• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.40 no.1
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• pp.75-81
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• 2013

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of bacteriophage SE supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, blood profiles, visceral organ weight, meat quality and excreta microflora in broilers. A total of 340 1-d-old ROSS 308 broilers (mixed gender) with an initial average body weight (BW) of $41.71{\pm}0.16$ g were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 5 replicate pens per treatment and 17 broilers per pen for 31 days. Dietary treatments were: 1) CON, control diet, 2) SE05, CON+0.05% bacteriophage, SE 3) SE10, CON+0.10% bacteriophage SE, and 4) SE15, CON+0.15% bacteriophage SE. During d 15 to 31, broilers fed SE15 diet had a higher (P<0.05) body weight gain than broilers fed CON diet. Overall, body weight gain in SE10 and SE15 was greater (P<0.05) than that in CON. Apparent total tract nutrient digestibility and blood characteristics did not differ (P>0.05) among treatments. The water holding capacity was increased (P<0.05) in SE15 compared with CON. Other meat quality in terms of pH value, breast muscle color ($L^*$, $a^*$, $b^*$) and drip loss were unaffected by dietary supplementation with bacteriophage SE. The visceral weight of bursa of Fabricius was increased (P<0.05) in broilers fed the bacteriophage SE incorporated diets compared with those fed the CON diet. No difference (P>0.05) was observed in visceral weight of liver, spleen, breast muscle, abdominal fat, gizzard and excreta concentrations of Lactobacillus, Clostridium perfringens, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 0.10 and 0.15% bacteriophage SE could improve the growth performance, breast muscle water holding capacity and bursa of Fabricius visceral weight in broilers.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.423-432
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• 2021

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of Cordyceps militaris with probiotics (CMP) supplementation on the growth performance, meat quality and storage characteristics, and cordycepin content in the meat. Sixty one-day-old broilers (Ross 308) were allotted to two treatment groups of 30 each. In addition, six broilers were randomly assigned to a cage in the two treatment groups. The two dietary treatments were as follows: Control (CON) and basal diet + 0.5% of CMP. Body weight and feed intake were measured on the 1st, 14th, and 28th days from the start of the experiment. On days 1 - 14, the supplementation of CMP improved (p < 0.05) the body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Additionally, the feed intake (FI) and FCR scores in the CMP groups improved (p < 0.01) compared to the CON during the entire period. For the meat quality characteristics, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking loss (CL), redness (a^*) in meat color value, and shearing force (SF) for the CMP group were improved (p < 0.01) compared to the CON group. For the meat storage characteristics, pH and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were improved (p < 0.01) when the broilers were fed CMP compared to the CON group. Broilers fed CMP had a higher (p < 0.01) cordycepin content in the meat compared to the CON group. In conclusion, CMP improves the growth performance and meat quality of broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1628-1633
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• 2005

Three hundred and twenty four one day old mixed sex broiler chicks were assigned at random into 9 treatment groups. The experimental design was a 3${\times}$3 factorial arrangement. During the starter period (week 1-3), chicks were fed ad libitum. A cornsoybean meal based diet contained 23% crude protein, 3,200 kcal/kg metabolizable energy (NRC, 1994), and supplemented with organic or inorganic forms of chromium. Two organic chromium products, chromium yeast (Cr-Yeast from Alltech Biotechnology Corporation Limited) and chromium picolinate (Cr-Pic) were supplemented at the rate of 200, 400 and 800 ppb. One inorganic product, chromium chloride, was supplemented at the rate of 200, 400 and 800 ppb. During the finishing period (week 4-7), the corn-soybean meal based diet contained 20% crude protein, 3,200 kcal/kg metabolizable energy (NRC, 1994), and the same levels of chromium as in the starter period were added. No significant difference was observed among treatment groups in average daily gain, feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio and mortality. The carcass percentage of broilers receiving 200 and 400 ppb organic chromium (Cr-Yeast or Cr-Pic) was significantly increased (p<0.01). In addition, the supplementation of organic chromium reduced (p<0.05) breast meat fat content but increased breast meat protein content. The addition of chromium in the diet had no effect on boneless breast, skinless boneless breast, boneless leg, skinless boneless leg but reduced percentage of sirloin muscle. Total cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced by organic Cr supplementation. Supplementation with 200 and 400 ppb of both Cr-Yeast and Cr-Pic showed the lowest total cholesterol. The effects of type of Cr on HDL and LDL were variable, however, LDL increased with increasing level of Cr supplementation. This trial indicates that organic chromium tended to improve growth performances and carcass composition, reduced total cholesterol and triglycerides. The optimum level of organic chromium supplementation was at 200 ppb.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.62 no.5
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• pp.614-627
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• 2020

During the course of this trial, our team assessed the influence of protease upon the growth performance, the nutrient digestibility, and the expression of growth-related genes and amino acid transporters within the liver, muscle, and small intestines of broilers. During the first step, our team allocated 600 broilers into four dietary treatments for a period of 35 days in order to measure the growth performance and nutrient digestibility of the broilers selected. The separate treatments contained 10 replicates (15 birds per replicate). The treatments were composed of: 1) CON, basal diet; 2) T1, basal diet + 0.03% protease; 3) T2, basal diet + 0.06% protease; and 4) T3, basal diet + 0.09% protease. Next, the broiler chick sample tissue was harvested from the CON and T3 groups in order to conduct gene expression analysis following the feeding trials the broilers underwent. Our team discovered that the broilers fed protease diets possessed increased body weight and an average daily gain, but conversely, had lower feed conversion ratios when their dietary protease levels increased from 0% to 0.09% (p < 0.05). Additionally, significant linear improvements were identified among the nutrient digestibility of dry matter, crude protein, energy, and amino acids within broilers supplied with protease diets when contrasted and compared with broilers supplied with the basal diet (p < 0.05). In addition, the gene expression of the genes IGF1, IGF2, GH, and LEP in the liver, and the genes MYOD1 and MYOG in the breast muscles, was significantly increased after broilers were fed with a protease diet as compared to broilers that subsisted on a basal diet (p < 0.05). Protease supplementation also raised the expression levels within these amino acid transporters: SCL6A19, SLC7A1, SLC7A7, SLC7A2, SLC7A6, SLC7A9, and SLC15A1, located in the small intestine, when compared to the basal diet (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that protease supplementation in their diet improved the growth performance of broilers via an increase in the expression growth-related genes within broiler liver and muscle tissue. In addition, protease supplementation enhanced broiler digestibility via the upregulation of amino acid transporter expression within the small intestine.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.36 no.6
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• pp.745-752
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• 2007

This study examined the effects of different levels of evening primrose oil (EPO) on the accumulation of ${\gamma}$-fatty acids in broiler meat. Six hundred one-day-old male chicks (Ross strain) from commercial broilers were divided randomly into 6 groups${\times}$4 repeat pens. The broilers were fed experimental diets containing 4.0% tallow (control), 0.5% EPO, 0.7% mixed oil (EPO 70:soy bean oil 30), 1.5% EPO, 3.0% EPO or 4.0% EPO for two weeks of broiler finisher. There was a significant difference in body weight gain between the control and treatment groups except for the 0.5% EPO group (p<0.05). There was a significant difference in the percentage of thigh and breast weight against the carcass weight between control and treatment groups except for the 0.5% EPO group in the thigh and 0.5% EPO and 4.0% EPO groups in the breast weight (p<0.05). The saturated fatty acid levels of the skin and breast muscle lipid of the broilers fed diets containing EPO were significantly lower than that of the control group (p<0.05), while the level of unsaturated fatty acid was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). The ${\gamma}$-fatty acid (GLA, gamma.linolenic acid, 18:3n-6) level was particularly higher in the chicken meat lipids from the broilers fed EPO than in the control group (p<0.05). This shows that feeding EPO to chicks can produce novel functional broiler meat that is enriched in gamma-linolenic acid.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.295-305
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• 2021

Objective: The objectives of this study were to compare the effects of normal and low protein content (PC) of starter diet supplemented or not with blends of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) on growth performance of broilers under summer conditions and to investigate whether these effects altered some quality traits and the characteristics of gastrointestinal tract. Methods: A total of 768 mixed-sex broiler chicks (Ross 308, one-d-old) with an average initial body weight (BW) of 47.6±1.03 g were allocated into six treatments with four replications in 2×3 factorial arrangement. Factors were: PC, normal (N, 22% to d 15); and low (L, 20% to d 15); and added BCAA blends, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, and L-valine at zero (0L:0I:0V); 1.0, 0.25, and 0.25 (4L:1I:1V); or 1.0, 0.25, 0.75 (4L:1I:3V) g/kg of diet. Hence, six dietary treatments were named as N0L:0I:0V, N4L:1I:1V, N4L:1I:3V, L0L:0I:0V, L4L:1I:1V, and L4L:1I:3V. Average indoor temperature and humidity were 32.8℃±1.7℃ and 61.1%±4.12%, respectively. Results: BW, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and carcass weight were not affected by PC, BCCA and their interaction (p>0.05). The L diets decreased the water holding capacity of the breast (p = 0.002) and thigh (p = 0.050) meats and dressing percentage (p = 0.005) compared to the N diets. The 4L:1I:1V diet decreased breast yield compared to the 0L:0I:0V diets (p = 0.041). The effect of PC on feed intake, mortality and gastrointestinal trait weight were depended on the L:I:V ratios under summer conditions due to interactions between factors (p<0.05). The FI and mortality of L4L:1I:1V broilers were lower than those of N4L:1I:1V birds (p<0.05). Conclusion: It was concluded that the blends of BCAAs used failed to improve performance and to promote breast yields, because diets with normal or with reduced protein supplemented or not with BCAAs up to d 15 produced a similar BW and FCR in broilers raised in hot-climate conditions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1002-1006
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• 2007

Twenty four broilers (Ross) and 24 ducklings (Cherry berry) aged 45days were stunned and killed by conventional neck cut to evaluate the meat characteristics and fatty acid composition of breast meat. Breast meats were removed from each carcass at different post-mortem times. After complete processing, the breast meats were then placed in a polythene bag and kept in a cold storage room at $4^{\circ}C$ for 7 days. The pH of meat samples at different post-mortem times, and meat characteristics and fatty composition at different storage times were evaluated. No significant differences were found in pH at different post-mortem times except at 30 min postmortem, where duck breast showed significantly lower pH than chicken breast. As expected, duck breast meat had significantly higher redness (a*), but lower lightness (L*) value compared to chicken breast. During whole storage time, the a* value remained constant in duck breast. Cooking loss (%) was higher in duck breast compared to chicken breast during the whole storage time. Shear force decreased with increasing storage time in both chicken and duck breast meat, moreover, it decreased rapidly in duck breast compared to chicken breast. The TBARS values increased with increasing storage time in both duck breast and chicken breast meat and was significantly higher in duck breast. The fatty acids (%) C14:0, C16:0, C16:1, C18:2 and C18:3 were significantly higher while C18:0 was significantly lower in duck breast compared to chicken. SFA was increased, while USFA and MUSFA decreased only in duck breast during the 7 day storage time.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.331-335
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• 1996

A study was conducted to determine the carcass composition of broilers when fed with three varying levels of dietary energy (3,000, 3,200 and 3,400 kcal/kg ME) at 20% crude protein and 0.79% Total Sulphur Amino Acid. The results showed that there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the ME intake of the chickens when the ME of the diet increased. Other factors like the protein intake, dressing percentage, weight gain and feed intake were not significantly affected. On the carcass, the increasing dietary ME levels resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the abdominal fat percentage and carcass fat percentage and a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the carcass protein percentage. Similarly, the dietary ME produced a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the amount of and fat percentages of breast meat, thigh meat, and drumstick meat with a significant reduction in the protein percentage. There seemed to be an inverse relationship between the percentages of protein and fat. An increase in fat percentages always resulted in similar reduction in the protein content of the meat. These results also showed major differences between the white and red meat of the chicken.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1041-1052
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• 2024

Objective: Bacillus subtilis, a kind of probiotic with broad-spectrum antibacterial function, was commonly used in livestock and poultry production. Recent research suggested that Bacillus subtilis may have antioxidant properties and improve immune response. This study aimed to verify the probiotic function of Bacillus subtilis in the production of broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 324 (1-day-old) Arbor Acres broilers were selected and randomly divided into three groups: basal diet group (Ctr Group), basal diet + antibiotic growth promoter group (Ctr + AGP) and basal diet + 0.5% Bacillus subtilis preparation group (Ctr + Bac). The experiment lasted for 42 days. Muscle, serum and liver samples were collected at 42 days for determination. Results: The results showed that Bacillus subtilis could decrease malondialdehyde content in the serum and liver (p<0.05) and increase superoxide dismutase 1 mRNA expression (p<0.01) and total superoxide dismutase (p<0.05) in the liver. In addition, compared with AGP supplementation, Bacillus subtilis supplementation increased interleukin-10 (IL-10) and decreased tumor necrosis factor-α and IL-1β level in the serum (p<0.05). At 45 minutes after slaughter Ctr + Bac presented a higher a^* value of breast muscle than Ctr Group (p<0.05), while significant change in leg muscle was not identified. Moreover, there was no difference in weight, shear force, cooking loss and drip loss of breast and leg muscle between treatments. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that Bacillus subtilis in diet can enhance antioxidant capacity and optimize immune response of broilers.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.267-271
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• 2012

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of one alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol ($1{\alpha}$-OH $D_3$) on growth performance, tibia quality, and skin and meat color in broilers fed calcium (Ca)- and phosphorus (P)-deficient corn-soybean meal diets. A total of 288 male Ross broilers, at 21 days of age, were randomly assigned to three treatments with eight cages per treatment. Three levels of $1{\alpha}$-OH $D_3$ (0, 5, and 10 ${\mu}g$/kg) were added to a basal diet (0.50% Ca, 0.13% non-phytate phosphorus (NPP), and 0.35% total phosphorus (tP)) without vitamin $D_3$. As a result of this study, the addition of $1{\alpha}$-OH $D_3$ increased body weight gain (p<0.001), feed intake (p = 0.007), feed efficiency (p<0.001), tibia weight (p = 0.002), length (p<0.001), breaking-strength (p = 0.012), ash (p<0.001), Ca (p<0.001), and P content (p = 0.004). Dietary $1{\alpha}$-OH $D_3$ enhanced breast meat yellowness (p = 0.015) and the length and weight of the small intestine of the broilers. Moreover, $1{\alpha}$-OH $D_3$ decreased serum Ca concentration (p = 0.074) and breast meat redness (p = 0.010). These results indicate that the $1{\alpha}$-OH $D_3$ improves growth, tibia quality, and meat color in broilers fed Ca- and P-deficient corn-soybean meal diets.