Gastrointestinal tract and neuroendocrine system responses of young turkeys to the early administration of antibiotics or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat.

This study investigated the effects of early and short-term administration of an antibiotic or feeding a diet containing a coccidiostat on gastrointestinal function and the blood levels of selected hormones in young turkeys. A total of 1540 Hybrid Converter turkeys were allocated to 4 groups on the day of hatch. Each group consisted of 7 pens with 55 birds per pen. Group ENR was treated with enrofloxacin for the first 5 d of life, group DOX received doxycycline for 5 d and group MON was administered monensin for 84 d. CON birds served as a control group without any antibiotic treatment or MON administration. An analysis of the activity of bacterial enzymes revealed that the cecal microbiota of turkeys were less sensitive to MON than to the other 2 antibiotics. Turkeys subjected to ENR and DOX treatments were characterized by lower (P < 0.05) extracellular activity of cecal bacterial ß-glucosidase, compared with groups CON and MON. The extracellular activity of cecal bacterial α-galactosidase and ß-galactosidase decreased significantly in response to the experimental treatment with DOX (P < 0.05 vs. CON). Turkeys treated with ENR had higher total activity of bacterial ß-galactosidase than those administered DOX or MON. Despite the differences in the enzymatic activity of microbiota, the use of antibiotics did not affect the concentrations of total short-chain fatty acids or ammonia in the cecal digesta of turkeys. A diet containing MON and the early administration of ENR or DOX induced an increase in blood noradrenaline levels (P = 0.004) in 56-day-old turkeys. Early DOX use increased plasma cortisol concentrations (P < 0.001) and decreased plasma serotonin levels (P = 0.006) in 56-day-old turkeys. Over the entire experiment (up to 12 wk of age), the use of MON improved the BW gain of turkeys (P = 0.055) and feed conversion (P = 0.016), compared with the DOX treatment.

Effect of dietary copper nanoparticles versus one copper (II) salt: Analysis of vasoreactivity in a rat model.

BACKGROUND: Vascular defects in the mechanical properties of aorta and muscular arteries have been previously reported in animals with copper-deficient feed. However, the interaction between copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) and mechanical properties of arteries has not been reported. Hence, the present study was aimed to evaluate the effect of copper nanoparticles on the vasoreactivity of rat isolated thoracic arteries. METHODS: In this study, 5 week old male Wistar rats were fed a copper-adequate diet (CuA, 6.5mg copper/kg diet), copper-deficient diet (CuD) and copper-modified diets, enriched with copper as a salt (CuS) and as copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) of 40-60nm in diameter. RESULTS: There was a strong relationship between CuNPs and CuS administration in the tensile strength of the thoracic aorta subjected to phenylephrine treatment in the concentration range of 10-7-10-5M. This was also seen between CuNPs and the control diet in the same concentration ranges. In addition vasodilation induced by acetylcholine at the concentration range of 10-7-10-5M was significantly reduced in CuD and NPs feed animals. In CuNPs fed rats, activities of Cu,Zn-SOD, CAT and copper concentration in cardiomyocytes were not influenced when compared with CuS control. In contrast, in CuS-low diet the activities of studied enzymes and copper concentration were pointing towards copper deficiency. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate for the first time that the observed effects of copper administration in the form of NPs are attributed mainly to the NPs rather than copper itself. Thus another mechanism not related with Cu,Zn-SOD and CAT seems to be involved.

The Fatty Acid Profile and Oxidative Stability of Meat from Turkeys Fed Diets Enriched with n-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Dried Fruit Pomaces as a Source of Polyphenols.

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of different dietary fruit pomaces in reducing lipid oxidation in the meat of turkeys fed diets with a high content of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Over a period of 4 weeks before slaughter, turkeys were fed diets with the addition of 5% dried apple, blackcurrant, strawberry and seedless strawberry pomaces (groups AP, BP, SP and SSP, respectively) and 2.5% linseed oil. Pomaces differed in the content (from 5.5 in AP to 43.1 mg/g in SSP) and composition of polyphenols Proanthocyanidins were the main polyphenolic fraction in all pomaces, AP contained flavone glycosides and dihydrochalcones, BP contained anthocyanins, and SP and SSP-ellagitannins. The n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio in all diets was comparable and lower than 2:1. In comparison with groups C and AP, the percentage of n-3 PUFAs in the total fatty acid pool of white meat from the breast muscles of turkeys in groups BP, SP and SSP was significantly higher, proportionally to the higher content of α-linolenic acid in berry pomaces. The fatty acid profile of dark meat from thigh muscles, including the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio, was similar and lower than 3:1 in all groups. Vitamin A levels in raw breast muscles were higher in group AP than in groups C and BP (P<0.05). The addition of fruit pomaces to turkey diets lowered vitamin E concentrations (P = 0.001) in raw breast muscles relative to group C. Diets supplemented with fruit pomaces significantly lowered the concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in raw, frozen and cooked meat. Our results indicate that the dietary application of dried fruit pomaces increases the oxidative stability of meat from turkeys fed linseed oil, and strawberry pomace exerted the most desirable effects due to its highest polyphenol content and antioxidant potential.

Chemical composition of polyphenols extracted from strawberry pomace and their effect on physiological properties of diets supplemented with different types of dietary fibre in rats.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to establish the composition of polyphenolic preparations obtained from industrial strawberry pomace with two methods of extraction: the water and the water-alcoholic one and then to analyse their effects in the gastrointestinal tract depending on the composition of dietary fibre-cellulose or fructooligosaccharides (FOS). METHODS: Freeze-dried water extract (PTW), containing 5.1% of ellagic acid, 0.2% of proanthocyanidins, and soluble carbohydrates as a major part, and water-alcohol extract (PTE), containing 17.1% of ellagic acid and 10.9% of proanthocyanidins, were administered, in the equivalent quantity of 0.06% of ellagic acid, to 4- to 8-week-old rats (8 animals per group), as a component of modified AIN-93 diets containing 5% of cellulose or FOS. RESULTS: The addition of strawberry pomace extracts had no effect on either the diet intake or the body weight of experimental rats. Both extracts, similarly to FOS, beneficially reduced the activity of ß-glucuronidase in caecal digesta, with the PTW effect being significantly higher than that of PTE (7.59 vs. 9.20 µmol/h/g, P = 0.001). In comparison with PTE, the PTW extract significantly increased the caecal digesta mass (1.45 vs. 1.27 k/kg BW) and the total production of SCFA (86.1 vs. 71.4 µmol/100 g BW). The extract enhanced the physiological effect of FOS by inhibiting the activity of ß-glucuronidase, increasing the caecal digesta mass and SCFA production. Such an effect was not recorded in the case of the PTE preparation. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of strawberry pomace extracts affected the activity of certain enzymes of intestinal microflora and its most important products.

[Usefulness of flaxseed oil in the limitation of diet induced metabolic disturbances]. / Przydatnosc oleju lnianego w ograniczaniu zaburzen metabolicznych indukowanych dieta.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects of different fats, that is pork lard, refined soybean oil, and unrefined, cold pressed flaxseed oil, on the antioxidant status, inflammatory markers and blood lipid profile of rats fed diets rich in fructose. Four week of experimental feeding with flaxseed oil enriched diet (16%) led to a significant decrease in the degree oflipid peroxidation in liver when compared with rats fed the same amount of pork lard. Moreover the addition of soybean oil or flaxseed oil to the diet (16%) decreased significantly triglyceride and total cholesterol blood levels, as well as reduced atherogenic index of plasma. The concentration of HDL cholesterol was retained on a higher blood level in rats fed flaxseed oil enriched diet, when compared with the soybean oil group.