Effects of bamboo charcoal powder, bamboo vinegar, and their combination in laying hens on performance, egg quality, relative organ weights, and intestinal bacterial populations.

This experiment examines the effects of bamboo charcoal (BC) powder, bamboo vinegar (BV), and their combination (BCV) in the diet of laying hens on performance, egg quality, relative organ weights, and intestinal bacterial populations. A total of 320 laying hens (36 weeks of age) were divided into 4 treatment groups, with 10 replicates per treatment and 8 hens per replicate. They were fed on a control diet, the control diet supplemented with 0.8% BC, the control diet supplemented with 0.4% BV, or the control diet supplemented with a combination of BC (0.8%) and BV (0.4%) from 36 to 51 weeks of age. Egg production increased in the hens fed the BV and BCV diets during 48 to 51 weeks of age (P < 0.05). Damaged egg rate decreased in the hens fed the BV and BCV diets for the whole experiment (P < 0.05). Shell thickness was highest in the BCV-fed group at week 43, and shell strength was higher in the BV-fed group at week 51 (P < 0.05). Supplementation of BC or BCV in the diet resulted in a decreased abdominal fat pad (P < 0.05). In the ileal content, the population of Salmonella spp. decreased in the BV and BCV groups and the population of Lactobacillus spp. increased in the BV group (P < 0.05). The present results indicate that feeding BV or BCV alleviates damaged egg rate and decreases intestinal pathogenic bacteria, while feeding BC benefits by reducing abdominal fat. These results suggest that the effect of BCV seems to be induced by the synergistic effect of BC and BV, and that the BCV contributes to the effective use of bamboo on the laying hen's production.

Improved growth performance due to hypertrophied intestinal absorptive epithelial cells by heat-killed Lactobacillus sakei HS-1 in broiler chickens1.

This study investigated the effect of heat-killed Lactobacillus sakei HS-1 (HK LS HS-1) on the growth performance and intestinal histology of broilers through 2 feeding trials. In trial 1, 48 male broilers were separated into 3 groups: 1) basal diet (1 to 21 d, including antibiotics; 21 to 49 d, not including antibiotics) supplemented with 0 bacterial cells of HK LS HS-1/g (control); 2) 106 bacterial cells were used; and 3) 108 bacterial cells were used. Trial 2 was carried out in a tropical area of Thailand, where 50 7-d-old male broilers were separated into 2 groups: 1) basal diet (control group); and 2) basal diet supplemented with 107 bacterial cells of HK LS HS-1/g. In trial 1, compared with the control, BW gain (linear; P = 0.019) and G:F (linear; P = 0.032) linearly increase with increasing HK LS HS-1 supplementation. In addition, 3 males died in the control group, while none died in the experimental group. In trial 2, growth performance was not significantly different between the groups. Observation of the gross anatomical visceral organs and intestinal histological parameters showed no difference among the groups. However, the weight of the ileum, total small intestine, gizzard, and ceca decreased, while the height of the ileal villus increased with increasing HK LS HS-1 supplementation (P < 0.05). On the duodenal villus apical surface, protuberated cells, cells without microvilli, recently exfoliated regions on villus tips, and deeper cells at the sites of these recently exfoliated cells were more frequently observed in the experimental groups compared to the control; therefore, the duodenal epithelial cells of the experimental groups were hypertrophied by rapid cell turnover. On the ileal villus apical surface, morphological changes (i.e., cell shedding) were not observed, but protuberated cells were observed; thus, the ileal epithelial cells of the experimental groups were hypertrophied by prolonging the detention period of cells on the villus tip without shedding into the intestinal lumen. The results indicate that HK LS HS-1 improves the growth performance of broilers due to the presences of hypertrophied intestinal absorptive epithelial cells on the villus apical surface, which induce enhanced durability against environmental stress.

Effects of dietary bamboo vinegar supplementation on performance, eggshell quality, ileal microflora composition, and intestinal villus morphology of laying hens in the late phase of production.

This study investigated the effects of bamboo vinegar (BV) supplementation on performance, eggshell quality, ileal microflora, and villus morphology in aged laying hens. A total of 320 hens (70 weeks old) were divided into 4 dietary treatments with 10 replicates of 8 hens each. They were fed a basal diet supplemented with BV at 0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, or 0.8% level until 86 weeks of age. The level of BV in the diet had no effect on egg performance, feed intake, or feed efficiency (p > 0.10). Damaged egg rate decreased in the hens fed the 0.4% and 0.8% BV diets during 79-86 weeks of age (p < 0.05). Eggshell thickness and eggshell strength were higher in the hens fed the 0.4% and 0.8% BV diets at weeks 82 and 86 compared to the controls. In the ileal content, population of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. decreased with 0.4% and 0.8% BV (p < 0.05). Villus height and areas of duodenum were higher in the hens fed the 0.4% and 0.8% BV diets (p < 0.05). The results indicate that a level of 0.4% BV in a layer's diet is sufficient for reducing pathogenic bacteria, stimulating intestinal functions and improving eggshell quality of laying hens in the late phase of production.

Effects of dietary Centella asiatica (L.) Urban on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood composition in piglets vaccinated with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae.

To investigate the effects of Centella asiatica (L.) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and blood composition in piglets, 32 nursery pigs were fed 0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% dietary C. asiatica (L.) from 15 to 90 kg BW. At 30 kg BW, nutrient digestibility was measured and at 35 kg BW piglets were vaccinated with Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae. Hematological parameters were checked at 40 and 80 kg BW. Compared with the control, growth performance was not affected. The ether extract, ash and calcium digestibility were lower at 0.5%, and dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, phosphorus and energy digestibility were lower at 1.0% (P<0.05). On hematological values, at 40 kg hematocrit, total white blood cells, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and lymphocytes were higher at the 2.0% level (P<0.05). Most of these values except basophils and monocytes continued until at 80 kg, at which total white blood cells, neutrophils, eosinophils and lymphocytes were higher even at 1.0% (P<0.05); neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio tended to be higher at 2.0% (P<0.03). Cholesterol, triglycerides and antibody levels against M. hyopneumoniae did not differ except that at 40 kg the cholesterol of 0.5% was lower (P<0.05) and M. hyopneumoniae-specific antibodies tended to be higher with increasing levels of C. asiatica (L.) (P<0.07). The result that C. asiatica (L.) could not improve growth performance but increased values of serum hematocrit and white blood cells, and mycoplasma immunity to M. hyopneumoniae might suggest that C. asiatica (L.) has no function to elevate body weight but has the potential to enhance innate immunity.

Increased collagen III in culled chicken meat after feeding dietary wood charcoal and vinegar contributes to palatability and tenderness.

We comprehensively evaluated meat quality in chickens fed a diet consisting of wood charcoal and vinegar (WCV) using food scientific and histological approaches. In culled hens, lipid and fatty acid in Musculus semimembranosus, cooking loss and sensory tests of whole thigh meat, and meat texture of breast meat were observed. In male broilers, cross section of M. semimembranosus was used for observations on muscle area, perimysium, non-collagen total protein and total collagen content, and anti-collagen I and III reactions. In frozen male broilers, conventional morphology of M. semimembranosus as well as chicken anti-collagen III reaction to selected muscles of thigh meat and breast meat were compared between the control and WCV-fed birds. Increased lipid and fatty acids, decreased cooking loss, high score in total evaluation for sensory test of thigh meat, and decreased meat texture values were observed for culled hens fed WCV. The higher values of muscle area, total collagen and collagen III were observed for broilers fed WCV. No perimysium collapse for M. semitendinosus or increased collagen III reactions of M. tensor fasciae latae, the flexor muscle group and M. pectoralis superficialis were observed for frozen muscles in the WCV group. These total results suggest that WCV produces palatable and tender meat by increasing collagen III.