Adapting trace mineral nutrition of birds for optimising the environment and poultry product quality

Integrated evaluation of the requirements and excretions of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn for broilers via a uniform design method

This study aimed to determine the ideal balance profile of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn for broilers of 1-21 days of age via a uniform experimental design. In Experiment 1, 900 1-day-old Arbor Acres male broilers were randomly allotted to 15 dietary treatments with six replicates of 10 birds. A total of 14 experimental diets were formulated with the supplementation of 8~16, 123~160, 40~80, and 60~120 mg/kg of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn, respectively, in the basal diet, according to the uniform design method. The excretion of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the manure and the broiler performance were determined to build the ideal balance profile of these elements. Experiment 2 was conducted based on the ideal balance profile built in Experiment 1, to test its practicability using 720 broilers with two treatments. The dietary concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the control group were 15.19, 203.08, 76.78, and 86.13 mg/kg, respectively. In Experiment 1, the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn in the diets were 16.96, 166.66, 46.01, and 60.26 mg/kg, respectively, when the average daily gain reached the optimum value. When the dietary concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn were 8.54, 130.66, 38.19, and 64.07 mg/kg, respectively, the total excretion of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn got the minimum value. There are corresponding ideal balance profiles for minimum excretion of a certain element. In Experiment 2, the dietary levels of Fe, Zn, and Mn were decreased by 17.93%, 40.08%, and 30.04%, respectively, which had no significant effect on average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed gain for 1~21 day-old broilers but markedly decreased the excretion of Cu and Mn and total excretion. It was concluded that there is a dilemma between growth performance and mineral excretion. Although dietary levels of Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn supporting optimal growth are higher than those for minimizing mineral excretion, supplementing too many trace elements in the diets of broilers is unnecessary.

Effects of supplementation of inorganic trace elements with organic trace elements chelated with hydroxy methionine on laying performance, egg quality, blood micronutrients, antioxidant capacity and immune function of laying ducks

Introduction

This study aimed to investigate the effects of organic trace elements chelated with hydroxy methionine (OTE-HM) in diets, which substituted inorganic trace elements, on laying performance, egg quality, blood microelement content, antioxidant capacity and immune function of laying ducks.

Methods

A total of 300 healthy laying ducks at age of 30 wk were randomly divided into 5 treatments and 10 ducks per replicate. The treatments included a control group (CON) which was served with basal diet supplemented with 20 mg/kg Cu, 50 mg/kg Fe, 70 mg/kg Mn, and 70 mg/kg Zn in inorganic form, and 4 OTE-HM treated groups (OTE-HM25, OTE-HM50, OTE-HM75, OTE-HM100) which were served with basal diets supplemented with OTE-HM providing trace elements (combination of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the commercial levels, respectively.

Results

Results showed that substitution of inorganic trace elements with OTE-HM did not affect egg production, qualified egg rate, average egg weight, average daily egg mass, average daily feed intake, or feed per kg egg of laying ducks (P > 0.05). Dietary with OTE-HM did not influence eggshell strength, eggshell thickness, egg shape index, eggshell ratio, yolk ratio, albumen ratio, albumen height, and Haugh unit of the sampled eggs of ducks (P > 0.05), but increased the yolk color, compared with dietary with inorganic trace elements (P< 0.01). Moreover, the blood content of Cu of the laying ducks was significantly increased by OTE-HM compared with that in CON (P< 0.001), but the other elements in laying duck blood were not different among treatments (P > 0.05). OTE-HM (75% and 100%) significantly increased serum activities of glutathione peroxidase and Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase, and decreased serum content of malonaldehyde of laying ducks compared with those in CON (P< 0.05). OTE-HM (50%, 75%, and 100%) significantly increased the serum contents of immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A of laying ducks compared with those in CON (P< 0.05).

Discussion

Collectively, replacing inorganic trace elements with 50% and 75% OTE-HM in diets did not influence the laying performance or egg quality, but improved trace element efficacy, antioxidant capacity and immune function of the laying ducks.

Dietary Selenium Across Species

This review traces the discoveries that led to the recognition of selenium (Se) as an essential nutrient and discusses Se-responsive diseases in animals and humans in the context of current understanding of the molecular mechanisms of their pathogeneses. The article includes a comprehensive analysis of dietary sources, nutritional utilization, metabolic functions, and dietary requirements of Se across various species. We also compare the function and regulation of selenogenomes and selenoproteomes among rodents, food animals, and humans. The review addresses the metabolic impacts of high dietary Se intakes in different species and recent revelations of Se-metabolites, means of increasing Se status, and the recycling of Se in food systems and ecosystems. Finally, research needs are identified for supporting basic science and practical applications of dietary Se in food, nutrition, and health across species. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Nutrition, Volume 42 is August 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Low Level of Dietary Organic Trace Elements Improve the Eggshell Strength, Trace Element Utilization, and Intestinal Function in Late-Phase Laying Hens

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of organic trace elements (Cu, Fe, Zn, and Mn) on performance, egg quality, trace elements utilization, and intestinal function in late-phase laying hens. A total of 1,080 laying hens (Hy-line brown, 65 weeks old) were randomly assigned to four treatments with six replications of 45 layers each. The basal diet was prepared without adding exogenous trace elements. The control group was fed with a basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg of inorganic trace elements. The three treatment groups were fed basal diets supplemented with 300, 450, and 600 mg/kg organic trace elements (OTE300, 450, and 600), respectively. The results showed that there was no significant difference in growth performance among all treatments. However, OTE450 significantly improved the eggshell strength of laying hens (p < 0.05), but had no significant effects on haugh unit, egg yolk weight, eggshell weight, and eggshell thickness, compared with other groups. Moreover, compared with the control group, OTE450 significantly increased the contents of copper, iron, and zinc in serum (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, all of the trace elements had a lower deposition in the feces in organic trace elements groups (p < 0.05). Histological analysis showed that the addition of organic trace elements could significantly improve the villus height and villus concealment ratio (p < 0.05). In addition, the messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expressions of divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1), zinc transporter 1 (ZnT-1), and ferroportin 1 (FPN1) were the highest in the OTE450 group. In conclusion, OTE450 could improve egg quality, intestinal function, and trace element utilization efficiency. Thus, this study provides a theoretical basis for the application of low levels of organic trace elements in laying hens.

Influence of dietary dacitic tuff breccia on laying hen performance and egg quality parameters and bone structure at 85 weeks of age after a non-anorexic molt program at 73 to 77 weeks

The objective of the study was to assess the efficacy of AZOMITE (AZM), a dacitic tuff breccia, in laying hens through egg quality and production parameters. A total of ninety six 73-wk-old Hy-Line W-36 commercial laying hens were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments, a control diet and the same diet containing 0.25% AZM, with 24 replicates of 2 hens/replication. From 73 to 77 wk, hens went through nonanorexic molt, and, from 77 to 85 wk, the hens were evaluated for egg production, eggshell quality, and bone health. At wk 85, tibiotarsi were collected for ash and mineral composition, ileal contents were collected for calcium, phosphorus, apparent metabolizable energy corrected for N (AMEn), and apparent nitrogen retention (ANR) evaluation. AZM-fed hens tended to have higher body weight (P = 0.07) from 82 to 83 and 84 to 85 wk, and higher hen day egg production than control (90.54 vs. 79.51%, P = 0.005) from 84 to 85 wk. In general, no differences were reported in feed intake, eggshell color, egg weight, albumen height, Haugh units, or eggshell thickness (P > 0.05). However, shell strength and elasticity were improved (P < 0.02) and yolk color was decreased (P = 0.03) in AZM-fed hens than control. Moreover, the digestibility of Ca, AMEn, and ANR was increased with 0.25% AZM compared to control (P < 0.01). Tibiotarsi P and Ca percentage were lower in AZM-fed birds than control (P < 0.01), without affecting bone strength and mineral density (P > 0.36). Therefore, the use of 0.25% AZM showed a potential in improving egg production and eggshell strength, while maintaining bone quality in post-molt laying hens.

Low levels of organic compound trace elements improve the eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of aged laying hens

In the egg production industry, trace elements are required as additional dietary supplements to play vital roles in performance and egg quality. Compared to inorganic microelements (ITs), appropriate dose of organic trace microelements (OTs) are environmentally friendly and sufficient to satisfy the needs of hens. In order to evaluate the extent to which low-dose OTs replace whole ITs, the effects of organic copper, zinc, manganese, and iron compound on the performance, eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of old laying hens were investigated. A total of 1 080 57-week-old Jing Hong laying hens were assigned to five groups with six replicates of 36 layers each for an 8-week experimental period. The birds were fed either a basal diet (control treatment (CT)) or the basal diet supplemented with commercial levels of inorganic trace elements (IT 100%) or the equivalent organic trace elements at 20%, 30%, and 50% of the inorganic elements (OT 20%, OT 30%, and OT 50%, respectively). Results showed that compared with those in the CT treatment, feeding hens with inorganic or organic microelement diet had significant effects on the eggshell quality, antioxidant capacity, immune function, and mineral deposition of old laying hens (P < 0.05). The eggshell strength and ratio between OT 30%, OT 50%, and IT 100% were similar at weeks 4 and 8, and the eggshell thickness of these groups was also similar at weeks 6 and 8. At week 8, the eggshell colour in OT 50% was darker than that in IT 100%. The mineral content in the eggshells of OT 50% and IT 100% significantly increased (P < 0.001), with no significant difference in effective thickness, mammillary thickness, and mammillary knob width between groups. There were no differences in the malondialdehyde content, total antioxidant capacity, and total superoxide dismutase activity in serum between OT 30%, OT 50%, and IT100%. While the catalase activities, the interleukin-1β, interleukin-10, immunoglobulin G, and immunoglobulin M concentrations in serum were not significantly different between OT 50% and IT 100%. The mineral contents in the faeces of the organic groups were considerably reduced compared with those in IT 100% (P < 0.001). In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 30-50% organic compound microelements has the potential to replace 100% inorganic microelements in the hen industry for improving eggshell quality, mineral deposition in the eggshell, antioxidant capacity, and immune function, and reducing emissions to the environment without negative effects on laying performance.

Selenium and the health status, production results, and product quality in poultry

A Selenium (Se) is an element belonging to the nonmetallic group. It was first discovered in 1817 by J.J. Berzelius. Until the 1950s, it was considered to be toxic to animals. However, with increasing research conducted on laboratory animals, it is now clear that Se is necessary for the proper functioning of both plants and animals. Recent studies indicate that Se is necessary for the proper functioning of metabolic pathways in animals. It was evidenced that Se is a component of about 100 proteins involved in the immune system, antioxidant homeostasis, or release of an inflammatory mediator. Therefore, it is of key interest to find the appropriate dosage for the supplementation of Se in the diet of farm animals and thereby eliminate physiological disorders in the body associated with Se imbalance. In this study, we present a literature review on the importance and appropriate dosage of Se in the diet of poultry concerning their health status, production results, and the quality of animal-origin products.

Biological effects of iodine, selenium, sulfur citrates in broiler chickens

This study aimed at the assessment of the I, Se, S citrate effect on the organism of broiler chickens. Feeding of chickens of all groups was carried out by using standard balanced feeds – starter, grower, and finish with the use of group feeders placed at the appropriate height from the floor depending on the poultry height. For the chickens of experimental groups, I, Se, S citrate was added to drinking water daily during the 48th day. To the drinking water of chickens of experimental groups different amounts of the citrate solution were added I (200 mg/L), Se (50 mg/L), S (300 mg/L), prepared by the nanotechnology method. Chickens of the II group received the lowest dose of I, Se, S at the rate of 5 μg I/L, 1.25 μg Se/L, 7.5 μg S/L of drinking water, and for poultry of other experimental groups, it was increased by 2 (III), 4 (IV), 6 (V) and 8 (VI) times compared to II group. Coccidiostat "Kokcisan 12%" (KRKA, Slovenia) was added to the starter and grower feed at the stages of its manufacture in quantities of 0.5 kg/t of feed. Coccidiostat was not added to the final feed. During the 48-day technological period, the clinical condition of the poultry was monitored daily by forage and motor activity, safety, and every 7 days – for growth intensity with the individual determination of body weight on a laboratory scale. The investigation of the blood was carried out from the 35th or 48th day during the growing, period and also investigation of the internal organs – liver, heart, spleen, stomach, thymus, and bursa of Fabricius. The increase of cholesterol, triacylglycerols, and albumin in the blood of II, III, and VI chicken groups was established on the 35th day of the experiment, and the reduction of creatinine in III and VI groups. By that time, the effect of highest dose of I, Se, S caused a decrease in the T3 concentration in the blood of chickens in the VI group compared to the I and II groups. In particular, in the blood of chickens of IV, V and VI groups compared to the I, II, III group under these conditions there was a significant increase in the content of urea, Ca, P, cholesterol, as well as albumin – only in IV group on the 48th day. Triacylglycerols’ content increased in the blood serum of chickens in III and IV groups compared to the II and V groups, but in V group – decreased compared to the III, IV groups. The increase in liver, thymus, and heart mass in the II and V chicken groups was noticed and their decrease in the VI group was revealed compared with the control group. Reliable lower coefficients of the body mass of chickens of III and VI groups may indicate a less notable stimulating biological effect of I, Se, S citrate in these doses on liver development than on the whole organism. The addition of I, Se, S citrate to broiler chickens during the period of growing revealed the difference in their biological action in the presence and absence of the Kokcisan 12% in a mixed fodder. A more notable stimulating effect of low dose of I, Se, S citrate on the growth and development on the chickens' organism was established during the withdrawal of coccidiostatics from their diet. The effect may be due to its inhibitory influence on the biological activity of these elements in the first 35 days of growing. In the final period of chicken growing and withdrawal of ionophore Kokcisan from the diet more noticeable changes were revealed in the studied parameters.

Improving the bioavailability of manganese and meat quality of broilers by using hot-melt extrusion nano method

1. Mineral excretion is an issue in the poultry industry. The use of micro minerals in nano form can increase bioavailability and decrease excretion rate. However, information concerning the bioavailability of nano manganese (Mn) in broiler chicks is limited.2. This experiment studied the influences of hot-melt extrusion (HME)-processed manganese sulphate on body weight gain, Mn bioavailability, nutrient digestibility and meat quality in broiler chicks fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet as a starter and grower phase. A total of 700 birds (Ross 308, 1-day-old) were randomly placed in 35 cages (20 birds per cage). The broiler chicks were fed one of seven experimental diets, which consisted of a control (without supplemental Mn), different levels of MnSO₄ (IN-Mn60; 60, 120, and 200 mg/kg), or HME MnSO₄ (HME-Mn; 60, 120, and 200 mg/kg).3. There was an increased serum Mn content in broilers fed diet supplemented with HME-Mn. In the grower phase, increased dietary Mn levels elevated the concentrations in the serum, liver, and tibia. There were increases in the excreta Mn content of broilers fed increasing levels. The supplementation of HME-Mn showed a lower percentage of abdominal fat compared with the IN-Mn treatment diets. Supplementation with HME-Mn decreased intramuscular fat compared with the diets supplemented with IN-Mn. The supplementation of HME-Mn decreased the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) at d 6 of age. The HME-Mn source showed a greater decrease in TBARS compared with the IN-Mn treatment.4. In conclusion, HME processing increased bioavailability and could be used as an environmentally friendly method to facilitate lower levels of Mn in the diet of broiler chickens.

Recent Advances in Understanding the Influence of Zinc, Copper, and Manganese on the Gastrointestinal Environment of Pigs and Poultry

Simple Summary

Pigs and poultry, similar to humans, need regular consumption of zinc, copper, and manganese for normal functioning. To ensure adequate dietary intake, and prevent deficiency, their diets are supplemented with sufficient, often excessive, levels of these minerals or even at higher levels, which have been associated with improvements in their health and/or growth. However, if provided in excess, mineral quantities beyond those required are simply excreted from the animal, which is associated with negative consequences for the environment and even the development of antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, it is of great interest to better understand the dynamics of zinc, copper, and manganese in the intestine of pigs and poultry following consumption of supplemented diets, and how the requirements and benefits related to these minerals can be optimized and negative impacts minimized. The intestine of pigs and poultry contains vast numbers of microorganisms, notably bacteria, that continually interact with, and influence, their host. This review explores the influence of zinc, copper, and manganese on these interactions and how novel forms of these minerals have the potential to maximize their delivery and benefits, while limiting any negative consequences.

Abstract

Zinc, copper, and manganese are prominent essential trace (or micro) minerals, being required in small, but adequate, amounts by pigs and poultry for normal biological functioning. Feed is a source of trace minerals for pigs and poultry but variable bioavailability in typical feed ingredients means that supplementation with low-cost oxides and sulphates has become common practice. Such trace mineral supplementation often provides significant ‘safety margins’, while copper and zinc have been supplemented at supra-nutritional (or pharmacological) levels to improve health and/or growth performance. Regulatory mechanisms ensure that much of this oversupply is excreted by the host into the environment, which can be toxic to plants and microorganisms or promote antimicrobial resistance in microbes, and thus supplying trace minerals more precisely to pigs and poultry is necessary. The gastrointestinal tract is thus central to the maintenance of trace mineral homeostasis and the provision of supra-nutritional or pharmacological levels is associated with modification of the gut environment, such as the microbiome. This review, therefore, considers recent advances in understanding the influence of zinc, copper, and manganese on the gastrointestinal environment of pigs and poultry, including more novel, alternative sources seeking to maintain supra-nutritional benefits with minimal environmental impact.

Evaluation of bone marrow hemopoiesis and the elemental status of the red bone marrow of chickens under introduction of copper to the organism

The role of chemical elements in an organism is versatile and multifunctional. However, you should pay attention to the reaction of the organism on the introduction of chemical elements with different biological roles, which is predetermined by the physiological role of organs and body systems. These include the red bone marrow, which primarily responds to endogenous and exogenous factors by its functional significance. Analyzing the myelogram of birds after the various ways of copper NP introduction into the body and the different dosages, we found that, by the end of the experiment, the total numbers of bone marrow cells in all groups were lower than the initial values: in the second group-12.54% lower (p < 0.05), in third-26.32% lower (p < 0.001), for the fourth-14.75% lower (p < 0.05), with exception for the first experimental group where this index was 45.51% higher (р < 0.001). We revealed the following changes in the peripheral blood: the hemoglobin content by the end of the experiment was significantly higher than the initial values: by 18.63% for the first group (p < 0.01); 28.61% higher in the third group (p < 0.001); and 15.76% higher for the fourth (p < 0.01), except the animals of the second group (3.23% lower). The concentration of erythrocytes in all groups was higher than that of the background: by 24.56% (p < 0.001), by 3.37%, by 26.18% (p < 0.001), and by 14.85% (p < 0.01), respectively; the leukocyte concentration in the first group was 39.63% higher (p < 0.001), it remained at the level of the initial values in the other groups. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate in all groups increased by 2.4, 4.0, 2.01, and 1.86 times (p < 0.001), respectively. We revealed that the introduction of copper into an organism in the form of nanopowder both with feed and intramuscularly significantly caused an increase of the content of such elements as arsenic, copper, and silicon and a decrease of calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, boron, cobalt, iodine, lithium, sodium, zinc, tin, and strontium in the marrowy aspirate. Moreover, compared with the first group (p < 0.01), increasing doses of nanopowders caused a significant rise in the arsenic and tin concentrations and a decline of iodine and strontium. We found that copper nanoparticles ambiguously affect the bone marrow hemopoiesis of poultry; increasing the dose and changing the type of introduction activating the bone marrow hematopoietic function, in particular, granulocyto-, megakaryocyto-, and erythropoiesis.

The Golden Egg: Nutritional Value, Bioactivities, and Emerging Benefits for Human Health

Egg is an encapsulated source of macro and micronutrients that meet all requirements to support embryonic development until hatching. The perfect balance and diversity in its nutrients along with its high digestibility and its affordable price has put the egg in the spotlight as a basic food for humans. However, egg still has to face many years of nutritionist recommendations aiming at restricting egg consumption to limit cardiovascular diseases incidence. Most experimental, clinical, and epidemiologic studies concluded that there was no evidence of a correlation between dietary cholesterol brought by eggs and an increase in plasma total-cholesterol. Egg remains a food product of high nutritional quality for adults including elderly people and children and is extensively consumed worldwide. In parallel, there is compelling evidence that egg also contains many and still-unexplored bioactive compounds, which may be of high interest in preventing/curing diseases. This review will give an overview of (1) the main nutritional characteristics of chicken egg, (2) emerging data related to egg bioactive compounds, and (3) some factors affecting egg composition including a comparison of nutritional value between eggs from various domestic species.