The incorporation of sumac seed powder (Rhus coriaria L.) into the diet of quail breeders as a novel feed additive.

A total of 150 adult quails, aged 8 wk, were divided into 5 groups to study the effect of sumac seed powder on reproductive and productive parameters, egg quality, digestive enzymes, and quail breeders' blood profiles. Dietary supplements containing sumac powder were formulated as follows: group 1 (G1) (control, only basal diet); group 2 (G2) (basal diet + 1 g sumac powder/kg diet); group 3 (G3) (basal diet + 2 g sumac powder/kg diet); group 4 (G4) (basal diet + 3 g sumac powder/kg diet); and group 5 (G5) (basal diet + 4 g sumac powder/kg diet). The feed conversion ratio was significantly higher at all levels of sumac powder (P < 0.05) compared to the control group (G1). Overall, during the study (8-16 wk), quail-fed 3 g sumac powder/kg diet (G4) showed no significant increase (P > 0.05) in the feed intake compared to the control group. Sumac powder supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) increased egg number, egg weight, egg mass, fertility, and hatchability. While supplementing with sumac powder did not impact other egg quality parameters, it did significantly (P < 0.05) increase yolk percentage, Haugh unit, and unit surface shell weight. Furthermore, when compared to the control group (G1), birds given 2, 3, or 4 g of sumac powder/kg diet showed a significant improvement (P < 0.05) in hematological parameters such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and hemoglobin, as well as a decrease in glucose levels. Feeding quail with a 3 g sumac powder/kg diet (G4) resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) higher globulin levels and improved albumin/globulin ratio compared to other treatments and control (G1). Sumac powder intake significantly (P < 0.05) reduced plasma lipid profile, liver enzymes (aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase), and kidney functions (creatinine, and urea). Furthermore, the supplementation of sumac powder resulted in a substantial increase (P < 0.05) in the levels of amylase, lipase, and protease. Sumac powder administration also significantly (P < 0.05) improves immunity by boosting IgM, IgG, IgA, and lysozyme levels in quail breeders' plasma. Supplementing with sumac powder, on the other hand, increased levels of reduced glutathione, total antioxidant capacity, catalase, and superoxide dismutase. The results of the current study indicated that the addition of 1, 2, 3, and 4 g of sumac powder to the diet of Japanese quail breeders led to improvements in egg quality, digestive enzymes, reproductive and productive performances, and most blood hematological and biochemical parameters.

Effects of varying dietary microalgae levels on performance, egg quality, fertility, and blood biochemical parameters of laying Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica).

This experiment was carried out to investigate the nutritional value of Spirulina and Dunaliella (SD) combination levels (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/kg) that affected the laying Japanese quail's efficiency, egg quality, fertility, and blood biological indicators. A total of 150 adult Japanese quails, aged 8 wk, were divided into 5 treatments at random, each consisting of 30 quails. There were 5 duplicates for every treatment, with 2 male and 4 female quails in each. Comparing the addition of various concentrations of a mixture of SD to the control treatment, the results showed no substantial rise in egg production, egg weight, or egg mass. When compared to the control group, final body weight (FBW) was improved with SD supplementation. The quails in control consumed more feed intake (FI) (p < 0.05), and they were different from the groups who got SD therapy in that they had a regular feed conversion ratio (FCR). The percentages of hatchability and fertility increased when SD was added to quail meals at up to 1.00 g/kg. When compared to the control quail, the quail supplemented with SD levels showed a non-significant rise in albumin%, yolk%, Haugh unit, and unit surface shell weight (USSW), as well as an increase in eggshell percentage and a drop in egg shape index (p < 0.05). Renal and hepatic enzyme functioning improved when SD was added to the diets. Additionally, lipid profile indicators were reduced by SD supplementation (except low-density lipoprotein-LDL). Moreover, compared to the control, incorporating SD led to a nonsignificant rise in immunoglobulin concentrations (IgG and IgM). In conclusion, adding SD to the diet can improve body weight, lipid profile, immunological response, and liver and kidney functions in Japanese quail.

Comparative effects of finasteride and laser-irradiated silver nanoparticles on testicular function and histology in testosterone induced benign prostatic hyperplasia in rats.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to compare the effects of finasteride, a medication used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and laser irradiated silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), a potential candidate for BPH therapy (Sanchez-Salas, 2017; Marghani et al., 2022) [1,2], on the sex hormone profiles, sperm quality, steroidogenesis, testicular oxidative stress, and histomorphology changes in BPH rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BPH was induced in male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats via intramuscular (i.m.) injection of 5 mg/kg BW testosterone propionate (TP) for 14 days. Once the BPH model was induced, rats were divided into four groups (n = 6) as follows: the control group; the BPH group; the BPH/Fina group, which received 5 mg/kg BW finasteride by oral gavage daily for 14 days; and the BPH/AgNPs group, which received a daily intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 50 mg/kg BW AgNPs, followed by 5min of exposure to a 532 nm NIR laser in the prostatic area for the constitutive 14 days. KEY FINDINGS: On day 14, the BPH rats had a significant increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA), dihydrotestosterone, and prostate weights, while testicular weights and sperm quality were significantly lower than in the control rats. On day 28, laser irradiated AgNps treated BPH rats showed improved sex hormone balance, testicular weights, sperm quality, steroidogenesis, and an ameliorative effect on testicular histopathology compared to finasteride. SIGNIFICANCE: Surprisingly, these findings suggest that laser irradiated AgNPs can be used as an alternative therapy to finasteride for the treatment of BPH without causing negative effects on the testes.

Growth-promoting and immunostimulatory effects of phytobiotics as dietary supplements for Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings.

A 56-day feeding experiment was designed to evaluate the impacts of five herbal extracts, namely Ginkgo biloba (GB), Moringa oleifera (MR), Myristica fragrans (NM), Silybum marianum (MT), and Astragalus membranaceus (AT) on growth, serum immune indices, and ammonia-N stress resistance of Pangasianodon hypophthalmus fingerlings. Fish were fed on a diet with no herbal additives (reference or CNT), and several plant extracts-based diets were supplied with two inclusion doses of each extract (1.0 and 2.0 g/kg). After the end of the feeding, fish in all groups were exposed to acute ammonia stress, mortalities were recorded every 2 h for a duration of 10 h, and then survival percent was assessed. Results showed that growth was upgraded significantly in groups fed plant extracts-based diets compared to the CNT group. Serum proteins (albumin and total protein), lysozyme, complement C3, bactericidal, and myeloperoxidase activities were increased significantly in groups fed plant extracts-based diets in relation to the CNT group. The total immunoglobulin levels were increased significantly only in fish groups fed GB, MT, and NM-based diets. Post-exposure to acute ammonia stress, the Kaplan-Meier survival curve presented significantly higher survival of fish groups that fed plant extracts-enriched diets than those fed the CNT diet. The aforementioned results suggest that using herbal extracts as feed supplements can beneficially enhance the growth, the immunity of P. hypophthalmus fingerlings and may increase their tolerance in the face of extrinsic stressors. These findings may pave the way for the potential and regular application of herbal extracts in diets of P. hypophthalmus at their early life stages to raise their immunity and maintain aquaculture sustainability.

Photothermal therapeutic potency of plasmonic silver nanoparticles for apoptosis and anti-angiogenesis in testosterone induced benign prostate hyperplasia in rats.

AIMS: In this study, we used a near-infrared laser (NIR) to increase the potency of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) to develop a novel, less invasive, and simple photothermal therapy technique for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The shape, particle size, and zeta-potential of polyvinylpyrrolidone coated-AgNPs (PVP-AgNPs) were determined using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Zeta-potential, and Particle size analyzer (ELSZ). To induce BPH, thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were given intramuscular (i.m) injections of testosterone propionate (TP) at 5 mg/kg body weight (b.w)/day suspended in 0.1 ml of olive oil for 14 days. Photothermal therapy with AgNPs-NIR for 14 days was carried out. Prostate size, prostate index (PI), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), prostate-specific antigen (PSA), gross, hepatic, and renal toxicity, as well as antioxidant activity, apoptosis, and angiogenesis markers in prostatic tissues were measured. Histological examinations of prostates and biocompatibility of NIR-AgNPs on vital organs were also performed. KEY FINDINGS: The aggregated spherical AgNPs with a mean size of 50-90 nm and a Zeta potential of -53.22 mV displayed high effectiveness in the NIR (532 nm-1 W) region by decreasing prostate size, PI, DHT, and PSA in BPH rats with no signs of gross, hepatic, or renal damage. As compared to alternative therapies, hyperthermia therapy increased antioxidant activities, induced apoptosis, inhibited angiogenesis, reduced histological alterations in the prostates of BPH rats, and improved biocompatibility of the vital organs. SIGNIFICANCE: The current study demonstrated the effectiveness of plasmonic AgNPs photothermal therapy in the treatment of BPH.

Immunostimulant effect of a mixed herbal extract on infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) vaccinated chickens in the context of a co-infection model of avian influenza virus H9N2 and IBDV.

This study was conducted to assess the comparative effects of a mixed herbal extract (MHE) containing Ocimum sanctum, Withania somnifera, Emblica officinalis, Tinospora cordifolia, Mangifera indica, and Asphaltum (shilajit) on infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV)-vaccinated (VAC) chickens infected with IBDV and avian influenza virus (AIV) H9N2. The experiment included three groups (G1-G3): G1, the negative control group; G2, the VAC + challenged (Ch) group; and G3, the VAC + Ch + MHE group. MHE was orally administered continuously for 5 weeks post-vaccination (PV) with IBDV at 12 days of age, and the chicks were simultaneously challenged with virulent IBDV (intraocularly) and AIV H9N2 (intranasally) at 21 days PV. Blood and tissue samples as well as tracheal and cloacal swabs were gathered at different times PV and post-challenge. Immunological and haematological parameters, histopathological lesions, relative organ weights and final live weights revealed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between G2 and G3 groups. Furthermore, in the G3 group, the protection rates, ELISA and HI titers and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were significantly increased, whereas viral shedding titers and the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio were decreased. In conclusion, the oral administration of the mixed herbal extract for 5 weeks can stimulate the immune response to IBDV vaccination and relieves the pathogenicity of an AIV H9N2 and IBDV co-infection in chickens.

Comparative immune response and pathogenicity of the H9N2 avian influenza virus after administration of Immulant®, based on Echinacea and Nigella sativa, in stressed chickens.

Avian influenza vaccines are commonly used in the poultry industry, and some medicinal plants can increase the efficacy of such vaccines. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of Immulant® (IMU) (a commercial product based on Echinacea and Nigella sativa) on stress induced by dexamethasone (DEX) in chickens vaccinated (VAC) against the H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV-H9N2). Seven experimental groups were included: the negative control, VAC, DEX, VAC + DEX, VAC + DEX + IMU, VAC + IMU and IMU groups. The vaccinated chickens (at 10 days of age) were injected daily with DEX for three days pre-vaccination and for three days pre-challenge and orally administered 1% IMU for 6 weeks post-vaccination (PV). The chickens were then challenged intranasally with AIV-H9N2 at 28 days PV. Serum, blood, tracheal and cloacal swabs and tissue samples were collected in the 1st and 4th weeks PV and at different time points post-challenge. The results showed significant changes (P ≤ 0.05) in oxidative stress and antioxidant biomarkers (malondialdehyde, nitric oxide and reduced glutathione), haematological and immunological parameters, final live weights, relative organ weights and histopathological lesions between the VAC+DEX group and the VAC group. Moreover, IMU significantly increased protection rates post-challenge, HI antibody titers and heterophil phagocytic activity and decreased DEX-induced stress and virus shedding titers. In conclusion, oral administration of 1% IMU for six weeks can enhance the immune response after AI-H9N2 vaccination and reduce the pathogenicity of infection in stressed chickens.

Intestinal gene expressions in broiler chickens infected with Escherichia coli and dietary supplemented with probiotic, acidifier and synbiotic.

In this study, we investigated the effects of probiotic, acidifier and synbiotic supplementation on growth performance, mortality rate, intestinal gene expressions, fecal shedding, and organs colonization induced by Escherichia coli in broiler chickens. Six experimental groups were included; negative control group (NC), positive control group (PC), probiotic group (PR), acidifier group (AC), synbiotic group (SY) and colistin sulfate group (CS). Chickens in groups NC and PC were fed a basal diet, while chickens in groups PR, AC, SY, and CS were fed a basal diet containing probiotic, acidifier, synbiotic and colistin sulfate, respectively from the 1st day to the 28th day of age. At 7 days of age, all groups (not NC) were orally challenged with 0.5 ml (1.0 × 109 CFU/ml) E. coli O78. The dietary supplementation of acidifier and synbiotic were sufficient to quell the devastating effects of E. coli infection in broilers. Growth performances represented by body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved as well as, mortalities were prevented whilst the ileal pro-inflammatory gene expressions (IL-6, IL-8, IL-13, TLR-4, IFN-γ, LITAF, AvBD-2, and AvBD-9) were significantly downregulated and the anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10) was significantly increased. In addition, E. coli fecal shedding and organs colonization was significantly diminished. It was concluded that the addition of both acidifier and synbiotic to the diet of broilers infected with E. coli could modulate the intestinal inflammatory responses induced by E. coli infection and minimized the inflammation-induced damage which resulted in improvement in growth performance, prevention of mortalities and reduction of E. coli environmental contamination.

Manuka Honey Exerts Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities That Promote Healing of Acetic Acid-Induced Gastric Ulcer in Rats.

Gastric ulcers are a major problem worldwide with no effective treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of manuka honey in the treatment of acetic acid-induced chronic gastric ulcers in rats. Different groups of rats were treated with three different concentrations of honey. Stomachs were checked macroscopically for ulcerative lesions in the glandular mucosa and microscopically for histopathological alterations. Treatment with manuka honey significantly reduced the ulcer index and maintained the glycoprotein content. It also reduced the mucosal myeloperoxidase activity, lipid peroxidation (MDA), and the inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6) as compared to untreated control group. In addition, honey-treated groups showed significant increase in enzymatic (GPx and SOD) and nonenzymatic (GSH) antioxidants besides levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. Flow cytometry studies showed that treatment of animals with manuka honey has normalized cell cycle distribution and significantly lowered apoptosis in gastric mucosa. In conclusion, the results indicated that manuka honey is effective in the treatment of chronic ulcer and preservation of mucosal glycoproteins. Its effects are due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that resulted in a significant reduction of the gastric mucosal MDA, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 and caused an elevation in IL-10 levels.