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Curcumin, a polyphenol, targets multiple signaling molecules and shows activity at the cellular level, supporting its various health benefits. Thereafter, the present study examines the effects of different doses of dietary curcumin on growth indices, feed efficiency, serum metabolites, redox (oxidation) status, immunity, histological assessment, and antioxidant-related genes in red tilapia (Oreochromis sp, Oreochromis aureus x O. mossambicus). A total of 1200 red tilapia with an average weight of 19.1±0.03 g were distributed in 12 cement ponds (3×3.5×1m). Each treatment was assigned three pounds (n=100 replicates). For 60 days, fish were fed baseline diets containing 0, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 g of curcumin/kg of diet. The treated fish showed increased body weight and SGR (specific growth rate) compared to the T0 group (P<0.05). Curcumin in the diet significantly improved weight gain, percentages, and FCR (feed conversion ratio), with a dose-dependent effect (P < 0.05). Curcumin supplementation showed no influence on feed intake, fish mortality, or survival rate (P >0.05). The curcumin-treated fish groups improved tissue structure in hepatocytes, pancreatic lumens, hepatic blood sinusoids, and intestine tissue layers, particularly the mucosal layer. The T0.8 group had reduced liver enzymes (AST and ALT) and greater total protein and albumin levels (P<0.05). The T0.6 and T0.8 groups showed significantly lower MDA levels than the other groups (P < 0.05). Curcumin groups demonstrated significantly higher antioxidant indices (CAT, GPx, and SOD) compared to the basal diet (P<0.05). Curcumin administration resulted in significant improvements in IgM and lysosome levels (P<0.05). All supplemented groups had considerably (P<0.05) higher levels of SOD, CAT, and GPx mRNA than the control group. Consequently, administering 0.6–0.8 g/kg of curcumin to red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) diets may improve the fish's growth, health, tissue composition, and antioxidant response. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prebiotics are fibers that promote beneficial gut bacteria and play a pivotal role in enhancing host health. This study delves into the impact of various levels of prebiotics, specifically fructooligosaccharides and β-1,3 glucan (Fβ), on the growth performance, biochemical, hematological parameters, gene expression, histological variations in the internal organs, and disease resistance to Fusarium oxysporum in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Two hundred forty Nile tilapia, initially weighing 34.0 ± 0.1 g, were distributed into four groups and given a commercial diet with varying Fβ treatments: control (0 g/kg) (C), T1 (0.5 g/kg), T2 (1.0 g/kg), and T3 (1.5 g/kg) for 70 days. The study revealed significant improvement of the biochemical, hematological, and digestive enzyme activities, as well as histological changes in hepatopancreatic, intestine, and spleen sections with the use of Fβ. Moreover, the expression of innate humoral genes significantly increased (P < 0.05) in tilapia at the 1.5 g/kg Fβ group compared to the control. Notably, challenging with F. oxysporum exhibited lower mortality rates in the three treatments supplemented with additive prebiotics (P < 0.05). Consequently, the feed additives utilized in this study emerge as a viable alternative to enhance growth performance, biochemical and hematological parameters, gene expression, histological variations in internal organs, and disease resistance in fish farming on a large scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chamomile oil or extract, derived from the chamomile flower, is a natural remedy with various therapeutic properties. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the medicinal properties of chamomile oil or extract including its antimicrobial, antidiabetic, antitumor, and anti-inflammatory activities. Chamomile oil has exhibited antibacterial and antifungal properties against various microbes, involving Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. It has also been found to regulate blood sugar levels in animal and human studies, making it a potential candidate for diabetes treatment. Moreover, chamomile oil has antitumor properties, as it can induce apoptosis in cancer cells and inhibit their growth. In addition, chamomile oil has anti-inflammatory features, making it a possible option for treatment under inflammatory circumstances such as eczema, arthritis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Chamomile oil has also been found to have valuable impacts on poultry farming due to its antimicrobial properties. It may be utilized as an organic substitute for antibiotics in chicken production. It is effective against common poultry pathogens, including Salmonella and E. coli, and can also improve poultry growth and feed conversion rate. In conclusion, chamomile oil or extract are promising natural remedy with various therapeutic properties and useful impacts on poultry and small ruminants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of various concentrations of ginger and cinnamon oils as antibiotic substitutes on some blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, and histopathological profile of the liver and gut of growing Japanese. A total of 900 Japanese quails were randomly allotted into 6 treatment groups. Each group had 5 replicates (30 chicks each). The first group received a basal diet and served as the control, while the second received a basal diet plus 0.5 g of colistin antibiotic/kg diet. The third and fourth groups were supplemented with 0.5 mL and 1.0 mL of ginger oil (GO)/kg diet, respectively. While the fifth and sixth groups received basal diet with 0.5 and 1.0 mL of cinnamon oil (CO)/kg diet, respectively. Results showed that adding herbal oils significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and urea levels compared to control and colistin groups. Various levels of GO and CO significantly (P < 0.05) reduced cholesterol levels compared to control birds. Compared to the control and antibiotic groups, Japanese quails supplemented with various levels of herbal oils (GO and CO) had more extraordinarily significant (P < 0.05) values for total antioxidant capacity (TAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and glutathione reductase (GSR). Regarding histopathologic examination, the jejunum displayed a nearly empty lumen, a few fusions, and mild goblet cell metaplasia. On the other hand, the duodenum looked tall and had a few fusions of villi and remnants of removal in its lumina. It could be concluded that cinnamon and GO improved birds' blood biochemical parameters, electorate oxidative stress, and enhanced intestinal and hepatic histology of the treated quails. Also, the levels of 0.5 mL CO and 0.5 mL GO may be an acceptable substitute for antibiotics (colistin) in the diets of growing Japanese quail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) often experience weight loss due to the tumor and its treatment. This article aims to investigate the possible factors that contribute to critical weight loss (CWL) in patients with HNC who have undergone radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy. Based on this study, patients with HNC who are undergoing radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy and have a BMI equal to or greater than 25 kg/m2 should be closely monitored in terms of nutritional assessment, intervention, and toxic side effects. Implementing these practices is expected to improve treatment outcomes for HNC patients and close the gap between researchers and policymakers. The study also encourages further research to better understand the relationship between overweight and obese HNC patients and CWL. Weight loss is a significant health problem among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) that is attributable primarily to the tumor or tumor therapy. Critical weight loss (CWL) is defined as the unintentional loss of ≥5% of weight. Therefore, this study's goal was to investigate and determine the possible factors influencing CWL among patients with HNC who have received radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). We conducted a retrospective analysis of 175 patients who received radiotherapy or CCRT as either their primary, adjuvant, or combined treatment at the Oncology Center in King Abdullah Medical City. All patients were ≥18 years of age and diagnosed with HNC with no metastasis. The study results showed that 107 patients (61%) had CWL, while 68 (39%) did not. The following factors were significantly predictive of CWL with a multivariate regression analysis: pretreatment BMI (AOR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.02–1.17), oral cavity cancer (AOR = 10.36, 95% CI = 1.13–94.55), and male sex (AOR = 3.15, 95% CI = 1.39–7.11). In conclusion, weight loss is highly prevalent among HNC patients during treatment. Accordingly, pretreatment BMI, cancer in the oral cavity, and being male can be considered predictive factors for CWL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent years, there has been great interest in the dietary practices of vegetarians in addition to an increasing awareness of the potential benefits of vegetarian diets. However, there are insufficient data on the spread of vegetarianism in Arab countries. The aim of this study was to investigate knowledge and attitudes about vegetarianism and associated factors in the Saudi population and to understand the reasons for its growing prevalence. Method: This is a cross-sectional study began in May 2020 and ended in September 2020. Researchers distributed the questionnaire electronically through social media. Data were collected electronically and exported to Excel by the researchers.The electronic questionnaire comprised three sections: sociodemographic questions, reasons for following a vegetarian diet, and beliefs and knowledge about vegetarianism. Results: There were 3,035 responses, of which 80.2% of respondents were female and 19.8% were male. Participant were aged 18–65. Vegetarians represented 37.5% (15.7% semivegetarians, 8.1% pescovegetarians, 64.3% lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 11.3% vegans), and the rest were nonvegetarians. The majority of the vegetarian participants (92.9%) had a low vegetarianism knowledge level. Health issues, followed by ethical and environmental concerns, were the most common motivators for adopting a vegetarian diet; these reasons were cited by 72.5%, 59.3%, and 47.9% of participants, respectively. Factors associated with increased vegetarianism were engaging in exercise for half an hour to two hours, while factors associated with decreased vegetarianism were male, aged 51–64 years, being married, having a higher education, working in the health sector, being a housewife, and having an income between 5,000 and 10,000 SR/month. Conclusion: Vegetarianism appears to be a growing phenomenon among the Saudi population. Increased awareness of health issues and the desire to live a healthy lifestyle might be the strongest motives. This study offers an opportunity to better understand vegetarianism in Saudi Arabia along with the possibility of expanding vegetarian food choices for the general public. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used 300 1-day-old, sexless, developing chicks of Japanese quail to estimate the ability of vitamin C and/or garlic to antagonize the venomous influence of cadmium (Cd) on the hematological, immunological, and performance characteristics of developing Japanese quail. The quail was separated into 5 similar groups of 60 chicks apiece, and 6 duplicates (10 each) were given to each sub-group. The control group received a basal diet without any supplements. The Cd group was nourished with a basal diet of + 80 mg cadmium chloride (CdCl 2) /kg diet. The 3rd group was fed a basal diet + 80 mg CdCl2/kg diet and complemented with a 200 mg Vitamin C (Cd + C) /kg diet. The 4th group was nourished with a basal diet + 80 mg CdCl 2 /kg diet and complemented by a 500 mg dried garlic powder (Cd + G) /kg diet. The 5th group was fed a basal diet + 80 mg CdCl 2 /kg diet, complemented by a 200 mg vitamin C/kg diet + 500 mg dried garlic powder (Cd + CG) /kg diet. Results showed that in the 5th group in which cadmium was added together with Vit C + garlic, there was an improvement in both live weight gain (1–42 d) and feed consumption (1–21 and 1–42 d) compared to the group in which Cd was added alone. The addition of Vit C alone and together with garlic seems to completely improve the cadmium-related increase in alkaline phosphatase (ALP) , and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels when compared to the control. Compared to cadmium-polluted diets, quail that got cadmium and feed additives significantly reduced cadmium residue. In addition, the cadmium group's serum immunoglobulin M (IgM) level decreased significantly. These data imply that dietary supplementation with (C) or (G) may be beneficial in retrogressing the drop in immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM caused by Cd and minimizing Cd's deleterious influence on immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most intriguing areas of research and innovation in the animal production and food sector recently has been designed-enriched products. These items are regarded as functional foods because they feature components that have advantageous physiological impacts on human health. In the production of poultry, designed eggs constitute a significant category of functional foods. The present study hypothesized that adding different kinds of oils to quail diets will help produce designer eggs rich in omega-3 and 6 fatty acids in addition to enhancing productive performance. So, this study examined how linseed (flaxseed) and canola oils with various levels can affect lipid metabolism, immune function, and the amount of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in Japanese quail eggs. This work was conducted using 3 different vegetable oils (sunflower, linseed, and canola oils) and 3 different antioxidant supplements (0, 250 mg vitamin E/kg feed, and 1,000 mg ginger/kg feed) in a 3 × 3 factorial experiment. When linseed or canola oil was added to the diet, the number of fatty acids in the egg yolks of Japanese quail layers fell by (12.7 and 18.9%) and (41.4 and 24.6%), respectively. The amounts of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids in total eggs fell by 21.9 and 14.6% and 24.5 and 15.8%, respectively, at 20 wk of age. However, when linseed and canola oil were added to the diet, the sum n-3 PUFA content in the egg yolk of Japanese quail-laying hens was noticeably raised at 15 and 20 wk of age. At 15 and 20 wk of age, the same groups' total n-6 PUFA content considerably increased compared to the group that did not receive flaxseed. In conclusion, during the laying period of Japanese quail, linseed oil, canola oil, vitamin E, or ginger positively affected productivity, blood hematology, constituents, resistance, lipid digestion system, and antioxidative properties in serum and egg yolk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]