Bioefficacy of dietary inclusion of Nannochloropsis oculata on Eimeria spp. challenged chicks: clinical approaches, meat quality, and molecular docking.

Although anticoccidial drugs have been used to treat avian coccidiosis for nearly a century, resistance, bird harm, and food residues have caused health concerns. Thus, Nannochloropsis oculata was investigated as a possible coccidiosis treatment for broilers. A total of 150 1-day-old male Cobb broiler chicks were treated as follows: G1-Ng: fed a basal diet; G2-Ps: challenged with Eimeria spp. oocysts and fed basal diet; G3-Clo: challenged and fed basal diet with clopidol; G4-NOa: challenged and fed 0.1% N. oculata in diet, and G5-NOb: challenged and fed 0.2% N. oculata. Compared to G2-Ps, N. oculata in the diet significantly (P < 0.05) decreased dropping scores, lesion scores, and oocyst shedding. Without affecting breast meat colour metrics, N. oculata improved meat quality characters. At 28 days of age, birds received 0.2% N. oculata had significantly (P < 0.05) higher serum levels of MDA, T-SOD, HDL, and LDL cholesterol compared to G2-Ps. Serum AST, ALT, and urea levels were all decreased when N. oculata (0.2%) was used as opposed to G2-Ps. Histopathological alterations and the number of developmental and degenerative stages of Eimeria spp. in the intestinal epithelium were dramatically reduced by 0.2% N. oculata compared to G2-Ps. Molecular docking revealed a higher binding affinity of N. oculata for E. tenella aldolase, EtAMA1, and EtMIC3, which hindered glucose metabolism, host cell adhesion, and invasion of Eimeria. Finally, N. oculata (0.2%) can be used in broiler diets to mitigate the deleterious effects of coccidiosis.

Growth performance, economic efficiency, meat quality, and gene expression in two broiler breeds fed different levels of tomato pomace.

Male broiler chicks (135 Indian River chicks (IR) and 135 Cobb chicks; n = 270) were weighed, wing banded, and distributed randomly into three iso-energetic and iso-nitrogenous diet groups for each breed (triplicate design, 45 bird/group, 15 bird/replicate). The chicks were fed the diets with levels of 0, 4, or 6% sun-dried tomato pomace (SDTP), respectively, for 42 consecutive days to determine the effect of consuming different levels of SDTP on growth performance, economic efficiency, meat quality, and gene expression in IR and Cobb broiler chickens. The inclusion of up to 6% SDTP in the diet of IR or Cobb chickens had no negative impact on growth performance parameters. Chickens from both the IR and Cobb breeds fed a diet containing 4% or 6% SDTP consumed more feed than those fed a diet containing 0% SDTP. Concomitantly, the groups fed a 6% SDTP diet of IR breed incurred a significantly higher feed cost, total variable cost (TVC), and total cost (TC). The inclusion of up to 6% SDTP in the feed of both breeds resulted in a non-significant increase in return parameters. The ultimate pH decreased as the SDTP concentration increased, with no significant differences in water holding capacity (WHC) or drip loss (48 h). No alteration in the mRNA expression of hepatic growth hormone receptor gene (GHR) or insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was found among the treatments for either the IR or Cobb breeds. Thus, up to 6% SDTP can be added to the diet of IR and Cobb broiler chickens without any adverse effects on the examined parameters.

Health Aspects, Growth Performance, and Meat Quality of Rabbits Receiving Diets Supplemented with Lettuce Fertilized with Whey Protein Hydrolysate Substituting Nitrate.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) was grown using a foliar spray with whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) as opposed to normal nitrate fertilization. Lettuce juice was prepared from lettuce cultivated without any fertilization, nitrate fertilization, or WPH. Sixty weaned, 4-week-old male V-line rabbits with an average 455 ± 6 g body weight were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 15) and administered different lettuce juices. Rabbits administered WPH-fertilized lettuce showed significantly higher (n = 5, p < 0.05) body weight and carcass weight than those receiving nitrate-fertilized lettuce. Rabbits administered nitrate-fertilized lettuce were associated with significantly (p < 0.05) higher levels of liver enzyme activities (AST, ALT, and ALP), bilirubin (total, direct, and indirect), and kidney biomarkers (creatinine, urea, and uric acid). Rabbits administered WPH-fertilized lettuce avoided such increases and exhibited normal levels of serum proteins. Rabbits administered nitrate-fertilized lettuce manifested significantly (p < 0.05) lower RBCs and Hb levels than that of the other groups, while those receiving WPH-fertilized lettuce showed the highest levels. Liver and kidney sections of rabbits receiving WPH-fertilized lettuce witnessed the absence of the histopathological changes induced by feeding on nitrate-fertilized lettuce and produced higher quality meat. WPH-lettuce can substitute nitrate-fertilized lettuce in feeding rabbits for better performance and health aspects.