Enteric Methane Emissions of Dairy Cattle Considering Breed Composition, Pasture Management, Housing Conditions and Feeding Characteristics along a Rural-Urban Gradient in a Rising Megacity

Greenhouse gas emissions from livestock farming and in particular enteric methane (CH4) from ruminants are criticized for being one of the main contributors to climate change. Different breeding, feeding and management strategies are tested to decrease these emissions, but a status quo analysis is also relevant to implement such measures. The present study aimed to analyze the concentration of CH4 in air exhaled by dairy cows along a rural-urban gradient of Bangalore, India. Urban, mixed and rural areas were defined based on a survey stratification index (SSI) comprising build-up density and distance to the city center. Using a laser methane detector (LMD), CH4 concentration was determined in 2-min spot measurements of exhaled air of 448 cows at three equally spaced visits between June 2017 and April 2018. Mean, maximum and CH4 concentration per duration of the overall measurement, eructation and respiration bouts were calculated. For the overall mean and respiration bouts, CH4 concentration was higher in cows from urban areas, which had also higher milk yield than cows from mixed and rural areas. Although no differences were found in terms of the intake level of fibrous diet components, the type of measurement location (indoor, half-outdoor or outdoor) and pasture access had an impact on CH4 concentration. To our knowledge, this is the first study using the LMD on-farm and in an urbanizing environment. The LMD measurements show variations in enteric CH4 emissions along the rural-urban gradient of Bangalore that reflect differences in dairy husbandry systems governed by the social-ecological context.

Early-life feeding accelerates gut microbiome maturation in piglets

ABSTRACTEarly-life microbiome perturbations have been suggested to have important effects on host development, physiology, and behaviour, which can persist throughout life. We hypothesise that early feeding (access to a pre-weaning fibrous diet) can affect gut microbiome colonisation and development in neonatal piglets. In this longitudinal study, a customised fibrous diet was provided to early-fed piglets (EF; 6 litters) starting two days after birth until weaning (28 days of age) in addition to mother’s milk, whereas control piglets (CON; 4 litters) suckled sow’s milk only. Rectal swabs were collected at multiple timepoints until six weeks of age (i.e., 2 weeks post-weaning) to investigate intestinal microbiota composition development over time using 16S rRNA gene profiling (n = 10 piglets per treatment). We observed a dynamic intestinal microbiota colonisation pattern during the pre-weaning period in both treatment groups, which rapidly stabilised within 2 weeks post-weaning. The microbial (alpha) diversity increased with age and seemed to reach a plateau in the early post-weaning time-point (day+5). The homogenous post-weaning microbiota was represented by microbial groups including Prevotella, Roseburia, Faecalibacterium, Ruminococcus, Megasphaera, Catenibacterium and Subdoligranulum. Remarkably, early feeding of neonatal piglets resulted in accelerated maturation of the intestinal microbiota at pre-weaning time-points, characterised by increased rate of microbial diversity and expanded colonisation of typical post-weaning associated microbial groups (mentioned above) at pre-weaning stages. The acceleration in EF piglets was illustrated by the simultaneous emergence of typical post-weaning-associated microbial groups and a more rapid decline of typical early-life/pre-weaning microbial genera. In addition, the individual eating behaviour scores of the piglets quantitatively correlated with the accelerated change of their microbiome. Overall, these findings show the importance of early-life nutritional strategies to influence the gut microbiota maturation in piglets.

Efektifitas Terapi Akupunktur Dikombinasi Dengan Diet Berserat Tinggi Pada Usia Lanjut Hiperlipidemia Di Posyandu Lansia Mojosongo Jebres Kota Surakarta

Background: The purpose of this study was to study a combination of high-fiber combination diet acupuncture therapy to increase cholesterol in hyperlipidemic women at the Posyandu elderly Mojosongo Village, Jebres Surakarta City. Method: Quasi experimental with one Grous research design pretest - post test design. The focus of the study was the use of a combination of high fiber diet acupuncture therapy to improve blood cholesterol in hyperlipidemic women. Acupuncture therapy is carried out by acupuncture health therapists who have an official permit or license from a supported body. Data retrieval is done by interview / history and observation and fill out the questionnaire after getting acupuncture therapy. Data analysis will use t-test for pre-justification of data and acupuncture therapy post, then processed with SPSS series 16.0 program. Result: Acupuncture in combination with high fiber diet can reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides. Ling Li further explained that the effect of electroacupuncture stimulation on the ST40 point could induce the expression of nNOS and Mt1 enzymes. The NNOS enzyme mediates nitric oxide (NO) signals and plays an important role in cellular signals, vascular tone, blood pressure, insulin hormone secretion, respiratory tract tone, angiogenesis and intestinal peristalsis. Mt1 plays an important role in protecting cells against the body's oxidative attacks, therefore electroacupuncture is effective in reducing cholesterol and triglycerides. Conclusion: A combination of high fibrous diet in improving blood cholesterol in hyperlipidemic women at the posyandu lansia kelurahan Mojosongo, jebres, Surkarta City

A mole rat’s gut microbiota suggests selective influence of diet on microbial niche space and evolution

The coevolution of mammals with their gut microbiota is heavily influenced by diet. Here we investigate the evolution of the gut microbiota in an African mole rat, which has a highly fibrous diet that includes underground storage organs of plants. For this purpose, microbial DNA was isolated from the digesta of a Cape dune mole rat gut, and 23 of 62 partial length 16S rRNA sequences were chosen for full length sequence determination. In addition, V4 regions of 16S rRNA were sequenced using Illumina technology. These sequences were then compared to previously identified sequences in the NCBI and Greengenes databases. Treponeme-related sequences within the mole rat showed evidence of a substantial adaptive radiation, with considerable diversity found within the mole rat (81% minimum sequence identity) as well as substantial divergence (87.3% average sequence identity to nearest neighbor) from previously identified organisms. It also appears likely that Desulfovibrio and several other bacterial clades, but not Clostridia-related organisms, have undergone substantial evolutionary changes during the evolution of mole rats and their ancestors. These findings support the intuitive view that some enteric bacteria can be described as “housekeeping,” with a niche defined by the host gut largely independent of diet. This diet-independent niche space and the microbes occupying it appear to be stable despite substantial alteration of diet-dependent niches and adaptive radiation of microbes occupying those niches. Impact statement The composition of the microbiota is of critical importance for health and disease, and is receiving increased scientific and medical scrutiny. Of particular interest is the role of changing diets as a function of agriculture and, perhaps to an even greater extent, modern food processing. To probe the connection between diet and the gut’s microbial community, the microbiota from a mole rat, a rodent with a relatively unusual diet, was analyzed in detail, and the microbes found were compared with previously identified organisms. The results show evidence of an adaptive radiation of some microbial clades, but relative stability in others. This suggests that the microbiota, like the genome, carries with it housekeeping components as well as other components which can evolve rapidly when the environment changes. This study provides a very broad view of the niche space in the gut and how factors such as diet might influence that niche space.

In vitro fermentation pattern and acidification potential of different sources of carbohydrates for ruminants given high concentrate diets

The in vitro fermentation pattern of five sources of carbohydrates of differing nature (maize grain, MZ; sucrose, SU; wheat bran, WB; sugarbeet pulp, BP; and citrus pulp, CT) under conditions of high concentrate diets for ruminants was studied. A first 8 h incubation trial was performed under optimal pH using inoculum from ewes given a fibrous diet, to compare fermentative characteristics of substrates. As planned, incubation pH ranged within 6.3 to 6.6. The gas produced from CT was higher than MZ, SU and BP from 4 and 6 h onwards, and at 8 h, respectively (p<0.05). There were no differences (p>0.05) on total volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentration, nor on acetate or propionate proportions, but butyrate was lowest (p<0.05) with CT and BP. The second incubation trial was performed in a poorly-buffered medium, with inoculum from ewes given a concentrate diet. All substrates showed a gradual drop of pH, being lowest with SU after 4 h (p<0.05). Throughout the incubation, gas production was highest with CT and lowest with MZ and BP (p<0.05). Total 8 h VFA concentration was higher with CT than BP, SU and MZ (p<0.05). Acetate proportion was higher, and that of propionate lower, with BP than WB (p<0.05), butyrate proportion being higher with MZ and WB than with BP and CT (p<0.05). Lactic acid concentration was higher (p<0.05) with SU than WB and BP. Fermentation characteristics and acidification potential of feeds depend on the nature of their carbohydrate fraction, and must be considered for practical applications.