Effects of hempseed (Cannabis sativa L.) in diet on growth, gut health, and immunity in broilers

The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of different levels of hempseed (HS) on growth performance, immunity and gut health in broiler chickens. A total of 192 Hubbard broiler chicks were divided into four groups and fed HS as follow: control (HS0), HS 10% (HS-10), HS 15% (HS-15) and HS 20% (HS-20). The study on HS supplementation in broilers revealed no significant impacts on feed intake during the starter (p = .2294) and finisher phases (p = .2294), or overall (p = .0944), though numerical increases were noted with higher HS levels. Body weight gain showed no significant influence in the starter and finisher phases, with overall weight gain also not significantly different (p = .0944), but numerically higher with increased HS. Feed conversion ratio was unaffected in the starter (p = .6986) and finisher phases (p = .6425), and overall (p = .2218). Dressing percentage (p = .1062) and mortality (p = .1631) were not significantly altered, but HS-20 had the highest dressing percentage and lowest mortality numerically. White blood cell counts increased significantly (p = .0377), especially in HS-15 and HS-20 groups. IgM and IgG production was higher in HS-20 on day 28 (p = .021). Gut pH (p > .05) and intestinal histomorphology (p > .05) were not significantly affected, although villus height increased numerically with higher HS levels. These results suggest potential benefits of HS, especially at higher inclusion levels. In conclusion, the obtained results indicated that HS incorporation into the diet of broilers did not affect the growth performance and gut health; however, the immune responses were significantly higher at 15 and 20% levels.

Effects of dietary local hemp seed meal as soybean meal alternative on productive performance, egg quality and yolk fatty acid composition of laying hens

Supply problems and rising soybean meal prices have an impact on increasing feed costs. Hemp seed meal (HSM) with high protein content has the potential to be used as an alternative to soybean meal. This study evaluated the impact of dietary HSM of Narlı Sarayı variety as a substitute for soybean meal on productive performances, egg quality and yolk fatty acid composition. A total of 120 Lohmann Brown laying hens aged 50 weeks were allocated into 4 groups and 10 repetitions. Birds received treatment without HSM (control group), or soybean meal substituted with 4%, 8% and 12% HSM. Dietary 4% significantly increased (p < 0.05) egg production and decreased FCR compared with 8% and 12% HSM group but did not differ from the control group in an overall period of 6 weeks. The inclusion of the 12% HSM group significantly decreased (p < 0.05) egg production. Meanwhile, there was no influence of hemp seed meal (p > 0.05) on feed intake, egg weight, body weight change, egg shape index, albumen index, albumen weight, Haugh unit, yolk weight, yolk index and eggshell thickness. Dietary 8% and 12% HSM significantly increased (p < 0.05) eggshell weight and yolk colour compared with control and 4% HSM groups. There was a significant increase (p < 0.05) in omega-3 fatty acid concentration and a decrease in yolk omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ratio with an increase in dietary HSM. It was concluded that dietary up to 12% HSM of the Narlı Sarayı variety decreased egg production and increased FCR. Increasing dietary levels of HSM increased eggshell weight, yolk colour and omega-3 fatty acids content and decreased the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids ratio.

Effect of Dietary Incorporation of Hemp Seeds Alone or with Dried Fruit Pomace on Laying Hens' Performance and on Lipid Composition and Oxidation Status of Egg Yolks

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of introducing hemp seeds, as a source of PUFAs, into a standard diet with or without dried fruit pomace (dried blackcurrant (DB) or dried rosehip (DR)), as a source of natural antioxidants, on the laying performance of hens and the FA profile, cholesterol level, antioxidant content, and lipid oxidative status in the yolks of fresh eggs or eggs stored at 4 °C for 28 days. The experiment used 128 Tetra SL hens at 35 weeks of age, which were divided into four groups and randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: a standard corn-wheat-soybean meal diet (C), standard diet containing 8% ground hemp seed (H), hemp seed diet containing 3% dried blackcurrant pomace (HB), and hemp seed diet containing 3% dried rosehip pomace (HR). The laying rate, feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg weight, and yolk weight were improved by the use of hemp seeds. The yolks of the H, HB, and HR eggs had a lower cholesterol (p ˂ 0.01) and SFA content, while the concentration of total and individual PUFAs (n-6 and n-3 FAs) was significantly higher (p ˂ 0.01) compared to C. In addition, the introduction of hemp seeds into the diets alone or with dried fruit pomace (DB or DR) led to increased (p ˂ 0.001) content of α-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3n-3), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) and hypo-/hypercholesterolemic FA ratio and decreased arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) content, n-6/n-3 ratio, and thrombogenicity index (TI) compared to the control eggs. The introduction of dried fruit pomace (DB or DR) into the diets had no effect on the laying performance of the hens or the cholesterol content and FA profile of the egg yolks, compared to the diet supplemented only with hemp seeds. The dried fruit pomace improved the color, accumulation of antioxidants, and oxidative stability of fats in the yolks of the fresh eggs and eggs stored at 4 °C for 28 days. The DR was found to have the most desirable effects, producing the most intense color of egg yolks, the highest content of natural antioxidants, and the best oxidative stability of yolk lipids.

Review: Nutritional aspects of hemp-based products and their effects on health and performance of monogastric animals

Sustainable agriculture aims to produce food and feed that ensure food security and play a key role in environmental protection. For this, producers, supported by scientific research, are investigating new protein alternatives for animals that guarantee high performance and preserve their health. Among these, hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is gaining great success, both for its active role in environmental conservation and for the high nutritional profile of the seeds (20-30% carbohydrates, 25-30% proteins easy to digest and rich in essential amino acids, and 25-35% lipids with a balanced fatty acid composition), also ensured by the co-products, particularly seed cakes (30-34% proteins and 10-12% lipids). However, the last scientific report by the European Food Safety Authority for the use of hemp-based products in the feed sector now dates back to 2011. For this reason, the objective of this review, in addition to outlining the nutritional profile of hempseeds (HSs) and co-products, aims to investigate their use in the monogastric sector, particularly in the diets of pigs, broilers, and laying hens, by summarising the main works in the literature up to 2023, investigating the effects on animal health and performances. The reported results showed that the addition of 50 g/kg of HSs and HS oil improved the nutritional profile of milk and colostrum in lactating sows, particularly the lipid profile, positively affecting the health of piglets. For broilers, the inclusion of HSs (20 g/kg) resulted in better values on growth performance. This was not matched by the addition of HS oil (up to 60 g/kg). In particular, although a better polyunsaturated fatty acid profile was observed, the results on growth performance were contradictory. The same trend was observed for HSs cakes with 50, 150, and 200 g/kg inclusion. For laying hens, the inclusion of HSs (up to 250 g/kg), HS oil (up to 300 g/kg), and HSs cake (up to 150 g/kg) increased the nutritional and functional profile of the eggs, safeguarding performance and animal welfare. However, despite the promising results, the function of hemp-based products in the diet of monogastric animals needs to be further investigated to identify the optimal level of inclusion and timing of administration, necessary to ensure high performance and health of the animals.

The Histone Deacetylase Inhibitory Potential of Chicken Egg Yolk Fat and Their Fatty Acid Composition

Histone deacetylation is a key biochemical event associated with transcriptional regulation. Histone deacetylases (HDACs) mediate the deacetylation of histones. Fatty acids have been reported to function as histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi). The present instigation reports the HDAC inhibitory activity of egg yolks and egg yolk-derived fat of country and farm chicken for the first time. Egg yolks and fatty acids derived from both country (CCEF) and farm chicken (FCEF) demonstrated significant HDAC enzyme activity inhibition. Furthermore, egg yolks, CCEF, and FCEF exhibited DPPH free radical scavenging effects. The analysis of fatty acid profiles revealed varying degrees of saturated, mono-, and polyunsaturated fatty acids in the egg yolks. Palmitic acid (C16 : 0) was found to be the most abundant saturated fatty acid in both CCEF and FCEF. Among the monounsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid (C18 : 1) was the most abundant in both CCEF and FCEF. In terms of polyunsaturated fatty acids, a significant difference was observed in the content of linoleic acid (C18 : 2), an omega-6 fatty acid, and docosahexaenoic acid (C22 : 6), an omega-3 fatty acid, between CCEF and FCEF. These findings present exciting prospects for the development of histone deacetylase inhibitors based on egg yolk fat.

The Effect of Feeding Laying Hens with Nonindustrial Hemp Seed on the Fatty Acid Profile, Cholesterol Level, and Tocopherol Composition of Egg Yolk

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how cannabis-derived nonindustrial hemp seed (HS) inclusion in laying hen diets, as well as treatment duration, affected the fatty acid (FA) profile, cholesterol level, and tocopherol composition of egg yolks. Ninety-six (n = 96) Lohmann Brown classic laying hens were randomly assigned to one of the four groups: control (standard diet) and HS-containing diets (10% HS, 20% HS, and 30% HS). The study was conducted for a period of 4 months. The findings demonstrated that the FA profile and the tocopherol composition are strongly impacted by the addition of HS to the diet of laying hens (p < 0.05), but the cholesterol content remained unaffected. The increase in the dose of cannabis incorporated into the hen's diet (HS-30% group) led to a significant increase in the amounts of the polyunsaturated fatty acids n-3 and n-6 content of egg yolk. This enrichment was accompanied by a considerable decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio (p < 0.001) from 8.19 to 4.88, on day 84 of the experiment. The total tocopherol content significantly increased (p < 0.05) from 281.44 (control) to 327.02 μg/g yolk (HS-30%) on day 84. Finally, in the context of warfare, these seeds might be used as a feed additive for laying hens to produce higher nutritive value eggs with affordable prices.

Tomato pomace waste as safe feed additive for poultry health and production – a review

Tomato cultivation and industrial processing produce a considerable amount of tomato pomace, peels, and seeds, which are difficult to handle. These by-products contain a variety of minerals and bioactive substances, and may thus be further valorized, generating additional revenue for processing plants while also decreasing environmental issues caused by their buildup. The inclusion of tomato pomace in poultry feed has been shown to produce promising effects in poultry growth and health, however the results are largely inconsistent. Literature has documented improvement in growth, egg production and quality, immunological and antioxidant effects in poultry. This review has complied the impacts of tomato pomace on the growth and health indices of poultry.

Prospects of organic acids as safe alternative to antibiotics in broiler chickens diet

Genetically, modern broilers are fast-growing birds which attain the market age at the age of 5 weeks. To maintain optimum production, antibiotics have been commonly included in the diets as growth promoters. However, due to the increase in antimicrobial resistance, their uses have been banned worldwide. To keep the optimum level of production and health in broiler industry, the use of alternative growth promoters such as probiotics, prebiotics, enzymes, and organic acids has been proposed. Chemically, organic acids are weak acids and only partially dissociate. They are considered safe and have been used for preservation of food for centuries. Nowadays, organic acids have been reported for antibacterial, immune potentiating, and growth promoters in broilers. In this review, the effects of dietary inclusion of organic acids on growth, nutrient digestibility, intestinal integrity, immune system, and antibacterial activity in broilers are discussed.

Evaluation of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as an industrial crop: a review

Rising human population has increased the utilization of available resources for food, clothes, medicine, and living space, thus menacing natural environment and mounting the gap between available resources, and the skills to meet human desires is necessary. Humans are satisfying their desires by depleting available natural resources. Therefore, multifunctional plants can contribute towards the livelihoods of people, to execute their life requirements without degrading natural resources. Thus, research on multipurpose industrial crops should be of high interest among scientists. Hemp, or industrial hemp, is gaining research interest because of its fastest growth and utilization in commercial products including textile, paper, medicine, food, animal feed, paint, biofuel, biodegradable plastic, and construction material. High biomass production and ability to grow under versatile conditions make hemp, a good candidate species for remediation of polluted soils also. Present review highlights the morphology, adaptability, nutritional constituents, textile use, and medicinal significance of industrial hemp. Moreover, its usage in environmental conservation, building material, and biofuel production has also been discussed.

The seed of industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.): Nutritional Quality and Potential Functionality for Human Health and Nutrition

Hempseeds, the edible fruits of the Cannabis sativa L. plant, were initially considered a by-product of the hemp technical fibre industry. Nowadays, following the restorationing of the cultivation of C. sativa L. plants containing an amount of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) <0.3% or 0.2% (industrial hemp) there is a growing interest for the hempseeds production due to their high nutritional value and functional features. The goal of this review is to examine the scientific literature concerning the nutritional and functional properties of hempseeds. Furthermore, we revised the scientific literature regarding the potential use of hempseeds and their derivatives as a dietary supplement for the prevention and treatment of inflammatory and chronic-degenerative diseases on animal models and humans too. In the first part of the work, we provide information regarding the genetic, biochemical, and legislative aspects of this plant that are, in our opinion essential to understand the difference between “industrial” and “drug-type” hemp. In the final part of the review, the employment of hempseeds by the food industry as livestock feed supplement and as ingredient to enrich or fortify daily foods has also revised. Overall, this review intends to encourage further and comprehensive investigations about the adoption of hempseeds in the functional foods field.

Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acids in Poultry Nutrition: Effect on Production Performance and Health

Omega-3 (ω-3) and omega-6 (ω-6) fatty acids are important components of cell membranes. They are essential for health and normal physiological functioning of humans. Not all fatty acids can be produced endogenously owing to the absence of certain desaturases; however, they are required in a ratio that is not naturally achieved by the standard diet of industrialized nations. Poultry products have become the primary source of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), with one of the most effective solutions being to increase the accretion of PUFAs in chicken products via the adjustment of fatty acids in poultry diets. Several studies have reported the favorable effects of ω-3 PUFA on bone strength, bone mineral content and density, and semen quality. However, other studies concluded negative effects of LC-PUFA on meat quality and palatability, and acceptability by consumers. The present review discussed the practical application of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids in poultry diets, and studied the critical effects of these fatty acids on productive performance, blood biochemistry, immunity, carcass traits, bone traits, egg and meat quality, and semen quality in poultry. Future studies are required to determine how poultry products can be produced with higher contents of PUFAs and favorable fatty acid composition, at low cost and without negative effects on palatability and quality.

Ameliorative effect of Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces boulardii, oregano, and calcium montmorillonite on growth, intestinal histology, and blood metabolites on Salmonella-infected broiler chicken

This study evaluated the effects of Bacillus subtilis, Saccharomyces boulardii, oregano, and calcium montmorillonite on the physical growth, intestinal histomorphology, and blood metabolites in Salmonella-challenged birds during the finisher phase. In this study, a total of 600 chicks (Ross 308) were randomly distributed into the following dietary treatments: basal diet with no treatment; infected with Salmonella; T1, infected + avilamycin; T2, infected + Bacillus subtilis; T3, Saccharomyces boulardii; T4, infected + oregano; T5, infected + calcium montmorillonite. Our results indicated that feed consumption, body weight gain, total body weight, and feed conversion ratio increased significantly (P < 0.01) in T1 and T2. Villus width increased significantly (P < 0.01) in T1 while the total area was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in T1 and T2 among the treatment groups. Blood protein was significantly (P < 0.01) high in T3 and T4; however, the glucose concentration was significantly (P < 0.01) high in T2, T3, and T4. The treatments increased significantly (P< 0.01) in the treatment groups compared to the negative control. Aspirate aminotransferase (AST) was significantly (P < 0.05) low in T3 compared to the positive control. In conclusion, the results indicated that supplementation of Bacillus subtilis and calcium montmorillonite improved the production performance compared to other feed additives in broiler chicks infected with Salmonella during the finisher phase.

Improving the fatty acid profile in egg yolk through the use of hempseed (<i>Cannabis sativa</i>), ginger (<i>Zingiber officinale</i>), and turmeric (<i>Curcuma longa</i>) in the diet of Hy-Line White Leghorns

Abstract. A study was performed to examine the outcome of utilizing hempseed, ginger, and turmeric in the diet of Hy-Line White Leghorn on the fatty acid profile of egg yolk. Four experimental rations were offered to 60 laying hens: control (standard diet); 25 % hempseed (T1); 25 % hempseed and 2 % turmeric (T2); 25 % hempseed and 2 % ginger (T3). Thirty eggs per group were analysed on day 0, 15, and 30 after storage at room temperature. Individual and total fatty acids decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in the experimental groups by day 0, 15, and 30 compared to the control. By day 0, 15, and 30, total monounsaturated fatty acids, palmitoleic acid, and oleic acid decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in T3. In fresh eggs, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) increased significantly in T2 and T3 and were lower in the control and T1 by day 15 and 30. The same trend was also found in linoleic, eicosadienoic, and arachidonic acid. Linolenic acid increased significantly (P < 0.05) in T2 and T3 by day 15 and 30. However, eicosatrienoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid increased significantly (P < 0.05) in all treated groups compared to the control by day 15 and 30. By day 15 and 30, total ω-3 increased significantly in treated groups. In contrast to ω-3, ω-6 increased significantly in T2 and T3 by day 15 and 30, while their ratio decreased significantly in treated groups. From the results of the present study, it was concluded that the addition of hempseed at the level of 25 % combined with 2 % turmeric and ginger in the diet of Hy-Line White Leghorn layers improved the fatty acid profile of n-3 PUFA, ω-3, and ω-6 in egg yolk.