RESUMEN
This study aimed to investigate the interactions between corn particle size (PS) and conditioning temperature (CT) on the performance, carcass traits, intestinal morphology, and immune responses in broilers fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet. A total of 360 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly allocated into six dietary treatments in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of two corn PS (finely ground with geometric mean diameter (GMD) of 357 µm (PSF) vs. coarsely ground corn with GMD of 737 µm (PSC), and three CT [unconditioned (CTU), conditioned at 75 °C (CT75) and 90 °C (CT90)]. Birds were accommodated in 30 pens with five replicates and 12 chicks per each pen. There was no interaction between corn PS and CT on the growth performance and immune response of broilers at any growth phases. However, during the starter (0-10 days) period, the average daily weight gain (ADWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of PSF-fed birds were significantly improved compared to those fed PSC (p < 0.05). During the starter (0-10 days) and grower (11-24 days) periods, increasing the conditioning temperature of corn increased the ADWG, while in the starter phase only the CT75 caused a lower FCR (p < 0.05). Broilers fed PSF corn showed the lowest FCR during the finisher (25-42 days) period compared to those fed PSC (p < 0.05). Conditioning corn at 75 °C reduced FCR during the finisher (25-42 days) period compared to the birds fed CTU and CT90 corn (p < 0.05). In whole experimental periods (1-42 days), PSF and CT75 treatment increased the ADWG compared to the PSC and CTU (p < 0.05). The CT75 treatment improved primary total anti-sheep red blood cell (SRBCs) titer (IgT) and IgM and secondary IgT and IgG responses compared to the other experimental groups (CTU and CT90) (p < 0.05). No significant PS × CT interaction was found on the Newcastle disease (ND) antibody titer of broiler chickens (p > 0.05). Feeding CT75 corn reduced duodenum and jejunum relative lengths compared to the birds fed diets containing CTU corn. Significant PS × CT interactions (p < 0.05) were observed for villus height, villus height to crypt depth, crypt depth, muscle thickness, and absorption surface area of the jejunum. The highest carcass yield was observed in the PSF-CT75 group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of finely ground corn (PSF) conditioned at 75 °C (CT75) was beneficial to growth performance, development of the digestive tract, jejunum histomorphometry and the immune responses of broilers.
RESUMEN
In order to investigate the effects of using different levels of either raw or processed amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus chlorostachys) grain on performance productivity, egg physicochemical properties, blood biochemistry and egg fatty acids, a trial was conducted using 168 Hy-line W-36 laying hens (67 week of age) in a completely randomized design with seven treatments and six replications of four birds for eight weeks. The trial treatments included the control group receiving no amaranth and the test groups receiving 5, 10 and 15% of raw or autoclaved (120 °C for 5 min) amaranth grain based on dry matter. The results showed that the use of processed amaranth up to the level of five and ten percent of the diet compared to raw amaranth resulted in a better performance than the control group (p < 0.05). The consumption of amaranth decreased blood glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride of trial birds without having a negative effect on their health and blood antioxidant status (p < 0.05). The use of different forms of amaranth in diets of laying hens had no negative effects on the physicochemical properties of eggs and led to the production of eggs with reduced yolk cholesterol and triglyceride; however, the omega-6 content in eggs and the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 increased (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of amaranth grain at low levels in the diet of laying hens can enhance the health of the bird and the production of quality and useful eggs.
RESUMEN
The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of dietary supplementation of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) on growth performance, carcass traits, histomorphology of jejunum, immune function and hepatic and splenic gene expression of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukine-2 (IL-2) in broiler chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chickens were randomly allotted into six dietary treatments with four replicate pens (10 chicks per pen) and fed experimental diet in 3 feeding phases (starter: d 0-10, grower: d 11-24 and finisher: d 25-42). The experimental treatments were (1) corn-soya bean meal-based basal diet (control), (2-5) basal diet supplemented with 200, 400, 600, 800 mg/kg bLF, respectively, and (6) basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg oxytetracycline (OTC). The average body weight gain (ABWG) of broilers fed 800 mg/kg bLF was 8.48% higher than those fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet during the starter period (d 0-10) (linear effect, p = 0.002; quadratic effect, p = 0.24). Average daily feed intake (ADFI) and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) were not affected (p>0.05) by bLF supplementation. At 42 days of age, the breast meat percentage and carcass yield of broilers fed 800 mg/kg bLF compared with the control group significantly increased by 9.51% and 6.03% respectively (p < 0.05). Compared with the chicks fed the control diet, the chicks fed diets supplemented with bLF had higher villus height, muscle thickness and villus surface area (p > 0.05). Dietary bLF inclusion increased the total immunoglobulin (IgT) titre against sheep red blood cells (SRBCs) antigen (linear effect, p = 0.031; quadratic effect, p = 0.035) and improved the phytohaemagglutinin-P (PHA-P)-skin test of broilers. Compared with the control, bLF enhanced the gene expression of IFN-γ in spleen (p = 0.048, linear effect, p = 0.009; quadratic effect, p = 0.093) and liver (p = 0.012, linear effect, p = 0.008; quadratic effect, p = 0.01) and IL-2 expression in spleen (p = 0.021, linear effect, p = 0.026; quadratic effect, p = 0.103). The bLF supplementation had no effect on IL-2 gene expression in liver (p > 0.05, linear effect, p = 0.213; quadratic effect, p = 0.159). In conclusion, we found that supplementation of broiler diets with 800 mg/kg bLF can improve the growth performance, carcass yield, cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immune responses and enhance the IL-2 and IFN-γ gene expression of broilers.
Asunto(s)
Pollos , Interleucina-2 , Animales , Masculino , Ovinos , Interleucina-2/metabolismo , Lactoferrina/farmacología , Lactoferrina/metabolismo , Yeyuno/metabolismo , Fenómenos Fisiológicos Nutricionales de los Animales , Dieta/veterinaria , Suplementos Dietéticos , Expresión Génica , Alimentación Animal/análisisRESUMEN
This study was performed to evaluate the effect of folic acid (FA) on performance, egg quality and yolk 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) content. A total of 384 Hy-line W36 strain hens from 52 to 58 weeks of age were randomly assigned to 4 groups, and each group received one of following dietary treatments: 0, 5, 10 and 15 mg FA/kg diet. A completely randomized design was used. Egg production percentage, egg mass and egg weight were increased significantly (P < 0.05) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was reduced significantly (P < 0.05) by increasing FA content in diets. No significant differences were detected among treatments on egg quality except for shell thickness. The dietary supplementations of laying hens diets with FA significantly increased yolk 5-MTHF content (P = 0.02). Overall, these data demonstrate that dietary supplementation with FA raised 5-MTHF content of yolk and productivity of egg production in laying hens.
RESUMEN
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two species of poultry (cockerel and Japanese quail), two levels of enzyme (0 and 0.5 g/kg), and 6 processing methods (control (C), gamma irradiation 25 (GI25), and 50 kGy (GI50), autoclaving (AU), fermentation without lactobacillus (F), and fermentation with lactobacillus (FL)) on the nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy (AMEn) of barley. In this experiment, each processing method was tested at two levels of enzyme (0 and 0.5 g/kg) in six replications with two cockerels or four quails per replication. The results showed that the AMEn values by barley processing methods were: C-11.45 and 12.27; GI25-11.50 and 11.30; GI50-11.49 and 11.29; AU-11.70 and 11.46; F-12.90 and 12.30; FL-1295 and 12.51 MJ/kg in cockerels and quails, respectively. The AMEn (11.49 MJ/kg) of enzyme 0 was significantly lower than that of enzyme 0.5 (12.35 MJ/kg). There was a significant difference in the AMEn of processed barley between cockerels and quails. In conclusion, the most effective processing method of barley for AMEn is fermentation with lactobacillus and enzyme.