Project description:Despite the existence of a number of studies investigating the effect of insect meal on the growth performance of broilers, knowledge about the metabolic effects of insect meal in broilers is still scarce. Thus, the present study investigated the effect of partial replacement of soybean meal with Hermetia illucens (HI) larvae meal on the liver transcriptome, the plasma metabolome and the cecal microbiome in broilers. For the study, 72 male one-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were divided into three groups (n = 12) and fed three different diets with either 0% (HI0), 7.5% (HI7.5) or 15% (HI15) defatted HI meal for 35 d. While body weight (BW) gain, feed intake, and feed:gain ratio did not differ between groups, breast muscle weight, carcass yield and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of 12 amino acids were higher in group HI15 than in group HI0 (P > 0.05). Indicators of α-diversity (Chao1 and Observed) in the cecal digesta were higher in groups HI15 and HI7.5 than in group HI0 (P < 0.05). The abundance of 5 families and 18 genera, all of which belonged to the Firmicutes phylum, in the cecal digesta differed among groups (P < 0.05). Concentrations of butyric acid, valeric acid and isobutyric acid in the cecal digesta were lower in group HI15 than in the other two groups (P > 0.05), whereas those of total and other short-chain fatty acids were not different between groups. Liver transcriptomics revealed a total of 70 and 61 differentially expressed transcripts between groups HI15 vs. HI0 and between groups HI7.5 vs HI0, respectively, (P > 0.05). Targeted metabolomics identified 138 metabolites, most of which were triglyceride species, being different between the three groups (FDR < 0.05). According to this study, dietary inclusion of HI larvae meal has no detrimental impact but increases breast muscle weight and carcass weight in broilers suggesting that HI larvae meal can be recommended as a sustainable alternative protein source for broilers.
Project description:Transcriptome analysis was performed in duodenum of high and low RFI chicks for finding out differentially expressing genes and molecular pathways for RFI in colored broiler chicken. The sample of 4 birds each from high and low RFI group from the whole lot of 225 broilers was taken for transcriptome analysis. The expression of genes influencing low and high feed efficiency and the pathways of these genes was studied out to examine the molecular mechanism influencing feed efficiency.
Project description:Transcriptome analysis was performed in liver of high and low RFI chicks for finding out differentially expressing genes and molecular pathways for RFI in colored broiler chicken. The sample of 4 birds each from high and low RFI group from the whole lot of 225 broilers was taken for transcriptome analysis. The expression of genes influencing low and high feed efficiency and the pathways of these genes was studied out to examine the molecular mechanism influencing feed efficiency.
Project description:The chicken gastrointestinal tract (GIT) harbours a complex microbial community, involved in several physiological processes such as host immunomodulation and feed digestion. Other studies were already performed to define the chicken gut metagenome and its fecal metaproteome. For the first time, the present study analysed dietary effects on the protein inventory of the microbiota in crop and ceca of broilers. We performed quantitative label-free metaproteomics by using 1D-gel electrophoresis coupled with LC-MS/MS to identify the structural and functional changes triggered by diets supplied with varying amount of mineral phosphorus (P) and microbial phytase (MP). Phylogenetic assessment based on label-free quantification (LFQ) values of the proteins identified Lactobacillaceae as the major family in the crop section regardless of the diet, whereas proteins belonging to the family Veillonellaceae increased with the P supplementation. Within the ceca section, proteins of Bacteroidaceae were more abundant in the P-supplied diets, whereas proteins of Eubacteriaceae decreased with the P-addition. Proteins of the Ruminococcaceae increasedraised with the amount of MP while proteins of Lactobacillaceae werewas more abundant in the MP-lacking diets. Classification of the identified proteins into COGs and KEGG pathways underlined a diverse microbiota activity depending on the dietary regimen, indicating a thriving microbial community in the case of P and MP supplementation, and stressed microbial community when no P and MP were supplied. Insights oninto the identified KEGG pathways, as well as comparison between the GIT sections, dietary treatments, and the bacterial families encoding for the pathways of interest are provided. T) harbours a complex microbial community, involved in several physiological processes such as host immunomodulation and feed digestion. Other studies were already performed to define the chicken gut metagenome and its fecal metaproteome. For the first time, the present study analysed dietary effects on the protein inventory of the microbiota in crop and ceca of broilers. We performed quantitative label-free metaproteomics by using 1D-gel electrophoresis coupled with LC-MS/MS to identify the structural and functional changes triggered by diets supplied with varying amount of mineral phosphorus (P) and microbial phytase (MP). Phylogenetic assessment based on label-free quantification (LFQ) values of the proteins identified Lactobacillaceae as the major family in the crop section regardless of the diet, whereas proteins belonging to the family Veillonellaceae increased with the P supplementation. Within the ceca section, proteins of Bacteroidaceae were more abundant in the P-supplied diets, whereas proteins of Eubacteriaceae decreased with the P-addition. Proteins of the Ruminococcaceae increasedraised with the amount of MP while proteins of Lactobacillaceae werewas more abundant in the MP-lacking diets. Classification of the identified proteins into COGs and KEGG pathways underlined a diverse microbiota activity depending on the dietary regimen, indicating a thriving microbial community in the case of P and MP supplementation, and stressed microbial community when no P and MP were supplied. Insights oninto the identified KEGG pathways, as well as comparison between the GIT sections, dietary treatments, and the bacterial families encoding for the pathways of interest are provided.
Project description:This research investigates the influence of nutritional protein restriction (NPR) during prepuberty on FE and the milk transcriptome of dairy Assaf ewes during their first lactation. Additionally, it evaluates the differences in the milk transcriptome between lactating ewes with divergent FE using the feed conversion ratio (FCR) and residual feed intake (RFI) indices and assesses milk gene expression as a predictor of FE.