Put more in your piggy bank with Pichia

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Results demonstrate a positive impact on sow reproductive performance.

Published in Feedstuffs, June 2022

Authors: Sarah Cooper,  Morgan Thayer and Clémentine Oguey

 

Profitability in swine production depends on efficiency achieved by the operation. Producers, nutritionists and veterinarians are thereby motivated to investigate novel technologies that can help boost productivity and efficiency. Such technologies include non-drug specialty feed ingredients that help to maintain animals in optimal physiological status and consequently provide productivity benefits.

For farrow-to-finish or feeder pig producers, litter size and weaned pig output are economic parameters of critical importance. Any favorable impacts of a cost-effective, specialty feed ingredient on these parameters would be advantageous for elevating efficiency and profit potential.

P.guilliermondii is a novel yeast with unique morphology, structure and consequent activity. A series of three key peer-reviewed studies involving P. guilliermondii have been performed in sows over the past several years in both research and commercial facilities in the US and Europe, and more recently, a meta-analysis was fulfilled.

Results demonstrate that supplementing the gestation and lactation diets of sows and gilts with an inactivated Pichia guilliermondii-based specialty feed ingredient promotes improved sow reproductive parameters related to fecundity and piglet vitality.

Pichia supplementation initially demonstrates an impact on sow reproductive performance in a university research facility 2,3

An initial study was set up by the University of Arkansas in their research facilities. It involved 98 Dekalb- Monsanto Line GPK 35 gestating sows and gilts. Within 24 hours of breeding, the sows and gilts were assigned to one of three dietary treatment groups based on body weight and parity. The dietary treatments included 1 – a basal diet (control, 0%), 2 – the basal control diet supplemented with 0.1% P. guilliermondii, or 3 – the basal control diet supplemented with 0.2% P. guilliermondii

These dietary treatments began at breeding and were fed consistently through gestation and lactation. The sows and gilts were housed in individual gestation stalls and provided approximately 2.3 kg (5 lbs) of feed per day with ad libitum access to water. On day 110 of gestation, the sows and gilts were moved to individual farrowing crates. Following farrowing, the sows and gilts were started on a lactation diet, offered ad libitum, with the same supplementation as added in gestation until weaning, at 21 days after farrowing. Cross-fostering was performed within treatment groups and completed by 24 hours post-farrowing.

Notable results in this study included:

More pigs born and weaned

 Sows and gilts supplemented with P. guilliermondii farrowed 6.7 – 7.5% more live pigs compared to animals receiving no supplementation (P < 0.01). Significantly more pigs were weaned per litter amongst the sows and gilts that received P. guilliermondii supplementation, compared to those sows and gilts not receiving any P. guilliermondii supplementation (P < 0.01).

Improvements in reproductive parameters with Pichia supplementation also demonstrated in a commercial facility4

To validate these results with P. guilliermondii supplementation seen in the research facility at the University of Arkansas, a study involving Purdue University was performed several years later in a 10,000-sow breed-to-wean commercial facility.

The study involved 606 PIC 1050 sows and gilts. Once confirmed pregnant at day 35 post-breeding, animals were moved into a group-housing facility and allocated to one of two dietary treatment groups, receiving either a basal gestation diet with no P. guilliermondii supplementation (0%, control), or the basal diet with 0.15% P. guilliermondii supplementation. The supplementation was consistent throughout gestation and lactation.

During gestation, animals were fed approximately 2.3 kg (5 lbs) of feed per day and had ad libitum access to water.

On day 112 of gestation, sows and gilts were moved to individual farrowing crates and started on a lactation diet, fed ad libitum with the same supplementation previously received in gestation, throughout the lactation period until weaning, 19 days after farrowing. Cross-fostering to equalize litter size was done within 12 hours of farrowing.

Results similar to those seen in the research facility study, were also noted in this study:

More pigs born and weaned 

Sows and gilts supplemented with P. guilliermondii farrowed a greater number of live piglets, compared to those receiving no supplementation (P < 0.05)

Moreover, the number of pigs weaned to P. guilliermondii-supplemented pigs was higher than the number weaned from control animals (P < 0.01; Figure 2).

Similar results seen with Pichia supplementation in sows in Europe 5

 A total of 51 gilts and sows were involved in this study in an experimental facility in France. Once pregnancy was confirmed at day 29 post-breeding, the animals were placed in group housing and each pen was randomly allotted to either a basal control diet (0%) or the control diet supplemented with 0.1% of P. guilliermondii. This supplementation was consistent throughout gestation and lactation. Animals were fed approximately 2.8 kg (6 lbs) per day during gestation and had ad libitum access to water.

The sows were then transferred into the farrowing room one week before farrowing (day 108). From farrowing, a lactation diet was started and increased to ad libitum over a 6-day period, including the same P. guilliermondii supplementation as during gestation, until weaning at 21 days after farrowing. The number of piglets per litter was standardized with cross-fostering within dietary treatment and within 24 to 48 hours after farrowing.

As seen in the US, also in Europe with Pichia supplementation, similar results were seen:

The number of piglets born alive was significantly higher amongst sows and gilts supplemented with P. guilliermondii, compared to control animals (P < 0.05).

The number of pigs weaned from sows and gilts that received P. guilliermondii supplementation was on average 1.1 more than from sows that received no P. guilliermondii (P = 0.1).

The number of piglets born alive was significantly higher amongst sows and gilts supplemented with P. guilliermondii, compared to control animals (P < 0.05).

The number of pigs weaned from sows and gilts that received P. guilliermondii supplementation was on average 1.1 more than from sows that received no P. guilliermondii (P = 0.1).

Consistent impacts of Pichia supplementation in sows validated through meta-analysis

 

In order to more objectively assess the effects seen when P. guilliermondii is added to the gestation and lactation diets of sows, a meta-analysis was performed6. The above-mentioned three peer-reviewed studies plus an additional five studies – a total of 1,446 sows – were included in the analysis of reproductive performance at birth until weaning.

Consistent impacts of Pichia supplementation in sows validated through meta-analysis

In order to more objectively assess the effects seen when P. guilliermondii is added to the gestation and lactation diets of sows, a meta-analysis was performed 6. The above-mentioned three peer-reviewed studies plus an additional five studies – a total of 1,446 sows – were included in the analysis of reproductive performance at birth until weaning.

The P. guilliermondii supplementation ranged from 0.1% to 0.2% and did not influence the effect of the product on the outcomes. Overall, P. guilliermondii supplementation in the sows was associated with an increased number of piglets born alive per sow (+3.5%, P < 0.01). When considering piglet survival before and after cross-foster, this resulted in more piglets weaned per sow (+5.2%, P < 0.01).

Pichia, Performance, Profit

The beneficial impact of P. guilliermondii supplementation in sows during gestation and lactation on litter size and weaned pig output has been demonstrated consistently across several studies and also assessed through meta-analysis. The modes of action by which P. guilliermondii may impact sow litter size and weaned pig output are yet to be elucidated. It has been well established, however, that stress of various sources, commonplace in sow production, can seriously impact sow reproduction7. It may therefore be the case that P. guilliermondii, through its proposed modes of action, may promote resilience in the sow to overcome stressors, counteracting the negative effects of stress on reproduction.

P. guilliermondii is commercially available as an inactivated specialty feed ingredient. Its inclusion in the gestation and lactation diets of sows and consequent impact on litter size and number of pigs weaned may facilitate improved swine production efficiency and profit.

Not all products are available in all regions. ADM makes no representation or warranty, whether expressed or implied, as to the reliability, or completeness of the information. Uses and claims should be adapted to comply to the current local/ regional regulatory environment. This information does not imply any express recommendations for the cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease.

 References:

 1. Peisker M, Stensrud E, Apajalahti J, et al. Morphological Characterization of Pichia guilliermondii and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Yeast and their Effects on Adherence of Intestinal Pathogens on Piglet and Chicken Epithelium In-vitro. Journal of Animal Research and Nutrition 2017;2.

2.Bass B, Perez V, Yang H, et Impact of a whole cell yeast product on sow and litter performance. Journal of Animal Science 2012;90:49.

3.Bass BE, Tsai T-C, Yang H, et al. Influence of a whole yeast product (Pichia guilliermondii) fed throughout gestation and lactation on performance and immune parameters of the sow and litter. Journal of Animal Science 2019;97:1671-1678

4.Thayer MT, Garcia RM, Duttlinger AW, et Feeding a whole-cell inactivated Pichia guilliermondi yeast to gestating and lactating sows in a commercial production system. Journal of Animal Science 2020;98:99-100.

5.Janvier E, Oguey C, Samson A. Dietary supplementation with Pichia guilliermondii yeast product during gestation and lactation improves sows’ body condition and litter 15th International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs. Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2022.

6.Oguey C, Thayer M, Jones DB, et Meta-analysis of the effects of inactivated Pichia guilliermondii yeast fed to sows on progeny performance

International Symposium on Digestive Physiology of Pigs. Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 2022.

7. Einarsson S, Brandt Y, Lundeheim N, et al. Stress and its influence on reproduction in pigs: a review. Acta

Effects of a gut agility activator on egg production in layers

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Dietary phytogenic inclusion level effects on egg production, egg quality and expression of ovarian cytoprotective genes in laying hens

Authors: Ioannis Brouklogiannis , Evangelos Anagnostopoulos , Vasileios Paraskeuas , Eirini Griela , Andreas Kern , Konstantinos, C. Mountzouris

Scientific Abstract: A 12-week study was conducted to investigate the effects of a phytogenic feed additive (PFA) inclusion level on egg production, egg quality and the expression of genes relevant for signaling inflammation (nuclear factor-kappa B; NF-kB), detoxification (aryl hydrocarbon receptor; AhR) and antioxidant capacity (Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2; Nrf2) in the ovaries of laying hens. The PFA consisted of ginger, lemon balm, oregano, and thyme substances. Laying hens (n=385; 20-wk-old; Hy-Line Brown) were randomly allotted to 5 dietary treatments with 7 replicates of 11 hens each. Dietary treatments included: a basal diet without PFA addition (CON), and basal diet supplemented with PFA at 500 (P500), 750 (P750), 1000 (P1000) and 1500 (P1500) mg/kg diet. Egg production and quality parameters were determined weekly until the 32nd week of layers age and reported as overall. At the end of the experiment, a layer from each replicate was randomly selected and euthanized and the ovaries were removed and stored deep frozen until gene expression analysis. The experimental data were analyzed by ANOVA procedure and statistical significance was determined at P<0.05. Biological response patterns with respect to the PFA inclusion level was studied using polynomial contrasts.

Results revealed that increasing PFA inclusion, enhanced linearly and quadratically egg laying rate, with P1000 birds being higher (P<0.001) compared to CON. Incremental levels of PFA linearly and quadratically increased albumen height and Haugh unit, with P750 and P1000 being higher (P<0.01) than CON. Shell mass increased quadratically with increasing PFA inclusion with peak at P1000 (P<0.05). In the ovaries, expression of the majority (13 out of 15) of NF-kB pathway genes assessed were down regulated (P<0.05) mainly at P1000 and P1500 treatments. From the AhR pathway genes, the expression of Cytochrome P450-B1 (CYP1B1) was linearly (P<0.01) and significantly (P<0.01) reduced with increasing PFA level. In addition, PFA related cytoprotective potential was demonstrated via beneficial changes seen for the majority (9 out of 11) of the Nrf2-pathway genes assessed with the P1000 displaying most significant differences from CON.

Conclusively, new data highlighted beneficial cytoprotective effects of PFA inclusion on layer ovaries and document further egg production and quality improvements, with the 1000 mg PFA/kg diet being the most prominent inclusion level.

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Effects of a phytonutrient and tributyrin combination on layers

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Effects of various doses and combinations of phytonutrient and tributyrin on the performance of 55 to 85-week-old Hy-Line W36 laying hens

Authors:  Mike Persia, E. Nicole Thetga, Nathaniel Barrett, Brian Glover, Jose Charal, Milan Hruby

Scientific Abstract:

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of two feed additives and their combinations on late first-cycle laying hen performance and egg quality. The eight treatments were generated using a corn-soybean meal-dried distillers grains with solubles-poultry biproduct meal basal diet with the addition of feed additives on top. Treatments included the control diet (Con); Con + 50 g/MT of phyto nutrient Half (NH – phytonutrient); Con + 100 g/MT of phytonutrient Full (NF); Con + 250 g/MT tributyrin Half (DH – tributyrin); Con + 500 g/MT tributyrin Full (DF); Con + NH + DF (NHDH); Con + NF + DH (NFDH); Con + NF + DF (NFDF).

Each treatment was fed to 12 experimental units of 3 Hy-Line W-36 laying hens from 55 to 85 weeks of age. All hens were housed in battery cages (464.5 sq cm) and given ad libitum access to water and fed approximately 95 to 97 g/d. Repeated measures were used over time to increase replication. If ANOVA differences were noted (P ≤ 0.05), Fishers LSD were used to separate LS means. No interactions between treatment and time were noted indicating all responses were consistent over time. Performance parameters were different (P ≤ 0.05) with the exception of feed intake as that was controlled. Hen house (HHEP) and hen day egg production (HDEP) were generally not improved over the Con (75.6 and 76.7% respectively) with feed additive treatment (P > 0.05) with the exception of HHEP for hens fed DF (79.5%). The NF (63.1 g) and NFDF (63.1 g) increased egg weights in comparison to Con fed hens (61.7 g) with other treatments intermediate (P ≤ 0.05). Egg mass was increased over the Con fed birds (47.3 g/d) with the addition of NF (50.2 g/d: P ≤ 0.05) with DH, DF, NFDF resulting in intermediate responses. Feed efficiency was increased by NF (524 g/kg), DF (526 g/kg), NFDH (517 g/kg) in comparison to Con fed hens (494 g/kg) with DH intermediate (P ≤ 0.05).

Yolk color, Haugh units, yolk weight, egg shell breaking and egg specific gravity were not different than Con fed hens (P > 0.05). Hens fed DF resulted in increased albumen weight in comparison to Con fed hens, and hens fed NF and NFDF resulted in increased shell weights in comparison to Con fed hens.

Overall, the full doses of the phytonutrient and tributyrin combination increased 55 to 80 wk laying hen feed efficiency with mixed results from the combination of these products.

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Effects of a gut agility activator on gut parameters in layers

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Production performance and gut cytoprotective response in laying hens fed with  different phytogenic levels

Authors: Evangelos Anagnostopoulos , Ioannis Brouklogiannis , Vasileios  Paraskeuas , Eirini Griela , Andreas Kern , Konstantinos C. Mountzouris

Scientific Abstract: The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of 5 dietary inclusion levels of a phytogenic feed additive (PFA) on production performance and on underlying inflammatory, detoxification, and antioxidant molecular mechanisms in the duodenum and the ceca of laying hens. The PFA was based on ginger, lemon balm, oregano, and thyme substances. A total of 385 20 wk-old Hy-line Brown layers were randomly assigned into 5 dietary treatments, with 7 replicates of 11 hens each, for a 12-week feeding trial. Experimental treatments received a corn-soybean meal basal diets with no PFA (CON) or supplementation with PFA at 500 (P500), 750 (P750), 1000 (P1000) and 1500 mg/kg diet (P1500), respectively. Layer egg mass, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were determined weekly and reported here on an overall performance basis. Duodenal and cecal intestinal samples from 32-wk-old layers were collected and stored deep frozen, until gene expression analysis with qPCR. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and statistical significance was determined at P<0.05. Linear and quadratic patterns of biological responses to PFA inclusion levels were studied via polynomial contrasts analysis.

Egg mass was significantly increased (P<0.01) with differences up to 4% in the P1000 group, compared to CON. At duodenum, increasing dietary PFA inclusion level down regulated (P<0.05) the expression of most of inflammatory and detoxifying genes involved in nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling pathways, respectively. On the contrary, most of the antioxidant genes (8 out of 11) implicated in nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) pathway were increased (P<0.05) with increasing PFA level, with P1000 being predominately higher than CON. Similarly, at cecal level most of the genes related to NF-kB (12 out of 15) and AhR (3 out of 6) pathway were down regulated (P<0.05), while those involved in the Nrf2 (4 out of 11) pathway were up regulated (P<0.05) with increasing PFA inclusion level with the higher expression levels obtained in treatments P1000 and P1500.

In conclusion, our research data demonstrate that PFA inclusion downregulated layer inflammatory and detoxification gene expression responses, whilst increasing the expression of antioxidant response genes along with an overall layer performance enhancement, with P1000 displaying optimal benefits.

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Latest Pancosma poultry research at PSA 2022

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At the PSA 2022 we will be presenting exciting new findings with our feed additives in laying hens. Come and talk to our scientists and technical experts behind the research  11th -14th July 2022 in San Antonio, Texas, USA

Register for PSA 2022

The PSA Annual Meeting offers attendees exposure to the latest science and research within the poultry science field. With presentations from industry and academia, this conference will offer a variety of information and offerings to all poultry scientists. We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio in-person.

Scientific abstracts to be presented at PSA 2022

Dietary phytogenic inclusion level effects on egg production, egg quality and expression of ovarian cytoprotective genes in laying hens –Link

Ioannis Brouklogiannis , Evangelos Anagnostopoulos , Vasileios Paraskeuas , Eirini Griela , Andreas Kern , Konstantinos, C. Mountzouris

 

Effects of various doses and combinations of phytonutrient and tributyrin on the performance of 55 to 85-week-old Hy-Line W36 laying hens –Link

Mike Persia, E. Nicole Thetga, Nathaniel Barrett, Brian Glover, Jose Charal, Milan Hruby

 

Production performance and gut cytoprotective response in laying hens fed with  different phytogenic levels –Link

Evangelos Anagnostopoulos , Ioannis Brouklogiannis , Vasileios  Paraskeuas , Eirini Griela , Andreas Kern , Konstantinos C. Mountzouris

 

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How organic Zinc can support the pork production

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Adaptation of pig production is needed to answer the customer demand for sustainably produced and high-quality products. Supplementation with a highly available zinc source can be a good strategy to reduce losses during chilling of the carcass and oxidation of cooked meat, retaining pork quality better over time about one third of global meat consumption is pork, only second after chicken. Due to its religious constraints and historic availability, the consumption of pork products varies widely between regions, but in both Europe and Asia it is the most consumed meat.

 

Author:  Mieke Zoon, Product Manager, Minerals, published in Feed & Additive Magazine, July 2022

Recent research into feeding the growing global human population has highlighted the potential of pigs in the recycling of by-products (mainly food waste and co-products) for food production. Their ability to turn by-products into food and manure, pigs return nutrients back into the food production system that would otherwise be lost (2, 3).

Pork is often consumed in processed forms (minced meat, bacon, sausages, dry-cured or cooked ham and more), that have their origins related to preserving methods. Today, the main differentiation of pork products is made based on taste, origin and production standards. However, pork products still need to be attractive and made safe over time for consumers. Due to the variety in final products and changing preferences of the consumer, targeted meat quality can differ and may change over time .

The impact of several factors influencing meat quality in general and pork quality specifically have been studied in detail. For example, genetics, dietary lipid profile, preslaughter and slaughter conditions. More research is still needed to reduce oxidative stress in meat after slaughter as it affects its ability to be processed and stored. Examples of characteristics that are influenced by oxidative stress, are fat quality and water holding capacity (1).

Zinc is an essential nutrient for many physiological processes in the organism supporting health and good growth and development. Major functions of zinc on a cellular level are catching free radicals and preventing lipid peroxidation as part of the antioxidant system (5). Therefore, a deficiency of zinc in pigs may affect the pork quality after slaughter and processing.

A chemically well-defined range of metal glycinates (6) with scientifically proven results in major livestock species has already shown to be efficient to support pig production. By supplementing through- out the production cycle from gestating sows until slaughter of their progeny, sow fertility improved and piglets with low birth weight reduced, while growth performance and slaughter characteristics improved as well (7).

More specifically for pork quality, recent data shows that supplementing zinc from zinc-glycinate in the finishing phase of fattening pigs reduced the chilling losses of their carcasses after slaughter (Figure 1) (8).

The meat from pigs supplemented with zinc-glycinate showed less lipid peroxidation after cooking, especially with the lower dose of zinc-glycinate (Figure 2) (8). The lipid stability in cooked pork is essential for the quality and taste of cooked pork products.

Pork is and will be an important source of animal protein, and zinc can be part of a nutritional strategy to improve the quality of pork. Adaptation of pig production is needed to answer the customer demand for sustainably produced and high-quality products. Supplementation with a highly available zinc source can be a good strategy to reduce losses during chilling of the carcass and oxidation of cooked meat, retaining pork quality better over time.

 

References

  1. Lebret, B. and M. Čandek-Potokar, 2022a: Re- view: Pork quality attributes from farm to fork. Part I. Carcass and fresh meat. Animal 16: 100402.
  2. Van Zanten, H. H. E., M. Herrero, O. Van Hal, E. Röös, A. Muller, T. Garnett, P. J. Gerber, C. Schader and I. J. M. De Boer, 2018: Defining a land boundary for sustainable livestock Glob- al Change Biology 24: 4185-4194.
  3. Van Zanten, H. E., M. K. Van Ittersum and
  4. M. De Boer, 2019: The role of farm animals in a circular food system. Global Food Security 21: 18–22.
  5. Lebret, B. and M. Čandek-Potokar, 2022b: Re- view: Pork quality attributes from farm to Part
  6. Processed pork Animal 16: 100383.
  7. Sloup, , I. Jankovská, S. Nechybová, P. Peřinková and I. Langrová, 2017: Zinc in the animal organism: a review. Scienta Agriculturae Bohemica, 48(1): 13-21.
  8. Oguey, S., A. Neels and H. Stoeckli-Evans, 2008: Chemical identity of crystalline trace mineral glyci- nates for animal nutrition. Trace elements in animal production systems – Short communications: 245-
  9. Fuchs, B., U. Geier and P. Schlegel, 2008: Trace mineral supplementation in pig production: Less is better. Feed Magazine Kraftfutter number 9-10.
  10. Natalello, A., H. Khelil-Arfa, G. Luciano, M. Zoon, R. Menci, M. Scerra, A. Blanchard, F. Manga- no, L. Biondi and A. Priolo, 2022: Effect of different levels of organic zinc supplementation on pork quality. Meat Science 186: 108731.

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Take control of how your pigs respond to heat

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The impact of high temperatures on pig production will become more important over the next decades. Therefore, it matters how your pigs respond to heat and the ability to control the response can make a difference. What are you doing to take control?

Author: Gwendolyn Jones, Product Manager Anco FIT

How do grow-finishing pigs respond to rising temperatures?

Due to climate change pigs will become exposed to ambient temperatures above their thermal comfort zone more often and for longer periods. High ambient temperatures strongly affect physiology behaviour and metabolic adaptations that have a negative effect on growth performance of growing pigs. Economic losses for the US pork industry due to heat stress have been estimated at $300 million a year, with $200 million associated with grow-finish production losses.

Compared to other species of farm animals, pigs are more sensitive to high environmental temperatures, because they cannot sweat and find it more difficult to pant. The best indicators for assessing heat stress of finishing pigs are: increased respiration rate and water to feed ratio, followed by reduced feed intake, and increased rectal temperature. In heavier pigs, signs of heat stress are noticed at lower temperatures, also pigs with modern genetics are more susceptible to heat stress.

The primary consequence of heat stress is that animals reduce feed intake progressively with increased temperature, which will reduce performance.  A meta-analysis carried out by da Fonseca de Oliveira et al (2018) reported that high ambient temperatures reduced the values of average daily gain (654 vs 596 g/d) and feed intake (2.14 vs 1.88 kg/d) when compared with the thermoneutral group.  Others reported that whereas each degree increase in ambient temperature between 24 and 30 °C would induce a feed intake decrease of 50 g/day in pigs of 60 kg body weight, the corresponding decrease would average 80 g/day in pigs of 90 kg body weight.

However, increased ambient temperatures have also shown to have negative effects on gut function and gut integrity in growing-finishing pigs, which lead to increased levels of endotoxins in blood, as well as altered inflammation profiles. Other research has demonstrated that oxidative stress plays a role in compromising intestinal barrier integrity in heat-stressed pigs.

Building resilience to rising temperatures in pigs

Continued selection for greater performance in the absence of consideration for heat tolerance will result in greater susceptibility to heat stress. Not surprisingly, several research groups across the world are trying to find ways for enhancing the resilience of livestock to climatic variability and climate change. Resilience can arise due to lower sensitivity or better adaptability to a challenge.

Scientists are beginning to discover ways to influence the adaptive capacity of farm animals to mitigate the effects of heat stress and its negative consequences for animal welfare and farm profitability in response to rising temperatures. Identifying relevant biomarkers in animals capable of maintaining high levels of productivity during heat stress will also help to breed for climate resilient animals. The Nrf2-KEAP 1 pathway, appears to be particularly promising, as a regulatory mechanism to explore further at the cellular level, because of its dual influence on the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory response of animals.

Nutritional support to take the sting out of heat

Nutritional interventions supporting the efficiency of adaptive mechanisms represent a practical, adaptable and cost-effective strategy to mitigate the negative effects of high ambient temperatures and maintain animal productivity.

Gut agility activators are feed supplements that were specifically formulated to enhance the adaptive capacity of animals, by supporting cellular defense systems and enabling animals to adapt with more efficient responses to challenges including rising temperatures thus mitigating the impact on performance.

Author: Gwendolyn Jones, Product Manager Anco FIT

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Novel yeast supports broilers in necrotic enteritis challenge

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Case study describing the response of broilers to a novel yeast in their diet during a necrotic enteritis challenge.

Published in Livestock and Feed Business, June 2022

Author: Sarah Cooper

Pathogenic and physiological challenges are ubiquitous in animal production systems as they threaten efficient and profitable production. Tools (like growth-promoting antibiotics and ionophores) once used to improve production efficiency are increasingly being restricted. As such, there is a growing interest in evolved management and nutritional practices.

Yeasts have been fed to animals for over 100 years due to their nutritional richness and reported effects to support health and growth performance. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the most used yeast in animal feed applications. Yeast cell walls contain various bioactive components like ß-glucans and mannan oligosaccharides, which have shown to have beneficial impacts across various species. Several studies revealed that dietary ß-glucans interact with intestinal cells affecting the modulation of the intestinal immune response. Mannan oligosaccharides have also been demonstrated to bind and limit the colonisation of intestinal pathogens with beneficial consequences related to gastrointestinal health and ensuing performance.

Pichia guilliermondii, an extraordinary yeast

Pichia guilliermondii is a novel yeast with unique morphology, structure and consequent activity. The way yeast cells in animal feed behave in the animal’s intestinal environment (interacting with intestinal epithelium and luminal contents) depends on the morphology, cell wall structure and composition.

The comparative morphology and physical characteristics of P. guilliermondii and S. cerevisiae were assessed in a side-by- side study. There are significant differences between them: P. guilliermondii is a smaller cell and has a greater surface area to volume ratio. It is also more hydrophobic compared to S. cerevisiae.

Additionally, the distribution of various glycoproteins in the yeast cell wall varies, suggesting that P. guilliermondii has a different cell wall structure and composition to S. cerevisiae. These particularities may be associated with significant differences in how both yeast cells behave when used in animal feeds.

The function of P. guilliermondii and associated influence on physiological and performance parameters have been assessed across various animal species. This body of research has focused on exploring the impact that may be associated with P. guilliermondii on the immune system, pathogen load, gastrointestinal health and performance, especially during stress and pathogenic challenges.

Pichia in action: A broiler case study for necrotic enteritis challenge

Coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis represent the greatest threat to poultry production globally, being detrimental to animal welfare and having economic impacts.

In an experimental necrotic enteritis study with broilers, birds that received P. guilliermondii supplementation showed indications of increased resilience and improved performance compared to control birds that did not receive any P. guilliermondii in their diet.

In this 42-day long study, newly hatched Ross 708 broilers were assigned to either the three-phase basal control diet or the three-phase basal diet plus 0.1% P. guilliermondii until day 28, then 0.075% P. guilliermondii until day 42.

The necrotic enteritis challenge consisted of adding used litter to introduce coccidia on day 4 and challenging birds with Clostridium perfringens on days 17, 18 and 19.

A group of birds on the basal control diet did not receive the challenge and acted as the non-infected control group. On day 21, birds from each group were randomly selected and euthanised, with their intestines examined for necrotic enteritis lesions. Lesion scores range from 0 (for normal) to 4 (for the most severe lesions).

Birds receiving P. guilliermondii in their diet had lower intestinal lesions compared to challenged birds receiving only the control diet. The significantly lower intestinal lesion scores in the P. guilliermondii-fed birds suggest greater physiological resilience  in the face of the necrotic enteritis challenge, compared to the birds with more severe lesion scores in the infected control group.  At the end of the study, on day 42, P. guilliermondii– supplemented birds had improved performance parameters compared to the infected control group. The adjusted feed conversion ratio was better in the group that had received P.guilliermondii in their diet. These birds also had a significantly greater body weight. Of note, day 42 mortality was numerically lower in the P. guilliermondii group compared to the infected control group.

P. guilliermondii has unique morphological properties influencing its efficacy in animal feeding. Research has demonstrated that the addition of P. guilliermondii to the diet of broilers may be associated with beneficial impacts on parameters in the face of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis

 

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Sustaining egg quality in laying hens

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Maintaining egg quality for longer is key to enabling longer laying cycles, which is required to reduce economic cost and environmental footprint of egg production.

Author: Gwendolyn Jones, PhD, Product Manager Gut Agility Activators

Published in International Poultry Production, June 2022

A tough economic climate, combined with consumer concerns around environmental impact, are driving the need for increased laying cycle lengths in egg production. However, a prerequisite to achieving profitable longer laying cycles is the ability to maintain the quality of eggs produced by older hens.

Genetic and nutritional advances made to support the productivity of key organs involved in egg production may help sustain egg quality for longer.  The benefits of making hens lay longer are both financial and environmental. For example, it has been calculated that for an increase in 10 weeks of production, 1g of nitrogen could be saved per 12 eggs produced. This again would reduce the nitrification impact of egg production significantly. Longer laying cycles enhance lifetime egg production per hen housed, which also means a reduction in the number of hens required to produce the same number of eggs. This has knock-on effects not only for the environmental footprint, but also for financial savings, as it reduces the amount of animal feed required to maintain the hens.

On the other hand, the main reasons for replacing laying hen flocks at around 72 weeks of age is a decline in egg numbers combined with a deterioration in egg quality during the production cycle. Extending laying cycles to a target of 92-100 weeks then calls for strategies that increase persistency in lay and stability in egg quality. It is well known that the reduction in quantity and quality of eggs over the egg production period is linked to ovarian ageing.

Studies have shown that one of the most important factors inducing ovarian aging is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant defence system. ROS accumulate during metabolic activity, which can be exacerbated in periods of high productivity and when the bird is challenged by stressors in its environment or feed.

Previous research in laying hens has demonstrated that a decline with age in antioxidant capacity of ovaries is linked to down-regulation of Nrf2 gene expression in the Nrf2-KEAP1 pathway, which is a signaling pathway involved in the mobilisation of cellular antioxidant defences.

On the other hand, additional studies have proven that it was possible to upregulate Nrf2 expression with a positive knock-on effect for gene expression of antioxidant enzymes and thereby delay the aging process of ovaries by nutritional means in laying hens.

Important egg quality parameters are eggshell strength, albumen height and Haugh units (HU), all of which decline as the hen ages throughout the laying period. Both albumen height and HU were depressed in studies where the Nrf2-KEAP1 pathway was impaired by the experimental design in laying hens. Recent research investigating the effect of supplementing laying hen diets with a gut agility activator on egg quality parameters in the late laying period and on the expression of Nrf2-KEAP1 pathway related gene expression in ovaries, indicated the potential for sustaining egg quality longer by upregulating the Nrf2- KEAP1 pathway in ovaries (Brouklogiannis et al 2022) .

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Laying persistency – 500 eggs in a single laying cycle in 100 weeks

Pancosma Gut Agility Activator product range

Scientific abstract: Anagnostopoulos et al (2022). Production performance and gut cytoprotective response in laying hens fed with  different phytogenic levels

Scientific abstract: Brouklogiannis et al (2022). Dietary phytogenic inclusion level effects on egg production, egg quality and expression of ovarian cytoprotective genes in laying hens

Animal science turns to advancing resilience for heat tolerance

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Several research groups across the world are researching the challenge of enhancing resilience for heat tolerance in livestock.

Animal science turns to advancing resilience for heat tolerance

Author: Gwendolyn Jones, PhD, Product Manager Gut Agility Activators

Published in: Feed and Additive Magazine, June 2022

Several research groups across the world are researching the challenge of enhancing the resilience of livestock to climatic variability and change. Understanding adaptive mechanisms right down to cellular responses are key to finding technological solutions to advance animal nutrition in its supportive role in optimizing animal performance as the climate is heating up in many countries.

Scientists from leading agricultural universities in the UK, United States, India, Australia and the Netherlands all essentially agree, the adaptation to climate change requires technological advances for climate resilient animals in livestock production. On the other hand, continued selection for greater performance in the absence of consideration for heat tolerance will result in greater susceptibility to negative impacts from rising temperatures for productivity and animal welfare. This is due to the strong relationship between production level and metabolic heat production.

Animal resilience in the context of environmental challenges

Researchers at the University of Armidale claim that for the concept of resilience the animal’s reactions with its environment are central. They describe resilience as the capacity of the animal to return rapidly to its pre-challenge situation. In other words, it is a comparative measure of differences between animals in the impact of a challenge they encounter. Researchers from Wageningen share a similar definition for resilience in farm animals. Thus, resilience relies on the animal’s response or better adaptability to naturally occurring stressors in its environment.

Several disciplines in animal production, including genetics, veterinary sciences and nutrition are currently striving to find ways of positively influencing resilience in farm animals. Better understanding the adaptive processes and finding ways to best measure improvements is integral to enhancing resilience in farm animals.

The role of adaptability

Animals have adaptive mechanisms to cope with rising temperatures, which involve morphological, behavioural and genetic capacity for change. Behavioural changes to rising ambient temperatures are seen in animals, include using shade whenever they have access to it and a reduction in feed intake.

The adaptive processes can further include physiological, neuro-endocrine and cellular responses. Some of the physiological parameters for adaptation to rising temperatures are respiration rate, pulse rate, skin temperature and sweating. However, there are differences between species in the expression of these characteristics. For example, poultry has the characteristics of rich feathers, no sweat glands, strong metabolism and high body temperature. As a result, the production performance of poultry is easily impacted by elevated ambient temperatures.

Research into the physiological changes accompanying high temperatures in tropically adapt- ed species is increasing the understanding of the mechanisms that the animal uses to accomplish the necessary functions effectively, and to find ways to support a more efficient response to minimize the negative impact on performance and animal well- being. Identifying relevant biomarkers in animals capable of maintaining high levels of productivity at high ambient temperatures will also help to breed for climate resilient animals.

Adaptive responses at the cellular level

Exposure to challenges, including environmental ones such as ambient temperatures above thermal comfort zones, induce adaptive responses that al- low cells and organisms to continue normal functions in the face of adverse stimuli. At the cellular level adaptive responses involve multiple changes in gene and protein expression, including induction of cellular defenses, e.g., antioxidants and heat shock proteins to enable the cell to survive.

On the other hand, exposure to challenges will increase cellular levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The balance between the generation of ROS and cellular antioxidants determines the level of oxidative stress, which again impacts the animal’s ability to attain performance potential and sustain good health.

A key cellular adaptation mechanism discovered in species surviving extreme environmental conditions is the enhanced expression of the cytoprotective system NRF2-KEAP1, which is involved in protection from oxidative stress, detoxification and protein homoeostasis. The nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (NRF2), is part of a complex regulatory network that responds to environmental cues. The subsequent evolution of cysteine-rich Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1) provided animals with a more sophisticated way to regulate NRF2 activity. Exposure to oxidants disrupts the interaction between NRF2 and KEAP1, which leads to translocation of NRF2 to the nucleus, which in turn increases the transcription of cytoprotective and antioxidative genes. This also leads to activating antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, glutathione and catalase.

Optimizing NRF2-KEAP activity in farm animals

A better understanding of the biological function, activation and regulation of NRF2-KEAP1 will help find ways of optimizing its activity for increased resilience in farm animals. Insights from in vitro studies carried out on hyperthermia treated bovine mammary epithelial cells demonstrated that the activation of NRF2 leading to upregulation of expression of downstream genes was associated in attenuating heat shock-induced cell damage.

To date it has been established that certain molecules including phytochemicals can activate NRF2. However, scientists also warn of arbitrarily activating the NRF2-KEAP1 pathway and call for more research into optimizing and properly timing interventions to the activity of NRF2. Peer reviewed exploratory research carried out to investigate the effect of a gut agility activator, based on bioactive substances derived from herbs and spices combined with functional carriers, showed that it increased the expression of critical genes of the NRF2-KEAP1 pathway in the gut of broilers. This coincided with increased levels of total antioxidant capacity in breast meat and in organs key to sustaining high productivity (e.g., gut, liver) in broilers. The study also highlighted the importance of evaluating different application levels, as the effects were dependent on inclusion levels.

Conclusion

The above insights suggest that nutritional technological advances involving phytogenic molecules, such as gut agility activators, could potentially play a supportive function in enhancing resilience of poultry. Further research is required under temperatures above the thermal comfort zone and to confirm the positive impact on recognized resilience performance indicators.

Relevant articles

Frequent monitoring reveals poultry resilience indicator

Free Ebook 3 steps to greater resilience in poultry

Animal Resilience – Economic value in livestock production

References

  1. Mountzouris, K.C., Paraskeuas, V.V., Fegeros, K. (2020). Priming of intestinal cytoprotective genes and antioxidant capacity by dietary phytogenic inclusion in broilers, Animal Nutrition, Vol 6(3), pp. 305-312
  2. Stenvinkel, , Meyer, C.J., Block, G.A., Chertow, G.M. and Shiels, P.G. (2020). Understanding the role of the cytoprotective transcription factor nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2—lessons from evolution, the animal kingdom and rare progeroid syndromes, Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, Vol 35 (12), pp. 2036-2045
  3. Berghof, T.V.L., Poppe, M. and Mulder, H.A. (2019) Opportunities to Improve Resilience in An- imal Breeding Programs, Frontiers in Genetics, Vol 9, pp 692
  4. Jin, X.L., Wang, K., Liu, L. Liu, H.Y, Zhao, F.Q., Liu, J.X. (2016). Nuclear factor-like factor 2-antiox- idant response element signaling activation by tert-bu- tylhydroquinone attenuates acute heat stress in bovineBerghof, T.V.L., Poppe, M. and Mulder, H.A. (2019) Opportunities to Improve Resilience in An- imal Breeding Programs, Frontiers in Genetics, Vol 9, pp 692