Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) infection is highly infectious respiratory disease in poultry industry with significant economic importance. The prevalence of IBV in quail industry in Malaysia was not well documented; therefore, its actual role in the epidemiology of the disease is relatively unknown. This study was to determine the susceptibility of Japanese quail, as one of the species in commercial poultry industry, toward IBV. In addition, it will also give a potential impact on the overall health management in the quail industry even though it had been established that quail are resistant to diseases affecting poultry. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, it is the first experimental study on IBV inoculation in quail. In this experimental study, 20 quails were divided into 4 groups (n = 5 for group A, B, and C, n = 5 for control group). The quails in group A, B, and C were infected via intraocular and intranasal routes with 0.2 mL of 10 × 5 EID50 of the virus. Clinical signs, gross lesions, positive detection of virus, and trachea histopathological scoring were used to assess the susceptibility of these Japanese quails. The results have indicated mild ruffled feathers and watery feces in these inoculated birds. Trachea, lung, and kidney were subjected to one-step reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for virus detection. The virus was found from trachea and lung samples, whereas it was absent from all kidney samples. Only 3 quails were found with gross lesions. There was a significant difference of tracheal lesion by 0.009 ± 0.845 (P < 0.05) within the treatment groups. In summary, Japanese quails might be susceptible to IBV.
The aim of this work was to evaluate the impacts of feeding different levels of postbiotic RI11 on antioxidant enzyme activity, physiological stress indicators, and cytokine and gut barrier gene expression in broilers under heat stress. A total of 252 male broilers Cobb 500 were allocated in cages in environmentally controlled chambers. All the broilers received the same basal diet from 1 to 21 d. On day 22, the broilers were weighed and grouped into 7 treatment groups and exhibited to cyclic high temperature at 36 ± 1°C for 3 h per day until the end of the experiment. From day 22 to 42, broilers were fed with one of the 7 following diets: negative control, basal diet (0.0% RI11) (NC group); positive control, NC diet + 0.02% (w/w) oxytetracycline (OTC group); antioxidant control, NC diet + 0.02% (w/w) ascorbic acid. The other 4 other groups were as follows: NC diet + 0.2% cell-free supernatant (postbiotic RI11) (v/w), NC diet + 0.4% cell-free supernatant (postbiotic RI11) (v/w), NC diet + 0.6% cell-free supernatant (postbiotic RI11) (v/w), and NC diet + 0.8% cell-free supernatant (postbiotic RI11) (v/w). Supplementation of different levels (0.4, 0.6, and 0.8%) of postbiotic RI11 increased plasma glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and glutathione enzyme activity. Postbiotic RI11 groups particularly at levels of 0.4 and 0.6% upregulated the mRNA expression of IL-10 and downregulated the IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha, heat shock protein 70, and alpha-1-acid glycoprotein levels compared with the NC and OTC groups. Feeding postbiotic RI11, particularly at the level of 0.6%, upregulated ileum zonula occludens-1 and mucin 2 mRNA expressions. However, no difference was observed in ileum claudin 1, ceruloplasmin, IL-6, IL-2, and interferon expression, but downregulation of occludin expression was observed as compared with the NC group. Supplementation of postbiotic RI11 at different levels quadratically increased plasma glutathione peroxidase, catalase and glutathione, IL-10, mucin 2, and zonula occludens-1 mRNA expression and reduced plasma IL-8, tumor necrosis factor alpha, alpha-1-acid glycoprotein, and heat shock protein 70 mRNA expression. The results suggested that postbiotics produced from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum RI11 especially at the level of 0.6% (v/w) could be used as an alternative to antibiotics and natural sources of antioxidants in poultry feeding.
Campylobacter, a leading cause of foodborne diseases, is well recognized worldwide. Poultry and poultry products are considered as major sites for Campylobacter infection in humans. The extensive uses of antibiotics mostly as growth promoters and for therapeutic purposes have led to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant strains of foodborne pathogens including Campylobacter. A key tenet of this paper is the need for reviewing the previous studies conducted around the globe on the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of Campylobacter spp. isolates in duck to better understand the sources and trends of infection. Based on published data, the prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in duck and duck-related samples ranged from 0% to 100% and was largely influenced by the isolation method. Among Campylobacter spp., C. jejuni was the predominant cause of campylobacteriosis, followed by C. coli. Campylobacter spp. from ducks were mostly resistant to fluoroquinolones and tetracycline and a lesser extent to gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and erythromycin. Some studies showed that ducks may pose a risk for acquiring campylobacteriosis because they had genotypes quite similar to human isolates detected previously. A continued monitoring approach is needed, at national and international levels, with enhanced surveillance and reporting of trends, as well as harmonization of surveillance systems toward a one-health approach to monitoring antimicrobial resistance in animal production particularly if increased resistance rates are being demonstrated.
This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary glutamine (Gln) + glutamic acid (Glu) supplementation on growth performance and physiological stress response in broiler chickens subjected to 24 h delay in placement. Equal number of day-old broiler chicks were assigned to either immediate placement or with 24 h delay in placement with no access to feed and water. Chicks from each placement group were fed either standard starter diet (control) or standard starter diet +1% AminoGut (AG; mixture of 10% Gln and 10% Glu) from 1 to 21 d. Blood and duodenal samples were collected at 21 d for analysis of serum levels of ceruloplasmin (CER), ovotransferin (OVT) and α-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP), duodenal heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression, and villi length and crypt depth. Results showed that delayed placement for 24 h was detrimental to weight gain during the starter phase (1 to 21 d) but not thereafter. AG supplementation was not able to eliminate that reduction in weight gain and feed intake during the starter stage. However, the observed enhancement in villi length and crypt depth at d 21 resulted in improvement of FCR and weight gain during the finisher stage (22 to 42 d) and consequently the overall period (1 to 42 d). Broiler chickens supplemented with AG also showed lower mortality rate, and higher AGP, OVT, CER, and HSP 70 expression compared to their control counterparts. Based on AGP, OVT, CER, and HSP 70 expression, there is no indication that delayed placement was physiologically stressful to the broiler chickens at 21 d of age.
This study examined the effects of different combinations of inulin and postbiotics RG14 on growth performance, cecal microbiota, volatile fatty acids (VFA), and ileal cytokine expression in broiler chickens. Two-hundred-and sixteen, one-day-old chicks were allocated into 6 treatment groups, namely, a basal diet (negative control, NC), basal diet + neomycin and oxytetracycline (positive control, PC), T1 = basal diet + 0.15% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, T2 = basal diet + 0.3% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, T3 = basal diet + 0.45% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, and T4 = basal diet + 0.6% postbiotic RG14 + 1.0% inulin, and fed for 6 weeks. The results showed that birds fed T1 and T3 diets had higher (P 0.05) among diets. The NC birds had higher (P
This study proposes critical limits (CL) for control points for halal slaughter (CPHS). Previously, 6 control points (CP) were determined, and CL for these 6 CPHS are suggested based on: 1) a literature survey for the CL for CP 1 (poultry breeding, rearing, and poultry feed) and CP 2 (welfare of poultry during transportation and lairage); 2) a field survey of slaughter plants in Kuantan (Malaysia) for CP 3 (immobilization), CP 4 (slaughter), CP 5 (time for full bleed-out), and CP 6 (washing and packaging); and 3) controlled experiments to refine the CL for CP 3, 4, and 5. The CL for CP 1 focused on stress reduction during rearing and use of substances that could compromise poultry meat wholesomeness. The CL for CP 2 emphasizes humane best-practices for handling poultry during lairage. The CL for CP 3 suggests a gap of 5 s between 2 shackles if only one shackler is employed and shackling times of <1 min for live chickens. In countries permitting water-bath electrical stunning of halal poultry, the stunning current needed to induce unconsciousness must be defined for the breed and bird size but not cause any chicken deaths. The CL for CP 4 mandates the recitation of the tasmiyah (the invocation), which if done for every chicken, will require ≥5 s between stunning and neck cutting. The CL for CP 4 also includes information about the slaughter knife. In CP 5 the recommended minimum time between neck cutting and scalding is 9.5 min. Finally, the CL for CP 6 emphasizes good supply chain hygiene and zero adulteration from haram species and substances.
Disease inflicted by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) causes economic losses and burden to the poultry industry worldwide. In this study, the efficacy of chitosan nanoparticles loaded ΦKAZ14 (C-ΦKAZ14 NPs) as an oral biological therapy for Colibacillosis was evaluated. C-ΦKAZ14 NPs containing 10(7) PFU/ml of ΦKAZ14 (Myoviridae; T4-like coliphage) bacteriophage were used to treat experimentally APEC-infected COBB 500 broiler chicks. C-ΦKAZ14 NPs and ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage were administered orally in a single dose. The clinical symptoms, mortality, and pathology in the infected birds were recorded and compared with those of control birds that did not receive C-ΦKAZ14 NPs or naked ΦKAZ14 bacteriophage. The results showed that C-ΦKAZ14 NP intervention decreased mortality from 58.33 to 16.7% with an increase in the protection rate from 42.00 to 83.33%. The bacterial colonization of the intestines of infected birds was significantly higher in the untreated control than in the C-ΦKAZ14 NP-treated group (2.30×10(9) ± 0.02 and 0.79×10(3) ± 0.10 CFU/mL, respectively) (P ≤ 0.05). Similarly, a significant difference in the fecal shedding of Escherichia coli was observed on d 7 post challenge between the untreated control and the C-ΦKAZ14 NP-treated group (2.35×10(9) ± 0.05 and 1.58×10(3) ± 0.06 CFU/mL, respectively) (P ≤ 0.05). Similar trends were observed from d 14 until d 21 when the experiment was terminated. Treatment with C-ΦKAZ14 NPs improved the body weights of the infected chicks. A difference in body weight on d 7 post challenge was observed between the untreated control and the C-ΦKAZ14 NP-treated group (140 ± 20 g and 160 ± 20 g, respectively). The increase was significant (P ≤ 0.05) on d 21 between the 2 groups (240 ± 30 g and 600 ± 80 g, respectively). Consequently, the clinical signs and symptoms were ameliorated upon treatment with C-ΦKAZ14 NPs compared with infected untreated birds. In all, based on the results, it can be concluded that the encapsulation of bacteriophage could enhance bacteriophage therapy and is a valuable approach for controlling APEC infections in poultry.
An experiment was carried out to estimate the meat quality characteristics of village chickens (Gallus gallus) fed diets supplemented with dry leaves of Borreria latifolia (BL) used as a potential antioxidant source in chicken feed. In this study, 252 sexed 9-week-old village chickens with mean live body weight of 1,525.4 g for males and 1,254.1 g for females were divided into 7 groups (each group 18 birds) for each sex represented in 2 experiments. The first experiment was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of BL and the effect on meat quality through a comparison with Rosmarinus officinalis (RO); hence, 3 groups were conducted and included: T1 (control), basal diet without supplementation; T2, basal diet with 1% of BL; T3, basal diet with 1% of RO. T2 and T3 significantly affect pH value, lipid oxidation, cooking loss, and overall acceptability compared to T1, while no significant difference was observed between the dietary groups in respect of drip loss, color, tenderness, fatty acid profile, and meat composition. Furthermore, a significant effect of sex on lipid oxidation, pH, yellowness, and fatty acid profile was observed. There was no significant effect of sex on WHC, tenderness, lightness, redness, and sensory evaluation. A significant influence of postmortem aging period was detected on lipid oxidation, pH, tenderness, cooking loss, and redness. The obtained result in this study revealed a significance in the interaction of herb by sex in pH parameter and between herb and sex, herb by aging period, sex by aging period, and the herb by sex by aging period interactions with regard to lipid oxidation test. The second experiment was to estimate the effect of 3 different levels of BL on meat quality. Four groups were provided and involved: T1 (control), basal diet without supplementation; T2, basal diet with 1.5% of BL; T3, basal diet with 2% of BL; and T4, basal diet with 2.5% of BL. The result of this study showed a significant effect (P
Growth hormones (GH) alone does not explain the growth rate in the chicken as growth in an animal is multi-factorial. Normal morphology of the intestinal villus and crypt, with adequate regulation of intestinal nutrient transporters, is essential to a healthy gut. Nutrition plays a significant role in gut health management, but information on the effect of dietary chitin and chitosan on gut morphology, gene expression of nutrient transporter, and serum levels of GH in broiler chickens is scanty. Thus, this study aimed at evaluating the comparative effect of dietary chitin and chitosan from cricket and shrimp on the small intestinal morphology, relative gene expression of intestinal nutrient transporters and serum level of GH in the broiler. A total of 150 day-old male Cobb500 broiler chicks were randomly allotted to one of the five treatment groups (n = 30). Treatment 1 was fed basal diet only, treatments 2 to 5 were fed a basal diet with 0.5 g cricket chitin, cricket chitosan, shrimp chitin, and shrimp chitosan, respectively, per kg diet. At days 21 and 42, duodenal and jejunal samples were assessed for structural morphology and jejunum for the relative gene expression of PepT1, EAAT3, SGLT1, and SGLT5 using quantitative real-time PCR. Results bared that dietary cricket chitosan and shrimp chitosan significantly (P < 0.05) improved jejunal villus height and reduced crypt depth without improving the body weight (BW). The gut morphology of birds under cricket chitin was poor and significantly (P < 0.05) different from other treated groups. Both the dietary chitin and chitosan at day 21 and only dietary chitosan at day 42 significantly (P < 0.05) down-regulated the relative mRNA expression of PepT1, EAAT3, SGLT1, and SGLT5 of broiler chickens. Treated groups differ non-significantly at both phases, while cricket chitin numerically increased the relative expression of PepT1, EAAT3, and SGLT1. Therefore, the potential of cricket chitin to improve BW and to up-regulate nutrient transporters is worthy of further exploration.
The potential use of palm kernel expeller (PKE) as an alternative energy source in broiler diets is limited by the high fiber content. Although enzymatic treatment could alleviate the fiber component and increase the nutritive value of PKE, this apparent improvement is not reflected in the growth response of birds fed with the treated-PKE. As chicken's ceca are the most heavily populated with microflora within their gastrointestinal tract, it was hypothesized that any modulation of the intestinal environment by dietary treatments should be reflected by the composition and activities of the cecal microflora. There is a correlation between cecal microbiota composition and the efficiency of the host to extract energy from the diet and to deposit that energy into improved feed conversion ratio. At present, little is known about the changes on cecal microflora of broilers fed with PKE diets. Hence, this study was designed to assess the effects of feeding different forms of PKE; namely untreated PKE (UPKE), enzyme-treated PKE (EPKE), and oligosaccharides extracted from PKE (OligoPKE), on the cecal microbiota of broiler chickens at 14 d old (day 14) and 28 d old (day 28) using 16S rRNA gene high-throughput next-generation sequencing method. The results showed that temporal changes in cecal microbiota of broiler chickens were evident on day 14 and day 28. The relative abundance of phylum Firmicutes, known to be involved in nutrient uptake and absorption in both age groups was higher in the UPKE as compared to EPKE group. In addition, supplementation of OligoPKE increased (P < 0.05) the relative abundance of Lactobacillus on both D14 and D28, signifying its effect as prebiotics in enhancing growth of indigenous Lactobacillus. Our results showed that cecal microbiota was significantly modulated by dietary treatments and that the lower relative abundance of phylum Firmicutes in chickens fed with EPKE could be a reason why broiler chickens fed with EPKE of higher metabolizable energy (ME) content did not show improvement in their growth performance.
The use of nanominerals, such as nano-zinc, represents a promising and emerging technology in the animal farming industry. Due to the small particle size and bioavailability of nano-zinc, it can be easily assimilated in the digestive system, thereby reducing excretion and environmental pollution. The present study was conducted to assess the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the growth performance, zinc (Zn) concentration in edible tissues, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, and corticosterone concentrations in broilers reared under normal or heat stress environmental conditions. The experiment was performed with a completely randomized design based on a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of 4 diets (basal diet + 60 mg/kg conventional zinc oxide as control diet; basal diet + 40 mg/kg of ZnONPs; basal diet + 60 mg/kg of ZnONPs; and basal diet + 100 mg/kg of ZnONPs) and 2 environmental conditions (normal and heat stress). On day 22, birds from each dietary group were divided equally to normal temperature (23 ± 1°C throughout) or heat stress conditions (34 ± 1°C daily for 6 h from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm). From 1 to 42 D of age, the broiler chickens fed 100 mg/kg ZnONPs exhibited lower feed intake and feed conversion ratio than the control. The accumulation of Zn in the liver of broilers was significantly higher among all treatment groups compared to breast and thigh muscle tissues regardless of the temperature conditions. At 40 and 60 mg/kg ZnONPs, the malondialdehyde content increased in thigh muscle of broilers at 7 D postmortem, indicating that ZnONPs potentially inhibited the antioxidant system in muscle tissues. The control and ZnONPs at 40 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg led to low serum corticosterone levels that may be attributed to the antioxidant and antistress properties of Zn. Taken together, although supplementation with ZnONPs at 40 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg alleviated the negative results of heat stress, further research is needed to determine the optimal level of dietary ZnONPs supplementation.
The aim of the current study was to elucidate whether inhibition of corticosterone (CORT) synthesis could modify stress response to feed deprivation and its possible interactions with feed restriction in the neonatal period in broiler chickens. Equal numbers of broiler chicks were subjected to either 60% feed restriction (60FR) or ad libitum (AL) on d 4, 5, and 6. On day 7, blood CORT, acute phase proteins (APP), interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels, and brain heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression were determined. On d 35, chickens in each early age feeding regimen were subjected to one of the following treatments: (i) ad libitum feeding (ALF), (ii) 24 h feed deprivation (SFR), or (iii) 24 h feed deprivation with intramuscular injection of 1,1-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichloroethane (DDT) at 100 mg/kg BW (SFR+DDT). The effect of SFR on CORT, APP, IL-6, and HSP 70 were determined on d 36. The results showed that subjecting chicks to 60FR significantly elevated CORT and brain HSP70 concentration compared to the AL group on d 7. The early feeding regimen had no significant effect on CORT, alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP), ovotransferrin (OVT), ceruoplasmin (CP), IL-6, or brain HSP70 on d 36. The CORT, AGP, OVT, CP, IL-6, and brain HSP70 expression of SFR birds following 24 h of feed deprivation (d 36) were significantly higher than their ALF and SFR+DDT counterparts. Both ALF and SFR+DDT birds had similar values. Stress attributed to feed deprivation without concurrent increase in CORT had a negligible effect on serum levels of APP and IL-6 and brain HSP70 expression.
A study with a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement was conducted to investigate the effects of 4 dietary protein levels and 2 environmental conditions on acute phase proteins (APP), brain heat shock protein (HSP) 70 density, and growth performance of broiler chickens. Day-old broiler chicks (Cobb 500) were fed isocaloric diets but with various levels of crude protein (CP), namely, (1) 21.0 and 19.0% CP in starter and finisher diets, respectively (control), (2) 19.5 and 17.5% CP in starter and finisher diets, respectively (Diet A), (3) 18.0 and 16.0% CP in starter and finisher diets, respectively (Diet B), and (4) 16.5 and 14.5% CP in starter and finisher diets, respectively (Diet C). Equal numbers of birds from each diet were subjected to either 23±1°C throughout or 33±1°C for 6 h per d from 22 to 35 d of age. From d 1 to 21, feed intake (FI) and weight gain (WG) decreased linearly (P = 0.021 and P = 0.009, respectively), as CP level was reduced. During the heat treatment period (d 22 to 35), there were significant (P = 0.04) diet × heat treatment interactions for FCR. Diet had no effect on FCR among the unheated birds, but the ratio increased linearly (P = 0.007) as dietary CP level decreased. Irrespective of ambient temperature, there was a significant linear decrease in FI (P = 0.032) and WG (P < 0.001) as dietary CP level decreased. Low-CP diets improved the survivability of heat-stressed broilers when compared to those fed control diets. Low-CP diets linearly decreased (P < 0.01) APP (ovotransferrin and alpha-acid glycoprotein) responses. Both APP and HSP 70 reactions were elevated following heat treatment. In conclusion, feeding broilers with low-CP diets adversely affect the growth performance of broilers under heat stress condition. However, low-CP diets were beneficial in improving the survivability. Because APP are involved in the restoration of homeostasis, the adverse effect of low-CP diet on the synthesis of these proteins could be of concern.
Prenatal stress may evoke considerable physiological consequences on the developing poultry embryos and neonates. The present study aimed to determine prenatal auditory stimulation effects on serum levels of ceruloplasmin (CPN), alpha-1-acid glycoprotein (AGP), corticosterone (CORT), and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) regulations in developing chicken embryos and newly hatched chicks. Hatching eggs were subjected to the following auditory treatments; 1) control (no additional sound treatment other than the background sound of the incubator's compressors at 40 dB), 2) noise exposure (eggs were exposed to pre-recorded traffic noise at 90 dB) (NOISE), and 3) music exposure (eggs were exposed to Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K 488 at 90 dB) (MUSIC). The NOISE and MUSIC treatments were for 20 min/h for 24 h (a total of 8 h/d), starting from embryonic days (ED) 12 to hatching. The MUSIC (1.37 ± 0.1 ng/mL) and NOISE (1.49 ± 0.2 ng/mL) treatments significantly elevated CPN at ED 15 compared to the Control (0.82 ± 0.04 ng/mL) group and post-hatch day 1 (Control, 1.86 ± 0.2 ng/mL; MUSIC, 2.84 ± 0.4 ng/mL; NOISE, 3.04 ± 0.3 ng/mL), AGP at ED 15 (Control, 39.1 ± 7.1 mg/mL; MUSIC, 85.5 ± 12.9 mg/mL; NOISE, 85.4 ± 15.1 mg/mL) and post-hatch day 1 (Control, 20.4 ± 2.2 mg/mL; MUSIC, 30.5 ± 4.7 mg/mL; NOISE, 30.3 ± 1.4 mg/mL). CORT significantly increased at ED 15 in both MUSIC (9.024 ± 1.4 ng/mL) and NOISE (12.15 ± 1.6 ng/mL) compared to the Control (4.39 ± 0.7 ng/mL) group. On the other hand, MUSIC exposed embryos had significantly higher Hsp70 expression than their Control and NOISE counterparts at ED 18 (Control, 12.9 ± 1.2 ng/mL; MUSIC, 129.6 ± 26.4 ng/mL; NOISE, 13.3 ± 2.3 ng/mL) and post-hatch day 1 (Control, 15.2 ± 1.7 ng/mL; MUSIC, 195.5 ± 68.5 ng/mL; NOISE, 13.2 ± 2.7 ng/mL). In conclusion, developing chicken embryos respond to auditory stimulation by altering CPN, AGP, CORT, and Hsp70. The alterations of these analytes could be important in developing embryos and newly hatched chicks to cope with stress attributed to auditory stimulation.
This study aimed to investigate the effect of metabolizable energy (ME) levels and exogenous emulsifier supplementation on growth performance, apparent ileal digestibility (AID), body composition, and carcass yield in broilers. The experiment was designed as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with ME levels (control ME vs. reduced 100 kcal/kg ME) and exogenous emulsifier supplementation (0 vs. 0.05 %). A total of 1,000 one-day-old male Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allocated into 4 treatments with 10 replicates and 25 birds per floor pen for 42 d (starter, d 0-14; grower, d 14-28; and finisher, d 28-42). Growth performance was measured biweekly, and AID was evaluated using the indigestible indicator method during d 21 to 28. Body composition was measured at d 35 using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (DXA), and carcass yield was evaluated at d 42. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure for 2-way ANOVA. Results indicated reduced ME decreased body weight gain and feed intake (P < 0.05). Exogenous emulsifier supplementation improved FCR during the finisher and overall periods (P < 0.05). Reduced ME decreased AID of dry matter (DM), fat, and gross energy (P < 0.05) but increased AID of Val (P = 0.013). Exogenous emulsifier supplementation increased AID of DM, crude protein, His, Ile, Lys, Thr, Val, Pro, Ala, and Tyr (P < 0.05). Reduced ME decreased dressing rate and the relative weight of abdominal fat (P < 0.05). DXA results indicated that reduced ME decreased bone mineral density and fat (P < 0.001) but increased bone mineral contents and muscle (P < 0.05). Therefore, a reduction of 100 kcal/kg ME in the diet had adverse effects on the growth performance and carcass characteristics, but the use of exogenous emulsifier supplementation improved growth performance and nutrient digestibility.
With the continuous rise of Muslim and Jewish populations and their increasing preference for ritually slaughtered poultry meat, the industry is forced to redefine its existing product-centric quality standard toward a new consumer-centric dimension of quality. The new dimension is mainly attributed to ensuring animal welfare and ethical treatment (ethical quality), spiritual quality (such as halal status, cleanliness), and eating quality standards set by religion. To meet consumer quality requirements while maintaining high production performance, the industry has incorporated newer technologies that are compatible with religious regulations such as stunning methods like electrical water bath stunning. However, the introduction of new techniques such as electrical water bath stunning has been met with mixed reactions. Some religious scholars have banned the use of any stunning methods in religious slaughter, as halal status is believed to be compromised in cases where birds have been stunned to death before slaughter. Nevertheless, some studies have shown the positive side of the electrical water bath stunning procedure in terms of preserving eating, ethical, and spiritual quality. Therefore, the present study aims to critically analyze the application of various aspects of electrical water bath stunning such as current intensity and frequency on various quality attributes, namely, ethical, spiritual, and eating quality of poultry meat.
In late 2020, an outbreak of Tembusu virus (TMUV)-associated disease occurred in a 45-day-old white Roman geese flock in Taiwan. Here, we present the identification and isolation of a novel goose-origin TMUV strain designated as NTU/C225/2020. The virus was successfully isolated using minimal-pathogen-free duck embryos. Phylogenetic analysis of the polyprotein gene showed that NTU/C225/2020 clustered together with the earliest isolates from Malaysia and was most closely related to the first Taiwanese TMUV strain, TP1906. Genomic analysis revealed significant amino acid variations among TMUV isolates in NS1 and NS2A protein regions. In the present study, we characterized the NTU/C225/2020 culture in duck embryos, chicken embryos, primary duck embryonated fibroblasts, and DF-1 cells. All host systems were susceptible to NTU/C225/2020 infection, with observable lesions. In addition, animal experiments showed that the intramuscular inoculation of NTU/C225/2020 resulted in growth retardation and hyperthermia in day-old chicks. Gross lesions in the infected chicks included hepatomegaly, hyperemic thymus, and splenomegaly. Viral loads and histopathological damage were displayed in various tissues of both inoculated and naïve co-housed chicks, confirming the direct chick-to-chick contact transmission of TMUV. This is the first in vivo study of a local TMUV strain in Taiwan. Our findings provide essential information for TMUV propagation and suggest a potential risk of disease outbreak in chicken populations.
The implementation of the head-only electrical stunning procedure in poultry processing has been aimed at enhancing eating, ethical, and religious quality. However, inconsistencies in voltage and frequency standardization, along with variations in previous research outcomes, have led to numerous cases of both under-stunned and over-stunned birds. Thus, this study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the effects of varying voltages and frequencies during electrical water bath stunning on carcass quality, meat attributes, and textural properties in broiler chickens. A cohort of 240 healthy female broilers (Cobb 500, 42-days-old, 2 kg ± 0.1 kg) was meticulously selected from a commercial farm. The birds underwent exposure to different stunning voltages (2.5, 10.5, 30, and 40 V) and frequencies (50 and 300 Hz). Subsequent analyses were conducted on meat samples to assess physicochemical properties, carcass quality, and textural attributes. The findings revealed a higher incidence of petechial hemorrhage (P < 0.05) in birds stunned at 10.5 V compared to other voltage. Notably, no broken bones were recorded in birds subjected to high voltages (30 and 40 V). Low frequency (50 Hz) significantly increased the occurrence of petechial hemorrhage and simultaneously resulted in pectoralis major muscle with decreased redness (a*). Birds subjected to the 10.5 V stunning treatment exhibited a lower cooking loss percentage. Significant interactions between voltage and ageing (V × A) were observed. Birds stunned at 30 V and aged for 7 d displayed highest drip loss compared to a one-day ageing period across different voltage levels. This interaction also impacted pH values, with birds subjected to 10.5 V showing significantly lower (P < 0.05) pH at d 7 of ageing. The meat hardness was influenced by the V × A interaction, wherein birds stunned at 10.5 V exhibited lower hardness after one day of ageing compared to other voltage levels. Red wing tips, lightness (L*), adhesiveness, and resilience were also significantly impacted (P < 0.05) by the interaction between frequency and voltage. A notable 3-way interaction was observed for gumminess and chewiness (F × V × A), where the 2-way interaction between frequency and voltage (F × V) affected both parameters differently at various ageing periods. Additionally, there was a significant interaction (P < 0.05) between frequency and voltage influencing shear strength and yellowness.
This study aimed to determine the influence of black soldier fly larvae oil calcium salt (BSFLO-SCa) supplementation on performance, jejunal histomorphology and gene expression of tight junctions and inflammatory cytokines in laying hens. A total of 60 ISA Brown laying hens (40 wk of age) were divided into 3 treatment groups, including a control group fed a basal diet (T0) and basal diets supplemented with 1% (T1) and 2% (T2) of BSFLO-SCa. Each treatment group consisted of 5 replicates with 4 laying hens each. Results showed that 1% and 2% BSFLO-SCa supplementation significantly reduced (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR), while egg weight (EW) increased (P < 0.05). The inclusion with 2% increased (P < 0.05) both egg production (HDA) and mass (EM). The addition of 1% and 2% BSFLO-SCa significantly increased (P < 0.05) villus height (VH) and villus width (VW), while crypt depth (CD) significantly increased (P < 0.05) with 2% BSFLO-SCa. The tight junction and gene expression of claudin-1 (CLDN-1), junctional adhesion molecules-2 (JAM-2), and occludin (OCLN) were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05) with 2% BSFLO-SCa. The pro-inflammatory cytokines and gene expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was significantly downregulated (P < 0.05) with the addition of BSFLO-SCa, while gene expression of interleukin-18 (IL-18), toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were downregulated with 2% BSFLO-SCa. On the other hand, the anti-inflammatory cytokines and gene expression of interleukin-13 (IL-13) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were significantly upregulated (P < 0.05) at 2% BSFLO-SCa. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 2% BSFLO-SCa improved productivity, intestinal morphology and integrity by upregulating tight junction-related protein of gene expression of laying hens. In addition, supplementation with BSFLO-SCa enhanced intestinal immune responses by upregulating anti-inflammatory and downregulating pro-inflammatory cytokine gene expression.
Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a significant pollutant found in food and feed, posing a threat to public health. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LACP) against AFB1 in growing rabbits by investigating growth, serum metabolites, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and inflammatory response. A total of 60 growing male rabbits (721.5 ± 2.68g) were allocated to 4 experimental groups. The control group receiving only a basal diet, the AFB1 group (0.3 mg AFB1/kg diet), the LACP group (1 × 109 cfu/g /kg diet), and the combination group (1 × 109 cfu/g + 0.3 mg AFB1/kg diet; AFB1+ LACP) for 8 wk. The administration of AFB1 alone significantly decreased the final body weight, body gain, and feed intake, while significantly increasing the feed conversion ratio (P < 0.05). A significant decline in total proteins and globulins, along with elevated levels of hepatic enzymes (AST, ALP, ALT, and GGT) and renal function markers (creatinine and uric acid), were observed in the AFB1-contaminated group (P < 0.05). Immunoglobulins (IgG and IgM) were significantly decreased, alongside a significant elevation of triglycerides, direct bilirubin, and indirect bilirubin in growing rabbits fed diets with AFB1 (P < 0.05). Supplementing the AFB1 diet with LACP restored the growth reduction, improved liver (AST, ALP, ALT, and GGT) and kidney (creatinine and uric acid) functions, and enhanced immune markers in rabbit serum (P < 0.05). Antioxidant indices (SOD, GSH, and CAT) were significantly decreased in the AFB1 group (P < 0.05). However, the addition of LACP to the AFB1-contaminated diets improved antioxidant capacity and malondialdehyde (MDA) and protein carbonylation (PC) in hepatic tissues of rabbits (P < 0.05). Serum interlukin-4 (IL-4) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) levels were significantly increased in the AFB1 group (P < 0.05), but the addition of LACP significantly reversed this elevation. AFB1 downregulated the expression of immune-inflammatory genes such Nrf2, IL-10, and BCL-2 genes, while up-regulating the caspase-3 (CASP3) gene (P < 0.05). Supplementing AFB1 diet with LACP significantly decreased the expression of immune-inflammatory genes (Nrf2, IL-10, and BCL-2) and reduced the expression of the apoptotic-related gene CASP3. This study highlights the potential of L. plantarum (1 × 109 cfu/g /kg diet) as a protective agent against AFB1 in growing rabbits by enhancing antioxidant and immune function and reducing apoptosis and inflammation pathways.