Digestive Physiology - Science topic

Arapaima spp., the world’s largest scaled freshwater fish, native to the Amazon and Essequibo river basins, are valued in aquaculture for their rapid growth and ornamental appeal. However, reliance on natural breeding and parental care in earthen ponds results in variable fingerling survival, hindering production. This study investigated the morpho...

Herbivores contribute to nutrient cycling in tundra ecosystems through their waste (e.g., faeces, urine). However, their contribution might vary among species and over time during the growing season likely due to differences in body size, digestive physiology, and variations in diet composition and quality. Capturing fine-scale variability requires...

A study was conducted to evaluate the impact of increasing levels of dietary calcium in phosphorus-free diets on the determination of basal endogenous loss (BEL) of P in broiler chickens. Male Cobb 500 broilers were fed a corn–soybean meal diet that met their requirements until day 19 post hatching, when they were allotted to three dietary treatmen...

El pejelagarto (Atractosteus tropicus) es un pez dulceacuícola distribuido en el sureste de México, con un importante valor de mercado y que además es una especie con alto arraigo social y cultural. En los últimos 30 años, su acuicultura se ha desarrollado sostenidamente, permitiendo que esta especie se cultiva en sistemas controlados, lo que ha pe...

Araecerus fasciculatus (De Geer, 1775) is an important stored-product pest worldwide. In this study, the development time, survival rate, oviposition, and digestive enzyme (α-amylase, cellulase, pepsin, and lipase) activities of A. fasciculatus fed on five commodities (coffee, jujube, maize, wheat, and kansui) were investigated. Our results showed...

This study investigates the effects of graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanoparticle (AgNP) composite (GO-AgNP) on the digestive physiology and gut ultrastructure of Acheta domesticus (house cricket) during extended exposure. Various concentrations of GO-AgNP were tested to assess their impact on food consumption, assimilation, cell status (Dead Cell...

Physiological response to feeding is crucial for various production factors as feed catabolism and growth. Despite growing significance in red Octopus maya aquaculture, large-scale commercial production is limited by not sufficiently knowing its nutritional needs, especially digestive physiology. Since this species is carnivorous, one of the main f...

Observational studies have shown that human digestive function declines naturally with age. Oral enzyme supplementation is a candidate strategy to enhance macronutrient digestion in older adults. The objective of this study was to test the effects of a mixture of six microbial enzyme preparations (ENZ) on nutrient bioaccessibility from a mixed meal...

China's poultry industry is characterized by large-scale production and rich breeds, presenting both opportunities and challenges. In 2023, the industry produced 10.79 billion broilers, 28.38 million tons of eggs, and 4.88 billion waterfowl. The foundation of a thriving poultry industry lies in the continuous improvement of breeds. For instance, ne...

Background Dietary peptides are increasingly linked to inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases, exemplified by coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is caused by an acquired immune response to proline‐ and glutamine‐rich gluten peptides, which bottleneck proteolysis and provide substrates for immune recognition. Enzyme therapies aim to eliminate gluten i...

The Aedes aegypti mosquito is responsible for transmitting pathogens such as the Dengue, Zika, and Chikungunya viruses. The peritrophic matrix (PM) is an extracellular chitin-rich structure that lines the midgut of arthropods, providing a crucial protective barrier for the gut epithelium against mechanical damage, ingested pathogens, and toxic subs...

Biofloc technology (BFT) has recently attracted great attention due to minimal water exchange and reduced feed intake. This study aimed to recognize daily changes in the digestive physiology of Oreochromis niloticus between a traditional system and BFT. The enzyme activity of trypsin (try), chymotrypsin (chy), leucine aminopeptidase (lap), alkaline...

The Cephalopod Gastrointestinal Simulation System (CGSS) was developed and validated as a novel in vitro model to study digestive physiology in Octopus maya. This system replicates physiological digestion using gastric juice from O. maya and offers an ethical, cost-effective alternative to traditional in vivo methods. The CGSS demonstrated high con...

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important in the world we live in, because of the rapid global population growth and climate change (drought, extreme temperature fluctuations). People in developing countries need more sustainable protein sources instead of the traditional, less sustainable meat, fish, egg, and dairy products. Alternative so...

Brazilian poultry farming stands out worldwide due to its high level of technological investment in all sectors of the production chain. Brazil is the largest exporter and second largest producer of broiler chickens, only behind the United States, ranked first. Chicken meat is one of the main sources of protein in the human diet and its importance...

In this study, the effects of using the distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) instead of soybean meal on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were investigated. Four different experimental diets were prepared with isonitrogenous (43%) and isolipidic (19%) values, incorporating DDGS at levels of 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%. Fish were weighed (18.5–...

We evaluated the effect of replacing maize with graded levels of banana (Musa acuminata) peels (BPs) on feed utilisation, physiological performance, and meat quality traits in Jumbo quail. In a completely randomised design, 341 one-week-old, unsexed quail chicks were randomly allocated to 30 cages and reared on five experimental diets containing 0...

We investigated the hypotheses that broilers and pigs have distinct starch digestion capacities, and that different cereals could trigger diet-species interactions. Ten replicates of 2 broilers (14-d-old) or 1 pig (50-d-old) each were distributed into a 3x2 randomized factorial design with 3 pelleted diets (maize, barley, or oat-based) and the 2 sp...

The Arapaima gigas, a native fish species in the Amazon basin, presents particular biological and zootechnical characteristics, along with substantial economic value, that make it a promising candidate for its production within intensive aquaculture systems. To date, different studies have been conducted to (a) increase the understanding of its dig...

The digestive processes in poultry are influenced by many factors: age, sex, poultry cross, productivity direction, and diet. The main indicators of digestive physiology in scientific works on complete poultry nutrition are the determination of nutrient digestibility coefficients, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus metabolism. During the balance expe...

Background: Macrobrachium amazonicum is an opportunistic and omnivorous species that primarily feeds on plant material. Recent studies have shown that Endo-β-1,4-glucanase and Endo-β-1,4-mannanase are expressed in the transcriptome of adult specimens, while juveniles are capable of digesting nutrients from purified cellulose in their diet. In organ...

The Arapaima gigas, a native fish species in the Amazon basin, possesses intriguing biological and zootechnical characteristics, along with substantial economic value, rendering it a promising candidate for development within intensive aquaculture systems. Numerous studies have been conducted to deepen the understanding of its digestive physiology...

Prickly pear (Opuntia ficus indica L.) could be used in rabbit nutrition in compliance with circular economy principles, global warming issues, and reduction of production costs. This study aims to evaluate the effects of dietary incorporation of prickly pear seed cake (PPSC) on growth, physiological, and histometric parameters in rabbits. A total...

Probiotics can enhance the growth performance and disease resistance of aquatic animals. Probiotics can influence digestive physiology through the secretion of exogenous digestive enzymes, facilitating the utilization of nutrients, and resulting in improvements in growth performance. The objectives of the present study were to reduce fish diseases,...

The Pacific fat sleeper, Dormitator latifrons, is an omnivorous freshwater fish that primarily feeds on detritus. Our understanding of the digestive physiology of this species still needs to be completed, particularly concerning the characterization of its digestive enzymes. This information is crucial in guiding the design of diets that promote op...

Simple Summary Microorganisms isolated from the intestinal microbiota of fish have demonstrated probiotic effects. Considering their beneficial impact on aquaculture, it is essential to develop feeding strategies that ensure the growth and health of aquaculture animals using isolated strains from fish. This study evaluated the effects of the admini...

Poultry nutrition faces many challenges, including the need to meet the changing requirements of growing birds whilst also avoiding over-nutrition and nutrient losses which can be both environmentally and economically damaging. With the sector also facing increasing pressure to reduce its reliance on antibiotics, a greater understanding of the poul...

Poultry nutrition faces many challenges, including the need to meet the changing requirements of growing birds whilst also avoiding over-nutrition and nutrient losses which can be both environmentally and economically damaging. With the sector also facing increasing pressure to reduce its reliance on antibiotics, a greater understanding of the poul...

In this study, we used digestive enzyme profiles to understand the proteolytic, lipolytic potential and capacity to hydrolyze carbohydrates in the digestive tube of the Amazonian freshwater stingray, Potamotrygon wallacei. The processing capacity for proteins, lipids and carbohydrates was examined using the absolute activities of digestive enzymes....

Insect’s resilience to adverse conditions poses a significant challenge for integrated pest control. This has resulted in huge economic losses to agriculture and forestry production as well as a range of severe ecological issues. As a physiological mechanism of insects, digestive physiology plays an important role in the process of adaptation to st...

El pulpo es un animal carnívoro, un depredador voraz desde su nacimiento. Los pulpos se pueden clasificar en dos grupos, según su ciclo de vida; los que presentan etapa larvaria y los que tienen desarrollo directo, es decir, nacen como adultos miniatura. La dieta de los pulpos va cambiando de una etapa a otra en su ciclo de vida. En su etapa larvar...

Larvae nutrition is considered to be the 'bottle neck' for marine finfish culture. Nowadays, marine larviculture can be significantly enhanced by producing new protocols of live feed using modern microbial trends. Primary goals of successful farmed larvae mainly rely on excellent survival and growth, since marine fish larvae record unpredicted high...

This review aimed to address all relevant parts of the digestive physiology of rabbits, before and after weaning, with a view to enabling greater understanding of these phases and reducing the mortality of kits. The biggest bottlenecks in Brazilian rabbit farming are linked to the period from birth to weaning, a time when the animals are more sensi...

Background. As the demand for Octopus maya grows, sustainable farming practices become essential to prevent overexploitation. Thus, its farming development can be a sustainable alternative to traditional fishing. Understanding the digestive dynamics is essential for devising optimal dietary formulations in aquaculture, particularly the role of enzy...

Simple Summary This study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation with organic silicon on the growth performance, blood biochemistry, digestive enzymes, morphohistology, intestinal microbiota and stress resistance in juvenile hybrid Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus × Oreochromis niloticus). It is concluded that organic silicon had no negati...

The effect of diets with various dietary MUFA content and n-6/n-3 ratios, diets 1 (55.33, 1.00), 2 (25.30, 1.00), 3 (55.13, 2.05), 4 (24.92, 2.03), 5 (54.94, 8.06) and 6 (24.91, 8.06) and a control diet with fish oil (FO), diet 7 (33.60, 5.97), was studied on growth and digestive physiology of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. Juveniles, 14.65 g...

Simple Summary To ensure long-term sustainability, the meat industry seeks to apply more sustainable practices like replacing imported traditional feedstuff (i.e., cereals) with low-cost local resources. In this sense, carob pulp (Cp), a Mediterranean by-product rich in polyphenols, represents a potential alternative to feed pigs. Polyphenols exhib...

The digestive physiology of house dust mites (HDMs) is particularly relevant for their allergenicity since many of their allergens participate in digestion and are excreted into faecal pellets, a main source of exposure for allergic subjects. To gain insight into the mite dietary digestion, the genome of the HDM Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus was s...

Broodstock rearing is fundamental to produce high-quality offspring for aquaculture. However, reproduction requires large amounts of energy and nutrients, and physiological activities of digestive enzymes determine the absorption of energy and nutrients. However, the interaction between reproduction and digestive physiology is still unclear in sea...

There has been a surge of research in the aquaculture industry investigating probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotic interventions on the physiological mechanisms of fish, specifically digestive enzymes, oxidative stress, and antioxidant defense. In fish, probiotics have been shown to improve nutrient utilization and growth performance by stimulating d...

This work aimed to describe the morphological, histological, and histochemical adaptations in the tubular part of the digestive tube of skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) according to its feeding and dietary preferences. Fish samples were gathered from Abu Galum, Aqaba Gulf, the Red Sea, Egypt, in May 2022. The morphological, histological, and hist...

Bile acids play a critical role in the emulsification of dietary lipids, a critical step in the primary function of the small intestine, which is the digestion and absorption of food. Primary bile acids delivered into the small intestine are conjugated to enhance functionality, in part, by increasing aqueous solubility and preventing passive diffus...

This study examines the physiological response of the Atlantic surfclam (Spisula solidissima) to ocean acidification in warm summer temperatures. Working with ambient seawater, this experiment manipulated pH conditions while maintaining natural diel fluctuations and seasonal shifts in temperature. One-year-old surfclams were exposed to one of three...

Timing the acquisition of a beneficial microbe relative to the evolutionary history of its host can shed light on the adaptive impact of a partnership. Here, we investigated the onset and molecular evolution of an obligate symbiosis between Cassidinae leaf beetles and Candidatus Stammera capleta, a γ-proteobacterium. Residing extracellularly within...

Ruminants have a unique digestive physiology that heavily relies on microbial fermentation specifically in the rumen. This review explores the complex mechanisms of starch digestion in ruminants and highlights its crucial role in shaping their nutritional landscape. The rumen, a complex microbial ecosystem, is the primary site for starch digestion....

Background As the demand for Octopus maya grows, sustainable farming practices become essential to prevent overexploitation. Thus, its farming development can be a sustainable alternative to traditional fishing. Understanding the digestive dynamics is essential for devising optimal dietary formulations in aquaculture, particularly the role of enzym...

Morphological and histological studies are very useful for the characterization of the digestive tract, which provides important information for understanding the feeding habits and digestive physiology of fish. This paper presents the results of research of the histological structure of the digestive system of the endemic fish Salmo obtusirostris...

The dung microbiome is a complex system that is highly influenced by species and diet. This study characterized the dung bacterial and fungal communities of five herbivore species inhabiting the National Park Zuid‐Kennemerland, the Netherlands. The five selected herbivore species were rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus L.), cow ( Bos taurus L.), horse...

Polygonatum sibiricum polysaccharide (PSP) has demonstrated diverse medicinal properties, extensively researched for human applications. Nonetheless, there is a lack of studies investigating the potential advantages of PSP in poultry farming. The present study investigated the impact of incorporating PSP into broiler diets on their growth performan...

Metabolic syndrome is a worldwide common disorder that coexistswith abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia, andhigh blood sugar. The purpose of this investigation was to examinethe effects of metabolic syndrome on enteroendocrine cell countand histological structure in duodenum. The rats were separatedinto control and metabolic syndro...

Annual killifishes have active and voracious rates in acquisition of food resources with display of behaviors that allow them to maintain high metabolic rates to deal with the harsh and unpredictable conditions prevalent in temporary pools where they inhabit. The objective of this research was to describe histologically and ultrastructurally, the d...

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of calcium salts of fatty acids (CSFA) from soybean oil in diets with different levels of rumen degradable protein (RDP) on bio‐hydrogenation extent, and fatty acid (FA) profile intake, omasal digesta, rumen bacteria, and milk fat. Eight Holstein lactating cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square de...

In this research we show that gut associated bacteria along with an intact Carbonic Anhydrase (CA) activity is essential for establishment and maintenance of the characteristic gut pH profile of larvae, the later having imperative role in larval digestive physiology. Further, we document that the requirement of ‘live’ bacteria for establishment of...

Simple Summary This review article comprehensively explores black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), Hermetia illucens, as a sustainable alternative protein source in poultry nutrition. It discusses the ecological distribution, nutritional composition, and benefits of BSFL, including their high digestibility and nutrient availability. This article highligh...

Hormones are important signaling molecules controlling physiological homeostasis. ELISA kits are commonly used to measure hormones; however, few ELISA kits are multiplex, not all species-specific ELISA kits are commercially available, and ELISA kits typically require a significant volume of biological fluids. Pigs resemble humans in digestive physi...

Differences in dog breed sizes are an important determinant of variations in digestive physiology, mainly related to the large intestine. In vitro gut models are increasingly used as alternatives to animal experiments for technical, cost, societal, and regulatory reasons. Up to now, only one in vitro model of the canine colon incorporates the dynam...

A 3 × 3 factorial study examined the performance, endogenous enzyme activities and apparent ileal digestibility of nutrients, including energy, protein, starch, dry matter, amino acids and minerals of birds fed diets containing graded levels of cottonseed meal (CSM) with or without microbial enzymes. Nine iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous diets were...

The intestinal microbiota interacts with the host and plays an important role in the immune response, digestive physiology, and regulation of body functions. In addition, it is also well documented that the intestinal microbiota of aquatic animals are closely related to their growth rate. However, whether it resulted in different sizes of crayfish...

Fermentation products released by the gut microbiota provide energy and important regulatory functions for the host. Yet, little quantitative information is available on the metabolite exchange between the microbiota and the human host, and thus the effective doses of fermentation products. Here, we introduce an integrative framework combining expe...

Aulacophora lewisii Baly (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) is an important pest of Luffa acutangula (L.) Roxb. (Cucurbitaceae) in India. Larvae of A. lewisii feed on the roots, while adults consume leaves of L. acutangula . In the current study, effects of three L. acutangula cultivars (Abhiskar, Debsundari, and Jaipur Long) on the life table parameters...

The dietary protein, tryptophan, carbohydrate, and oil content of fish feed has many vital roles in the growth performances, stress management, and digestive physiology of fish. However, in this context, the functions of gut melatonin, which depends on the availability of food, timing of food supply, frequency of feeds/day, quality of food, and gro...

The protease inhibitors in soy protein, such as trypsin inhibitors and soy antigen proteins, are key endogenous hydrolytic enzymes, protease A1,and peptidases, involved in soybean germination. When the anti trypsin inhibitor is combined with pepsin and trypsin, the former has higher proteolyticenzyme activity and stronger stress resistance, and can...

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of solid-state fermented commercial pelleted feed with Lactobacillus plantarum on growth performance, digestive physiology, antioxidant, and immune capacity, as well as morphology and microbiota in intestinal of Tachysurus fulvidraco. A total of 420 fish (49.96 ± 7.10 g) were randomly allocated to twelve 300...

Understanding the implications of organic acids in animal diets on physiological markers is critical for developing viable strategies for improving overall health and performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of dietary organic acids inclusion on rabbits’ growth performance and physiological status by determining blood and in...

The adaptive abilities of grazing livestock species are not well understood, despite the potential link between behaviour driven decision making and the overall productive efficiency of the animal through foraging strategy. This study aimed to assess and compare these adaptive behaviours, relating to i) object permanence, ii) numerical competence,...

Simple Summary Surgery is the backbone of curative treatment strategies, but it is associated with a high risk of reduced alimentary function and impaired health-related quality of life (HRQL). This study addresses the impact of Ivor Lewis esophagectomy on patients’ digestive function and seeks to identify independent factors associated with poor f...

Introducción: La ortorexia nerviosa (ON) es un trastorno caracterizado por obsesión patológica por la alimentación adecuada y de alta calidad, según la definición de Steve Bratman de 1997. El vínculo entre el eje microbiota-intestino-cerebro (MIC) y la ON se basa en el papel fundamental de la dieta y la conducta alimentaria. Objetivo: Determinar la...

Simple Summary Regarding a better understanding of the process of changes in the digestive physiological state of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) and the distribution of digestive enzymes, it will provide data to support common problems during yellowfin tuna culture. For yellowfin tuna, the digestive state affects the measure of yellowfin tuna’s...

Antheraea assamensis (vernacular: ‘muga’) larvae is commercially reared on two tree species of the Lauraceae family, Persea bombycina and Litsea monopetala for its golden yellow, lustrous cocoon silk. Biochemical and molecular studies suggested that the midgut digestive enzymes and their transcripts in larvae feeding on P. bombycina differ from tho...

En réponse aux enjeux de durabilité des filières animales, la filière cunicole française poursuit activement ses engagements de réduction de l’usage des antimicrobiens. Les antibiotiques en particulier sont généralement utilisés pour traiter les affections digestives en post-sevrage et l’arsenal préventif permettant de garantir la qualité sanitaire...

The presently reported study was aimed to determine the effects of graded levels of dietary pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor) meal (POMM), in growth, feed efficiency, protein utilization, digestive enzymes activities, and whole-body proximate composition of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaeus, 1758), fingerlings (0.3 ± 0.01 g). The...

The present study aims to understand the feeding-related age-bound changes in gut histoarchitecture and its response to gut melatonin (GM) titer regulating major digestive enzymes in carp, Catla catla. Therefore, gut samples were collected from different growth stages of carp, viz. (i) fingerling (FL), body weight (BW) ≥ 3 g to ≤ 20 g; (ii) advance...

Alpha-amylase is the main enzyme for starch digestion in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. There are species differences in the enzymatic activity of pancreatic amylase that are related to the digestive strategy and natural diet of a species. This aspect is well investigated in pet and farm animals, while in common laboratory animal rodents, in...

Analyzing digestive enzyme concentration in the gut is important to know about the digestive physiology of fish. Therefore, we determined concentrations of protease, lipase, and amylase enzyme in gut extracts of juvenile and adult groups of Notopterus notopterus relative to total body length (TBL), body weight (W), gut length (GL), relative gut len...

Dates are one of the products that are attacked at postharvest by some insect pests’ in packinghouses or storages. Plodia interpunctella Hubner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) has become one of the major date fruits pests during the post-harvest storage, causing significant losses. In this study, the nutritional performances and digestive enzyme activitie...

Objectives Our objectives were to evaluate the impact of group pelvic floor education workshops on participants' knowledge, their satisfaction, and the modification of their urinary and digestive behaviors, and to compare health care providers' (HCP) knowledge with that of the general population. Methods For this prospective observational study, g...

Les atouts de la viande de dromadaire comme alternative à d'autres viandes rouges. Considérée comme maigre, la viande de dromadaire répond à la forte tendance des "allégations santé", qui consiste à limiter la consommation de viandes rouges et de graisses animales. Le dromadaire est également susceptible, dans les régions arides, de produire des pr...

The diverse rumen virome can modulate the rumen microbiome, but it remains largely unexplored. Here, we mine 975 published rumen metagenomes for viral sequences, create a global rumen virome database (RVD), and analyze the rumen virome for diversity, virus-host linkages, and potential roles in affecting rumen functions. Containing 397,180 species-l...

In mammals, mechanical wear analyses have been widely applied to infer diet, use, habitat and climatic conditions, on individual, species and population level. During the last 15 years, combined studies of wear analyses on different scales, and based on museum material, in-vivo, in-vitro, and actualitstic experiments as well as simulations have she...

Fibre with its different fractions, both insoluble and soluble, is the main dietary component guaranteeing the normal functioning of the rabbit digestive physiology and gut health. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of an increase of ADF from 18.1% to 18.8% associated with a decrease in dietary starch from 14.3% to 13.8% and an in...

The development of feeding protocols and the study of gastric evacuation or passage of food through the digestive tract is essential to generate information on the digestive physiology of organisms, as they help to quantify the daily ration to avoid any poor diet. In this sense, the present work aims to demonstrate some basic aspects of the fish Do...

Dietary change influenced the life-history traits, nutritional utilization, and midgut serine proteinases in the larvae of the domesticated polyphagous S. ricini , transferred from R. communis (common name: castor; family Euphorbiaceae; the host plant implicated in its domestication) to A. excelsa (common name: Indian tree of heaven; family Simarou...