The present study was aimed to develop an effective probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from piglet feces and in vitro characterization of probiotic properties. To confirm host-species specificity of probiotics, the efficacy of isolated LAB on growth, nutrient utilization, health and antioxidant status was observed in early weaned piglets. A total of 30 LAB were isolated from feces of five healthy piglets (28d old). All isolates were Gram positive, cocco-bacilli and catalase negative. Out of thirty LAB isolates, twenty were shortlisted on the basis of their tolerance to pH (3.0, 4.0, 7.0 and 8.0) and bile salts (0.075, 0.15, 0.3 and 1.0%). Whereas, fourteen isolates were selected for further in vitro probiotic characterization due higher (P<0.05) cell surface hydrophobicity to toluene (>45 percent). These isolates fermented twenty-seven different carbohydrates but were negative for ONPG, citrate and malonate. Also enabled to synthesize amylase, protease, lipase and phytase. They were sensitive to penicillin, azithromycin, lincomycin, clindamycin, erythromycin, cephalothin and chloramphenicol and resistant to ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, gatifloxacin, vancomycin and co-trimoxazole. Except three isolates, all showed antagonistic activity (>60% co-culture activity) against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Enteritidis, Salmonella serotype (ser.) Typhimurium, Staphylococcus intermedius, Staph. chromogenes, Proteus mirabillis, Areomonas veonii, Bordetella bronchioseptica and Klebsialla oxytoca. The isolate Lacp28 exhibited highest tolerance to acidic pH and bile salts (up to 0.3%), phytase activity, cell surface hydrophobicity, antagonistic activity and co-culture assay (>80% growth inhibition). Host specificity of Lacp28 was further confirmed by heavy in vitro adhesion to pig intestinal epithelium cells compared to chicken. Hence, Lacp28 was selected and identified by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA as Pediococcus acidilactici strain FT28 with 100% similarity (GenBank accession nos. KU837245, KU837246 and KU837247). The Pediococcus acidilactici FT28 was selected as potential probiotic candidature for in vivo efficacy in weaned pigs. Thirty-six crossbred piglets (28d) were randomly distributed into three groups (four replicates of three each) namely, basal diet without probiotics (T0) or with Lactobacillus acidophilus NCDC15 (conventional dairy-specific probiotic; T1) or Pediococcus acidilactici FT28 (swine-specific probiotic; T2). At end of the experiment, six piglets of similar body weight were selected to conduct digestion trial for estimation of nutrient digestibility. Results of the study indicated that supplementation of both probiotics improved (P<0.001) FCR compared to control without significant effect in average daily gain and DM intake. However, the apparent digestibility of crude protein and ether extract was better (P<0.01) in pigs fed P. acidilactici FT28 compared control and L. acidophilus fed groups. The total WBC and RBC count, serum glucose, total protein, albumin and globulin concentration was higher (P<...

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The free‐living flatworm Macrostomum lignano is used as a model in a range of research fields—including aging, bioadhesion, stem cells, and sexual selection—culminating in the establishment of genome assemblies and transgenics. However, the Macrostomum community has run into a roadblock following the discovery of an unusual genome organization in M. lignano, which could now impair the development of additional resources and tools. Briefly, M. lignano has undergone a whole‐genome duplication, followed by rediploidization into a 2n = 8 karyotype (distinct from the canonical 2n = 6 karyotype in the genus). Although this karyotype appears visually diploid, it is in fact a hidden tetraploid (with rarer 2n = 9 and 2n = 10 individuals being pentaploid and hexaploid, respectively). Here, we report on a phylogenetically informed search for close relatives of M. lignano, aimed at uncovering alternative Macrostomum models with the canonical karyotype and a simple genome organization. We taxonomically describe three new species: the first, Macrostomum janickei n. sp., is the closest known relative of M. lignano and shares its derived genome organization; the second, Macrostomum mirumnovem n. sp., has an even more unusual genome organization, with a highly variable karyotype based on a 2n = 9 base pattern; and the third, Macrostomum cliftonensis n. sp., does not only show the canonical 2n = 6 karyotype, but also performs well under standard laboratory culture conditions and fulfills many other requirements. M. cliftonensis is a viable candidate for replacing M. lignano as the primary Macrostomum model, being outcrossing and having an estimated haploid genome size of only 231 Mbp.

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Higher order interactions (HOIs) have been suggested to stabilize diverse ecological communities. However, their role in maintaining species coexistence from the perspective of modern coexistence theory is not known. Here, using generalized Lotka-Volterra model, we derive a general rule for species coexistence modulated by HOIs. We show that where pairwise species interactions fail to promote species coexistence in regions of extreme fitness differences, negative HOIs that intensify pairwise competition, however, can promote coexistence provided that HOIs strengthen intraspecific competition more than interspecific competition. In contrast, positive HOIs that alleviate pairwise competition can stabilize coexistence across a wide range of fitness differences, irrespective of differences in strength of inter- and intraspecific competition. In addition, we extend our three-species analytical result to multispecies communities and show, using simulations, that multispecies coexistence is possible provided that strength of negative intraspecific HOIs is higher than interspecific HOIs. Our work sheds light on the underlying mechanisms through which HOIs can maintain species diversity.

A study was conducted to predict the rumen microbial protein production based on urinary excretion of purine derivatives in buffaloes fed a diet of wheat straw and concentrate (40:60) at four fixed levels of feed intake. (95, 80, 60 and 40% of preliminary voluntary feed intake) following experimental protocol of IAEA (Phase I). The buffaloes were allocated according to a 4×4 latin square design. The urinary allantoin, uric acid, total PD excretion (mmol/d) in treatments

The potential of the spot urine sampling technique as an alternative to performing a total urine collection to predict the microbial nitrogen supply was evaluated in crossbred bulls. In a completely randomized design, 20 growing crossbred bulls were assigned four levels of feed intake (120, 100, 80 and 60% of voluntary dry matter intake) on diets comprised of wheat straw and concentrate mixture (50:50). After three months of experimental feeding, a metabolism trial was conducted for ten days, during which spot urine collections were performed every 6 h post feeding on days 9 and 10. The daily urinary excretion of allantoin (A) and purine derivatives (PD) decreased with the reduction in feed intake while creatinine (C) excretion remained similar in animals fed at different levels. The microbial nitrogen (MN) supply calculated from the PD excreted in total urine (35.08 to 72.08 g/d) was higher at increased levels of feed intake. PD concentration in spot urine samples had poor correlation with feed intake except at 12 h post feeding. A/C ratio and PD/C ratio in spot urine samples remained similar irrespective of sampling time and significantly (p<0.01) correlated with daily urinary PD excretion, digestible organic matter intake and dry matter (DM) intake. However, no significant differences were evident in these ratios among animals fed at levels 120, 100 and 80% of voluntary dry matter intake (VDMI) at different times post feeding. These results suggests that the spot urine sampling technique to predict the microbial protein supply is not suitable for detecting small differences in MN supply and hence, estimation of PD excreted in total urine (mmol/d) is necessary to assess precisely the MN supply in crossbred bulls.

Chemical defense is a widespread anti-predator strategy exhibited by organisms, with individuals either synthesizing or extrinsically acquiring defensive chemicals. In some species, such defences can also be transferred among conspecifics. Here, we tested the effects of pharmacophagy on the defense capability of the turnip sawfly, Athalia rosae , which can acquire neo -clerodane diterpenoids (clerodanoids) via pharmacophagy when having access to the plant Ajuga reptans. We show that clerodanoid access mediates protection against predation by mantids for the sawflies, both in a no-choice feeding assay and a microcosm setup. Even indirect access to clerodanoids, via nibbling on conspecifics that had access to the plant, resulted in protection against predation albeit to a lower degree than direct access. Furthermore, sawflies that had no direct access to clerodanoids were consumed less frequently by mantids when they were grouped with conspecifics that had direct access. Most, but not all, of such initially undefended sawflies could acquire clerodanoids from conspecifics that had direct access to the plant, although in low quantities. Together our results demonstrate that clerodanoids serve as a chemical defense that can also be transferred by interactions among conspecifics. Moreover, the presence of chemically defended individuals in a group can confer protection onto conspecifics that had no direct access to clerodanoids.