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Objective: The aim of study was to investigate the effects of in-feed supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) on growth performance, gut integrity, and microbiota modulations in red-feathered native chickens (RFCs). Methods: A total of 18,000 RFCs in a commercial farm were evenly assigned into two dietary treatments (control diet; 0.05% BA and 0.05% SC) by randomization and raised for 11 weeks in two separate houses. Fifty RFCs in each group were randomly selected and raised in the original house with the partition for performance evaluations at the age of 9 and 11 weeks. Six non-partitioned RFCs per group were randomly selected for analyses of intestinal architecture and 16S rRNA metagenomics. Results: Feeding BA and SC increased the body weight and body weight gain, significantly at the age of 11 weeks (p<0.05). The villus height/crypt ratio in the small intestines and Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio were also notably increased (p<0.05). The supplementation did not disturb the microbial community structure but promote the featured microbial shifts characterized by the significant increments of Bernesiella, Prevotellaceae_NK3B31_group, and Butyrucimonas, following remarkable decrements of Bacteroides, Rikenellaceae_RC9_ gut_group, and Succinatimonas in RFCs with growth benefits. Besides, functional pathways of peptidoglycan biosynthesis, nucleotide excision repair, glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and aminoacyl transfer ribonucleic acid (tRNA) biosynthesis were significantly promoted (p< 0.05). Conclusion: In-feed supplementation of BA and SC enhanced the growth performance, improved mucosal architectures in small intestines, and modulated the cecal microbiota and metabolic pathways in RFCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study assessed the effects of probiotics on cecal microbiota, gene expression of intestinal tight junction proteins, and immune response in the cecal tonsil of broiler chickens challenged with Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica. Methods: One-day-old broiler chickens (n = 240) were randomly allocated to four treatments: negative control (Cont), multi-strain probiotic-treated group (Pro), Salmonella-infected group (Sal), and multi-strain probiotic-treated and Salmonella-infected group (ProSal). All chickens except those in the Cont and Pro groups were gavaged with 1×108 cfu/mL of S. enterica subsp. enterica 4 days after hatching. Results: Our results indicated that body weight, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio of birds were significantly reduced (p<0.05) by Salmonella challenge. Chickens challenged with Salmonella decreased cecal microbial diversity. Chickens in the Sal group exhibited abundant Proteobacteria than those in the Cont, Pro, and ProSal groups. Salmonella infection downregulated gene expression of Occludin, zonula occludens-1 (ZO1), and Mucin 2 in the jejunum and Occludin and Claudin in the ileum. Moreover, the Sal group increased gene expression of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1ß, and lipopolysaccharide-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha factor (LITAF) and reduced levels of transforming growth factor-ß4 and IL-10 compared with the other groups (p<0.05). However, chickens receiving probiotic diets increased Lactobacillaceae abundance and reduced Enterobacteriaceae abundance in the ceca. Moreover, supplementation with probiotics increased the mRNA expression of Occludin, ZO1, and Mucin 2 in the ileum (p<0.05). In addition, probiotic supplementation downregulated the mRNA levels of IFN-γ (p<0.05) and LITAF (p = 0.075) and upregulated IL-10 (p = 0.084) expression in the cecal tonsil. Conclusion: The administration of multi-strain probiotics modulated intestinal microbiota, gene expression of tight junction proteins, and immunomodulatory activity in broiler chickens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of a multi-strain probiotic combined with Gardeniae fructus on the growth performance, intestinal microbiota composition and metabolites, and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. The dietary treatments included the basal diet without any antimicrobials (C), the basal diet supplemented with 10 ppm avilamycin (A), the basal diet supplemented with 0.1% multi-strain probiotics powder containing Lactobacillus acidophilus LAP5, L. fermentum P2, L. casei L21, and Pediococcus acidophilus LS (1×107 CFU/g) (P), and the basal diet supplemented with a mixture of 0.1% multi-strain probiotics and 0.05% herbal medicine G. fructus (PH). The results showed no significant differences in growth performance across all groups. A denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the groups PH, P, and A exhibited an increase in the similarity coefficients of their intestinal microbial populations. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis showed that the relative concentrations of Firmicutes and Lactobacillus in the cecum and Bifidobacterium spp. in the ileum were higher in the groups PH, P, and A than in group C, and the diet supplemented with multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus decreased the concentrations of cecal Escherichia spp. and Clostridium perfringens. The broilers fed with multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus showed a significant increase (P<0.05) in the cecal short-chain fatty acids (total SCFA, acetic acid, and butyric acid) compared to the other groups. The treatment with antibiotics, multi-strain probiotics, or multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus increased the villus height/crypt depth ratio in the ileum of broilers. In conclusion, the supplementation of multi-strain probiotics combined with G. fructus was beneficial to the intestinal microflora composition, metabolites, and morphology in broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This research aimed to explore the changes in the observed abdominal sagging index (ASI) and reproductive performance of Roman male and female geese during the breeding period. Methods: The 339 six-month-old breeding geese (109 male; 230 female) were used in this study, in which five male and five female geese were slaughtered on a monthly basis to record the ASI. Results: The short diameter of the testes of the male goose when the female goose lays eggs and in the second, third, and fourth months was significantly wider than in the fifth months (19.0, 20.8, 21.4, and 19.6 vs 12.7 and 14.0 mm/bird; p = 0.0105). On the other hand, the testicular weight of the male goose in the second and third months after the female goose lays eggs was significantly higher than that in the second and fifth months after laying (0.33% and 0.37% vs 0.11% and 0.19%; p = 0.0212). During the exploring period, the length and weight of the fallopian tube, the weight of the ovary, the number of follicles in 2 to 3 cm, the number of follicles in 3 to 4 cm, the fallopian tube weight in the carcass weight percentage, and the ovary weight in the carcass weight percentage all demonstrated a significant curve response. Further, female ASI was positively correlated with reproductive tract length (r = 0.815; p<0.05) and egg production per female (r = 0.790; p<0.05). Conclusion: The ASI classification method is more objective and easy to distinguish. This scoring method has a high correlation with the number of eggs laid by each goose and the length of the reproductive tract, inferring that the goose observation could take advantage of ASI during egg-laying and can predict the reproductive system development during the laying period and determine when the breeding goose begins to lay eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To improve the feeding value of rice straw (RS), this study evaluated the potential of rice straw fermented with Pleurotus sajor-caju (FRS) as dairy goat feed. Methods: Spent Pleurotus sajor-caju mushroom substrate was used as fungi inoculum to break the lignocellulose linkage of rice straw, which was solid-fermented at 25°C to 30°C for 8 weeks. The ruminal degradation of pangolagrass hay (PG), FRS, and RS were measured in situ for 96 hours in three dry Holstein cows, respectively. Effect of fungi fermented RS on milking performance was studied in feeding trials. A total of 21 Alpine goats a trial were divided into 3 groups: a control group in which PG accounted for 15% of the diet dry matter, and FRS or RS was used to replace the PG in the control group. Goats were fed twice a day under two 28-day trial in individual pens. Meanwhile, a 3×3 Latin square trial (14 days/period) was conducted to study the rumen digestion of three diets by using three fistulated dry goats. Rumen contents were collected for metabolite analyses every one to three hours on the last two days. Results: In situ study showed that fermentation could elevate the rumen degradable fraction and effective degradability of RS (p<0.05). Effective degradability of FRS dry matter was significantly increased from 29.5% of RS to 41.7%. Lactating trial results showed that dry matter intake and milk yield in the PG group and FRS group were similar and higher than those in RS group (p<0.05). The concentration of propionic acid and total volatile fatty acid in the RS group tended to be lower than those in PG group (p<0.10). There were no differences in rumen pH value and ammonia nitrogen level among the groups tested. Conclusion: Fermentation of rice straw by spent Pleurotus sajor-caju mushroom substrate could substantially enhance its feeding value to be equivalent to PG as an effective fiber source for dairy goat. The fermented rice straw is recommended to account for 15% in diet dry matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different amounts of wheat bran (WB) inclusion and postbiotics form by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and phytase cofermented wheat bran (FWB) on the growth performance and health status of broilers. Methods: Study randomly allocated a total of 300 male broilers to a control and 4 treatment groups (5% WB, 5% FWB, 10% WB, and 10% FWB inclusion, respectively) with each pen having 20 broilers and 3 pens per treatment. Results: The WB does not contain enzymes, but there are 152.8, 549.2, 289.5, and 147.1 U/g dry matter xylanase, protease, cellulase and ß-glucanase in FWB, respectively. Furthermore, FWB can decrease nitric oxide release of lipopolysaccharide stimulated chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells by about two times. Results show that 10% FWB inclusion had significantly the highest weight gain (WG) at 1 to 21 d; 5% FWB had the lowest feed conversion rate at 22 to 35 d; 10% WB and 10% FWB inclusion have the highest villus height and Lactobacillus spp. number in caecum; and both 5% and 10% FWB can increase ash content in femurs. Compared to control group, all treatments increase mucin 2, and tight junction (TJ), such as occludin, claudin-1, zonula occludens-1, and mRNA expression in ileum by at least 5 folds. In chicken peripheral blood mononuclear cells, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-oxidase-1 mRNA expression decreases from 2 to 5 times, and glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit mRNA expression also increases in all treatment groups compared to control group. The mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), nuclear factor-κB, and IL-1ß, decreases in 5% and 10% FWB groups compared to control group. Conclusion: To summarize, both WB and FWB inclusion in broilers diets increase TJ mRNA expression and anti-oxidation and anti-inflammation, but up to 10% FWB groups have better WG in different stages of broiler development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Seaweeds could be an alternative and functional feed resource. The purpose of this experiment is to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of Sargassum meal on laying performance and egg quality of layers. Methods: Two hundred 36-wk-old layers were divided into five treatment groups. Each treatment had four replicates with 10 hens per experimental unit. The corn-soybean meal basal diet was formulated as control group. Sargassum meals were included 0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, or 5% to diets for five treatment groups, respectively. Treatment groups were isocaloricisonitrogenous diets. Laying performance and egg quality were measured for eight weeks. Results: Sargassum meal supplementation did not affect daily feed intake. Supplementation 1% to 3% of Sargassum meal in diets increased daily laying rate and egg mass compared with those from control group (p<0.05). Egg qualities among five groups were all similar. Supplementation of 3% Sargassum meal increased the lightness of egg yolk (p<0.05). Eggs produced from layers fed 1% and 2% Sargassum meal had a higher consumer's acceptability than the control group (p<0.05). In blood characteristics, contents of glucose, nitrogen, triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) increased as the increase of supplementation ratio of Sargassum meal (p<0.05). In serum antibody titers, supplementation of 2% Sargassum meal stimulated a higher immunoglobulin M (IgM) level than that from control group (p<0.05). However, IgM content of layers fed diets with Sargassum meal ≥3% were decreased (p<0.05). There was no difference in IgA and IgG titers among groups. Conclusion: Supplementation of 1% to 3% Sargassum meal has shown to increase egg laying rate and egg mass of Leghorn layers. However, high supplementation (5%) would negatively affect laying performance. In consideration of laying performance, egg quality, consumer responses, and blood antibody, supplementation of Sargassum meal was suggested 2% in the diet for layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Wheat bran (WB) was co-fermented with Aspergillus oryzae and phytase (Phy) to determine whether co-fermentation improve WB phosphorus and fiber utilization in Isa-brown layers. Methods: A total of 112 Isa brown layer were randomly divided into 7 treatments with 8 replicates per a treatment and 2 hens per a replicate. The treatments included basal diet (control), basal diet supplemented with 250 unit/kg Phy (control+Phy), diet with 10% WB (10% WB), diet with 5% WB and 250 unit/kg Phy (5% WB+Phy) diet with 10% WB and 250 unit/kg Phy (10% WB+Phy), diet with 5% fermented WB supplemented with molasses and phy (PCFWH) and 125 unit/kg Phy (5% PCFWH), and diet with 10% PCFWH (10% PCFWH). The intestinal microbial population, intestinal morphology, serum antioxidant enzyme activities, and excreta phosphorus content were assessed. Results: In PCFWH, spore counts, protease activity, xylanase activity, and ferulic acid were 8.50 log/g dry matter (DM), 190 unit/g DM, 120 unit/g DM, and 127 μg/g, respectively. Xylobiose and xylotriose were released in PCFWH, while they were not detectable in WB. Antioxidant capacity was also enhanced in PCFWH compared to WB. The 10% WB+Phy and 10% PCFWH groups produced higher egg mass, but hens fed 5% WB+Phy had the lowest amount of feed intake. Eggs from 10% PCFWH had better eggshell weight, eggshell strength, and eggshell thickness. Birds fed with 10% PCFWH also had higher serum superoxide dismutase and catalase activities. Compare to control, 10% PCFWH significantly reduced excreta phosphorus content. Conclusion: Diet inclusion of 10% PCFWH improved egg quality, antioxidant status, and excreta phosphorus content of laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the antioxidant capacity of Ricinus communis L. (RC) leaves and powder when used as a feed additive for laying hens. Results showed that the total phenolic content of the aqueous leaf extract of Ricinus communis L. (RCE) was 48.39 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) per gram dry weight (DW). The flavonoid content was 9.76 mg quercetin dihydrate equivalent (QE)/g DW. Ferrous chelating activity was approximately 56.2% with an RCE concentration of 1 mg/mL; the highest chelating activity was 91.2% with 4 mg/mL extract. The reducing power of 1 mg/mL RC was 1.17 times better than 1 mg/mL butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) value of 12.5 mg/mL RCE was equivalent to 3.09 mg/mL Trolox. RCE (10 mg/mL) had a lipid oxidative inhibition capacity of 35.3%. A total of 80 ISA brown laying hens at twenty-nine weeks of age were randomly allocated into the control or 1 of 3 treatment groups; the latter received 0.5%, 1% or 2% of RC, respectively, for 12 weeks. Results showed that the RC supplementation improved the feed conversion rate and 0.5% RC generated the best results. Additionally, the egg yolk score was significantly increased in all RC-supplemented groups. Moreover, there was no significant difference in serumcharacteristics between the treatment groups. Serumantioxidant enzyme activity showed that superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in the RC-supplemented groups relative to the control but was not significantly different. mRNA expression levels of the antioxidant regulatory genes GCLC, GST, HO-1, SOD1, and SOD2 were significantly increased with 2% RC supplementation. In summary, RC is a suitable feed additive for laying hens and the addition of 0.5% RC leaf powder resulted in the greatest benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether goose growth and feather characteristics are influenced by their line and feeding surroundings, inclusive of floor materials and types, since there are no reports regarding these factors. Methods: The 240 White Roman geese which were hatched and sex identified came from 3 commercial goose farms. They were randomly distributed to 24 pens depending on a completely random design. The study continued for 13 weeks and included 3 lines of commercial geese and 2 floor types (cement strip floor [CSF] or cement floor [CF]). Results: The day one gosling weight from A farm was lower than other two farms (96 g vs 107 and 115 g; p<0.001). Afterwards, the body weight, back length, keel length, chest girth and main wing feather length among 3 farms showed no significance difference prior to 12 weeks. The CF group showed heavier body weight, shorter back length, longer keel length, shorter chest girth and shorter main wing feather length than the CSF group prior to 12 weeks. The down weight in the CF was heavier than the CSF group (57.1 g vs 41.8 g; p<0.01) prior to 13 weeks. Conclusion: The body weight showed the positive relations for dry feather weight (r = 0.59), down weight (r = 0.69), percent of the down weight of live body weight prior to 13 weeks (r = 0.61). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (BA) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) as directed-fed microbials on performance, intestinal microflora, and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of four hundred one-day-old broiler chickens were randomly divided into 16 pens of 25 chickens each, and every treatment had 4 replicated pens with two pens of males and females respectively. A formulated cornsoybean meal based control diets and experimental diets, including 0.1% BA (1×107 colony-forming units (CFU)/kg), the mixture of 0.05% BA (5×106 CFU/kg) and 0.05% SC (5×106 CFU/kg), and 10 ppmantibiotic (avilamycin), were fed for 5 weeks. The results showed no significant difference in the growth performance among all treatments. Supplementation of the mixture of BA and SC increased acetate and propionate and decreased the E. coli in ceca compared to control and antibiotic treatment. The treatments with antibiotic, BA, and the mixture of BA and SC compared to control treatment increased villus height / crypt depth ratio and decreased ammonia in excreta. In addition, supplementation of BA and the mixture of BA and SC compared to antibiotic treatment increased serum high-density lipoprotein, and decreased serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase, respectively. In conclusion, supplementation of the mixture of BA and SC was better than added BA only, and the mixed probiotics product could potentially alter the use of avilamycin in broiler diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cordyceps militaris waster medium (CMWM) is a by-product of the edible portion of the fruiting body of Cordyceps fungi. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the CMWM on the production performance, egg quality and egg yolk cholesterol of laying hens. An in vitro study showed that the reducing power of the CMWM extracts increased linearly with its concentration; at a concentration of 4.0mg/mL, it reached a level of roughly 60% ascorbic acid at 0.5mg/mL, while inhibition of lipid peroxidation of the CMWM extracts at 15.0mg/mL reached nearly 50%. Sixty 22-week-old laying hens (Hendrix) were randomly allocated into 4 groups with 5 replicates, 3 birds per replicate. They were fed diets supplemented with the following levels of the CMWM: 0 (control group, corn-soybean meal), 5.0, 10.0, or 20.0 g/kg dried CMWM groups for 12 weeks, respectively. The results revealed that the 20.0 g/kg CMWM group exhibited significantly decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased egg white weight compared to the control group at 5-8 and 9-12 weeks. The supplemented CMWM groups showed significantly elevated egg mass in comparison to the control group at 5-8 and 9-12 weeks. There were no effects for egg yolk weight, egg shell weight, shell thickness and egg yolk color between the groups. Those groups which were supplemented with 10.0 and 20.0 g/kg dried CMWM showed significantly decreased egg cholesterol compared to the control group at 9-12 weeks. On the basis of these observations, we concluded that CMWM, a by-product of Cordyceps militaris, could be employed as a new feed additive that offers potential benefits for elevating egg mass and producing lower cholesterol eggs by laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]