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The availability of plant phosphorus in the gut chicken can be improved by increasing phosphorus retention using phytase enzyme or a probiotic with phytase activity as an alternative. In this study, the efficacy of a recombinant probiotic, Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis), with a potential of phytase production was evaluated in broiler chickens. To this aim, 360 one-day-old male broiler Cobb 500 were divided into six treatments with six replicates and reared to 42 days of age. The experimental treatments included positive control diet containing adequate phosphorus (PC), negative control diet containing reduced available phosphorus (NC), negative control diet involving recombinant L. lactis (RLL), negative control diet containing both recombinant L. lactis and Lactobacillus salivarius (RLL + LBS), negative control diet including non-recombinant L. lactis (LL) and negative control diet containing Hostazym® . Growth performance, total tract apparent disappearance of phytate-P and nutrient retention, mineral content of the tibia and histomorphology of jejunum were evaluated at the age of 35 days. Based on the results, the phosphorus (P) deficiency in the diet reduced body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), length and strength of tibia and increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to PC group. However, the supplementation of Hostazym® or RLL probiotic into the feed improved BW, ADG, FCR, disappearance of Phytate-P and retention of P, length and strength of the tibia in a level similar to PC treatment. Phosphorus content of tibia in the chickens fed P-deficient diets containing RLL was similar to that of the tibia in the control group. Excreta phytate and total P excretion of the chickens decreased when diets contained Hostazym® , RLL and RLL + LBS. In addition, the diet containing RLL + LBS probiotic increased villi height compared with other treatments (p < .05). Further, recombinant L. lactis could represent phytase activity in the gut environment of the chickens and could be an alternative to the commercial phytase.

To evaluate the effects of whey protein (WP) sources on performance, liver antioxidants and immune responses of broiler chickens, 300 one-d-old male Ross 308 chickens were randomly allocated into six treatments with five replications of 10 birds each. This study was conducted on the basis of a completely randomized design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with dietary supplemental WP sources (no WP; 2% WP and 2% whey protein concentrate (WPC)) and ethanol (zero and 6%) into drinking water. Birds were challenged with ethanol 6% from 10 to 24 days of age. Growth performance, immune responses, intestinal morphology and antioxidant enzymes were assessed in both challenged and non-challenged groups. There was a significant interaction between ethanol and WP sources for growth performance, so that weight gain (WG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly improved in broiler chickens challenged with ethanol and fed with WP (p < .05). Intestinal morphology, humoral responses and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L) were not affected by WP sources. Cellular immunity responses were significantly lower in control group and challenged birds fed with WP compared with other groups after 48 hr of phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) injection. Ethanol challenge decreased liver antioxidant enzyme activities and increased levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities. Dietary inclusion of WP and WPC increased levels of liver antioxidant enzymes and decreased MDA and ALT activities. It can be recommended to use WP for improving the growth performance and liver antioxidant enzymes in broiler chickens challenged with ethanol.

The effects of gamma (GR; 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kGy) and electron irradiation (ER; 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 kGy) on proximate compositions, fatty acid profiles, cyanid, total phenolic compounds, flavonoids and γ-tocopherols (γ-toc) contents of flaxseed (FS) were investigated. Irradiation had no effect on the proximate composition, cyanid content and fatty acid profiles of FS. Both GR and ER at high applied doses decreased (P

Curcumin can be used for diabetes treatment. However, it rapidly degrades and has low absorption in gastrointestinal system. Its nanomicelle form might improve its efficiency. Therefore, they both assessed in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Fifty male wistar rats were induced diabetes and divided into 5 groups and treated with 1) no dietary supplement, 2 and 3) 40 and 80 mg/kg curcumin, 4 and 5) 40 and 80 mg/kg nanomicelle curcumin. A group of 10 untreated rats was considered as healthy control. Serum concentrations of AST, ALT, glucose, insulin, insulin resistance, triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C and adiponectin were assessed. Body weight and weights of liver, heart and pancreas were also evaluated. Induction of diabetes increased the serum concentrations of AST, ALT, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, LDL-C and insulin resistance and decreased the serum concentrations of insulin, adiponectin, and HDL-C, and also body weight and weights of heart and pancreas (P

Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allocated to 4 treatments of 6 replicates to evaluate the effects of cLFchimera, a recombinant antimicrobial peptide (AMP), on gut health attributes of broiler chickens under necrotic enteritis (NE) challenge. Treatments were as follows: (T1) unchallenged group fed with corn-soybean meal (CSM) without NE challenge and additives (NC); (T2) group fed with CSM and challenged with NE without any additives (PC); (T3) PC group supplemented with 20 mg cLFchimera/kg diet (AMP); (T4) PC group supplemented with 45 mg antibiotic (bacitracin methylene disalicylate)/kg diet (antibiotic). Birds were sampled for villi morphology, ileal microbiota, and jejunal gene expression of cytokines, tight junctions proteins, and mucin. Results showed that AMP ameliorated NE-related intestinal lesions, reduced mortality, and rehabilitated jejunal villi morphology in NE challenged birds. While the antibiotic non-selectively reduced the count of bacteria, AMP restored microflora balance in the ileum of challenged birds. cLFchimera regulated the expression of cytokines, junctional proteins, and mucin transcripts in the jejunum of NE challenged birds. In conclusion, cLFchimera can be a reliable candidate to substitute growth promoter antibiotics, while more research is required to unveil the exact mode of action of this synthetic peptide.

It was hypothesized that dietary guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), the precursor of creatine (Cr), would be beneficial to heat-stressed finisher broilers owing to improved cellular energy status and arginine sparing effects. A total of 720 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were allocated to 3 treatments, 0 (control), 0.6, or 1.2 g/kg of GAA added to complete corn–soybean meal diets, and were fed for 39 D, with 12 replicates (20 birds each) per treatment. A chronic cyclic heat stress model (at a temperature of 34°C and 50 to 60% relative humidity for 7 h daily) was applied in the finisher phase (day 25–39). Samples were taken on day 26 and 39 to determine thrombocyte, white blood cell, corticosterone, protein and amino acid levels in blood and Cr, phosphocreatine (PCr), and adenosine triphosphate levels in the breast muscle. Meat quality was assessed on day 40 after overnight fasting. Guanidinoacetic acid at a dose of 1.2 g/kg decreased feed-to-gain ratio compared with the control in the grower phase (1.32 vs. 1.35, respectively; P

The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of cLFchimera, a recombinant antimicrobial peptide (AMP), on various productive performance and gut health attributes of broilers experimentally challenged withClostridium perfringens(Cp). Three hundred and sixty 1-day-old chickens were randomly allocated to 4 treatments of 6 replicates as follows: T1) unchallenged group fed with corn-soybean meal (CSM) without Cp challenge and additives; T2) challenge group fed with CSM and challenged with Cp without any additives; T3) peptide group challenged with NE supplemented with 20 mg cLF36/kg diet (AMP); T4) antibiotic group challenged with NE and supplemented with 45 mg antibiotic (bacitracin methylene disalicylate)/kg diet (antibiotic). Birds had free access to feed and water, sampling for villi morphology and ileal microbiota were performed on days 10 and 22, while jejunal section was sampled for gene expression of cytokines, tight junctions proteins, and mucin only on day 22. Results showed that AMP ameliorated NE-related lesion in the jejunum and ileum and reduced mortality in challenged birds compared to challenge group with Cp without any additives. Also, supplementing challenged birds with AMP improved growth performance and reconstructed villi morphology. While antibiotic non-selectively reduced the count of bacteria, AMP positively restored ileal microflora in favor of good bacteria (i.e.Bifidobacteria spp.andLactobacillus spp.). AMP beneficially regulated the expression of cytokines, junctional proteins, and mucin in the jejunum of challenged birds with Cp. Since cLFchimera ameliorated NE lesion score, reduced mortality, improved productive performance and gut health attributes in chickens compared to challenged group and also were mostly similar with those of antibiotics and therefore, it could be concluded that this chimeric peptide can be a worthy candidate to substitute growth promoter antibiotics, while more research is required to unveil the exact mode of action of this synthetic peptide.Author summaryNecrotic enteritis (NE) is a detrimental enteric disease in the poultry industry worldwide. The etiological factor of this disease isClostridium perfringens, which is gram-positive anaerobic bacterium. This bacterium is common inhabitant of the intestine in lower counts (105), but it becomes pathogenic in higher counts and can secrete NetB toxin, which is the main cause of inducing NE in broilers. Due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, new generation of antimicrobial additives such as antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) has been introduced to the poultry industry. AMPs are small molecules with 12-50 amino acids having antibacterial activity. Recently, we extracted new AMP from camel milk, expressed inE. coli, refined and lyophilized to produce purified peptides. The current study investigated the effects of this peptide on prevention of NE in broilers. Results showed that AMP ameliorated lesion scores in the intestine and reduced mortality in challenged birds. AMP improved growth performance and reconstructed villi morphology in NE-challenged broilers. While antibiotic non-selectively reduced the count of bacteria, AMP positively restored ileal microflora. AMP beneficially regulated the expression of cytokines, junctional proteins, and mucin in the jejunum of NE-challenged birds.

We investigated the effects of soluble or insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) on growth performance, serum metabolites, and intestinal morphology of male broiler chickens. One hundred and forty 1-d-old male chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to 4 diets with 7 cages per treatment and 5 chickens per cage in a completely randomized design during a 15-d study. Experimental diets included: 1) semi-purified control diet (Ctrl), 2) Ctrl plus 3% pectin, 3) Ctrl plus 3% carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and 4) Ctrl plus 3% cellulose. On d 10, 1 chicken from each cage was slaughtered to obtain the intestinal tissues for morphological indices, blood samples for serum metabolites, and ileal content for microbiological count at the end of the experiment. Adding pectin and CMC to broiler chicken diet decreased (P

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms and have long been used in food production as well as health promotion products. Bioengineered probiotics are used to express and transfer native or recombinant molecules to the mucosal surface of the digestive tract to improve feed efficiency and promote health. Lactococcus lactis is a potential probiotic candidate to produce useful biological proteins. The aim of this investigation was to develop a recombinant Lactococcus lactis with the potential of producing phytase. To enhance the efficiency of expression and secretion of recombinant phytase, usp45 signal peptide was added to the expression vector containing phytase gene (appA2) derived from Escherichia coli. Sequencing of recombinant plasmid containing appA2 showed the correct construction of plasmid. Total length of the phytase insert was 1.25 kbp. A Blast search of the cloned fragment showed 99% similarity to the reported E. coli phytase sequence in the GenBank (accession number: AM946981.2). A plasmid containing usp45 and appA2 electrotransferred into Lactococcus lactis. Zymogram with polyacrylamide gel revealed that the protein extract from the supernatant and the cell pellet of recombinant bacteria had phytase activity. Enzyme activity of 4 U/ml was obtained in cell extracts, and supernatant maximal phytase activity was 19 U/ml. The recombinant L. lactis was supplemented in broiler chicken feed and showed the increase of apparent digestibility on phytate phosphorus in the digestive tract and it was same as performance of E. coli commercial phytase.

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary omega6 (n-6) to omega3 (n-3) fatty acid (FA) ratios on performance and reproduction of broiler breeders. In experiment 1, 400 females and 40 males (30 week age) of Ross 308 broiler breeder (20 females and two males in each pen) were randomly assigned to one of the four diets with n-6/n-3 FA ratios of 4, 6, 8 and 16 (control). As a measure of hatchability, fertility of eggs and general incubation traits, 1,200 eggs (60 eggs from each pen) were collected and incubated for 21 days and embryo liver and brain fatty acid profile in 14 and 21 days were determined. In experiment 2, 48 males (three males in each pen) randomly assigned to one of the four diets with n-6/n-3 FA ratios of 4, 6, 8 and 16 (control). Semen was collected twice weekly, and semen volume, spermatozoa concentration and motility and alive and dead spermatozoa were estimated. Egg production and egg mass were decreased by n-6/n-3 FA ratios of 4:1 and 6:1 (p .05). There were no significant differences between treatments on breeder's body weight, eggs fertility and hatchability, embryonic mortality and semen features. Linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and total n-3 of egg yolk, semen, testis and liver and brain of embryo and day-old chicken were increased while concentration of linoleic acid, arachidonic acid and docosatetraenoic acid of mentioned tissues were decreased by increasing n-6/n-3 FA ratios (p .05). In conclusion, absolute amount of n-3 and n-6 FAs in broiler breeder diet may be more important than n-6/n-3 FA ratios and to consider reproductive and performance traits of breeders, it is necessary to supply higher levels of n-3 and n-6 FA with respect to n-6/n-3 FA ratios.

The effects of supplementation with α-tocopherol acetate (α-Toc), pomegranate pomace extract (PPE) and pomegranate pomace (PP) into chicken feed on antioxidant status, oxidation susceptibility and quality of the thigh meat during refrigeration were investigated. During six weeks broiler chickens were fed eight dietary treatments, which included: control diet, α-tocopherol diet (200 mg kg−1), PPE diets (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 g kg−1) and PP diets (1, 2 and 3 g kg−1). Feed efficiency was significantly improved by supplementing chickens fed diet with 0.2 g kg−1 PPE. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC PUFA) n-3 level was higher in the thigh of broilers fed with α-Toc and PPE diets (except 0.1 g kg−1) than in chickens fed control and PP diets (p

Background: This study intended to assess individual and combined adsorption potentials of three adsorbents (processed bentonite as an inorganic adsorbent, and cell walls of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and of the GG strain of Lactobacillus rhamnosus as organic adsorbents) for aflatoxin B1 and ochratoxin A under in vitro conditions. Methods: This study was conducted in Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran in 2106. A pre-test with four treatments of bacteria and yeast (live or dead) with five replications was designed and conducted to study the effects of these biotic and abiotic organic adsorbents on toxin adsorption efficiency. The experiment in the main study had seven treatments including two toxins (2 ppm) and three adsorbents with five replications using the completely randomized design. Toxin quantities were measured by an HPLC instrument. Results: The various types of dead organic adsorbents were more capable of adsorbing toxins compared to the live ones. The processed bentonite was considerably more efficient in adsorbing aflatoxin B1 (93.51) compared to the other treatment groups (P

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of probiotic and drinking water (DW) supplemented with different levels of vinegar on performance, meat yields, immune responses, and small intestine histology of broiler chickens. Three hundred thirty day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks assigned to six treatments in a completely randomised design experiment with a factorial arrangement (2 × 3) and five replicates of 11 chicks each. The treatments included two levels of dietary probiotic supplementation (0 and 1 × 1010 CFU lactic acid/kg of diet) and three levels (0%, 1%, and 2%) of DW supplemented with vinegar (5% acetic acid concentration). The study lasted from 1 to 42 d. Growth performance, meat yields and lymphoid organs relative weight, humoral and cellular immune responses, and small intestine histomorphometry were measured. The average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) during 1–10 days of age significantly decreased in the birds that fed supplemented diet with probiotic and drunk supplemented water with vinegar than the birds fed and drunk free of any additive. Experimental treatments did not have a significant effect on performance during other growth periods, carcase yields, and lymphoid organs relative weight. DW supplemented with vinegar significantly increased villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD) and decreased small intestine muscular thickness (MT) and abdominal fat. Dietary supplementation of probiotic significantly improved immune response to sheep red blood cell (SRBC) inoculation. In conclusion, this study confirms beneficial effects of probiotic and vinegar on 1–10 d performance, immune and intestine health of broiler chickens.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of curcumin/nanocurcumin on blood parameters, intestinal morphology and microbial population in broiler chickens reared under normal and cold stress conditions. The experiment was designed with two identical houses; each consisted of five diets with 5 replicates of 10 birds each. The diets were (1) control; (2) and (3) Control + 200 or 400 mg/kg curcumin; (4) and (5) Control + 200 or 400 mg/kg nanocurcumin, respectively. Birds in both houses were reared under commercial temperatures until day 14. The temperature in the first house was maintained according to the commercial practices, whereas the temperature in the second house dropped to 15°C on day 14 and maintained between 13–15°C until day 42. Total weight gain was decreased, but plasma malondialdehyde (MDA), liver enzymes activities and heterophils/lymphocytes ratio were increased in cold-stressed birds compared to those that grew in normal temperature. Supplementation of curcumin/nanocurcumin in diet improved the weight gain and villus surface area of birds in concomitance to lower their plasma MDA, liver enzymes activities, caecal E. coli population compared to those fed control diet. It is concluded that the addition of 200 mg/kg curcumin/nanocurcumin to diet may improve the performance, antioxidant status and jejunal tissue health in broiler chickens.

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of two conditioning times and different levels of activated sodium bentonite (ASB) on pellet quality, pellet mill energy usage, broiler performance, internal organ weights, jejunal morphometry, and nutrients retention in wheat-soybean meal basal diets during grower period (day 11–24). During feed production, the electrical usage of the feed mill was recorded to measure relative electrical energy usage (REEU). Pelleted feed was sampled to evaluate pellet quality indices. Five hundred and forty day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were received crumbled starter diet until day 10. On day 11, chickens were individually weighed and randomly placed in 36 floor pens containing 15 birds each. Birds were assigned to a completely randomised design in factorial arrangement of 2 conditioning times (2 and 4 min) × 3 ASB levels (0.0, 7.5 and 15.0 g/kg). Feed intake and weight gain were recorded to calculate performance. On day 24, the relative weight of the carcass, inner organs, and intestinal segments were measured. Jejunal segment and excreta samples were collected to study villi morphology and nutrients retention, respectively. Results showed that the interaction of 15 g/kg ASB and 2 min conditioning increased (P

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of pyrimidine nucleosides on growth, intestinal morphology, digestive enzymes and humoral immunity in broilers from 0 to 21 days of age. A total number of 360 day old chicks (Cobb 500) was randomly divided into 4 treatments with 6 replications. Treatments were comprised of a corn-soybean meal based control diet and diets containing 0.1% pure cytidine, 0.1% pure uridine and 0.1% equal amounts of pure cytidine (0.05%) and uridine (0.05%). On days 11 and 21, two birds per cage (12 birds per treatment) were euthanized to obtain samples of serum, intestine, bursa and spleen. The combination of cytidine plus uridine increased (P

1. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of purine nucleosides on performance, gut morphology, intestinal enzymes and immunity functions in broiler chickens from 0 to 21 d of age. 2. A total of 360 1-d-old male chickens (Cobb 500) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 6 replications. Experimental diets consisted of a control without any additives and diets containing 0.1% pure adenosine, 0.1% pure guanosine and 0.1% equal aliquots of pure adenosine and guanosine. Two birds per cage (12 birds per treatment) were killed on d 11 and 21 in order to obtain serum samples for lipid profile, jejunal samples for morphology and mucosal immunity, digestive enzymes for epithelial maturation, and bursa and spleen samples for relative weight of immune organs to live body weight. 3. Birds receiving adenosine in their diets showed a significant increase in body weight and average daily gain and a significantly lower feed conversion ratio compared to the control birds. Villus height and width in jejunal samples also increased significantly in birds supplemented with adenosine. Although maltase was not affected by the experimental diets, adenosine increased alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase. Adenosine and its combination with guanosine boosted mucosal immunity as a result of increased IgA production. While there was no significant difference among treatments regarding the relative weight of the spleen, adenosine increased the relative weight of the bursa of Fabricius. Present results also showed that adding guanosine to broiler diets had no significant effects on growth, gut morphology, enzymes activity and immunological indices. 4. In conclusion, the improvement in growth performance, gut morphology and immunity in birds receiving adenosine demonstrated that pure adenosine could be a beneficial feed additive for the poultry industry, while guanosine showed no significant improvement.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the cumulative effects of purine and pyrimidine nucleosides on performance, gut morphology, digestive enzymes and immune system in broilers from 0 to 21 days of age. A total of 360 day-old male chicks (Cobb 500) were randomly assigned to 4 experimental diets with 6 replications of 15 birds each in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets were 1) control diet based on maize-soybean meal which supplemented with following nucleosides: 2) 0.05% Adenosine + 0.025% Uridine + 0.025% Cytidine (AUC); 3) 0.05% Guanosine + 0.025% Uridine + 0.025% Cytidine (GUC); 4) 0.025% Adenosine + 0.025% Guanosine + 0.025% Uridine + 0.025% Cytidine (AGUC). Body weight and feed intake of birds were measured on days 10 and 21 to calculate the average daily gain, average feed intake and FCR. On days 11 and 21, 2 birds per cage (12 birds/treatment) were selected to collect blood samples and euthanize to obtain jejunal, bursa and spleen samples. Results showed that AUC significantly increased body weight and average daily gain, intestinal villus height and width, activity of brush border enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and aminopeptidase). AUC and AGUC significantly increased high density lipoprotein and uric acid, respectively, while dietary nucleosides did not affect cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in serum samples. AUC significantly improved immune indices such as the relative weight of the Bursa of Fabricius and the concentration of Ig A. In conclusion, the present study clearly demonstrated that combination of adenosine + uridine + cytidine could be useful feed additive for improving economically important traits in broilers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of curcumin/nanocurcumin on performance, blood gases and ascites mortality in broiler chickens reared under normal and cold stress conditions. This experimental design was a split plot with 500 Ross 308 male chicks. Plots were two identical houses; each consisted of five diets (as sub-plots) with 5 replicates of 10 birds each. The diets were: (1) control; (2) control+ 200 mg/kg curcumin; (3) control+ 400 mg/kg curcumin; (4) control+ 200 mg/kg nanocurcumin; (5) control+ 400 mg/kg nanocurcumin. Birds in both houses reared under recommended temperatures until 14 d, when the temperature was dropped in one house from 28.5 to 13–15 °C and maintained at this level to induce ascites until 42 d. Whereas, in the second house the temperature was maintained according to the hybrid production guidelines. Weight gain was reduced and FCR was increased in birds reared under cold temperature compared to those in normal temperature condition. Cold stress increased blood pCO2, HTC and decreased pO2 and O2 saturation (p

This study investigated the effect of dietary α-tocopherol (α-Toc), pomegranate peel extract (PPE), and pomegranate peel (PP) on phenolic content and breast meat quality of broilers during 11 days of storage with the addition of α-Toc, PPE, and PP. Broilers were fed eight dietary treatments, including: control diet, α-Toc diet (200 mg/kg), PPE diets (100, 200, and 300 mg/kg), and PP diets (1, 2, and 3 g/kg) during 0–42 days. The extents of lipid oxidation in samples were assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and the 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activities were determined. The feed efficiency was improved significantly in chickens fed diet containing 0.2 g/kg PPE, and the growth performance of chickens was impaired in chickens fed with PP diet. Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 were increased in breast muscles of broilers fed α-Toc and high levels of PPE diets (P

This study investigated the effects of an antimicrobial peptide (AMP), cLF36, on growth performance and the histophysiological changes of the intestine in E. coli-challenged broiler chickens. A total number of 360 day old male chicks were randomly assigned to 4 groups of 6 replicates as follows: T1) negative control diet based on corn-soybean meal without E. coli challenge and additives; T2) positive control diet based on corn-soybean meal and challenged with E. coli without any additives; T3) positive control diet challenged with E. coli and supplemented with 20 mg AMP (cLF36)/kg diet; T4) positive control diet challenged with E. coli and supplemented with 45 mg antibiotic (bacitracin methylene disalicylate)/kg diet. Results showed that T3 improved growth performance and the jejunal morphology of E. coli-challenged chickens similar to those of T4. While antibiotic non-selectively decreased the population of ileal bacteria, AMP increased the population of Lactobacillus spp. and decreased harmful bacteria in the ileum of E. coli-challenged chickens. Supplementing E. coli-challenged chickens with AMP improved the gene expression of immune cells and upregulated the expression of tight junction proteins compared to other challenged groups. In conclusion, although cLF36 beneficially affected growth performance and the intestinal morphology of E. coli-challenged chickens similar to those of the antibiotic group, this AMP drastically improved the intestinal microbiome, immune cells, and junctional proteins compared to other E. coli-challenged birds, and can be nominated as an alternative for growth promoter antibiotics.

1. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of conditioning times and processed sodium bentonite (PSB)-based pellet binder (G. Bind™) on pellet quality, performance, small intestine morphology, and nutrient retention in growing broiler chickens (d 11-24).2. A total of 540, one-day-old male broiler chicks were fed a commercial starter diet (d 1-10). On day 11, birds were assigned to a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement including two conditioning times (2 and 4 min) and three levels of PSB (0, 7.5 and 15 g/kg) with six replicates of 15 chicks each. Feed intake and weight gain were recorded to calculate growth performance. The jejunal segment and excreta samples were collected to determine intestinal morphology and nutrient retention, respectively.3. Diets produced with 2 min conditioning time and containing 15 g/kg PSB increased (P0.05) pellet durability index and hardness. Conditioning time and PSB levels had no significant effect on growth performance. The inclusion of PSB to broilers diet increased (P0.05) energy usage of the pelleting machine. Chickens fed the diet conditioned for 2 min and containing 15 g/kg PSB had the lowest (P0.05) relative jejunal length. Two minutes conditioning of diets containing 15 g/kg PSB increased (P0.05) apparent metabolisable energy retention in broilers.4. It was concluded that 2 min conditioning of diet containing 15 g/kg PSB improved pellet quality and nutrient retention of broiler chickens, while the main effects of conditioning time and PSB levels were controversial in most evaluated parameters.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of in ovo injection of threonine (THR) on immunoglobulin A (IgA) gene expression of Japanese quail on hatch day. A total of 540 Japanese quail eggs were assigned into nine groups of 60 each and were set in a single-stage incubator. Treatments were as follows: non-injected (control), two diluent levels (0.05 or 0.1 ml saline), two sites of injection (in or under the air sac) and with or without nutrients (0.5 mg/ml THR). Eggs were injected on d 11 of incubation. On hatch day, after euthanizing hatched quail chicks, the intestine was removed and the jejunum was separated. The relative mRNA expression of jejunal IgA increased (p

A total of 540 Japanese quail eggs were in ovo injected threonine (THR) at day 11 of embryonic development to evaluate the effects of in ovo feeding of THR on the hatchability, somatic attributes, and gut morphology of hatchlings. A completely randomized experimental design with 9 treatments and 4 replicates of 15 eggs per replicate was used. The treatments were non-injected (control) eggs and those receiving in ovo injections of 0.05 or 0.1 ml of saline (diluent) with or without THR (5 mg/ml) in the air sac (IAS) or under the air sac (UAS). Although the number of hatched eggs injected with 0.05 ml diluent both with and without THR under the air sac was not significant in comparison to the control group, it was higher than that of the other injected treatments. Interestingly, the under air sac injection of 0.05 ml THR showed enhanced gut morphology in comparison with the other treatments. The dried yolk-free body weight of all chicks was not statistically significant. Overall, the present results ...

The influence of feed form and particle size on the performance, coefficient of apparent ileal digestibility (CAID) of nutrients, apparent metabolisable energy (AME) and intestinal morphology in broiler starters fed maize-based diets was examined in this study. Two feed forms (mash and pellet) and three particle sizes (fine, medium and coarse) were evaluated in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Birds fed pelleted diets had higher ( P P P > 0.05) of particle size. Gizzard pH was not influenced ( P > 0.05) by particle size in mash diets, but fine grinding increased ( P P P P > 0.05) on CAID of starch and AME in mash diets, but in pelleted diets, pellets made from medium and coarsely ground maize showed higher ( P P P P P P P P P P

The presence of aflatoxin B1 in livestock's feed results in contamination of milk and its products with aflatoxin M1. Different sequestering agents have been added to cows' ration to adsorb these toxins, although influence of processed bentonites on aflatoxins adsorption has not been evaluated yet. This experiment was carried out to assess the effects of incorporating natural and processed bentonite (local or commercially available), to the diet of Holstein dairy cows subjected to an aflatoxin B1 diet, and the transfer of aflatoxin metabolites (AFM1) to milk. Aflatoxin sequestering capacity, pH, CEC, XRD and XRF of natural and processed bentonites were measured. Then, twelve Holstein dairy cows were assigned to 3 treatments as the following: 1) local processed bentonite (G.Bind™), 2) local unprocessed bentonite (F), and 3) commercially available bentonite (M). Aflatoxin content in feed and milk was evaluated and transfer rate was measured. Results of the present study showed that the aflatoxin contents of milk were remained unchanged except for treatment G.Bind™ that considerably decreased aflatoxin M1 in milk after the second and third weeks of the experiment. G.Bind™ lowered the transfer rate of aflatoxin B1 from 1.17% at the beginning of the experiment to 0.43% and 0.39% after the first and second weeks, respectively. Processing of bentonites (basic processing in present study) can considerably help to adsorb aflatoxin from feed and also to decrease aflatoxin transfer to milk.

Aluminosilicates are feed additives used for multiple purposes in the poultry industry. Bentonites, zeolites, and kaolins are types of aluminosilicate compounds that appear in the marketplace due to their capabilities as mycotoxin adsorbents and other qualifications. While there are some differences among their efficacies, anecdotal evidence confirms that these additives ameliorate aflatoxicosis and manure ammonia emission, and improve the durability of pelleted diets. Furthermore, these supplements are safe at 0.2%-1% inclusion levels in the commercial diet of broilers and layers and did not have any adverse effects on productive indices, and even promoted birds' performance. Nevertheless, their upper levels, especially in purified diets, caused an unfavorable interrelationship with the adsorption of nutrients and anticoccidials. Overall, the origin, chemical composition, physical structure, inclusion level, and plausible interactions of aluminosilicates with other dietary components are important factors that should be considered before utilizing these compounds in practical farm situations.

In recent few years, there have been some attempts to find a reliable indicator trait as a selection criterion against susceptibility to ascites syndrome (AS). Blood parameters were of great interest as they could be measured in live animals without implementing an ascites-inducing challenge (AIC). In this work, the suitability of some blood parameters was evaluated for diagnosing AS-susceptible chicks in later steps of the disease in trial 1 as well as their early predictive ability in trial 2. In the first trial, one hundred 1-day-old chicks from two pure broiler lines namely S1 and S2 and, in the second trial, 226 1-day-old chicks from line S2 were subjected to AIC. Saline drinking water (1200 mg/l) and lower-than-standard ambient temperatures were the implemented AICs in trials 1 and 2 respectively. The blood parameters including pH, partial pressure of O2 (pO2 ), partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2 ), bicarbonate ion concentration (BIC), percentage of haematocrit (HCT) and saturated haemoglobin (SaO2 ) were measured twice per each bird at days 28 and 35 in trial 1 and once in trial 2 at day 21. The results of the first trial revealed that in line S2 some of the blood parameters differed significantly between the ascitic and non-ascitic groups following exposure to AIC. In this line, the incidence of AS was accompanied by a lower pO2 , SaO2 and BIC, while with higher pCO2 and HCT values. In the second trial, however, although almost all of the parameters showed meaningful differences between the ascitic and non-ascitic broilers, only mean difference of BIC parameter was statistically significant. The general conclusion of this study is that the blood parameters can somewhat have diagnostic ability in the condition in which the AIC is already present, whereas the results did not approve their usefulness as early predictors of AS.

1. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of steam-conditioning time and different levels of processed sodium bentonite (PSB) on pellet quality, growth performance, intestinal development and morphology, and nutrient digestibilities in broilers during finisher period (d 24-45). 2. A total of 810 male chicks were reared in commercial conditions on floor pens till d 24. Then, birds were weighed and used in a completely randomised design experiment with a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement, including three levels of conditioning times (0, 2 and 4 min) and three PSB levels (0, 7.5 and 15 g/kg diet). Each of the 9 diets fed to 6 replicates group of 15 birds each. 3. The results showed that 2-min steam conditioning and 15 g/kg PSB supplementation significantly increased pellet durability index (PDI) and hardness, and decreased electrical consumption of pelleting. Diets had no significant effects on body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Although dietary treatments did not influence relative weight and length of three segments of small intestine, 2-min steam conditioning significantly improved villus height (VH) and crypt depth. Steam conditioning of diet for 2 min significantly increased apparent metabolisable energy (AME), ether extract (EE), calcium (Ca) and dry matter (DM) retention in birds measured during 38-42 d of age. 4. It could be concluded that 2-min steam conditioning improved PDI and hardness, VH and nutrient retention (AME, EE, Ca and DM), but did not affect growth performance in broilers during finisher period.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of acidified dried whey and acidified yeast product and their combination on broiler growth characteristics, intestinal microflora and gut morphology. Seven hundred and fifty day-old Ross 308 male broilers were fed one of 10 dietary treatments with 5 replicates in a randomized design. A corn-soybean meal based diet (control group) was supplemented with 3 levels (0.15, 0.30 and 0.45%) of acidified whey powder (AW), acidified yeast product (AY), and acidified whey powder and yeast product (AWY). Acidified yeast product improved ADG and FCR at d 42, but the effects of additives on productive performance were not significant across the entire rearing period. The highest level of AY increased the population of Lactobacillus spp., decreased that of E. coli and did not affect the bacterial total count at d 42. Birds fed 0.45% AY showed higher villus height and better gut morphology compared to control birds. In conclusion, acidified yeast product increased the population of Lactobacillus, inhibited the growth of E. coli and improved gut morphology and structure, but did not affect growth performance and relative organ weight.

The negative effects of high ambient temperature during some months of the year on poultry production have been of great concern in many countries. Dietary modifications are among the most practical ways to alleviate the effects of high temperature. Possible effects of dietary supplementation with 200 or 400 mg/kg feed of lemon peel extract (LPE), orange peel extract (OPE) and Curcuma xanthorrhiza essential oil (CXEO) under hot conditions (34 °C with 50% relative humidity for 5 h daily starting from day 28 until day 38 of age) on blood antioxidant enzyme activities, biochemical parameters and antibody titres of broiler chickens were investigated. All extracts are rich in phenolic compounds and highly available. Compared to control, supplementation with OPE at 400 mg/kg and CXEO significantly increased erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activity, plasma growth hormone concentrations and serum phosphorus, total protein and chloride concentrations and decreased serum low-density lipoprotein and cholesterol concentrations in chickens at 38 days of age. Regarding antibody titres, CXEO supplementation at 400 mg/kg caused a significant increase in bronchitis antibody titres. Supplementation with LPE and OPE gave more inconsistent results. Most interesting, 400 mg/kg LPE significantly increased 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine and GH concentration as compared to the control. In conclusion, the herbal extracts tested in this study, in particular CXEO at 400 mg/kg, may relieve some of the changes in blood composition induced by increased ambient temperatures.

Two bioassays were conducted to determine the ideal ratio of threonine (Thr) relative to lysine (Lys) in straight-run Cobb 500 broiler chickens from 15 to 28 d of age. Broiler chickens were fed wheat-corn gluten meal-based diet fortified with synthetic amino acids. A Lys-deficient basal diet was formulated to contain 0.60% standardised ileal digestible Lys (SID Lys) and subsequent treatments had 0.12% Lys added incrementally until a level of 1.2% SID Lys was reached for a total of six treatments. A Thr-deficient basal diet was formulated to contain 0.46% of standardised ileal digestible Thr (SID Thr) and subsequent treatments had 0.07% Thr added incrementally until a level of 0.81% SID Thr was reached for a total of six treatments. Both male and female birds were randomised across 48 floor pens (4 replicate pens, and 12 birds per pen) and fed one of the six levels of each of the test amino acid from 15 to 28 d of age. Body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) responded quadratically (P < 0.00...

1. This study was carried out to investigate the effects of 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1, 25 (OH)2 D3) and a hydroalcoholic extract of Withania somnifera (WS) root on performance, mineral retention, bone mineralisation, bone mechanical and bone histological characteristics of broiler chicks. 2. A 2 × 3 × 2 factorial experiment consisted of a positive control diet with adequate Ca and a negative control diet (Ca concentration reduced by 30%), three concentrations of WS (0, 75 and 150 mg/kg diet), and two concentrations of 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 (0 and 0.5 μg/kg diet). 3. A total of 600 male one-d-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly distributed into 60 floor pens, with 10 birds each. Each treatment was replicated 5 times (50 birds). Diets were given ad libitum from one to 42 d of age. On d 21 and 42, one bird per replicate was killed and tibiae were removed. 4. Dietary treatments did not affect feed intake and feed conversion. The maximum body weight gain (2475 g) was noted in birds fed on a diet adequate in Ca and supplemented with 75 mg/kg WS. 5. The Ca and P retentions were significantly higher in birds that were given a diet with 30% less Ca. Supplementation of 150 mg/kg WS significantly improved Ca retention in birds receiving a negative control compared to those given a positive control diet (83.0% vs. 66.3%). Ca retention was significantly improved with the addition of 0.5 μg/kg 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 to the diet containing 75 mg/kg WS, regardless of dietary Ca concentration (79.5 vs. 73.3 and 77.9 vs. 68.9). 6. On d 21, birds that received WS had significantly higher tibia Ca compared to those of controls. No significant effects on tibia Ca were noted at 42 d. Birds given a negative control diet supplemented with 75 mg/kg WS and 0.5 μg/kg 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 displayed a similar tibia Ca compared to those given only 150 mg/kg WS. Dietary supplementation of 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 significantly increased tibia Ca and tibial mineralised zone width in birds at 42 d of age. 7. Tibia shear force and stiffness were significantly increased by supplementation of WS. Administration of 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 resulted in a significantly lower width of the proliferative zone at 21 d of age. Reduction of the Ca supply significantly reduced the mineralised zone and cortical thickness at this age. 8. The present study showed that WS supplementation improved Ca retention, bone calcification and mechanical properties with no adverse effects on performance. Also, synergistic effects of WS and 1, 25 (OH)2 D3 were observed on Ca retention and bone calcification.

The main aim of the current experiment was to assess the potential of dietary orange peel extract (OPE) and lemon peel extract (LPE) as promoters of broiler resistance to high ambient temperature. The experiment was conducted as a 2×3 factorial arrangement of treatments with 2 levels of OPE (0 and 200 mg/kg feed) and 3 levels of LPE (0, 200, and 400 mg/kg feed). At d 25, a total of 288 Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to 6 dietary treatments with 4 replicates of 12 broiler chickens each. The temperature was increased to 34 °C with 50% relative humidity for 5 h daily starting from d 28 until d 38. At the end of the trial (d 38), 4 male broiler chickens per pen were sampled for determination of serum components and variables of intestinal morphology. Dietary OPE and LPE did not affect weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of broiler chickens. The inclusion of 200 mg/kg OPE increased serum total protein, but reduced serum lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase activity in broiler chickens (P

SUMMARY A batch of full-fat soybean (FFSB) was wet extruded at 155°C for 15 s to provide an extruded full-fat soybean (EFFSB) sample. The urease activity index, protein solubility in KOH, and protein dispersibility index were determined in EFFSB samples as in vitro quality tests and indicated good quality of processing. In the first experiment, the EFFSB was substituted primarily at the expense of dehulled soybean meal (DSBM) and soybean oil (SO) in the grower diet as 0, 7.5, 15, and 22.5% to provide 4 diets; then birds received the diets from 15 to 21 d and excreta were collected from 18 to 21 d for chemical analysis. The AMEn and nutrient total tract apparent retention of EFFSB were calculated by regression analysis. The AMEn value of EFFSB was 3,908 kcal/kg, whereas the coefficients of total tract apparent retention for DM, organic matter, EE, CP, CF, and ash were 76, 79, 91, 74, 20, and 61%, respectively. In the second experiment, one hundred ninety-two 1-d-old male broiler chicks were divided into 16 groups of 12 birds each and allocated to 4 diets containing 0, 7.5, 15, and 22.5% of EFFSB at the expense of DSBM and SO. Feed intake and weight gain of chickens fed the diet contained 22.5% EFFSB were reduced (P 0.05) when birds were fed diets containing up to 15% EFFSB. The mucosa absorptive surface area in duodenum and jejunum of birds fed 22.5% EFFSB was reduced (P 0.05). It is concluded that growth performance of broiler chickens was not influenced (P > 0.05) when birds were fed a diet containing up to 15% EFFSB in place of DSBM and SO.