• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.261-266
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• 2012

Fermented Chlorella vulgaris CBT$^{(R)}$ was evaluated for its effects on egg production, egg quality, liver lipids and intestinal microflora in laying hens. One hundred and eight Hy-line Brown layers (n = 108), 80 wk of age, were fed a basal diet supplemented with CBT$^{(R)}$ at the level of 0, 1,000 or 2,000 mg/kg, respectively for 42 d. Egg production was measured daily and egg quality was measured every two weeks. Five eggs from each replicate were collected randomly to determine egg quality. Egg production increased linearly with increasing levels of CBT$^{(R)}$ supplementation (p<0.05), although there was no significant effect of treatment on feed intake. Egg yolk color (p<0.001) and Haugh unit (p<0.01) improved linearly with increasing dietary CBT$^{(R)}$. Hepatic triacylglycerol level was linearly decreased with increasing dietary CBT$^{(R)}$ (p<0.05). The supplemental CBT$^{(R)}$ resulted in linear (p<0.001) and quadratic (p<0.01) response in population of cecal lactic acid bacteria. In conclusion, fermented Chlorella vulgaris supplemented to laying hen diets improved egg production, egg yolk color, Haugh unit and positively affected the contents of hepatic triacylglycerol and the profiles of cecal microflora.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.702-707
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• 1998

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of a microbial enzyme (Roxazyme-$G^{(R)}$), a multicarbohydrases preparation, supplementation to the wheat-based layer diets. Diets were formulated to include different levels of wheat replacing yellow corn on isocaloric and isonitrogenous basis. The energy value of wheat in the enzyme supplemented diets was adjusted (spec-modified) to have 5% more ME than the wheat in diets without enzyme. A total of 864 Hy-$Line^{(R)}$ brown layers were assigned to 4 dietary treatments: 10% wheat (T1), 25% wheat (T2), 25% wheat (spec-modified)+ 0.01 % Roxazyme-$G^{(R)}$ (T3), and all wheat (spec-modified)+0.01% Roxazyme-$G^{(R)}$ (T4). Hen-day egg productions of T1 and T4 were significantly (p < 0.05) greater than that of T2 but not different from T3. Hen-housed egg production of T4 was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than those of T1 and T3 but not different from T2. Egg weights of T1 and T2 were significantly (p < 0.0 1) greater than that of T4. Feed consumption of T2 was significantly (p < 0.01) lower than other treatments. Feed conversion ratio (feed/egg mass) was not significantly different among treatments. Eggshell thickness of T1 was significantly (p < 0.01) greater than other treatments but ratio of broken eggs was not significantly different among treatments. Haugh unit of T4 was significantly greater (p < 0.05) than that of T2. Egg yolk color was significantly (p < 0.01) influenced by treatments in which enzyme treatment potentiated the yolk pigmentation. It was concluded that a multi-carbohydrases supplementation enables complete replacement of yellow com with wheat without loss of productivity and major egg quality parameters.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.71-77
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• 1998

This study was investigated to study split diets on laying performance and eggshell quality with Hy-Line brown layers 43 weeks old for 12 weeks Layers fed a conventional diet and split diets were divided into morning and afternoon diet. The conventional diet contained 3.4 % Ca was given constant nutrients all day. Hens of the split diets fed morning diets contained 0.5 % Ca constantly and afternoon diets contained 5.9, 8.0, and 10.0 % Ca in T1to T3. Split diets were given morning diets from 04:00 to 15:00 and afternoon diets 15:00 to 21 :00 alternately. Egg production, egg weight, and egg mass were not significantly different among diets. Abnormal eggs decreased in T1 and T2, but no significantly differed(P>0.05). Feed intake decreased in all of split diets compared to control diets (P <0.05). So, feed conversion ratio also improved in split diets(P<0.05). ME and CP intake decreased in T2 and T3, and Ca intake increased in proportion to Ca content of diets(P<0.05). ME and CP requirements per kg eggs decreased in the split diets, and that of Ca increased. Although there were not different significantly, egg shell strength and thickness improved slightly in T2 at 12 week. Yolk color, haugh unit and yolk index were not different among diets. Therefore, we concluded that split diet feeding to layer could improve feed and economic efficiency with normal egg production.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.9
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• pp.1355-1360
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• 2008

Effects of dietary ${\delta}$-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) supplementation on serum iron status, blood characteristics, egg production and quality were examined in laying hens in an 8-week feeding trail. Two hundred and forty (Hy-line brown, 40-week-old) layers were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with ten replications (six layers in adjacent three cages). Dietary treatments included: 1) CON (basal diet), 2) ALA1 (CON+ALA 5 ppm), 3) ALA2 (CON+ALA 10 ppm) and 4) ALA3 (CON+ALA 15 ppm). All nutrient levels of diets were formulated to meet or exceed NRC (1994) recommendations for laying hens. During the entire experimental period, differences of serum iron concentration and total iron binding capacity (TIBC) were significantly increased in ALA1 supplemented treatment (quadratic effect, p<0.05). The difference of total protein between 8 and 0 weeks was significantly higher in ALA2 treatment than CON treatment (quadratic effect, p<0.05). No significant effects were observed on hemoglobin, WBC, RBC, lymphocyte and albumin concentrations. Egg production and egg weight were not influenced by the ALA supplementation. Egg yolk index was also significantly higher in ALA3 treatment than CON treatment at the end of 4 and 8 weeks (linear effect, p<0.05). Haugh unit was increased in ALA3 treatment compared to CON and ALA1 treatments at the end of 8 weeks (linear effect, p<0.05). However, egg shell thickness, breaking strength and yolk color unit were not affected by the ALA supplementation. In conclusion, dietary ALA supplementation at a level of 5 ppm can affect iron concentration in serum while higher levels (10 or 15 ppm) have some beneficial influences on blood profiles and egg quality.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.999-1008
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• 2014

We evaluated the quality characteristics and antioxidative activities of cookies containing different types of egg yolk (LEY, Liquid Egg Yolk; FEY, Fresh Egg Yolk) and percentages of blueberry powder (5, 10, and 15%). As the amount of blueberry powder increased, the levels of antioxidants based on ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities increased in general. Within the 15% group, contents of polyphenols and flavonoids were higher in the FEY group, whereas content of anthocyanins was higher in the LEY group. Measurement of ABTS radical scavenging activity showed that the FEY group had a higher value within the 10% group, whereas the LEY group scored higher within the 15% group. Comparison of sensory properties showed no significant difference between the two egg yolk types. If commercialized, manufacturing cookies with FEY or LEY will not make a significant difference. Regardless, 15% blueberry powder would be the most appropriate, as it scored the highest in terms of antioxidant activity and sensory characteristics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.7
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• pp.1015-1020
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• 2012

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of bacteriophage supplementation on egg performance, egg quality, excreta microflora, and moisture content in laying hens. A total of 288 Hy-line brown commercial laying hens (36-wk-old) were randomly allotted to 4 treatments in this 6-wk trial and dietary treatments included: i) CON, basal diet; ii) T1, CON+0.020% bacteriophage; iii) T2, CON+0.035% bacteriophage; iv) T3, CON+0.050% bacteriophage. There were 6 replicates for each treatment with 6 adjacent cages (2 hens/cage). Laying hens in T2 and T3 treatments had higher (p<0.05) egg production than those in CON and T1 treatments during wk 0 to 3. In addition, egg production in T1, T2, and T3 treatments was increased (p<0.05) compared with that in CON treatment during wk 4 to 6. At wk 4 and 5, birds in T2 group had higher (p<0.05) HU than those in CON. In addition, at wk 5 and 6, HU in birds fed T1 and T3 diets was greater (p<0.05) than those fed CON diet. E. coli and Salmonella spp. concentrations in excreta were decreased (p<0.05) by T1, T2, and T3 treatments. However, egg weight, egg shell color, yolk height, yolk color unit, egg shell strength, egg shell thickness, egg gravity, and excreta moisture content were not influenced by dietary treatments during the entire experimental period. In conclusion, bacteriophage supplementation has beneficial effects on egg production, egg albumen, and excreta microflora concentration in laying hens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1224-1229
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• 2003

The combined effects of washing, sanitization and coating of eggshell on the physical and microbiological quality during storage were evaluated at $4^{\circ}$ and $30^{\circ}C$. The interior qualities of the eggs were assessed by weight changes, yolk index, albumen index, Haugh unit value, and microbial contamination of egg shell and egg white during 30 days of storage in untreated, washed, or sanitized and mineral oil-coated eggs. The results suggest that these changes were faster in higher temperature ($30^{\circ}C$) than lower temperature ($4^{\circ}C$) storage, and washed eggs deteriorated faster than untreated eggs. The sanitized and coated eggs maintained the best quality during storage in all parameters measured. The shelf-life of washed, sanitized and coated eggs could be extended 4-5 fold compared to that of washed or untreated eggs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.486-494
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• 2006

In order to protect the spermatozoa against cold shock, hen egg yolk is widely used as a cryoprotective agent in semen freezing extenders for domestic animals. The protective action of yolk is largely presumed to be due to low density lipoproteins (LDL). The effects of LDL on sperm quality of bull and northern pike (Esox lucius) after freezing-thawing have been reported, but no study has been made to evaluate the effect of LDL on boar sperm motility and other characteristics. The experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of LDL on the freezing of boar sperm in 0.25 ml straws. The aim was to evaluate the quality of boar spermatozoa cryopreserved in the presence of LDL. Motility of semen cryopreserved in LDL was analyzed and compared to semen cryopreserved with Tris-citric acid-glucose (TCG) and Tris-citric acid-fructose (TCF), two basic freezing extenders containing egg yolk. Similarly, acrosome and plasma membrane integrity were also evaluated and compared to semen cryopreserved with TCG and TCF. Analysis of sperm quality after freeze-thaw showed that the motility, acrosome and plasma membrane integrity were improved with LDL in the extender, as compared to the TCG and TCF. The highest post-thaw integrity of acrosome and plasma membrane and motility were obtained with 9% LDL (w/v). Consequently, the optimum LDL concentration in the extender was 9%. It is also suggested that the concentration of LDL addition is important for the effect on boar sperm protection during freezing and thawing. The percentage of motile spermatozoa was significantly higher after freezing in 9% LDL than in TCG and TCF 54.4% versus 30.4% and 30.1% (p<0.05), respectively. The integrity of acrosome and plasma membrane were also significantly higher at 70.3% and 50.5% respectively with semen frozen in 9% LDL extender compared to TCG at 37.8% and 30.3% and TCF at 36.4% and 29.9%, respectively (p<0.05),. In conclusion, we propose that extender containing LDL extracted from hen egg yolk could be used as a cryoprotective media with a better efficiency than TCG and TCF. LDL improved boar semen quality, allowing better spermatozoa motility, acrosome and plasma membrane integrity after the freeze-thaw process. Furthermore, we found out that the extender with 9% LDL concentration significantly enhanced motility, acrosome and plasma membrane integrity of boar sperm after freezing and thawing.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.646-651
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• 2016

Cryopreservation of caudal epididymal spermatozoa is an effective technique to conserve genetic potentials of superior dogs when it is not possible to collect ejaculated spermatozoa. Although hen egg yolk is commonly supplemented into the semen extender, active substances within the egg yolk which protect sperm against cryoinjury remain to be discovered. Among its compositions, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) has been reported to have a cryoprotective property for sperm cryopreservation. However, the effects of LDL on dog epididymal spermatozoa during cryopreservation have not yet been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of LDL on epididymal spermatozoa quality following cryopreservation and thawing. After routine castration of 12 dogs, caudal epididymides from individuals were separated from the testes and cut into a few pieces in a Tris-buffer. Spermatozoa recovered from each sample were examined at once for sperm quality and divided into six groups of extender: no LDL, 20% egg yolk, 4%, 8%, 16%, and 24% LDL, before cryopreservation. The sperm aliquots were then equilibrated and conventionally frozen. After thawing, sperm motility, morphology, plasma membrane integrity, and acrosome integrity were evaluated. The results revealed that 4% LDL and 20% egg yolk yielded significantly higher sperm motility (57.69% and 52.69%, respectively, p<0.05) than other LDLs. In addition, 4% LDL yielded the significantly highest plasma membrane integrity (70.54%, p<0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation of 4% LDL in Tris-glucose extender could be applied for cryopreservation of canine epididymal spermatozoa.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.181-189
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• 2011

Cryopreservation protocols induce partially irreversible damage to mammalian sperm plasma membranes. Previous studies have indicated that adding cholesterol to the plasma membrane, as cholesterol-loaded-cyclodextrins, improves cryosurvival of sperm. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine if treating sperm of Markhoz bucks with cholesterol-loaded-cyclodextrins (CLC) (0, 0.75, 1.5, 2.25 and 3 mg/ml diluted $240{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml) in Tris-citric acid-glucose diluents with and without egg yolk (containing 5% glycerol) would improve the post-thaw sperm quality. The motion characteristics were evaluated with a Computer Assisted System Analyzer (CASA); acrosome integrity and vitality were measured with the triple-stain technique. Samples were recovered before and after freezing by means of putting straws into $37^{\circ}C$ water for 30 sec and then parameters were assessed. The results showed that the treatments significantly affected motility, progressive motility, recovery rate, curvilinear velocity, beat cross frequency, live sperm with reacted acrosome, live sperm with unreacted acrosome, dead sperm with reacted acrosorne, and dead sperm with unreacted acrosome during freezing (p<0.05). However; no significant differences were found for average path velocity, straight line velocity, amplitude of lateral head displacement, straightness and linearity (p>0.05). The best results were observed for extender containing 2.25 mg/ml ($240{\times}10^6$ sperm/ml) CLC supplemented with 2.6% egg yolk. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate improved Markhoz sperm viability and motility following treatment in the presence of egg yolk.