Research On Animal Production
Year:2020 | Volume:11 | Issue:28|Papers Count:15

The purpose of current study was to investigate the synergistic effects of indigenous probiotic strains isolated from the gastrointestinal tract with herbal extracts on gastrointestinal mucosa health (intestinal microflora) and immunity of broiler chicks. In current study, the effect of two types of probiotics (Iranian and foreign products respectively), phytobiotic (thyme extract), profit (a mixture of thyme extract and probiotic) and antibiotics on broiler chicken’ s performance were evaluated. Experimental diets provided from day one to end of the period. Statistical analysis results show that adding profits and both probiotics to the diet of chicks leads to a significant decrease in feed intake compared to the control and antibiotic treatment (p≤ 0. 05). All supplements increased the relative weight of lymphatic tissues of the spleen and bursa. Probiotics and prophylaxis treatments had a significant higher weight gain than phytobiotic (Thyme) treatment (p≤ 0. 05). Experimental treatments compared to control treatment significantly improved FCR (p≤ 0. 05). Dietary additives can improve the immune system and adding them to broiler chicks diet lead to improving performance and in the future can be introduced as an alternative to antibiotics in poultry feeding.

The present study was conducted to determine the effects of olive extract leaf and olive oil on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, carcass characteristics and intestinal morphology in Japanese quail. A total of 528 Japanese quail chicks 1-days-old were allocated to 6 treatments group with 4 replicates each containing 22 birds. This study was performed in a 2×3 factorial experiment with completely randomized design. Experimental treatments were included two levels of olive leaf extract (0, and 400 mg/kg) and three levels of olive oil (0, 2. 5 and 5%). The results was revealed that the average daily weight gain were significantly increased in diet containing 5 % of olive oil compared to control group (P<0. 05). The diet containing 2. 5 percent olive oil decreased average daily feed intake as compare to control diet (P<0. 05). The ileum histomorphometry showed that crypt depth and height villus to crypt depth ratio in birds received 2. 5 and 5% olive oil decreased and increased compared with control group, respectively (P<0. 05). The results showed that the apparent digestibility of protein, ash, fat, phosphorus and energy in the control group was significantly lower than other treatments (P<0. 05). The apparent digestibility of fiber was higher in the treatment containing 5% olive oil and the treatment containing 400 mg/kg diet of olive leaf extract (P <0. 05). Diet containing 5% olive oil had the highest metabolizable energy compared to the other experimental groups (P <0. 05). In conclusion, the findings of this study suggests that dietary inclusion of olive oil up to 5 percent had benefit effects on quail production indices.

The aim of this study was to survey the effect of different dietary fiber source and thereonine levels on growth response, nutrients digestibility and some digesta characteristics of broiler chickens. A total of 180 day-old male Ross 308 chicks were used in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of 2×3 with 4 replicates of 6 birds each for a period of 24 days. The diets consisted of two fiber sources (pea hull and sugar beet pulp) with 5 percent and three levels of threonine (90, 100 1nd 110 percent of recommended level). According to the results, a significant interaction was found between fiber source and threonine level on feed intake (P<0. 05), where the chickens on sugar beet pulp containing diet with deficient threonine consumed lower feed than those on similar diet containing pea hull. There were no significant interactions between fiber source and threonine level on birds’ weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Lower weight gain and higher feed conversion ratio were observed by sugar beet pulp than pea hull (P<0. 05). Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and crude fat, as well as apparent metabolizable energy was decreased by inclusion of sugar beet pulp in the diet (P<0. 05). Deficiency of threonine in the diet decreased the digestibility of organic matter (P<0. 05). The use of sugar beet pulp decreased pH value of gizzard and cecal digesta, and increased the viscosity of jejunal and ileal digesta in comparison with pea hull (P<0. 05). Relative weight of gizzard was increased by pea hull compared with sugar beet pulp (P<0. 05). In conclusion, compared with pea hull, sugar beet pulp by increasing digesta viscosity decreased nutrients digestibility and broiler performance, and except for feed intake, non-remarkable interaction was illustrated between fiber source and threonine level.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of raw and autoclaved Amaranth grain on the performance and egg quality of layer hens. For this purpose 168 Leghorn laying hens strain Hyline W36 at 67 weeks of age were allocated in completely randomized design with 7 treatments and 6 replicates of 4 birds. Treatments include raw and autoclaved Amaranth each at 0, 5, 10 and 15%. The egg external an internal quality and productive performance of the hens were measured during the experiment. The results showed that, during the whole experiment period, the percentage of egg production, egg weight and egg mass were significantly lower in the birds fed the diets containing different levels of crude and autoclaved amaranth compared to the birds fed the control diet (P<0. 05). Also birds fed diets containing different levels of crude and autoclaved amaranth had a significantly higher FCR than the control birds (P<0. 05). Amaranth autoclaving reduces the anti-nutritional effects and improves bird performance (P<0. 05). Hens fed with diets contain amaranth compared with control group had lower feed intake (P<0. 05). Raw and autoclaved amaranth has no effect on egg external and internal quality. Overall, the results showed that with increasing of the Amaranth level in the diet, production performance reduced but autoclaving improved bird performance.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of physical form of diet on humoral and cellular immune responses in broiler chickens exposed to carbon tetrachloride stress in days 10 to 42 of age. The 2×3 factorial experiment performed in a randomized complete block design with 468 broilers in 6 treatments and 6 replicates of 13 birds each. The treatments consisted combinations of a grower diet in three physical form (mash, pellet and crumble) and injection of carbon tetrachloride (0 and 0. 5 ml/kg of body weight). Birds fed with mash diet consumed greater feed and broilers fed with the same diet in crumble form had the lowest feed intake (P<0. 05). The injection of carbon tetrachloride in broilers decreased lymphocytes (P<0. 05). Greater percentage of monocytes and neutrophils were observed in the birds injected with carbon tetrachloride (P<0. 05). Carbon tetrachloride injection resulted in a significant decrease in antibody titer against influenza at 42 days of age (P<0. 05). It was concluded that carbon tetrachloride poisoning independent of diet physical form, may impress immune response in broiler chicken due to reduced lymphocytes.

The purpose of this study was to determine the contents of chemical compositions, apparent metabolizable energy (AME), apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (AMEn), true metabolizable energy (TME), true metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen (TMEn), in corn samples, as well as to predict diferrent energy contents of corn samples given their chemical components. A total of 30 samples were colleted from Iranian poultry feed plants. Metabolizable energy criterias of each sample were obtained by percision feeding method with 4 replications. Based on laboratory assessments, average of dry matter, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash, starch and glucose were 90. 02, 9. 15, 3. 28, 3. 93, 1. 45, 65. 33 and 9. 79 (% of DM), respectively. In farm experiments, the gross energy, AME, AMEn, TME and TMEn were obtained as 4375, 3284, 3219, 3873, and 3781 )kcal/kg DM(, respectively. Using provided database, multiple regression equations were developed for predicting different values of AME, AMEn, TME and TMEn based on chemical composition in corn samples. These system of equations can be used practically for predicting energy of corn samples in poultry feed manufactures and poultry farms.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and butyrate monoglycerides on the performance, blood parameters and nutrients digestibility in suckling Holstein calves. For this experiment, 32 newly-born Holstein calves (average age 1-8 days; average weight 38± 1 kg) were used in a completely randomized design with 2×2 factorial arrangement, 4 treatments and 8 replications. The experimental treatments were: 1) Basal diet without any additive (control), 2) Basal diet with 5 g per day of butyrate monoglycerides, 3) Basal diet with 2 g per day of saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, 4) Basal diet + 2 g of saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast + 5 g per day of butyrate monoglycerides. Feed intake was measured daily. Body weight changes were recorded at birth, d 30 and 60 after birth and d 75 on the weaning time and feed conversion ratio was calculated for each group. Nutrient digestibility was measured by using acid insoluble ash as the internal marker. For determination of blood parameters, blood samples were taken from jugular vein on d 30 and 60. The results showed that the addition of saccharomyces cerevisiae and butyrate glycerides did not affect feed intake in the first and second months, and in the whole experimental period. Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast and butyrate glycerides interaction had no significant effect on the final weight of calves. Daily weight gain of calves in the first and second months were not affected by the addition of yeast and butyrate supplements or their interaction. Total daily weight gain affected significantly by effects of feeding saccharomyces cerevisiae (P=0. 05) and butyrate glycerides (P=0. 01). The results showed that the addition of saccharomyces cerevisiae and glycerides of butyrate did not influence blood concentrations of glucose, cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin, total protein, blood urea and globulin whereas blood beta-hydroxy butyrate concentration increased by feeding butyrate supplement (P=0. 02). Feeding butyrate supplement increased significantly protein digestibility (P=0. 05). Based on the positive effects of butyrate monoglycerides on average daily gain, blood beta-hydroxy butyrate concentration and crude protein digestibility and the effects of saccharomyces cerevisiae on daily weight gain, use of these two feed additives can be recommended for Holstein suckling calves.

In this experiment, we used 15 newborn Holstein male calves that their initial weight was 41 ± 4. 5 kg and their age was one week. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with three treatments and five replications. Treatments included: 1-control treatment without flaxseed, 2-treatment containing 5% flaxseed and 3-treatment containing10% flaxseed. Flaxseed replaced corn and soybean meal in the starter diet. The whole experiment period was 60 days. The rations were given as pellets to the calves. To measure nutrient digestibility, fecal and feed intake of calves were sampled for 5 days at the end of the experiment and then the digestibility of the samples was done using an internal marker (acid insoluble ash) in the laboratory. Blood samples were taken to measure blood parameters at the end of the experiment period. Different levels of flaxseed had no significant effect on performance parameters such as final weight, daily weight gain, daily dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio. Addition of calf seed to starter calves had a significant effect on digestibility of dry matter (p=0. 0498), crude protein (p=0. 0067), and insoluble fiber in neutral detergent (p=0. 0249). Treatments containing 10% and 5% levels had the highest dry matter digestibility, respectively. The highest digestibility of crude protein and digestibility of insoluble fiber in neutral detergent were related to 5% flaxseed treatment. Experimental treatments with different levels of flaxseed had a significant effect on blood urea nitrogen content (p=0. 0047), so that the highest urea nitrogen content was obtained for treatments containing 5% and 10% flaxseed, respectively. Due to the fact that treatments on the amount of dry matter, daily weight gain, final weight of calves were not significant and also due to improved digestibility of nutrients in treatments with 5% flaxseed, it is recommended to use 5% of flaxseed as a source of energy and protein in the diet of dairy calves.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of aflatoxin on the gas production, in vitro fermentation parameters, dry matter and organic matter digestibility of sheep's diet. This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments and 4 replicate per treatment. The treatments included 1. diet without aflatoxin and methanol (control), 2. control with methanol, 3. diet containing 400 ng / ml of aflatoxin B1, 4. diet containing 800 ng / ml of aflatoxin B1, and 5. diet containing 1200 ng / ml of aflatoxin B1 in ruminal fluid. Treatments were incubated at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96 hours and the amount of gas produced was measured using a barometer at 39 ° C. The results showed that treatments with high levels of aflatoxin, especially 1200 ng / ml rumen fluid, significantly decreased gas production compared to those without aflatoxin. Addition of different levels of aflatoxin significantly decreased dry matter and organic matter digestibility, microbial mass production, and biodegradability index compared to control group. The results of this study showed that rumen microorganisms have the ability to neutralize aflatoxin at low levels and fermentation conditions are not significantly affected. With increasing level of aflatoxin in the diet, the gas production, digestibility of dry matter and organic matter, and also microbial mass production and PF was reduced. Therefore, it can be concluded that aflatoxin modifies ruminal fermentation processes with reduced nutrient degradability, which is dependent on aflatoxin concentration.

This study investigated the effect of yeast riched with hydrolyzed mannan oligosacharid and symbiotic on growth performance, blood parameters and carcasses charchtristics in weaning male lambs. This study was carried out in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement of 3*2 with 6 replicates on 36 male lambs. Treatments included: 1-control without supplementation, 2-treatment containing 2. 0 grams of synbiotic, 3-treatments containing 2. 0 grams of oligosaccharide (prebiotic), 4-treatment containing 2. 0 g of mannose oligosaccharide (prebiotic) and 2. 0 g of synbiotic, 5-treatment containing 4. 0 g of synbiotic and 6-treatment containing 2. 0 g of mannose oligosaccharide (prebiotic) and 4. 0 g of synbiotic in the diet per lamb. There was no significant difference between the treatments in terms of dry matter intake. Daily weight gain data showed that on days 30 to 60, 2. 0 g of synbiotic and 2. 0 g of prebiotic (P= 0. 03), on days 60 to 90 of 4. 0 g of synbiotic and 2. 0 g of prebiotic (P= 0. 03) and 2. 0 g synbiotic and 2. 0 g prebiotic (P= 0. 02) were significantly higher on days 90 to 110 than other treatments. The best feed conversion ratio at days 0 to 30 and 30 to 60, at 2. 0 g synbiotic treatment (P= 0. 04) and at day 60 to 90 at 4. 0 g synbiotic treatment and at day 0 to 110 trials was 2. 0 g of synbiotic (P= 0. 04). Concentration of glucose and HDL in 4. 0 g synbiotic and 2. 0 g prebiotic (P= 0. 02), cholesterol and BUN concentration in control (P= 0. 03) and total protein in 4. 0 g synbiotic and 2. 0 grams of prebiotic (P= 0. 02) was significantly higher. There was a significant differences in pre-slaughter weight (P= 0. 03), hot and cold carcass weight (P= 0. 03), percentage of hot carcass (P= 0. 02) and percentage of cold carcass (P= 0. 01), thigh percentage, meat pH and TBARS significant differences were found. The final data analysis showed that in daily weight gain, feed conversion ratio and the quantitative and qualitative traits of carcass, treatment 4 containing 2. 0 g of synbiotic and prebiotic supplement had better performance than other treatments.

Nowadays silver nanoparticles are being considered as an alternative to antibiotics. Silver is one of the most important elements in nanotechnology due to extensive antibacterial activity. The aim of present experiment was to evaluate the effect of silver nanoparticles coated on zeolite and organic acids on performance, intestinal morphology, gastrointestinal microbial population and carcass characteristics in broiler chickens under heat stress conditions. A total of 375 day-old (Cobb 500) broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 5 treatment groups consisting of 5 replicates of 15 birds in each. Treatments included: (1) basal diet, (2) basal diet containing 1% zeolite, (3) basal diet containing 1% of zeolite-coated with 0. 5% silver nanoparticles, (4) Basal diet containing 1 g/kg a mixture of organic acids and (5) Basal diet containing 1% of zeolite-coated with 0. 5% of silver nanoparticles and 1g/kg a mixture of organic acids. Two chickens per each replicate were slaughtered on days 21 and 42 for measuring of the internal organs weight and microbial population enumerating, and on days 35 and 42 for morphology of the intestine. The experimental results showed that silver nanoparticles had higher feed conversion rate compared with other treatments. Also, villi length was significantly different between treatments and control group on d 35 of experiment (P<0. 05). The silver nanoparticles treatment and the silver nanoparticles with organic acids treatment had the highest villi length on 42 d of experiment (P<0. 05). The effect of experimental treatments had no significant effect on gastrointestinal microbial population on d 21 and 42 of experiment (P>0. 05). In conclusion, the results of present study showed that silver nanoparticles coated on zeolite with organic acid could be used as a feed additive with no adverse effect under heat stress condition in broilers chicken treatments.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inbreeding on the estimation of genetic parameters of weight traits at different ages in Moghani sheep. In the present study, the information of 11721 Moghani sheep in Jafarabad Moghan breeding station from 1987 to 2011 was used. Genetic parameters were estimated using single trait model with covariate and classification and without inbreeding. CFC and WOMBAT software were used to estimate the inbreeding coefficient and the effect of inbreeding on traits, respectively. The results of analysis of variance showed that the random effect of the animal and the fixed effects of year-season, sex and age had a significant effect on all the studied traits (P <0. 05). The mean inbreeding for all animals and inbreed animal were 0. 4% and 1. 67% respectively. Totally, 26. 1 % of all the animals were inbred. The inbreeding depression for body weight traits at birth, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60-months of age was respectively,-1. 06, 0. 113, 0. 126,-0. 089, 0. 817,-0. 054,-0. 687, 2. 717 and-0. 139 kg, per 1% increase in individual coefficient. Direct heritability for birth weights, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months were calculated 0. 17, 0. 14, 0. 10, 0. 27, 0. 16, 0. 21, 0. 20, 0. 02 and 0. 23 respectively. The results showed that the inclusion of inbreeding in models for estimating genetic parameters had a low to moderate effect on the estimation of heritability. The results also showed that the harmful effects of excessive inbreeding could be prevented by increasing the use of distant crosses with superior males and proper genetic management in herds.

Genetic parameters for birth weight and survival traits were estimated using data collected from 1995 to 2009 in Jafarabad Moghani Sheep Breeding Station. Number of observation for survival and birth weight were 7202 and 6585, respectively. Genetic parameters were estimated using restricted maximum likelihood (REML) procedure under 16 different models, including animal, threshold and sire models using ASReml software. The most appropriate model for each trait was determined based on Akaike’ s Information Criterion (AIC) method. The appropriate model for birth weight was included direct additive genetic, maternal additive genetic and common litter effects. Also, the animal model for lamb survival were included direct additive genetic, maternal additive genetic, maternal permanent environmental, common litter effects and covariance between direct and maternal additive genetic effects. The appropriate sire model for lamb survival was included sire direct additive genetic and common litter effects. Estimated direct heritability for birth weight was 0. 09± 0. 02. The direct heritabilities for survival with animal model and sire model was 0. 070± 0. 002 and 0. 05± 0. 02, which after correction was changed to 0. 22 and 0. 15, respectively. Also, the estimation of heritability for lamb survival from threshold model was 0. 30± 0. 10. Genetic, environmental and phenotypic correlation between birth weight and lamb survival were 0. 61± 0. 24, 0. 08± 0. 02 and 0. 07± 0. 01, respectively. Consideration of environmental factors, including common litter effects, is essential for unbiased estimation of genetic parameters.

This study was performed to determine the digital expression profile of different genes expressed in Holstein and Cholistani breeds as well as to evaluate the performance of predicted proteins derived from differentially expressed genes between these two breeds using RNA-Seq data. For this purpose, the whole mRNA sequence for a blood sample of American Holstein and Pakistani Cholistani cattle populations was obtained and by sequencing and locating RNA-Seq reads on the bovine reference genome and determining the digital expression profile, the differentially expressed genes were obtained. The results of this study showed that there were 24616 genes and 26716 isoforms on the transcriptome of these two breeds, out of which, 41 genes were identified with substantial and significant differential expression (P <0. 000015). It was also found that approximately one-third of genes whose functions is altered accros two breeds, encode hydrolase enzymes, five of the predicted proteins, FOS Fos proto-oncogene proteins, AP-1 transcription factor subunit, the vhl-elonginc-elonginb structure, transcription factor FosB/ JunD bZIP domain, T yeast U2AF complex pseudomonas aeruginosa transcriptional regulator PA2196 and zif268 zinc finger-dna complex that are involved in transcriptional regulation and RNA editing. Investigation of network interactions between predicted proteins from differentially expressed genes showed that predicted proteins are involved in different pathways such as TNF signaling pathway, Salmonella infection, MAPK signaling pathway and rheumatoid arthritis. Overall, these two breeds were found to be welladapted to environmental conditions due to different environmental conditions and evolutionary distance and this coordination at the molecular level of the expression of specific genes was found in this study. One of the reasons supporting this is the greater role of the immune system in the Cholistani breed due to its higher exposition to contamination than the Holstein breed that led the expression of bactericidal proteins (Cathelicidin 1) was up regulaged, as a result, the activity of the immune system might be improved. The study also found that the IL1B gene had the highest degree of gene-drug interaction with Canakinumab drug. The results of this study indicate that in breed comparisons, a close look at the activity of proteins produced by different genes could better explain breed differences at the molecular level.

This study was conducted to determine the suitable dose of gamma rays for increasing sperm motility and viability after thawing and to assess its effects on malondialdehyde concentration and the rate of sperm DNA strand breaks. Sperm samples in liquid nitrogen were irradiated at doses of zero, 0. 1, 0. 3, 0. 5, 0. 7 and 0. 9 Gy. The sperm quality and quantity parameters were evaluated before and after irradiation using CASA system. Sperm morphology and viability were evaluated using Eosin-Nigrosin staining. Malondialdehyde concentration was determined based on thiobarbituric acid method and DNA strand breaks analyzed by Comet assay. Data were analyzed based on randomized complete block design by SAS Software. The results showed that irradiation influenced (P<0. 05) on motility and viability of sperms. The semen malondialdehyde concentration had no significant differences among treatments (P>0. 05). Based on the Comet assay result, DNA strand breaks parameters had no significant differences with the control group, except at dose of 0. 9 Gy. The results of this study demonstrated that gamma irradiation at dose of 0. 7 Gy could enhance the motility and viability of sperms after thawing without negative effect on semen and sperm quality.