In vitro rumen fermentation pattern: insights from concentrate level and plant oil supplement.

The addition of oil to ruminant diets and oil fatty acid profiles are major factors that negatively affect ruminal fermentation, while increased forage level attenuates the adverse effects. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of oil source supplementation and concentrate level in the diet on in vitro ruminal fermentation kinetics. Pomegranate, garlic or sunflower oils were added (2 % dry matter (DM) basis) to the diets containing 40 % or 60 % (DM basis) concentrates. In vitro gas production parameters, pH, ammonia nitrogen concentration and total protozoa count were measured. Additionally, metabolizable energy (ME), short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production and organic matter digestibility (OMD) were determined. Rumen fermentation parameters and protozoal population counts were analyzed as a completely randomized design with a 2  × â€¯3 factorial arrangement of treatments, and gas production parameters were analyzed as a 2  × â€¯3 factorial arrangement in a randomized block design. The results showed that the HCPO (high (60 %) concentrate diet containing pomegranate oil) and HCSO (high (60 %) concentrate diet containing sunflower oil) diets produced the highest (5.40 mg dL - 1 ) and lowest (2.61 mg dL - 1 ) concentrations of NH 3 -N ( p > 0.01 ), respectively. Total protozoa count tended ( p = 0.07 ) to be highest in HCPO and lowest in HCSO diets (5.10 vs. 4.81 Log 10 g - 1 digesta). No interaction effects between the concentrate level and oil source were found on in vitro gas production parameters, pH, estimated ME, SCFA and OMD, and Entodinium and Diplodinium populations ( p > 0.05 ). It is concluded that dietary supplementation with highly unsaturated oil from three different sources at 2 % level (DM basis) had no apparent effects on in vitro ruminal fermentation patterns.

Beneficial effects of dietary coenzyme Q10 on the productive and reproductive variables of broiler breeder hens.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of supplementary CoQ10 in the diets of aged broiler breeder hens on productive and reproductive variables. A total of 128 hens)44 weeks of age) were randomly assigned to one of 16 groups (eight hens per group). The hen-groups (with equal mean egg production and egg weight) were randomly assigned to one of four diet-groups to provide four pen/groups per treatment. There was no CoQ10 supplementation or supplemental amounts of either 300, 600 or 900 mg CoQ10/kg added to the basal diet. Egg production, weight, and mass were determined weekly. To assess fertility, hatchability, and sperm penetration (SP) rate, the hens were artificially inseminated on a weekly basis (from 47-54 weeks of age). The hens were weighed and killed at the end of the experiment for evaluation of the ovarian morphology, oviduct histology, utero-vaginal junction (UVJ) total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and Pdss2, GDF9, and BMP15 mRNA transcript abundances in the germinal disc regions. The results indicated that there was a linear response curve to increasing amounts of supplemental dietary CoQ10 on fertility, hatchability of eggs, SP rates, TAC of the UVJ, fold height and surface epithelia of the magnum and isthmus, and abundance of GDF9, BMP15 and Pdss2 mRNA transcripts in the germinal disc region. In conclusion, the findings of the present study indicate diet supplementation with CoQ10 had beneficial effects on the productive and reproductive variables of aged hens.

Use of supplemental dietary coenzyme Q10 to improve testicular function and fertilization capacity in aged broiler breeder roosters.

In numerous studies it has been suggested that targeting mitochondria with specific compounds could efficiently inhibit various conditions associated with oxidative stress. The treatment of aged roosters with compounds such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), may improve their reproductive performance by providing protection from oxidative stress. Therefore, this study was performed to assess the effect of supplemental dietary CoQ10 on the testicular function and fertility of aged broiler breeder roosters. A total of 36 roosters)47 weeks of age) were randomly divided into dietary treatments containing either 0, 300 or 600 mg CoQ10/kg diet. Three birds were allocated to each of four replicate groups in each dietary treatment. Between 47 and 54 weeks of age, ejaculates were obtained weekly from the three roosters in each replicate group. Samples in a replicate were pooled and analyzed as a single sample. Between 51 and 54 weeks of age, seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity (TAC), alanine amino transferase (ALAT) and aspartate amino transferase (ASAT) levels were assessed. Fertility, hatchability, and sperm penetration (SP) rates were likewise evaluated. Seminal volume, sperm concentration, sperm plasma membrane functionality, sperm plasma membrane integrity, seminiferous tubule diameter and seminiferous epithelium thickness exhibited quadratic increases in response to increasing levels of dietary CoQ10. Respectively, the 429.19, 433.33, 464.50, 613.50, 392.78 and 447.99 mg/kg dietary concentrations of CoQ10 provided the best results for each of the aforementioned variables. Also, other seminal traits, as well as testosterone concentration, fertility, and SP rates, displayed linear increases in response to the increasing levels of CoQ10. Dietary supplementation of CoQ10 linearly decreased seminal plasma ALAT and ASAT and linearly increased seminal plasma TAC. In conclusion, CoQ10 supplementation in the diet (a minimum of 300 mg CoQ10/kg diet) has the potential to improve the reproductive performance of aged broiler breeder roosters.

Dietary Fish Oil and Vitamin E Reduce Cryoinjuries and Apoptosis in Vitrified Laying Hens' Ovarian Tissue.

The occurrence of cryoinjuries during ovarian tissue freezing necessitates development of methods that can overcome these challenges in cell and tissue cryopreservation. It has been hypothesized that omega-3 and vitamin E diet supplementation to the animal could be an appropriate strategy to preserve post-thaw ovarian quality. The laying hen is an appropriate animal model that can be used to study the effects of providing dietary supplements on the outcomes of ovary cryopreservation. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the dietary effects of fish oil, sunflower oil, and vitamin E on 68 laying hens according to the following treatments: basal diet + 1.5% sunflower oil (control; C); basal diet + 1.5% sunflower oil + 1.1 IU alpha-tocopherol/hen/day (E); basal diet + 1.5% fish oil + 1.1 IU alphatocopherol/hen/day (n-3+E); and basal diet + 1.5% fish oil (n-3). The effects on ovarian structure and preservation, apoptosis-related gene expression, and the fatty acid profiles in ovarian laying hen (n = 7 in each group) were studied. The number of intact primordial follicles in n-3+E group was significantly higher than other groups (85% vs. 71%, 72%, and 77% for n-3+E, C, E, and n-3, respectively; p < 0.01). There was a significant reduction in expression of Cas3, as well as Cas8, in n-3 and n-3+E than C and E (p ≤ 0.05). A trend to decrease in Bak (p = 0.089) and Bak/Bcl2 ratio (p = 0.095) in the mRNA was observed in n-3+E. Ovarian eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n3) concentration in n-3 was the highest among C, E, and n-3+E (p < 0.01). Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6 n-3) concentrations in ovaries of the n-3 group were elevated five times more than control. The n-3: n-6 ratio in groups receiving omega-3 (n-3+E and n-3) was higher than other groups (p < 0.01). In conclusion, consumption of dietary omega-3 fatty acids with vitamin E improves the results of vitrification of ovarian tissues in laying hens.

Effects of guanidinoacetic acid diet supplementation on semen quality and fertility of broiler breeder roosters.

Decreased semen quality and fertility rate is a common feature in broiler breeder roosters. This decrease is associated with dysfunction of Sertoli cells and defective spermatogenesis. Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), as a precursor of creatine, plays an important role in the proper functioning of Sertoli cells and energy metabolism in sperm. Twenty, 29-wk-old broiler breeder roosters (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 4 treatment groups and fed diets supplemented with different levels of GAA, including 0 (GAA-0), 600 (GAA-600), 1200 (GAA-1200), and 1800 (GAA-1800) mg GAA/kg of diet for 26 successive weeks. During a 24-wk period, the seminal characteristics were weekly evaluated. At the end of experiment, sperm penetration and fertility rates were determined, using 68 artificially inseminated age-matched broiler breeder hens of the same strain (for 2 weeks). Semen concentration (P = 0.003), total sperm number (P = 0.005) and sperm forward motility (P = 0.01) were increased by GAA-1200 group. Also, sperm plasma membrane functionality was marginally affected (P = 0.06) in roosters received all levels of GAA. Sperm abnormality and plasma membrane integrity were not affected by dietary GAA. The highest number of sperm penetration holes was recorded for the GAA-1200 group (P = 0.08). Interestingly, fertility rate was increased by the feeding of all levels of GAA (P = 0.01). In conclusion, dietary GAA was associated with improvement in most of the rooster's seminal characteristics and fertility rate, suggesting a potential for using GAA to attenuate the age-related sub-fertility in commercial broiler breeder roosters.

Improvement of restless legs syndrome by nabat: a case series and new hypotheses for research.

BACKGROUND: Although many hypotheses have been suggested, the pathophysiology of restless legs syndrome (RLS) has not been fully understood. In this case series, we describe eleven cases with RLS whose symptoms subsided by the use of crystallized sucrose. This kind of sugar, known as nabat, is used in traditional Iranian medicine. METHODS: Case series. RESULTS: All patients felt relief 30-60 min after taking 100 grams of dissolved nabat. CONCLUSIONS: Sucrose seems to carry a special benefit for patients with RLS, and it provides evidence for growing literature demonstrating the different underlying mechanisms of RLS. Possible causes for this concurrence are also discussed.

Effect of feeding olive-pulp ensiled with additives on feedlot performance and carcass attributes of fat-tailed lambs.

Feed cost has a significant effect on the economic efficiency of feedlot lambs; therefore, the use of low-cost non-conventional feedstuffs, such as olive pulp (OP), has the potential to decrease the production costs. Because optimum inclusion of OP-treated silages has not been determined in feedlot lambs, an experiment was conducted to determine the effect of inclusion of OP ensiled with additives in the diet on the feedlot performance and carcass attributes of feedlot lambs. Ram lambs of Mehraban and Ghezel breeds (n = 50 lambs per breed) were randomly allotted to 10 groups and fed with one of the nine diets containing OP silage or a control diet. Silage treatments were: (1) OP silage without additives (OPS), (2) OP ensiled with 8 % beet molasses and 0.4 % formic acid (OP-MF), and (3) OP ensiled with 8 % beet molasses, 0.4 % formic acid and 0.5 % urea (OP-MFU). The control diet contained 50 % alfalfa hay and 50 % barley grain. Three levels from each silage were chosen to replace the barley grain (10, 20, or 30 % dry matter basis). The lambs were slaughtered after 92 days, and the average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and carcass characteristics were determined. Feeding OPS to fat-tailed lambs, at an inclusion level of 30 %, decreased the carcass dressing percentage, mainly as a result of decreased brisket percentage, but the ADG and FCR values were not adversely affected. Ghezel lambs had higher ADG than Mehraban lambs, but the visceral fat weight percentage, flap weight percentage, and back fat depth were higher in Mehraban. The crude protein content in the longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle was higher in Ghezel, but the dry matter percentage was higher in Mehraban (P < 0.05). Other attributes were not significantly affected by breed (P > 0.05). Most carcass characteristics, including major cuts, were not affected by OPS feeding; therefore, feeding OPS (up to 30 %) can be economical for feedlot lambs. Most carcass characteristics, including major cuts, were not affected by OPS levels used in this experiment; therefore, inclusion of OPS (up to 30 %) in the diet may reduce the cost of raising feedlot lambs. This also could help alleviate the problem of storage of OP in oil factories.