As probiotics, fungi enhance animal health and are suitable animal feed additives. In addition to brewing fungi, there are also edible and medicinal fungi. Common fungi utilized in feeding programs include Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus oryzae, Pleurotus spp., Antrodia cinnamomea, and Cordyceps militaris. These fungi are rich in glucans, polysaccharides, polyphenols, triterpenes, ergosterol, adenosine, and laccases. These functional components play important roles in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and immune system regulation. As such, fungal feed additives could be of potential use when breeding livestock. In previous studies, fungal feed additives enhanced body weight and egg production in poultry and improved the feed conversion rate. Several mycotoxins can be produced by hazardous fungi but fortunately, the cell walls constituents and enzymes of fungal probiotics can also act to decrease the toxicity of mycotoxins. Overall, fungal feed additives are of value, but their safety and usage must be studied further, including cost-benefit economic analyses.

With the increase in world food demand, the output of agricultural by-products has also increased. Agricultural by-products not only contain more than 50% dietary fiber but are also rich in functional metabolites such as polyphenol (including flavonoids), that can promote animal health. The utilization of dietary fibers is closely related to their types and characteristics. Contrary to the traditional cognition that dietary fiber reduces animal growth, it can promote animal growth and maintain intestinal health, and even improve meat quality when added in moderate amounts. In addition, pre-fermenting fiber with probiotics or enzymes in a controlled environment can increase dietary fiber availability. Although the use of fiber has a positive effect on animal health, it is still necessary to pay attention to mycotoxin contamination. In summary, this report collates the fiber characteristics of agricultural by-products and their effects on animal health and evaluates the utilization value of agricultural by-products.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different amounts of wheat bran (WB) inclusion and postbiotics form by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and phytase cofermented wheat bran (FWB) on the growth performance and health status of broilers. Methods: Study randomly allocated a total of 300 male broilers to a control and 4 treatment groups (5% WB, 5% FWB, 10% WB, and 10% FWB inclusion, respectively) with each pen having 20 broilers and 3 pens per treatment. Results: The WB does not contain enzymes, but there are 152.8, 549.2, 289.5, and 147.1 U/g dry matter xylanase, protease, cellulase and β-glucanase in FWB, respectively. Furthermore, FWB can decrease nitric oxide release of lipopolysaccharide stimulated chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells by about two times. Results show that 10% FWB inclusion had significantly the highest weight gain (WG) at 1 to 21 d; 5% FWB had the lowest feed conversion rate at 22 to 35 d; 10% WB and 10% FWB inclusion have the highest villus height and Lactobacillus spp. number in caecum; and both 5% and 10% FWB can increase ash content in femurs. Compared to control group, all treatments increase mucin 2, and tight junction (TJ), such as occludin, claudin-1, zonula occludens-1, and mRNA expression in ileum by at least 5 folds. In chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase-1 mRNA expression decreases from 2 to 5 times, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit mRNA expression also increases in all treatment groups compared to control group. The mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor-κB, and IL-1β, decreases in 5% and 10% FWB groups compared to control group. Conclusion: To summarize, both WB and FWB inclusion in broilers diets increase TJ mRNA expression and anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, but up to 10% FWB groups have better WG in different stages of broiler development.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Aspergillus oryzae are both ancient probiotic species traditionally used as microbes for brewing beer and soy sauce, respectively. This study investigated the effect of adding these two probiotics with phytase fermentation products to the broilers diet. Fermented products possess protease and cellulase, and the activities were 777.1 and 189.5 U/g dry matter (DM) on S. cerevisiae fermented products (SCFP) and 190 and 213.4 U/g DM on A. oryzae fermented products (AOFP), respectively. Liposaccharides stimulated PBMCs to produce nitric oxide to 120 μmol. Both SCFP and AOFP reduced lipopolysaccharides stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) nitric oxide release to 40 and 60 μmol, respectively. Nevertheless, in an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, SCFP and AOFP also increased the survival rate of lipopolysaccharides stimulated PBMCs by almost two-fold compared to the negative control. A total of 240 broilers were divided into four groups as Control, SCFP 0.1% (SCFP), SCFP 0.05% + AOFP 0.05% (SAFP), and AOFP 0.1% (AOFP) groups, respectively. Each group had 20 broilers, and three replicate pens. The results showed that the addition of SCFP, SAFP, and AOFP groups did not affect the growth performances, but increased the jejunum value of villus height and villus: crypt ratio on SAFP and AOFP groups compared to the control and SCFP groups. Furthermore, adding SCFP, SAFP, and AOFP significantly reduced the number of Clostridium perfringens in ileum chyme. SCFP, SAFP, and AOFP significantly reduced the amount of interleukin-1β, inducible nitric oxide synthases, interferon-γ, and nuclear factor kappa B mRNA expression in PBMCs, especially in the AOFP group. In summary, all the SCFP, SAFP, and AOFP groups can be suggested as a functional feed additive since they enhanced villus: crypt ratio and decreased inflammation-related mRNA expression, especially for AOFP group in broilers.

Pennisetum purpureum Schum No. 2 waste mushroom compost (PWMC) is the main byproduct when cultivating Pleurotus eryngii. Due to the high mycelium levels in PWMC, it may have potential as a feed supplement for broilers. This study investigated the effects of PWMC supplementation on antioxidant capacity and adipose metabolism in broilers. In the study, 240 broilers were randomly allocated to one of four treatment groups: basal diet (control), 0.5%, 1%, or 2% PWMC supplementation. Each treatment group had 60 broilers, divided into three replicates. The results showed that supplementation with 0.5% PWMC decreased the feed conversion rate (FCR) from 1.36 to 1.28, compared to the control. Supplementation with 0.5% or 2% PWMC decreased glucose and triglyceride levels, compared to the control (p < 0.0001), the concentrations of adiponectin and oxytocin increased from 5948 to 5709, 11820, and 7938 ng/ mL; and 259 to 447, 873, and 963 pg/ mL, respectively. Toll-like receptor 4 was slightly increased in the 0.5% and 1% PWMC groups. Both interferon-γ (IFN-γ) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) were significantly decreased, by about three to five times for IFN-γ (p < 0.0001) and 1.1 to 1.6 times for IL-1ß (p = 0.0002). All antioxidant-related mRNA, including nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf-2) and superoxidase dismutase-1 (SOD-1), increased significantly following PWMC supplementation. Both claudin-1 and zonula occludens 1 increased, especially in the 2% PWMC group. Excitatory amino acid transporter 3 (EAAT3) significantly increased by about 5, 12, and 11 times in the 0.5%, 1%, and 2% PWMC groups. All adipolysis-related mRNA were induced in the PWMC treatment groups, further enhancing adipolysis. Overall, 0.5% PWMC supplementation was recommended due to its improving FCR, similar antioxidant capacity, and upregulated adipolysis.

Objective: The study developed mushroom stalk residues as feed additives in the broiler diet for improving the growth performance and immunity of broilers as well as to increase the value of mushroom stalk residues.Methods: In total, 300 ROSS 308 broilers were randomly allocated into fifteen pens with five dietary treatments: i) control, basal diet; ii) CMWM, supplemented with 1% Cordyceps militaris waster medium (CM); iii) CMPE, supplemented with 0.5% CM+0.5% Pleurotus eryngii stalk residue (PE); iv) CMPS, supplemented with 0.5% CM+0.5% Pleurotus sajorcaju stalk residue (PS); v) CMFV, supplemented with 0.5% CM+0.5% Fammulina velutipes stalk residue (FV).Results: The chemical analysis results showed that CM extracts, PE extracts, PS extracts, and FV extracts contain functional components such as polysaccharides and phenols and have both 2, 2‐diphenyl‐1‐picryl‐hydrazyl‐hydrate scavenging and Ferrous scavenging capacities. The group CMWM saw increased body weight gain and feed conversion rate and the promotion of jejunum villus growth, but there is no significant difference in the intestinal bacteria phase. Antioxidant genes in the nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2)- antioxidant responsive element pathway among the groups are significantly higher than that of the control group, especially in group CMWM.Conclusion: The mushroom stalk residues have antioxidant functional components, can improve the intestinal health and body weight gain of chickens, and can activate the antioxidant pathway of Nrf2 to increase the heme oxygenase-1 expression. The treatment with 1% CM was the most promising as a feed additive.