Carcass characteristics and serum biochemical profile of Japanese quail by the supplementation of pine needles and vitamin E powder

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Red and Larch Pine Needle Powders on Productivity, Egg Quality, Yolk Fatty Acids and Cholesterol and Hatchability of Laying Quails

This study aimed to determine the efficacy of red pine and larch pine needles powder at different doses on productive performance, egg quality, hatching parameters, total fatty acid and cholesterol levels of laying quails. A total of 126 (84 ♀ and 42 ♂) 20-week-old laying quail were randomly distributed into seven experimental diets with three replicates of six (four female and two male) birds per cage. The groups were fed a basal diet (CON group), a basal diet with red pine needle powder (RPNP group) (1.5%, 3% and 4.5%), or a basal diet with larch pine needle powder (LPNP group) (1.5%, 3% and 4.5%) for 9 weeks. The results showed that the additives which were added into the ration did not affect feed intake and feed conversion ratio among the performance parameters compared to the control group (p > 0.05). Egg production increased by 13%-14% in RPNP 1.5% and LPNP 4.5% groups compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Egg weight increased by 4.04% only at the RPNP 4.5% dose (p < 0.05). However, egg weight decreased by 3.68%, 2.88% and 5.75% in RPNP 3% and LPNP 3% and 4.5% doses, respectively (p < 0.05). The highest increase in egg mass compared to the control was 13.61% in the RPNP 1.5% dose (p < 0.05). Egg shape index increased by 8.18% in the RPNP 1.5% group and 11.11% in the LPNP 3% group (p < 0.05). Haugh units increased by 1.87% and 1.77% in RPNP 1.5% and LPNP 4.5% doses, respectively (p < 0.05). The amount of broken eggs increased in the LPNP 1.5% (2.86%) and LPNP 3% (3.65%) doses relative to the control group (0.40%) (p < 0.05). Egg yolk decreased by 7.2%-17.6% in RPNP 1.5% and 3% groups and LPNP 3% and 4.5% doses (p < 0.05). Egg yolk diameter decreased by 3.21%-6.56% in RPNP 1.5% and 3% groups and LPNP 4.5% doses (p < 0.05). Yolk index decreased by an average of 5.5%-7% in RPNP 1.5% and 4.5% doses and LPNP 4.5% doses (p < 0.05). Pine needle supplementation increased total monounsaturated fatty acids in egg yolks by 6% compared to the control group, while cholesterol levels decreased by 7.73% compared to the control (p < 0.05). On the other hand, pine needle addition had no effect on incubation parameters (p > 0.05). Our results clearly indicated that the 1.5% red pine needles powder could be used as an additive to increase the egg production, egg mass and Haugh units in laying quails.

Supplemental effects of different production methods of pine needle additives on growth performance, intestinal environment, meat quality and serum of broiler chickens

OBJECTIVE

Pine needles are rich in many nutrients and exhibit antibacterial and antioxidant biological activities; however, the effects of different production methods of pine needle additives on the growth performance and intestinal flora of broiler chickens are not known.

METHODS

Normal diets were supplemented with pine needle fermentation juice (PNF), pine needle soaking juice (PNS), or pine needle powder (PNP), and the associated effects on growth performance, relative organ weights, intestinal development, intestinal histological morphology, intestinal flora, meat quality, and serum indicators in broiler chickens were observed.

RESULTS

The results showed that PNF, PNS, and PNP all significantly improved feed utilisation and promoted the growth and development of broilers. All three additives also significantly improved the structure of the intestinal flora, specifically increasing the diversity of bacteria; increasing the abundance of beneficial bacteria, such as Faecalibacterium, Rikenella, and Blautia; and decreasing the abundance of harmful bacteria, such as Staphylococcus. The antioxidant properties of pine needles were also found to intensify lipid metabolic reactions in the blood, thus leading to lower triglycerides and total cholesterol. Meanwhile, high doses of PNF reduced jejunum and ileum weights and also increased meat yellowness. Lastly, none of PNF, PNS, or PNP had an effect on relative organ weights or intestinal histological morphology.

CONCLUSION

The addition of pine needles to the diet of broiler chickens can effectively promote their growth performance as well as improve their intestinal flora and serum status without side effects; in particular, the dose of 0.2% of either PNF and PNS is expected to have the capacity to replace growth-promoting antibiotics as diet additives.

Pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) Needle Extract Supplementation Improves Performance, Egg Quality, Serum Parameters, and the Gut Microbiome in Laying Hens

The effects of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) needle extract (PNE) on gastrointestinal disorders and oxidative stress have been widely investigated using experimental models; however, the functions and mechanisms of these effects in chicken models remain unknown. We investigated the effects of Masson PNE supplementation on performance, egg quality, serum parameters, and the gut microbiome in laying hens. A total of 60 healthy 50-week-old Peking Pink laying hens with similar body conditions and egg production were randomly divided into the control (CON) (0 mg/kg PNE), PNE100 (100 mg/kg PNE), PNE200 (200 mg/kg PNE), and PNE400 (400 mg/kg PNE) groups, with fifteen replicates per treatment and one hen per replicate. Compared with the CON group, egg mass, feed conversion ratios, and yolk weight were significantly increased (p < 0.01) in the PNE100 group. Dietary supplementation of 100 mg/kg PNE increased the serum total protein, albumin, and glucose concentrations (p < 0.01) and decreased the alanine aminotransferase activity (p < 0.05) compared with those of the CONs. Hens in the PNE100 group had reduced serum malondialdehyde levels (p < 0.05) and increased catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities (p < 0.01) compared with those of the CON group. Serum proinflammatory cytokine concentrations of interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-α were lower (p < 0.01) and the IL-10 level was higher (p < 0.01) in the PNE100 group than in the CON group. Serum immunoglobulin (Ig)A, IgG, and IgM concentrations were increased in the PNE100 group (p < 0.01). The relative abundance of Bacteroidetes was increased, while the relative abundances of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were decreased in the PNE100 group. The relative abundances of Vibrio, Shewanella, and Lactobacillus were decreased, while the relative abundances of unclassified_o_Bacteroidales, Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group, unclassified_f_Rikenellaceae, and Butyricicoccaceae were increased in the PNE100 group compared with those of the CON group. PNE supplementation at 100 mg/kg improved the diversity and structure of the gut microbial composition, production performance, egg quality, and serum parameters of laying hens. The laying hens in this study had good production performance when supplemented with 100 mg/kg PNE.

Green and Sustainable Valorization of Bioactive Phenolic Compounds from Pinus By-Products

In Europe, pine forests are one of the most extended forests formations, making pine residues and by-products an important source of compounds with high industrial interest as well as for bioenergy production. Moreover, the valorization of lumber industry residues is desirable from a circular economy perspective. Different extraction methods and solvents have been used, resulting in extracts with different constituents and consequently with different bioactivities. Recently, emerging and green technologies as ultrasounds, microwaves, supercritical fluids, pressurized liquids, and electric fields have appeared as promising tools for bioactive compounds extraction in alignment with the Green Chemistry principles. Pine extracts have attracted the researchers’ attention because of the positive bioproperties, such as anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-neurodegenerative, antitumoral, cardioprotective, etc., and potential industrial applications as functional foods, food additives as preservatives, nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Phenolic compounds are responsible for many of these bioactivities. However, there is not much information in the literature about the individual phenolic compounds of extracts from the pine species. The present review is about the reutilization of residues and by-products from the pine species, using ecofriendly technologies to obtain added-value bioactive compounds for industrial applications.

Potential effect of the microbial fermented feed utilization on physicochemical traits, antioxidant enzyme and trace mineral analysis in rabbit meat

The study investigated the potential effect of the microbial fermented feed utilization on physicochemical traits, antioxidant enzyme and trace mineral analysis in rabbit meat. A total of 72 six-week-old male rabbits were weighed and randomly divided into four groups (1) (SRKC) control; (2) (SRKP) Lactobacillus plantarum 1 × 10⁶  cfu/g fresh weight (FW); (3) (SRKG) Pediococcus acidilactici 1 × 10⁶ cfu/g FW and (4) (SRKPG) P. acidilactici + L. plantarum 1 × 10⁶ cfu/g FW. Performance characteristic, weekly body weight, was positively (p < .05) enhanced, while daily feed intake (DFI) and feed convention ratio (FCR) were not influenced in treatments group as compared to untreated. The water, protein, water holding capacity (WHC) and dry matter (DM) concentration were positively (p < .05) influenced, while ash, pH, lightness, redness and yellowness were not influenced in treated group as compared to untreated. The concentration of glutathione peroxidase (Gpx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was positively (p < .05) influenced in treatments group as compared to control. Regarding trace minerals, copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn) and zinc (Zn) were positively (p > .05) reduced in treated group as compared to untreated. It is concluded that the addition of lactic acid bacteria (L. plantarum and P. acidilactici) in Hybrid pennisetum silage had a constructive influence on rabbit health performance and meat biochemistry.