Long-Term Supplementation of Laying Hen Diets with Various Selenium Sources as a Method for the Fortification of Eggs with Selenium

The following study focuses on a comparison of the effectiveness of egg content enrichment with selenium (Se) via application of sodium selenite (Na-selenite), selenium-enriched yeast (Se-Yeast), or selenomethionine (Se-Met) in laying hen diets. Two hundred sixteen laying hens were divided into four treatments, each comprising eighteen replications, and each with three hens per cage. Animals were fed a basal diet without Se supplementation (control: selenium content 0.058 mg/kg), with the addition of Na-selenite, Se-Yeast, or Se-Met in amounts equivalent to 0.3 mg/kg of added selenium. The egg quality, the selenium content in eggs after the third and the fifth months of using Se supplementation, and the selenium level in the liver were determined. Enrichment of egg content with selenium was the most effective (382 μg/kg) via application of dietary Se-Met. Application of Na-selenite and Se-Yeast led to a similar effect on Se-accretion in egg content (255.9 and 258.9 μg/kg, respectively). Additionally, the calculated average Se concentration in one fresh egg was also higher in eggs from hens that received selenium additives in their diet and was far higher, almost three times higher for Se-Met addition, than the concentrations in controls. Se-accretion in the liver wet tissue was greater following application of Se-Yeast in the diet than following other treatments. These results indicate that the use of selenomethionine in the laying hen diet is the best method of enriching eggs with this micronutrient. In turn, the eggs obtained in this way can be an excellent source of highly bioavailable selenium in the human diet

The Energy and Nutritional Value of Meat of Broiler Chickens Fed with Various Addition of Wheat Germ Expeller

The study concerns the effect of wheat germ expeller (WGE) as a feed additive given to male Ross-308 broiler chickens on their meat’s energy and nutritional value, and coverage of nutrient reference values-requirements (NRV-R) of consumers for particular minerals. The chickens in the control group (CT—Control Treatment) were fed a standard complete mix. The experimental groups (EX5, EX10, EX15) were given a feed in which wheat middling was replaced with 5, 10, and 15% WGE. The breast and thigh muscles of 32 randomly selected chickens (8 in each group) were analyzed. More water, crude protein, P, Mg, Fe, Cu, and Mn were determined in the breast muscles, and more crude fat, crude ash, Ca, and Zn in the thigh muscles. Chickens from the CT group consumed significantly (p ≤ 0.01) less feed per body weight than those from groups EX5 to EX15, but achieved the highest body weight per 100 g of consumed feed. A higher (p ≤ 0.01) feed, energy, crude protein, and crude fat intake was observed in groups EX5 to EX15 compared to CT. The higher (p ≤ 0.01) value of protein efficiency ratios was indicated in the CT group. The WGE additive did not impact the muscles’ energy values but affected the nutritional value. The daily consumption of 100 g of breast muscles to a large extent covers the consumer NRV-R for P, Mg Fe, Cu, and Mn. However, thigh muscles cover the NRV-R to a greater extent for Ca and Zn. The EX15, EX5, and EX10 muscles covered most of the NRV-R for P, Ca, and Mg, while the CT muscles did the same for Zn and Mn. Adding 5% WGE to broiler feed is optimal as it does not impair the nutritional value of the muscles

The Thyroid Hormone and Immunoglobulin Concentrations in Blood Serum and Thyroid Gland Morphology in Young Hens Fed with Different Diets, Sources, and Levels of Iodine Supply

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the level (1, 3, and 5 mg I/kg) and source of iodine (KI, Ca(IO3)2, and KIO3) on thyroid hormone and immunoglobulin concentrations in the blood serum of laying hens alongside a histological picture of the thyroid. In the first, birds were fed grain–soybean meal mixtures, and in the second, two kinds of diets based on corn–soybean or corn–soybean–rapeseed meal were applied. In the experiments, we determined the levels of the blood serum thyroid hormones fT3 and fT4, as well as the morphological structure of the thyroid gland. In the second experiment, the concentration of immunoglobulins in blood serum was assayed. In both experiments, no influence of iodine source on thyroid hormone concentration was observed. However, increasing the iodine level in the full mixture and adding rapeseed meal in both experiments caused an increase in fT3 concentration. Increasing I-addition in both experiments led to a decrease in thyroid gland follicle diameter. Rapeseed meal inclusion (at a level of 10%) to the complete hen mixture led to an increase in thyroid gland follicle diameter. Applying KIO3 as an iodine source in both experiments caused a decrease in the thyroid gland height of follicle epithelial cells. Immunoglobulin concentrations in the serum were not affected by experimental factors. The results suggest that the methodologies of studies on the bioavailability of minerals and the corresponding analytical methods require unification. The lack of such standardization makes it impossible to engage in a satisfactory discussion of the results and exchange experiences

Growth performance and gastrointestinal tract allometry of broiler chickens fed with complete feed mixtures including distiller’s and brewer’s yeast

Celem badań było określenie wpływu drożdży gorzelniczych i piwnych podawanych w mieszankach pełnoporcjowych dla kurcząt rzeźnych na wybrane parametry przewodu pokarmowego oraz efekty produkcyjne. Badania przeprowadzono na 90 kurczętach rzeźnych rasy Hubbard odmiany białej, które w 28. dniu życia przydzielono do 5 grup żywieniowych. Czynnikiem różnicującym grupy żywieniowe był rodzaj i poziom drożdży zastosowanych w mieszance pełnoporcjowej typu finisher. Zwierzęta z grupy kontrolnej otrzymywały mieszankę bez dodatku drożdży, natomiast w grupach doświadczalnych zastosowano 2 i 4% udziału drożdży gorzelniczych (grupy II i III) oraz 2 i 4% udziału drożdży piwnych (grupy IV i V). Uzyskane wyniki wskazują, że kurczęta rzeźne otrzymujące w mieszance pełnoporcjowej drożdże, zarówno gorzelnicze, jak i browarniane, charakteryzowały się lepszymi (P≤0,05) wskaźnikami produkcyjnymi: przyrostami masy ciała, pobraniem paszy oraz współczynnikiem wykorzystania paszy na 1 kg przyrostu masy ciała niż ptaki z grupy kontrolnej. Nie stwierdzono istotnego wpływu dodatku drożdży na allometrię przewodu pokarmowego.The aim of the study was to determine the effect of distiller’s and brewer’s yeast added to complete feed mixtures for broiler chickens on selected allometric parameters of digestive tract as well as birds growth performance. The experiment was carried out on 90 Hubbard white broiler chickens randomly divided on 28 d. of the experiment into 5 experimental groups differed by kind and amount of yeasts in complete feed mixtures as follows: group I (negative control), groups II and III – distillers yeast in amount of 2 and 4%, respectively and groups IV and V – brewer’s yeast in amount of 2 and 4%, respectively. Obtained research data indicated that chickens fed with complete feed mixture containing both, brewer’s and distillers yeast addition, had higher body weight gains (P≤0.05) in comparison with control group what was clearly confirmed in lower (P≤0.05) FI and FCR. Yeast administration, both distillers and brewers, added to concentrate mixtures did not significantly affect the selected parameters of chicken digestive tract

Changes in the In Vitro Ruminal Fermentation of Diets for Dairy Cows Based on Selected Sorghum Cultivars Compared to Maize, Rye and Grass Silage

An in vitro experiment was conducted to determine the impact of silage produced from selected varieties of sorghum on the microbial fermentation profile of cows’ ruminal fluid. To determine the main microbial fermentation products, ruminal fluid samples were obtained from Polish Holstein–Friesian cows. Serum bottles were filled with 80 mL of ruminal samples, and 1 g of one of the following substrates was added: corn silage (CS), grass silage (GS), rye silage (RS), sorghum silage (sweet) (SS1), sorghum silage (grain) (SS2) or sorghum silage (dual-purpose) (SS3). The serum bottles were flushed with CO2 and fermented for 8 and 24 h at 39 °C. After incubation, the obtained gas and rumen fluid were then analysed to determine the methane and volatile fatty acid (VFA) contents using gas chromatography. The use of sorghum silage (SS) resulted in a decrease in the total concentration VFA concentration in the ruminal fluid compared with the use of other silages, especially GS. Moreover, the ruminal fluid contained a lower molar proportion of propionic and butyric acids when SS was used compared with CS. The butyric acid proportion was higher in SS samples than in RS samples. The differences in chemical composition between sorghum varieties did not influence the rumen VFA concentration or profile. A decrease in gas production, but without effects on methanogenesis, was observed when SS was used compared with GS and CS. The analysis demonstrates the physiological processes of fermentation in the rumen, as evidenced by the products of microbial fermentation. The main advantage is that the addition of SS, irrespective of the plant variety, reduced fermentation gas production in the ruminal fluid compared with CS. The silage of the analyzed sorghum varieties may be used in the diets of dairy cows as a substitute for corn and grass silages

Apiterapija : vadovas

Ši knyga, pateikiant naujausius mokslinius įrodymus, patvirtina, kad bičių produktai, ypač propolis, atlikus jų mokslinius tyrimus, sėkmingai naudojami kai kurioms ligoms gydyti. Turkijoje priėmus „Tradicinės ir papildomosios medicinos praktikos reglamentą“, išaugs susidomėjimas bičių produktų naudojimu maistui ir sveikatai stiprinti. Vis dėlto reikia atsiminti, kad, norint perdirbti visus bičių produktus ir ypač juos naudoti sveikatos srityje, pirmiausia reikia kompetentingų, žinių turinčių ir išmanančių bitininkų. Tikiuosi, kad ši knyga, parašyta paprastu ir suprantamu stiliumi, paremta su apiterapija ES susijusio projekto, kuriame dalyvavo mokslininkai iš Turkijos, Lenkijos, Lietuvos ir Slovakijos, patirtimi, bus naudinga mėgstantiems skaityti ir ieškotiMiškų ir ekologijos fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta