The beneficial uses of glycerin as an alternative energy source in poultry diets

Effect of different energy, protein levels and their interaction on productive performance, egg quality, digestibility coefficient of laying Japanese quails

For the evaluation of the effects of various quantities of crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME) (kcal/kg diet) in Japanese quail lay chicken meals on performance, digestion coefficients, and nutritional value. An experiment was undertaken in the summer season; 216 eight-wk-old Japanese quail laying hens were allocated at random to 1 of 9 groups in a factorial design (3 × 3) experiment involving 3 levels of CP (18, 20, and 22%) plus 3 levels of ME (2,800, 2,900, or 3,000 kcal/kg ME diet). The testing period lasted from 8 to 20 wk. The findings demonstrated that the relationship between protein and energy levels significantly impacted all productive outcomes except the feed conversion ratio (P < 0.01). Throughout the overall period 8 to 20 wk of age, the greatest measurements of egg weight (11.9 g) and egg mass (8.33 g) occurred in hens fed 20% CP with 2,900 kcal/kg diet, yet the lowest values of egg weight (11.2 g) and egg mass (6.72 g) were noticed in hens fed 22% CP with 2,900 kcal/kg diet. The data showed that the combination of dietary energy and protein levels had a substantial (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) effect on all egg quality trials evaluated. The results indicated that the interaction between dietary energy and protein concentrations substantially impacted DM and EE digestion ratios (P < 0.01). Finally, when feeding layer Japanese quail between the ages of 8 and 20 wk during the summer, a dietary energy content of 2,900 kcal ME/kg with 20% CP is recommended.

Metabolic Effects of Dietary Glycerol Supplementation in Muscle and Liver of European Seabass and Rainbow Trout by 1H NMR Metabolomics

The sustainable growth of fish aquaculture will require the procurement of non-marine feed sources. Glycerol is a potential feed supplement whose metabolism may spare the catabolism of dietary amino acids, thereby extending the use of the feed protein to other physiological functions such as growth. In the present study, the effects of dietary glycerol supplementation on the muscle and liver metabolomes of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) were evaluated. Fish juveniles were fed diets with 0%, 2.5%, and 5% glycerol. Muscle and liver aqueous fractions were extracted and ¹H NMR spectra were acquired. Metabolite profiles derived from the ¹H NMR signals were assessed using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. The adenylate energy charge was determined in the muscle. For both species, the muscle metabolite profile showed more variability compared to that of the liver and was most perturbed by the 5.0% glycerol diet. For the liver metabolite profile, rainbow trout showed fewer differences compared to European seabass. No differences were observed in energy charge between experimental groups for either species. Thus, rainbow trout appeared to be less susceptible to tissue metabolite perturbations, compared to seabass, when the diet was supplemented with up to 5% glycerol.

In ovo delivery of various biological supplements, vaccines and drugs in poultry: current knowledge

The technique of delivering various nutrients, supplements, immunostimulants, vaccines, and drugs via the in ovo route is gaining wide attention among researchers worldwide for boosting production performance, immunity and safeguarding the health of poultry. It involves direct administration of the nutrients and biologics into poultry eggs during the incubation period and before the chicks hatch out. In ovo delivery of nutrients has been found to be more effective than post-hatch administration in poultry production. The supplementation of feed additives, nutrients, hormones, probiotics, prebiotics, or their combination via in ovo techniques has shown diverse advantages for poultry products, such as improved growth performance and feed conversion efficiency, optimum development of the gastrointestinal tract, enhancing carcass yield, decreased embryo mortality, and enhanced immunity of poultry. In ovo delivery of vaccination has yielded a better response against various poultry pathogens than vaccination after hatch. So, this review has aimed to provide an insight on in ovo technology and its potential applications in poultry production to deliver different nutrients, supplements, beneficial microbes, vaccines, and drugs directly into the developing embryo to achieve an improvement in post-hatch growth, immunity, and health of poultry. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.