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The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary oxidized oil and allicin (two different dietary sources) as natural antioxidants on the growth performance and meat quality of broilers. A total of 200 one-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into four dietary groups (50 birds/group). The experimental groups (OO-oxidized oil; OOA-oxidized oil and allicin; OOG-oxidized oil and garlic leaves) differed from the control one by the presence of oxidized oil in their dietary structure (peroxide value 9.07 (OO, OOA and OOG groups) vs. 1.70 (C group) meq active oxygen/kg). The diets given to the experimental groups differed from each other by the presence of allicin (100 mg/kg inclusion rate as extract (OOA) and 0.5% as garlic leaf powder (OOG)). At the end of the experiment, six animals/group were slaughtered, meat samples (breast and thigh) were collected, and nutritional value was established. The results showed that the allicin included in the experimental diet did not influence the proximate composition of breast meat (crude protein, fat, ash, and dry matter). The fatty acid profile was determined for each group of samples; a significant decrease in omega 3 FAs was noticed between the C group and the E groups (3.27% vs. 1.46%, 1.60%, and 1.56%) in breast meat samples, and a corresponding increase was noticed in saturated fatty acid (SFA) concentrations. Health indices with implications for atheroma and thrombus formation and cholesterol level were negatively affected by the presence of oxidized oil in the experimental diets, but the allicin extract supplement appeared to mitigate its influence. A positive influence of the dietary supplement was noticed on antioxidant capacity and polyphenol concentrations determined in breast and thigh samples under allicin supplement influence. The results of the current study revealed that the use of low oxidized oil in broilers diets did not affect productive performance. The nutritional quality of meat (breast and thigh) was negatively influenced by the presence of oxidized oil, but allicin supplements (extract or garlic leaves) improved lipid quality indices and antioxidant potential.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rosehip leaves (RL) supplementation on the production performances and egg quality of laying hens during the first stage of laying. For that, 90 Lohmann Brown Classic hens, aged 26 wk, were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments as follows: a control diet (RL0), an experimental diet containing 0.5% rosehip leaves (RL0.5), and an experimental diet containing 1% rosehip leaves (RL1). The laying hens were accommodated in an experimental hall with identical pens (3.96 m 2 ), and controlled microclimate conditions. The dietary treatments were administered for a 6-wk experimental period (26-32 d of age). During this time, production performance of hens was recorded. To assess the impact of RL on egg weight and its components evolution, egg yolk and albumen color, and primary chemical composition of egg constituents were determined every 2 wk. The effect on egg yolk fatty acids profile was determined only at the end of the trial. The results showed that RL0.5 and RL1 dietary treatments significantly improved laying rate, feed conversion ratio and egg mass compared with RL0 group. A significant effect on egg weight and its components was observed only over time, showing that RL has no effect on these parameters. Significant changes in egg yolk coloration were observed over time, with significant increases in L*, a* and b* chromomeric parameters in both RL0.5 and RL1 compared to RL0. Significant alterations were obtained from the sum of egg yolk fatty acids. The RL1 egg yolk presented significantly higher n-3, and significantly lower n-6 fatty acids, compared with both RL0 and RL0.5. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects of rosehip leaf supplementation on laying hens performance and egg quality., Competing Interests: DISCLOSURES The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to assess the impact of Chlorella vulgaris supplementation in broilers' diet, alone or in combination with vitamin E, on meat quality parameters, nutritional value, and oxidative stability during storage time. An experiment was conducted on 180 COBB 500 broiler chickens (14 days old), assigned into six treatments, following a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. A corn-soybean meal diet was supplemented with three levels of C. vulgaris (0% in group C1, 1% in E1, 2% in E2), two levels of vitamin E (0% in C1, 250 ppm in C2), and a combination of them (1% C. vulgaris + 250 ppm vitamin (E3), 2% C. vulgaris + 250 ppm vitamin (E4)). Dietary incorporation of C. vulgaris , including those supplemented with vitamin E, resulted in a significant increase in meat protein content. DPA and DHA levels increased by 2.01-fold and 1.60-fold in the 2% C. vulgaris + vitamin E group. The PUFA/SFA ratio was increased across all dietary treatments ( p < 0.0001). HPI and h/H registered the highest values as a result of 2% C. vulgaris supplementation, being linked with a positive effect in lowering cholesterol levels. Supplementation with 2% C. vulgaris and vitamin E exhibited a 1.45-fold increase in vitamin E concentration in thigh meat compared to the control group, being the highest level registered in thigh meat in this experiment. Metmyoglobin concentrations registered lower values in the thigh meat of the experimental groups, while deoxymyoglobin increased in the same groups when compared to the control group. The inclusion of C. vulgaris (1% and 2%) in combination with vitamin E (250 mg/kg) in broiler diets exhibited the best prevention of lipid oxidation after 7 days of refrigerated storage, defined by the highest efficiency factors assessed in terms of secondary oxidation products.

The study aims to compare the nutrient composition, antioxidant potential, and polyphenol bioaccessibility of the fruit, leaves, and pomace of black chokeberry. Phytochemical characterization, antioxidant activity, and the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion on the individual phenolic compounds of fruit, leaves, and pomace of black chokeberry were assessed. Results showed that leaves had a higher content of polyphenols (61.06 mg GAE/g dw), flavonoids (8.47 mg QE/g), and tocopherols (1172.20 mg/kg) than fruit (27.99 mg GAE/g dw polyphenols, 5.23 mg QE/g flavonoids, 38.48 mg/kg tocopherols) and pomace (22.94 mg GAE/g dw polyphenols, 1.89 mg QE/g flavonoids and 157.19 mg/kg tocopherols), with superior in vitro antioxidant activity. Chlorogenic acids were the dominant phenolic compounds in black chokeberry undigested samples (2.713 mg/g in fruit, 17.954 mg/g in leaves, and 1.415 mg/g in pomace) but are poorly absorbed (bioaccessibility index in intestinal phase of 28.84% for fruit, 8.81% for leaves, and 31.90% for pomace). Hydroxybenzoic acids were highly stable in leaves and fruit during simulated digestion and had high bioaccessibility. In conclusion, residues from black chokeberry processing are also valuable sources of bioactive compounds, but the pomace had higher polyphenol bioaccessibility than leaves and might be a promising supplement for the food industry.

Blackcurrant ( Ribes nigrum L.) is a berry bush widely cultivated in Europe for producing juices, jams, jellies, and syrups. In addition to berries, blackcurrant leaves and pomace, as byproducts, have also been shown to have health-promoting effects. Static digestion, simulating oral, gastric, and small intestinal digestion, was applied, and blackcurrant leaves, fruits, and pomace and the polyphenol bioaccessibility were evaluated in terms of recovery index. The results were related to sample type, and the recovery index presented higher values in the case of fruits, indicating this morphological part of blackcurrant as the most bioaccessible. The antioxidant potential of blackcurrant was evaluated using four different methods, with the leaves proving to be a significant and powerful antioxidant compared to fruits and pomace. The counteracting potential of inhibiting the oxidation process was evaluated using in vitro-induced lipid peroxidation and the inhibition potential of superoxide and hydroxyl anions. The antioxidant evaluation and the inhibition of biological and non-biological radicals indicate the leaf extract is the most powerful antioxidant studied. Also, the results proved that not only fruits but also the blackcurrant byproducts (pomace and leaves) are promising sources of bioaccessible antioxidants with potential benefits in animal nutrition.

The study aims to investigate the impact of dietary bilberry leaves on the performance, health status, and gut microbiota of broilers reared in both thermoneutral conditions and under heat stress. Sixty Cobb 500 broiler chicks were divided into two groups (C-TN, BL-TN) and reared in thermoneutral conditions for the first trial. For the second trial, two other groups (C-HS and BL-HS) were reared in heat stress (32 °C), with 30 chickens in each group. The experimental diets were supplemented with 1% bilberry leaves compared to the control diets. The broilers fed a diet with bilberry leaves had lower levels of cholesterol compared to the control birds. At the end of the experiment, six broilers per group were slaughtered, and intestinal contents were collected for bacteriological analyses. The results revealed that bilberry leaves increased body weight and average daily feed intake in the BL-TN group compared to the C-HS group. However, the broilers fed a bilberry leaves diet and reared in heat stress had a significantly lower average daily feed intake and average daily weight gain than the C-TN group. Additionally, the number of staphylococci colonies decreased significantly in the group fed with a BL-supplemented diet and reared in TN compared to C-TN, while lactobacilli increased significantly in BL-TN compared to C-TN. In summary, bilberry leaves can be used as a natural supplement in a broiler's diet to regulate serum cholesterol in heat stress and maintain the health of intestinal microflora in thermoneutral conditions.

The goal of this research was nutritional evaluation through the phytochemical analysis of blackberry and raspberry leaves, the screening of their biological activity (antioxidant capacity and inhibition of lipid peroxidation), and the investigation of the effect of in vitro gastrointestinal digestion (GID) of blackberry and raspberry leaves on the bioaccessibility of polyphenol subclasses. The concentrations of the analyzed liposoluble antioxidants were higher ( p < 0.05) in blackberry leaves compared to raspberry leaves, while a significant ( p < 0.05) higher content of water-soluble antioxidants was registered in raspberry leaves (with a total polyphenol content of 26.2 mg GAE/g DW of which flavonoids accounted for 10.6 mg/g DW). Blackberry leaves had the highest antioxidant capacity inhibition of the superoxide radicals (O 2 •- ), while raspberry leaves registered the highest inhibition of hydroxyl radicals ( • OH), suggesting a high biological potency in scavenging-free radicals under in vitro systems. The maximum inhibition percentage of lipid peroxidation was obtained for blackberry leaves (24.86% compared to 4.37% in raspberry leaves), suggesting its potential to limit oxidative reactions. Simulated in vitro digestion showed that hydroxybenzoic acids registered the highest bioaccessibility index in the intestinal phase of both types of leaves, with gallic acid being one of the most bioaccessible phenolics. The outcomes of this investigation reveal that the most significant release of phenolic compounds from blackberry and raspberry leaves occurs either during or after the gastric phase. Knowledge about the bioaccessibility and stability of polyphenol compounds during digestion can provide significant insights into the bioavailability of these molecules and the possible effectiveness of plant metabolites for human health.

This review delves into the concept of nutrition by design, exploring the relationship between poultry production, the utilization of dietary by-products to create functional foods, and their impact on human health. Functional foods are defined as products that extend beyond their basic nutritional value, offering potential benefits in disease prevention and management. Various methods, including extraction, fermentation, enrichment, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, are employed to obtain bioactive compounds for these functional foods. This review also examines the innovative approach of enhancing livestock diets to create functional foods through animal-based methods. Bioactive compounds found in these functional foods, such as essential fatty acids, antioxidants, carotenoids, minerals, vitamins, and bioactive peptides, are highlighted for their potential in promoting well-being and mitigating chronic diseases. Additionally, the review explores the functionality of food components within these products, emphasizing the critical roles of bioaccessibility, bioactivity, and bioavailability in promoting health. The importance of considering key aspects in the design of enhanced poultry diets for functional food production is thoroughly reviewed. The safety of these foods through the establishment of regulations and guidelines was reviewed. It is concluded that the integration of nutrition by design principles empowers individuals to make informed choices that can prioritize their health and well-being. By incorporating functional foods rich in bioactive compounds, consumers can proactively take steps to prevent and manage health issues, ultimately contributing to a healthier society and lifestyle.

Objective: Finding natural, handy and efficient nutritional solutions to prevent and mitigate negative effects caused by environmental heat stress and to be applied to large-scale laying hen industry., Research Design: A 3-weeks trial was conducted on 128 laying hens TETRA-SL LL (50 weeks of age) housed in 8 cages/group, 4 laying hens/cage, 32 laying hens/group, under heat stress conditions (34±1°C). The basal diet on corn and soybean meal was formulated to be isocaloric and isonitrogenic. Compared to Control group diet (C), experimental groups E1 included 1% zinc-enriched yeast; E2 included 2% parsley and E3 included 1% zinc-enriched yeast combined with 2% parsley to minimize the heat stress effects., Methods: The parsley and the zinc-enriched yeast were analysed for their chemical composition, total polyphenols, antioxidant capacity, minerals, vitamin E and incorporated into the ration structure. Production parameters, egg quality, biochemical and haematological profiles of blood samples were analysed during the trial., Results: A statistically significant ( p < 0.05) average egg weight was noticed on E2 and E3 compared to Control group, and also during the 1st week compared to the 2nd and the 3rd experimental weeks. Average daily feed intake values were highly significant ( p < 0.001) on E3 group compared to C, E1, E2, and on the 2nd week compared to the 3rd experimental week ( p < 0.021). Feed conversion rate was highly significant (p < 0.001) during the 2nd and the 3rd experimental weeks compared to the 1st week. The average daily egg production was highly significant ( p < 0.001) within 1st week compared to the 2nd and 3rd weeks. A highly significant ( p < 0.001) yolk coloration was noticed on E2 and E3 groups. The malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased significantly ( p < 0.05) to all experimental groups compared to Control group during the 14th and 28th days of storage., Conclusion: These findings suggest that the two ingredients minimized the heat stress effects on production performance parameters with a demonstrated antioxidant capacity role by delaying the lipid peroxidation during different storage time periods., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Cornescu, Panaite, Untea, Varzaru, Saracila, Dumitru, Vlaicu and Gavris.)

Dietary sources of bioactive compounds in animal diets, are the natural way to produce animal food products with improved nutritional quality. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of a synergistic effect of bioactive compounds of cranberry leaf powder and walnut meal on the nutritional quality and antioxidant compounds of broiler meat. An experiment was conducted on 160 COBB 500 broiler chickens, housed in an experimental hall with permanent wood shave litter in boxes of 3 m 2 . The six dietary treatments were based on corn and soybean meal; three experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with cranberry leaves (CLs) with three inclusion rates (0% in the control group and CL 1% and CL 2%); two experimental groups were fed diets supplemented with walnut meal (WM) with two inclusion rates (0% and WM 6%); and two groups were fed diets with a combination of the selected supplements (CL 1% WM 6% and CL 2% WM 6%). The results show that the experimental groups registered higher concentrations of copper and iron compared with the control group. An antagonist effect was noticed on lipophilic compounds, and the lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations presented a dose-dependent increasing effect under CL influence, while vitamin E concentrations decreased in the same manner. The dietary WM positively influenced vitamin E deposits on breast tissue. The dietary supplements did not produce any effect on the primary oxidation products, but the secondary products were influenced, and the maximum effect on the TBARS values were recorded for the dietary combination of CL 1% and WM 6%.

Nowadays, the consumer trend towards healthier food choices is unquestionable. Meat products enriched with nutrients, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, are gaining much more interest among consumers. However, products are susceptible to quality deterioration and a short shelf-life of meat through lipid oxidation due to the lack of antioxidants in the meat. In this regard, the efficacy of dietary sea buckthorn leaves ( Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) together with Chromium on the nutritional quality of meat and lipid oxidative stability was investigated. An experiment (28 days long) was carried out on 90 Cobb 500 chickens assigned into three treatments: a control treatment based on corn and soybean meal, without Chromium (T0) and two treatments supplemented either with 0.00002% Chromium (T1) or with 0.00002% Chromium and 2% sea buckthorn leaves (T2). Dietary supplementation of SBL and Cr improved the PUFA/MUFA ratio, DHA concentration and decreased the n-6/n-3 ratio compared to the other treatments. Moreover, the breast and thigh meat belonging to T1 and T2 treatments showed a higher concentration of lutein and zeaxanthin, Fe and Zn and expressed a higher antioxidant capacity compared to those from T0. Furthermore, n-6 and n-3 PUFA deposited preferentially in the thigh meat rather than in the breast meat. The results from the study showed that dietary SBL and Cr significantly improved the fatty acid pattern and the oxidative stability of chicken breast meat, lowering the TBARS level after storage. In conclusion, SBL and Cr are promising dietary bioactive compounds with beneficial effects to obtain nutrient-enriched meat products.

The study investigates the efficacy of Cr in broilers, aiming to evaluate the effects of Chromium picolinate (CrPic) in association with creeping wood sorrel powder (CWS) on the proximate composition, fatty acids profile, bioactive nutrients and lipid oxidative stability of broiler meat. A total of 120 Cobb 500 chickens were assigned into three treatments: a control diet (C) and two test diets, including 200 µg/kg diet CrPic (E1), and 200 µg/kg diet CrPic +10 g CWS/kg diet (E2). Dietary supplementation with Cr + CWS significantly improved the concentration of n - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), while its n - 6/n - 3 ratio decreased in comparison to the group receiving Cr and the conventional diet. The concentration of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) significantly increased in the breast meat collected from the E2 group than that from the C group. Dietary administration of Cr and CWS improved lutein and zeaxanthin content, decreased Fe and Zn levels of the breast, and increased Zn deposition in the thigh samples. Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased more in the thigh meat of the supplemental groups (E1, E2) than in that from the C group. In conclusion, the current study suggests that Cr together with CWS can be a viable option as antioxidant sources for broiler diets, promoting the nutritional quality of meat.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with tomato peels (TP) and rosehip meal (RM) on their phytochemicals transfer to the egg, the antioxidant profile and the markers of lipid peroxidation in stored eggs. The experiment was conducted on 42-week-old TETRA SL laying hens, which were assigned to three dietary treatments with 30 birds each: the Control group (CON) received a corn-soybean diet containing 6% flaxseed meal without any by-product addition. Groups TP and RM received Diet CON with additionally 2% TP and 2% RM, respectively. Average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and laying percentage were not significantly changed by the dietary treatments. Compared to the other groups, the inclusion of dietary TP led to a significant increase in egg weight ( p < 0.05) and vitamin E content in eggs ( p < 0.05). The dietary inclusion of RM generated a higher vitamin A content in eggs compared to Groups CON and TP ( p < 0.10). After 40 d of storage, in Groups CON, TP and RM the vitamin E contents of eggs deceased by 10.1%, 14.2% and 13.3%, respectively, whereas the reduction of the lutein and zeaxanthin concentration in eggs was more pronounced (by 24.8%, 21.8% and 25.5%, respectively). For the most primary as well as for secondary oxidation products, storage time had a significant influence ( p < 0.05) on the degradation process of the eggs. After 40 d of storage, the most distinct reduction in the formation rate of secondary oxidation products was observed in Group RM (by more than 30%), while the reduction for Group TP amounted from 15% to 25%, when compared with Group CON. Therefore, the results of the present study showed a significantly positive effect of RM in retarding the lipid peroxidation process during storage.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of walnut and bilberry leaves (WL and BL), as sources of natural antioxidants in poultry diets, on the enrichment of antioxidant nutrients in the egg yolk and on the susceptibility of the yolk to lipid peroxidation during storage. The experiment was conducted on 32-week-old TETRA SL LL laying hens, which were assigned to three dietary treatments with 30 birds each. Each treatment was replicated 10 times with three chicks per replicate pen. Experimental dietary treatments differed from control diet (C) by addition of 0.5% BL supplement or 1% WL supplement. The phytoadditives were not significant contributors to the productive parameters. The addition of BL and WL in laying hens' diets significantly increased the total polyphenol content, and the zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in the egg yolks. In regards to the oxidative stability parameters, a significant decrease in the concentrations of primary oxidation products formed in the egg yolk of experimental groups was seen, proving an efficient inhibition effect of the phytoadditives on peroxyl radical formation. A significant correlation was observed between primary oxidation products and total polyphenol content of the egg yolks, where zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin are the bioactive compounds that inhibit the formation of secondary oxidation products., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of the data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

We investigated changes in nitrogen metabolism and chemical, fatty acid (FA) and amino acid (AA) composition in tissues (longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles, heart, spleen, liver and cecum) following the dietary addition of extruded linseed and walnut meal (50:50 mix). Plasma creatinine and urea nitrogen were determined as well. Two trials were designed using barrows (five replicates) allotted in two groups [(control, (SM) and experimental, (LEW))] in metabolic cages. The experimental diet rich in n-3 FA led to a significant increase of retained nitrogen (>8.09% in the LEW group). The biological value of feed protein was 14.8% higher in the LEW group than in the SM group. LD muscles from the SM group and liver from the LEW group had greater nitrogen contents, whereas the heart and spleen had lower concentrations of nitrogen in the LEW group. Diet had a pronounced effect on n-3 FA, particularly on α-linolenic fatty acid (ALA) ( p < 0.0001). The highest levels of ALA were recorded in the cecum (>6.06 times in LEW) and heart (>5.44 times in LEW). The highest level of lysine was noticed in the LD muscle (>2.1% in SM). An n-3-rich diet significantly reduced the amount of nitrogen excreted; greater than 40% nitrogen was retained, thus improving the meat composition.