Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990-…2011 and inventory report 2013. Copenhagen : European Evironment Agency, 2013, 1159 p.(Technical report No 8/2013) http://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/european-union-greenhouse-gas-inventory-2013 This report is the annual submission of the greenhouse gas inventory of the European Union to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol. It presents greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2011 for EU-27, ...

Annual European Union greenhouse gas inventory 1990-…2011 and inventory report 2013

Fibres in rabbit feeding for digestive troubles prevention: respective role of low-digested and digestible fibre

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) lining the gastrointestinal tract establish a barrier between external environments and the internal milieu. An intact intestinal barrier maintains gut health and overall good health of the body by preventing from tissue injury, pathogen infection and disease development. When the intestinal barrier function is compromised, bacterial translocation can occur. Our gut microbiota also plays a fundamentally important role in health, for example, by maintaining intestinal barrier integrity, metabolism and modulating the immune system, etc. Any disruption of gut microbiota composition (also termed dysbiosis) can lead to various pathological conditions. In short, intestinal barrier and gut microbiota are two crucial factors affecting gut health. The gastrointestinal tract is a complex environment exposed to many dietary components and commensal bacteria. Dietary components are increasingly recognized to play various beneficial roles beyond basic nutrition, resulting in the development of the functional food concepts. Various dietary modifiers, including the consumption of live bacteria (probiotics) and ingestible food constituents such as prebiotics, as well as polyphenols or synbiotics (combinations of probiotics and prebiotics) are the most well characterized dietary bioactive compounds and have been demonstrated to beneficially impact the gut health and the overall well-being of the host. In this review we depict the roles of intestinal epithelium and gut microbiota in mucosal defence responses and the influence of certain functional food components on the modulation of gut health, with a particular focus on probiotics, prebiotics and polyphenols.

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Influence of functional food components on gut health

The influence of fiber source on fiber digestion in rabbits was investigated Six fibrous feedstuffs with wide differences in chemical composition and particle size were selected: paprika meal, olive leaves, alfalfa hay, soybean hulls, sodium hydroxide-treated barley straw, and sunflower hulls Six diets were formulated to contain one of these ingredients as the sole source of fiber To avoid nutrient imbalances, fiber sources were supplemented with different proportions of a fiber-free concentrate, based on soy protein isolate, wheat flour, lard, and a vitamin and mineral mix, to obtain diets containing at least 3% nitrogen and 5% starch Daily soft feces excretion, and its NDF, and total and microbial nitrogen content were determined in 60 fattening rabbits (10 per diet) Seven days after the last cecotrophy control, the same animals were used to determine weight of stomach, cecum and their contents, and cecal fermentation traits (pH, VFA and ammonia concentrations, and buffer properties of cecal contents) Stepwise regression analysis showed a positive effect (P 125 mm) Degree of lignification of NDF decreased total nitrogen concentration in soft feces and cecal VFA concentration (P < 001) Source of fiber affected cecal pH not only by its influence on the cecal concentrations of the final products of fermentation, but also through its effect on the pH of dry cecal contents (P < 001) The latter was negatively correlated with dietary proportion of fine particles, degree of lignification of NDF, and base-buffering capacity of dry cecal contents (r = -52, -37, and -49, respectively) From these results, we conclude that pectic constituent concentration, degree of lignification of NDF, and particle size are the variables that best characterize the influence of the source of fiber on soft feces excretion and cecal fermentation traits in rabbits

Effect of fiber source on cecal fermentation and nitrogen recycled through cecotrophy in rabbits

The effect of neutral detergent-soluble fiber level on gut barrier function and intestinal microbiota was examined in weaned rabbits. A control diet (AH) containing 103 g of neutral detergent-soluble fiber/ kg of DM included alfalfa hay as main source of fiber. Another diet (B-AP) was formulated by replacing half of the alfalfa hay with a mixture of beet and apple pulp resulting in 131 g of soluble fiber/kg of DM. A third diet (OH) was obtained by substituting half of the alfalfa hay with a mix of oat hulls and a soybean protein concentrate and contained 79 g of soluble fiber/kg of DM. Rabbits weaned at 25 d and slaughtered at 35 d were used to determine ileal digestibility, jejunal morphology, sucrase activity, lamina propria lymphocytes, and intestinal microbiota. Suckling 35-d-old rabbits were used to assess mucosa morphology. Mortality (from weaning to 63 d of age) was also determined. Villous height of the jejunal mucosa increased with soluble fiber (P = 0.001). Rabbits fed with the greatest level of soluble fiber (BA-P diet) showed the highest villous height/ crypt depth ratio (8.14; P = 0.001), sucrase specific activity (8,671 mumol of glucose/g of protein; P = 0.019), and the greatest ileal starch digestibility (96.8%; P = 0.002). The opposite effects were observed in rabbits fed decreased levels of soluble fiber (AH and OH diets; 4.70, 5,848 mumol of glucose/g of protein, as average, respectively). The lowest ileal starch digestibility was detected for animals fed OH diet (93.2%). Suckling rabbits of the same age showed a lower villous height/crypt depth ratio (6.70) compared with the B-AP diet group, but this ratio was higher than the AH or OH diet groups. Lower levels of soluble fiber tended (P = 0.074) to increase the cellular immune response (CD8+ lymphocytes). Diet affected IL-2 production (CD25+, P = 0.029; CD5+CD25+, P = 0.057), with no clear relationship between soluble fiber and IL-2. The intestinal microbiota biodiversity was not affected by diets (P >/= 0.38). Rabbits fed the B-AP and AH diets had a reduced cecal frequency of detection compatible with Campylobacter spp. (20.3 vs. 37.8, P = 0.074), and Clostridium perfringens (4.3 vs. 17.6%, P = 0.047), compared with the OH diet group. Moreover, the mortality rates decreased from 14.4 (OH diet) to 5.1% (B-AP diet) with the increased presence of soluble fiber in the diet. In conclusion, increased levels of dietary soluble fiber improve mucosal integrity and functionality.

Neutral detergent-soluble fiber improves gut barrier function in twenty-five-day-old weaned rabbits

The aim of this work was to determine the main factors that affect caecal pH, the caecal concentrations and molar proportions of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and the weight of caecal contents. The database was constituted of data (n = 92) from three laboratories that included the mentioned traits and the chemical composition and nutritive value of the diets. The laboratory affected caecal pH (P < 0.001) probably because of the differences in sampling time among them. Dietary uronic acids (UA) were measured in 21 diets and were negatively correlated with caecal pH and positively with caecal VFA concentration and the proportion of propionic acid (P = 0.004, 0.06 and 0.03, respec- tively). When UA was removed from the model, no other chemical characteristics significantly af- fected caecal pH, and digestible NDF was the variable which was the best correlated with it (R 2 = 0.58; P < 0.001). Only one laboratory detected a relationship between caecal pH and caecal concentrations of VFA (P = 0.044) and N-NH3 (P = 0.14), which accounted for 12% of the variabil- ity observed in caecal pH. A linear and quadratic effect of dietary NDF and the degree of lignification of NDF on VFA concentration was found (R 2 = 0.56; P < 0.001), indicating a positive effect of high levels of low lignified fibre on caecal VFA. The weight of caecal contents was quadratically influ- enced by dietary NDF (R 2 = 0.39; P < 0.001). It was also linearly affected by the degree of lignifi- cation of NDF (P < 0.001). Dry matter intake was negatively correlated with caecal content weight ( P< 0.001; R 2 = 0.44), once the effects of the laboratory and dietary digestible energy concentration

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Identification of the main factors that influence caecal fermentation traits in growing rabbits

Role des fibres dans l'alimentation du lapin: revue. Cette revue concerne les effets des constituants parietaux sur le transit digestif, le controle de la flore intestinale, la fermentation caecale et les performances des lapins. Les caracteristiques, tant physiques que chimiques, des constituants parietaux interviennent sur ces variables. Un accroissement de la proportion des particules de petite taille ( 1,25 mm) est necessaire pour obtenir un taux de renouvellement du contenu caecal convenable et augmenter, ainsi, l'efficacite de la synthese microbienne. La digestibilite totale des parois cellulaires resulte en grande partie de celle des substances pectiques (arabinose, galactose et acides uroniques). Un accroissement de la teneur de ces constituants dans l'alimentation augmente l'acidite du contenu caecal et le recyclage des proteines microbiennes via la caecotrophie. La teneur en lignine du regime est negativement liee a l'energie digestible et a la repletion du caecum. Les niveaux tant excedentaires que deficitaires de constituants parietaux dans le regime donnent lieu a une diminution des performances des lapins. Des recommandations pratiques pour les teneurs optimales en constituants parietaux et la proportion minimale de particules de grande taille sont donnes pour les lapines allaitantes, les jeunes en croissance et les rations mixtes.

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Role of fibre in rabbit diets. A review

Effect of neutral detergent soluble fibre on digestion, intestinal microbiota and performance in twenty five day old weaned rabbits.

Four diets based on different vegetal protein concentrates: soya bean meal 48 (SB48 diet), soya bean protein concentrate (SB61 diet), sunflower meal 36 (SF36 diet) and a combination of soya bean meal 48 and potato protein concentrate (SB48-P77 diet) were formulated for the starter pe- riod (25-39 days) in early weaned rabbits (25 days of age). These sources of protein accounted for 30% of the total dietary crude protein (CP) content. All diets were formulated to be isonutritive and to meet or exceed all the essential nutrient requirements of growing rabbits. A feeding trial was con- ducted to measure the effect of the treatments on growth performance in 204 rabbits that were fed ad libitum the experimental diets in the starter period and thereafter received a common feed until 60 d of age. Faecal and ileal apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM) and CP (9 and 7 replicates, respec- tively) were determined at 35 d of age. The weights and pH of the stomach and caecal contents, am- monia concentration in the caecum and jejunal morphology were also determined (11 rabbits per diet). The treatments did not affect faecal DM and CP digestibility. However, the source of protein af- fected ileal digestibilities of DM and CP (P < 0.04), which were around 14 and 7% higher for SB61 and SF36 diets, respectively, than for the SB48 diet, whereas the values obtained for the SB48-P77 diet were intermediate. The ileal flux of CP and the N-NH3 caecal concentration were (P = 0.08 and 0.05, respectively) affected by the source of protein. The highest values were observed in animals fed the SB48-P77 diet, increasing by around 25 and 35%, respectively, compared to the other three diets. The treatments had no effect on digestive traits and jejunal morphology. The differences in ileal di- gestion efficacy among treatments led to differences (P = 0.008) in food efficiency the first week after weaning, which was higher (10%, as average) in animals fed the SB61 diet than that observed for ani- mals fed the SB48 and SB48-P77 diets, whereas the value obtained for SF36 was intermediate. In this period, the type of diet tended (P = 0.08) to affect daily gain and food efficiency, with the lowest val- ues obtained for the SB48 diet. The treatments had no effect on mortality in the first two weeks after weaning. However, mortality in the whole fattening period was affected by protein source (P = 0.03), since it was higher in animals fed the SB48-P77 diet after weaning than the animals fed the other three diets (34.6 vs. 16.7%, respectively). In conclusion, SF36 and SB61 are the sources of protein that led 461

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Effect of protein source on digestion and growth performance of early-weaned rabbits

The effect of a time-limited access to the feeders (8 h per d from 9:30 to 17:30) on fattening performance and health status was studied in rabbits reared until 2 kg live-weight as typical in the Spanish market. For this purpose, the same diet (10.5 MJ digestible energy/kg, 38.9% neutral detergent fi bre and 18.4% crude protein on dry matter basis) was used over two consecutive trials. A total of 192 growing rabbits (96 in each trial) were weaned at 35 d and assigned to 2 different feeding treatments (continuously fed ad libitum or restricted from 35 until 49 d). In the fi rst trial, feed restriction reduced daily feed intake (94.3 vs. 74.2 g; P<0.001), daily weight gain (43.6 vs. 27.1 g; P<0.001) and impaired feed conversion rate (FCR) (2.28 vs. 2.92, P<0.001) in the fi rst 14 d after weaning. Later on, no feed restriction was applied and a compensatory growth was observed in previously restricted rabbits (44.8 vs. 54.8 g/d; P<0.001). Early restricted rabbits did not reach the Spanish commercial weight (2 kg) at 63 d of age and weighed less than full-fed rabbits (1989 vs. 1888 g; P=0.001). Moreover, feed restriction did not improve FCR in the whole fattening period (2.56 on average). The second trial was extended until 70 d to permit restricted rabbits to attain market weight. However, at that age, live weight of restricted rabbits was also lower than that of rabbits always fed ad libitum (2285 vs. 2101 g; P=0.001). In the fi rst trial, no health problem was recorded (average mortality 1.04%) whereas in the second trial feed restriction allowed both mortality (25.6 vs. 6.34%, P=0.017) and morbidity (41.4 vs. 12.7%, P=0.004) to decrease. The higher number of losses in the second trial made economic FCR differ from scientifi c FCR (3.63 vs. 2.89, on average) in the 35-70 d period. Moreover, morbidity increased heterogeneity of fattening performance. In conclusion, the interest of feed restriction in Spanish fattening rabbit farms is mitigated by the conventional market weight. Nevertheless, in a context with high rates of digestive troubles, a time-limited access to the feeder enhances health status on the farm and could justify the short delay necessary to reach slaughter weight.

https://polipapers.upv.es/index.php/wrs/article/download/778/782

Carlos de Blas

Papers

Identification of the main factors that influence caecal fermentation traits in growing rabbits

Role of fibre in rabbit diets. A review

Effect of neutral detergent soluble fibre on digestion, intestinal microbiota and performance in twenty five day old weaned rabbits.

Effect of protein source on digestion and growth performance of early-weaned rabbits

Effect of early feed restriction on performance and health status in growing rabbits slaughtered at 2 kg live-weight