Serum Biochemical Properties Research Articles

Effects of dietary fish oil replacement with rice bran oil on growth performance, serum biochemical index, antioxidant capacity, lipid metabolism and inflammatory response of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) juveniles

Fish oil (FO) replacement has become a top priority with the increasing growth of aquaculture and the decline of FO production. Dietary rice bran oil (RBO) has been marked with good application prospects and development potential in humans and terrestrial animals. Hence, this study was geared towards ascertaining the effects of replacing dietary FO with RBO in fish feeds. In this study, a 74-day feeding trial was conducted with large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) juveniles to ascertain the effects of dietary FO replaced by different levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) of RBO. Each diet was randomly fed to triplicate groups of large yellow croaker juveniles (120 fish per group) with an initial mean body weight of 13.02 ± 0.02 g. Fish fed with dietary RBO 25% showed significantly higher final body weight, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, and feed intake compared to other treatments. Also, fish fed diets with RBO showed significantly higher antioxidant capacity compared to the control. Interestingly, fish fed with RBO 25% diet showed a significantly improved serum lipid profile when compared to the control. Moreover, the hepatic mRNA expression of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (srebp-1), and fatty acid synthase (fas) was significantly upregulated in RBO 25% replacement, while peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (pparα), was significantly suppressed in fish fed RBO 100% compared to the control. Furthermore, fish fed RBO 100% had significantly increased Interleukin-1β (il-1β), Tumour necrosis factor-α (tnf-α), and Interferon-γ (ifn-γ), and significantly decreased transcript levels of Interleukin-10 (il-10). Therefore, the results of the present study showed that RBO could promote the performance of large yellow croaker juveniles, by improving the growth indexes, serum biochemical properties, antioxidant capacity, and alleviating liver inflammation.

Supplementation of lemon juice through drinking water on performance, egg quality, serum biochemical indices and combat heat stress in laying pullets

BACKGROUND: Numerous feed additives, such as probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, and enzymes, have the potential to optimize weight gain, feed efficiency and maintain the acid-base balance which eventually contributes to improve production performance. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the possible advantages of lemon juice (LJ) on laying performance, egg quality, serum biochemical properties, and layers' ability to recover from heat stress. METHODOLOGY: Ninety-six Hy-Line Brown layers all 29 weeks were randomly assigned to four treatments, each with six replications, and were given a six-hour daily drinking experiment. The birds were provided with 0% (control), 0.5%, 1% and 1.5% LJ respectively for 6 weeks. The temperature, humidity, hen day egg production (HDEP) and egg weight (EW) were recorded. Egg quality indices were measured bi-weekly. An analysis of total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), blood glucose, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), packed cell volume (PCV), heterophil (H), lymphocyte (L) count, and heterophil-lymphocyte (H/L) ratio was performed on the blood sample collected at the end of the experiment. KEY FINDINGS: The studied parameters among the various treated groups showed that the egg weight, feed conversion ratio (FCR), egg quality parameters, HDL, TG, AST, heterophil count, lymphocyte count and H/L ratio did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). HDEP, egg mass output (EMO) and FI differed significantly (P < 0.01) compared to the control group. The significant reduction in TC, LDL, glucose, ALT, increase in feed intake, HDEP and PCV showed that LJ had a positive effect in reducing the adverse effects of heat stress in laying pullets. CONCLUSION: Taken together, it may be concluded that LJ can be used to improve the laying performance and reduce the heat stress in layers.

The Effect Different Levels of Protein, with Two Sources of the Synthetic and Herbal for Methionine and Lysine and Synethetic Threonine on Serum Biochemical Parameters Egg Quality Traits and Chemical Composition of the Eggs

This study aimed to determine effect of various levels of protein, with two formulations and herbal sources of methionine and lysine. and synthetic threonine on serum biochemical properties, egg quality traits and egg chemical composition of 160 45-week-old Lyman Brown hens. It was randomly distributed to 8 treatments with five replications in (cages in the battery system), each repetition containing four birds, and the food treatments were, T1: basal diet (control) that contained 16.32% Cruz Protein (CP) with Synthetic 0.41% Methionine (S. T3: Basic Diet (16.18% CP) with (0.42% S.Mthionine), (0.05% Herbal Lysine: HL) and (0.106% S.Therionine) T4: Basic diet (16.18% CP) with (0.42% H.methionine), (0.05% lysine) and (0.106% threonine), T5: Basic diet (15.45% CP) with (o.42% S.methionine), 0.12% S.Lysine) and (0.116% S. threonine) T6: basic diet (15.46% CP) with (0.42% H.methionine), (0.045% H.Lysine and S. threonine), T7: diet Basal Diet (15.12% C.P) with (0.148% S.methionine, (0.150% S.lysine) and (0.130% S.thrionine), T8: Basal Diet (15.12% CP) with (0.148% H.methionine), (0.150% H.lysine) and (0.130% S.thrionine). The results of the statistical analysis in this experiment showed that there were no significant differences in the rate of egg production, the rate of egg mass, and the feed conversion coefficient, while significant differences were found in the rate of egg weight, the rate of feed consumption, and the rate of conversion of each of Protein, methionine, lysine and threonine.

Gut microbiome biomarkers in adolescent obesity: a regional study.

This study aimed to characterize the gut microbiota in obese adolescents from Shenzhen (China), and evaluate influence of gender on BMI-related differences in the gut microbiome. Evaluation of physical examination, blood pressure measurement, serological assay and body composition were conducted in 205 adolescent subjects at Shenzhen. Fecal microbiome composition was profiled via high-throughput sequencing of the V3-V4 regions of the 16S rRNA gene. A Random Forest (RF) classifier model was built to distinguish the BMI categories based on the gut bacterial composition. Fifty-six taxa consisting mainly of Firmicutes were identified that having significant associations with BMI; 2 OTUs belonging to Ruminococcaceae and 1 belonging to Lachnospiraceae had relatively strong positive correlations with body fate rate, waistline and most of serum biochemical properties. Based on the 56 BMI-associated OTUs, the RF model showed a robust classification accuracy (AUC 0.96) for predicting the obese phenotype. Gender-specific differences in the gut microbiome composition was obtained, and a lower relative abundance of Odoribacter genus was particularly found in obese boys. Functional analysis revealed a deficiency in bacterial gene contents related to peroxisome and PPAR signaling pathway in the obese subjects for both genders. This study reveals unique features of gut microbiome in terms of microbial composition and metabolic functions in obese adolescents, and provides a baseline for reference and comparison studies. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13755-023-00236-9.

Bıldırcınlarda Rasyon Chia Tohumu ve Yağının Performans, Yumurta Kalitesi ve Serum Bileşenleri Üzerine Etkisi

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of dietary chia seeds and oil levels in laying quails on performance, external and internal egg quality traits, and serum biochemical properties. Total of 90 female Japanese quails 10 weeks old were randomly allocated to five treatment groups consisting of six subgroups, each containing of 3 quails. Quails were fed for 10 weeks with five treatment diets prepared by adding chia seeds (1 and 2%) and chia oil (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) to the basal diet (control). Body weight change was improved by dietary addition of 2% chia seeds (P<0.05), but other performance traits were not affected by the treatments (P>0.05). Compared to control, the supplementation of chia seeds (1 and 2%) and 0.5 g/kg of chia oil to the diet was effective in increasing the eggshell resistance (P<0.01). Other egg quality parameters did not affected by the administration of chia seeds and oil to the diet (P>0.05). Serum glucose and HDL levels increased with the addition of chia seeds (%1) and oil (0.5 and 1.0 g/kg) to the diet (P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Serum calcium level, on the other hand, was adversely affected by the addition of high levels of chia seeds (%2) and oil (1.0 g/kg) to the diet (P<0.01). As a result, chia seeds was effective in improving eggshell quality, and chia oil was effective in improving serum glucose and HDL levels in laying quails.

Effects of Intramuscular Injections of Vitamins AD3E and C in Combination on Fertility, Immunity, and Proteomic and Transcriptomic Analyses of Dairy Cows during Early Gestation.

This research aimed to investigate the effects of the intramuscular injection of vitamins AD3E and C in combination immediately before the estrus synchronization program (the Ovsynch program) on conception and pregnancy rates, blood parameters, serum biochemical properties, immune systems, antioxidant parameters, and proteomic and transcriptomic analyses during early gestation in dairy cows. Forty nonlactating multiparous cows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: (1) C: control with normal saline injection; (2) VAD3E: a single intramuscular injection (I/M) of vitamin AD3E; (3) VAD3EC: injection of both vitamins AD3E and C; (4) VC: a single dose of vitamin C. Blood and serum samples were taken immediately at day 0 (before AI), day 7, and day 14 (after AI for 5 days) from the coccygeal vein. Generally, injections of AD3E and C in combination had no effect on the rate of conception or pregnancy. However, they improved hematological parameters and immune and antioxidant activities. Serum samples were analyzed using LC-MS/MS, and 8190 proteins were identified. Five proteins were successfully validated using the quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) method. This study found that lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1, A0A3Q1M894) could be used as a protein biomarker for cows administrated with vitamins AD3E and C.

Nucleotide supplementation in the diet of Sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus): Improved zootechnical performance, biochemical indices, and immune responses

Nucleotides (NT) are low-molecular-weight intracellular compounds which play pivotal roles in physiological activities of fish. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary NT supplementation on performance, body composition, serum biochemical properties and innate immune responses of Sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus). Five semi purified experimental diets containing graded levels of NT (0.00%, 0.15%, 0.25%, 0.35%, and 0.50%) from Vannagen, a commercial NT product, were fed to triplicate groups of Sterlet sturgeon with an initial average weight of 95.33 ± 1.23 g in a flow-through system for 10 weeks. The fish were fed by hand to apparent satiation six times daily (04.00, 08.00, 12.00, 16.00, 20.00 and 24.00 h). The results corroborated that dietary NT supplementation linearly improved the weight gain ratio (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR), feed efficiency (FE), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) in Sterlet sturgeon after 10-week administration (p < 0.05). A quadratically increasing trend of crude protein and fat content was also observed by dietary inclusion of 0.25% NT with the highest values of 237.90 ± 0.17 and 79.55 ± 2.05 g kg-1 in fish fed with 0.35 NT supplemented diet, respectively (p < 0.05). Nucleotide inclusion produced a significantly linear increase in serum biochemical parameters with the highest level of total protein (34.67 ± 0.80 g L−1), albumin (10.00 ± 0.10 g L−1), and globulin (24.66 ± 0.71 g L−1) in fish fed with 0.50% NT supplemented diet (p < 0.05). Measured stress responses including cortisol and glucose levels were also linearly (p < 0.05) and quadratically (p < 0.05) reduced after feeding with different dietary NT concentrations, respectively. Sterlet sturgeon fed a diet containing 0.35% exogenous NT showed the highest immune responses including lysozyme activity (LA) (40.67 ± 2.60 U mL−1), immunoglobulin M (IgM) (62.00 ± 1.73 mg dL−1), complement component C3 (65.30 ± 4.81 mg dL−1), and complement component C4 (8.73 ± 0.50 mg dL−1), which were significantly higher than those fed the basal diet (p < 0.05). It can be concluded that dietary NT supplementation has positive effects on growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, biochemical parameters and immune responses of Sterlet sturgeon. Based on the whole body crude protein content, serum total cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations, LA as well as complement component C3 and C4, the optimal level of dietary nucleotide supplementation for Sterlet sturgeon was estimated to be in a range of 0.263–0.383% of diet.

Assessment of Maternal Serum Biochemical Attributes and Fetal Ultrasound Scans in First-Trimester Low-Risk Noninvasive Prenatal-Tested Pregnant Women.

Introduction: The first trimester of pregnancy is marked by several important disrupting changes as a result of complex biological upshot of events required for the development of the fetus. These changes in the biological events result in changes in the maternal serum biomarkers that are associated with fetal growth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the correlation between the maternal blood biochemical determinants such as pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) with ultrasound scans during early pregnancy in the first trimester.Methods: The study included 139 women whose fetus was alive between 11±1 weeks of gestation. The risk of fetal chromosomal abnormalities at first trimester was analyzed by the VeriSeq NIPT Solution v2 platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) for noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) assay. The PAPP-A and AFP levels were evaluated by chemiluminescent immunoassays. The levels of PAPP-A and AFP were correlated with the fetal heart rate (HR), crown rump length (CRL), and nuchal translucency (NT) by Pearson’s correlation analysis.Results: The mean age of the participants was 28.35±3.87 years (minimum=21, maximum=35). The mean AFP and PAPP-A levels in the maternal plasma were 14.76±1.04 ng/mL and 4.37±0.86 mIU/ml respectively. The mean FHR, CRL, and NT were 138±7.62 bpm, 59±3.24 mm, and 2.3±0.61 mm respectively. PAPP-A and AFP significantly (p<0.05) correlated with fetal HR, CRL, and NT at 11±1 weeks of gestation. The mean ratio of AFP:PAPP-A in low-risk pregnancies was 3.37.Conclusions: The maternal serum biochemical attributes correlated well with the fetal ultrasound scans. The findings of the present study can prove to be clinically useful for clinical research, obstetrics, and gynaecology, especially for examinations of first-trimester pregnancies.

Effect of the addition of bee pollen to the diet on performance, eggshell quality and serum parameters in layer quails

This study was carried out to determine the effect of bee pollen addition to quail diets on performance, eggshell quality and serum biochemical properties. In the experiment, 120 quails aged 70 days were randomly distributed to 6 treatment groups with 4 replicates. The quails were fed for 10 weeks with 6 trial diets with 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 g/kg bee pollen added. The body weight change, egg production, egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, damaged eggs, eggshell weight, eggshell thickness and serum glucose, creatinine, albumin, globulin and total protein levels of quails were not affected by the addition of bee pollen to the diet (P&gt;0.05). The addition of 10 g/kg bee pollen to the diet significantly decreased feed intake compared to the control group (0 g/kg). Eggshell breaking strength was decreased by adding bee pollen to the diet and the lowest value was observed at the group fed the diet containing 6 g/kg bee pollen.Serum cholesterol concentration was minimized when 10 g/kg bee pollen was added to the diet(P&lt;0.05). In addition, serum calcium and phosphorus contents were increased compared to the control (0 g/kg) group and these parameters reached the maximum at the 10 g/kg bee pollen level (P&lt;0.01).According to the results of the experiment, the addition of bee pollen to the diet had a positive effect on serum cholesterol, calcium and phosphorus levels in layer quails, however, it had a negative effect on eggshell breaking strength.

Hematological and serum biochemical reference intervals of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss cultured in Himalayan aquaculture: Morphology, morphometrics and quantification of peripheral blood cells

De novo reference intervals (RIs) for a total of thirty two hematological and serum biochemical attributes were established for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) cultured in Himalayan aquaculture system. For this purpose, long term assessment of hemato-biochemical parameters was carried over a period of one year from March 2019 to February 2020 and a total of 444 blood samples were analysed. Blood examination results were recorded systematically and reference intervals were established, notably for erythrocyte parameters: hematocrit (Hct) 29–40%, hemoglobin 8.32–12.28 g/dL, red blood cell (RBC) count 1.01–2.04 (×106/mm3); leukocyte parameters (x 103/mm3): total leukocytes 31.32–90.60, neutrophils 4.21–18.85, total lymphocytes 20.55–63.63, small lymphocytes 14.86–46.50, large lymphocytes 6.35–22.34 and monocytes 1.22–7.56; thrombocyte count 23.00–68.00 (×106/mm3). RIs were also established for red blood cell indices, vital serum constituents involved in carbohydrate, protein, lipid and nitrogen metabolism including the less known, diagnostically important, serum enzymes and electrolyte concentrations. Principal component analysis revealed that certain serum components were more efficient at distinguishing between the life stages (juvenile, adult) of fish by explaining about 92.7% of variation in the whole dataset compared to the principal hematological components which explained only about 80% of the variation. Significant (P < 0.05) differences were noted for RBC count, total leukocyte count (TLC), total protein, total cholesterol and uric acid with respect to the sex of fish. Moreover, clearly differentiable morphometric and morphological attributes were also noticed among erythrocytes, leukocytes (lymphocytes, neutrophils and monocytes) and thrombocytes. To our knowledge, the present study is the first of its kind that elucidates blood chemistry of cultured rainbow trout, O. mykiss in accordance to the guidelines framed by the American society of veterinary clinical pathologists (ASVCP). RIs reported here can help monitor the fish health status by improving the use of non-lethal diagnostics in piscine medicine.

Effects of Garcinia Cambogia Compounded Supplements on the Formation of Body Fat Induced by a High Energy Diet in Obese Rats

Background Obesity is a public health concern in many countries. Obesity is often accompanied by other diseases and, in addition to its effects on personal health, also increases national health expenditure and medical costs. Currently, weight loss can be achieved through several medical means, such as gastric bypass surgery, liposuction, or the use of weight loss drugs. However, these options may lead to side effects or increased mortality. As such, the development of anti-obesity supplements that are natural and safe merits greater research attention. Garcinia cambogia extract, green coffee bean extract, mulberry leaf extract, chromium yeast, and wakame extract are known to have the potential to combat obesity and adjust physical constitutions; however, the effect on fat loss of these agents in a compound supplement has not been researched or discussed. Objective This study investigated the effects of a compound supplement (hereafter referred to as Garcinia cambogia compounded supplements (GC)) containing Garcinia cambogia extract, green coffee bean extract, mulberry leaf extract, chromium yeast, and wakame extract on fat accumulation induced by a high energy (HE) diet in rats. Design Six-week-old, male Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to a control group or an experimental (HE) group. The control group comprised 12 rats who were given regular feed. The HE group comprised 36 rats who were given HE diet and were further divided according to whether they received carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) or GC (305 and 1220 mg/kg, denoted as GC-L and GC-H, respectively) for 5-weeks. Starting from the sixth-week, the rats were tube-fed various dosages of GC. After the ninth-week, the rats’ body weight, food intake, body fat mass, serum biochemical properties, and liver fat were analyzed. Results The results demonstrated that the HE+GC-L rats had significantly lower weight and body fat mass (569.5±51.3 g; 36.6±9.6 g) than the HE+CMC rats (618.5±57.1 g; 46.3±12.2 g). Food efficiency and calorie utilization were also significantly lower in the HE+GC-L rats than in the HE+CMC group (p&lt;0.01). Compared with the HE+CMC group, food efficiency, calorie utilization, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and concentration of free fatty acids were also significantly lower in the HE+GC-H rats (p&lt;0.05). Conclusion The GC supplementation significantly reduced body weight, body fat mass, body fat percentage, food efficiency, and calorie utilization in rats, and it thus has potential as a natural and safe plant extract dietary supplement. Its long-term effects on the human body should be investigated in the future.

Dietary Germinated Paddy Rice and Stocking Density Affect Egg Performance, Serum Biochemical Properties, and Proteomic and Transcriptomic Response of Laying Hens Exposed to Chronic Heat Stress.

Germinated paddy rice (GPR) could be a good alternative feed source for poultry with stocking density and heat stress problems. A total of 72 Hy-line Brown laying hens raised under low (LSD, 0.12 m2/bird) and high stocking densities (HSD, 0.06 m2/bird) were investigated. Three dietary GPR levels (0, 74 and 148 g/kg) were used. It was found that average daily feed intake, hen-day egg production, and egg mass significantly decreased in the HSD group. The levels of serum glucose (GLU), phosphorous (P), corticosterone (CORT), total Ig, lysozyme (LZY), and superoxide dismutase activities (SOD) in the HSD group were higher than those in the LSD group. Dietary GPR significantly affected GLU, P, alternative complement haemolytic 50 (ACH50), total Ig, and LZY. Moreover, CORT level significantly decreased in 74 and 148 g/kg dietary GPR groups, whereas SOD significantly increased only in the 148 g/kg dietary GPR group. Serum samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and 8607 proteins were identified. Proteome analysis revealed 19 proteins which were enriched in different stocking densities and dietary GPR levels. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR technique was successfully used to verify the differentiated abundant protein profile changes. The proteins identified in this study could serve as appropriate biomarkers.

Effects of diets containing grape seed proanthocyanidin extract on the growth and oxidative capacity of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Proanthocyanidins are polyphenol compounds that can be found in some plants and their fruits. In this study, the effects of grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) as a dietary antioxidant supplement were evaluated on growth performance, serum biochemical properties (including glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride), fillet proximate composition (crude protein, lipid, moisture, and ash), and liver antioxidant enzyme activity in common carp fingerlings. The experimental diets including five groups with different concentrations of GSPE (200, 400, 600, 800, and 1500 mg per kilogram of diet), along with a control group (0 mg GSPE per kilogram of diet), were used during forty days of experimentation. The orthogonal regression analysis revealed a linear trend for final weight (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.62) and cubic trends for weight gain (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.52), specific growth rate (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.52), condition factor (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.77), and food conversion ratio (P < 0.05, R2 = 0.50). The serum glucose, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the GSPE treatment groups significantly decreased with respect to those in the control group (P < 0.05). Fillet protein content was significantly higher in the G200 group than in the control group (P < 0.05); however, there was no difference between the fat, ash, and moisture contents of the experimental and control fish. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity significantly increased in G200 with respect to that in the control group (P < 0.05). Catalase activity, however, decreased in the GSPE treatment group livers with compared to that of the control group (P < 0.05). Dose-dependent effects of GSPE were observed in growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, body proximate composition, and liver first-line antioxidant defense system in common carp; however, the level of 1500 mg GSPE per kilogram of diet gave reverse response for some examined parameters. Overall, a low level of dietary inclusion of GSPE was found to be somewhat effective on carp growth performance, serum biochemical adjustment, fillet protein content, and liver antioxidant defense, and it may therefore be used as an important feed supplement in carp production.

Haematology and Serum Biochemical Indices of Lambs Supplemented with Moringa oleifera, Jatropha curcas and Aloe vera Leaf Extract as Anti-Methanogenic Additives.

Medicinal plants have been found to be effective in a wide range of applications in ruminant animals. However, some plant extracts may be toxic to animals, depending on their seconday metabolite composition and dose, and therefore, animal trials are needed to validate their safety when used as anti-methanogenic additives. This study investigated the effect of three plant extracts used as anti-methanogenic dietary additives, on the haematology and serum biochemical parameters in sheep. Methanolic extracts of Moringa oleifera (MO), Jatropha curcas (JC) and Aloe vera (AV) were orally dosed as experimental treatments for 75 days to sheep, and their effect on the haematology and serum biochemical parameters of SA Mutton Merino (SAMM) lambs were compared with sheep on a control treatment without any additive treatment. Extracts of MO, JC and AV were extracted in 100% methanol, freeze-dried, and reconstituted in distilled water. A total of 40 lambs were ranked according to their body weight into a group of four and one sheep at a time was randomly allocated into four dietary treatments which include a control treatment, and treatment with either MO, JC or AV extract. Lambs were drenched twice daily with doses equivalent to 50 mg/kg dry matter intake (DMI) based on previous week feed consumption. Blood samples were collected via jugular vein puncture and analysed for haematology and serum biochemistry parameters, using standard procedures. The results of the haematological analysis showed that most haematological parameters were not affected by plant extract used as anti-methanogenic additives (p > 0.05), except for higher white blood cell (WBC) and lymphocytes counts recorded in control lambs and lambs in the AV treatment. All serum biochemical properties (except alkaline phosphatase) were not different (p > 0.05) between the control and lambs treated with plant extracts. Alkaline phosphatase was influenced by the plant extract (p < 0.05), with lambs receiving MO, JC and AV having lower alkaline phosphatase concentrations compared to lambs on the control diet without any additive. The result of the study showed that extracts of MO, JC and AV were not toxic to sheep when used as antimethanogenic additives at the recommended dose of 50 mg/kg dry matter feed which had proved previously to be effective in reducing enteric methane emission. Therefore, these plant extracts could be used safely as alternative dietary additives to reduce enteric methane emission and boost the productivity of SA Mutton Merino sheep.

고온환경에서 이온수의 급수가 산란계의 생산성, 계란 품질 및 혈액성상에 미치는 영향

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of drinking ion water on the performance, egg quality, and serum biochemical properties of laying hens in a high-temperature environment. A total of 180 laying hens with equal egg production rates were randomly divided into three treatments with five replicates. Treatments were applied from 24 to 27 weeks of age and included the supply of ion water (IW), tap water (TW), and cold water (CW). The results showed that the egg production rate, egg weight, and feed intake of hens were significantly (<i>P</i>&lt;0.01) improved in the IW group compared with those in the TW group but did not differ from those in the CW group. Egg quality parameters such as albumen height, Haugh unit, and eggshell thickness were found to be higher in the IW than in the TW group (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05); however, no significant differences were observed in comparison with the CW group. Serum Ca and P concentrations tended to increase (<i>P</i>&lt;0.10) in the IW group, and serum high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and albumin levels were greater (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05) in response to IW than those to TW. This study provides evidence that the supply of IW can relieve the high-temperature stress during the summer. In particular, because the improved effects of the IW were confirmed to be similar to those of CW, it shows potential as a method to manage the drinking water of hens in the summer season along with the supply of CW.

Effects of Inclusion of Different Doses of Persicaria odorata Leaf Meal (POLM) in Broiler Chicken Feed on Biochemical and Haematological Blood Indicators and Liver Histomorphological Changes.

Simple SummaryThe frequent use of antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) in poultry feed leads to antimicrobial resistance, resulting in a ban on their subtherapeutic use in food-producing animals. In this context, there is a dire need to find safe and potential alternatives. Recently, phytobiotics, especially herbs, have gained attention and have been studied extensively for their possible use as alternative poultry feed additives. Persicaria odorata is a herb (phytobiotic) that is reported to possess antioxidant, antimicrobial, immunomodulatory, and hepatoprotective properties. This study is the first of its kind to assess the effects of different doses of supplementation of Persicaria odorata leaf meal (POLM) on haematological blood indicators, serum biochemistry, organ parameters, and histomorphology of the liver in broiler chickens. The results revealed that the dietary supplementation of POLM enhanced the growth performance, positively improved the haematological indices and serum biochemistry profile with no deleterious effects on internal organs, and ameliorated the histomorphology of the liver, even at dietary supplementation of 8 g/kg. Thus, POLM would be safe at an inclusion rate of 8 g/kg as an alternative phytogenic feed additive in broiler chickens.This research was conducted to estimate the effects of Persicaria odorata leaf meal (POLM) on haematological indices, serum biochemical attributes, and internal organs parameters, including histomorphological features of the liver, in broiler chickens. A total of 120 one-day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb-500) were randomly allocated into four experimental groups. The dietary treatments were basal diet (BD), which served as the control (C), along with BD + 2 g/kg POLM (Po2), BD + 4 g/kg POLM (Po4), BD + 8 g/kg POLM (Po8), which were the supplemented groups. The body weight gain (BWG) showed a linear increase and feed conversion ratio (FCR) showed a linear decrease with increasing POLM dosage at day 42 (p ˂ 0.05) and for the overall growth performance period (p ˂ 0.01). On day 21 and day 42, the values of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), haemoglobin (Hb), and packed cell volume (PCV) showed linear increases (p ˂0.05) as the dosage of POLM increased in the diet. On day 21, dietary supplementation of POLM linearly decreased (p ˂ 0.05) the serum activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransaminase (AST), alanine aminotransaminase (ALT), and serum levels of urea and creatinine. On the other hand, serum levels of total protein (TP), albumin, and globulin showed a linear increase (p ˂ 0.05) as the POLM dosage increased. On day 42, the serum activity of AST and ALT and serum levels of glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, urea, and creatinine showed linear decreases (p ˂ 0.05) with increased levels of POLM in the diet. However, POLM supplementation linearly increased (p ˂ 0.05) the serum levels of TP and globulin. Dietary inclusion of POLM did not influence the organ parameters and showed no adverse effects on the liver histomorphology. In conclusion, supplementation of POLM increased the growth performance, improving haematological indices and serum biochemistry profiles of broiler chickens without any deleterious effects on the liver histomorphology. The results of the present study provide evidence that POLM can be safely used at a dose rate of 8 g/kg of feed as an alternative to conventional antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs).

Indexing serum biochemical attributes of Lutjanus argentimaculatus (Forsskal, 1775) to instrument in health assessment

The present study was aimed to establish reference data for nine serum biochemical attributes (glucose, protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, cholesterol, triglycerides, serum glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase [SGOT] and serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) of a supreme aquaculture candidate, namely Lutjanus argentimaculatus. Further, the influence of ecotype (cage–wild), condition index and gender on biochemical attributes was evaluated. The results have shown that gender and condition index had no significant effect in the studied age group, whereas ecotype had a significant role, except on serum glucose levels, suggesting the prime importance of estimating ecotype-specific reference intervals for interpreting fish health. Intra-ecotype variability of serum biochemical attributes, namely serum protein, globulin, cholesterol and triglycerides, was less, suggesting the possibility of using these parameters as health indices within a specific ecotype. Consistency in terms of the least intra-ecotype variability coupled with PCA results points serum protein as the best ecotype-specific health index among the different parameters studied. Altogether, the results of the present study provide thought-provoking insights on serum biochemistry of L. argentimaculatus as a platform for the health management of this supreme aquaculture candidate.

Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Sea Buckthorn Leaf Meal in Coloured Breeder and Their Post Hatch Chicks on Growth Performance and Serum Biochemical Attributes During Summer Season

The present experiment was conducted to study the effect of dietary supplementation of sea buckthorn leaf meal (SBTLM) in breeder chicken and their post hatch growth performance and serum biochemical attributes during summer season. Ninety coloured Chabro breeder hens and eighteen viable cocks in 1:5 sex ratio were randomly distributed into three treatment groups: Control (Basal), standard breeder diet (BB); basal+0.5% and basal+1.0% SBTLM. Thereafter, ninety chicks from each breeder groups were further subdivided into three groups: Control (Basal), Broiler starter till 4 weeks, broiler finisher till 8 weeks of age, (BP); basal+0.5% supplementation and basal+1.0% supplementation of SBTLM. The weekly body weight gain (g) was significantly higher (plessthan0.05) in 0.5% SBTLM supplemented breeder group during 0-4 week and significantly higher plessthan0.01) in 0.5% SBTLM supplemented post hatch group during 0-8 week of the study period. Similarly, weekly FCR were also significantly better (plessthan0.05) in 0.5% SBTLM supplemented breeder group during 0-4 week and significantly higher (plessthan0.01) in 0.5% SBTLM supplemented post hatch group during 0-8 week of the study period. Serum HDL was significantly higher (plessthan0.05), where as serum cholesterol was significantly lower (plessthan0.05) and serum triglyceride was significantly lower plessthan0.01) in both post hatch SBTLM supplemented groups as compared to control group. No significant difference were observed in other serum biochemical attributes viz. total protein, albumin, globulin, A/G ratio, uric acid, creatinine, SGOT, SGPT and ALP among the treatment groups. Thus, it may be concluded that dietary supplementation of sea buckthorn leaf meal in coloured chicken @ 0.5% resulted in higher phase wise body weight gain, FCR, serum HDL, lower cholesterol and triglyceride without any adverse effect on other biochemical attributes.

Serum biochemical properties of Vietnamese indigenous Noi chicken at 56 days old

Serum profile is generally considered as comprehensive data which directly reflected animal health and their potential resistance to environmental, nutritional and pathological stress. The present study aimed to provide physiological reference values for selected biochemical parameters in Noi chickens, a famous Vietnamese native breed, at 56 days old. The collected blood samples of 355 Noi birds (164 males and 191 females) were used to evaluate biochemical serum profile. Glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, triglycerides, cholesterol, creatinine, and uric acid in the serum were measured. The variation in these values arising from different sexes was also investigated. The results indicated that there were no differences (P&gt;0.05) in the assessed indices between male and female Noi chickens. In overall for the whole group, these values were obtained as 250.86 mg/dL, 7.34 g/dL, 3.40 g/dL, 3.94 g/dL, 1.75, 148.54 mg/dL, 190.86 mg/dL, 0.44 mg/dL, and 1.44 mg/dL, respectively. The relationship among the biochemical parameters showed relatively low coefficients (r=0.79 in maximum). The females obtained higher correlation coefficients between levels of total protein and glucose (r=0.42) as well as between total protein and globulin (r=0.79), compared to the males. It was concluded that the male and female chickens performed similar values of serum indices. The contribution of this study might expand the knowledge on the biochemical profile and improved breeding strategies of Vietnamese indigenous Noi chickens.

Immunostimulatory effect of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) on non-specific immune response, immune gene expression, and experimental challenge with Saprolegnia parasitica in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

In this study, effects of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) on growth performance, hematology and serum biochemical properties, non-specific immune responses, gene expressions related to innate immunity, and resistance against Saprolegnia parasitica pathogenesis were studied in rainbow trout for 8 weeks. Aloe vera powder at concentrations of 0, 5, 10, and 15 g/kg were added to a basal diet. Fish were fed three times a day during the 8 weeks. At the end of feeding period, the fish were exposed to the oomycete S. parasitica for 3 weeks. The results showed that all treatments fed with Aloe vera-included diets showed significant increases in growth performance (weight gain, specific growth rate and low feed efficiency) compared to the control. Feeding the fish with 15 g/kg of dietary Aloe vera resulted in better hematology indices (red and white blood cell counts, and concentrations of hematocrit and hemoglobin), serum biochemical parameters (total protein, albumin, and globulin), and non-specific immunity indices (respiratory burst activity, lysozyme activity and complement system) in comparison with the other treatments and control. Furthermore, fish fed 10 and 15 g/kg of dietary Aloe vera showed up-regulation of TNF-α, IL-1b, IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression compared to the control. A significant reduction in mortality was observed in the treated fish with 15 g/kg of Aloe vera compared to the control following challenging with S. parasitica. The use of Aloe vera powder, particularly at a level of 15 g/kg, in rainbow trout diet was observed to improve growth and immunity parameters as well as boost fish resistance against S. parasitica contamination.