Effects of in ovo supplementation of selenium (Se) and zinc (zn) on hatchability and production performance of broiler chickens.

The current research was conducted to assess the effect of in ovo feeding (IOF) of selenium (Se) and zinc (Zn) on hatchability, production performance, liver, intestinal morphology, antioxidant levels and expression levels of immune-related genes in broiler chickens. A total of 400 fertilized eggs were equally divided into four groups: control (non-injected), sham (in ovo injection of 0.75% NaCl), Se (@ 1.5 µg/egg in ovo injection) and Zn (500 µg/egg in ovo injection) groups respectively. On the seventeenth day of incubation, treatment solutions were administered into amniotic fluid of fertilized eggs. The results revealed that Se and Zn supplementation significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced hatchability, post-hatch growth, organ development, and liver antioxidant capability. Histopathological examination revealed a typical hepatocyte morphology, well-arranged cells, and a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in apoptosis in both selenium and zinc groups. Additionally, selenium and zinc produced auspicious effects on intestinal epithelium and villi surface area. Interestingly, our results revealed that IOF of Se and Zn modulated the expression of immune-related genes in comparison to the control and sham groups. Conclusively, IOF of Se and Zn augmented health and productivity by enhancing the cellular immunity in the broiler chickens, thus IOF can be utilized as an effective strategy to promote health and immunity in broiler chickens.

Lactoferrin's role in modulating NF-κB pathway to alleviate diabetes-associated inflammation: A novel in-silico study.

Lactoferrin (LF), a multifunctional glycoprotein found in mammalian milk and various exocrine secretions, plays a pivotal role in modulating various responses. Lactoferrin plays a significant role in type-2 diabetes by improving hepatic insulin resistance and pancreatic dysfunction however, the exact mechanism for this improvement is not thoroughly elucidated. To this date, there are no evidence that attributes the direct interaction of lactoferrin with components of NF-κB pathway. Considering this precedent, the current study aimed to investigate the interaction of LF with key components of NF-κB pathway using molecular docking and simulation approaches. Results indicated that LF has shown highly stable interactions with IL-1ß, IL-6, IκBα and NF-κB, and relatively weaker interactions with IKK and TNF-α. All four trajectories, including root mean square of deviations (RMSD), root mean square of fluctuation (RMSF), hydrogen bond interactions, and radius of gyration (RoG), confirmed the stable interactions of LF with NF-κB pathway components. Molecular Mechanics/Generalized Born Surface Area (MM/GBSA) analysis further supports their stable interactions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to provide convincing evidence that LF can interact with all six major components of the NF-κB pathway. This study provides pioneering in-silico evidence that lactoferrin (LF) can interact with all six major components of the NF-κB pathway, demonstrating highly stable interactions with IL-1ß, IL-6, IκBα, and NF-κB, and relatively weaker interactions with IKK and TNF-α. These findings suggest that LF and its peptides have significant potential for both preventive and therapeutic applications by targeting the NF-κB pathway to inhibit inflammation, thereby improving insulin sensitivity and aiding in the management of diabetes.

In silico analysis of polyphenols modulate bovine PPARγ to increase milk fat synthesis in dairy cattle via the MAPK signalling pathways.

This study investigates the potential phytochemicals that modulate bovine peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) and the Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) pathways to enhance milk fat production in dairy animals. Bovine PPARγ, a key member of nuclear hormone receptor superfamily, plays a vital role in regulating metabolic, cellular differentiation, apoptosis, and anti-inflammatory responses in livestock, while the MAPK pathway is contributory in cellular processes that impact milk fat synthesis. This approach involved an all-inclusive molecular docking analysis of 10,000 polyphenols to identify potential PPARγ ligands. From this extensive screening, top 10 compounds were selected that exhibited the highest binding affinities to bovine PPARγ. Particularly, Curcumin sulphate, Isoflavone and Quercetin emerged as the most promising candidates. These compounds demonstrated superior docking scores (-9.28 kcal/mol, -9.27 kcal/mol and -7.31 kcal/mol respectively) and lower RMSD values compared to the synthetic bovine PPARγ agonist, 2,4-Thiazolidinedione (-4.12 kcal/mol), indicating a strong potential for modulating the receptor. Molecular dynamics simulations (MDS) further affirmed the stability of these polyphenols-bovine PPARγ complexes, suggesting their effective and sustained interactions. These polyphenols, known as fatty acid synthase inhibitors, are suggested to influence lipid metabolism pathways crucial to milk fat production, possibly through the downregulation of the MAPK pathway. The screened compounds showed favorable pharmacokinetic profiles, including non-toxicity, carcinogenicity, and high gastrointestinal absorption, positioning them as viable candidates for enhancing dairy cattle health and milk production. These findings may open new possibilities for the use of phytochemicals as feed additives in dairy animals, suggesting a novel approach to improve milk fat synthesis through the dual modulation of bovine PPARγ and MAPK pathways.

A Review on Camel Milk Composition, Techno-Functional Properties and Processing Constraints.

Camel milk plays a critical role in the diet of peoples belongs to the semi-arid and arid regions. Since prehistoric times, camel milk marketing was limited due to lacking the processing facilities in the camel-rearing areas, nomads practiced the self-consumption of raw and fermented camel milk. A better understanding of the techno-functional properties of camel milk is required for product improvement to address market and customer needs. Despite the superior nutraceutical and health promoting potential, limited camel dairy products are available compared to other bovines. It is a challenging impetus for the dairy industry to provide diversified camel dairy products to consumers with superior nutritional and functional qualities. The physicochemical behavior and characteristics of camel milk is different than the bovine milk, which poses processing and technological challenges. Traditionally camel milk is only processed into various fermented and non-fermented products; however, the production of commercially important dairy products (cheese, butter, yogurt, and milk powder) from camel milk still needs to be processed successfully. Therefore, the industrial processing and transformation of camel milk into various products, including fermented dairy products, pasteurized milk, milk powder, cheese, and other products, require the development of new technologies based on applied research. This review highlights camel milk's processing constraints and techno-functional properties while presenting the challenges associated with processing the milk into various dairy products. Future research directions to improve product quality have also been discussed.

Promising phytopharmacology, nutritional potential, health benefits, and traditional usage of Tribulus terrestris L. herb.

Traditional medicines are becoming more popular as people become more aware of the dangers of synthetic pharmaceuticals. Tribulus terrestris L., (Gokharu) an annual herbaceous plant, has been extensively utilized by herbalists for numerous medicinal purposes. T. terrestris has been studied for its multiple therapeutic effects, including immunomodulatory, aphrodisiac, anti-urolithic, absorption enhancer, cardioprotective, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, neuro-protective, anticancer, and analgesic properties. Saponins and flavonoids are two examples of beneficial substances that have recently been found in T. terrestris. These chemicals are very important for a variety of therapeutic effects. Numerous studies have shown that T. terrestris products and various parts may have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, testosterone-boosting, and liver protective effects. According to the published evidence, T. terrestris boosts testosterone secretion, regulates blood pressure, and protects the human body against injuries. The cardiovascular, reproductive, and urinary systems are all severely impacted. Due to its potent bioactive compounds, the literature evaluated from a wide range of sources including books, reports, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Wiley, Springer, and other databases demonstrated the extraordinary potential to treat numerous human and animal ailments. Our review is different from other published articles because we explored its importance for humans and especially in veterinary like poultry health. It could also be used as an aphrodisiac to treat different fertility-related disorders in human and animal science. More research into the pharmacodynamics of herbs like T. terrestris is needed so that it can be used in a wider variety of nutraceutical products for humans and poultry.

Nutraceutical and Health-Promoting Potential of Lactoferrin, an Iron-Binding Protein in Human and Animal: Current Knowledge.

Lactoferrin is a natural cationic iron-binding glycoprotein of the transferrin family found in bovine milk and other exocrine secretions, including lacrimal fluid, saliva, and bile. Lactoferrin has been investigated for its numerous powerful influences, including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-osteoporotic, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, immunomodulatory, hepatoprotective, and other beneficial health effects. Lactoferrin demonstrated several nutraceutical and pharmaceutical potentials and have a significant impact on improving the health of humans and animals. Lactoferrin plays a critical role in keeping the normal physiological homeostasis associated with the development of pathological disorders. The current review highlights the medicinal value, nutraceutical role, therapeutic application, and outstanding favorable health sides of lactoferrin, which would benefit from more exploration of this glycoprotein for the design of effective medicines, drugs, and pharmaceuticals for safeguarding different health issues in animals and humans.

Potential of dietary hemp and cannabinoids to modulate immune response to enhance health and performance in animals: opportunities and challenges.

Cannabinoids are a group of bioactive compounds abundantly present in Cannabis sativa plant. The active components of cannabis with therapeutic potential are known as cannabinoids. Cannabinoids are divided into three groups: plant-derived cannabinoids (phytocannabinoids), endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids), and synthetic cannabinoids. These compounds play a crucial role in the regulation various physiological processes including the immune modulation by interacting with the endocannabinoid system (A complex cell-signaling system). Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) stimulates the binding of orexigenic peptides and inhibits the attachment of anorexigenic proteins to hypothalamic neurons in mammals, increasing food intake. Digestibility is unaffected by the presence of any cannabinoids in hemp stubble. Endogenous cannabinoids are also important for the peripheral control of lipid processing in adipose tissue, in addition to their role in the hypothalamus regulation of food intake. Regardless of the kind of synaptic connection or the length of the transmission, endocannabinoids play a crucial role in inhibiting synaptic transmission through a number of mechanisms. Cannabidiol (CBD) mainly influences redox equilibrium through intrinsic mechanisms. Useful effects of cannabinoids in animals have been mentioned e.g., for disorders of the cardiovascular system, pain treatment, disorders of the respiratory system or metabolic disorders. Dietary supplementation of cannabinoids has shown positive effects on health, growth and production performance of small and large animals. Animal fed diet supplemented with hemp seeds (180 g/day) or hemp seed cake (143 g/kg DM) had achieved batter performance without any detrimental effects. But the higher level of hemp or cannabinoid supplementation suppress immune functions and reduce productive performance. With an emphasis on the poultry and ruminants, this review aims to highlight the properties of cannabinoids and their derivatives as well as their significance as a potential feed additive in their diets to improve the immune status and health performance of animals.

A Review on Processing Opportunities for the Development of Camel Dairy Products.

Camel milk has a significant and pivotal role in the diet of people residing in semi-arid and arid regions. Ever since ancient times, marketing of camel milk has remained insignificant due to nonexistence of processing amenities in the camel nurturing areas, hence the utilization of unprocessed camel milk has continuously remained limited at family level by the nomads. Due to the superior medicinal values and health promoting effects, incredible growth in the demand of camel milk and dairy products have been noticed all over the world during last two decades. Such emergence has led dairy industry to provide diversified camel dairy products to the consumers with superior nutritional and functional qualities. In contrast to bovine, very few food products derived from camel milk are available in the present market. With the advancements in food processing interventions, a wide range of dairy and non-dairy products could be obtained from camel milk, including milk powder, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and even chocolate. In some regions, camel milk is used for traditional dishes such as fermented milk, camel milk tea, or as a base for soups and stews. Current review highlights the processing opportunities regarding the transformation of camel milk into various dairy products via decreasing the inherent functionality that could be achieved by optimization of processing conditions and alteration of chemical composition by using fortification method. Additionally, future research directions could be devised to improve the product quality.

Effect of In Ovo Trace Element Supplementation on Immune-Related Cells of the Small Intestine of Post-hatched Broiler Chicken.

Pathological conditions and harmful drugs cause many gastrointestinal diseases in broiler chicken. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of trace elements zinc (Zn) and selenium (Se) supplementation on histomorphology, immunological role, and functional activity of goblet cells (GCs) of the small intestine. The Alcian blue-periodic acid-Schiff (AB-PAS) was performed to assess the histomorphological changes in GCs, which revealed the regular dispersion with high electron density of GCs throughout the mucosal surface in the supplemented group. However, irregular dispersion with low electron density of GCs was present in the control group. The immunological functional role of GCs within the small intestine was examined by mucicarmine staining, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence. The results showed a high mucin glycol protein secretion in the supplemented group, whereas limited mucin glycol protein secretion in the control group. Furthermore, the biological significance showed a high and low immunoreactivity of Muc2 and Muc13 in the supplemented and control groups, respectively. Immunofluorescence was used to confirm the immunosignaling of Muc2. Results revealed high immunosignaling of Muc2 at the apical part of the small intestine in the supplementation group, while low immunosignaling of Muc2 in the control group. Results suggest that trace element supplementation had significant effect on morphology and immunological role of GCs, which might be essential for immune function and health status of broiler chicken.

Nutritional significance and promising therapeutic/medicinal application of camel milk as a functional food in human and animals: a comprehensive review.

Camel milk (CM) is the key component of human diet specially for the population belongs to the arid and semi-arid regions of the world. CM possess unique composition as compare to the cow milk with abundant amount of medium chain fatty acids in fat low lactose and higher concentration of whey protein and vitamin C. Besides the nutritional significance of CM, it also contains higher concentration of bioactive compounds including bioactive peptides, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), lactoferrin (LF), lactoperoxidase, lysozyme casein and immunoglobulin. Recently, CM and their bioactive compounds gaining more attention toward scientific community owing to their multiple health benefits, especially in the current era of emerging drug resistance and untold side effects of synthetic medicines. Consumption of fresh or fermented CM and its products presumed exceptional nutraceutical and medicinal properties, including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-diabetic, hepatoprotective, nephroprotective, anticancer and immunomodulatory activities. Moreover, CM isolated LAB exhibit antioxidant and probiotic effects leading to enhance the innate and adaptive immune response against both gram-negative and gram-positive pathogenic bacteria. The main objective of this review is to highlight the nutritional significance, pharmaceutical potential, medicinal value and salient beneficial health aspect of CM for human and animals.

Effect of early feeding of L-arginine and L-threonine on hatchability and post-hatch performance of broiler chicken.

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in ovo feeding (IOF) of L-arginine (Arg) and L-threonine (Thr) in the broiler. For this purpose, 500 embryonated eggs were randomly allocated into five treatment groups of four replicates 25 eggs/replicate. The five treatments were arranged as (1) non-injected control, (2) 0.75% NaCl injected group, (3) 25 mg/egg Arg 4) 25 mg/egg Thr, and (5) Arg + Thr25 mg/egg. On the 17th day of incubation, 0.5 ml of treatment solution was injected into the amniotic fluid of all treatment groups. The result showed that the supplementation group of Arg + Thr significantly (P < 0.05) improved the hatchability, post-hatch growth performance, organ weight, and organ development in compression to sham control and other treatment groups. The antibiotic titer of NDV was improved in Arg + Thr group. Moreover, hematological indices were improved significantly in Arg + Thr group. The plasma concentration of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were noted to decrease in Arg + Thr group. Histopathological investigation revealed that IOF of Arg + Thr increased the villi length and crypt depth of the intestine. Conclusively, the IOF Arg and Thr could be an effective way to optimize the health and productive performance of broilers.

Yucca schidigera can mitigate ammonia emissions from manure and promote poultry health and production.

Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) is widely grown in the deserts. This herb is commercially used because it is rich in saponins and phenolic compounds with antioxidant effect. Y. schidigera or its derivatives are included as nontoxic food supplements, in cosmetics, and in the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins originated from Y. schidigera have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, immunostimulatory, growth promoter, hypocholesterolemic, and hypoglycemic effects. To date, the key role of Y. schidigera or its products in animal nutrition is to reduce the ammonia content in the atmosphere and fecal odor in poultry excreta. Mitigating ammonia by using this plant could be achieved by the modification of gut microbiota, enhancement in digestion, and absorption of nutrients, leading to a better growth and production performance of animals and poultry. Various methods were applied to mitigate the emission of odor from the litter by different strategies including biofilters, litter treatments, air scrubbers, neutralizing agents, windbreak walls, etc., but these techniques are expensive. This article provides a new insight to scientists and poultry breeders to use Y. schidigera plant or its products as inexpensive and safe sources of a feed supplement to overcome the ammonia and fecal odor problems, as well as reduce environmental pollution in poultry houses.

Past, present and future of hepatitis E virus infection: Zoonotic perspectives.

The origin of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is not fully understood, but it is considered an emerging zoonotic pathogen. To date, HEV has been isolated from many animal species. The family Hepeviridae consists of two genera. The genus Orthohepevirus includes four distinct species (A, B, C, and D), each with distinct genotypes. Within the Orthohepevirus A species, HEV-1 and HEV-2 host ranges are restricted to humans, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 primarily infect a wide range of diverse animal species, in addition to being zoonotic to humans. Swine and wild boar species were previously thought to be the primary natural HEV reservoir, but recently rabbits have also been identified as major carriers. Moreover, increasing the number of HEV infections within the food supply chain underscore the important role of farming and food processing practices in limiting virus transmission. Notably, a Chinese commercial vaccine has the potential to protect humans and possibly animal reservoirs from HEV infection. This review summarizes the status of HEV infection worldwide in different animal species and outlines various modes of zoonotic transmission, with reference to cross-species transmission and recent vaccine developments.

Influence of Graded Levels of l-Theanine Dietary Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Meat Quality, Organs Histomorphometry, Blood Chemistry and Immune Response of Broiler Chickens.

l-theanine is a water-soluble non-proteinous amino acid mainly found in green tea leaves. Despite the availability of abundant literature on green tea, studies on the use of l-theanine as a feed additive in animals, and especially broilers are limited. The objective of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the effect of different dietary levels of l-theanine on meat quality, growth performance, immune response, and blood metabolites in broilers. A total of 400 day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups using a completely randomized design; C-control, basal diet; 100LT-basal diet + 100 mg l-theanine/kg diet; 200LT-basal diet + 200 mg l-theanine/kg diet; and 300LT-basal diet + 300 mg l-theanine/kg diet. Results revealed that the intermediate level of l-theanine (200 mg/kg diet) showed better results in terms of body weight gain (BWG), feed consumed (FC), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) as compared with the other supplemented groups and the control. The live weight eviscerated weight and gizzard weight were higher in all l-theanine levels as compared to those of the control group. Increased weight (p ≤ 0.05) of spleen and bursa were found in group 200LT (200 mg l-theanine/kg diet). Concerning meat color parameters, values for yellowness (b*), and redness (a*) were greater in l-theanine-supplemented groups than the control. Supplementing broiler diet with l-theanine reduced (p = 0.02) total serum cholesterol contents while increased HDL. Further analysis revealed lower relative serum cytokines (IL-2 and INF-γ) and reduced mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in thymus, and IFN-γ and IL-2 in spleen in the treated group. Moreover, supplementation with 200 mg/kg of l-theanine improved antioxidant status in blood by increasing SOD, GSH-Px, and relative CAT levels. It is concluded that the optimum supplementation level of l-theanine is 200 mg/kg of diet because it resulted in improved performance parameters in broilers. However, higher levels of l-theanine (300 mg/kg diet) may have deleterious effects on performance and health of broiler chickens.

Reconsidering betaine as a natural anti-heat stress agent in poultry industry: a review.

Betaine is found ubiquitously in plants, animals, microorganisms, and rich dietary sources including seafood, spinach, and wheat bran. The chief physiological role of betaine is to function as a methyl donor and an osmolyte. Betaine also acts as an osmolyte, to maintain the avian's cellular water and ion balance to improve the avian's capacity against heat stress via preventing dehydration and osmotic inactivation. It helps in maintaining the protective osmolytic activity, especially in heat-stressed birds. Betaine may promote various intestinal microbes against osmotic variations and thus improve microbial fermentation activity. Previous studies showed that dietary supplementation of betaine in poultry diets could positively affect nutrients' digestibility, reduce abdominal fat weight, and increase breast meat yield. In addition, betaine has been reported to protect internal organs and boost their performance. Its inclusion in poultry diet is sparing essential amino acids like choline and methionine. In addition, it may play an important role in lean meat production by positively affecting the lipid metabolism with increased fatty acids catabolism and thus reducing carcass fat deposition. The aim of this review article was to broaden the knowledge regarding betaine and its importance in the poultry industry to cope with the heat stress problem. Moreover, it should be added to the diet as a natural anti-stressor through different routes (water/feed) to overcome the heat stress problem. However, further studies need to be conducted at the genetic and molecular basis to elucidate the mechanism behind the betaine as a natural anti-heat agent to decrease the heat stress problem in the poultry industry.

Correction: Saccharomyces Boulardii and Bacillus Subtilis B10 modulate TLRs and cytokines expression patterns in jejunum and ileum of broilers.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173917.].

Saccharomyces boulardii and Bacillus subtilis B10 modulate TLRs and cytokines expression patterns in jejunum and ileum of broilers.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii (Sb) and Bacillus subtilis B10 (Bs) on intestinal epithelial Toll like receptors (TLR), and Cytokine expression response to understand the intestinal epithelial innate immune mechanism in broilers. A total of 300 birds (Sanhuang broilers) were allotted into three groups (n = 100) and each divided into five replications (n = 20). Control group (Ctr) birds were fed basal diet, broilers in experimental groups received (1×108cfu/kg feed) Sb and Bs respectively in addition to basal diet for 72 days. The result showed significant increase in mRNA expression level of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR15. Down streaming MyD88, TRAF6, TAB2 and NF-κB mRNA level noted higher, in the jejunum and ileum as compared to control group. Meanwhile, IL-6, TNFα, IL-10, TGF-ß expression levels showed high expression in the jejunum of Sb and Bs groups. IL-10 expression level increased in the ileum and IL-6, TNFα, IL-10 and TGF-ß expression levels increased in the jejunum of Sb group. Levels of IL-1 ß, IL-17, and IL-4, increased merely in Sb group. Ileal cytokines IL-1ß, IL-17 and IL-4concentration were noted higher in Sb group, and IL-1ß, and IL-4 levels were up-regulated in Bs group. The results indicated that the INF-γ and IL-8 level decreased in Sb and BS groups. Serum IgA and sIgA level increased in both treatment groups. Our findings illustrated that S. boulardii and B. subtilis B10 may have a role to induce mucosal immunity by activating the TLRs and cytokines expressions in broilers.

Effect of various levels of date palm kernel on growth performance of broilers.

AIM: The aim of this study was the assessment of various levels of date palm kernel (DPK) on the growth performance of broilers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 250-day-old broiler chicks were randomly selected and categorized into five groups (50 chicks/group) contained A (control), B, C, D and E fed with 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% levels of DPK in balanced ration, respectively, for 6 weeks. Feed and water intake were recorded daily in the morning and evening. The data for feed intake, water intake, live body weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded from all birds regularly. The carcass weight and percentage obtained via six slaughtered birds were randomly selected from each group. Finally, economic aspects of the rations evaluated. RESULTS: The most feed intakes of broilers were recorded in Group A (3915.1 g) that was significantly higher than Groups D and E. The highest water intake was in Group E (9067.78 ml) that was significantly higher than Group A and control group. Live body weight was highest in Group E (979.85 g) than Groups B, C, and control group. The best growth weights were determined significantly in Groups D (1921.96 g) and E (1935.95 g). The lowest FCRs were indicated significantly in Groups D (1.97 g/g) and E (1.92 g/g) than Groups B and A. The highest carcass weights were recorded in Groups D (1214.01 g) and E (1230.88 g) that were significantly more than other groups. Dressing percentages in Groups D (61.76%) and E (62.17%) were higher than other groups (p<0.05). The net profits (Rs.) in Groups A, B, C, D and E were indicated 27.01, 32.77, 36.78, 43.47 and 44.51 per broiler, respectively. CONCLUSION: It was concluded that the high levels of DPK (3-4%) significantly decreased broiler feed intake and increased water intake, live body weight, growth weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, net profit per bird and also had positive effects on growth of broilers.

Oral administration of Saccharomyces boulardii alters duodenal morphology, enzymatic activity and cytokine production response in broiler chickens.

The present study evaluated the effects of Saccharomyces boulardii on duodenal digestive enzymes, morphology and cytokine induction response in broiler chicken. A total of 200 birds were allotted into two groups (n = 100) and each group divided into five replications (n = 20). The control group was fed basal diet in addition to antibiotic (virginiamycin 20 mg/kg), and treatment group received (1 × 108  colony-forming units/kg feed) S. boulardii in addition to basal diet lasting for 72 days. The results compared to control group revealed that adenosine triphosphatase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, lipase and trypsin activities were higher, while, no significant improvement was observed in amylase activities in the duodenum of the treatment group. Moreover, morphological findings showed that villus height, width and number of goblet cells markedly increased. Additionally, transmission electron microscopy visualized that villus height, width and structural condensation significantly increased in the treatment group. The immunohistological observations showed increased numbers of immunoglobulin A (IgA)-positive cells in the duodenum of the treatment group. Meanwhile, cytokine production levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-10, transforming growth factor-ß and secretory IgA markedly increased, and IL-6 statistically remained unchanged as compared to the control group. These findings illustrated that initial contact of S. boulardii to the duodenum has significant impact in improving enzymatic activity, intestinal morphology and cytokine response in broiler chicken.