CNSL feeding reduced enteric CH4 emission from Vietnamese cattle by 20%. CNSL feeding reduced the relative abundance of the major methanogens in the rumen. CNSL feeding also changed the whole rumen microbiome and its function, and the methanogen switched its bacterial partners by CNSL feeding.

Porcine edema disease (ED) is caused by Shiga toxin 2e-producing Escherichia coli (STEC). Post-weaned piglets often suffer from ED as a result of intestinal infection with STEC, which causes impaired growth performance and high mortality. Antimicrobial therapy is a curative treatment for piglets infected with STEC, but the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant STEC has become a serious problem for Japanese pig farmers. Therefore, an alternative strategy other than antimicrobial therapy is needed for the prevention or treatment of ED. In this study, we evaluated the effect of oral administration of Bacillus subtilis DB9011 (DB9011) to prevent the experimental infection of STEC in weaning piglets. Eight 21-day-old piglets were divided into two groups: STEC challenge with the basal diet, and STEC challenge with DB9011 supplemented diet. The challenge was carried out when the animals were 25, 26 and 27 days old using STEC contained in capsules resistant against gastric digestion. All pigs were euthanized at 36 days of age. DB9011 improved the symptoms of ED and decreased the number of STEC in the ileal digesta and feces. Accordingly, oral administration of DB9011 in weaned piglets prevents ED through the suppression of the growth of STEC in the ileum.

The overall objective of this study was to determine the dose response to four levels of cashew nut shell extract in a granulated form (CNSE, containing 59% anacardic acid and 18% cardol) on culture pH, rumen fermentation metabolites, and apparent nutrient digestibility in continuous culture fermenters. The study was conducted as a generalized randomized complete block design with four treatments and four replications per treatment. The four treatments were randomly assigned to eight fermenters for two incubation runs of 10 d. Treatments consisted of (1) Control (CO, no CNSE), (2) Control plus 100 ppm of CNSE, (3) Control plus 200 ppm of CNSE, and (4) Control plus 300 ppm of CNSE. Fermenters were fed 52 g/d (DM basis) of a total mixed ration (TMR; 17.0% crude protein (CP), 29.7% NDF, and 29.9% starch), divided between two feedings at 0800 and 2000 h. The apparent digestibility of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were not affected by CNSE supplementation. Similarly, CNSE had no effect on culture pH, total volatile fatty acids (VFA) or individual VFA molar proportions. These results suggest that at the dosages evaluated in this study, CNSE has no impact on the rumen fermentation profile and the apparent nutrient digestibility under continuous culture conditions.