Effects of in ovo injection of prebiotics and synbiotics on the productive performance and microstructural features of the superficial pectoral muscle in broiler chickens.

The aim of the study was to compare the effects of 2 prebiotics and 2 synbiotics injected in ovo on productivity parameters, quality, and microstructure of the superficial pectoral muscle in 35-day-old broiler chickens. On day 12 of incubation, 9,000 eggs Ross 308 were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups treated with different bioactives in ovo injected: C, control with physiological saline; PI, with 1.760 mg inulin; PB, with 0.528 mg of commercial prebiotic Bi2tos; SI, with 1.760 mg inulin and 1,000 CFU Lactococcus lactis spp. lactis IBB SL1; SB, with 0.528 mg Bi2tos and 1,000 CFU Lactococcus lactis spp. cremoris IBB SC1. The synbiotic solution contained 20 µl bacterial suspension and 180 µl prebiotic solution. For productive parameters and further tests ten male birds for each experimental group were used. The birds were slaughtered on day 35 of age. At slaughter, samples of the left pectoral muscles were taken and preserved by freezing in liquid nitrogen. The pH and color of the meat were evaluated at 45 min and 24 h post-mortem. Water holding capacity (WHC) was measured and expressed as the percentage of free water in meat. Microscopic specimens were analysed using MultiScan software for the measurement of the percentage of oxidative and glycolytic fibres and mean diameter of the muscle fibres. In ovo injection of prebiotics Bi2tos had a positive effect on body weight. In prebiotic group (PI) a negative impact on hatchability was observed. Prebiotics and synbiotics had no influence on the yield of the carcass and pectoral muscle. Bioactive compounds had a significant effect on the quality of meat parameters such as: pH 24 h (PI and PB group), L* 45' (SI and SB group), and WHC (groups PB, SI, and SB). The analysis of the enzymatic profile showed a significant increase in the percentage of glycolytic fibres in the pectoral muscle from chicken treated with a synbiotic with the addition of inulin (group SI).

Prebiotics and synbiotics - in ovo delivery for improved lifespan condition in chicken.

Commercially produced chickens have become key food-producing animals in the global food system. The scale of production in industrial settings has changed management systems to a point now very far from traditional methods. During the perinatal period, newly hatched chicks undergo processing, vaccination and transportation, which introduces a gap in access to feed and water. This gap, referred to as the hatching window, dampens the potential for microflora inoculation and as such, prevents proper microbiome, gastrointestinal system and innate immunity development. As a consequence, the industrial production of chickens with a poor microbial profile leads to enteric microbial infestation and infectious disease outbreaks, which became even more prevalent after the withdrawal of antibiotic growth promoters on many world markets (e.g., the EU).This review presents the rationale, methodology and life-long effects of in ovo stimulation of chicken microflora. In ovo stimulation provides efficient embryonic microbiome colonization with commensal microflora during the perinatal period. A carefully selected bioactive formulation (prebiotics, probiotics alone or combined into synbiotics) is delivered into the air cell of the egg on day 12 of egg incubation. The prebiotic penetrates the outer and inner egg membranes and stimulates development on the innate microflora in the embryonic guts. Probiotics are available after the mechanical breakage of the shell membranes by the chick's beak at the beginning of hatching (day 19). The intestinal microflora after in ovo stimulation is potent enough for competitive exclusion and programs the lifespan condition. We present the effects of different combinations of prebiotic and probiotic delivered in ovo on day 12 of egg incubation on microflora, growth traits, feed efficiency, intestinal morphology, meat microstructure and quality, immune system development, physiological characteristics and the transcriptome of the broiler chickens.We discuss the differences between in ovo stimulation (day 12 of egg incubation) and in ovo feeding (days 17-18 of egg incubation) and speculate about possible future developments in this field. In summary, decades of research on in ovo stimulation and the lifelong effects support this method as efficient programming of lifespan conditions in commercially raised chickens.

Prebiotics offered to broiler chicken exert positive effect on meat quality traits irrespective of delivery route.

Elimination of antibiotic growth promoters from poultry production has encouraged intensive search for relevant alternatives. Prebiotics are proposed as efficient replacements to stimulate colonization/expansion of beneficial microflora in chickens. The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge on the effect of prebiotic administration on slaughter performance and meat quality traits of broiler chickens by evaluating different routes of their delivery (in ovo vs. in-water vs. in ovo + in-water). At d 12 of incubation, 1,500 eggs (Ross 308) containing viable embryos were randomly allotted into 4 groups and injected in ovo with 0.2 mL solution containing: 3.5 mg/embryo BI (Bi2tos, trans-galactooligosaccharides); 0.88 mg/embryo DN (DiNovo, extract of Laminaria spp.); 1.9 mg/embryo RFO (raffinose family oligosaccharides) and 0.2 mL physiological saline (C). All prebiotics increased final BW compared to C group (P < 0.01), irrespective of delivery route. The prebiotics injected in ovo (T1) or in ovo combined with in-water supplementation (T2) increased carcass weight as compared with in-water group (T3), while T3 had the lowest carcass yield compared to the other groups. All prebiotics increased breast muscle weight and yield (P < 0.01), as well as fiber diameter (P < 0.05). Ultimate meat pH was lower (P < 0.01) in T3 than in T2 group. Meat from chickens treated with prebiotics showed a lower redness index, while lightness and yellowness were not affected by the treatments. Saturated fatty acid (SFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and n-3 fatty acids contents were higher (P < 0.01), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) level was lower (P < 0.01) in prebiotic groups compared with C group. Nutritional indexes (n-6/n-3, PUFA/SFA ratio and thrombogenic index) displayed favorable human health-promoting values in the meat of chickens which were treated with prebiotics, irrespective of delivery route. Muscle cholesterol content was not affected by prebiotics. In conclusion, this study has shown that prebiotics can exert positive effects on growth of broiler chickens, carcass and meat quality traits, irrespective of delivery route.

The impact of synbiotic administration through in ovo technology on the microstructure of a broiler chicken small intestine tissue on the 1st and 42nd day of rearing.

BACKGROUND: Application the innovative method which is in ovo technology provides a means of modulating the immune system at early embryonic stages. The aim of study was to determine influence of the in ovo stimulation, on d 12 of incubation, with synbiotics (synbiotic 1- L. salivarius IBB3154 + Bi2tos, Clasado Ltd. and the synbiotic 2 - L. plantarum IBB3036 + lupin RFOs) on the microstructure of duodenum, jejunum and ileum in the 1st and 42nd day of rearing. RESULTS: On the 1st day of chickens life, in the duodenum of both experimental groups (SYN1 and SYN2), a significantly higher and wider intestinal villi as well as a significantly larger absorbent surface of these villi were found in comparison with the Control group (P ≤ 0.01). On the 42nd day of rearing the beneficial effect of synbiotic 1 was reflected by the numerically higher villi (no statistical differences) with a larger surface (P ≤ 0.01) in the duodenum in the SYN1 group compare to the Control group. In the jejunum on the 1st day of life, in the SYN1 group, significantly higher villi than in the Control group, with a simultaneous decrease in the depth of crypts (P ≤ 0.01), and also the largest width of villi and their absorbent area (P ≤ 0.01) in comparison to the other groups were found. On the 42nd day of life, in the jejunum, an increase in the height of the villi whilst reducing the crypt depth in the SYN2 group was found (P ≤ 0.01). In turn, in the SYN1 group, there were significantly more neutral goblet cells observed compared with the control group (P ≤ 0.05). In the ileum of 1-day-old chickens, the widest villi (P ≤ 0.05) and the deepest crypts (P ≤ 0.01) were found in the SYN2 group. In the same group, there was also the least amount of neutral goblet cells in comparison to the other groups (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We observed that synbiotic 1 and 2 beneficially affected the examined characteristics on the 1st and 42nd day of life. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the use of synbiotics significantly affect gut structure which should contribute to improvement in nutrient absorption by the gut.

Morphometric analysis of muscle fibre types in rat locomotor and postural skeletal muscles in different stages of chronic kidney disease.

Muscle weakness and progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass are serious complications of chronic kidney disease (CKD). The pathogenesis of this condition is still poorly understood. The study investigated fibre type distribution and diameter in functionally different skeletal muscles: locomotor, gastrocnemius muscle (MG) and postural, longissimus thoracis muscle (ML) together with an evaluation of metabolic disturbances and nutritional parameters of rats with different stages of CKD. Wistar rats were randomized to a sham operation - CON, uninephrectomy - CKD1/2 or subtotal nephrectomy - CKD5/6. After 4 weeks, serum concentration haemoglobin (Hb), haptoglobin (Hp), MCP-1, advanced glycation end products (AGEs), and homocysteine (Hcy) were measured. Muscle specimens were stained for myofibrillary ATPase and NADH-diaphoreses activity according to Ziegan's method. There was a significant increase in the percentage of IID/X with a concomitant decrease of IIB fibres in ML in CKD1/2 vs. CON and CKD5/6. IIB fibre diameters in ML were smaller (53.4±7.3 vs. 58.1±8.1 and 59.8±11.2; p=0.08) for CKD5/6 vs. CKD1/2 and CON, respectively. There were significant differences for CKD5/6 and CKD1/2 vs. CON in: Hb (11.4±3.1; 13.7±0.7 and 14.1±1 g/dl), Hp (1.6±0.6; 1.6±0.6 and 0.7±0.4 mg/ml), AGEs (5.1±0.6; 4.3±1.2 and 4.6±0.9 AU), Hcy (7.2±1.2; 5.1±0.5 and 4.9±0.5 M), MCP-1 (609±255; 489±265 and 292±113 pg/ml), respectively. We concluded that early stages of CKD could induce the process of compensatory fast to slow fibre transformation, while in more advanced CKD this process may be blocked and atrophy of fast-twitch fibres may occur, predominantly in non-locomotor muscles. These disturbances can be secondary to CKD-related metabolic burden and inflammation.

Light-evoked changes in [K+]o in proximal portion of light-adapted cat retina.

1. The M-wave is a light-adapted response of proximal retina consisting of phasic negative field potentials at light onset and offset that are spatially tuned for small stimuli. We measured light-dependent changes in extracellular K+ concentration ([K+]o) in proximal retina to investigate the hypothesis that the M-wave originates from Müller cell responses to changes in [K+]o. 2. Extracellular field potentials, and changes in [K+]o evoked in response to circular spots of light flashed on steady backgrounds, were recorded with double-barreled K(+)-sensitive electrodes placed in the retina at different depths. 3. Increases in [K+]o during illumination and at light offset were maximal in proximal retina, with the On [K+]o increase located more proximally than the Off increase. The [K+]o increase during illumination consisted of a phasic and sustained response, whereas the Off [K+]o increase was predominantly phasic. The spatial tuning of the [K+]o increases was similar to the tuning of the field potentials. 4. The Off-field potential was larger than the On potential; it tended to be maximal more distally and was more sharply localized in retinal depth. Stimulus-response characteristics of the field potentials were not altered by intravitreal tetrodotoxin (TTX; 3.8 microM) sufficient to block retinal ganglion cell action potentials. 5. There were no rod contributions to the proximal [K+]o increases and field potentials recorded at the background illuminations used in this study (9.5-11.5 log q.deg-2.s-1). 6. An intravitreal injection of L- or DL-2-amino-4-phosphonobutyric acid (APB; 1 mM) was used to block On-system neuronal responses in proximal retina and isolate Off-system responses. After APB the [K+]o response consisted of a sustained decrease in [K+]o during illumination followed by an overshoot at light offset, while the field potential was a sustained positive response at light onset followed by an initially phasic negative response at light onset followed by an initially phasic negative response at light offset. These responses retained spatial tuning. To isolate the On-system components, the APB-isolated responses were subtracted from the controls. The [K+]o response now consisted of a sustained increase during illumination followed by an undershoot at light offset. The field potential was a sustained negative potential with an initial phasic peak that decayed at Off. Results with kynurenate (KYN; 5 mM) and (+/-)cis-2,3-piperidine (PDA; 5 mM) confirmed the sustained nature of the On component.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)