Search

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of Chinese herbal compound additive on growth performance, serum biochemical indices and spleen IL-2 mRNA expression of Hy-line Brown egg chicks. A total of 960 one-day-old healthy Hy-line Brown egg chicks were randomly divided into two groups with five replicates per group and 96 chickens per replicate. Egg chicks in control group were fed with basal diet, and those in experimental group were fed with basal diet supplemented with 0.2% Chinese herbal compound additive. The experiment lasted for 42 d. The results showed that compared with control group, the final weight and average daily gain of egg chicks in experimental group were extremely increased (P<0.01), and the feed to gain ratio and mortality rate were extremely decreased (P<0.01). Compared with control group, keel length and tibia length of egg chicks in experimental group were extremely increased (P<0.01), and chest width and hip width were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with control group, the content of BUN and TC in serum of egg chicks in experimental group were extremely decreased (P<0.01), the activity of AST was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and the content of IFN-γ and IL-2 were extremely increased (P<0.01). Compared with control group, thymus index, bursa of Fabricius index and spleen IL-2 mRNA expression of egg chicks in experimental group were extremely increased (P<0.01). The study indicates that 0.2% Chinese herbal compound additive in the diet can improve the growth performance, improve the serum biochemical indexes, and promote the development of immune organs and the expression of IL-2 mRNA in spleen of Hy-line Brown egg chicks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel, versatile functional mesoporous material with the structure of SBA-15 but a specific 3D net-linked morphology has been prepared by using a facile method. This material has been assessed for its ability to reduce the level of nitrosamines in tobacco smoke so that the actual effect of this material in the reduction of carcinogenic environmental pollutants in a complex chemical system can be verified. By adjusting the force field during the hydrolysis and condensation processes of tetramethyl orthosilicate (TMOS) in an aqueous reaction system, the SBA-15 silica, which has a special morphology in that it is long and fiberlike from a microscopic view but large and block-like from a macroscopic angle, has been successfully synthesized. Moreover, the synthetic product is no longer a powder but a block because of its specific 3D net-linked morphology, which enables the material not only to trap particles in smoke but also to potentially be applied as a device. To strengthen the adsorptive capability of this porous material, a dry-impregnation procedure was applied in which zirconia was coated on the silica wall without changing the morphology. As expected, this functional material shows a high activity in the adsorption of N'-nitrosonornicotine (NNN), a bulky tobacco-specific nitrosamine, in solution and of N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR), a volatile nitrosamine, in the gas stream. Furthermore, this 3D net-linked SBA-15 material can efficiently decrease the amount of nitrosamines and total number of particles in mainstream smoke when it is tested as an additive in the filter of a cigarette, thus providing powerful protection for the environment and public health.