Nigella sativa as an antibiotic alternative to promote growth and enhance health of broilers challenged with Eimeria maxima and Clostridium perfringens.

The poultry industry has significant coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis (NE) challenges, leading to high mortality and unacceptable growth without antibiotic treatment. This research explored supplementing Nigella sativa (black cumin) seed oil in poultry feed to mitigate coccidiosis and prevent or lessen NE in broilers. In vivo studies consisted of 384 and 320 Cobb 500 male broiler chicks distributed in a randomized complete block experimental design for trials 1 and 2, respectively. The first trial compared 3 concentrations (1, 2, and 5 mL/kg) of black cumin seed oil (BCSO), and trial 2 compared 2 concentrations (2 and 5 mL/kg) BCSO, with birds challenged with Eimeria maxima and Clostridium perfringens (Cp) strains Cp#6 and Cp#4, respectively. Broiler live performance, NE disease outcomes, and Cp populations were measured for both trials. A commercially available BCSO oil product, determined in a preliminary in vitro study to have the highest anti-Cp activity, was selected for in vivo studies. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis indicated the major bioactive compounds p-cymene, thymoquinone, carvacrol, and thymol were present in the BCSO. In trial 1 with strain Cp#6, BCSO concentrations of 2 and 5 mL/kg reduced NE lesion score and mortality rate to 1.6% compared with 7.8% for positive control, with no adverse impact on live performance. In trial 2 with strain Cp#4, BCSO reduced NE lesion scores and mortality rate to 35.9% compared with 51.6% for positive control and also improved weight gain when there was a Cp infection in broiler chickens. The current study compared NE in broilers challenged with 2 different Cp strains producing different levels of NE. Following Cp infection, both the population of vegetative cells and spores of Cp in cecal contents decreased for all treatments in trial 2. In conclusion, BCSO at concentrations of 2 and 5 mL/kg enhanced broiler live performance and alleviated NE and has potential as a natural, non-medication antimicrobial nutritional supplement for use as a feed additive in chickens.

Functionality and Applicability of Starch-Based Films: An Eco-Friendly Approach.

The accumulation of high amounts of petro-based plastics is a growing environmental devastation issue, leading to the urgent need to innovate eco-safe packaging materials at an equivalent cost to save the environment. Among different substitutes, starch-based types and their blends with biopolymers are considered an innovative and smart material alternative for petrol-based polymers because of their abundance, low cost, biodegradability, high biocompatibility, and better-quality film-forming and improved mechanical characteristics. Furthermore, starch is a valuable, sustainable food packaging material. The rising and growing importance of designing starch-based films from various sources for sustainable food packaging purposes is ongoing research. Research on "starch food packaging" is still at the beginning, based on the few studies published in the last decade in Web of Science. Additionally, the functionality of starch-based biodegradable substances is technically a challenge. It can be improved by starch modification, blending starch with other biopolymers or additives, and using novel preparation techniques. Starch-based films have been applied to packaging various foods, such as fruits and vegetables, bakery goods, and meat, indicating good prospects for commercial utilization. The current review will give a critical snapshot of starch-based films' properties and potential applicability in the sustainable smart (active and intelligent) new packaging concepts and discuss new challenges and opportunities for starch bio composites.

Novel bacterial consortia isolated from plastic garbage processing areas demonstrated enhanced degradation for low density polyethylene.

This study aimed to formulate novel microbial consortia isolated from plastic garbage processing areas and thereby devise an eco-friendly approach for enhanced degradation of low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The LDPE degrading bacteria were screened and microbiologically characterized. The best isolates were formulated as bacterial consortia, and degradation efficiency was compared with the consortia formulated using known isolates obtained from the Microbial Culture Collection Centre (MTCC). The degradation products were analyzed by FTIR, GC-FID, tensile strength, and SEM. The bacterial consortia were characterized by 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing. The formulated bacterial consortia demonstrated 81 ± 4 and 38 ± 3 % of weight reduction for LDPE strips and LDPE pellets, respectively, over a period of 120 days. However, the consortia formulated by MTCC strains demonstrated 49 ± 4 and 20 ± 2 % of weight reduction for LDPE strips and pellets, respectively, for the same period. Furthermore, the three isolates in its individual application exhibited 70 ± 4, 68 ± 4, and 64 ± 4 % weight reduction for LDPE strips and 21 ± 2, 28 ± 2, 24 ± 2 % weight reduction for LDPE pellets over a period of 120 days (p < 0.05). The end product analysis showed structural changes and formation of bacterial film on degraded LDPE strips. The 16S rDNA characterization of bacterial consortia revealed that these organisms were novel strains and designated as Enterobacter sp. bengaluru-btdsce01, Enterobacter sp. bengaluru-btdsce02, and Pantoea sp. bengaluru-btdsce03. The current study thus suggests that industrial scale-up of these microbial consortia probably provides better insights for waste management of LDPE and similar types of plastic garbage.