Search

This work aims to evaluate the antibacterial activity of biological zinc nanoparticles (BIO-ZnONPs) against pathogenic fish bacteria and assess the effect of BIO-ZnONPs on the performance, behavior, and immune response in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as compared to chemical zinc nanoparticles (CH- ZnONPs). Aspergillus niger TS16 fabricated the BIO-ZnONPs were spherical shape with the average size of 45 nm and net charge of −27.23 mV. Generally, the results indicate that BIO-ZnONPs were more effective than CH- ZnONPs in enhancing the performance properties of Nile tilapia. Five experimental groups of Nile tilapia (initial body weight of 20.2 g) were treated with two concentrations of 0.5 and 1 mg L−1 from biological and chemical ZnONPs, while the fifth group was served as a control. After ten weeks of treated water with ZnONPs, the performance, feed efficiency parameters, feeding, and swimming behaviors significantly improved in BIO-ZnONPs treated groups (P

Antibiotics were over the years, the common supplement used for poultry production. There is a global trend to lessen antibiotics' use due to the contamination of consumed meat with antibiotic residues. Also, there is a concern that human treatments might be jeopardized due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Prebiotics are attractive supplements, particularly in poultry production, because of the diversity of their effects, including pH amendments, production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) and the inhibition of pathogens' growth. The commonly used prebiotics are carbohydrate sources that cannot be easily broken down by chickens. However, they can efficiently be utilized by the intestinal tract's microflora. Oligosaccharides, polysaccharides and lactose are non-digestible carbohydrate sources that are typically used in poultry diets as prebiotics. This review covers current applications and prospects for using prebiotics to improve poultry performance and reduce pathogens, particularly Salmonella, in gastrointestinal tract.

The objective of the present study was to determine the effect of feed restriction systems, herbal mixture and their interactions on growth performance, carcass traits, and microbial aspects of growing New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit kept from 5 to 13 weeks of age. A 3 × 4 factorial arrangement was performed, including three feed restriction systems (ad-libitum, 90%, and 80% of ad-libitum) and four dietary supplementation levels of herbal mix (0, 0.30%, 0.50% and 0.70%). A total number of 120 rabbits (male and female ratio 1:1) at five weeks of age were randomly allotted into twelve experimental groups (n = 10 each). Results showed a significant decrease in body weight, body weight gain and feed intake in restricted-fed rabbits compared to the control group (ad-libitum). HERBS levels significantly influenced the growth performance and carcass traits of rabbits. The herbal blend had a positive effect on reducing the population of pathogenic microorganisms and increasing the population of lactic acid bacteria. Conclusively, it could be concluded that the feed restriction system has beneficial effects in the improvement of feed conversion ratio (FCR), weight gain, and carcass traits. In addition, HERBS supplementation to the growing rabbits resulted in significant improvements in growth performance, carcass characteristics, and microbial aspects of rabbits kept from 5 to 13 weeks of age.Highlights: This work investigated the effect of feed restriction systems (FRS), herbal mix (HERBS), and their interactions with rabbits. Restricted feed decreased live body weight during all ages studied. Feed conversion ratio, weight gain and carcass traits were improved due to FRS. The HERBS improved the growth, carcass traits, and microbial aspects of rabbits.

Natural antioxidants play an important role in maintaining and improving poultry’s well-being, survival and productive and reproductive performance. Pyocyanin, a secondary blue redox-active metabolite, is one of these natural antioxidants that exert several biological activities to improve birds’ performance. This study estimated the effect of dietary supplementation with pyocyanin powder (PP) on broiler’s growth, carcase and serum properties, meat quality and microbial load activity. A total of 180 1-week-old unsexed chicks were randomly allocated into three groups. The first group served as a control (C) and fed the basal diet, while the second and third groups (P75 and P150) were fed the basal diet supplemented with 75.0 and 150.0 mg PP/kg, respectively. Results showed that overall body weight gain (BWG) was improved (p

In the last two decades, poultry and animal industries became increasingly interested in using plant-based feed supplements, herbs and their derivatives to retain or enhance their health and productivity. These health benefits for the host mainly attributed to the secondary plant metabolites, namely polyphenols. Polyphenols are renowned for their antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-mutagenic and anti-inflammatory properties. However, despite these advantages of polyphenols, they have been characterized by poor absorption in the gut and low concentration in target cells that compromise their role as effective antioxidants. The low bioavailability of polyphenols necessitates the need for further investigations to harness their full potential in poultry farms. This review is existing evidence about the bioavailability of polyphenols and their antioxidant, immunomodulatory, antimicrobial, detoxification properties and their impacts on poultry performance.

The study aimed to investigate the effect of various doses of betaine supplemented dietary on Japanese quail performance, carcass characteristics, and blood chemistry. Therefore, 400 seven days old Japanese quails were classified randomly into four equal groups. Each group was subdivided into five replicates of 20 birds each. Four rations were formulated using four different betaine levels (0, 0.75, 1.5 and 2.25 g/kg, respectively) for five successive weeks. All groups received feed and clean water ad-libitum. The results of this trial indicated that the feed intake was lowered in groups fed with betaine (p ≤ 0.05) when compared with the control one. The highest weight gain (p ≤ 0.05) was noticed in groups fed diets BS4 (betaine supplementation at the rate of 2.25 g/kg). No difference among groups was observed in body length, shank length, shank diameter, and keel bone length or breast width. Also, the carcass weight and breast yield were highest (p ≤ 0.05) in the group reared on the BS4 diet. In addition, intestinal length and weight were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in groups fed betaine with a concentration of 2.25 g/kg. Fat weight was lower in the group fed BS4 than in the untreated group. Significantly higher values of high-density lipoprotein (p ≤ 0.05) were observed in the group fed BS4. All groups fed a ration containing betaine showed lower levels of liver enzymes such as alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and aspartate amino transferase (p ≤ 0.05) and lowered low-density lipoprotein level. The quails fed BS4 had the greatest growth hormones and insulin (p ≤ 0.05) and the lowest thyroxin level. We concluded that dietary betaine supplementation positively impacts Japanese quail growth performance, carcass traits, and blood chemistry.

Graphical abstract, Nematodes are hidden enemies that inhibit the entire ecosystem causing adverse effects on animals and plants, leading to economic losses. Management of foliar phytoparasitic nematodes is an excruciating task. Various approaches were used to control nematodes dispersal, i.e., traditional practices, resistant cultivars, plant extract, compost, biofumigants, induced resistance, nano-biotechnology applications, and chemical control. This study reviews the various strategies adopted in combating plant-parasitic nematodes while examining the benefits and challenges. The significant awareness of biological and environmental factors determines the effectiveness of nematode control, where the incorporation of alternative methods to reduce the nematodes population in plants with increasing crop yield. The researchers were interested in explaining the fundamental molecular mechanisms, providing an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the sustainable management of nematodes in croplands. Eco-friendly pesticides are effective as a sustainable nematodes management tool and safe for humans. The current review presents the eco-friendly methods in controlling nematodes to minimize yield losses, and benefit the agricultural production efficiency and the environment.

Graphical abstract, Fusarium species threaten wheat crops around the world and cause global losses. The global trend is toward using biological materials such as selenium (Se) in nano form to control these fungi. Bulk selenium is toxic and harmful at high doses; however, selenium nanoparticles are safe; therefore, the aim of this study to employ the biological selenium nanoparticles (BioSeNPs) synthesized by Lactobacillus acidophilus ML14 in controlling wheat crown and root rot diseases (CRDs) induced by Fusarium spp., especially Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium graminearum, and their reflection on the growth and productivity of wheat. The ability of BioSeNPs to suppress the development and propagation of F. culmorum and F. graminearum and the CRDs incidence were also investigated. The obtained BioSeNPs were spherical with a size of 46 nm and a net charge of –23.48. The BioSeNPs significantly scavenged 88 and 92% of DPPḢ and ABTṠ radicals and successfully inhibited the fungal growth in the range of 20–40 µg/mL; these biological activities were related to the small size of BioSeNPs and the phenolic content in their suspension. Under greenhouse conditions, the wheat supplemented with BioSeNPs (100 µg/mL) was significantly reduced the incidence of CRDs by 75% and considerably enhanced plant growth, grain quantity and quality by 5–40%. Also, photosynthetic pigments and gas exchange parameters were significantly increased as compared to chemical selenium nanoparticles (Che-SeNPs) and control. This study results could be recommended the use of BioSeNPs (100 µg/mL) in reducing CRDs incidence and severity in wheat plants, enhancing their tolerance with drought and heat stress, and increasing their growth and productivity as compared to control and Che-SeNPs.

Coronaviruses are the causative agents of many infectious diseases in human and animals These included severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian infectious bronchitis (IBV) in poultry, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans These results had considerable death burdens and negative influences on social–economic life Since the appearance of the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, continuous investigations have been carried out by researchers to find active compounds, mainly from plants, as natural sources, that could inhibit or stop the proliferation of the causative agent of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) The most common symptoms caused by infections with COVID-19 can include cough, fever, and sore throat Nevertheless, there is a shortage of active antiviral compounds for treating different strains of coronavirus Herbal medicine is a class of medication that originates from nature and is aimed at decreasing the use of preservatives, excipients, or other additives and, consequently, lesser side effects The rapid spread of COVID-19 infection besides the lack of knowledge about any treatments and the growing concern of the public from the virus directed us toward writing this review article in an aim to provide alternatives to the allopathic medicine use There is a wealth of chemical diversity in the naturally existing compounds, including their antiviral activities, which may encourage their utilization as therapeutics against viral infections, including coronaviruses The majority of publications on the herbal remedies of coronavirus, MERS, or SARS focused primarily on the use of polar compounds These substances displayed encouraging inhibitory influences on coronavirus in humans These include psoralidin, scutellarein, silvestrol, tryptanthrin, caffeic acid, quercetin, myricetin, saikosaponin B2, griffithsin (lectins), and isobavachalcone Some other agents like lycorine may be useful, if the antiviral activity is obtained by concentrations below the toxic plasma levels According to the available literatures, the most promising inhibitors of coronaviruses are polyphenolic compounds, which are small molecules with conjugated fused ring structures © Copyright © 2020 Attia, Alagawany, Farag, Alkhatib, Khafaga, Abdel-Moneim, Asiry, Mesalam, Shafi, Al-Harthi and Abd El-Hack

This work investigated the effect of dietary green coffee powder (GCP) on the growth, body characteristics, antioxidant status, serum metabolites, and meat quality of 308 Ross broiler chickens. A total of 180 non-sexed seven-day old chicks were randomly distributed into three experimental groups. The untreated group received a basal diet (control), while the second and third groups were fed the original diet fortified with 1.25 and 2.5 g GCP/kg, respectively, for four weeks. Results revealed an improvement (p &lt, 0.05) in live body weight in the group fed 2.5 g/kg GCP at five weeks of age compared to the other groups. Broiler Chicks fed the 1.25 g/kg GCP diet showed a more significant decrease in live body weight than the control group at five weeks of age. The GCP supplementation at level 2.5 g/kg GCP enhanced feed conversion ratio at 3&ndash, 5 and 1&ndash, 5 weeks of age. Dietary treatments did not affect (p &gt, 0.05) carcass, dressing, and giblets percentages. Different levels of GCP significantly affected the liver, abdominal fat, intestinal length, and lymphoid organs percentages. The changes in serum blood traits and serum oxidative stress markers were not significant among the control and the treated groups. With the increment levels of GCP, results showed elevated values of meat pH, lightness (L*), and redness (a*), as well as a significant decrease in its yellowness (b*). Broilers fed 2.5 g/kg GCP diet showed a significant reduction in the total bacterial count, total yeasts and molds count, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., and Salmonella spp., as well as increasing counts of lactic acid bacteria. The dietary GCP 2.5 g/kg diet supplementation could be used to decrease the pathogenic microorganisms&rsquo, populations in the broiler&rsquo, s gut. The present experiment has shown that in unsexed broiler chickens, green coffee powder at level of 2.5 g/kg improved the live body weight and feed conversion ratio and decreased the pathogenic bacterial count in the gut.

Insects could be a potential replacement of protein-rich ingredients in poultry diets. Among these insects, black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens, has a high content of protein and fat, which reinforces the potential of using it in poultry feed formulation and makes it one of the most promising insect species for commercial production. Protein content as well as amino acid profile in H. illucens larvae is comparable to those in many protein-rich feedstuffs such as fish meal and soybean meal. BSF can convert organic wastes into a precious source of nutrients, such as proteins, lipids, and chitin, which contribute to reducing the environmental burden and pollution potential arising from organic waste accumulation. This review emphasizes the significance of this insect as a “green” technology in the extremely variable recycling of organic waste and generates a sustainable protein source as well as the importance of its use as a substitute of protein-rich feedstuff in poultry feed manufacturing.

Background Newcastle disease (ND) causes severe economic losses in poultry industry worldwide. Egyptian poultry industry suffered from severe economic losses since the isolation of Velogenic Newcastle disease virus (vNDV) genotype VIId in 2011 and up till now despite the use of different vaccination programs. So, this study aimed to isolate and characterize the vNDV from a total of 120 poultry flocks from ten provinces in the Egyptian Delta region with a history of respiratory manifestation, high mortalities or a decrease in egg production between 2015 and 2019. Seventy-three samples’ allantoic fluid (73/120, 60.8%) were positive for hemagglutination with chicken RBCs. These samples were submitted to molecular examination using qRT-PCR specific primers for AOAV-1, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI-H5), low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI-H9) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Results Fifty samples (50/120: 41.6%) were confirmed positive for AOAV-1, based on genetic analysis of matrix and fusion protein. The co-infection rate of other respiratory viral diseases examined was 1.6, 14.1, and 4.1%, for HPAI-H5, LPAI-H9, and IBV, respectively. Biologically, the intracerebral pathogenicity index of ten selected AOAV-1 isolates ranged from 1.70 to 1.98, which indicated the velogenic nature of these isolates. All the sixteen sequenced isolates were AOAV-1 genotype VII.1.1. The full F gene sequence of six examined AOAV-1 VII.1.1 isolates contained the seven neutralizing epitopes, and the glycosylation motif of six-potential sites for N linked glycosylation at residues 85, 191, 366, 447, 471, and 541. Conclusion It could be concluded that the high prevalence of AOAV-1 genotype VII.1.1 in the Egyptian chicken flocks despite the intensive vaccination with live and killed ND vaccines, as all the 16 isolates tested were belonged to this genotype. Homologous vaccination is badly needed to control and reduce the spread of AOAV-1 genotype VII.1.1infection in Egyptian poultry flocks.

Oyster mushroom waste (OMW) is a by-product of the agriculture industry with valuable antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal and prebiotic properties that may be a useful alternative to antibiotic growth stimulators in poultry nutrition. This experiment was conducted to examine the impact of OMW on the intestinal morphology and immune responses of broiler chickens. Four dietary therapies with 5 replicates of 15 birds in each, totalling 300 day- Ross 308 broiler chickens, were used in this experiment. Control chickens were fed a mixed diet that included a maize-soybean meal complemented by 1% and 2% OMW in addition to the basal diet. Furthermore, Enramycin [125 g/kg] was added to the control diet as an antibiotic. Throughout this experiment, performance was studied, as well as the immune response to the Newcastle Disease Virus [NDV] and intestinal morphological traits. A substantial surge was noted in body weight gain [BWG] and feed intake [FI] of chickens after the addition of 1% OMW [p ≤ 0.05]. In contrast, feed supplementation with 2% OMW, compared with the control diet, produced no noteworthy increase in BWG or the feed conversion rate [FCR]. In addition, total cholesterol decreased in the control group. Antibiotic addition, on the other hand, increased serum cholesterol [p ≤ 0.05]. After 42 days, neither OMW nor antibiotic addition affected organ mass. In contrast, antibiotic addition reduced the small intestine percentage, crypt depth and villus height [p ≤ 0.05]. The Newcastle disease vaccine [NDV] antibody titer improved after feed supplementation with 1% OMW in comparison with the control and antibiotic regimes. Furthermore, OMW supplementation decreased the heterophil-to-lymphocyte H/L ratio [p ≤ 0.05]. The use of OMW led to a reduction in the malondialdehyde [MDA] content of the breast and liver and an increase in glutathione peroxidase. It helped to reduce glutathione S-transferase, glutathione and glutathione reductase. The effects of OMW were dose-dependent. In conclusion, the use of 1% OMW in broiler diets enhanced their growth and immunity. Nonetheless, supplementation with 2% OMW produced conflicting results.

The use of antibiotics to maintain animal well-being, promote growth and improve efficiency has been practised for more than 50 years. However, as early as the 1950s, researchers identified concern on the development of resistant bacteria for the antibiotics streptomycin and tetracycline used in turkeys and broilers respectively. These findings laid the groundwork for agricultural officials to impose stricter regulatory parameters on the use of antibiotics in poultry feeds. Probiotics are live micro-organisms included in the diet of animals as feed additives or supplements. Commonly known as a direct-fed microbial, probiotics provide beneficial properties to the host, primarily through action in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of the animal. Supplementation of probiotics in the diet can improve animal health and performance, through contributions to gut health and nutrient use. For instance, supplementation of probiotics has been demonstrated to benefit farm animals in immune modulation, structural modulation and increased cytokine production, which positively affect the intestinal mucosal lining against pathogens. Bacillus subtilis has been a popular bacterium used within the industry and was shown to improve intestinal villus height. Increasing the villus height and structure of the crypts in the GIT allows for the improvement of nutrient digestion and absorption. Tight junctions maintain important defences against pathogenic bacteria and cellular homeostasis. Heat stress can be a major environmental challenge in the poultry industry. Heat stress causes the bird to fluctuate its internal core temperature beyond their comfort zone. To overcome such challenges, poultry will attempt to balance its heat production and dissipation through behavioural and physiological adaptation mechanisms.

The current study aimed to investigate the influence of dietary zinc nanoparticles (ZnNPs), curcumin nanoparticles (CurNPs), and Bacillus licheniformis (Bl) on the growth, carcass, blood metabolites, and the count of some cecal microorganisms of Indian River (IR) broilers. Chicks were allotted into seven experimental groups: control group, 1st, 2nd and 3rd groups were given diets enriched with ZnNPs, CurNPs and Bl (3.0, 5.0 and 2.0 cm3/kg diet, respectively). The 4th, 5th and 6th groups were given diets supplemented with ZnNPs (3.0) + Bl (2.0) (ZP), ZnNPs (3.0) + CurNPs (5.0) (ZC) and ZnNPs (3.0) + CurNPs (5.0) + Bl (2.0) (ZCP) cm3/kg diet, respectively. The results revealed that ZnNPs and CurNPs exhibited a considerable antimicrobial activity against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. They also inhibited the growth of microbes in a range of 50–95 µg/mL. The diet supplemented with ZnNPs, CurNPs, and Bl increased the body weight compared to the control after five weeks of age. Additionally, values of daily feed intake increased in these groups, however, the feed conversion ratio decreased. All values of carcass traits were better than that of the control. The treatments led to decreased abdominal lipids compared to the control. The activity of liver enzymes and malondialdehyde (MDA) activity decreased in the treated groups. In a converse trend, the levels of oxidative enzymes, amylase, protease, lipase and immunoglobulin were higher than that of the control. Meat quality properties were improved and cecal microbial counts were decreased. In conclusion, the ZnNPs, CurNPs, and Bl improved the broiler’s weights, carcass traits, meat quality traits, as well as some blood indices and cecal microbial load. Therefore, the inclusion of ZnNPs, CurNPs, or Bl is recommended for broiler feeding regimens to improve the performance and health status.