Evaluation of the effects of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam) in broiler diets

Effects of Major Families of Modulators on Performances and Gastrointestinal Microbiota of Poultry, Pigs and Ruminants: A Systematic Approach

Considering the ban on the use of antibiotics as growth stimulators in the livestock industry, the use of microbiota modulators appears to be an alternative solution to improve animal performance. This review aims to describe the effect of different families of modulators on the gastrointestinal microbiota of poultry, pigs and ruminants and their consequences on host physiology. To this end, 65, 32 and 4 controlled trials or systematic reviews were selected from PubMed for poultry, pigs and ruminants, respectively. Microorganisms and their derivatives were the most studied modulator family in poultry, while in pigs, the micronutrient family was the most investigated. With only four controlled trials selected for ruminants, it was difficult to conclude on the modulators of interest for this species. For some modulators, most studies showed a beneficial effect on both the phenotype and the microbiota. This was the case for probiotics and plants in poultry and minerals and probiotics in pigs. These modulators seem to be a good way for improving animal performance.

Critical Factors and Emerging Opportunities in Food Waste Utilization and Treatment Technologies

Globally, approximately one-third of food produced for human consumption is lost or discarded, comprising 1. 3 billion tons annually. Factors contributing to food waste from the food manufacturer to the consumer level are numerous. Events that may result in food waste include, but are not limited to, manufacturing food by-products, improper handling within the supply chain (e.g., cold chain deviations), misunderstood food date labels, over-purchasing, and consumer-level temperature abuse. From the manufacturer to consumer, each node in the food supply requires concerted efforts to divert food waste from entering municipal landfills. Depending on the state of the food waste, it is diverted to various outlets, from food donation for consumption to composting for soil amendment. To better understand the opportunities in the United States to divert food waste from landfills, current and emerging federal policies as well as the causes of food waste generation must be understood. Unfortunately, information on both the composition of food waste in the U.S. and how it impacts critical factors in food waste treatment, especially in food waste composting, is limited. Specifically, this review aims to: (1) discuss and compare critical factors that impact the fate of food waste and (2) examine emerging opportunities to advance the processing and products of food waste.

Evaluation of effects of the dry-heat-processed sweet potato waste as broiler feed

This study was conducted to examine the effects of feeding dry-processed sweet potato waste on the growth of broilers. Sweet potato waste was air-dried (A-SPW) or heat-dried (D-SPW). Twenty-four 14-d-old chicks were assigned to the following groups (14-28 days): control, fed a corn-soybean meal-based diet; A-SPW, fed the basal diet with 55% of the corn replaced with A-SPW meal; D-SPW, fed the basal diet with 50% of the corn replaced with D-SPW meal. The feed conversion ratio (feed/gain) of the D-SPW group was greater than that of the A-SPW group. The relative weight of abdominal fat and the muscle lipid content of the D-SPW group were increased compared with those of the A-SPW group. The metabolizabilities of crude protein and gross energy of the D-SPW group were increased compared with those of the A-SPW group. The plasma α-tocopherol concentrations of the A-SPW and D-SPW groups were greater than that of the control group. Plasma malondialdehyde was decreased in the A-SPW and D-SPW groups, and muscle malondialdehyde was decreased in the D-SPW group, compared with the control group. Our results demonstrate that dry-heat processing improves the nutrient metabolizability of sweet potato waste and makes it into available feed for broilers.

Effects of Different Papua New Guinea Sweetpotato Varieties on Performance and Level of Enteric Pathogens in Chickens

Simple Summary

The smallholder poultry industry in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has grown rapidly in the last decade. The cost of growing meat birds is high, as feed alone makes up to 80% of the total cost of production in PNG. Sweetpotato is currently used in a poultry feed as a cheaper alternative option compared to the more expensive commercially manufactured stockfeed in PNG. The PNG smallholder poultry production system involves many families who rear multiple batches of meat birds every year. These birds are sold mostly at the farm gate, at local provincial markets, or roadside markets. Consumption of contaminated chicken meat has been identified as one of the important food vehicles for food borne illness. This PNG-based study was conducted to understand whether the inclusion of local sweetpotato in poultry feed can influence the shedding of pathogens such as Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and Campylobacter without causing negative effects on poultry performance. The results of this study releveled that Campylobacter and Salmonella levels in the broilers fed with the local sweetpotato diets can be influenced with inclusion of enzymes in the feed.

Abstract

In the last decade, research has targeted the evaluation of local feed ingredients for use in monogastric diets to alleviate the high cost of production of livestock at smallholder levels in Papua New Guinea (PNG). The PNG smallholder poultry production system involves many families who rear multiple batches of meat birds every year. This study was conducted to evaluate the levels of enteric pathogens in the caeca of broilers fed with sweetpotato diets with varying levels of non-starch polysaccharides (NSP). Selection of a sweetpotato variety for use in broiler diets should be based on the total NSP content. In particular, varieties with low soluble NSPs are economical to use as Apparent Metabolizable Energy (AME) values are within the desired range for poultry and there is minimal need to include enzymes to improve NSP digestibility. The use of varieties with a low total NSP is also advantageous as the numbers of Clostridium perfringens was lower in broilers fed with these sweetpotato varieties. The level of Campylobacter and Salmonella levels were high in the ceca of birds fed with the sweetpotato varieties with high total NSP. These levels can be reduced with the inclusion of enzymes. This information will assist in the efficient use of local varieties of sweetpotato in PNG by small holder poultry farmers for sustainable poultry production and the commercial industry.