The Impact of Bacillus subtilis PB6 and Chromium Propionate on the Performance, Egg Quality and Nutrient Metabolizability of Layer Breeders.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Bacillus subtillis PB6, chromium propionate or a combination of the two on the performance, egg and eggshell quality, nutrient metabolizability and serum biochemistry of layer breeders. White Plymouth Rock and Red Rhodes Island breeder hens at 55 weeks of age were allocated in individual cages using a completely randomized block design with 16 replicates. Hens were fed control, control + probiotic (500 g/ton of Bacillus subtilis PB6), control + CrProp (50 g/ton of chromium propionate) and control + probiotic + CrProp diets from 55 to 70 weeks of age. Productive parameters and eggshell quality as well as cortisol and blood biochemistry were grouped each 28 d as well as for the overall period. The metabolizability of nutrients and energy was determined at 70 weeks of age. In the overall period, hens fed the control + probiotic or control + probiotic + CrProp diets had significantly higher egg production, egg mass, shell percentage, thickness and shell strength. The metabolizability of dry matter, nitrogen and energy increased in hens that were fed the control + probiotic + CrProp diet. In conclusion, diets supplemented with Bacillus subtillis PB6 and chromium propionate resulted in improved productive performance, eggshell quality and nutrient metabolizability of layer breeders, without modifying serum cortisol, albumin and triglycerides.

Performance and intestinal microbiota of chickens receiving probiotic in the feed and submitted to antibiotic therapy.

The purpose of this study was to verify the ability of a probiotic in the feed to maintain the stability of the gut microbiota in chickens after antibiotic therapy and its association with growth performance. One thousand six hundred twenty 1-day-old Cobb male were housed in floor pens (36 pens, 45 birds/pen) and were fed corn-/soya bean meal-based diets supplemented with or without probiotic (Bacillus subtilis) during the entire rearing phase. From 21 to 24 days of age (three consecutive days), the chickens were submitted to antibiotic therapy via drinking water (bacitracin and neomycin) in order to mimic a field treatment and induce dysbiosis. Growth performance was monitored until 42 days of age. At 2, 4 and 6 days after antibiotic therapy, three chickens from each pen were euthanized and the contents of the small intestine and caeca were collected and pooled. The trial was conducted with four treatments and nine replicates in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement for performance characteristics (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy); for the intestinal microbiota, it was in a 2 × 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (with and without probiotic × with and without antibiotic therapy × 2, 4 and 6 days after the antibiotic therapy) with three replicates per treatment. Terminal restriction length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis showed that the structure of gut bacterial community was shaped by the intestinal segment and by the time after the antibiotic therapy. The number of 16S rDNAs copies in caecum contents decreased with time after the therapeutic treatment. The antibiotic therapy and dietary probiotic supplementation decreased richness and diversity indexes in the caecal contents. The improved performance observed in birds supplemented with probiotic may be related to changes promoted by the feed additive in the structure of the intestinal bacterial communities and phylogenetic groups. Antibiotic therapy modified the bacterial structure, but did not cause loss of broiler performance.

Avaliação do uso da glicerina proveniente da produção de biodiesel na conservação de peças anatômicas / Evaluation of the glycerin from biodiesel production in the preservation of anatomical parts

O uso da glicerina pura é amplamente empregada na conservação de peças anatômicas, a qual é muito eficiente e não tóxica para os manipuladores, porém é extremamente cara e inviável para muitos laboratórios de anatomia. O propósito do estudo foi demonstrar a viabilidade da glicerina semipurificada proveniente da produção do biodiesel na conservação de peças anatômicas. O trabalho utilizou 15 corações e 30 rins de suínos provenientes de frigorífico. A glicerina foi adquirida em usina de biodiesel e apresentava a seguinte composição: Glicerol 80,5%; Umidade 12,8%; NaCl 6,3% e Ácidos Graxos 0,4%. As vísceras foram resfriadas, dissecadas, fixadas, desidratadas e glicerinizadas. Os órgãos foram mensurados, analisados e fotodocumentados antes e após protocolo de preservação. A glicerina semipurificada promoveu discreta diminuição nas dimensões das estruturas anatômicas (massa, altura e largura), todavia não houve diferença estatística. Essa glicerina preservou as características de consistência flexibilidade das peças anatômicas, além de reduzir o custo e a eliminação dos gases tóxicos. O principal alcance deste estudo foi a preservação das características morfológicas e a melhoria do processo ensino-aprendizagem.

Pure glycerin is widely used for conservation of anatomical parts, which is very efficient and not toxic to the handlers. Nevertheless pure glycerin is extremely expensive and unaffordable for many anatomy laboratories. The purpose of the study was to demonstrate the viability of semi-purified glycerin from biodiesel production for preservation of anatomical parts. Fifteen hearts and 30 kidneys from pigs were studied. The glycerin from a biodiesel plant had the following composition: 80.5% glycerol, 12.8% humidity, 6.3% NaCl and 0.4% fatty acids. The organs were measured, analyzed and photographed before and after preservation protocol. The semi-purified glycerin caused no reduction in the dimensions of anatomical structures (mass, height and width) of statistical difference. Characteristics of consistency and flexibility of the anatomical parts was preserved. Additionally the costs and the production of toxic gases were reduced. The main achievement of this study was preservation of the morphological characteristics and improvement of the teaching and learning process.

Nucleotídeos na dieta de frangos de corte e seus efeitos sobre taxa de turnover da mucosa intestinal antes e após lesões causadas por coccidiose / Nucleotides in broilers challenged diet and its effects on intestinal mucosa turnover rate before and after injuries caused by coccidiose

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da dieta suplementada com nucleotídeos sobre taxa de turnover da mucosa intestinal de frangos antes e após lesões causadas por coccidiose por meio de análise isotópica, utilizando a variação do carbono-13 em plantas C3 e C4. Foram utilizados 264 pintos submetidos a dois tratamentos: dieta controle e dieta suplementada com 0,07 por cento nucleotídeos. Os pintos possuíam sinais isotópicos em seus tecidos semelhantes ao de ditas C4. Após o alojamento, para avaliar taxa de turnover da mucosa, as aves receberam dietas predominantemente C3. Com 16 dias de idade, 50 por cento das aves de cada tratamento foram inoculadas com oocistos de Eimeria acervulina e, a partir de 21 dias, para avaliar a taxa de turnover após desafio, as aves passaram a receber dieta predominantemente C4. Amostras de mucosa foram analisadas isotopicamente por espectrometria de massa. Na fase inicial, a suplementação com nucleotídeos propiciou aceleração na troca do carbono na mucosa, com meia-vida de 1,06 e 1,01 dias para dieta controle e com nucleotídeos, respectivamente, acelerando o crescimento intestinal. Na fase de 21 a 42 dias de idade, para os grupos não desafiados com coccidiose, as meias-vidas do carbono foram 1,81 e 1,80 dias para dieta controle e com nucleotídeos, respectivamente, não havendo influência dos tratamentos. Porém, nos grupos desafiados, as meias-vidas foram 1,01 dias no grupo controle e 0,75 dias no que recebeu dieta com nucleotídeos, indicando maior turnover da mucosa nesse último grupo. A adição de nucleotídeos promove aceleração no processo de renovação da mucosa intestinal e na regeneração após danos causados por coccidiose.

The objective was to evaluate the effect of nucleotides supplementation diet on the intestinal mucosa turnover rate of broilers before and after injury caused by coccidiosis, through isotopic analysis, using the carbon-13 variation in C³ and C4 plants. It was used 264 chicks under two treatments: control diet and diet supplemented with 0.07 percent nucleotides. The chicks had isotopic signals in their tissues similar to C4 diet. After housing, to assess mucosal turnover rate, the birds were fed with a predominantly C3 diet. At 16 days of age, 50 percent of birds from each treatment were inoculated with Eimeria acervulina oocysts and starting from 21 days, to assess the mucosa turnover rate after challenge, the birds received predominantly C4 diet. Samples of intestinal mucosa were isotopically analyzed by mass spectrometry. In the initial phase, supplementation with nucleotides led acceleration in carbon trading in the mucosa, with half-lives of 1.06 and 1.01 days for control diet and with nucleotides, respectively, accelerating intestinal growth. During the 21 to 42 days of age, for not coccidiosis challenged groups, the carbon half-lives were 1.81 and 1.80 days for control diet and with nucleotides respectively, without any influence of the treatments. However, in the challenged groups, the half-lives were 1.01 days in control group and 0.75 days in group receiving nucleotides diet supplementetion, indicating a higher mucosa turnover rate in the latter group. The addition of nucleotides promotes acceleration in the cell renewal process of intestinal mucosa and in regeneration after damage caused by coccidiosis.