Background: With increasing health awareness among consumers, the demand for healthier, tastier, higher quality and nutritional value pork is increasing. It has been shown that different dietary starch sources can alter the carcass traits and meat quality. However, research on the effects of different starch sources with clear different amylose/amylopectin ratio on the amino acid and fatty acid composition in Longissimus thoracis (L. thoracis) muscle of pigs is limited. This study aimed to investigate the effects of different dietary starch sources on carcass traits, meat quality, muscle amino acid and fatty acid composition, and the mRNA expression levels of genes involved in lipid metabolism and muscle fiber characteristics in finishing pigs. A total of 72 Duroc × Landrace × Large White barrows were randomly allocated to 3 different dietary treatment groups with 8 replicate pens/group and 3 pigs per pen. Tapioca starch (TS), corn starch (CS), and pea starch (PS), with amylose/amylopectin ratio of 0.11, 0.25, and 0.44, respectively, were used as their dietary starch sources for 40 days. Results: Results showed that the PS diet significantly increased (P < 0.05) the final body weight, average daily gain, loin-eye area, and fat-free lean index compared with the TS diet, but significantly decreased (P < 0.05) the feed to gain ratio and backfat thickness. Compared with the TS diet, PS diet also increased (P < 0.05) the pH_{45 min}, marbling scores, the content of intramuscular fat and inosine monophosphate in the L. thoracis, and decreased (P < 0.05) the drip loss and shear force. In addition, compared with the TS diet, PS diet increased (P < 0.05) the proportions of flavor amino acids, DHA, EPA, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in the L. thoracis compared with TS diet, but decreased (P < 0.05) the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFA. Furthermore, compared with the TS diet, PS diet also upregulated (P < 0.05) the lipogenic genes (FAS, LPL, SCD, ACCα) and myosin heavy-chain (MyHC)-IIa mRNA expression levels compared with the TS diet, but downregulated (P < 0.05) the CPT1B and MyHC-IIb mRNA levels. Conclusions: In conclusion, these results provided compelling evidence that the different dietary starch source altered the carcass traits, meat flavor and quality in finishing pigs, and consumption of a diet with higher amylose/amylopectin ratio results in the production of a healthy, higher quality, and nutritional value pork.

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.

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 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.

About one-third of the global food supply is wasted. Brewers’ spent grain (BSG), being produced in enormous amounts by the brewery industry, possesses an eminence nutritional profile, yet its recycling is often neglected for multiple reasons. We employed integrated metagenomics and metabolomics techniques to assess the effects of enzyme treatments and Lactobacillus fermentation on the antioxidant capacity of BSG. The biotreated BSG revealed improved antioxidant capability, as evidenced by significantly increased (p < 0.05) radical scavenging activity and flavonoid and polyphenol content. Untargeted metabolomics revealed that Lactobacillus fermentation led to the prominent synthesis (p < 0.05) of 15 novel antioxidant peptides, as well as significantly higher (p < 0.05) enrichment of isoflavonoid and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. The correlation analysis demonstrated that Lactiplantibacillus plantarum exhibited strong correlation (p < 0.05) with aucubin and carbohydrate-active enzymes, namely, glycoside hydrolases 25, glycosyl transferases 5, and carbohydrate esterases 9. The fermented BSG has potential applications in the food industry as a culture medium, a functional food component for human consumption, and a bioactive feed ingredient for animals.