Mentha piperita as a promising feed additive used to protect liver, bone, and meat of Japanese quail against aflatoxin B1.

The present study was conducted to evaluate aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) detoxification effects of some medicinal plants under both in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro experiment was performed with 25 treatments in 5 replications. The samples of medicinal plants were incubated with AFB1 for 72 h, and the toxin residual in the supernatant was determined. The highest aflatoxin elimination was found to be related to peppermint (81%). Thereafter, in vivo experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of peppermint dried leaves, essential oil, and menthol on liver, bone, and meat, as well as the performance of growing Japanese quail fed diet contaminated with AFB1. A total of 640 7-day-old Japanese quails were assigned using a completely randomized design as 2 × 4 factorial arrangement with two levels of AFB1 (including 0 and 2.5 mg/kg diet) and four treatments (including no additive; peppermint powder, 20 g/kg; peppermint essential oil, 800 mg/kg; and menthol powder, 400 mg/kg). Those birds fed AFB1-contaminated diet with no additives showed the worst liver health status by considering super oxide dismutase (P = 0.0399), glutathione peroxidase (P = 0.0139), alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.0001), and aspartate aminotransferase levels (P = 0.0512). However, the supplementation of AFB1 contaminated diet with additives improved their liver health status. Menthol receiving birds showed the highest tibia strength, while the birds fed with AFB1-contaminated diet with no additives had the weakest bone strength (P < 0.0001). A significant increase was also observed in malondialdehyde level of meat by dietary inclusion of AFB1, which was well-repressed by the dietary supplementation of peppermint essential oil and menthol (P = 0.0075). Body weight gain dramatically decreased by adding AFB1 to the diet, which was recovered with the dietary supplementation of additives (P = 0.0585). According to the results of the current study, peppermint and its derivatives can be used to suppress aflatoxin effects on the liver, bone, and meat quality and to improve the performance of Japanese quails.

Effects of early growth rate and fat soluble vitamins on glucose tolerance, feed transit time, certain liver and pancreas-related parameters, and their share in intra-flock variation in performance indices in broiler chicken.

Three hundred fifty 18-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were used to examine the effects of early growth rate (x̄-3SD, x̄-2SD, x̄-SD, x̄, x̄+SD, x̄+2SD and x̄+3SD) and a fat soluble vitamin (FSV) cocktail on glucose tolerance, whole tract feed transit time (FFT), certain liver, and pancreas related traits as well as their share in intra-flock variance of body weight (BW) at d 42 and feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) in d 21 to 42 of age. Birds with a greater initial BW (21 d) showed greater FI during d 21 to 42 of age and gained a higher final BW at d 42 of age. The broilers injected with a FSV cocktail consumed more feed with an improved FCR and achieved a noticeable greater BW at d 42 of age compared with the untreated birds (P < 0.05). Blood glucose at 15 min after oral gavageing of a glucose solution was elevated in all birds faster than those with a body weight close to the mean population BW. Lipase activity increased by 9.75% and amylase activity decreased by 14.9% in the birds treated with FSV injections compared with those received no vitamin. Multivariate step-wise regression analysis showed liver percentage as the leading variable accounting for about 75 and 62.77% of BW and FI variance, respectively. Serum cholesterol concentration was the major predictor in a poor model (R2 = 52.07) generated for FCR, explaining 29.3 of the FCR viability (P < 0.150). It was concluded that the slow and fast growing birds within a flock showed the same efficiency in dietary glucose absorbing and blood glucose clearing. The faster-growing birds demonstrated slower FTT. Liver percentage was the major parameter explaining a significant fraction of the intra-flock variance in BW at marketing age and FI during days 21 to 42 d.

Independent and combined effects of Satureja khuzistanica essential oils and dietary acetic acid on fatty acid profile in thigh meat in male broiler chicken.

A 2 × 6 factorial experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of Satureja khuzistanica essential oils (SkEO; 0, 200, 300, 400, 500, and 600 mg/bird/day) administered via oral gavage and dietary acetic acid (AA; 0 and 20 g/1 kg) on fatty acids (FA) composition in thigh meat of Ross 308 broiler chickens at days 34, 38, and 42 of age. Dietary AA reduced DWG, DFI, and European economic efficiency index, and increased FCR compared with the nonacidified diet. In day 34 of age, saturated FA (SFA) percentage reduced and polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), n-3, and n-6 percentages increased in the birds that received 400 mg SkEO. Mean monounsaturated FA (MUFA) percentage was greater, whereas PUFA, n-3, n-6, and total FA (TFA) percentages were lesser in the birds fed on the acidified diet. In day 38 of age, mean PUFA, TFA, n-3, and n-6 percentages were greater while MUFA and cis FA (CFA) concentrations were lesser in the thigh muscle of the birds that received 400 mg SkEO. Mean MUFA, PUFA, n-3, n-6, CFA, and TFA percentages were lower in the birds maintained on the acidified diet. In day 42 of age, mean SFA percentage reduced in the birds given 300 mg SkEO, while TFA percentage lowered in the birds that received 200 and 600 mg SkEO. The acidified diet decreased MUFA, TFA, and CFA percentage and increased SFA and the n-6 to n-3 fatty acids ratio of thigh meat in chicken. The results led to the conclusion that the daily enteral administration of SkEO through oral gavage may feasibly modify the fatty acids profile of thigh meat in favor of increased PUFA. Dietary AA and its interaction with SkEO inconsistently modified concentration of certain classes of fatty acids in broiler thigh meat, particularly in advanced ages. Almost all alterations induced by AA-involving treatments in fatty acids composition of thigh meat were on the contrary to the SkEO influences as they were in favor of an increased SFA proportion.