Weaning stress is the most common issue in weanling pigs, and increases diarrhea and mortality. Various wavelengths of light irradiation affect the body owing to the association with biophotons. Biophotons are very weak photons in the visible light range generated during metabolic and chemical reactions in vivo. Immune mechanisms are activated by increasing signal transmission between cells through biophoton emission. This study evaluated the influence of ultra-weak light (LED) on growth performance, antioxidant status, and stress of weaned piglets. A total of 120 weaned pigs with an average initial body weight of 7.04±0.01 kg (age: 21 d) were allotted to two treatments (Control and LED) with 10 replicates. Diets prepared in pellet form were administered to the pigs in three phases including Phase 1 (0–14 d), Phase 2 (15–28 d), and Phase 3 (29–42 d). At the end of the study, the average daily gain (8.96%, p<0.05) and feed efficiency (6.56%, p<0.05) of pigs was significantly increased at phase 3 in the LED treatment. Low concentration of malondialdehyde (12.58%, p<0.05) and high concentrations of glutathione reductase (7.41%, p<0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (5.48%, p<0.05) were observed in the LED treatment at Day 42. The concentration of hair cortisol was also decreased (24.05%, p<0.05) in the LED treatment at Day 42. In conclusion, the use of LED for weanling pigs is recommended to improve growth performance by modulating antioxidant capacity and cortisol level in hair.

Black soldier fly (BSF, Hermetia illucens) has been noted as an excellent feed ingredient. However, there is limited information on rearing and processing technology. Thus, this study was conducted to evaluate the substrates for rearing BSF and the optimal processing method for BSF performance. Study separated as 2 experiment, BSF rearing and drying method(Exp 1.) and EP-processing method(exp 2.). During the study, 30 clutches were reared, with 10 per substrate. Three substrates, namely food waste (FW), tofu by-product (TF), and vegetable waste with two drying methods, namely hot air dry (AD) and microwave dry (MW) at expanding (EP) ratios of 5:5 and 7:3, were examined by evaluating their rearing performance, nutrient contents, in vitro digestibility and lipid oxidation stability during storage (0, 14 and 28 days). In experiment 1, the rearing substrates and drying methods were evaluated. Compared with that of conventional methods (FW, AD), the TF substrates and MW method showed higher dry matter contents (3.43%) and in vitro digestibility (1.62%) but lower ether extract contents(3.53%; p<0.05). However, the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration under MW treatments decreased during storage (5.77%, 4.69% and 3.24%; p<0.05). In experiment 2, compared with that of the 7:3 EP-BSF ratio, the 5:5 EP-BSF ratio showed higher in vitro digestibility (2.70%) and lower MDA concentration during storage (19.19%, 7.96% and 6.42%; p<0.05). In conclusion, the optimal conditions for BSF rearing and ensuring product quality were TF substrates, MW methods and a 5:5 corn:BSF ratio. Therefore, the optimal conditions for producing EP-BSF can present an excellent feed ingredient alternative for swine feed.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of ImmunoSEB as an immune-booster additive on the performance of broiler chicks. A total of 1150 broiler chickens were randomly allotted to three treatments on the basis of body weight (10 pens per treatment with 40 broilers in each pen): the control (CON), CON + ImmunoSEB 0.025% in feed (SEB25), and CON + ImmunoSEB 0.050% in feed (SEB50). The experiment was conducted for d 42 in three phases (phase 1, d 0–14; phase 2, d 15–28; and phase 3, d 29–42). There were significant differences in the average daily gain (ADG) and feed intake. The ADG at d 14 in the SEB50 treatment was greater than that in the CON treatment. The overall ADG in the SEB50 treatment was greater than that in the CON treatment. During d 0–14, the feed intake of chickens in the SEB50 treatment increased compared to that in the CON treatment. The crude protein and lysine digestibility improved in the SEB25 and SEB50 treatments compared to those in the CON treatment at d 28. Superoxide dismutase concentration significantly increased in the SEB50 treatment compared to that in the CON treatment. The interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations were higher in the cecum of chickens in the CON treatment than in the SEB25 and SEB50 treatments. A lower population of E. coli was detected in the ileum and cecum of broilers fed the SEB50 diet compared to those of broilers fed the CON diet. The overall result showed the beneficial effects of using ImmunoSEB at a dose of 0.050% in broiler chickens.

This study investigated various levels of sodium nitrite and probiotics (SNPro) combination as an alternative to zinc oxide on the growth performance, immune response, intestinal microflora, and morphology of weaned pigs. One hundred and ninety-two weaned pigs (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc) with an average body weight of 6.51±0.15 kg were randomly assigned to four treatments(n=6) on the basis of their initial body weight. Experimental period was divided into phase 1 and 2 (each 14 days). The dietary treatments were: 1) Basal diet (control), 2) SNPro1 (control+0.01% SNPro), 3) SNPro2 (control+0.02% SNPro), 4) SNPro3 (control+0.03% SNPro). The average daily gain when SNPro was added to the diet was 288, 309, 319, 324 g in phase 1, 355, 387, 410, 407 g in phase 2 and 321, 348, 364, 366 g in the overall. The concentration of interleukin-8 and interleukin-10 in serum when SNPro was added to the diet were 15, 13.5, 13, 12.8 ng/ml and 165, 162, 155, 145 ng/ml (p<0.05) but toll-like receptor 4 and immunoglobulin G levels in serum were no significantly different. The colonization of Escherichia coli in the ileum and Salmonella spp. in the caecum were significantly decreased as SNPro level increased (p<0.05). However, the population of Lactobacillus spp. did not differ among the groups. Although villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio were not significantly affected by the treatments, crypt depth in the jejunum was 599, 586, 615, 599 ㎛ as SNPro level increased (p<0.05). In conclusion, SNPro had beneficial effects on growth performance, immune response, intestinal microflora and morphology weaned pigs. Therefore, SNPro not only can be considered as an alternative for the pharmacological level of zinc oxide in weaning pigs but also ideal dietary SNPro level was 0.02%.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary protein level and supplementation of protease on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, intestinal morphology and fecal noxious gas emission in weanling pigs. A total of 240 weaned pigs (Landrace×Yorkshire×Duroc, 5.82±0.3 kg) were used during 4 weeks in 2 phases (days 0-14, phase 1; and days 15-28, phase 2) feeding program based on age and initial body weight. Pigs were allocated to 2×2 factorial arrangement, including 2 protein levels (HP, high protein; LP, low protein) and 2 protease levels (with or without protease). The average daily gain in the LP treatment (357 g/d) was increased rather than the HP treatment (339 g/d). A greater avarage daily gain was observed in dietary suppiemented protease treatment (358 vs 339 g/d). Average feed intake was greater in the LP treatment (544 g/d) rather than the HP treatment (530 g/d). A greater average daily feed intake was observed in dietary supplemented protease treatment (552 vs 523 g/d). Dry matter and crude protein digestibility were increased in dietary supplemented protease treatment (82.62% and 76.08%, respectively) rather than non-supplemented treatment (81.74% and 75.13%, respectively). Ileal Lactobacillus spp. count increased in dietary supplemented protease treatment (7.42 vs 7.32 log10CFU/g). Emission of H2S was decreased in the LP treatment (4.41 ppm) rather than HP treatment (4.78 ppm). Emission of NH3 was decreased in dietary supplemented protease treatment (10.43 ppm vs 11.76 ppm). In conclusion, the decrease of dietary protein level and supplementation of protease had beneficial effects on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, and noxious gas emission in weanling pigs.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of environmental temperature and backfat thickness (BT) on the reproductive performance of lactating sows. Sixty crossbred sows were allotted to four groups in a 2×2 factorial arrangement by environmental temperature (high temperature [HT], 27.5±1.76℃; low temperature [LT], 23.3±0.89℃) and BT (<20 mm, average 17.70 mm; ≥20 mm, average 23.20 mm) from July to August 2019. Sows in the HT group experienced a greater change in BT and a lower feed intake. Losses in body weight and BT were lower in sows with <20 mm BT than in those with ≥20 mm BT. Sows with low BT had a lower weaning-to-estrus interval than sows with high BT (5.20, 4.93 d vs. 5.87, 5.60 d, respectively). Piglet survivability was lower in the HT group (90.31%) than in the LT group (94.87%). Piglet weaning weight and average daily weight gain were greater in sows with <20 mm BT (5.75 kg and 201.46 g, respectively) than in those with ≥20 mm BT (5.49 kg and 188.41 g, respectively). Sows in the HT group had higher cortisol concentrations than those in the LT group (post-farrowing: HT 7.86 μg/mL vs. LT 6.04 μg/mL; weanling: HT 5.48 μg/mL vs. LT 4.40 μg/mL). In conclusion, environmental temperature adversely influenced sow performance and cortisol levels. Moreover, sows with low BT had a greater weaning-to-estrus interval when subjected to heat stress.