Muhammad Asif Arain

Quercetin: Nutritional and beneficial effects in poultry

Flavonoids are natural compounds derived from fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants. These compounds have been reported to possess various biological actions including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, growth promoter, antiviral, hepatoprotective, antibacterial, antiallergic, anticarcinogenic, antithrombotic and immunomodulator activities in various animals and poultry species. Quercetin is found in various foods such as vegetables, tea, fruits, wine apples and onions and is known to exert positive effects on poultry production and health. Since, quercetin enhances the immune system by stimulating lymphocytes, macrophages and IgY antibody production and improving natural killer cell activity, lymphoid organs (spleen, thymus and bursa) weights as well as activating the cytokines profile, its supplementation can lead to a state of immune alertness and a lower incidence of infections and diseases. In addition, it affects the dendritic cells (DCs) that play an important role in adaptive and innate immunity. Quercetin revokes the ability of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated dendritic cells to induce specific T cell activation and reduce the cytotoxicity in both in vivo and in vitro studies, suggesting quercetin works as an immunosuppressive agent. As immune function is crucial for poultry productivity and prosperity, this review elucidates the potential nutritional effects and health benefits of quercetin on poultry as a replacer for traditional immune boosters and growth promoters. It includes the antiviral activity of quercetin against influenza A virus, rhinovirus (caused common cold), adenovirus (source of necrotic pancreatitis in broilers) and suggests its role in counteracting heavy metal toxicity. However, further studies on molecular basis are required to understand mode of action, beneficial applications as a natural feed additive, growth promoter and immune enhancer, beside the side effects of this compound in poultry.

Silymarin: a potent hepatoprotective agent in poultry industry

Silymarin is composed of flavonolignans and derived from the dry seed of milk thistle (Silybummarianum) herb. It is used as a hepatoprotective treatment for different liver ailments, mainly cirrhosis, jaundice, growth promotant, alcoholic liver disease, chronic hepatitis C, chronic liver diseases and hepatocellular carcinoma. Reported medicinal properties are anti-inflammatory, immunomodulating, anti-diabetic, antioxidant, low toxicity, promising pharmacokinetics, protective, preventive, regenerative and antifibrotic effects and has been shown to be extremely safe. The mode of action by which silymarin might protect liver cells includes stabilisation of membranes, free radical scavenging, stimulation of hepatocyte protein synthesis and modulation of the immune response. In addition, silymarin can be used to treat jaundice disorders by ameliorating the levels of various hepatic enzymes such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Moreover, silymarin is able to moderate the immune system, by boosting IL-4, IFN-γ, and IL-10. The hepatoprotective effect of silymarin in poultry farming is poorly understood, although it may be used as a cheap, non-toxic and safe feed additive to manage liver related disorders and to replace synthetic drugs in poultry diets. Hence, this review will allow scientists, veterinarians, researchers, poultry producers to gain a pragmatic edge as well as perspective usage of Silymarin. A main priority is in finding the effective level in poultry whereby it acts as a natural liver tonic in the poultry industry and could reduce veterinary expenses.

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) meal is an alternative protein source in poultry nutrition

The application of novel feedstuffs in poultry diets, especially in developing countries, has received attention in recent years. Jatropha (Jatropha curcas) is a non-edible oil seed, and its meal is a rich in protein. Jatropha meal (JM) has been characterised as a potentially useful animal feedstuff due to its high content of crude protein level (35-50%), essential amino acid and mineral content. However, jatropha kernel contains high amounts of phytate, ranging from 7 to 10%, which would require phytase supplementation for it to be used in feeds. Jatropha contains toxic compounds and anti-nutritional factors, including lectin, tannin, saponin, phorbol esters and trypsin inhibitors, which require different treatments (physical, chemical or biological) to make it suitable for poultry diets. As a result of the presence of detrimental compounds, only low levels of jatropha in feed are recommended from animal trials. It may be used to partially substitute soybean meal, but not maize. It has been suggested in the literature that, after physical or chemical treatment of jatropha seed meal, it may have other benefits, including as an immunomodulant and antioxidant, as well as hypocholestermic, antihypertensive, hepatoprotectant, antiretroviral, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibacterial properties. It appears that heat and enzyme treated jatropha could be used in poultry diets without detrimental effects on productive and reproductive performance and may promote health status in poultry.

Influence of Graded Levels of l-Theanine Dietary Supplementation on Growth Performance, Carcass Traits, Meat Quality, Organs Histomorphometry, Blood Chemistry and Immune Response of Broiler Chickens

l-theanine is a water-soluble non-proteinous amino acid mainly found in green tea leaves. Despite the availability of abundant literature on green tea, studies on the use of l-theanine as a feed additive in animals, and especially broilers are limited. The objective of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the effect of different dietary levels of l-theanine on meat quality, growth performance, immune response, and blood metabolites in broilers. A total of 400 day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into four treatment groups using a completely randomized design; C-control, basal diet; 100LT-basal diet + 100 mg l-theanine/kg diet; 200LT-basal diet + 200 mg l-theanine/kg diet; and 300LT-basal diet + 300 mg l-theanine/kg diet. Results revealed that the intermediate level of l-theanine (200 mg/kg diet) showed better results in terms of body weight gain (BWG), feed consumed (FC), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) as compared with the other supplemented groups and the control. The live weight eviscerated weight and gizzard weight were higher in all l-theanine levels as compared to those of the control group. Increased weight (p ≤ 0.05) of spleen and bursa were found in group 200LT (200 mg l-theanine/kg diet). Concerning meat color parameters, values for yellowness (b*), and redness (a*) were greater in l-theanine-supplemented groups than the control. Supplementing broiler diet with l-theanine reduced (p = 0.02) total serum cholesterol contents while increased HDL. Further analysis revealed lower relative serum cytokines (IL-2 and INF-γ) and reduced mRNA expression of TNF-α and IL-6 in thymus, and IFN-γ and IL-2 in spleen in the treated group. Moreover, supplementation with 200 mg/kg of l-theanine improved antioxidant status in blood by increasing SOD, GSH-Px, and relative CAT levels. It is concluded that the optimum supplementation level of l-theanine is 200 mg/kg of diet because it resulted in improved performance parameters in broilers. However, higher levels of l-theanine (300 mg/kg diet) may have deleterious effects on performance and health of broiler chickens.

Impacts of distiller’s dried grains with solubles as replacement of soybean meal plus vitamin E supplementation on production, egg quality and blood chemistry of laying hens

Abstract The present investigation aimed to study the effect of the partial replacement of distiller’s dried grains with solubles (DDGS) instead of soybean meal (SBM) with or without vitamin E supplementation in laying hen diet on egg quality criteria, egg analysis, blood chemistry and productive performance traits. A 4×2 factorial design experiment was carried out involving four substitution levels of DDGS (0, 25, 50 and 75%) and two levels of vitamin E (0 and 250 mg /kg diet) through 22-42 weeks of age. No significant differences were noticed between the control and 25 or 50% DDGS substitution in the percentage of eggs produced and egg output. The fewest number of produced eggs and the lightest egg output were observed in 75% DDGS group. Yolk index, shell percentage, and Haugh unit scores were affected (P>0.01) by DDGS levels. Albumin percentage showed increase (P>0.01) in vitamin E treated groups. The impact of the combination of DDGS and vitamin E was significant (P>0.01) on all egg quality traits excepting shell percentage. The 75% DDGS diet gave the highest values of egg nutrients. Vitamin E had a positive effect on egg crude protein, ether extract, and nitrogen free extract which increased by 10.39, 10.28 and 7.85%, respectively. The combination of vitamin E addition and DDGS levels was highly significant (P>0.01) on all egg nutrients. Hens fed the 50% DDGS diet had more concentrations of lipids profile in their blood than those fed control and other DDGS diets. All serum lipid profile inclined to increase due to vitamin E supplementation. The interaction between DDGS and vitamin E had significant (P>0.05 or 0.01) influence on all serum metabolites excepting calcium. It could be concluded that vitamin E could enhance nutrient content of eggs and preserve blood lipids from lipid peroxidation. The interaction between 75% DDGS replaced SBM with 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet accomplished the best results regarding nutrient content of eggs.

Emulsifiers in the poultry industry

Emulsifiers are used in poultry nutrition for improving poultry performance, digestibility of the nutrients, especially fats, and include soy-lecithin, milk derived casein, lysophatidylcholine or lysolecithin (lecithin), bile salt, glycerol polyethylene glycol ricinoleate (E 484), and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate (SSL) etc. The efficacy of emulsifying agents can be used with different vegetable oils and various levels of metabolisable energy (ME). The literature shows that the selection of various natural and synthetic sources of emulsifiers should be on the basis of their hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB). There are new directions regarding exogenous and natural emulsifying agents, their blends in poultry diet and importance of in vitro studies. The following review includes comparisons of emulsifying agents and their impact on performance in poultry.

Effect of various levels of date palm kernel on growth performance of broilers

Aim: The aim of this study was the assessment of various levels of date palm kernel (DPK) on the growth performance of broilers. Materials and Methods: A 250-day-old broiler chicks were randomly selected and categorized into five groups (50 chicks/group) contained A (control), B, C, D and E fed with 0%, 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% levels of DPK in balanced ration, respectively, for 6 weeks. Feed and water intake were recorded daily in the morning and evening. The data for feed intake, water intake, live body weight, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were recorded from all birds regularly. The carcass weight and percentage obtained via six slaughtered birds were randomly selected from each group. Finally, economic aspects of the rations evaluated. Results: The most feed intakes of broilers were recorded in Group A (3915.1 g) that was significantly higher than Groups D and E. The highest water intake was in Group E (9067.78 ml) that was significantly higher than Group A and control group. Live body weight was highest in Group E (979.85 g) than Groups B, C, and control group. The best growth weights were determined significantly in Groups D (1921.96 g) and E (1935.95 g). The lowest FCRs were indicated significantly in Groups D (1.97 g/g) and E (1.92 g/g) than Groups B and A. The highest carcass weights were recorded in Groups D (1214.01 g) and E (1230.88 g) that were significantly more than other groups. Dressing percentages in Groups D (61.76%) and E (62.17%) were higher than other groups (p<0.05). The net profits (Rs.) in Groups A, B, C, D and E were indicated 27.01, 32.77, 36.78, 43.47 and 44.51 per broiler, respectively. Conclusion: It was concluded that the high levels of DPK (3-4%) significantly decreased broiler feed intake and increased water intake, live body weight, growth weight, carcass weight, dressing percentage, net profit per bird and also had positive effects on growth of broilers.

Impact of therapeutic and high doses of florfenicol on kidney and liver functional indicators in goat

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of therapeutic and high doses of florfenicol on kidney and liver functional indicators in goat species. Materials and Methods: Six mature, healthy goats (combine breed and sex) with average weight 25 kg were selected for this study. The therapeutic (20 mg/kg b.w.) and high doses (40 and 60 mg) of florfenicol were administered for 3 days with 24 h interval. Blood samples were collected at 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h following the each administered dose. Results: The results showed that the therapeutic dose of florfenicol produced nonsignificant effect on serum urea, creatinine, total protein (TP), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) and bilirubin on all timings, and increased (p<0.05) the serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT) and serum glutamate-pyruvate transaminase (SGPT) levels for 48 h. Whereas the high doses of florfenicol (40 and 60 mg) significantly altered the kidney and liver functional indicators in the blood. In contrast with control, the serum urea level was (p<0.01) increased at all timing points. Creatinine values were altered (p<0.01, <0.05) in increasing manner from 24 to 96 h. The high dose of 40 mg decreased the TP (p<0.05) for 72 h and 60 mg persisted same effect (p<0.01) up to 120 h. The indices of ALP, GGT, SGOT, and SGPT were raised (p<0.01, <0.05) at all timings. The bilirubin indexes also (p<0.05) elevated from 48 to 72. Conclusion: It was concluded that the high doses of florfenicol produced reversible dose-dependent effects on functional indicators of kidney and liver such as urea, creatinine, TP, ALP, SGOT, SGPT, GGT, and bilirubin.

Past, present and future of hepatitis E virus infection: Zoonotic perspectives

The origin of hepatitis E virus (HEV) is not fully understood, but it is considered an emerging zoonotic pathogen. To date, HEV has been isolated from many animal species. The family Hepeviridae consists of two genera. The genus Orthohepevirus includes four distinct species (A, B, C, and D), each with distinct genotypes. Within the Orthohepevirus A species, HEV-1 and HEV-2 host ranges are restricted to humans, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 primarily infect a wide range of diverse animal species, in addition to being zoonotic to humans. Swine and wild boar species were previously thought to be the primary natural HEV reservoir, but recently rabbits have also been identified as major carriers. Moreover, increasing the number of HEV infections within the food supply chain underscore the important role of farming and food processing practices in limiting virus transmission. Notably, a Chinese commercial vaccine has the potential to protect humans and possibly animal reservoirs from HEV infection. This review summarizes the status of HEV infection worldwide in different animal species and outlines various modes of zoonotic transmission, with reference to cross-species transmission and recent vaccine developments.

The uses of microbial phytase as a feed additive in poultry nutrition – a review

Abstract Most of the phosphorus (P) in feed ingredients is present as phytate, which is poorly available for absorption in the gastrointestinal tract of different poultry species due to the lack of endogenous phytase. The supplementation of phytase increases the utilization of P by hydrolyzing phytate, which consequently may reduce the excretion of P in the environment. In addition, it has been suggested that phytase may improve the feed utilization, weight gain, egg production and egg traits, nutrient digestibility, energy availability, retention of important minerals in blood and bones. Thus, the effectiveness of phytase on performance and Ca and P absorption in layer chickens fed corn-soybean based diets has been well recognized. The current review briefly discusses the supplementation of phytase in the diet of poultry on performance and egg production and characteristics as well as amino acids and minerals availability.