The effect of adding cadmium and lead alone or in combination to the diet of pigs on their growth,carcase composition and reproduction

Limits for cadmium and lead concentrations in food animal products have been established independently, whereas these two toxic metals often co‐exist in polluted regions. Weaned pigs (60) were allocated to ten treatments: control; low (0.5 mg kg^?1), medium (1 mg kg^?1) or high cadmium (2.5 mg kg^?1) in feed; low (5 mg kg^?1) medium (10 mg kg^?1) or high (25 mg kg^?1) lead in feed; and low, medium and high cadmium plus lead in feed. Growth rates and concentrations of cadmium and lead in body tissues (kidney, liver, spleen, lungs, heart, testicle, ribs, hair and teeth) were measured after 137 days. There was a similar reduction in weight gain for pigs in the cadmium and lead treatments, compared with the control, and a greater reduction for the pigs in the cadmium plus lead treatments. The reduction increased with the level of metal included. There was an increase in cadmium concentration of all tissues and blood with increasing feed cadmium concentration, which was usually less when lead was also included in the feed. There was also an increase in tissue lead concentration with increasing dietary lead, and this was in most cases increased when cadmium was also included in the feed. The most sensitive tissues for cadmium and lead exposure were the kidney, liver, hair and teeth, and regression equations were developed for the accumulation rates in these tissues. Tissue and blood cadmium concentrations increased gradually with increasing dietary lead, whereas tissue lead concentration was not sensitive to dietary cadmium, except in the ribs and heart. In a second experiment, 10 sows were allocated to a control diet or the same diet but with a supplement of cadmium and lead. The birth weight of piglets was decreased by the supplement and their mortality increased. Lead accumulated most in the ovary and oviduct of the sows, and there were increases in the lead and, to a lesser extent, cadmium concentrations of tissues of the piglets from these sows. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Residues of ethoxyquin in poultry tissues and eggs

Tissues of broilers raised experimentally on diets containing the feed antioxidant ethoxyquin (6-ethoxy-2,2,4-trimethyl-1,2-dihydroquinoline) contained very low levels of this compound (<0.005 mg kg^?1) both raw and after roasting. Residues were higher in liver (up to 0.063 mg kg^?1) and highest in what appeared to be the major deposition site, the body fat (0.215 mg kg^?1). The body fat of commercial broiler samples showed much lower levels (0.015-0.051 mg kg^?1). Leg and breast muscles from laying hens after 30 weeks on the experimental diets had low ethoxyquin levels (< 0.005 mg kg^?1) with a higher liver content (0.048 mg kg^?1) and again the highest level in the body fat (0.238 mg kg^?1). Eggs from these hens contained 0.031 mg kg^?1 ethoxyquin, probably all in the yolk. Market samples of eggs from five major producers gave an average value of 0.011 mg kg^?1. A rapid and considerable loss of ethoxyquin occurred in the feed troughs, the concentration dropping from 125 mg kg^?1 to 90 mg kg^?1 in four hours.     

The decrease of lasalocid residue in the edible tissues by silymarin supplementation of chicken diet

Widespread use of coccidiostats, in spite of beneficial control of protozoan infections in poultry, implies a risk of residues in edible tissues, and there is increasing interest in the development of strategies for prevention of veterinary drugs residue in food-producing animals. The aim of this study is assigned to clarify the impact of silymarin addendum in the diet on lasalocid concentration in the liver and breast muscles from the broiler. Four groups of chickens received a feed with lasalocid at levels between 75 and 200 mg kg^?1. Other four groups received a feed with lasalocid (75–200 mg kg^?1) plus silymarin. Significant differences of lasalocid concentrations between the liver and breast muscles were observed. Moreover, the chickens from the groups supplemented with silymarin shown significant decreases of lasalocid concentrations in the analysed tissues. The herbal substance did not counteract the ionophore in the treatment of coccidiosis and did not change biochemical parameters of blood. These findings suggest that silymarin might be used in chicken feeding in order to reduce the risk from lasalocid contamination of the broiler edible tissues.     

Albusin B modulates lipid metabolism and increases antioxidant defense in broiler chickens by a proteomic approach

BACKGROUND: The present study was designed to investigate the effect of albusin B on lipid metabolism and antioxidant defense in broiler chickens by a proteomic approach. The bacteriocin, albusin B of Ruminococcus albus 7, expressed by yeast was applied in this study. Three dietary treatments, consisting of the basal diet (control), basal diet + albusin B (2.5 g kg^?1), and basal diet + nosiheptide (2.5 mg kg^?1) were randomly fed to 90 broiler chickens from 1 to 35 days of age, respectively. After 35 days of supplementation, the growth performance, lipid metabolism and antioxidant proteins in the jejunum and liver, intestinal protein profile, and plasma lipid profile were analyzed. RESULTS: Broilers with albusin B supplementation had greater body weight than the control broilers. Compared with the control broilers, lower triglyceride and higher high‐density lipoprotein concentration in the blood were observed in both broilers with albusin B and nosiheptide supplementation. In addition, albusin B suppressed the mRNA expression of fatty acid binding protein 2 and ATP binding cassette transporter G 5 in the jejunum. In the jejunal protein profiles, four antioxidant proteins were upregulated by albusin B and nosiheptide treatments. The jejunal antioxidant gene expression had a concordant pattern. Hepatic genes related to lipid metabolism, 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐glutaryl CoA reductase, and superoxide dismutase were upregulated by albusin B supplementation. CONCLUSION: Albusin B supplementation modulated lipid metabolism and activated systemic antioxidant defense, which might partially contribute to the performance of broiler chickens. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nutritional evaluation of transgenic high‐methionine lupins (Lupinus angustifolius L) with broiler chickens

The nutritive value of transgenic lupin seeds (Lupinus angustifolius L) with higher contents of methionine was evaluated with broiler chickens. The crude protein, methionine and cysteine contents in the conventional and transgenic lupins were 322 and 324, 2.0 and 4.5, and 3.6 and 3.7 g kg^?1 dry matter respectively. In the feeding trial, conventional and transgenic lupins with hulls were incorporated into a maize–soyabean meal diet at 250 g kg^?1 level and the diets were fed to female broiler chicks from 6 to 20 days of age. All diets were balanced to contain similar levels of apparent metabolisable energy (AME), lysine and sulphur‐containing amino acids. The levels of free methionine added to the maize–soyabean meal control, conventional lupin and transgenic lupin diets were 2.2, 2.8 and 2.2 g kg^?1 respectively. Weight gain and feed intake were not influenced by dietary treatments, but feed/gain tended to be higher (P = 0.09) in birds fed lupin diets compared with those fed the control diet. Feed/gain of birds fed the conventional lupin diet was higher (1.82 vs 1.74) than for those fed the transgenic lupin diet. These results showed that the supplemental methionine required in poultry diets containing 250 g kg^?1 lupin can be lowered by 0.6 g kg^?1 diet by the use of high‐methionine lupins. The AME values of conventional and transgenic lupins were determined to be 9.42 and 10.18 MJ kg^?1 dry matter respectively. The higher AME value in transgenic lupins may be related to the lower content of soluble non‐starch polysaccharides (45.6 vs 60.7 g kg^?1 air‐dry basis). Data on ileal amino acid digestibility indicate that the amino acids in transgenic lupins are as digestible as those in conventional lupins. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Aflatoxin and its metabolites in tissues from laying hens and broiler chickens fed a contaminated diet

Two groups of 32 hens and broiler chickens were contaminated with 2.5 and 5 mg of aflatoxin (AF) kg^?1 feed for a period of 32 days. During this contamination 16 birds were sacrificed and aflatoxin and its metabolites were detected using thin-layer chrotnatography and fluorescence densisometry. The tissues analysed (liver, muscle, kidney, gizzard and eggs) gave a wide range of concentrations, the lowest was found in ben muscle (0.05 μg kg^?1 of AFB₁) and the highest in gizzards from the 5 mg kg^?1 group of the hens (9.01 μg kg^?1 of AFB₁). Metabolites of AFB₁, AFM, and AFB_2a appeared in the liver but not in other tissues. In broiler's tissues, the following metabolities were isolated: AFM₁ and AFB_2a, in liver, aflatoxicol in muscle and AFM₁ and AFB_2a in kidneys, all having concentrations lower than AFB₁. Aflatoxicol was isolated from one egg sample (0.32 μg kg^?1). For both types of birds, aflatoxin clearance time was only 24 h for muscle and kidneys. In livers from the 5 mg kg^?1 group, AFM₁ and AFB_2a were still found 4 days after removal of the contaminated feed. In eggs and gizzards, aflatoxin residue was still detected on the 8th day of the clearance period although in low quantities. In the broiler's gizzards, clearance time was only 24 h. These results suggest that aflatoxin transfer to edible tissues is very small and the danger of contaminations to humans is also very small, except in the case of gizzards.     

Effect of dietary sorghum germ meal on performance and meat quality of broiler chicks

Two hundred Lohmann broiler chicks were equally allocated into 20 pens after being adapted on a control diet for 7 days. The four dietary treatments containing graded levels of sorghum germ meal (SGM, 0, 75, 150, 225 g kg^?1) were randomly assigned to the pens (five pens per dietary treatment). L-Lysine and DL-methionine were added to the diets to raise their contents to the recommended levels for starter broiler chicks. Feed and water were provided ad libitum throughout the 6-week experimental period. The dietary treatment had negative linear effects (P < 0.01) on body weight, feed intake, weight gain, feed:gain ratio and dressing percentage, and a positive linear effect (P < 0.01) on liver and viscera relative weights. It had insignificant effects (P > 0.05) on pancreas, bursa relative weights, incidence of leg abnormalities and mortality rate. Abdominal fat relative weight had shown a significant negative linear effect (P < 0.05). Dietary SGM had no detectably different effect on colour, juiciness, tenderness and flavour of the meat when evaluated by semi-trained panellists.     

Change in α‐tocopherol contents,lipid oxidation and fatty acid profile in eggs enriched with linolenic acid or very long‐chain ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids after different processing methods

The influences of dietary supplementation with α‐tocopheryl acetate (α‐TA) and of processing (by hard‐boiling and scrambling) of eggs enriched with ω3 fatty acids, either very long‐chain ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLC ω3 PUFAs) or linolenic acid (LNA), on fatty acid composition, α‐tocopherol content and lipid oxidation (thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values) were studied. Four dietary treatments were formulated from a basal diet containing 40 g kg^?1 linseed oil (LO) or fish oil (FO) combined with either 0 or 100 mg α‐TA kg^?1 of feed. Eggs from LO treatments were enriched with LNA and those from FO treatments were rich in VLC ω3 PUFAs. Neither processing nor dietary supplementation with α‐TA modified greatly the fatty acid profile of eggs. Dietary supplementation with α‐TA increased the α‐tocopherol content of eggs (187.2 versus 407.9 µg g^?1 dry matter). Eggs from FO treatments showed lower α‐tocopherol content than those from LO treatments (273.5 versus 321.6 µg g^?1 dry matter), and processing of eggs enriched with VLC ω3 PUFA reduced the α‐tocopherol content by a significant 16%. Moreover, processing of eggs increased lipid oxidation two‐ to nine‐fold. Oxidation levels of hard‐boiled eggs were 30.4% higher than those of scrambled eggs. TBA values in hard‐boiled and scrambled eggs were significantly reduced when 100 mg α‐TA kg^?1 of feed supplemented the diet only in those eggs enriched with VLC ω3 PUFA (from FO treatments). Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Inhibition of lipid oxidation in long-term frozen stored chicken meat by dietary oregano essential oil and α-tocopheryl acetate supplementation

The antioxidative effect of dietary oregano essential oil and α-tocopheryl acetate supplementation on susceptibility of chicken breast and thigh muscle meat to lipid oxidation during frozen storage at −20 °C for 9 months was examined. Day-old chickens (n=80) were randomly divided into four groups, and fed a basal diet containing 30 mg α-tocopheryl acetate kg⁻¹ feed as control, or basal diet plus 200 mg α-tocopheryl acetate kg⁻¹ feed, or basal diet plus 50 or 100 mg oregano essential oil kg⁻¹ for 38 days prior to slaughter. Lipid oxidation was assessed by monitoring malondialdehyde (MDA) formation with third-order derivative spectrophotometry, after zero and 7 days of refrigerated storage at 4 °C following 1, 3, 6 and 9 months of frozen storage. Results clearly demonstrated that all dietary treatments had a major impact on the oxidative stability of broiler meat. Dietary oregano essential oil supplementation at the level of 100 mg kg¹ feed was significantly (P⩽0.05) more effective in reducing lipid oxidation compared with the level of 50 mg oregano essential oil kg⁻¹ feed and control, but less effective (P⩽0.05) compared with α-tocopheryl acetate supplementation. Thigh muscle was found to be more susceptible to oxidation compared to breast muscle, although the former contained α-tocopherol at markedly higher levels. Mean α-tocopherol levels in muscle samples decreased during the frozen storage, the decrease being sharper between 1–3 months and 3–6 months of frozen storage for breast and thigh muscle samples, respectively.     

Improving the Sensory and Oxidative Stability of Cooked and Chill‐Stored Lamb Using Dietary Rosemary Diterpenes

Two dietary rosemary extracts (DREs) containing diterpenes (carnosic acid and carnosol at 1:1 and 2:1 w:w) were tested in fattening lambs to stabilize the sensory quality of cooked and chill‐stored patties. A total of 63 lambs were fed freely for 80 ± 5 d with a basal diet supplemented or not with DRE. Minced leg meat from each lamb was used to make patty batches. The patties were cooked at 72 ºC for 2 min, aerobically packed, kept at 2 ºC for up to 4 d and then reheated. Sensory traits (color, odor, flavor, and texture), CIELab color, and lipid oxidation (assessed as TBARS) were determined. In a first experiment, the lamb diet was supplemented with 600 mg of 1:1‐DRE or 2:1‐DRE kg^?1 feed. The 1:1‐DRE diet delayed discoloration, flavor deterioration, and rancidity, while the 2:1‐DRE diet was ineffective in this respect. In a second experiment, 4 supplementation levels of 1:1‐DRE (0, 200, 400, and 600 mg kg^?1 feed) were compared. Flavor deterioration was delayed when the lamb diet was supplemented with at least 400 mg 1:1‐DRE kg^?1 feed. The effects of the diet on the odor, flavor, and color were corroborated by differences in TBARS and CIELab. The results obtained suggest that rosemary diterpenes and/or their active secondary compounds deposited in muscle can act as endogenous antioxidants in cooked lamb. The carnosol intake seems crucial in the antioxidant actions achieved through DRE. The use of rosemary antioxidants in animal feeding would allow meat‐based dishes to be preserved longer without adding preservatives.     

The effect of low level exposure to dietary cadmium,on cadmium,zinc, copper and iron contents of selected tissues of growing lambs

Twenty-four, 13–14 week pregnant Cheviot ewes were offered either a basal grass cube diet containing 0.3 mg cadmium (Cd) kg^?1, or the same diet supplemented with Cd to give dietary Cd contents of 3.4 or 6.4 mg Cd kg^?1. Increasing dietary Cd had no effect on numbers of viable offspring or mean birth weight of lambs. After weaning, some of the lambs were maintained on the same diets as their respective dams for approximately 280 days. Increased dietary Cd had no effect on food intake or carcass weight at slaughter. The liver zinc content of lambs consuming the diet with the highest Cd content declined significantly. Increasing the dietary content of Cd decreased the retention of copper by the liver. At slaughter, Cd could not be detected in blood nor in muscle tissues selected to represent prime cuts of edible carcass meat. In contrast, increased dietary Cd resulted in significantly elevated liver and kidney Cd contents.     

Nutrient utilisation and performance of broilers in response to processed flaxseed dietary levels and vitamin B6 supplementation

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of processing and dietary inclusion level of flaxseed on broiler performance and nutrient utilisation. Flaxseed was included in the diet fed to day‐old broilers for the first 3 weeks as whole seed, ground seed, autoclaved whole seed, ground autoclaved whole seed or whole seed pelleted with the other ingredients, at levels of 0, 100, 120 and 140 g kg^?1. Chicks fed the pelleted flaxseed‐containing diets had heavier body weights, consumed more feed and had better feed/gain ratios than those fed the other flaxseed‐containing diets during the 3 weeks period (P < 0.01). The flaxseed level in the diet also had very significant (P < 0.01) effects on body weight and feed/gain ratio at the end of weeks 1 and 3, with the diets containing 100 g kg^?1 flaxseed resulting in better performance than the other flaxseed‐containing diets. Among the flaxseed containing diets, the pelleted diets led to higher apparent ether extract digestibilities, with values of 778 and 770 g kg^?1 for the diets containing 100 and 140 g kg^?1 flaxseed respectively. This better utilisation of ether extract by young broilers may explain the significantly (P < 0.05) higher AME_n (apparent metabolisable energy) value of 2924 kcal kg^?1 for the pelleted 140 g kg^?1 flaxseed‐containing diet. This was 15.4–17.5% higher than for the diets with the same level of flaxseed but provided as raw or autoclaved whole seed. The pelleting of flaxseed allowed an inclusion rate of 100 g kg^?1 without any reduction in the performance and nutrient utilisation of broilers. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Doxycycline and sulfadimethoxine transfer from cross-contaminated feed to chicken tissues

During feed preparation at feed mills or during feed mixing in bins at farms, the accidental contamination of feed at trace levels by veterinary drug residues, commonly known as carry-over, can accidentally but frequently occur. To evaluate the concentrations of residual antimicrobials in poultry edible tissues, due to contaminated feed, sulfadimethoxine and doxycycline were administered for 10 days to chickens in poultry feed incurred at the contamination levels frequently found during national feed monitoring programmes (1–5?mg?kg^?1). Sulfadimethoxine and doxycycline residual concentrations detected in muscle (<LOD and 31?µg?kg^?1, respectively), liver (13 and 56?µg?kg^?1, respectively) and kidney (56 and 115?µg?kg^?1, respectively) were compared with their maximum residue limits (MRLs) fixed by EC 470/2009 and EU 37/2010 Regulations for a preliminary risk evaluation.     

Growth performance,nutrient digestibility and immune response of broiler chicks fed diets supplemented with a culture of Lactobacillus bulgaricus

BACKGROUND: Probiotics are being developed for use in animal feed to enhance production performance and prevention of gastrointestinal infections. The ban on using antibiotics as growth promoters, antibiotic resistance and the inherent problems of developing new vaccines make a compelling case for developing alternatives for in‐feed antibiotics. The alternatives of choice have to be considered under the environmental conditions of the animal. Among the probiotics in use today, Lactobacillus has been shown to play a vital role in disease prevention, immune enhancement, improved growth and carcass yield in poultry. The present study investigates the effect of Lactobacillus bulgaricus (LB)‐based probiotic on the growth performance, nutrient digestibility and immune response of broilers under tropical environmental conditions. RESULTS: Broilers fed LB diets consumed more feed (P < 0.05) and had greater body weight gain than the control group. Feed/gain ratio improved significantly (P < 0.05) with the 20, 40 and 60 mg kg^?1 LB diets compared with the control or 80 mg kg^?1 LB diet. The apparent digestibilities of nitrogen and fat increased with LB supplementation. However, there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in fibre digestibility. White blood cell count increased significantly in broilers fed higher levels (>40 mg kg^?1) of LB compared with the control group. Antibody production measured as antibody titre against Newcastle disease vaccine showed a curvilinear response over the range of LB concentrations examined. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that LB addition to broiler chick diets significantly improved growth performance, increased nutrient digestibility and stimulated humoral immune response. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Vitamin E levels,thiobarbituric acid test and sensory evaluation of breast muscles from broilers fed α‐tocopheryl acetate‐ and β‐carotene‐supplemented diets

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary α‐tocopheryl acetate and β‐carotene supplementation on lipid oxidation of breast meat from broilers fed lard as the fat source. Supplementation of broilers with 100 mg kg^?1 α‐tocopheryl acetate increased the vitamin E levels in raw breast samples significantly (p < 0.05), whereas the presence of 1.5 mg kg^?1 dietary β‐carotene tended to decrease vitamin E deposition. The presence of vitamin E delayed lipid oxidation significantly, but thiobarbituric acid values of samples from broilers fed the β‐carotene‐supplemented diet did not differ from those of control samples. Vitamin E reduced sensory meat rancidity, whilst vitamin E, β‐carotene and their combination modified meat texture. The results show the effectiveness of dietary α‐tocopheryl acetate supplementation in protecting broiler meat against lipid oxidation. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of oral exposure of pigs to deoxynivalenol (DON) sulfonate (DONS) as the non-toxic derivative of DON on tissue residues of DON and de-epoxy-DON and on DONS blood levels

The Fusarium toxin deoxynivalenol (DON) is of outstanding importance in pig nutrition because of its frequent occurrence in cereal grains at levels high enough to cause adverse effects such as a decrease in feed intake and impairment of the immune system. Thus, simple decontamination procedures would be useful. The present study aimed to examine the effects of wet preservation of triticale contaminated with DON and zearalenone (ZON) with sodium metabisulphite (SBS) on the treatment-related non-toxic derivative of DON (DON-sulfonate, DONS), and on ZON and its metabolites in blood and various physiological specimens of piglets. The uncontaminated control triticale (CON) and the DON-contaminated triticale (FUS) were included in the diets either untreated or SBS treated (CON-SBS, FUS-SBS) and fed to piglets for 28 days starting from weaning. The diet concentrations for DON were 0.156, 0.084, 2.312 and 0.275 mg kg^?1, for DONS were <0.05, <0.05, <0.05 and 1.841 mg kg^?1, and for ZON were <0.001, 0.006, 0.017, and 0.016 mg kg^?1 for each of CON, CON-SBS, FUS and FUS-SBS, respectively. DONS was present in the blood of piglets fed the FUS-SBS at a median concentration of 15.5 ng ml^?1 (3–67 ng ml^?1), while the median DON concentration amounted to 2 ng ml^?1 (0–5 ng ml^?1) at the same time. The median DON concentration in the blood of piglets fed the FUS diet reached a median concentration of 10.5 ng ml^?1 (5–17 ng ml^?1). Moreover, the relative differences between the DON concentrations in other physiological specimens (muscle, liver, kidney, bile and urine) in piglets fed the FUS-SBS and the FUS diet were comparable with the blood DON concentration differences. Although these differences can be taken as an indication for DONS stability after absorption and distribution further studies examining DONS in these other physiological specimens directly are necessary to substantiate this conclusion. Moreover, ZON and α-zearalenol could only be detected in bile and urine where their levels were not influenced by the SBS treatment.     

Estimation of metabolisable energy content of date pit and its effect on lipid and protein oxidation in broiler chicks

BACKGROUND: Two experiments were conducted to evaluate date pit as a feed ingredient in broiler chick diets. In the first experiment, apparent metabolisable energy (AME) of date pit was determined using 72 Ross (308) broiler chicks. Broiler chicks received experimental diets from 25 to 30 days of age. Two diets were fed: diet 1, basal diet and diet 2, 60% basal diet + 40% date pit. Date pit ileal AME_n was estimated to be 704 kcal kg^?1. The second study was conducted to evaluate the AME_n value obtained and also the effectiveness of using a commercial multi‐enzyme in diets containing date pit. Diets with three levels of date pit (10, 20 and 30% date pit) with or without enzyme supplementation were fed to broiler chicks from day old to 42 days of age. RESULTS: Chicks receiving different levels of dietary date pit had comparable body weight to those fed on corn–soybean meal diet. Both date pit levels and enzyme supplementation had a significant effect on feed conversion ratio. Plasma total antioxidant levels of positive control were significantly lower than the experimental diets. CONCLUSION: Results obtained in our study suggested that date pit could be used as a feed ingredient in the diet of broiler chicks without any negative effect on performance. Furthermore, date pit may have beneficial effects on plasma antioxidant status in broiler chicks. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effect of different sources of dietary omega‐3 fatty acids on general performance and fatty acid profiles of thigh,breast, liver and portal blood of broilers

One hundred and sixty‐eight 1‐day‐old Cobb broiler chickens were randomly assigned to 12 broiler cages to determine the dietary effect of different sources of oils rich in long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCω3PUFA). The following oils were added to the feed at a concentration of 12.5 g kg^?1: a highly refined seal blubber oil (SBO) containing 225 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA; a fish oil (FO) concentrate containing >800 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA in the form of triglycerides; and an FO concentrate containing >600 g kg^?1 LCω3PUFA in the form of ethyl esters. Fatty acid profiles of the breast and thigh meat were measured in order to determine the deposition of LCω3PUFA into the body tissues, whilst fatty acid profiles of the liver and the portal blood were taken in order to deduce consequences of the different ester forms on the absorption process. A triangular sensory evaluation was performed on the breast meat. The levels of LCω3PUFA in all tissues and the portal blood reflected the concentrations of LCω3PUFA in the diets. The sensory properties of the breast meat were negatively influenced by ethyl ester supplementation only. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Fatty acid profile and cholesterol content of egg yolk from chickens fed diets supplemented with purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.)

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of purslane on egg production, egg weight, feed efficiency, yolk fatty acid composition, and egg cholesterol content in laying hens. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty 80‐week‐old layers were allocated randomly to receive diets supplemented with 0 (control), 10 g kg^?1 or 20 g kg^?1 dried purslane for 84 days. Egg weights and egg production in the groups were recorded daily, whereas feed intake was measured weekly. RESULTS: Diet supplemented with 20 g kg^?1 purslane significantly decreased body weight of the chickens compared to the control. Inclusion of purslane at the level of 10 g kg^?1 or 20 g kg^?1 into the diet significantly (P < 0.05) improved egg weight compared to the control. Chickens fed the diet including 20 g kg^?1 purslane had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher egg production and improved feed efficiency compared to the control. Cholesterol content of eggs from the hens fed 0, 10 or 20 g kg^?1 did not differ and was 10.45, 9.51 or 9.51 mg g^?1 dried egg yolk, respectively. Inclusion of purslane at the level of 20 g kg^?1 into the diet significantly (P < 0.05) increased ω‐3 fatty acids such as C18:3(ω‐3) and C22:6(ω‐3). The ratio of ω‐6 to ω‐3 also was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the eggs from chickens fed 10 g kg^?1 or 20 g kg^?1 purslane supplemented diets compared to the control. CONCLUSION: This study showed that adding dried purslane to the diet of laying hens significantly increased egg production and egg weights although there was no reduction in the egg cholesterol concentration. This study also showed that inclusion of purslane into diet enriched eggs with ω‐3 fatty acids and decreased the ratio of ω‐6/ω‐3 in the yolk. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Dietary effects on growth,plasma lipid and tissues of rats fed with non‐conventional oil of Telfairia occidentalis

The nutritional value of Telfairia occidentalis seed and seed oil available in local market was studied in rats. The average values of the proximate analysis on dry matter basis were 203 g kg^?1 crude protein, 536.3 g kg^?1 fat, 39 g kg^?1 ash, 95 g kg^?1 crude fibre and 43.7 g kg^?1 carbohydrate, while the moisture content was 75 g kg^?1. The mineral analyses showed that T occidentalis seeds contain potassium (3280 mg kg^?1), sodium (1230 mg kg^?1), magnesium (60.8 mg kg^?1), calcium (60.8 mg kg^?1) and iron (13.0 mg kg^?1). The oil extracted from the seed sample showed physicochemical properties that suggest its suitability for edible and industrial uses. The oil contained high levels of unsaturated fatty acids, oleic and linoleic, which accounted for 63.22% of total fatty acids recovered, while palmitic acid (27.4% of the oil by weight) was the most prevalent saturated fatty acid in the oil. No trace of eleostearic acid was detected in the oil. The effect on physical appearance, weight gain, organ weight, tissue and plasma cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels was determined in rats fed a diet containing 5% T occidentalis oil. These were compared with those of rats fed a control diet (0% T occidentalis oil) over an 8 week study period. Weekly monitoring of the rats showed good physical appearance and steady weight increase. The test rats were not anaemic and no mortality was recorded. While there was a significantly higher (p < 0.05) level of cholesterol in the heart of test rats compared with the control, there was a significantly lower (p < 0.05) plasma cholesterol level, suggesting that T occidentalis seed oil can be used to lower plasma levels of cholesterol. Histological examination of the sections of the heart, liver, kidney and spleen of the test rats revealed varying degrees of pathology. These include artherosclerotic changes in the walls of vasa vasori and lymphatics in the heart and hyaline degeneration of myofibrils, fatty infiltration of hepatocytes, and glomerular and tubular degeneration in the kidneys. These lesions may have been due to the effect of fatty acids, especially erucic acid, in the seed oil, which at 1.24% (less that the 5% conventional allowable limit for edible oils) may be intolerable for rats and may be unsuitable for human consumption. The seed oil may be used for industrial purposes such as soap making, lubrication and cosmetics for which it is well suited. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry