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Bioactive peptides are short chains of amino acids with specific biological activities, sourced from proteins in various natural sources such as food, animal tissues, and microbial cultures. They offer potential health benefits including antioxidant, antihypertensive, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory activities. Researchers are exploring their potential applications in medicine alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs and antibiotics, as well as in the food industry as substitutes for synthetic additives. Bioactive peptides can be derived from a diverse array of natural sources including milk, eggs, fish, plants, and microbial proteins, making them a promising area of research. In poultry nutrition, bioactive peptides have demonstrated remarkable benefits. They exhibit antimicrobial activity, which contributes to better gut health and reduced risk of infections. Additionally, they can enhance growth performance by improving nutrient absorption and utilization, and may play a role in alleviating stress in poultry, leading to improved overall health and performance. Various studies have highlighted the positive effects of bioactive peptides derived from different sources such as soybean, cottonseed, and canola meal on broiler growth, feed conversion ratio, and health indicators. The potential of bioactive peptides as functional nutrients in poultry nutrition and health management is indeed promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of autoclaving and microwave radiation on the chemical composition, metabolic energy, and nutrient digestibility of wheat screening waste. Autoclave treatment involved heating the waste at 120 °C for 45 minutes, while microwave treatment utilized 1000 watts for 5 minutes. The experimental treatments included untreated waste, autoclaved waste, microwaved waste, and autoclaved followed by microwaved waste. Both heat treatments resulted in a decrease in gross energy, with the micro-wave treatment exhibiting the most significant effect. Additionally, the microwave treatment and the sequential autoclave followed by microwave treatment led to a slight reduction in dry matter content. Auto-claving improved the metabolisable energy of the waste by 23.4%, while the combined autoclave and microwave treatment improved it by 9.7%. However, microwave processing alone reduced the metabolisable energy by 25.4%. The heat treatments also resulted in notable changes in the waste's chemical composition, including decreased crude protein, gross energy, and sugar content, as well as increased dry matter, crude fiber, acid-insoluble ash, calcium, and phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of feed restriction during the first week of the grower period on the performance, intestinal morphology, and some blood parameters of broilers. Seventy five one day-old Ross 308 male broilers were used in a completely randomized design with 3 treatments, the control group and groups with feed restriction program at the first week of the grower phase for 6 or 12 hours (6HR or 12HR). In the grower phase, the 12HR program reduced feed intake and daily weight gain. The feed conversion ratio during the grower phase decreased by feed restriction. In the finisher phase and whole the experimental period, no difference was observed in the performance traits. Serum cholesterol levels decreased in the 12HR group compared to the HR group. Serum malondialdehyde levels decreased in both groups with dietary restriction compared with the control group. The aspartate transaminase activity was higher in the 12HR group than in the 6HR group. In the duodenum, a significant decrease in the height of the villi was observed due to feed restriction. The lowest crypt depth at the duodenum was also observed in the 12HR group. The ratio of villi height to crypt depth in the duodenum was lower in the 12HR group than in the other two groups. In the jejunum, the highest villi height was recorded in the 12HR, control, and 6hr groups. In the ileum, like in the jejunum, the highest height of villi was observed in the 12HR group, and the difference with the control group was significant. The diameter of villi in the Ileum was also not affected by feed restrictions. The depth of the crypt increased due to feed restriction. The results of this study suggest that 6 hours of dietary restriction in the first week of the grower period did not affect the production traits of broilers and 12 hours of dietary restriction in the mentioned period, although reduced feed intake and growth in the grower period, at the end of rearing period sufficient compensatory growth occurred. On the other hand, it seems that the 12-hour diet restriction in the first week of growth has positive effects on the morphology of the small intestine by increasing the absorption surface and also has a positive effect on the peroxidative state of the body, which needs further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ruminants production systems are facing a critical period within global agriculture due to their unique digestive system which, whilst allowing them to utilize low-quality fiber-rich feed, produces the potent greenhouse gas methane (CH4) as a by-product. It has been proposed that saponin-rich plants can be used to reduce CH4 emissions from ruminant livestock, although the reported results are variable in terms of efficacy. Here we use meta-analytical methods to investigate the literature to determine if saponins can contribute to reducing CH4 production and its further effects on other rumen fermentation parameters in sheep. Following defined search terms available papers on the subject were collected for the period 1990 to 2019 and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, an analysis was conducted on CH4 production, CH4 per dry matter intake (DMI), ruminal pH, total volatile fatty acid (VFA), acetate, propionate, butyrate, and acetate-to-propionate ratio based on a comparison between a saponin supplemented group and a control group. The standardized effect size (Hedges' g) was calculated at the confidence interval of 95%. Q-test and I² statistic were used to determine heterogeneity and publication bias was identified through the Egger test. The meta-analysis determined that using saponin sources tended to decrease CH4 production (P=0.062) and acetate-to-propionate ratio (P=0.057), with a reduction in CH4/DMI (P=0.001) and an increase in propionate concentration (P=0.011). No significant difference was observed in ruminal pH, total VFA concentration, and butyrate concentration. The I² statistic for the parameters analyzed here was below 50% for heterogeneity with the Egger test results indicating a publication bias for CH4 production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ß-lactoglobulin is one of the important milk proteins in several ruminants like goats, sheep and cattle. This study was performed to investigate the genetic polymorphism of exon 7 and 3' UTR region of ß- lactoglobulin (BLG) gene and its association with milk composition in 120 unrelated individuals of Iranian indigenous Khalkhali goats. Purified polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products (427 bp) were sequenced under standard conditions using Sanger sequencing. Alignment of sequenced fragments against reference sequence leads to identification of one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), substitution A (frequency equal to 0.44) to C (frequency equal to 0.56) in the 3' UTR region of BLG gene. Observed frequencies of AA, AC and CC genotypes were 0.12, 0.64 and 0.24, respectively. The effects of identified genotypes on milk composition were analysed using general linear model. We found that BLG gene genotypes have a significant effect on milk parameters except for lactose percentage (P<0.05). The milk of goats with AA and AC genotypes had higher protein and fat percentages, respectively, in compaired with other genotypes (P<0.05). Obtained results revealed that, identified genotypes in the BLG gene of Khalkhali goats is not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of in ovo injection of zinc oxide nanoparticles on the hatchability, production performance and immune responses of broilers. A total of 192 fertile eggs obtained from a Ross 308 broiler breeder flock were used. The eggs were divided into 4 experimental groups including a positive control group with normal saline injection, and injection of 50, 75 and 100 ppm nano-ZnO on the first day of incubation period in the air cell and were placed in the incubator. The hatched chicks were allocated to a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 4 replicates for a 42-day experiment. In ovo injection of nano-ZnO increased hatchability of eggs compared to the control group (P<0.05). The daily feed intake during the starter phase significantly increased in the birds in 50 and 75 ppm nano-ZnO groups (P<0.05). At the grower phase in rearing period the growth rate and feed intake of all the nano-ZnO injected groups were higher than the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the feed conversion ratio between different treatment groups (P>0.05). The results of antibody titer against the influenza virus at 10 days of age did not differ between the experimental treatments (P>0.05). The heterophil, lymphocytes, monocytes and hematocrit number in the blood of broiler chickens at 10 days of age did not show any significant difference (P>0.05). The results of the present study suggest that in ovo injection of nano ZnO particles had positive effects on early embryo mortality rate, total white blood cells, however the performance traits of the hatched chicks were not significantly affected through in ovo injection of nano ZnO particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Change in sex ratios for broiler chickens, has many economic benefits of the poultry industry. The gonads in chick embryo at an early stage have the potential to convert to both sexes (male and female). Sexual differentiation is due to aromatase expression in the left gonad in 5-6 days of the embryonic period and the production of estrogen from testosterone. Administration of aromatase inhibitors prevents the synthesis of estrogen in genetically female birds and produce males with female genotype. In this study, the effects of in ovo injection of 0.1 mg mushroom extract, nettle extract and fadrozole hydrochloride as aromatase inhibitors on the fifth day of incubation period on hatchability, embryo mortality and performance of hatching chicks were examined. The results of this experiment showed that there were no significant differences in hatchability, embryo mortality during incubation and the weight of hatching chicks. Daily feed intake and body weight gain in chickens hatched from mushroom extract and fadrozole hydrochloride groups were higher than the two other groups (P<0.05). Also, in ovo injection of a mushroom extract, nettle extract or fadrozole hydrochloride had no effect on the dressing percentage and internal organ weights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of nano selenium (nano-Se) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on performance, biometric and blood parameters and selenoprotein W1 (SEPW1) and lipid gene expression in male Moghani lambs. Thirty male Moghani lambs, 3-months-old and weighing 30 ± 0.25 kg, were used in completely randomized design in a 2 x 3 factorial arrangement with dietary supplemental the CLA (0 and 15 g/kg DM) and nano-Se (0, 1 and 2 mg/kg DM). The lambs were slaughtered on day 90 (end of experiment). Feeding a mixture of CLA and nano-Se tended to reduce the body weight of lambs comparing to the control group. The experimental diets had no impact on biometric parameters. Some blood parameters like high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione peroxidase depended on dietary nano-Se supplementation (P<0.05); but glucose, triglycerides (TG), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), total protein (TP) and cholesterol had no considerable effects. The results of qPCR analysis showed that nano-Se supplemental at highest level (2 mg/kg DM) increased gene expression of GPX1 and SEPW1 in liver (P<0.05). Dietary inclusion of CLA enhanced the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma expression and decreased stearoyl COA desaturase 1 genes in tail (P<0.01). In conclusion, nano-Se and CLA differently increased the gene expression in liver and tail and had good impacts on some blood parameters; suggesting that nano-Se and CLA have not synergism interaction in the above parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of different levels of choline and garlic powder on performance, liver health and immune response in broiler chickens were evaluated in this study. A factorial experiment with 2 dietary choline levels (the recommended level in Ross 308 broiler guidelines and 25 % less than the recommendation) and 3 dietary garlic powder levels (0, 5 or 10 g/kg diet) was conducted using Ross 308 broiler chickens. Four hundred eighty 1-d-old Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly divided into 6 dietary treatments, each containing 4 replicate pens, with 20 birds each. During the finisher phase (d 25 to 42), dietary supplementation with 5 and 10 g/kg of garlic powder increased feed intake. At finisher phase and the whole experimental period, dietary supplementation with 10 g/kg of garlic powder improved the daily weight gain. During the finisher phase and the whole experimental period, the daily weight gain of birds fed low choline diets was less than that of birds fed recommended choline level. During the finisher phase and the whole experimental period, dietary choline deficiency increased feed conversion ratio. Choline deficiency decreased serum IgM level, and IgM concentration was higher in chicks fed diet with 5 g/kg garlic powder. However, dietary garlic powder at 10 g/kg level increased the total white blood cells and reduced the heterophyles numbers. Diets deficient in choline and also 10 g/kg dietary garlic powder increased the liver fat deposits. The liver Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) enzyme levels in the serum of chicks fed the choline-deficient diets were higher compared to birds fed the diets with recommended choline level. Consumption of garlic powder at 10 g/kg level, lowered serum CPK enzyme levels compared with the diets containing zero or 5 g/kg garlic powder. Choline deficiency and also dietary garlic regardless of its dosage were reduced the levels of serum triglycerides and very low density lipoproteins (VLDL). However, serum HDL were decreased in chickens fed 5 g/kg garlic powder compared with those fed garlic free diets. The findings of this study suggest that the effect of garlic powder in addressing the adverse effects caused by deficiency of choline are not through lipid metabolism improvement and more likely are due to the beneficial effects of garlic on increased feed intake, which increased choline intake and improved immune system function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 1994 till today a few up to date have been made on the NRC (1994) recommendations for trace mineral requirements of broilers. The high prevalence of skeletal disorders in modern broilers could be a consequence of the uncoordinated growth rate and mineral nutrition. The commercial companies of broiler production often use a huge safety margin of trace minerals in feed formulation, which will result in trace mineral excretion into the environment. There are differences in the commercially recommended levels of dietary trace element between commercial strains of broilers and all of them are different from NRC (1994) recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of increasing the laying period day-length from 13 to 16 hours were examined in Ross (308) broiler breeders. The birds reared on 8-h photoperiods and then were photo-stimulated at 21 weeks by increasing the photoperiods from 8 h of light, 16 h of darkness (8L:16D) to 11L:13D. Then the birds were given an additional 60 min of light per week cumulatively, such that in different experimental groups the 12L:12D, 13L:11D, 14L:10D, 15L:9D and 16L:8D photoperiods were achieved in 22, 23, 24, 25 and 26 weeks of age, respectively. The photoperiods remained unchanged until the experiment was finished at 50 weeks of age. The 16L:8D group had a poorer feed conversion and less egg production and egg mass than the other 3 groups (P<0.05). The total settable egg percentage was significantly lower for 15L:9D and 16L:8D than for 13L:11D and 14L:10D birds (P<0.05). The 13L:11D and 14L:10D h hens had more double-yolked and broken or abnormal eggs, followed by the 15L:9D h birds, and the 16L h birds (P<0.05). The mean egg weight of 14L:10D birds was significantly more than for 16-L h birds (P<0.05), with 13L:11D and 14L:10D birds were intermediated (P<0.05). The percentage of hatchability was higher in 13L:11D h hens followed by the 15L:9D and the 16L:8D birds (P<0.05), with 14L:10D h hens intermediated between 13L:11D and 15L:9D groups. The findings of this study suggest that 13L:11D was the optimal photoperiods for Ross 308 broiler breeders in the laying period up to 50 weeks of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process called biohydrogenation occurs mainly in ruminant animals and during it, unsaturated fatty acids, and particularly poly-unsaturated ones (linoleic and linolenic) coverts to a saturated form of stearic acid. For many years, the beneficial effects of biohydrogenation intermediate fatty acids like cis-9 trans-11 linoleic acid, the main natural isomer of conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), and the isomer of trans-9 trans-11 CLA, especially in preventing cancer, has been proved. Many researches tried to use different components to interference biohydrogenation and increase the mediator substrates of CLA (e.g. vaccenic acid (VA)). Recently, due to the effects on rumen microorganism population, so do on biohydrogenation, tannin, a poly phenolic compound, is in the center of considerations. It is well known that tannins, specially condensed tannins, affect the bacteria population involved in biohydrogenation. Consequently, reduction in biohydrogenation via dietary inclusion of tannin is a useful tool to change the milk fatty acid profile toward health promoting fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to determine chemical composition and rumen degradability parameters of dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) ether extract (EE) and organic matter (OM) in Populus nigra sawdust biodegraded by Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ulmarius. The samples were incubated by the fungal biomass at 30 °C with 65 % relative humidity for 7 and 17 days and chemical composition of substrate was then analyzed. Using in situ technique enabled us to evaluate degradability of the samples in the rumen of two Moghani rams with rumen fistula. Significant differences were observed in DM, NDF, ADF, EE and ash contents as well as degradability parameters of DM, NDF, ADF and OM, including highly soluble and readily degradable fraction (a), insoluble and slowly degradable fraction (b), rate constant for degradation of the fraction b (c) and effective degradability (ED) in different times of biodegradation. The findings indicated that effects of white rot fungi on Populus nigra sawdust significantly decreased DM, NDF, ADF and OM while EE, ash content, DM and NDF degradability parameters were significantly increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In last decade, the uncontrolled use of antibiotics as growth promoter for livestock has led to the appearance of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and increased risk of infectious diseases. This situation has triggered intensive research efforts to find safe alternative strategies. Certainly, the plants and vegetables and their derivatives as natural safe substances could be good candidates in this respect. There is huge information on the immunostimulatory properties of herbal plans in human, and may contribute considerably to the improvement of the health and immune response and prevention of certain diseases in animals including poultry. Garlic (Allium sativum) is an herbal plant that has traditionally been used for the healing a number of human diseases and has in recent years been revealed to have immunostimulatory, anticardiovascular disease, antitumour, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The scientific evidences suggest that allicin and other active components of garlic have also some positive effects for livestock, including hypocholesterolemic, growth promoting, antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to compare the effects of two medicinal plants (peppermint and aloe vera) and antibiotic growth promoter on ileum microflora population and growth performance of broiler chickens. In this experiment, 375 one-day old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were used on a completely randomized design with 5 dietary treatments which were replicated 5 times with 15 birds per replicate. The experimental treatments were: 1) the control diet (basal diet with no additive); 2) basal diet + 10 g/kg dry peppermint leaves (DPL); 3) basal diet + 10 g/kg aloe vera gel (AVG); 4) basal diet + 5 g/kg DPL + 5 g/kg AVG and 5) basal diet + 10 ppm virginiamycin. Growth performance parameters were evaluated during the starter, grower and finisher periods and the populations of Lactobacillus and Escherichia coli bacteria was determined on the 42nd day of age. The maximum number of Lactobacillus bacteria was observed in the ileum of broilers fed diets containing DPL + AVG (P<0.05). The birds receiving the medicinal plant supplements had lower Escherichia coli population in comparison with control birds (P<0.05). The antibiotic fed broilers had higher feed intake, body weight gain, and dressing percentage than the control treatment and those fed medicinal herbs. The broilers fed medicinal herbs had higher feed intake, body weight gain and dressing percentage than the control (P<0.05). The birds fed mixture of DPL + AVG has better growth performance and dressing percentage. This study suggests that using a mixture of peppermint and aloe vera as a feed supplement of broiler chickens could be a potential alternative for antibiotic growth promoter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There were no considerable up to date on the trace element requirements of commercial poultry in recent years in despite of the progress in their performance traits. One of the more prevalent problems in modern broiler production system which could be attributed to the trace mineral inadequacy is skeletal disorders. Zinc, is an essential trace element which acts as a co-factor in several metaloenzymes and plays an important role in different metabolic pathways. Zinc deficiency in poultry affect the protein and carbohydrate metabolism and have negative effects on feed intake, growth rate, feed conversion ratio and also is associated with immunological, reproductive, skeletal and skin disorders. The commercial poultry producers often use a considerable safety margin for trace minerals including Zn in feed formulation, which will resulted in trace mineral excretion into environment. There are differences in the recommended dietary Zn requirement between commercial strains of broiler chickens and all of them are differ from NRC (1994) recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early interest in selenium (Se) focused on its toxicity, but since 1957 it has been recognized as an essential dietary element. The diet is the major Se source and approximately 80% of dietary Se is absorbed, depending on the type of food consumed. In several regions of the world, the content of Se in diets has been estimated as insufficient. The dietary requirement for Se for most species is about 0.3 ppm. Deficiencies of Se in animals have been confirmed under natural grazing conditions in many countries. Symptoms of deficiencies such as white muscle disease occur primarily in young calves or lambs born in low Se regions and thus we need to provide sufficient amounts in animal diets. Numerous studies have demonstrated that Se plays an important role in animal health. Therefore, this review gives a brief outline of the current information on the physical, chemical and metabolic properties of Se, oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, dietary requirement, deficiency, toxicity and effects of Se on fertility and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a medical plant mixture and a probiotic on performance, antioxidant activity and weaning age of suckling Holstein calves. For this experiment, 30 newborn calves (0-10 days of age) with an average birth weight of 42 ± 8 kg were used in a factorial design (3×2) with 6 treatments and 5 replicates. Treatments were: 1) basal diet including a calves starter feed and whole milk, 2) control diet + 2 g probiotic 3) control diet + 1.5% of medical plant, 4) control diet + 1.5% medical plant + 2 g probiotic, 5) control diet + 3% medical plant and 6) control diet + 3% medical plant + 2 g probiotic. The calves were offered experimental pelleted feeds ad libitum and after one month were supplied with imported hay. Results showed that the treatments had no significant effect on dry matter intake during the experiment. However, addition of the 1.5% medical plant increased dry matter intake (P<0.05). However, the 1.5% level of medical plant reduced calves weaning age (P<0.05). Calves receiving control diet + 1.5% of medical plant mixed and 1.5% medical plant mixed + 2 g probiotic showed a higher plasma antioxidant activity (P<0.05). This study suggested that 1.5% of medical plant in calves starter feed will improve performance and the immune system and will also reduce the weaning age of calves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA) are natural constituents of meat and dairy products from ruminants, originating from bacterial biohydrogenation in the rumen. CLA supplementation increases the health benefits of animal-derived foods. There are inconsistent reports of the effects of dietary CLA on chicken's performance; however, the majority of previous reports cite anti-lipogenic effects of CLA. Diets could be formulated to increase n-3 fatty acid (FA) concentration in chicken meat by feeding n-3 FAs as a replacement for n-6 FA rich ingredients. Off-flavors and the chances of oxidative deterioration during storage of meat have been attributed to highn-3 FA levels in poultry diets. An approach to increase the n-3 FA content and decrease the n-6/n-3 FAs ratio in meat, using conjugated linoleic acid in diets, has been suggested. This review deals with the main topics of CLA metabolic effects in chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the chemical composition, metabolizable energy, digestibility and ability of gas production of Poa trivialis. Samples was collected at three phenological stages including: vegetative growth, flowering and seedling on two different elevations of 1300 to 1500 m and 2000 to 1800 m asl in Neor and Hir region as the first and second sites, respectively. Testing of gas production was performed using Semi-automatic gas producers machine WT-Binder 87532 Model (made in Germany). Fistulated castrated male sheeps were used for preparation of required rumen fluid. Results show that more crude protein and less cell wall were in the vegetative growth stage. Gas production was higher in the first stage in comparison with other growing stages. The amounts of gas production of soluble and insoluble structures at the first and second sites were 75.63 and 81.50 mL, respectively. Metabolizabe energy of Poa triviali was 2.38 in the first site and in the second site 2.48 Mcal/kg DM in the vegetative growth stage. Collected samples from the second site had more metabolizabe energy, digestibility, degradability and gas production in comparison with the results of the first site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An experiment was conducted on broiler chickens to study the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), fish oil, both at 7% of the diet, or their mixtures at 3.5% of the diet, on the performance, carcass traits and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. The chicks fed with 7% fish oil or 7% CLA diets, were found to have an inferior weight gain in grower and finisher phases, respectively. A significant reduction in feed intake was observed with the diets containing 7% fish oil. However, adding CLA to the diets, did not affect birds feed intake. The dietary fish oil and CLA supplementation adversely affected the feed conversion ratio as well as carcass yield. CLA at the 7% level increased liver weight. There were no differences in the carcass, thigh or abdominal fat pad percentages between the experimental treatments; however the birds fed the diet containing 7% fish oil had the lowest breast and the highest liver percentages. Histological examination of small intestine revealed that, the diet containing 3.5% fish oil + 3.5% CLA resulted in higher villus height than the diets with 7% fish oil or CLA. Such an increase was observed in the crypt depth of the duodenum and jejunum, but no difference was detected in the crypt depth of the ileum. The small intestinal wall thickness and goblet cell numbers in the chickens fed the diet containing the mixture of fish oil and CLA were lower than those of the other treatments. The results of this study showed that a high dose of fish oil or CLA can reduce broiler chickens performance, but their combination can moderate this adverse effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken has been used as a suitable model for lipid metabolism studies, because dietary modifications especially dietary fat type can change chicken body composition. Fats act as a condense source of energy and certain fatty acids such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are required for both animal and human health. The n-3 PUFAs, especially, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are well known for their favourable effects on human health. The n-3 PUFAs act as feed originated modulators of fatty acid oxidation and are feedback inhibitors of new fatty acid synthesis. This regulatory mechanism not only decreases overall liver lipid content and VLDL secretion, but also removes excessive very long-chain PUFA from cell membranes that may cause oxidant stress or damage membrane integrity. This paper reviews in brief the most important metabolic effects of PUFA in chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of chicken meat is an important branch of food industry. Generally, poultry meat farmers aim to produce birds with superior body weight and feed conversion ratio. However, in line with current developments, there are other parameters that must to be taken into account such as lower body fat deposition and improvement in the nutrient composition of products corresponding to consumer requirements. Nowadays, extra focus has been given to designing and enrichment foods as functional foods, with components that have beneficial effects on human wellbeing. In definition, functional foods contain particular nutrients and / or non-nutrients that have an effect on human health, beyond what is usually known as nutritional effects. There are several compounds in foods that improve consumer's health status. Among them the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs, n-6 and n-3 series) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) are the most functional and bioactives components of lipids. Chicken meat has been a common objective of nutritional modification because the absorbed dietary fatty acids from the small intestine directly enter into the chicken tissue lipids. This paper tries to review the recent findings in the area of chicken meat enrichment using dietary fats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the production performance, antioxidant parameters, egg yolk cholesterol content, and expression of genes related to cholesterol metabolism in laying hens fed L-carnitine (LC) and L-carnitine-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (LC-SLNs). A total of 350 Hy-Line (w-36) laying hens at 50 wk of age (1520.0 ± 0.7 g) were randomly assigned to 35 units (5 replicates and 50 hens in each treatment) with seven dietary treatments as a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based diets, including 1) Control (basal diet); 2) Basal diet +50 mg/kg LC (50LC); 3) Basal diet +100 mg/kg LC (100LC); 4) Basal diet +150 mg/kg LC (150LC); 5) Basal diet +50 mg/kg LC-SLNs (50LC-SLNs); 6) Basal diet +100 mg/kg LC-SLNs (100LC-SLNs) and 7) Basal diet +150 mg/kg LC-SLNs (150LC-SLNs). Results showed that the 50LC-SLNs had the least feed conversion ratio (FCR) in all groups (P < 0.05). The dietary supplementation of 100LC-SLNs decreased (P < 0.01) the egg yolk cholesterol concentration from 14.71 to 11.76 mg/g yolk (25%). The 50LC-SLNs group produced the most total antioxidant capacity with a difference of 58.44% compared to the control group (P < 0.01). The greatest amount of total superoxide dismutase was found for 50LC-SLNs (P < 0.05), while the glutathione peroxidase was not affected by the experimental treatments (P > 0.05). Serum malondialdehyde levels were reduced by 50.52% in laying hens fed 50LC-SLNs compared to the control group (P < 0.05). The transcript level of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) in the LC and LC-SLNs groups. The expression of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase was significantly increased (P < 0.01) in the plain LC (∼83%) and LC-SLNs (∼91%) groups. The inclusion of LC-SLNs in the diet increased (P < 0.05) the villus height and decreased villus width in all three parts of the small intestine. Dietary inclusion of LC was found to reduce egg yolk and serum cholesterol content by improving the production performance and antioxidant status. The LC-SLNs groups were more affected than the plain LC groups, which may be attributed to the increased bioavailability of LC., (Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

L-carnitine (LC) is a highly water-soluble compound involved in the β-oxidation of lipids and transportation of long-chain fatty acids across the membrane of mitochondria. However, the higher hydrophilicity of LC limits its free diffusion across the bilayer lipid membrane of intestinal epithelium in oral administration, decreasing oral bioavailability. Drug delivery with nanoparticles enhances cargo bioavailability and cellular uptake and improves therapeutic outcomes while decreasing unwanted side effects. Here, we proposed solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) as a hydrophobic carrier for LC delivery, aiming at increasing LC bioavailability and its protective role against intracellular oxidative stress damages. The LC-SLNs were prepared using the hot homogenization technique, and different physicochemical properties were investigated. The inhibition of H 2 O 2 -induced ROS generation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) with plain LC and LC-SLNs was investigated. Moreover, various in vitro experiments were performed to assess whether LC-SLNs can protect HUVECs from H 2 O 2 -induced genotoxicity and apoptosis. The monodispersed and spherical blank SLNs and LC-SLNs were 104 ± 1.8 and 128 ± 1.5 nm, respectively with a drug loading (DL) of 11.49 ± 0.78 mg/mL and acceptable encapsulation efficiency (EE%) (69.09 ± 1.12) of LC-SLNs. The formulation process did not affect the antioxidant properties of LC. MTT assay and comet assay demonstrated that the LC-SLNs decreased cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of H 2 O 2 , respectively on HUVECs. Besides, LC-SLNs more inhibited ROS generation, along with apoptotic events in H 2 O 2 -treated HUVECs compared to the plain LC. Altogether, our findings affirmed the protective effects of LC-SLNs against H 2 O 2 -induced genotoxicity and apoptosis in HUVECs. In conclusion, LC-SLN formulation is a promising drug delivery system to overcome the bioavailability issue of hydrophilic LC, enhancing the antioxidant and biological properties of the plain LC., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Sheep keepers need suitable strategies to improve animal immunity and the quality of their products. This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of nano-selenium (nano-Se) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on an antioxidant statue, trace minerals, and mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) and selenoprotein W1 (SEPW1) genes in the liver and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARγ) and stearoyl COA desaturase 1 (SCD1) genes in fat- tail of male Moghani lambs. Thirty male Moghani lambs, three months old and average weight 30.00 ± 0.25 kg, were assigned to a completely randomized design in a 2×3 factorial arrangement with dietary supplementation of nano-Se (0, 1.00 and 2.00 mg kg -1 dry matter) and CLA (0.00 and 15.00 g kg -1 dry matter). The lambs were slaughtered at the end of the experiment, on day 90 of the experiment. Results showed that dietary inclusion of nano-Se significantly improved antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in blood, however, did not show any differences in trace mineral treatments. The analysis of qPCR showed that nano-Se inclusion at the highest level (2.00 g kg -1 dry matter) enhanced gene expression of GPX1 (0.64 vs 0.34) and SEPW1 (0.72 vs 0.35) in the liver. Dietary inclusion of CLA increased the expression of PPARγ (0.63 vs 0.38) and decreased SCD1 (0.63 vs 0.33) genes in fat- tail. It could be concluded that selenium inclusion in the growing lamb's diet could improve antioxidant status, however, no synergistic interaction was observed along with CLA on the mentioned parameters., (© 2020 Urmia University. All rights reserved.)