Tan Bie

Effects of folic acid on the performance of suckling piglets and sows during lactation

BACKGROUND The present research was conducted to investigate the influences of supplementation with different levels of folic acids in diet on the performance of lactating sows. Twenty Landrace × Yorkshire sows received the same basal corn-soybean diets (folic acid, 1.3 mg kg(-1)) from gestation to parturition (day 107). After parturition, sows were allotted to four treatments: control group (folic acid supplementation level, 0 mg kg(-1)), group 1 (12.5 mg kg(-1)), group 2 (50 mg kg(-1)) and group 3 (100 mg kg(-1)), with five replicates of one sow. The experiment lasted for 21 days. RESULTS (1) Folic acid increased milk production (P > 0.05). (2) Compared with the control, supplementation with folic acid (100 mg kg(-1)) increased the concentration of butter fat, total substance and non-lipoid substance significantly (P < 0.01), the concentration of milk protein was also significantly increased in group 2 and group 3 (P < 0.01) in milk. (3) Folic acid supplementation could increase litter weaning weight, average piglet weaning weight and average piglet daily gain (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION These results suggested that supplementation with folic acid in the diets of lactating sows increases milk production, improved milk quality and the performance of piglets.

Regulatory Mechanism of mTOR Signaling Pathway on Cell Energy Metabolism

Normal metabolic processes require the continuous energy supply and oxidative phosphorylation and ATP synthesis occurs in the mitochondria of cells. As cellular nutrients sensor and energy regulator, the mTOR regulates cell metabolism, cell cycle progression, and cell growth. Thus, this review summarizes the regulatory mechanisms of mTOR on mitochondrial function, the interactive effects of mTORC1 and AMPK on mitochondrial energy homeostasis, and the role of mTOR in integrating amino acid- and energy-sensing pathways, which would be possible to provide a support for prevention and treatment of cancers and metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes in the nutrition and pharmacology.