Coccidia are protozoal parasites which compromise mucosal integrity of the intestine, potentiatin... more Coccidia are protozoal parasites which compromise mucosal integrity of the intestine, potentiating poultry morbidity. The host's Zn status influences the course of infection. Therefore, two experiments were designed to determine how supplemental Zn regimens impacted jejunal and caecal immune status and Zn transporter expression. Coccivac®-B was administered weekly at ten times the recommended dose as a mild coccidial challenge (10 CV). Zn was provided through a basal diet, supplemental zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), or a supplemental 1:1 blend of ZnSO4 and Availa®-Zn (Blend). Mucosal jejunum (Expt 1) and caecal tonsils (Expt 2) were evaluated for intracellular Zn concentrations and phagocytic capacity. Messenger expression of Zn transporters ZnT5, ZnT7, Zip9 and Zip13 were investigated to determine Zn trafficking. With 10 CV, phagocytic capacity was decreased in jejunal cells by 2%. In the caecal tonsils, however, phagocytic capacity increased with challenge, with the magnitude of increa...
A control diet (CN diet; 17.4% CP and 4.37% Ca) was compared with an experimental diet with a 0.4... more A control diet (CN diet; 17.4% CP and 4.37% Ca) was compared with an experimental diet with a 0.4-percentage-unit reduction in protein content and a 35% replacement of limestone by a CaSO4-zeolite mixture [5.76% CaSO4 and 1.18% zeolite; reduced-emission diet (RE diet)] in laying hens to evaluate the effects on apparent N retention, egg production, egg composition, and excreta pH measured at excreta collection or after 7 d of storage. In previous studies, it was demonstrated that the RE diet reduced NH3 emissions by 48%. Laying hens (192 total; 48 replicate cages per diet, with 2 hens per cage) were fed experimental diets from 33 to 49 wk of age. Apparent N retention (48.2%), egg production (83.6%), and number of shell-less eggs (0.18%) were not affected by the diet. Eggs tended to be heavier (59.4 vs. 58.8 g/egg, P = 0.06), and yolk percentage (29.7 vs. 29.0%, P = 0.013) was greater with the RE diet. At 48 wk of age, the total solids content per egg was also greater from hens fed th...
A 2 × 2 factorial experiment (8 pens/treatment, 26 birds/pen) was conducted with 2 doses of a coc... more A 2 × 2 factorial experiment (8 pens/treatment, 26 birds/pen) was conducted with 2 doses of a coccidial vaccine [1× or 5× (Paracox-5, Schering-Plough Animal Health, Uxbridge, UK)], administered at 1 d of age) with or without supplementation (125 g/1,000 kg) with a phytogenic feed additive containing a blend of essential oils from oregano, anise, and citrus peel [Biomin P.E.P. 125 poultry (Biomin GmbH, Herzogenburg, Austria); EO]. Within each pen, 13 birds received the coccidial vaccine, whereas the remainder were naturally exposed through the recycling of oocysts in the litter. In pens of birds receiving the higher (5×) dosage of coccidial vaccine, the BW of broilers decreased by up to 2.7% (P = 0.08), but feed-to-gain ratio (FCR) and mortality at 27 d of age (P > 0.05) were not affected. Between d 14 and 27 within pens of birds receiving the 1× dosage of coccidial vaccine, those that were fed EO had a 5.6% increase in BW gain (P < 0.05). Supplementation with EO did not affect...
The NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry has been a benchmark publication for the research, judic... more The NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry has been a benchmark publication for the research, judicial, and regulatory communities domestically and abroad since the first published edition in 1944. The poultry scientific community has looked to this publication for benchmark diet formulation. With extraordinary changes in growth and productive potential of modern poultry strains, as well as changes to body composition and egg output, it follows that nutrient needs have changed beyond what the bird can compensate for with increasing intake per unit of BW. Research publications used for amino acid and phosphorus recommendations in the last NRC are now, at best, from 1991 and at worst from 1947. To our collective credit, the poultry science community has published substantial amounts of data in those areas to warrant an update to the ninth revised edition of the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. Historically, our perception and definition of a nutrient requirement has changed from fi...
In chickens, the effect of mycotoxins, especially fumonisins (FB), in the gastrointestinal tract ... more In chickens, the effect of mycotoxins, especially fumonisins (FB), in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is not well documented. Thus, this study in broiler chicks determined the effects of consuming diets prepared with Fusarium verticillioides culture material containing FB on intestinal gene expression and on the sphinganine (Sa)/sphingosine (So) ratio (Sa/So; a biomarker of FB effect due to disruption of sphingolipid metabolism). Male broilers were assigned to 6 diets (6 cages/diet; 6 birds/cage) from hatch to 20 days containing 0.4, 5.6, 11.3, 17.5, 47.8, or 104.8 mg FB/kg diet. Exposure to FB altered the Sa/So ratio in all tissues analyzed, albeit to varying extents. Linear dose-responses were observed in the kidney, jejunum and cecum. The liver and the ileum were very sensitive and data fit a cubic and quadratic polynomial model, respectively. Gene expression in the small intestine revealed low but significant upregulations of cytokines involved in the pro-inflammatory, Th1/Th17...
ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of gree... more ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of green Brazilian propolis on behavioral patterns and feather condition of heat stressed broiler chickens. Five hundred and four (504) male Ross 708 broiler chicks at 15-day old were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments containing 0 (control), 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 3000 mgkg−1 propolis, respectively. Each treatment consisted of four replicates of 21 birds each. Heat stress at 32 °C was applied daily from 08:00 am to17:00 pm from day 15 to 42. Twelve birds per treatment were randomly taken and marked with livestock color for behavioral observation. Treatment effects on behavioral patterns were recorded using direct observation instantaneous scan sampling technique. At the end of the experiment (42 days of age) the three birds used for behavioral observation were feather scored (from 1 to 5); while all birds (504) were individually scanned for primary feather abnormalities. The results indicated that the effects of using propolis as a feed additive for broilers reduced heat stress behavior, especially dietary treatment with 250 or 3000 mgkg−1 propolis, by increasing bird walking activities and reducing panting behaviors (P &lt; 0.05, respectively). Moreover, 250 mgkg−1 propolis (P &lt; 0.05) increased standing behavior also. Walking activities was also increased in the birds fed with 100 mgkg−1 propolis (P &lt; 0.05). There were no significant (P &gt; 0.05) treatment effects on sitting, preening, feeding, drinking, wing elevations and feather pecking activities. Propolis at current doses did not significantly (P &gt; 0.05) improve feather scoring, but reduced (P = 0.048) abnormal shape of primary feathers. The current results support that propolis treatment may be considered as a protective management practice in broiler chickens to alleviate the negative effects of heat stress, but further investigations may requested to determine the best type, dose, time and duration of its administration.
Extensive research over the last couple of decades has made it obvious that mycotoxins are common... more Extensive research over the last couple of decades has made it obvious that mycotoxins are commonly prevalent in majority of feed ingredients. A worldwide mycotoxin survey in 2013 revealed 81% of around 3,000 grain and feed samples analyzed had at least 1 mycotoxin, which was higher than the 10-year average (from 2004 to 2013) of 76% in a total of 25,944 samples. The considerable increase in the number of positive samples in 2013 may be due to the improvements in detection methods and their sensitivity. The recently developed liquid chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry allows the inclusion of a high number of analytes and is the most selective, sensitive, and accurate of all the mycotoxin analytical methods. Mycotoxins can affect the animals either individually or additively in the presence of more than 1 mycotoxin, and may affect various organs such as gastrointestinal tract, liver, and immune system, essentially resulting in reduced productivity of the birds and mo...
A study was conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy and protein concentrations on ... more A study was conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy and protein concentrations on growth performance and carcass traits of Pekin ducks from 15 to 35 d of age. In experiment 1, 14-d-old ducks were randomly assigned to 3 dietary metabolizable energy (11.8, 12.8, and 13.8 MJ/kg) and 3 crude protein concentrations (15, 17, and 19%) in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement (6 replicate pens; 66 ducks/pen). Carcass characteristics were evaluated on d 28, 32, and 35. In Experiment 2, 15-d-old ducks (6 replicate cages; 6 ducks/cage) were randomly allotted to the 9 diets that were remixed with 0.5% chromic oxide. Excreta were collected from d 17 to 19, and ileal digesta was collected on d 19 to determine AMEn and amino acid digestibility. In Experiment 1, there were interactions (P < 0.05) between dietary metabolizable energy and crude protein (CP) on body weight (BW) gain and feed intake, wherein BW gain increased more to increasing dietary CP as dietary metabolizable energy incre...
A 14-d study was conducted to evaluate the effects of cultured aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on performance... more A 14-d study was conducted to evaluate the effects of cultured aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on performance, serum biochemistry, serum natural antibody and complement activity, and hepatic gene expression parameters in Pekin ducklings. A total of 144 male Pekin ducklings were weighed, tagged, and randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments containing 4 concentrations of AFB1 (0, 0.11, 0.14, and 0.21 mg/kg) from 0 to 14 d of age (6 cages per diet; 6 ducklings per cage). Compared with the control group, there was a 10.9, 31.7, and 47.4% (P < 0.05) decrease in cumulative BW gain with 0.11, 0.14, and 0.21 mg of AFB1/kg of diet, respectively, but feed efficiency was not affected. Increasing concentrations of AFB1 reduced cumulative BW gain and feed intake both linearly and quadratically, and regression equations were developed with r(2) ≥0.73. Feeding 0.11 to 0.21 mg of AFB1/kg reduced serum glucose, creatinine, albumin, total protein, globulin, Ca, P, and creatine phosphokinase linearly, whereas...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosi... more The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) adsorbent to ameliorate the adverse effects of 0.5 to 2 mg of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)/kg in broiler chicks. The study consisted of 8 dietary treatments, including 4 concentrations of AFB1 (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg) with or without HSCAS (0.5%) fed to 8 replicate cages per diet (6 males chicks per cage) from 0 to 21 d of age. Cumulative feed intake, BW gain (P < 0.0001), and G:F (P = 0.004) of birds fed the 2 mg of AFB1/kg of diet were significantly lower in comparison with birds fed 0 to 1 mg of AFB1/kg. Relative liver weight was increased in the 2 mg of AFB1/kg group (P < 0.0001). Dietary HSCAS improved cumulative BW gain (main effect P = 0.06), particularly from 14 to 21 d of age (P = 0.037). Dietary HSCAS also reversed the increase in relative liver weight for birds fed AFB1 (P = 0.019). Dietary AFB1 negatively affected major serum parameters (albumin, total protein, gl...
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that can cause serious health problems in animals, ... more Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that can cause serious health problems in animals, and may result in severe economic losses. Deleterious effects of these feed contaminants in animals are well documented, ranging from growth impairment, decreased resistance to pathogens, hepato- and nephrotoxicity to death. By contrast, data with regard to their impact on intestinal functions are more limited. However, intestinal cells are the first cells to be exposed to mycotoxins, and often at higher concentrations than other tissues. In addition, mycotoxins specifically target high protein turnover- and activated-cells, which are predominant in gut epithelium. Therefore, intestinal investigations have gained significant interest over the last decade, and some publications have demonstrated that mycotoxins are able to compromise several key functions of the gastrointestinal tract, including decreased surface area available for nutrient absorption, modulation of nutrient transporters,...
The negative effects of aflatoxins (AFLA) on hepatic necrosis and total tract digestibility of en... more The negative effects of aflatoxins (AFLA) on hepatic necrosis and total tract digestibility of energy, N, and amino acids have been well documented. However, the question remains if this is an effect on nutrient metabolizability alone or an effect on the intestine, or both, resulting in increased endogenous nutrient loss or reduced nutrient retention, or both. Therefore, a 2-wk feeding study with a crude AFLA culture was conducted with laying hens to measure endogenous losses and digestive functionality of the intestine. Hy-Line W36 hens were fed 1 of 4 experimental diets containing a crude AFLA culture from 20 to 22 wk of age. Diets were analyzed to contain 0, 0.6, 1.2, or 2.5 mg/kg of AFLA B(1). Dietary AFLA concentration had no effect on BW, egg production, or feed intake. Intestinal crypt depth (but not villus length) increased linearly with increasing AFLA concentration. Similarly, specific activity of the intestinal disaccharidase, maltase, increased quadratically by feeding u...
A slope-response bioassay was conducted with male turkey poults to determine the sparing effect o... more A slope-response bioassay was conducted with male turkey poults to determine the sparing effect of P, based on improvements in bone mineralization in turkey poults, from 10 to 21 d of age when diets were supplemented with a novel phytase. Reference diets for calculation of the sparing effect of P contained 0.47, 0.55, 0.70, and 0.79% nonphytate phosphorus (NPP). Diets with varying dosages of a swine, Escherichia coli-derived AppA2 phytase (ECP) expressed in Pichia pastoris yeast (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 U/kg) were added to the 0.47% NPP diet and improvements in bone mineralization determined the sparing effect of P supplied from ECP. Two additional reference diets were included that contained 500 U/kg from one of two commercial phytases (PA and PB) derived from Aspergillus and Peniophora. At 500 U/kg diet the ECP spared an additional 0.22% NPP (if calculated from tibia ash %), 0.18% NPP (if calculated from toe ash %), 0.24% NPP (if calculated from mg tibia ash), or 0.21% NPP (if...
The present study investigated the effects of dietary arginine (Arg) supplementation on intestina... more The present study investigated the effects of dietary arginine (Arg) supplementation on intestinal structure and functionality in broiler chickens subjected to coccidial challenge. The present study was a randomised complete block design employing a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement (n 8) with three dietary concentrations of Arg (11·1, 13·3 and 20·2 g/kg) with or without coccidial vaccine challenge (unchallenged and coccidial challenge). On day 14, birds were orally administered with coccidial vaccine or saline. On day 21, birds were killed to obtain jejunal tissue and mucosal samples for histological, gene expression and mucosal immunity measurements. Within 7 d of the challenge, there was a decrease in body-weight gain and feed intake, and an increase in the feed:gain ratio (P< 0·05). Jejunal inflammation was evidenced by villus damage, crypt dilation and goblet cell depletion. Coccidial challenge increased mucosal secretory IgA concentration and inflammatory gene (iNOS, IL-1β, IL-8 ...
Nutrient mass balances were determined for turkeys fed 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design to inv... more Nutrient mass balances were determined for turkeys fed 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design to investigate the effects of diets with 100 or 110% of NRC (1994)-recommended amino acid (AA) formulation and diets containing 2 (Lys and Met) or 3 (Lys, Met, and Thr) supplemental AA. Hybrid tom turkeys were raised and monitored in 12 rooms (3 replicates/diet; 20 toms/room at hatch, culled to 16 at 21 d and then to 12 at 28 d of age). All feed and litter entering and leaving the rooms were quantified and analyzed for nutrient content. Air emissions were measured throughout the 20-wk study. The 100% NRC diets resulted in lower cumulative loss of NH(3) (by 14%) and H(2)S (by 21%) as compared with the 110% NRC diets. Reductions corresponded to lower N and S intake. Feeding the 3 supplemental AA diets resulted in lower N excretion (by 12%) and lower cumulative loss of NH(3) (by 23%) as compared with the 2 supplemental AA diets. The NH(3) emission as a percentage of N output was not significantly...
Coccidia are protozoal parasites which compromise mucosal integrity of the intestine, potentiatin... more Coccidia are protozoal parasites which compromise mucosal integrity of the intestine, potentiating poultry morbidity. The host's Zn status influences the course of infection. Therefore, two experiments were designed to determine how supplemental Zn regimens impacted jejunal and caecal immune status and Zn transporter expression. Coccivac®-B was administered weekly at ten times the recommended dose as a mild coccidial challenge (10 CV). Zn was provided through a basal diet, supplemental zinc sulfate (ZnSO4), or a supplemental 1:1 blend of ZnSO4 and Availa®-Zn (Blend). Mucosal jejunum (Expt 1) and caecal tonsils (Expt 2) were evaluated for intracellular Zn concentrations and phagocytic capacity. Messenger expression of Zn transporters ZnT5, ZnT7, Zip9 and Zip13 were investigated to determine Zn trafficking. With 10 CV, phagocytic capacity was decreased in jejunal cells by 2%. In the caecal tonsils, however, phagocytic capacity increased with challenge, with the magnitude of increa...
A control diet (CN diet; 17.4% CP and 4.37% Ca) was compared with an experimental diet with a 0.4... more A control diet (CN diet; 17.4% CP and 4.37% Ca) was compared with an experimental diet with a 0.4-percentage-unit reduction in protein content and a 35% replacement of limestone by a CaSO4-zeolite mixture [5.76% CaSO4 and 1.18% zeolite; reduced-emission diet (RE diet)] in laying hens to evaluate the effects on apparent N retention, egg production, egg composition, and excreta pH measured at excreta collection or after 7 d of storage. In previous studies, it was demonstrated that the RE diet reduced NH3 emissions by 48%. Laying hens (192 total; 48 replicate cages per diet, with 2 hens per cage) were fed experimental diets from 33 to 49 wk of age. Apparent N retention (48.2%), egg production (83.6%), and number of shell-less eggs (0.18%) were not affected by the diet. Eggs tended to be heavier (59.4 vs. 58.8 g/egg, P = 0.06), and yolk percentage (29.7 vs. 29.0%, P = 0.013) was greater with the RE diet. At 48 wk of age, the total solids content per egg was also greater from hens fed th...
A 2 × 2 factorial experiment (8 pens/treatment, 26 birds/pen) was conducted with 2 doses of a coc... more A 2 × 2 factorial experiment (8 pens/treatment, 26 birds/pen) was conducted with 2 doses of a coccidial vaccine [1× or 5× (Paracox-5, Schering-Plough Animal Health, Uxbridge, UK)], administered at 1 d of age) with or without supplementation (125 g/1,000 kg) with a phytogenic feed additive containing a blend of essential oils from oregano, anise, and citrus peel [Biomin P.E.P. 125 poultry (Biomin GmbH, Herzogenburg, Austria); EO]. Within each pen, 13 birds received the coccidial vaccine, whereas the remainder were naturally exposed through the recycling of oocysts in the litter. In pens of birds receiving the higher (5×) dosage of coccidial vaccine, the BW of broilers decreased by up to 2.7% (P = 0.08), but feed-to-gain ratio (FCR) and mortality at 27 d of age (P > 0.05) were not affected. Between d 14 and 27 within pens of birds receiving the 1× dosage of coccidial vaccine, those that were fed EO had a 5.6% increase in BW gain (P < 0.05). Supplementation with EO did not affect...
The NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry has been a benchmark publication for the research, judic... more The NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry has been a benchmark publication for the research, judicial, and regulatory communities domestically and abroad since the first published edition in 1944. The poultry scientific community has looked to this publication for benchmark diet formulation. With extraordinary changes in growth and productive potential of modern poultry strains, as well as changes to body composition and egg output, it follows that nutrient needs have changed beyond what the bird can compensate for with increasing intake per unit of BW. Research publications used for amino acid and phosphorus recommendations in the last NRC are now, at best, from 1991 and at worst from 1947. To our collective credit, the poultry science community has published substantial amounts of data in those areas to warrant an update to the ninth revised edition of the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Poultry. Historically, our perception and definition of a nutrient requirement has changed from fi...
In chickens, the effect of mycotoxins, especially fumonisins (FB), in the gastrointestinal tract ... more In chickens, the effect of mycotoxins, especially fumonisins (FB), in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is not well documented. Thus, this study in broiler chicks determined the effects of consuming diets prepared with Fusarium verticillioides culture material containing FB on intestinal gene expression and on the sphinganine (Sa)/sphingosine (So) ratio (Sa/So; a biomarker of FB effect due to disruption of sphingolipid metabolism). Male broilers were assigned to 6 diets (6 cages/diet; 6 birds/cage) from hatch to 20 days containing 0.4, 5.6, 11.3, 17.5, 47.8, or 104.8 mg FB/kg diet. Exposure to FB altered the Sa/So ratio in all tissues analyzed, albeit to varying extents. Linear dose-responses were observed in the kidney, jejunum and cecum. The liver and the ileum were very sensitive and data fit a cubic and quadratic polynomial model, respectively. Gene expression in the small intestine revealed low but significant upregulations of cytokines involved in the pro-inflammatory, Th1/Th17...
ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of gree... more ABSTRACT This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of green Brazilian propolis on behavioral patterns and feather condition of heat stressed broiler chickens. Five hundred and four (504) male Ross 708 broiler chicks at 15-day old were randomly allotted to six dietary treatments containing 0 (control), 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 3000 mgkg−1 propolis, respectively. Each treatment consisted of four replicates of 21 birds each. Heat stress at 32 °C was applied daily from 08:00 am to17:00 pm from day 15 to 42. Twelve birds per treatment were randomly taken and marked with livestock color for behavioral observation. Treatment effects on behavioral patterns were recorded using direct observation instantaneous scan sampling technique. At the end of the experiment (42 days of age) the three birds used for behavioral observation were feather scored (from 1 to 5); while all birds (504) were individually scanned for primary feather abnormalities. The results indicated that the effects of using propolis as a feed additive for broilers reduced heat stress behavior, especially dietary treatment with 250 or 3000 mgkg−1 propolis, by increasing bird walking activities and reducing panting behaviors (P &lt; 0.05, respectively). Moreover, 250 mgkg−1 propolis (P &lt; 0.05) increased standing behavior also. Walking activities was also increased in the birds fed with 100 mgkg−1 propolis (P &lt; 0.05). There were no significant (P &gt; 0.05) treatment effects on sitting, preening, feeding, drinking, wing elevations and feather pecking activities. Propolis at current doses did not significantly (P &gt; 0.05) improve feather scoring, but reduced (P = 0.048) abnormal shape of primary feathers. The current results support that propolis treatment may be considered as a protective management practice in broiler chickens to alleviate the negative effects of heat stress, but further investigations may requested to determine the best type, dose, time and duration of its administration.
Extensive research over the last couple of decades has made it obvious that mycotoxins are common... more Extensive research over the last couple of decades has made it obvious that mycotoxins are commonly prevalent in majority of feed ingredients. A worldwide mycotoxin survey in 2013 revealed 81% of around 3,000 grain and feed samples analyzed had at least 1 mycotoxin, which was higher than the 10-year average (from 2004 to 2013) of 76% in a total of 25,944 samples. The considerable increase in the number of positive samples in 2013 may be due to the improvements in detection methods and their sensitivity. The recently developed liquid chromatography coupled to (tandem) mass spectrometry allows the inclusion of a high number of analytes and is the most selective, sensitive, and accurate of all the mycotoxin analytical methods. Mycotoxins can affect the animals either individually or additively in the presence of more than 1 mycotoxin, and may affect various organs such as gastrointestinal tract, liver, and immune system, essentially resulting in reduced productivity of the birds and mo...
A study was conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy and protein concentrations on ... more A study was conducted to determine the influence of dietary energy and protein concentrations on growth performance and carcass traits of Pekin ducks from 15 to 35 d of age. In experiment 1, 14-d-old ducks were randomly assigned to 3 dietary metabolizable energy (11.8, 12.8, and 13.8 MJ/kg) and 3 crude protein concentrations (15, 17, and 19%) in a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement (6 replicate pens; 66 ducks/pen). Carcass characteristics were evaluated on d 28, 32, and 35. In Experiment 2, 15-d-old ducks (6 replicate cages; 6 ducks/cage) were randomly allotted to the 9 diets that were remixed with 0.5% chromic oxide. Excreta were collected from d 17 to 19, and ileal digesta was collected on d 19 to determine AMEn and amino acid digestibility. In Experiment 1, there were interactions (P < 0.05) between dietary metabolizable energy and crude protein (CP) on body weight (BW) gain and feed intake, wherein BW gain increased more to increasing dietary CP as dietary metabolizable energy incre...
A 14-d study was conducted to evaluate the effects of cultured aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on performance... more A 14-d study was conducted to evaluate the effects of cultured aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on performance, serum biochemistry, serum natural antibody and complement activity, and hepatic gene expression parameters in Pekin ducklings. A total of 144 male Pekin ducklings were weighed, tagged, and randomly allotted to 4 dietary treatments containing 4 concentrations of AFB1 (0, 0.11, 0.14, and 0.21 mg/kg) from 0 to 14 d of age (6 cages per diet; 6 ducklings per cage). Compared with the control group, there was a 10.9, 31.7, and 47.4% (P < 0.05) decrease in cumulative BW gain with 0.11, 0.14, and 0.21 mg of AFB1/kg of diet, respectively, but feed efficiency was not affected. Increasing concentrations of AFB1 reduced cumulative BW gain and feed intake both linearly and quadratically, and regression equations were developed with r(2) ≥0.73. Feeding 0.11 to 0.21 mg of AFB1/kg reduced serum glucose, creatinine, albumin, total protein, globulin, Ca, P, and creatine phosphokinase linearly, whereas...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosi... more The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a hydrated sodium calcium aluminosilicate (HSCAS) adsorbent to ameliorate the adverse effects of 0.5 to 2 mg of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)/kg in broiler chicks. The study consisted of 8 dietary treatments, including 4 concentrations of AFB1 (0, 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg) with or without HSCAS (0.5%) fed to 8 replicate cages per diet (6 males chicks per cage) from 0 to 21 d of age. Cumulative feed intake, BW gain (P < 0.0001), and G:F (P = 0.004) of birds fed the 2 mg of AFB1/kg of diet were significantly lower in comparison with birds fed 0 to 1 mg of AFB1/kg. Relative liver weight was increased in the 2 mg of AFB1/kg group (P < 0.0001). Dietary HSCAS improved cumulative BW gain (main effect P = 0.06), particularly from 14 to 21 d of age (P = 0.037). Dietary HSCAS also reversed the increase in relative liver weight for birds fed AFB1 (P = 0.019). Dietary AFB1 negatively affected major serum parameters (albumin, total protein, gl...
Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that can cause serious health problems in animals, ... more Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites of fungi that can cause serious health problems in animals, and may result in severe economic losses. Deleterious effects of these feed contaminants in animals are well documented, ranging from growth impairment, decreased resistance to pathogens, hepato- and nephrotoxicity to death. By contrast, data with regard to their impact on intestinal functions are more limited. However, intestinal cells are the first cells to be exposed to mycotoxins, and often at higher concentrations than other tissues. In addition, mycotoxins specifically target high protein turnover- and activated-cells, which are predominant in gut epithelium. Therefore, intestinal investigations have gained significant interest over the last decade, and some publications have demonstrated that mycotoxins are able to compromise several key functions of the gastrointestinal tract, including decreased surface area available for nutrient absorption, modulation of nutrient transporters,...
The negative effects of aflatoxins (AFLA) on hepatic necrosis and total tract digestibility of en... more The negative effects of aflatoxins (AFLA) on hepatic necrosis and total tract digestibility of energy, N, and amino acids have been well documented. However, the question remains if this is an effect on nutrient metabolizability alone or an effect on the intestine, or both, resulting in increased endogenous nutrient loss or reduced nutrient retention, or both. Therefore, a 2-wk feeding study with a crude AFLA culture was conducted with laying hens to measure endogenous losses and digestive functionality of the intestine. Hy-Line W36 hens were fed 1 of 4 experimental diets containing a crude AFLA culture from 20 to 22 wk of age. Diets were analyzed to contain 0, 0.6, 1.2, or 2.5 mg/kg of AFLA B(1). Dietary AFLA concentration had no effect on BW, egg production, or feed intake. Intestinal crypt depth (but not villus length) increased linearly with increasing AFLA concentration. Similarly, specific activity of the intestinal disaccharidase, maltase, increased quadratically by feeding u...
A slope-response bioassay was conducted with male turkey poults to determine the sparing effect o... more A slope-response bioassay was conducted with male turkey poults to determine the sparing effect of P, based on improvements in bone mineralization in turkey poults, from 10 to 21 d of age when diets were supplemented with a novel phytase. Reference diets for calculation of the sparing effect of P contained 0.47, 0.55, 0.70, and 0.79% nonphytate phosphorus (NPP). Diets with varying dosages of a swine, Escherichia coli-derived AppA2 phytase (ECP) expressed in Pichia pastoris yeast (0, 250, 500, 750, and 1,000 U/kg) were added to the 0.47% NPP diet and improvements in bone mineralization determined the sparing effect of P supplied from ECP. Two additional reference diets were included that contained 500 U/kg from one of two commercial phytases (PA and PB) derived from Aspergillus and Peniophora. At 500 U/kg diet the ECP spared an additional 0.22% NPP (if calculated from tibia ash %), 0.18% NPP (if calculated from toe ash %), 0.24% NPP (if calculated from mg tibia ash), or 0.21% NPP (if...
The present study investigated the effects of dietary arginine (Arg) supplementation on intestina... more The present study investigated the effects of dietary arginine (Arg) supplementation on intestinal structure and functionality in broiler chickens subjected to coccidial challenge. The present study was a randomised complete block design employing a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement (n 8) with three dietary concentrations of Arg (11·1, 13·3 and 20·2 g/kg) with or without coccidial vaccine challenge (unchallenged and coccidial challenge). On day 14, birds were orally administered with coccidial vaccine or saline. On day 21, birds were killed to obtain jejunal tissue and mucosal samples for histological, gene expression and mucosal immunity measurements. Within 7 d of the challenge, there was a decrease in body-weight gain and feed intake, and an increase in the feed:gain ratio (P< 0·05). Jejunal inflammation was evidenced by villus damage, crypt dilation and goblet cell depletion. Coccidial challenge increased mucosal secretory IgA concentration and inflammatory gene (iNOS, IL-1β, IL-8 ...
Nutrient mass balances were determined for turkeys fed 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design to inv... more Nutrient mass balances were determined for turkeys fed 4 diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design to investigate the effects of diets with 100 or 110% of NRC (1994)-recommended amino acid (AA) formulation and diets containing 2 (Lys and Met) or 3 (Lys, Met, and Thr) supplemental AA. Hybrid tom turkeys were raised and monitored in 12 rooms (3 replicates/diet; 20 toms/room at hatch, culled to 16 at 21 d and then to 12 at 28 d of age). All feed and litter entering and leaving the rooms were quantified and analyzed for nutrient content. Air emissions were measured throughout the 20-wk study. The 100% NRC diets resulted in lower cumulative loss of NH(3) (by 14%) and H(2)S (by 21%) as compared with the 110% NRC diets. Reductions corresponded to lower N and S intake. Feeding the 3 supplemental AA diets resulted in lower N excretion (by 12%) and lower cumulative loss of NH(3) (by 23%) as compared with the 2 supplemental AA diets. The NH(3) emission as a percentage of N output was not significantly...
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