Effect of Diet Supplemented with Different Levels of Moringa Powder on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Meat Quality, Hematological Parameters, Serum Lipids, and Economic Efficiency of Broiler Chickens

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of supplementing broiler chickens' diet with graded levels of moringa powder on growth performance. A total of 192 one-day-old broiler chicks were individually weighed and randomly distributed into four dietary treatments. Each treatment comprised four replicates with 12 chicks in each. Moringa powder was added to their diet by 0.0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, and 0.75%. The diet and water were offered ad libitum during the feeding trial, which lasted 42 days. One chicken was selected from each replicate at the end of the experiment to measure the carcass characteristics and meat quality, as well as the serum biochemical parameters of broilers. Regarding the overall growth performance, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio substantially improved (P<0.05) in broilers whose diet was supplemented with moringa powder, compared to the control group. Furthermore, the carcass yield considerably increased (P<0.05) in broilers whose diet was supplemented with 0.5% and 0.75% moringa powder, in comparison with the control group. In addition, birds fed with a diet supplemented with moringa powder showed a significant increase in their hemoglobin level (P<0.05). Moreover, the findings showed that a diet supplemented with moringa powder led to a significant decrease in the total cholesterol level, low-density lipoprotein, and the A/G ratio (P<0.05) but increased total protein and globulin levels (P<0.05), compared to the control group. In conclusion, the supplementation of 0.75% moringa powder in the diet as a growth promoter reduces the cost of production by improving growth performance and enhancing the health status of birds.

Effect of Melatonin Implants and Nutritional Restriction on Growth Performance of Local Male Lambs

This experiment was conducted from 17 October 2021 to 9 January 2022 on the Department of Animal Production sheep field at the College of Agriculture, University of Anbar. The study aimed to determine the impact of melatonin implants and dietary restrictions on local male lambs' nutritional and growth performance. It included 16 local male lambs ranging in age from 5 to 6 months and weighing an average of 35.31 3.71 kg. The lambs were separated into four equal groups (n=4) and placed in separate pens. The actual duration of the experiment was 69 days, divided into two phases: the first phase consisted of 42 days of nutritional restriction, and the second phase consisted of 27 days of re-nutrition. As a control treatment during the stage of nutritional restriction, the first group (T₁) was fed ad libitum. In contrast, the second group (T₂) was fed Ad libitum with 36 mg subcutaneous-ear implanted melatonin implants, and the third group (T₃) was fed a restricted diet (R) of 75% of the Ad libitum. Comparatively, the fourth group (T₄) was fed a restricted diet of 75% of the Ad libitum with 36 mg of subcutaneous-ear implanted Melatonin. Until the end of the re-feeding phase, all experimental treatments were provided with unrestricted access to food. The nutritional and growth performance parameters were measured during the nutritional restriction and re-feeding stage and the entire experiment duration. During the nutritional restriction stage (42 days), there was no significant difference between the experimental treatments in terms of total weight gain, daily weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, and feeding efficiency. However, the experimental groups exhibited statistically significant differences in daily feed intake, daily dry matter intake, and dry matter intake as a percentage of body weight. In the re-feeding stage, there were no significant differences in the above nutritional and growth parameters among the experimental groups (27 days). This experiment concluded that feeding local male lambs 75% of Ad libitum with or without melatonin implants for 42 days, followed by re-feeding for 27 days, maintained the growth performance of the lambs with minimal feed intake and reduced lamb production costs.

Effect of Diet Supplemented with Graded Levels of Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Powder on Growth Performance, Hematological Parameters, and Serum Lipids of Broiler Chickens

The present study was conducted at the Poultry Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture; Sebha University, Libya. The feeding trial lasted 42 days in total. A local hatchery provided 240 unsexed one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308). The birds were randomly distributed into four groups, and each group was then divided into four replicates, with 15 birds in each group. The objective of the current study was to examine the impact of ginger powder as a natural feed supplement on broiler chickens' growth performance, hematological parameters, and serum lipids. Four dietary treatments were formulated and supplemented with ginger powder at levels 0%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6%. The findings exhibited substantial differences in body weight and weight gain across the experimental groups. Birds fed ginger-enriched diets had higher feed conversion and lower feed intake than control birds (P<0.05). Birds fed a 0.6% ginger powder diet compared to the control group had considerably superior productive performance (P<0.05), while feed consumption was lowered. Dietary ginger powder supplementation improved hematological parameters; white blood cells, lymphocytes, heterophils, and the lymphocyte to heterophil ratio were improved with dietary ginger powder supplementation (P<0.05). Additionally, as compared to the control group, ginger powder groups significantly (P<0.05) lowered serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, and very low-density lipoprotein. While supplementation of dietary ginger powder significantly increased (P<0.05), the levels of high-density lipoprotein against the control group. In conclusion, ginger supplementation had a positive effect on the performance of chickens when supplemented on broiler ration and can be considered an alternative growth promoter in feeding broiler ration.

Effect of ZnO and CuO nanoparticles on the growth, nutrient absorption, and potential health risk of the seasonal vegetable Medicago polymorpha L

Background

Medicago polymorpha L., a seasonal vegetable, is commonly grown in China. The increasing use of nanoparticles (NPs) such as ZnO and CuO NPs in agriculture has raised concerns about their potential risks for plant growth and for human consumption. There is a lack of research on the effects of ZnO and CuO NPs on agronomic performance of Medicago polymorpha L. and their potential risks for human health.

Methods

In this study, different treatment concentrations of ZnO NPs (25, 50, 100, and 200 mg kg^-1) and CuO NPs (10, 25, 50, and 100 mg kg^-1) were used to determine their effects on the growth and nutrient absorption of Medicago polymorpha L., as well as their potential risk for human health.

Results

The results showed that ZnO and CuO NPs increased the fresh weight of Medicago polymorpha L. by 5.8-11.8 and 3.7-8.1%, respectively. The best performance for ZnO NPs occurred between 25-50 mg kg^-1 and the best performance for CuO NPs occurred between 10-25 mg kg^-1. Compared with the control, ZnO and CuO NPs improved the macronutrients phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca). The following micronutrients were also improved: iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and manganese (Mn), with the exception of nitrogen (N) accumulation. Low treatment concentrations exhibited more efficient nutrient uptake than high treatment concentrations. A comprehensive analysis showed that the optimum concentrations were 25 mg kg^-1 for ZnO NPs and 10 mg kg^-1 for CuO NPs. The potential non-carcinogenic health risk of Medicago polymorpha L. treated with ZnO and CuO NPs was analyzed according to the estimated daily intake (EDI), the hazard quotient (HQ), and the cumulative hazard quotient (CHQ). Compared with the oral reference dose, the EDI under different ZnO and CuO NPs treatments was lower. The HQ and CHQ under different ZnO and CuO NPs treatments were far below 1. This indicated that Medicago polymorpha L. treated with ZnO and CuO NPs did not pose any non-carcinogenic health risk to the human body. Therefore, ZnO and CuO NPs were considered as a safe nano fertilizer for Medicago polymorpha L. production according to growth analysis and a human health risk assessment.