RESUMEN

Increased lipid peroxidation and decreased antioxidant status can result in reduced reproductive activity and fertility in aged male broiler breeders. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of curcumin supplements (natural or nanoparticles) on the sperm characteristics, antioxidant system, fertility, and hatchability of aged roosters (54-64 wk), and to estimate the relative bioavailability value (RBV) of nano-curcumin on the measured parameters including the hypo-osmotic swelling test (HOST), motility, viability, sperm count, volume, the concentration of testosterone, glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and superoxide dismutase (SOD), diameter of the spermatogenic tube (DST), epithelium thickness (EpiTh), spermatogonia count (SPcount), fertility, hatchability, and relative weight of testis (RW-testis). A total of 30 roosters were individually caged and randomly assigned to 5 treatments comprising control (without curcumin as the basal diet), basal diet + 15 mg/kg curcumin (CUR15), basal diet + 30 mg/kg curcumin (CUR30), basal diet + 15 mg/kg nano-curcumin (Nano15), and basal diet + 30 mg/kg nano-curcumin (Nano30) for 10 wk. The slope ratio method was used to estimate the bioavailability of nano-curcumin by regressing each response on supplemental curcumin intake. Increasing dietary curcumin (P < 0.001) elicited a linear response to all studied traits. The RBV for volume, viability, motility, HOST, RW-testis, and GPx were estimated as 135 (CI: 115-156%), 143 (CI: 114-173%), 159 (CI: 122-196%), 132 (CI: 107-157%), 195 (CI: 126-264%), 176 (CI: 103-249%), and 178% (28-328%), respectively. Our findings revealed that curcumin nanoparticles enhance the reproductive efficiency of aged breeder roosters. In addition, the curcumin nanoparticles RBV exceeded that of natural curcumin, suggesting that lower concentrations of curcumin nanoparticles could have a significant effect on reproductive characteristics.

RESUMEN

Essential oils, extracts, their components, and other non-antibiotic beneficial additives are becoming increasingly popular as naturally occurring immunomodulatory agents. A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a blend (hereafter refers to as ImmunoMax (IMX)) of peppermint, coneflower, thyme, propolis, and prebiotic on performance, immune response, hematological indices, and serum biochemistry of broiler chickens. A total of 300 day-old broiler male chicks were randomly assigned to 4 treatments: control (A) (not treated), 0.25 mL/L (B), 0.5 mL/L (C), and 1 mL/L (D) supplementing drinking water with IMX on alternate days, starting at day 21. The results demonstrated a higher body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake (FI) in groups B, C, and D (P < 0.05) with no significant difference in FCR. The results also revealed a superior immune response to NDV, IB, and IBD (P < 0.05), albeit no constant linear response. The largest portion of the heterophil, the smallest amount of the lymphocyte, and therefore the highest heterophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (H:L) were observed in the control group, while the lowest ratio belonged to groups B and C (P < 0.05). Hemoglobin content, hematocrit, total number of red blood cells (RBC), and white blood cells (WBC) were also affected by IMX, showing a significant rise compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Administering 0.25 mL/L of IMX resulted a higher thigh and breast yield as well as the smallest amount of abdominal fat (P < 0.05). The serum content of total protein (TP) and albumin (ALB) was superior in groups receiving 0.25 and 0.5 mL/L of IMX; these treatments also yielded an inferior content of glucose (GLU), triglycerides (TG), cholesterol (CHOL), LDL, and VLDL, in addition to causing the highest content of HDL (P < 0.05). The results obtained in this study revealed the immunomodulatory efficacy of a standardized natural multidrug, IMX, thereby improving the performance and carcass yield of modern broiler chickens with the optimal dosages of 0.25 and 0.5 mL/L.

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RESUMEN

The unprecedented rate of global warming requires more immaculate strategies to fight the heat stress and its detrimental effects on poultry sector. Nutritional strategies, particularly herbal extracts, play a crucial importance in this scenario. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the effects of a novel selected mixture (hereafter refers to as Stress-Bio-Max, SBM) comprising St John's wort, lavender, Melissa officinalis extracts, betaine, and Vit C on heat-stressed broilers. A total of 300 male broiler chicks were allocated to 4 treatments: T1, Control (no SBM in drinking water); T2, 0.25 mL/L of SBM in drinking water; T3, 0.5 and T4, 1 mL/L of SBM, which applied since d 32. The birds underwent heat stress (40 ± 1) daily from d 35 to 42 of the experiment (2 pm-8 pm). The results show the superior weight gain of T2 and T3 from d 7 to 42 compared to other groups, 72.5 and 72.7 g/d, respectively (P < 0.05). Corticosterone level was higher on d 35 in T1 (4.674 ng/mL, P < 0.05) and lower in T2 and T3 (2.64 and 2.952 ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.05); T2 and T3 also caused the lowest concentrations of corticosterone on d 40 (5.198 and 6.458 ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.05). The superior triiodothyronine levels belonged to T2 (0.935 ng/mL, P < 0.05) on d 35 and T2 and T3 on d 40 (0.699 and 0.582 ng/mL, respectively, P < 0.05). T2, T3, and T4 caused a rise in glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities (P < 0.05). A significant higher amount of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) belonged to the groups treating with SBM (P < 0.05). The SBM in T2 and T3 resulted in the lowest levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Results from this study indicate that SBM may alleviate the negative impacts associated with heat stress in broiler chickens.

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