Functional oil in the feeding of heat-stressed Japanese quail.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate a blend of functional oils (FO) composed of copaiba and garlic essential oils, pepper oleoresin and cashew nut liquid to mitigate the effects of heat stress on productivity, egg quality, organ morphology of the gastrointestinal tract, serum biochemical profile, nutrient metabolism and body temperature of Japanese quail. A completely randomized design was used in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme (without additive; 300 and 500 mg FO/kg of feed x birds raised in a thermal comfort (TC) and heat stress (HS) environment), with 6 replicates of 8 birds per plot. The birds under HS had lower feed intake (P = 0.0000), egg mass (P = 0.0000), laying rate (P = 0.0000) and higher percentage of infertile non-commercial eggs (P = 0.0004), lower head temperature amplitude (P = 0.0000) and higher average of body temperature (P = 0.0312). HS worsened the external and internal quality of the eggs. Birds kept in HS showed higher values of cholesterol (P = 0.0000) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (P = 0.0272). The use of 300 and 500 g FO/ton of feed improved the feed conversion (P = 0.0000) and egg mass (P = 0.0000) of the quail bred under HS, respectively, by 8.4 and 7.2% and increased the relative weight of liver (P = 0.0064) and pancreas (P = 0.0492). The use of such additives also provided a higher % of yolk (P = 0.0018) and reduced the percentage of albumen (P = 0.0029) of the eggs produced in TC, in addition to reducing the amplitude of head temperature (P = 0.0484) of birds bred under HS. The breeding of Japanese quail under HS results in negative impacts on the production, physiological and qualitative aspects of the eggs. The use of 300 g/ton of FO in the diet of Japanese quail leads to improvements in feed conversion, increased liver capacity in nutritional metabolism and results in eggs with a higher proportion of yolks, being, therefore, an alternative for feeding quail in a hot climate.

Effects of inclusion of the blend of essential oils, organic acids, curcumin, tannins, vitamin E, and zinc in the maternal diet, and of incubation temperature on early and late development of quail.

The maternal diet and egg incubation temperature are some of the factors that can influence the embryonic development and performance of the newly chicks at 15 d of age. This study evaluated the effects of adding a blend of organic acids, essential oils, curcumin, tannins, vitamin E, and zinc microencapsulated in to the diet of female quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) on their productive, reproductive performance and redox parameters of their eggs and the interaction of maternal diet × incubation temperature on embryo (E16 and E18) and chicks development. At 98 d of age, 64 female quails with a mean body weight of 150 g ± 0.5 were distributed into two treatments: a Basal diet or a diet supplemented with blend (Sannimix). The eggs from each female were incubated at 37.5°C (Control) and 38.5°C (High Temperature) throughout the incubation period. After hatching, chicks were distributed in a 2 (maternal diet) × 2 (incubation temperature) factorial design. Female quails supplemented with Sannimix showed better productive and reproductive performance and produced higher-quality embryos. Their offspring had greater weight at hatch and at 15 d of age. The eggs and offspring of supplemented with Sannimix female quails showed better oxidative stability. At E16 and E18, High Temperature increased yolk sac utilization and gene expression of the growth hormone receptor (GHR). At E16, embryos from supplemented with Sannimix female quail had higher expression of insulin-like growth factor type I (IGFI) and heat shock protein 70 kDa genes. At 15 d of age, highest expression of the GHR and IGFI genes was observed in chicks from female quails fed the Sannimix diet, regardless of incubation temperature. Regarding the maternal diet × incubation temperature an improved result was observed for chicks from female quails fed with Sannimix even when eggs are exposed to High Temperature during the incubation. The supplementation of quail diets with blend Sannimix improves productive and reproductive performance, egg quality and their embryos, as well as their offspring quality.

Impact of Dietary Supplementation of Spice Extracts on Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility and Antioxidant Response in Broiler Chickens.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of supplementing broiler chicken diets with an encapsulated product based on capsicum and other spice (black pepper and ginger) extracts on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, digestive enzyme activity and antioxidant response. To this end, 480 1-day-old male chicks were randomly assigned to two experimental treatments (12 pens/treatment; 20 birds/pen). Dietary treatments included a basal diet with no additives (CONTROL) and a basal diet supplemented with 250 ppm of the spice additive (SPICY; Lucta S.A., Spain). Supplementation of SPICY increased body weight (p < 0.05) compared with CONTROL at 7 d of age and improved (p < 0.01) ADG from 0 to 7 d of age. The apparent ileal digestibility of dry matter, gross energy and crude protein was higher (p < 0.05) in birds fed the SPICY diet compared with the CONTROL diet. Birds fed SPICY showed lower (p < 0.05) plasma catalase (CAT) activity, and the hepatic gene expression of CAT and Nrf2 was down-regulated (p < 0.05) compared with the CONTROL. In conclusion, the inclusion of 250 ppm of SPICY in broiler diets improved growth performance at 7 d of age and positively affected nutrient digestibility and antioxidant response.

Progressive microbial adaptation of the bovine rumen and hindgut in response to a step-wise increase in dietary starch and the influence of phytogenic supplementation.

Microbial composition and activity in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of cattle has important implications for animal health and welfare, driving the focus of research toward ways to modify their function and abundance. However, our understanding of microbial adaption to nutritional changes remains limited. The aim of this study was to examine the progressive mechanisms of adaptation in the rumen and hindgut of cattle receiving increasing amounts of starch with or without dietary supplementation of a blended phytogenic feed additive (PFA; containing menthol, thymol and eugenol). We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to assess the microbial composition and predicted metabolic pathways in ruminal solid and liquid digesta, and feces. Furthermore, we employed targeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry methods to evaluate rumen fluid metabolites. Results indicated a rapid microbial adaptation to diet change, starting on the second day of starch feeding for the particle associated rumen liquid (PARL) microbes. Solid rumen digesta- and feces-associated microbes started changing from the following day. The PARL niche was the most responsive to dietary changes, with the highest number of taxa and predicted pathways affected by the increase in starch intake, as well as by the phytogenic supplementation. Despite the differences in the microbial composition and metabolic potential of the different GIT niches, all showed similar changes toward carbohydrate metabolism. Metabolite measurement confirmed the high prevalence of glucose and volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the rumen due to the increased substrate availability and metabolic activity of the microbiota. Families Prevotellaceae, Ruminococcaceae and Lachnospiraceae were found to be positively correlated with carbohydrate metabolism, with the latter two showing wide-ranging predicted metabolic capabilities. Phytogenic supplementation affected low abundant taxa and demonstrated the potential to prevent unwanted implications of feeding high-concentrate diet, such as reduction of microbial diversity. The inclusion of 50% concentrate in the diet caused a major shift in microbial composition and activity in the GIT of cattle. This study demonstrated the ability of microorganisms in various GIT niches to adjust differentially, yet rapidly, to changing dietary conditions, and revealed the potential beneficial effects of supplementation with a PFA during dietary adaptation.

Exploring the Potential of Myrothamnus flabellifolius Welw. (Resurrection Tree) as a Phytogenic Feed Additive in Animal Nutrition.

Myrothamnus flabellifolius (Welw.) is used in African traditional medicine for the treatment of depression and mental disorder, asthma, infectious diseases, respiratory, inflammation, epilepsy, heart, wound, backaches, diabetes, kidney ailments, hypertension, hemorrhoids, gingivitis, shingles, stroke, and skins conditions. The effectiveness of M. flabellifolius is due to the presence of several secondary metabolites that have demonstrated efficacy in other cell and animal models. These metabolites are key in cell regulation and function and have potential use in animal production due to antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, for an improvement in growth performance, feed quality and palatability, gut microbial environment, function, and animal health. The purpose of this review is to provide a detailed account on the potential use of M. flabellifolius in animal nutrition. Limitations towards the use of this plant in animal nutrition, including toxicity, economic, and financial issues are discussed. Finally, novel strategies and technologies, e.g., microencapsulation, microbial fermentation, and essential oil extraction, used to unlock and improve nutrient bioaccessibility and bioavailability are clearly discussed towards the potential use of M. flabellifolius as a phytogenic additive in animal diets.

Phytogenic Bioactive Compounds Shape Fish Mucosal Immunity.

Aquaculture growth will unavoidably involve the implementation of innovative and sustainable production strategies, being functional feeds among the most promising ones. A wide spectrum of phytogenics, particularly those containing terpenes and organosulfur compounds, are increasingly studied in aquafeeds, due to their growth promoting, antimicrobial, immunostimulant, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and sedative properties. This trend relies on the importance of the mucosal barrier in the fish defense. Establishing the phytogenics' mode of action in mucosal tissues is of importance for further use and safe administration. Although the impact of phytogenics upon fish mucosal immunity has been extensively approached, most of the studies fail in addressing the mechanisms underlying their pharmacological effects. Unstandardized testing as an extended practice also questions the reproducibility and safety of such studies, limiting the use of phytogenics at commercial scale. The information presented herein provides insight on the fish mucosal immune responses to phytogenics, suggesting their mode of action, and ultimately encouraging the practice of reliable and reproducible research for novel feed additives for aquafeeds. For proper screening, characterization and optimization of their mode of action, we encourage the evaluation of purified compounds using in vitro systems before moving forward to in vivo trials. The formulation of additives with combinations of compounds previously characterized is recommended to avoid bacterial resistance. To improve the delivery of phytogenics and overcome limitations associated to compounds volatility and susceptibility to degradation, the use of encapsulation is advisable. Besides, newer approaches and dedicated methodologies are needed to elucidate the phytogenics pharmacokinetics and mode of action in depth.

Carvacrol, Thymol, and Garlic Essential Oil Promote Skin Innate Immunity in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata) Through the Multifactorial Modulation of the Secretory Pathway and Enhancement of Mucus Protective Capacity.

One of the main targets for the use of phytogenics in aquafeeds is the mucosal tissues as they constitute a physical and biochemical shield against environmental and pathogenic threats, comprising elements from both the innate and acquired immunity. In the present study, the modulation of the skin transcriptional immune response, the bacterial growth capacity in skin mucus, and the overall health condition of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles fed a dietary supplementation of garlic essential oil, carvacrol, and thymol were assessed. The enrichment analysis of the skin transcriptional profile of fish fed the phytogenic-supplemented diet revealed the regulation of genes associated to cellular components involved in the secretory pathway, suggesting the stimulation, and recruitment of phagocytic cells. Genes recognized by their involvement in non-specific immune response were also identified in the analysis. The promotion of the secretion of non-specific immune molecules into the skin mucus was proposed to be involved in the in vitro decreased growth capacity of pathogenic bacteria in the mucus of fish fed the phytogenic-supplemented diet. Although the mucus antioxidant capacity was not affected by the phytogenics supplementation, the regulation of genes coding for oxidative stress enzymes suggested the reduction of the skin oxidative stress. Additionally, the decreased levels of cortisol in mucus indicated a reduction in the fish allostatic load due to the properties of the tested additive. Altogether, the dietary garlic, carvacrol, and thymol appear to promote the gilthead seabream skin innate immunity and the mucus protective capacity, decreasing its susceptibility to be colonized by pathogenic bacteria.

Effect of a Phytogenic Water Additive on Growth Performance, Blood Metabolites and Gene Expression of Amino Acid Transporters in Nursery Pigs Fed with Low-Protein/High-Carbohydrate Diets.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of a phytogenic water additive (PWA) on growth performance and underlying factors involved in pigs fed with low-protein (LP)/high-carbohydrate diets. Forty-eight weaned barrows were allotted to six treatments for 4 weeks: CON-NS, control (CON) diet-no PWA; CON-LS, CON diet-low dose PWA (4 mL/L); CON-HS, CON diet-high dose PWA (8 mL/L); LP-NS, LP diet-no PWA; LP-LS, LP diet-low dose PWA; LP-HS, LP diet-high dose PWA. Relative to CON-NS, pigs fed with CON-HS had increased average daily gain, body weight and serum calcium (Ca) and phosphorous (P) and had decreased mRNA abundance of solute carrier family 7 member 11 and solute carrier family 6 member 19 in jejunum. Compared to LP-NS, pigs fed with LP-HS had increased muscle lean%, decreased muscle fat%, decreased serum Ca and increased serum P. Compared to their NS counterparts, CON-LS, CON-HS, and LP-LS increased the concentration of plasma essential AA and those fed with CON-HS and LP-HS tended to reduce the abundance of the solute carrier family 7 member 1 transcript in skeletal muscle. Thus, PWA improved the performance of weaned pigs fed with protein-adequate diets likely through increased blood essential AA and affected the muscle composition when dietary protein was deficient.

The use of an alternative feed additive, containing benzoic acid, thymol, eugenol, and piperine, improved growth performance, nutrient and energy digestibility, and gut health in weaned piglets.

This research evaluated a feed additive (benzoic acid, eugenol, thymol, and piperine), associated or not with colistin, in weaned piglets feeding. The parameters evaluated were growth performance, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients, diarrhea incidence, intestinal morphology, relative weights of digestive organs, microbial diversity, and the percentages of operational taxonomic units of microorganisms in the cecum content of pigs. One-hundred and eight crossbred piglets (5.3 ± 0.5 kg) were used in a three-phase feeding program (21 to 35, 36 to 50, 51 to 65 d of age) and fed a control diet with no inclusion of growth promoter feed additive, a diet with 40 ppm of colistin, a diet with 0.3% of alternative additive, and a diet with 0.3% of alternative additive and 40 ppm of colistin. The diets were based on corn, soybean meal, dairy products, and spray-dried blood plasma and formulated to provide 3.40, 3.38, and 3.20 Mcal of ME/kg and 14.5, 13.3, and 10.9 g/kg of digestible lysine, in phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The piglets were housed three per pen, with nine replicates per diet, in a complete randomized block design based on initial BW. The data were submitted to ANOVA and means were separated by Tukey test (5%), using SAS. Pigs fed diets with the alternative feed additive had greater (P < 0.05) ADG (114.3 vs. 91.8 g) and ADFI (190.1 vs. 163.3 g) in phase 1 than pigs fed diets without the product. The alternative additive improved (P < 0.05) ATTD of crude protein (CP) in phase 1 (71.0% vs. 68.6%), gross energy in phases 1 (77.4% vs. 75.2%) and 3 (79.0% vs. 77.1%), and dry matter in phase 3 (79.1% vs. 77.1%). The antibiotic inclusion in the diets increased (P < 0.05) ATTD of CP in phase 1 (71.5% vs. 68.2%). The alternative feed additive tended (P = 0.06) to increase (46%) normal feces frequency, decreased (P < 0.05) goblet cells count (104.3 vs. 118.1) in the jejunum, and decreased (P < 0.05) small intestine (4.60% vs. 4.93%) and colon (1.41% vs. 1.65%) relative weights, compared with pigs not fed with the alternative additive. There was a tendency (P = 0.09) for a lower concentration of Escherichia-Shigella (1.46% vs. 3.5%) and lower (P < 0.05) percentage of Campylobacter (0.52% vs. 10.21%) in the cecum content of piglets fed diets containing essential oils and benzoic acid compared with pigs fed diets without the alternative feed additive. The alternative feed additive was effective in improving growth performance, diets digestibility, and gut health in piglets soon after weaning.

Phytogenic Products and Phytochemicals as a Candidate Strategy to Improve Tolerance to Coronavirus.

Coronaviruses are the causative agents of many infectious diseases in human and animals. These included severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian infectious bronchitis (IBV) in poultry, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans. These results had considerable death burdens and negative influences on social-economic life. Since the appearance of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuous investigations have been carried out by researchers to find active compounds, mainly from plants, as natural sources, that could inhibit or stop the proliferation of the causative agent of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2). The most common symptoms caused by infections with COVID-19 can include cough, fever, and sore throat. Nevertheless, there is a shortage of active antiviral compounds for treating different strains of coronavirus. Herbal medicine is a class of medication that originates from nature and is aimed at decreasing the use of preservatives, excipients, or other additives and, consequently, lesser side effects. The rapid spread of COVID-19 infection besides the lack of knowledge about any treatments and the growing concern of the public from the virus directed us toward writing this review article in an aim to provide alternatives to the allopathic medicine use. There is a wealth of chemical diversity in the naturally existing compounds, including their antiviral activities, which may encourage their utilization as therapeutics against viral infections, including coronaviruses. The majority of publications on the herbal remedies of coronavirus, MERS, or SARS focused primarily on the use of polar compounds. These substances displayed encouraging inhibitory influences on coronavirus in humans. These include psoralidin, scutellarein, silvestrol, tryptanthrin, caffeic acid, quercetin, myricetin, saikosaponin B2, griffithsin (lectins), and isobavachalcone. Some other agents like lycorine may be useful, if the antiviral activity is obtained by concentrations below the toxic plasma levels. According to the available literatures, the most promising inhibitors of coronaviruses are polyphenolic compounds, which are small molecules with conjugated fused ring structures.

Influence of phytogenic feed additive on Lawsonia intracellularis infection in pigs.

Lawsonia intracellularis is known to cause proliferative enteropathy (PE), one of the economically most important swine diseases with global distribution. Not unlike other enteric diseases, PE is a frequent indication for antibiotic therapy. However, their unjustified use leads to an emerging problem - antimicrobial resistance. Thus, the aim of this research was to assess if a phytogenic additive may replace antibiotics in the control of PE in 144 weaned piglets (72 treated and 72 controls) naturally infected with L. intracellularis. The quantity of L. intracellularis faecal shedding was monitored by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay in faecal samples on day 0, 14 and 28, whilst the level of the ileum damage was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC) assay performed on gut sections. Real-time PCR assay revealed that cycle-threshold (Ct) values in the treatment group increased significantly over time and were higher than in the control. These results indicate that the use of the phytogenic additive decreases the faecal excretion of L. intracellularis both throughout the experiment and in comparison to the control. The expression of the L. intracellularis antigen in IHC assay was lower in treated animals, implying that the additive leads to the decrease in the pathogen quantity in the ileum. Significantly higher feed conversion ratio was recorded in the treatment group. The results indicate that the phytogenic additive may be beneficial in the control of PE, but additional research is necessary to assess its use in various pig categories and define the optimum concentrations.

Effect of a phytogenic feed additives mixture on milk physico-chemical properties and biochemical parameters of Holstein cows / Efeito de uma mistura de aditivos fitogênicos alimentares nas propriedades físico-químicas do leite e parâmetros bioquímicos de vacas leiteiras da raça holandês

ABSTRACT: This study aimed to analyze the effect of phytogenic additives based on cardol, cardanol, and ricinoleic acid on the physico-chemical qualities and biochemical parameters of Holstein cow milk. Nineteen animals were divided into the control (GI) and treatment (GII) groups. Prior to the beginning of the experiment, sodium monensin was removed from the feed provided to the animals. This study consisted of two phases. In the first, animals from GI received the standard diet, without additives, while animals from GII received the standard diet supplemented with 10 g of phytogenic additives for 60 days. At the end of the first stage, the animals remained 30 days without receiving additives and in the second phase the groups were inverted, and the GII again received the phytogenic additive during the subsequent 60 days. Physical-chemical analyzes of milk were performed at moments 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 days of the experiment and the blood parameters at times 0 and 60 days of the experiment were evaluated. There was no significant difference for the treatment x time interaction in any of the variables, but there was a trend between groups for the CCS parameter and there was a statistical difference for the protein, as well as for the AST. In this study it is observed that the addition of phytogenic additive modulating rumen fermentation based on cardol, cardanol and ricinoleic acid does not compromise, in general, the quality of milk, with positive results for some specific parameters such as protein content and aminotransferase.

RESUMO: Esse estudo teve por objetivo avaliar o efeito de um aditivo fitogênico a base de cardol, cardanol e ácido ricinoléico na qualidade físico-química do leite e perfil bioquímico de vacas da raça Holandês. Dezenove animais foram divididos em dois grupos: Grupo Controle (GI) e Grupo Tratado (GII). Previamente ao início do experimento, retirou-se a monensina sódica da ração fornecida aos animais. Este estudo consistiu de duas fases, sendo que na primeira fase, os animais do GI receberam a dieta padrão, sem aditivos, enquanto os animais do grupo GII receberam a ração padrão suplementada com 10 g dos aditivos fitogênicos durante 60 dias. Ao final da primeira etapa, os animais permaneceram 30 dias sem receber aditivos e na segunda fase os grupos foram invertidos, sendo que o GII novamente recebeu o aditivo fitogênico durante os 60 dias subsequentes. Foram realizadas análises físico-químicas do leite nos momentos 0, 15, 30, 45 e 60 dias do experimento e avaliados os parâmetros sanguíneos nos momentos 0 e 60 dias do experimento. Não se observou diferença significativa para a interação tratamento x tempo em nenhuma das variáveis, mas tendência entre grupos para o parâmetro de CCS, e houve diferença estatística para a proteína, assim como para a AST. Neste estudo observa-se que a adição de aditivo fitogênico modulador de fermentação ruminal a base de cardol, cardanol e ácido ricinoléico não compromete, de forma geral, a qualidade do leite, tendo resultados positivos para alguns parâmetros específicos como teor de proteína e aspartato aminotransferase.

Phytobiotic effect of Marrubium vulgare and Leonurus sibiricus on productive performance of griller-type broilers / Efeito fitobiótico da Marrubium vulgare e Leonurus sibiricus sobre o desempenho produtivo de frangos de corte tipo griller

ABSTRACT: The food industry is in a continuous search for strategies of reducing of antibiotic residues in livestock production, given the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In that context, there is a consistent increasing in the usage of alternative feed phytogenic additives. Due to the pharmacological, the plants Marrubium vulgare and Leonurus sibiricus, are both potential replacements for growth-promoting antibiotics. This study evaluated the productive performance and analyze the sensory qualities in the meat of broiler that were administered M. vulgare and L. sibiricus infusions. A total of 320 chicks from an poultry farm were distributed in 8 groups groups according treatments by 28 days: Control Group (Saline); Positive control (tylosin 1%, 50 ppm); Groups of M. vulgare (MV) infusion: 2% (MV2), 4% (MV4) and 6% (MV6); and groups treated with L. sibiricus (LS) infusion: 2% (LS2), 4% (LS4) and 6% (LS6), all of them received relative doses corresponding to the live weight percentage in milliliter. There was weght gain in MV6 and LS6 group and a better food conversion in MV4, MV6, LS4, and LS6. In addition, weight gain and enhancement of the pectoral muscles were observed in these groups. The sensory analysis revealed that the broilers' meat of MV had a more intense flavor. For marketing purposes the meat from birds that received LS had a better demand. Improvement of productive performance and sensory qualities of the broilers meat might be associated with the phytobiotic activity in it. Therefore, MV and LS can be used as natural growth promoter in broilers.

RESUMO: A indústria de alimentos busca a redução de resíduos de antibióticos na criação intensiva de animais de produção devido ao desenvolvimento de bactérias resistentes. Nesse contexto, tem havido um aumento no uso de aditivos fitogênicos alternativos nas rações. Devido às suas propriedades farmacológicas demonstradas anteriormente as plantas Marrubium vulgare e Leonurus sibiricus tem potencial como aditivos em substituição aos antibióticos promotores de crescimento. O objetivo desse estudo foi avaliar o desempenho produtivo e analisar as qualidades sensoriais da carne de frangos que receberam a administração da infusão da M. vulgare (MV) e da L. sibiricus (LS). 320 pintainhas de um criatório industrial foram distribuídas em oito grupos experimentais: Grupo Controle (Salina); Controle Positivo (tilosina 1%, 50 ppm); Grupos tratados com MV: 2% (MV2), 4% (MV4) e 6% (MV6); e grupos tratados com a LS: 2% (LS2), 4% (LS4) e 6% (LS6), e todos eles receberam doses relativas correspondendo à percentagem de peso vivo, em mililitros. Houve maior ganho de peso no 28o dia nos grupos MV6 e LS6 e melhor conversão alimentar em MV4, MV6, LS4 e LS6. Além disso, foi observado aumento no peso e circunferência dos músculos peitorais nesses grupos. A análise sensorial revelou que amostras de carne do grupo MV tiveram sabor mais intenso do que no grupo controle. Na intenção de compra, a carne dos animais que receberam LS teve maior preferência. A melhoria do desempenho produtivo e das características sensoriais da carne de frangos pode estar associada à atividade fitobiótica. Assim, MV e LS podem ser usados como promotores de crescimento naturais para frangos de corte.

Parâmetros sanguíneos de frangos de corte alimentados com dietas suplementadas com sementes secas de Piper cubeba como aditivo fitogênico / Blood parameters of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with dried seeds of Piper cubeba as an phytogenic additive

Dois experimentos foram realizados com o objetivo de avaliar o uso das sementes secas de Piper cubeba nas dietas de frangos de corte de 1 a 21 dias de idades e seus efeitos sobre o perfil bioquímicos do sangue e na biometria dos órgãos das aves. Em cada experimento 240 pintos de corte machos, com um dia de idade da linhagem Cobb foram distribuídos em um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições de 12 aves por parcela experimental. No primeiro experimento foi avaliado o uso da Piper cubeba em dietas consideradas de alta digestibilidade, a base de milho e farelo de soja, e no segundo avaliou-se o uso da pimenta em dietas de baixa digestibilidade, as quais foram obtidas com a inclusão de farinha de carne e ossos. Com relação aos dados de perfil bioquímico sanguíneo do experimento I, com exceção da gama glutamil transferase, todos os demais níveis séricos se apresentaram dentro dos limites recomendados para aves, e apenas os níveis de triglicerídeos diferiram entre os tratamentos (P<0,05). No experimento II houve diferença significativa para os níveis de albumina, colesterol e ácido úrico, porém isso não foi resultado de desordens metabólicas, visto que com exceção da gama glutamil transferase, todos os níveis encontraram-se dentro dos limites recomendados. Em ambos os experimentos não foram observadas diferenças (P>0,05) para a biometria dos órgãos. Nas condições em que os experimentos foram realizados a inclusão das sementes de Piper cubeba na ração para frangos de corte não proporcionou alterações bioquímicas e biométricas que possam limitar seu uso como material vegetal para os estudos fitogênicos.(AU)

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the use of dried seeds of Piper cubeba in the diets of 1 to 21-day-old broilers and its effect on biochemical blood profile and biometry of the organs. In each experiment, 240 one-day-old male broiler chicks Cobb were distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replicates of 12 birds per experimental plot. The first experiment evaluated the use of Piper cubeba in considered highly digestible diets based on corn and soybean meal, and the second evaluated the use of pepper in low digestibility diets, which were obtained with the inclusion of meat and bone meal. Regarding the blood chemistry profile data of the experiment I, with the exception of gamma glutamyl transferase, all other serum levels were within recommended limits for poultry, and only triglyceride levels differed between treatments (P <0.05). In the second experiment there was significant difference in albumin levels, cholesterol and uric acid, but this was not the result of metabolic disorders, because except for the gama glutamyl transferase levels, all variables were within recommended levels. In both experiments, there were no differences (P> 0.05) for the biometry of organs. The conditions under which the experiments were performed at inclusion of Piper cubeba seeds in feed for broilers has not provided any toxicity to poultry.(AU)