Effect of dietary supplementation with fermented Ginkgo-leaves on performance, egg quality, lipid metabolism and egg-yolk fatty acids composition in laying hens

Influence of rosehip (Rosa canina L.) leaves as feed additive during first stage of laying hens on performances and egg quality characteristics

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of rosehip leaves (RL) supplementation on the production performances and egg quality of laying hens during the first stage of laying. For that, 90 Lohmann Brown Classic hens, aged 26 wk, were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments as follows: a control diet (RL0), an experimental diet containing 0.5% rosehip leaves (RL0.5), and an experimental diet containing 1% rosehip leaves (RL1). The laying hens were accommodated in an experimental hall with identical pens (3.96 m2), and controlled microclimate conditions. The dietary treatments were administered for a 6-wk experimental period (26-32 d of age). During this time, production performance of hens was recorded. To assess the impact of RL on egg weight and its components evolution, egg yolk and albumen color, and primary chemical composition of egg constituents were determined every 2 wk. The effect on egg yolk fatty acids profile was determined only at the end of the trial. The results showed that RL0.5 and RL1 dietary treatments significantly improved laying rate, feed conversion ratio and egg mass compared with RL0 group. A significant effect on egg weight and its components was observed only over time, showing that RL has no effect on these parameters. Significant changes in egg yolk coloration were observed over time, with significant increases in L*, a* and b* chromomeric parameters in both RL0.5 and RL1 compared to RL0. Significant alterations were obtained from the sum of egg yolk fatty acids. The RL1 egg yolk presented significantly higher n-3, and significantly lower n-6 fatty acids, compared with both RL0 and RL0.5. Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects of rosehip leaf supplementation on laying hens performance and egg quality.

N-carbamylglutamate supplementation induces functional egg production in layers by modulating liver transcriptome profiles

Eggs rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), known as functional eggs, are animal products deemed beneficial to human health and possess high economic value. The production of functional eggs involves supplementing exogenous additives with the ability to regulate lipid metabolism. As N-Carbamylglutamate (NCG) serves as an endogenous arginine synthesizer, and arginine acts as the substrate for the formation of nitric oxide (NO), the biological function of NCG is partially mediated by NO. NO is a key regulatory molecule in lipid metabolism, suggesting that NCG may also have the ability to modulate lipid metabolism. In order to assess the capacity of NCG in regulating liver lipid metabolism and its potential application in producing functional eggs, we conducted a study to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of NCG on production performance, serum, and liver NO levels, yolk fatty acid composition, and the liver transcriptome of layers. In this study, we utilized 30 layers of the Jinghong No.1 breed, all aged 45 wk. All the birds were randomly divided into 2 groups. Each group had 5 replicates, and each replicate had 3 birds. We provided them with different diets: one group received the basic diet, and the other group's diet was supplemented with 0.08% NCG. The experiment lasted for 14 wk. The results did not reveal any positive impact of NCG on production performance. However, NCG supplementation elevated NO levels in serum and liver, along with an increase in yolk PUFA, ω-3, and ω-6 fatty acids. Liver transcriptome analysis identified 124 upregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 43 downregulated DEGs due to NCG supplementation. Functional annotation using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database highlighted 3 upregulated DEGs (CPT1A, MOGAT1, and CHKA) and 2 downregulated DEGs (FASN and ETNPPL) associated with lipid metabolism. Pathway enrichment analysis revealed that CPT1A was enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway and the PPAR signaling pathway, while FASN was enriched in the AMPK signaling pathway. Thus, CPT1A and FASN are potential functional genes related to lipid metabolism facilitated by NCG supplementation. In summary, our study suggests that NCG supplementation modulates liver lipid metabolism, leading to the production of functional eggs in layers.

Effects of enzymolysis and fermentation of Chinese herbal medicines on serum component, egg production, and hormone receptor expression in laying hens

OBJECTIVE

In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effects of enzymolysis fermentation of Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) on egg production performance, egg quality, lipid metabolism, serum reproductive hormone levels, and the mRNA expression of the ovarian hormone receptor of laying hens in the late-laying stage.

METHODS

A total of 360 Hy-Line Brown laying hens (age, 390 days) were randomly categorized into four groups. Hens in the control (C) group were fed a basic diet devoid of CHMs, the crushed CHM (CT), fermented CHM (FC), and enzymatically fermented CHM (EFT) groups received diets containing 2% crushed CHM, 2% fermented CHM, and 2% enzymatically fermented CHM, respectively.

RESULTS

Compared with crushed CHM, the acid detergent fiber, total flavonoids, and total saponins contents of fermented CHM showed improvement (p<0.05); furthermore, the neutral and acid detergent fiber, total flavonoids, and total saponins contents of enzymatically fermented CHM improved (p<0.05). At 5 to 8 weeks, hens in the FC and EFT groups showed increased laying rates, haugh unit, albumin height, yolk color, shell thickness, and shell strength compared with those in the C group (p<0.05). Compared with the FC group, the laying rate, albumin height, and Shell thickness in the EFT group was increased (p<0.05). Compared with the C, CT, and FC groups, the EFT group showed reduced serum total cholesterol and increased serum luteinizing hormone levels and mRNA expressions of follicle stimulating hormone receptor and luteinizing hormone receptor (p<0.05).

CONCLUSION

These results indicated that the ETF group improved the laying rate and egg quality and regulated the lipid metabolism in aged hens. The mechanism underlying this effect was likely related to cell wall degradation of CHM and increased serum levels of luteinizing hormone and mRNA expression of the ovarian hormone receptor.

Effect of fermented tomato pomace on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens

Solid-state fermentation is a useful method for the utilization of the agri-industrial residues. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of tomato pomace (TP) and Aspergillus niger-fermented tomato pomace (FTP) on the growth performance, some carcass traits, antioxidant status, and intestinal microflora in broiler chickens. A total of 140 Ross 308 one-day-old male chicks were allocated to one of four treatment groups consisting of five replicates of seven chicks each. Chicks were fed ad libitum with the corn-soybean based basal diet (control), the basal diet supplemented with 0.25 g/kg synthetic antioxidant, 10 g/kg TP or 10 g/kg FTP for 42 days. Dietary TP increased serum glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) but did not affect the growth performance. Dietary inclusion of FTP improved the feed conversion ratio and raised serum GPx and SOD. Carcass traits, malondialdehyde level, pH, and color of breast meat and cecal microflora were not affected by dietary treatments. The results of the study showed that TP can be used as a natural antioxidant in broiler diets without a detrimental effect on growth performance. Dietary FTP can be suggested as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants with beneficial effects on growth performance and antioxidant capacity.

Dietary of different forms of Humulus scandens on growth performance and intestinal bacterial communities in piglets

The present study was aimed at elucidating the effects of feeding different forms of Humulus scandens (Hu) on performance and bacterial communities in piglets. A total of 160 piglets were divided into four groups: (1) a control (CG, basal diet); (2) a basal diet with Hu pulp (HS), basal diet + Hu pulp; (3) a basal diet with Hu juice (HSJ), basal diet + Hu juice; and (4) a basal diet with Hu residue (HSR), basal diet + Hu residue. Results showed that HS, HSJ, and HSR supplementation led to rich average daily gain (ADG) and poor feed conversion ratio (FCR) during 28 to 70 d of age, increased 120 d body weight (BW), average daily feed intake (ADFI) and ADG and decreased FCR during 71 to 120 d of age. Three experiment groups presented greater (P < 0.05) IgA, IgG, and IgM and lower (P < 0.05) glucose, and blood urea nitrogen. The content of diamine oxidase significantly decreased (P < 0.05) in HS group. The crude  protein and crude fiber digestibility were improved (P < 0.05) in HS group and the Ca digestibility was increased (P < 0.05) in HS and HSJ groups. HSR supplementation improved the abundance of Firmicutes and decreased the abundance of Bacteroidetes. Hu supplementation with different forms increased the proportion of Lactobacillus in cecum content. These results indicated that supplemental feeding of Hu with different forms improved serum immunity, nutrient digestibility, and bacterial communities in piglets, promoting growth and development, which may be regarded as a reference for developing novel feed resources for piglets.

Effects of quercetin and daidzein on egg quality, lipid metabolism, and cecal short-chain fatty acids in layers

In this study, the effects of quercetin and daidzein on egg quality, lipid metabolism, and cecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) were compared in layers. Hyline brown layers at 385 days of age with a similar laying rate (81.36% ± 0.62%) and body weight (2.10 kg ± 0.04 kg) were randomly divided into three treatments, six replicates per treatment, and 20 layers per replicate. Layers in control, quercetin, and daidzein treatment were fed by a basal diet supplemented with 0 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg quercetin, and 30 mg/kg of daidzein for 10 weeks. Results showed that eggshell strength and albumen height in week 4, egg yolk diameter in week 10, and eggshell thickness and egg yolk height in weeks 4 and 10 were significantly increased in the quercetin treatment (P ≤ 0.05); contents of phospholipid (PL) and lecithin (LEC) in egg yolk and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) content in serum were significantly increased; however, contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), total cholesterol (TC), and triglyceride (TG) in egg yolk, contents of TC, TG, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in serum, and contents of TC and TG in the liver were significantly decreased in the quercetin treatment (P ≤ 0.05); contents of isobutyric acid and valeric acid were significantly increased in the cecum of the quercetin treatment (P ≤ 0.05), compared with control. Moreover, egg yolk height in week 10 and eggshell thickness in weeks 4 and 10 were significantly increased in the daidzein treatment (P ≤ 0.05); contents of MDA, TC, and TG in egg yolk, TC, TG, and VLDL in serum, and TC and TG in liver were significantly decreased in the daidzein treatment (P ≤ 0.05); and HDL content was significantly increased in serum of the daidzein treatment (P ≤ 0.05) compared with control. However, daidzein did not affect SCFA content in the cecum. In conclusion, egg quality was improved by quercetin and daidzein by increasing the antioxidant ability of egg yolk and by regulating lipid metabolism in layers. Quercetin worked better than daidzein in improving egg quality under this experimental condition.

Effects of different wheat bran fermentation sources on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant capacity and fecal microbiota in growing pigs

The present study aimed to evaluate the application of different wheat bran fermentation sources in growing pigs. A total of 320 pigs (43 ± 0.21 kg), were randomly allocated to 5 groups in a 21-d trial. The control group was fed a basal diet (CON) containing raw wheat bran, and the other four treatments were fed the diets in which the raw wheat bran in the basal diet was substituted with Aspergillus niger (WBA), Bacillus licheniformis (WBB), Candida utilis (WBC), and Lactobacillus plantarum (WBL) fermented wheat bran, respectively. The results showed that compared to the CON group, the crude fiber and pH values were decreased (p < 0.05), while the gross energy (GE), crude protein (CP), and lactic acid values were increased (p < 0.05) in all the wheat bran fermented by different strains. Compared with other treatments, feeding B. licheniformis fermented wheat bran had higher final weight, average daily gain, as well as lower feed-to-gain ratio. Compared with CON group, pigs fed with fermented wheat bran diets had higher dry matter, CP, and GE availability, serum total protein, albumin and superoxide dismutase levels, and fecal Lactobacillus counts, as well as lower malondialdehyde level and fecal Escherichia coli count. Collectively, our findings suggested that feeding fermented wheat bran, especially B. licheniformis fermented wheat bran, showed beneficial effects on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility, serum antioxidant capacity, and the gut microbiota structure of growing pigs.

Impact of fermented Broussonetia papyrifera on laying performance, egg quality, lipid metabolism, and follicular development of laying hens

Hybrid Broussonetia papyrifera (BP) has been widely planted and commonly used as ruminant forage source after fermentation in China. Very less information is available to know the impact of fermented BP on laying hens, thus, we have investigated effects of dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus plantarum-fermented B. papyrifera (LfBP) on laying performance, egg quality, serum biochemical parameters, lipid metabolism, and follicular development of laying hens. A total of 288 HY-Line Brown hens (age, 23 wk) were randomly assigned into 3 treatment groups: control group (Con, a basal diet), LfBP1 and LfBP5 group (a basal diet supplemented with 1% or 5% LfBP). Each group has 8 replicates of twelve birds each. The results demonstrated that dietary supplementation of LfBP increased average daily feed intake (linear, P < 0.05), feed conversion ratio (linear, P < 0.05), and average egg weight (linear, P < 0.05) during the entire experimental period. In addition, dietary inclusion of LfBP enhanced the egg yolk color (linear, P < 0.01) but decreased the eggshell weight (quadratic, P < 0.05) and eggshell thickness (linear, P < 0.01). In serum, the LfBP supplementation linearly decreased the content of total triglyceride (linear, P < 0.01) but increased the content of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (linear, P < 0.05). The gene expression related to hepatic lipid metabolism including acetyl-CoA carboxylase, fatty acid synthase, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPARα) was down-regulated whereas liver X receptor was up-regulated in LfBP1 group. Moreover, LfBP1 supplementation remarkably reduced the F1 follicle number and ovarian gene expression of reproductive hormone receptors including estrogen receptor, follicle stimulating hormone receptor, luteinizing hormone receptor, progesterone receptor, prolactin receptor, and B cell lymphoma-2. In conclusion, dietary inclusion of LfBP could improve feed intake, egg yolk color, and lipid metabolism, but may cause a decline in eggshell quality with higher inclusion level, herein, 1% is suggested.

Traversing through half a century research timeline on Ginkgo biloba, in transforming a botanical rarity into an active functional food ingredient

Neurodegenerative diseases and various other chronic ailments have gradually transformed into public-health issues. Neurodegenerative disorders are a range of progressive neural abnormalities characterized by cellular dysfunctions, neuronal structure, and function loss. Among many chronic disorders, oxidative stress, inflammation, mitochondrial dysregulation, and cellular alterations in the human body are considered the most prevalent diagnostic symptoms. They have a profound impact on patients' health and wellbeing. The disease's poor curability, high healthcare costs, and lethality are the principal reasons for approaching and exploring the conventional treatment's phytotherapeutic alternatives. Ginkgo biloba (Maidenhair tree) is a well-known and widely used herbal plant in the Ginkgoaceae family. Its phytochemical constituents, Flavonoids, and terpenes, have been identified as the primary ingredients of Ginkgo biloba leaf extracts. It has been widely used due to its therapeutic properties, including its neuroprotective, anti-dementia, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, vasoactive, anti-psychotic, anti-neoplastic, and anti-platelet activity. In recent decades, plenty of Ginkgo-derived substances has been researched and elucidated to have significant therapeutic effects in numerous disease models. This review aims to provide a thorough understanding of the botanical basis for Ginkgo biloba, its usage as herbal medicine, and its pivotal role in functional foods. Additionally, the clinical significance of Ginkgo biloba, as observed in various research works and clinical investigations, is also emphasized, facilitating a better understanding of their molecular basis and application in many chronic diseases.

Effect of Fermented Corn By-products on Production Performance, Blood Biochemistry, and Egg Quality Indices of Laying Hens

Residual wastes can be fermented by using probiotics to formulate a well-balanced diet for poultry. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of fermented feed (FF) formulated by the supplementation of probiotics into corn by-products, on the production performance of laying hens. A total of 468 49-week-old Hy-Line Brown chickens were randomly allocated into four treatments with three replicates, control group (basal diet), group Ⅰ (4% FF, w/w), group Ⅱ (8% FF, w/w), and antibiotic group (flavomycin, 50mg/kg). Laying hens were housed in three-tier cages (28 × 48 cm x 48 cm) and the temperature was maintained at 21ºC. The birds were fed 4.56 kg of feed to each group twice a day. Compared to the control group, the egg production and feed intake (FI) in the FF groups increased significantly. Egg weight (EW) in group Ⅰ was higher than that of group Ⅱ and antibiotic (p<0.01) while that in group Ⅱ was lower than control (p<0.05). The feed to egg ratio of FF groups compared to control was decreased (p<0.05). Eggshell strength (ESS) and egg shape index (ESI) in group Ⅱ were decreased significantly as compared to the control group (p<0.05). Yolk color (YC) albumen height (AH) and Haugh unit (HU) in FF groups were improved compared to the control group and antibiotic group (p<0.01). Yolk triglyceride (TG) level was significantly reduced in group II, compared to group I. These results indicated that the FF has no adverse effects and has beneficial effects on production performance and egg quality parameters of laying hens.

Effect of raw and fermented pomegranate pomace on performance, antioxidant activity, intestinal microbiota and morphology in broiler chickens

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of raw (PP) and fermented pomegranate pomace (FP) on performance, antioxidant activity, caecal microbiota and ileal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 175 male broiler chicks were allocated to five treatment groups with five replicates and seven birds per replicate in a completely randomised design. Dietary treatments included a soy-corn based diet (control), diets supplemented with PP at 5 (5PP) and 10 g/kg (10PP), and diets supplemented with FP at 5 (5FP) and 10 g/kg (10FP). Dietary PP and FP did not change the body weight and feed conversion ratio. Moreover, dietary PP and FP did not alter the serum glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase levels but decreased malondialdehyde (p < 0.05) in breast meat. Caecal Clostridium perfringens count was decreased in broiler chickens of groups 10PP, 5FP and 10FP (p < 0.05). However, PP and FP had detrimental effects on the ileum morphology of broiler chicks. The villus height was decreased in the 10PP, 5FP and 10FP groups compared with the control group (p < 0.01). Crypt depth was higher in the 5PP and 10FP groups than control and 10PP groups (p < 0.01). The villus height to crypt depth ratio was also decreased in 5PP, 5FP, and 10FP groups (p < 0.01). These results suggest that PP and FP have the potential to be used in broiler diets as antioxidant and antimicrobial agents. However, detailed studies should be conducted to investigate the underlying reasons for the detrimental effects on ileal morphology.

Effect of Raw and Fermented Grape Pomace on the Growth Performance, Antioxidant Status, Intestinal Morphology, and Selected Bacterial Species in Broiler Chicks

The effects of raw (GP) and fermented grape pomace (FGP) on the growth performance, some carcass parameters, antioxidant status, intestinal morphology, and selected bacterial species in broiler chicken were investigated in this study. Grape pomace was fermented with Aspergillus niger for 7 d. In total, 140 one-day-old male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly assigned to four treatment groups, with five replicates and seven birds each. Chickens were fed either a basal diet (CON) or the basal diet supplemented with 0.25 g/kg synthetic antioxidants (5% butylated hydroxytoluene, 1% butylated hydroxyanisole, and 11% ethoxyquin) (AO), or 15 g/kg GP (GP), or 15 g/kg FGP (FGP) for 42 d. Dietary GP raised serum glutathione peroxidase (p = 0.031) and superoxide dismutase (p = 0.021) levels, increased ileum lamina muscularis thickness (p = 0.016), and did not affect selected bacterial species in the cecum of broiler chickens. Dietary FGP improved body weight (p = 0.003), increased the serum catalase level (p = 0.032), and decreased the cecal Clostridium perfringens count (p = 0.033) but did not affect the ileal morphology of broiler chickens. The carcass parameters, malondialdehyde level, pH, and color of the breast meat of chickens were not changed by either GP or FGP supplementation. Chickens fed with the synthetic antioxidants had similar growth performance with the chickens fed with FGP but had better body weight (p = 0.003) and feed conversion ratio (p = 0.045) compared with the chickens fed with GP. The obtained results showed that FGP can be used as an alternative to synthetic antioxidants in broiler diets.

Effect of Bacillus velezensis to substitute in-feed antibiotics on the production, blood biochemistry and egg quality indices of laying hens

BACKGROUND

The excessive use of antibiotics in the livestock feed industry caused inevitable side effects of microbial resistance. Besides this residual antibiotics in animal-derived foodstuff imposed serious health problems for humans. So this study aimed to investigate the potential use of Bacillus velezensis to substitute antibiotics for poultry production. A total of 468, 49-week-old Hy-Line Brown chickens, were randomly divided into four groups the control group (regular diet), experiment group I (0.1% B. veleznesis), experiment group II (0.2% B. veleznesis), and antibiotic group (50 mg/kg flavomycin), with three replicates per group and trial period consisted on 42 days.

RESULTS

The results showed that, compared with the control group, the average egg production rate and daily feed intake of experimental groups I and II increased significantly (P < 0.05), while the average egg weight was increased in experimental group II as compared to (I) (P < 0.01). The feed conversion ratio was decreased (P > 0.05) in group (II) Egg quality parameters such as yolk weight of the experimental group II was increased, but that of the antibiotic group and experiment group I was decreased, neither significant (P > 0.05). Moreover, the eggshell strength, yolk color, albumen height, and Haugh unit were significantly increased (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, probiotic groups can increase the progesterone and motilin (P > 0.05) but decrease the secretin and cholecystokinin in the blood plasma (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that B. velezensis can substitute in-feed-antibiotics and improved most of the study parameters significantly. Which suggested that B. velezensis has potential future application value to replace the feed antibiotics.

Effect of dietary raw and fermented sour cherry kernel (Prunus cerasus L.) on growth performance, carcass traits, and meat quality in broiler chickens

Sour cherry kernels are waste products of the fruit juice industry. Solid-state fermentation has great potential for recycling the agro-industrial residues. In the present study, the effect of raw sour cherry kernel (RC) and fermented sour cherry kernel (FC) by Aspergillus niger on growth performance, carcass traits and meat quality in broiler chickens was investigated. A total of 343 one-day-old male broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to 7 treatments with 7 replicates for each treatment and 7 birds in each replicate. The chicks were fed on a basal diet (control) and basal diet supplemented with RC or FC at the 1, 2, and 4% level. Dietary RC improved (P < 0.001) the feed conversion ratio (FCR) at the 1% inclusion level although chicks fed 2 and 4% RC had lower (P < 0.01) body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed intake (FI) from day 1 to 42, compared with that of the birds in the control group. Dietary FC with 1% inclusion level increased (P ≤ 0.05) BWG from day 22 to 42 and also enhanced (P < 0.001) the FCR from day 1 to 42. However, 4% dietary FC had an adverse effect (P < 0.01) on BW, BWG, FI, and the FCR, compared with the control group. The bursa of Fabricius weight was raised (P < 0.01) as the supplemental FC level increased. Dietary RC and FC elevated gut weight (P < 0.01) and length (P ≤ 0.05). Broilers fed on 2% FC had a higher (P ≤ 0.05) ash level and a lower (P ≤ 0.05) b* value in thigh meat, compared with the 2% RC group. The results indicate that FC can be used in broiler nutrition up to 2% level although RC can be added to broiler diets up to 1% level without a detrimental effect on growth performance. Dietary inclusion of 1% RC or FC can be recommended due to the positive effects on broiler chickens.

Effect of dietary raw and fermented sour cherry kernel (Prunus cerasus L.) on digestibility, intestinal morphology and caecal microflora in broiler chickens

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary raw sour cherry kernel (RC) or fermented sour cherry kernel (FC) on apparent digestibility, ileal morphology, and caecal microflora in broiler chickens. Raw sour cherry kernel was fermented by Aspergillus niger for 7 D. A total of 343 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were assigned to 7 dietary treatments consisting of 7 replicates of 7 broilers each. All birds were fed with a commercial diet or diets supplemented with 1%, 2%, or 4% RC or FC. The experimental period was 42 D. Apparent dry matter (DM), nitrogen and ash digestibilities were diminished (P < 0.05) by dietary RC inclusion, although dietary FC did not negatively affect (P > 0.05) nutrient digestibility. Dietary 1% FC increased (P < 0.01) the villus height to crypt depth ratio (VH:CD) compared with the other treatment groups, although RC4 reduced the villus height (VH, P < 0.001) and VH:CD (P < 0.01), compared with the control group. Dietary treatments had no effect (P > 0.05) on the crypt depth (CD). Birds fed 1% FC had the highest (P < 0.05) caecal Lactobacillus spp. counts among the treatment groups. Enterococcus spp. and Escherichia coli counts in cecum were not affected (P > 0.05) by dietary treatments. The results showed that the dietary inclusion of 1% FC improved ileal morphology and caecal microflora without any adverse effect on the apparent digestibility. These results indicate that FC has the potential to be a feed additive which improves intestinal health for broiler diets.

Improvement of the Quality of Ginkgo biloba Leaves Fermented by Eurotium cristatum as High Value-Added Feed

Ginkgo biloba leaves are well known for their high content of nutrients and bioactive substances. However, unpleasant smell and a small number of ginkgolic acids greatly reduce the utilization of the leaves. In this work, solid-state fermentation of G. biloba leaves using Eurotium cristatum was studied by investigation of the nutrient changes and its feasibility as a functional feed. E. cristatum could grow on pure G. biloba leaves and the addition of excipients could significantly improve the growth of E. cristatum. The optimal medium was with 10% (w/w) of whole G. biloba seeds and the optimized water content, pH, inoculum size and fermentation time were 45% (w/w), 4.5, 4.76 × 107 CFU/100 g wet medium, and eight days, respectively. Under the optimal conditions, the spore number increased by about 40 times. The content of flavonoids was greatly increased by 118.6%, and the protein and polyprenyl acetates (PPAs) were increased by 64.9% and 10.6%, respectively. The ginkgolic acids, lignin, and cellulose were decreased by 52.4%, 38.5%, and 20.1% than before, respectively. Furthermore, the fermented G. biloba leaves showed higher antioxidant activity and held more aroma substances. Thus, G. biloba leaves fermented by E. cristatum have potential as s high value-added feed. This is the first investigation of E. cristatum fermentation on ginkgo leaves, which will facilitate the use of ginkgo leaves in the feed industry.

Effect of Lactobacillus Plantarum Supplementation on Production Performance and Fecal Microbial Composition in Laying Hens

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with Lactobacillus plantarum (CGMCC1.557) on egg production and fecal microbiota composition in laying hens. Sixty Hy-Line Brown laying hens (18 weeks old) were randomly divided into two groups. The control group was fed a basal diet only, and the test group was fed basal diet supplemented with a final concentration of 1.0 × 109 CFU/mL during the 10-week experimental period. Egg production and fecal microbiota composition were both assessed in 28-week-old hens using high-throughput sequencing technology. The results showed that, compared with the control group, the test group exhibited increased laying and feed intake rates (p < 0.05). At the genus level, Lactobacillus was more abundant in the test group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). Conversely, Romboutsia was more abundant in the control group compared with the test group (p < 0.05). This study provides us with an insight into the potential use of L. plantarum as a food supplement in the laying hen industry. the study also provides us with a better understanding of the interplay between L. plantarum and the fecal microbiota of laying hens.

Effects of Ginkgo biloba leaves (Ginkgo biloba) and Ginkgo biloba extract on nutrient and energy utilization of broilers

An experiment using 112 21-day-old male Arbor Acres broilers that were randomly allocated to 7 treatments with 8 replicates in a completely randomized design was conducted to assess the effects of Ginkgo biloba leaves (Ginkgo biloba, GL) and Ginkgo biloba extract (EGB) on utilization of nutrients of broiler chickens. The dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal based diets: 1) T1, control diet; 2) T2, T1 + 20 g/kg GL; 3) T3, T1 + 40 g/kg GL; 4) T4, T1 + 60 g/kg GL; 5) T5, T1 + 0.4 g/kg EGB; 6) T6, T1 + 0.8 g/kg EGB; and 7) T7, T1 + 1.2 g/kg EGB. Endogenous losses were obtained from another 16 broilers. Excreta samples were collected to analyze the dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), ether extract (EE), crude protein (CP), gross energy (GE), and amino acids (AA), and GE was analyzed for computation of AME and TME. As compared with those of the control treatment, the apparent digestibility (AD) and true digestibility (TD) of EE, CP, Thr, Val, Ile, Leu, Phe, Lys, His, and Arg were quadratically (P < 0.05) increased; moreover, the AD and TD of Met was linearly (P < 0.05) increased as the concentration of the EGB in the diet increased. Increasing GL from 0 to 60 g/kg of diet linearly (P < 0.05) increased the AD and TD of EE, Thr, Val, Leu, His, and Met and tended (0.05 < P < 0.1) to increase the TME, TMEn, and Arg. Supplementation of EGB increased (P < 0.05) AD and TD of EE, Thr, Val, Ile, Leu, Phe, His, and Arg and tended (0.05 < P < 0.1) to increase Lys as compared with those in the GL-supplemented groups. Dietary supplementation of GL and EGB improved the utilization of nutrients of broiler chickens in a dose-dependent manner, and the optimum supplementation levels of GL or EGB in the diet of broilers was 60 or 0.8 g/kg of diet, respectively.

Effect of supplemental fermented Ginkgo biloba leaves at different levels on growth performance, meat quality, and antioxidant status of breast and thigh muscles in broiler chickens

The present study was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary supplementation with different levels of fermented Ginkgo biloba leaves (FGBL) on growth performance, slaughter performance, meat quality, antioxidant enzyme capacity, and free radical scavenging activities of muscles in broiler chickens. A total of 648 one-d-old broiler chickens were randomly allocated into six dietary treatments, including control group (CON group: basal diet), FGBL1, FGBL2, FGBL3, FGBL4, and FGBL5 groups (basal diet containing 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5 g/kg FGBL, respectively). Body weight gain and feed intake were recorded at 1, 21, and 42 d. At 42 d, 2 birds from each replicate were slaughtered. The results indicated that 3.5 g/kg FGBL diet significantly increased (P < 0.05) ADFI and ADG in 1 to 42 d and ADFI in 22 to 42 d compared with the CON group. In 1 to 21 d, 4.5 g/kg FGBL diet improved (P < 0.05) ADFI and ADG. With dietary FGBL increasing, the feed: gain ratio (F/G) in 1 to 21 d was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). However, birds fed with 5.5 g/kg FGBL had a higher (P < 0.05) F/G compared with other groups in 22 to 42 d and 1 to 42 d. In addition, FGBL3 and FGBL4 showed lower (P < 0.05) L* value in breast muscle, cooking loss in thigh muscle and lower 24 h and 48 h drip loss in both breast and thigh muscles than those of other groups. Furthermore, birds in the FGBL3 and FGBL4 groups increased (P < 0.05) the activity of total superoxide dismutase and total antioxidant capability in muscles, and the scavenging activities of 2,2΄-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid radical, OH•, and O2•- in thigh muscle, decreased (P < 0.05) malondialdehyde concentration in thigh muscle, as compared to the CON group. In conclusion, FGBL had the potential to improve the growth performance, meat quality and antioxidant status of broiler chickens. The optimal dose in the present study of FGBL in broiler diets was from 3.5 to 4.5 g/kg.

Effect of Olive Leaf (Olea europaea) Powder on Laying Hens Performance, Egg Quality and Egg Yolk Cholesterol Levels

This experiment was conducted to measure the effects of olive leaf powder on performance, egg yield, egg quality and yolk cholesterol level of laying hens. A total of 120 Lohmann Brown laying hens of 22 weeks old were used in this experiment. The birds were fed on standard layer diets containing 0, 1%, 2%, or 3% olive leaf powder for 8 weeks. Egg weight and yield were recorded daily; feed intake weekly; egg quality and cholesterol content at the end of the trial. Olive leaf powder had no effect on feed intake, egg weight, egg yield and feed conversion ratio (p>0.05) while olive leaf powder increased final body weight of hens (p<0.05). Dietary olive leaf powder increased yellowness in yolk color (p<0.01) without affecting other quality parameters. Yolk cholesterol content was tended to decrease about 10% (p>0.05). To conclude, olive leaf powder can be used for reducing egg yolk cholesterol content and egg yolk coloring agent in layer diets.