Factors related to the incidence of the malabsorption syndrome

A Systematic Analysis on mRNA and MicroRNA Expression in Runting and Stunting Chickens

Runting and stunting syndrome (RSS), which is characterized by lower body weight, widely occurs in broilers. Some RSS chickens simply exhibit slow growth without pathological changes. An increasing number of studies indicate that broiler strains differ in susceptibility to infectious diseases, most likely due to their genetic differences. The objective of this study was to detect the differentially expressed miRNAs and mRNAs in RSS and normal chickens. By integrating miRNA with mRNA expression profiling, potential molecular mechanisms involved in RSS could be further explored. Twenty-two known miRNAs and 1,159 genes were differentially expressed in RSS chickens compared with normal chickens (P < 0.05). qPCR validation results displayed similar patterns. The differentially expressed genes were primarily involved in energy metabolism pathways. The antisense transcripts were extensively expressed in chicken liver albeit with reduced abundance. Dual-luciferase reporter assay indicated that gga-miR-30b/c directly target CARS through binding to its 3′UTR. The miR-30b/c: CARS regulation mainly occurred in liver. In thigh muscle and the hypothalamus, miR-30b/c are expressed at higher levels in RSS chickens compared with normal chickens from 2 to 6 w of age, and notably significant differences are observed at 4 w of age.

Effect of pretreatments on extraction of pigment from marigold flower

Marigold flower (Tagetes erecta L) is one of the richest sources of xanthophylls. An enzymatic pretreatment method was developed for improved extraction of pigments from marigold flowers. Pretreatment with enzyme solution increased the diffusion coefficient from 1.56 x 10(-9) m(2)/s to 4.02 x 10(-9) m(2)/s and mass transfer coefficient from 0.14 h(-1) to 0.36 h(-1) coefficients. At the same time, dry yield, resin yield and pigment yield were also found to increase along with increased retention of colour. Sodium hydroxide or citric acid pretreatments increased the diffusion coefficient during drying, but resulted in lower dry yield due to loss of soluble compounds whereas, pigment yield was higher as compared to control. The enzyme treated and air dried sample, stored at 4 °C was found to be the most stable, as indicated by a low (0.0006 day(-1)) degradation constant. Pretreatment of marigold flowers with an aqueous enzyme solution (0.2%) results in improved resin, pigment yield and retention of pigment during storage. Pretreatment of marigold flowers with sodium hydroxide citric acid followed by hydraulic pressing resulted in a significant reduction of water and also indicated improved dry yield, resin yield and pigment yield as compared to control sample.

An optimization study of solid-state fermentation: xanthophylls extraction from marigold flowers

Marigold flowers are the main natural source of xanthophylls, and marigold saponified extract is used as an additive in several food and pharmaceutical industries. In this work, the use of a solid-state fermentation (ensilage) process for increasing the yield of xanthophylls extracted from fermented marigold flowers was examined. The process consisted of a mixed culture of three microorganisms (Flavobacterium IIb, Acinetobacter anitratus, and Rhizopus nigricans), part of the normal microbiota associated with the marigold flower. These microorganisms had been previously isolated, and were identified as relevant for the ensilage process due to their capacity to produce cellulolytic enzymes. Based on experimental design strategies, optimum operation values were determined for aeration, moisture, agitation, and marigold-to-inoculum ratio in the proposed solid-state fermentation equipment, leading to a xanthophylls yield of 17.8-g/kg dry weight. The optimum achieved represents a 65% increase with respect to the control. HPLC analysis indicated conservation of extracted oleoresin. Based on the experimental results, interactions were identified that could be associated with the heat and mass-transfer reactions taking place within the bioreactor. The insight gained allows conditions that limit growth and metabolic activity to be avoided.