Nutritional characterization and the antioxidant properties of sweet orange and red grapefruit peels

Sweet oranges (Citrus sinensis) and red grapefruit (Citrus paradisi) are fruits consumed frequently in the world, being part of the human diet for decades due to high nutritional and medicinal values. These are excellent sources of vitamin C, a powerful natural antioxidant that builds the body's immune system. Their consumption (natural or processed) generates more quantities of shells and wastes that cause pollution of the environment under incorrect handling conditions. The study was conducted to analyze the potential of orange and grapefruit peels, from a chemical point of view, to determine the nutritional value for inclusion in broiler feed. The orange peels were characterized by a 5.42% crude protein and 1.04% crude fat vs. 5.78% and 0.80% grapefruit. The total content of polyphenols (mg acid galic /g) determined was higher with 36.01% in grapefruit peels compared to those of oranges. Antioxidant capacity was determined by two in vitro methods. The grapefruit peels were characterized by a high antioxidant capacity (288.49 mmol /kg equivalent ascorbic acid) with 51.39% higher than the values of the orange peels, in the first method. For the second method, the determined antioxidant capacity was with 61.20% higher than the orange peels (95.46 mmol/ kg equivalent vitamin E). Based on these results, the analyzed byproducts fulfill the necessary conditions to be integrated into the animal feed, and they will be tested in an experiment on broiler chickens in order to improve the nutritional quality of the meat

Dietary Willow Bark Extract for Broilers Reared Under Heat Stress

A 28-day feeding trial was conducted on 60, Cobb 500 broilers (14 days), assigned to 2 groups (C, E) housed in an experimental hall (32° C, 23 h light regimen). Compared to the conventional diet C, the experimental diet (E) included 1% white willow bark extract (WBE). At 42 days of age, 6 blood samples /group were collected and 6 broilers/ group were slaughtered and caecal content was collected. The dietary WBE didn’t influence broiler performance. The serum concentrations of glycaemia, cholesterol and triglycerides were lower (P <0.05) in E group than in C group. E broilers had the lowest count (P<0.05) of Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli and staphylococci colony forming units in the caecal content. The inclusion of WBE (1%) in the diet of broilers reared at 32° C had an hypocholesterolemiant and hypoglycaemic effect and reduced the pathogenic bacteria in the caecum

Influence of Dietary Supplementation of Salix alba Bark on Performance, Oxidative Stress Parameters in Liver and Gut Microflora of Broilers

The paper aimed to analyse the effect of dietary Salix alba L. bark powder (SAB) on broiler performance in terms of oxidative stress parameters in liver and gut microflora. One hundred and eighty Cobb 500 broiler chicks (14 days) were allotted to three homogeneous treatments (SAB 0%; SAB 0.025%; SAB 0.05%). The broilers were housed in an environmentally controlled space (10 replicates, six broilers/replicate). Compared to dietary control treatment (SAB 0%), the other treatments included 0.025% SAB (SAB 0.025%) and 0.05% SAB (SAB 0.05%). The results showed that SAB powder used in broiler diet had a high total phenolic content. Regarding the performance results, significant differences between experimental and control treatments were recorded only for average daily feed intake (35&ndash;42 days). The broilers fed with SAB powder had a significantly lower hepatic level of malondialdehide and glutathione, a higher total antioxidant capacity than those fed control treatment, and demonstrated a positive effect on the development of non-pathogenic bacteria (lactobacilli) but a decrease in the population of pathogenic ones (E. coli, staphylococci). Our findings suggested that dietary 0.05% SAB powder could be an effective solution to impede the oxidative stress in broiler liver and to improve gut microflora

Effect of the high fibre (8%) layer diets on digestive tract integrity

Although fibre is regarded by many nutritionists as a mere diluent of poultry diets, new experimental evidences suggest that the dietary fibre positively influences the digestive tract integrity. A 5-week feeding trial was conducted on 200 Tetra layers (28 weeks) assigned to 5 groups, housed in an experimental hall under controlled environmental conditions (temperature: 23.81±1.54°C; humidity: 64.76±11.93%), and 16h/24h light regimen. The control group (C) received a conventional diet (2780 kcal/kg metabolizable energy; 17.5% crude protein; 4.39% crude fibre). Compared to C formulation, E1 formulation included 23% sunflower meal, which increased the dietary fibre (8%). The other 3 experimental diet formulations differed from E1 formulation by the presence of phytoadditives or cellulolytic enzymes: E2 (0.015% enzyme); E3 (0.015% phytoadditive) and E4 (0.015% enzyme+0.015% phytoadditive). At the end of the experiment 30 hens were sacrificed (6 hens/group) to obtain jejunum samples for histological parameters. The results of the intestinal measurements revealed significantly (P≤0.05) lower values for experimental groups compared to C group. The lowest values registered for E1 group: villus height (583±99.74µm) and crypt depth (126±36.19µm). Mucosa thickness increased significantly (P≤0.05) in E3 group (275±70 µm) compared to C group (173±66.08 µm)

Dietary Supplementation of Some Antioxidants as Attenuators of Heat Stress on Chicken Meat Characteristics

The study evaluated the effect of dietary chromium and vitamin C, Zinc, and sorrel wood powder supplements on chicken health and the nutritional, textural, and sensorial quality of chicken meat. A total of 120 Cobb 500 chickens (heat stress, 32 °C) were assigned into four treatments: control diet (C) and three test diets including 200 µg/kg diet chromium picolinate and supplemented with: 0.25 g vitamin C(VC)/kg diet (E1), 0.025 g Zn/kg diet (E2), and 10 g creeping wood sorrel powder (CWS)/kg diet (E3). Crude protein concentration increased in the breast meat from the E3 group; crude fat decreased in E1 and E3 compared to those fed the C diet. Dietary combinations of CrPic with VC, Zn, and CWS increased redness and decreased the luminosity parameter of breast meat compared with the C group. Dietary combinations of CrPic with VC and CWS lowered the hardness of breast meat. Significant positive correlation was found between hardness–gumminess (r = 0.891), gumminess–cohesiveness (r = 0.771), cohesiveness–resilience-EE (r = 0.861; r = 0.585), ash-L* (r = 0.426), and a negative one between ash–a* (r = 0.446). In conclusion, a dietary combination of CrPic with VC, Zn, and CWS as antioxidant sources could have a beneficial effect on quality without affecting sensory attributes

Heat Stress in Broiler Chickens and the Effect of Dietary Polyphenols, with Special Reference to Willow (Salix spp.) Bark Supplements—A Review

Over the last decade, there has been a growing interest in the use of a wide range of phytoadditives to counteract the harmful effects of heat stress in poultry. Willow (Salix spp.) is a tree with a long history. Among various forms, willow bark is an important natural source of salicin, β-O-glucoside of saligenin, but also of polyphenols (flavonoids and condensed tannins) with antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory activity. In light of this, the current review presents some literature data aiming to: (1) describe the relationship between heat stress and oxidative stress in broilers, (2) present or summarize literature data on the chemical composition of Salix species, (3) summarize the mechanisms of action of willow bark in heat-stressed broilers, and (4) present different biological effects of the extract of Salix species in different experimental models

Influence of botanic mixes high in carotenoids (lutein and zeaxanthin) used in layer diets on the quality parameters of the eggs

SUMMARY For this study it was used 2 botanic mixes obtained through selection of plants rich in carotenoids: BA 1 (alfalfa meal, dry pumpkin pulp, dry marigold flowers) and BA 2 (dry buckthorn leaves, dry pumpkin pulp, dry red maize grains and dry marigold flowers). The experiment run for 6 weeks on 120 Lohmann Brown layers (aged 42 weeks). The layers were assigned to three groups (C, E1, E2) and were housed in special cages (4 layers per cage) stacked on three tiers. Group C was fed the standard diet formulation (corn, wheat, soybean meal, rapeseed meal, rice bran) with 16.45% CP and 2538.15 kcal/kg ME. Compared to diet C, the diet formulations for groups E1 and E2 included 2% BA 1 (E1) and 2% BA 2 (E2). Throughout the experiment it was sampled randomly 18 eggs per group in week 2 and in the final of the experiment. The eggs and egg components were weighed; it was also determined the colour intensity, the Haugh unit, egg freshness, eggshell thickness and eggshell breaking strength. In the end of the experiment, yolk colour intensity in E1 (5.87 ±0.89) and E2 (6.04±0.73) was significantly (P≤ 0.05) stronger compared to C (3.27±0.91). Throughout the experiment period, the Haugh unit was constantly higher in the experimental groups than in group C but statistically uninsured. The Haugh unit determinations in the eggs harvested in the end of the experiment and stored for 14 days was significant (P≤ 0.05) higher in E2 group then in C group

Effect of dietary orange and grapefruit peel on growth performance, health status, meat quality and intestinal microflora of broiler chickens

In our experiment we studied the effect of dietary orange peel (OP) and grapefruit peel (GP) on broilers health and thigh meat quality. The experiment was conducted on 126 Cobb 500 broiler chicks, assigned to three dietary treatments with 42 broilers per group. Each treatment was conducted in 3 experimental growth boxes, corresponding to 6 replicate pens per treatment and 7 broilers per pen. The growth boxes had identical size with a capacity of 3.5 m2 per box. Experimental dietary treatments differed from control diet (C) by addition of 2% OP or 2% GP supplement. A significant increase in body weight was exhibited in OP group compared to GP group (p < .05). Serum energetic profile (glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride) were lowered in both OP and GP supplemented groups compared to C birds (p < .05). Among fatty acids in thigh meat, OP group has increased the sum of PUFA compared to GP group. Dietary OP and GP have effectively reduced the oxidation process occurring during storage measured by the thiobarbituric acid–reactive substances (TBARS) values in thigh meat. Therefore, lipid oxidation was delayed by incorporating the two citrus peels in broiler diet. Monitoring the antimicrobial effect of OP and GP on intestinal and caecal microbiota population, the supplements reduced the growth of pathogenic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus spp., proving their antimicrobial effect, while the beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus spp. was significantly improved.Highlights The use of vegetable residues in the animal diets is an important economic and environmental factor. The positive effects were observed on thigh meat lipid oxidation, serum energetic profile and intestinal microflora of broiler chickens. Citrus peel in broilers feeding can act as natural antioxidant and feed additive

Coefficients of apparent absorption of the dietary nutrients from broiler feeds that include oil industry by-products (rapeseeds, grapes, buckthorn, flax and pumpkin meals)

A 42-day feeding trial was conducted on 120, day-old ROSS 308 chicks assigned to 4 (C; E1; E2; E3) groups. The broilers were housed in three-tier digestibility cages (5 broilers/cage) which allowed the daily recording of the feed intake and excreta located in an experimental hall with controlled environmental conditions (27.07±2.750 C; humidity 64,80±9,57%; light regimen 23h). During the starter stage (1-10 days) all chicks received a conventional compound feed (C). During the grower and finisher stages, compared to C formulation, the experimental diets different proportions, varying with the stage of development, of rapeseeds and grape meals (E1), buckthorn and flax meals (E2), pumpkin meal (lot E3). The balance study was conducted for 5 days, during weeks 4 and 6. During this period, average weights from each two cages (6 samples/group) of feed consumed and excreta voided (dry matter basis) were recorded and sampled for: dry matter, nitrogen, fat, fibre, ash and gross energy analysis. The chicks from E1 group had a lower (P≤0.05) coefficient of dietary nitrogen absorption than E2 chicks. The coefficients of apparent absorption of the dietary fat varied with the period of development. During the finishing stage, E3 chicks had a higher (P≤0.05) coefficient of fibre absorption than groups C, E1 and E2

Jerusalem Artichoke (<i>Helianthus tuberosus</i> L.) as a Promising Dietary Feed Ingredient for Monogastric Farm Animals

In recent years, there has been significant attention toward the incorporation of alternative functional feed ingredients in monogastric diets. The objective is to improve sustainability and optimize animal performance both under normal conditions and in heat stress situations. Among these alternatives, Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) has emerged as a promising candidate due to its nutritional composition and potential health benefits. This review aims to investigate the potential utilization of Jerusalem artichoke in monogastric diets and the impact on productive performance parameters. Moreover, the potential prebiotic effects of Jerusalem artichoke on the composition and activity of monogastric gut microbiota are revealed, showing its implications for gut health and reduction in pathogenic bacteria. The incorporation of Jerusalem artichoke in monogastric diets poses several challenges, such as limitation of the dietary inclusion rate. However, there are also future perspectives to consider, such as optimizing processing techniques, evaluating the effects of different cultivars, and exploring potential synergies with other dietary feed ingredients. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the key findings and unique perspectives on the utilization of Jerusalem artichoke in monogastric diets, highlighting its potential as a valuable feed ingredient