I. Arija

Interaction of dietary high-oleic-acid sunflower hulls and different fat sources in broiler chickens

The effect of dietary fat sources (high-oleic-acid sunflower seeds, HOASS; palm oil, PO; and high-oleic-acid sunflower oil, HOASO) and high-oleic-acid sunflower hulls (HOAS hulls; 40 g/kg of diet) on performance, digestive organ size, fat digestibility, and fatty acid profile in abdominal fat and blood serum parameters was evaluated in chickens (from 1 to 21 d of age). Bird performance and digestive organ size were not affected by either dietary fat source or sunflower hull supplementation. Fat digestibility in birds fed diets enriched (HOASS and HOASO) in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) was increased compared with those fed the PO diet. The addition of sunflower hulls did not modify fat digestibility. The fatty acids pattern of abdominal fat reflected the dietary fat profile. The greatest concentrations of C16:0 and C18:0 were found in birds fed PO diets. The C18:1n-9 content was increased in birds that received HOASS and HOASO diets compared with those fed PO diets. The greatest content of C18:2n-6 was observed in birds fed HOASS diets. The ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) to MUFA was significantly increased in birds fed PO diets compared with those fed HOASS or HOASO diets. The addition of sunflower hulls to the diets resulted in a decrease of C18:2n-6 and PUFA concentrations and PUFA:MUFA ratio in abdominal fat. Dietary fat sources and sunflower hulls modify blood triglycerides and serum lipoproteins. A decrease in triglyceride concentrations was observed in birds fed HOASS diets compared with those fed PO and HOASO diets. The greatest concentrations of serum high density, very low density (VLDL), and low density lipoproteins were found in birds receiving HOASO, PO, and HOASS diets, respectively. The addition of sunflower hulls to the diets caused an increase of serum triglycerides and VLDL concentrations. The MUFA-enriched diets had lower triglyceride and VLDL concentrations than did diets rich in saturated fatty acids. However, the sunflower hull addition had the opposite effect.

Nutritional value of raw and autoclaved kabuli and desi chickpeas ( Cicer arietinum L.) for growing chickens

1. Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of inclusion of raw ( kabuli and desi ) and autoclaved ( desi ) chickpea seeds in wheat-based starter diets in chickens grown to 28 d of age on the performance, digestive organ sizes, nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolisable energy (AME n ), ileal apparent protein and starch digestibilities (APD and ASD) and intestinal α -amylase and trypsin activities. 2. In the first experiment, diets were formulated to contain 0, 150, 300 and 450 g/kg of raw kabuli chickpea seeds. Increasing the proportion of seed in the diet negatively influenced body weight gain, food intake and food efficiency. The relative weights of the pancreas, liver and gizzard and the relative lengths of duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caeca were increased significantly when the chickpea seeds were included in the diets. Correspondingly, APD, ASD, α -amylase and trypsin activities and AME n were reduced significantly when the chickpea seed was incorporated in the diets. 3. In the 2nd experiment, diets were formulated to contain 75 and 150 g/kg of raw and autoclaved desi chickpea seeds. Weight gain and food intake of the chicks given desi chickpea diets were significantly reduced compared with those fed on the control diet. Increasing the proportion of seed in the diet negatively influenced body weight gain, food intake and food efficiency. Moreover, a significant increment in the relative weights of liver and pancreas, and in the relative lengths of duodenum, ileum and caeca was observed when the concentration of chickpea seeds in the diets was increased. Feeding autoclaved seeds significantly increased the weight gains and the food intakes. However, food efficiency was not modified by the autoclaving. Relative weights of gizzard and liver and relative lengths of ileum were decreased significantly by the inclusion of autoclaved desi chickpea in the diet. 4. We concluded that the inclusion of kabuli (up to 450 g/kg) and desi (up to 150 g/kg) chickpea seeds produced a negative effect on the performance of the birds, and an increment in the relative weights and lengths of the digestive organs. In addition, the incorporation of kabuli chickpea produced a reduction of protein and starch digestibilities, α -amylase and trypsin activities, and AME n of food compared with the birds given the control diet. Autoclaved treatment of desi chickpea improved the performance of the birds.

Effects of citric acid and microbial phytase on amino acid digestibility in broiler chickens.

1. Two experiments with growing chickens were carried out to study the effects of the inclusion of a microbial phytase (Natuphos® 5000) and citric acid (CA) in maize–soybean-based diets on the performance and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA). In both experiments the diets were formulated to contain the same amounts of energy and protein. 2. In the first experiment, data were analysed as a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two concentrations of available phosphorus (AP) from one day to 3 weeks of age (3·5 and 2·2 g/kg) and for 3 to 6 weeks (2·7 and 1·4 g/kg), and two inclusions of commercial phytase (0 and 500 FTU/kg) in each period. The AID of CP and dispensable and indispensable AA were not modified by the AP content of the diet. Addition of phytase improved the AID of CP and dispensable and indispensable AA only at low AP levels. 3. In the second experiment, data were analysed as a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with three concentrations of citric acid (0, 20 and 50 g/kg) and two inclusions of commercial phytase (0 and 750 FTU/kg). Diets were formulated with deficient contents of AP (2·5 g/kg). Performance was not affected by commercial phytase addition. The addition of CA reduced the weight gain but did not modify the feed intake and gain:feed. In general, the AID of CP and dispensable and indispensable AA were not affected by CA addition. Commercial phytase increased the apparent ileal digestibility of crude protein but had no effect on AID of dispensable and indispensable AA. 4. In conclusion, the present work showed that microbial phytase enhanced AA digestibility in maize–soy-based diet only at very low AP concentrations, and that CA had no affect on the AID of CP and dispensable and indispensable AA. No synergism between CA and microbial phytase was detected.

Effects of inclusion of full-fat sunflower kernels and hulls in diets for growing broiler chickens

Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of feeding full-fat sunflower kernels (FFSK; 0, 50, 100 and 150 g kg−1) and sunflower hulls (SH; 0, 17, 33 and 50 g kg−1) in diets for broiler chickens. In both experiments, 224 one-day old birds were distributed randomly to 28 lots of eight animals each. In the first experiment, the addition of up to 150 g kg−1 FFSK yielded a significant reduction (12 and 10% respectively; P < 0.05) in weight gain and feed consumption. No significant differences were detected in relation with feed to gain ratio and relative weight of gizzard, pancreas and abdominal fat. There was, however, a significant increase (15, 13, 15 and 16% respectively; P < 0.05) in relative liver weight and relative length of duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caeca in chicks fed with increased concentrations of FFSK in the diets, compared with those fed the wheat-soybean diet. Ileal digestibility of protein, trypsin and amylase digesta activities were not affected. Digestibility of fat and digesta lipase activity were reduced and increased respectively (8 and 60%; P < 0.05) in those birds fed the highest level of addition of FFSK. In the second experiment, different concentrations of SH (0, 17, 33 and 50 g kg−1) were used. The performance, relative weight of gizzard, liver, pancreas and abdominal fat, relative length of duodenum, jejunum and caeca were not significantly affected by the addition of SH. The results indicated that the growth data and fat digestibility of the birds were adversely affected by the addition of full-fat sunflower kernels of up to 50 g kg−1. However, the SH at levels of up to 50 g kg−1 had no adverse effect on the general performance of broiler chickens.

Effect of Enzyme Addition on the Nutritive Value of High Oleic Acid Sunflower Seeds in Chicken Diets

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of enzyme addition in chicken diets containing high oleic acid sunflower seeds (HOASS). In the first experiment (4 to 21 d of age), enzyme addition (lipase, phospholipase, and a combination of these) was used at the inclusion level of 1 g/kg in diets containing HOASS (250 g/kg) compared with a control corn-soybean diet. Weight gain, feed consumption, relative liver weight, fat digestibility, and amylase, lipase, serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and creatine phosphokinase (CPK) activities were reduced, and feed conversion, relative duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca lengths, plasma uric acid, cholesterol, and glucose concentrations were increased in the unsupplemented HOASS diet compared with the control diet. The addition of enzymes to the HOASS diet increased weight gain, feed consumption, relative pancreas and liver weights, fat digestibility, amylase and lipase activities, plasma uric acid, calcium, serum LDH and CPK, and total protein concentration and reduced feed conversion, relative spleen weight, relative duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and ceca lengths, plasma cholesterol, and glucose compared with the unsupplemented HOASS diet. In the second experiment (0 to 21 d of age), the same enzymes (0.5 g/kg each) were included in diets containing 150 g/kg of HOASS compared with a conventional sunflower meal diet (150 g/kg). The HOASS diet did not affect performance but reduced relative pancreas and abdominal fat weights and relative duodenum and ceca lengths, and increased crude fat, CP, and essential and nonessential amino acid digestibilities (except Ser, which was reduced) compared with the control diet. The addition of enzymes in the HOASS diet increased weight gain, feed consumption, and relative pancreas weight and reduced feed conversion, CP, and essential and nonessential amino acid digestibilities compared with the unsupplemented HOASS diet. In conclusion, the addition of 250 g of HOASS/kg in the diets caused a negative effect on performance, digestive organ sizes, fat and protein digestibilities, and pancreatic enzymes and modified blood parameters. However, the inclusion of HOASS at 150 g/kg improved some of these parameters and amino acid digestibilities. The enzyme addition counteracted some of these effects.

Addition of exogenous enzymes to diets containing grape pomace: Effects on intestinal utilization of catechins and antioxidant status of chickens

Grape pomace (GP) is a rich source of polyphenols with antioxidant capacity. An experiment was conducted to study the effect of GP phenolic compounds included at 5 and 10%, and the addition (individually or combined) of hydrolyzing enzymes (carbohydrase enzyme complex and tannase at 500ppm) on intestinal utilization of catechins and antioxidant status in broiler chickens. A diet supplemented with 200ppm of α-tocopheryl acetate was also used. Our findings demonstrate the capacity of chickens to digest the monomeric (catechin, epicatechin, gallic acid, and epicatechin-O-gallate) and dimeric (procyanidin B1 and procyanidin B2) catechins present in grape pomace. The addition of enzymes (mainly tannase) hydrolyzed the polymeric structures into smaller catechins, but also promoted a lower digestibility of the monomeric and dimeric catechins suggesting that polymeric structures might favour the intestinal utilization of these catechins. The intestinal accumulation of phenolic compounds generated with tannase and with 10% GP reversed the antimicrobial effect against Clostridium perfringens observed with 5% of GP. Grape pomace improved the antioxidant status of the bird, increasing the α-tocopherol and reducing the iron content on plasma, not affecting the plasma gluthatione. Enzymes modified the intestinal utilization of catechins but not additional protective effect was detected on any of the parameters analyzed to evaluate the antioxidant status.

Utilización de los polifenoles de la uva en la alimentación de las aves

In the last few years there is a growing interest in the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of several polyphenols, especially flavonoids, which are present in several plants. Wine industry by- products (grape pomace, skin and seeds) and wine polyphenols extracts contain a wide range of these phenolic compounds. The functional properties of these polyphenols could be useful and applicable in animal nutrition. These effects have not been studied in chickens. Recent studies have shown that dietary inclusion of these grape by-products in broilers increased the oxidative stability of chicken meat in similar way that those obtained with the addition of Vitamin E. By the other hand, the use of these by-products has also been associated with a favourable modification of the intestinal microbiota by reducing the presence of several harmful bacteria and favouring other beneficial bacte