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Introduction: Aflatoxin B1 is the most dangerous form of aflatoxins that could be produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus molds. Contamination of feedstuffs with aflatoxins is problematic during the manufacturing, processing, storage, and transportation stages, and it has adverse effects on the health and productivity of poultry and human health. By using inorganic and organic toxin binders in poultry feed, aflatoxins are not allowed to be absorbed through the animal's digestive system, and it is considered a good solution to reduce their negative effects. Materials and Methods: In this research, the effects of adding a multi-component toxin binder to diets containing aflatoxin B1 were investigated on growth performance, carcass traits, and immune parameters of broilers, by using 180 one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) in a 3×3 factorial arrangement in a completely randomized design with three levels of toxin binder (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 kg/ton) and three levels of aflatoxin B1 (0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 mg/kg) in nine treatments, four replications, and five chickens in each replicate. Results and Discussion: The results showed that the using of 1.0 kg/ton of toxin binder significantly reduced the negative effects of 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 on the average daily feed intake and weight gain in the finisher and entire production periods and the final live weight in whole production period (P<0.05). The regression equations (Y= -25.033x+ 65.734) with (R²= 0.97), (Y= -23.961x+ 64.844) with (R²= 0.91), and (Y= -15.133x+ 64.319) with (R²= 0.75) were obtained to predict the average daily weight gain of birds fed with treatments containing 0.0, 0.5, and 1.0 kg/ton of "Delta bond®" toxin binder and different levels of aflatoxin B1, respectively. Feeding chickens with diets containing aflatoxin B1 significantly increased liver and spleen weights (P<0.05). All treatments containing 1.0 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and treatments containing 0.5 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 and 0.0 and 0.5 kg/ton of toxin binder showed a significant decrease in the bursa of Fabricius weight compared to the other treatments (P<0.05). In addition, the treatment containing 1.0 mg/kg of aflatoxin B1 without a toxin binder increased heart weight compared to the other treatments (P<0.05). In the case of immune parameters, the amount of heterophils and the ratio of heterophils to lymphocytes were significantly increased and the number of lymphocytes was significantly decreased as the aflatoxin B1 level increased (P<0.05). Furthermore, there were no significant effects for the main and interaction of aflatoxin B1 and the toxin binder for the Newcastle antibody titer. Conclusion: Based on the results, the addition of 1.0 kg/ton of a multi-component toxin binder to diets containing 0.5 mg/kg aflatoxin B1 can improve the average daily feed intake and weight gain in the finisher and entire production periods, final live weight, and bursa of Fabricius weight of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Copy number variation (CNV) consist of deletion, insertion, and duplications. It is an important source of genetic variation in organisms and thus influences on the gene expression and phenotypic variation. Copy number variation (CNV) is one of the structural variant with an intermediate size class larger than 50bp which involves unbalanced rearrangements that increase or decrease the amount of DNA (Pirooznia et al 2015, Alkan et al 2011). The size of CNVs is larger than 50bp, while smaller segments are known as insertions or deletions (indels). Thereupon these structural variations comprise more polymorphic than SNPs because of enormity, detection of them and their effect on phenotype has caught the attention of many researchers recently. It has been reported that CNVs changes in gene dosage and regulation as well as in transcript structure, and thus contribute to phenotypic variability (Pirooznia et al 2015, Alkan et al 2011). The pea-comb phenotype is caused by a CNV mapping to intron 1 of the SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 5 (SOX5) gene (Wright et al 2009). Late feathering in chickens is due to incomplete duplication in PRLR and SPEF2 genes (Elfrink et al 2008). In swine, dominant white colour has been related with a duplication of a 450-kb fragment of the KIT gene (Giuffra et al 1999) and a splice mutation causing the skipping of exon 17 (Giuffra et al 1999). In sheep, doubling in the ASIP gene results in the regulation of pigment in body coat (Norris et al 2008). Doubling the 4.6 k base pair into the six introns of the STX17 gene results in a gray body color in the horse with age. Deletion of the intergenic region with a length of 11.7 kbp in the goat genome leads to the removal of horns (Clop et al 2012). Chicken is the most intensively farmed animal on earth and is a major food source with billions of birds used in meat and egg production each year. A big share of chicken CNVs involves protein coding or regulatory sequences. A comprehensive study of chicken CNV can provide valuable information on genetic diversity and assist future analyses of associations between CNV and economically important traits in chickens. Unique chicken genome with macro and micro chromosomes and its biology make it an ideal organism for studies in development and evolution, as well as applications in agriculture and medicine (Burt 2005). In the last several years, there has been an increasing interest in the study of CNVs in the chicken. This study focuses on comparison of CNV between the broilers and layers chicken to find evidence of domestication on the genome using whole genome sequencing Material and methods: we used n=90 female birds of two commercial broiler (n=40) and layer (n=50) chicken. The broilers (BRs) were represented by 20 DNA samples of each of two lines (BRA and BRB) established independently and previously collected as part of the AVIANDIV project. In the layer group (LRs), data from 25 birds each from purebred white (WL) and brown (BL) egg laying populations, sequenced in the frame of the SYNBREED project (http://www.synbreed.tum.de/index.php?id=2(, were included. The paired-end reads with a read length of 101bp were mapped against the current reference genome assembly Galgal6 using the Burrows-Wheeler aligner (bwa, 0.6.2-r126 Version, with default parameters. Duplicate reads were masked during post-processing using the Picard tool set (version 2.9.2, http://picard.sourceforge.net). Finally, Genome Analysis Toolkit-3.3.0 was used to realign reads for correcting errors caused by indels. Using GATK software package and Depth of Coverage function (McKenna et al 2010), the depth of readings was calculated for each sample. Then filter out reads with mapping quality below 20. Because comparing the genomes of individuals in different groups was time consuming and computationally difficult for all parts of the genome, the genomes of each individual were divided into 1000 bp non-overlapping windows and the average reading depth per window was calculated. Then the results were normalized against the BL sample that showed highest average depth. In short, we created a correction factor per population and applied it on the depth of coverage value for each window. For all the contrasts, we performed an analysis of variance (ANOVA) as described (Carneiro et al 2014). For the Broilers-Layers contrast we scanned 935247 windows. 69522windows showed significant by FDR with P < 0.001, with ANOVA using the Benjamini-Hochberg FDR method for multiple corrections (Benjamini and Hochberg 1995). Results and discussion: Mapping sequencing data to galGal6 assembly showed an average 98.61% mapping rate and 11.51 depth. Manhattan plot was plotted for regions of the genome that differed significantly between the two groups (FDR = 0.001). The points above the hypothetical line were identified and examined in a 25 Kbp confidence interval to identify possible genes. 39 regions were identified that half of them does not contain any genes. Although Long noncoding RNAs are under lower selective pressure than protein-coding genes (Batista and Chang 2013), the other 11 regions contained 16 genes related to long non-coding RNAs. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a critical role in organizing the 3-dimensional genome architecture and regulating gene activity in cis or in trans through multiple mechanisms (Zhang et al. 2019, Batista and Chang 2013). 6 Othere regions also contained 12 coding genes. Most of the identified genes were somehow linked to the immune system disease or cancer. Genes such as DEDs and TNFAIP8 are involved in programmed cell death (apoptosis) and two genes NPAL3 and RCAN, which are involved in the immune system, had a copy number variation in the studied samples. In addition, RCAN is involved in Down syndrome. The PFDN gene, located on chromosome 25, is also involved in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Guanidinoacetic acid (GAA), a creatine precursor, is synthesized from L-arginine and glycine. The capacity for de novo synthesis may be limiting in high-yielding farm animals, especially in those fed all-vegetable diets. As the precursor to creatine, dietary GAA can also effectively “spare” arginine from being used for GAA synthesis, so that the arginine may be used for muscle accretion and other physiological functions. It has been reported that arginine affects bone development by its involvement in the formation of collagen and connective tissue. It also has been shown that reducing the protein level in broiler diets reduces the concentration of manganese and copper in the tibia. Therefore, low-protein diets probably decrease bone density in broilers. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of GAA supplementation to low protein diets on performance, calcium and phosphorus and the strength of the tibia of broiler chickens. Material and Methods: The 240 male broilers of Ross 308 strain were assigned to 6 dietary treatments in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with 4 replications and 10 birds in each replication. Dietary treatments included diets containing 80, 90 and 100% of the breeder recommended ideal protein each containing 0 and 0.06% of GAA. Feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were measured for the grower (11-24 days), finisher (25-42 days) and the overall period (11-42 days). On d 42, two birds from each experimental unit were killed, and the ash, calcium and phosphorus content and the strength of the tibia of the chickens were measured. Results and Discussion: The results showed that by reducing the ideal protein to 80% of the breeder recommendation, body weight gain and feed intake was reduced significantly (P<0.05). Reduction of the dietary CP from 100 to 80%, resulted in inferior FCR during grower period. The inferior performance of broilers fed reduced protein diets is attributed to a limited availability of amino acids (AA). The supplementation of essential AA alone has failed to increase performance in reduced protein diets. The addition of GAA decreased feed intake of treatments (P<0.05) with reduced protein diet (80% of management guide recommendation). Body weight gain and FCR were not affected by dietary GAA supplementation. By reducing dietary protein to 80% of the recommendation, the strength of tibia decreased significantly (P<0.05). A low-protein diet may be associated with a hypocalciuretic effect, increased Ca retention and requirement for available P to avoid Ca:P imbalance, hormonal flux, and bone mobilization. Addition of GAA to the diet did not affect the parameters of bone strength. Tibia ash, Ca and P content were not significantly affected by dietary treatments. Conclusion: According to the results of this experiment, reducing the dietary ideal protein to 80% of the breeder recommendation, resulted in inferior growth performance and tibia strength of broiler chickens, and dietary addition of GAA did not ameliorate those effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Lipids (fat and oil) are the most concentrated sources of energy for animals, which are added to poultry diets to meet energy requirements for better performance (Abudabos 2014). However, there are problems with dietary lipid levels and digestibility in poultry, especially in young birds due to low bile secretion (Ravindran et al 2016). This physiological limitation of the poultry digestive system can be solved by using exogenous emulsifiers. Emulsifier can help increase the active level of lipids, stimulate the formation of micelles, and then increase the digestibility of dietary lipids and other nutrients in broilers (Siyal et al 2017). Upadhaya et al (2017) showed that 1, 3-diacylglycerol as an exogenous emulsifier can improve growth performance and increase nutrient digestibility in broilers. In addition, a large number of studies have also shown that exogenous emulsifier can improve meat quality and regulate fat metabolism of broilers (Zhao and Kim 2017). Bile acids are the main pathway of cholesterol catabolism in mammals. Cholesterol is converted into bile acids by changes in ring structure, oxidation and side chain shortening (Li and Chiang 2019). The chemistry of bile acids is complex due to the large variety of chemical structures in natural compounds such as cholic acid, kenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and lithocholic acid. Bile acids of birds are mainly composed of kenodeoxycholic acid and cholic acid (Hoffman and Hagee 2018). Recently, bile acids have been considered as an emulsifier to increase digestibility (Upadhaya et al 2019) and improve the performance of broiler chickens (Parsai et al 2007). Supplementation of bile acids in the diet of broilers significantly improves fat digestibility (Lammasak et al 2019). In the present study, the effect of bile salts on performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of broiler chickens were investaigeted. Material and methods: Three hundered one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were divided into five treatments and six replications with 10 birds in each replication. Five experimental treatments included the control diet (corn soybean-based diet), emulsifier (added to control diet) and three levels of 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2% of poultry bile salts (added to control diet). All the dietary treatment was fed to the birds from day one to day 42 of age. The experiment lasted for 42 days and were performed during the starter (1-10 days), grower (11-24 days) and finisher (25-42 days). Performnce indices were measured during the difeferned periods and carcass characteristics and blood parameters were determined on day 42 of age. The data obtained from the present study were statistically analyzed using SAS statistical software and GLM procedure. To compare the means, Tukey's test was used (P<0.05). Results and discussion: The results showed that consumption of different levels of bile salts had no significant effect on feed consumption (P<0.05). However, consumption of 0.1% bile salts improved body weight gain and feed conversion ratio during the starter period (P<0.05). Previous studies have shown that the consumption of 0.05% commercial emulsifier can improve the growth performance of broiler chickens (Wang et al 2016). In addition, in the present study, 0.05% poultry bile acids supplement significantly improved daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio during starter phase, which is consistent with the results of Alzawqari et al (2011) r. These researchers observed improvement in daily weight gain with 0.05% bovine bile acid supplementation. Arshad et al (2020) reported that feed intake was not affected by bile acid supplementation in the initial, growth, finisher and overall periods. In the newly hatched chick, the ability to digest and absorb dietary fat is poor as a result of limited bile secretion (Tancharonrat et al 2013). For this reason, artificial bile acid and bile salts have shown the greatest effect in young broiler chickens to improve fat digestion, and the improvement in the performance of birds receiving bile in the initial period of recent research was for this reason. The results of Maisonnier et al (2016) showed that 0.5% of pig bile acids can increase fat digestibility and body weight in broilers. These results may imply that the supplementation of bile acids in diets improved the growth performance of broiler chickens by increasing the solubility and digestibility of dietary fat and fat-soluble nutrients in this study. Abdominal fat decreased significantly by consumption of 0.1% bile salts (P<0.05). Subcutaneous fat and abdominal fat are considered as the main factors influencing the performance of poultry carcasses (Tůmová and Teimouri 2010). In agreement with our results, many researchers have pointed out the positive effects of emulsifier on reducing fat status and improving carcass quality in broiler chickens (Zhao and Kim 2017). Blood triglyceride concentration was decreased in 0.05% bile salts fed birds wherease cholesterol and uric acid concentrations decreased in the birds fed emulsifier (P<0.05). Triglyceride, cholesterol, HDL and LDL blood are key indicators of lipid metabolism balance (Helkin et al 2017). In agreement with our results, researchers reported that bile acids increased hepatic AST and ALT activity in broilers and reduced serum triglyceride levels, which could be due to the role of these enzymes in the lipid metabolism (Ge et al 2019). In addition, Siyal et al (2017) showed that feed emulsifier can reduce serum triglyceride concentration in broilers. It can also be stated that bile acids may enhance the fat catabolism and inhibit fat synthesis by regulating the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism which may play a pivotal role in improving serum lipid profile and reducing fat deposition in broiler chickens (Ge et al 2019). Conclusions: Totally, it was found that 0.1% dietary bile salts supplementation improves the performance, carcass characteristics and blood lipids in broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: After the prohibition of antibiotics as growth promoters in livestock and poultry, due to the occurrence of bacterial resistance to them and the possibility of these antibiotics being transmitted to consumers through meat and eggs, finding an alternative to them is considered. This has led to the introduction of other growth-promoting compounds such as organic acids, medicinal plants and their essential oils, probiotics, prebiotics and synbiotics to the poultry industry. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different sources of two types of native probiotics and prebiotics on performance, carcass characteristics, and intestinal microbiota and blood serum metabolites of broilers. Materials and Methods: This experiment was conducted for 38 days with three satges: starter (1-10 days old), growth (11-24 days old) and finisher (24-38 days old). A total of 720 male Ross 308-day old broiler chicks were used in a 3×3 factorial arrangement with 3 levels of probiotic (without probiotic, probiotic type I and probiotic type 2) and three levels of prebiotic (without prebiotic, prebiotic type 1 and prebiotic type II), in a completely randomized design with 9 treatments, 4 replicates and 20 birds per each. Feed intake and body weight were measured at the end of each rearing periods and feed conversion ratio (FCR) was calculated. At 21 and 38 days of age, one bird from each replicate were randomly selected, weighed, and killed. Then, ileal and cecal contents were collected in sterile containers for enumeration of bacterial population. Results and Disscusion: Birds that were fed with diets containing type 2 probiotics had a lower conversion factor (P<0.05). Diets containing prebiotic type 1 as well as diets containing probiotic type II, and diets containing probiotic type II with two prebiotics under test reduced serum cholesterol and LDL concentrations (P<0.05). The effect of the experimental treatments on carcass fat was not significant, but the birds fed diets containing type 1 prebiotic had less abdominal fat (P<0.05). At 21 days old, the population of ٍ Escherichia. Coli in the ileum and ceca of birds that received probiotics, prebiotics, and their combinations decreased (P<0.05). At 38 days of age, feeding the birds with probiotics and prebiotics and a combination of them reduced the population of E. coli in the ceca and increased lactobacillus in the ileum (P<0.05). Conclusion: The results of this experiment showed that probiotics or prebiotics assayed in this study have positive effects on the increase of beneficial intestinal bacteria (acid lactic bactria), blood biochemical traits, and FCR in broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The use of medicinal plants and their derivatives can stimulate feed consumption, increase daily weight, feed conversion ratio, increase shelf life, improve the health and function of the digestive system. It seems that the use of an optimal mixture of several medicinal plants in the diet has positive effects on performance and carcass quality of broiler chickens in comparison to each one. Nowadays, with the popularization of ready-made feed in raising broiler chickens, many breeders tend to add food additives in drinking water. Therefore, it is a question that adding these compounds in feed or drinking water makes a difference. Three commercial plant additives that are used today are Coxan, O.X. Plant, and Entex. Coxan contains oregano (with the active ingredient of menthol) and garlic (with the active ingredients of allin and allicin), O.X. Plant contains savory (with the active ingredients of carvacrol and thymol), thyme (with the active ingredients of thymol and carvacrol) and red pepper oleoresin (with the active ingredient of capsaicin), Entex contains cinnamon (with the active ingredient of cinnamaldehyde), and garlic and eucalyptus (with the active ingredient of cineol). The aim of this research was to compare the effects of using these commercial plant additives (in water and feed) on growth performance, intestinal microflora and morphology and immune response of broilers. Materials and methods: A total of 336 Ross 308 broilers were examined in a completely randomized design with seven treatments, four replications, and 12 chickens per replication. Experimental treatments included: control (without phytogenic in feed or water), Coxan in feed (300 mg/kg) and in water (200 mL/1000 L), O.X. Plant in feed (200 mg/kg) and in water (135 mL/1000 L) and Entex in feed (500 mg/kg) and water (350 mL/1000 L). Daily weight gain, daily feed intake, daily water intake and feed conversion ratio were measured. At 42 days of age, two birds were selected from each experimental unit and after slaughter, the length of the intestinal components was measured separately (duodenum, jejunum, and ileum). To determine the microbial population, samples were taken from the ileum of chickens. EMB culture medium was used to determine Escherichia coli population and MRS culture medium was used for Lactobacillus bacteria. To check the humoral immune response, 0.1 mL of 25% sheep red blood cell solution in PBS was injected into the breast muscle of chickens on the 12th and 29th days of rearing. Blood was taken from the chickens on the 28th, 35th and 42nd days of breeding and the levels of Anti-SRBC, and immunoglobulins G and M were calculated. Antibody titer against Newcastle disease was measured by HI method. Results and discussion: The effect of additives in water and feed on average daily feed consumption, daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and daily water consumption was not significant in the whole period. Since the amount of water consumed by the chickens did not change, it can be concluded that the additives added to the water in the examined amounts do not have a spicy or unpleasant taste that would cause the birds to refuse to drink water. The relative length of duodenum, jejunum, cecum and colon was not affected by experimental treatments. However, the relative length of the ileum was lower in the chickens that received Entex in the feed compared to the control group. No significant difference was observed in the relative length of different parts of the intestine in the treatments that received herbal additives either in feed or water. The relative length of duodenum, jejunum, cecum, and colon, villus length, villus area, crypt depth, thickness of lamina propria, thickness of muscular layer, and thickness of advantis layer were not affected by experimental treatments. The chickens that consumed 500 mg/kg of Entex herbal additive of feed had a lower villus width in the ileum region compared to the control group chickens. The population of Escherichia coli bacteria in the ileum of chickens that had received the addition of O.X. Plant and Entex in the feed decreased compared to the control group. The population of Escherichia coli bacteria in the Entex treatment in the feed was also reduced compared to the Coxan treatment in the feed. The population of Lactobacillus bacteria in the ileum of chickens that received Coxan in water, O.X. Plant in feed and water, and Entex in feed increased compared to the control group. There was no significant difference in the population of Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus bacteria in the treatments that received herbal additives either in feed or in water. The use of plant essential oils in poultry feed, while improving the microbial population by increasing the number of lactobacilli, by improving the morphological characteristics of the intestine, probably improves the ability of digestion and absorption in the digestive system and improves the growth efficiency of broiler chickens. Antibody levels against SRBC were higher at 28, 35, and 42 days in all chickens consuming herbal additives in water. The performance of animals is significantly influenced by the state of health and safety of the animal. A weak or stressed immune system causes weight loss when dealing with infectious diseases, so the use of immune system stimulating substances can increase performance by improving the immune status. In raising poultry, it is important to strengthen the immune system to prevent the occurrence of diseases. Conclusions: The results of this research showed that the commercial plant additives of Coxan, O.X. Plant, and Entex had no significant effect on growth performance, relative length and intestinal morphology. The population of opportunistic bacteria Escherichia coli was significantly reduced compared to the control group with the addition of O.X. Plant and Entex in the diet. In general, it can be concluded that adding tested herbal additives not only did not have a negative effect on the drinking water consumption of broiler chickens, but also using them in water improved the immune responses of broilers more than adding them in feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Ascites is one of the most common metabolic syndromes in today's fast-growing broilers and is associated with rapidly growing tissues and characterized by accumulation of lymph fluid in the peritoneal spaces. Effective factors in the occurrence of ascites syndrome include free radicals in the body such as superoxide, hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide. By reducing the capacity of the body's antioxidant systems, free radicals make the bird susceptible to various diseases. Free radicals produced in the body by damaging the cell membrane lead to cell death and ultimately tissue damage. Therefore, by increasing cell protection from such injuries, one of the common causes of ascites and heart failure abnormalities can be prevented. In addition, free radicals from oxygen derivatives reduce the half-life of nitric oxide (vasodilating agent), causing a decrease in the ability of vasodilation and providing the basis for the occurrence of ascites. Therefore, it is suggested that the use of antioxidants can prevent ascites and improve performance in broilers. Medicinal plants are among the rich sources of natural antioxidants that do not have the harmful effects of antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants. For this reason, the use of medicinal plant extracts is an important step in animal nutrition to increase the immunity of poultry. The mentioned extracts have strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and digestive properties. Probably, the positive effects of medicinal plants are due to the active compounds found in plant extracts such as menthol, thymol, and carvacrol. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanolic extract of sage on the performance, antioxidant status, and blood parameters of broiler chickens under induced ascites. Materials and methods: A total of 450 one-day-old chickens (Ross 308) were reared in the form of a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replications (15 chickens in each replication). Experimental treatments include 1. Positive control group (without inducing ascites and fed with basic diet), 2. Negative control group (inducing ascites and fed with basic diet), 3 and 4. Vitamin C group (inducing ascites with levels of 1000 and 2000 ppm vitamin C), 5 and 6- Sage group (ascites induction with 1000 and 2000 ppm of sage extract). To induce ascites, water containing 1200 mg of sodium (three grams per liter of sodium salt) was provided to the chickens from the 15th day of the experiment. Growth performance parameters including feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were calculated for the total period. On the last day of the experiment (42 d), two birds were randomly selected from each cage and after sampling from the wing vein, killed and the ascites index was calculated as the ratio of the weight of the right ventricle to the total ventricles. The mortalities were collected as soon as they were observed and after weighing to correct the feed conversion ratio, were necropsied to investigate the cause of death. Blood and biochemical parameters such as the number of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, heterophil and lymphocyte, serum triglyceride, and cholesterol, as well as serum antioxidant parameters including the level of malondialdehyde and the activity of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were measured. In addition, liver enzymes present in the serum including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also measured. Results and discussion: The results showed that induction of ascites increased the ratio of the right ventricle to total ventricles, mortality due to ascites, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, and body weight loss (P<0.05). Administering sage extract improved the mentioned traits and vitamin C also reduced the ratio of right ventricle to total ventricles, losses due to ascites (P<0.05). Sage extract and vitamin C moderated the increasing effects of ascites induction on heterophiles, triglyceride, and cholesterol and increased red blood cells, hematocrit, and hemoglobin compared to the negative control treatment (P<0.05). In addition, the induction of ascites decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes and increased serum malondialdehyde, experimental treatments, especially sage extract, improved the antioxidant status compared to the negative control treatment (P<0.05). Also, the induction of ascites increased the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gammaglutaryl transferase, and alkaline phosphatase enzymes. The addition of experimental supplements, especially sage, decreased the serum level of the mentioned enzymes (P<0.05). Conclusions: The results of this research showed that the use of sage extract compared to vitamin C has better results on performance, increasing antioxidant power, and reducing stress of broilers with ascites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many studies have been conducted to determine proper corn particle sizes for mash or pelleted diets in broiler chicken’s nutrition, aiming not only to achieve optimum production goals such as higher weight gain and minimum feed conversion ratio but also to reduce milling energy expenditures. However, pelleted and crumbled feed forms are mainly used in intensive poultry production systems in many countries, and mash feed is primarily common in less intensive production systems. Mash feed is less costly and puts less pressure on birds’ metabolic systems to achieve their optimum biological growth potential, which may result in higher welfare and lower metabolic disorders. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of different proportions of fine and coarse ground corn (3- and 6-mm sieve opening hole size, respectively) on performance, the relative weight of gastrointestinal organs (%), and intestinal morphology in male broiler chickens. Materials and methods: A total of 576 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were purchased from a commercial hatchery and raised from 1 to 42 days of age. All birds received identical basal diets from 1 to 11 days of age, but different experimental diets from 12 to 42 d. Experimental diets (12 to 42 days of age) consisted of six corn mixtures prepared by combining different proportions (w/w) of corn ground through sieves with either hole sizes of 3 or 6 mm as 100:0; 80:20; 60:40; 40:60; 20:80 and 0:100 percentage, respectively. The particle size characteristics including geometric mean diameter (GMD) and geometric standard deviation (GSD) of ground corn and finished feed samples were determined. Birds’ body weight was recorded at 12, 24, and 42 days of age as a group basis for the calculation of birds’ bodyweight gain (BWG) during the grower (12-24 d) and finisher (25-42d) periods. The birds’ feed intakes (FI) were also measured during the same period to calculate the feed conversion ratio (FCR) after adjustments were made for the body weights of dead birds, which were recorded daily. on the 21st day of the experiment, two birds from each pen were selected and killed via cervical dislocation. The liver, gizzard, small intestine, caecum, and pancreas of the sampled birds were carefully removed from their abdominal cavity, their weights were recorded carefully, and the relative weights of these parts to the live body weights were calculated and expressed as the percentage of birds live weights. Gizzard acidity was measured on the 21st day of the experiment. Parts from the middle of the jejunum and ileum of slaughtered birds (21 d) were excised and flushed gently with saline solution and immediately placed in a 10% formalin solution. Villus height, villus width, and crypt depth were measured in the laboratory. Results and discussion: Results showed that feeding mash diets with different particle sizes (~775, 835, 910, 1000, 1060, and 1150 µm) had no significant effects on birds’ BWG, FI, and FCR during different growth periods. However, the orthogonal polynomial contrast test showed that the changing of feed particle size from fine (~775 µm) to coarser particles by combining different portions of corn ground with a sieve hole size of 3 mm (~775 µm) and 6 mm (~1150 µm) had linearly deteriorated BWG and FCR from 12 to 24 days of age. The birds’ mortality rate (%) was not influenced by average feed particle size from 12 to 42 days of age. The negative influence of very coarse particle size from 12 to 24 days of age (>1000 µm) in the current experiment is an indicator of birds’ gastrointestinal limits in dealing with coarse particles. The coarse grain particles increase the energy required for the growth and maintenance of the gizzard. The results of the current experiment showed that feed particle size did not significantly affect the relative weights of gastrointestinal sections to body weight at 21 d (P>0.05). However, the relative weight of gizzard to live body weight at 21 d significantly (P<0.001) increased in birds fed diets with higher average particle size (≥775 µm). The results of the orthogonal polynomial contrast test showed that the relative weight of gizzard to live body weight at 21 days of age linearly (P<0.0001) increased by changing the feed particle size from fine to coarser particles. Coarse particles increased the digesta content in the gizzard, which stimulates the development of the gizzard. In addition, the findings of the current experiment indicated that ileum and jejunum morphometry traits such as villus height, crypt depth, villus height to crypt depth, villus tips, and base widths were not influenced by changing the average feed particle size. The pH of gizzard content at 21 days of age was not influenced by the feed particle size. Conclusions: Feed particle size of 775 to 1150 µm in a corn-based mash diet had no significant effect on performance traits or small intestine morphology traits. However, high coarse diets had the potential to deteriorate BWG and FCR at earlier stages of the growth period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Organic acids are compounds that can be considered as a replacement for antibiotics. Butyric acid is known as the main stimulant of intestinal wall tissue and modulator of normal intestinal microflora (Van Immerseel et al. 2004). Butyric acid is also the main source of energy for intestinal cells and is essential for the development of gastrointestinal-related lymphoid tissue (Friedman and Bar-shira, 2005). The positive and beneficial effect of butyric acid on the functional traits of broilers has been reported (Leeson et al. 2005; Antongiovanni et al. 2007). Butyric acid is a highly volatile and highly smelling compound, much of which is absorbed at the beginning of the gastrointestinal tract (Bolton and Dewar, 1965). The effects of butyric acid appear to improve if it is protected from absorption in the upper gastrointestinal tract (Leeson et al. 2005). For this purpose, butyric acid glyceride along with butyrate-calcium was used in this study. Calcium butyrate is a protected form of butyric acid that is produced using a new technology by Kimia Daroo Mehr Company in Tehran, Iran. This product passes intact through the gut and after decomposition by the pancreatic lipase is absorbed in all different parts of the intestine. Calcium butyrate is a bio-odorless substance and contains 70% butyric acid. butyric acid glyceride (C4) is the brand name of butyroglycerol (Sanadam Pars, Tehran, Iran). Butyric acid is esterified with a glycerol molecule and the resulting compound has a very stable structure. After consumption by animal, pancreatic lipase, it is broken down to the constituents and is absorbed. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of different dietary supplementation levels of calcium butyrate, butyric acid glyceride and their mix on growth performance, carcass traits and jejunal morphology in broiler chickens. Materials and methods: A total of 400 one-d-old broilers from Ross 308 strain were allotted to 10 dietary treatments, 5 replicates and 10 broiler chicks per each, from 1 to 42 days of age. Experimental diets included: control (without additives), and supplementation of calcium butyrate (0.15, 0.30 and 0.45% of diet), butyric acid glyceride (C4) powder (0.15, 0.30 and 0.45% of diet), and three levels of calcium butyrate and C4 powder mixture in equal proportion (0.075+0.075, 0.15+0.15, and 0.225+0.225% of diet). Light was provided as 23 h light and 3 h darkness. Rearing house temperature was set at 32°C on day one, and then decreased by 3°C per weak to reach 21±2 °C and remained constant until the end of the experiment. During the experimental period, feed and water were provided ad libitum. Mortality were collected, weighed and recorded daily. At the end of each period, the amount of feed consumed and the group weight of the chickens in each pen were recorded and feed conversion ratio was calculated after adjusting for dead birds. In order to evaluate the morphology of the small intestine at the age of 24 days, one chick per pen close to average pen weight was selected and slaughtered. About one centimeter was removed from the middle part of the jejunm tissue and placed in 10% formalin solution and sent to the laboratory. At the end of the rearing period (42 days), after weighing the chickens, one chick was selected from each replication and slaughtered to measure carcass traits. Data were analyzed in a completely randomized design using General Linear Model procedure by SAS (2009) statistical software. The treatments mean was compared using Duncan's multiple range test at P < 5 %. Results and Discussion: The average body weight of chicks at the age of 10 days and the mean daily weight gain of 1-10 days in the groups receiving the mixed powder C4 and calcium butyrate (0.225+0.225% of diet) was significantly higher than the control group (P< 0.05). However, the effect of experimental treatments on body weight at 24,42 days of age, and the weight gain at 11-24, 25-4, and 42-1 days of age was not significant (P> 0.05). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) at the age of 1-10 and 1-42 days in control treatment was significantly higher than other treatments (P <0.05). Treatment with mixed powder c4 and calcium butyrate (0.225+0.225% of diet) had the highest relative hepatic weight and lowest abdominal fat weight compared to other treatments (P<0.05). Regarding to the morphological traits of the small intestine, the highest thickness of the muscle layer was observed in the control treatment (P<0.05). Iincreasing villus length can be attributed to the reduction of pathogenic bacteria. Increasing the length of villus increases the digestibility and absorption capacity of nutrients, and since this increase in jujumen, which is the main source of digestion and absorption of nutrients in birds, can be concluded that it is likely the use of organic acids can have beneficial effects on the digestion and absorption of food and subsequently the performance of the birds. In this study the thickness of the muscle layer in the treatment of organic acid intake was reduced, it can be concluded that the use of organic acid supplementation with the effects on the pH gastrointestinal tract probably reduced the pathogenic bacteria in the intestine. By reducing the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestine and making it healthier, it requires a thinner epithelium to protect the surface of the intestine, which is likely to result in a thickening of the muscle layer thinner. Given that most of the additives that have been introduced as growth promoters have been shown to have an impact on the performance of broiler chickens due to antimicrobial activity and the effect on the microbial flora of the digestive tract. Therefore, breeding conditions and the rate of infection of birds with pathogenic bacteria in the test can be as a result of the test. Each of these additives has different levels of compounds and levels, the dosage and the ingredients used in the experiment can also be effective in the various results obtained from using these growth stimulating agents. Conclusion: In general, the results of this experiment showed that the addition of butyrate-calcium and glyceryl butyric acid to the diet alone or combined with each other, with a positive effect on digestion and absorption of nutrients, could improve the growth performance, some carcasses components and Morphology of small intestine of broiler chicks. The difference in the results of the research may be related to the different buffering capacity of the experimental diets or the type and amount of organic acids used in the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Application of growth-promoting antibiotics in poultry nutrition improves growth, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and reduces mortality. But, due to their persistent effects and increased drug resistance to pathogenic bacteria and the transmission of bacteria to humans through the food chain, the European Union banned their use. One of the natural alternatives is medicinal plants. Because plant products for reasons such as availability, ease of use, reduction of side effects, antibacterial and antioxidant properties, were used to treat some diseases in humans and animals. Among these medicinal plants we can mention yarrow with the scientific name of Achillea millefolium. This plant in addition to high antimicrobial and antioxidant properties; has antifungal properties, stimulates appetite, improves digestion and feed intake, improves the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, etc. This plant also accelerates digestion and shortens the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract by increasing bile production and enzymatic activity. On the other hand, probiotics are living microorganisms of a nonpathogenic and nontoxic in nature that improve gastrointestinal health and improve performance in birds by improving intestinal microbial balance. According to these cases, this study was performed to evaluate the effect of yarrow essential oil in comparison with a growth-promoting antibiotic and probiotic on performance of broiler chickens.Materials and Methods: A total of 200 day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were studied in a completely randomized design with five treatments, and four replicates. Experimental diets were: 1) basal diet (control), 2 and 3) basal diets supplemented with 100 and 200 mg/kg of yarrow essential oil, respectively, 4) basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg probiotic, and 5) basal diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg antibiotic (flavophospholipol). Body weight and feed intake were measured at the end of each growing period and were used to calculate Performance parameters such as body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. At the end of the experiment, one bird per each replicate was slaughtered for meat quality tests, including measurements of TBARS, pH, water holding capacity, dripping loss and antibody titer. For TBARS, the amount of fat oxidation of the sample was measured by measuring the amount of malondialdehyde and the microtiter hemagglutination method was used to determine the antibody titer produced against sheep erythrocytes.Results and Discussion: During the whole experimental period, birds received yarrow essential oil at 100 mg/kg diet, showed significantly higher body weight and lower FCR compared to the control group(P

In order to investigate the effect of inorganic selenium replacement with organic selenium from Spirulina algae on performance and breast meat quality of broilers, a total of 160 one-day-old chicks were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments, eight replicates and five birds per each replicate. The sources of selenium used included sodium selenite and organic selenium from Spirulina algae which were replaced at two levels of 50 and 100 percent. The organic selenium was produced by the culture of Spirulina algae and its enrichment with selenium. The selenium content of different treatments was measured by ICP-Mass method. In this experiment, the feed intake and body weight gain parameters were measured weekly and feed conversion ratio was calculated. At 42 day of age, one bird was slaughtered from each replicate and the weight of carcass ready to cook was measured. The breast meat was sampled for measurement of pH and selenium storage. The results showed that it was not observed any significant difference in performance traits and ready to cook carcass percentage among different treatments. There was no significant difference in breast muscle pH at 0 and 24 hours after slaughtering. The amount of selenium deposited in breast muscle of birds fed organic selenium had significant increase when compared with other treatments (P<0.05). Generally, the results of this study showed that 100% replacement of sodium selenite with organic selenium from Spirulina algae led to increase in breast muscle selenium deposition without reduction in bird performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The time between the first and the last chick hatching is called the hatch window and the time required for all eggs to hatch is between 24 and 48 hours (Decuypere et al. 2001). In addition, processes such as sex determination, vaccination, and on-farm transfers require more time, resulting in hatched chicks not being able to access water and feed for 72 hours (Willemsen et al. 2010). Post-hatch fasting leads to high chicken mortality, low growth in the first week and a reduction in disease resistance, due to insufficient storage of yolk sac and incomplete immune system of birds in this period. Zhai et al. suggested the use of in-ovo feeding (IOF) to overcome the issues (Zhai et al. 2008). The in-ovo injection of nutrients around days of 17 to18, called in-ovo feeding (Foye et al 2006), supplies the embryo with additional nutrients via amniotic fluid prior hatching and those nutrients continue to be utilized by the chick post-hatch during this fasting period. Yolk protein is a source of maternal antibodies. The results of the research suggest that IOF increases immunoglobulins, weight of bursa of fabricius, and lymphocyte proliferation on 28 days of age (Dibnere et al 1998). Studies have reported that drinking glucose containing water leads to decrease in gluconeogenic enzymes thus reducing the proteins breakdown as well as beneficial antibodies (Donaldson 1995). In most studies, egg is inoculated with a single nutrient, while assuming other factors to be constant. In such studies, the interrelationships between factors are ignored. Therefore, designing experiments using modern statistical mathematical methods to optimize test conditions and obtain more accurate results will be useful (Ahmadi and Golian 2010). Response surface methodology (RSM), a useful set of statistical and mathematical procedures, can be employed 1) to survey responses from the combinations of factors for searching optimum results, 2) to optimize the interactions between factors and their levels, and 3) to reduce investigation costs. Additionally, not only that the effect of each factor can be examined by RSM but also all coefficients of the quadratic regression model and the interaction of factors can be estimated. Box-Behnken design (BBD) is a multivariate experimental design, where multiple factors are studied simultaneously. The BBD is considered to be more efficient than full factorial designs, because it requires a significantly smaller number of treatments and allows researchers to estimate and optimize processes (Box and Hunter 1957). In this study, we aimed to determine the immune response of broilers to in-ovo feeding of beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB) and dextrin and the first time of access to feed using Box-Behnken design. Material and methods: A total of 1800 fertile eggs of 65 weeks-old broiler breeders were obtained from a commercial broiler breeder flock (Ross 308, Sepidrood, Rasht, Iran) and stored under commercial conditions for two days before incubation. Eggs were weighed, and those within a similar weight distribution (66.4 ± 1.3 g) were randomly distributed into 60 groups of 30 eggs. Eggs were then incubated in a commercial hatchery at 37.5°C and 56% relative humidity. On the 15th day of incubation all eggs were candled and cracked. Then, unfertilized or dead embryo containing eggs were discarded (Kornasio et al. 2011). On the 18th day, 1500 eggs were randomly assigned into 15 treatments based on a Box-Behnken design (Box et al. 1987) with four replicates and three levels of in-ovo administration of beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (0, 0.5 and 1.0%) and dextrin (0, 20 and 40%) in a 0.9% saline, along with the first feeding (6, 21 and 48 h). The injection was performed manually through a hole made in the wide part of the egg, using needle number 23 and injection of 0.5 mL of sterile solution, which was inserted to a depth of 17 mm of amniotic fluid (Uni et al. 2005). From the hatched chicks of each replication, 14 chicks (equal ratio of male and female) were randomly selected, weighed, and transferred to the farm. According to box-Benken design, chicks were allocated in one of 15 experimental treatments (each treatment with four replications, rearing 60 experimental units). Access to water and food was free during the 42-day trial period. Chickens were fed three diets of starter, grower, and finisher based on the Ross 308 strain nutrients requirement (Ross Broiler Guide 2014). Feed form and its composition were used in the form of crumble with a 2850 kcal/kg metabolizable energy and 21.92% crude protein) during starter period (1 to 10 days), in pellet form (3 mm) with 2880 kcal/kg metabolic energy and 19.97% crude protein during grower period (11 to 24 days) and in pellet form (6 mm) with 2950 kcal/kg metabolic energy and 17.98% crude protein during finisher (25 to 42 days) period (Ghanaatparast et al. 2018 a,b). Experimental data (60 data lines) gained by BBD were fitted to the second-order polynomial equation by SAS through the RSREG procedure. A ridge analysis (Draper, 1963, SAS Institute 2011) was used to compute the optimal response for TPB and PPB maximization (RIDGE MAX procedure in SAS). Using ANOVA and corresponding absolute t-value of the model parameters, a process of the sensitivity analysis was performed on developed RSM models to find which model term is considered more important throughout the modeling process (Box et al. 1987). Results and discussion: Increasing the time of the first access to feed and post hatch fasting reduced the humoral and cellular immunity (P < 0.05). In-ovo feeding of HMB and dextrin improved primary humoral immune response (P < 0.05). In-ovo feeding of HMB and dextrin resulted in improved primary humoral immune response (P

Introduction Although there are different ways of reducing the adverse effects of heat stress, including changing feeding methods and using various supplements in feed and drinking water, most of these methods are associated with reduced performance. Changes in dietary electrolyte balance have been suggested as one of the effective ways to reduce the adverse effects of heat stress in poultry. Although most studies found that amino acid metabolism can both affect or be affected by the acid-base balance of the body, the relationship between the dietary electrolyte balance and the dietary threonine concentration in broilers has not been well explained, especially under high temperature condition. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of different DEB and threonine levels on growth performance, biochemical parameters, antioxidant status, thyroid hormones, and immune response of broiler chickens reared under high environmental temperature conditions.Materials and Methods A total of 600 one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were used to investigate the effect of different levels of threonine and dietary electrolyte balance (DEB) on performance, serum biochemical parameters and antibody response under summer temperature condition. All birds received a common starter diet in mash form and were raised conventionally up to 10 days of age, after which they were reared following a completely randomized, 3 × 2 factorial design experiment with 5 replicate pens of 20 birds each. Treatments consisted of two threonine levels (100 and 110 % of the commercially recommended levels) and 3 levels of DEB (175, 250 and 325 mEq/kg of diet). The average minimum and maximum temperatures inside the poultry house recorded from 11 to 42 days of age were 23.7 and 37.3 °C, respectively, with a relative humidity of 55 ± 3.45%. Average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of birds were determined during the grower (11 to 24 days) and finisher (25–42 days) periods, and also for the total experimental period (11–42 days). Two birds per replicate pen were randomly selected to evaluate the cell-mediated immune response to phytohaemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) on days 36 and 37. Blood samples (2 samples per replicate) were collected for measuring antibody responses (days 28 and 35), and also for biochemical analysis (day 42).Results The results showed that the low DEB group significantly increased ADG over 11 to 24 and 11 to 42 days, but reduced (P

Introduction1: Application of growth-promoting antibiotics in poultry nutrition improves growth, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and reduces mortality. But, due to their persistent effects and increased drug resistance to pathogenic bacteria and the transmission of bacteria to humans through the food chain, the European Union banned their use. One of the natural alternatives is medicinal plants. Because plant products for reasons such as availability, ease of use, reduction of side effects, antibacterial and antioxidant properties, were used to treat some diseases in humans and animals. Among these medicinal plants we can mention yarrow with the scientific name of Achillea millefolium. This plant in addition to high antimicrobial and antioxidant properties; has antifungal properties, stimulates appetite, improves digestion and feed intake, improves the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, etc. This plant also accelerates digestion and shortens the passage of food through the gastrointestinal tract by increasing bile production and enzymatic activity. On the other hand, probiotics are living microorganisms of a nonpathogenic and nontoxic in nature that improve gastrointestinal health and improve performance in birds by improving intestinal microbial balance. According to these cases, this study was performed to evaluate the effect of yarrow essential oil in comparison with a growth-promoting antibiotic and probiotic on performance of broiler chickens. Materials and Methods: A total of 200 day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were studied in a completely randomized design with five treatments, and four replicates. Experimental diets were: 1) basal diet (control), 2 and 3) basal diets supplemented with 100 and 200 mg/kg of yarrow essential oil, respectively, 4) basal diet supplemented with 200 mg/kg probiotic, and 5) basal diet supplemented with 500 mg/kg antibiotic (flavophospholipol). Body weight and feed intake were measured at the end of each growing period and were used to calculate Performance parameters such as body weight gain, and feed conversion ratio. At the end of the experiment, one bird per each replicate was slaughtered for meat quality tests, including measurements of TBARS, pH, water holding capacity, dripping loss and antibody titer. For TBARS, the amount of fat oxidation of the sample was measured by measuring the amount of malondialdehyde and the microtiter hemagglutination method was used to determine the antibody titer produced against sheep erythrocytes. Results and Discussion: During the whole experimental period, birds received yarrow essential oil at 100 mg/kg diet, showed significantly higher body weight and lower FCR compared to the control group(P <0.05). The lowest feed intake was observed in birds that were fed from the level of 200 mg/kg of yarrow essential oil. However, this effect was significant only in comparison with antibiotic treatment, which showed the highest feed intake (P <0.05). Different results have been reported in this regard which can be related to the type of plant, the amount of active ingredients, the level of the medicinal plant used and the interactions with other components of the diet. The TBARS index, indicating lipid oxidation of meat, in chickens fed with different levels of yarrow essential oil and probiotic were lower compared to the control group and antibiotics. In vitro, researchers have shown that plant essential oils, such as yarrow alkaloids, can reduce free radicals and can be a good alternative to synthetic antioxidants. Also in the study of using a mixture of plant extracts increased the concentration of phenols and decreased the amount of TBARS in the meat of broilers. pH, water holding capacity, dripping loss and cooking loss were not affected by the dietary treatments. The antibody titer against sheep red blood cell (SRBC) was lower in the control group in compare to those fed different levels of yarrow essential oil. In some studies, yarrow has increased humoral immunity with its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties; but, the amount used and the concentration of plant material were also effective. Conclusion: Based on the results, the use of 100 mg/kg yarrow essential oil increased body weight, improved feed conversion ratio and also increased antibody titer at 42 days of age. On the other hand, the TBARS index in chickens fed with different levels of yarrow essential oil was lower in compare to control group. Finally, according to the results, it can be concluded that the use of yarrow essential oil at the level of 100 mg/kg can be a good substitute to antibiotics in poultry nutrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction 1 This experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of peppermint extract, vitamins C, vitamin E, probiotics and antibiotics on performance, biochemical parameters and immune system of broilers under heat stress conditions. Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is considered as one of these medical plants and belongs to the Lamiaceae family. The essential oils and extracts of this plant are mainly made up of menthone, menthol and methyl acetate. Peppermint is traditionally used as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, mild tonic, antimicrobial. Materials and Methods A total of 240 one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were distributed to 8 treatments with 5 replications/treatment based on a randomized block design. Experimental diets consisted of base diet without feed additive and under standard temperature conditions (negative control), base diet without feed additive and under heat stress conditions (positive control), positive control supplemented with 28 mg/kg virginiamycin, 28 mg/kg probiotic protexin, 1 g/kg vitamin C, 1 g/kg vitamin E, 250 and 500 mg/kg peppermint extract, respectively. House temperature was initially set at 28°C for the second week and then reduced by 0.5°C per day until a temperature of 22°C was achieved at the end of the fourth week and then maintained constant thereafter. To induce heat stress, room temperature was raised to 34◦C during 10 AM to 16 PM from 15 to 42 days of age. A 23:1h light to darkness lightening regimen was followed throughout the experimentation period. Body weight gain and feed intake were recorded for days 10, 24 and 42 of age and data were used to calculate feed conversion ratio (FCR). At the end of the experiment (day 42), two birds from each replication with a body weight close to cage mean were selected and killed. Individual blood samples were collected form the slaughtered birds and centrifuged at 1800× g for 15 min. The collected sera samples stored at -20°C pending biochemical assessments. Concentrations of serum glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C), white blood cells (WBC), red blood cells (RBC), Hematocrit and Hemoglobin were determined by different recommended procedures. To assay the primary and secondary antibody responses against SRBC, 2 birds/replicate were immunized intramuscularly with 0.5 mL 10% SRBC in. Blood samples (1.5 mL/bird) were obtained from the brachial vein at 7d following each injection. Results and Discussion The results showed that the highest feed intake and feed conversion ratio were observed in chickens fed with negative control diets (P <0.05). The greatest body weight was observed in the birds fed with the negative control and diets supplemented with probiotics and vitamin E (P <0.05). Broilers fed with diets containing antibiotics as same as positive control group could increase abdominal fat percentage and serum triglycerides concentration than other treatments (P <0.05). The broilers fed with diets supplemented with all feed additives decreased the heterophils to lymphocytes ratio compared to the positive control group (P <0.05). The probiotics and 500 mg peppermint extract-supplemented diets improved the antibody titer against Newcastle, Gumburo and influenza diseases, as well as anti-SRBC titer, compared to the positive control group (P <0.05). The results of this study are supported by other studies, indicating that the dietary supplementation of probiotic could improve physiological responses and immune system and thus performance of heat-stressed birds. Dietary supplementation of vitamin C is an effective strategy to reduce the harmful effects of heat stress in poultry. The results of previous studies have demonstrated that the antioxidant and inflammatory properties of peppermint contributes to the prevention and treatment of diseases associated with oxidative stress, through removing free radical. Medicinal plants with secondary metabolites have also reported to possess the positive effects on growth performance and thus increasing the immune function. The positive effects of peppermint could be due to its active ingredients such as carvacrol, flavonoids and menthol. Flavonoids with antioxidant effects have protective properties against free radicals. The mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract plays an important role in preventing antigens and harmful microorganisms from entering the organ and eliminating them, while also being effective in selective nutrient absorption. The results of the present experiment and the other reports also indicate that dietary supplementation of probiotic and vitamin E and C and peppermint extract improve the immune response and growth performance of broilers and could be account as an alternative to antibiotics. Conclusion In conclusion, a high dose of peppermint (500 mg/kg) was as effective as probiotic, vitamin E and C in alleviating the negative effects of heat stress on growth performance, health and immune function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Prebiotics are non-digestible additives that stimulate the growth or activity of one or more bacteria in the gut, which can have a beneficial effect on the host and thus improve the health of the host animal. Prebiotics increase feed intake, final weight and improve feed conversion when fed to broilers. Prebiotics cause changes in the blood parameters and immune response in broilers. Numerous studies have shown the antibacterial properties of silver nano-particles and their useful applications in the poultry industry. These include increasing feed intake and decreasing the number of pathogen microbes in the gastrointestinal tract that cause bacterial cell death by binding nano-silver to the surface of gram-negative bacterial membranes through sulfur-containing proteins and by altering the membrane permeability and respiratory chain. Inflammation is the result of induction of oxygen-free radicals by silver nanoparticles, which leads to impaired digestion and absorption of nutrients in the bird's gastrointestinal tract. Many studies have shown the importance of natural flora in maintaining bird health and found that the flora in these sites had a profound effect on the process of making prebiotic consumables in poultry. Adding prebiotic compounds, especially fructans to broilers, improves weight gain and feed conversion ratio and carcass weight due to increased length and density villi distribution. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of combined prebiotics and nano-silver on growth performance, blood indices, immune response and microbial population of ceca in broiler.Materials and Methods In this experiment, 432 one-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were used in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement with completely randomized design with 9 treatments, 4 replications and 12 observations per replicate. The composition of the experimental diets was determined using the Ross 308 strain rearing guide. The basal diets were identical in energy and other nutrients. In this experiment silver nanoparticles were added 0, 400, 800 ml in drinking water and prebiotic added 0.025 and 0.5 % to the basal diets. The mean body weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion ratio were determined at the 1 to 42 days. Blood samples were taken from all experimental units for 10, 24 and 42 days to measure the titers of Newcastle, Infectious Bursal, and influenza antibodies. The blood sample was slowly poured into sterile lid tubes and transferred to the laboratory in an ice tank. In the laboratory, blood samples were centrifuged at 10,000 RPM for 10 minutes, followed by Newcastle antibody titers (Hemagglutination inhibition) and Infectious Bursal antibody titers by ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). The infectious influenza antibody titers were determined by ELISA .At the end of the experiment, after slaughter and carcass analysis, Cecal contents were extracted with a syringe (3 ml). And they were transferred to the lab to count the number of bacteria. Mac County medium was used for counting Coli bacillus, MRS agar for lactobacillus count. Salmonella was cultured on BGA (Brilliant Green Agar) specified media (Merck, Germany) at 37°C for 24 hrs. Data analysis was performed using SAS software and mean comparison with Duncan test at 5% level.Results and Discussion There was a statistically significant difference in feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio using silver nano-particles and prebiotics different levels between in total period of experiment (P

This study was performed to compare the sensitivity of seven plate methods and commercial kits for the detection of antibiotics in vitro and in poultry carcasses. In the first step, different concentrations of five commonly used antibiotics in poultry breeding were prepared and the sensitivity of both methods in antibiotic residue detection was evaluated. Subsequently, 20 days old broilers were divided into 5 groups. After an adaptation period and feeding non-antibiotic diet, groups were treated with therapeutic doses of Oxytetracycline, Enrofloxacin, Florfenicol, and Fosfomycin through drinking water. One group was considered as a control. At antibiotic discontinuation day (day 0) and days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 thereafter, 3 chicks from each group were slaughtered and thigh muscle, liver and kidney were sampled and residual antibiotics were evaluated by both methods. The results showed that sensitivity of commercial kits was higher in in-vitro condition than that of poultry carcass. In the seven plate method, the residuals were more detectable in the liver and kidney. The commercial kit was able to detect antibiotics only up to 24 hours, after which almost all specimens were negative. The seven plate method was positive for most of the specimens up to three days after discontinuation. This study showed that the efficacy of the seven-plate method was more than commercial kits, and in order to increase the efficiency of detection methods, it is recommended to perform it on the liver and kidney of four carcasses from each herd (total of 8 samples). If at least four samples are positive, the herd is considered as infected and the HPLC method is used to confirm the specimens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysis of technical efficiency of broiler production farms is necessary for optimal and economical use of available resources. The aim of this study was to measure and compare the technical efficiency of broiler production farms in Birjand and Darmian counties. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula and the required data collected by completing a questionnaire from 201 active meat poultry units in Birjand and Darmian counties by random sampling method. Comprehensive Data Analysis (DEA) method used to analyze the data. The results showed that the average technical efficiency of poultry farmers in Birjand and Darmian counties was 93 and 88%, respectively, assuming a fixed return to the scale, and 95 and 93%, respectively, assuming variable returns to the scale, which is a statistically significant difference(p<0/05). Also, the capacity to improve production and efficiency in poultry farms in Darmian county is more than Birjand county and is estimated to be 11.7 and 7%, respectively. The average scale efficiency and technical efficiency (in both fixed and variable returns) of poultry units in Birjand county is more than Darmian county, which on the one hand indicates better management of resource use in poultry units of Birjand and on the other hand shows the potential to increase production and efficiency of poultry units in darmian. Therefore, without changing the production technology and by promoting technical and managerial factors from the most efficient poultry units to low efficiency poultry units, the gap between broiler poultry units in Darmian and Birjand can be reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the effects of a mixture from Cinnamomum cassia (L.) J.Presl, Mentha pulegium L., and Capsicum annuum L. extracts on the relative weight of visceral and gastrointestinal organs, gastrointestinal tract acidity, blood parameters, and tibia characteristics of Ross 308 broilers, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five treatments, four replications, and eight chickens per replication. The experimental treatments included basal diet (BD), BD+500 mg kg-1 oxytetracycline, BD+50 mg kg-1 mixed extract, BD+100 mg kg-1 mixed extract, and BD+200 mg kg-1 mixed extract. After 42 days of raising the broilers with the mixed extract, the sampling was performed to evaluate the desired traits. The results showed that the consumption of 100 mg kg-1 mixed extract increased the pancreas and heart weight, relative length of ileum and jejunum, and relative weight and length of tibia and reduced the acidity of duodenum and jejunum compared to the control (P<0.05). The results showed that the experimental treatments did not affect the concentration of blood elements of broilers, but the amount of magnesium and phosphorus in tibia was affected by 50 and 100 mg kg-1 mixed extract (P<0.05). Based on the findings of this study, it could be concluded that the use of 100 mg kg-1 mixed extract improved the performance of broilers by increasing the relative length and weight of gastrointestinal organs and reducing the acidity of gastrointestinal tract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Iran as one of the largest producers of poultry in Asia and plays major role in feeding the world's population, particularly in the poultry industry. Research about this industry will help to improve the quality and the quantity of products. Increasing of the concentration of toxic gases such as NH3 (ammonia), CO2 (carbon dioxide), SH2 and CH4 in poultry houses comes from bird activity inside the barn is one of the basic problems of the farming. Increasing the amount of these gases more than standard level would cause heavy mortality and reductions in the production. Ammonia is one of the most toxic gases in poultry houses, which must be controlled. Different studies have been carried out on measurement of ammonia emissions from poultry houses to reduce energy consumption and reduce emissions of ammonia. But no specific study has been found on ammonia emissions in Iran and there is no reliable documents of ammonia emissions from poultry in this country. Materials and Methods In this study a poultry house with 18 thousand chickens was used to measure the emission rate of ammonia, the effect of temperature, moisture and age of chickens on emissions of ammonia in Sabzevar city. The barn was equipped with semi-automatic mechanical ventilation. At the first step of this research all sensors was installed for data collection, i.e., air velocity, temperature, humidity and ammonia concentration. Recorded data information were stored in a central computer. Five digital sensors, model AM2303, have been used to measure the temperature and humidity of the ambient air quality. The concentration of ammonia in the air inputs and outputs of the farm was measured using an ammonia sensor model TGS2444 every 10 seconds throughout the study and recorded in the central system. The average speed of the exhaust air was measured using the hot wire anemometer probe for every fan. The outputs of all sensors was converted to digital data and transferred to the central computer using RS485 cable in each module. Converting of the sensors output to digital data reduces changing the data and probable errors. Ammonia emission rates was found by calculating the concentration of ammonia and measuring the rate of input air and fans exhaust air by ammonia gas equilibrium equation. Relation of the ammonia emission rate was achieved using affective factors such as age of the birds and inside air humidity and temperature by regression method. Results and Discussion The average rate of ammonia emission during broiler growing were measured 89 mg per day for each bird. Ammonia emission rates increased until the age of 37 days and then decreased after the age of 37 days. Age of birds has the highest impact coefficient and temperature and relative humidity of the barn have the least impact coefficients on the ammonia emission rate. The ammonia emission rate has also increased by increasing the age of the bird, temperature and relative humidity of the air. Comparing of the ammonia emission rate derived from regression equation with real conditions showed that the regression equation method has a high precision for estimating the ammonia emission rate. Conclusions It is showed that the results of this research can predict the ammonia emission rate in the poultry houses and predict the required ventilation rates to minimize the amount of ammonia concentration. The results of this study can be used for automatic control system to minimize energy consumption in the poultry houses. According to the results, the reduction of temperature and humidity in poultry house can be used to reduce the ammonia level.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of com particle size and different insoluble fiber sources on performance and carcass and gastrointestinal tract characteristics of broilers from 1 to 21 days of age. A total of 660 male broil were used in a 2x3 factorial arrangement with 6 treatments and five replicates per freatment. The factors of interest were two com particle sizes (2 and 6 mm) and three insoluble fiber sources (lignocellulose, rice hull, RH and sunflower hull, SFH). The main effect of fiber source was significant for the body weight gain (P<0.01) and feed conversion ratio, with SFH inclusion improved BWG (P<0.01) and FCR (P<0.01) compared to OH and lignocellulose. The supplementation of lignocellulose (P

This study intended to investigate the effects of can meal Tentation on its nutritional characteristics and broiler chickens growth performance using Lactobacillus fermentum and Bacillus subtilis and Aspergillus oryzae. In this experiment, 280 male Ross day-old chicks were randomly assigned to 7 experimental treatments with 4 replicates containing 10 chicks each. Treatments included control diet, canola meal and fermented canola meal at 3 levels (5, 10 and 15%) each. Results indicated that fermentation of canola meal reduced the amount of glucosinolates and amino acids methionine and cysteine by 50%, while its sulfur content increased about 50% and protein content of fermented canola meal increased by 2.2%. At the level of 15%, processed and unprocessed canola meal had no effect on growth performance, weight of carcass parts, tibia mineralization and nutrient digestibility in grower, finisher and whole period. It is concluded that fermented canola meal increased TSH and ACTH levels. Also intestinal viscosity increased with consumption of both types of meal (P <0.05) but had no effect on jejunal morphology and ileum pH. canola meal meal (processed or unprocessed) can be used up to 15% in broiler diets without any adverse effect. However fermentation process reduces the glucoseinolate level significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of aluminum silicate (AS), humic acid (HA), Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall (SC), herbal powder (HP) and a commercial toxin binder to alleviate the effects of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in broiler diet. In this experiment we used 320 day old chicks in a completely randomized design with 8 treatments and 4 replications, and 10 birds in each replicate, from 7 to 28 days of age. Experimental treatments were: 1) negative control (NC; without AFB1), 2) positive control (PC; contaminated by 0.3 mg AFB1 / kg diet), 3) PC + AS, 4) PC + AS + HA, 5) PC + AS + SC, 6) PC + AS + HA + SC, 7) PC + Magnotox as a commercial binder and 8) PC + HP. Feeding AFB1 contaminated diet reduced broiler performance, increased relative weights of liver, heart, pancreas and reduced serum albumin, total protein and glucose concentrations (P <0.05). Inclusion of AS in PC diet individually improved the negative effects of AFB1. However, supplementation of SC boosted AS effects, HA supplementation was rarely effective. Finally, it can be concluded that the combination of AS + SC has the highest adsorbing ability of AFB1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Although numerous reports support the beneficial effects of supplementing chromium (Cr) on broiler performance under normal and stress conditions, the optimal level has not been determined yet. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of supplemental Cr on performance, cortisol, and thyroid hormones of broiler under normal and stress conditions. METHODS: A total of four hundred forty-eight broilers were used. Broilers allocated into 2×4 factorial experiment included: stress (normal and stress) and 4 levels of supplemental chromium (0, 1000, 2000, 3000 ppb) since day 18. A completely randomized design with 8 treatments and 4 replicates (14 birds per replicate) was used. Dexamethasone used as a stressor for one week (stress period, STP) then experiment continued to day 46 (recovery period, RCP). RESULTS: Feeding 1000 and 2000 ppb Cr improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased T4 compared to 0 and 3000 ppb Cr in stressed broilers in STP (P<0.05). Feed intake (FI), body weight (BW) and T3 concentration were higher in broilers fed with 1000 ppb Cr in the diet and reared without stress in STP (P< 0.05). Despite the negative effect of stress on performance in RCP, dexamethasone-stressed broilers had better FCR. Feeding stressed birds with 1000 ppb Cr increased blood cortisol whereas it reduced cortisol in the normal-reared birds. CONCLUSIONS: The Dietary supplementation of 1000 and 2000 ppb Cr reduced deleterious effects of physiological stress. Moreover, 1000 ppb Cr improved FI and BW of broilers under normal condition at first week. Feeding high level of chromium under normal and stress conditions did not improve the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the effects of in ovo injection of different sources of manganese on performance and tibia characteristics of broilers, a total of 480 fertile eggs from ROSS 308 were assigned to 6 treatments, 4 replicates of 20 eggs per replicate in a completely randomized design. The experimental treatments included non-injected (negative control, NC), injection of1 ml serum physiology(positive control, PC), 1 ml of manganese sulfate (MnS), 1 ml of manganese- methionine (MnM), 1 ml of nano manganese (NMn) and 1 ml of nano manganese methionine (NMnM). The results showed that the in ovo injection of different sources of manganese lead to improvement in broilers growth. The highest and lowest body weight gain in entire production period were recorded for NMn and PC group, respectively (P<0.05). NMn and NMnM groups showed the best feed conversion ratio in whole experimental period (P<0.05). The tibia length at 21 day of age was significantly higher in treatment containing MnS and fresh and dry weights of tibia at 21 and 42 days of age were significantly increased with NMn (P<0.05). The tibia breaking strength at 21 and 42 days of age was significantly increased in treatments containing NMnM and NMn (P<0.05). The tibia volume, density and ash percentage were not affected by experimental treatments on 21 and 42 days of age (P>0.05). According to these results, it seems that the in ovo injection of manganese nanoparticles as a feed additive has positive effects on performance and tibia characteristics of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic residues in food stuff and their transmission to the consumers have some consequences such as bacterial resistance, allergic reactions, intoxication, carcinogenic effects and disturbing of intestine natural flora. Among microbiologic methods, four plate test (FPT) is used to detect antibiotic residues in food stuff, which performs in four culture media with different pH values and test bacteria. The aim of this study was investigation of antibiotic residues in edible tissues of slaughtered broilers in Maragheh abattoir using FPT method. For this reason, 40 slaughtered broilers carcasses in Maragheh abattoir (from 10 different poultry farms) were sampled. The sampling was conducted randomly from breast and leg muscles, gizzard as well as liver of each carcass. According to results of current study, 60% of liver samples, 55% of leg samples, 52.5% of breast samples and 52.5% of gizzard samples contained antibiotic residues. Moreover, the amount of antibiotic residues among different samples did not show statistical significance (p>0.05). The highest occurrence of antibiotic residue was found in two flocks (100%) and the lowest occurrence was recorded for another two flocks (0%). According to the health hazard of antibiotic residues in foods, continuous monitoring is recommended for edible tissues of broilers.

Introduction The occurrence of mycotoxins in foods and feeds is a problem of major concern in all over the world. Profitability of poultry production can be greatly affected due to the frequency of feed contamination and the detrimental effects of these toxins on the performance. Aflatoxins, a group of closely related and biologically active mycotoxins, are produced by strains of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. They commonly occur as natural contaminant of poultry feeds. Domestic animal species such as chickens, ducks, cattle and turkeys consuming sublethal doses of aflatoxins for several days developed a toxic syndrome in which liver damage was the most significant change. The biological effects of aflatoxins could be categorized into two groups, long term and short term effects. Long term effects included chronic toxicity, cancer, birth defects and genetic alterations. Aflatoxins affected all poultry species, although they generally take relatively high levels to cause mortality, low levels can be detrimental if continually fed. Material and Methods This study was conducted to determine the efficacy of mineral, organic toxin absorbents, humic acid and yeast cell wall on performance and internal organs weight of broilers in experimental aflatoxicosis. This study was conducted in a completely randomize design with 432 Ross-308 broilers with 9 treatments, 4 replicates and 12 broilers in each replicate. Treatments included diet without aflatoxin, 2: diet contaminated with aflatoxin, 3: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.20 Humic acid, 4: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.40 Humic acid, 5: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.60 Humic acid, 5: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.80 Humic acid, 6: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.80 Humic acid, 7: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 1.00 Humic acid, 8: diet contaminated with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.50 sodium bentonite, 9: diet with aflatoxin and supplemented with 0.10 yeast cell wall. The experiment was done between 7-35 days. Results and Discussion The results showed that afalatoxin and its absorbents significantly affect the performance and internal organs weight of broilers (P

Introduction Iran has good condition in fruit production among all countries in the world. Lemon, grape and apple are fruits that are produced in large scale in our country. For economical use of these fruits, there are different factories which produce fruit juices. Pulps are the main waste that remain after juicing fruits. Pulps contain some nutrients such as vitamins and minerals and secondary substances, also in contrast to common diets ingredients, there are very cheap and using them in diets may reduce the production price. As pulps contain high level of fiber, can be easily used without any adverse effects in ruminant, but in poultry, especially in broilers using higher level of pulps may be not possible. However, using low level of pulps do not have any adverse effects on performance and blood parameters and can improve the meat quality and blood biochemical and immune parameters. Moreover discharge of these wastes to environment can cause serious environmental problems. This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of lemon, grape and apple pulps on performance, carcass traits, digestive tract characteristic, intestinal morphology and immune status of broilers. Materials and Methods In this experiment 240 Ross-308 broilers were used in 5 treatments, 4 replicates and 12 chicks in each replicate in a completely randomized design. Experimental groups included: 1) control group (without using pulp), 2) group with 150 mg/kg vitamin E (as positive control group), 3) group with 3% lemon pulp, 4) group with 3% grape pulp, 5) group with 3% apple pulp. Grower diets from 11 to 24 days and finisher diets from 25 to 42 days were used by broilers. In the experimental periods all chickens in experimental groups had free accsess to feed and water. The lighting program included: 23 h light and 1 h darkness in all the experimental period.Feed intake and weight gain were measured at the end of growing and finishing and whole periods. Feed conversion ratio was measured by dividing the amount of feed intake to the amount of weight gain. Carcass quality traits, digestive tract characteristic, intestinal morphology and immune condition of broilers were measured at the end of experimental period. Results and Discussion Grape and apple pulps significantly improved the feed conversion ratio (P0.05). The main reasons for these results may be related to the amount of vitamin E in the diet, the mixing condition of feed, diet preserving time and thermal condition during preserving and using diet, and the amount of fat in diet. Using lemon, grape and apple pulps in contrast to vitamin E and control groups, caused the percentages of carcass and breast meat increase and the percentages of gizzard and liver decrease (P

Intoduction Essential oils (EOs) are important aromatic components of herbs and spices which are complex mixtures of secondary plant metabolites consisting of low-boiling-phenylpropenes and terpenes. Their biological activities have been known and utilized since ancient times in perfumery, food preservation, flavoring, and medicine. Some of their biological activities include antibacterial, antifungal, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The ban on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has stimulated the search for alternative feed supplements in animal production. EOs have received attention in recent years as potential ‘natural’ alternatives for replacing antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) in animal diets due to their positive impact on growth performance and welfare. A number of studies have been carried out to investigate the effects of EOs on broiler performance rather than the physiological effects, but the results have not been consistent (or constant). The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of four essential oils (Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita, Citrus lemon, Carum copticom) on growth performance, some of the serum biochemistry parameters and lipogenic gene expression in broiler chickens. Materials and Methods A total of 312, 1-day-old broiler chicks were allocated in completely randomized design to 13 groups with 6 replicate cages per treatment. After 2-day adjustment with the basal diet, the birds were randomly assigned to the corresponding experimental diets supplemented with 0 (Control), 50, 100 and 150 mg/kg diet essential oils extracted from Crum capticum, Thymus vulgaris, Mentha piperita and Cirtus lemon. The basal diet composed of maize–soybean meal prepared in our laboratory and all birds had free access to water for the entire period. Food intake and BW were recorded to determine growth performance and feed: gain ratio. At the end of the experiment (42 day) blood samples (6 samples per treatment) were taken for measuring biochemical analysis including total protein, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL-c and LDL-c by commercial kits. Samples of the liver were collected on day 42 after slaughter (6 samples per treatment) and the hepatic expression of the genes encoding malic enzyme (ME), fatty acid synthase (FAS) were determined with reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) using SYBR green as a flourophore monitored in a real time mode. Results and discussion The results showed that the body weight, feed intake and feed conversion ratio of broilers at day 42 were not affected by supplementing EOs to the basal diet. However, daily body weight gain of broilers at 21 day decreased significantly (P

The present experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of different levels of fennel essential oil nanoemulsion (FEON) on energy and protein efficiency ratio, litter and excreta quality and welfare related parameters of broiler chickens reared under heat stress. A total of 200 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were assigned in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 4 replicates. The experimental treatments were control (basal diet with no additive), basal diet and 200 mg/kg fennel essential oil (FEO) and basal diet with 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg of FEON. The results of this experiment showed that trans-anethole, fenchone and limonene with the values of 81.49, 7.16 and 4.98 percent, respectively were the main compounds of fennel essential oil. The protein and energy efficiency ratios were not affected by different experimental treatments. The excreta pH of chicks fed diet containing 200 mg/kg FEON was significantly (P≤0.05) less than those of fed diets containing 50 and 100 mg/kg of FEON and the control group. The litter moisture was decreased significantly (P≤0.05) by supplementation of diet with 50 mg/kg FEON when compared with control group. The hock burn and abdominal plumage scores were decreased significantly (P≤0.05) in chicks fed diet containing 50 mg/kg FEON when compared with other groups. According to the results of this experiment, it seems that the utilization of FEON in heat stress condition can improve broiler welfare related parameters via decreasing the litter moisture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been proved that Silymarin is effective in prevention and treatment of human liver diseases such as cirrhosis. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the preventive effects of Silymarin extract as a food additive on hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride in broilers. Ninety broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 9 equal study groups as follow: negative control, positive control which were injected 2ml/kg BW (body weight) ccl4 dissolved in olive oil (1:1) via IP in the 24th and 26th days, olive oil control, treatment controls which were receiving 3,6 and 10 mg/kg BW silymarin in 1ml olive oil respectively by gavage from the 21st up to 26th days and treatment groups which received ccl4 and 3,6 and 10 mg/kg BW silymarin extract respectively. Blood and liver samples were collected to assay ALT, AST and ALP activities as well as pathological changes. The Data were analyzed using ANOVA method by SPSS. The results revealed that carbon tetrachloride significantly increased ALT,AST and ALP activities in comparison with the negative control group (p

Background and Aim: Clostridium perfringens are classified into five toxin types A to E, on the basis of production of Alpha, Beta, Epsilon and Iota toxins. Some strains are able to produce enterotoxin, can cause food poisoning in human. The bacteria are able to produce NetB and TpeL toxins which are virulence factors in necrotic enteritis in poultry. The aim of this study was to determine the toxin profile of C. perfringens strains isolated from packed chicken portions using Single and Multiplex PCR assays. Materials and Methods: In a crossectional study, 180 sample of chicken portions including wing (n=50), liver (n=50), neck (n=50) and gizzard (n=30) were collected randomly and examined for C. perfringens contamination. For this purpose all of samples were cultured on the 7% sheep defibrinated blood agar, TSN and TSC culture media. All of the isolates were investigated for the presence of alpha, beta, epsilon, iota toxin and virulence (tpeL and netB) genes. Results: In the present study, 6 isolates out of 180 samples, were confirmed as C. perfringens by culture and molecular methods. All of the isolates (100%) were confirmed as cpa and cpb positive strains and belong to type C of C. perfringens. The netB gene was detected in 5 isolates (83.33%) and tpeL gene in three isolates (50%). Conclusions: Our findings show the majority of C. perfringens in broilers are belong to type C which produce necrotic enteritis in poultry and may be transmitted to human through poultry products.

Background and Aim: Identification of lactic acid bacteria of traditional cheeses is the first step of developing new starters in order to protect from national genetical resources and to product industrial cheese with desirable texture and organoleptic characteristics same as traditional cheeses. Materials and Methods: After traditional cheeses collection (24 samples of 8 different traditional cheeses from West Azerbaijan), identification of Lactobacillus species was performed using a specific culture (MRS broth). Results: In present study, from a total of 118 isolates of lactobacilli were determined. Lactobacillus plantarum (24%), Lactobacillus casei (20%) and Lactobacillus agillis (18%) from facultative heterofermentative Lactobacilli and Lactobacillus delbrueckii (21%), Lactobacillus helveticus (14%) and Lactobacillus salvariu s (3%) from obligative homofermentative Lactobacilli were found to be more dominant species.Conclusions: So for achievement to organoleptic characteristics of traditional cheeses in industrial productions, mixed starters including dominant Lactobacillus species identified in cheeses can be employed.

Liver diseases and their economic losses have gained more importancealongside the development of integrated poultry industry. Studies have proved hepatotoxicity induced by carbon tetrachloride as one of the best experimental models of hepatotocicity. Barberries have been used widely in traditional medicine.The purpose of the present study was to evaluaterthe preventive effects of Berberisintegerrima root on carbon tetrachloride induced liver lesions in broilers.For this purpose, 80 day old Ross strain broilers were divided randomly to 8 study groupsconsisting of negative control, positive control which received IP 4ml/kg b.w. carbon tetrachloride twice in 25th and 28thdays , treatment controls consisting of 10,20 and 30 grams of Berberisintegerrima root per kilogram of diet and treatment groups consisting of 10,20 and 30 gr. Of Berberis root / Kg diet + IPcarbontetrachloride 4ml/Kg b.w. twice in 25th and 28th days.At 29th day, blood samples were collected from animals, then they were sacrificed and their liver samples were fixed in 10% formalin solution. The blood samples were sent to laboratory to measure ALT,AST and ALP activities.Biochemical results didn't show any significant changes of ALT,AST and ALP activities between all study groups (P>0.05). Microscopic results showed significant decrease in pathologic lesions of 20 gr Berberis root /Kg diet treatment group in comparison with the positive control group(P

Ascites is defined as an accumulation of excessive amounts of serous fluid in the abdominal cavity. Ascites is a metabolic disorder with multi-factorial predisposing factors. Increased mortality is often observed in broilers with rapid growth in the form of ascites. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the electrolytes of serum and ascitic fluid in broilers ascites syndrome. In this study, a total of 72 ascitic and 72 healthy broilers, over 4 week of age, collected from Chahar mahal va bakhtiyari province were studied. Samples were collected from the blood and ascitic fluid to determine the electrolytes. The data were analyzed using the t-test and SPSS and statistical software. The results indicated a significantly higher Sodium and potassium (p≤0.05) lower chlorine and calcium content in the blood of diseased broilers in comparison with the healthy broilers but there were no significant difference in magnesium and phosphorus level. Sodium, potassium and phosphorus levels of the ascitic fluid was significantly lower (p

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of using Nettle,Menta pulagum and ‌‌Zizaphora medicinal plants on performance, carcass quality, blood biochemical parameters and blood cells of broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 288 broilers (Ross-308) in 8 treatments and 3 replicates (with 12 birds in each replicate) from 1 to 42 days and included: 1) control group without using any medicinal plants, 2) 1.5% of ‌‌Nettle, 3) 1.5% of Menta pulagum, 4) 1.5% of Zizaphora, 5) 1.5% of Nettle and Menta pulagum, 6) 1.5% of Nettle and Zizaphora, 7) 1.5% of Menta pulagum and ‌‌Zizaphora, 8) 1.5% of Nettle,Menta pulagum and ‌‌Zizaphora. The results showed that using these medicinal plants and their mixtures had significant effects on performance, carcass traits and blood biochemical parameters of broilers (p

Collection and transport of chickens from the production farm to the slaughterhouse causes stress. In this study, the relationship between stress causing factors and broiler meat quality was evaluated. Thirty apparently healthy 60-day-old broilers of the same sex and breed were allocated equally to three groups (A and B as treatment and C as the control group). The nutritional and rearing conditions were similar for all groups. Broilers in the first treatment group (A) were subjected to various muscular injuries similar to those occurring during gathering and transfer to abattoir while those in the second treatment group (B) were forced to flap their wings severely. Twelve hours after exertion, blood samples were collected for measurement of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and total volatile nitrogen (TVN) levels and tissue samples were taken from deep pectoral muscle to prepare microscopic sections in all groups. Macroscopically, swelling, bruising and severe hemorrhage was evident in deep pectoral muscle of the treatment groups, while edema, degeneration, necrosis and infiltration of heterophiles, lymphocytes and macrophages were observed microscopically. Specific tissue changes were not seen in the control group. The levels of CPK and TVN had increased in treatment groups compared to the control group and their mean differences were also statistically significant (P

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects ofcitric acid and phytase supplementation on performance, blood lipid profile, immune system and some carcass characteristics of broiler chickens.For this purpose 240, one-day old male broiler chicks were reared throughout 42 day production, in factorial experiment 2×2, including citric acid (0 and 1%) and phytase enzyme (0 and 500 FTU) based on completely randomized design with 4 treatments, 5 replicates and 12 chicks in each. Result indicated that citric acid decreased the feed consumption in growth and total period. While phytase wasn’t any effecton performance of broilers. The means of body weight gain and feed conversion rate were not affected by treatments. Citric acidreduced the level cholesterol and LDL of blood serum. Also result showed that citric acid increased the HDL and VLDL of blood serum. Addingcombine citric acid and phytase decreased the LDL of blood serum. Citric acid and its combine with phytase increased the relative weight of bursa. Adding citric acid and phytase to the diet respectively decreased and increased the abdominal fat. The results of the present study showed that use of citric acid and phytase together didn’t have a negative impact on each other's effects, but in some cases they reinforce each other's effects.

An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of wheat screenings with and without enzyme preparation on the performance, gastrointestinal parameters and gut viscosity and morphology of broiler chicks during grower period (11 to 24d). Five hundred day old male broiler chicks were fed a commercial diet till 10 d of age and then were randomly assigned to 10 diets. Diets were formulated to have five different levels (0, 9, 18, 27 and 36%) of wheat screenings with or without enzyme. Each diet fed to five groups of ten male birds. There was no significant difference in feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) of chickens fed diets with different levels of wheat screenings during 14 days of age. Body weight gain (BWG) was decreased significantly with increasing level of wheat screenings in diets. Enzyme supplementation significantly increased BWG and decreased FCR. Increasing wheat screenings level significantly decreased gastrointestinal tract weight including pancreas, gizzard, large intestine as well as liver. Enzyme supplementation significantly decreased weight of liver, proventriculus, gizzard, pancreas, and large intestine. Villi height was decreased significantly by increasing wheat screenings level. Carcass weight was not affected by wheat screenings level and enzyme. Ileum and jujenum digesta viscosity increased by wheat screening level and decreased by enzyme supplementation. Increasing wheat screenings level increased villi width and decreased villi height and crypt depth. Enzyme supplementation increased villi height and crypt dept. Histological observations on jejunum of birds fed wheat screenings without enzyme showed shortening, thickening, and atrophy of the villi, all of which improved when enzyme was included in the diet.