Nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, carcass yield, and meat microbiology of broilers fed diets supplemented Ethiopian pepper (Xylopia aethiopica), cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), and their composite.

The effect of dietary supplementation of Ethiopian pepper (Xylopia aethiopica) and clove (Syzygium aromaticum) and their composite on nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, carcass yield, and meat microbiology were investigated in a 52-day boiler feeding trial. Three hundred and sixty unsexed Ross broilers were used for the study. Four experimental diets were formulated for the starter (0-28 days) and finisher (29-56 days) phases: diet 1 was the control without phytogenic supplementation, diet 2 (supplemented with 1% Ethiopian pepper (EP)), diet 3 (supplemented with 1% clove (CL)), and diet 4 (supplemented with 1% mix of equal quantity (0.5% each) of Ethiopian pepper and clove (EPCL)). Each treatment was replicated 6 times with 15 birds per replicate. Nutrient digestibility was determined on days 28 and 56, gut microflora was determined for the small intestine and caecum on day 56, carcass yield, organ weights, and meat microbiology were also determined on day 56. Data obtained were subjected to a one-way analysis of variance using SAS 2000 and significant means were separated using Tukey's test in the same software. At day 28, broilers fed the diet supplemented EPCL had the highest (P < 0.05) dry matter digestibility (DMD, 86.81%) crude protein digestibility (CPD, 71.28%), and ash digestibility (64.24%). Broilers fed EP supplemented diet had reduced (P < 0.05) DMD (70.50%). Increased (P < 0.05) ether extract digestibility (EED) was observed for broilers fed the diet supplemented CL (75.27%) and EPCL (76.43%). Ash digestibility (AD) was lowest (P < 0.05) for broilers fed control diet (50.30%). At day 56, broilers fed the diet supplemented CL and those fed the EPCL supplemented diet had higher (P < 0.05) CPD (78.07%, 79.35%) and EED (70.20%, 71.42%) than other treatments. Ash digestibility was higher (P < 0.05) for broilers fed diet supplemented EPCL (74.60%) than other treatments. Intestinal clostridium count reduced (P < 0.05) and lactobacillus count increased (P < 0.05) in the intestine and caecum of broilers fed the diet supplemented CL and those fed EPCL supplemented diet. Intestinal coliform and salmonella count reduced (P < 0.05) for broilers fed the diet supplemented EP and those fed the EPCL supplemented diet. Dietary supplementation of EPCL resulted in the highest (P < 0.05) body weight (BW, 2551.38 g), dressing percentage (DP, 81.68%), and percentage of breast muscle (20.01%). Supplementation of EP, CL, and EPCL in the diet of broilers resulted in higher (P < 0.05) spleen weight while dietary supplementation of EP and EPCL resulted in higher (P < 0.05) thymus weight. Clostridium count was reduced (P < 0.05) in the meat of broilers fed the diet supplemented CL and EPCL and the lowest (P < 0.05) salmonella count was observed in the meat of broilers fed the diet supplemented with EPCL. In conclusion, the current study reveals that dietary supplementation with EP and CL composite improves nutrient digestibility, gut microflora, and dressing percentage with reduced meat microbial load of broilers.

Impact of reduced dietary crude protein levels and phytase enzyme supplementation on growth response, slurry characteristics, and gas emissions of growing pigs.

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of reduced dietary crude protein (CP) levels supplemented with or without exogenous phytase on growing pigs. Six dietary treatments arranged in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangements of 3 CP levels (containing 14%, 16%, and 18% CP) supplemented each with or without 5,000 FTU/g phytase enzyme. Thirty growing pigs (average weight of 17.80 ± 0.10 kg) were allotted to the six dietary treatments in a complete randomized design. The final weight, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) increased significantly with increasing CP levels. While, phytase supplementation improved (p = .044) FCR in pigs. Total solid and volatile solid content of the slurry were higher (p = .001) in pigs fed 14% and 16% CP diets supplemented with phytase when compared with other treatment groups. Concentration of methane gas emitted was lowest (p = .001) in the slurry of pigs fed 14% CP diet with or without phytase and those fed 16% CP diet with phytase supplementation. In conclusion, reduction in dietary CP levels resulted in reduced weight gain and poor FCR. While, reduced CP with phytase supplementation reduced concentration of methane gas emitted.

Effects of dietary inclusion of Zymomonas mobilis degraded cassava sifting on growth performance, apparent nutrient digestibility, ileal digesta viscosity, and economy of feed conversion of broiler chickens.

A study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary inclusion of Zymomonas mobilis degraded cassava sifting (ZDCS) on growth response, apparent nutrient digestibility, and ileal digesta viscosity of broiler chickens. Five diets containing undegraded and degraded cassava sifting were formulated to replace wheat offal at 0, 50, and 100% levels. Two hundred and forty (240) one-day-old Marshall broiler chickens were randomly allotted to the five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD); significant means were separated using Duncan's multiple range test at p < 0.05. The biodegradation of cassava sifting with Zymomonas mobilis significantly increased crude protein content by 44.59% while crude fiber and neutral detergent fiber significantly decreased by 23.08% and 6.38%, respectively. The results showed that birds fed 50% ZDCS had the best (p > 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) at the starter phase. The replacement of wheat offal with 100% ZDCS improved (p < 0.05) the crude fiber digestibility at both starter and finisher phases. Also, the birds fed 100% ZDCS had the lowest (p < 0.05) value of ileal digesta viscosity. The birds fed 50% ZDCS had the highest (p < 0.05) values of gross revenue, gross profit, rate of return on investment, and economic efficiency while the least values for gross profit, rate of return on investment, and economic efficiency were obtained in 100% ZDCS. The study concluded that replacement of wheat offal with 50% ZDCS in the ration of broiler chickens improved FCR, crude fiber digestibility (CFD), and rate of return on investment and economic efficiency.

Effects of coated cysteamine hydrochloride on muscle fiber characteristics and amino acid composition of finishing pigs.

Objective: This experiment was designed to determine the effects of coated cysteamine hydrochloride (CC) on muscle fiber characteristics, amino acid composition and transporters gene expression in the longissimus dorsi muscle (LDM) of finishing pigs. Methods: Two hundred and sixteen Duroc/Landrace/Yorkshire cross-bred male finishing pigs were fed with a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented with 0, 70 and 140 mg/kg cysteamine. Each group contained eight replicates of nine pigs per replicate. After 29 days, one pig was randomly selected from each replicate and slaughtered. Blood and LDM samples were collected and analyzed. Results: The results showed that supplemental dietary CC increased (P < 0.05) the muscle fiber density. And CC supplementation also up-regulated (P < 0.05) the expression of MyHC1 and MyHC2x mRNA levels, and down-regulated (P < 0.05) MyHC2b expression in the LDM. Additionally, supplemental dietary CC reduced (P < 0.05) the concentration of total cholesterol in the plasma and enhanced (P < 0.05) the concentrations of essential amino acid and total amino acid in the LDM. The relative expression levels of CAT2, b0,+AT, and y+LAT1 were up-regulated (P < 0.05) in the LDM when pigs were fed with the dietary CC of 70 mg/kg. Conclusion: Cysteamine supplementation could increase fiber density and distribution of fiber types. It also improved the deposition of protein in the LDM by up-regulated the expression of amino acid transporters.

A review of the immunomodulatory role of dietary tryptophan in livestock and poultry.

Tryptophan, a nutritionally essential amino acid, is active in the regulation of immune responses in animals. The products of tryptophan metabolism, such as indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, kynurenine, quinolinic acid, and melatonin, may improve immunity in an organism and induce anti-inflammatory responses. The immune tolerance processes mediated by tryptophan metabolites are not well understood. Recent studies have reported that the enzymes that break down tryptophan through the kynurenine metabolic pathway are found in numerous cell types, including immunocytes. Moreover, some tryptophan metabolites have been shown to play a role in the inhibition of T lymphocyte proliferation, elevation of immunoglobulin levels in the blood, and promotion of antigen-presenting organization in tissues. This review summarizes the effects and mechanisms of tryptophan and metabolites in immune functions in livestock and poultry. It also highlights the areas in which our understanding of the role(s) of tryptophan is incomplete and suggests possible future research that might prove of benefit to livestock and poultry producers.

Effects of ferrous carbamoyl glycine on iron state and absorption in an iron-deficient rat model.

An iron-deficient rat model was established and used to determine the effects of different iron sources on iron metabolism and absorption. Iron-deficient rats were assigned to one of three treatment groups, and their diet was supplemented with deionized water (control), Fe-CGly, or FeSO4 for 8 days via intragastric administration. Blood samples were obtained for analysis of iron-related properties, and the small intestine and liver were removed for quantitative reverse transcription PCR of genes related to iron metabolism. The serum total iron-binding capacity (TIBC) levels of rats in Fe-CGly and FeSO4 supplementation groups was lower (P < 0.05) than that of the rats in the control group. The rats in Fe-CGly group exhibited higher (P < 0.05) plasma Fe and ferritin levels and lower (P < 0.05) TIBC levels compared with the rats in FeSO4 groups. The relative expression of liver hepcidin increased (P < 0.05) by tenfold and 80-fold in the Fe-CGly and FeSO4 groups, respectively, whereas divalent metal transporter 1, duodenal cytochrome b, and ferroportin 1 expression decreased (P < 0.05) in the duodenum in both Fe-CGly and FeSO4 group. A comparison between Fe-CGly and FeSO4 group showed that iron regulatory protein 1 (IRP1) and iron regulatory protein (IRP2) expressions were reduced (P < 0.05) in rats administered FeSO4 than in rats administered with Fe-Cgly. These results indicate that Fe-CGly rapidly improves the blood iron status and that IRP1 and IRP2 may play an important role in the intestinal absorption of Fe-CGly.

Performance of weaner rabbits fed a concentrate diet supplemented with pawpaw leaves.

This experiment investigated the performance of weaner rabbits fed concentrate diets supplemented with pawpaw leaves (PPL). Twenty-four male weaner rabbits aged 5 weeks, weighing between 350 and 450 g were used. Concentrate diet was supplemented with PPL in ratios 100:0, 70:30, 50:50 and 30:70. Rabbits were randomly allotted to the four diets in a completely randomised design for 8 weeks, with six rabbits per diet. Results showed that rabbits supplemented with 30 and 50 % PPL had higher (P < 0.05) dry matter intake to sole concentrate. At 70 % PPL, dry matter intake did not vary with other treatments. Weight gain was higher (P < 0.05) in rabbits fed 30 and 50 % PPL than sole concentrate. Rabbits fed 70 % PPL had lower (P < 0.05) weight gain to animals fed 30 % PPL but gained similarly (P > 0.05) to those fed on 50 % PPL and sole concentrate. Feed conversion ratio improved (P < 0.05) in animals fed 30, 50 and 70 % PPL. Rabbits fed 30 % PPL had the highest (P < 0.05) protein efficiency ratio. Rabbits had higher dry matter digestibility (P < 0.05) with PPL supplementation than sole concentrate while crude protein and fibre digestibility was higher with 30 and 50 % PPL. Haematological and serum parameters in rabbits were unaltered with feeding PPL. It is concluded that weaner rabbits can utilise PPL as supplement to concentrate diet at 30 to 70 % dry matter with positive responses in performance and nutrient digestibility without deleterious effect on the physiological status of the rabbits.

An NMR-based metabolomic approach to investigate the effects of supplementation with glutamic acid in piglets challenged with deoxynivalenol.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) has various toxicological effects in humans and pigs that result from the ingestion of contaminated cereal products. This study was conducted to investigate the protective effects of dietary supplementation with glutamic acid on piglets challenged with DON. A total of 20 piglets weaned at 28 d of age were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 4 treatments (5 piglets/treatment): 1) basal diet, negative control (NC); 2) basal diet +4 mg/kg DON (DON); 3) basal diet +2% (g/g) glutamic acid (GLU); 4) basal diet +4 mg/kg DON +2% glutamic acid (DG). A 7-d adaptation period was followed by 30 days of treatment. A metabolite analysis using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR)-based metabolomic technology and the determination of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities for plasma, as well as the activity of Caspase-3 and the proliferation of epithelial cells were conducted. The results showed that contents of low-density lipoprotein, alanine, arginine, acetate, glycoprotein, trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), glycine, lactate, and urea, as well as the glutamate/creatinine ratio were higher but high-density lipoprotein, proline, citrate, choline, unsaturated lipids and fumarate were lower in piglets of DON treatment than that of NC treatment (P<0.05). Compared with DON treatment, dietary supplementation with glutamic acid increased the plasma concentrations of proline, citrate, creatinine, unsaturated lipids, and fumarate, and decreased the concentrations of alanine, glycoprotein, TMAO, glycine, and lactate, as well as the glutamate/creatinine ratio (P<0.05). Addition glutamic acid to DON treatment increased the plasma activities of SOD and GSH-Px and the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labeling indexes for the jejunum and ileum (P<0.05). These novel findings indicate that glutamic acid has the potential to repair the injuries associated with oxidative stress as well as the disturbances of energy and amino acid metabolism induced by DON.

Effect of feeding cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) root meal on growth performance, hydrocyanide intake and haematological parameters of broiler chicks.

The effect of feeding cassava root meal on growth performance, hydrocyanide intake, haematological indices and serum thiocyanate concentration of broiler chicks was investigated using 300-day-old male broilers. There were five dietary treatments arranged in a 2 × 2 + 1 factorial arrangement of two processing methods of cassava root (peeled and unpeeled) included at two levels (100 and 200 g/kg) plus a control diet (maize-based diet, containing no cassava root). Each treatment was replicated six times with ten birds per replicate. The feeding trial lasted for 28 days. Control-fed birds had the highest overall (P < 0.01) final liveweight and weight gain, least (P < 0.05) hydrocyanide (HCN) intake and best (P < 0.05) feed-to-gain ratio. Chicks fed with control and diet containing 100 g/kg peeled cassava root meal (PCRM) had the least (P < 0.05) feed cost per weight gain. Chicks fed with diet containing 100 g/kg cassava root meal had higher (P < 0.05) final liveweight and weight gain and reduced (P < 0.05) HCN intake than chicks fed with diet containing 200 g/kg cassava root meal. Dietary inclusion of peeled cassava root meal (PCRM) for broiler chicks resulted in increased final liveweight (P < 0.05), weight gain (P < 0.01) and feed intake (P < 0.01) when compared with birds fed with diet containing unpeeled cassava root meal (UCRM). The least (P < 0.01) final liveweight and weight gain and worst (P < 0.05) feed-to-gain ratio were obtained with chicks fed with diet containing 200 g/kg UCRM. Increased dietary inclusion levels of cassava root resulted in significant increase (P < 0.05) in white blood cell (WBC) count, heterophil count and serum thiocyanate concentration. In comparison with chicks fed with diet containing UCRM, dietary inclusion of PCRM resulted in increased (P < 0.05) red blood cell (RBC) count and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration and reduced (P < 0.05) white blood cell (WBC) count and serum thiocyanate concentration. Although inclusion of 100 g/kg PCRM showed some economic sense, dietary inclusion of either peeled or unpeeled cassava root poses a threat on growth and health status of broiler chicks.

Effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum metabolites, gut morphology, and microflora of growing guinea fowl.

A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of dried ginger meal (DGM) on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum parameters, gut morphology, and microflora of growing helmeted guinea fowl (Numidia meleagris). One hundred sixty 28-day-old male keets were assigned to four dietary treatments. There were 40 birds per treatment replicated four times with 10 keets each. The experimental diets consisted of the basal diet (control), ginger-supplemented diets containing 20, 40, and 60 g/kg DGM, respectively. Guinea fowls fed diet supplemented with DGM had higher (P <0.05) final body weight, body weight gain and lower (P <0.05) feed intake. Optimum weight gain was obtained with supplementation level of 36.15-g DGM (R (2) = 0.923). Guinea fowls fed diet supplemented with 40 g/kg DGM recorded the highest (P <0.05) coefficient of total tract apparent digestibility of dry matter, ether extract and longest (P <0.05) duodenal and ileal villus heights. The crypt depth of the duodenum and ileum reduced (P <0.05) with increasing level of dietary supplementation of DGM. Dietary supplementation of DGM resulted in increased (P <0.05) total serum protein, serum albumin and low (P <0.05) serum cholesterol concentration. Ileum content of birds fed diet supplemented with 40 g/kg DGM recorded the highest (P <0.05) lactobacillus count. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of 40-g DGM per kilogram diet is hereby recommended for improved growth, apparent nutrient digestibility, gut morphology, serum chemistry, and stimulation of balanced intestinal microflora in growing guinea fowl.

Effect of dietary inclusion of fermented pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) meal on growth, apparent nutrient digestibility and blood parameters of cockerel chicks.

The effect of dietary inclusion of fermented pigeon pea meal (FPPM) on growth response, apparent nutrient digestibility, haematological indices and serum biochemistry of cockerel chicks was studied using 240-day-old cockerel chicks allotted to four dietary treatments consisting of 60 birds each. Four experimental diets were formulated to include FPPM at 0, 50, 100 and 150 g/kg inclusion levels, respectively. Each of the diets was fed to 60 birds replicated six times with ten birds per replicate. The feeding trial lasted for 56 days. Results indicated that final live weight (linear (L). quadratic (Q): P < 0.05), weight gain (L.Q: P < 0.01), feed intake (Q.: P < 0.05) and coefficient of total tract apparent crude protein digestibility (P < 0.05) were reduced with increasing dietary inclusion of FPPM. Similar improved feed-to-gain ratios were obtained for chicks fed the control and those fed a diet containing 50 g/kg FPPM. Coefficient of total tract apparent ether extract and ash digestibility were not affected (P > 0.05) by the inclusion of FPPM. Haemoglobin and serum uric acid concentrations were also reduced (P < 0.05) with increasing dietary inclusion of FPPM. Chicks fed with 150 g/kg FPPM had the least (P < 0.05) packed cell volume, red blood cell and neutrophil count. It was concluded that dietary inclusion of up to 50 g/kg FPPM could be used in the ration for cockerel chicks without imposing any threat on the growth response, nutrient digestibility and blood constituents.