@article{choi_duarte_pasquali_kim_2024, title={Awardee Talk: Investigation of the nutritional and functional roles of a combinational use of xylanase and β-glucanase on intestinal health and growth of nursery pigs}, volume={102}, ISSN={["1525-3163"]}, DOI={10.1093/jas/skae102.093}, abstractNote={Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the intestinal health and growth performance of nursery pigs affected by dietary supplementation of increasing levels of xylanase and b-glucanase combinations. Pigs [n = 40; initial body weight (BW) = 6.5 ± 0.4 kg] were assigned to 5 dietary treatments and fed for 35 d in 3 phases (11, 9, and 15 d, respectively). Basal diets mainly included corn, soybean meal, and distiller’s dried grains with solubles with phytase (750 FTU/kg) supplemented with 5 levels of xylanase and b-glucanase combinations (NSPase) at 1) 0, 2) 280 TXU/kg xylanase and 125 TGU/kg b-glucanase, 3) 560 and 250, 4) 840 and 375, or 5) 1,120 and 500, respectively. Growth performance and fecal score were measured for each phase. On d 35, all pigs were euthanized and collected jejunal mucosa, jejunal digesta, jejunal tissues, and ileal digesta to determine the effects of increasing NSPase levels (%) and NSPase intake on jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota, jejunal digesta viscosity, immune responses, intestinal morphology, feed digestibility, and growth performance. Increasing NSPase level quadratically decreased (P < 0.05) Bacteroidetes (min: 0.7% at 636 TXU/kg and 284 TGU/kg), Prevotellaceae (min: 0.6% at 630 TXU/kg and 281 TGU/kg) in the jejunal mucosa. Increasing NSPase intake quadratically increased (P < 0.05) Firmicutes (max: 72.7% at 604 TXU/kg and 270 TGU/kg), Lactobacillaceae (max: 40.3% at 608 TXU/kg and 271 TGU/kg), and Lactobacillus (max: 40.3% at 608 TXU/kg and 271 TGU/kg) in the jejunal mucosa. Increasing NSPase intake also quadratically decreased (P < 0.05) Proteobacteria (min: 3.8% at 562 TXU/kg and 251 TGU/kg), Helicobacteraceae (min: 1.6% at 560 TXU/kg and 250 TGU/kg), and Helicobacter (min: 1.6% at 560 TXU/kg and 250 TGU/kg) in the jejunal mucosa. Increasing NSPase intake tended to quadratically decrease (P = 0.059) viscosity of jejunal digesta reaching the minimum (1.74 mPa·s) at 751 TXU/kg and 335 TGU/kg. Increasing NSPase level tended to linearly decrease (P = 0.073) jejunal IgG and tended to quadratically increase (P = 0.085) jejunal villus height to crypt depth ratio reaching the maximum (2.62) at 560 TXU/kg and 250 TGU/kg. Increasing NSPase intake tended to linearly increase the apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter (P = 0.087) and ether extract (P = 0.065). Increasing NSPase intake linearly increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain (ADG). In conclusion, increasing the combinational use of xylanase and β-glucanase positively modulated jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota, reduced jejunal digesta viscosity, reduced intestinal humoral immune response, enhanced villus morphology, increased ileal digestibility of nutrients, and increased growth of nursery pigs. The beneficial effects were maximized when xylanase and β-glucanase were supplemented at a range of 550 to 800 TXU/kg and 246 to 357 TGU/kg, respectively.}, journal={JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Duarte, Yesid R. Garavito and Pasquali, Guilherme and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2024}, month={May}, pages={82–83} }
 @article{choi_sokale_frederick_kim_2024, title={Effects of increasing dose of a hybrid bacterial 6-phytase on apparent total tract nutrient digestibility, release of free myoinositol, and retention of calcium and phosphorus, and growth performance of pigs}, volume={309}, ISSN={["1873-2216"]}, DOI={10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2024.115876}, abstractNote={The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of increasing doses of a hybrid bacterial 6-phytase on apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients, plasma level of free myoinositol, retention of calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), and growth performance of growing pigs fed Ca and P deficient diets. A total of 15 barrows [21.5 ± 1.4 kg BW; Duroc × (Landrace × Yorkshire)] were allotted to a triplicated 5 × 5 Latin square design with 5 dietary treatments and 5 periods per each square. Pigs were individually housed in a metabolism crate. Five dietary treatments consisted of 5 levels of phytase (0, 500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 FTU/kg) supplemented to a basal diet containing nutrients meeting the requirement except for Ca and P. The basal diet was deficient in total Ca and P by 2.2 and 1.7 g/kg below the recommendations from NRC, respectively. Data were analyzed using orthogonal polynomial contrasts using Proc MIXED of SAS and the optimal phytase levels were determined by a broken line analysis using Proc NLMIXED. Increasing phytase supplementation increased (linear: P < 0.01; quadratic: P < 0.01) ATTD of Ca and P and retention of Ca and P. Increasing phytase supplementation increased (linear: P < 0.05; quadratic: P < 0.05) myoinositol contents in plasma. Based on broken line analyses, ATTD of Ca and retention of Ca were increased until phytase supplementation were increased from 0 to 668 ± 65 FTU/kg (P < 0.01) and 0 to 668 ± 69 FTU/kg (P < 0.01), respectively. The ATTD of P and retention of P were increased until phytase supplementation contents were increased from 0 to 780 ± 86 FTU/kg (P < 0.01) and 0 to 773 ± 93 FTU/kg (P < 0.01), respectively. Myoinositol contents in plasma were increased (11.4 to 22.8 µmol/L) until phytase supplementation were increased from 0 to 705 ± 212 FTU/kg (P < 0.05). Increasing phytase supplementation linearly increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain and tended to linearly increase (P = 0.053) gain to feed ratio. In conclusion, supplementation of a hybrid bacterial 6-phytase improved ATTD of Ca and P, retention of Ca and P, complete hydrolysis of phytate, and growth performance of pigs compared with pigs fed a Ca and P deficient basal diet. Supplementation of a hybrid bacterial 6-phytase at a range of 650 to 800 FTU/kg feeds provided the optimal improvement of Ca, P, and phytate utilization.}, journal={ANIMAL FEED SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Sokale, Adebayo and Frederick, Brent and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2024}, month={Mar} }
 @article{choi_rocha_kim_2024, title={Impacts of dietary myristic acids on mucosa-associated microbiota in relation to intestinal health and growth parameters of nursery pigs}, volume={102}, ISSN={["1525-3163"]}, DOI={10.1093/jas/skae102.047}, abstractNote={Abstract This study investigated the evaluate the role of dietary myristic acid on mucosa-associated microbiota for their relevance to intestinal health and growth performance of nursery pigs. A total of 36 newly weaned pigs [6.6 ± 0.4 kg body weight (BW)] were assigned to 3 treatments (n = 12/treatment) using a randomized complete block design with initial BW and sex as blocks. Pigs were fed for 35 d in 3 phases (10, 10, and 15 d, respectively). Treatments were 1) NC: basal diet; 2) PC: NC + 0.03% bacitracin in all phases; and 3) MA: NC + myristic acid complex at 0.20% in phases 1 and 2 and 0.12% in phase 3. Pigs were euthanized to collect jejunal mucosa and jejunal tissues for microbiome sequencing and measuring intestinal health parameters. Data were analyzed using preplanned contrasts (NC vs. PC and NC vs. MA) in the Proc MIXED procedure and correlation coefficients between microbiota and the intestinal health parameters were determined by the CORR procedure of SAS. The PC increased (P < 0.05) Lactobacillaceae (22.2 to 55.1%) compared with NC. The MA increased (P < 0.05) Veillonellaceae (1.7 to 5.2%), Lachnospiraceae (0.3 to 3.6%), Coriobacteriaceae (0.6 to 1.5%), and Ruminococcaceae (0.5 to 2.1%) and tended to increase (P = 0.072) Bifidobacteriaceae (6.9 to 18.2%) compared with NC. The PC increased (P < 0.05) Simpson (0.72 to 0.89) index and the MA increased (P < 0.05) Chao1 (124.3 to 221.0), Shannon (3.4 to 5.0), and Simpson (0.7 to 0.9) indexes compared with NC. The relative abundance (RA) of Helicobacteraceae was positively correlated with IL-8 (r = 0.63; P < 0.05) and protein carbonyl (r = 0.65; P < 0.05). The RA of Bifidobacteriaceae was negatively correlated with IgG (r = -0.51; P < 0.05), IL-8 (r = -0.58; P < 0.05), TNF-α (r = -0.46; P < 0.05), and protein carbonyl (r = -0.64; P < 0.05) whereas it was positively correlated with average daily gain (ADG; r = 0.51; P < 0.05) and average daily feed intake (ADFI; r = 0.49; P < 0.05). The RA of Lactobacillaceae negatively correlated with IL-8 (r = -0.59; P < 0.05) and protein carbonyl (r = -0.54; P < 0.05) whereas it was positively correlated with ADFI (r = 0.43; P < 0.05) and MDA (r = 0.44; P < 0.05). The RA of Veilonellaceae and Megasphaera sp were negatively correlated (r = -0.49; r = -0.61; P < 0.05) with IgG, respectively. In conclusion, MA mainly increased RA of Bifidobacterium and Megasphaera, whereas PC increased RA of Lactobacillus and Mitsuokella in the jejunal mucosa. The positive modulations of RA of mucosa-associated microbiota by PC and MA were strongly correlated with improved intestinal health and growth of nursery pigs.}, journal={JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Rocha, Gabriel C. and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2024}, month={May}, pages={40–41} }
 @article{choi_duarte_pasquali_kim_2024, title={Investigation of the nutritional and functional roles of a combinational use of xylanase and β-glucanase on intestinal health and growth of nursery pigs}, volume={15}, ISSN={["2049-1891"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1186/s40104-024-01021-8}, DOI={10.1186/s40104-024-01021-8}, abstractNote={Abstract Background Xylanase and β-glucanase combination (XG) hydrolyzes soluble non-starch polysaccharides that are anti-nutritional compounds. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of increasing levels of XG on intestinal health and growth performance of nursery pigs. Methods Forty pigs (6.5 ± 0.4 kg) were assigned to 5 dietary treatments and fed for 35 d in 3 phases (11, 9, and 15 d, respectively). Basal diets mainly included corn, soybean meal, and corn distiller’s dried grains with solubles, contained phytase (750 FTU/kg), and were supplemented with 5 levels of XG at (1) 0, (2) 280 TXU/kg xylanase and 125 TGU/kg β-glucanase, (3) 560 and 250, (4) 840 and 375, or (5) 1,120 and 500, respectively. Growth performance was measured. On d 35, all pigs were euthanized and jejunal mucosa, jejunal digesta, jejunal tissues, and ileal digesta were collected to determine the effects of increasing XG levels and XG intake on intestinal health. Results Increasing XG intake tended to quadratically decrease ( P = 0.059) viscosity of jejunal digesta (min: 1.74 mPa·s at 751/335 (TXU/TGU)/kg). Increasing levels of XG quadratically decreased ( P < 0.05) Prevotellaceae (min: 0.6% at 630/281 (TXU/TGU)/kg) in the jejunal mucosa. Increasing XG intake quadratically increased ( P < 0.05) Lactobacillaceae (max: 40.3% at 608/271 (TXU/TGU)/kg) in the jejunal mucosa. Increasing XG intake quadratically decreased ( P < 0.05) Helicobacteraceae (min: 1.6% at 560/250 (TXU/TGU)/kg) in the jejunal mucosa. Increasing levels of XG tended to linearly decrease ( P = 0.073) jejunal IgG and tended to quadratically increase ( P = 0.085) jejunal villus height to crypt depth ratio (max: 2.62 at 560/250 (TXU/TGU)/kg). Increasing XG intake tended to linearly increase the apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter ( P = 0.087) and ether extract ( P = 0.065). Increasing XG intake linearly increased ( P < 0.05) average daily gain. Conclusions A combinational use of xylanase and β-glucanase would hydrolyze the non-starch polysaccharides fractions, positively modulating the jejunal mucosa-associated microbiota. Increased intake of these enzyme combination possibly reduced digesta viscosity and humoral immune response in the jejunum resulting in improved intestinal structure, and ileal digestibility of nutrients, and finally improving growth of nursery pigs. The beneficial effects were maximized at a combination of 550 to 800 TXU/kg xylanase and 250 to 360 TGU/kg β-glucanase.}, number={1}, journal={JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Duarte, Yesid Garavito and Pasquali, Guilherme A. M. and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2024}, month={May} }
 @misc{choi_kim_2023, title={Characterization of beta-Glucans from Cereal and Microbial Sources and Their Roles in Feeds for Intestinal Health and Growth of Nursery Pigs}, volume={13}, ISSN={["2076-2615"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13132236}, DOI={10.3390/ani13132236}, abstractNote={The objectives of this review are to investigate the quantitative, compositional, and structural differences of β-glucans and the functional effects of β-glucans on the intestinal health and growth of nursery pigs. Banning antibiotic feed supplementation increased the research demand for antibiotic alternatives to maintain the intestinal health and growth of nursery pigs. It has been proposed that β-glucans improve the growth efficiency of nursery pigs through positive impacts on their intestinal health. However, based on their structure and source, their impacts can be extensively different. β-glucans are non-starch polysaccharides found in the cell walls of yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), bacteria, fungi (Basidiomycota), and cereal grains (mainly barley and oats). The total β-glucan content from cereal grains is much greater than that of microbial β-glucans. Cereal β-glucans may interfere with the positive effects of microbial β-glucans on the intestinal health of nursery pigs. Due to their structural differences, cereal β-glucans also cause digesta viscosity, decreasing feed digestion, and decreasing nutrient absorption in the GIT of nursery pigs. Specifically, cereal β-glucans are based on linear glucose molecules linked by β-(1,3)- and β-(1,4)-glycosidic bonds with relatively high water-soluble properties, whereas microbial β-glucans are largely linked with β-(1,3)- and β-(1,6)-glycosidic bonds possessing insoluble properties. From the meta-analysis, the weight gain and feed intake of nursery pigs increased by 7.6% and 5.3%, respectively, through the use of yeast β-glucans (from Saccharomyces cerevisiae), and increased by 11.6% and 6.9%, respectively, through the use of bacterial β-glucans (from Agrobacterium sp.), whereas the use of cereal β-glucans did not show consistent responses. The optimal use of yeast β-glucans (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) was 50 mg/kg in nursery pig diets based on a meta-analysis. Collectively, use of microbial β-glucans can improve the intestinal health of nursery pigs, enhancing immune conditions, whereas the benefits of cereal β-glucans on intestinal health were not consistent.}, number={13}, journal={ANIMALS}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2023}, month={Jul} }
 @article{choi_chen_longo_kim_2023, title={Comparative effects of benzoic acid and sodium benzoate in diets for nursery pigs on growth performance and acidification of digesta and urine}, volume={101}, ISSN={["1525-3163"]}, url={https://doi.org/10.1093/jas/skad116}, DOI={10.1093/jas/skad116}, abstractNote={Abstract}, journal={JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Chen, Ying and Longo, Flavio and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2023}, month={Jan} }
 @article{choi_rocha_kim_2023, title={Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Myristic Acid on Intestinal Health and Growth Performance of Nursery Pigs}, volume={101}, ISSN={["1525-3163"]}, DOI={10.1093/jas/skad281.227}, abstractNote={Abstract}, journal={JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Rocha, Gabriel and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2023}, month={Nov}, pages={187–187} }
 @article{choi_kim_2023, title={Effects of Increasing Dose of a Novel Hybrid Bacterial 6-Phytase on Apparent Total Tract Nutrient Digestibility, Release of Free Myoinositol, and Retention of Calcium and Phosphorus in Pigs}, volume={101}, ISSN={["1525-3163"]}, DOI={10.1093/jas/skad281.231}, abstractNote={Abstract}, journal={JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE}, author={Choi, Hyunjun and Kim, Sung Woo}, year={2023}, month={Nov}, pages={190–191} }