فاطمه صائمی

The present study was aimed at studying the effects of inclusion of pomegranate seed extract to fat-containing diets on nutrients digestibility, intestinal microflora and performance of broilers. A total of 320 one-day-old broiler chicks (Ross 308) were selected in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design with 4 replicates of 10 birds of each. The dietary treatments consisted of pomegranate seed extract (0 and 2%), commercial Nutriad® antioxidant (0 and 0.01%) and soybean oil without antioxidant (0 and 6% during the grower period and 0 and 8% for finisher period). The chicks were reared from 1 to 10 days in one group. On the eleventh day, 10 chicks per pen were randomly allocated to each cage per replicate. Data were performed in generalized linear model (GLM) procedures in SAS at 5% level of significance and the least square means correction after Tukey’s test was used. Commercial antioxidant improved crude fat digestibility and decreased population of caecum Lactobacillus, but pomegranate seed extract improved crude fat digestibility and increased caecum Lactobacillus population. Due to positive effects of pomegranate seed extract in fat containing diets on fat digestibility and Lactobacillus bacteria in caecum, it could be concluded that using pomegranate seed extract in fat containing diets could be useful.

The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of long-term induced hyperthyroidism on the body weight and egg production. In addition the relationships between hyperthyroidism and some reproductive parameters were studied. A total of seventy 47-week-old Cobb 500 breeder hens were randomly allotted to two treatment groups (5 replicates of 7 hens each). Thyroxine was orally administered to the hyperthyroid group (0.3 mg/bird/day) for 100 consecutive days during which the body weight and egg production were recorded on a weekly basis. Effect of hyperthyroidism on plasma T4 levels was significant; but, the T3 level was not affected. Results indicated a significant decreasing effect of thyroid hormones on body weight. Thyroid hormones had no effect on egg production; however, the treatment × time (wk) interaction effect was significant on egg production. Ovarian and oviductal weight were not different between the control and hyperthyroid hens. Administration of thyroxine to breeder hens decreased the diameter of F1 follicles.

In this research a 100 day long treatment period was considered to unmask the probable adverse effects of long-term induced hyperthyroidism on histomorphometrical attributes of the oviduct in broiler breeder hens. A total of seventy 47-week-old Cobb 500 breeder hens were randomly allotted to two treatment groups (5 replicates of 7 hens each). Thyroxine (T4) was orally administered to the hyperthyroid group (0.3 mg/bird/d) for 100 consecutive days; whereas the control group received drinking water only throughout the trial. At 64 weeks of age, 2 birds per replicate were killed by cervical dislocation and their oviducts were removed. For histomorphometrical observations, segments were taken from five different regions. After tissue preparation and staining with haematoxylin and eosin, histological layers were evaluated using light microscopy. The assessment of histomorphometrical characteristics of oviduct showed the height of mucosal folds in the magnum, thickness of mucosal folds of the magnum and uterus, thickness of tunica muscularis in the magnum and vagina, epithelial thickness of the isthmus and vagina, and uterine tubular glands percentage were decreased in the hyperthyroid birds compared with the control counterparts. The results showed long-term induced hyperthyroidism was associated with a decrease in a number of histomorphometrical traits in different regions of the oviduct. Some studies should be done to clarify to what extent the long-term maternal hyperthyroidism might affect the egg production, fertility rate, duration of fertility, and sperm penetration rate to make a final decision on exploitation of this preventative treatment to diminish the ascites incidence in progeny chicks.

Ninety six 2-week-old British United Turkeys (BUT) Big 6 were assigned to 2 groups (4 replicates of 12 birds each). One basal diet and another one in which 20% canola meal replaced the corn starch in the basal diet were prepared. At 9, 16 and 21 wk of age, four birds from each pen slaughtered for digesta collection. The last two-third segment of the intestine, between the Meckel’s diverticulum and about 2 cm anterior to the ileo-ceca-colonic junction, was excised. The diets and digesta were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, and chromic oxide content. The standardized prececal protein digestibility of canola meal was calculated using multiple linear regression procedure. The standardized prececal protein digestibility of canola meal at 21 wk of age was significantly lower as compared with that of 9 wk of age; the relative weight of digestive organs also decreased significantly with increasing age (P