Lower Abdominal Fat Research Articles

Chicken cecal microbiota reduces abdominal fat deposition by regulating fat metabolism

Cecal microbiota plays an essential role in chicken health. However, its contribution to fat metabolism, particularly in abdominal fat deposition, which is a severe problem in the poultry industry, is still unclear. Here, chickens at 1, 4, and 12 months of age with significantly (p < 0.05) higher and lower abdominal fat deposition were selected to elucidate fat metabolism. A significantly (p < 0.05) higher mRNA expression of fat anabolism genes (ACSL1, FADS1, CYP2C45, ACC, and FAS), a significantly (p < 0.05) lower mRNA expression of fat catabolism genes (CPT-1 and PPARα) and fat transport gene APOAI in liver/abdominal fat of high abdominal fat deposition chickens indicated that an unbalanced fat metabolism leads to excessive abdominal fat deposition. Parabacteroides, Parasutterella, Oscillibacter, and Anaerofustis were found significantly (p < 0.05) higher in high abdominal fat deposition chickens, while Sphaerochaeta was higher in low abdominal fat deposition chickens. Further, Spearman correlation analysis indicated that the relative abundance of cecal Parabacteroides, Parasutterella, Oscillibacter, and Anaerofustis was positively correlated with abdominal fat deposition, yet cecal Sphaerochaeta was negatively correlated with fat deposition. Interestingly, transferring fecal microbiota from adult chickens with low abdominal fat deposition into one-day-old chicks significantly (p < 0.05) decreased Parabacteroides and fat anabolism genes, while markedly increased Sphaerochaeta (p < 0.05) and fat catabolism genes (p < 0.05). Our findings might help to assess the potential mechanism of cecal microbiota regulating fat deposition in chicken production.

Genotype x nutrition interactions in European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax): Effects on gut health and intestinal microbiota

One of the main objectives of the present study was an effective replacement of dietary fishmeal/fish oil (FM/FO) by new raw materials without negatively affecting European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) performance and health status within a selection breeding context. The genomic selection of this species is still in its infancy if compared to salmonids and in particular, the role of D.labrax genome in shaping the gut microbiome, has been scarcely investigated.Wildtype (WT) and selected (GS) sea bass were fed with two diets: a control (20% FM/ 5–9% FO), and a “future” (F) diet, in which FM was decreased to 10% being replaced by poultry meal, whereas FO was completely replaced by a blend of rapeseed, poultry, and algae oils.The morphological evaluation of the intestine revealed a well-organized folding pattern and a conserved gut epithelial barrier for all fish groups. Despite a basal level of inflammation in the proximal intestine of WT fish, no differences were observed neither in the morphometric characteristics of goblet cells nor in the expression of GALT-related genes in response to fish genotype or diet. At distal intestine, WT fish showed a higher inflammatory status and larger goblet cells than GS fish and within the same genotype, fish fed the F diet had in general larger goblet cells. In distal intestine, a significant effect was found on the expression of 3 out of 7 target GALT genes. In particular, the expression of cytokines il-1β, tnf-α, and il-10 was different, showing an interaction effect diet x genotype.Diet had a lower influence upon gut bacterial composition than genotype. Indeed, regardless of the diet, WT fish showed higher species richness than GS genotype and this could be a direct consequence of selective breeding for multiple traits selection including growth, external morphology for lower abdominal fat deposition and adaptation to multiple and successive feed sources and composition across generations of selection. Furthermore, the gut microbiota of GS fish shared a reduced individual variability, indicating an enhanced capacity to cope with changes in diet composition. The less changes of GS sea bass at the level of gut bacterial composition in cumulating data collected with the feeds, demonstrate a capacity to reshape their microbiota thus better adapting to the diet, but with no negative impact on their growth performances, and even a better growth. A significant genotype effect was found for specific bacterial taxa, such as Paracoccus genus and other genera belonging to Moraxellaceae family, which were enriched in WT fish, regardless of the diet. Interestingly, the relative abundance of Paracoccus genus was positively correlated with higher proinflammatory cytokine il-1β expression found in distal intestine of wildtype sea bass.

Antidiabetic Effect of Chinese yam (Dioscorea opposita Thunb.) in High‐Fat Diet/Streptozotocin‐Induced Diabetic Rats

AbstractThis study aims to assess the effect of different doses of Chinese yam (CY) on a high‐fat diet (HFD) and a streptozotocin‐induced diabetic rat model, using resistant starch (RS) as a positive control. Rats in the normal control and diabetes model (DM) groups are fed the standard diet and HFD, respectively. The RS and CY‐intervention groups are fed with a special HFD, in which starch, maltodextrin, and sucrose in the HFD are replaced completely with RS or CY powder in different proportions: 33.33% (1/3), 66.67% (2/3), and 100% respectively. The results show that CY powder can decrease serum levels of total triglycerides, total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin, lower abdominal fat weight and abdominal fat index, increase levels of insulin and hepatic glycogen, and improve glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in diabetic rats. In addition, CY reduces oxidative stress and inflammation and reduces spleen weight and spleen index in diabetic rats. Notably, CY shows higher efficacy than RS in glucose tolerance and serum insulin and nitric oxide levels. This study suggests that CY powder may replace RS as a functional food in diabetic diets.

Association of feed efficiency with organ characteristics and fatty liver haemorrhagic syndrome in laying hens

Poor feed efficiency (FE) in hens impacts body weight (BW) and may reflect suboptimal health. Fatty Liver Haemorrhagic Syndrome (FLHS) is mostly observed in laying hens and affects egg production and hen performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships of FE and BW with organ characteristics, liver composition and incidence of FLHS of 150 individually housed ISA Brown hens ranked on the basis of feed conversion ratio (FCR) attained from early lay. At 45 weeks, 10 birds per FE group (HFE—High feed efficient; MFE—medium feed efficient; LFE—low feed efficient) were randomly selected and euthanized. Hen BW was positively associated with feed intake and FCR. The HFE hens had a lower abdominal fat pad and liver weight compared to LFE hens. FLHS lesion score was higher (worse) in the LFE than HFE hen group and was moderately positively associated with BW and abdominal fat pad, but strongly positively associated with liver weight. Liver pathology of LFE hens showed hepatocytes with abnormal retention of lipids causing distended cytoplasmic vacuoles compared to the HFE hens. Hens which exhibited poorer FE in early lay had heavier abdominal fat pads, heavier, fatter livers and were more prone to FLHS.

RESPONSE OF BROILER CHICKENS TO FIVE COMMERCIAL DIETS IN BAUCHI METROPOLIS, BAUCHI STATE, NIEGRIA

The study was conducted to evaluate growth performance, carcass characteristics and cost benefit of broiler chickens fed five commercial diets in Bauchi town of Bauchi state. Two hundred and twenty-five (225) day old chicks were assigned to five dietary treatments in replicates of three containing fifteen chicks each in a completely randomized design. Feed and water were supplied ad libitum and the experiment lasted for 35 days. Growth performance parameters include daily feed intake, daily weight gain, final weight gain, total weight gain, feed conversion ratio and feed efficiency were studied. The final weight gain, total weight gain and daily weight gain were significantly (P&lt;0.05) affected by the dietary treatments. The highest values of final weight gain (1522.70 g), total weight gain (1426.30 g) and daily weight gain (50.94 g) were obtained on diet 4, although it did not differ from those fed diet 1. Total feed intake (2077.30-2203.70 g), feed conversion ratio (1.54-1.74) and feed efficiency (0.58-0.66) were not affected by the diets. Most of the carcass characteristics were significantly influenced by the different commercial diets except weights of the head, large intestine, gizzard as well as the length of the small intestine. The highest dressing percentage value of 74.74% was observed in broiler chickens fed diet 4 which did not differ from the value of 71.21% for those fed diet 5. The feed cost per kilogram body weight gain ranged between N 456.90 and N 485.04 with the lowest value obtained in broiler birds fed diet 2. It was concluded that diet 4 gave the best growth performance and carcass yield with lower abdominal fat pad. However, diet 2 was slightly more commercial.

Nutrient utilization and carcass traits in broiler chickens as affected by nano-chromium supplementation

The present study was carried out to perceive the effects of dietary supplementation of nano-chromium on nutrient utilization and carcass traits in broiler chickens. For this, 120 unsexed day-old broiler chickens were procured and randomly allocated into four different treatment groups with three replicates in each. The control group (T0) was fed with a standard basal diet as per BIS (2007). Treatment groups T1, T2, and T3 were fed the basal diet with 400, 800, and 1600 ppb levels of nano-chromium, respectively for six weeks. Dry matter, crude protein, and total carbohydrate metabolizability were significantly improved in treatment groups T2 and T3; while organic matter and ether extract retention were found significantly higher in treatment groups T1, T2, and T3 when compared with a control group. There was no significant difference in the yield of cut-up parts (% live body weight). The supplementation of nano-chromium did not bring any significant changes in processing loss i.e. blood, feather, head, and shank, but abdominal fat was significantly reduced with increasing levels of nano-chromium. Hence, it can be concluded that dietary supplementation of 1600 ppb nano-chromium in the diet of broiler chicken improved nutrient utilization and lowered abdominal fat in broiler chicken.

Effect of Cage and Floor Housing Systems on Muscle Fiber Characteristics, Carcass Characteristics, and Meat Quality of Slow-Growing Meat-Type Chickens

This study compared floor (FS) with cage systems (CS) for slow-growing meat-type chickens in terms of muscle fiber characteristics, carcass characteristics, and meat quality. Following the design of a factorial arrangement of 2 housing systems × 2 genders, 180 male and 180 female Beijing You chickens of 8 weeks old were allocated to FS and CS. At the end of 17 weeks, five males and five females from each replicate were selected for measurement. No difference was observed in body, carcass, or eviscerated weight (p &gt; 0.05). FS birds showed higher muscle yield and lower abdominal fat composition (p &lt; 0.05). Inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) content was not affected by housing system or gender (p &gt; 0.05). On the contrary, intramuscular fat (IMF) content was affected by both in a way that CS birds and females had higher IMF content (p &lt; 0.05). FS birds had a higher percentage of white muscle fibers (p &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscle fiber type of slowing-growing broilers are influenced: rearing on the floor may improve muscle development and reduce fat deposition without impairing marketing weight and rearing in cages may improve IMF content.

Graded levels of dried garlic as a feed additive: impacts on growth, haematology, and serum biochemistry parameters of broilers in Buea, Cameroon

Garlic (Allium sativum L) is a bulbous vegetable well known for its medicinal properties and as a growth promoter. This study was carried out to investigate the effect of garlic as a feed additive on broilers in Buea. This effect was examined in terms of growth, carcass, haematology, and serum biochemistry. One hundred fifty broiler chickens of age 30 days were used, and the experiment went on for 30 days again. Five treatments were prepared; the inclusion levels were 0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1%, while the first was the control with no garlic included (T1). The treatment groups significantly increased liver, heart, and bile weights compared to the control group (P &lt; 0.05). On the other hand, the abdominal fats were significant lower in the treatment groups than in the control. For the haematological parameters, haematocrit (HCT) values and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) showed significant values across treatments (P ≤ 0.05). All other haematological parameters did not show significant values across treatments (P &gt; 0.05). Serum profiles differed between birds fed with graded levels of garlic as a feed additive and the control. The highest AST level of 6.02±0.35 µ/l was observed with birds of T5 (1%), while the least 4.87±0.26 µ/l was with T4 (0.75%) and the difference was significant at (P &lt; 0.05). In addition, ALP levels 36.53±1.04 µ/l were highest for birds in T5, while the least 15.56±0.80 µ/l was from the T1 with a significant difference (P &lt; 0.05). From the study, garlic is very good for producing meat with low abdominal fat, with an inclusion level of 1%.

Effects of different rearing systems on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and serum biochemical parameters in Gaoyou ducks

Context The rearing system is a critical non-genetic factor that can considerably affect poultry production. Aims This study examined the effects of floor rearing systems (FRS), net rearing systems and cage rearing systems (CRS) on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and serum biochemical parameters of Gaoyou ducks. Methods A total of 450 healthy 22-day-old male Gaoyou ducks with similar average bodyweight were randomly divided into the FRS, net rearing systems and CRS groups. The experiment lasted from 22 to 84 days of age. Key results CRS ducks had a higher final bodyweight, average daily feed intake and average daily gain, and a lower feed-to-gain ratio P &lt; 0.05). FRS ducks had higher breast and gizzard yields and shear force, and lower drip loss and abdominal fat content (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, FRS ducks had significantly lower glucose, total protein and triglyceride, and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusions CRS was beneficial to the growth performance of Gaoyou ducks, whereas FRS was beneficial to carcass traits, meat quality and some serum biochemical parameters. Implications The results indicated that the CRS and FRS had their own advantages. Thus, an appropriate rearing system should be selected according to the production target and market demand.

Genome-Wide Association Study Revealed the Effect of rs312715211 in ZNF652 Gene on Abdominal Fat Percentage of Chickens.

Abdominal fat percentage (AFP) is an important economic trait in chickens. Intensive growth selection has led to the over-deposition of abdominal fat in chickens, but the genetic basis of AFP is not yet clear. Using 520 female individuals from selection and control lines of Jingxing yellow chicken, we investigated the genetic basis of AFP using a genome-wide association study (GWAS) and fixation indices (FST). A 0.15 MB region associated with AFP was located on chromosome 27 and included nine significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which could account for 3.34-5.58% of the phenotypic variation. In addition, the π value, genotype frequency, and dual-luciferase results identified SNP rs312715211 in the intron region of ZNF652 as the key variant. The wild genotype was associated with lower AFP and abdominal fat weight (AFW), but higher body weight (BW). Finally, annotated genes based on the top 1% SNPs were used to investigate the physiological function of ZNF652. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis suggested that ZNF652 may reduce AFW and BW in broilers through the TGF-β1/SMad2/3 and MAPK/FoxO pathways via EGFR and TGFB1. Our findings elucidated the genetic basis of chicken AFP, rs312715211 on the ZNF652 gene, which can affect BW and AFW and was the key variant associated with AFP. These data provide new insight into the genetic mechanism underlying AF deposition in chickens and could be beneficial in breeding chickens for AF.

Metformin improves ovarian function and increases egg production in broiler breeder hens.

The pathophysiology of the ovarian dysfunction encountered in broiler breeder hens remains poorly understood but is similar to a condition in women known as polycystic ovary syndrome. This study reveals that metformin may provide a cheap and effective method of improving ovarian function in broiler breeder hens. Broiler breeder hens, the parent stock of commercial broiler chickens, have poor reproductive efficiency associated with aberrant and excessive recruitment of ovarian follicles which results in sub-optimal egg production, fertility, and hatchability. The reproductive dysfunction observed in these hens resembles polycystic ovary syndrome in women, a condition wherein metformin is prescribed as a treatment. The main objectives of this study were to determine the effect of metformin on body weight, abdominal fat pad weight, ovarian function, and plasma steroid hormone concentrations. Broiler breeder hens were treated with 0, 25, 50, or 75 mg/kg body weight of metformin mixed in the diet for 40 weeks (n = 45 hens/treatment; 2565 weeks of age). At 65 weeks of age, hens that received the highest dose of metformin had significantly lower body and abdominal fat pad weights (P < 0.05) than the control. Metformin treatment, at all levels, normalized the preovulatory and prehierarchical ovarian follicular hierarchy. Metformin (50 or 75 mg/kg body weight) significantly increased the total number of eggs laid per hen during the entire production period and these hens had significantly greater fertility and hatchability at 65 weeks of age compared to the control (P < 0.05). Metformin treatment at all levels altered the plasma profile of reproductive hormones, with significantly lower plasma testosterone concentrations and a decreased testosterone to androstenedione ratio in hens that received metformin (P < 0.05). Future studies should focus on the mechanisms underlying the beneficial effects of metformin in improving the reproductive efficiency of broiler breeder hens.

Carcass and Tibia Bone of Broiler Chickens Fed Amorphophallus companulatus tubers Fermented by Bacillus subtilis

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of fermented Amorphophalllus companulatus (AC) tubers by Bacillus subtilis on the final weight, carcass weight, and tibia bone of broiler chickens. The feeding trial lasted for 35 days. One hundred and twelve eight days old male broilers of the New Lohmann strain were used for the study. There were four treatment groups and four replications with seven birds per replicate. The four treatments were 1) a control diet without FAC, 2) a diet with 5% FAC, 3) a diet with 10% FAC, and 4) a diet with 15% FAC. The variable observed were final weight, carcass weight, abdominal fat weight, percentage of carcass weight, length, and weight of tibia bone. The result showed that feeding FAC tubers meal did not affect (P&gt;0.05) final weight, carcass weight, the percentage of carcass weight, length, and weight of tibia bone. Feeding FAC tuber meal up to 15% had lower (P&lt;0.05) abdominal fat than feeding control dietary. In conclusion, fermented AC by Bacillus subtilis can be used up to 15% in broiler diets without adversely affecting carcass weight and tibia bone.

Identification of biomarkers associated with the feed efficiency by metabolomics profiling: results from the broiler lines divergent for high or low abdominal fat content

BackgroundImproving feed efficiency (FE) is one of the main objectives in broiler breeding. It is difficult to directly measure FE traits, and breeders hence have been trying to identify biomarkers for the indirect selection and improvement of FE traits. Metabolome is the "bridge" between genome and phenome. The metabolites may potentially account for more of the phenotypic variation and can suitably serve as biomarkers for selecting FE traits. This study aimed to identify plasma metabolite markers for selecting high-FE broilers. A total of 441 birds from Northeast Agricultural University broiler lines divergently selected for abdominal fat content were used to analyze plasma metabolome and estimate the genetic parameters of differentially expressed metabolites.ResultsThe results identified 124 differentially expressed plasma metabolites (P < 0.05) between the lean line (high-FE birds) and the fat line (low-FE birds). Among these differentially expressed plasma metabolites, 44 were found to have higher positive or negative genetic correlations with FE traits (|rg| ≥ 0.30). Of these 44 metabolites, 14 were found to display moderate to high heritability estimates (h2 ≥ 0.20). However, among the 14 metabolites, 4 metabolites whose physiological functions have not been reported were excluded. Ultimately, 10 metabolites were suggested to serve as the potential biomarkers for breeding the high-FE broilers. Based on the physiological functions of these metabolites, reducing inflammatory and improving immunity were proposed to improve FE and increase production efficiency.ConclusionsAccording to the pipeline for the selection of the metabolite markers established in this study, it was suggested that 10 metabolites including 7-ketocholesterol, dimethyl sulfone, epsilon-(gamma-glutamyl)-lysine, gamma-glutamyltyrosine, 2-oxoadipic acid, L-homoarginine, testosterone, adenosine 5'-monophosphate, adrenic acid, and calcitriol could be used as the potential biomarkers for breeding the "food-saving broilers".

Effects of Protein Source, Whole Wheat and Butyric Acid on Live Performance, Gut Health and Amino Acid Digestibility in Broiler Chickens.

A total of 896 1-day-old straight-run (Ross-308) broilers were used to investigate the interactive effects of protein source (PS), diet structure (DS) and butyric acid (BA) on live performance and carcass characteristics, gut development and its morphology and apparent ileal digestibility (AID) of protein and amino acids (AA). Eight experimental diets comprising 8 replicates with 14 birds each were tested in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with complete randomized design by two levels of BA (0 and 0.1%), two forms of DS (whole vs. ground wheat) and two PS, i.e., soybean meal and canola meal (SBM vs. CM). Throughout the entire experimental period (0 to 35 d), broilers fed SBM-based diets exhibited better (p < 0.05) growth performance (feed intake (FI), body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR)), carcass parameters (p < 0.05), gut health (p < 0.05), and nutrient digestibility (p < 0.05) than CM-fed broilers. Dietary whole wheat (WW) positively affected FI (p = 0.001), BWG (p = 0.004) and FCR (p = 0.035) during the overall experimental period. Broilers fed WW had 6, 5, 8, 11 and 10% lower empty relative weights of crop, proventriculus, jejunum, ileum and colon and 25 and 15% heavier gizzard and pancreas, respectively, with longer villus height (p < 0.001), reduced crypt depth (p = 0.031) and longer villus height-to-crypt depth ratio (p < 0.001) than those fed ground-wheat-based diets. Broilers fed WW had greater (p < 0.05) AID of CP and most of the AA. Butyric acid supplementation resulted in improved (p < 0.05) growth performance and digestibility of threonine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, serine and aspartate. The broilers consuming SBM had 28% lower abdominal fat than those fed CM-based diets. In conclusion, harmful consequences of a less digestible PS can partially be compensated by the inclusion of WW, and supplementation of BA further reduces these detrimental effects.

Edible Vitalmelon Fruit Extract Inhibits Adipogenesis and Ameliorates High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity.

Conventional breeding of wild (Cucumis melo var. makuwa Makino (CM)) and cultivated (Cucumis melo var. reticulatus (CR)) melons is aimed at improving their biological traits. Here, we prepared a nontoxic, bioactive extract of vitalmelon (F1 hybrid) and evaluated its antiadipogenic and antiobesity effects in fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes and high-fat diet- (HFD-) induced obese C57BL/6 mice. In fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes, the vitalmelon extract reduced the DMI- (dexamethasone, 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, and insulin-) induced increases in lipid droplet number and intracellular glucose and triglyceride levels. In addition, the extract inhibited 3T3-L1 preadipocyte differentiation by downregulating PPAR-γ and target genes LPL, CD36, HMGCR, and L-FABP. To investigate the inhibitory effects of the vitalmelon extract on lipid metabolism, we measured serum lipid, hormone, and cytokine concentrations; lipolytic activity; lipid accumulation; and adipogenesis in HFD-fed mice treated with the extract. The HFD+vitalmelon-fed mice showed lower blood cholesterol, free fatty acid, sugar, leptin, and insulin concentrations but higher blood adiponectin concentrations than the HFD-fed mice. Moreover, the HFD+vitalmelon-fed mice showed lower abdominal fat levels, smaller fat cells, lower weight, and fewer lipid droplets in the liver tissue than the HFD-fed mice. Therefore, in HFD-fed mice, vitalmelon regulated lipid metabolism through PPAR-γ, highlighting its potential as a promising antiobesity functional food.

Effect of Betaine Supplementation to Methionine-deficient Diet on Growth Performance, Carcass Characteristics, Blood Parameters and Economic Efficiency of Broilers

Background: Betaine is a protein found in shellfish, spinach and wheat bran. Betaine’s main physiological function is to act as a methyl donor and an osmolyte. Betaine also functions as an osmolyte, ensuring that the avian’s cellular water and ion balance are maintained. It may protect a variety of intestinal bacteria against osmotic changes resulting in increased microbial fermentation activity. Adding betaine to chicken diets has been shown to improve nutritional digestibility and lower abdominal fat weight. Methods: A total of two hundred and seventy day-old commercial broiler chicks were randomly allotted to nine treatments of six equal replicates with 5 chicks each (9 x 6 x 5=270). Nine experimental isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets consisting of a control diet (CD), 25% and 50% methionine deficient diet and with graded levels of betaine (0.1, 0.2 and 0.3% levels) were formulated and fed to chicks from 1 to 42 days of age. Result: The results of the study revealed that supplementation of betaine to broiler diets deficient in methionine at 25% and 50% resulted in better performance with (p less than 0.05) higher body weight gain and better FCR, higher percentages of livability, carcass yield, total edible parts, breast yield and breast meat while those of heart and abdominal fat were decreased but relative weights of giblets, liver and gizzard were not affected compared with their control counterparts. Betaine supplementation resulted in increased immunity against ND, better tolerance to oxidative stress and better net profit over feed cost of broilers at 42 days of age.

Carcass and meat quality of broiler chickens reared on herb residues

This study was conducted to determine the effects of herb residues on carcass and meat quality in broilers. A total of 160 chicks were divided into four groups, each with four replicates of 10 chicks; the chicks were provided ad libitum access to a control diet or the same diet supplemented with Zingiber cassumunar, Kaempferia galangal, or Curcuma aromatica residues at 0.3% feed. At 42 days of age, 20 chicks from each group were slaughtered, and the carcass and meat quality were determined. All exper-imental groups demonstrated lower abdominal fat weight, and the K. galangal group had a significantly higher total visceral organ weight than that of the control group (P&lt;0.05). The experimental groups demonstrated improved color of the breast muscle, breast fillet muscle, skin, and abdominal fat (P&lt;0.05). The shear force value of the breast muscle increased in the K. galangal group, whereas that of the thigh muscle increased in all experimental groups (P&lt; 0.05). The highest overall acceptability of raw and cooked chicken breast meat was produced by 0.3% C. aromatica residue supplementation (P&lt;0.05). These finding suggest that the inclusion of 0.3% C. aromatica residue in the diets resulted in improved overall acceptability of breast meat without negatively affecting dressing percentage.

Chicken Protein S Gene Regulates Adipogenesis and Affects Abdominal Fat Deposition.

Simple SummaryLow-fat meat is increasingly desired by the public due to the growing popularity of healthy diets, and the excessive accumulation of abdominal fat increases costs in the broiler breeding industry, all of which have encouraged breeding changes in the broiler industry. Investigating fat accumulation at a cellular level from a genetic perspective will help us understand gene-mediated abdominal fat accumulation in chickens. This study aimed to explore the role of the PROS1 gene in adipose cells and its application prospect in broiler breeding. Based on our findings, we found that the PROS1 gene can contribute to adipose cell proliferation and can reduce fat deposits at the cellular level, and its mutations are highly correlated with chicken fat traits.(1) Background: Excessive abdominal fat deposition in broilers not only causes feed waste but also leads to a series of metabolic diseases. It has gradually become a new breeding goal of the broiler industry to improve growth rates and to reduce abdominal fat rates. In a previous study, PROS1 was highly expressed in low-abdominal fat broilers, suggesting a potential role in broilers adipogenesis. However, the function of PROS1 in preadipocytes and its association with abdominal fat traits need to be characterized. (2) Methods: qRT-PCR and Western Blot were used to quantify gene expression at the RNA and protein levels; flow cytometry and EdU were carried out to detect cell proliferation; and a GLM analysis was used to determine the association between PROS1 SNPs and carcass traits. (3) Results: PROS1 was downregulated in high-abdominal fat chicken; PROS1 contributed preadipocyte proliferation but suppressed preadipocyte differentiation; and the SNPs in the PROS1 5′ flank were significantly associated with the abdominal fat weight rate. (4) Conclusions: Chicken PROS1 is able to suppress adipogenesis, and its polymorphisms are associated with the abdominal fat weight rate, which can be considered the molecular markers for chicken breeding, indicating that PROS1 is an effective potential gene in regulating abdominal fat deposition.

Muscle oxidative stability, fatty acid and amino acid profiles, and carcass traits of broiler chickens in comparison to spent laying hens.

This research compared muscle oxidative stability, meat composition, and carcass traits in commercial broilers and spent laying hens. At week 65 of age, 40 ISA Brown laying hens were randomly selected to create 10 replicate cages (4 birds per cage). Also, 60 day-old Ross chicks were equally divided into six replicates (10 chicks each). Broiler chickens had a higher dressing percentage than spent hens (P = 0.027), but a lower abdominal fat percentage (P = 0.009). Spent hens had higher level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the breast muscles (P = 0.001). Meanwhile, the MDA levels in thigh muscles did not differ in both groups (P = 0.328). Broiler chickens showed greater concentrations of saturated fatty acids (palmitic and stearic) in the breast (P = 0.012 and 0.006, respectively) and thigh (P = 0.033 and 0.038, respectively) muscles as compared to spent hens. Meanwhile, broiler chickens had lower concentrations of palmitoleic, oleic and eicosapentaenoic in the breast muscles (P = 0.002, 0.004 and 0.001, respectively). Also, spent hens had greater concentrations of linoleic in the breast and thigh muscles (P = 0.018 and 0.035, respectively). When compared to broiler chickens, spent hens had greater essential amino acids (isoleucine, methionine and tyrosine) concentrations in the breast muscles (P = 0.002, 0.001 and 0.036, respectively). Finally, while broiler chickens had superior carcass traits, spent hens showed better meat composition (higher polyunsaturated fatty acids and essential amino acids). Furthermore, the oxidative stability of the breast muscles of spent hens was lower than that of broilers. Spent hens can be used as an attractive source of chicken meat if certain precautions are adopted.

Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing reveals the global molecular responses and circRNA/lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA regulatory network in chicken fat deposition

Fat deposition is a vital factor affecting the economics of poultry production. Numerous studies on fat deposition have been done. However, the molecular regulatory mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, the whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing in abdominal fat, back skin, and liver both high- and low-abdominal fat groups was used to uncover the competitive endogenous RNA (ceRNA) regulation network related to chicken fat deposition. The results showed that differentially expressed (DE) genes in abdominal fat, back skin, liver were 1207(784 mRNAs, 330 lncRNAs, 41 circRNAs, 52 miRNAs), 860 (607 mRNAs, 166 lncRNAs, 26 circRNAs, 61 miRNAs), and 923 (501 mRNAs, 262 lncRNAs, 15 circRNAs, 145 miRNAs), respectively. The ceRNA regulatory network analysis indicated that the fatty acid metabolic process, monocarboxylic acid metabolic process, carboxylic acid metabolic process, glycerolipid metabolism, fatty acid metabolism, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway took part in chicken fat deposition. Meanwhile, we scan the important genes, FADS2, HSD17B12, ELOVL5, AKR1E2, DGKQ, GPAM, PLIN2, which were regulated by gga-miR-460b-5p, gga-miR-199-5p, gga-miR-7470-3p, gga-miR-6595-5p, gga-miR-101-2-5p. While these miRNAs were competitive combined by lncRNAs including MSTRG.18043, MSTRG.7738, MSTRG.21310, MSTRG.19577, and circRNAs including novel_circ_PTPN2, novel_circ_CTNNA1, novel_circ_PTPRD. This finding provides new insights into the regulatory mechanism of mRNA, miRNA, lncRNA, and circRNA in chicken fat deposition.