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Integration of trees with agricultural crops and livestock systems may offer advantages in term of productivity, economic return, and sustainability. In order to identify a candidate crop for Mediterranean silvoarable systems to be used in livestock farming as a protein source locally produced, a study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of feeding peas (Pisum sativum L.) as main protein source on milk yield and in vivo digestibility of primiparous buffaloes. Two almost isonitrogenous concentrates (on average, crude protein 240 g/kg dry matter) were formulated to contain, as fed basis, either 350 g/kg of soybean cake (SoyC) or 450 g/kg of extruded peas (PeaC) as the main protein source. Twenty primiparous buffaloes were blocked by age and body weight into two dietary treatments (Soyand Pea) from 10 to 100 day in milk. All cows were fed in the barn a total mixed ration containing 3 kg of SoyC and in the milking parlour they were individually supplemented by either 3 kg of SoyC or PeaC according to the group assignment. The substitution rate of soybean protein by pea protein was approximately 30%. Milk yield was not affected by the dietary use of extruded peas, as well as, milk fat and protein percentages, and clotting properties. Moreover, in vivo digestibility did not differ between the two dietary groups. Results support the partial substitution of soybean cake with extruded peas in diets for lactating buffaloes.

Background: previous studies have shown that fenugreek seed given at 6 g/hen/d in an attempt to reduce yolk cholesterol tended to reduce laying performance and that autoclaving and pre-germination improved its in vitro nutritional values. Objective: to evaluate the effect of dietary addition of unprocessed (UPFS), autoclaved (AFS) or pre-germinated (PGFS) fenugreek seeds on laying hens’ performance, egg physical characteristics and chemical composition. Methods: forty-eight 31 week-old Novogen white laying hens were divided into four groups and given 100 g/hen/d of a basal diet containing 0 (control) or 5.7 g of UPFS, AFS, or PGFS during nine weeks. Repeated and non-repeated data were analyzed using the Mixed and GLM procedures, respectively. Results: diet, week on diet and their interaction affected consumption (p 0.05) by week on diet but was reduced (p 0.05) by dietary treatment or by week on diet. Egg, yolk, albumen and shell weights were affected (p 0,05) por la semana en las dietas, sin embargo, fue reducida (p 0,05) ni por la dieta ni por la semana en la dieta. Los pesos del huevo, de la yema, de la albumina y de la cascara fueron afectados (p 0,05) por semana na dieta, mas foi reduzida (p 0,05) nem pela dieta nem pela semana na dieta. Os pesos do ovo, da gema, da albumina e da casca foram afetados (p 0,05) o conteudo de proteina bruta total dos ovos, dos lipidios, triglicerides nem do conteudo de colesterol da gema. Conclusao: sementes de feno-grego nao tratadas reduziu a taxa de postura e a producao diaria de massa de ovos, mas estes efeitos foram removidos pela autoclavagem e pre-germinacao. Sao necessarias novas investigacoes para avaliar o impacto da suplementacao alimentar sobre a semente de feno-grego no perfil de acidos graxos e peroxidacao lipidica. Palavras chave: colesterol, cor da gema, qualidade do ovo, triglicerideos.

Taxol is one of the anticancer drugs synthesized naturally in the evergreen Taxus brevifolia forest tree belonging to the yew family (Taxaceae) growing on the Pacific. There are reportedly evidence for treating ovarian, breast and lung cancers through this drug given its unique structural and functional features. Extraction of this drug from yew trees bark is one of the most common ways of producing this drug, but 3000 trees are needed to obtain a kilogram of Taxol. Hence, further attention has recently been attracted to the metabolic engineering strategies, including, engineering cellular metabolism of microorganisms and their optimization. Accordingly, the present paper article was aimed to review recent advances in elevating the production and commercialization of Taxol through metabolic engineering techniques.

This study evaluated the effect of dietary incorporation of linseed alone or along with dried tomato paste-pepper powder mix on egg physical characteristics, antioxidant profiles, lipid oxidative status, and yolk coloration before and after storage at 4 &deg, C for one month. Sixty Novogen White laying hens, 27 weeks-old, were divided into three groups and given 100 g/hen/day of a standard diet (C), standard diet containing 4.5% of ground linseed (L), linseed diet containing 1% of dried tomato paste and 1% of sweet red pepper (LTP). Linseeds increased (p &lt, 0.05) egg yolk antioxidant capacity but not lipid oxidative stability (p &gt, 0.05). However, dietary inclusion of LTP did not improve fresh egg yolk antioxidant activity and lipid oxidation stability (p &gt, 0.05). With reference to the stored eggs, only antioxidant activity measured by phosphomolybdenum reduction and lipid oxidative stability were influenced (p &lt, 0.05) by the dietary treatment. Fresh egg yolk of hens fed on linseeds tended to have a slightly more yellow, redder, and less light color than the eggs of hens fed with the control diet. Dietary supplementation of LTP increased (p &lt, 0.05) the Roche yolk color fan (RYCF) score and redness (a*) and decreased (p &lt, 0.05) lightness (L*) without affecting (p &gt, 0.05) saturation (C*). Storage of hens&rsquo, eggs fed on the control diet did not influence (p &gt, 0.05) yolk color.

L-carnitine as well as lysine and methionine are amino acids of important nutritional and nutraceutical interest and are used in nutritional strategies as diet supplements to improve feed quality characteristics in animals and broiler chicken in particular. This study investigated the effect of different levels of L-carnitine and extra levels of lysine-methionine on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and some immune system markers. Two hundred seventy male Ross 308 broilers were a fed control diet (C) and eight different diets supplemented with an excess of amino acids. In the experimental diets, identified as D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, and D8, extra L-carnitine, lysine, and methionine were added in excess with respect to the American National Research Council (NRC) recommendations: L-carnitine equal to NRC (D1); control diet supplemented with lysine at 30% in excess of NRC, methionine at 30% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine equal to NRC (D2); control diet supplemented with lysine equal to NRC, methionine equal to NRC, and L-carnitine at 15% in excess of NRC (D3); control diet supplemented control diet supplemented with lysine at 15% in excess of NRC, methionine at 15% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 15% in excess of NRC (D4); control diet supplemented lysine at 30% in excess of NRC, methionine at 30% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 15% in excess of NRC (D5); control diet supplemented with lysine equal to NRC recommendations, methionine equal to NRC recommendations, and L-carnitine at 75% in excess of NRC (D6); control diet supplemented with lysine at 15% in excess of NRC, methionine at 15% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 75% in excess of NRC (D7); and control diet supplemented with lysine at 30% in excess of NRC, methionine at 30% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 75% in excess of NRC (D8). During the starter and growth phases, feed intake was not affected by dietary treatment (p > 0.05). By contrast, body weight and FCR were both affected (p < 0.001) during the starter period. During the finisher phase, feed consumption was affected (p < 0.05) by dietary treatment. Feed intake of broilers fed on C, D3, D6, and D7 were statistically similar (p > 0.05) (1851.90, 1862.00, 1945.10, and 1872.80 g/pen/day, respectively) and were higher (p < 0.05) than 1564.40 g/pen/day (D5). With the exception of drumsticks, neck, back thoracic vertebrae, and proventriculus weights, economical carcass segments were not affected (p > 0.05) by the dietary supplementation of amino acids. Duodenum and ileum weights and lengths decreased with amino acid supplementation (p < 0.05). IgT and IgG titers against Sheep Red Blood Cells (SRBC) for both primary and secondary responses were not affected by dietary treatments (p > 0.05). Dietary amino acids supplementation did not affect IgM titer after the secondary challenge (p > 0.05) and had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on serum antibody titers in broilers vaccinated against Newcastle disease (NCD) and Gumboro ‘s disease at the 27th and 30th days, respectively

The present study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation of spirulina on laying hens&rsquo, performances: Eggs&rsquo, physical, chemical, and sensorial qualities. A total of 45 Lohman White hens, 44 weeks of age, were randomized into 3 groups of 15 birds. Hens were given 120 g/d of a basal diet containing 0% (control), 1.5%, and 2.5% of spirulina for 6 weeks. Albumen height and consequently Haugh unit were significantly affected by dietary supplementation of spirulina (p &lt, 0.05) and by weeks on diet (p &lt, 0.05). This supplement did not affect (p &gt, 0.05) egg yolk weight or height. However, spirulina increased egg yolk redness (a*) from 1.33 (C) to 12.67 (D1) and 16.19 (D2) and reduced (p &lt, 0.05) the yellowness (b*) parameter from 62.1(C) to 58.17 (D1) and 55.87 (D2). Egg yolks from hens fed spirulina were darker, more red, and less yellow in color than egg yolks from hens fed the control-diet (p &lt, 0.0001). However, spirulina did not affect (p &gt, 0.05) egg yolks&rsquo, total cholesterol concentration. In conclusion, a significant enhancement of egg yolk color was found in response to spirulina supplementation. Further investigations are needed to evaluate the impact of spirulina on egg yolks&rsquo, fatty acids profile.

Several investigations have suggested that fenugreek seeds may have a hypocholesterolemic activity, and thus be efficient in the treatment of egg yolk cholesterol. The objective of the current study was to evaluate the effect of dietary incorporation of 3% of fenugreek seed combined with 3% of linseed, 1% of garlic paste, and 0.078% of copper sulfate on laying performance, egg quality and lipids profile. Forty four, 41 weeks old, Novogen White laying hens received for 42 days 100 g/d of basal diet (control) or experimental diet (CFSGLSCS). With the exception of egg weight, which showed a significant increase for hens fed on CFSGLSCS with 57.99 g compared to 56.34 g for the control group, egg production (90.84% for control compared to 87.89% for experimental diet), egg mass (50.95 g/d for control compared to 50.87 g/d for CFSGLSCS), feed efficiency (1.94 for control compared to 1.98 for CFSGLSCS) were not affected by dietary treatments. The addition of CFSGLSCS reduced (p &lt, 0.05) egg yolk cholesterol by 5.4% and blood cholesterol from 158.42 mg/dL to 122.82 mg/dL for control and CFSGLSCS, respectively. The dietary addition of CFSGLSCS increased (p &lt, 0.05) total lipids from 4.5 g/egg to 5.23 g/egg and didn&rsquo, t affect (p &gt, 0.05) yolk triglycerides.

L-carnitine as well as lysine and methionine are amino acids of important nutritional and nutraceutical interest and are used in nutritional strategies as diet supplements to improve feed quality characteristics in animals and broiler chicken in particular. This study investigated the effect of different levels of L-carnitine and extra levels of lysine-methionine on growth performance, carcass characteristics, and some immune system markers. Two hundred seventy male Ross 308 broilers were a fed control diet (C) and eight different diets supplemented with an excess of amino acids. In the experimental diets, identified as D1, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6, D7, and D8, extra L-carnitine, lysine, and methionine were added in excess with respect to the American National Research Council (NRC) recommendations: L-carnitine equal to NRC (D1), control diet supplemented with lysine at 30% in excess of NRC, methionine at 30% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine equal to NRC (D2), control diet supplemented with lysine equal to NRC, methionine equal to NRC, and L-carnitine at 15% in excess of NRC (D3), control diet supplemented control diet supplemented with lysine at 15% in excess of NRC, methionine at 15% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 15% in excess of NRC (D4), control diet supplemented lysine at 30% in excess of NRC, methionine at 30% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 15% in excess of NRC (D5), control diet supplemented with lysine equal to NRC recommendations, methionine equal to NRC recommendations, and L-carnitine at 75% in excess of NRC (D6), control diet supplemented with lysine at 15% in excess of NRC, methionine at 15% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 75% in excess of NRC (D7), and control diet supplemented with lysine at 30% in excess of NRC, methionine at 30% in excess of NRC, and L-carnitine at 75% in excess of NRC (D8). During the starter and growth phases, feed intake was not affected by dietary treatment (p &gt, 0.05). By contrast, body weight and FCR were both affected (p &lt, 0.001) during the starter period. During the finisher phase, feed consumption was affected (p &lt, 0.05) by dietary treatment. Feed intake of broilers fed on C, D3, D6, and D7 were statistically similar (p &gt, 0.05) (1851.90, 1862.00, 1945.10, and 1872.80 g/pen/day, respectively) and were higher (p &lt, 0.05) than 1564.40 g/pen/day (D5). With the exception of drumsticks, neck, back thoracic vertebrae, and proventriculus weights, economical carcass segments were not affected (p &gt, 0.05) by the dietary supplementation of amino acids. Duodenum and ileum weights and lengths decreased with amino acid supplementation (p &lt, 0.05). IgT and IgG titers against Sheep Red Blood Cells (SRBC) for both primary and secondary responses were not affected by dietary treatments (p &gt, 0.05). Dietary amino acids supplementation did not affect IgM titer after the secondary challenge (p &gt, 0.05) and had a significant effect (p &lt, 0.05) on serum antibody titers in broilers vaccinated against Newcastle disease (NCD) and Gumboro &lsquo, s disease at the 27th and 30th days, respectively.