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Infections by gastrointestinal parasites are found in a variety of animals worldwide. For the diagnosis of such infections, the flotation method is commonly used to detect parasitic microorganisms, such as oocysts or eggs, in feces. Instead of adding a flotation solution after the final centrifugation step and using a cover slip to collect the parasites, the method using a wire loop for the recovery of the organisms has been reported as one of alternative methods. However, the recovery rates of microorganisms from the flotation method have not been analysed. In the present study, the utility of a flotation method with the use of a wire loop of 8 mm in diameter (the loop method) was evaluated using different numbers of E. tenella oocysts and Heterakis gallinarum eggs, and chicken fecal samples collected at the farms. Consequently, we found that the oocysts and eggs in tubes could be collected at a ratio of 2.00 to 3.08. Thus, our results indicate that the loop method is a simple and time saving method, implicating the application for the estimated OPG/ EPG (Oocysts/Eggs per gram) of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liquid whey is a milk by-product and contains good quality protein and minerals. Due to lack of proper knowledge and sufficient technology it remains unutilized and thrown away as a waste. So, keeping in view of its profitable utilization, a study was planned to include liquid whey as feed supplement to layer poultry. Methods: A study was conducted by supplementation of liquid whey to layer chickens to study the effect on egg production and egg quality. A total of 120 layer birds (indicate the age) were supplemented with liquid whey ad libitum in the drinking water @ 0, 5, 10 and 15% up to 90 days. The data were collected with respect to egg production and egg quality parameters. Result: Supplementation of liquid whey in drinking water improved egg production and egg quality in laying chickens. It may be concluded that liquid whey can be supplemented with drinking water at the rate of 5% (v/v) for better egg production in layers and for production of premium quality of bigger size and weight of eggs, supplementation of whey up to 15% (v/v) can be recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Moringa oleifera seed meal is a potential noble feed ingredient that could be incorporated into the diet of poultry. It is a potential cheaper alternative considering its ability to thrive under all climatic conditions in Nigeria, West Africa. The study was aimed at evaluating the effects of the dietary inclusion of Moringa oleifera seed meal (MOSM) on the egg characteristics, feed conversion ratio and body weight of parameters of Yoruba Ecotype Nigerian Local Chickens (YENLC) and Isa Brown chickens. Methods: The study assessed the comparative influence of dietary MOSM on the egg characteristics of YENLC and Isa Brown chickens. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using the general linear model procedure of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 22. Result: The findings of this study were that: dietary inclusion of MOSM affected the egg characteristics of YENLC and Isa Brown chickens. Egg length, egg width, yolk weight and yolk height decreased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing levels of MOSM. There was significant interaction (p<0.05) between MOSM inclusion and genotypes of chickens. For both genotypes, egg number was significantly higher (p<0.05) till 5% inclusion level of MOSM while hen day production reduced with increasing levels of MOSM. It can thus be concluded that MOSM can be included for both genotypes up till 10% but YENLC would still perform better at 15% when compared with the Isa Brown hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexico is the main consumer of eggs worldwide with more than 23.22 kg of egg per capita per year. In recent years, production systems have diversified with the introduction of systems that promote animal welfare. The present study was carried out with the aim of comparing the quality of eggs produced in an outdoor pen system against those of a semitechnified cage system. The internal and external physical characteristics of the eggs were evaluated at 3 and 15 d after laying. The results of the present study showed that the egg produced in an outdoor pen system has less cleanliness (P<0.001), and lower quality (P<0.005) than eggs produced in the cage system, according to the classification of the Mexican Standard of “Poultry Products -fresh chicken egg- specifications and test methods” (NMX-FF-127-SCFI-2016). Finally, the storage time significantly decreased the quality of the egg produced in the outdoor pen system (P<0.001), but not that of the eggs from the conventional cage system. In conclusion, under the conditions of the present work, the quality of the egg from conventional systems is better than that of the egg produced in outdoor pen systems, especially after 15 d of storage. These results suggest that more studies are needed to evaluate the effects of management practices, preventive medicine and the environmental conditions of cage-free systems on animal health and final egg quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review gathered information about the reproduction and production performance of indigenous, exotic chickens and hybrids in Ethiopia. The indigenous chicken egg production performance under the backyard system within the ranges of 30-80 eggs per hen annually, with an average egg weight of 38-45 g, laying 10-15.7 eggs per month. Indigenous chicken eggs had a hatchability rate of 78.6-85.8%, however more than 40% of chicks died before reaching sexual maturity. At hatch, local chickens weigh 27.1-28.8 g, whereas at maturity they weigh 1300-1600 and 987-1300 g, respectively, and indigenous male and female chickens reach sexual maturity within 23.48-26 and 20-28 weeks, respectively. Each exotic chicken produces 135-185 eggs per year in the village with a 43-52.5 g weight, but it may rise to 250 eggs with a 60 g weight in the marketable sector. Exotic chickens were low in hatchability, 39.3-76.1%. While their cross laid 33 eggs in 3.1 clutches in 31.6-38 days and their eggs weighed 40-49 g with 67.9-85.8% hatchability. Cross-breed chickens and exotics produce a weight of 27-40.1 and 35.2-38.8 g respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper covers the review of diversified performance of laying traits of Bangladeshi indigenous chicken in both in situ and ex situ including few global studies. Indigenous chicken constitutes about 80% of the total chicken population in Bangladesh and their different genotypes distribute throughout the country having distinct morphological and productive characteristics. The common native genotypes (usually non-descript or deshi) provide 35-45 eggs annually with 83-96% egg fertility and 75-88% hatchability in free range while better performance is observed in extensive system. Although Naked Neck and Hilly chicken genotypes perform superior but they are not available like common deshi. The genetic improvement of laying traits is a challenging work for the village chicken in Bangladesh, however, the planned breeding strategies along with improvement management system could enhance the activity. The results presented in this review would be a guideline for selection of indigenous chicken to improve further its productivity and conservation aspect. Thus, a conceptual breeding strategy is proposed here for the improvement of laying traits in village chicken insitu as uncontrolled mating occurs there compared to ex-situ condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Which comes first, divine agency or the calculations of diviners? Both are integral to divination, other predictive methods, and the 'hatching out' of new creation stories among the Nuosu of Southwest China. In this article, I present ethnography on divination in which eggs evoke the person's position in the world while the bodies or bones of chickens are indices of health or prosperity. When cracking open raw eggs, peeling open slaughtered chickens, or reading chicken bones, diviners creatively draw upon the assistance of spirits and their own calculatory reflections in ways that encourage internal variation within their craft. Through case studies on illnesses and a new family tradition, I show that Nuosu inhabit a hybrid world that features cosmological proliferation, to which the creativity of divination responds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolactin (PRL) Gene in chicken was closely related to broodiness and brooding behavior that located at chromosome 2. This research was conducted to detect insertion/deletion (in/del) 24-bp polymorphism in the prolactin promoter gene and its association with the BC1 hybrid chicken egg productivity. Procedures of this research conducted are chicken maintenance, egg collection for 23 weeks of production, eggs proximate quality (water, ash, protein, carbohydrate, fat, and fiber percentage), DNA isolation, PRL gene amplification, and visualizing DNA bands on PRL promoters. The results showed the average number of cumulative eggs of BC1 chicken for 23 weeks was 42.9 eggs, lower than layer (104.34 eggs), and higher than pelung (30.17 eggs). Analysis using the pearson correlation test shows the frequency of insertion-deletion polymorphism alleles on the PRL promoter has a signification value of 0.521 and correlation value 0,684, so it is concluded that there is no correlation (P>0.05). Proximate test results of BC1 whole raw egg chicken has characteristics of low fat (3.2%) and high carbohydrate (9.1%) compared to commercial egg and has a calorie content of 98.37/100 g of the sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chicken keeping is a common thing with most household in rural areas of Nigeria. The birds are raised under extensive system of production with little or no feed provided by the farmers for the birds, hence there is the need to compare the rate of egg production of six different breeds of chickens reared under the same conditions in the rural areas. Twelve villages were randomly selected from the long list of villages in Kwara, 20 households per village and 4 villages per senatorial district, with a total coverage of 240 households for the study. The birds that were used for the study were indigenous chicken (Fulani), improved indigenous chickens (Shika Brown, Funaab Alpha and Noiler) and imported tropically adapted birds (Sasso and Kuroiler). Thirty six weeks old pre-vaccinated and brooded chickens of different breeds given to the farmers were managed under the traditional poultry scavenging system in all the three senatorial districts. The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used for the comparison between districts and breeds. There were no significant differences in egg production per senatorial district, egg production from different breeds and production from different senatorial districts remained averagely low. Low egg production by all the breeds showed that scavenging way of rural chicken production should be improved on for better productivity. This can be achieved through supplemental feed formulated and produced from locally available feed ingredients for the chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out to investigate the relationship among egg weight and their components in four genetic lines of Kurdish local chicken. 299 eggs were collected from four genetic lines of Kurdish local chicken. After collection, egg weight, yolk weight, albumin weight and shell weight were weighted to nearest (0.01g). The Two principal components (PC1 and PC2) were extracted in Black, Black with brown neck, White shank feather and white non-feathering shank, which explained (82.71, 80.45, 84.09, and 76.40) respectively, of total variation. Significant differences were observed between the four genetic lines (Black, Black with brown neck, white with shank feather, and white non-feathering shank). We found that egg weight highly (P<0.001) correlated with yolk (r2= 0.900, 0.822, 0.898, 0.690) respectively, albumin weight (r2= 0.498, 0.575, 0.524, 0.845) and shell weight (r2= 0.525, 0.549, 0.649, 0.339). It was concluded that egg weight and their component significantly differences among the groups due to the differences in genotypes. These finds could be used to improve egg quality and for selection criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organochlorine pesticides such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) have been used in agriculture and for disease control purposes over many decades. Reports suggest that DDT exposure may result in a number of adverse effects in humans. In the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa, DDT is sprayed annually in homes (indoor residual spraying) to control the mosquito vector of malaria. In the northern part of the Province, samples of free-range chicken meat (n = 48) and eggs (n = 13), and commercially produced chicken meat (n = 6) and eggs (n = 11), were collected and analysed. Of the free-range chicken meat samples, 94% (45/48) contained DDTs (ΣDDTs median 6.1 ng/g wet weight [ww], maximum 79.1 ng/g ww). Chicken egg contents were also contaminated (ΣDDTs in free-range eggs median 9544 ng/g ww, maximum 96.666 ng/g ww; and in commercial eggs median 1.3 ng/g ww, maximum 4.6 ng/g ww). The predominant DDT congener detected was p,pʹ-DDE in both free-range meat (>63%) and eggs (>66%), followed by p,pʹ-DDT and then p,pʹ-DDD. Based on estimated daily intake values, calculated human risk ratio (carcinogenic) values were >1 for DDTs detected in both free-range chicken products. Consumption of free-range eggs poses a particularly high health risk. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The residual levels of antibiotics in Vietnamese eggs were monitored from 2014 to 2015. A total of 111 egg packages, distributed by 11 different companies, were collected from supermarkets in Ho Chi Minh City and the levels of 28 antibiotics were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) screening method. Sixteen samples tested positive for antibiotics; a total of eight compounds (enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin, sulfadimethoxine, sulfamethazine, sulfamonomethoxine, tilmicosin and trimethoprim) were detected. Enrofloxacin was detected in eight samples, with two samples exhibiting concentrations exceeding 1,000 µg kg−1. Tilmicosin was detected in three samples at a range of 49–568 µg kg−1. We observed that two of the 11 companies frequently sold antibiotic-contaminated eggs (detection rates of 56 and 60%), suggesting that a number of companies do not regulate the use of antibiotics in egg-laying hens. Our findings indicate that livestock farmers require instruction regarding antibiotic use and that continual antibiotic monitoring is essential in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. To identify the origin of table eggs more accurately, a method based on hyperspectral imaging technology was studied. 2. The hyperspectral data of 200 samples of intensive and extensive eggs were collected. Standard normalised variables combined with a Savitzky–Golay were used to eliminate noise, then stepwise regression (SWR) was used for feature selection. Grid search algorithm (GS), genetic search algorithm (GA), particle swarm optimisation algorithm (PSO) and cuckoo search algorithm (CS) were applied by support vector machine (SVM) methods to establish an SVM identification model with the optimal parameters. The full spectrum data and the data after feature selection were the input of the model, while egg category was the output. 3. The SWR–CS–SVM model performed better than the other models, including SWR–GS–SVM, SWR–GA–SVM, SWR–PSO–SVM and others based on full spectral data. The training and test classification accuracy of the SWR–CS–SVM model were respectively 99.3% and 96%. 4. SWR–CS–SVM proved effective for identifying egg varieties and could also be useful for the non-destructive identification of other types of egg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutritional manipulation is relatively simple in the poultry field as long as the raw material of the laying hens is identified that ensures the bioavailability of the desired nutrient to be enriched in the egg. The purpose of this study is to characterize the nutritional and chemical ingredients of the recipe for laying hens and its effect on egg quality and the bio-productive performance of the hen. Thus, with regard to the chemical composition of the recipe used which was improved with 2 carotenoid additives with 2% lutein and zeaxanthin, respectively with 5% lutein and zeaxanthin compared to the control recipe, and the administration of these recipe to hens gives a better specific consumption compared to group M; With regard to the quality indices of the eggs obtained, a weight of 65.47 g was observed in the group of birds fed with AC1 2% and 65.25 g in the group in whose recipe AC1 was used 5% compared to the control group Where the average weight of the eggs was 64.13g. In terms of yolk colour, it had average values of 3.78 for group E1 and 4.14 for group E2. Thus, due to the use of raw materials enriched in lutein and zeaxanthin the colour intensity of the yolk was significantly higher compared to the M group (3.61%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been confirmed that mammalian sperm contain thousands of functional RNAs, and some of them have vital roles in fertilization and early embryonic development. Therefore, we attempted to characterize transcriptome of the sperm of fertile chickens using microarray analysis. Spermatozoal RNA was pooled from 10 fertile males and used for RNA preparation. Prior to performing the microarray, RNA quality was assessed using a bioanalyzer, and gDNA and somatic cell RNA contamination was assessed by CD4 and PTPRC gene amplification. The chicken sperm transcriptome was cross-examined by analysing sperm and testes RNA on a 4 × 44K chicken array, and results were verified by RT-PCR. Microarray analysis identified 21 639 predominantly nuclear-encoded transcripts in chicken sperm. The majority (66.55%) of the sperm transcripts were shared with the testes, while surprisingly, 33.45% transcripts were detected (raw signal intensity greater than 50) only in the sperm and not in the testes. The greatest proportion of up-regulated transcripts were responsible for signal transduction (63.20%) followed by embryonic development (56.76%) and cell structure (56.25%). Of the 20 most abundant transcripts, 18 remain uncharacterized, whereas the least abundant genes were mostly associated with the ribosome. These findings lay a foundation for more detailed investigations on sperm RNAs in chickens to identify sperm-based biomarkers for fertility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life history traits such as fecundity are important to evolution because they make up components of lifetime fitness. Due to their polygenic architectures, such traits are difficult to investigate with genetic mapping. Therefore, little is known about their molecular basis. One possible way toward finding the underlying genes is to map intermediary molecular phenotypes, such as gene expression traits. We set out to map candidate quantitative trait genes for egg fecundity in the chicken by combining quantitative trait locus mapping in an advanced intercross of wild by domestic chickens with expression quantitative trait locus mapping in the same birds. We measured individual egg fecundity in 232 intercross chickens in two consecutive trials, the second one aimed at measuring brooding. We found 12 loci for different aspects of egg fecundity. We then combined the genomic confidence intervals of these loci with expression quantitative trait loci from bone and hypothalamus in the same intercross. Overlaps between egg loci and expression loci, and trait-gene expression correlations identify 29 candidates from bone and five from hypothalamus. The candidate quantitative trait genes include fibroblast growth factor 1, and mitochondrial ribosomal proteins L42 and L32. In summary, we found putative quantitative trait genes for egg traits in the chicken that may have been affected by regulatory variants under chicken domestication. These represent, to the best of our knowledge, some of the first candidate genes identified by genome-wide mapping for life history traits in an avian species [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing systems for laying hens have changed over the years due to increased public concern regarding animal welfare. In terms of sustainability, animal welfare is just one aspect that needs to be considered. Social aspects as well as environmental and economic factors need to be included as well. In this study, we assessed the sustainability of enriched cage, barn, free-range, and organic egg production systems following a predefined protocol. Indicators were selected within the social, environmental, and economic dimensions, after which parameter values and sustainability limits were set for the core indicators in order to quantify sustainability. Uncertainty in the parameter values as well as assigned weights and compensabilities of the indicators influenced the outcome of the sustainability assessment. Using equal weights for the indicators showed that, for the Dutch situation, enriched cage egg production was most sustainable, having the highest score on the environmental dimension, whereas free-range egg production gave the highest score in the social dimension (covering food safety, animal welfare, and human welfare). In the economic dimension both enriched cage egg and organic egg production had the highest sustainability score. When weights were attributed according to stakeholder outputs, individual differences were seen, but the overall scores were comparable to the sustainability scores based on equal weights. The provided method enabled a quantification of sustainability using input from stakeholders to include societal preferences in the overall assessment. Allowing for different weights and compensabilities helps policymakers in communicating with stakeholders involved and provides a weighted decision regarding future housing systems for laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tosa-no-Onagadori (briefly Onagadori) is one of the native Japanese chickens that is characterized by extremely long tail feathers in males, and thus designated as a "Special National Natural Treasure" of Japan. We investigated the timing of sexual maturity of the Onagadori and White Leghorn hens and the quality of the first 10 eggs laid by these young hens to obtain basic information for reproducing the Onagadori efficiently and also to assess their usefulness as research material for quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of egg-related traits. Onagadori and White Leghorn hens reached sexual maturity at around 237 and 192 days of age, respectively. The repeatability, a genetic parameter, of 22 egg quality traits including weight, size, and color of the eggshell, albumen, and yolk was estimated to be 0.14-0.61 and 0.15-0.83 for the Onagadori and White Leghorn, respectively, which indicated the stability of Onagadori eggs as well as the White Leghorn and further suggested that young Onagadori hens lay eggs with suitable quality to produce more offspring from their earliest egg laying stage. Principal component analysis with the 22 egg quality traits revealed five principal components explaining 79.70% of the total phenotypic variance. One-way ANOVA revealed differences between the two breeds in PC2 (heights of the albumen and yolk, size of the whole egg, and weights of the whole egg and albumen), PC3 (eggshell color), and PC4 (weight, thickness, and strength of the eggshell), which means that besides cultural assets the Onagadori is also valuable for QTL analysis of egg-related traits, for which phenotypic differences are quite useful for detecting corresponding loci. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 14-wk study was conducted to determine the nutritional efficacy and metabolic impact of 2 types of microalgal biomass as alternative protein sources in laying hen diets. Shaver hens (total = 150 and 26 wk old) were fed 1 of 5 diets: a control or a defatted green microalgal biomass (DG; Desmodesmus spp.) at 25% and a full-fatted diatom biomass (FD; Staurosira spp.) at 11.7% inclusion with or without protease. This experiment consisted of 5 replicates per treatment and each replicate contained 6 hens individually reared in cages (1 hen for biochemical data/replicate). Despite decreased ADFI (P = 0.03), hens fed DG or FD had final BW, overall hen-day egg production, and egg quality similar to the controls. Feeding DG or FD did not alter plasma concentrations of insulin, glutamine, and uric acid or alkaline phosphatase activity at wk 8 or 14 but decreased plasma 3-methyhistine concentrations (P = 0.03) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activities (P < 0.001) at wk 14 and improved (P = 0.002) ileal total AA digestibility. Although DG or FD exhibited moderate effects on intestinal brush border protease activities and mRNA levels of duodenal transporters Pept1, Lat1, and Cat1, both substantially enhanced (P < 0.05) phosphorylation of hepatic protein synthesis key regulator S6 ribosomal protein (S6) and the ratio of phospho-S6 to S6 in the liver of hens. However, DG and FD manifested with different impacts on weights of egg and egg albumen, proteolytic activity of jejunal digesta, plasma TRAP activity, ileal total AA digestibility, and several intestinal genes and hepatic proteins. Supplemental protease in the DG and FD diets produced mixed effects on a number of measures. In conclusion, our findings revealed the feasibility of including greater levels of microalgal biomass as a source of feed protein for laying hens and a novel potential of the biomass in improving dietary protein digestion and body protein metabolism than previously perceived. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several plant-derived antimicrobials have been tested under laboratory or research farm conditions and have been shown to be effective in reducing the colonization and shedding of Salmonella Enteritidis from laying hens and broiler chickens when added to the feed. How well these particular compounds or essential oils work under commercial conditions is yet to be determined. Some of the practical implications of using these compounds in commercial poultry feed or diets are discussed in this paper. In general, an ample supply of many of these compounds exist, they are relatively easily mixed with other feed ingredients, and are effective at relatively small amounts. The cost of adding to the feed is still a variable and the total economic effect can only be estimated at this point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US egg industry has evolved considerably over recent decades by incorporating new technologies and production practices. To date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the resource demand and environmental effects of these changes. This study quantifies the environmental footprint of egg production supply chains in the United States for 2010 compared with 1960 using life cycle assessment. The analysis considers changes in both foreground (e.g., hen production performance) and background (e.g., efficiencies of energy provision, fertilizer production, production of feed inputs, and transport modes) system variables. The results revealed that feed efficiency, feed composition, and manure management are the 3 primary factors that determine the environmental impacts of US egg production. Further research and improvements in these areas will aid in continual reduction of the environmental footprint of the US egg industry over time. Per kilogram of eggs produced, the environmental footprint for 2010 is 65% lower in acidifying emissions, 71% lower in eutrophying emissions, 71% lower in greenhouse gas emissions, and 31% lower in cumulative energy demand compared with 1960. Table egg production was 30% higher in 2010; however, the total environmental footprint was 54% lower in acidifying emissions, 63% lower in eutrophying emissions, 63% lower in greenhouse gas emissions, and 13% lower in cumulative energy demand compared with 1960. Reductions in the environmental footprint over the 50-yr interval considered can be attributed to the following: 27 to 30% due to improved efficiencies of background systems, which outweighed the declining energy return on energy invested for primary energy sources; 30 to 44% due to changes in feed composition; and 28 to 43% due to improved bird performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Glucocorticoids (GCs) are vital for embryonic development and their bioactivity is regulated by the intracellular metabolism involving 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (11β-HSDs) and 20-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (20-HSD). Here we sought to reveal the differences in egg deposition of corticosterone and embryonic expression of corticosterone metabolic enzymes between slow and fast growing broiler chickens (Gallus gallus). Eggs of fast-growing breed contained significantly higher (P <0.05) corticosterone in the yolk and albumen, compared with that of a slow-growing breed. 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 were expressed in relatively higher abundance in the liver, kidney and intestine, following similar tissue-specific ontogenic patterns. In the liver, expression of both 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 was upregulated (P <0.05) towards hatching, yet 20-HSD displayed distinct pattern showing a significant decrease (P <0.05) on posthatch day 1 (D1). Hepatic mRNA expression of 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 was significantly higher in fast-growing chicken embryos at all the embryonic stages investigated and so was the hepatic protein content on embryonic day of 14 (E14) for 11β-HSD1 and on E14 and D1 for 11β-HSD2. 20-HSD mRNA was higher in fast-growing chicken embryos only on E14. Our data provide the first evidence that egg deposition of corticosterone, as well as the hepatic expression of glucocorticoid metabolic enzymes, differs between fast-growing and slow-growing chickens, which may account, to some extent, for the breed disparities in embryonic development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Immunoglobulin IgY is the major antibody produced by chickens (Gallus domesticus). After their V-C gene is rearranged in B cells, IgY is continually synthesized, excreted into the blood and transferred to the egg yolk, where it is accumulated. IgY is produced by hens to provide their offspring with an effective humoral immunity against the commonest avian pathogens until full maturation of their own immune system. In this review we aim to give an overview about the generation, structure, properties of IgY, as well as the advantages of chicken antibodies use over mammalian antibodies in immunodiagnostics and immunotherapy. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this study was to determine external and internal characteristics of rounded and oval eggs produced by light White Leghorns, semirustic Turquinos, and heavy-layers using a completely randomized design. Out of the 7 102 eggs collected at the 2nd and 3rd, 7th and 8th, and 10th and 11th months during the laying season, 3 554 were from light White Leghorns, 2 537 from semirustic Turquinos, and 1 011 from heavy-layers. Average mean values for volume coefficient (Kv) and surface coefficent (Ks) were 0,259 and 2,881, respectively, showing a statistical difference (P < 0,05) for the three breeds. Volume coefficients for small rounded, normal rounded, and large rounded eggs were 0,533a, 0,528b, and 0,523c, respectively, white small oval, normal oval, and large oval eggs showed volume coefficients of 0,534d, 0,531e, and 5,27f, respectively. With regard to small, normal, and large rounded eggs, surface coefficients were 2,894b, 2,893c, and 2,875b, respectively, while small, normal, and large oval eggs exhibited surface coefficients of 2,876c, 2,888bc, and 2,846a, respectively. Volume (cm²) values were 52,68a, 57,11b, and 52,46c, and surface area values were 67,63a, 71,71b, and 64,23c for light White Leghorns, semirustic Turquinos, and heavylayers, respectively with a statistical difference of P < 0,05. Other values estimated were shell thickness (0,36a, 0,36a, 0,33b) and pores (160a, 158b, and 149c) for the three breeds, showing significant differences among them. Yolk indexes were 0,41a, 0,42b, and 0,46c, while Haught units were 86,3a, 69,4b, and 73,3c with significant differences (P < 0,05) among the three breeds. Albumen index was the same for all breeds. Findings suggest eggs potential hatchability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, we reported a method for discriminating a Japanese brand of chicken, the Hinai-jidori. As an application of this method for discriminating Hinai-jidori eggs, we here report an efficient method for extracting maternal DNA from eggshells. Eggshell powder was completely decalcified with EDTA solution, and then DNA was isolated by conventional phenol-chloroform extraction and ethanol precipitation. The efficiency of DNA recovery from eggshells was 50-fold higher than that of a previously reported method. The recovered DNA could be used for PCR, and 10 markers for identifying the Hinai-jidori chicken were detected. The genotypes of the Hinai-jidori exactly matched those of the Hinai-dori breed. Using this method, Hinai-jidori and Hinai-dori eggs could be distinguished from the eggs of Rhode Island Reds. This is the first report of a technique that can be used to discriminate the eggs of Hinai-jidori from those of other chickens, and it can also be utilized to validate the labeling of Hinai-jidori eggs in the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Carotenoids are pigments responsible for the red, orange and yellow coloration of plants and animals. They may be beneficial in two ways; they have a powerful antioxidant activity, and they can behave as an immunostimulant. Animals however cannot synthesize carotenoids de novo, they must obtain them through their diet. In our experiments on Canaries, we investigated how mothers transfer their dietary carotenoid-related benefits to their offspring; either through the egg, or through the diet (during chicks'' feeding). Female Canaries were allowed to access β-carotene enriched food during egg formation and/or chicks'' feeding. We sorted the chicks into four groups using the period when they assimilated the beta-carotene as a variable. The four groups were: (i) before hatching (from yolk), (ii) after hatching (from maternal feeding), (iii) before and after hatching, or (iv) never. Colorimetry and HPLC analysis from sub-samples of yolks confirmed the maternal transfer of dietary carotenoids to the yolk. Our results show that benefits from maternal dietary carotenoids are transferred to the chicks, but according to the period when they are assimilated by the chicks, the physiological effects are different. It was found that the chicks'' growth was enhanced when carotenoids were assimilated both before and after hatching. However an increase in cellular immunity efficiency only occurs when the assimilation takes place after hatching. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The role of the egg is 2-fold - protection of the contents and conditioning the incubation. We used a variety of search engines to collate literature pertinent to the ostrich egg from PubMed, Medline, and Agricola. An ostrich egg weighs ca. 1.5 kg, and the mean length and width are 156 and 129 mm, respectively. The vertical and horizontal circumferences reach a maximum of 45 and 40 cm, respectively. Average internal volume is ca. 1350 ml. The mean weight of albumen in a 1500 g ostrich egg reaches 900 g, with a 317 g yolk and a 296 g voided shell. The shell thickness ranges from 1.6 to 2.2 mm. Instron-determination of the eggshell strength reached some 70 kg (~686 N), while that of chicken eggshells was 3-4 kg. Thus, an ostrich egg can potentially withstand the weight of an adult human being. The egg that possesses the best genetic manifestations of size and shape is likely to be located in the centre of a nest, thus providing optimal incubating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of 252, 70 week old, single comb white leghorn hens at the end of their first production cycle were divided into two groups: group-I; molted by fasting and group-II; by high dietary zinc to obtain the second and third production cycle. Sampling was carried out at 5%, peak and end of the second production cycle and at 5% and peak of the third production cycle. Serum zinc decreased at the peak of the second production cycle, while increased at the 5% of the third production cycle in zinc-molted group. Serum copper and manganese increased at the 5% and peak of the second production cycle in zinc-molted group. Egg albumin zinc and copper increased at the 5% and peak of the second as well as third production cycles in zinc-molted group. Egg albumin manganese increased at 5% during the second production cycle in fasting molted group. Egg yolk zinc increased at the peak of the second production cycle in zinc-molted group. Egg yolk copper increased at the 5% of second production cycle but decreased during the third production cycle in zinc-molted group. Egg yolk manganese increased at the 5% and at the end of the second production cycle in zinc molted group. Egg yolk manganese and iron decreased during the third production cycle in zinc-molted group. Eggshell zinc decreased at the end of the second production cycle in the zinc-molted group, while eggshell copper increased at the peak of the second as well as third production cycles in fasting molted group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To decrease dioxin uptake by the general population the European Union (EU) has set limits to the dioxin content of many foodstuffs including eggs. Eggs from free foraging chickens are known to have a higher dioxin content compared with confined laying hens, and the question is whether these eggs can adhere to current EU regulations. The aim of the study was to investigate parameters that are involved in the contamination of eggs from chickens raised under organic conditions. Samples from 34 organic farms including soil and earthworm samples were collected between September and December of the year 2003. Dioxin levels were assayed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Various parameters were collected by on farm interviews. Egg dioxin content varied between 0.4 and 8.1 pg of toxic equivalents (TEQ)/g of egg fat with a mean of 2.2 pg of TEQ/g of egg fat. Nine out of 34 farms exceeded the EU limit of 3 pg of TEQ/g of egg fat. In addition, dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DL-PCB) were measured, and 8 samples exceeded the limit for the sum of dioxins and DL-PCB. Overall, egg samples from 10 farms were noncompliant with the dioxin or total TEQ limits. No statistically significant relation could be observed between egg dioxin levels and the concentration observed in soil or earth- worms. A statistically significant association was observed between flock size and egg dioxin and DL-PCB content. This effect is most likely attributable to the fact that flock size is related to the time chickens spend outside. Restricting outdoor run use on one of the farms resulted in a decrease of the egg dioxin content to a level that was within the EU limits. This demonstrates that the most likely contamination source is the soil or soil organisms but that the behavior of the hens determines the extent of the contamination. Following the completion of this study, a dioxin monitoring protocol has been set up in the Netherlands to prevent marketing of eggs with raised dioxin levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This trial examined effects of lutein supplied from maternal (i.e., in ovo) and dietary routes on cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity responses in chickens. Chicks hatched from one of two in ovo carotenoid levels (n =100/level; carotenoid-replete or carotenoid-deplete eggs) were fed one of two diet lutein levels (0 or 40 mg diet lutein/kg diet). At 14 d post-hatch, phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was injected into the wing web, and thickness and leukocyte populations were measured at 0 to 48 h. PHA increased wing web thickness at 4 to 48 h post-PHA (p <0.05), and the swelling response was most related to macrophage numbers in the wing web. Swelling occurred more rapidly in chicks from carotenoid-deplete eggs (p <0.05), but eventually reached a greater thickness in chicks from carotenoid-replete eggs (p <0.05). Differences in leukocyte infiltration occurred due to diet and in ovo carotenoid exposure, and indicate that pre- and post-hatch carotenoid exposure had additive or synergistic effects on the PHA-induced wing web response. Evaluation of the cellular contents of the injection site is a much better indicator of the immunomodulatory effects of lutein than measurements of the amount of swelling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A rapid immunochromatographic assay (ICA) was developed and validated for the detection of sulfadiazine in eggs and chickens. Based on the competitive reaction mechanism, the competitor of sulfadiazine (sulfadiazine–BSA conjugate) was immobilized to the defined detection zone on a nitrocellulose membrane which acted as the capture reagent, and the monoclonal antibody against sulfadiazine was conjugated to colloidal gold particles which served as the detection reagent for the preparation of the immunochromatographic strips to test sulfadiazine. With this method, the semi-quantitative detection of sulfadiazine was accomplished in less than 15min, with high sensitivity to sulfadiazine (5ng/g) and low cross-reactivities with other sulfonamides. With experimental egg and chicken samples spiked with sulfadiazine at concentrations of 10, 20, and 100ng/g, recoveries were demonstrated to be from 71% to 97% in egg samples and 71% to 95% in chicken samples. This method was compared with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by testing 52 egg samples from the animal experiment, and compared with the high-performance liquid chromatographic method by testing 56 chicken samples, with an agreement rate of 100% for both comparisons, by using the maximum allowed residue of sulfadiazine (i.e. 100ng/g) as the cut-off level as set by the European Union and China. The accuracy of ICA was also confirmed in an initial study with marketed egg and chicken samples. In conclusion, the method is rapid and accurate for the detection of sulfadiazine in eggs and chickens. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Since foodstuffs from animal origin and particularly poultry products have been pointed out several times as reservoir of dioxins and related compounds, notably in Belgium few years ago, food chain safety issues appeared. Although food chain contamination incidents occurred many times through contaminated feedstuffs consumption in commercial chicken farms, very few studies have been carried out on transfer of dioxins and related compounds from commercial feed to hens. The present work continues a preliminary study on dioxin transfer in laying chickens carried out in our lab and available on-line on November 2004 in Environment International. In this work, absorption of dioxins were not preferential for 2,3,7,8-substituted congeners, increase with increasing number of chlorines, and was not linearly dependent of the octanol/water partition. Only 2,3,7,8-congeners were found in all organs studied, and these latter showed the same congener profile and similar lipid-normalized concentration, except for the liver. Abdominal fat and liver seemed to be the major storage sites and the liver preferentially retained highly chlorinated congeners. Unfortunately in this previous trial, laying process stopped very early for unknown reason leading to a considerable lost of information. In the present toxicokinetic study, more complete gastrointestinal absorption, excretion in eggs and bioaccumulation of dioxins in different tissues were investigated in chickens fed for 14 weeks with a 9 ng TEQ/kg contaminated feed. Stable levels were reached after 7 weeks in excreta and 9 weeks in eggs. During the whole trial, gastrointestinal absorption ranged between 41% and 91% depending on the congener. At steady state conditions, excretion of 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDD, OCDD, 1,2,3,4,6,7,8-HpCDF and OCDF exceeded 100% demonstrating excretion from tissues of these congeners which were also the most abundant in feed. 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDF, 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,6,7,8-HxCDF, 1,2,3,7,8,9-HxCDF and 2,3,4,6,7,8-HxCDF seemed to be metabolized more efficiently. Lipid adjusted concentrations and pattern were unexpectedly similar in the abdominal fat and the liver. On the contrary, eggs and breast muscles showed different pattern with higher level for high chlorinated congeners. When extrapolating our results, we found that a feed containing 0.750 ng TEQ/kg of dioxins (European norm for feedstuff) would cause a level lower than the maximum threshold level of 3 pg TEQ/g fat for chicken eggs fixed by European Communities. Nevertheless, a concentration lower than 0.6 ng TEQ/kg in feed would be needed to produce breast muscles less contaminated than 2 pg TEQ/g fat authorized in European. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To determine the effect of the age of the breeder hen on the weight of the egg, the loss of humidity during incubation (%) at 444 hours, hatchability (%), initial chick mass (g) and hatching time at 492 ± 1 y 504 ± 1 hours, and embryo mortality rate at each stage was evaluated. Five reproductive ages (30, 36, 40, 46 y 53 weeks) were used and 3,780 fertile eggs were assigned to 5 treatments with 6 repetitions of each, weighing each individual egg at the beginning of the experiment. An analysis of variance with a complete random design was used. The weight of the egg was different between treatments (P<0.05); the loss of humidity did not differ (P>0.05); the hatchability was higher (P<0.05) in treatments of 30, 36 and 40 weeks; the weight of the chicks were higher in relation to the increase of age of the mother, the best quantity of chicks hatched at 492 ± 1 hours was in the groups of 30 to 40 weeks; and there was no difference in the percentage of hatching at 504 ± 1 hours. Differences between treatments was shown in the rate of embryo mortality in stages II and IV (P<0.05). The best results in the parameters evaluated were observed when the breeder hen had an age between 30 to 40 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The primary purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which the effects of dietary supplementation of the female chicken with selenium (Se) continue into the next generation. An additional aim is to compare the relative effectiveness of pre-hatch (from the hen''s diet) with that of post-hatch (from the progeny''s diet) supplementation with Se on the Se status of the chick during the first 4 weeks of post-hatch life. Hens were maintained on control or Se-supplemented diets, respectively containing 0.027 and 0.419 μg Se/g of feed. The high-Se diet elevated the Se content of the hens'' eggs by 7.1-fold. At hatch, the concentrations of Se in the liver, breast muscle and whole blood of the chicks originating from the high-Se parents were, respectively, 5.4-, 4.3- and 7.7-fold higher than the values in the chicks of the low-Se parents. When the offspring from the two parental groups were both maintained on the low-Se progeny diet, the tissue Se concentrations in chicks originating from the high-Se hens remained significantly higher for 3–4 weeks after hatching, compared with the values in chicks from the low-Se hens. Similarly, tissue glutathione peroxidase activity remained significantly higher in chicks from the high-Se hens for 2–4 weeks post-hatch. Thus, the effects of maternal Se supplementation persist in the progeny for several weeks after hatching. However, when chicks hatching from low-Se eggs were placed on a high Se diet, their tissue Se concentrations at 7 days of age were markedly higher than the values in chicks from high-Se eggs placed on the low-Se diet. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nicarbazin and halofuginone have been widely used as coccidiostats for the prevention and treatment of coccidiosis in poultry. It has been shown that accidental cross-contamination of feed can lead to residues of these compounds in eggs and/or muscle. This paper describes a direct competitive assay for detecting halofuginone and nicarbazin, developed as qualitative screening assay. In an optimized competitive ELISA, antibodies showed 50% binding inhibition at approximately 0.08?ng?ml -1 for halofuginone and 2.5?ng?ml -1 for dinitrocarbanilide (marker residue for nicarbazin). Extraction from the matrix was carried out with acetonitrile followed by a wash with hexane. The assay's detection capability (CCß) for halofuginone was <0.5?µg?kg -1 in egg and <1?µg?kg -1 in muscle. For dinitrocarbanilide, the CCß was estimated at <3?µg?kg -1 in egg and <10?µg?kg -1 in chicken muscle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts on the use of amino acids in animal nutrition. "Comparison of Methionine Sources Based on an Equimolar Trial Design With Broiler Chickens in Brazil," by S. Vieira, D. Hoehler, A. Lemme, A. Kessler, S. Pophal, A. Ebert and G. Eichner; "The Methionine Requirements of Chicks and Hens Fed Corn and Peanut Meal or Soybean Meal Based Diets," by G.M. Pesti, R.I. Bakalli, J.P. Driver; "Effect of Dietary Trytophan on Growth and Stress of Boiler Chicks," by A. Corzo, M.T. Kidd, J.P. Thaxton and B.J. Kerr.

Presents abstracts of several studies on the nutrition of poultry animals. "Requirement of Methionine of Broilers During Finishing Period," by F. Liu, Z. Niu and S. Zhai; "Impact of Methionine Source and Excess Choline or Betaine on Growth Performance of Broilers During the Starter Period," by P. B. Pillai and colleagues; "Justifying Effects of Grain Particle Size on Broiler Performance and Carcass Quality," by A. S. Parsons and J. S. Moritz.

Presents abstracts on the use of amino acids in animal nutrition. "Comparison of Methionine Sources Based on an Equimolar Trial Design With Broiler Chickens in Brazil," by S. Vieira, D. Hoehler, A. Lemme, A. Kessler, S. Pophal, A. Ebert and G. Eichner; "The Methionine Requirements of Chicks and Hens Fed Corn and Peanut Meal or Soybean Meal Based Diets," by G.M. Pesti, R.I. Bakalli, J.P. Driver; "Effect of Dietary Trytophan on Growth and Stress of Boiler Chicks," by A. Corzo, M.T. Kidd, J.P. Thaxton and B.J. Kerr.

Presents abstracts of several studies on the nutrition of poultry animals. "Requirement of Methionine of Broilers During Finishing Period," by F. Liu, Z. Niu and S. Zhai; "Impact of Methionine Source and Excess Choline or Betaine on Growth Performance of Broilers During the Starter Period," by P. B. Pillai and colleagues; "Justifying Effects of Grain Particle Size on Broiler Performance and Carcass Quality," by A. S. Parsons and J. S. Moritz.

Presents abstracts on the use of amino acids in animal nutrition. "Comparison of Methionine Sources Based on an Equimolar Trial Design With Broiler Chickens in Brazil," by S. Vieira, D. Hoehler, A. Lemme, A. Kessler, S. Pophal, A. Ebert and G. Eichner; "The Methionine Requirements of Chicks and Hens Fed Corn and Peanut Meal or Soybean Meal Based Diets," by G.M. Pesti, R.I. Bakalli, J.P. Driver; "Effect of Dietary Trytophan on Growth and Stress of Boiler Chicks," by A. Corzo, M.T. Kidd, J.P. Thaxton and B.J. Kerr.

Presents abstracts of several studies on the nutrition of poultry animals. "Requirement of Methionine of Broilers During Finishing Period," by F. Liu, Z. Niu and S. Zhai; "Impact of Methionine Source and Excess Choline or Betaine on Growth Performance of Broilers During the Starter Period," by P. B. Pillai and colleagues; "Justifying Effects of Grain Particle Size on Broiler Performance and Carcass Quality," by A. S. Parsons and J. S. Moritz.

Egg-yolk antibodies induced by immunizing hens with selected Escherichia coli antigens were evaluated for their ability to protect broiler chickens against respiratory/septicemic disease caused by avian pathogenic E. coli (APEC). Seven groups of broiler breeder hens were vaccinated three times, 1 week apart with live E. coli, killed E. coli, E. coli antigens [lipopolysaccharide (LPS), type 1 pilus adhesin (FimH), P pilus adhesin (PapG), aerobactin outer membrane receptor (IutA)] or phosphate buffered saline (PBS). An O78 APEC strain was used for preparation of all the antigens. Egg yolk immunoglobulins (IgY) were purified from eggs of each group and antibody activity in serum and purified IgY was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). IgY (100 mg) was injected intramuscularly into 11-day-old broiler chickens, which were challenged 3 days later with homologous (O78) or heterologous (O1 or O2) E. coli by the intra-air sac route. Mortality was recorded and surviving chickens were euthanized 1 week after the challenge and examined for macroscopic lesions. Passive antibodies against all antigens except FimH were protective (90–100%) against the homologous challenge, but only anti-PapG and anti-IutA were effective against heterologous challenge. Anti-PapG IgY provided the greatest protection against the three serogroups of E. coli used for challenge. Hence vaccination of broiler breeders to induce anti-PapG and anti-IutA antibodies may provide passive protection of progeny chicks against respiratory/septicemic disease caused by APEC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

o. sahin, p. kobalka and q. zhang. 2003. Campylobacter jejuni, a food-borne human pathogen, is widespread in poultry; however, the sources of infection and modes of transmission of this organism on chicken farms are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine if vertical transmission of C. jejuni occurs via eggs. Using a temperature differential method, it was shown that Campylobacter had limited ability to penetrate the eggshell. When C. jejuni was directly inoculated into the egg yolk and the eggs were stored at 18°C, the organism was able to survive for up to 14 days. However, viability of C. jejuni was dramatically shortened when injected into the albumen or the air sac. When freshly laid eggs from Campylobacter-inoculated specific pathogen-free (SPF) layers were tested, C. jejuni-contamination was detected in three of 65 pooled whole eggs (5–10 eggs in each pool) via culture and PCR. However, the organism was not detected from any of the 800 eggs (80 pools), collected from the same SPF flock, but kept at 18°C for 7 days before testing. Likewise, Campylobacter was not recovered from any of 500 fresh eggs obtained from commercial broiler-breeder flocks that were actively shedding Campylobacter in faeces. Also, none of the 1000 eggs from broiler breeders obtained from a commercial hatchery were positive for Campylobacter. These results suggest that vertical transmission of C. jejuni through the egg is probably a rare event and does not play a major role in the introduction of Campylobacter to chicken flocks. Control of Campylobacter transmission to chicken flocks should focus on sources of infection that are not related to eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim residues in eggs can cause risks to human health. The most common cause of residues in eggs results from failure to meet an appropriate withdrawal interval. The aim of this study was to determine the quantity and duration of sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim residues in eggs and evaluate the drug elimination parameters in egg components and whole egg to better estimate the withdrawal interval of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim following oral administration for 7 days at a purposed dosage regimen (time average 46 mg kg−1 day−1 for sulfamethoxazole, time average 25 mg kg−1 day−1 for trimethoprim). Residues of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim in albumen and yolk were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A greater percentage of sulfamethoxazole was distributed into the albumen (91.53–96.74%) and a greater percentage of trimethoprim was distributed into yolk (63.92–77.36%) during treatment. The residues levels in whole egg declined below or reached the limit of quantification until 13 days for SMZ and TMP respectively. The withdrawal interval for SMZ and TMP were 43 days and 17 days respectively using the FDA tolerance method. • A greater percentage of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim was distributed into the albumen and yolk, respectively. • The excretion rate via whole eggs was greater for trimethoprim than sulfamethoxazole during first 10 days after last dose. • Withdrawal interval for sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim was 43 days and 17 days, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scaffoldin, an S100 fused-type protein (SFTP) with high amino acid sequence similarity to the mammalian hair follicle protein trichohyalin, has been identified in reptiles and birds, but its functions are not yet fully understood. Here, we investigated the expression pattern of scaffoldin and cornulin, a related SFTP, in the developing beaks of birds. We determined the mRNA levels of both SFTPs by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in the beak and other ectodermal tissues of chicken (Gallus gallus) and quail (Coturnix japonica) embryos. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to localize scaffoldin in tissues. Scaffoldin and cornulin were expressed in the beak and, at lower levels, in other embryonic tissues of both chickens and quails. Immunohistochemistry revealed scaffoldin in the peridermal compartment of the egg tooth, a transitory cornified protuberance (caruncle) on the upper beak which breaks the eggshell during hatching. Furthermore, scaffoldin marked a multilayered peridermal structure on the lower beak. The results of this study suggest that scaffoldin plays an evolutionarily conserved role in the development of the avian beak with a particular function in the morphogenesis of the egg tooth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, liquid egg, albumen, and egg yolk were artificially inoculated with E. coli. Ultrasound equipment (20/40 kHz, 180/300 W; 30/45/60 min) with a circulation cooling system was used to lower the colony forming units (CFU) of E. coli samples. Frequency, absorbed power, energy dose, and duration of sonication showed a significant impact on E. coli with 0.5 log CFU/mL in albumen, 0.7 log CFU/mL in yolk and 0.5 log CFU/mL decrease at 40 kHz and 6.9 W absorbed power level. Significant linear correlation (p < 0.001) was observed between the energy dose of sonication and the decrease of E. coli. The results showed that sonication can be a useful tool as a supplementary method to reduce the number of microorganism in egg products. With near-infrared (NIR) spectra analysis we were able to detect the structural changes of the egg samples, due to ultrasonic treatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that sonication can alter C–H, C–N, –OH and N–H bonds in egg. The aquagrams showed that sonication can alter the properties of H2O structure in egg products. The observed data showed that the absorbance of free water (1412 nm), water molecules with one (1440 nm), two (1462 nm), three (1472 nm) and four (1488 nm) hydrogen bonds, water solvation shell (1452 nm) and strongly bonded water (1512 nm) of the egg samples have been changed during ultrasonic treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents abstracts of several studies on poultry processing and products. "Preparation and Characteristics of Spent Hen Meat Enzymatic Hydrolysate," by O. Sangthcrapitikul, Y. C. Chen and T. C. Chen; "Listeria Monocytogenes Prevalence and Distribution Within a Poultry Further Processing Plant Over 12 Months," by M. E. Berrang, R. J. Meinersmann, J. F. Frank and D. P. Smith; "Effects of Extended Storage on Egg Quality Factors," by D. R. Jones and M. T. Musgrove; "Chemical Analyses of Commercial Shell Egg Wash Water Collected From Three Different Operations," by J. K. Northcutt, M. T. Musgrove and D. R. Jones.

Presents abstracts of several studies on poultry processing and products. "Preparation and Characteristics of Spent Hen Meat Enzymatic Hydrolysate," by O. Sangthcrapitikul, Y. C. Chen and T. C. Chen; "Listeria Monocytogenes Prevalence and Distribution Within a Poultry Further Processing Plant Over 12 Months," by M. E. Berrang, R. J. Meinersmann, J. F. Frank and D. P. Smith; "Effects of Extended Storage on Egg Quality Factors," by D. R. Jones and M. T. Musgrove; "Chemical Analyses of Commercial Shell Egg Wash Water Collected From Three Different Operations," by J. K. Northcutt, M. T. Musgrove and D. R. Jones.

Presents abstracts of several studies on poultry processing and products. "Preparation and Characteristics of Spent Hen Meat Enzymatic Hydrolysate," by O. Sangthcrapitikul, Y. C. Chen and T. C. Chen; "Listeria Monocytogenes Prevalence and Distribution Within a Poultry Further Processing Plant Over 12 Months," by M. E. Berrang, R. J. Meinersmann, J. F. Frank and D. P. Smith; "Effects of Extended Storage on Egg Quality Factors," by D. R. Jones and M. T. Musgrove; "Chemical Analyses of Commercial Shell Egg Wash Water Collected From Three Different Operations," by J. K. Northcutt, M. T. Musgrove and D. R. Jones.