Effect of dietary supplementation with yeast cell wall extracts on performance and gut response in broiler chickens

Background: The dietary supplementation of yeast cell wall extracts (YCW) has been found to reduce pathogenic bacteria load, promote immunoglobulin production, prevent diseases by pro-inflammatory responses, and alter gut microbiota composition. This study evaluated growth and slaughter results, health, gut morphology, immune status and gut transcriptome of 576 male chickens fed two diets, i.e. C (control) or Y (with 250\u2013500 g/t of YCW fractions according to the growth period). At 21 and 42 d the jejunum of 12 chickens per diet were sampled and stained with hematoxylin/eosin for morphometric evaluation, with Alcian-PAS for goblet cells, and antibodies against CD3+ intraepithelial T-cells and CD45+ intraepithelial leukocytes. The jejunum sampled at 42 d were also used for wholetranscriptome profiling. Results: Dietary YCW supplementation did not affect final live weight, whereas it decreased feed intake (114 to 111 g/d; P 64 0.10) and improved feed conversion (1.74 to 1.70; P 64 0.01). Regarding the gut, YCW supplementation tended to increase villi height (P = 0.07); it also increased the number of goblet cells and reduced the density of CD45+ cells compared to diet C (P < 0.001). In the gut transcriptome, four genes were expressed more in broilers fed diet Y compared to diet C, i.e. cytochrome P450, family 2, subfamily C, polypeptide 23b (CYP2C23B), tetratricopeptide repeat domain 9 (TTC9), basic helix-loop-helix family member e41 (BHLHE41), and the metalloreductase STEAP4. Only one gene set (HES_PATHWAY) was significantly enriched among the transcripts more expressed in broilers fed diet Y. However, a total of 41 gene sets were significantly over-represented among genes up-regulated in control broilers. Notably, several enriched gene sets are implicated in immune functions and related to NF-\u3baB signaling, apoptosis, and interferon signals. Conclusions: The dietary YCW supplementation improved broiler growth performance, increased gut glycoconjugate secretion and reduced the inflammatory status together with differences in the gut transcriptome, which can be considered useful to improve animal welfare and health under the challenging conditions of intensive rearing systems in broiler chickens

Genetic Analysis of the Fatty Acid Profile in Gilthead Seabream (Sparus aurata L.).

The gilthead seabream is one of the most valuable species in the Mediterranean basin both for fisheries and aquaculture. Marine fish, such as gilthead seabream, are a source of n3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, highly appreciated for human food owing to their benefits on the cardiovascular and immune systems. The aim of the present study was to estimate heritability for fatty acid (FA) profile in fillet gilthead seabream to be considered as a strategy of a selective breeding program. Total of 399 fish, from a broodstock Mediterranean Sea, were analysed for growth, flesh composition and FA profile. Heritabilities for growth traits, and flesh composition (fat, protein, and moisture content) were medium. Heritability was moderate for 14:0, 16:0 and 18:1n9 and for sum of monounsaturated FA and n6/n3 ratio, and it was low for 20:1n11 and 22:6n3 and the ratio unsaturated/saturated FA. Breeding programs in gilthead seabream usually include growth as the first criterion in the selection process of the fish. However, other quality traits, such as fillet fat content and its fatty acids profile should be considered, since they are very important traits for the consumer, from a nutritional point of view and the benefits for the health.Versión del edito

Ecographic evaluation of the vitality/fertility in the hepatic hydatidosis as indication for pericistectomy].

[ . May-Jun;(): Authors: Abstract Hepatic hydatidosis is still now a frequently observed pathology and the total pericistectomy, for surgical difficulties, often request a subtotal pericistectomy with complications such as biliary fistula, haemorrhage and subphrenic abscesses. The Authors reconsidered their hepatic hydatidosis cases to evaluate the indication to the surgery that in their opinion, should have to consider first of all the functional state of the cysts. Infact, only the vital and the fertil ones, less frequent even if rarely found, should have indications to the surgery, because more likely complicated. The dead and steril ones, instead being asymptomatic, should go under periodic control, since destined to degeneration and calcification. Are also compared the pre-surgery data with the parasitologic exam, to evaluate ETG reliability to determine the functional state of the cyst. Twenty one cysts out of 76 were operated correctly because vital/fertile and in 19 of these the ultrasound indications were correct (90.5%). 55 didn't have indications to the surgery since dead/steril and for 51 (92.7%) the ultrasound indication was correct. So we can say that morphological ultrasound data permitted a correct surgery indication for 70 cyst's on their functional state (93.4% of total). In this way the post-operative complication were reduced of 5%. The Authors found morphologic and/or functional ultrasound error for 6 cysts (7.9%), and in only 3 cases (3.9%) the error were both morphological and functional Infact we believe that a ultrasound morphologic classification should have a functional corrispective for the surgical indication So only the unilocular and multivescicular cysts, vital and fertil one, should have indication to the surgery. On the contrary the solid ones should have an ultrasound follow up and treated by chemotherapy if necessary. PMID: [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Effects of the dietary supplementation with grape pomace and chestnut extracts on growth performance and intestinal mucosa of broiler chickens

During the last years, poultry production has been moving towards antibiotic-free production systems in which tannins can be used as feed additives to improve animal immune response and health, due to their anti-microbial, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Results widely vary according to tannins source and structure, however. Thus, the present study assessed the effects of the dietary supplementation in broiler chickens with two vegetal extracts containing tannins, from grape pomace (GP) or chestnut (CN), on growth performance and morphology and immune response of intestinal mucosa. A total of 864 chickens (both sexes) in collective pens (24 birds/pen, 12 pens/group) were assigned to three experimental groups fed a control diet (C) or the same diet added with 0.2% CN extract (diet CN) or 0.2% GP extract (diet GP). At 14 d and 34 d of age, 12 chickens per diet were slaughtered to sample jejunum. Serial sections of 4 μm were stained with hematoxylin/eosin for morphometric evaluation and with antibodies against intraepithelial CD3+ T-cells and CD45+ leukocytes (only samples of the first slaughtering) to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity. Data were submitted to ANOVA using a mixed model with diet as the main effect and pen (growth data) or animal (intestinal mucosa data) as a random effect. The diet GP significantly increased daily weight gain (DWG) in the whole trial (70.5 g/d vs. 69.4 g/d and 67.1 g/d; P<0.01) and final live weight (3148 g vs. 3099 g and 3084 g; P<0.01) compared to diets C and CN, with no effect on feed intake (on average 111 g/d), feed conversion ratio (1.59), and mortality (3.4%). Indeed, the diet GP promoted DWG in the second (+1.7%, P<0.001; 14-28 d) and in the third period of growth (+2.1%, P<0.05; 28-45 d) compared to diet C and, mostly, diet CN. The diets CN and GP decreased villi height compared to diet C (954 μm and 934 μm vs. 1033 μm; P<0.01), whereas crypt depth and villi-to-crypt ratio did not change. Regarding intestinal immune status, chickens fed diet GP showed higher densities of both CD3+ (2302 vs. 2116 cells/mm2; P<0.001) and CD45+ (2198 vs. 2040 cells/mm2; P<0.05) compared to those fed diet CN, whereas chickens fed diet C exhibited intermediate results. In conclusion, GP dietary supplementation improved chicken performance and promoted immune response in intestinal mucosa. Further insights are required to define the action mechanisms at the intestinal level