Effects of dietary organic and inorganic zinc and copper supplements on performance, footpad dermatitis, carcass characteristics, and blood profile of broiler chickens

The aims of this study was to determine the effect of organic and inorganic Zn and Cu supplements on performance, footpad dermatitis (FPD), carcass characteristics and blood profile in broiler chickens. A total of 336 one-day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were distributed into 24 floor pen and reared for 42 days. A basal mineral premix (without Zn and Cu) was supplemented with organic or inorganic Zn and Cu to meet 100% (i.e., 110 and 16 mg/kg of the mineral premix, respectively) or 50% (i.e., 55 and 8 mg/kg of the mineral premix, respectively) of the recommended levels. Six dietary trace mineral premix were formed with inclusion of 1) inorganic Zn and Cu at the level 100%, 2) organic Zn and Cu at the level 100%, 3) inorganic Zn and Cu at the level 50%, 4) organic Zn and Cu at the level 50%, 5) organic Zn at the level 50% and inorganic Cu at the level 100%, and 6) inorganic Zn at the level 100% and organic Cu at the level 50%. Results indicated that organic Zn and Cu supplementation improved (P< 0.05) body weight gain and feed conversion ratio than inorganic form. However, the incidence and severity of FPD were significantly lower in broilers received only organic Zn and Cu than those of birds under inorganic Zn and Cu at the level 50%. Broilers fed lower level of inorganic Zn and Cu supplement showed the lowest breast yield compared to the other treatments. In contrast to the alkaline phosphatase enzyme, serum cholesterol concentration decreased (P< 0.05) in broiler chickens received organic Zn when compared to the supplementing of inorganic Zn and Cu at the level 50%. The results showed that organic Zn and Cu, as a proper alternative to inorganic forms, are useful to improve performance and health of broilers

Algal Crude Fucoidan Alone or with Bacillus subtilisDSM 17299in Broiler Chickens Diet: Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Blood Metabolites, and Morphology of Intestine

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of algal fucoidan and probiotic Bacillus subtilison growth performance, blood metabolites and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 250 one-day-old Ross 360 male broiler chickens were randomly distributed into 5 treatments (6 replication pens/treatment) and reared for 42 d. The 5 dietary treatments were as follow: 1) a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control treatment); 2) a basal diet supplemented with antibiotic oxytetracycline; 3) a basal diet supplemented with the prebiotic fucoidan; 4) a basal diet supplemented with a probiotic product containing Bacillus subtilis spores; and 5) a basal diet supplemented with both the prebiotic and probiotic (served as a synbiotic). Birds received antibiotic and probiotic exhibited greater body weight gain (about 5.42% and 4.80%, respectively) than control treatment. The percentage of thigh and abdominal fat in birds fed probiotic diet were lower compared to the antibiotic treatment. The use of fucoidan and probiotic resulted lower (P< 0.05) serum concentration of triglyceride than those of antibiotic treatment. Supplementing of synbiotic increased villus height and villus height to crypt depth ratio in the jejunum (P< 0.05). Present study revealed that supplementing of probiotics with fucoidan could be advised as an effective synbiotic, instead of antibiotics, to improve the performance and health of broiler chickens

Effects of black pepper and turmeric powder on growth performance, gut health, meat quality, and fatty acid profile of Japanese quail

In poultry production, the search for alternatives to in-feed antibiotics continues unabated. This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of black pepper and turmeric powder, separately or in combination, on the growth performance, gastrointestinal microbiota population, intestinal morphology, serum biochemical parameters, meat quality, and meat fatty acid profile in Japanese quails. Five hundred-day-old mixed-sex Japanese quail chicks were randomly assigned to one of five treatments: a control diet (CON); CON +0.2% antibiotic flavomycin as an antibiotic growth promoter (AGP); CON +0.5% turmeric powder (TUP); CON +0.5% black pepper powder (BPP); and CON +0.5% TUP, and 0.5% BPP (MIX). The findings showed that quail chicks fed AGP and TUP throughout the rearing period had better body weight gain (p = 0.007) and feed conversion ratio (p = 0.02) than the other treatments. The TUP, BPP, and MIX feeds reduced (p = 0.005) abdominal fat percentage. The MIX group had a better breast muscle water-holding capacity (p = 0.04) and lightness index (p = 0.02) and lower (p = 0.02) malondialdehyde concentration after 7 days of refrigerated storage. Feeding BPP, TUP, and MIX diets decreased (p = 0.001) serum cholesterol concentration. Quail chicks fed the CON diet showed significantly higher coliform counts in the crop and ileum (p &lt; 0.001), whereas the lactic acid bacterial population was lower (p = 0.008) in the ileum. Birds that received the MIX diet exhibited a higher (p = 0.02) villus height to crypt depth ratio in the duodenum compared to the other groups. The tested feed additives increased (p &lt; 0.001) villus height in the jejunum and ileum compared to other groups. Feeding the TUP, BPP, and MIX diets reduced (p &lt; 0.001) total saturated fatty acid content and increased (p = 0.004) total polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration, where the MIX diet had the best results. Overall, the present data indicate that supplementing the basal diet with turmeric powder enhances the growth performance of Japanese quails. In some respects, such as gut health and meat quality, combining turmeric powder and black pepper powder was more effective than using them independently

Isolation of probiotic bacteria from Guppy Poeciliareticulata (Cyprinodontiformes:Poecilidae)

The screening possibility of some Lactobacillus sp. bacteria with potential probiotic properties from digestive tract of guppywas investigated in this study.To this end, forty -nine bacterial isolates derived from the digestive tract of the guppy were screened based on the morphological and microscopic characteristics like Catalase test, Gram staining and Spore staining. Then, other examinations for selecting the bacteria with the best potential probiotic properties were done, including: functional antagonist assay, cell surface hydrophobicity, and resistance to acid and bile salts. Additionally,16SrRNA fragment of the isolates with probiotic characteristics depicted 100 sequence identity with Weissellacibaria. According to our results, W. cibariahas the potential probiotic characteristics to apply in the culture of guppy. © Published by Central Fisheries Research Institute (CFRI) Trabzon, Turkey

Effects of Lactobacillus-Based Probiotic on Performance, Gut Microflora, Hematology and Intestinal Morphology in Young Broiler Chickens Challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium

This experiment was conducted to compare the effects of multi-strain probiotic inclusion levels on performance, intestinal morphology, gut microflora and hematological changes in Salmonella typhimurium (ST) infected broiler chickens. A total of 120 day old Ross 308 broiler chickens were distributed into 20 floor pens and reared for 10 days under 5 experimental treatments including a corn-soy basal diet with no probiotic (Control), or 0.5 g (0.05%), 1 g (0.1%), 1.5 g (0.15%) and 2 g (0.2%) probiotic/kg diet. Chickens were infected orally with ST at second day of experiment. Broilers under 0.15% of probiotic had higher body weight gain compared to other treatments. Probiotic supplementation, except at 0.05%, significantly improved feed conversion ratio. The use of 0.1 and 0.15% of probiotic reduced the population of Salmonella in ileum. The lowest heterophil:lymphocyte ratio was observed in 0.15% of probiotic, although 0.1 and 0.2% of probiotic significantly reduced this ratio compared to control group. Adding 0.15% of probiotic to the basal diet increased (