The Effect of Phytogenic Additive in Broiler's Diet on Production Results, Physicochemical Parameters, and the Composition of Volatile Organic Compounds of Broiler Meat Assessed by an Electronic Nose System.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of a phytogenic additive (PA) in broiler chickens' diet on production, physiochemical parameters, and the profile of volatile organic compounds present in broiler chickens' meat. The experiment was conducted in a commercial chicken house, where Ross 308 broiler chickens were divided into two groups, each consisting of 65,000 broilers. One group was fed a diet supplemented with 100 ppm of PA throughout the rearing period. The primary chemical composition of the meat and its physicochemical parameters were determined. A visual assessment of breast muscles for defects and volatile organic compounds were evaluated using an electronic nose system. No statistically significant differences were shown in the production performance of the chickens; while summarizing all production parameters, a higher EPEF index of 31 points in the experimental group was highlighted. Breast muscle quality showed differences in drip loss and WHC (p ≤ 0.01) in favor of the experimental group, and a lower cutting force value (p ≤ 0.05) was found for breast muscles from the experimental group. The group also had a lower proportion of muscles with a white striping defect, and the results of volatile organic compound profiling showed the most aroma units.

Impact of Refrigerated Storage on Microbial Growth, Color Stability, and pH of Turkey Thigh Muscles.

The quality of poultry meat offered to the consumer depends mainly on the level of hygiene during all stages of its production, storage time, and temperature. This study investigated the effect of refrigerated storage on the microbiological contamination, color, and pH of turkey thigh muscles stored at 1 °C over six days. Microbial growth, including total mesophilic aerobes, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae, significantly increased, impacting the meat's sensory attributes and safety. On the 6th day of meat storage, the content of total mesophilic aerobes, presumptive lactic acid bacteria, and Enterobacteriaceae was 1.82 × 107 CFU/g, 1.00 × 104 CFU/g, and 1.87 × 105 CFU/g, respectively. The stability of color was assessed by quantifying the total heme pigments, comparing myoglobin, oxymyoglobin, and metmyoglobin concentrations, analyzing color parameters L*, a*, b*, and the sensory assessment of surface color, showing a decline in total heme pigments, three myoglobin forms, redness (a*) and lightness (L*). In contrast, yellowness (b*) increased. These changes were correlated with the growth of spoilage microorganisms that influenced the meat's pigmentation and pH, with a notable rise in pH associated with microbial metabolization. Based on the conducted research, it was found that the maximum storage time of turkey thigh muscles at a temperature of 1 °C is 4 days. On the 4th day of storage, the total mesophilic aerobe content was 3.5 × 105 CFU/g. This study underscores the critical need for maintaining controlled refrigeration conditions to mitigate spoilage, ensuring food safety, and preserving turkey meat's sensory and nutritional qualities. There is a need for further research to improve turkey meat storage techniques under specific temperature conditions by studying the impact of using varying packaging materials (with different barrier properties) or the application of natural preservatives. Additionally, future studies could focus on evaluating the effectiveness of cold chain management practices to ensure the quality and safety of turkey products during storage. By addressing these research gaps, practitioners and researchers can contribute to developing more efficient and sustainable turkey meat supply chains, which may help mitigate food wastage by safeguarding the quality and safety of the meat.

Effect of crude fibre additives ARBOCEL and VITACEL on the physicochemical properties of granulated feed mixtures for broiler chickens.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties (nutrient composition, pH, water content and activity, sorption properties) and mechanical properties (compression force and energy) of granulated feed mixtures with various inclusion levels of crude fibre concentrates ARBOCEL and VITACEL for broiler chickens, i.e. +0.0% (control group - group C), +0.3%, +0.8%, +1.0%, +1.2%. METHODS: The feed mixtures were analyzed for their physicochemical properties (nutrient composition by near-infrared spectroscopy, pH with the use a CP-401 pH meter with an IJ-44C glass electrode, water content was determined with the drying method and activity was determined with the Aqua Lab Series 3, sorption properties was determined with the static method) and mechanical properties (compression force and energy with the use TAHD plus texture analyzer). The Guggenheim-Anderson-de Boer (GAB) model applied in the study correctly described the sorption properties of the analyzed feed mixtures in terms of water activity. RESULTS: The fibre concentrate type affected the specific surface area of the adsorbent and equilibrium water content in the GAB monolayer (p≤0.05) (significantly statistical). The type and dose of the fibre concentrate influenced the dimensionless C and k parameters of the GAB model related to the properties of the monolayer and multilayers, respectively (p≤0.05). They also affected the pH value of the analyzed feed mixtures (p≤0.05). In addition, crude fibre type influenced water activity (p≤0.05) as well as compression energy (J) and compression force (N) (p≤0.001) (highly significantly statistical) of the feed mixtures. CONCLUSION: The physicochemical analyses of feed mixtures with various inclusion levels (0.3%, 0.8%, 1.0%, 1.2%) of crude fiber concentrates ARBOCEL or VITACEL demonstrated that both crude fiber types may be used in the feed industry as a feedstuff material to produce starter type mixtures for broiler chickens.

Effects of the Addition of Crude Fibre Concentrate on Performance, Welfare and Selected Caecal Bacteria of Broilers.

The study evaluated the effects of crude fibre concentrate supplementation on final body weight, mortality, feed conversion ratio, European Production Efficiency Factor, European Broiler Index, welfare parameters, colony-forming units of selected caecal bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria) and pH of broiler faeces and litter. The study comprised 990 Ross 308 male chicks divided into three groups, a control and two experimental groups, which were given crude fibre concentrate as a feed supplement. On the thirty-fifth day of rearing, the birds' welfare scores were evaluated, and 2 g of cecum was collected post-mortem from six chickens in each group. Subsequently, a series of ten-fold dilutions of the material was prepared, followed by cultures and measurement of pH in the faeces and litter. The inclusion of crude fibre concentrate resulted in a beneficial impact on the ultimate body mass (p ≤ 0.001), welfare standard (p ≤ 0.001), and quantity of colony-forming units of lactic acid bacteria (p ≤ 0.05) within the cecum. Furthermore, it had a positive influence on lowering the pH levels of both faeces and litter (p ≤ 0.05).

Nano-Sized Selenium Maintains Performance and Improves Health Status and Antioxidant Potential While Not Compromising Ultrastructure of Breast Muscle and Liver in Chickens.

The poultry industry is looking for the most effective sources of selenium (Se) for commercial use. Over the past five years, nano-Se has attracted a great deal of attention in terms of its production, characterisation and possible application in poultry production. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary levels of inorganic and organic Se, selenised yeast and nano forms of selenium on breast meat quality, liver and blood markers of antioxidants, the ultrastructure of tissue and the health status of chickens. A total of 300 one-day-old chicks Ross 308 were divided into 4 experimental groups, in 5 replications, with 15 birds per replication. Birds were fed the following treatments: a standard commercial diet containing inorganic Se in the form of inorganic Se at the level of 0.3 mg/kg diet and an experimental diet with an increased level of Se (0.5 mg/kg diet). The use of other forms of Se (nano-Se) versus sodium selenate significantly influences (p ≤ 0.05) a higher collagen content and does not impair physico-chemical properties in the breast muscle or the growth performance of the chickens. In addition, the use of other forms of selenium at an increased dose versus sodium selenate affected (p ≤ 0.01) the elongation of sarcomeres in the pectoral muscle while reducing (p ≤ 0.01) mitochondrial damage in hepatocytes and improving (p ≤ 0.05) oxidative indices. The use of nano-Se at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg feed has high bioavailability and low toxicity without negatively affecting the growth performance and while improving breast muscle quality parameters and the health status of the chickens.

Cannabidiol affects breast meat volatile compounds in chickens subjected to different infection models.

No study has demonstrated the use of dietary Cannabis-derived cannabidiol (CBD) to alter the stress response in chickens or examined its effects on meat volatile compounds (VOCs). Here, we subjected chickens to dysbiosis via C. perfringens infection or Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment and investigated the potential link between meat VOCs and cecal bacterial activity and the ameliorative effect of CBD. The cecal bacterial production of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) was closely correlated with meat VOCs. CBD supplementation reduced the formation of breast meat spoilage VOCs, including alcohols, trimethylamine and pentanoic acid, in the challenged birds, partly by decreasing cecal putrefactive SCFA production. Meat VOC/cecal SCFA relationships differed according to the challenge, and CBD attenuated the effects of C. perfringens infection better than the effects of LPS challenge on meat VOCs. These findings provide new insights into the interactions among bioactive agent supplementation, gut microbiota activity and meat properties in birds.

Changes in lipids metabolism indices as a result of different form of selenium supplementation in chickens.

Selenium is an essential element that is important for many metabolic processes. Feed components used in chicken nutrition, especially cereals, may be deficient in selenium, hence selenium supplementation is necessary. Taking into account the progress in breeding, and thus the higher demand of birds for this element, it seems obvious to investigate an increased selenium dose in the diet of chickens. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of feed enriched with different forms of selenium at an increased dose of 0.5 mg/kg feed on the profile and metabolism of fatty acids in the breast muscle and liver of chickens. The study was conducted on 300 Ross 308 chickens reared for 42 days under standard conditions. The control group received feed supplemented with sodium selenite at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg feed. The research groups received different forms of selenium (sodium selenate, selenised yeast, nano-selenium) at an increased dose of 0.5 mg/kg feed. The study showed that the administration of different forms of selenium in the feed affected its concentration in the breast muscle and liver (p ≤ 0.01). Nano-selenium was found to have a high bioavailability, but also a lower risk of toxicity compared to other forms of selenium. Using different forms of selenium (p ≤ 0.01) at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg feed can significantly modify the fatty acid profile, lipid and enzymatic indices of fatty acid metabolism in breast muscle and liver.

Using Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) Extract to Improve the Welfare, Growth Performance and Meat Quality of Broiler Chicken.

Modern poultry production looks for feed and water additives that improve the welfare of chickens. The utilization of herbs as additives in feed or drinking water is becoming increasingly well known. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of milk thistle extract (Silybum marianum), administered in drinking water, on chickens' welfare, production results, selected physicochemical properties of the breast muscles, the activity of selected enzymes, and the antioxidant potential of blood serum and breast muscles. A total of 102 one-day-old male ROSS 308 chicks were allocated into three treatment groups. The material was an infusion of dried milk thistle seeds in two doses, administered in drinking water for chickens (group: C = 0; E1 = 0.24; E2 = 0.36 g/day/animal) under standard rearing conditions. As a result of adding the milk thistle to the drinking water, there was an improvement in the welfare of the chickens and in the production results, enzymatic capacity of selected enzymes, and antioxidant capacity in the blood serum and in pectoral muscle (p ≤ 0.05). The addition of a milk thistle seed infusion for chickens can be used in poultry production to improve the rearing performance antioxidant capacity and welfare of chickens.

Cannabidiol and Nano-Selenium Increase Microvascularization and Reduce Degenerative Changes in Superficial Breast Muscle in C. perfringens-Infected Chickens.

Here, we demonstrated the potential of Cannabis-derived cannabidiol (CBD) and nanosized selenium (nano-Se) for the modulation of microvascularization and muscle fiber lesions in superficial breast muscle in C. perfringens-challenged chickens. The administration of CBD resulted in a decreased number of atrophic fibers (3.13 vs. 1.13/1.5 mm2) compared with the control, whereas nano-Se or both substances resulted in a decreased split fiber number (4.13 vs. 1.55/1.5 mm2) and in a lower number of necrotic myofibers (2.38 vs. 0.69/1.5 mm2) in breast muscle than the positive control. There was a significantly higher number of capillary vessels in chickens in the CBD+Nano-Se group than in the control and positive control groups (1.31 vs. 0.97 and 0.98, respectively). Feeding birds experimental diets lowered the activity of DNA damage repair enzymes, including 3,N4-ethenodeoxycytosine (by 39.6%), 1,N6-ethenodeoxyadenosine (by 37.5%), 8-oxo-guanine (by 36.2%), formamidopyrimidine (fapy)-DNA glycosylase (by 56.2%) and human alkyl adenine DNA glycosylase (by 40.2%) in the ileal mucosa, but it did not compromise the blood mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (-2.67 OD/min on average). These findings indicate a potential link between gut mucosa condition and histopathological changes in superficial pectoral muscle under induced inflammation and show the ameliorative effect of CBD and nano-Se in this cross-talk due to their protection from mucosal DNA damage.

The Effect of Music on Livestock: Cattle, Poultry and Pigs.

The welfare of animals, especially those kept in intensive production systems, is a priority for modern agriculture. This stems from the desire to keep animals healthy, to obtain a good-quality final product, and to meet the demands of today's consumers, who have been increasingly persuaded to buy organic products. As a result, new sound-based methods have been pursued to reduce external stress in livestock. Music therapy has been known for thousands of years, and sounds were believed to improve both body and spirit. Today, they are mostly used to distract patients from their pain, as well as to treat depression and cardiovascular disorders. However, recent studies have suggested that appropriately selected music can confer some health benefits, e.g., by increasing the level and activity of natural killer cells. For use in livestock, the choice of genre, the loudness of the music and the tempo are all important factors. Some music tracks promote relaxation (thus improving yields), while others have the opposite effect. However, there is no doubt that enriching the animals' environment with music improves their welfare and may also convince consumers to buy products from intensively farmed animals. The present paper explores the effects of music on livestock (cattle, poultry and pigs) on the basis of the available literature.

Phytogenic Ingredients from Hops and Organic Acids Improve Selected Indices of Welfare, Health Status Markers, and Bacteria Composition in the Caeca of Broiler Chickens.

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of phytogenic product-supplemented, organic acid-supplemented, and prebiotic-supplemented diets on the production results, antioxidative status, and selected welfare indices in broiler chickens. A total of 1155 one-day old male Ross 308 broilers were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: Group C, no additives; Group A, supplemented with phytogenic supplement (50% hop); and Group P, supplemented with 65% organic acids and their salts, and 30% prebiotic complex. Health condition and production results were monitored during the entire experiment. After 42 days, 10 birds from each dietary treatment group were selected for blood sampling and slaughter analysis. The results obtained revealed that over the whole feeding period, none of the investigated additives significantly affected broiler performance indices. However, feeding the birds treatment-A increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium in caecal digesta compared to the other treatments, whereas feeding treatment-P increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus compared to the control treatment. Overall, treatment-A was more effective at increasing relative abundance of Clostridia in birds at 42 days of age than treatment-P. Finally, there were no changes in blood levels of antioxidant indices or liver function indicators.

Selenium and the health status, production results, and product quality in poultry.

A Selenium (Se) is an element belonging to the nonmetallic group. It was first discovered in 1817 by J.J. Berzelius. Until the 1950s, it was considered to be toxic to animals. However, with increasing research conducted on laboratory animals, it is now clear that Se is necessary for the proper functioning of both plants and animals. Recent studies indicate that Se is necessary for the proper functioning of metabolic pathways in animals. It was evidenced that Se is a component of about 100 proteins involved in the immune system, antioxidant homeostasis, or release of an inflammatory mediator. Therefore, it is of key interest to find the appropriate dosage for the supplementation of Se in the diet of farm animals and thereby eliminate physiological disorders in the body associated with Se imbalance. In this study, we present a literature review on the importance and appropriate dosage of Se in the diet of poultry concerning their health status, production results, and the quality of animal-origin products.

Dietary Phytogenic Combination with Hops and a Mixture of a Free Butyrate Acidifier and Gluconic Acid Maintaining the Health Status of the Gut and Performance in Chickens.

Additives with bioactive properties can improve chickens' gut health. This study investigated the physiological status of the gut, including its morphological structure and microbiome activities in chickens fed diets supplemented with phytogenic ingredients with hops (Anta®Phyt) or a mixture of a free butyrate acidifier and gluconic acid (PreAcid). In this study, 1155 broilers were distributed to three dietary treatments with 5 replicate pens per treatment, 77 birds each. Anta®Phyt was added at 400/300/200/200 mg/kg diet whereas PreAcid was added at 3/2/1/1 g/kg starter/grower I/grower II/finisher diet respectively. Dietary treatments did not compromise body weight in different growth periods. In the birds fed PreAcid-supplemented diet, higher gut concentration of butyric acid was observed, particularly in the early stage of growth, while the profile of the short-chain fatty acids was maintained among the treatments. Neither additive significantly affected cecal bacterial enzyme activities. Feeding the birds with Anta®Phyt and PreAcid had beneficial effects on gut morphostructure indices, including intestinal wall thickness, crypt depth and the villus height to crypt depth ratio, in 35- and 42-day old birds. In conclusion, the feeding Anta®Phyt- or PreAcid-supplemented diet exerted beneficial effects on the indices determining the physiological status of the gut and maintained good performance of birds of different ages.

Research Note: Effect of packaging atmosphere on the fatty acid profile of intramuscular, subcutaneous fat, and odor of goose meat.

The aim of the study was to investigate changes of the fatty acid profile in the intramuscular and subcutaneous fat as well as odor sensory evaluation of goose packaged under different conditions of modified atmosphere (vacuum and high-oxygen modified atmosphere of 80% O2 and 20% CO2 composition) and stored under refrigeration (4°C) for 11 D. Packaging in a high-oxygen modified atmosphere had a negative impact on goose meat quality due to the reduction of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), PUFA/saturated fatty acids (SFA) and the increase of SFA, which means a substantial loss of its nutritional value. Goose meat can be stored for 11 D without changes in the fatty acid profile, provided that a vacuum is used that limits oxygen exposure. At the end of storage, a better sensory evaluation of the odor intensity in the vacuum-packed samples was also observed in comparison to high oxygen modified atmosphere. Vacuum packaging turned out to be a better method for preserving fatty acid profile and the odor of goose meat during 11 D of storage.

The Use of Bacteriophages in the Poultry Industry.

The emergence of multidrug-resistant infections and antibiotic failures have raised concerns over human and veterinary medicine worldwide. Poultry production has had to confront the problems of an alarming increase in bacterial resistance, including zoonotic pathogens. According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis have been the most frequently reported human foodborne diseases linked to poultry. This situation has strongly stimulated a renewal of scientists' interest in bacteriophages (phages) since the beginning of the 21st century. Bacteriophages are the viruses of bacteria. They are abundant in nature, and accompany bacteria in each environment they colonize, including human microbiota. In this review, we focused on the use of bacteriophages as therapeutic agents to treat infections and reduce counts of pathogenic bacteria in poultry, as biocontrol agents to eliminate foodborne pathogens on/in food, and also as disinfectants to reduce contamination on food-contact surfaces or poultry carcasses in industrial conditions. Most of the phage-based products are targeted against the main foodborne pathogens, such as Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Clostridium perfringens. Phages are currently addressed at all stages of the poultry production "from farm to fork", however, their implementation into live birds and food products still provokes discussions especially in the context of the current legal framework, limitations, as well as public health and safety.

Sensory evaluation of poultry meat: A comparative survey of results from normal sighted and blind people.

Visual assessment is one of the key criteria in the sensory evaluation of foods. The appearance of food products may affect their perception by other senses, sometimes giving a false picture of their quality. A true assessment of such sensory attributes as aroma, taste, tenderness, and juiciness, which are components of the overall liking of food, without the use of instrumental methods is feasible only by blind people. We have advanced a hypothesis that blindness may modify the impressions perceived through other senses used in food evaluation. To confirm this hypothesis, a sensory testing of cooked breast and leg meat from various poultry species was conducted by normal sighted and blind panelists aged from 18 to 26 years. It has been demonstrated that the lack of sight is compensated by other senses, the intensified perception of which enables a more precise sensory evaluation of food in terms of such parameters as the aroma, tenderness and juiciness. Thus, blind people can be recommended as panelists evaluating the sensory profile of food products. Scores given by the sensory panel allowed the conclusion that the most desirable poultry meat was BM of broiler chicken and capon, followed by Guinea fowl. Lower scores were given by the panelists to meat of water fowl (goose, duck), whereas the lowest ones were assigned to cooked ostrich meat.

Efficacy and Safety Assessment of Microbiological Feed Additive for Chicken Broilers in Tolerance Studies.

INTRODUCTION: One aim of the study was to evaluate the impact when added to feed of the two potentially probiotic strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) Lactobacillus plantarum K KKP 593/p and Lactobacillus rhamnosus KKP 825 on production performance, health, and the composition of gut microbiota. The complementary aim was to assess the safety of these strains in broiler rearing. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 500 one-day-old Ross 308 chicks were divided into four groups. The experimental factor was the admixture of bacterial preparation to the feed at different doses: the recommended maximum dose, a dose ten times higher, the recommended minimum dose, and a zero dose for the control group not receiving bacteria. RESULTS: Addition of bacteria to the diets did not have a significant effect on the final body weight, final body weight gain, nor total feed intake or feed conversion. However, lactic acid bacteria had a positive effect on chicken health. Mortality among chickens fed with LAB was reduced. Moreover, LAB feeding inhibited the growth of Salmonella spp. and Clostridium perfringens in the intestines. There were no significant differences in chicken performance by dose of bacteria in the feed. The group dosed with LAB ten times higher than the recommended maximum did not demonstrate changes in biochemical or haematological parameters of blood compared to the remaining groups. CONCLUSION: Feeding chicken broilers with two potentially probiotic LAB strains is safe and impacts animal health positively.