Effect of a plant preparation Citrosept on selected immunity indices in blood of slaughter turkey hens

Introduction and objective. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of per os administration of 3 various dosages of a Citrosept preparation (a grapefruit extract)to growing turkey hens on changes in their selected haematological and immunological blood indices. An attempt was also undertaken to select the most efficient dose of the preparation with respect to the mentioned indices in turkey hens. Materials and methods. The experiment was conducted on 180 turkey hens allocated at random to 4 groups, 45 birds in each group. Samples of their full blood were analyzed for haematological indices, such as red blood cell count (RBS), haemoglobin content (Hb), haematocrit value (Ht), and white blood cell count (WBC). Samples of blood plasma were assayed to determine the activity of lysozyme (chamber-diffusive method) and heterophils capability to reduce nitro blue tetrazolium (stimulated and spontaneous NBT test). Phagocytic activity of leucocytes against Staphylococcus aureus 209P strain was assessed and expressed as the percentage of phagocytic cells (% PC) and phagocytic index (PI). Results. The administration of the grapefruit extract to turkey hens with drinking water caused a significant increase in haemoglobin content in blood, as well as an increase in non-specific humoral immunity marker (activity of lysozyme) and non-specific cellular immunity marker (percentage of phagocytic cells; P ≤ 0.05). Conclusions. The results obtained enabled the positive evaluation of the advisability of applying the Citrosept preparation in the feeding of turkey hens at the age of 6–9 weeks. Among the doses examined, the most efficient with respect to the stimulation of the non-specific humoral and cellular immunity was the dose of 0.021 ml/kg of body weight

Influence of Citrosept addition to drinking water and Scutellaria baicalensis root extract on the content of selected mineral elements in blood plasma of turkey hens

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of Citrosept preparation and Scutellaria baicalensis root extract, administered per os to growing turkey hens in 3 different dosages, on the content of selected mineral elements in blood plasma of slaughter turkey hens. An attempt was also made to specify the most effective dosage of the applied preparations with the highest efficiency regarding increased levels of examined macro- and microelements in the birds’ blood. The research experiment was conducted on 315 turkey hens randomly divided into seven groups, each consisting of 45 turkey hens. Group C constituted the control group without experimental additions of the above-mentioned preparations. In turkey hens in groups II–IV, Citrosept preparation was instilled to water in the following dosages: Group II – 0.011 ml/kg of bm; Group III – 0.021 ml/kg of bm; Group IV – 0.042 ml/kg bm. For birds which belonged to groups V–VII, a preparation of Scutellaria baicalensis root extract was instilled to water in the following dosages: Group V – 0.009 ml/kg of bm; Group VI – 0.018 ml/kg of bm, Group VII – 0.036 ml/kg bm. In the examined plant extracts and blood plasma of the birds the levels of Na, K, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, and Fe were identified. The use of examined extracts influenced changes in the levels of all tested elements in slaughter turkey hens’ blood plasma. An upward tendency was recorded in the level of calcium and magnesium, and a downward tendency of sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, and iron in relation to the results achieved in the control group

The content of magnesium, calcium, sodium and potassium in infant formulas

Mother’s milk is the basic food for infants. Sometimes women for various reasons cannot continue or are not willing to continue breastfeeding their babies and then infant formula provides an alternative. Although breast milk substitutes for infants are produced using high technology methods, their composition is to some extent different than that of breast milk. Breast milk does not contain a high amount of minerals on the overall (ash accounts for circa 0.2 %) but they are characterised by a very high level of assimilability. On the other hand, cow’s milk contains much higher amounts of minerals – ca. 0.7%. Cow’s milk contains 3 to 4 times more Ca, Mg, Na and K than breast milk. The study aimed to analyse infant and baby formulas in terms of the content of Ca, Mg, Na and K. The study covered 11 infant formulas. All the formulas were annotated as “food for particular nutritional uses”. The powdered milk formulas were purchased from retailers in Lublin Voivodeship in August 2014, prior to their best-before dates. The content of Ca, Mg, Na and K was determined by means of flame atomic absorption spectrometry in a Varian SpectrAA 280 FS apparatus. It was found that starter infant formulas contained less of minerals covered by the study than had been declared. It was demonstrated that the content of Ca, Mg, Na and K in the analysed milk samples calculated per 100 kcal was generally comparable to their standard content

Effect of thermal processes on changes in basic chemical composition of wheat grain

Celem pracy było określenie zmian składu chemicznego ziarna pszenicy odmian: ‘Finezja’, ‘Retro’ i ‘Nikol’ zachodzących pod wpływem ekstruzji i naświetlania promieniami podczerwonymi. Ziarno nawilżano do 15 i 25 % wilgotności i ekstrudowano w temp. 110/135/175/180/124 ºC oraz naświetlano promieniami podczerwonymi w 100 i 130 ºC przez 30 i 90 s. W materiale doświadczalnym oznaczono zawartość: suchej masy, popiołu surowego, tłuszczu surowego, białka ogólnego, włókna surowego, BAW, frakcji włókna (ADF, NDF, CEL, HCEL i ADL) oraz skrobi. W ziarnie pszenicy naświetlanej w temp. 130 ºC przez 90 s stwierdzono istotne zmniejszenie (p ≤ 0,05) zawartości białka ogólnego (o 7 % w ziarnie ‘Finezja’ i o 5 % w ziarnie ‘Retro’) oraz tłuszczu surowego (o 4 % w odmianie ‘Finezja’). W analizowanym materiale procesy termiczne spowodowały zmniejszenie zawartości włókna surowego, najwięcej w ekstrudowanym ziarnie ‘Finezja’, ‘Retro’ i ‘Nikol’, odpowiednio o: 38, 26 i 39 %. Zmniejszeniu uległa także zawartość skrobi w ekstrudowanym i w naświetlanym ziarnie ‘Finezja’ (odpowiednio o: 18,5 i 10 %). Zjawisko to obserwowano również w przypadku frakcji włókna pokarmowego. Największe ubytki dotyczyły: ADF (24 % – ‘Nikol’), NDF (12 % – ‘Retro’ i 9 % – ‘Nikol’), CEL (17 % – ‘Nikol’) oraz HCEL (16 % – ‘Retro’ i 10 % – ‘Nikol’). Niekorzystnym efektem zastosowanych procesów był wzrost zawartości ADL (o 7 % w naświetlanym ziarnie pszenicy ‘Finezja’ i o 11 % – w ekstrudowanym ziarnie ‘Retro’). Najlepszą modyfikację składu chemicznego ziarna w wyniku ekstruzji uzyskano w pszenicy ‘Finezja’ i ‘Nikol’, nawilżanej przed procesem do 25 % wilgotności, a w efekcie naświetlania – w odmianie ‘Nikol’.The objective of the research study was to determine the changes in the chemical composition of grains of the ‘Finezja’, ‘Retr’ and ‘Nikol’ wheat cultivars resulting from the processes of extrusion and infrared radiation. The grains were moisturized to obtain 15 and 15 % of moisture therein and extruded at a temperature of 110/135/175/180/124 ℃ as well as irradiated by infrared radiation at 100 and 130 ℃ for 30 and 90 s. In the material analyzed, the following was determined: dry matter, crude ash, ether extract (crude fat), total protein, crude fibre, NFE, fibre fractions (ADF, NDF, CEL, HCEL and ADL), and starch. In the wheat grains irradiated at a temperature of 130 ℃ for 90, a significant (p ≤ 0.05) decrease in the content of crude protein was reported (about 7 % in the ‘Finezja’ grains and 5 % in the ‘Retro’ grains) and in the content of crude fat (4 % in the ‘Finezja’ grains). In the analyzed material, the thermal processes performed caused the content of crude fibre to decrease (the highest decrease was in the extruded ‘Finezja’, ‘Retro’, and ‘Niko’ grains, respectively: 38, 26, and 39 %). Additionally, the content of starch decreased in the extruded and irradiated ‘Finezja’ grains (respectively: 18.5 % and 10 %). The same phenomenon was also found in the case of dietary fibre fraction. The highest losses referred to the following: ADF (24 % - ‘Nikol’); NDF (12 % - ‘Retro’ and 9 % - ‘Nikol’); CEL (17 % - ‘Nikol’); and HCEL (16 % -and 10 % ‘Retro’ – ‘Nikol’). An unfavourable effect of the processes applied was the increase in ADL (7 % in the irradiated ‘Finezja’ wheat grains and 11 % in the extruded ‘Retro’ grains). The best modification of the chemical composition was achieved by the process of extruding the 'Finezja’ and ‘Nikol’ wheat grains that were moisturized to 25 % prior to the process; the infrared irradiation process resulted in the best modification of the chemical composition of the ‘Nikol’ wheat grains

Nutritional value and the content of minerals in eggs produced in large-scale, courtyard and organic systems

The aim of this study was to determine the content of basic nutrients as well as selected macroand micro-elements in the albumen and yolk of eggs produced at large-scale, commercial poultry production farms (10) as well as in organic (8) and courtyard farms (12). Ten eggs were randomly collected 3 times on each farm. For chemical analyses, the eggs were hard-boiled for 15 min and then stored at a temp. of 4°C until analyzed. The albumen and yolk of hard-boiled eggs were assessed for the content of dry matter, total protein, crude fat and crude ash, and for their energy value (net Atwater equivalents) as well as the concentrations of K, Na, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, Se and Mn. No differences were observed in the content of dry matter, total protein and crude ash. However, differences were demonstrated for the crude fat content, the highest (P < 0.05) level of which was found in eggs from the organic system (higher by 60% in albumen and by 17% in yolk than in the other eggs), which was accompanied by an increased energy value of these eggs. In all the analyzed eggs, similar concentrations were noted for Mg (egg white) and P (egg albumen and yolk). The albumen of eggs from the organic system was characterized by the highest (P < 0.05) content of K, Na, Ca, Zn, Se and Mn. In turn, the albumen of eggs from large-scale commercial poultry production farms contained the highest (P < 0.05) levels of Fe, Cu and Se. Yolks of the eggs from the organic system accumulated the highest (P < 0.05) levels of K, Na, Ca, Mg and Fe. In turn, the highest (P < 0.05) concentrations of Zn, Se and Mn were determined in yolks of the eggs produced in the homestead system, and that of Cu – in yolks of the eggs from large-scale commercial production. A highly positive correlation between concentrations of minerals in the albumen and yolk of the analyzed eggs was reported for the following pairs: K-Na, Se (0.998, 0.93); Na-Na (0.949); Ca-Mg, Mn (0.994, 0.951); Mg-Ca, Mn (0.986, 0.982); P-Ca, Mn (0.997, 0.961); Fe-K, Mg, P, Zn (0.999, 0.937, 0.988, 0.999); Zn-Ca, Mn (0.999, 0.945); Se-Cu (0.971) and Mn-Ca (0.902), whereas a negative correlation for: Ca-Fe, Cu (-0.974, -0.994); Mg-Cu (-0.921); P-Fe (-0.933); Zn-Fe (-0.912); Cu-Na (-0.951); Se-K, P, Zn (-0.960, -0.910, -0.962) and Mn-Se (-0.979)