Comparative effects of n-hexane and methanol extracts of elecampane (Inula helenium L.) rhizome on growth performance,carcass traits,feed digestibility,intestinal antioxidant status and ileal microbiota in broiler chickens

In this study, the effects of dietary methanol and n-hexane extracts of elecampane rhizome (MEER and HEER, respectively) on growth performance, apparent ileal nutrient digestibility (AID), ileal microbiota, intestinal morphology and antioxidant status of the intestinal mucosa were compared in broiler chickens. In total, 450 1-d-old male chicks were allotted into five groups in six replicates of 15 chicks each. Dietary treatments included: a control, control plus 500 or 1000 mg MEER per kg diet (MEER₅₀₀ and MEER₁₀₀₀) and control plus 500 or 1000 mg HEER per kg diet (HEER₅₀₀ and HEER₁₀₀₀). Broiler performance was not affected by dietary treatments during the starter and grower periods. However, in the finisher (25–42 d) and entire (1–42 d) periods, an increase in body weight gain and a corresponding decrease in feed conversion ratio was noticed when birds received Diets MEER₁₀₀₀ or HEER₁₀₀₀. Also, considering the entire trial, the growth-promoting action of MEER was found to be greater than HEER. When compared with the control, AID of dry matter, organic matter, ether extract (EE) and gross energy (GE) were increased by all treatments, while the AID of EE and GE were also improved by increased extract level. Additionally, HEER groups had significantly increased AID of crude protein. The counts of Escherichia coli and Clostridium spp. were suppressed while the number of Lactobacillus spp. increased in response to an elevated extract level. Meanwhile, the ileum of MEER groups contained lower numbers of Clostridium spp. and greater numbers of Lactobacillus spp. when compared with HEER groups. The duodenal and jejunal structures were not associated with dietary treatments. However, a decreased ileal crypt depth and an increased villus to crypt ratio were observed with addition of extracts, which was more intense with MEER. A lower malondialdehyde content and a higher activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were detected in duodenal and jejunal mucosa with increased extract level, and in jejunum, the antioxidant capability of MEER was found to be stronger than HEER. The antioxidant properties of the ileal mucosa were also improved in response to MEER, which was not observed after HEER inclusion. Overall, MEER seems to be a better choice of treatment owing to its more effective benefits on broiler performance, ileal microbiota, gut morphology and antioxidant ability of the intestinal mucosa.     

绿色产色链霉菌突变株发酵菌丝体对青脚土杂肉鸡生长性能和肌肉品质的影响

在青脚土杂肉鸡口粮中按照600mg／kg的比例添加绿色产色链霉菌诱变菌株W26菌株的液体深层发酵菌丝体,考察茼丝体别‘肉鸡的生产性能和肌肉品质的影响。实验结果表明：日粮中添加600mg／kg的绿色产色链霉菌菌丝体,叮以显著提高肉鸡的活体重,动物日增重与对照组相比提高了26．84％,显著改善了饲料转化率（P〈0．05）。菌丝体的添加可以提高肉鸡肌肉中必需氨基酸、蛋白质、灰分的含量,降低肌肉肌间脂肪含量,但效果不显著。综合实验结果说明,绿色产色链霉菌诱变菌株的液体深层发酵菌丝体可以显著提高青脚土杂肉鸡的生长性能。     

Influence of organic and inorganic soil amendments on plant growth in crude oil-contaminated soil

Phytoremediation can be a viable alternative to traditional, more costly remediation techniques. Three greenhouse studies were conducted to evaluate plant growth with different soil amendments in crude oil-contaminated soil. Growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L., cultivar: Riley), bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L., cultivar: Common), crabgrass (Digitaria sanguinalis, cultivar: Large), fescue (Lolium arundinaceum Schreb., cultivar: Kentucky 31), and ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., cultivar: Marshall) was determined in crude oil-contaminated soil amended with either inorganic fertilizer, hardwood sawdust, papermill sludge, broiler litter or unamended (control). In the first study, the addition of broiler litter reduced seed germination for ryegrass, fescue, and alfalfa. In the second study, bermudagrass grown in broiler litter-amended soil produced the most shoot biomass, bermudagrass produced the most root biomass, and crabgrass and bermudagrass produced the most root length. In the third study, soil amended with broiler litter resulted in the greatest reduction in gravimetric total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) levels across the six plant treatments following the 14-wk study. Ryegrass produced more root biomass than any other species when grown in inorganic fertilizer- or hardwood sawdust + inorganic fertilizer-amended soil. The studies demonstrated that soil amendments and plant species selection were important considerations for phytoremediation of crude oil-contaminated soil.     

Quantitative trait loci affecting fatness in the chicken

An F2 chicken population of 442 individuals from 30 families, obtained by crossing a broiler line with a layer line, was used for detecting and mapping Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) affecting abdominal fat weight, skin fat weight and fat distribution. Within-family regression analyses using 102 microsatellite markers in 27 linkage groups were carried out with genome-wide significance thresholds. The QTL for abdominal fat weight were found on chromosomes 3, 7, 15 and 28; abdominal fat weight adjusted for carcass weight on chromosomes 1, 5, 7 and 28; skin and subcutaneous fat on chromosomes 3, 7 and 13; skin fat weight adjusted for carcass weight on chromosomes 3 and 28; and skin fat weight adjusted for abdominal fat weight on chromosomes 5, 7 and 15. Interactions of the QTL with sex or family were unimportant and, for each trait, there was no evidence for imprinting or of multiple QTL on any chromosome. Significant dominance effects were obtained for all but one of the significant locations for QTL affecting the weight of abdominal fat, none for skin fat and one of the three QTL affecting fat distribution. The magnitude of each QTL ranged from 3.0 to 5.2% of the residual phenotypic variation or 0.2-0.8 phenotypic standard deviations. The largest additive QTL (on chromosome 7) accounted for more than 20% of the mean weight of abdominal fat. Significant positive and negative QTL were identified from both lines.     

Immunopathological effect of the mycotoxins cyclopiazonic acid and T-2 toxin on broiler chicken

Forty, newly hatched, unsexed broiler chicks were fed diets containing 10 ppm cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) and 1 ppm T-2 toxin (T₂) either individually or in combination for 28 days to study the immunopathological effects. Lymphoid organs revealed lymphocytolysis and lymphoid depletion in all toxin fed birds. Thymic and splenic CD⁺₄ and CD⁺₈ lymphocytes decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in toxin fed birds when compared to the control. Thymic CD⁺₈ lymphocytes of T₂ and CPA-T₂ showed significant (p < 0.01) decrease from that of CPA and control groups. Splenic CD⁺₄ and CD⁺₈ lymphocytes showed significant (p < 0.01) decrease in CPA and CPA-T₂ fed groups when compared to the control. The T₂ group did not differ significantly from that of control. The stimulation index (SI) of splenocytes to concavalin A revealed significant (p < 0.01) decrease in all toxin fed birds. Significant (p < 0.01) decrease were observed for the haemagglutination inhibition (HI) titres to Newcastle disease virus vaccine F strain (NDV) of birds fed CPA, T₂ and in combination. Significant (p < 0.01) interaction was found for lymphocyte subsets, SI and HI titres to NDV. The study indicated the immunosuppressive effect of these toxins either alone or in combination in broiler chicks.Forms part of M.V.Sc. thesis of the first author approved by the Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chennai 600 051, India.     

Temperature alterations during embryogenesis have a sex-dependent influence on growth properties and muscle metabolism of day-old chicks and 35-day-old broilers

Broiler eggs were either incubated at 37.8°C during the whole incubation period (control), or at higher (38.8°C, group H) and lower temperatures (36.8°C, group L) from embryonic day (ED) 7 up to ED 10 (ED 7 to 10) or from ED 10 up to ED 13 (ED 10 to 13). Before and after this temperature treatment the eggs were incubated at 37.8°C. The day-old chicks were weighted, sexed and fed up to day 35. On days 1 and 35 samples were taken from the breast and leg muscles for analyzing of the mitochondrial respiratory activity (MRA) and from the breast muscles for analysis of the cross-sectional areas (CSA) and the glycogen phosphorylase (GP), phosphofructokinase (PFK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), citrate synthase (CS) and cytochrome oxidase (COX) activities. Statistical analysis showed that treatment (control, group H, group L), sex and their interaction, but not the treatment period (ED 7 to 10; ED 10 to 13), significantly influenced the results. Group H chicks had lower (P⩽0.05) body and heart weights but higher (P⩽0.05) liver weights, CSA values, leg MRA as well as PFK, LDH, CS, GP and COX activities compared with the group L chicks. The results of the control chicks differ (P⩽0.05) from those of the group H (body, heart weight, COX), the group L chicks (liver weight, PFK, LDH, CS, GP) or the birds of both other groups (CSA). The group H broiler had higher (P⩽0.05) body and leg weights as well as LDH, CS, COX and GP activities than the group L broilers. The BWs and the LDH and GP results of the control broiler differ (P⩽0.05) from those of both other groups or from the results of the group H (CS) and group L broiler (COX). Female broilers had lower (P⩽0.05) body, breast and leg weights, but higher (P⩽0.05) CSA, LDH, CS and GP activities than the male animals. Analysis of treatment×sex interaction showed that group H hens had higher (P⩽0.05) body and breast weights, LDH and GP activities compared with the group L hens, whereas in the male broiler no effect of the interaction could be found, except for the lower (P⩽0.05) CSA values in the group H than group L cocks. The treatment effects are probably due to altered embryonic activity and related molecular mechanisms. The sex-related differences in the broiler indicate that these alterations already occur in the embryos and chicks, but become significant with the sexual dimorphism after hatch.     

10日龄肉鸡和蛋鸡血清甲状腺激素和胰岛素水平的比较

本实验应用放射免疫分析法,对孵化后１０日龄的肉鸡和蛋鸡血清中三碘甲腺原氨酸（Ｔ３）和甲状腺素（Ｔ４）及胰岛素（Ｉｎｓｕｌｉｎ）水平进行测定。结果如下：在不同品种间,肉鸡的Ｔ３血清浓度显著高于蛋鸡（Ｐ＜０．０１）。尤以雄性间差异更为显著（Ｐ＜０．００１）;Ｉｎｓｕｌｉｎ水平也出现品种间差异,雄性肉鸡显著高于雄性蛋鸡（Ｐ＜０．０１）。在不同性别间,雌性蛋鸡的Ｔ３和Ｉｎｓｕｌｉｎ水平显著高于雄性蛋鸡（Ｐ＜０．０５）,而肉鸡两性别间无明显差异。Ｔ４水平在两品种与两性别间均无明显差异。另外,Ｔ３和Ｉｎｓｕｌｉｎ水平与蛋鸡及雄性肉鸡的个体增重间均呈现明显相关关系（Ｐ＜０．０５）。提示：血中Ｔ３,Ｉｎｓｕｌｉｎ水平均可影响两品种鸡早期不同的生长速率