated whether dietary supplementation with magnolol affects growth performance, anti-inflammatory abilities, serum and muscle amino acid profiles, and metabolisms in growing pigs. A total of 42 seventy-days-old growing barrows (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) were randomly allocated into two dietary groups: Con, control group (basal diet); and Mag, magnolol group (basal diet supplemented with 400 mg/kg of magnolol). The results revealed that dietary supplementation with magnolol had no effect (p > 0.05) on growth performance. However, magnolol supplementation remarkably increased (p < 0.05) the serum content of albumin, total protein, immunoglobulin G, immunoglobulin M, and interleukin-22. In addition, dietary magnolol supplementation altered the amino acid (AA) profiles in serum and dorsal muscle and particularly increased (p < 0.05) the serum content of arginine and muscle glutamate. Simultaneously, the mRNA expression of genes associated with AA transport in jejunum (SLC38A2, SLC1A5, and SLC7A1) and ileum (SLC1A5 and SLC7A1) was higher (p < 0.05) in the Mag group than in the Con group. Additionally, the serum metabolomics analysis showed that the addition of magnolol significantly enhanced (p < 0.05) arginine biosynthesis, as well as D-glutamine and D-glutamate metabolism. Overall, these results suggested that dietary supplementation with magnolol has the potential to improve the accumulation of AAs, protein synthesis, immunity, and body health in growing pigs by increasing intestinal absorption and the transport of AAs.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of supplementing fermented mulberry leaves (FML) on intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, and immune function in the gut of finishing pigs. Eighteen 132-day-old healthy crossbred (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) male castrated pigs were randomly divided into two treatment groups with nine replicates per group. The control (CON) group was fed the basal diet, and the FML group was fed the basal diet supplemented with 10% FML. The experiment lasted 69 days. The results showed that 10% FML improved gut health. The apparent total tract digestibility in dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, neutral detergent fiber, acidic detergent fiber, ether extract, and crude ash increased in the 10% FML group of finishing pigs compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Duodenal, jejunal, and ileal intestinal morphology, such as villus height and villus-height-to-crypt-depth ratio, increased in the 10% FML group compared to the CON group, whereas crypt depth decreased in the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (p < 0.05). Total antioxidant capacity increased in the ileum of the 10% FML group compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). The FML supplementation improved the contents of duodenal immunoglobulin A, jejunal interleukin-1β, interleukin-8, ileal interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, interferon-γ, and immunoglobulins A and M compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Moreover, FML downregulated the mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor-α in the duodenum, Toll-like receptor 4, nuclear factor-κ B-P65, and myeloid differentiation factor 88 in the jejunum, and Toll-like receptor 4 and nuclear factor-κ B-P65 in the ileum (p < 0.05). The FML also upregulated Montrose uniting church 1 in the duodenum and claudin 2 in the ileum (p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 10% FML improved the gut health of finishing pigs and FML is a potential feed ingredient for pig breeding.