Prebiotics and synbiotics - in ovo delivery for improved lifespan condition in chicken

Commercially produced chickens have become key food-producing animals in the global food system. The scale of production in industrial settings has changed management systems to a point now very far from traditional methods. During the perinatal period, newly hatched chicks undergo processing, vaccination and transportation, which introduces a gap in access to feed and water. This gap, referred to as the hatching window, dampens the potential for microflora inoculation and as such, prevents proper microbiome, gastrointestinal system and innate immunity development. As a consequence, the industrial production of chickens with a poor microbial profile leads to enteric microbial infestation and infectious disease outbreaks, which became even more prevalent after the withdrawal of antibiotic growth promoters on many world markets (e.g., the EU).This review presents the rationale, methodology and life-long effects of in ovo stimulation of chicken microflora. In ovo stimulation provides efficient embryonic microbiome colonization with commensal microflora during the perinatal period. A carefully selected bioactive formulation (prebiotics, probiotics alone or combined into synbiotics) is delivered into the air cell of the egg on day 12 of egg incubation. The prebiotic penetrates the outer and inner egg membranes and stimulates development on the innate microflora in the embryonic guts. Probiotics are available after the mechanical breakage of the shell membranes by the chick's beak at the beginning of hatching (day 19). The intestinal microflora after in ovo stimulation is potent enough for competitive exclusion and programs the lifespan condition. We present the effects of different combinations of prebiotic and probiotic delivered in ovo on day 12 of egg incubation on microflora, growth traits, feed efficiency, intestinal morphology, meat microstructure and quality, immune system development, physiological characteristics and the transcriptome of the broiler chickens.We discuss the differences between in ovo stimulation (day 12 of egg incubation) and in ovo feeding (days 17-18 of egg incubation) and speculate about possible future developments in this field. In summary, decades of research on in ovo stimulation and the lifelong effects support this method as efficient programming of lifespan conditions in commercially raised chickens.

Prebiotics offered to broiler chicken exert positive effect on meat quality traits irrespective of delivery route

Elimination of antibiotic growth promoters from poultry production has encouraged intensive search for relevant alternatives. Prebiotics are proposed as efficient replacements to stimulate colonization/expansion of beneficial microflora in chickens. The aim of this study was to deepen the knowledge on the effect of prebiotic administration on slaughter performance and meat quality traits of broiler chickens by evaluating different routes of their delivery (in ovo vs. in-water vs. in ovo + in-water). At d 12 of incubation, 1,500 eggs (Ross 308) containing viable embryos were randomly allotted into 4 groups and injected in ovo with 0.2 mL solution containing: 3.5 mg/embryo BI (Bi2tos, trans-galactooligosaccharides); 0.88 mg/embryo DN (DiNovo, extract of Laminaria spp.); 1.9 mg/embryo RFO (raffinose family oligosaccharides) and 0.2 mL physiological saline (C). All prebiotics increased final BW compared to C group (P < 0.01), irrespective of delivery route. The prebiotics injected in ovo (T1) or in ovo combined with in-water supplementation (T2) increased carcass weight as compared with in-water group (T3), while T3 had the lowest carcass yield compared to the other groups. All prebiotics increased breast muscle weight and yield (P < 0.01), as well as fiber diameter (P < 0.05). Ultimate meat pH was lower (P < 0.01) in T3 than in T2 group. Meat from chickens treated with prebiotics showed a lower redness index, while lightness and yellowness were not affected by the treatments. Saturated fatty acid (SFA), polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and n-3 fatty acids contents were higher (P < 0.01), and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) level was lower (P < 0.01) in prebiotic groups compared with C group. Nutritional indexes (n-6/n-3, PUFA/SFA ratio and thrombogenic index) displayed favorable human health-promoting values in the meat of chickens which were treated with prebiotics, irrespective of delivery route. Muscle cholesterol content was not affected by prebiotics. In conclusion, this study has shown that prebiotics can exert positive effects on growth of broiler chickens, carcass and meat quality traits, irrespective of delivery route.

The impact of synbiotic administration through in ovo technology on the microstructure of a broiler chicken small intestine tissue on the 1st and 42nd day of rearing

Background

Application the innovative method which is in ovo technology provides a means of modulating the immune system at early embryonic stages. The aim of study was to determine influence of the in ovo stimulation, on d 12 of incubation, with synbiotics (synbiotic 1- L. salivarius IBB3154 + Bi²tos, Clasado Ltd. and the synbiotic 2 - L. plantarum IBB3036 + lupin RFOs) on the microstructure of duodenum, jejunum and ileum in the 1^st and 42^nd day of rearing.

Results

On the 1^st day of chickens life, in the duodenum of both experimental groups (SYN1 and SYN2), a significantly higher and wider intestinal villi as well as a significantly larger absorbent surface of these villi were found in comparison with the Control group (P ≤ 0.01). On the 42^nd day of rearing the beneficial effect of synbiotic 1 was reflected by the numerically higher villi (no statistical differences) with a larger surface (P ≤ 0.01) in the duodenum in the SYN1 group compare to the Control group. In the jejunum on the 1^st day of life, in the SYN1 group, significantly higher villi than in the Control group, with a simultaneous decrease in the depth of crypts (P ≤ 0.01), and also the largest width of villi and their absorbent area (P ≤ 0.01) in comparison to the other groups were found. On the 42^nd day of life, in the jejunum, an increase in the height of the villi whilst reducing the crypt depth in the SYN2 group was found (P ≤ 0.01). In turn, in the SYN1 group, there were significantly more neutral goblet cells observed compared with the control group (P ≤ 0.05). In the ileum of 1-day-old chickens, the widest villi (P ≤ 0.05) and the deepest crypts (P ≤ 0.01) were found in the SYN2 group. In the same group, there was also the least amount of neutral goblet cells in comparison to the other groups (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusions

We observed that synbiotic 1 and 2 beneficially affected the examined characteristics on the 1^st and 42^nd day of life. The obtained results allow us to conclude that the use of synbiotics significantly affect gut structure which should contribute to improvement in nutrient absorption by the gut.

In ovo injection of prebiotics and synbiotics affects the digestive potency of the pancreas in growing chickens

The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of 2 prebiotics and 2 synbiotics on the digestive potency of pancreas in 1-, 3-, 7-, 14-, 21-, and 34-day-old cockerels. Prebiotics (inulin and Bi²tos) and synbiotics (inulin + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Bi²tos + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris) were injected in ovo into the air cell on the 12th d embryonic development. Their application increased the activity of amylase, lipase, and trypsin in the pancreas. The most pronounced changes were observed at the end of the investigated rearing period (d 34). The strongest stimulative effects on amylase were shown by both synbiotics, on lipase synbiotic Bi²tos + Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris, and on trypsin all the used prebiotics and synbiotics. Simultaneously, neither the absolute nor the relative mass of the pancreas in comparison to control group were changed. Also, the injected in ovo compounds did not cause a deterioration in the posthatching condition of the chicken liver, as determined by measurement of the activity of marker enzymes in the blood (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase). Treatment with the prebiotics and synbiotics did not change the feed conversion ratio but Bi²tos (galacto-oligosaccharide) and inulin (fructan) + Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis significantly increased final BW.

Effective catalytic disproportionation of aqueous H2O2 with di- and mono-nuclear manganese(II) complexes containing pyridine alcohol ligands

The two novel manganese(II) complexes with 2-hydroxymethylpyridine (2-CH2OHpy) {[Mn2(μ-Cl)2(2-CH2OHpy)4]Cl2·2H2O (1)} and 2-hydroxyethylpyridine (2-(CH2)2OHpy) {[Mn(2-(CH2)2OHpy)2(NCS)2] (2)} were synthesized and characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, IR, EPR, HF EPR spectroscopy, magnetic and TG/DTG data. The complexes show catalase-like activity in neutral aqueous solution since they were able to disproportionate H2O2 to harmless H2O and O2. Both complexes act as true catalysts since they reverted to their original form after depleting all the H2O2, as suggested by the operando resonant inelastic X-ray spectroscopy (RIXS) measurements.

Structure-activity relationship of some new anti-arrhythmic phenytoin derivatives

The pharmacological activity of nine anti-arrhythmic phenytoin derivatives was assessed in preventing chloroform-induced arrhythmia. The compounds were tested in vitro on isolated heart of the rat. Four compounds were chosen as representative of the spatial characteristics of the studied group, and X-ray structure analyses were carried out on them. Because the protonated form is present in physiological milieu, conformational analysis was performed on the protonated form of the four representatives and in addition on the compound showing the highest anti-arrhythmic activity. It was found that substitution of the imidazolidinone ring of phenytoin at position 3 by a chain containing a tertiary amine nitrogen atom changes the affinity profile from inactivated (phenytoin-like) to activated (quinidine-like) cardiac sodium channels. The activity of the studied compounds relies on the presence of protonated tertiary nitrogen atom, at least one phenyl ring, and flexibility of the molecule, which enables the spacer to assume a desired length.

The structure-activity relationship of a new anti-arrhythmic agent 1-[2-acetoxy-3-(4-phenyl-1-piperazinyl)propyl]pyrrolidin-2-one

This paper reports the synthesis of the new compound 1-[2-acetoxy-3-(4-phenyl-1-piperazinyl)propyl]pyrrolidin-2-one (Ac-MG-1). Preliminary pharmacological assessment revealed that Ac-MG-1 possesses anti-arrhythmic activity and a local anesthetic effect. The crystal structure of Ac-MG-1 was determined by X-ray diffraction, and conformational analysis was performed both for Ac-MG-1 and for other derivatives of (arylpiperazinyl)propylpyrrolidin-2-one.