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Impact of Polyherbal Formulation on Transcriptome Profiling of Chicken Breast Muscle: Elucidation of Molecular Mechanisms for the Enhanced Cellular Feed Efficiency in Broiler Chickens
Get PDFTo elucidate the cellular mechanisms underlying feed efficiency (FE) enhanced by polyherbal formulation (PHF), a combination of Andrographis paniculata, Punica granatum, and Emblica officinalis, the microarray technology was used to identify the genetic pathways related to feed utilization through genomical profiling of breast muscle in Cobb broiler chickens supplemented with or without PHF. 300 male day-old chicks were randomly distributed into two groups of 6 replicates with 25 each, including control (basal-diet) and PHF (Basal-diet+PHF-400g/ton), and their impact on performance parameters was assessed on day 42. Similarly, the global gene expression of breast muscles collected in each group was profiled using Agilent chicken whole genome microarray technology. Further, the Database for Annotation Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) Bioinformatics Resources and gene ontology (GO) analysis were used to identify the functional clustering of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and gene network pathways associated with FE. RT-qPCR was subsequently conducted to cross-validate the expression of genes identified by DAVID. The PHF supplementation significantly improved the body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio in broilers compared to the control. Totally, 1338 DEGs (756 up-regulated and 582 down-regulated) were identified, of which 732 DEGs of PHF were significantly different from the control group. However, bioinformatics analysis revealed a significant modulation of 198 DEGs (94 up-regulated and 104 down-regulated) after hierarchical clustering, whose collective expression indicates significant enrichment of FE-related biological processes in the PHF-treated group. Further, a deeper understanding of the following DEGs (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND4, ND4L, ND5, ND6 CYTB, COX1, COX2, COX3, ATP6, PGC1-α, PPAR, MEF2, PARK2, Wnt3A, Wnt11, Golgb1, and IGF1) was established by mapping with Kyoto-Encylopedia-of-Genes-and-Genomes (KEGG) pathway in relation to mitochondria cellular respiration, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitophagy, energy metabolism and muscle growth in the breast muscle. Moreover, validation of microarray analysis of selected genes using RT-qPCR showed that the genes (ND1, ND2, ND3, ND5, CYTB, ATP6, PGC1-α, and Wnt11) were expressed in the same direction as that of GO analysis. In conclusion, supplementation of PHF resulted in transcriptional modulation in the mitochondrial functions, which was correlated to the improvements of corresponding phenotypic traits (FE and BWG) in broiler chickens
Effects of Green Betel Leaf (Piper betle L.) Extract and Citric Acid on Nutrient Utility, Health, and Meat Quality of Broiler Chickens
Get PDFThe broiler chicken industry has rapidly expanded in recent decades due to increasing demand for affordable animal protein and the species' high production efficiency. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of supplementing broiler chickens' drinking water with green betel leaf extract and citric acid on their nutrient utilization, health, and meat quality. A total of 200 unsexed day-old chicks (DOC) of Cobb 500 strain broiler chickens with an average initial weight of 42.17 ± 0.53 g were used. A completely randomized design (CRD) was implemented, comprising four treatment groups with five replications each, and each replicate consisted of 10 broiler chickens. The treatments involved administering drinking water containing a mixture of green betel leaf extract and citric acid at concentrations of 0% (T0, control), 1% of drinking water (10 ml, T1), 2% of drinking water (20 ml, T2), and 3% of drinking water (30 ml, T3). Parameters assessed included nutrient digestibility (protein, fat, and true metabolizable energy), meat quality (protein, fat, cholesterol content, water holding capacity, and drip loss), blood profiles (erythrocyte, leukocyte, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels), and oxidative stress indicators (superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde). Results indicated that T3 significantly had higher protein digestibility (77.22%), fat digestibility (76.00%), true metabolizable energy (3,010.09 kcal/kg), and meat protein content (21.26%) compared to T0, while reducing drip loss (27.93%) and MDA levels (7.88 nmol/mL) compared to T0. In conclusion, supplementing drinking water with 3% feed additive effectively enhances nutrient utility, health, and meat quality in broiler chickens
Circular Valorization of Acid Silage from Invasive Pterygoplichthys Species in Hens’ Diets: Impacts on Laying Performance and Egg Quality
Get PDFPterygoplichthys species, an invasive fish, offers a sustainable protein alternative in poultry feed, aligning with circular economy goals and reducing environmental impact. This study aimed to assess the impact of incorporating various levels of acid silage derived from Pterygoplichthys species (ASP) into laying hen diets on productive performance and egg quality, as part of a biological waste valorization strategy aligned with circular economy principles. Sixty 35-week-old Rhode Island Red hens (BW 1932.1 ± 10.81 g) were randomly assigned to four isoproteic and isoenergetic dietary treatments containing 0%, 6%, 12%, and 18% ASP over 13 weeks. Productive, egg quality, and economic indicators were recorded weekly. The inclusion of 12% ASP resulted in the highest egg production (82.08%), egg mass (49.32 g/hen/day), and number of eggs per hen per week (5.6), along with improved feed conversion ratio (2.59) and the highest economic efficiency index (17.90%) and profitability, in comparison to the other treatments. Egg quality also improved with ASP, regardless of the inclusion level, particularly in egg weight (60.08 g), shell thickness (0.35 mm), and Haugh units (73.83), compared to the control group. Quadratic regression models identified optimal ASP inclusion levels ranging from 11.2% to 12.3%, depending on the variable analyzed. In conclusion, the inclusion of 12% ASP in laying hen diets represents an effective, profitable, and environmentally responsible nutritional strategy that aligns with the principles of the circular economy and sustainable food production
Broiler Farming in the Face of Accelerating Climate Change: Risks for Production and Food Security
Get PDFClimate change poses significant challenges to poultry farming, particularly when broiler farms rear chickens in suboptimal housing conditions. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of climate change, expressed through the Temperature Humidity Index (THI), on quantitative (carcass yields, pectoral muscles, thighs and drumsticks, and abdominal fat rate) and qualitative production parameters (composition of muscles in dry matter, mineral matter, crude proteins, and fat). The study was conducted in two separate poultry buildings over 45 days in northern Algeria. A total of 300 one-day-old unsexed chicks were randomly allocated into three replicates of 50 broilers each per building. The conditions of temperature and relative humidity were strictly regulated in control group but it was unregulated, exposing birds to natural climate variations in the experimental group. The impact of climate change, represented by the Temperature Humidity Index (THI), on carcass yield, pectoralis major and minor (pectoral muscles), sartorius and gastrocnemius (thigh and drumstick muscles), as well as abdominal fat content were evaluated. The results revealed that the control group was exposed to THIs of 30.88, 20.45, and 19.19, while the experimental group was subjected to THIs of 33.07, 31.48, and 30.87 for the three growth phases. The increase in THI resulted in significant proportional deteriorations in the experimental group compared to the control group, for all the parameters under study, particularly at the end of breeding. There were reductions in yields of -6.12 for eviscerated carcasses, -8.16 for thighs and drumsticks, and -9.28 for pectoral muscles. Furthermore, the abdominal fat rate increased by +21.03. The nutritional composition of pectoral muscles showed that chickens in the experimental group had +6.17 dry matter, +13.23 fat, -13.88 mineral matter, and -8.78 crude proteins. A similar trend was observed for thigh and drumstick muscles, with +6.10 dry matter, +14.39 fat, -12.28 mineral matter, and -12.50 crude proteins. The study highlighted the impact of climate change on poultry farming, which potentially affects production and threatens food security. © The Author(s) 202
INFLUENCE OF FEATHER GENOTYPE, STORAGE DURATION AND TEMPERATURE ON THE EXTERNAL AND INTERNAL QUALITIES OF CHICKEN TABLE EGGS
No full textA study was carried out to determine the influence of the feather genotype, storage duration, temperature and method on the internal and external qualities of chicken table eggs. A total of 864 table eggs collected from naked neck (Nanaff), frizzle (nanaFf) and normal feathered (nanaff) birds were used in the study. A Completely Randomized Design of four factors namely, feather genotypes, storage temperatures (5ºC and 26ºC), storage duration (0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days) and storage methods (with or without vegetable oil application) was used. The GLM procedure of GenStat (17th Edition) was used to determine the effects of the four factors and their interactions on external qualities (egg weight, length, and width, shell weight and thickness) and internal qualities (albumen height and weight, yolk height, weight, diameter and colour and Haugh unit) of table eggs. The effect of chicken genotype on proximate composition and nutritional values of table eggs were also determined. Feather genotype had significant (P0.05) sources of variation for most of the external qualities of eggs. Mutant feather genes (Na and F) positively influence egg qualities which could be utilised to segment the commercial chicken egg market. © The Author(s) 202
METHANE EMISSION OF GOATS FED FIFTEEN DIETS: ON-FARM OBSERVATIONS
No full textIt is suggested that the measurement of methane production from enteric fermentation must be done under situations similar to that of typical farming methods. It is against this background that this study measured methane emission from goats on a farm to ascertain the real situation on most farms. The objective of this study was to measure performance and methane emission from goats fed Ghanaian ruminant diets comprising of basal diets supplemented with browse leaves and to determine the effects of temperature and humidity on methane emission. Ten West African dwarf goats (5 males and 5 females; average weight 14 kg ±1.01) were fed fifteen Ghanaian ruminant diets for four months. Each diet was randomly fed twice in 24 hours for 2 days in a month. Methane emission, temperature and humidity were measured using handheld gas methane detector. Completely randomized design was used. Dry matter intake (DMI) was lowest (P<0.05) when cassava (Manihot esculenta) peels were fed and highest (P<0.05) when plantain peels were supplemented with Moringa oleifera. Weight gain, DMI and methane emission from manure increased with time. The highest enteric methane emission was recorded (P<0.05) when untreated rice straw (749 ppm) was fed and the lowest was recorded (P<0.05) when Moringa oleifera leaves (313 ppm) were fed. High environmental temperature favored low methane emission and high humidity was associated with high methane emission. In conclusion, feeding browse leaves alone and browse supplementation with basal diets resulted in lower methane emission than feeding basal diets alone. Moderate weight gains were recorded. High environmental temperature was inversely related to methane emission and high environmental humidity was directly related to methane emission. It is recommended that, browse leaves be incorporated in the feed of ruminants, especially when environmental temperatures are low and humidity is high. © The Author(s) 202
Effects of Dietary Supplementation of Spirulina on Health Status, Growth Performance, and Slaughter Traits in Quails
No full textThe supplementation of sustainable alternative sources such as nutrient-rich algae, especially rich in proteins, in animal feed is a promising and innovative strategy to improve feed autonomy, especially in poultry diets. This study evaluated the effect of Spirulina platensis (SP) supplementation on growth performance and slaughter characteristics in Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica). A total of 180 unsexed, 2-day-old quail chicks with a mean body weight of 9 ± 1.42 g were randomly assigned to three dietary groups, each containing 60 quails. Each group was divided into 4 subgroups, with 15 quails in each (4 repetitions per group). Three groups were provided with commercial diets (starter, grower, and finisher) for five weeks. These diets were supplemented with Spirulina at concentrations of 0.5 g/kg (SP0.5), and 1 g/kg (SP1), while the control group (SP0) received no Spirulina supplementation. Growth performance was monitored, and at the end of the trial (35 d), 60 quails (20 per group) were slaughtered for carcass evaluation including hot and cold carcass weight and liver weight. Results showed that Spirulina supplementation at 1 g/kg (SP1) significantly increased feed intake and weight gain compared to the control and SP0.5 groups. Significant differences in growth performance and feed intake were observed between the Spirulina-supplemented groups (0.5 and 1 g/kg) and the control group. Carcass characteristics, including hot carcass yield and liver weight, were significantly higher in the SP0.5 and SP1 groups compared to the control group (SP0). In conclusion, supplementing quail diets with 0.5 and 1 g/kg Spirulina improved growth performance and carcass quality without negative effects on overall performance. This supplementation can be considered as a cost-effective diet ingredient for enhancing meat quality in quail production. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. © The Author(s) 202
Effects of Chitosan-Stearin on Quality of Chicken Egg Storage at Room Temperature
No full textConsumption of chicken eggs has perishable properties, the quality of eggs declines faster and the shelf life of eggs is considerably short at room temperature compared to cold temperatures. The present study aimed to evaluate the application of chitosan-stearin as a coating on the quality of chicken egg storage at room temperature. The present study used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) 4 x 5 factorial pattern with three replications. Each replicate consisted of six fresh chicken eggs, resulting in 360 eggs. The groups included Without Coating (FD0), Virgin Coconut Oil (FD1), 1.5 Chitosan + 1 Stearin (FD2), and 3 Chitosan + 1 Stearin (FD3). The second effective variable in grouping was storage time 0 Days (ST0), 14 Days (ST14), 28 Days (ST28), 42 Days (ST42), and 56 Days (ST56). The current results indicated that the storage time and the formula dosage had a notable effect on haugh unit, yolk index, and albumen index, but no significant effect on the pH of the albumen. Formula dosage had no significant effect, but storage time had a significant effect on yolk pH and color, and weight loss. There was an interaction between formula dosage and storage time on haugh unit, albumen index, and yolk index, but there was no interaction on albumen pH, weight loss, yolk pH, and yolk color. The Chitosan-Stearin coating can maintain the quality of chicken eggs during storage for up to 56 days. The use of 3 Chitosan + 1 Stearin as a coating formula indicated the best results in maintaining the quality of chicken eggs during storage time at room temperature. Open Access: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. © The Author(s) 202
Correlation of Canine Kidney Autopsy to Renal Diseases: Pathological Insights
Get PDFKidneys play a vital role in regulating fluids, electrolytes, hormones, and metabolic waste in canines. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of the correlations between canine kidney autopsy findings and renal diseases. A total of 194 domestic dog samples, including 153 males and 41 females with an average age of 3.88 years (ranging from 1 to 7 years), were physically examined using post-mortem evaluations to understand the prevalence and characteristics of kidney diseases, focusing on both external and internal examinations of the kidneys. Key parameters such as kidney size, texture, and coloration were measured to provide insights into the overall kidney health of the canine population in Vietnam. Results indicated that 22.68% of the dogs had kidney cysts, 29.38% showed signs of external hemorrhage, and 52.06% of the cases exhibited internal hemorrhage, proving to be a condition linked to increased renal vascular resistance and further potentially contributing to renal dysfunction. No evidence of necrosis was detected, and the majority of renal capsules (90.98%) were easy to peel off for further analysis. Kidney size and weight varied obviously in dogs presenting with specific hemorrhagic conditions. This study emphasized the importance of external and internal kidney evaluations in diagnostic measurements and treatment protocols for canine renal diseases while also providing further insights into the current status of the canine population in Vietnam
A Nationwide Survey on the Administration of Antibiotics in Companion Animals by Veterinary Practitioners in Nigeria
Get PDFAntimicrobial use (AMU) in companion animals in Nigeria is underreported, raising public health concerns due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR). The present study aimed to establish baseline data on antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) among veterinarians treating small animals and, with a focus on prescription patterns and adherence to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines on the Highest Priority Critically Important Antimicrobials (HP-CIAS). A nationwide web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted between August and November 2022, utilizing an online self-administered questionnaire among 96 companion animal veterinarians (CAVs) in Nigeria. Data collected included veterinarians' demographics, diseases treated, prescribed antimicrobial agents, utilization of laboratory diagnostic tests, and veterinarians' knowledge of AMS and MAR. The survey was conducted using KoBo Toolbox (Cambridge, MA, USA), and the variables were analyzed with Epi Info version 7.1.3.10. Among the 96 respondents, 62.5% were male. The most frequently reported conditions were infectious and parasitic diseases (80.6%), followed by abscesses, injuries, and bite wounds (68.8%), and digestive system diseases (65.6%). The most commonly prescribed first-line antibiotics were oxytetracycline (81.4%) and metronidazole (56.9%), while ciprofloxacin (39.8%) and gentamicin (33.7%) were often prescribed as second-line antibiotics for companion animals. Approximately 38.3% of respondents reported 100% efficacy of the first antibiotic prescribed, while 90.3% were aware of laboratory test results before using antimicrobial agents. The data collected provides essential baseline insights into AMU patterns among CAVs in Nigeria, which are critical for guiding AMR interventions focused on responsible antimicrobial use, including the development of AMS initiatives and educational programs for veterinary practices nationwide