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Xu C, Sun D, Liu Y, Pan Z, Dai Z, Chen F, Guo R, Chen R, Shi Z, Ying S. Effects of ambient temperature on growth performance, slaughter traits, meat quality and serum antioxidant function in Pekin duck. Front Vet Sci 2024; 11:1363355. [PMID: 38601909 PMCID: PMC11005821 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2024.1363355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study investigated the effects of temperature on growth performance, slaughtering traits, meat quality and antioxidant function of Pekin ducks from 21-42 d of age. Single factor analysis of variance was used in this experiment, 144 21 d-old Pekin ducks were randomly allotted to 4 environmentally controlled chambers: T20 (20°C), T23 (23°C), T26 (26°C) and T29 (29°C), with 3 replicates in each group (12 ducks in each replicate), the relative humidity of all groups is 74%. During the 21-day trial period, feed and water were freely available. At 42 d, the BW (body weight) and ADG (average daily gain) of T26 were significantly lower than T20 (p < 0.05), and the T29 was significantly lower than T20 and T23 (p < 0.05). The ADFI (average daily feed intake) of T26 and T29 were significantly lower than T20 and T23 (p < 0.05). Compared to the T29, the T20 showed a significant increase oblique body length and chest width, and both the keel length and thigh muscle weight significantly increased in both the T20 and T23, while the pectoral muscle weight increased significantly in other groups (p < 0.05). The cooking loss of the T29 was the lowest (p < 0.05). The T-AOC (total antioxidant capacity) of T29 was significantly higher than the other groups (p < 0.05), the SOD (superoxide dismutase) in the T29 was significantly higher than the T23 and T26 (p < 0.05). In conditions of 74% relative humidity, the BW and ADFI of Pekin ducks significantly decrease when the environmental temperature exceeds 26°C, and the development of body size and muscle weight follows this pattern. The growth development and serum redox state of Pekin ducks are more ideal and stable at temperatures of 20°C and 23°C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Congcong Xu
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Beijing University of Agricultural, Beijing, China
| | - Dongyue Sun
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Ziyi Pan
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Zichun Dai
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Fang Chen
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Rihong Guo
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Zhendan Shi
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop and Animal Integrated Farming, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
| | - Shijia Ying
- Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop and Animal Integrated Farming, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing, China
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Zhang S, Liu Y, Chai Y, Xing L, Li J. Effects of intermittent cold stimulation on growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity and liver lipid metabolism in broiler chickens. Poult Sci 2024; 103:103442. [PMID: 38262335 PMCID: PMC10835453 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.103442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Intermittent cold stimulation (ICS) enhances broilers' resistance to cold stress. Nonetheless, further research is needed to investigate the underlying mechanisms that enhance cold stress resistance. A total of 160 one-day-old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly divided into 2 groups (CC and CS5), with the CC group managing temperature according to the standard for broiler growth stages, while the CS5 group were subjected to cold stimulation at a temperature 3℃ lower than the CC group for 5 h, every 2 d from 15 to 35 d. Sampling was conducted at 36 d (36D), 50 d (50D) and after acute cold stress for 24 h (Y24). First, we examined the effects of ICS on broiler growth performance, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and lipid metabolism. The results demonstrated that ICS enhanced the performance of broilers to a certain degree. Specifically, the average weight gain in the CS5 group was significantly higher than that of the CC group, and the feed conversion ratio significantly decreased compared to CC at 4 W and 6 W (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with the CC group, cold stimulation significantly reduced drip loss, shearing force, and yellowness (a* value) of chicken meat, while significantly increased redness (b* value) (P ≤ 0.05). At Y24, the levels of T-AOC and GSH-PX in the serum of the CS5 group were significantly higher than those of the CC group, while the level of MDA was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05). The content of TG, FFA, and VLDL in the serum of the CS5 group was significantly elevated, whereas the level of TC and HDL was significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, we further explored whether AMPK-mTOR pathway is involved in the regulation of changes in lipid metabolism and the possible regulatory mechanisms downstream of the signaling pathway. The results showed that ICS significantly upregulated the expression levels of AMPK mRNA and protein in the liver of the CS5 group at 36D and Y24, while significantly down-regulating mTOR (P ≤ 0.05). Compared with the CC group, ICS significantly down-regulated the mRNA expression levels of lipid synthesis and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (SREBP1c, FAS, SCD, ACC, GRP78 and PERK) at 36D and Y24, while significantly up-regulating the mRNA expression levels of lipid decomposition and autophagy-related genes (PPAR and LC3) (P ≤ 0.05). In addition, at Y24, the protein expression levels of endoplasmic reticulum stress-related genes (GRP78) in the CS5 group were significantly lower, while autophagy-related genes (LC3 and ATG7) were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05). ICS can affect meat quality and lipid metabolism in broilers, and when broilers are subjected to acute cold stress, broilers trained with cold stimulation have stronger lipid metabolism capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Zhang
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Yiwen Chai
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Lu Xing
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Jianhong Li
- College of Life Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China; Key Laboratory of Chicken Genetics and Breeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Harbin, 150030, China.
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Al Sulaiman AR, Abudabos AM, Alhotan RA. Protective influence of supplementary betaine against heat stress by regulating intestinal oxidative status and microbiota composition in broiler chickens. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2024; 68:279-288. [PMID: 38047943 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-023-02589-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
To assess the impact of supplementing betaine (BT) under heat stress (HS) conditions on broiler performance and intestinal health from 21 to 42 days of age, a total of 150 male Ross 308 broilers were indiscriminately allotted to 3 treatments with 10 replications of 5 birds each. The control (CON) group was given a basal ration and accommodated at a thermoneutral condition (22 ± 1 °C), whereas the HS and HS + BT groups were raised under cyclic HS (33 ± 1 °C for 8 h and 22 ± 1 °C for 16 h per day) and received the basal ration without or with 1000 mg/kg BT, respectively. The HS reduced average daily gain (ADG); average daily feed intake; villus height (VH); VH to crypt depth (CD) ratio (VCR); activities of trypsin, lipase, glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalase; and enumeration of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (P < 0.05) and augmented feed conversion ratio (FCR), CD, malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, and enumeration of Escherichia coli, Clostridium, and coliforms (P < 0.05). Conversely, BT supplementation heightened ADG, VH, VCR, trypsin activity, GPX activity, and populations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium (P < 0.05) and lowered FCR, MDA accumulation, and Clostridium population (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the FCR value, trypsin and GPX activities, MDA content, and Bifidobacterium and Clostridium populations in the HS + BT group were nearly equivalent to those in the CON group. To conclude, feeding BT under HS conditions could improve broiler performance through improving intestinal health by specifically mitigating oxidative damage and enhancing the colonization of beneficial bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali R Al Sulaiman
- Environmental Protection Technologies Institute, Sustainability and Environment Sector, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, P.O. Box 6086, Riyadh, 11442, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Ala M Abudabos
- Department of Agriculture, School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Alcorn State University, 1000 ASU Drive, Lorman, Mississippi, 39096-7500, USA
| | - Rashed A Alhotan
- Department of Animal Production, College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
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Saleh AA, El-Tahan HM, Shaban M, Morsy WA, Genedy S, Alzawqari MH, El-Tahan HM, Shukry M, Ebeid TA, El-Keredy A, Alwutayd K, Alhotan RA, Al-Badwi MAA, Sewlim Hussein EO, Kim IH, Cho S, Eid Abdel-Moneim AM. Effect of dietary supplementation of betaine and organic minerals on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, nutrients digestibility, and growth-related genes in broilers under heat stress. Poult Sci 2023; 102:103051. [PMID: 37774520 PMCID: PMC10550832 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2023.103051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Global warming and climate changes have a detrimental impact on poultry production, causing substantial economic losses. This study investigated the effects of incorporating dietary betaine (BT) and organic minerals (OMs) on broilers' performance as well as their potential to mitigate the negative impacts of heat stress (HS). Six hundred 1-day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated to 12 experimental treatments with 5 replicates of 10 birds each (5 male + 5 female). The birds were provided with diets containing BT (0 and 2,000 ppm) and OMs (0, 250, and 500 ppm), either individually or in combination, under both thermoneutral and HS-inducing temperatures. The HS conditions involved exposing the birds to cyclic periods of elevated temperature (35°C ± 2°C) for 6 h daily, from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, starting from d 10 and continuing until d 35. The exposure to HS deteriorated birds' growth performance; however, dietary BT and OMs inclusion improved the growth performance parameters bringing them close to normal levels. Carcass traits were not affected by dietary supplementation of BT, OMs, HS, or their interaction. Interestingly, while HS led to increased (P < 0.05) levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA), these adverse effects were mitigated (P < 0.05) by the addition of BT and OMs. Moreover, dietary BT supplementation led to elevated serum total protein and globulin concentrations. Cyclic HS did not alter Mn, Zn, and Cu contents in the pectoral muscle. However, the incorporation of OMs at both levels increased concentrations of these minerals. Notably, the combination of 500 ppm OMs and 2,000 ppm BT improved Mn, Zn, Cu, and Fe digestibility, which has been compromised under HS conditions. Cyclic HS upregulated gene expression of interleukin-1β, heat shock protein 70, and Toll-like receptor-4 while downregulated the expression of claudin-1, uncoupling protein, growth hormone receptor, superoxide dismutase 1, glutathione peroxidase 1 and insulin-like growth factor 1. The aforementioned gene expressions were reversed by the combination of higher dietary levels of BT and OMs. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation of 500 ppm OMs along with 2,000 ppm BT yielded significant improvements in growth performance and mineral digestibility among broiler chickens, regardless of thermal conditions. Moreover, this combination effectively restored the expression of growth-related genes even under heat-stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed A Saleh
- Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, 333516 Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Hossam M El-Tahan
- Animal Resource and Science Department, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea; Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12611, Egypt.
| | - Mohammed Shaban
- Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, 333516 Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Wael A Morsy
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12611, Egypt
| | - Salwa Genedy
- Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, 333516 Kafrelsheikh, Egypt
| | - Mohammed H Alzawqari
- Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, 333516 Kafrelsheikh, Egypt; Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences, Ibb University, 70270 Ibb, Yemen
| | - Hatem M El-Tahan
- Animal Production Research Institute (APRI), Agricultural Research Center (ARC), Ministry of Agriculture, Dokki, 12611, Egypt
| | - Mustafa Shukry
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 333516, Egypt
| | - Tarek A Ebeid
- Department of Poultry Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, 333516 Kafrelsheikh, Egypt; Department of Animal Production and Breeding, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Qassim University, Buraydah 51452, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amira El-Keredy
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt
| | - Khairiah Alwutayd
- Department of Biology, College of Science, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rashed A Alhotan
- Department of Animal Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A A Al-Badwi
- Department of Animal Production, College of Food & Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
| | | | - In Ho Kim
- Animal Resource and Science Department, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sungbo Cho
- Animal Resource and Science Department, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, Republic of Korea.
| | - Abdel-Moneim Eid Abdel-Moneim
- Biological Applications Department, Nuclear Research Center, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority, Abu-Zaabal 13759, Egypt
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Sun S, Li B, Wu M, Deng Y, Li J, Xiong Y, He S. Effect of dietary supplemental vitamin C and betaine on the growth performance, humoral immunity, immune organ index, and antioxidant status of broilers under heat stress. Trop Anim Health Prod 2023; 55:96. [PMID: 36823253 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-023-03500-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Heat stress (HS) has become one of the important factors affecting the development of animal husbandry. The purpose of this experiment was to investigate whether vitamin C (Vc) and betaine (Bet) improve immune organ index and humoral immunity by enhancing the antioxidant status of immune organs, thus protecting broilers from HS-induced injuries. A total of 200 28-day-old Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned into 5 groups (n = 4 replicates/group, 10 broilers/replicate) which were reared at different ambient temperatures (24 ± 1°C or 33 ± 1°C). The control group fed basal diet, while high-temperature groups were either fed a basal diet (HS group) or a basal diet supplemented with 250-mg Vc/kg diet (HSVc group), 1000-mg Bet/kg diet (HSBet group), and 250-mg Vc plus 1000 mg Bet/kg diet (HSVcBet group), respectively. On day 42, growth performance, humoral immune function, immune organ index, and antioxidant capacity were measured. HS reduced the productive performance of broilers, antibody potency against the Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and sheep red blood cells (SRBC), indices of thymus and bursa, and antioxidant capacity of immune organs. Adding Vc alone or in combination with Bet improved performance, NDV and SRBC antibody potency, thymus and bursa indices, and antioxidant capacity of immune organs in heat-stressed broilers, with the most effective being combination. In summary, HS reduces the antioxidant capacity and immune organ development status of broiler immune organs. Vc and/or Bet can improve the development of immune organs and restore part of the production performance by regulating the antioxidant status of immune organs, among which the combined addition of Vc and Bet has the best effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiang Sun
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Bing Li
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Mingming Wu
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Yafei Deng
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Yongjie Xiong
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China
| | - Shaojun He
- College of Animal Science, Anhui Science and Technology University, Fengyang, 233100, Anhui, China.
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Betaine: A Potential Nutritional Metabolite in the Poultry Industry. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12192624. [PMID: 36230366 PMCID: PMC9559486 DOI: 10.3390/ani12192624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Revised: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Poultry industry has been recognized as a fast-developing sector aiming to produce low-cost and high-nutrient foods for human consumption. This review article aimed to focus on the significant roles of dietary betaine supplementation in the poultry industry. In this respect, different effects of betaine on performance and carcass traits, as well as its osmoregulatory, anticoccidial, immune-modulatory, and heat-stress alleviation activities, were discussed. Different concentrations of betaine supplementation can improve the feed conversion ratio, final body weight, breast muscle yield, egg production ratio, and reduce body fat contents in broiler chicken, turkey, duck, geese, and quail diets. Betaine supplemented with methyl groups can eliminate the need to have some methyl-group donors, including choline and methionine, therefore having positive effects on feed conversion ratio in poultry diets. The osmolytic character of betaine can alleviate heat stress and have a positive impact on tonic immobility, which consequently reduces stress in poultry. By inhibiting distinct developmental stages of Eimeria species, betaine reduces the damaging effects of coccidiosis on broiler chickens and improves intestinal structure and function. The immunological, cardiovascular, neurological, renal, and hepatic metabolic systems benefit from betaine's osmo-protective properties. Therefore, betaine has the potential to be considered as an alternative to feed additives and enhances the health status and productive performance of poultry.
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Guo F, Jing M, Zhang A, Yu Y, Gao P, Wang Q, Wang L, Xu Z, Ma J, Zhang Y. Betaine Alleviates LPS-Induced Chicken Skeletal Muscle Inflammation with the Epigenetic Modulation of the TLR4 Gene. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12151899. [PMID: 35892549 PMCID: PMC9330308 DOI: 10.3390/ani12151899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The poultry meat we eat is the skeletal muscle which comprises approximately three-quarters of the body weight of a chicken. In the modern poultry industry, the intensively raised broilers face the risk of exposure to environmental factors which can cause acute or chronic systemic inflammation. Inflammation, in return, contributes to the pathology of skeletal muscle diseases which are characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass. By adding betaine, a natural component, into the water of the newly hatched broilers for two weeks, we found that inflammation-related gene expression in the leg muscle was remarkably reduced. Specifically, we found that betaine inhibited the LPS-induced abnormal expression of IL-6 and TLR4. Further study indicated that the methylation modulation of the gene may be involved in betaine’s action. We suggest that betaine could be considered a safe and cheap preventive reagent candidate for chicken skeletal muscle inflammatory diseases. Abstract Betaine was found to alleviate inflammation in different studies. Here, newly hatched broilers were randomly divided into control and betaine consumptive groups, who had access to normal drinking water and water with betaine at a dose of 1000 mg/L, respectively. At the age of two weeks, the boilers were intraperitoneally treated with LPS. The protective effects of betaine against LPS-induced skeletal muscle inflammation were studied. Betaine attenuated the LPS-induced overexpression of IL-6 significantly in the leg muscle. Furthermore, LPS lowered the expression of TLR4 and TLR2 but increased the expression of MyD88. Betaine eliminated the effect of LPS on the expression of TLR4 but not TLR2 and MyD88. LPS also increased the expression of Tet methylcytosine dioxygenase 2 (Tet2), and this effect was also eliminated by betaine consumption. MeDIP-qPCR analysis showed that the methylation level in the promoter region of IL-6 was decreased by LPS treatment, whilst betaine cannot prevent this effect. On the contrary, LPS significantly increase the methylation level in the promoter region of TLR4, which was decreased by the consumption of betaine. Our findings suggest that betaine can alleviate LPS-induced muscle inflammation in chicken, and the regulation of aberrant DNA methylation might be a possible mechanism.
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Arif M, Baty RS, Althubaiti EH, Ijaz MT, Fayyaz M, Shafi ME, Albaqami NM, Alagawany M, Abd El-Hack ME, Taha AE, Salem HM, El-Tahan AM, Elnesr SS. The impact of betaine supplementation in quail diet on growth performance, blood chemistry, and carcass traits. Saudi J Biol Sci 2021; 29:1604-1610. [PMID: 35280529 PMCID: PMC8913552 DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The study aimed to investigate the effect of various doses of betaine supplemented dietary on Japanese quail performance, carcass characteristics, and blood chemistry. Therefore, 400 seven days old Japanese quails were classified randomly into four equal groups. Each group was subdivided into five replicates of 20 birds each. Four rations were formulated using four different betaine levels (0, 0.75, 1.5 and 2.25 g/kg, respectively) for five successive weeks. All groups received feed and clean water ad-libitum. The results of this trial indicated that the feed intake was lowered in groups fed with betaine (p ≤ 0.05) when compared with the control one. The highest weight gain (p ≤ 0.05) was noticed in groups fed diets BS4 (betaine supplementation at the rate of 2.25 g/kg). No difference among groups was observed in body length, shank length, shank diameter, and keel bone length or breast width. Also, the carcass weight and breast yield were highest (p ≤ 0.05) in the group reared on the BS4 diet. In addition, intestinal length and weight were significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in groups fed betaine with a concentration of 2.25 g/kg. Fat weight was lower in the group fed BS4 than in the untreated group. Significantly higher values of high-density lipoprotein (p ≤ 0.05) were observed in the group fed BS4. All groups fed a ration containing betaine showed lower levels of liver enzymes such as alanine amino transferase, alkaline phosphatase, and aspartate amino transferase (p ≤ 0.05) and lowered low-density lipoprotein level. The quails fed BS4 had the greatest growth hormones and insulin (p ≤ 0.05) and the lowest thyroxin level. We concluded that dietary betaine supplementation positively impacts Japanese quail growth performance, carcass traits, and blood chemistry.
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