The effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract on the weight of some organs, liver, and pancreatic digestive enzyme activity in breeder hens fed diets contaminated with aflatoxins

The effects of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae extract on some organ, liver, and pancreatic digestive enzymes in breeder hens fed on aflatoxin (AF)-contaminated feed were investigated. Forty-eight 58-wk-old Ross 308 breeder hens were used. The hens were fed diets containing 0 or 100 mu g of AF/kg and 0 or 1 g of S. cerevisiae/kg in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Although serum alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly higher, serum alkaline aminotransferase (P = 0.068) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (P = 0.067) levels tended to increase (P < 0.05) in hens fed the AF-contaminated diet than those of hens fed the uncontaminated diet. Both AF and S. cerevisiae extract increased (P < 0.001) pancreatic amylase activity, but the effect was not additive, resulting in an AF x S. cerevisiae extract interaction (P < 0.001). a-Amylase activity in duodenum was lower (P < 0.001) in hens fed the AF-contaminated diet. Duodenum a-amylase activity was higher (P = 0.024), but jejunum a-amylase activity was lower in S. cerevisiae extract-supplemented hens than that of nonsupplemented hens. There was a significant interaction between AF and S. cerevisiae extract on pancreatic and duodenal lipase activity. Pancreatic lipase activity decreased in hens fed the AF-contaminated diet. However, S. cerevisiae supplementation extract minimized this effect of AF on pancreatic lipase activity. Duodenal lipase activity was decreased in hens fed the AF-contaminated diet without S. cerevisiae extract supplementation. However, there were not any significant differences between hens fed the AF-contaminated diet and hens fed the uncontaminated diet after S. cerevisiae extract supplementation. Pancreatic trypsin activity was higher (P = 0.044) in hens fed the AF-contaminated diet than that of hens fed the uncontaminated diet. There was a significant interaction between AF and S. cerevisiae extract on pancreatic chymotrypsin activity. It was increased in hens fed the AF-contaminated diet without S. cerevisiae extract supplementation. However, S. cerevisiae extract supplementation counteracted this negative effect of AF on pancreatic chymotrypsin activity. The treatments did not result in any change in duodenal chymotrypsin activity, but S. cerevisiae supplementation decreased (P < 0.05) jejunal chymotrypsin activity. In conclusion, our results showed that addition of 1 g/kg of S. cerevisiae extract reduces the toxic effects of AF on pancreatic lipase and chymotrypsin activity. Therefore, it may be useful to supplement feedstuff with S. cerevisiae extract to reduce the effects of AF in laying breeder hens

Structures of ascarosides.

<p>Structures of published ascarosides.</p

Dispersal assay.

<p>(A) Naturally dispersing infective juveniles (IJ) of <i>S. feltiae</i> from an insect cadaver. (B) Approximately 300 IJs were placed on an agar plate in water. (C) IJs were treated with either water (control) or insect cadaver extract. Images are representative of six experiments for each treatment. (D) Dispersal assay on the same plate. The illustration represents two experiments. Behavior is temperature and season dependent. Assays were conducted at RT (22±0.5°C) or under temperature controlled conditions.</p

An ascaroside blend regulates <i>C. elegans</i> dispersal behavior, and the dispersal blend is recognized by other nematodes.

<p>(A) Identification of the dispersal blend. Images (∼250 nematodes) are representative of 9, 10, and 11 experiments of control (0.25% <i>E. coli</i> (HB101)), synthetic blend with 0.25% <i>E. coli</i> (HB101) and dauer supernatant, respectively. (B) Quantification using Image J (<a href="http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/download.html" target="_blank">http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/download.html</a>). Control vs synthetic blend student's t-test unpaired (p<0.02). (C) <i>S. feltiae</i> IJs (∼250) response to the dispersal blend; four experiments for each treatment. (D) Response of root-knot J2s (<i>Meloidogyne</i> spp., mixture of <i>M. incognita</i>, <i>M. javanica</i>, and <i>M. floridensis</i>) to the <i>C. elegans</i> dispersal blend. The data represent 19 and 20 experiments from control water and <i>C. elegans</i> dispersal blend, respectively. At 2 h, using a student's t-test, unpaired, p<0.007.</p