Biology of Nutrition in Growing Animals, Vol. 4: Biology of Growing Animals Series

Description

Due to the ban of the antibiotic growth promoters new functional compounds will be characterized and their mode of action and efficacy of nutrient and tissue metabolism will be described. Safety and legal aspects in the production and the use feed additives and bioactive compounds will be presented.
The book covers wide area of knowledge of dietary modulation of the gastrointestinal function in young animals through different kinds of feed additives: probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, novel sources of feed enzymes, bioactive components and metabolic modifiers. The role of nutrition in relation to immune response and animal health, the problem of antinutrients in animal nutrition as well as biotechnological and ecophysiological aspects of nutrition will also be discussed.

The book provides a comprehensive review and future perspectives in the modern nutrition of the growing animals.

Reviews

The title of this book is somewhat misleading and does not do justice to its contents. One expects a book with such a general title to contain basic descriptions of digestion, absorption and utilisation of nutrients, with sections on nutrient requirements and growth rate just like any other standard text. Instead, it contains very detailed critical reviews of the biotechnology of animal nutrition. According to the Preface, the omission of quantitative aspects of nutrition and feed evaluation was intentional.

Having said that, the book is excellent and, to be fair, it does cover the topics listed on the back cover. Much of the information that the book does contain is on topics of current importance, particularly in view of the ban on antibiotic growth promoters in Europe. These growth promoters provided producers with a degree of insurance against possible effects of dietary ingredients on digestive upsets. More attention has to be paid now to the quality of animal feed ingredients and how they might lead to responses other than changes in growth rate and feed conversion efficiency, although these are still important.

The book focuses mainly on dietary modulation of gastrointestinal function, but also considers the immune response and other aspects of animal health that are influenced by nutrition. The general theme is that specific feed ingredients alter the gut microflora, enzymes and absorptive capacity, and that these alterations have implications for animal performance. In terms of dietary components, the emphasis is on feed additives, bioactive components and anti-nutritional factors rather than macronutrients such as carbohydrates, protein and lipids. In addition, there are chapters covering safety and legal aspects of ingredients for animal feeds.

Each chapter stands alone and there is therefore some inevitable overlap. However, the overlapping topics are usually considered from a different perspective each time.

The 21 reviews have been written by active researchers who are acknowledged experts in their respective fields. Each review is up to date and is written to a high scientific level. The technical editing has also been performed to a high standard to provide continuity of style. There are many clear illustrations that support the text, explaining concepts such as nutritional effects on gut morphology, intracellular mechanisms for absorption, metabolic pathways and disease. The tables and graphs are generally clear and useful, although a few graphs are below standard and used defaults offered by spreadsheets.

Overall, the book is very informative and should be useful for anyone who wants a comprehensive set of topical reviews on the biotechnology of animal feed additives, gut microbiology and physiological responses. It is not, however, a book on the biology of nutrition.

Dr Phil Garnsworthy, Reader in Dairy Science, University of Nottingham
The review is now in press with the Elsevier Journal Livestock Science.

Key Features

• Critical review and state-of-the art articles written by recognized specialsists in animal nutrition and gastrointestinal physiology
• Novel approaches for improving gastrointestinal function in young farm animals
• New ways of interpretation of basic knowledge of nutrition

Table of Contents

Keynotes to the series
Preface & acknowledgements
Contributors

Part I. Feed additives and bioactive components in animal nutrition
1. Intestinal fermentation: dietary and microbial interactions, by A. Piva, F. Galvano, G. Biagi and G. Casadei
2. Fermentable carbohydrates: potential dietary modulators of intestinal physiology, microbiology and immunity in pigs, by E. Bauer, B.A. Williams, M.W.A. Verstegen and R. Mosenthin
3. The quality of dietary protein digestion affects animal performance and regulates gut bacteria growth: hypotheses and facts, by S.G. Pierzynowski, D. Kruszewska and B.W. Weström
4. Carboxylic acids as bioregulators and gut growth promoters in nonruminants, by Z. Mroz, S.-J. Koopmans, A. Bannink, K. Partanen, W. Krasucki, M. Øverland and S. Radcliffe
5. Metabolic modifiers in animal nutrition: potential benefits and risks, by G.K. Murdoch, E.K. Okine and R.J. Christopherson
6. Inorganic feed additives, by J. Pallauf and A.S. Müller
7. Enzymes, bacterial direct-fed microbials and yeast: principles for use in ruminant nutrition, by K.A. Beauchemin, C.R. Krehbiel and C.J. Newbold
8. Control of intestinal diseases by dietary supplementation with antibodies, by T. Stefaniak
9. Legal aspects for functional feed ingredients in the EC, by J. Zentek and M. Lahrssen-Wiederholt

Part II. Nutrition in relation to immune response and health
10. Handling of dietary antigens: nutritional interactions with the gut immune function, by J. Zentek
11. Immune response and nutrient intake, by P. Bosi and P. Trevisi
12. Dietary manipulation of infectious bowel disease, by D.E. Hopwood, J.R. Pluske and D.J. Hampson
13. Feeding and disease resistance in fish, by R. Waagbø

Part III. Antinutrients in animal nutrition
14. Effects of antinutritional factors and mycotoxins on feed intake and on the morphology and function of the digestive system, by J.P.F. D’Mello
15. Decontamination and detoxification of mycotoxins, by J. Leibetseder
16. Minerals: functions, requirements, excessive intake and toxicity, by T. Studzin´ ski, J. Matras, E.R. Grela, L. Valverde Piedra, J. Truchlin´ ski and M.R. Tatara

Part IV. Biotechnological, molecular and ecophysiological aspects of nutrition
17. GMO in animal nutrition: potential benefits and risks, by A. Pusztai and S. Bardocz
18. Genetic influences on nutrient utilization in growing farm animals, by C.F.M. de Lange and K.C. Swanson
19. Manipulation and characterization of the rumen ecosystem through biotechnology, by T.A. McAllister, R.J. Forster, R.M. Teather, R. Sharma, G.T. Attwood, L.B. Selinger and K.N. Joblin
20. Manipulation of the ecosystem of pigs through biotechnology, by C. Moran
21. Manipulation of the poultry ecosystem through biotechnology, by S. Smulikowska

Index

Author Information

Edited by Rainer Mosenthin, PhD, Professor of Animal Nutrition, Physiology and Feed Chemistry; Juergen Zentek, Institute of Nutrition, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; and Teresa Zebrowska, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology & Nutrition