Search

AbstractTo evaluate the effects of the dietary supplementation with a grape seeds extract (GSE) on growth performance, gut morphology and immune response, and meat quality, 800 chickens (8 pens/group) were fed a control diet or the same diet added with 0.1%, 0.2%, or 0.4% GSE from hatching to 42 d of age. Growth performance did not differ among dietary treatments: final live weight averaged at 3,179 g, which corresponded to a daily growth rate of 76.1 g/d; feed intake averaged 113 g/d, for a feed conversion ratio at 1.49. On average of samplings at 14 d and 28 d of age, the density of CD45+ cells in the jejunal mucosa was higher (2,497 vs. 1,931 cells/10,000 μm2; p< .001) in chickens fed diet 0.2% GSE compared to chickens fed the other diets; jejunum villi height tended to be lower in chickens fed diet 0.2% GSE compared to those fed the other diets (965 μm vs. 1,054 μm; p= .07). Slaughter results and carcase traits, occurrence of myopathies at breast and meat quality after 24 h or 11 d of refrigerated storage were not affected by GSE inclusion or level. Under the conditions of the present study, no relevant effect of the dietary inclusion of GSE was observed on performance and health, but a pro-inflammatory immune response at the level of jejunum, based on which a positive response of chickens fed GSE can be expected under challenging conditions.HighlightsDietary supplementation with grape seed extract from 0.1% to 0.2% and 0.4% were tested in broiler chickens.Growth performance, meat oxidation and myopathy occurrence were not affected.A pro-inflammatory immune response at the level of jejunum was recorded with 0.2% inclusion level.

AbstractThe present study aimed to predict by NIRS the proximate chemical composition and some carcass traits of sea bass coming from 11 farms with different rearing systems (extensive, intensive in land-based basins, sea cages) and located in northern (Friuli, Veneto), central (Tuscany) and southern (Puglia and Sicily) Italy. NIRS analysis of freeze dried sea bass fillets gave fairly good predictions of slaughter weight and fillet yield (R2cv=0.48-0.55), while results for carcass yield were poor. NIRS analysis was highly predictive for the condition factor (R2cv=0.790, SECV=0.09) and for water, ether extract and gross energy showing high correlations (R2cv>0.90) with NIR spectral information and high accuracy (SECV=0.67%, 0.46% and 0.38 kJ/g for water, ether extract and energy, respectively). Crude protein prediction showed lower performance, even if still good, compared to previous variables (R2cv=0.734, SECV=0.34). The score plot of principal component analysis showed intensively-reared sea bass separated from extensively reared fish.