Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

Journal of Animal Science and Technology (JAST) is a peer-reviewed, open access journal publishing original research, review articles and notes in all fields of animal science. Topics covered by the journal include: genetics and breeding, physiology, nutrition of monogastric animals, nutrition of ruminants, animal products (milk, meat, eggs and their by-products) and their processing, grasslands and roughages, livestock environment, animal biotechnology, animal behavior and welfare.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of fermented oat (FO) and black soldier fly larva (BSFL) as food ingredients for dogs. A total of 20 spayed female dogs were divided into four treatment groups, with 5 dogs per group. The four treatment groups consisted of a control group, a diet with 10% FO, one with 5% BSFL, and one with 10% FO and 5% BSFL, and each experimental food was fed for 12 weeks. The feeding of FO and/or BSFL did not affect the daily food intake, body weight, body condition score, fecal score, or skin condition of the dogs. In all the experimental groups, no significant differences in serum IgG, IL-10, or TNF-α levels were observed upon the feeding of FO and/or BSFL. Some hematological (white blood cell and basophils) and serum biochemical parameters (phosphorous, globulin, and alkaline phosphatase) showed significant differences with FO and/or BSFL feeding compared to the control group, but they were within the normal reference range. No adverse clinical signs related to these parameters being affected by FO and BSFL were observed. The feeding of BSFL for 12 weeks reduced the serum cholesterol level (p < 0.05) at the end of the experiment. Our findings suggest the suitability of FO and BSFL as food materials for dogs.

Like humans, weight control in overweight dogs is associated with a longer life expectancy and a healthier life. Dietary supplements are one of the best strategies for controlling obesity and obesity-associated diseases. This study was conducted to assess the potential of black ginseng (BG) and silkworm (SW) as supplements for weight control in diet-induced overweight beagle dogs. To investigate the changes that occur in dogs administered the supplements, different obesity-related parameters, such as body condition score (BCS), blood fatty acid profile, transcriptome, and microbiome, were assessed in high energy diet (HD) and HD with BG + SW supplementation (HDT) groups of test animals. After 12 weeks of BG + SW supplementation, total cholesterol and triglyceride levels were reduced in the HDT group. In the transcriptome analysis, nine genes (NUGGC, EFR3B, RTP4, ACAN, HOXC4, IL17RB, SOX13, SLC18A2, and SOX4) that are known to be associated with obesity were found to be differentially expressed between the ND (normal diet) and HD groups as well as the HD and HDT groups. Significant changes in some taxa were observed between the HD and ND groups. These data suggest that the BG + SW supplement could be developed as dietary interventions against diet-induced obesity, and obesity-related differential genes could be important candidates in the mechanism of the anti-obesity effects of the BG + SW supplement.

Objective: Deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEN) are mycotoxins that frequently contaminate maize and grain cereals, imposing risks to the health of both humans and animals and leading to economic losses. The gut microbiome has been shown to help combat the effects of such toxins, with certain microorganisms reported to contribute significantly to the detoxification process.Methods: We examined the cecum contents of three different dietary groups of pigs (control, as well as diets contaminated with 8 mg DON/kg feed or 0.8 mg ZEN/kg feed). Bacterial 16S rRNA gene amplicons were acquired from the cecum contents and evaluated by next-generation sequencing.Results: A total of 2,539,288 sequences were generated with ~500 nucleotide read lengths. Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Proteobacteria were the dominant phyla, occupying more than 96% of all three groups. Lactobacillus, Bacteroides, Megasphaera, and Campylobacter showed potential as biomarkers for each group. Particularly, Lactobacillus and Bacteroides were more abundant in the DON and ZEN groups than in the control. Additionally, 52,414 operational taxonomic units were detected in the three groups; those of Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, Campylobacter, and Prevotella were most dominant and significantly varied between groups. Hence, contamination of feed by DON and ZEN affected the cecum microbiota, while Lactobacillus and Bacteroides were highly abundant and positively influenced the host physiology.Conclusion: Lactobacillus and Bacteroides play key roles in the process of detoxification and improving the immune response. We, therefore, believe that these results may be useful for determining whether disturbances in the intestinal microflora, such as the toxic effects of DON and ZEN, can be treated by modulating the intestinal bacterial flora.