scholarly journals Replacing Maize Grain with Ancient Wheat Lines By-Products in Organic Laying Hens’ Diet Affects Intestinal Morphology and Enzymatic Activity

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 6554
Author(s):  
Nicola Francesco Addeo ◽  
Basilio Randazzo ◽  
Ike Olivotto ◽  
Maria Messina ◽  
Francesca Tulli ◽  
...  

The effects of replacement of maize grain with ancient wheat by-products on intestinal morphometry and enzymatic activity in laying hens was studied. Eighty hens were divided into two groups (40 each, 8 replicates, 5 hens/replicate) fed two isoproteic and isoenergetic diets. In the treated group, part of the maize was replaced by a mix of ancient grains (AGs) middling, in a 50:50 ratio of Triticum aestivum L. var. spelta (spelt) and Triticum durum dicoccum L. (emmer wheat). The AG diet affected the weight of all the large intestine tracts, decreasing the weight of caeca (p < 0.01) and increasing those of colon (p < 0.01), rectum and cloaca (p < 0.05). Villus height in the AG group was higher (p < 0.01) than the control for the duodenum and jejunum, while for the ileum, the control group showed the highest values (p < 0.01). The submucosa thickness was higher (p < 0.01) in the control group for the duodenum and ileum, while the jejunum for the AG group showed the highest (p < 0.05) submucosa thickness. The crypts depth was higher (p < 0.01) in the control group for the duodenum and ileum. Enzyme activity was enhanced by AGs (p < 0.01) in the duodenum. Regarding the jejunum, sucrase-isomaltase and alkaline phosphatase had higher activity (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively) in the AG group. In the ileum, sucrase-isomaltase showed higher activity (p < 0.01) in the control group, while alkaline phosphatase showed the highest values (p < 0.05) in the AG group. Overall, results suggested that the dietary inclusion of AGs exerted positive effects in hens, showing an improved intestinal function.

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 1224
Author(s):  
Kai Qiu ◽  
Youbiao Ma ◽  
Uchechukwu Edna Obianwuna ◽  
Jing Wang ◽  
Haijun Zhang ◽  
...  

The current experiment was conducted to investigate the application effects of selenium conjugated to insect protein (SCIP) in the production of selenium-enriched eggs. A total of 450 laying hens were randomly assigned to five dietary groups, each group consisting of six replicates. Hens in the control group received a diet without selenium supplementation, whereas hens in the other four groups received diets supplemented with either 1, 2, 5, or 10 mg/kg of selenium from SCIP. The productive performance, egg quality, antioxidant and immune capacity, biochemical indices, intestinal morphology, and oviduct health of laying hens were evaluated. The results showed that the supplementation of organic selenium provided by SCIP in the diets of laying hens enhanced performance and egg quality without any toxicity effect, even at the 10 mg/kg inclusion level. A level of 2 mg/kg of selenium provided by SCIP in diets tentatively improved the serum antioxidant and immune capacity, intestinal development, and oviduct health of laying hens in a conspicuous manner. Hence, the biosafety and positive effects of SCIP as a feed additive supplement in laying hens’ diet have been demonstrated with the enhanced production of safe and selenium-enriched eggs.


Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Iannaccone ◽  
Andrea Ianni ◽  
Solange Ramazzotti ◽  
Lisa Grotta ◽  
Elettra Marone ◽  
...  

Olive pomace (OP) represents one of the by-products of the olive industry and represents an important source of bioactive compounds. This characteristic makes OP a potential feed supplement in livestock nutrition. Thus, in the last years, several studies have been published to evaluate the productive traits following OP supplementation in animal diets; however, relatively little is known from a molecular biology standpoint. Therefore, in this study, we report the RNA-sequencing analysis of laying hens fed with a 10% dried OP (DOP) supplementation. Applying a false discovery rate (FDR) <0.05 and a Log2Fc either less than −1.5 or higher than +1.5, we identified 264 differentially regulated genes (DEGs) between the non-supplemented diet control group (CTR) and the DOP group. Using the 264 DEGs to identify enriched biological pathways, we noted that cholesterol biosynthesis showed the highest enrichment followed by several pathways related to immune response and inflammation. As a consequence, when we quantified the cholesterol amount in yolk egg, we found a significant reduction in the DOP vs. the CTR group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, this study shows that DPO affects gene expression in laying hens, which is directly correlated with cholesterol decrease and can potentially ameliorate health status influencing immune response and inflammation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 147-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Venglovská ◽  
Ľ. Grešáková ◽  
I. Plachá ◽  
M. Ryzner ◽  
K. Čobanová

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of feed supplementation of laying hens with manganese from its inorganic and organic sources on performance and some parameters of egg quality. Ninety-six hens at 20 weeks of age were randomly allocated to 4 dietary treatments, each consisting of 6 replicates (4 birds per replicate). The control group was fed unsupplemented basal diet (BD) with only natural background Mn level of 46.4 mg/kg feed. For the three experimental treatments, the BD was supplemented with 120 mg Mn/kg either from Mn-sulphate or Mn-chelate of protein hydrolysate (Mn-Pro) or Mn-chelate of glycine hydrate (Mn-Gly). After 8 weeks of dietary treatments the egg production, egg weight, feed intake, and feed efficiency were not affected by dietary treatments. Regardless of the sources, Mn supplementation to feed resulted in significantly decreased percentages of cracked eggs compared to the unsupplemented control group. The thickness, weight, proportion, and index of eggshell were significantly elevated in all groups supplemented with Mn. The intake of Mn-Gly resulted in considerably increased Mn deposition in egg yolk compared to the control eggs. In the control and Mn-sulphate groups yolk malondialdehyde (MDA) started to increase after 20 and 30 days of egg storage respectively, whereas in eggs from hens given organic Mn-sources this parameter was not affected up to 40 days. Although there were no significant differences in MDA values between the treatments until 20 days of storage, the Mn-sulphate group showed significantly higher MDA concentration in yolks compared to the control group after 30 days of storage. These results demonstrate that supplementation of hens&rsquo; diet with Mn has positive effects on eggshell quality. Feed supplementation with Mn from organic sources appears to be more effective in preventing yolk lipid oxidation during cold storage of eggs than that from Mn-sulphate. &nbsp;


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e000368 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleonora Fusi ◽  
Rita Rizzi ◽  
Michele Polli ◽  
Simona Cannas ◽  
Alberto Giardini ◽  
...  

BackgroundThe present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the probiotic strain Lactobacillusacidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) on nutritional condition and faecal quality in cats.MethodsTen healthy adult cats from the same cattery were included (aged >9 months; male:female sex ratio=3:7). The animals were randomly assigned to a control group (CTR; n=5; male:female=1:4; room 1: 16 m2) and to a treated group (LACTO; n=5; male:female=2:3; room 2: 16 m2) receiving the same commercial dry diet. The LACTO group diet was supplemented with the probiotic (5 x 109 cfu/kg feed at least). A five-week experimental period was applied, and nutritional status was monitored by bodyweight (BW) and body condition score (BCS). Faecal quality was evaluated using faecal score (FS) and faecal moisture (FM) parameters. Plate counts of some faecal bacteria species were carried out. The data obtained were analysed using MIXED, GLM and NPAR1WAY procedures (SAS V.9.4; P≤0.05).ResultsThe two groups did not show differences in BW and BCS data. A clear effect of the probiotic supplementation on FM was recorded (LACTO 44 per cent v CTR group 46 per cent; P=0.04). FS in the LACTO group (3.35) was close to ideal values (2–3) in comparison with the CTR group (3.75). Positive effects of Lacidophilus D2/CSL have been recorded in terms of increase in faecal lactobacilli counts and reduction in faecal coli counts.ConclusionsThis study’s preliminary results describe how inclusion of Lacidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) probiotic strain in cats’ diets could effectively improve faecal quality parameters and consequently gut health in adult healthy cats.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (1) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
H. Mohammadi ◽  
Z. Ansari-Pirsaraei ◽  
S. N. Mousavi ◽  
M. Bouyeh ◽  
A. Gholibeikifard ◽  
...  

In this study, 160 73-week-old laying hens (HyLine W-36) were used to investigate the changes in production performance and egg quality parameters of aged laying hens after injection of different doses of growth hormone (GH) and a fixed dose of testosterone (Ts). The hens were weighed individually, placed in laying cages and then randomly assigned to four treatments with four replicates of 10 birds each, in a completely randomised design. The experiment was started at the 75th week and lasted until the 82nd week of age. The treatments were: 1: injection of 100 µL distilled water (control group), 2: injection of 500 µg Ts/kg liveweight + 50 µg GH/kg liveweight, 3: injection of 500 µg Ts/kg liveweight + 100 µg GH/kg liveweight and 4: injection of 500 µg Ts/kg liveweight + 150 µg GH/kg liveweight. In this study, ovulation rate (egg production percent), egg mass and feed intake were significantly higher in Treatment 3 than the control group (P < 0.05), and in Treatment 4, feed conversion ratio was significantly higher than for the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). In addition, the birds in Treatment 3 showed greater egg weight, albumen height, eggshell weight, eggshell density and eggshell weight per surface area than the control group (P < 0.05). In Treatment 3, egg length significantly increased compared with Treatments 1 and 4 (P < 0.05), and in Treatments 2 and 4, shell breaking strength was significantly lower than for the control group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, our results showed positive effects of GH and Ts administration on egg quality parameters and production performance in aged laying hens. Taken together, in the present study Treatment 3 was found more effective in improving egg quality and production performance of the old laying hens.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 6714
Author(s):  
Roua Gabriela Popescu ◽  
Sorina Nicoleta Voicu ◽  
Gratiela Gradisteanu Pircalabioru ◽  
Sami Gharbia ◽  
Anca Hermenean ◽  
...  

The use of natural feed additives could be a beneficial approach to maintaining the health of chickens and a way to improve food digestion. Flaxseed is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid, oleic acid, and fiber. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of 4% flaxseed on the intestinal morphology, specific enzymatic activity, and cecal microbiome in broiler chickens. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 100 Cobb 500 (14 days of age) unsexed broiler chickens divided into two groups: a control group (C) and an experimental group (E). The broilers were housed in boxes of size 3 m2 (each group was housed in a single box with 10 replicates, 5 chickens per replicate) and reared on permanent wood shaves litter (10–12 cm thick). At the end of the experiment, chickens (n = 10) were sacrificed and tissue samples were harvested from the duodenum, jejunum, and cecum for histological, enzymatic, and microbiome analyses. In group E, histological analysis revealed a significant increase in villus height (p < 0.001) possibly leading to enhanced intestinal nutrient absorption. An increase in the specific activities of α-amylase (p < 0.05), invertase (p < 0.01), and endo-β-1,4-glucanase (p < 0.001) was noticed in the E group for the duodenum and jejunum compared to the control group. In contrast, maltase activity decreased in the duodenum and increased in the jejunum in the E group. The trypsin and lipase specific activities did not vary in a significant way. In addition, the cecal microbiome of the E group was characterized by an increase in Lactobacilli (p < 0.01) and Clostridium coccoides and a decrease in Bacteroides, Ruminoccocus, Enterobacteriaceae, and Clostridium leptum. In conclusion, our results suggest that dietary supplementation of flaxseed meal may boost intestinal health status in poultry.


2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 77-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. G. Vertiprakhov ◽  
K. V. Borisenko

The paper presents the results of feeding crossbred laying hens of Hisex White breed, one year of age, suffering from chronic fistulae of the main pancreatic duct, on the wheat-soya diet supplemented with exogenous protease. The scope of the study covered the effect of enzymatic preparation Axtra Pro® on exocrine pancreatic function of hens, diet nutrients digestibility, digestive enzyme activity and blood biochemical values. Enzymatic activity of1 gof preparation Axtra Pro® amounted to 897 ± 47.5 mg of casein split during 1 minute (mg/(ml per min), which is 77.6% higher compared to preparation Pancreatine. Supplementing feed with the preparation Axtra Pro® (100g/t of feed) did not affect the amount of pancreatic juice, there were no changes in secretory enzymatic activity. The analysis of postprandial enzyme secretion dynamics made it possible to conclude that when laying hens were fed on the wheat-soya diet supplemented with exogenous protease, there was a decrease in proteolytic activity of the pancreatic juice during the first 60 min after the feed intake. After 150 min, i.e. during the neurohumoral phase of the regulation of pancreatic enzyme secretion, there was a rise in proteolytic activity. At the same time protease activity did not undergo insignificant changes during the experiment; digestibility of protein increased by 1.2% compared to the control group. Supplementing diet with the preparation Axtra Pro® (100 g/t of feed) led to the decrease in the activity of alkaline phosphatase in hens’ blood plasma by 47.8%, and glucose concentration by 9.2% compared to the control group, which proves a positive effect of the preparation on the function of digestive glands.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nilce Maria Soares ◽  
Edna Clara Tucci ◽  
Gustavo Perdoncini ◽  
Ricardo Della Matta Junior

Abstract BackgroundMite infestations in laying hens can cause losses to producers due to stress, reduced egg production and even death of birds. A new species of mite, Allopsoroptoides galli (A. galli), Analgoidea: Psoroptoididae, was recently identified in commercial laying farms in Brazil, causing damage due to its highly aggressive infestation that results in a sharp drop in egg production and culling. The present study evaluated the acaricidal action of a formulation containing fluralaner (Exzolt®) against A. galli.Methods The study was carried out from November 2019 to January 2020. Thirty-four laying hens naturally infested with A. galli were equally divided into a fluralaner-treated group and an untreated control group. The fluralaner-treated group received Exzolt® in drinking water at a dose of 0.05 mL/kg body weight (equivalent to 0.5 mg fluralaner/kg body weight), twice, seven days apart. Both groups were followed for 70 days evaluating the level of infestation by counting mites in skin scrapings and assessment of skin lesions.Results The average mite count of the treated group decreased significantly, dropping from 61.6 to 3.8 mites (D+7 to D+70). The efficacy progressively increased on subsequent days, reaching 98.8% on day +56 post-treatment and 96.9% on day +70. Recovery of skin lesions was observed after administration of Exzolt®, showing a marked remission in the degree of lesions (2.5 on day -14 to 0.2 on day +70). The mean number of mites in the untreated control group ranged from 79.3 to 124.1 and the lesion score from 2.6 to 2.9, thus remaining stable throughout the study.Conclusion The results obtained in the present study demonstrated that Exzolt® administered at a dose of 0.05 mL of product/kg body weight (equivalent to 0.5 mg of fluralaner/kg body weight), twice at a seven-day interval, in drinking water was effective in the treatment of the mite Allopsoroptoides galli in naturally infested laying hens.


2007 ◽  
Vol 23 (5-6-2) ◽  
pp. 283-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Stephan ◽  
M. Wähner

Providing organic acids as a feed additive enhances the health status of piglets, particularly in the suckling period and in the problematical time after weaning. Depending on type and the area of application for the acids, the dosage is between 0.1 and 4 % of the total feed. For example, formic, fumaric or sorbic acids are used alone or in mixtures. Positive effects were verified in the feed, in the digestive tract and in the metabolism of piglets. A lot of studies show a stabilization in performance relating to weight, growth and health. 127 piglets were separated into a treated and control group and observed for the effectiveness of the organic acids. The live weights on day 5, 28, 42 and 76 were recorded. Both groups had comparable growth in the suckling period. The comparison identified an advantage for piglets receiving organic acid. On average this group of animals had a higher weight and a lower variability of live weights at day 76 (table 1). Other positive tendencies for the treated group were lower losses and a higher rate of piglets attaining at least a weight of 25 kg at 76 days of age. The piglets receiving organic acids also had a better development at the end of the trial which they achieved during the problematic period after weaning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gwang-Ho Kim ◽  
Sun Shin Yi

AbstractAlthough the number of prescriptions and dependence on sleeping pills are increasing, the associations with unexpected abnormal behaviors and metabolic diseases caused by the overuse of sleeping pills are not well understood. In particular, such as abnormal eating-behavior and the occurrence of metabolic disorders caused by psychological unstable states are reported. For this reason, herbal medicine, which has not had such side effects in recent years, is attracting attention as an alternative medicine/food for sleeping inducer. We have used ethanol extracts from Passiflora incarnata (PI) to steadily obtain positive effects on sleep and brain microenvironment. However, as mentioned earlier, sleep-inducing efficacy can only be used safely if the behavioral and metabolic abnormalities do not appear.Thus, in this study, we used Phenomaster equipment to continuously monitor the movement, feeding, water consumption, gas changes, etc. in C57BL/6 mice at a dose of 500 mg/kg/day for 5 consecutive days with PI extract group compared with the control group. Before sacrifice, differences in body composition of mice were also compared. Monitoring of 24 h/5 days through the equipment showed no change in PI-treated group in anything except for significant decrease in blood melatonin levels and activity after PI administration. Taken together, the statistically insignificance of any behavioral and metabolic phenomenon produced by repeated treatment of PI are not only expected to have an accurate sleep effect, but are also free of side effects of the prescribed sleeping pills. This study has given us greater confidence in the safety of the PI extracts we use for sleep-inducer.


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