Effects of varying dietary microalgae levels on performance, egg quality, fertility, and blood biochemical parameters of laying Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica).

This experiment was carried out to investigate the nutritional value of Spirulina and Dunaliella (SD) combination levels (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/kg) that affected the laying Japanese quail's efficiency, egg quality, fertility, and blood biological indicators. A total of 150 adult Japanese quails, aged 8 wk, were divided into 5 treatments at random, each consisting of 30 quails. There were 5 duplicates for every treatment, with 2 male and 4 female quails in each. Comparing the addition of various concentrations of a mixture of SD to the control treatment, the results showed no substantial rise in egg production, egg weight, or egg mass. When compared to the control group, final body weight (FBW) was improved with SD supplementation. The quails in control consumed more feed intake (FI) (p < 0.05), and they were different from the groups who got SD therapy in that they had a regular feed conversion ratio (FCR). The percentages of hatchability and fertility increased when SD was added to quail meals at up to 1.00 g/kg. When compared to the control quail, the quail supplemented with SD levels showed a non-significant rise in albumin%, yolk%, Haugh unit, and unit surface shell weight (USSW), as well as an increase in eggshell percentage and a drop in egg shape index (p < 0.05). Renal and hepatic enzyme functioning improved when SD was added to the diets. Additionally, lipid profile indicators were reduced by SD supplementation (except low-density lipoprotein-LDL). Moreover, compared to the control, incorporating SD led to a nonsignificant rise in immunoglobulin concentrations (IgG and IgM). In conclusion, adding SD to the diet can improve body weight, lipid profile, immunological response, and liver and kidney functions in Japanese quail.

Impacts of supplemental Ginkgo biloba oil on broilers' growth, blood indices, intestinal and hepatic morphology and expression of growth-related genes.

The current work examined the impact of Ginkgo biloba oil (GBO) on growth performance, some biochemical parameters, intestinal and hepatic morphology, economic efficiency and expression of some growth-related genes in broiler chickens. A total of 135 chicks (Cobb 500) were allotted into three groups with 3 replications (15 birds/replicate). The experimental groups included: G1 (control), G2 and G3 were supplemented with GBO in the drinking water (0.25 and 0.5 cm/L), respectively. The GBO was added to the drinking water only for 3 successive weeks. Compared to the other groups, supplementation with 0.25 cm/L GBO significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased final body weight, overall weight gain, feed intake and water consumption. When 0.25 cm GBO/L was added, that group significantly differed in intestinal villus length (P ≤ 0.05). Birds received 0.25 cm GBO/L had significantly greater blood total albumin and total protein concentrations (P ≤ 0.05), while birds given 0.5 cm GBO/L had higher serum cholesterol and LDL concentrations (P ≤ 0.05). The cost parameters were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in the 0.25 cm GBO/L supplemented group, which exhibited higher total return and net profit. The addition of 0.25 cm GBO/L resulted in higher expression of antioxidant enzymes and insulin-like growth factor while inhibiting the expression of Myostatin in muscles (P < 0.05) compared to the control and those received 0.5 cm GBO/L. In conclusion, broiler chickens that received 0.25 cm GBO/L for 3 consecutive days per week had better performance, intestinal morphology, profitability, and antioxidant status than the control birds.

Impacts of Dietary Lysine and Crude Protein on Performance, Hepatic and Renal Functions, Biochemical Parameters, and Histomorphology of Small Intestine, Liver, and Kidney in Broiler Chickens.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of increasing dietary lysine (Lys) levels with an adequate dietary crude protein (CP) content, as well as the effects of a reduction in dietary CP content with the recommended amino acid (AAs) level, on the performance, blood biochemical parameters, and histomorphology of the duodenum, liver, and kidney in broiler chickens. A total of 500 broiler chickens were randomly distributed into five dietary treatment groups, following a completely randomized design, where, at the beginning, the control group (C) was fed a diet containing the standard CP and Lys levels: 23% CP with 1.44% Lys during the starter period; 21.5% CP with 1.29% Lys during the growing period; and 19.5% CP with 1.16% Lys during the finishing period. The Lys content was increased by 10% above the recommended control basal requirements in the second group (Gr1) and by 20% in the third group (Gr2), while using the same recommended CP percentage as the C group. The fourth group (Gr3) had a 1% lower CP content and the fifth group had a 2% lower CP content than the C group, with the same recommended AA level as the C group. Increasing the Lys content in the Gr1 group improved the broilers' weight gains (p < 0.05) during the starter, growing, and finishing periods. Decreasing dietary CP with the standard AA levels (Gr3 and Gr4) did not significantly affect (p > 0.05) the live weight gain, feed intake, or feed conversion ratio (FCR) of the broilers compared with those fed with the C diet. Blood total bilirubin, direct and indirect bilirubin, triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very LDL were not different among the experimental groups. However, blood aspartate aminotransferase levels were increased (p < 0.05) in the Gr1 and Gr3 groups compared with the other treatment groups. All dietary treatments decreased the serum creatinine levels (p < 0.05) compared with the C group. The Gr2 broilers had greater serum total protein and globulin (p < 0.05) than those receiving the other treatments. Increasing dietary Lys levels resulted in a significant improvement in duodenum villus height and width (p < 0.05), while the low-CP diets resulted in shorter villi length and width, along with degenerated areas and lymphocytic infiltration. Low dietary CP content induced hepatocyte disorganization and moderate degeneration, along with vacuolated hepatic cells, excessive connective tissue, and lymphocytic infiltration. The cortical regions of the kidney exhibited obvious alterations in the Gr3 and Gr4 groups and large interstitial spaces were found between tubules. Renal tubules in the Gr3 and Gr4 groups were smaller in size and some of these tubules were atrophied. In conclusion, reducing dietary CP levels to 1% or 2% lower than the recommended level did not negatively affect growth performance, inducing minimal influence on the blood metabolic indicators of health status, and resulting in moderate alterations to the histomorphology of the duodenum, liver, and kidney. Furthermore, increasing the Lys content by 10% above the recommended level improved the growth performance, health status, and histomorphology of the duodenum, liver, and kidney in broiler chickens.

Effects of alginates on the growth, haematological, immunity, antioxidant and pro-inflammatory responses of rabbits under high temperature.

Heat stress (HS) is one of the most severe hurdles impacting rabbit growth, immunity, homeostasis, and productivity. Alginate oligosaccharides (AOS) have considerable beneficial effects due to their plausible antioxidant and immune-stimulatory properties. This work was planned to explore the preventive function of AOS as a new bio-feed additive against the harmful effects caused by environmental HS on growing rabbits. Rabbits were allotted in four experimental groups (25 animals in each group) and fed on a basal diet supplemented with 0.0 (AOS0), 50 (AOS50), 100 (AOS100), and 150 (AOS150) mg AOS/kg diet reared under summer conditions. Dietary AOS supplementation improved significantly (P ≤ 0.001) feed conversion rate, while both AOS100 and AOS150 significantly (P ≤ 0.001) enhanced the final body weight and body weight gain. All AOS addition significantly increased nitric oxide and lysosome activity and significantly reduced interferon-gamma (IFNγ) compared with those in the control group. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), interleukin1ß (IL-1ß), myeloperoxidase and protein carbonyl levels were significantly reduced in rabbits fed diets containing AOS (100 and 150 mg/kg) compared with those in the control group under heat stress conditions. In addition, glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) were significantly (P ≤ 0.001) improved with increasing AOS dietary levels compared with the control group. Still, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), malondialdehyde (MDA), hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), eosinophils, and lymphocytes did not change. Erythrocyte's indices improved significantly (P ≤ 0.001), while neutrophils and white blood cell counts were decreased by dietary AOS inclusion. Immunological (IgM and IgG) were markedly reduced in AOS-treated groups compared with the control group. The current investigation exemplified that AOS as a novel bio-feed additive that could be an effective strategy to extenuate prejudicial effects in heat-stressed rabbits via enhancing immunity, and antioxidant defence system, further regulating the inflammation cytokines.

Dietary supplementation of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) with ß-glucan and/or Bacillus coagulans: Synergistic impacts on performance, immune responses, redox status and expression of some related genes.

A 14-week feeding study was conducted to assess the effects of feed supplementation with prebiotics ß-glucan (BG group) and/or probiotics Bacillus coagulans (BC group) on O. niloticus growth performance, body analysis, intestinal structure, immunological response, and antioxidant status. The fish were equally divided into six groups, as follows: the fish group fed an un-supplemented diet served as a control group; the other fish groups were fed supplemented diets with 0.1 g ß-glucan kg-1; 1 g Bacillus coagulans kg-1; 2 g B. coagulans kg-1; 0.1 g ß-glucan combined with 1 g B. coagulans kg-1; 0.1 g ß-glucan combined with 2 g B. coagulans kg-1. The findings revealed that supplementing B. coagulans and the ß-glucan mixture improved growth performance and feed efficiency parameters (RGR and SGR) more than the other groups. The fish flesh analysis revealed increased crude protein and dry matter content and lower lipid and ash levels in the BG and BC supplemented groups than in the Control group. On the other hand, ß-glucan and B. coagulans supplementation significantly boosted antioxidant activity and immunological responses in serum as determined by CAT, MDA, lysozyme, and phagocytic activity. Dietary ß-glucan and B. coagulans supplementation remarkedly enhanced anterior intestine villus histomorphometry characteristics. Furthermore, B. coagulans, alone or in combination with ß-glucan, could reduce HSP70 and IL-1ß gene expression while increasing IL-8 and GH gene expression. According to the findings, B. coagulans and/or BG increased growth performance by increasing gut health and morphology. Furthermore, ß-glucan and B. coagulans supplementation enhanced Tilapia's body composition, immunological responses, and antioxidant status.

Efficacy of Various Feed Additives on Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Bone Quality, Blood Constituents, and Phosphorus Absorption and Utilization of Broiler Chickens Fed Low Phosphorus Diet.

The present trial was designed to assess the effect of phytase, multi-strain probiotic, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and fumaric acid on performance, nutrient digestibility, bone physical parameters and mineralization, blood constituents, bone and gut histomorphology, and duodenal phosphorus transporter genes of broiler chickens fed a decreased non-phytate phosphorus (nPP) diet for 5 weeks. A total of 480 broiler chickens were allotted to six dietary groups and eight replicates each: (1) positive control diet with recommended levels of nPP (PC; 0.48, 0.44, and 0.41% in the three feeding phases); (2) negative control diet with a decreased dietary nPP (NC; 0.28, 0.24, and 0.21% in the three feeding phases); (3) NC + 600 FTU/kg phytase (PHY); (4) NC + 0.05% multi-strain probiotic (PRO); (5) NC + 0.2% Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC); and (6) NC + 0.2% fumaric acid. Growth performance data were recorded weekly, and blood sampling was performed at days 21 and 35 of age. Bone quality traits, gut and tibia histology, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal gene expression analyses were conducted at the end of the trial (35 days of age). Final body weight and total gain at day 35 of age of the broiler chickens fed with the PHY, PRO, and SC diets were greater (p < 0.01) than in NC, where broilers fed with the PRO and PHY diets had higher values and were similar to that of PC. There was a non-significant variation in the cumulative feed intake among the treatment groups. The PHY and PRO groups had better FCR than the PC group (p < 0.05), and FA and SC had an FCR equivalent to that of PC. The PHY and PRO broilers had greater dressing % than the NC group (p < 0.05) and even better than PC. The PHY, PRO, SC, and FA broilers had higher relative weights of spleen and bursa of Fabricius (p < 0.01) than NC. In comparison to NC, the PHY, PRO, and SC groups improved (p < 0.05) CP, CF, Ca, and P digestibility. Greater tibia breaking strength of the low nPP-supplemented groups was shown to be associated with higher tibia ash, Ca, and P concentrations (p < 0.01) and increased (p < 0.001) tibia cortical area thickness. At days 21 and 35 of age, the dietary supplements to low nPP diets reduced (p < 0.05) serum total cholesterol, triglyceride, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, glucose, and alkaline phosphatase levels, while serum Ca and P concentrations were improved (p < 0.05) compared to NC. All supplements led to enhancement (p < 0.01) in villi height and width and villi absorptive surface area when compared with NC and were even comparable to that of PC. The mRNA expression of NaP-IIb was up-regulated (p < 0.001) in the duodenum of PRO and FA broilers at day 35 of age compared with NC, and their expression levels were similar to that of PC, indicating greater P availability. It is concluded that dietary supplementation of PHY, PRO, SC, and FA to a low nPP diet was advantageous and mitigated the negative impacts of P reduction on the growth performance, health, nutrient digestibility, and bone quality of broilers.