Comparative effects of medium-chain fatty acids or phytobiotics-based feed additives on performance, caecum microbiota, volatile fatty acid production and intestinal morphology of broilers

Antibiotic growth promoters have been utilized in broiler nutrition to alleviate the negative effects of the pathogenic microbes to promote performance. However, after the prohibition of antibiotics because of the increasing disclosure related to public health issues, various products have been developed as alternatives. This study was carried out to determine the effects of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) or phytobiotics (essential oils [EOs] and alkaloids [ALKs]), blended feed additives on the growth performance, jejunum histomorphology, and cecal microbiota of broiler chickens. A total of 765 male Ross 308 chicks were randomly distributed into 5 experimental groups, each having 9 replicates with 17 chicks. The experimental procedures were as follows: a control group without supplementation (T1); control group+ MCFAs and EOs blend (T2); control group+ different EOs blend (T3); control group+ ALK sanguinarine (T4); and control group+ EOs and ALK piperine mixture (T5). The results showed that, broilers fed with MCFAs blended with EOs had significantly greater body weight gain during overall period in comparision to the control and T3 groups. Further, only MCFAs blended with EOs group significantly improved jejnum morphology in comparison with the control group (p ≤ 0.05). Besides, the MCFAs blended with EOs group significantly elevated propionate, acetate and butyrate concentration, and decreased the concentration of branch chain fatty acids in caecum (p ≤ 0.05). The results indicated that, the combination of MCFAs and EOs seems to have improvement effects and could be preferred as an efficient feed additive in broiler production.

Does modern broilers need less energy for better growth and intestinal development?

The current study was carried out to evaluate the response of broiler chicks to dietary energy. In total 11,400 day-old Ross-308 chicks (95 males and 95 females per pen) were placed in the study for 42 days. Hatchlings were randomly distributed to 6 dietary treatments with 10 replicates. Aviagen metabolisable energy (ME) recommendation for Ross 308 was served as a positive control (PC) and other treatments were adjusted to 101.25, 98.75, 97.50, 96.25 and 95% of PC. Birds had free access to water and pellet feed. Body weight (BW), Feed intake, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass yield and jejunal morphometric analysis were determined per replicate. Feeding the birds with 1.25% higher ME than PC did not result in any improvement in BW, FCR, mortality and carcass parameters. Significant linear improvement was observed at starter period for BW and FCR with the reduction of dietary ME (p < 0.05). There was no significant impairment in final BW with the reduction of ME up to 5.0%. Whole period FCR reduced by 0.009, 0.022, 0.014, 0.037 points by lowering ME by 1.25, 2.5, 3.75 and 5%, respectively (linear, p < 0.05). Carcass yield, abdominal fat and pancreas weights were not significantly influenced (p > 0.05). However, significant improvement in villus height, surface area (quadratic and cubic, p < 0.05), and villus width (quadratic, p < 0.05) were observed with 2.5 and 3.75% reduction of dietary ME. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on liver haemorrhagic lesion score. The results of the current research suggest that the optimum level of dietary energy level of modern broilers may be lower than the one recommended by the primary breeders. Lowering dietary energy density up to 5% leads to 0.03 points reduction in FCR without any negative effect on BW.

Guanidinoacetic acid supplementation is favourable to broiler diets even containing poultry by-product meal

1. Two consecutive trials were conducted to evaluate the effects of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation (a creatine precursor) and energy levels in broiler diets based on maize-soybean meal (Trial 1) or that additionally included poultry by-product meal (PBPM; Trial 2) on growth performance, carcass yield and breast meat quality to 41 days of age. 2. A total of 792, one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chickens were randomly distributed into six treatments - three energy levels (sufficient AME_n or 0.2 and 0.4 MJ/kg reduced AME_n) and two GAA levels (0.00% or 0.06%) with eight replicates for each trial. 3. Reducing dietary energy resulted in poorer body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratios (FCR) for each trial (P < 0.05). However, GAA supplementation improved FCR, BWG and European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) (P < 0.05). 4. Dietary energy level and GAA addition had no significant effect on carcass parameters, drip loss, pH and chemical composition of breast meat (P > 0.05), but decreased relative liver weight (P < 0.05). 5. It was concluded that, regardless of dietary energy levels, supplementation of GAA to plant-based diets or those including PBPM has the potential to improve growth performance in broilers.

Response of growing chicks to supplementation of low protein diets with leucine, valine and glycine-glutamic acid

This experiment was conducted to determine the interaction effects that resulted from supplementation of low-protein diets with leucine (Leu), valine (Val), and glycine-glutamic acid (Gly-Glu) on growing broiler chicks from 11 to 24 days old. Two levels of digestible Leu (1.07 and 1.50%) and three levels of digestible Val (0.64, 0.74, and 0.84%) were investigated as a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments with 12 replicates. The diet with 1.07% digestible Leu and 0.84% digestible Val was supplemented with 0.34% Gly and 1.32% Glu as an additional treatment (T7). At 24 days old, 0.84% Val significantly improved feed conversion with 1.07% Leu, but 0.74% Val was sufficient with 1.50% Leu. The T7 diet further improved feed conversion. Increasing dietary Val from 0.64% to 0.74% significantly increased bone density and strength at the lower level of dietary Leu, while T7 significantly increased tibia breaking strength. There were significant Leu × Val interactions for villus height, crypt depth, and goblet cell numbers. Val at 0.84% maximized the development of the jejunum at the lower Leu level, while goblet cell number and crypt depth were impaired by increments of Val at the higher level of Leu. In conclusion, increasing the level of Val in low-protein grower diets significantly improved performance, bone and jejunum development of broilers, and its interaction with Leu was important. Therefore, these two amino acids (AAs) and the possibility of Gly-Glu fortification must be considered when formulating low-protein broiler diets. Keywords: bone traits, branched-chain amino acids, broilers, gut histology, performance

Role of circulating nesfatin-1 in the underweight children with poor appetite

OBJECTIVE

To investigate serum concentration of nesfatin-1 in underweight children who have poor appetite, and its association with anthropometric markers of malnutrition.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We recruited 50 underweight children and adolescents (aged 2-18 years) who presented with loss of appetite. Thirty age- and sex-matched controls were also included in the study. Fasting serum nesfatin-1 concentrations were measured by using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique.

RESULTS

Mean nesfatin-1 level was significantly higher in underweight children when compared to controls (p<0.001). There was no correlation between serum nesfatin-1 levels and anthropometrics markers.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that nesfatin-1 might have an important role in regulation of food intake and pathogenesis of loss of appetite in children.

Can first trimester placental protein-13 and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A predict pre-eclampsia in Turkish women?

The aim of study was to evaluate placental protein-13 (PP-13) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) in first trimester maternal serum, for predicting pre-eclampsia. A prospective case-control study included 30 pre-eclampsia patients and 90 control pregnant women. Pre-eclampsia patients were divided into two subgroups: early- and late-onset (9 vs 21), and PP-13 and PAPP-A levels were compared between the groups and the comparison of risks for pre-eclampsia were calculated. Results showed that there was a significant inverse correlation between PAPP-A and late pre-eclampsia (p = 0.003), with a cut-off value of 0.805 (ROC analysis area under curve = 0.751). There was a significant reverse correlation between PAPP-A and early pre-eclampsia (p = 0.02). There was no significant relationship between PP-13 and early pre-eclampsia, nor with late pre-eclampsia (p = 0.7, p = 0.6, respectively). It was concluded that neither of these markers can serve as a sufficient and reliable screening test of pre-eclampsia because of inadequate sensitivity in the Turkish pregnant population.

Prenatal diagnosis of Goldenhar syndrome with unusual features by 3D ultrasonography

Oculoauriculo-vertebral spectrum, or Goldenhar syndrome, is characterized by varying degrees of prevalently unilateral underdevelopment of craniofacial structures (orbit, ear, and mandible) and spinal anomalies. We report a patient with unusual features diagnosed prenatally by 3D ultrasonography at 21 weeks' gestation without a family history. An early diagnosis was suggested by observation of a maxillary cleft-plate, multiple vertebral segmentation defects and hypoplastic thumb. Postnatal evaluation also revealed ambiguous genitalia and club feet in addition to the prenatally and postnatally diagnosed classical Goldenhar syndrome features like hemifacial microsomia, preauricular and facial skin tags, coloboma of eyelids, epibulbar dermoid.

Effects of dietary threonine and crude protein on growth performance, carcase and meat composition of broiler chickens

1. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of dietary threonine (Thr) and crude protein (CP) in maize-soybean meal based diets on the growth performance, carcase traits and meat composition of broiler chickens and to determine the dietary Thr requirement for optimum performance (weight gain and feed conversion efficiency (FCE)) at 0 to 3 weeks and 3 to 6 weeks of age. 2. Two basal diets that differed in CP (191.3 or 179.7 and 176.7 or 165.4 g/kg at 0 to 3 and 3 to 6 weeks, respectively) were formulated to have identical contents of Thr (6.0 and 5.4 g/kg), energy (12.97 and 13.39 MJ ME/kg) and other essential amino acids except for Gly + Ser. Basal diets were supplemented with L-Thr from 0.6 to 1.8 g/kg in 0.6 g/kg increments. Broiler chicks (540) were randomly allocated to 9 dietary treatments with 6 replicates of 10 (5 female, 5 male) chicks. 3. A significant interaction between dietary CP and Thr was found for feed intake, body weight (BW) gain and FCE. Increasing Thr supplementation improved feed intake, BW gain and FCE, especially in high CP diets in both feeding periods. 4. Incremental increases in dietary Thr increased breast yield at both CP levels and drumstick yield only on high CP diets. The proportion of thigh decreased with Thr concentration. Liver weight was significantly reduced by Thr supplementation; abdominal fat was not affected. 5. Estimated Thr requirements for FCE increased as dietary CP increased according to an exponential model. This model indicated higher Thr requirements than those of broken-line models for growth performance.

High available phosphorus corn and phytase in layer diets

High available phosphorus corn (HAP) developed using the low phytic acid 1-1 (lpal-1) allele of the corn LPA1 gene containing 0.27% P, with 0.17% nonphytate P (NPP), was compared to near isogenic normal corn (LPA1), which contained 0.23% P and 0.05% NPP. Five levels of NPP from either HAPC or normal corn (0.40, 0.35, 0.30, 0.25 and 0.20% + 300 phytase units (FTU)/kg microbial phytase) were combined in a 2 x 5 factorial experiment for a total of 10 dietary treatments. Each dietary treatment was fed to eight replicate cages with five Hy-Line W-36 hens per replicate cage from 20 to 40 wk of age. Feed consumption and egg production were not significantly affected by dietary NPP level or corn type. Feed conversion ratio (g feed:g egg mass) was improved at the 0.35% NPP level (1.856) compared to the other levels of NPP--0.40, 0.30, 0.25, and 0.20% + phytase having feed conversion ratios of 1.872, 1.905, 1.930, and 1.898, respectively. Egg weight and egg mass decreased significantly as dietary NPP decreased; diets with 0.20% NPP plus phytase had equal egg mass to the 0.35 and 0.40% NPP diets. A significant corn type x NPP interaction effect was observed for egg weight, such that within the HAP corn diets, egg weight decreased more markedly at the 0.25% NPP levels compared to the normal corn 0.25% NPP diets. Specific gravity was not affected by dietary treatment, but percent dry shell was improved at the lower AP levels and with phytase treatment. Dietary NPP level and corn type had no significant effect on bone ash. Excreta levels of total phosphorus decreased significantly as dietary NPP decreased and were lower in the HAP corn excreta compared to normal corn excreta. Total P, Ca, Zn, Cu, and Mn retention were significantly affected by NPP level and corn type. HAP corn reduced Ca, Zn, Cu, and Mn retention compared to normal corn; this negative effect was alleviated by phytase supplementation to HAP corn diets. HAP corn allowed less dicalcium phosphate supplementation in layer diets compared to normal corn while supporting equal egg production. Phytase supplementation of low NPP diets had no significant positive effects on egg production parameters in either corn type diets.

Abdominal tuberculosis. A case report

Tuberculous involvement of the abdominal parenchymatous organs is usually a diffuse process. The macronodular form of hepatosplenic tuberculosis and focal involvement of the pancreas are extremely rare. This report describes CT findings of abdominal parenchymatous organ involvement in a patient with pulmonary and vertebral tuberculosis. Although CT does not confirm a diagnosis of abdominal tuberculosis, it is a valuable examination that can support the diagnosis and define the extent of disease.

Laryngeal amyloidosis with laryngocele: MRI and CT

A case of laryngeal amyloidosis associated with a laryngocele is reported. Preoperative CT showed diffuse thickening of the epiglottis, aryepiglottic folds and false vocal cords with well-defined calcific foci. MRI revealed contrast enhancement and increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images.