Effects of Dietary Valine Levels on Production Performance, Egg Quality, Antioxidant Capacity, Immunity, and Intestinal Amino Acid Absorption of Laying Hens during the Peak Lay Period

The present study aimed to assess the impact of dietary valine levels on layer production performance, egg quality, immunity, and intestinal amino acid absorption of laying hens during the peak lay period. For this purpose, a total of 960 33-week-old Fengda No.1 laying hens were randomly divided into five experimental groups and fed with valine at the following different levels in a feeding trial that lasted 8 weeks: 0.59, 0.64, 0.69, 0.74, and 0.79%, respectively. Productive performances were recorded throughout the whole rearing cycle and the egg quality, serum indexes, and small intestine transporters expression were assessed at the end of the experiment after slaughter (41 weeks) on 12 hens per group. Statistical analysis was conducted by one-way ANOVA followed by LSD multiple comparison tests with SPSS 20.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). The linear and quadratic effects were tested by SPSS 20.0. Egg mass, laying rate, broken egg rate, and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved with increasing dietary valine levels. However, the egg weight, eggshell thickness, albumen height, Haugh unit, and egg yolk color were significantly decreased with increasing dietary valine levels. Serum catalase (CAT), immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgM levels, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were negative responses to valine-treated laying hens. Dietary supplemented valine enhanced the trypsin activity of duodenum chime and promoted the mRNA expression levels of ATB0,+, and LAT4 in the jejunum and corresponding serum free Ile, Lys, Phe, Val, and Tyr level. However, valine treatment significantly downregulated the mRNA expression levels of PePT1, B0AT1, LAT1, and SNAT2 in the small intestines and corresponding serum free Arg, His, Met, Thr, Ala, Asp, Glu, Gly, and Ser level. Our results suggest that 0.79% valine dietary supplementation can improve production performance by promoting amino acid nutrient uptake and utilization, and suggest a supplement of 0.79% valine to diet.

Piperine Improves Obesity By Repairing Intestinal Barrier Function And Inhibiting Fatty Acid Absorption

BackgroundCurrently, the weight loss effects of piperine have gained considerable attention; however, the underlying mechanism needs to be comprehensively elucidated. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between the weight loss effects of piperine and intestinal function. Methods Eight-week-old Sprague Dawley male rats were provided standard diet or HFD diet for 16 weeks. After, rats from the HFD group were divided into four group, including HFD, HFD with daily gavage with 2.7mg/kg body weight of piperine (PIP-L), 13.5mg/kg body weight of piperine (PIP-M), 27mg/kg body weight of piperine (PIP-H) for another 8 weeks. The fecal fat content, serum TG, FAA levels, jejunum structure and gene expression levels related to fatty acid absorption and barrier function in intestinal were detected. Then the Caco-2 cell was cultured to explore the effects of piperine on cell proliferation, differentiation, barrier function and fatty acid absorption.ResultsIn our study, piperine repaired the tight junction damage induced by obesity by downregulating jejunal tumor necrosis factor-α and reducing lipopolysaccharide-induced damage on intestinal cell proliferation, thus enhancing intestinal barrier function, which is beneficial in reducing chronic inflammation associated with obesity. In addition, piperine inhibited intestinal fatty acid absorption in both cellular and animal models. The underlying mechanism may be related to the downregulation of fatty acid absorption-related genes, fatty acid-binding protein 2 and cluster of differentiation 36, but not fatty acid transport protein 4.Conclusion The anti-obesity effect of piperine is related to the enhancement of intestinal barrier function and inhibition of intestinal fatty acid absorption.

Effects of a Myrciaria jaboticaba peel extract on starch and triglyceride absorption and the role of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside

Inhibition of triglyceride absorption by Myrciaria jaboticaba is strongly dependent on the participation of cyanidin-3-O-glucoside, which inhibits free fatty acid absorption.