Effects of maternal methionine supplementation on the response of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) chicks to heat stress.

This study investigated the hypothesis that methionine supplementation of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) hens can reduce the effects of oxidative stress and improve the performance of the offspring exposed to heat stress during growth. For that, the quail hens were fed with three diets related to the methionine supplementation: methionine-deficient diet (Md); diet supplemented with the recommended methionine level (Met1); and diet supplemented with methionine above the recommended level (Met2). Their chicks were identified, weighed, and housed according to the maternal diet group from 1 to 14 d of age. On 15 d of age, chicks were weighed and divided into two groups: thermoneutral ambient (constant temperature of 23 °C) and intermittent heat stress ambient (daily exposure to 34 °C for 6 h). Methionine-supplemented (Met1 and Met2) hens had higher egg production, better feed conversion ratio, higher hatchability of total and fertile eggs, and offspring with higher body weight. Supplemented (Met1 and Met2) hens showed greater expression of glutathione synthase (GSS) and methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MSRA) genes, greater total antioxidant capacity, and lower lipid peroxidation in the liver. The offspring of hens fed the Met2 diet had lower death rate (1 to 14 d), higher weight on 15 d of age, weight gain, and better feed conversion ratio from 1 to 14 d of age. Among chicks reared under heat stress, the progeny of methionine-supplemented hens had higher weight on 35 d, weight gain, expression of GSS, MSRA, and thermal shock protein 70 (HSP70) genes, and total antioxidant capacity in the liver, as well as lower heterophil/lymphocyte ratio. Positive correlations between expression of glutathione peroxidase 7 (GPX7) and MSRA genes in hens and offspring were observed. Our results show that maternal methionine supplementation contributes to offspring development and performance in early stages and that, under conditions of heat stress during growth, chicks from methionine-supplemented hens respond better to hot environmental conditions than chicks from nonsupplemented hens. Supplementation of quail hens diets with methionine promoted activation of different metabolic pathways in offspring subjected to stress conditions.

The deficiency of nutrients such as methionine in the diet of birds is affecting fertility rate, egg production, egg weight, and progeny weight. In addition, the maternal environment influences gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, where the conditions experienced by the parental generation during embryonic development can produce effects on the progeny. This study investigates how methionine supplementation in the diet of quail hens can reduce the effects of oxidative stress and improve the performance of progeny subjected to heat stress during growth. For that, the quail hens were fed with diets containing three different levels of methionine; and their chicks were created (15 on 35 d of age) into thermoneutral and/or intermittent heat stress ambient. It was observed that methionine supplementation in the quail hens had a positive effect on mortality during the initial phase and greater weight gain in the progeny growth phase. In addition, genetic inheritance was observed through the positive correlation between the expression of genes (maternal and progeny) related to oxidative stress. The results show that methionine supplementation in the maternal diet contributes to the development and performance of the progeny when subjected to heat stress during the growth phase.

Expression of genes related to antioxidant activity in Nile tilapia kept under salinity stress and fed diets containing different levels of vitamin C.

The aim of this study was to examine whether (1) severe changes in salinity produced increased stress, and (2) vitamin C supplementation might reduce the observed damage in Nile tilapia. The parameters measured included condition factor, survival rate, and gene expression of catalase (CAT), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), glutathione reductase (GSR), glutathione synthase (GSS), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx). The investigation was conducted with 160 Nile tilapia divided into four treatment groups: freshwater; 7 or 21 parts per thousand (‰) salinity, all fed a basal diet; as well as a fourth treatment group consisting of fish kept at 21‰ salinity fed a diet supplemented with vitamin C (1500 mg/kg). For gene expression analysis, liver samples were collected after 24 h or after 14 d. After 24 h, fish raised in 21‰ salinity and fed with the diet supplemented with vitamin C showed similar GPx expression as the control freshwater group. GSS expression in 21‰ salinity was similar to fish exposed to 7‰ salinity. Nile tilapia exposed to 21‰ salinity without vitamin C supplementation exhibited the highest HSP70 gene expression levels after 24 h. After 14-dtreatment, the lowest survival rate was observed in the 21‰ salinity group. After 14 d, the highest expression of GPx and GSR levels was detected in fish in the 21‰ salinity group that received vitamin C. Data indicate that vitamin C supplementation enhanced the expression of genes related to antioxidant capacity in Nile tilapia exposed to higher salinity, thereby increasing protection against the oxidative effects induced by high water salinity..

The role of cinnamon as a modulator of the expression of genes related to antioxidant activity and lipid metabolism of laying quails.

Since cinnamon has vitamins and minerals in addition to antioxidants compounds in its chemical composition studies have shown the potential of cinnamon supplementation on some important characteristics in the performance of birds. Thus, this study was conducted under the hypothesis that the inclusion of cinnamon in the laying quail diet could influence the performance of the birds through the expression of genes related to antioxidant activity and lipid metabolism. To test this hypothesis, 144 Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) with an initial age of 18 weeks and average weight of 133g were distributed in a completely randomized design with two treatments: no cinnamon supplementation (NCS-control group) and with supplementation of 9g/kg of cinnamon powder (CPS). The experiment lasted for 84 days. At the end of the experimental period, six animals from each treatment were euthanized by cervical dislocation, blood was collected and organs weighed. Liver tissue was collected for gene expression and biochemical analyses. We observed a significant effect of cinnamon inclusion on the weight of the pancreas (P = 0.0418), intestine (P = 0.0209) and ovary (P = 0.0389). Lower weights of the pancreas and intestine, and a higher ovary weight was observed in birds receiving the CPS diet. Quails fed with cinnamon supplementation also had better feed conversion per egg mass (2.426 g /g, P = 0.0126), and higher triglyceride (1516.60 mg/dL, P = 0.0207), uric acid (7.40 mg/dL, P = 0.0003) and VLDL (300.40 mg/dL, P = 0.0252) contents. A decreased content of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and lower catalase activity was observed in the liver of quails from the CPS diet (0.086 nmoles/mg PTN, and 2.304 H2O2/min/mg PTN, respectively). Quails from the CPS group presented significantly greater expression of FAS (fatty acid synthase, 36,03 AU), ACC (Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase, 31.33 AU), APOAI (apolipoprotein A-I, 803,9 AU), ESR2 (estrogen receptor 2, 0.73 AU) SOD (superoxide dismutase, 4,933.9 AU) and GPx7 (glutathione peroxidase 7, 9.756 AU) than quails from the control group. These results allow us to suggest that cinnamon powder supplementation in the diet of laying quails can promote balance in the metabolism and better performance through the modulation of antioxidant activity and the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism.