Effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae hydrolysate on growth performance, immunity function, and intestinal health in broilers.

The current study was performed to explore the effects of dietary supplementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae hydrolysate (SCH) on growth performance, immune function, and intestinal health in broiler chicken. A total of 300 Ross 308 male broilers (1-day-old) were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments including a basal diet (control group), and a basal diet supplemented with SCH feed additive (500 mg/kg in starter and grower phase, and 250 mg/kg in finisher phase). Each treatment had 6 replicates with 25 birds each. The results showed that the addition of SCH promoted growth during d 15 to 28 (P < 0.05). Although the addition of SCH had no significant effect on the intestinal relative indexes, it significantly increased the jejunum villus height (VH) and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth (VCR) of jejunum, and decreased the crypt depth (CD) of ileum (P < 0.05). Furthermore, SCH addition significantly downregulated the mRNA expression of immunomodulatory genes (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6), and upregulated the tight junction genes (ZO-1 and Claudin-1) (P < 0.05). High throughput sequencing analysis of bacterial 16S rRNA revealed that dietary SCH supplementation altered cecum microbiota. Alpha diversity analysis showed that a higher bacterial richness in cecum of broilers fed with SCH. The composition of cecum microbiota regulated by SCH addition was characterized by an increased abundance of Firmicutes and a reduced abundance of Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, dietary SCH resulted in a decrease of Bacteroides and an increase of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) -producing bacteria including Lactobacillus and Faecalibacterium. Taken together, dietary SCH supplementation can stimulate the growth of broilers by regulating the intestinal immunity and barrier function, and improving the intestinal morphology, which may be related to the enhancement of bacterial diversity and the changes of intestinal microbial composition.

Effects of Dietary Selenium Sources on Physiological Status of Laying Hens and Production of Selenium-Enriched Eggs.

Developing new sources of organic selenium (Se) has potential benefits for animal production and human nutrition via animal-based foods enriched with Se. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of Se-enriched insect protein (SEIP) in comparison with other sources, such as sodium selenite (SS) and selenium-enriched yeast (SEY), on performance, egg quality, selenium concentration in eggs, serum biochemical indices, immune capacity, and intestinal morphology of laying hens. Four hundred and fifty 24-week-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens with 94.0 ± 1.5% laying rate were randomly allocated to five groups with six replicates of 15 hens each. The control diet was prepared without adding exogenous selenium (calculated basal Se content of 0.08 mg/kg). The normal group was fed basal diets supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg of Se provided by sodium selenite. Three treatment groups (SS, SEY, and SEIP, respectively) were fed basal diets supplemented with 2 mg/kg of Se provided by sodium selenite, Se-enriched yeast, and SEIP, respectively. The feeding trial lasted for 12 weeks. Results revealed that dietary supplementation of 2 mg/kg of Se increased egg weight, decreased feed conversion ratio, and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of eggs in laying hens relative to the control group, whereas no significant differences were observed among SS, SEY, and SEIP treatment groups for the same. The organic source of Se provided by SEY or SEIP showed higher bio efficiency, as indicated by higher selenium content in eggs of SEY and SEIP compared with SS, although higher content was observed in SEY compared with SEIP. Also, the organic Se source significantly improved antioxidant capacity and immune functions of laying hens than the inorganic Se source. Diets supplemented with SEIP and SS significantly improved jejunal morphology of the laying hens compared with SEY, whereas SEIP was more effective than SEY to improve the oviduct health of laying hens. The results of this work evidently points the additive effect and nontoxicity of SEIP. Thus, SEIP could be used as another organic source of Se in the diet of laying hens and production of selenium-enriched eggs for humans.

Supplemental L-Arginine Improves the Embryonic Intestine Development and Microbial Succession in a Chick Embryo Model.

Early colonization of intestinal microbiota plays an important role in intestinal development. However, the microbial succession at an embryonic stage and its assembly patterns induced by prenatal nutrition are unknown. In the present study, we used a chick embryo model to investigate the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of L-arginine (Arg) on the intestinal development and microbial succession of embryos. A total of 216 fertile eggs were randomly distributed into 2 groups including the non-injected control group and IOF of Arg group with 7 mg/egg. The results showed that IOF Arg increased the intestinal index, absolute weight of jejunum, and improved jejunal morphology in terms of villus width and surface area (p < 0.05). The relative mRNA expressions of mTOR and 4E-BP1 were up-regulated and accompanied by higher contents of Mucin-2 in the Arg group (p < 0.05). There was a significant elevation in contents of serum glucose and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, whereas there was a decreased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the Arg group (p < 0.05). Additionally, Proteobacteria and Firmicutes were major intestinal bacteria species at the embryonic stage. However, Arg supplementation targeted to shape assembly patterns of microbial succession and then changed microbial composition (p = 0.05). Meanwhile, several short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria, such as Roseburia, Blautia, and Ruminococcus were identified as biomarkers in the Arg group (LDA > 3, p < 0.05). Accordingly, significant elevated concentrations of SCFAs, including lactic acid and formic acid, were observed in the Arg group (p < 0.05), accompanied by the higher concentration of butyric acid (0.05 < p < 0.10). In conclusion, prenatal Arg supplementation improved embryonic intestine development by regulating glucose and lipid homeostasis to supply more energy for chick embryos. The possible mechanism could be the roles of Arg in shaping the microbial assembly pattern and succession of the embryonic intestine, particularly the enrichment of potential probiotics. These findings may contribute to exploring nutritional strategies to establish health-promoting microbiota by manipulating prenatal host-microbe interactions for the healthy development of neonates.

Effect of dietary serine supplementation on performance, egg quality, serum indices, and ileal mucosal immunity in laying hens fed a low crude protein diet.

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of dietary Ser on performance, egg quality, serum indices, and ileal mucosal immunity in laying hens fed low crude protein (LCP), essential amino acids (EAA) balanced diets. A total of 480 Hy-Line Brown layers at 24 wk of age were randomly assigned into 5 dietary treatments with 8 replicates of 12 birds each. Treatments included a control diet (16.49% CP), and 4 LCP, EAA balanced diets (14.05% CP) supplemented with 0, 0.114%, 0.306%, 0.498% L-Ser, respectively. Dietary Ser supplementation linearly increased hen-day egg production (HDEP; P < 0.05) and decreased feed-to-egg ratio (P < 0.05) among LCP groups from wk 6 to 10, and the optimal HDEP of layers occurred at Ser level of 0.498%. At the end of wk 10, birds in the control had higher albumen height and thick white proportion than those fed the LCP diet without Ser addition (P < 0.05), and presented a lower yolk color score than all LCP groups (P < 0.05). Among LCP groups, serum total protein and globulin contents were significantly increased by dietary Ser addition at the levels of 0.306% and 0.498% (P < 0.05), and had a linear response to the supplemental Ser levels (P < 0.05). Furthermore, dietary 0.498% Ser supplementation significantly increased serum immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M contents (P < 0.05) and up-regulated the expression of mucin 2, secretory immunoglobulin A, and relevant glycosyltransferases of O-glycosylation in ileal mucosa (P < 0.05). The increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines IFN-γ and IL-1ß induced by LCP diets (P < 0.05) was reversed following 0.498% Ser addition (P < 0.05). Collectively, dietary CP reduction by 2.44% could maintain the productive performance of layers when it was fortified with certain EAA, though poor albumen quality, and ileal inflammation were occurred. The addition of Ser to LCP diets improved performance probably through enhancing humoral and ileal mucosal immunity and attenuating the ileal inflammation of layers.

Effects of Selenium Conjugated to Insect Protein on Pharmacokinetics of Florfenicol and Enrofloxacin in Laying Hens.

In the context of increasing awareness on the dietary supplementation of organic selenium in commercial poultry production and ensuring safe egg production, the present study investigated the effects of selenium on the pharmacokinetics of the therapeutic use of florfenicol and enrofloxacin from perspectives of laying performance, selenium deposition in eggs, and drug residue in plasma, organs, and eggs. A 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two kinds of drugs (florfenicol vs. enrofloxacin, 200 mg/kg) and three levels of dietary organic selenium SCIP (selenium conjugated to insect protein) (0, 2, and 5 mg/kg) was designed together with a blank control group. Healthy Hy-Line Brown laying hens (n = 252, 40-week-old and 90.0 ± 1.7% of egg production rate) were randomly allocated into one of seven treatments with six replicates and six hens per replicate. The experiment lasted for 42 days and consisted of three periods (adjusted stage, depositional stage, and eliminating stage) of 14 days each. These stages entail feeding of the laying hens with basal diets, addition of drugs and selenium synchronously into the diets, drug withdrawal from diet, and supply of selenium uninterruptedly in the diet. Egg production and feed intake were recorded on daily and weekly bases, respectively. The selenium content in egg yolk, egg white, and whole eggs and the drug residues in eggs, plasma, liver, kidney, and breast muscle were determined on days 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, and 14 of the depositional and eliminating stages. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in egg production among the dietary treatments, but feed intake decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in the drug treatment group compared to other groups. Dietary organic selenium decreased the residue of drugs in tissues and eggs, while the metabolism and deposition of selenium in laying hens were suppressed due to drug effects. The results of the present study are of significance to enrich the knowledge of the pharmacokinetics of florfenicol and enrofloxacin in laying hens and ensure the quality of poultry products.

The partial replacement of sodium chloride with sodium bicarbonate or sodium sulfate in laying hen diets improved laying performance, and eggshell quality and ultrastructure.

This study investigated the effects of dietary chloride (Cl) reduction on laying performance and eggshell quality by substitution of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) or sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) for part of dietary sodium chloride (NaCl), and further explored its mechanism for improving eggshell quality. A total of 360 29-wk-old Hy-line Brown laying hens were randomly allocated to 5 dietary treatments, including a basal diet contained 0.33% NaCl (control group, 0.27% dietary Cl), and 4 experimental diets that contained 0.21% and 0.15% dietary Cl by substituting Na2SO4 or NaHCO3 for part of NaCl in the basal diet. No significant differences were observed in blood Na+, Cl-, K+ and Ca2+ levels and pH value as well as serum creatinine and uric acid contents among 5 treatments (P > 0.05). Dietary Cl reduction increased egg production and ADFI during wk 33 to 36, 37 to 40 and 29 to 40 of age and decreased feed conversion ratio during wk 37 to 40 of age (P < 0.05). The hens fed with diets containing 0.15% Cl increased eggshell breaking strength, thickness and weight ratio in wk 40 of age (P < 0.05). Birds fed with dietary 0.21% and 0.15% Cl exhibited higher effective layer thickness and lower mammillary layer thickness of eggshell than those fed with dietary 0.27% Cl (P < 0.05). Apparent Ca metabolizability of hens was increased with dietary Cl reduction (P < 0.05). Total Ca of eggshell of dietary 0.15% Cl group was higher than that of dietary 0.27% Cl group (P < 0.05). No significant differences in laying performance, eggshell quality and Ca metabolism of layers were observed between Na2SO4 and NaHCO3 replacement groups (P > 0.05). Overall, dietary Cl reductions could improve laying performance and eggshell quality by substitution of NaHCO3 or Na2SO4 for part of NaCl, and there were no differences in the improvements between these two substitutes. The improved eggshell quality may be attributed to improved eggshell ultrastructure and increased supply of eggshell Ca2CO3.

Effects of dietary Bacillus subtilis supplementation and calcium levels on performance and eggshell quality of laying hens in the late phase of production.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary Bacillus subtilis supplementation and calcium (Ca) levels on performance, eggshell quality, intestinal morphology, and relative calbindin-D28k (CALB1) mRNA level of laying hens in the late phase of production. An experiment employing a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of 3 levels of Ca (3.5, 4.0, and 4.5%) and the absence or presence of B. subtilis was carried out with a total of 576 Hy-Line Brown laying hens aged 72 to 79 wk. Every group had 8 replicates of 12 birds each. The results showed that 4.0 and 4.5% Ca levels improved (P < 0.05) apparent retention and serum Ca content of aged laying hens. Compared with the 3.5% Ca level, the 4.0% Ca level in diets increased (P < 0.05) thickness, eggshell weight, shell ratio, and eggshell Ca content of aged laying hens. Moreover, breaking strength, thickness, eggshell weight, shell ratio, eggshell Ca content, apparent retention of Ca in g/day, apparent retention of Ca in percent, villus height, villus height/crypt depth, serum Ca level, and relative CALB1 mRNA level of aged laying hens were all increased (P < 0.05) by B. subtilis supplementation in diets. The supplemental B. subtilis decreased feed conversion ratio (P = 0.001) significantly. In addition, there was an interaction effect between increased Ca levels from 3.5 to 4.5% and B. subtilis supplementation on crypt depth in the duodenum (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we found that both the increase in dietary Ca level from 3.5 to 4.5% and B. subtilis supplementation could enhance intestinal Ca absorption and improve eggshell quality of laying hens in the late phase of production (72-79 wk of age). Dietary supplementation of B. subtilis accompanying the 4.0% Ca level was appropriate in enhancement of eggshell quality.

Cyst(e)ine fortification in low crude protein diet improves growth performance of broilers by modulating serum metabolite profile.

This study was aimed to explore the metabolomical mechanisms for the potentially ameliorative effect of cyst(e)ine (Cys) fortification on growth performance of broilers fed low crude protein (CP) diet. A total of 432 1-d-old broilers were randomly divided into 6 groups, each of which received one of the following diets: normal-CP diet (positive control, PC), low-CP diet (negative control, NC), NC diet fortified with 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.15% or 0.2% of Cys. Samples were collected on d 42. Results showed that increasing Cys fortification quadratically elevated (P < 0.05) the accumulative growth performance and leg muscle yield of broilers fed NC diet, with 0.1% being the optimal dose. Thus, samples from PC, NC and NC plus 0.1% Cys (NCC) groups were selected for further analysis. Both dietary CP reduction and fortification of 0.1% Cys in NC diet caused complex changes (P < 0.05) in serum amino acids and some other metabolites primarily involved in lipid metabolism. Multiple lipogenesis-related pathways were regulated (P < 0.05) following Cys fortification in NC diet, which could at least partially interpret the benefit of Cys fortification in NC diet on broiler performance. In conclusion, fortifying low-CP diet with 0.1% Cys promoted the growth performance of broilers probably through modulating serum metabolite profile.

The Response of Broiler Chickens to Dietary Soybean Meal Reduction with Glycine and Cysteine Inclusion at Marginal Sulfur Amino Acids (SAA) Deficiency.

The responses of broiler chickens to dietary protein reduction were investigated in the presence of glycine and cysteine inclusion at the marginal deficiency of sulfur-containing amino acids. A total of 432 broiler chickens were allotted to six dietary treatments; SP1 is standard protein diet with 100% total sulfur amino acids (TSAA), SP2 is standard protein diet with 85% TSAA, RP is reduced protein diet without glycine and cysteine supplementation, RPC is reduced protein diet with cysteine supplementation at 0.1%, and RPG is reduced protein diet with 1% glycine supplementation, while RPGC is reduced protein diet with 0.1% cysteine and 1% glycine supplementation. In this study, 4.5% protein is reduced in diets-thus, 17.5% CP (crude protein) for starter phase and 15.5% CP for the grower phase. Reduced protein diets contained 85% TSAA. Broiler chickens fed standard protein diet SP2 had superior bodyweight (BW) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter and grower phase, average daily gain (ADG) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter and entire feeding period, average daily feed intake (ADFI) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter phase, and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter, grower and entire feeding period; however, RPGC showed higher ADG (p ≤ 0.05) in the grower phase, and ADFI (p ≤ 0.05) in the grower and entire feeding period. RPC and RPG diet improved BW (p ≤ 0.05), ADG (p ≤ 0.05), ADFI (p ≤ 0.05), and better FCR (p ≤ 0.05) in starter, grower, entire feeding period compared to RP. The RPGC group had higher BW (p ≤ 0.05), ADG (p ≤ 0.05), ADFI (p ≤ 0.05) and better FCR (p ≤ 0.05) compared to the RPC group. Blood biochemical parameters showed that Broiler chickens fed on the SP2 diet had higher levels of total protein (TP) (p ≤ 0.05), albumin (ALB) (p ≤ 0.05), creatinine (CRE) (p ≤ 0.05), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p ≤ 0.05) and, lower level of uric acid (UA) (p ≤ 0.05), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (p ≤ 0.05), glucose (GLU) (p ≤ 0.05), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter phase; however, higher level of TP (p ≤ 0.05), GLU (p ≤ 0.05), CRE (p ≤ 0.05), and AST (p ≤ 0.05), and lower level of ALB (p ≤ 0.05), UA (p ≤ 0.05), and ALT (p ≤ 0.05) in the grower phase; RPGC had higher level of TP (p ≤ 0.05), UA (p ≤ 0.05), GLU (p ≤ 0.05), ALT (p ≤ 0.05) and AST (p ≤ 0.05), and lower level of ALB (p ≤ 0.05), BUN (p ≤ 0.05), and CRE (p ≤ 0.05) in the starter phase; however, in grower phase, RPGC had higher level of TP (p ≤ 0.05), and ALB (p ≤ 0.05), and lower level of UA (p ≤ 0.05), CRE (p ≤ 0.05), ALT (p ≤ 0.05), and AST (p ≤ 0.05). Free amino acids profile showed that broiler fed on standard protein diet SP2 had reduced the methionine (p ≤ 0.05) concentration; RPC increased the concentrations of taurine (p ≤ 0.05), phosphoethanolamine (p ≤ 0.05), threonine (p ≤ 0.05), valine (p ≤ 0.05), isoleucine (p ≤ 0.05), phenylalanine (p ≤ 0.05), ornithine (p ≤ 0.05), and lysine (p ≤ 0.05) and reduced the citrulline (p ≤ 0.05) concentration; RPG increased the concentration of glutamate (p ≤ 0.05), glycine (p ≤ 0.05), cysteine (p ≤ 0.05), and arginine (p ≤ 0.05), and decreased the concentration of tyrosine (p ≤ 0.05); and RPGC increased the concentration of serine (p ≤ 0.05) and reduced the concentration of hydroxyproline (p ≤ 0.05). Serum metabolites analysis showed that reduced protein downregulated the 54 metabolites; however, glycine fortification up-regulated the Benzamide, Pro-Ser, N-Carbamylglutamate, D-gluconate, and Gamma-Glutamylcysteine. Carcass quality showed that SP2 decreased the abdominal fat percentage (p ≤ 0.05). Nitrogen digestibility was higher by the diet RP (p ≤ 0.05). This study demonstrated that protein content could be reduced up to 4.5% with 1% glycine and 0.1% cysteine fortification in diet, which has the potential to inhibit the adverse effect of reduced protein and attain the standard growth performance.

Dynamic alterations in early intestinal development, microbiota and metabolome induced by in ovo feeding of L-arginine in a layer chick model.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal nutrition is crucial for embryonic development and neonatal growth, and has the potential to be a main determinant of life-long health. In the present study, we used a layer chick model to investigate the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of L-arginine (Arg) on growth, intestinal development, intestinal microbiota and metabolism. The treatments included the non-injected control, saline-injected control, and saline containing 2, 6, or 10 mg Arg groups. RESULTS: IOF Arg increased early intestinal index and villus height, and enhanced uptake of residual yolk lipid, contributing to subsequent improvement in the early growth performance of chicks. Prenatal Arg supplementation also increased the early microbial α-diversity, the relative abundance of Lactobacillales and Clostridiales, and decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria of cecum in chicks. Furthermore, the shift of cecal microbiota composition and the colonization of potential probiotics were accelerated by IOF of Arg. Simultaneously, metabolomics showed that metabolisms of galactose, taurine-conjugated bile acids and lipids were modulated to direct more energy and nutrients towards rapid growth of intestine at the beginning of post-hatch when embryos received IOF of Arg. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal Arg supplementation showed beneficial effects on the early intestinal development, cecal microbiota and host metabolism of layer chicks, contributing to subsequent improvement in the early growth performance. These findings provide new insight into the role of IOF of Arg in the establishment of the gut microbiota of newly-hatched layer chicks, and can expand our fundamental knowledge about prenatal nutrition, early bacterial colonization and intestinal development in neonate.

Comparative effects of dietary microalgae oil and fish oil on fatty acid composition and sensory quality of table eggs.

This study was conducted to investigate the comparative effects of dietary supplementation with microalgae oil or fish oil on fatty acid composition, sensory quality, and overall acceptability of table eggs. A total of six hundred thirty, 30-week-old, Hy-Line Brown laying hens were allocated to 7 dietary treatments. Layers were fed with a control diet or the control diet supplemented with graded levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 1.25, 2.50, and 5.00 mg/g feed) derived from microalgae oil or fish oil. The feeding trial lasted 10 wk. Enrichment of eggs with DHA by dietary supplementation with microalgae oil or fish oil enhanced yolk DHA and total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) enrichment and reduced n-6-to-n-3 ratio in a dose-response manner, whereas the efficiency decreased (P < 0.05). The overall efficiency of DHA incorporation into eggs was similar for the 2 sources (P > 0.05). In comparison with fish oil, dietary microalgae oil supplementation resulted in higher scores for egg flavor and overall acceptability, both of which declined linearly in response to DHA supplementation (P < 0.05). Among the aroma and flavor characteristics, fishy aroma and flavor scores increased linearly and quadratically (P < 0.05) in response to dietary DHA supplementation, and egg aroma and flavor and milky flavor scores decreased linearly (P < 0.05). The results from partial least squares analysis showed that fishy flavor and aroma were closely associated with DHA, α-linolenic acid, and total n-3 PUFA, and oleic acid, arachidonic acid, and dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid were more related to egg aroma and flavor. The results suggested that microalgae oil would be more promising for egg DHA enrichment owing to better sensory quality of the resultant eggs.

Standardized ileal digestible amino acid and metabolizable energy content of wheat from different origins and the effect of exogenous xylanase on their determination in broilers.

This study was conducted to determine the standardized ileal digestible amino acids (SID AA) and nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) contents of 6 wheats from different origins in China and incidentally to investigate the effects of exogenous xylanase addition on SID AA and AMEn determination in broiler chicks. A total of 480 chicks were divided into 48 cages of 10 birds each balanced for body weight and fed 8 types of diets in a completely randomized design (6 replicated cages per diet) from 21 to 26 d of age. The individual wheat constituted the only source of crude protein in a semi-purified experimental diet. A nitrogen-free diet was designed to estimate basal endogenous AA loss and determine the SID AA. Titanium oxide (0.3%) was used as an indigestibility marker, and nutrient digestibility and retention were determined by the substitution method. From day 24 to 26, excreta samples were collected for AMEn determination. On day 26, the birds were euthanized, and ileum contents were obtained for AA digestibility determination. Wheat from Gansu had greater (P < 0.05) SID AA contents except Lys, Thr, Phe, and Cys, with a higher (P < 0.001) AMEn (11.83 MJ/kg) than the other wheats. The SID content of mean indispensable amino acids and dispensable amino acids were 87.35% and 88.17%, respectively, and the average AMEn value of 6 wheats was 11.14 MJ/kg. Compared with the diet without xylanase, the added xylanase resulted in higher (P < 0.05) SID contents of Met, Lys, Trp, Arg, Ile, Leu, Val, Gly, Asp, Glu, Pro, and Ala; the SID AA values were raised by 1.96% (mean of all AA); and the AMEn content was significantly increased (+0.87 MJ/kg) (P < 0.05). In conclusion, origins of wheats have significant effects on SID AA and AMEn values which were positively correlated with crude protein content of wheat; exogenous xylanase addition to a wheat-based poultry diet could significantly improve SID AA and AMEn contents for broilers.

Effect of in ovo feeding of ß-hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate on hatchability, muscle growth and performance in prenatal and posthatch broilers.

BACKGROUND: ß-Hydroxy-ß-methylbutyrate (HMB) is the metabolite of leucine that plays an important role in muscle protein metabolism. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of in ovo feeding (IOF) of HMB at 7 days of incubation (DOI) via air cell or 18 DOI via amnion on hatchability, muscle growth and performance in prenatal and posthatch broilers. RESULTS: IOF of HMB via air cell at 7 DOI increased hatchability by 4.34% compared with the control (89.67% versus 85.33%). Birds in IOF groups exhibited higher body weight, average daily body weight gain and pectoral muscle percentage. Furthermore, IOF of HMB significantly increased the level of plasma growth hormone, insulin and insulin-like growth factor-1. Chicks hatched from IOF treatment had larger diameters of muscle fiber and higher mitotic activity of satellite cells at early posthatch age. IOF of HMB activated satellite cells by upregulation of mRNA expression of myogenic transcription factors, myogenic differentiation one (MyoD) and myogenin. Chicks hatched from air cell injection group had higher pectoral muscle percentage at 5 d posthatch and greater satellite cell mitotic activity at 7 d posthatch than counterparts from amnion injection group. CONCLUSIONS: IOF of HMB via amnion at 18 DOI or especially via air cell at 7 DOI could be used as an effective approach to enhance hatchability, productive performance and breast muscle yield in broilers. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Supplemental Plant Extracts From Flos lonicerae in Combination With Baikal skullcap Attenuate Intestinal Disruption and Modulate Gut Microbiota in Laying Hens Challenged by Salmonella pullorum.

Dietary inclusions of baicalin and chlorogenic acid were beneficial for intestinal health in pigs. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether these plant-derived products had protection for intestine against bacterial challenge in chickens. This study was aimed at evaluating the potential mitigating effects of plant extracts (PE) from Flos lonicerae combined with Baikal skullcap (the active components are chlorogenic acid and baicalin) on intestinal disruption and dysbacteriosis induced by Salmonella pullorum in laying hens. A total of 216 41-week-old layers were randomly divided into 3 groups (6 replicates per group): negative control (NC), S. pullorum-infected positive control (PC), and the S. pullorum-infected group with supplementation of PE at 1000 mg/kg. All birds except those in NC were challenged with S. pullorum at the end of 4 weeks of the experiment. S. pullorum challenge impaired (P < 0.05) the production performance (egg production, feed intake, and feed efficiency) of laying hens, increased (P < 0.05) serum endotoxin content and frequency of Salmonella-positive organs, as well as up-regulated (P < 0.05) ileal expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IFNG, TNFA, IL8, and IL1B, whereas PE addition reversed (P < 0.05) these changes and increased (P < 0.05) ileal IL10 expression. Supplemental PE moderated ileal microbiota dysbiosis in challenged birds, characterized by a reduced abundance of Firmicutes along with increased abundances of Bacteroidetes (Bacteroides), Deferribacteres and several butyrate-producers such as Prevotellaceae, Faecalibacterium, Blautia, Butyricicoccus, Lachnoclostridium, and Olsenella, which may assist with energy harvesting and boost anti-inflammatory capacity of host. The decreased abundance of Firmicutes with the increased abundance of Bacteroidetes caused by PE addition had positive correlations with the decreased expression of ileal pro-inflammatory cytokines. The increased abundances of Bacteroidetes (Bacteroides) and Prevotellaceae following PE addition were also positively correlated with the improvement of performance (egg production and feed intake) of laying hens. Collectively, supplemental PE from Flos lonicerae in combination with Baikal skullcap alleviated S. pullorum-induced intestinal disruption and performance impairment in laying hens, which could be at least partially responsible by the modulation of gut microbial composition.

Conjugated linoleic acid regulates lipid metabolism through the expression of selected hepatic genes in laying hens.

The effect of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on lipid metabolism in laying hens was investigated. A total of 360 eighteen-wk-old Hy-Line Brown layers were randomly divided into 4 groups that consisted of 6 replicates with 15 birds each. Birds were fed basal diets with 0, 1%, 2%, and 4% CLA addition. The experiment lasted for 56 D after a 7-D adaptation period. Results showed that dietary CLA addition linearly reduced (P < 0.05) abdominal fat percentage but linearly increased (P < 0.05) relative liver weight of layers on day 56. A linear reduction (P < 0.05) in serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level and a linear elevation (P < 0.05) in the ratio of serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level to LDL-C level of layers on both days 28 and 56 were observed with dietary CLA addition, which also linearly decreased (P < 0.05) cholesterol content in the liver of layers on day 56 as well as in eggs on both days 28 and 56. Besides, there were linear reductions (P < 0.05) in the gene expression and contents of hepatic 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) and cholesterol 7 alpha hydroxylase 1 (CYP7A1), along with a linear increase (P < 0.05) in the gene expression and content of hepatic low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) in layers responded to dietary CLA addition. In conclusion, dietary CLA supplementation decreased the accumulation of lipids including abdominal fat and cholesterol in the liver and egg of laying hens, probably by upregulating hepatic LDLR expression and downregulating hepatic HMGR and CYP7A1 expression.

Effect of photoperiod on ovarian morphology, reproductive hormone secretion, and hormone receptor mRNA expression in layer ducks during the pullet phase.

We evaluated the effect of photoperiod on ovarian morphology, reproductive hormone secretion, and hormone receptor mRNA expression in layer ducks during the pullet phase. A total of 480 71-d-old Jinding layer ducks were randomly divided into 5 groups that received 6L (hours of light):18D (hours of darkness), 8L:16D, 10L:14D, 12L:12D, or 14L:10D, respectively. Each group had 6 replicates with 16 birds each. The photoperiod feeding trial lasted 80 d until 150 d of age. The age at first egg (AFE), the total number, and weight of eggs increased linearly with increasing photoperiods (P < 0.05); lower values of AFE occurred with photoperiods ≥8 h, whereas a higher total number and weight of eggs occurred with photoperiods ≥10 h, compared with 6L:18D (P > 0.05). Oviduct weight, ovary percentage, and initial and bare stroma (weight and percentage) increased quadratically with increasing photoperiods (P < 0.05), and 10.24, 10.01, and 10.10 h were the optimal photoperiods for oviduct weight, bare stroma (follicles ≥2 mm in diameter removed) weight, and bare stroma percentage, respectively, as calculated from reliable regression equations (R2 ≥ 0.5791). Compared with 6L:18D, 10L:14D had a higher total large white follicle weight, small yellow follicle number, and weight (P < 0.05). In addition, higher serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and progesterone were observed with ≥10-h photoperiods (P < 0.05), as were levels of hormone receptor mRNA expression in ovarian follicles (P < 0.05), with the highest values for both measures at 10L:14D. In the hypothalamus, mRNA expression of gonadotropin-releasing hormone increased in ≥8-h photoperiods, with the highest value at 10L:14D. In contrast, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone increased in photoperiods ≥12 h (P < 0.05). In conclusion, an appropriate photoperiod led to early sexual maturity and improved the development of reproductive organs and ovarian follicles through effects on reproductive hormones and their receptors; 10 to 10.24 h is an adequate photoperiod for layer ducks during the pullet phase.

Trans10, cis12-conjugated linoleic acid exhibits a stronger antioxidant capacity than cis9, trans11-conjugated linoleic acid in primary cultures of laying hen hepatocytes.

The objective of this study consisting of 2 trials was to investigate the antioxidant role of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomers (c9, t11-CLA and t10, c12-CLA) and the underlying mechanism by which they act in modulating redox status in a primary laying hen hepatocyte culture. In trial 1, the cytotoxicity of CLA isomers or linoleic acid (LA) (0, 25, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800 µmol/L) was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The concentration of CLA isomers or LA (25, 50, 100 µmol/L) for proper antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring the antioxidant enzyme activity. In trial 2, there were 5 groups: control group, cells were untreated; H2O2 group, cells were exposed to 4 mmol/L H2O2 for 2 h; c9, t11 or t10, c12 or LA group, cells were treated with c9, t11-CLA or t10, c12-CLA or LA for 24 h and then exposed to 4 mmol/L H2O2 for 2 h. Trial 1 showed that the non-toxic dose range for CLA isomers was 0 to 200 µmol/L. The optimum concentration of c9, t11-CLA and t10, c12-CLA for trial 2 was 100 µmol/L. In trial 2, pretreatment with t10, c12-CLA but not c9, t11-CLA attenuated the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) group (P < 0.05). t10, c12-CLA elevated the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities compared with the H2O2 group (P < 0.05). In addition, t10, c12-CLA up-regulated the mRNA expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) as well as its target genes, Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) and CAT (P < 0.05). Pretreatment with t10, c12-CLA but not c9, t11-CLA decreased Nrf2 protein expression in the cytoplasm and increased Nrf2 protein expression in the nucleus compared with the H2O2 group (P < 0.05). The results indicate that t10, c12-CLA exhibits a stronger antioxidant capacity than c9, t11-CLA in primary cultured laying hen hepatocytes. t10, c12-CLA increases the activity and mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes via facilitating nuclear translocation of Nrf2.

Effect of dietary supplementation with Moringa oleifera leaf on performance, meat quality, and oxidative stability of meat in broilers.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with Moringa oleifera leaf (MOL) on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and oxidative stability of breast muscle in broilers. A total of 720 1-d-old male Arbor Acres birds were randomly divided into 6 dietary groups, which were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 1, 2, 5, 10, and 15% MOL, respectively. Each group had 6 replicates of 20 birds each. The feeding trial lasted for 42 d. The results showed dietary MOL supplementation linearly and quadratically decreased body weight and average daily gain (P < 0.01), and increased feed conversion ratio (P < 0.001). Abdominal fat decreased linearly and quadratically in response to the supplementation of MOL in diets, both on d 21 and 42 (P < 0.001). In breast muscle, dietary supplementation with MOL quadratically increased the contents of C18:2, C18:3n-3, C20:4, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-3 PUFA, n-6 PUFA (P < 0.01), and decreased thrombogenic index (TI; P = 0.019). Dietary inclusion of MOL improved meat color, evidenced by quadratically reduced b* (yellowness) values (45 min postmortem, P = 0.001; 24 h postmortem, P = 0.018) and increased a* (redness) values (24 h postmortem, P < 0.001). Besides, diets supplemented with MOL quadratically decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in breast muscle during storage (P < 0.001). Plasma total anti-oxidative capacity, total superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase activities increased quadratically (P < 0.01), whereas MDA decreased quadratically (P < 0.001), in response to dietary MOL supplementation. In summary, MOL could be used as a feed ingredient for broilers to improve PUFA contents, oxidative stability, color of breast muscle, and abdominal fat without adverse effects on growth performance, with an inclusion of 1.56% in the diets.

Effect of dietary ß-alanine supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, carnosine content, and gene expression of carnosine-related enzymes in broilers.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the effect of dietary ß-alanine supplementation on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant ability, carnosine content, and gene expression of carnosine-related enzymes in broiler chicks. We randomly assigned 540 1-day-old Arbor Acres broilers to 5 dietary treatments supplemented with 0 (control group), 250, 500, 1,000, or 2,000 mg/kg of ß-alanine (mg ß-alanine per kg feed). Each treatment included 6 replicates of 18 birds. The feeding trial lasted for 42 d. Dietary ß-alanine supplementation linearly and quadratically increased the average daily gain (ADG) during the starting period (d 1 to 21, P = 0.02 and P = 0.002). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased quadratically in response to dietary ß-alanine supplementation during the starting and entire periods (P < 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). For the entire period, the predicted best FCR would be achieved when ß-alanine was fed at a level of 1,100 mg/kg from quadratic regression. The concentrations of carnosine and ß-alanine in breast muscle increased quadratically with dietary ß-alanine supplementation (d 42, P < 0.001 and P = 0.001, respectively). The predicted dietary ß-alanine level for highest breast carnosine content was 1,196 mg/kg. Dietary supplementation with ß-alanine reduced the taurine concentrations in plasma (d 42, linear and quadratic, P < 0.001). Breast muscle yield increased linearly and quadratically in response to dietary ß-alanine addition (d 21, P = 0.017 and P = 0.007). Dietary supplementation with ß-alanine quadratically reduced the shear force (P = 0.003), whereas a*45 min and a*24 h values increased quadratically in response to dietary ß-alanine supplementation (d 42, P = 0.020 and P = 0.021, respectively). Dietary ß-alanine addition quadratically enhanced the expression of carnosine synthase and taurine transporter mRNAs (P < 0.05). Overall, dietary ß-alanine supplementation improved growth performance and carnosine content, ameliorated antioxidant capacity and meat quality, and upregulated the gene expression of carnosine synthesis-related enzymes in broiler chicks.

Dietary tea polyphenol supplementation improved egg production performance, albumen quality, and magnum morphology of Hy-Line Brown hens during the late laying period.

The aim of this study was to investigate how dietary supplementation of tea polyphenols (TP) and tea catechins (TC) affect laying performance, albumen quality, ovomucin composition, and magnum morphology of laying hens in the late phase of production. Two hundred seventy Hy-Line Brown laying hens (64 wk old) were assigned to a basal diet (the control), the basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg tea polyphenols (TP200) or 200 mg/kg tea catechins (TC200). Each treatment had 6 replicates with 15 hens each. The feeding trial lasted 10 wks. Over the course of the trial, dietary supplementation with TP200 significantly increased the egg production (EP) and improved the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in wk 6 to 10 and wk 1 to 10 (P < 0.05). The albumen height and the Haugh unit (HU) of hens fed TP200 were higher than those of hens fed the control diet at wks 8 and 10 (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the albumen height and the HU between the TP200 and TC200 groups (P > 0.05). The SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that bands of the ovomucin fractions in the TP200 group had the highest intensity compared with those of the control and TC200 groups. Compared with the control, there was a significant increase in protein sulfhydryl (SH) content of the albumen in the TP200 group at the end of experiment, while a significant decrease in protein carbonyl content and protein surface hydrophobicity (P < 0.05). There were also obvious increase in the height and width of the primary folds, epithelial cell height, and cilia height of the simple columnar epithelium in the TP200 group compared with the control and TC200 groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 200 mg/kg TP can improve performance, albumen quality, and magnum morphology of aged hens. In addition, TP rather than TC could improve the health status of the magnum for aged layers.