PERFORMANCE OF BROILERS FED DIFFERENT DIETARY CHOLINE SOURCES AND LEVELS

Choline supplementation: Impact on broiler chicken performance, steatosis, and economic viability from from 1 to 42 days

This study was carried out to compare the impact of choline supplementation (available from two sources synthetic and natural) on various dosages in broilers. The mode of choline supplementation, via diet and additional sources, synthetic and natural, and the data of performance, carcass quality, blood parameters, and hepatic steatosis were compared. A total of 1050 day-old male Cobb 500 broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 10 treatments, using a completely randomized design model in a factorial scheme, with 6 replicates per treatment and 25 birds per replicate. Choline was supplemented using three sources: synthetic choline chloride 60% (CC), and two sources of natural choline A (NCA), and B (NCB). The Control treatment did not receive any choline supplementation. The diets were supplemented with low, intermediate and high doses of choline sources (400g/t, 800g/t, and 1200g/t of CC; 100g/t, 200g/t, and 300g/t of both NCA and NCB). Data analysis was performed using a factorial model to investigate the effects of choline supplementation (CC, NCA, NCB) and doses on the measured variables. Overall, the results indicated that the the performance of NCA was better than CC & NCB, specifically the dose of 100g/t of NCA outperformed MAR at 100g/t & CC at 400g/t, leading to a significant increase in body weight gain (85.66g & 168.84g respectively), and a noteworthy (9- & 12-point respectively) improvement in feed conversion ratio. Furthermore, NCA contributed to a reduction in steatosis when contrasted with various NCB & CC doses, likely due to the presence of curcumins and catechins in the natural choline source. These findings demonstrated that NCA supplementation yielded superior results compared to CC and NCB across both performance and liver health aspects in broilers aged 1 to 42 days. In conclusion, NCA can be used to replace the CC 60% without compromise on the zootechnical performance in broilers.

Effects of an Herbal Source of Choline on Diet Digestibility and Palatability, Blood Lipid Profile, Liver Morphology, and Cardiac Function in Dogs

We aimed to evaluate the effects of an herbal source of choline on the coefficients of total tract apparent digestibility (CTTAD), diet palatability, fecal characteristics, blood variables, liver morphology, and cardiac function of dogs. Sixteen adult dogs were randomly assigned to two groups (n = 8) which were fed two different diets for 45 days: control, containing 0.28% choline chloride 60, and test, containing 0.14% of an herbal source of choline. Feces were collected between days 39 and 44 to determine nutrient CTTAD and fecal characteristics. On days 0 and 45, blood samples were collected and the liver morphology was evaluated. Cardiac function, in turn, was evaluated only on day 45, and the palatability test was performed on two consecutive days (n = 32). There were no changes in nutrient CTTAD, diet palatability, or fecal characteristics of dogs fed the test diet (p > 0.05). However, on day 45, dogs fed the test diet showed lower (p < 0.05) serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, alkaline phosphatase, and alanine aminotransferase when compared to the control group. We concluded that the herbal source of choline can be a possible substitute for choline chloride in dog nutrition.

Influence of a Polyherbal Choline Source in Dogs: Body Weight Changes, Blood Metabolites, and Gene Expression

Choline chloride is used to provide choline in dog foods; however, in other domestic species, it has been replaced with a polyherbal containing phosphatidylcholine. A polyherbal containing Achyrantes aspera, Trachyspermum ammi, Citrullus colocynthis, Andrographis paniculata, and Azadirachta indica was evaluated in adult dogs through body weight changes, subcutaneous fat thickness, blood metabolites, and gene expression. Forty dogs (4.6 ± 1.6 years old) who were individually housed in concrete kennels were randomly assigned to the following treatments: unsupplemented diet (377 mg choline/kg), choline chloride (3850 mg/kg equivalent to 2000 mg choline/kg diet), and polyherbal (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg) for 60 days. Blood samples were collected on day 59 for biochemistry, biometry, and gene expression analysis through microarray assays. Intake, final body weight, and weight changes were similar for the two choline sources. Feed intake variation among dogs (p = 0.01) and dorsal fat (p = 0.03) showed a quadratic response to herbal choline. Dogs that received the polyherbal diet had reduced blood cholesterol levels (Quadratic, p = 0.02). The gene ontology analysis indicated that 15 biological processes were modified (p ≤ 0.05) with implications for preventing cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer prevention, inflammatory and immune response, and behavior and cognitive process. According to these results that were observed in a 60 day trial, the polyherbal form could replace choline chloride in dog diets at a concentration of 400 mg/kg.

Vegetable choline as a replacement for choline chloride in broiler feed

The objective of this study was to determine choline chloride replacement effects by a vegetable choline source, compost by Trachyspermum amni, Citrullus colocynthis, Achyranthus aspera, and Azadirachta indica in broiler feed. These compounds are fonts of phosphatidylcholine, a high-disponible molecule for intestinal absorption and choline supply. A total of 640 animals were randomly allocated in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and eight repetitions (n = 20), and zootechnical performance (body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, and productive efficiency index), carcass yield, cuts yield, and organs (heart, liver, proventriculus, gizzard, and small intestine) relative weights were evaluated. Were evaluated two choline chloride levels (600 and 800 mg kg-1) and two vegetable choline levels (100 and 200 mg kg-1), added in a corn-soybean meal basal diet, during 42 days of raising. Results revealed better feed conversion ratio (p < 0.001) and production efficiency index (p < 0.001) in broilers fed vegetable choline, with no differences on body weight (p = 0.372) and weight gain (p = 0.427) among broilers. Carcass, cuts yield, and organ relative weights do not alter (p > 0.05) due to different group of supplementations. Findings in this trial concludes vegetable choline can adequately replace choline chloride in broiler feed, with improvement on performance and no compromising carcass, cuts or organ development.

Changes in protein and mineral metabolism in broiler chickens with perosis

Perosis is one of the most common leg pathologies in broiler chickens, during the period of intense weight gain – at the age of 14–35 days. Due to manganese deficiency, the number of sick birds can reach up to 5% of the flock. These studies were carried out in order to establish changes in some indicators of protein, macro- and micromineral metabolism in the blood serum of clinically healthy broiler chickens and birds with perosis at 14, 21 and 28 days of age. A batch of 2,000 Cobb-500 crossbred broiler chickens was selected. Two groups of chickens were directly involved in the research, in which blood was taken at the age of 14, 21 and 28 days: healthy birds and those with perosis signs. Clinical studies showed that 8.0% of chickens on 28th day suffered from perosis. Trace mineral biochemical parameters of serum and blood of broiler chickens with perosis on the 28th day of life significantly differed from those of healthy birds (manganese and zinc). It was found that on the 28th day of life the weight of chickens with perosis was reduced by 42.7%, causing a loss of weight 88 kg per batch of 2000 birds, with a consumption of feed 140 kg. The obtained data will allow the development of early perosis prevention schemes in broiler chickens, which will help manage production losses and increase its profitability. On farms, to prevent the occurrence of perosis, it is necessary to take into account the technological factors of the production of compound feed. Also, an increase in the level of total protein and albumin in serum in the blood may indicate inflammatory processes and dehydration of the body. Therefore, it is better to site a sick bird separately for rearing or hand over to a sanitary culling.

The Effect of a Probiotic Preparation Containing Bacillus subtilis PB6 in the Diet of Chickens on Redox and Biochemical Parameters in Their Blood

The aim of the study was to select a dosage and time of administration of a probiotic preparation containing live cultures of Bacillus subtilis and enriched with choline to obtain the most beneficial effect on the antioxidant and biochemical status of the blood of chickens and to improve their growth performance. A total of 980 one-day-old Ross 308 chickens (7 replications of 20 individuals each) reared until their 42nd day of life were used in the experiment. The chickens were divided into seven groups of 140 each. The control group did not receive any additives. The T1 groups received a probiotic in the amount of 0.05 g/L (T1-0.05), 0.1 g/l (T1-0.1) or 0.25 g/l (T1-0.25) throughout the rearing period, while the T2 groups received the same doses of the probiotic, but only during days 1–7, 15–21 and 29–35 of rearing. Administration of a preparation containing Bacillus subtilis bacteria was shown to increase the level of ferric reducing ability of plasma (FRAP), vitamin C, and uric acid (UA), while reducing the level of peroxides (LOOH), malondialdehyde (MDA), non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), the share of low-density fractions of cholesterol (LDL), and activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), asparagine aminotransferase (AST), γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and creatinine kinase (CK). An increase in the high-density fractions of cholesterol (HDL) and a decrease in lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were noted as well. The results of the study indicate that 0.25 g/l of the probiotic, administered continuously (T1), clearly has the most beneficial effect in terms of enhancing antioxidant potential and reducing the level of stress indicators, without disturbing overall metabolism in the body. During the 42 days of rearing each chicken received 33.3 CFUx1011 Bacillus subtilis from the probiotic preparation. The body weight gain of chickens from T1-0.1, T1-0.2 and T2-0.25 groups was higher (P≤0.027) and more favourable compared to G–C group.