In Ovo Feeding of Creatine Pyruvate Increases the Glycolysis Pathway, Glucose Transporter Gene Expression, and AMPK Phosphorylation in Breast Muscle of Neonatal Broilers

The Effects of In Ovo Feeding of Selenized Glucose on Selenium Concentration and Antioxidant Capacity of Breast Muscle in Neonatal Broilers

This study aims to investigate the impacts of in ovo feeding (IOF) of selenized glucose (SeGlu) on selenium (Se) level and antioxidant capacity of breast muscle in newborn broilers. After candling on 16 day of incubation, a total of 450 eggs were randomly divided into three treatments. On the 17.5th day of incubation, eggs in a control treatment were injected with 0.1 mL of physiological saline (0.75%), while the 2nd group and 3rd group were supplied with 0.1 mL of physiological saline containing 10 μg Se from SeGlu (SeGlu10 group) and 20 μg Se from SeGlu (SeGlu20 group). The results showed that in ovo injection in both SeGlu10 and SeGlu20 increased the Se level and reduced glutathione concentration (GSH) in pectoral muscle of hatchlings (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the SeGlu20-treated chicks significantly enhanced the activity of the superoxide dismutase (SOD) and mRNA expression of NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 (NQO1) in breast muscle, while there was upregulation in mRNA expressions of glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX-1) and thioredoxin reductase 1 (TrxR1) and higher total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in SeGlu10 treatment (P < 0.05). However, no significant difference on enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase (GR), glutathione reductase, thioredoxin reductase, concentration of malondialdehyde, and free radical scavenging ability (FRSA) of superoxide radical (O2-•) and hydroxyl radical (OH•) was observed among the three treatments (P > 0.05). Therefore, IOF of SeGlu enhanced Se deposition in breast muscle of neonatal broilers. In addition, in ovo injection of SeGlu could increase the antioxidant capacity of newborn chicks possibly through upregulating the mRNA expression of GPX1, TrxR1, and NQO1, as well as the SOD activity.

Improvement in growth performance and digestive function from amniotic injections of N-acetylglutamate in broiler chickens

BACKGROUND

N-acetylglutamate (NAG) is the initial and essectial substrate in the process of de novo arginine synthesis, plays an important role in intestinal development. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of in ovo feeding of NAG, 1.5 mg/egg at 17.5 days of incubation (DOI) via amnion, on hatching performance, early intestinal histomorphometry, jejunal barrier, digestive function, and growth performance of broiler chickens between 1 and 14 days of age.

RESULTS

Amniotic injection of NAG had no significant effect on hatching characteristics compared with the non-injected control group (NC group). Birds in the NAG solution-injected group (NAG group) exhibited lower average daily feed intake and better feed efficiency during a period of 1-14 days. In comparison with the NC group, the NAG group had decreased crypt depth (CD) in the ileum and increased villus height (VH) / CD in the jejunum at 7 days, and decreased CD in duodenum and significantly increased VH in the jejunum at 14 days. However, the effects of in ovo supplementation with NAG on the density of goblet cells, and gene expression of mucin 2 and alkaline phosphatase were not significant. Chicks in the NAG group had a significantly higher mRNA expression level of trypsin and maltase in jejunum at 7 days than the NC group but not at 14 days.

CONCLUSION

Amniotic injections of NAG (1.5 mg/egg) at 17.5 DOI could improve early growth performance of broilers during 1-14 days after hatching by accelerating the development of the intestine and enhancing jejunal digestive function. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of in ovo creatine monohydrate on hatchability, post-hatch performance, breast muscle yield and fiber size in chicks from young breeder flocks

Younger broiler breeder flocks produce smaller eggs containing smaller yolks, with potentially lower energy reserves for the developing chick. Creatine is a naturally occurring energy source and is abundant in metabolically active tissues; providing this to chicks in ovo should provide additional energy to improve hatchability and post-hatch growth. Thus, post-hatch performance of male and female chicks hatched from younger breeder flocks supplemented with creatine monohydrate (CrM) in ovo was investigated. Four hundred eggs from Ross 308 breeder hens aged 27 to 29 wk were collected and at d 14 assigned to a treatment group and received 1) no injection, 2) 0.75% saline injection, or 3) 8.16 mg creatine monohydrate in 0.75% saline. At hatch 72 birds (24/treatment) were euthanized and BW, breast muscle, heart and liver weight were obtained, and breast muscle tissue was placed in 10% buffered formalin. Birds were then placed in raised metal pens (24 pens; 10-11 birds/pen; 8 replicates/treatment) and grown to d 42 with BW and pen feed intake measured once a week. At d 42, ninty-six birds were euthanized (2 male and 2 female/pen) and the process occurred as at hatch. Body composition was obtained for 48 birds (2/pen; 1 male,1 female) with a dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanner. Breast muscle tissue was processed for histological analysis and breast muscle fiber parameters were analyzed by ImageJ. While not statistically significant, the CrM treatment group saw an improved hatch rate (CrM: 93.5%, Saline: 88.6%, Control: 88.8%) and reduced early post hatch mortality. Chicks given in ovo CrM had significantly increased creatine concentrations in both liver and heart tissue at hatch compared to those in the saline and control groups. BW, BW gain, and final body composition parameters were not statistically different between treatments and in ovo CrM did not affect breast muscle fiber number or area. The creatine injection likely improved the energy status of the growing embryo resulting in the improved hatch rate but leaving little reserves for post-hatch growth.

Effects of in ovo feeding of chlorogenic acid on antioxidant capacity of postnatal broilers

In this study, chlorogenic acid (CGA) was injected into the amniotic cavity of chicken embryos to study the effects of in ovo feeding of CGA on the antioxidant capacity of postnatal broilers. On the 17th day of embryonic age, a total of 300 healthy broiler fertile eggs with similar weights were randomly subjected to five groups as follows; in ovo injection with 0.5 ml CGA at 4 mg/egg (4CGA) or 7 mg/egg (7CGA) or 10 mg/egg (10CGA), or sham-injection with saline (positive control, PC) or no injection (negative control, NC). Each group had six replicates of ten embryos. Six healthy chicks with similar body weights hatched from each replicate were selected and reared until heat stress treatment (35°C ± 1°C, 8 h/d) at 28-42 days of age. The results showed that there was no significant difference in the hatching rate between the groups (p > 0.05). After heat stress treatment, 4CGA group showed an improved intestinal morphology which was demonstrated by a higher villus height in the duodenum and a higher villus height/crypt depth ratio in the jejunum, compared with the NC group (p < 0.05). The antioxidant capacity of chickens was improved by in ovo feeding of CGA since 4CGA decreased the plasma content of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05), whereas, it increased the superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase (CAT) activities compared with NC group (p < 0.05). Also, the MDA content of the different injection groups had a quadratic effect, with the 4CGA group having the lowest MDA content (P _quadratic < 0.05). In the duodenum, 4CGA injection significantly increased the mRNA expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1 (H O -1), glutathione synthetase (GSS), and SOD1 compared to the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of glutathione reductase (GSR) and GPX7 were significantly increased in all CGA-treated groups compared with the PC group (p < 0.05), while the mRNA expression of CAT was significantly increased by 4CGA group than the NC group (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of epigenetic-related genes, ten eleven translocation 1 and 2 (Tet1 and Tet2), and DNA-methyltransferase 3 alpha (DNMT3A) in the duodenum of 4CGA injected group was significantly increased compared with the NC and PC groups (p < 0.05). The mRNA expressions of Nrf2, SOD1, and Tet2 showed a significant quadratic effects with the 4CGA group having the highest expression (P _quadratic < 0.05). In conclusion, in ovo feeding of CGA alleviated heat stress-induced intestinal oxidative damage. Injection with CGA of 4 mg/egg is considered most effective due to its actions in improving intestinal antioxidant capacity, especially in the duodenum. The antioxidant effects of in ovo CGA on postnatal heat-stressed broilers may be related to its regulation of epigenetic mechanisms. Thus, this study provides technical knowledge to support the in ovo feeding of CGA to alleviate oxidative stress in postnatal heat-stressed broilers.

Effects of Rumen-Protected Creatine Pyruvate on Meat Quality, Hepatic Gluconeogenesis, and Muscle Energy Metabolism of Long-Distance Transported Beef Cattle

Pre-slaughter long-distance transport resulted in a rapid depletion of muscle glycogen and led to a higher rate of dark, firm and dry (DFD) meat. Therefore, enhancing muscle glycogen reserves is critical for beef cattle prior to transportation. Creatine pyruvate (CrPyr) can provide simultaneous pyruvate and creatine and both are proven to promote the glycogen reserves. This study aimed to investigate the effects of transport treatment and dietary supplementation of rumen-protected (RP)-CrPyr on the meat quality, muscle energy metabolism, and hepatic gluconeogenesis of beef cattle. Twenty 18 month-old male Simmental crossbred cattle (659 ± 16 kg) were allotted 4 treatments based on a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two RP-CrPyr levels (140 g/d or 0 g/d) and two transport treatments (12 h or 5 min): ST_CrPyr0, ST_CrPyr140, LT_CrPyr0 and LT_CrPyr140. Three cattle per group were slaughtered after 30 days of feeding. The interaction of transport and RP-CrPyr had a significant effect on the muscle pH45 min, redness, glycogen content, GP, and AMP level (P &lt; 0.05). Compared with short-distance transport, long-distance transport increased the muscle pH45 min value, redness, yellowness, drip loss, creatine level (P &lt; 0.05), decreased muscle glycogen content, glycolytic potential (GP), and liver glucose amount (P &lt; 0.05). Supplementation of RP-CrPyr decreased the activities of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase in serum, muscle pH24 h value, redness, yellowness, lactate content, AMP level, and AMP/ATP (P &lt; 0.05), increased the muscle glycogen content, GP, hexokinase activity, ATP and ADP levels, and ATP/ADP, liver pyruvate and glucose contents, activity of pyruvate carboxylase in the liver of cattle than those in the nonsupplemented treatments (P &lt; 0.05). These results indicated that dietary RP-CrPyr supplementation might be favorable to improve meat quality and regulatory capacity of energy metabolism of beef cattle suffering long-distance transport followed with recovery treatment by increasing muscle glycogen storage, energy supply, and hepatic gluconeogenesis.

Exploring the effectiveness of in ovo feeding of vitamin C based on the embryonic vitamin C synthesis and absorption in broiler chickens

BACKGROUND

Many researches about in ovo feeding (IOF) of vitamin C (VC) are gradually carried out to explore physiological development in chicken, but little studies focus on VC synthesis capacity of the embryo itself, the selection of injection site and the effectiveness of IOF of VC. This study aims to explore the above problems.

RESULTS

Kidney and yolk sac were the main organs for VC synthesis and L-gulonolactone oxidase (GLO) expression was lower during pre-hatch development than that during post-hatch development. Sodium-dependent vitamin C transporter 1 (SVCT1) expression was increased continuously in yolk sac from embryonic age 19 (E19) to post-hatch day 1 (D1) and in intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) from E17 to D1. Plasma VC content was higher at D1 than that at D21 and D42. IOF of VC significantly reduced GLO expression in liver, kidney and yolk sac as well as SVCT1 expression in duodenum, jejunum and ileum, but increased the VC content in plasma, brain, kidney and liver. In addition, IOF of VC obviously reduced the embryonic morality and increased the hatchability under heat stress.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that IOF of VC at E11 in yolk was effective for embryonic VC supplementation. These findings provide a theoretical reference about the method of embryonic VC supplementation and effective methodology on embryonic VC nutrition in broiler chickens.

Chicken embryo development: metabolic and morphological basis for in ovo feeding technology

Broiler embryonic development depends on the nutrients that are available in the egg, which includes mostly water, lipids, and proteins. Carbohydrates represent less than 1%, and free glucose only 0.3%, of the total nutrients. Considering that energy requirements increase during incubation and metabolism is shifted toward the use of glycogen stores and gluconeogenesis from amino acids, extensive muscle protein degradation in the end of incubation can compromise chick development in the initial days after hatch. Significant prehatch changes occur in embryonic metabolism to parallel the rapid embryonic development. Oral consumption of the amniotic fluid begins around 17 d of incubation and promotes rapid development of the intestinal mucosa, which is characterized by morphological changes and increased expression and activity of enzymes and transporters. Furthermore, ingested substrates are stored as nutritional reserves to be used during hatching and in the first week after hatch. At hatch, this limited-nutrient store is directed to the functional development of the gastrointestinal tract to enable assimilation of exogenous nutrients. In ovo feeding is an alternative to deliver essential nutrients to chick embryos at this critical and challenging phase. The improved nutritional status and physiological changes triggered by in ovo feeding can resonate throughout the entire rearing period with significant health and economic gains. The present review addresses the main changes in metabolism and intestinal development throughout incubation, and also addresses scientific advances, limitations and future perspectives associated with the use of in ovo feeding that has been regarded as an important technology by the poultry industry.

Analysis of the metabolic pathways affected by hot-humid or dry climate based on fecal metabolomics coupled with serum metabolic changes in broiler chickens

Air temperature and relative humidity (RH) are 2 important climatic elements that affect animal welfare and health. The prevailing hot and humid or dry climate is one of the major constraints for optimum poultry production, especially in the tropics and subtropical regions. Many studies have suggested that exposure to hot-humid or dry climate is associated with a high risk of metabolic imbalance; however, the underlying metabolic changes caused by low or high RH climate is not yet well understood. Therefore, we used a comprehensive ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry–based metabolic profiling of fecal samples to explore the effects of hot-humid and dry climate on metabolic pathways in broilers. A total of 180 twenty-eight-day-old Arbor Acres broilers were randomly allocated to 3 treatments, each containing 6 replicates of 10 birds per treatment, using a completely randomized design. Birds were reared at 35, 60, or 85% RH at 32°C (temperature increased by 3°C every 3 d from 20°C to 32°C within 15 d: 20°C, 23°C, 26°C, 29°C, 32°C) for 15 d. Results showed that significant changes in the levels of 36 metabolites were detected. Evidence of changes in gluconeogenesis associated to pyruvate metabolism, galactose metabolism, and ABC transporter was observed. In addition, hot-humid and dry stress also affected the protein translation process caused by aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, which may be associated with protein synthesis and hormone secretion disorders. Furthermore, we observed significant changes in primary bile acid biosynthesis and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, which indicated that fat synthesis was affected. We also observed significant changes in arginine and proline metabolism and histidine metabolism, which were associated with skin vasodilation and blood flow. These results provide biochemical insights into metabolic changes due to hot-humid or dry climate.

Dibutyl phthalate contamination accelerates the uptake and metabolism of sugars by microbes in black soil

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) is widely used as plasticizer and has been detected in the environment, posing a threat to animal health. However, the effects of DBP on agricultural microbiomes are not known. In this study, DBP levels in black soil were evaluated, and the impact of DBP contamination on the uptake and metabolism of sugars in microbes was assessed by glucose absorption tests, metaproteomics, metabolomics, enzyme activity assays and computational simulation analysis. The results indicated that DBP contamination accelerated glucose consumption and upregulated the expression of porins and periplasmic monosaccharide ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter solute-binding proteins (SBPs). DBP and its metabolic intermediates (carboxymuconate and butanol) may form a stable complex with sugar transporters and enhance the rigidity and stability of these proteins. Sugar metabolism resulting in the generation of ATP and reducing agent (NADPH), as well as the expression of some key enzymes (dehydrogenases) were also upregulated by DBP treatment. Moreover, a diverse bacterial community appears to utilize sugar, suggesting that there are widespread effects of DBP contamination on soil microbial ecosystems. The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for investigating the toxicological effects of DBP on microbes in black soil.

Creatine Monohydrate and Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation Affects the Growth Performance, Meat Quality, and Creatine Metabolism of Finishing Pigs

This study aimed to investigate the effects of creatine monohydrate (CMH) and guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality, and creatine metabolism of finishing pigs. The pigs were randomly allocated to three treatment groups: the control group, CMH group, and GAA group. In comparison to the control group, CMH treatment increased average daily feed intake and GAA treatment increased average daily feed intake and average daily gain of pigs. In addition, CMH and GAA treatment increased pH_45 min, myofibrillar protein solubility, and calpain 1 mRNA expression level and decreased the drip loss and shear force value in longissimus dorsi or semitendinosus muscle. Moreover, CMH and GAA supplementation increased the concentrations of creatine and phosphocreatine and the mRNA expressions of guanidinoacetate N-methyltransferase and creatine transporter in longissimus dorsi muscle, semitendinosus muscle, liver, or kidneys and decreased the mRNA expressions of arginine:glycine amidinotransferase in kidneys. In conclusion, CMH and GAA supplementation could improve the growth performance and meat quality and alter creatine metabolism of finishing pigs.