Cooked broiler meat quality affected by different Mediterranean medicinal plants in the diet.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of adding oregano (Origanum syriacum L.) and germander (Teucrium polium L.) to poultry diets individually and/or in combination: i) on cooked chicken meat quality and storage stability, ii) to compare this effect with those of the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and with the normal basic diet (Control: without supplements). METHODS: Broilers (140 birds) were raised for 21 days and then equally divided into five different treatment groups of 28 birds each. The dietary treatments were as follows: i) control; ii) germander (GER, 1.5%); iii) oregano (ORE, 2.5%); iv) combination of GER and ORE (CM, 1.5%, and 2.5%); v) BHA (0.02%). Meat patties from the five treatments were prepared, cooked, and stored at 4°C prior to analysis. During storage, samples were measured for thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and total carbonyl levels at 0, 4, and 7 days. In addition, cooked thigh meat was prepared separately to evaluate cooking loss and sensory attributes. RESULTS: The CM dietary treatment showed the highest antioxidant effect, with decreasing TBARS values (breast and thigh meat) throughout the storage time (4 to 7 days). Furthermore, ORE showed a higher antioxidant effect, decreasing the rancidity development (TBARS values), compared to the GER during the storage period (days 0 to 7). The anticarbonyl effect of the CM supplement was the highest among all treatments from day 0 to 7. Generally, the antioxidant effect of GER was lower compared to that of ORE and BHA alone. The CM treatment most significantly decreased off-odor and rancidity development, with the lowest oxidation odor scores. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the combination of oregano and germander in the diet of boilers improves meat quality and prolongs shelf life.

Androgen effect on body weight and behaviour of male and female rats: novel insight on the clinical value.

Androgenic-anabolic steroids (AASs) are synthetic derivative forms of the hormone testosterone. Sustanon® 250 solution for injection is one of those AASs that is used for low hormone levels and is self-administered for recreational purposes. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of sustanon on the body weight of male and female rats. Animals were injected different doses of sustanon (vehicle, 1, 3.2, 10, 32 and 100 mg/kg, I.M., once/week, for 6 weeks), and the weights for each animal were obtained. The rats were observed for agitated/aggressive behaviours every other day. In the present study, sustanon injections at 1, 3.2, 10, 32 and 100 mg/kg treatments did not alter body weight in male rats compared to the control group. However, moderately high and supraphysiological doses of sustanon (3.2, 10 and 32 mg/kg) resulted in a significant increase in body weight after 1 month of weekly treatment in female rats. Aggressive/agitated behaviours were observed only in female rats at the period of weight increase. In conclusion, different doses of sustanon did not alter the body weight in male rats after 6 weeks of treatment but doses of 3.2, 10 and 32 mg/kg resulted in a significant increase in body weight of female rats.

Effects of Sucrose-based High-lysine Diet on Blood Chemistry, Growth Performance, and Gastrointestinal Morphology of Broiler Chickens During the Growing Stage.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of replacing fat in broiler grower diet with sucrose combined with supplementation of the synthetic amino acid lysine on growth performance, gastrointestinal morphology, and blood biochemical parameters in broiler chickens. Broilers were raised for 21 days and then divided into two treatment groups (n=24 in each group). Two dietary treatments were used: corn-soy-based diet with oil (control) and corn-soy-based diet formulated with sucrose (3.30%) and lysine hydrochloride (3.36%). The experimental period was 21 days (from 21 to 42 days of age). At the end of week 6, all the birds in each treatment were slaughtered via neck slit, defeathered, and eviscerated for carcass and intestinal morphological characterization. Blood samples were collected to measure blood lipoprotein, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels. The results showed that supplementation of sucrose and lysine hydrochloride to broiler ration significantly (P<0.05) decreased feed intake by half and reduced average daily gain during the study period compared to those observed in broilers fed control diet. Further, this supplementation significantly altered gastrointestinal morphology and blood lipoprotein (HDL and LDL) and total cholesterol levels. In conclusion, corn-soy-based diet fortified with sucrose (3.30%) and lysine hydrochloride (3.36%) within current nutrient specifications has a negative effect on broiler growth performance.

Occurrence, types, properties and interactions of phenolic compounds with other food constituents in oil-bearing plants.

Phenolic phytochemicals have become of interest due to their therapeutic potential, particularly with regards to their anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, hypolipidemic, and hypoglycemic properties. An evolving area of research involving phenolics in foods and their products pertains to the functional, biological, and nutritional consequences resulting from the binding between certain phenolic compounds and the macronutrient and micronutrient constituents of foods. The goal of this review is to provide a summary of studies investigating endogenous phenolic interactions with major components in food systems, including carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, minerals and vitamins, with a focus on the phenolic compounds and nutrients in oil-bearing plants. Another major objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of the chemical nature of phenolic interactions with food constituents that could affect the quality, nutritional and functional properties of foods. Such information can assist in the discovery and optimization of specific phenolic complexes in plant-based foods that could be utilized towards various applications in the food, nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries.

Effects of sun and freeze-drying techniques on molecular, fatty acid and therapeutic properties of fermented goat milk product.

This study investigated the effect of sun drying (Sd) and freeze drying (Fd) on the chemical, nutritional and biological properties of either unsalted (Us) or salted (Sa) Jameed produced from goat milk. The products were characterized by measuring the chemical, physical and biological properties. SDS-PAGE was used to characterize the effect of processing conditions on protein subunits. Major new bands were found in SDS-PAGE of Jameed prepared by SdUs and FdUs from goat milk but not from that prepared by SdSa and FdSa. Preparation of Jameed by with or without salt treatments of Jameed by sun drying enhances the contents of short chain fatty acids. Result showed that the preparation of Jameed by SdUs decreased the content of caprylic acid. That prepared by sun drying and with or without salt increased the stability, shelf life and inhibitory activities of ACE and α-amylase. The optimum color values were found in Jameed prepared by FdSa. Different processing treatments influenced content of all fatty acids except for margaric and oleic acid.