Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f) has been used as spice and herbal medicine for many years with lacking researches on evaluating its application for improving relative organ weight, intestinal development, and quality of animal products. The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of star anise, its essential oil and leavings on carcass traits, relative organ weight, intestinal development, and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 384 broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 8 replicates of 12 birds each. The 4 dietary treatments were basal diet (Control), basal diet supplemented with 5 g/kg star anise (Star anise), basal diet supplemented with 0.22 g/kg essential oil (Essential oil), and basal diet supplemented with 5 g/kg leavings (Leavings). The concentration of main active components in the experimental diets was 0.204 g trans-anethole/kg of diet. All birds were fed a starter diet (0-21 d) and a grower diet (22-42 d). Birds supplemented with star anise and essential oil had a greater (P 0.05) among all treatments. Birds supplemented with star anise and essential oil had higher (P = 0.010) relative weight of thymus than those in control and leavings groups. Essential oil supplemented groups appeared to contain the highest (P less then 0.05) villus height in ileum and villus height/crypt depth ratio in ileum and jejunum among all the groups. Meanwhile, among all the groups, breast muscles of essential oil-supplemented groups appeared to contain the lowest (P = 0.012) boiling loss but highest (P less then 0.001) concentration of inosinic acid (inosine 5'-monophosphate, IMP). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 5 g/kg star anise and 0.22 g/kg essential oil improved BW, relative organ weight, and intestinal development, and 0.22 g/kg essential oil can also increase the concentration of IMP but decrease the boiling loss in breast muscles of broilers; however, 5 g/kg leavings had no effect.To determine the effects of normal and low dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on performance, serum antioxidant status, meat quality, and bone properties of broilers, 224 1-day-old Arbor Acre male broilers were used in this study. Broilers were allotted randomly to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that included normal or low Ca and P diet with or without 69 μg/kg 25-OH-D3. The trial consists of a starter phase from day 1 to 21 and a grower phase from day 22 to 42. Dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation increased (P less then 0.05) average daily weight gain from day 22 to 42 and decreased feed conversation ratio from day 22 to 42 and day 0 to 42. On day 21, 25-OH-D3 increased serum concentrations of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase in broilers fed low Ca and P diet (Interaction, P less then 0.05). #link# 25-hydroxycholecalciferol significantly decreased serum malondialdehyde concentrationation at 69 μg/kg increased growth performance in some periods, enhanced serum antioxidant capacity, and improved bone mineralization and breaking strength of broilers.An experiment was performed to assess the inclusion of soybean lecithin (SL) in the replacement of soybean oil (SO), for grower and finisher broiler chicken diets (up to 15 d of life), and its effects on performance, fatty acid (FA) absorption, gut health, and saturation degree of the abdominal fat pad (AFP). A total of 1,440 female Ross-308 chickens were distributed in 60 pens and were fed 5 experimental diets. The control diet (T1) was supplemented with SO (grower and finisher diets at 2.00%), and 4 levels of SL were included in replacement T2 (0.25% in grower and 0.50% in finisher diets), T3 (0.50% in grower and 1.00% in finisher diets), T4 (0.75% in grower and 1.50% in finisher diets), and T5 (1.00% in grower and 2.00% in finisher diets). At day 39, titanium dioxide was added to finisher diets at 5 g/kg to perform a digestibility balance. At day 46, AFP, tissue, and gut digesta samples were collected to characterize FA digestibility, adipose saturation degree, microbial groups, and histomorphometry. No effects were associated with SO replacement by SL on performance (P > 0.05), ileal digestibility of total, saturated and monounsaturated FA (P > 0.05), nor jejunal morphology (P > 0.05). Total replacement of SO by SL reduced ileal absorption of polyunsaturated FA (P less then 0.02) and increased jejunal Lactobacillus spp. counts (P = 0.049). Higher levels of SL inclusion (T4 and T5) lowered polyunsaturated FA concentration of the AFP (P = 0.002) and, thus, slightly reduced its unsaturated-to-saturated FA ratio (P = 0.005). Soybean lecithin inclusion did not modify performance parameters, total FA absorption, nor jejunal morphology, however caused changes on polyunsaturated FA absorption, jejunal microbiota, and saturation degree of the AFP. The study demonstrates that soybean lecithin can be included, in combination with or in replacement of soybean oil, as an alternative energy source for grower (up to a 1%) and finisher broiler diets (up to 2%).The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative bioavailability (RB) of manganese (Mn) proteinate compared to Mn sulfate for broilers fed a diet based on corn and soybean meal for 20 d. The diets of 1,350 male Cobb broilers were supplemented with 0, 35, 70, 105, or 140 mg of Mn/kg of feed in the form of Mn sulfate or Mn proteinate. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, bone strength, and Mn concentration in the tibia and liver, as well as the concentration of type I collagen in the tibia, were evaluated. No differences were observed for performance variables (P > 0.05) or for type I collage concentration in broiler tibia (P > 0.05), regardless of the source and level of supplementation used. Relative bioavailability was determined using bone strength values and Mn concentration in the tibia and liver, assuming Mn sulfate as the standard source (100%) by the slope-ratio method. The RB of Mn proteinate based on bone strength was 111%, based on liver Mn concentration was 128%, and based on tibia Mn concentration was 105%.
Star anise (Illicium verum Hook. f) has been used as spice and herbal medicine for many years with lacking researches on evaluating its application for improving relative organ weight, intestinal development, and quality of animal products. The experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of star anise, its essential oil and leavings on carcass traits, relative organ weight, intestinal development, and meat quality of broiler chickens. A total of 384 broilers were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 8 replicates of 12 birds each. The 4 dietary treatments were basal diet (Control), basal diet supplemented with 5 g/kg star anise (Star anise), basal diet supplemented with 0.22 g/kg essential oil (Essential oil), and basal diet supplemented with 5 g/kg leavings (Leavings). The concentration of main active components in the experimental diets was 0.204 g trans-anethole/kg of diet. All birds were fed a starter diet (0-21 d) and a grower diet (22-42 d). Birds supplemented with star anise and essential oil had a greater (P 0.05) among all treatments. Birds supplemented with star anise and essential oil had higher (P = 0.010) relative weight of thymus than those in control and leavings groups. Essential oil supplemented groups appeared to contain the highest (P less then 0.05) villus height in ileum and villus height/crypt depth ratio in ileum and jejunum among all the groups. Meanwhile, among all the groups, breast muscles of essential oil-supplemented groups appeared to contain the lowest (P = 0.012) boiling loss but highest (P less then 0.001) concentration of inosinic acid (inosine 5'-monophosphate, IMP). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 5 g/kg star anise and 0.22 g/kg essential oil improved BW, relative organ weight, and intestinal development, and 0.22 g/kg essential oil can also increase the concentration of IMP but decrease the boiling loss in breast muscles of broilers; however, 5 g/kg leavings had no effect.To determine the effects of normal and low dietary calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) levels and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol (25-OH-D3) supplementation on performance, serum antioxidant status, meat quality, and bone properties of broilers, 224 1-day-old Arbor Acre male broilers were used in this study. Broilers were allotted randomly to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement that included normal or low Ca and P diet with or without 69 μg/kg 25-OH-D3. The trial consists of a starter phase from day 1 to 21 and a grower phase from day 22 to 42. Dietary 25-OH-D3 supplementation increased (P less then 0.05) average daily weight gain from day 22 to 42 and decreased feed conversation ratio from day 22 to 42 and day 0 to 42. On day 21, 25-OH-D3 increased serum concentrations of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase in broilers fed low Ca and P diet (Interaction, P less then 0.05). #link# 25-hydroxycholecalciferol significantly decreased serum malondialdehyde concentrationation at 69 μg/kg increased growth performance in some periods, enhanced serum antioxidant capacity, and improved bone mineralization and breaking strength of broilers.An experiment was performed to assess the inclusion of soybean lecithin (SL) in the replacement of soybean oil (SO), for grower and finisher broiler chicken diets (up to 15 d of life), and its effects on performance, fatty acid (FA) absorption, gut health, and saturation degree of the abdominal fat pad (AFP). A total of 1,440 female Ross-308 chickens were distributed in 60 pens and were fed 5 experimental diets. The control diet (T1) was supplemented with SO (grower and finisher diets at 2.00%), and 4 levels of SL were included in replacement T2 (0.25% in grower and 0.50% in finisher diets), T3 (0.50% in grower and 1.00% in finisher diets), T4 (0.75% in grower and 1.50% in finisher diets), and T5 (1.00% in grower and 2.00% in finisher diets). At day 39, titanium dioxide was added to finisher diets at 5 g/kg to perform a digestibility balance. At day 46, AFP, tissue, and gut digesta samples were collected to characterize FA digestibility, adipose saturation degree, microbial groups, and histomorphometry. No effects were associated with SO replacement by SL on performance (P > 0.05), ileal digestibility of total, saturated and monounsaturated FA (P > 0.05), nor jejunal morphology (P > 0.05). Total replacement of SO by SL reduced ileal absorption of polyunsaturated FA (P less then 0.02) and increased jejunal Lactobacillus spp. counts (P = 0.049). Higher levels of SL inclusion (T4 and T5) lowered polyunsaturated FA concentration of the AFP (P = 0.002) and, thus, slightly reduced its unsaturated-to-saturated FA ratio (P = 0.005). Soybean lecithin inclusion did not modify performance parameters, total FA absorption, nor jejunal morphology, however caused changes on polyunsaturated FA absorption, jejunal microbiota, and saturation degree of the AFP. The study demonstrates that soybean lecithin can be included, in combination with or in replacement of soybean oil, as an alternative energy source for grower (up to a 1%) and finisher broiler diets (up to 2%).The objective of this study was to evaluate the relative bioavailability (RB) of manganese (Mn) proteinate compared to Mn sulfate for broilers fed a diet based on corn and soybean meal for 20 d. The diets of 1,350 male Cobb broilers were supplemented with 0, 35, 70, 105, or 140 mg of Mn/kg of feed in the form of Mn sulfate or Mn proteinate. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, bone strength, and Mn concentration in the tibia and liver, as well as the concentration of type I collagen in the tibia, were evaluated. No differences were observed for performance variables (P > 0.05) or for type I collage concentration in broiler tibia (P > 0.05), regardless of the source and level of supplementation used. Relative bioavailability was determined using bone strength values and Mn concentration in the tibia and liver, assuming Mn sulfate as the standard source (100%) by the slope-ratio method. The RB of Mn proteinate based on bone strength was 111%, based on liver Mn concentration was 128%, and based on tibia Mn concentration was 105%.