This research was conducted to study the effects of dietary inclusion of mulberry leaf powder (MLP) on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant activity, and carcass traits of Tibetan pigs. Eighteen Tibetan pigs (33.8 ± 1.1 kg) were assigned to two treatment groups randomly and received either the control diet (CON) or a basal diet containing 8% MLP (MLP) for two months. After the two-month feeding trial, the MLP group showed lower backfat thickness while a higher lean percentage. Compared with CON pigs, MLP pigs had higher serum CAT activity. In addition, dietary MLP supplementation significantly decreased the muscle shear force. Muscle fiber morphology analysis showed that MLP pigs had larger muscle fiber density while smaller muscle fiber cross-sectional area. Up-regulated gene expression of myosin heavy chain (MyHC)IIa was also observed in MLP pigs. These results indicate that the enhanced antioxidant activity and altered muscle fiber type and morphology appeared to contribute to the improvement of meat quality in Tibetan pigs fed diets containing MLP.

Overfeeding and a lack of exercise are increasingly causing obesity in dogs, which has become a big problem threatening the health of dogs. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate how dietary regulations can help to improve dogs’ body conditions and minimize obesity. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary mulberry leaf powder (MLP) supplementation on the growth performance, lipid metabolism parameters, and gut microbiota of Chinese indigenous dogs. Fifteen Chinese indigenous dogs (6.34 ± 0.56 kg) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups and received either the control diet (CON), high-fat diet (HF), or high-fat diet containing 6% Mulberry leaf powder (MLP) for four weeks. The CON group received a basal diet, the HF group received a basal diet supplemented with 10% lard, and the MLP group received a basal diet supplemented with 10% lard and 6% MLP. The trial lasted for four weeks. The growth performance, lipid metabolism parameters, immune globulins, cytokines, and fecal microbiota were measured. Results showed that there was no significant difference in growth performance. The MLP group appeared to have decreased (p < 0.05) the serum level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and apoliprotein-A1(APO-A1) in serum. The MLP group appeared to have higher (p < 0.05) serum immune globulin A (IgA) levels. UPGMA results showed that the MLP group was closer to the CON group than to the HF group. LEfSe analysis showed that dietary supplementation with MLP contributed to an alteration in the genus Alloprevotella, Sarcina, and species belonging to the Bacteroides and Lactobacillus genus. Overall, the dietary supplementation of 6% MLP can improve lipid metabolism conditions and immunity in high-fat-diet-fed dogs, and can alter the gut microbial composition of dogs.

Proanthocyanidins (PACs) are natural polyphenolic compounds widely distributed in various plants, which are mixtures of oligomers and polymers formed by the polymerization of different numbers of catechins and epicatechins. PACs exhibit a range of biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-atherosclerotic, hypoglycemic, and antihypertensive effects, as well as the ability to regulate intestinal flora and promote fat metabolism. These properties render PACs highly promising for applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries, garnering substantial interest from researchers globally. Additionally, PACs demonstrate significant nutritional benefits in animal husbandry. Dietary PACs can enhance animal growth, mitigate oxidative stress, decrease feeding expenses, and offer an environmentally friendly, antibiotic-free alternative. Therefore, PACs have great application potential in the field of pig production. This article reviews the basic properties, biological functions, and research status and application in pig production of PACs, aiming to provide theoretical guidance for the development of substitute antibiotic feed additives.

This study aims to investigate the effects of dietary proanthocyanidins (PACs) on growth performance, intestinal inflammation and barrier function, and bile acid metabolism-related genes in weaned piglets challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 18 21-day-old castrated piglets (7.16 ± 1.66 kg) were randomly assigned to three groups: (1) CON (a basal diet), (2) LPS (a basal diet + LPS), (3) LPS + PAC (a basal diet + LPS + 250 mg/kg PAC), with each group consisting of six replicates of 1 piglet per treatment. The study lasted for 21 days. On the 14th and 21st days of the experiment, piglets in the LPS and LPS + PAC groups received an intraperitoneal injection of 100 µg/kg body weight of LPS, while the piglets in the CON group received an injection of 0.9% normal saline solution. The LPS + PAC group exhibited a significantly higher average daily gain (ADG) than the LPS group (p < 0.05). LPS stimulation resulted in a decreased (p < 0.05) villus height of the jejunum and ileum and an increased number of goblet cells. These effects were alleviated (p < 0.05) in the LPS + PAC group. The LPS + PAC group decreased the level of TNF-α and D-lactate in serum and the gene expression of IL-6 and IL-1β in the ileal tissue, compared with the LPS group, while increasing the gene expression of Occludin and ZO-1 in the ileal tissue (p < 0.05). LPS stimulation down-regulated the expression of genes regulating bile acid synthesis and transport, including hepatic CYP7A1 and ileum ASBT, whereas dietary PAC had no significant effect on the expression of these genes (p > 0.05). Nevertheless, supplementation with PAC significantly increased the expression levels of GLP-2R, GCG, and TGR5 in the ileum of piglets (p < 0.05). Additionally, piglets in the LPS + PAC group exhibited a significant increase in the level of glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) compared with the LPS group (p < 0.05). PAC generally improves the ADG, intestinal morphology, and intestinal barrier function of piglets by activating TGR5 to stimulate the intestinal secretion of GLP-2.

Assessment of the effective state concentrations of Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr, Cd, and As in 210 soil samples across the Guangzhou region in South China. The study also explores the pollution status, potential risks, and identifies the main hazard factors associated with these elements. The analysis of effective concentrations indicates average values of 13.66 mg/kg for Pb, 3.64 mg/kg for Ni, 17.92 mg/kg for Cu, 1.74 mg/kg for Cr, 51.77 mg/kg for Zn, 0.22 mg/kg for Cd, and 0.38 mg/kg for As. Notably, all heavy metals exhibited considerable variability. The single pollution index method and Nemerow index method both suggest that, with the exception of Cd, all heavy metals exhibit relatively low levels of contamination, indicating a slight overall pollution in the studied samples. The potential ecological risk index identifies Cd as the primary ecological risk factor among the available heavy metals in the soil of Guangzhou. The analysis using the potential health risk model suggests that the available forms of each heavy metal do not pose substantial health risks to both children and adults. The principal non-carcinogenic factors identified are Cu and Pb, whereas Cd and Cr emerge as the primary carcinogenic factors. The collaborative risk assessment analysis revealed that 79% of the samples in Guangzhou exhibited low potential risks, 20% showed potential risks, and only one sample indicated serious risks.

Inflammatory stress can disrupt gut microbial communities and bile acid (BA) metabolism in weaned piglets; whether dietary proanthocyanidins (PACs) can alleviate such alterations remains unclear. Eighteen 21-day-old Duroc × Landrace barrows were randomly assigned to control (CON), lipopolysaccharide-challenged (LPS), and LPS-challenged PAC-supplemented (LPS + PAC; 250 mg/kg diet) groups for a 21-day trial. Fecal microbiota and serum BAs were assessed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and targeted liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, respectively. LPS challenge increased the relative abundance of Fusobacteriota and enriched several taxa associated with inflammatory dysbiosis, including Proteobacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, and Escherichia-Shigella. Compared with the LPS group, PAC supplementation was associated with a lower relative abundance of Firmicutes and higher relative abundances of Mitsuokella and Dorea. LPS challenge reduced the serum concentrations of several primary and secondary BAs and increased the concentrations of sulfated BAs. PAC supplementation was associated with lower concentrations of several BAs but a higher glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) concentration than LPS alone. GUDCA was negatively correlated with several LPS-enriched taxa. These findings indicate that PAC supplementation was associated with changes in selected fecal bacterial taxa and serum BA concentrations during LPS challenge. Whether these microbial and BA changes are causally related requires further investigation.