The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of different application rates of an enzyme hydrolyzed animal protein biostimulant (Pepton) compared to a standard application rate of a biostimulant derived from seaweed extract (Acadian) on plant growth parameters and yield of gold cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum L.). Biostimulant treatments were applied starting at 15 days after transplant and every 2 weeks thereafter for a total of 5 applications. One treatment group received no biostimulant (Control). Three treatment groups (Pepton-2, Pepton-3, Pepton-4) received Pepton at different application rates equivalent to 2, 3, or 4 kg/ha applied by foliar (first 2 applications) and by irrigation (last 3 applications). Another treatment group (Acadian) received Acadian at 1.5 L/ha by irrigation for all five applications. All groups received the regular fertilizer application for this crop at transplantation, flowering, and fruiting periods. There were four plots per treatment group. Each plot had a surface area of 21 m² that consisted of two rows that were 7 m long and 1.5 m wide. Plant height, stem diameter, distance from head to bouquet flowering, fruit set distance between the entire cluster and cluster flowering fruit set, leaf length, and number of leaves per plant was recorded for 20 plants (5 plants per plot) at 56 and 61 days after the first application. Root length and diameter of cherry tomatoes were determined at harvest from 20 randomly selected plants. Harvesting yield per plot was registered and production per hectare was calculated. Both biostimulants improved (P < 0.05) all vegetative parameters compared with the control group. There was a positive linear (P < 0.001) effect of Pepton application rate for all parameters. The calculated yield was 7.8 and 1 Ton/ha greater that represent 27 and 2.9% higher production for Pepton applied at 4 kg/ha compared to the control and to Acadian, respectively. In conclusion, Pepton was effective improving yield of gold cherry tomatoes under the low stress ambient growing conditions of this experiment. Probably short-chain peptides present in Pepton are involved in endogenous hormones and metabolic mediators that could explain the results obtained in this study.

Biostimulants may promote growth or alleviate the negative effects of abiotic stress on plant growth eventually resulting in enhanced yields. We examined the mechanism of action of an enzymatically hydrolyzed animal protein-based biostimulant (Pepton), which has previously been shown to benefit growth and yield in several horticultural crops, particularly under stressful conditions. Tomato plants were exposed to well-watered and water-stressed conditions in a greenhouse and the hormonal profiling of leaves was measured during and after the application of Pepton. Results showed that the Pepton application benefited antioxidant protection and exerted a major hormonal effect in leaves of water-stressed tomatoes by increasing the endogenous content of indole-3-acetic acid (auxin), trans-zeatin (cytokinin), and jasmonic acid. The enhanced jasmonic acid content may have contributed to an increased production of tocochromanols because plastochromanol-8 concentration per unit of chlorophyll was higher in Pepton-treated plants compared to controls. In conclusion, the tested Pepton application may exert a positive effect on hormonal balance and the antioxidant system of plants under water stress in an economically important crop, such as tomato plants.

Spray-dried plasma (SDP) is a functional ingredient commonly utilized in swine production and calf milk replacers to improve performance, feed efficiency, and health. The improvements noted with SDP in animal production are more pronounced under commercial production conditions compared to cleaner research settings. Multiple modes of action of SDP have been proposed, including either directly influencing the immune inflammatory response locally or systemically, and/or through the indirect modification of beneficial microbial populations. Spray-dried plasma included at various dietary levels and duration of feeding in broilers has been evaluated in different production and challenging conditions with beneficial effects on broiler performance, as noted in other animals. The purpose of this review is to discuss research related to the modes of action of SDP on immunomodulation and improved intestinal health and specifically discuss research conducted utilizing SDP in feed for poultry. Collectively, the data available indicates that SDP improves early intestinal health and supports an efficient immune system response both locally at the intestine and systemically, thereby benefiting growth, feed efficiency, and survival of broilers in conventional commercial production and under challenging conditions such as disease or environmental stressors.

Biostimulants may be particularly interesting for application in agricultural and horticultural crops since they can exert a growth-promoting effect on roots. This may be important for promoting longitudinal and lateral root growth and therefore increasing belowground vegetative growth, which may in turn lead to improved aboveground vegetative growth and increased yields. Here, we examined the effects and mechanism of action of an enzymatically hydrolyzed animal protein-based biostimulant (Pepton) on the root growth of tomato plants, with an emphasis on its possible role on chorismate-derived hormones (auxin, salicylic acid, and melatonin). Tomato plants growing in hydroponic systems were exposed to either nutrient stress conditions (experiment 1) or suboptimal temperatures (experiment 2) in a greenhouse, and the concentration of auxin, salicylic acid, and melatonin in roots were measured just prior and after the application of the biostimulant. Results showed that the application of Pepton exerted a growth-promoting effect on roots in plants growing under suboptimal conditions, which might be associated with enhanced salicylic acid levels in roots. The extent of effects of this enzymatically hydrolyzed animal protein-based biostimulant might strongly depend on the growth conditions and stage of root system development. It is concluded that an enzymatically hydrolyzed animal protein-based biostimulant (Pepton) may exert a positive effect enhancing primary and lateral root growth of tomato plants growing under suboptimal conditions, by stimulating the biosynthesis of specific hormonal pathways, such as salicylic acid under stress.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the SurePure Turbulator ultraviolet-C (UV-C, 254 nm wavelength) irradiation equipment on inactivation of different enveloped and non-enveloped viruses in commercially collected liquid animal plasma. Specifically, Pseudorabies virus (PRV), Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV), Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), Classical swine fever virus (CSFV), Swine influenza virus (SIV) as enveloped viruses and Porcine parvovirus (PPV), Swine vesicular disease virus (SVDV), Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) and Senecavirus A (SVA) as non-enveloped viruses, were inoculated in bovine or porcine plasma and subjected to different UV-C irradiation doses (0, 750, 1500, 3000, 6000 and 9000 J/L) using an UV-C device developed for opaque liquid working under turbulent flow. The enveloped viruses tested were inactivated at < 3000 J/L of UV-C, being the dose needed to inactivate 4 log TCID₅₀ (4D) of 1612 J/L for PRV,1004 J/L for PRRSV, 1953 J/L for PEDV, 1639 J/L for SIV, 1641 J/L for CSFV and 1943 J/L for BVDV. The non-enveloped viruses tended to have higher 4D values: 2161 J/L for PPV, 3223 J/L for SVA and 3708 J/L for SVDV. Because the initial viral concentration was <4.0 Log for PCV-2, it was not possible to calculate the 4D value for this virus. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that the SurePure Turbulator UV-C treatment system is capable of inactivating significant levels of swine viruses inoculated in commercially collected porcine or bovine plasma. It was concluded that irradiation with UV-C can provide an additional redundant biosafety feature in the manufacturing process of spray-dried animal plasma.

Spray-dried preparations from porcine and bovine plasma can alleviate mucosal inflammation in experimental models and improve symptoms in patients with enteropathy. In rodents, dietary supplementation with porcine spray-dried plasma (SDP) attenuates intestinal inflammation and improves the epithelial barrier function during intestinal inflammation induced by Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin B (SEB). The aim of this study was to discern the molecular mechanisms involved in the anti-inflammatory effects of SDP. Male C57BL/6 mice were fed with 8% SDP or control diet (based on milk proteins) for two weeks, from weaning until day 33. On day 32, the mice were given a SEB dose (i.p., 25 µg/mouse) or vehicle. SEB administration increased cell recruitment to mesenteric lymph nodes and the percentage of activated Th lymphocytes and SDP prevented these effects). SDP supplementation increased the expression of interleukin 10 (IL-10) or transforming growth factor- β (TGF-β) compared to the SEB group. The SEB challenge increased six-fold the expression of mucosal addressin cell adhesion molecule 1 (MAdCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1); and these effects were attenuated by SDP supplementation. SEB also augmented NF-κB phosphorylation, an effect that was prevented by dietary SDP. Our results indicate that the anti-inflammatory effects of SDP involve the regulation of transcription factors and adhesion molecules that reduce intestinal cell infiltration and the degree of the inflammatory response.