An update on ascorbic acid in poultry

Production performance, haematological parameters, serum biochemistry, and expression of HSP-70 in broiler chickens fed dietary ascorbic acid during heat stress

An experiment was carried out to assess the efficacy of supplemental ascorbic acid (AA) on broiler chicken production performance, blood haematological profile, biochemical profile, and carcass traits under heat stress conditions. A total of 192-day-old broiler chicks were divided into four groups, each with six replicates of eight each (4 × 6 × 8). Four corn-based dietary treatments were formulated: T1 (control diet), T2 (T1 + AA at 200 mg/kg), T3 (T1 + AA at 400 mg/kg), and T4 (T1 + AA at 600 mg/kg) for a period of 42 days. Despite the high temperature and humidity, the 600 mg AA supplemental groups (T4) gained significantly (P ≤ 0.05) more body weight and had a higher feed intake and better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the control group (T1). After 28 days of feeding the three AA-supplemented diets, antibody titres (humoral immune response) were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05). The response to intradermally injected phyto-haemagglutinin (PHA-P), an index of the in vivo cell-mediated immune response, was found to be increased (P ≤ 0.05) in the 400 and 600 mg AA-supplemented groups after 35 days. Higher levels of AA (T4) supplementation significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved haematological values such as haemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocyte count (TEC), total leukocyte count (TLC), and differential leukocyte count (DLC), heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L) in comparison to the control group (T1). The supplemented group improved the serum biochemical profile of the birds, with an increase (P ≤ 0.05) in total serum protein, albumin, and globulin and a decrease in serum cholesterol and corticosterone levels in the T4 group compared to the control group. Heat shock protein-70 (HSP-70) was gradually elevated after increasing the ascorbic acid concentration (P ≤ 0.05) at 14 and 21 days. As a result, it can be concluded that supplementing ascorbic acid at 600 mg/kg is beneficial for improving the performance, immunity, and blood haematological biochemical profile and upregulating the HSP-70 gene of broiler chickens under heat stress conditions.

Replacing biochar with mineral premix and its interaction with vitamin C on laying hen production and egg quality factors

This researchers focused at how adding vitamin C (VC) to biochar and replacing it with a mineral supplement affected egg quality and laying hen performance. 50 experimental units were created from 400 laying hens using a 5 × 2 factorial treatment design (10 treatments, 5 repeats, and 8 laying hens per repetition). Biochar levels (0, 25, 50, 75, and 100% replacement with mineral supplements of diet) and VC levels (0 and 100 mg/kg of diet) were some of the studied variables. The results showed that different experimental diets had no significant effect on performance parameters (feed intake, feed conversion ratio, daily weight gain, egg weight, egg production, and egg mass) of laying hens. In the whole of experiment (50-62 weeks of age), dietary treatments had no influence on egg albumen %, Haugh unit, albumen index, yolk %, yolk index, yolk color, egg shell thickness, or egg shell ash. The results revealed that biochar, due to its availability and easy production, can replace mineral supplements in laying hens' diet, with no adverse effects on productive performance and egg quality traits.

The effect of different levels of vitamin C and chromium on growth performance, carcass characteristics, digestive organs, immunity, blood constituents, liver enzymes, cecal microflora, meat sensory taste and fatty acid profile of breast meat in broilers

BACKGROUND

Antioxidants such as vitamin C (VC) and chromium (Cr), which effectively scavenge free radicals, may improve functional characteristics of the intestine and may reduce intestinal diseases. Cr absorption increases in the presence of VC. In poultry, VC is mainly derived from glucose; hence, Cr is an important component for glucose tolerance. We evaluated the synergistic effects of these two antioxidants together.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to investigate two levels of VC and two levels of Cr and their interaction on growth performance, carcass characteristics, digestive organs, immunity, blood constituents, liver enzymes, cecal microflora, meat sensory taste and fatty acid profile of breast meat in broilers.

METHODS

Two levels of VC (250 and 500 mg/kg dry matter [DM]) and two levels of Cr (700 and 1400 μg/kg DM) were added to a basic diet for 42 days in five treatments. The 2 × 2 plus 1 (control group) factorial experiment was performed in a completely randomised design for 42 days using 360 one-day-old male chicks.

RESULTS

Very low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol and triglyceride level, liver enzymes, antibody titer against sheep red blood cells, fat content, odour, chewing ability, elasticity and oral sensation traits were affected by combination of VC and Cr.

CONCLUSIONS

Combination of VC and Cr can increase unsaturated fatty acids and decrease saturated fatty acids, as well as improve cecal microbial flora, and may be useful as antioxidant compounds and non-antimicrobial stimulants for economic growth. The use of 250 mg/kg of VC and 700 μg/kg of Cr is recommended in broiler diets.

A comparative study on feeding timing and additive types of broilers in a high-temperature environment

Antioxidants such as vitamin C (VC) and green tea extract (GTE) have been reported to have various antioxidant functions and are used as one of the nutritional approaches to alleviate heat stress (HS) in chickens. However, studies on the feeding timing that can produce optimal effects have not been reported. In this study, the stress-relieving effect of VC and GTE addition timing was investigated in high-temperature broiler chickens. A total of 880 1-d-old male chickens were used, and the treatments were as follows: no feed additives provided, CON; VC 250 mg/kg added from 1 d, VC1; GTE 600 mg/kg added from 1 d, GTE1; VC 250 mg/kg added from 22 d, VC22; GTE 600 mg/kg added from 22 d, GTE22. The HS environment was provided for 2 wk from the 22 d and was set at 33 ± 1 °C, 55 ± 10% for 24 h. Feed and water were provided ad libitum. Broiler production was similar in all treatments. In chicken meat quality, the addition of VC and GTE had an effect on meat color and pH (P < 0.05). In particular, GTE had a positive effect on the antioxidant capacity and quality preservation of breast meat (P < 0.05). In blood characteristics, GTE1 significantly lowered the level of total cholesterol, and VC1 affected AST and IgM (P < 0.05). Interestingly, the VC1 group had a positive effect on the maintenance and development of intestinal morphology, a lower rectal temperature, and showed to relieve stress. In conclusion, the addition of VC and GTE has been shown to alleviate the high-temperature stress of broilers, and in the case of VC in particular, feeding from 1 d appeared to alleviate stress more effectively. This study suggests that it is important to determine the appropriate timing of addition of functional substances in order to effectively reduce various stresses that occur in livestock rearing.

Effects of a Dried Neem Leaf Extract on the Growth Performance, Meat Yield and Meat Quality in Skeletal Muscle of Broiler Chickens Under High-Temperature Conditions

We aimed to examine the effects of cyclical high ambient temperature (HT) and dried Neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf extract (DNE) supplementation on the growth performance, muscle lipid peroxidation level, and muscle drip loss of broiler chickens. Twenty-four 15-day old broiler chickens (Chunky strain ROSS 308) were divided into four treatment groups that were fed diets with or without 2.0% DNE under thermoneutral (25 ± 1°C) or cyclical HT (35 ± 1°C for 8 h/day) conditions. Supplementation of DNE did not affect the growth performance of the chicks, but HT reduced their feed intake, the weights of breast muscle and heart. In addition, supplementation with DNE ameliorated the negative effects of cyclical HT on feed intake and breast muscle mass. Furthermore, cyclical HT increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration and drip loss over 48 h of storage of the breast muscle, and these effects were ameliorated by DNE. Collectively, we conclude that dietary supplementation with DNE reduces the muscle MDA concentration and drip loss of broiler chickens kept under HT conditions.

Using Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Extract to Improve the Welfare, Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chicken

Simple Summary

The latest trends in livestock husbandry and breeding are directed towards expanding production, which includes the use of natural products, such as herbs, in animal nutrition. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of an aqueous solution of milk thistle administered at chosen concentrations on the welfare, production results, selected physicochemical properties of the breast muscles, the activity of selected enzymes, and the antioxidant potential of the blood serum and breast muscles of broiler chickens. On the basis of the obtained results, it was found that both concentration levels of the milk thistle extract showed a significant effect on some of the growth performance, antioxidant capacity in the blood serum, and in pectoral muscle and welfare.

Abstract

Modern poultry production looks for feed and water additives that improve the welfare of chickens. The utilization of herbs as additives in feed or drinking water is becoming increasingly well known. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum), administered in drinking water, on chickens’ welfare, production results, selected physicochemical properties of the breast muscles, the activity of selected enzymes, and the antioxidant potential of blood serum and breast muscles. A total of 102 one-day-old male ROSS 308 chicks were allocated into three treatment groups. The material was an infusion of dried milk thistle seeds in two doses, administered in drinking water for chickens (group: C = 0; E1 = 0.24; E2 = 0.36 g/day/animal) under standard rearing conditions. As a result of adding the milk thistle to the drinking water, there was an improvement in the welfare of the chickens and in the production results, enzymatic capacity of selected enzymes, and antioxidant capacity in the blood serum and in pectoral muscle (p ≤ 0.05). The addition of a milk thistle seed infusion for chickens can be used in poultry production to improve the rearing performance antioxidant capacity and welfare of chickens.

The application of ascorbic acid as a therapeutic feed additive to boost immunity and antioxidant activity of poultry in heat stress environment

Ascorbic acid, widely known as vtamin C, is an essential nutrient for animals such as poultry. Ascorbic acid in poultry feed improves animal health and thus increases the growth performance of birds. Ascorbic acid can be used in the form of synthetic products or can be naturally obtained from fruits and plants. It is soluble in water and can be easily administered in drinking water and the diet. Poultry can synthesize ascorbic acid in the body. However, the performance of the animals can be improved by adding ascorbic acid to their diet. In addition, ascorbic acid is called an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. This increases their resistance to disease during the transition season. Ascorbic acid supplementation positively affects the stress response, especially during the dry season in tropical countries. Furthermore, supplementing ascorbic acid in the poultry’s diet improves resistance to diseases, regulates stress, and helps in the body’s oxidation process. Ultimately, this enhances the laying rate, egg hatch performance, and higher poultry productivity. For layers at the end of the laying period, it helps increase the quality of the eggshell and reduces the proportion of broken eggs. Ascorbic acid has a strong relationship with other vitamins such as vitamin E and other substances such as zinc, safflower oil, folic acid, and a fibrous diet. This review aims to synthesize all the information of ascorbic acid in the poultry’s diet, thereby providing the general role of ascorbic acid for the poultry industry.

In ovo Feeding as a Tool for Improving Performance and Gut Health of Poultry: A Review

Early growth and development of the gastrointestinal tract are of critical importance to enhance nutrients' utilization and optimize the growth of poultry. In the current production system, chicks do not have access to feed for about 48-72 h during transportation between hatchery and production farms. This lag time affects early nutrient intake, natural exposure to the microbiome, and the initiation of beneficial stimulation of the immune system of chicks. In ovo feeding can provide early nutrients and additives to embryos, stimulate gut microflora, and mitigate the adverse effects of starvation during pre-and post-hatch periods. Depending on the interests, the compounds are delivered to the embryo either around day 12 or 17 to 18 of incubation and via air sac or amnion. In ovo applications of bioactive compounds like vaccines, nutrients, antibiotics, prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, creatine, follistatin, L-carnitine, CpG oligodeoxynucleotide, growth hormone, polyclonal antimyostatin antibody, peptide YY, and insulin-like growth factor-1 have been studied. These compounds affect hatchability, body weight at hatch, physiological functions, immune responses, gut morphology, gut microbiome, production performance, and overall health of birds. However, the route, dose, method, and time of in ovo injection and host factors can cause variation, and thereby inconsistencies in results. Studies using this method have manifested the benefits of injection of different single bioactive compounds. But for excelling in poultry production, researchers should precisely know the proper route and time of injection, optimum dose, and effective combination of different compounds. This review paper will provide an insight into current practices and available findings related to in ovo feeding on performance and health parameters of poultry, along with challenges and future perspectives of this technique.

Prophylactic effects of dietary ascorbic acid on oxidative stress indices, physiological and behavioural responses of domestic pigeons exposed to road transport stress

Transport disturbs birds' welfare and health status which lead to oxidative stress and dietary ascorbic acid mitigates the adverse effects of transport stress. The present study was aimed to evaluate the impacts of ascorbic acid administration on oxidative stress indices, cortisol, H/L ratio, tonic immobility reaction and rectal temperature of pigeons exposed to road transport. A total of 80 clinically healthy pigeons were selected and randomly divided to eight equal groups as follow: (1) Ctrl- : fed by basal diet and no subjected to transport stress; (2) Ctrl+: fed by the basal diet and subjected to transport stress; (3, 4) 1DBS10 and 1DBS16: received ascorbic acid from 1 day before transport stress at doses of 10 g/100 L and 16 g/100 L of drinking water, respectively; (5, 6) 3DBS10 and 3DBS16: treated with ascorbic acid from 3 consecutive days before transport stress at doses of 10 g/100 L and 16 g/100 L, respectively and (7, 8) 7DBS10 and 7DBS16: received ascorbic acid from 7 consecutive days before the transport at doses 10 g/100 L and 16 g/100 L, respectively. Birds were transported for 3 h over a distance of about 200 km. The total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde and cortisol were measured before transport and at 6, 24 and 72 h post-transportation. The rectal temperature and tunic immobility reactions were recorded. Dietary ascorbic acid led to a decrease in tonic immobility response, hetrophil to lymphocyte ratio, circulating cortisol and total antioxidant capacity, and an increase in circulating malondialdehyde in pigeons exposed to transport stress compare to Ctrl+ group. In conclusion, ascorbic acid administration at dose 16 g/100 L of drinking water from 3 and 7 days before exposure to stress helps attenuate undesirable effects of oxidative stress in pigeons.

Effects of stocking density and dietary vitamin C on performance, meat quality, intestinal permeability, and stress indicators in broiler chickens

The objective of the current study was to investigate the effects of stocking density (SD) and dietary supplementation of vitamin C on growth performance, meat quality, intestinal permeability, and stress indicators in broiler chickens. The study was conducted using a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of 2 different SD and 2 supplemental levels of dietary vitamin C. A total of 1,368 Ross 308 broiler chickens of 21 days of age with similar body weights (BW) were randomly allotted to 1 of 4 treatments with 6 replicates each. Different numbers of birds per identical floor pen (2.0 m × 2.4 m) were used to create 2 different SD levels of low SD (9 birds/m²) and high SD (18 birds/m²). The basal diet was formulated with no supplemental vitamin C to meet or exceed nutrient recommendations of the Ross 308 manual. The other diet was prepared by supplementing 200 mg/kg vitamin C in the basal diet. The study lasted for 14 days. At the end of the study, 3 male birds per replicate were selected to analyze meat quality, intestinal permeability, and stress indicators such as blood heterophil:lymphocyte (H:L) and feather corticosterone (CORT) concentrations. Results indicated that there were no interactions between different SD and dietary supplementation of vitamin C for all measurements. For the main effects of SD, birds raised at high SD had less (p < 0.01) BW, BW gain, and feed intake with increasing stress responses including greater blood H:L and feather CORT concentrations (p < 0.01) than those raised at low SD. Transepithelial electrical resistance in the jejunal mucosa was decreased (p < 0.05) at high SD, indicating an increase in intestinal permeability. However, the main effects of dietary supplementation of 200 mg/kg vitamin C were insignificant for all measurements. In conclusion, high SD of broiler chickens impairs growth performance and intestinal barrier function with increasing stress responses. However, dietary supplementation of vitamin C may have little beneficial effects on broiler chickens raised at the high SD condition used in the present study.

Comparative effects of dietary functional nutrients on growth performance, meat quality, immune responses, and stress biomarkers in broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions

Objective

The objective of the present study was to investigate the comparative effects of dietary functional nutrients including glutamine (Gln), chromium picolinate (Cr picolinate), vitamin C (Vit C), betaine (Bet), and taurine (Tau) on growth performance, meat quality, immune responses, and stress biomarkers in broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions.

Methods

A total of 420 21-d-old Ross 308 male broiler chickens (initial body weight = 866±61.9 g) were randomly allotted to 1 of 7 treatment groups with 6 replicates. One group was kept under thermoneutral conditions and was fed a basal diet (PC, positive control). Other 6 groups were exposed to a cyclic heat stress condition. One of the 6 groups was fed the basal diet (NC, negative control), whereas 5 other groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.5% Gln, 500 ppb Cr picolinate, 250 mg/kg Vit C, 0.2% Bet, or 1.0% Tau. The diets and water were provided ad libitum for 21 d.

Results

Broiler chickens in NC group had decreased (p<0.05) growth performance and immune responses measured based on cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity (CBH), but increased (p<0.05) stress responses measured based on feather corticosterone concentrations and blood heterophil:lymphocyte than those in PC group. However, none of dietary functional nutrients had a positive effect on growth performance of broiler chickens. Dietary supplementation of 250 mg/kg Vit C improved (p<0.05) CBH responses of broiler chickens, but other functional nutrients had no such an improvement in CBH responses. All functional nutrients decreased (p<0.05) stress responses of broiler chickens.

Conclusion

Functional nutrients including Gln, Cr picolinate, Vit C, Bet, and Tau at the supplemental levels used in this study decrease stress responses of broiler chickens to a relatively similar extent. However, this reduction in stress responses could not fully ameliorate decreased productive performance of broiler chickens raised under the current heat stress conditions.

Effect of heat stress on growth and production performance of livestock and poultry: Mechanism to prevention

Heat stress is a widespread phenomenon in domestic animal feeding in tropical and sub-tropical areas that are subjected to a growing negative effect in livestock and poultry due to global warming. It leads to reduced food intake, retarded growth, intestinal disequilibrium, lower reproductive performance, immunity and endocrine disorders in livestock and poultry. Many studies show that the pathogenesis of heat stress is mainly related to oxidative stress, hormone secretion disorder, cytokine imbalance, cell apoptosis, cell autophagy, and abnormal cell function. Its mechanism refers to activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) signaling pathway, the fluctuation of tight junction protein and heat shock protein expression, and protein epigenetic modification. This manuscript reviews the mechanism of heat stress through an insight into the digestive, reproductive, immune, and endocrine system. Lastly, the progress in prevention and control techniques of heat stress has been summarized.

The impact of temperature-humidity index on blood morphology and β-hydroxybutyrate in different sheep breeds

Climatic variations directly affect the animals, changing their physiology. Several factors such as species, breed, sex, age, nutrition, diseases, physiological stage, and seasonal variations can affect the pattern of haematological values. Quantitative and morphological changes in blood cells are associated with higher temperatures and humidity. Sixty-seven sheep (3 years old, not pregnant, clinically healthy) were used in the study to determine the effect of the temperature-humidity index (THI) and breed on morphological blood indices and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB). The sheep were divided into groups by the breed (4 breeds) and the THI (2 classes). The blood samples from each animal were collected monthly. Significant differences between the values of leukocytes (WBC), neutrophils (NEU), erythrocytes (RBC), haemoglobin (HGB), haematocrit (HCT), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), lymphocytes (LYM), monocytes (MON) and platelet count (PLT) in THI groups were observed. In THI 1, the mean values of MCHC (5.68%, P < 0.05), MCH (0.52%), and HCT (4.90%, P < 0.05) were higher compared to those in THI 2. Multivariate test showed a significant effect of breed on NEU (P < 0.05), RBC (P < 0.05), HGB (P < 0.05) and MCHC (P < 0.05). The concentration of BHB in group THI 2 was by 12.9% higher (P < 0.05), compared to group THI 1. A significant effect of the breed (P < 0.05) and THI class (P < 0.05) on BHB was determined, whereas the impact of breed interaction with the THI was found to be non-significant. The observations reported in this study suggest that the response to temperature is dependent on animal breed. It was found that both morphological blood indices and BHB were affected by the temperature-humidity index.

Effects of in ovo feeding of vitamin C on post-hatch performance, immune status and DNA methylation-related gene expression in broiler chickens

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of in ovo feeding (IOF) of vitamin C at embryonic age 11 (E11) on post-hatch performance, immune status and DNA methylation-related gene expression in broiler chickens. A total of 240 Arbor Acres breeder eggs (63 (sem 0·5) g) were randomly divided into two groups: normal saline and vitamin C (VC) groups. After incubation, newly hatched chicks from each group were randomly divided into six replicates with ten chicks per replicate. Hatchability, average daily feed intake (D21–42 and D1–42), and average daily gain and feed conversion ratio (D1–21) were improved by vitamin C treatment (P < 0·05). IOF of vitamin C increased vitamin C content (D1), total antioxidant capacity (D42), IgA (D1), IgM (D1 and D21), stimulation index for T lymphocyte (D35) and lysozyme activity (D21) in plasma (P < 0·05). On D21, vitamin C increased the splenic expression of IL-4 and DNMT1 and decreased IL-1β, Tet2, Tet3 and Gadd45β expression (P < 0·05). On D42, vitamin C increased the splenic expression of IL-4 and DNMT3A and decreased IFN-γ, Tet3, MBD4 and TDG expression (P < 0·05). In conclusion, the vitamin C via in ovo injection can be absorbed by broiler’s embryo and IOF of vitamin C at E11 improves the post-hatch performance and immune status and, to some extent, the antioxidant capacity of broiler chickens. The expression of enzyme-related DNA methylation and demethylation indicates that the level of DNA methylation may increase in spleen in the VC group and whether the fluctuating expression of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines is related to DNA methylation change remained to be further investigated.

Effects of Cyclic High Ambient Temperature and Dietary Supplementation of Orotic Acid, a Pyrimidine Precursor, on Plasma and Muscle Metabolites in Broiler Chickens

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of high ambient temperature (HT) and orotic acid supplementation on the plasma and muscle metabolomic profiles in broiler chickens. Thirty-two 14-day-old broiler chickens were divided into four treatment groups that were fed diets with or without 0.7% orotic acid under thermoneutral (25 ± 1 °C) or cyclic HT (35 ± 1 °C for 8 h/day) conditions for 2 weeks. The chickens exposed to HT had higher plasma malondialdehyde concentrations, suggesting an increase in lipid peroxidation, which is alleviated by orotic acid supplementation. The HT environment also affected the serine, glutamine, and tyrosine plasma concentrations, while orotic acid supplementation affected the aspartic acid, glutamic acid, and tyrosine plasma concentrations. Untargeted gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS)-based metabolomics analysis identified that the HT affected the plasma levels of metabolites involved in purine metabolism, ammonia recycling, pyrimidine metabolism, homocysteine degradation, glutamate metabolism, urea cycle, β-alanine metabolism, glycine and serine metabolism, and aspartate metabolism, while orotic acid supplementation affected metabolites involved in pyrimidine metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, the malate-aspartate shuttle, and aspartate metabolism. Our results suggest that cyclic HT affects various metabolic processes in broiler chickens, and that orotic acid supplementation ameliorates HT-induced increases in lipid peroxidation.

Effect of fibrous diet and vitamin C inclusion on uniformity, carcass traits, skeletal strength, and behavior of broiler breeder pullets

This experiment studied the effect of broiler breeder nutritional strategies on uniformity, carcass traits, tibia parameters, and behavior during rearing and prebreeder periods (up to 22 wk of age). One-day-old pullets (n = 384) were randomly assigned to 4 treatments arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial, with 2 fiber levels (control vs. fibrous diet, 15% diluted in AMEn and nutrient content) and 2 vitamin C feed inclusions (0 vs. 200 mg/kg). At 6, 15, and 22 wk, blood sampling was carried out (4 birds/replicate) to determine serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, and behavior was observed by visual scan sampling. At 22 wk, carcass traits, tibia parameters, and intestinal morphology were assessed (2 birds/replicate), and tail- and wing-feather integrity of all birds were scored. Fibrous diet did not modify BW uniformity, mortality, or tibia growth when compared with control diet. Pullets fed the fibrous diet had lower tibia breaking strength, elastic modulus, and ash content values (P < 0.05). They also had lower ALP serum level at 6 and 22 wk (P < 0.05), their breast muscle was less developed (18.5 vs. 19.8%, P < 0.05), and their abdominal fat deposition was higher (1.14 vs. 0.87%, P < 0.05). At 15 and 22 wk, they performed, on average, 97% less grasping feather pecking and 45% less non–food object pecking behaviors, and their wing-feather score was lower (P < 0.05) at 22 wk. Tail- and wing-feather scores of the control treatments were reduced by vitamin C inclusion (tail: 0.30 vs. 1.15, P < 0.05; wing: 0.98 vs. 1.26, P < 0.05) at 22 wk. In conclusion, fibrous diet improves carcass traits (reduces breast muscle and increases abdominal fat deposition), deteriorates bone mineral deposition and thus skeletal strength, and reduces stereotypic behaviors, improving wing-feather integrity. Vitamin C inclusion improves tail- and wing-feather integrity of lower in feed allowance.

Effects of Fennel Seed Powder Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality, and Economic Efficiency of Broilers under Thermoneutral and Chronic Heat Stress Conditions

Simple Summary

Nowadays, great attention has been given to phytogenic products as a growth enhancer due to their safety and eco-friendly influences on animal nutrition. Thus, this investigation looked at the use of fennel seed powder at 0, 1.6, and 3.2% as a dietary additive on the performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and efficiency of the production of broiler chickens raised under thermoneutral and chronic heat stress conditions. In essence, 3.2% fennel seed powder in the diet of broilers enhanced the growth rate under chronic heat stress and decreased breast meat redness and temperature, suggesting that 3.2% fennel seed could be used as an agent for enhancing the broiler’s tolerance during chronic heat stress (CHS) condition from 19 to 41 days of age.

Abstract

Nowadays, phytogenic products have received great attention as a growth promoter due to their safety and environmentally friendly effect as a replacement for classical growth promoters such as antibiotics in animal nutrition. Thus, this research seeks the possibility of using fennel seed powder (FSP) as a dietary additive from 19 to 41 days of age on productive performance, carcass traits, meat quality, and production efficiency of broiler chickens raised under thermoneutral and chronic heat stress conditions. Thus, 216 one-day-old Ross-308 broiler chicks were divided into two equal groups. The first group was placed in an independent temperature-controlled room at 23 ± 2 °C. The broiler chicks from the second group were placed in a heat-stressed room and exposed to chronic heat stress conditions (32 ± 2 °C) for seven hours per day from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The experimental design was 2 × 3 factorial including two environmental temperatures (thermoneutral vs chronic heat stress) and three experimental diets that contained 0, 1.6, and 3.2% FSP. The chickens were randomly assigned to 18-floor pens per room temperature, representing six replicates per treatment and six birds per replicate. The results showed that dietary fennel seed powder during days 19–41 of age enhanced the growth rate of broiler chickens and improved breast meat redness and reduced temperature under chronic heat stress. In conclusion, 3.2% of fennel seed powder could be used as an agent for enhancing the broiler’s tolerance during chronic heat stress condition from 19 to 41 days of age. Moreover, it is necessary to study in further detail the nitrite and nitrate contents in FSP and their impacts on muscle redness (a*) as well as muscle temperature.

Effects of astaxanthin-rich dried cell powder from Paracoccus carotinifaciens on carotenoid composition and lipid peroxidation in skeletal muscle of broiler chickens under thermo-neutral or realistic high temperature conditions

Thirty-two 15-day old broiler chicks (Chunky strain ROSS 308) were randomly divided into four treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The main factors were diet (basal diet or basal diet supplemented with 0.15% astaxanthin-rich dried cell powder (Panaferd-P [astaxanthin 30 ppm]) and ambient temperature (thermo-neutral [25 ± 1°C] or high [35 ± 1°C for 6 hr]). Dietary supplementation with Panaferd-P did not affect growth performance, though high ambient temperature decreased feed intake and the weight of breast tender muscle, liver, and heart. High ambient temperature also decreased redness in both breast and leg muscles of chickens, while Panaferd-P increased redness and yellowness of breast and leg muscles of chickens. Panaferd-P increased Paracoccus carotinifaciens-derived pigments (i.e., adonixanthin, astaxanthin, adonirubin, and cantaxanthin) as well as corn-derived pigments such as zeaxanthin and lutein in breast and leg muscles. High ambient temperature increased the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in breast muscle, while Panaferd-P decreased the MDA concentration in breast muscle under both temperature conditions. Our results suggest that dietary supplementation with Panaferd-P increases muscle carotenoid content, the redness and yellowness of meat and decreases the muscle MDA concentration in broiler chickens kept under thermo-neutral or high ambient temperature conditions.

Interactive effects of dietary protein concentration, a mono-component exogenous protease and ascorbic acid on broiler performance, nutritional status and gut health

A total of 640 male Ross 308 broiler chickens were used to explore the interactive effects of diet nutrient density, exogenous protease and ascorbic acid on performance, nutrient digestibility and various gut health metrics. A total of eight dietary treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial with the factors being adequate or reduced (~4%) crude protein and amino acids, without or with exogenous protease and without or with supplemental ascorbic acid. Over the 35-day experimental period, birds that received the adequate diet had higher (P < 0.01) bodyweight gain and lower (P < 0.001) feed conversion ratio (FCR) than birds that received the diet with reduced protein and amino acid density. Supplemental protease reduced (P < 0.001) FCR and this influence was more apparent in birds fed the diet with reduced protein concentration. Gut tensile strength tended to be increased by protease (P = 0.09) and ascorbic acid (P = 0.06) supplementation. Supplemental protease reduced (P < 0.001) jejunal goblet cell numbers and epithelial thickness and increased (P < 0.05) villus height compared with unsupplemented diets. Ascorbic acid tended (P = 0.05) to increase sialic acid concentration in ileal digesta. Protease increased (P < 0.01) the coefficients of apparent ileal digestibility for all amino acids other than methionine and this effect tended (P = 0.07 to 0.09) to be more pronounced in the low protein diet for aspartic acid, histidine and arginine. The concentration of taurine in ileal digesta was reduced (P < 0.01) by protease whereas hydroxyproline concentrations tended (P = 0.09) to increase by ascorbic acid addition. These results confirm previous reports on the effectiveness of exogenous protease in diets reduced in crude protein and digestible amino acids. Furthermore, both protease and ascorbic acid may influence gut health through promotion of tensile strength, epithelial morphology and endogenous protein flow. The interaction between exogenous protease and ascorbic acid on gut health with an emphasis on collagen structure and tight junction integrity is an area for future study.

Vitamin C and vitamin E supplementation alleviates oxidative stress induced by dexamethasone and improves fertility of breeder roosters

This study was conducted to determine the effect of supplemental dietary vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) on improving semen quality and antioxidative status in breeder roosters challenged with dexamethasone (DEX). 120 45-week-old Lveyang black-boned breeder roosters were divided into 5 experimental treatments, including negative group, positive group, and three trial groups, which were fed basal diet supplemented with 300mg/kg VC, 200mg/kg VE, or 300mg/kg VC and 200mg/kg VE (VC+VE). At 49 weeks of age, the positive control and trial groups were subcutaneously injected 3 times every other day with DEX 4 mg/kg body weight, the negative control group was sham injected with saline. At 50 weeks of age, average daily feed intake of birds challenged with DEX significantly increased (P<0.05), however, serum testosterone significantly decreased (P<0.05). Dietary supplementation of VC+VE enhanced serum testosterone and sperm motility remarkably (P<0.05). There were no differences in sperm viability between the DEX-treated groups. During the post-stress recovery period (52 weeks of age), dietary supplementation of VE and VC+VE significantly increased the body weight of birds under oxidative stress (P<0.01). VC, VE, and VC+VE groups had greater sperm viability than control group (P<0.01). Additionally, there was a decrease in the semen plasma malondialdehyde content (P<0.05) of the VC and VC+VE groups, and in the testicular malondialdehyde content (P<0.01) of the VE and VC+VE groups. In summary, VC, VE, especially their combination alleviate the oxidative stress induced by DEX and are favorable for the fertility of breeder roosters.

Ascorbic Acid Differentially Affects Stress Response and Resistance to Colibacillosis in Turkeys from Genetic Lines Differing in Growth Rate

Genetic selection for fast growth can affect the ability of male turkeys to cope with stressors, resulting in decreased immunity to opportunistic bacterial infection. The purpose of the current study was to compare the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) on the stress response and resistance to Escherichia coli challenge of birds selected for increased 16-wk body weight (BW; F-line) with their random-bred parent line (RBC2). Male turkeys were raised in duplicate floor pens in a two line×two AA treatment×two stress challenge (SC) design. At 5 wk of age, AA (1200 ppm) was provided in drinking water for a 24-hr period, during which all birds were weighed. After AA treatment, the SC group was subjected to a transport stress protocol. Six hours after the start of transport, SC birds were also inoculated in the thoracic air sac with 1×10(4) colony-forming units of E. coli. The following morning four birds from each pen were bled, and all birds were weighed and necropsied 2 days later. BW and gain after SC were decreased in the F-line but not the RBC2 line, and there were no AA effects on BW. The weight of the bursa of Fabricius relative to BW was higher in the RBC2 line than in the F-line, was decreased by SC, and was not affected by AA. The heterophil∶lymphocyte ratio was higher in the SC F-line as compared to the SC RBC2 and was decreased by AA only in the SC F-line. Corticosterone (C) levels were increased by SC only in the F-line, and AA decreased C levels only in the RBC2 line. Airsacculitis scores were increased in the F-line SC birds. The challenge strain of E. coli was only detected in the air sac and liver of the AA-treated F-line SC birds and in the liver of the no-AA F-line birds. These results suggest that SC at 5 wk of age had a more deleterious effect on the fast-growing F-line than on its parent line and that AA may have increased susceptibility to colibacillosis in the SC F-line birds.

Concurrent supplementation of arginine and antioxidant vitamins E and C reduces oxidative stress in broiler chickens after a challenge withEimeriaspp

Dominguez P.A., Pro-Martinez, A., Narciso-Gaytán, C., Hernández-Cázares, A., Sosa-Montes, E., Perez-Hernandez, P., Caldwell, D. and Ruiz-Feria, C. A. 2015. Concurrent supplementation of arginine and antioxidant vitamins E and C reduces oxidative stress in broiler chickens after a challenge with Eimeria spp. Can. J. Anim. Sci. 95: 143–153. Oxidation is a major problem associated with pathogen damage in animals. One-day-old mixed-sex broiler chicks (Cobb 500; n=624) were randomly assigned to one of six treatments: a basal diet [CTL; 40 mg of vitamin E (VE) kg−1of feed and 1.5% Arginine (Arg)] or the basal diet plus Arg (ARG; 0.3%), Arg+VE (AVE; 0.3% and 40 mg kg−1respectively), Arg+vitamin C (VC) (AVC; 0.3% and 1 g kg−1respectively), VE+VC (VEC; 40 mg+1 g kg−1respectively), or Arg+VE+VC (AVEC; 0.3%+40 mg+1 g kg−1respectively). At day 14, all birds were orally challenged with 100× the normal dose of Advent®coccidiosis vaccine (450 000 oocysts). Intestinal lesion scores (LS) in duodenum, jejunum and ceca were recorded, along with relative immune system organ weights at day 23. Plasma samples were taken before (2 h) and after challenge (12, 24 and 48 h) to determine malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) and glutathione peroxidase activity (GPx). Birds fed the VEC diet were heavier at 7 d (P<0.05) than birds fed the AVE diet. CTL birds had heavier (P<0.05) bursas than AVC birds; no differences among treatments for spleen and thymus were found. The jejunum LS was lower in the AVC and VEC birds than in CTL birds, whereas ceca LS was highest in AVE birds, and the duodenum LS was not affected by treatment. Birds fed the AVEC diet had the lowest MDA levels before challenge, but higher levels of MDA than birds fed the CTL, ARG or AVE 12 h after challenge. Before challenge ARG birds had higher (P<0.05) NO levels than AVEC-fed birds, but 12 h after challenge birds fed the CTL, ARG or AVE diet had lower NO levels than birds fed the AVC, VEC or AVEC diet. Before challenge AVEC-fed birds had higher (P<0.001) GPx activity than CTL, ARG and AVE birds, but after 12, 24 and 48 h VEC birds showed higher GPx activity than CTL, ARG- and AVE-fed birds. Although Arg, VE and VC, modulated oxidative stress during coccidiosis challenge, the effects were not sufficient to affect performance relative to the control diet.

Effects of chromium and chromium + vitamin C combination on metabolic, oxidative, and fear responses of broilers transported under summer conditions

A total of 240 female broilers (42 days old) were randomly assigned to four groups with six replicates and fed either a basal diet (two control groups) or a basal diet supplemented with either 1,200 μg Cr(+3) from chromium (Cr) methionine/kg (Cr group) or 1,200 μg Cr(+3) from Cr methionine plus 800 mg vitamin C (Vit C)/kg of diet (Cr + Vit C group). After 7 days on the dietary treatment, all groups except one of the controls were transported for 3 h under the summer conditions. Performance parameters were not influenced by dietary treatments. The plasma concentrations of insulin, triiodothyronine, triglyceride, and the ratio of triiodothyronine/thyroxin were decreased and the ratio of glucose/insulin was increased due to transport process. Road transportation also increased the plasma concentrations of protein, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, and creatine kinase and decreased the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in the Cr + Vit C group. The pretransport concentrations of insulin and triiodothyronine were highest in the Cr + Vit C group. The concentration of phosphorous was lower in the Cr group than that in the other groups after transport. No significant effects of dietary treatments were observed on the other biochemical parameters. Transport increased malondialdehyde concentration in the control group and did not change plasma total antioxidant capacity and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity. Either in combination or alone, Cr increased plasma total antioxidant capacity (before transport P ≤ 0.05, after transport P = 0.07) but did not affect the concentration of malondialdehyde and activity of glutathione peroxidase. The duration of tonic immobility (TI) was similar between nontransported control chicks and transported chicks without any supplements. Pretreatment with Cr + Vit C significantly reduced the duration of TI.

Performance, egg quality traits, and serum metabolite concentrations of laying hens affected by dietary supplemental chromium picolinate and vitamin C under a heat-stress condition

A 3 × 2 factorial experiment consisting three levels (0, 200, and 400 μg/kg) of chromium (chromium picolinate) and two levels (0 and 250 mg/kg) of vitamin C was employed to evaluate the effects of these dietary supplements on performance, egg quality traits, and serum biochemical parameters of heat-stressed laying hens (Lohmann LSL-Lite) from 66 to 74 weeks of age. Feed intake increased when birds were given either 400 μg/kg chromium or 250 mg/kg vitamin C (P < 0.05), but the birds that received both chromium and vitamin C consumed feed similar to those that received only chromium. Dietary treatments had no effect on egg production, egg mass, egg volume, feed conversion ratio, and body mass (P > 0.05). The birds that fed on diet with chromium or vitamin C produced eggs with higher shell mass and thickness compared to the control. Both eggshell mass and thickness decreased when vitamin C and chromium were supplemented simultaneously, and birds given the diet supplemented with 400 μg/kg chromium and 250 mg/kg vitamin C had eggshell mass and thickness similar to those of the control group. The serum concentration of chromium increased due to increasing level of dietary chromium (P < 0.05). The birds that received diet with chromium and vitamin C had higher serum concentrations of chromium compared to those that received only chromium (P < 0.05). Similarly, the hens that received chromium and vitamin C had higher serum concentrations of calcium and phosphorus compared to the hens fed with other treatments (P < 0.05). The birds given with supplemental chromium exhibited lower serum glucose, total cholesterol, and triglycerides concentrations but higher serum albumin and total protein concentrations compared to the other groups (P < 0.05).

Heat stress impairs the nutritional metabolism and reduces the productivity of egg-laying ducks

This research was conducted to determine the effect of heat stress on the nutritional metabolism and productivity of egg-laying shelducks. Healthy shelducks (n=120) in the early laying stage (uniform body weights and normal feed intakes) were randomly assigned to two identical climate chambers and exposed to constant high temperature (34°C) or control temperature (23°C) for 28d. The heat-exposed ducks had reduced feed intakes and laying rates (P<0.05), increased frequency of panting and spreading wings and dull featheration; egg weight, eggshell thickness and strength, and Haugh unit also decreased and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of egg yolk increased (P<0.05). Compared with the control ducks, the plasma concentrations of HCO3(-), phosphorus, glucose, thyroxine and activities of glutamic-pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase were decreased, while there were increased concentrations of corticosterone (P<0.05). The content of MDA and lactate in plasma and liver was greater in heat-exposed than in control ducks, but superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), total antioxidant enzymes (T-AOC) activities and glutathione (GSH) contents were less. The expression of HSP70 gene expression in the liver was increased in heat-stressed ducks. The relative weight of oviduct, number of large ovarian follicles, length of the oviduct all decreased (P<0.05) in heat-treated ducks, as did expression of carbonic anhydrase and calcium binding protein genes in the shell gland as a result of heat stress. In summary, heat stress decreased the productivity of ducks, which related to reduced feed intake, protein synthesis, endocrine dysfunction, less antioxidant capacity, and derangement of calcium and phosphorous balance.

Dietary strategies to improve nutritional value, oxidative stability, and sensory properties of poultry products

Consumers demand both safer and more nutritious food products exempt of non-natural origin preservatives or other food additives. In this frame, products with lower fat content and/or a higher ratio in unsaturated fatty acids, especially n-3 fatty acids, are desired because these lipids can help prevent the development of cardiovascular and inflammatory pathologies. The intake of meat products is of interest because they are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. In addition, the shelf-life of meat products can be extended by the presence of natural antioxidants coming from different sources such as plant extracts. Therefore, different strategies have been studied to improve the nutritional value, oxidative stability, and sensory characteristics of meat products and eggs through different mineral and natural dietary supplements. In comparison to other strategies, dietary supplements present the advantage that first the living animals may efficiently distribute the compounds throughout the tissues and second, the dietary supplementation is safer because the resulting enriched meat products and eggs ensure tolerable amounts in humans. Poultry meats and eggs are widely consumed and their fatty acid profile and tocopherol content can be easily modified through different dietary strategies thus being excellent models to improve their nutritional value and oxidative stability.

The effects of vitamin C and E supplementation on heat shock protein 70 response of ovary and brain in heat-stressed quail

1. The effects of vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) and vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol acetate) supplementation on egg production and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) response of ovary and brain in the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exposed to high ambient temperature were evaluated. 2. The birds (n = 540; 55 d old) were randomly assigned to 18 groups consisting of 3 replicates of 10 birds each in a 2 x 3 x 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. Birds were kept in wire cages in a temperature-controlled room at either 22 degrees C (thermo-neutral, TN) or 34 degrees C (heat stress, HS) for 8 h/d (09:00 to 17:00 h; until the end of the study) and fed on a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with either three levels of vitamin C (0, 250 and 500 mg of L-ascorbic acid/kg of diet) or three levels of vitamin E (0, 250 and 500 mg of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate/kg of diet). 3. Feed intake and egg production were not affected by vitamin C and E supplementation under thermo-neutral conditions. However, feed intake and egg production were increased with the vitamin C or E supplementation either singly or in combination in heat-stressed quail. When vitamin was added, feed intake and egg production of quails under TN were different from those raised under HS. However, in the absence of supplemental vitamins, feed intake and egg production at TN and HS were no different. 4. Heat exposure increased serum corticosterone levels and Hsp70 expression. Serum corticosterone level was significantly decreased by vitamin C or E supplementation in HS groups for quail. Ovary and brain Hsp70 expression linearly decreased as dietary vitamin C or vitamin E supplementation increased in heat-stressed groups. However, Hsp70 expression of ovary and brain was not affected by vitamin C or E supplementation under thermo-neutral conditions. 5. The present study showed that a combination of dietary vitamin C (500 mg) and E supplementation (500 mg) may alleviate some heat stress effects of heat shock proteins of ovary and brain and egg production of Japanese quail.