Evaluation of in-field efficacy of dietary ferric tyrosine on performance, intestinal health and meat quality of broiler chickens exposed to natural Campylobacter jejuni challenge

Campylobacter is an important pathogen commonly found in chickens that can cause severe acute gastroenteritis in humans. Despite intensive efforts to inhibit food-borne transmission of Campylobacter no effective strategy exists to reduce Campylobacter loads in farmed broilers. This study examined the capacity of a novel feed additive to lower Campylobacter jejuni populations and to improve growth efficiency of broiler chickens. A total of 384 male one-day-old broiler chicks were used in a 42-day trial. Birds were randomly allocated into four treatments with six replicates of sixteen chicks per pen. Three groups were fed the basal diets further supplemented with TYPLEX™ chelate (ferric tyrosine) at various concentrations (0.02, 0.05 and 0.20 g/kg, groups T2-T4, respectively). Control group (T1) was fed basal diets in mash form that did not contain added ferric tyrosine. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. At 20 days of age, broilers were exposed to natural C. jejuni challenge by introducing contaminated litter from a commercial farm. At day 25, pen litter samples analysed positive for C. jejuni, and the infection intensity was homogeneous among pens. At the end of the study C. jejuni counts in bird caeca were significantly reduced, by 2 log10 in the T4 group, compared to the T1 Control and T3 groups (p = 0.004). During this study, a natural infection with Eimeria tenella occurred at days 26-29. For animal welfare reasons all birds were treated with an anti-coccidial drug as recommended, for two consecutive days. At day 42, diarrhoea was observed on the litter in only 1 of 6 pens in the T4 group, but in 5 of 6 pens in the T1 Control group. In addition, autopsies showed that the T4 group had the highest percentage of birds with normal intestinal tracts. The T1 group had the lowest percentage of birds with infection-free tracts, and higher incidence of coccidiosis and bloody diarrhoea. At 42 days of age all birds were slaughtered and samples collected for further analysis. Birds in the T4 group tended to exhibit improved weight gain and feed efficiency, a result that warrants further investigation. Collectively, our data suggest that addition of ferric tyrosine at 0.20 g/kg exerts a protective effect against C. jejuni and coccidiosis

The use of ground oregano plants in feeding of broiler chickens

Although, it is common practice to add antibiotics to poultry diets to improve chicken health and productivity, it is generally accepted that the use of dietary antibiotics may potentially affect human health due to emergence in food animals of zoonotic microorganisms that are resistant to antibiotics. This health threat has urged European countries to ban recently certain feed additives including antibiotics and anticoccidal substances. As a result, use of alternatives to these feed additives is currently being encouraged. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential use of ground oregano plants in feeding of broiler chickens. For this study, two experiments were carried out. In the first experiment, the effects of diet supplementation with ground oregano on growth performance and oxidative stability of breast and thigh muscle tissue of broiler chickens were investigated. In the second experiment, the effect of diet supplementation with ground oregano on performance of broiler chickens challenged with oocysts of Eimeria tenella was examined. In the first experiment, a total of 6.300 day-old Cobb-500 chicks randomly allocated into 7 equal groups with three subgroups of 150 males and 150 females each, were used. One of the groups was given a basal diet containing 30 mg α-tocopheryl acetate/kg feed and served as control. The remaining six groups, were administered diets based on the same basal diet supplemented further with oregano at 5.0 g/kg (OR5 group), or oregano at 10.0 g/kg (OR10 group), or oregano at 5.0 g/kg plus a-tocopheryl acetate at 170 mg/kg (OR5-TOC group), or oregano at 10.0 g/kg plus a-tocopheryl acetate at 170 mg/kg (OR10-TOC group), or a-tocopheryl acetate at 170 mg/kg (TOC group), or flavomycin at 4 mg/kg plus lasalocid at 75 mg/kg (FLA-LAS group). During the feeding trial that lasted 42 days, body weight and feed intake were weekly recorded, and feed conversion ratios were calculated. Oocyst counts in excreta were also investigated weekly whereas mortality was recorded daily. At the end of the experiment, samples of breast and thigh muscle tissues from each group were collected and analyzed for their protein, fat, moisture, ash and α-tocopherol content. To evaluate the oxidative stability of the muscle tissues, part of the collected samples was submitted to iron-induced lipid oxidation by incubation with ferrous sulfate and ascorbic acid for 270 min, whereas another part to lipid oxidation by refrigerated storage at 4 oC for 9 days. Lipid oxidation was assessed by monitoring malondialdehyde formation through use of a derivative spectrophotometric assay. The results from this experiment showed that ground oregano could serve as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. At the age of 42 days, the OR5, OR5-TOC and FLA-LAS groups presented body weight values that were significantly better (P0.05) total feed consumption. However, its use at 5 g/kg diet had a significant (P0.05) on chickens mortality, or on protein, crude fat, moisture and ash content of breast or thigh tissues. However, it significantly (P>0.05) influenced oocyst counts in the excreta of broilers, as OR5, OR5-TOC, OR10 and OR10-TOC groups presented oocyst counts lower (P0,05) από εκείνες των υπόλοιπων ομάδων, αν και ήταν αριθμητικά μικρότερες από εκείνες των ομάδων ΡΙΓ5, ΡΙΓ5-ΤΟΚ και ΦΛΑ-ΛΑΣ και αριθμητικά μεγαλύτερες από εκείνη της ομάδας των μαρτύρων. Η προσθήκη της ρίγανης στην τροφή σε ποσότητα 5 g/kg και 10 g/kg δεν επηρέασε τη μέση κατανάλωση της τροφής, ενώ σε ποσότητα 5 g/kg επηρέασε ευνοϊκά το δείκτη μετατρεψιμότητας της τροφής. Έτσι, στην ηλικία των 42 ημερών, τα ορνίθια των ομάδων ΡΙΓ5, ΡΙΓ5-ΤΟΚ και ΦΛΑ-ΛΑΣ είχαν τιμές δείκτη μετατρεψιμότητας τροφής που ήταν σημαντικά (P£0,05) ευνοϊκότερες από εκείνη της ομάδας των μαρτύρων, ενώ τα ορνίθια των ομάδων ΡΙΓ10, ΡΙΓ10-ΤΟΚ και ΤΟΚ παρουσίασαν τιμές δείκτη μετατρεψιμότητας τροφής που δε διέφεραν σημαντικά (P>0,05) από εκείνες των ορνιθίων των υπόλοιπων ομάδων. Ακόμη, η προσθήκη της ρίγανης στην τροφή σε ποσότητα 5 g/kg και 10 g/kg δεν επηρέασε τη θνησιμότητα των ορνιθίων ούτε την περιεκτικότητα του μυϊκού ιστού σε πρωτεΐνες, λιπαρές ουσίες, υγρασία και ανόργανη ουσία, αλλά επηρέασε τον αριθμό των αποβαλλόμενων με τα περιττώματα κοκκιδιοκύστεων, αφού ο αριθμός αυτός στις ομάδες ΡΙΓ5, ΡΙΓ5-ΤΟΚ, ΡΙΓ10 και ΡΙΓ10-ΤΟΚ ήταν σημαντικά (P£0,05) μικρότερος από εκείνον της ομάδας των μαρτύρων και της ομάδας ΤΟΚ αλλά μεγαλύτερος (P£0,05) από εκείνον των ορνιθίων της ομάδας ΦΛΑ-ΛΑΣ

Essential Oils in Broiler Chicken Production, Immunity and Meat Quality: Review of <i>Thymus vulgaris</i>, <i>Origanum vulgare</i>, and <i>Rosmarinus officinalis</i>

The use of essential oils in animal nutrition has attracted attention as a potential substitute for antibiotic growth promoters in the past twenty-five years. This paper will review the current scientific evidence on the usage of essential oils from Lamiaceae family members such as Thymus vulgaris (thyme), Origanum vulgare (oregano), and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) in broiler nutrition in terms of production results, immunity, and meat quality properties. Essential oils are effective in broiler nutrition when incorporated into the diet on a variety of levels, such as dietary composition, level of feed inclusion, and bird genetics. Moreover, the efficacy of essential oils is influenced by many factors, such as the composition of the oil. Due to big differences in the composition and sources of essential oils, comparing different studies using them can be challenging. Therefore, biological effects may differ significantly. Despite this, a great deal of research supports essential oils’ potential use as natural, antibiotic-free growth promoters for broilers. Growth promotion mechanisms are still not clearly understood as there is limited information on essential oils’ effect on nutrient digestibility, gut function, and the immune system. There is no question that essential oil consumption can reduce pathogen growth in the gut, but their effects on the intricate gut ecosystem as yet remain unclear. This review concludes with further recommendations regarding the application of dietary essential oils in broiler nutrition

Ecofriendly Usability of Mushroom Cultivation Substrate as a Ruminant Feed: Anaerobic Digestion Using Gas Production Techniques

The current study was carried out to evaluate the nutritive value of mushroom-uncultivated and -cultivated substrates, and their in vitro gas and methane production. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design, and analyzed with GLM using SAS 9.4. Analysis of the structural morphology of mushroom-cultivated substrate was performed using a scanning electron microscope. Mushroom cultivation led to lower ether extract, acid detergent fiber, and crude fiber level of substrate (p &lt; 0.05). Mushroom-cultivated substrate showed higher in vitro cumulative gas production (p &lt; 0.05). Moreover, mushroom cultivation led to a higher sample surface, and improved the microorganisms&rsquo; access to feed materials, thus stimulating rumen fermentation and increasing methane production (p &lt; 0.05). The organic matter digestibility, metabolizable energy, and net energy lactation values were higher for mushroom-cultivated substrate than uncultivated substrate. The results demonstrate that mushroom-cultivation not only increases the contact surface of cellulose, leading to higher ruminal microorganisms&rsquo; access to feedstuff, but could also had higher nutritive value; this material might be used in ruminant ration formulation, to reduce environmental pollution and feed costs

Aromatic Plants as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

Aromatic plants, also known as herbs and spices, have been used since antiquity as folk medicine and as preservatives in foods. The best known aromatic plants, such as oregano, rosemary, sage, anise, basil, etc., originate from the Mediterranean area. They contain many biologically active compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which have been found to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiprotozoal, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Currently, the demand for these plants and their derivatives has increased because they are natural, eco-friendly and generally recognized as safe products. Therefore, aromatic plants and their extracts have the potential to become new generation substances for human and animal nutrition and health. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the literature surrounding the in vivo and in vitro use of aromatic plants

Aromatic Plants as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

Aromatic plants, also known as herbs and spices, have been used since antiquity as folk medicine and as preservatives in foods. The best known aromatic plants, such as oregano, rosemary, sage, anise, basil, etc., originate from the Mediterranean area. They contain many biologically active compounds, mainly polyphenolics, which have been found to possess antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiparasitic, antiprotozoal, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Currently, the demand for these plants and their derivatives has increased because they are natural, eco-friendly and generally recognized as safe products. Therefore, aromatic plants and their extracts have the potential to become new generation substances for human and animal nutrition and health. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the literature surrounding the in vivo and in vitro use of aromatic plants

Quantifying the effect of coccidiosis on broiler performance and infection outcomes in the presence and absence of control methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the role of Eimeria species, dose and inoculation time, on performance and infection outcomes of different broiler strains infected for different study durations. The meta-analysis addressed E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. tenella, and mixed species infections, and involved data from 72 peer-reviewed articles, corresponding to 521 treatments performed on 20,756 broilers. A secondary objective was to investigate the effects of synthetic anticoccidials, ionophores, and vaccination against Eimeria on the above outcomes. Performance during infection was scaled (%) to that of the uninfected birds. Infection reduced scaled ADFI and ADG (P < 0.001) and increased feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.05); there was a significant interaction between dose and species on scaled ADFI and ADG, suggesting that different species affected these variables to different extents (P < 0.001). There was a tendency for an interaction between dose and broiler strain on scaled ADFI (P = 0.079), and a significant interaction between these variables on scaled ADG (P < 0.01). A tendency for an interaction between oocyst dose and Eimeria species (P = 0.067) on maximum number of oocysts excreted was observed. Lesion scores were significantly affected by dose, species, and their interaction (P < 0.05), the latter caused by an increase in the lesion scores during E. maxima and E. tenella infections. Control methods significantly affected scaled ADG and FCR (P < 0.05) and there was an interaction between dose and control methods on ADFI (P < 0.001). Synthetic anticoccidial use improved scaled ADG (P < 0.01), whereas ionophores improved FCR compared with untreated birds (P < 0.01). An interaction between dose and control method on scaled ADFI was caused by the higher ADFI of vaccinated compared to untreated birds, as dose increased. There was a significant effect of control methods on lesion scores (P < 0.01). All findings advance our understanding of the factors that influence the impact of coccidiosis and its controls in broilers

The effects of plant extracts on lipid metabolism of chickens — A review

The fat deposition is an important factor affecting chicken meat quality, which is closely related to lipid metabolism of chickens. Therefore, it is important to regulate the lipid metabolism of chickens to improve the chicken meat quality. Plant extracts have special regulatory effects on animal’s growth and health and have been widely used in chicken breeding. Some plant extracts have been reported to have functions of changing the fatty acid composition, reducing abdominal fat percentage, and enhancing the intramuscular fat content of chickens by improving the antioxidant capacity, regulating the expression of genes, enzymes, and signaling pathways related to lipid metabolism, modulating intestinal microbiota, affecting hormones level, and regulating DNA methylation. This paper reviewed the application and mechanism of plant extracts on regulating lipid metabolism of chickens to provide a reference for the further application of plant extracts in chicken breeding

Food Safety Policy in the European Union

The aim of the research is to analyze the food safety policy in the European Union and the strength of the legal and regulatory framework that covers the entire food production chain "from the field to the table". The legal framework refers to feed and animal health, protection and care of animals, veterinary examinations, animal health measures, plant health checks, preparation and hygiene of food products. For the preparation of this paper, a descriptive method, analysis and synthesis technique, as well as analysis of the content of laws in the field of food safety policy in the European Union were used. The findings show that the food safety policy in the European Union is based on the principles of an integrated approach; primary responsibility, traceability of food, and its ingredients, transparency and risk analysis. The Republic of Serbia has adopted many amendments to the laws on food safety, plant protection products, plant health, as well as plant nutrition products and soil improvers, which are aimed at further harmonization with the acquis communautaire

Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Spirulina platensis on the Reproductive Performance of Female Mink

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of providing Spirulina platensis (Spirulina) on reproductive performance of female mink. A total of 100 adult brown female mink (Mustela vison) were randomly and equally allocated to control group (C group), in which mink were fed basal diet and Spirulina group (Sp group), where mink received basal diet supplemented with 100 mg of Spirulina/kg of body weight. The experiment lasted 5 months, starting from 1 month prior to mating till kit weaning. Weight gain during pre-mating period was higher in Sp group compared to C group (p &lt; 0.001). Sp group remained heavier until the onset of lactation. Subsequently, mink of Sp group lost more weight than C group (p &lt; 0.001) but without an adverse effect on kit survival. A tendency for a higher whelping rate was detected in Sp group (93.61%) compared to C group (81.25%) (p = 0.07). Litter size, as well as weight of kits at weaning, did not differ between groups (p &gt; 0.10). Finally, Sp group weaned numerically more kits compared to C group. Results obtained here showed that Spirulina treated animals tended to an increased whelping rate