Effect of monosodium glutamate supplementation in diet on fatty acid profiles, genes expression related to lipid metabolism and egg yolk cholesterol in late phase of production in laying hens.

In an experiment with four treatments and five replicates, the effects of adding monosodium glutamate (MSG) to the diet in late phase of egg production was studied on performance, and lipid metabolism in laying hens. Dietary treatments included the control basal diet without MSG and the other treatments adding 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.2% MSG in the control diet respectively. The effect of supplementation of MSG on egg weight, egg production, feed conversion ratio and egg mass was insignificant (p < 0.05). Adding MSG to the diet significantly increased feed intake and blood polyunsaturated fatty acids concentration (p < 0.05). Intake of 0.8% and 1.2% MSG in the diet up regulated the mRNA expression of acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, fatty acid synthase and lipoprotein lipase in the abdominal and liver tissues in comparison to the control group. Blood very low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, triglycerides and cholesterol concentration were increased in treatment fed with a diet containing 0.8% MSG compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The effect of MSG on total egg yolk cholesterol concentration was not significant. In conclusion, the results of the present experiment indicated that adding MSG increased feed intake and blood polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration.

Effects of acid-hydrolyzed soybean meal on growth performance, jejunal morphology, digestive enzyme activities, nutrient utilization, and intestinal microbial population in broiler chickens.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of soybean meal (SBM) treated with acetic or citric acids on growth performance, microbial population, digestive enzyme activities, nutrient digestibility, and jejunal morphology in broiler chickens. A total of 350 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were randomly distributed into 7 experimental groups with 5 replicates per each. Experimental treatments were diets containing untreated SBM (control) and SBM treated with two acid sources and their concentrations including 5, 10, and 15% acetic acid (A1, A2, and A3) or 0.25, 0.50, and 0.75% citric acid (C1, C2, and C3). Results showed that trypsin inhibitors and lectins as the main SBM anti-nutrients significantly reduced in acid-treated SBM compared with untreated SBM (P < 0.05). During 1-24 days, body weight gain increased in chicks fed the C2 diet (P < 0.05). Feeding of the C2 diet increased feed intake compared with A1, A2, and C3 groups (P < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio improved in chicks fed with C2, C3, and A2 diets compared with the control group (P < 0.05). The greatest villus length, villus length to crypt depth ratio, and villus surface area were observed in the C2 diet (P < 0.05). A significant increase in protease and lipase activity was found in broilers which received a C2 diet compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Broiler chickens fed with the C2 diet had a higher organic matter and crude protein digestibility than the chicks which received the control diet (P < 0.05) and dry matter digestibility was the lowest in broilers fed with the A3 diet (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the acid hydrolyzing process had a beneficial effect on the nutritional value of SBM. In addition, data showed that acid-hydrolyzed SBM had the potential to exert positive influences on growth performance, jejunal morphology, and nutrient utilization in broiler chickens.

Oral administration of royal jelly may improve the preservation of rooster spermatozoa.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of royal jelly (RJ) on liquid and frozen storage of rooster spermatozoa. Twenty-five 30-week-old of Mazandaran native breeder roosters were randomly divided into five treatments (n = 5 roosters/group). Experimental treatments are designed to include a control group and various levels (0.0 (RJ0), 100 (RJ100), 200 (RJ200), 300 (RJ300) mg kg-1  BW-1 ) of royal jelly (RJ) that were fed to the roosters using force-feed method. The percentage of forward progressive motility, abnormal spermatozoa, membrane integrity and viability of spermatozoa evaluated after 24 and 48 hr of cooling (at 4°C) and after the freeze-thawing process. Also, mitochondrial activity and DNA fragmentation in fresh (24 hr) and post-thawed spermatozoa were assessed. The result of this study showed that the spermatozoa forward progressive motility, abnormality, membrane integrity, and viability were improved by the RJ100 group compared to the other groups after 24 and 48 hr storage period at 4°C. The percentage of membrane integrity and forward progressive motility after freeze-thawing in the RJ100 group was significantly higher than the other groups, and the percentage of abnormal spermatozoa was lower. A significant decrease in semen quality parameters was seen after 24 and 48 hr of refrigeration, but there was no observed change between 2 and 24 hr in the RJ100. The viability percentage of spermatozoa in both RJ100 and RJ200 groups was not different. Moreover, after freeze-thawing, DNA integrity and mitochondrial activity in the RJ100 group were significantly higher than the other groups. According to our results, feeding of RJ at 100 mg kg-1  BW-1 to the roosters was improved spermatozoa characteristics during liquid and cryopreservation conditions.

Efficiency of early, single-dose probiotic administration methods on performance, small intestinal morphology, blood biochemistry, and immune response of Japanese quail.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of early probiotics (single dose) administered in different ways, on quails' performance, small intestine morphology, blood biochemistry, and immune response. In total, 192 day-old chicks were used in one of the following experimental groups before being transferred to a raising room: 1) Control (no probiotic administered), 2) oral gavage, 3) spray, and 4) vent lip. Four replicates of 12 chicks per cage were considered for each treatment and birds were raised up to 35 d in the same conditions. Probiotic treated birds had higher d 1 to 35 feed intake than the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, oral-gavaged birds had a higher body weight gain as compared to the control (P < 0.05). The values of duodenum length and villus height of the oral group and ileum length and villus height of the vent lip group were greater than that of the control (P < 0.01). Regardless of the method of administration, probiotics resulted in deeper crypts and in a higher number of goblet cells in the duodenum and ileum as compared to the control (P < 0.01). The administration of probiotics resulted in increased plasma uric acid (P < 0.05), glucose, and total protein (P < 0.01). The concentration of hemoglobin was slightly higher in probiotic-supplemented groups. While a decreased concentration of triglyceride was observed in vent-lip probiotic-administered birds compared to control (P < 0.05), the concentration of cholesterol was not significantly affected by treatments (P > 0.01). None of the immune-related parameters were affected by the probiotic (P > 0.05). Single dose usage of probiotics exerts its beneficial effects on quails' body weight gain, feed intake and mortality in 1 to 35 d period, regardless of the route of administration. This work generally supports the efficacy of single-dose usage of probiotics and suggests the spray of probiotics as an early, single-dose administration method.