The effects of dietary 1, 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and hydroalcoholic extract ofWithania somniferaroot on bone mineralisation, strength and histological characteristics in broiler chickens

Advent of phytobiologics and nano-interventions for bone remodeling: a comprehensive review

Bone metabolism constitutes the intricate processes of matrix deposition, mineralization, and resorption. Any imbalance in these processes leads to traumatic bone injuries and serious disease conditions. Therefore, bone remodeling plays a crucial role during the regeneration process maintaining the balance between osteoblastogenesis and osteoclastogenesis. Currently, numerous phytobiologics are emerging as the new therapeutics for the treatment of bone-related complications overcoming the synthetic drug-based side effects. They can either target osteoblasts, osteoclasts, or both through different mechanistic pathways for maintaining the bone remodeling process. Although phytobiologics have been widely used since tradition for the treatment of bone fractures recently, the research is accentuated toward the development of osteogenic phytobioactives, constituent-based drug designing models, and efficacious delivery of the phytobioactives. To achieve this, different plant extracts and successful isolation of their phytoconstituents are critical for osteogenic research. Hence, this review emphasizes the phytobioactives based research specifically enlisting the plants and their constituents used so far as bone therapeutics, their respective isolation procedures, and nanotechnological interventions in bone research. Also, the review enlists the vast array of folklore plants and the newly emerging nano-delivery systems in treating bone injuries as the future scope of research in the phytomedicinal orthopedic applications.

Herbal Plants Application in Organic Poultry Nutrition and Production

Background:

Medicinal plants and natural feed additives are the most important alternatives in animal production, especially broiler production, due to the ban on the use of certain antibiotics, their cost-effectiveness and harmful residual effects.

Objective:

In this mini-review article, some important medicinal herbs and plants with positive effects on organic broiler production have been highlighted.

Methods:

A literature search was conducted in Science Direct, Google, Google Scholar, Springer, Medline and PubMed.

Results:

Medicinal plants such as ginger, ginkgo, thyme, ponderosa pine, soybean, forsythia, peppermint, Chinese star anise, astragalus, mistletoe, schisandra, cumin, capsicum, garlic, hooker chives, artichoke, Borreria latifolia, zataria, pomegranate, turmeric, lingzhi, Lippia javanica, neem, oriental chaff flower, mulberry leaf, goji berry, Aloe vera, pumpkin, grape, common nettle, marigold, coriandrum, Citrus sinensis, Alisma canaliculatum, Persian hogweed, Eucommiaulmoides, bamboo leaf extract, rosemary, Morina citrifolia, chestnut, green tea, wild mint, clove, sumac, satureja, ashwagandha, Lonicera japonica, Acacia, liquorice, Artemisia annua, milk thistle, cinnamon, black cumin and etc. have positive effects on organic broiler production.

Conclusion:

Herbal medicines lead to increased body weight due to a higher feed intake and a higher feed conversion ratio, and improve antioxidant activity of broiler chickens based on their phenolic compound contents. The combination of medicinal herbal additives also has a positive impact on broiler production. In organic broiler production with the usage of herbal plants, reducing hormones, growth promoters and antibiotics should be organized as well as considering appropriate organic feed management and higher production.

Effect of inorganic phosphate supplementation on egg production in Hy-Line Brown layers fed 2000 FTU/kg phytase

Phytase has long been used to decrease the inorganic phosphorus (Pi) input in poultry diet. The current study was conducted to investigate the effects of Pi supplementation on laying performance, egg quality and phosphate-calcium metabolism in Hy-Line Brown laying hens fed phytase. Layers (n = 504, 29 weeks old) were randomly assigned to seven treatments with six replicates of 12 birds. The corn-soybean meal-based diet contained 0.12% non-phytate phosphorus (nPP), 3.8% calcium, 2415 IU/kg vitamin D3 and 2000 FTU/kg phytase. Inorganic phosphorus (in the form of mono-dicalcium phosphate) was added into the basal diet to construct seven experimental diets; the final dietary nPP levels were 0.12%, 0.17%, 0.22%, 0.27%, 0.32%, 0.37% and 0.42%. The feeding trial lasted 12 weeks (hens from 29 to 40 weeks of age). Laying performance (housed laying rate, egg weight, egg mass, daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio) was weekly calculated. Egg quality (egg shape index, shell strength, shell thickness, albumen height, yolk colour and Haugh units), serum parameters (calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D), tibia quality (breaking strength, and calcium, phosphorus and ash contents), intestinal gene expression (type IIb sodium-dependent phosphate cotransporter, NaPi-IIb) and phosphorus excretion were determined at the end of the trial. No differences were observed on laying performance, egg quality, serum parameters and tibia quality. Hens fed 0.17% nPP had increased (P < 0.01) duodenum NaPi-IIb expression compared to all other treatments. Phosphorus excretion linearly increased with an increase in dietary nPP (phosphorus excretion = 1.7916 × nPP + 0.2157; R2 = 0.9609, P = 0.001). In conclusion, corn-soybean meal-based diets containing 0.12% nPP, 3.8% calcium, 2415 IU/kg vitamin D3 and 2000 FTU/kg phytase would meet the requirements for egg production in Hy-Line Brown laying hens (29 to 40 weeks of age).

The adaptability of Hy-Line Brown laying hens to low-phosphorus diets supplemented with phytase

Body phosphorus homeostasis network allows laying hens to adapt to wide range of changes in dietary phosphorus levels. Phytase hydrolyzes phytate rendering phosphorus and reduces the laying hens' requirements for inorganic phosphate rock. Here, we demonstrate that there is no need to keep large safety margins in dietary phosphorus when hens are fed with phytase. Hy-Line Brown laying hens (n = 504) were randomly assigned to 7 treatments (6 replicates of 12 birds). A corn-soybean meal–based diet, with no inorganic phosphate rock, was formulated to contain 0.12% nonphytate phosphorus (nPP), 3.8% calcium, and 2,000 FTU/kg phytase. Inorganic phosphate rock (di-calcium phosphate) was supplemented into the basal diet to create 6 other diets containing 0.17, 0.22, 0.27, 0.32, 0.37, and 0.42% nPP. Levels of calcium carbonate and zeolite powder were adjusted to make sure all the 7 experimental diets contained the same nutrition levels (including calcium and phytase) except nPP. The diets were subjected to laying hens from 29 to 40 wk of age. As a result, when supplemented with 2,000 FTU/kg phytase, extra supplementation of inorganic phosphate rock had no effects (P > 0.05) on serum phosphorus levels, serum calcium levels, laying performance (laying rate, egg weight, feed intake, feed-to-egg ratio, and unqualified egg rate), egg quality (shell thickness, shell strength, albumen height, yolk color, and Haugh unit), and tibia quality parameters (breaking strength and ash, calcium, and phosphorus contents). Extra supplementation of inorganic phosphate rock linearly increased (P < 0.01) fecal phosphorus excretion and linearly decreased (P = 0.032) the apparent metabolizability of dietary phosphorus. While serum hormones and intestine gene expressions were varied within treatments, no consistent changes were found. In conclusion, the supplementation of inorganic phosphate rock (provided 0.05–0.30% extra nPP) to phytase-containing basal diets (2,000 FTU/kg; nPP = 0.12%) provided limited benefits to egg production performance in laying hens from 29 to 40 wk of age. Further investigating the body phosphorus homeostasis would help to understand the nutritional and physiological reasonability of formulating low-phosphorus diets in the laying hen industry.

Performance of an Escherichia coli phytase expressed in Lactococcus lactis on nutrient retention, bone traits and intestinal morphology in broiler chickens

The availability of plant phosphorus in the gut chicken can be improved by increasing phosphorus retention using phytase enzyme or a probiotic with phytase activity as an alternative. In this study, the efficacy of a recombinant probiotic, Lactococcus lactis (L. lactis), with a potential of phytase production was evaluated in broiler chickens. To this aim, 360 one-day-old male broiler Cobb 500 were divided into six treatments with six replicates and reared to 42 days of age. The experimental treatments included positive control diet containing adequate phosphorus (PC), negative control diet containing reduced available phosphorus (NC), negative control diet involving recombinant L. lactis (RLL), negative control diet containing both recombinant L. lactis and Lactobacillus salivarius (RLL + LBS), negative control diet including non-recombinant L. lactis (LL) and negative control diet containing Hostazym^® . Growth performance, total tract apparent disappearance of phytate-P and nutrient retention, mineral content of the tibia and histomorphology of jejunum were evaluated at the age of 35 days. Based on the results, the phosphorus (P) deficiency in the diet reduced body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), length and strength of tibia and increased feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to PC group. However, the supplementation of Hostazym^® or RLL probiotic into the feed improved BW, ADG, FCR, disappearance of Phytate-P and retention of P, length and strength of the tibia in a level similar to PC treatment. Phosphorus content of tibia in the chickens fed P-deficient diets containing RLL was similar to that of the tibia in the control group. Excreta phytate and total P excretion of the chickens decreased when diets contained Hostazym^® , RLL and RLL + LBS. In addition, the diet containing RLL + LBS probiotic increased villi height compared with other treatments (p < .05). Further, recombinant L. lactis could represent phytase activity in the gut environment of the chickens and could be an alternative to the commercial phytase.

In ovo injection of flavanone on bone quality characteristics, biochemical parameters and antioxidant enzyme status of blood in daily chicks

In ovo injection (IOI) of Naringin (N), flavanone was examined on post-hatch blood biochemical parameters, antioxidant status and bone characteristics. Fertile eggs (n = 700) were distributed in seven groups with 100 eggs. On 14th and 17.5th days of incubation, four groups were injected using 15 or 30 mg active ingredient levels of naringin/0.5 ml saline/egg, low and high level, into amnion sac. Controls include sham (injected normal saline, 0.5 ml/egg on day 14 and 17.5th) and un-injected group. IOI of high naringin and saline on 14th day of incubation resulted in lower hatchability and then higher mortality in last week of embryonic life. On day hatch, high levels of injected groups more body weight compared to the control. Chick length was increased at high levels of naringin on day 17.5th compared to control and saline injected. Quality traits of bones were improved in naringin-injected groups compared to control. IOI of naringin influenced thyroid hormones on 14th day of incubation. Naringin groups influenced the Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Calcium (Ca), superoxide dismutase (SOD), blood biochemical and lipids. Totally, amniotic IOI of naringin in last days of developing embryo may be useful for hatched chick, development of leg long bone or effect on biochemical metabolites by levels of flavanone that it needs more research.