Comparison of response to selection in three peanut cocoon lines of silkworm during spring and autumn seasons

The aim of this experiment was to study the season effect on response to selection in three Iranian silkworm pure lines. In the first year, a parental group was selected, recorded and coded for each 3 lines of 31, 103 and 107, which had further weight average than the population average. These parents were crossed with each other and a selected group was made for these three lines. Also, a parental group was chosen, recorded and coded for each of the three lines which include the weight average equal to population average weight. These parents also were crossed with each other and a coincidental group was made for these three lines in two spring and autumn seasons. The members of each group were grown up and crossed during three successive generations coincidentally with out any re selection. The 27 average records were registered and analyzed in two spring and autumn seasons. The data analysis showed that in spring, among three studied lines for larva vitality, the highest response to selection was shown by line 31 (2.706%) and line 103 (-4.489%),  respectively and the least response belonged to line 107 (-5.064%). The comparison of response average to selection in these three lines also had no significant difference statistically (P > 0.05). In the same season, the highest response to selection for the number of produced cocoons was observed in line 103 (51.19 cocoon) and line 31 (25.56 cocoon), respectively in the base population. Also, the least response to the selection in the base population belonged to line 107 (22.44 cocoon). The comparison of average response to selection in these three lines showed no significant difference statistically (P > 0.05). Among these three studied lines for the best cocoon total weight in spring, the highest response in the base population belonged to line 103 (67.09 g) and line 31 (40.16 g), respectively and the least response to selection in base population belonged to line 107 (19.58 g). The comparison of response to selection in these three lines showed that there was no significant difference statistically (P > 0.050). Among the line for best single cocoon weight in spring, the highest response to selection in the base population belonged to line 31 (0.05888 g) and then line 103 (0.04075 g), respectively and the least response to selection belonged to line 107 (0.03863 g). The comparison of response average to selection among three lines showed that the difference of response to selection in lines was not significantly statistically (P > 0.05). Among lines for cocoon weight resulted from 10000 larva and in spring, the highest response to selection in the base population belonged to line 31 (728.3 g), then line 107 (401.9 g) and the least response was observed in line 103 (289.7 g). The comparison of response average to selection in lines shows that there is no significant difference statistically among these three lines (P > 0.05). Among the lines in autumn, for best single cocoons weight, the highest response to selection in base population belonged to line 107 (0.07700 g) and line 31 (0.05513 g), respectively and the least response to selection in line belonged to line 103 (-0.04657 g) in the base population. The comparison of response average to selection in these three lines has shown that there is a significant difference statistically for response to selection in lines (P < 0.05).Key words: Silkworm, genotype, season, selection, performance

Effects of combined use of thyme powder and aqueous extract on growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics, blood parameters, enzymes, immune system and jejunum morphology in broilers

This experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of Thyme Extract (TE) and Thyme Powder (TP) on growth performance, carcass and organ characteristics, blood parameters, enzymes, immune system, and intestinal morphology in broilers. The experiment was performed based on a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 4 replications and 10 Ross 308 male broilers in each replication for 42 days. Experimental treatments included aqueous extract of thyme (50 and 100 mg/kg feed) and thyme powder (150 and 250 mg/kg feed) which were used in combination with the basal diet (control). The effect of treatments was analyzed by SAS statistical software and the means were compared at 5% probability level with Duncan's multiple range test. The results showed that in the final period of the experiment, different levels of TE and TP had a significant effect on daily weight gain, feed intake and conversion ratio improvement (P<0.05) so that the highest mean was related to treatment TE (100) + TP (250). The effects of different levels of TE and TP were significantly different on European index, economic value and total weight of the period (P<0.05), meaning that the highest means were related to TE (100) + TP (250), and the lowest means were related to TE (0) and TP (0). Different levels of TE and TP had significant effects on the relative weight of thymus, live weight, wing weight, ventricular fat and pancreas (P<0.05). The effect of different levels of TE and TP on the immunity was significant throughout the period (P<0.05). The higher levels of TE and TP increased the villi length, villi width, crypt depth, layer thickness and the ratio of villi length to crypt depth to the control treatment. Based on the results of the present study, the use of TE (100 mg/kg) + TP (250 mg/kg) in the diet is recommended to supplement the diet of Ross 308 broilers

Effects of dietary aspirin supplementation on liver enzymes, immune response, cecum microflora and fatty acids profile in breast meat of broiler chickens

The present study was performed to investigate the effect of dietary aspirin (A) on broilers. A completely randomized design using 120 one-day-old male broiler chicks Ross 308, three levels of aspirin (0, 50, and 100 mg/kg) was used in 4 replicates, each including 10 chicks, during 42 days. The effects of different levels of aspirin, added to a basal diet, on blood plasma parameters, liver enzymes, immune system, cecal microflora, and fatty acids profile of breast muscle of chicks were investigated. Data analysis was performed by SAS statistical software and the comparison of the means with Duncan's test. The results showed that the effects of aspirin on blood parameters, liver enzymes of broilers (except for alkaline phosphatase which significantly reduced), the humoral immune system in response to antigen injection as sheep red blood cell (SRBC), antibody titer against Newcastle and influenza virus were not significant (P≥0.05). The highest percentage of neutrophils and eosinophils was related to this treatment. Also, aspirin treatments increased numerically the levels of unsaturated fatty acids and decreased saturated fatty acids. Moreover, aspirin led to a reduction in the population of Escherichia coli. So, based on the results of the present study, the use of 100 mg/kg aspirin in the diet of broilers is recommendable

Predictions of semen production in ram using phenotypic traits by artificial neural network

Concentration of semen production is the most important fertility trait in ram and dimension of testis is a good criterion for identifying the quantity of semen production. Thus, prediction of that trait has important beneficial effect on the timely identification of genetically superior animals. Artificial neural network (ANN) system can be used as a decision making support system in ram industry as well as other industries. It can help breeders to predict future semen production based on phenotypic trait. Data from 24 rams of zandi breed in Tehran, Iran, were used. From 192 available data of phenotypic and semen concentration, 184 records were used for training a back propagation ANN system and 8 randomly chosen record (not used in the training process) were introduced to the trained neural network for evaluation. The result of the simulation showed that there was no significant difference between the observed and the predicted semen production (p > 0.05). The major use of this predictive system is to make accurate selection decision which is based on prior knowledge of the outcomes

Effects of various levels of organic acids and of virginiamycin on performance, blood parameters, immunoglobulins and microbial population of broiler chicks

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of various levels of organic acids and virginiamycin on performance, blood parameters, immunoglobulin and microbial population of broiler chickens. This trial was conducted in a completely randomized design using five treatments and four replicates. The dietary treatments included a control diet without additives, diets containing 0.05%, 0.10% and 0.15% mixtures of organic acids, and a diet containing virginiamycin as an antibiotic. Based on the results, there was no significant effect of the experimental diets on feed intake of the broilers during the starter period. However, at the end of the grower period and throughout the rearing period, feed intake was significantly improved by experimental dietary treatments. Moreover, diets including organic acids enhanced the microbial population of broiler gut. Thus, the current findings support the conclusion that organic acids improve productive traits and health status in broiler chickens.Keywords: Broiler, growth, haematology, gu

Estimation of genetic parameters in three commercial silk-worm lines of Iran

In order to estimate genetic parameters of the cocoon weight (CW), cocoon shell weight (CSW) and cocoon shell percentage (CSP) of three industrial lines of silk-worm (number 31, 103 and 107), data were collected from three successive generations. (Co)variance components were as follows: additive genetic variation (δ2g) and environmental variation (δ2e) of traits and additive genetic covariance (covg1, 2) and environmental covariance (cove1, 2). Heritability of traits was estimated with maximum likelihood procedure (REML) by using algorithms (DFREML) based on a three trait animal model. Data were from half-sibs and the heritability and genetic, phenotypic and environmental correlation were estimated between traits. The highest heritability for CW was estimated in lines 31 and 107 (0.58 and 0.58, respectively) and the lowest heritability for CW was in line number 103 (0.28). The highest and lowest heritability for CSW was in lines 107 and 103 (0.70 and 0.01, respectively). Also, the highest heritability for CWP was in line 31 (0.48) and the lowest value was in line 103 (0.077). The highest δ2g for CSP was estimated in line 103 (0.004) and lowest δ2g was estimated in line 107 (0.001). The highest and lowest δ2g for CW were estimated in lines 103 and 31 (0.0004 and 0.00003, respectively). The δ2g for CW was high inline 31 (0.604) but low in line 103 (0.257). The highest and lowest δ2e for CW were in lines 103 and 107 (0.02 and 0.01, respectively). Furthermore, the highest δ2e for CSW was estimated in line 103 (0.0013) butminimum δ2e was in line 107 (0.0007). Maximum covg1, 2 for CW-CSW was estimated in line 103 (0.00087) and minimum value was estimated in line 31 (0.00012). A high cove1,2 for CW- CSP was estimated in line 103 (0.093) but it was low in line 31 (0.00026). The highest covg1, 2 for CSW-CSP was in line 103 (0.002) but it was low in line 31 (0.00079).Key words: Cocoon, correlation, heritability, genetic (Co) variance

Effect of Different Levels of Nano-selenium on Performance, Blood Parameters, Immunity and Carcass Characteristics of BroilerChickens

The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that nano- seleniuminclusion in broilers’ diets can improve productivity and metabolic functions of broilers.Feed and water were provided ad libitum. A total of 180 one-day old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly assigned to six groups based on a completely randomized design, each with three replicates of 10 birds. One of the groups served as the control (CON) and was given a basal diet without further dietary supplementation, whereas the other five groups were offered the same starterandgrower diets further supplemented with dietary nano-selenium (NS) at 0.1 mg/kg of feed (NS1), 0.2 mg/kg of feed (NS2), 0.3 mg/kg of feed (NS3), 0.4 mg/kg of feed (NS4), and 0.5 mg/kg of feed (NS5). Nano-selenium dietary supplementation significantly improved weight gain and feed conversion ratio in starter (1st-21st day), grower (22nd-42nd day) and whole (1st-42nd) periods of experiment (P0.05). While, albumin levels in blood were decreased and anti-Newcastle disease hemagglutination-inhibition titer was increased after the dietary supplementation with the nano-selenium (P< 0.05). As conclusion, the current study demonstrated that the supplementation of nano-selenium in broiler diets could improve growth performance, carcass components and immune function, without negative effects on internal organs, and other carcass parameters and gastrointestinal parts

Feeding of dried sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) peel on humoral immune response of broiler chickens

Purpose An experiment was conducted to evaluate the efect of dried sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) peel (DCSP) on humoral immune response of broiler chickens. Methods Four hundred 1-day-old Ross 308 broilers were distributed according to a completely randomized design into fve treatments with four replicates of 20 chicks each. The following fve dietary treatments were applied: control group with 0% DCSP; diet containing 1.5% DCSP from 1 to 21 days of age (starter phase) and from 1 to 42 days of age, respectively; and diet containing 3% DCSP from 1 to 21 days of age (starter phase) and from 1 to 42 days of age, respectively. Results The DCSP treatments infuenced positively total anti-SRBC and IgG titers on days 28 and 42, whereas no diferences were found for IgM titer. The anti-NDV titers were not afected by diets; conversely, the anti-AIV titers were diferent among treatments. The anti-IBD titers were diferent on days 14 and 42 among diets, whereas anti-IBV titers were not infuenced by treatments. Average white blood cell, heterophil, lymphocyte, and monocyte counts, as well as heterophil/lymphocyte (H/L) ratio, were diferent among treatments. Conclusion The fndings suggested that the dietary inclusion of dried Citrus sinensis promoted some efects on the immune humoral response of chickens; however, these efects were not completely efective to protect birds from the main diseases