The most recent research cited by the NRC Nutrition Requirements of Poultry to establish choline recommendations was published in 1987, so choline guidelines for modern broilers are outdated and may be insufficient to optimize growth. The objective was to determine the effect of additional dietary choline chloride supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of modern broilers reared for 66 days. As-hatched Ross 708 × Yield Plus broiler chicks (n = 2160; 30 birds per pen) were randomly allotted to one of six experimental corn and soybean meal-based diets formulated to contain an additional 0, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, or 2000 mg of choline chloride above the choline content of the basal diet ingredients. Diets were fed in four phases, and birds were processed at day 66 of age. Growth performance and breast myopathy incidence was not impacted by added choline. While there were differences in breast, wing, thigh, and drum yields, the effects of added choline were not linear. Supplemental choline chloride was not beneficial for growth performance but did impact the carcass characteristics of modern, large frame broilers reared for 66 days.

Vitamin D signaling is important for intestinal homeostasis. An increase in vitamin D receptors in immune cells can modulate cell phenotype and cytokine secretion. Cytokines regulate both pro- (interleukin 17; IL-17) and anti-inflammatory (IL-10) responses triggered by external stimuli. Inflammation in intestinal tissues can disrupt the structure and the remodeling of epithelial tight junction complexes, thus, compromising the protective barrier. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of dietary supplementation with 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (₂₅OHD₃), a hydroxylated metabolite of vitamin D, on intestinal cytokine abundance and epithelial barrier integrity over time in broilers. A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary ₂₅OHD₃ inclusion on relative protein expression of the cytokines, IL-17 and IL-10, and tight junction proteins, Zona Occludens 1 (ZO-1), and Claudin-1 (CLD-1), in broiler chicken duodenum and ileum from 3 to 21 days post-hatch. On day 0, male chicks (n = 168) were randomly assigned to raised floor pens. Experimental corn–soybean meal-based treatments were as follows: (1) a common starter diet containing 5,000 IU of D₃ per kg of feed (VITD₃) and (2) a common starter diet containing 2,240 IU of D₃ + 2,760 IU of ₂₅OHD₃ per kg of feed (₂₅OHD₃) fed from days 0 to 21. On days 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and 21, 12 birds per treatment were euthanized to collect tissue samples for quantitative, multiplex, and fluorescent Western blot analysis. Target proteins were quantified using Image Quant TL 8.1 and expressed relative to total protein. Feeding ₂₅OHD₃ post-hatch decreased ileal IL-10 (anti-inflammatory) protein expression in 21-day-old broilers compared with VITD₃ only (P = 0.0190). Broilers fed only VITD₃ post-hatch had greater IL-17 (pro-inflammatory) protein expression in the ileum at 18 and 21 days-of-age (P = 0.0412) than those that fed ₂₅OHD₃. Dietary inclusion of ₂₅OHD₃ lowered the abundance of key inflammatory cytokines in the ileum of young broilers.

The objective of this experiment was to access primary satellite cell (SC) proliferation and differentiation when cultured in different combinations of basal media and sera due to little consistency being published on the optimal culture media for primary broiler chicken satellite cells. Cells were cultured in one of three different basal media: McCoy’s 5A, high glucose Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM), and low glucose DMEM. Media were supplemented with 15% chicken serum (CS) or a combination of 5% horse serum (HS) + 10% CS during proliferation while 3% HS or 3% CS were added to the media during differentiation. Cultures were immunofluorescence stained for myogenic regulatory factors (MRF) at 48, 72, and 96 h post-plating for proliferation (Pax7, MyoD, and Myf-5) and 96 h post-proliferation during differentiation (Pax7 and MyoD), including MF20 to assess fusion. Cells cultured in Dulbecco’s Modified Eagle’s medium tended to have higher proportions of myogenic cells expressing MRF during proliferation and promoted fusion into myotubes compared with McCoy’s 5A during differentiation. Culturing primary SC in low glucose media, glucose concentrations similar to circulating glucose concentrations in broilers, HSCS during proliferation and CS during differentiation, appears to be optimal for promoting broiler chicken satellite cell proliferation and differentiation.

A randomized complete block design experiment was conducted to determine the safety and efficacy of supplementation of increasing concentrations of a novel, bacterial fermentation-derived vitamin D source on growth performance and tissue deposition of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25OHD3) in growing swine. Dietary treatments were as follows: commercial control with vitamin D3 (CON) at NRC recommended concentrations and three diets composed of CON + increasing inclusions (25, 50, and 250 µg/kg equivalent) of 25OHD3 from a novel source (CON + 25; CON + 50; and CON + 250, respectively). Pigs (n = 144) were assigned to 24 pens which were allotted to one of the four dietary treatments and fed for 42 d. Blood samples were collected for 25OHD3 concentration determination and individual body weights (BW) were measured on experimental day 0, 39, and 63. On day 42, tissues from 48 pigs (12 pigs per dietary treatment) were analyzed for 25OHD3 concentration. No differences were observed in growth performance. Day 39 serum 25OHD3 concentrations were greatest in CON + 250-fed pigs and linearly decreased as dietary 25OHD3 inclusion decreased (P < 0.0001). On day 42, tissue 25OHD3 concentrations increased linearly as 25OHD3 increased in the diet (P < 0.0001). On day 63, 21 d after dietary 25OHD3 withdrawal, serum 25OHD3 concentrations of all 25OHD3-fed pigs decreased to that of or within 2.76 ± 0.89 ng/mL of CON-fed pigs which demonstrates that feeding 250 µg/kg 25OHD3 is well tolerated by growing pigs and will clear the body within 21 d. Pigs require several essential nutrients to meet their needs for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and other functions. It is important to provide these nutrients to the animals properly to assure their health and wellbeing as well as the profitability of production. Vitamin D is a nutrient that plays an important role in bone development and mineralization since it regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism. Vitamin D has also been reported to aid in additional functions including immunity. Vitamin D can be synthetized in plants and is also produced in humans and animals when ultraviolet rays from sunlight strike the skin and lead to vitamin D synthesis. In pigs, vitamin D requirements can also be satisfied by dietary sources. The objective of this experiment was to determine the efficacy and safety of supplementation of a novel, bacterial fermentation-derived vitamin D source on growth and tissue accumulation in growing swine. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that concentrations of vitamin D in serum and tissue samples increased as dietary vitamin D supplementation increased, but did not alter growth performance, nor did there appear to be any safety issues with feeding up to 250 µg per kg feed of this vitamin D source to growing pigs.

Research on the impact of supplementing additional dietary choline to modern, large-frame broiler chickens is limited, and current choline recommendations are outdated. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of additional dietary choline chloride supplementation on growth performance and carcass characteristics of modern broilers reared to 32 days of age. Corn and soybean meal-based diets were formulated to contain an additional 0, 400, 800, 1200, 1600, or 2000 mg of choline chloride per kg of feed above the choline present in the basal diet ingredients. As-hatched Ross 708 × Yield Plus broiler chicks (n = 2160; 30 birds per pen; 44 ± 0.2 g initial BW) were randomly allotted to the experimental diets, reared for 31 days, and processed at day 32. Growth performance, carcass yield, and breast myopathy incidence were not impacted by supplemental choline. However, abdominal fat pad weight tended to diminish with increasing dietary choline, and drumstick yield was reduced in birds fed over 800 mg per kg of feed. These results indicate feeding additional choline does not impact growth performance but may result in changes in carcass characteristics of modern, high-yielding broilers reared for 32 days.

Pet humanization and premiumization of pet foods have led to significant changes in the co-product market, as pet food companies are looking for more profitable protein sources for their products. Co-products such as beef liver (BL) and beef heart (BH) can be combined to generate restructured pet foods rich in vitamins and nutrients. Sodium alginate and encapsulated calcium lactate (ALGIN) can improve the acceptability of meat pieces by transforming them into a singular shape. The objective of this experiment was to assess the physiochemical parameters of co-products for utilization in raw pet foods and restructured pet treats generated from BL and BH by using ALGIN as a structure-forming agent. Results demonstrated increased cooking loss as ALGIN inclusion decreased, but cooking loss decreased as BL proportions increased (p = 0.0056). Expressible moisture of raw pet food decreased as ALGIN inclusion increased, but more moisture was released from treats when BL proportions increased (p < 0.0001). Increasing ALGIN and BH led to increased water activity of cooked treats (p < 0.0001). Thus, we suggest that BL and BH combinations with ALGIN inclusion produces a viable platform for higher inclusions of co-products in pet treats. Additionally, these ingredients improved the finished product quality characteristics of raw pet foods.