Cranberry juice improved antioxidant status without affecting bone quality in orchidectomized male rats.

BACKGROUND: We reported that drinking citrus juice improves bone quality in orchidectomized senescent male rats. Because cranberry juice, like citrus, is rich in nutrients and phenolic compounds, beneficial effects of citrus juice might also be seen with cranberry juice. An experiment evaluated effect of drinking cranberry juice on bone quality in orchidectomized rats. METHODS: Thirty-two 1-year-old male rats were randomized to two groups: a sham-control group (n=8) and an orchidectomized group (n=24). The treatments for the 4 months duration of the study were SHAM, orchidectomy (ORX), ORX+drinking either 27% or 45% cranberry juice concentrate added to drinking water. At the termination of the study, the rats were euthanized, blood was collected for plasma antioxidant status and IGF-I. The femur, tibia and the 4th lumbar were evaluated for bone quality. Total calcium and magnesium concentration in the femurs were also evaluated. RESULTS: ORX did not affect red blood cell (RBC)-induced hemolysis despite lowering (p<0.05) plasma antioxidant capacity; reduced (p<0.05) plasma IGF-I, femoral density, femoral strength, time-induced femoral fracture, bone mineral content, bone mineral area; numerically (p=0.07) lowered 4th lumbar density; decreased (p<0.05) trabecular connectivity, trabecular number, femoral ash; increased (p<0.05) trabecular separation in comparison to the SHAM group. Drinking cranberry juice increased (p<0.05) plasma antioxidant status, protected RBC against hemolysis, but had no positive effect on bone quality or bone mineral status. CONCLUSIONS: Cranberry juice increases plasma antioxidant status without affecting bone quality.

Vitamin and trace mineral withdrawal effects on broiler breast tissue riboflavin and thiamin content.

An investigation was carried out to determine whether a Day 28 to 49 dietary vitamin, trace mineral, and vitamin plus trace mineral premix withdrawal would impact Pectoralis major thiamin or riboflavin concentration in chicks reared under thermoneutral (24 C) and heat-stressed (24 to 35 C) conditions. No significant (P > 0.1) environment by nutrient withdrawal interactions were detected. Heat stress and vitamin withdrawal reduced (P < 0.05) P major thiamin and riboflavin concentration. In contrast, trace mineral withdrawal failed (P> 0.1) to impact either vitamin. In conclusion, results from this study suggest that a 21-d vitamin withdrawal and heat stress exposure have the potential to reduce muscle riboflavin and thiamin concentration.

Effect of heat stress and drinking water salt supplements on plasma electrolytes and aldosterone concentration in broiler chickens.

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing drinking water with isomolar (0.067 mol/l) KCl or NaCl on mass gain, food and water consumption, rectal temperature, and plasma concentrations of aldosterone, Na+, and K+ in broiler chickens reared in thermoneutral and cycling heat stressing environments. Heat stress decreased (P > or = 0.05) mass gain, food consumption, and plasma concentrations of Na+ and K+, while increases (P < or = 0.05) in plasma concentrations of aldosterone, rectal temperature, and water consumption were observed. Drinking water supplemented with either KCl or NaCl increased (P < or = 0.05) broiler mass gain and water consumption, but had no effect (P > 0.1) on the other variables evaluated. The results of this study indicate that broiler chickens in a heat stress environment are under osmotic stress and supplementing drinking water with 0.067 mol/l KCl or NaCl does not lessen this stress.

The effect of testosterone propionate on growth of broiler chickens.

The effects of testosterone propionate (TP) on body weight, tissue percentages of body weight, serum IgM, and rectal temperature (2 h postinjection) of male and female broiler chickens were investigated at 28 and 48 days posthatching. Testosterone propionate was dissolved in sesame oil and was injected at 2 mg/kg of body weight every other day, and controls were treated with sesame oil at similar volume, starting Day 7 posthatching. Administration of TP reduced (P < .05) body weight and percentages of liver, testes, and bursa of Fabricius at 28 and 48 days of age. At 28 and 48 days of age, muscle percentage and comb growth of TP-treated birds increased (P < .05) but ovarian weight was unaffected. Concentrations of IgM in serum of TP-injected birds was unchanged at Day 28, but increased (P < .05) at Day 48. Testosterone propionate did not affect percentages of bone or abdominal fat in either sex. Rectal temperature was depressed (P < .05) by TP treatment in both sexes at both ages.

Research note: sodium and potassium chloride drinking water supplementation effects on acid-base balance and plasma corticosterone in broilers reared in thermoneutral and heat-distressed environments.

One experiment utilizing 188 Vantress x Arbor Acres broilers was conducted to evaluate the effects of isomolar KCl (.5%) and NaCl (.39%) drinking water supplementation on venous pH, PO2, PCO2, HCO3-, hematocrit, and plasma corticosterone as well as rectal temperature and water consumption of broilers reared in heat-distressed and thermoneutral environments. Birds were allotted at 5 wk posthatch into either a thermoneutral (TN; 24 C) or cycling temperature (24 to 35 C) environmental chamber. Heat-distressed (HD) controls had elevated (P less than .05) body temperature (42.9 versus 41.7 C) and PO2 (144.5 versus 108.4 mm Hg). Blood pH, PCO2, and HCO3- (P greater than .1) were not affected by high ambient temperature, but hematocrit (31 versus 32%) for HD controls was reduced (P = .07) compared with TN control birds. At 35 C, drinking water NaCl supplementation decreased (P less than .05) venous PCO2 and HCO3-, increased (P less than .05) PO2, and had no effect on venous pH and water consumption relative to HD controls. Potassium chloride lowered (P = .07) venous pH, decreased (P less than .05) HCO3-, and increased water consumption at 35 C, but PO2 and PCO2 were unaffected relative to HD controls. Heat distress increased (P less than .05) plasma corticosterone by 53%. Sodium chloride failed to impact (P greater than .1) plasma corticosterone but KCl reduced (P less than .05) its concentration during heat distress and increased (P less than .05) bird survivability as compared with heat-distressed controls. The data reported herein suggests that KCl and to a lesser extent NaCl reduces HD consequences by a mechanism as yet undefined.