14 research outputs found
A comparison between the quality of eggs from indigenous chicken breeds and that from commercial layers
There is an increased interest in animal
products from more sustainable farming practices, which
may include using local breeds. In addition, maintaining
biodiversity is important, and naturally, indigenous
breeds of chickens are well adapted to the local environmental
conditions. In the current study, 286 eggs
from 4 Portuguese breeds of chickens (Branca, Amarela,
Pedr^es Portuguesa, and Preta Lusit^anica) and from a
commercial hybrid laying hen were used. Chemical and
physical characteristics of the eggs and the egg components
such as weights, Haugh units, yolk color, albumen
protein content, yolk fatty acid content, and mineral
content in the albumen and yolk were analyzed. The
Branca breed produced eggs with a lighter brown shell
color and lower Haugh unit values than the remaining
native breeds (P,0.05). The commercial hens produced
eggs that were found to be more rounded shape than the ideal and with a darker colored shell and yolk than eggs
from the 4 local breeds. In addition, the commercial hens
also produced heavier eggs but with lower Haugh units
than the Amarela, Pedr^es Portuguesa, and Preta
Lusit^anica breeds (P , 0.05). The range of saturated
fatty acids, monounsaturated fatty acids, and total
polyunsaturated fatty acids between eggs from the 4
breeds was small and not significantly different. No differences
were found in the percentage of albumen protein
between breeds. Albumen and yolk ash content was not
different between breeds. The overall analysis indicated
that eggs from these native genotypes match the quality
of a commercial product in many characteristics. In
markets where eggs from local breeds are available,
consumers are purchasing a high-quality product while
aiding in the expansion of local genetic resources and
investing in local farmersinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
A viewpoint on the use of microalgae as an alternative feedstuff in the context of pig and poultry feeding - a special emphasis on tropical regions
With the current increase in meat and animal products consumption, there is a need to make production systems more sustainable. The use of microalgae in monogastric feeds, replacing widely used conventional feedstuffs such corn and soybean, can be a solution to overcome this problem. Several studies have shown promising results in the use of microalgae in feeding of both pigs and poultry. However, there are several important constraints associated to the production of microalgae. Such constraints are particularly limiting in the context of tropical regions. Research and scientific development on microalgae production systems are thus essential so that may be widely used in monogastric feeding. Herein, we conduct an overview of the major findings in the use of microalgae in the context of monogastric feeding and analyse the major constraints associated to its production and use, particularly in the specific context of tropical regions.info:eu-repo/semantics/submittedVersio
Impact of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrate-active enzymes incorporation on plasma metabolites and liver lipid composition of broilers
Research Areas: Veterinary SciencesBackground: Chlorella vulgaris has been proposed as a sustainable green feedstock in poultry nutrition due to its ease of cultivation, minimal environmental impact and balanced nutritional composition. However, the majority of studies documents the use of C. vulgaris as a dietary supplement in broilers instead of a feed ingredient. To the best of our knowledge, no report has shown the effect of a high-level incorporation (>2 % in the diet) of C. vulgaris on plasma metabolites and hepatic lipid composition of broilers. One hundred and twenty Ross 308 male birds were housed in 40 wired-floor cages and randomly distributed by the following experimental diets at 22 days of age (n = 10) during 15 days: (1) a corn-soybean meal based diet (control); (2) based diet with 10% of C. vulgaris; (3) diet 2 supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP; and (4) diet 2 supplemented with 0.01% of a pre-selected four-CAZyme mixture. Results: The inclusion of C. vulgaris at 10% in the diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, changed plasma metabolites but did not compromise broilers growth. Plasma total lipids increased in broilers fed C. vulgaris combined with the two feed CAZymes (p < 0.001) compared with the control diet. Moreover, the supplementation with Rovabio® increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, while the addition of the four-CAZyme mixture increased triacylglycerols, VLDL-cholesterol and ALP activity. In opposition, HDL-cholesterol levels decreased in broilers fed microalga alone (p = 0.002). Regarding hepatic composition, the inclusion of C. vulgaris in broiler diets, individually or combined with exogenous CAZymes, had a minor effect on fatty acids but improved the n-6/n-3 ratio and total carotenoids.
Conclusions: In summary, the inclusion of a high level (10%) of C. vulgaris in broiler´s diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, improved hepatic antioxidant composition and did not impair broiler’s performance. In addition, the feed supplementation with CAZymes increased broilers lipemia. Therefore, dietary C. vulgaris at this incorporation level seems to be safe for animal health and do not compromise performance traits, with no need of CAZymes supplementation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Quality Traits and Nutritional Value of Pork and Poultry Meat from Animals Fed with Seaweeds
ReviewSeaweeds have caught the attention of the scientific community in recent years. Their
production can mitigate the negative impact of anthropogenic activity and their use in animal
nutrition reduces the dependency on conventional crops such as maize and soybean meal. In
the context of monogastric animals, novel approaches have made it possible to optimise their
use in feed, namely polysaccharide extraction, biomass fermentation, enzymatic processing, and
feed supplementation with carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes). Their bioactive properties
make them putative candidates as feed ingredients that enhance meat quality traits, such as lipid
oxidation, shelf-life, and meat colour. Indeed, they are excellent sources of essential amino acids,
polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, and pigments that can be transferred to the meat of monogastric
animals. However, their nutritional composition is highly variable, depending on species, harvesting
region, local pollution, and harvesting season, among other factors. In this review, we assess the
current use and challenges of using seaweeds in pig and poultry diets, envisaging to improve meat
quality and its nutritional valueinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Effect of Dietary Laminaria digitata with Carbohydrases on Broiler Production Performance and Meat Quality, Lipid Profile, and Mineral Composition
Research Areas: Agriculture; Veterinary Sciences; ZoologyABSTRACT - We hypothesized that dietary inclusion of 15% Laminaria digitata, supplemented or not with carbohydrases, could improve the nutritional value of poultry meat without impairing animal growth performance. A total of 120 22-day old broilers were fed the following dietary treatments (n = 10) for 14 days: cereal-based diet (control); control diet with 15% L. digitata (LA); LA diet with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP (LAR); LA diet with 0.01% alginate lyase (LAE). Final body weight was lower and feed conversion ratio higher with LA diet than with the control. The ileal viscosity increased with LA and LAR diets relative to control but without differences between LAE and control. The pH of thigh meat was higher, and the redness value of breast was lower with LA diet than with control. Meat overall acceptability was positively scored for all treatments. The γ-tocopherol decreased, whereas total chlorophylls and carotenoids increased in meat with alga diets relative to control. The percentage of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and accumulation of bromine and iodine in meat increased with alga diets compared with control. Feeding 15% of L. digitata to broilers impaired growth performance but enhanced meat quality by increasing antioxidant pigments, with beneficial effects on n-3 PUFA and iodineinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Plasma Metabolites and Liver Composition of Broilers in Response to Dietary Ulva lactuca with Ulvan Lyase or a Commercial Enzyme Mixture
The effect of a high incorporation level of Ulva lactuca, individually and supplemented with
a Carbohydrate-Active enZyme (CAZyme) on broilers’ plasma parameters and liver composition is
assessed here. Twenty one-day-old Ross 308 male broilers were randomly assigned to one of four
treatments (n = 10): corn/soybean meal based-diet (Control); based-diet with 15% U. lactuca (UL);
UL diet with 0.005% of commercial carbohydrase mixture; and UL diet with 0.01% of recombinant
ulvan lyase. Supplementing U. lactuca with the recombinant CAZyme slightly compromised broilers’
growth by negatively affecting final body weight and average daily gain. The combination of U. lactuca
with ulvan lyase also increased systemic lipemia through an increase in total lipids, triacylglycerols
and VLDL-cholesterol (p < 0.001). Moreover, U. lactuca, regardless of the CAZyme supplementation,
enhanced hepatic n-3 PUFA (mostly 20:5n-3) with positive decrease in n-6/n-3 ratio. However, broilers
fed with U. lactuca with ulvan lyase reduced hepatic a- and
-tocopherol concentrations relative to
the control. Conversely, the high amount of pigments in macroalga diets led to an increase in hepatic
beta-carotene, chlorophylls and total carotenoids. Furthermore, U. lactuca, alone or combined with
CAZymes, enhanced hepatic total microminerals, including iron and manganese. Overall, plasma
metabolites and liver composition changed favorably in broilers that were fed 15% of U. lactuca,
regardless of enzyme supplementationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Influence of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrate-active enzymes on growth performance, meat quality and lipid composition of broiler chickens
Article in pressHerein, we investigated the effect of
Chlorella vulgaris as ingredient (10% of incorporation) in
broiler diets, supplemented or not with 2 formulations of
Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes; Rovabio
Excel AP and a mixture of recombinant CAZymes,
composed by an exo-b-glucosaminidase, an alginate
lyase, a peptidoglycan N-acetylmuramic acid deacetylase
and a lysozyme), on growth performance, meat quality,
fatty acid composition, oxidative stability, and sensory
traits. One hundred twenty 1-day-old Ross 308 male birds
were randomly assigned to one of the 4 experimental diets
(n 5 30): corn-soybean meal–basal diet (control), basal
diet with 10% C. vulgaris (CV), CV supplemented with
0.005% of a commercialCAZymecocktail (Rovabio Excel
AP), (CV1R), and CV supplemented with 0.01% of a 4-
CAZyme mixture previously selected (CV 1 M) during
the experimental period lasted from day 21 to day 35.
Body weight gain and feed conversion rate of broilers were
not affected by C. vulgaris but digesta viscosity increased more than 2-fold (P , 0.001) relative to the control. In
addition, neither cooking loss, shear force, juiciness, flavor
nor off-flavor was impaired by dietary treatments
(P.0.05). By contrast, the dietary C. vulgaris increased
tenderness, yellowness (b*) and total carotenoids in
breast and thigh meats. However, no additional protective
effect against lipid oxidation was observed in meat
with the inclusion of microalga. Chlorella vulgaris, independently
of CAZymes, had a minor impact on meat fatty
acid composition but improved the proportion of some
beneficial fatty acids. In summary, our data indicate a
slight improvement of broiler meat quality and lipid
nutritional value, without impairment of broilers’ growth
performance, thus supporting the usefulness of this
microalga in poultry diets, up to this high level of incorporation.
By contrast, the selected CAZyme mixtures
used do not significantly improve the release of microalga
nutrients in poultry diets, through the disruption of
microalga cell wall, which warrants further researchinfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio
Effect on Broiler Production Performance and Meat Quality of Feeding Ulva lactuca Supplemented with Carbohydrases
Macroalgae have been increasingly exploited worldwide for feed, food and biofuel
applications, due to their nutritive and bioactive compounds. Green seaweeds belonging to the genus
Ulva have high growth rates, which makes them suitable for being cultured in sustainable algae
production, such as an integrated multi-trophic aquaculture system. This is expected to increase the
use of Ulva sp. as an alternative source to conventional feedstuffs (e.g., cereals and soybean meal)
for poultry. The objective of the current study was to assess if the incorporation of 15% Ulva lactuca
in broiler chickens’ diet, combined or not with carbohydrate-active enzymes, would enhance meat
nutritional quality without compromising animal growth performance. Overall, U. lactuca led to
an accumulation of antioxidant carotenoids, n-3 PUFA and macrominerals, including magnesium,
potassium and phosphorus, in the breast muscle, with likely health benefits, without significantly
impairing growth performance. The supplementation of macroalgae with a recombinant ulvan lyase
reduced ileal viscosity with possible beneficial effects on broiler digestibility. Although dietary U.
lactuca showed potential to increase meat quality, it reduced meat overall acceptability, which suggests
the use of a lower algae inclusion level to prevent a negative meat sensory perception for consumersinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Impact of dietary Chlorella vulgaris and carbohydrate-active enzymes incorporation on plasma metabolites and liver lipid composition of broilers
ResearchBackground: Chlorella vulgaris has been proposed as a sustainable green feedstock in poultry nutrition due to its
ease of cultivation, minimal environmental impact and balanced nutritional composition. However, the majority of
studies documents the use of C. vulgaris as a dietary supplement in broilers instead of a feed ingredient. To the
best of our knowledge, no report has shown the effect of a high-level incorporation (>2 % in the diet) of C. vulgaris
on plasma metabolites and hepatic lipid composition of broilers. One hundred and twenty Ross 308 male birds
were housed in 40 wired-floor cages and randomly distributed by the following experimental diets at 22 days of
age (n = 10) during 15 days: (1) a corn-soybean meal based diet (control); (2) based diet with 10% of C. vulgaris; (3)
diet 2 supplemented with 0.005% Rovabio® Excel AP; and (4) diet 2 supplemented with 0.01% of a pre-selected
four-CAZyme mixture.
Results: The inclusion of C. vulgaris at 10% in the diet, regardless of the presence of exogenous CAZymes, changed
plasma metabolites but did not compromise broilers growth. Plasma total lipids increased in broilers fed C. vulgaris
combined with the two feed CAZymes (p < 0.001) compared with the control diet. Moreover, the supplementation
with Rovabio® increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol, while the addition of the four-CAZyme mixture
increased triacylglycerols, VLDL-cholesterol and ALP activity. In opposition, HDL-cholesterol levels decreased in
broilers fed microalga alone (p = 0.002). Regarding hepatic composition, the inclusion of C. vulgaris in broiler diets,
individually or combined with exogenous CAZymes, had a minor effect on fatty acids but improved the n-6/n-3
ratio and total carotenoids. Conclusions: In summary, the inclusion of a high level (10%) of C. vulgaris in broiler´s diet, regardless of the
presence of exogenous CAZymes, improved hepatic antioxidant composition and did not impair broiler’s
performance. In addition, the feed supplementation with CAZymes increased broilers lipemia. Therefore, dietary C.
vulgaris at this incorporation level seems to be safe for animal health and do not compromise performance traits,
with no need of CAZymes supplementationinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Digestibility of Meat Mineral and Proteins from Broilers Fed with Graded Levels of Chlorella vulgaris
The incorporation of sustainable protein sources in animal feeding is a growing trend. So far, no study has investigated in vitro digestion of meat, from broilers fed microalgae, in a human model. This research aimed to evaluate the effect of incorporating Chlorella vulgaris in the broilers diet on human protein digestibility, and mineral bioaccessibility. The study used 240 male Ross 308 broilers randomly allocated to groups fed a control diet or a diet where soybean meal was replaced with 10% (CV10%), 15% (CV15%), or 20% (CV15%) of C. vulgaris for 40 days. The microalga supplementation increased the protein and lowered the fat content in the muscle. Results on the percentages of amino acids highlighted that arginine and threonine proportions increased and lysine and cysteine proportions decreased with microalga inclusion. CV15% and CV20% meat had higher amount of K, Ca, Mg, P, and Fe in raw breasts, improving the nutrient composition of the meat. Cooking caused a decrease in Na and K and an increase in other minerals. CV20% had higher bioaccessibility of K, Ca, Mg, P, and Mg, compared to the control. Replacing soybean meal in broiler feed with higher concentrations of C. vugaris could improve the digestibility of meat protein and minerals