Correlation between fatty acids levels in chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail and turkey egg yolks and post-thawed quality of ram semen.

The comparison between adding egg yolks (EY) of chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, Japanese quail or turkey to the Tris glycerol extender on the quality of ram semen before freezing and post-thawing was evaluated. The correlation between fatty acids levels in egg yolks of different avian species and the post-thawed quality of ram semen was studied. The pooled ejaculates collected from five rams were extended with Tris EY glycerol extenders containing the EY of chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail or turkey and cryopreserved at -196°C. The straws were evaluated before freezing and post-thawing for sperm motility using a sperm cell analyser, vitality using a FluoVit kit and abnormality using a SpermBlue stain besides plasma-membrane and DNA integrities using a hypo-osmotic swelling test and a Halomax kit, respectively. The moisture, ash, protein and fatty acid (FA) contents of EY of chicken, duck, goose, pigeon, quail and turkey were analysed using a gas chromatograph. The chicken and quail EY extenders significantly improved the total progressive motility (32.05 ± 1.41 and 31.68 ± 1.43, respectively), vitality, plasma membrane and DNA integrities and abnormalities of post-thawing ram semen in comparison with other EY extenders. Pigeon EY had the lowest saturated fatty acids (SFAs) in comparison with the other types of EYs. The chicken and turkey EYs had the lowest percentage of (monounsaturated fatty acids) MUFAs in comparison with the other types of EYs. The highest percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was observed in the turkey, pigeon and chicken EYs which were considered double or triple their percentage in duck and goose EYs, respectively. Significant positive correlations existed between SFAs levels and total motility, vitality, plasma membrane functionality and DNA integrity (0.77, 0.80, 0.67, 0.52, respectively). Significant negative correlations existed between gondoic EY levels and total motility, vitality, plasma membrane functionality and DNA integrity. In conclusion, the EYs of duck, goose, pigeon or turkey cannot substitute the chicken EY in ram semen extenders as they gave lower post-thawing quality. The quail EY can be used as a good replacer for chicken EY in the extender used for cryopreservation of ram semen. The EY composition of FAs can significantly affect the quality of ram semen post-thawing.

Effects of adding mixed chicken and quail egg yolks to the cryodiluent on the quality of ram semen before and after cryopreservation.

The effects of adding mixed chicken and Japanese quail egg yolks (EYs) to the cryodiluent on the quality of ram semen before freezing and post-thawing were evaluated. Additionally, the composition of chicken and quail egg EYs and their mixture were analyzed for results explanation. The semen was collected from rams (n = 5) and extended with cryodiluent containing the EY of chicken, quail or their mixture (1:1). The extended semen was chilled slowly to 5 °C within 2 h and equilibrated for 2 h, before frozen on the liquid nitrogen vapor and cryopreserved at -196 °C. The straws were evaluated before freezing and post-thawing for sperm motility, vitality and abnormality besides plasma-membrane and DNA integrities. The moisture, ash, protein, and fatty acid (FA) contents of chicken EY, quail EY and their mixture were analyzed. Sperm vitality, plasma membrane integrity and DNA integrity before freezing were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in quail EY than chicken EY and mixed EYs cryodiluent. The chicken EY extender significantly improved the vitality, plasma membrane and DNA integrities of post-thawed ram semen in comparison with quail EY or mixed EYs extenders. While, the post-thawing sperm abnormalities was lower (P ≤ 0.05) in quail EY than chicken EY and mixed EYs cryodiluent. The post-thawing sperm motion kinetics parameters were higher in quail EY than chicken EY and mixed EYs cryodiluent. The highest percentages of moisture, ash, saturated fatty acids (SFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) were detected in quail EY had. While, the highest percentages of fat, protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were detected in chicken EY. In conclusion, using of chicken EY can improve total motility, vitality, plasma membrane integrity and DNA integrity of cryopreserved ram semen. While, using of quail EY can improve sperm abnormalities and kinetic motion parameters of cryopreserved ram semen. Mixing chicken and quail EYs added no value for post-thawing ram semen parameters.

Evaluation of the Nutritive Value and Digestibility of Sprouted Barley as Feed for Growing Lambs: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effects of freshly sprouted barley on the growth of lambs, in addition to its nutritional value and digestibility. In addition, sprouted barley digestibility and rumen fermentation were studied in vitro on a dry matter (DM) basis. A total of 45 three-month-old Awassi lambs were randomly assigned to five treatments of sprouted barley (0, 25, 50, 75, 100%) diets. Bodyweight, weight gain, feed intake and feed efficiency were recorded every two weeks. Nutrient analyses were performed on feed, faecal, and urine samples. DM and non-fibrous carbohydrates were measured. Digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), as well as gas production, pH value, ammonia-N, and volatile fatty acids (VFAs), were determined in vitro using continuous culture. The results showed that final bodyweight was lower (p < 0.05), while feed intake and the feed-to-gain ratio were increased (p < 0.05) in sprouted barley treatments. Nutrient analysis indicators of sprouted barley treatments (25 to100%) were lower (p < 0.05) for DM, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, lignin and ash, and higher for total digestible nutrients, NDF, fat, phosphorus, zinc, copper, and net energy than the traditional diet. In the in vivo study, the digestibility of nutrients in sprouted barley treatments was improved (p < 0.05), while the diet (sprouted barley 100%) had the lowest digestibility of DM, OM, and NDF compared with the other treatments in the in vitro study. In conclusion, the addition of sprouted barley improved digestibility, and fermentation characteristics, while having a negative effect on growth. Further studies are recommended for optimal growth performance.

Effects of different levels of spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) supplementation on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, blood metabolites, and meat quality of growing Najdi lambs.

In a 90-day study, 32 growing lambs aged 3 months were utilized to evaluate the effects of various levels of spirulina dietary supplement on productive performance, nutritional digestibility, and meat quality in growing Najdi lambs. The lambs were put into 4 groups of 8 lambs each at random. The diet consisted of a total mixed ration (TMR) without spirulina (CONT), and the TMR diet supplemented with spirulina at the levels of 2 ppm (SPP2), 4 ppm (SPP4), and 8 ppm (SPP8). The treatment groups, especially SPP8, showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in body weight and average daily gain (p < 0.05) compared to the CONT group. Dry matter intake and acid detergent fiber were also significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher in SPP8 compared to other treated groups and CONT. The N absorption, N retention, and percentage of N digestibility coefficient were greater (P < 0.05) in lambs in the treatment groups than in the CONT. Blood biochemistry variables were not significantly (p ≤ 0.05) affected by the treatments, with the exception of the serum concentration of triglyceride and bilirubin. Carcass profile and meat quality, including back fat, body wall fat, and cooking loss, were increased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) with dietary spirulina. From the results of the present study, it was concluded that spirulina dietary supplementation at the level of 8 ppm increased weight gain, nutritional digestibility, nitrogen utilization, and meat composition in growing Najdi lambs.

The effects of clove seed (Syzygium aromaticum) dietary administration on carcass characteristics, meat quality, and sensory attributes of broiler chickens.

Previous studies have shown positive outcomes associated with the incorporation of cloves into broiler chicken diets. This study aimed to evaluate carcass characteristics, meat quality, and sensory attributes of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with different clove seed levels. A total of 240 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were fed 1 of seven dietary treatments. The control group diet contained 0% clove seeds, whereas the treatment group diets contained up to 6% clove seeds. The chickens' final BW was significantly different between the treatments, which decreased linearly with increasing levels of clove seed inclusion. Broiler chickens fortified with clove seeds did not significantly affect the chickens' carcass characteristics and body composition. However, an increment in weights of carcass components (liver, heart, and gizzard) was observed in low clove seed levels. In addition, water-holding capacity, cooking loss percentages, and tenderness of the meat were improved owing to clove seed inclusion (1 or 2%) compared with the control group. Further studies are warranted to optimize the outstanding use of cloves toward broiler chicken performance enhancement and to produce a high quality of meat.

Nutrient digestibility, nitrogen excretion, and milk production of mid-lactation Jersey × Friesian cows fed diets containing different proportions of rumen-undegradable protein.

The present study was planned to test the hypothesis that feeding lactating dairy cattle with varying levels of rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) can enhance protein utilization, milk production, milk protein, and nitrogen (N) excretion. Forty mid-lactating crossbred (Jersey × Friesian) cattle were randomly divided into four groups. Four treatment diets were formulated to contain 30%, 40%, 50%, and 60% RUP of crude protein. Dry matter (DM) and crude protein intakes were significantly reduced with increasing dietary RUP levels. Crude protein digestibility increased linearly with incremental increases in dietary RUP levels. Cattle fed 60% RUP showed a linear decrease in N intake compared to that in the other groups. A linear decrease in urinary N and linear increases in net N, milk N, and N-use efficiency were observed with increasing dietary RUP levels. Actual milk, energy-corrected milk, and 4% fat-corrected milk yields (kg/day) increased linearly with an increasing degradability of protein. However, milk protein, solids not fat and total solids, as well as the yields of protein, fat, and lactose, showed significant increases with increased RUP supplementation. Collectively, the results indicate that formulating dairy cow diets to contain 60% RUP results in better lactating performance and N-use efficiency and lower N excretion.

Effects of Acute Hyperthermia on the Thermotolerance of Cow and Sheep Skin-Derived Fibroblasts.

This study was conducted to compare the effects of acute hyperthermia (45 °C for 4 h) on the viability, proliferation, and migratory activity through wound-healing assays of cow and sheep fibroblasts. The study examined the effects on primary cultures and first passage skin-derived fibroblasts. Relative quantification of HSP70, HSP90, P53, BAX, BCL2, and BECN1 was investigated after normalization to housekeeping genes GAPDH and beta-actin. The results revealed that cultured cow primary fibroblasts exhibited increased viability and reinitiated cell migration to close the cell monolayer scratch earlier than sheep cells. Similar patterns were observed in the first passage fibroblasts, with severe effects on sheep cells. Both cow and sheep cells exhibited decreased cell viability and failed to regain migratory activity after re-exposure of recovered heat-shocked cells. Effects of hyperthermia on sheep cells were potentiated by cell cryopreservation. The qPCR results showed that cow cells significantly increased HSP70 and HSP90 expression, which decreased the elevation of P53, and ameliorated the effects of the increased BAX/BCL2 ratio. The results provide a paradigm to compare thermotolerance among different animal species and revealed that trypsin could be an additional stress, which potentiates the effects of heat shock in in vitro experiments.

Thermotolerance and plasticity of camel somatic cells exposed to acute and chronic heat stress.

The Arabian camel is the largest known mammal that can survive in severe hot climatic conditions. We provide the molecular explanation for the thermotolerance of camel granulosa somatic cells after exposure to 45 °C for 2 (acute heat shock) or 20 h (chronic heat shock). The common features of the cellular responses to acute heat stress were the increase of heat shock proteins and DNA repair enzymes expression. Actin polymerization and Rho signaling were critically activated as a cellular defense against heat shock. Cells exposed to chronic heat shock showed altered cell architecture with a decrease in total detected proteins, metabolic enzymes, and cytoskeletal protein expression. Treatment with transforming growth factor beta (TGFß) pathway inhibitor SB-431542 suppressed the morphological alterations of cells exposed to chronic heat shock. Moreover, during the recovery stage at 38 °C for 24 h, proteomic changes were partially restored with an exponential increase in HSP70 expression, and the cells restored their normal cellular morphology on the 9th day of recovery. Full proteomics data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD012159. The strategies of cellular defense and tolerance to both thermal conditions reflect the flexible adaptability of camel somatic cells to conserve life under extremely hot conditions.

Effect of a low-energy and enzyme-supplemented diet on broiler chicken growth, carcass traits and meat quality.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a low metabolizable energy (low-ME) diet supplemented with a multienzyme blend (KEMZYME®) on the growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality of chickens. A total of 108 broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to three experimental groups with six replicates per treatment and five birds per replicate; the groups were treated as follows: a control diet with no additive and standard metabolizable energy (ME; 3200 kcal kg - 1 ); a low metabolizable energy (low-ME; 3000 kcal kg - 1 ) diet; and a low-ME diet  +  0.5 g kg - 1 diet of enzyme (low-ME-Enz). Live body weight (LBW) at 43 and 47 d and body weight gain (BWG) during the periods from 38 to 43, 43 to 47 and 33 to 47 d decreased with the low-ME and low-ME-Enz diets in comparison with the control-diet ( p < 0.05 ). The values of the feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly increased with low-ME diets with or without enzyme at all growing stages. There were no significant differences among treatments in terms of carcass traits. With the exception of the jejunum weight, dietary treatments did not affect any digestive tract segments. Meat hardness decreased with the low-ME-Enz diet compared with the other diets ( P = 0.039 ). Meat yellowness of the breast muscle increased ( P = 0.001 ) with the low-ME-Enz diet in comparison with the other treatments at 24 h post-slaughter. In conclusion, the low-ME diet supplemented with KEMZYME® did not influence most of performance parameters and carcass traits of chickens; however, adding enzymes to the low-ME diet is an effective strategy to improve the meat quality criteria and small intestine characteristics.

Chemical Composition and Quality Characteristics of Meat in Three One-Humped Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Breeds as Affected by Muscle Type and Post-Mortem Storage Period.

The influence of muscle type and postmortem storage period on meat chemical composition and quality attributes of three breeds of camels (Baladi Saudi, Pakistani, and Somali) were investigated in this study. Crude fat and ash content were significantly higher in the Pakistani than in the Baladi Saudi and Somali breeds, except for higher moisture content observed in the Somali breed. The longissimus lumborum (LL) and semimembranosus (SM) muscles had a greater crude protein than the biceps femoris (BF) muscle. Storage period exhibited a significant reduction in pH values and improvement in color components of meat. The Somali breed produced higher cooking loss % and shear force, with a lower water holding capacity than the Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds. The LL muscle had better cooking loss %, water holding capacity, and shear force, whereas storage period (7 days) exhibited a significant reduction in the myofibrillar fragmentation index. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani breeds and LL muscle samples presented better meat sensory attributes, while storage period had no significant influence on the overall sensory characters of meat. In conclusion, there were significant differences between the chemical and structural characteristics of the LL, BF, and SM muscle samples among the three breeds of camel. Baladi Saudi and Pakistani had better meat quality traits than the Somali breed. In addition, LL muscles had better nutritional values and meat quality parameters than BF and SM muscles. Improvement in meat quality attributes were achieved with the storage process of 7 days. It is observed that, the Saudi Baladi camels have a merit of low fat content over both Somali and Pakistani camel breeds. It is also concluded that no significant effects were observed between the treatments as a result of storage when sensory attributes were considered. Moreover, breed, muscle and storage period were interacted significantly only with regard to lightness color space and shear force. This is useful knowledge for the meat industry for optimizing processing and storage procedures for various camel muscles.

Isolation, conventional and molecular characterization of Salmonella spp. from newly hatched broiler chicks.

Salmonella is an important pathogen for poultry production as well as for human due to zoonotic importance. It has more than 2600 identified serovars despite of this identification and classification of Salmonella isolates into different serovars is critical for study of incidence and surveillance. This study investigates the epidemiology and molecular characterization of Salmonella isolates in broiler chicks during 1st week of life. A total of (n = 1000) samples including liver, intestine, yolk sac, spleen and heart blood were collected from El-Gharbia, El-Behera, Kafr-Elshikh, Alexandria, Marsamatroh Provinces in Egypt and tested through bacteriological, biochemical, serological and molecular examinations. Incidence of Salmonella was demonstrated on 75 positive samples from 1000 samples and the predominance of Salmonella that isolated from internal organs of newly hatched chicks was highest from yolk sacs (10%), liver and intestines (9%) followed by the spleen (7.5%) then heart blood (2%). Serotyping of the isolated strains using slide agglutination test revealed that 24 isolates belonging to S. enteritidis (1,9,12 g.m 1,7), while, 14 isolates belonging to S. virchow (6,7 r 1,2), in addition to, 12 isolates belonging to S. typhimurium (1,4,5,12.i.1,2) and 8 isolates belonging to S. kentucky (6,8.I,z). Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus (ERIC) PCR revealed that two S. enteriditis isolates were identical and one isolate differ by 40%, while two S. typhimurium isolates were identical by 80% and one isolate was similar by 20% to the other two isolates, in addition, two S. virchow isolates were identical by 80% and the two S. kentucky isolates were different.

Thermotolerance of camel (Camelus dromedarius) somatic cells affected by the cell type and the dissociation method.

Researchers dealing with heat stress experiments use different cell kinds and use trypsin that has been reported to affect the cellular proteins of cultured cells. Therefore, we compared the effects of acute and chronic exposures to high temperature (45 °C) on camel skin fibroblast and granulosa cells. Primary culture of fibroblasts and granulosa cells tolerated the acute heat shock for 2 h; however, granulosa cells cultured for long duration (20 h) showed thermotolerance when compared with the fibroblasts. Moreover, the effect of cell dispersion method (trypsin and mechanical dissociation) on the thermotolerance of sub-cultured cells was examined. Trypsin altered the morphology of fibroblasts and granulosa cells exposed to 45 °C for 4 h. Moreover, trypsin significantly reduced the fibroblast and granulosa cell migration in the wound healing assay. The current results demonstrate that cell passaging and cell type can affect the thermotolerance of the cells; it also revealed that trypsin could alter the cellular response to the heat shock. We raise the demand for another alternative method for cell dispersion in experiments dealing with cellular responses to the heat shock.

In Vitro Culture of Camelid Embryos.

The camel is the main meat- and milk-producing animal in the desert environment and is characterized by an induced ovulation pattern, in which ovulation occurs in response to copulation. Little is known about the early embryonic development and placentation in camelid species. Here we describe protocols for the culture of both in vitro-produced and in vivo-retrieved camel embryos. A chemically defined medium enables the development of in vitro-produced embryos from cleavage to the hatching blastocyst stage. In vivo-retrieved embryos will survive in vitro for 23 days postinsemination, reaching a diameter of ~5 mm.

Isolation and Culture of Skin-Derived Differentiated and Stem-Like Cells Obtained from the Arabian Camel (Camelus dromedarius).

Elite camels often suffer from massive injuries. Thus, there is a pivotal need for a cheap and readily available regenerative medicine source. We isolated novel stem-like cells from camel skin and investigated their multipotency and resistance against various stresses. Skin samples were isolated from ears of five camels. Fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and spheroid progenitors were extracted. After separation of different cell lines by trypsinization, all cell lines were exposed to heat shock. Then, fibroblasts and dermal cyst-forming cells were examined under cryopreservation. Dermal cyst-forming cells were evaluated for resistance against osmotic pressure. The results revealed that resistance periods against trypsin were 1.5, 4, and 7 min for fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and spheroid progenitors, respectively. Furthermore, complete recovery of different cell lines after heat shock along with the differentiation of spheroid progenitors into neurons was observed. Fibroblasts and spheroid progenitors retained cell proliferation after cryopreservation. Dermal cyst-forming cells regained their normal structure after collapsing by osmotic pressure. The spheroid progenitors incubated in the adipogenic, osteogenic, and neurogenic media differentiated into adipocyte-, osteoblast-, and neuron-like cells, respectively. To the best of our knowledge, we isolated different unique cellular types and stem-like cells from the camel skin and examined their multipotency for the first time.

Muscovy ducks infected with velogenic Newcastle disease virus (genotype VIId) act as carriers to infect in-contact chickens.

This work was designed to study the dynamics of transmission of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), genotype VIId, from Muscovy ducks (Cariana moscata) infected either by intramuscular (IM) or intranasal (IN) inoculation, to in-contact broiler chickens (Gallus gallus). IM-infected Muscovy ducks (G1d) exhibited only 5% mortality, and the concentration of virus shed from the cloaca was greater and for longer period than virus shed from the trachea. In contrast, IN-infected ducks (G2d) exhibited no mortality, and virus shedding from the trachea was higher than that from the cloaca starting from 4 days post infection (dpi) and continued up to 16 dpi, while in IM-infected ducks (G1d), tracheal shedding stopped at 11 dpi. Chickens in contact with IM-infected and IN-infected ducks, G1c and G2c, respectively, not only developed severe clinical symptoms and death (80% and 20% mortality, respectively), but also shed the virus at higher concentrations than infected ducks. G1c chickens had higher viral shedding titers in both the trachea and cloaca than G2c chickens until 11 dpi. All broiler chickens infected by IM route (G3c) died, while the IN route of infection resulted in lower mortality (70%) in G4c. Generally, all IM-infected birds produced an earlier and higher level of NDV hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titer, along with higher rates and shorter periods of viral shedding than those infected by the intranasal route. Our conclusion is that Muscovy ducks are efficient carriers of NDV-genotype VIId and transmit the virus to contact chickens.

Laying Performance, Physical, and Internal Egg Quality Criteria of Hens Fed Distillers Dried Grains with Solubles and Exogenous Enzyme Mixture.

: The effects of dietary inclusion of distillers dried grains with solubles in laying hen diets with and without exogenous enzyme mixture (EEM) on performance and egg characteristics were evaluated. One of the main objectives of this study was to examine the effects of distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and enzyme cocktail on egg yolk fatty acids. The study used total of 144 Hisex Brown laying hens in a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement, including four levels of DDGS (0, 6, 12, and 18% of diet) and two levels of enzyme cocktail (0 or 250 mg EEM/kg of diet) through 32⁻42 weeks of the age. The inclusion of 18% DDGS was associated with the worst (p ≤ 0.001) egg production and the lowest daily feed intake. Numerically, hens fed 6% DDGS diet consumed more feed and had the greatest egg production. The best feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded in the control, while the worst was recorded in the 18% DDGS group. Compared with EEM-free diets, EEM supplementation improved FCR by about 2.79%, but the difference was not significant. Shell thickness and shell percentage were significantly increased in hens fed 6% DDGS diet compared to other groups. Egg weights in the 6% and 12% DDGS groups were significantly higher than those in the control and 18% DDGS groups. Non-significant increases in shell and albumin percentages were recorded in groups fed EEM-supplemented diets. The interaction effect of DDGS and EEM was significant (p ≤ 0.01) for the majority of egg characteristics. As dietary DDGS level increased, yolk color density increased. Elevating DDGS level up to 18% increased yolk cholesterol, total fat, and total unsaturated fatty acids. The effects of EEM supplementation on egg yolk fatty acid composition and the interaction effects between DDGS and EEM were not significant. Considering these results, it could be concluded that DDGS is an acceptable feed ingredient in layer diets and that the maximum inclusion level of DDGS should not exceed 12% of the whole diet.

Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat smoked turkey meat by combination with packaging atmosphere, oregano essential oil and cold temperature.

The effects of packaging atmosphere, storage temperature and oregano essential oil (EO) on growth of Listeria monocytogenes on ready-to-eat smoked turkey were studied. Smoked turkey slices were inoculated with a strain of Listeria monocytogenes Scott A (5.95, 5.28 and 5.26 log CFU/g) then vacuum packaged (VP), modified atmosphere packaging (MAP: 40% CO2 and 60% N2) and MAP with oregano essential oil (MAPEO), respectively. The treated slices were then stored at 0, 5, 10 and 15 °C for 179.88 days and the L. monocytogenes Scott A's growth and microbial shelf life were monitored. The combination of MAP or MAPEO and storage temperature did not allow growth of L. monocytogenes higher than log 1 CFU/g during all storage periods. While in VP temperature combinations, the multiplication of bacteria were ≥ 1 log CFU/g. In VP, MAP and MAPEO smoked turkey, the growth of L. monocytogenes increased regardless of storage temperature. In MAPEO samples the inoculum in the product was suppressed by ca. 5 log CFU/g at 0, 10 and 15 °C at 180, 117 and 81 days of storage, respectively. The inhibition of L. monocytogenes in ready-to-eat smoked turkey by the combinations of MAP and MAPEO was enhanced by storage at 0 or 5 °C. The MAPEO system can be used effectively to control growth of pathogen in processed food when maintaining fixed temperature measures is difficult.

Effect of short artificial lighting and low temperature in housing rooms during non-rutting season on reproductive parameters of male dromedary camels.

Ten dromedary mature males were used to study the effects of short artificial lighting and low temperature on the reproductive behavior, testicular size, semen quality and hormone during the non-rutting season and subsequent rutting season. Bulls were allocated into two groups: the first group were subjected to natural daylight and temperature and used as a control. The second group was housed individually in light and temperature controlled rooms in which artificial light (300 lux) was used for 10 h/d, and the temperature was 25.28 ±â€¯0.21 °C. The trial was initiated in mid-June and continued for 10 weeks in the non-rutting season. The reproductive parameters of all animals in the control and room groups were evaluated once every two weeks. The reproductive parameters of all animals in the control and room groups were re-evaluated during the rutting season of the same year. A significant (P < 0.05) increase in the morphometry of the testes, scrotum, libido, and reaction time score, as well as serum melatonin and testosterone levels, was observed in the treatment non-rutting season (TNRS) group compared to in the control non-rutting season (CNRS) group. The testicular volume, reaction time score, serum melatonin, and testosterone were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the treatment rutting season (TRS) group than in the control non-rutting season (CRS) group. Improvement in the semen parameters were observed in the TNRS and TRS groups compared to in the CRS group. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that short artificial lighting and low temperature can induce rutting out of season and improve the reproductive parameters of dromedary males during the subsequent rutting season.

Comparative Evaluation of HVT-IBD Vector, Immune Complex, and Live IBD Vaccines against vvIBDV in Commercial Broiler Chickens with High Maternally Derived Antibodies.

Infectious bursal disease (IBD) causes increased mortality and severe immunosuppression in commercial chickens. Currently, vaccination mainly used to control IBD. In this study, Group A (n = 30) received the HVT-IBD vector vaccine (Vaxxitek®) s/c and Group B (n = 30) received the immune complex vaccine (Bursa-Plex®) s/c at 1 day of age. Group C (n = 30) received a single dose of intermediate plus vaccine (228E) through the eye-drop route at 14 days of age. Group D (n = 30) was vaccinated twice with the intermediate vaccine (D78) at 12 and 22 days of age by eye-drop. Group E (n = 30) had the same treatment as group D along with the IBD killed vaccine (Nobilis G®) at 5 days of age. The PC (n = 20) and NC (n = 20) groups were non IBD vaccinated birds either challenged or not with vvIBDV, respectively; 20 chicks from each group were challenged with vvIBDV at 4 weeks of age. Based on clinical signs, postmortem gross lesions, histopathological changes, mortality rate, feed conversion rate, serology, bursal and spleen indices, the HVT-IBD vector vaccine administered was found to be safer and provided better protection against the vvIBDV challenge. The use of a killed IBD vaccine at an earlier age in broilers strengthened the protection induced by double doses of intermediate vaccines in broilers with high maternally derived antibodies against the vvIBDV challenge.

Paulownia Leaves as A New Feed Resource: Chemical Composition and Effects on Growth, Carcasses, Digestibility, Blood Biochemistry, and Intestinal Bacterial Populations of Growing Rabbits.

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of paulownia leaf meal (PLM) as a nontraditional feed on the growth, carcasses, digestibility, blood chemistry, and intestinal microbiota of growing rabbits. Sixty rabbits (5-weeks old) were randomly allotted to three dietary treatments containing three amounts of PLM (0%, 15%, and 30%). The results showed that PLM has a higher content of ether extract, organic matter, methionine, tyrosine, histidine, manganese, and zinc than alfalfa hay. Body weight gain decreased when 30% PLM was provided. The best feed conversion ratio was recorded in the rabbits fed 15% PLM. A notable increase in high-density lipoprotein levels with a significant decrease in low-density lipoprotein was noted in the rabbits fed the PLM diets. Total fungi and Enterobacteriaceae and total bacterial count in the feed were significantly reduced because of PLM. In the cecum, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae species, and total bacterial count declined in the rabbits fed the PLM diets. Conclusively, up to 15% PLM can be used in rabbit diets without any deleterious effects on the performance, nutrient digestibility, and blood constituents. In addition, dietary inclusion of PLM has the potential to reduce cecal pathogenic bacteria in rabbits.