Immune Response of Molluscs

In common with other invertebrates, molluscs are known to have internal immune response against foreign particles and organisms. The innate immunity of molluscs reflects the inherent non-specific response that provides the first line of defense. Anatomic barriers, phagocytic cells, and physiological components are the main elements of the innate immune response in molluscs. It is composed of both cellular and humoral elements. The cellular components are the circulating hemocytes. Small invaders are eliminated by the phagocytic hemocytes, while large invaders are eliminated by encapsulation. The ingested foreign particles are then hemolyzed by the action of certain toxic enzymes that catalyze oxidative burst reactions capable of killing pathogens and foreign invaders. Humoral components of molluscan immunity involve nitric oxide, lysozyme activity, lectins, and the phenyloxidase system. The current chapter sheds light on the elements of the molluscan innate immune system and presents a case study of the immune response of Lymnaea stagnalis mollusc against Chaetogaster limnaei parasite. The effect of the parasite on some humoral immune response parameters such as nitric oxide, phenol oxidase, and lysozyme production was investigated. In conclusion, the snail Lymnaea stagnalis exerts humoral immune response against Chaetogaster limnaei parasite. However, this response is insufficient to eliminate the parasite

Role of Poultry Research in Increasing Consumption of PUFA in Humans

In recent years, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) have received considerable attention in both human and animal nutrition. As a mean of increasing the low consumption of long chain n-3 PUFA by humans consuming diets, there has been some interest in the enrichment of poultry meat with these fatty acids for people seeking healthy lifestyles. Dietary supplementation with n-3 PUFA, such as these found in fish oil and linseed oil, were found to have nutritional benefits in humans. Modulation of fatty acid profiles as a result of n-3 PUFA incorporation is well documented in humans, rodents, and poultry. The current chapter focuses on enriching poultry meat with these beneficial fatty acids to increase its consumption by human beings

Comparison of different dietary sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on immune response in broiler chickens

The study aims to research the effects of varied dietary sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on the immune response in broiler chickens with stress on natural killer (NK) cell activity. Diets supplemented with one of the four sources of n-3 PUFA: linseed oil-, echium oil-, fish oil (FO) or algal biomass-enriched diets at levels of 18, 18, 50 and 15 g/kg fresh weight, were provided for one-d-old male Ross 308 broilers, totaling 340 in number, until they were slaughtered. The analyses included total lipid profile using gas chromatography (GC) for plasma, spleen, thymus, and blood. Additionally, NK cell activity and cell proliferation were investigated for thymocytes and splenocytes. The results indicated that the source of n-3 PUFA had a strong influence on fatty acid composition across all tissues. NK activity was highest in splenocytes and PBMCs from broilers fed linseed oil, followed by those fed algal biomass or echium oil, and lowest for those from broilers fed FO. The proliferative response of lymphocytes from algal biomass-fed chickens tended to be the highest, followed by those fed linseed oil in most cases. Lymphocytes from chickens fed fish oil showed the lowest proliferative response. These results could mean that a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-rich algal product might enrich chicken meat with n-3 PUFA without significant damaging effects on chicken immunity

The impact of multi-enzyme fortification on growth performance, intestinal morphology, nutrient digestibility, and meat quality of broiler chickens fed a standard or low-density diet

This research aimed to study the impact of supplementation of three multi-enzyme levels (0, 0.1, and 0.2% of feed) and two levels of dietary treatments [standard diet (SD) and low-density diet (LDD)] on growth performance, carcass traits, digestibility, and meat quality of broilers from 1 to 38 days of age. A total of 216 1-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks were randomly assigned to a factorial experiment (2 × 3) comprising six dietary treatments, each with six replicates and each replicate with six chickens. The results showed that the LDD significantly reduced body weight gain by 5.0%, compared with the SD. Multi-enzymes significantly improved body weight gain and the production index (PI) relative to the SD. The feed conversion ratio was significantly enhanced with increased multi-enzymes from 1 to 21 days. A significant relation between the multi-enzyme concentration and type of dietary treatment was observed in body weight gain and feed conversion ratio from 1 to 21 days of age. Nitrogen-free extract digestibility was significantly increased by using the SD diet compared with using the LDD. Multi-enzyme supplementation improved the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, and nitrogen-free extract in the LDD. A significant relationship was found between the multi-enzyme concentration and type of dietary treatment on the pancreas, liver, and intestinal length percentages. The meat dry matter concentration was significantly higher in the LDD group than in the SD group. The low-density diet significantly reduced the total revenue compared with the SD, whereas broilers fed the SD recorded significantly higher total revenue and economic efficiency than those fed the LDD. The low-density diet significantly increased economic efficiency compared with the SD. Multi-enzymes significantly increased the total revenue, net revenue, and economic efficiency than the standard set. In conclusion, using multi-enzymes in broiler diets improved body weight gain. The LDD with multi-enzymes showed enhanced body weight gain compared with the SD without multi-enzymes

Effects of Dietary Doum Palm Fruit Powder on Growth, Antioxidant Capacity, Immune Response, and Disease Resistance of African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (B.)

Application of herbal immune-stimulants for modulation of fish growth and immune response has received great interest during the past decades. With several pharmacological properties, Doum palm, Hyphaene thebaica (Mart.) is known to be a beneficial medicinal plant. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of the dietary addition of doum palm fruit powder (DPFP) on growth performance, non-specific immune response, and antioxidant parameters of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (B.). A total of 120 fish (average initial weight 60.50 ± 0.04 g) were randomly allocated to four groups (three replicates/group, 10 fish/aquarium); a basal diet without DPFP supplementation was used as a control, and three other diets were prepared by supplementing 5, 10, or 15 g kg−1 DPFP for a ten-week feeding period. Following ten weeks of feeding, the fish were challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila (as an immune challenge test), and mortalities were recorded. In comparison to the control diet, dietary DPFP significantly improved growth parameters, including final body weight, body weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and protein efficiency ratio (PER), along with an increase in the content of dry matter of the whole body, in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the heights of intestinal villi, numbers of goblet cells, and intraepithelial lymphocytes (IEL) exhibited marked escalation in all parts of the intestine by increasing the level of DPFP, except for numbers of IEL in the proximal part. The decline in serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels was prominent in DPFP10 and DPFP15 groups respective to the DPFP0 group. Furthermore, DPFP boosted the hepatic level of catalase (CAT) in the fish, in a dose-dependent manner; meanwhile, the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content were also augmented in DPFP10 and DPFP15 groups respective to the DPFP0 group. Dietary DPFP (DPFP15 followed by DPFP10 then DPFP5) led to a pronounced enhancement in the innate immune response (phagocytic percent and index, lysozyme activity, nitric oxide (NO) production, and sialoglycans, namely α 2,3-sialyltransferase and α 2,6-sialyltransferase content); however, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity was reduced. Significantly higher relative percentage survival (RPS, 88.56%) of the fish, following the A. hydrophila challenge, was observed for the DPFP15 group. We can suggest that DPFP can beneficially influence fish growth, intestinal histomorphology, hepatic levels of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione (GSH) content, immune response, and disease resistance against A. hydrophila challenge

Assessment of <i>Sargassum</i> sp., <i>Spirulina</i> sp., and <i>Gracilaria</i> sp. as Poultry Feed Supplements: Feasibility and Environmental Implications

Eutrophication, coupled with ocean acidification and warming, results in an increased concentration of marine algae, severely impacting some regions. Several algae are a rich source of protein and minerals. Marine algae are rich in bioactive molecules with antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and antimicrobial properties. These properties make them attractive for usage in the pharmaceutical industry. This study evaluated Sargassum sp., Spirulina sp., and Gracilaria sp. for use as poultry feed. Chemical analyses show that crude protein (CP) in analyzed algae was 9.07–63.63%, with a fiber content of 0.15–17.20%, and a crude fat range of 0.152–2.11%, suggesting that algae can partially substitute imported protein sources used for poultry feed. A rapid impact assessment matrix (RIAM) was used to assess the environmental footprint of algae usage in poultry feed. The environmental assessment results show promising opportunities to help harvest the algae from the marine area. However, the feasibility of establishing outdoor algal ponds is not environmentally viable in the Middle East

Effect of Ginger Powder on Production Performance, Antioxidant Status, Hematological Parameters, Digestibility, and Plasma Cholesterol Content in Broiler Chickens

The effect of dietary ginger powder on the production performance, digestibility, hematological parameters, antioxidant status, dietary oxidation stability, and plasma cholesterol content of broiler chickens was investigated. Ginger powder was included in the diet at 0, 5, 10, or 15 g/kg. Total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde in sera samples, superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and malondialdehyde in liver samples, and the peroxide value and acid value of the stored diets were evaluated. The results showed that ginger inclusion significantly improved antioxidation indices in broiler sera and liver. Total body weight gain in ginger-supplemented birds was higher than that of control birds (p &lt; 0.048). Supplementing the broiler chickens with ginger powder reduced total feed consumption (p &lt; 0.031). White blood cell counts and the percentage of heterophils in the blood were increased in birds that received ginger supplementation (p &lt; 0.001). The inclusion of ginger in the diet improved dry matter digestibility, crude protein utilization, crude fiber utilization, and ether extract utilization. In addition, blood cholesterol, triglyceride, and very low-density lipoprotein levels were decreased (p &lt; 0.001), and high-density lipoprotein and levels were increased, following the inclusion of ginger in the diet (p &lt; 0.001)

Effect of Ginger Powder on Production Performance, Antioxidant Status, Hematological Parameters, Digestibility, and Plasma Cholesterol Content in Broiler Chickens

The effect of dietary ginger powder on the production performance, digestibility, hematological parameters, antioxidant status, dietary oxidation stability, and plasma cholesterol content of broiler chickens was investigated. Ginger powder was included in the diet at 0, 5, 10, or 15 g/kg. Total antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde in sera samples, superoxide dismutase activity, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and malondialdehyde in liver samples, and the peroxide value and acid value of the stored diets were evaluated. The results showed that ginger inclusion significantly improved antioxidation indices in broiler sera and liver. Total body weight gain in ginger-supplemented birds was higher than that of control birds (p p p p p < 0.001)