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1. This study examined the feeding value of ten UK grown field bean ( Vicia faba L. var. minor) cultivar samples from the same harvest year on nitrogen corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn) and nutrient retention coefficients when fed to young female turkeys.2. A balancer feed (BF) was formulated to contain 12.39 MJ/kg ME and 269 g/kg crude protein. Ten nutritionally complete, mash diets were prepared by mixing 200 g/kg of each ground field bean cultivar with 800 g/kg of the BF, totalling eleven diets. Diets were fed to female BUT Premium turkeys from 40 to 50 d of age. Each diet was fed to eight raised floor pens, housing two birds, following randomisation. The AMEn was determined by the total collection technique over the last 4 d of the study. Relationships were examined between AMEn, chemical composition and quality variables of the field bean samples.3. The overall determined AMEn value of the beans ranged from 7.72 MJ/kg DM to 9.87 MJ/kg DM, giving an average AMEn of 8.80 MJ/kg DM ( P  < 0.05). The soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) content of the beans negatively correlated with their determined AMEn ( r  = -0.730; P  < 0.05). Bean flour lightness-darkness degree (L*) correlated positively with the AMEn ( r  = -0.643; P  < 0.05)4. A positive correlation was observed between the degree of yellowness-blueness of bean flour and condensed tannins content ( r  = 0.696; P  < 0.05). Step-wise regression indicated that soluble NSP + L* of field beans provided explanatory variables suitable for estimating the AMEn value for turkeys (r 2  = 0.737; P  < 0.05).

1. The amino acid composition of 10 different UK-grown field bean cultivar samples from the same harvest year were determined.2. Diets included each bean sample at a level of 200 g/kg feed compared against a control diet formulated with only soyabean sources, whereby the beans replaced the soyabean meal, and were used to compare ileal amino acid digestibility. The amino acid digestibility coefficients for the bean samples were obtained via substitution method.3. The data showed that one field bean sample, cultivar Sultan, had a lower amino acid digestibility (P < 0.05) than that of the other nine . This sample had a higher tannin content that may have affected amino acid digestibility.

1. The chemical composition and physical characteristics of 10 different UK-grown field bean cultivar samples from the same harvest year were determined.2. Diets included each bean sample at a level of 200 g/kg, and were used to compare broiler growth performance and determine N-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn) and nutrient utilisation. The AMEn and nutrient retention coefficients for the bean samples were obtained via the slope-ratio method. The relationships were examined between variation in nutritive value for broilers and the laboratory analysis of the bean samples.3. The data showed significant differences (P < 0.05) among the bean cultivar samples for feed conversion ratio, AMEn and dry matter retention (DMR) coefficients. Further analysis showed that the feeding quality of different field bean cultivar samples, measured as AMEn, was highly correlated to crude protein (CP) (P < 0.05) and colour (P < 0.001) of the samples. Thus, beans with higher CP and pale colour had superior feeding value for broilers.

Effects of field beans with various tannin content and exogenous enzyme mixture containing tannase, pectinase and xylanase activities on N-corrected dietary apparent metabolisable energy (AMEn), coefficients of dry matter (DMR) and nitrogen retention (NR), fat digestibility, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, jejunal villus morphometry, ileal digesta viscosity and sialic acid were examined. Birds' growth performance and energy conversion ratio (ECR) were also measured. Birds were fed one of eight mash diets. The Control diet contained as major ingredients wheat (400 g/kg) and soybean meal (SBM) (127 g/kg and 221 g crude protein/kg and 12.83 MJ AMEn/kg. To reduce nutrient density, the Control diet also contained washed sand at 119 g/kg. Another three diets containing 300 g/kg of each of three experimental field bean cultivar samples in replacement for SBM and sand were also mixed. Each diet was fed to nine pens with two male Ross 308 broilers. Diets high in tannin had low AMEn, ECR, DMR and NR (p < 0.001). Feeding field beans increased (p < 0.001) the weights of the pancreas and the proventriculus and gizzard (PG) of the birds. Supplementing diets with the enzyme mixture improved (p < 0.001) feed conversion efficiency, AMEn and all nutrient utilisation coefficients despite the tannins in diets. The enzyme mixture reduced ileal digesta viscosity (p < 0.001) and the weight of pancreas, total GIT and PG (p < 0.05) of the birds. It can be concluded that the feeding value of field beans with different tannin contents may vary when fed to broilers. The supplementation of the enzyme mixture improved the feeding value of diets for broilers. The beneficial effect of the addition of the enzyme mixture seems to be mediated through reduced ileal digesta viscosity and improved nutrient availability.

An experiment examined the effects of two field bean cultivar samples with different tannin contents, the effect of heat treatment (micronising) and the effect of dietary supplementation of a proprietary enzyme preparation containing tannase, pectinase, and xylanase activities on metabolisable energy (ME), total tract dry matter digestibility (DMD) and ether extract digestibility (EED), nitrogen retention (NR), tannin degradability, gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, and endogenous mucin losses excretion in broiler chickens. The Control diet contained per kg 221 g crude protein and 12.83 MJ ME. Four additional diets contained 300 g/kg of each of the two untreated or micronised experimental field bean cultivar samples. Each diet was then split into two batches and one of them was supplemented with 3400 units tannase per kg diet resulting in 10 diets in total. Each diet was fed to seven pens with two randomly selected male broilers each. Birds fed the high tannin bean sample had a lower weight gain (p < 0.001), and a lower determined apparent ME (p < 0.05), and DMD (p < 0.001) but a higher tannin degradability (p < 0.001). Compared to the Control diet, feeding field beans increased (p < 0.001) the weights of the proventriculus and gizzard of the birds, and also increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). Supplementing diets with the tannase-containing enzyme preparation improved dietary ME (p < 0.001), DMD (p < 0.001), NR (p < 0.001) and DEE (p < 0.05), but did not change tannin degradability. Heat treatment of the beans reduced the degradability of condensed tannins and increased endogenous mucin losses (p < 0.05). The differences in the feeding value of the different field bean samples were not improved by heat treatment, but enzyme supplementation improved the feeding value of all diets regardless of the bean samples or heat treatment. Further research is warranted to study the effectiveness of tannase supplementation in poultry diet formulations by dose response trials with purified tannase preparations.

Rifampicin-loaded nanoparticles were prepared using two different molecular weights of poly-(ethylene oxide)-block-distearoyl phosphatidyl-ethanolamine (mPEG2000-DSPE and mPEG5000-DSPE) polymers. Particle sizes of all formulations studied were in the range of 162-395 nm. The entrapment efficiency (EE) was not affected by the copolymer's molecular weight, and the highest EE (100%) was obtained with drug to copolymer ratio of 1:5. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermograms showed Tg of rifampicin-loaded PEG-DSPE nanoparticles that shifted to a lower value, indicating entrapment of rifampicin in polymer matrix. The Fourier transformed infrared spectra revealed no chemical interactions between the drug and both copolymers. The in vitro drug release from the formulations occurred over 3 days and followed first-order release kinetic and Higuchi diffusion model. The nebulization of rehydrated lyophilized rifampicin mPEG-DSPE formulations had mass median aerodynamic diameter of 2.6 microm and fine particle fraction of 42%. The aerodynamic characteristic of the preparations was not influenced by the molecular weight of the copolymers. Therefore, it is suggested that both mPEG-DSPE are promising candidates as rifampicin carrier for pulmonary delivery.

Pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) was stable at -70 C for at least 4 months. When stored at -20 C, the virus lost 80% of its infective titers in 4 months. When stored at -10 C, however, the titers decreased rapidly; no detectable virus remained within 12 weeks. PHEV was thermolabile: it was completely inactivated at 56 and 60 C for 10 and 2 min respectively. It was also killed by 1% cresol and 2% sodium hydroxide for two hr and 2% septol for 24 hr. Two-percent phenol or formaline for 2 hr, however, significantly decreased virus infective titers. Phenol-purified DNA extracted from PHEV showed an ultraviolet spectrum of typical nucleic acids that had ratios of absorbancies at 265 nm/280 nm between 2 and 2.3. The extracted viral DNA was infectious in chorioallantoic membrane and chick embryo fibroblast cell cultures, but it was not noninfectious when given to pigeons. DNA infectivity was destroyed by DNAse but not RNAse treatment. Extracted DNA was not neutralized by antiserum against the intact virus, and it lost its infectivity property when heated at 70 C for 10 min.

Day-old chicks were susceptible to pigeon herpes encephalomyelitis virus (PHEV) by intracerebral (i/c) inoculation. Infected birds developed neurologic signs starting from 2 to 15 days post-infection, and 85% died. The virus was recovered from the brains of diseased chicks in titers ranging between 104 and 105.5 EID 50/0.2 ml. Inoculated birds shed the virus in their droppings throughout the 2 weeks observation period. Day-old chicks given the virus by the intranasal (i/n) or oral routes did not develop any specific signs but shed the virus also in their droppings throughout the observation period. Ducklings and goslings inoculated intravenously (i/v), i/n or orally were resistant. Day-old chicks and ducklings, goslings and quails inoculated by different routes with pigeon herpesvirus (PHV) did not show respiratory or nervous signs.

Two infectious tenosynovitis-producing viruses were isolated from tendon sheaths and synovial fluids of 59 broilers and 15 broiler breeders obtained from different flocks in Egypt during June to October 1983. The viruses grew well on the chorioallantoic membrane of developing chicken embryos, produced small localized white pock lesions with oedematous swellings at the inoculation sites and death of most of the embryos 72 to 96 hours post-inoculation. They also induced cytopathic effect in chicken embryo rough, Vero and MS cell lines. The viruses were neutralized by reovirus S1133 antiserum, both in tissue culture and on the chorioallantoic membrane. Inoculation of the viruses into 2-day-old broiler chicks via the foot pad, intramuscular and oral routes reproduced the disease with the development of characteristic clinical, pathological and serological responses. The infection was transmitted to in-contact control chicks. This is the first report of the disease and of the isolation and identification of the causative virus in Eqypt.