• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.673-680
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• 2000

An experiment was conducted with day-old 300 commercial male broiler chicks (Arbor Acres$^{(R)}$) to evaluate the efficacy of crude phytase preparerations produced from a culture of Aspergillus ficcum. The experiment consisted of five dietary treatments; T1, com-soy control diet with 0.45% non-phytate phosphorus (NPP) for starter period and 0.35% NPP for grower period; T2, control - 0.1% NPP; T3, control 0.2% NPP; T4, T3+600 U of crude phytase (broth+cell); and T5, T3+600 U of crude phytase (broth). The body weight gain, feed intake, and feed/gain of chickens fed T1 diet was highest (p<0.01) among treatments. BW gain and feed intake of T4 and T5 were greater than those of T3 but were less than those of T1 and T2. T3 was highest in mortality among treatments. Decreasing the NPP level lowered availability of DM, crude ash, ether extract, crude fiber, Zn, and Fe but supplementation of crude phytase preparations improved the availability of these nutrients as well as those of Ca, P and Cu. Excretion of P and Cu significantly decreased as the NPP level in the diet decreased. Further reduction of P and Cu excretion and reduction of Ca, Mg and Fe excretion were achieved by supplementation of crude phytase preparations. The serum concentrations of Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Fe, and Cu were significantly increased by crude phytase supplementation. The weight and length of tibia, and contents of crude ash, Ca, P, Mg, and Zn were adversely affected by lowering NPP level but partially recovered by supplementation of crude phytase preparations. In conclusion, lowering NPP level in the broiler diet significantly depressed the performance. Supplementation of crude phytase preparations produced from Aspergillus ficuum could partially recover the depression.

• Korean Journal of Acupuncture
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.165-196
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• 2008

Objective : The purpose of this study is to observe the effects of herbal-acupuncture with Acanthopanacis cortex extract (AC-HA) at KI10 (Eumgok) on osteoporosis in ovariectomized (OVX) ddy mice. Methods : We carried out several experimental items to analyze the changes in body weight, uterine weight, uterus index, tibial length, the ash bone weight, tibial BMD, serum ALP, serum creatinine, serum osteocalcin, serum Ca, and the levels of Ca, P, Ca/P ratio in tibia, and we performed histological and histomorphological analysis as well. Results : Tibial BMD was significantly decreased by OVX, while significantly increased by AC-HA at KI10. Serum creatinine level was significantly increased by OVX, while significantly decreased by AC-HA at KI10. Serum osteocalcin level was significantly increased by OVX, while significantly decreased by AC-HA at KI10. Tibial TBV(trabecular bone volume) was significantly decreased by OVX, while significantly increased by AC-HA at KI10. AC-HA at KI10 significantly suppressed the OVX-induced increase of GPL(growth plate length) of tibia in mice. Conclusion : These results suggest that AC-HA at KI10 has a therapeutic effect on osteoporosis in OVX mice.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.169-179
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• 2000

An experiment was conducted to measure the effect of crude phytase supplementation on the growing performance, blood concentrations of some minerals and tibia characteristics of broiler chickens. Day-old 240 male broiler chickens (Avian) were randomly allotted to four treatments. There were six replicates per treatment, and ten chicks per replicate. Treatments consisted of two levels of crude phytase (0 and 600U/kg) made from Aspergillus ficuum and two levels of non-phytate P (0.45 and 0.35% NPP for the starter period, and 0.35 and 0.25% NPP for the grower period), making the experiment 2$\times$2 factorial. The starter period was from hatch to 21 d of age, and grower period was from 22 to 35 d of age. Feed intake and weight gain of chicks fed diet containing phytase were higher(P〈0.05) than those of chicks fed diets without phytase, however, no differences was found in feed/gain. mortality, and nutrient availabilities regarding the phytase supplementation. Chickens fed diets with low NPP and phytase excreted lower P than did birds fed diets containing normal NPP without phytase. The level of NPP and phytase did not affect N excretion. The Ca availability was increased by feeding low NPP diet. Dietary phytase increased the availabilities of P and Mg, but decreased those of Fe and Zn. There was interactions between dietary NPP level and phytase addition on mineral availability. Tibia was lighter and shorter in low NPP groups, and heavier in phytase treated groups. The tibial contents of Ca, P and Mg decreased in low NPP treated groups, but increased in phytase treated groups. The ash content of tibia of chickens fed diet with phytase was higher than that of birds fed diets without phytase. These data suggest that the crude phytase supplementation to broiler diets containing low NPP level improves growth performance and mineral availability and, reduces fecal P excretion.

• 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.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1198-1204
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• 2010

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with multiple enzymes composed of phytase plus carbohydrolases (ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max, RM) on growth performance, nutritional availability and intestinal viscosity in broiler chicks. A total of one thousand, one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted into treatment groups that received one of five experimental diets for 32 days. Each group consisted of 40 birds and all experiments included five replicates. The dietary treatments included PC (a positive control diet), NC1 (65 kcal/kg, 0.15% and 0.10% less ME, available phosphorus and calcium levels, respectively, than the PC diet), NC2 (85 kcal/kg, 0.20% and 0.10% less ME, available phosphorus and calcium levels, respectively, than the PC diet), NC1+RM (NC1 plus ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max) and NC2+RM (NC2 plus ROVABIO$^{(R)}$ Max). The average body weights, daily body weight gains and feed conversion rates of the chicks fed a diet containing RM improved significantly or tended to improve. The treatments also had no effect on the carcass characteristics or blood parameters, but the viscosity of the intestinal contents of the chicks fed the diet containing RM was significantly lower than that of chicks in the NC without RM groups. Additionally, chicks fed the dietary RM showed increased breaking strength and ash content of the tibia when compared to chicks that received the non-RM diets. Taken together, the results of the present study indicated that the addition of multiple enzymes consisting of phytase plus NSP enzymes improved the growth performance and mineral status of the tibia in broiler chickens fed corn-wheat-soybean meal-based diets with reduced levels of nutrients. Further, these findings suggest that the improved animal performance is associated with reduced intestinal viscosity by the dietary enzyme complex.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.1179-1189
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• 2006

This experiment was designed to examine the effects of supplemental vitamin D on laying performance, metabolic profile and egg quality of hens fed diets containing different fat sources and levels. Lohman strains (n = 480) were assigned to one of 10 diets: basal diet (BD), BD plus 2.5 and 5.0% sunflower oil (SO) or tallow (T) at vitamin D provided $1{\times}$ and $3{\times}$ of the current recommendation. The experiment lasted from week 30 to 44 of age. Each diet was tested in 12 replicate cages of 4 hens. Production, metabolism, and egg quality data were subjected to three-way ANOVA. Both fats decreased feed intake (FI) as compared to BD. Increasing SO and T levels linearly decreased and quadratically increased FI, respectively. The dietary factors did not affect egg production (EP) and egg weight. Vitamin D supplementation increased and decreased EP when diets contained SO and T, respectively. Feed conversion efficiency (FCE) for hens fed SO was lower than for hens fed T. However, increasing T level improved FCE, whereas increasing SO level worsened FCR. Vitamin D supplementation increased serum vitamin D and glucose concentrations. Vitamin D supplementation also caused a decrease and an increase in serum vitamin D concentration when diets contained SO and T, respectively. Serum glucose concentration for hens fed SO was lower than hens fed T. Increasing fat level linearly increased serum triglyceride and VLDL concentrations, regardless of the fat type. Increasing SO level linearly decreased serum cholesterol concentration. Vitamin D supplementation did not alter lipid metabolites. The dietary factors did not affect serum total protein, Ca, and P concentrations. As compared with BD, feeding SO decreased dry tibia and ash weights more than feeding T. Vitamin D supplementation tended to increase dry tibia weight and decrease tibia ash weight. Eggshell strength and thickness, yolk and albumen indexes, and Haugh unit were not responsive to the dietary factors. Eggshell strength quadratically increased with increasing T level. Yolk color for hens fed SO was lower than for hens fed T. The dietary factors did not affect most of yolk fatty acids. Increasing SO level quadratically decreased yolk $C_{18:2}$ concentration. Vitamin D supplementation increased and decreased yolk $C_{18:2}$ concentration when diets contained SO and T, respectively. In conclusion, increasing fat level improved laying performance without altering metabolic profile and egg quality. Vitamin D supplementation had minor alteration effects on laying performance, metabolic profile, and egg quality in response to fat feeding.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.12
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• pp.1921-1928
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• 2022

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate the effects of age on growth, tibia development, and intestinal calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) transporter gene expressions in broiler chickens. Methods: A total of 224 male Arbor Acres broilers were fed with nutrient-adequate diets and reared in eight cages (28 broilers per cage). Eight broilers (one broiler per cage) were selected and killed at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 days of age, respectively. Results: Body weight continuously increased with age of broiler chickens from 5 to 40 days. The bone weight, ash weight, diameter, and length of the tibia also increased with broiler age. By contrast, the tibia ash, Ca, and P percentages quadratically changed with age (p<0.001), and the highest values of mineral contents were observed at 20, 25, and 25 days of age, respectively. The mRNA abundances of calcium-binding protein 28-kDa (CaBP-D28k), sodium-calcium exchanger 1 (NCX1), and plasma membrane ATPase 1b (PMCA1b) increased from 5 to 25 days and then decreased up to 40 days. Similar results were noted in the mRNA abundances of IIb sodium-phosphate cotransporter (NaPi-IIb), inorganic phosphate transporter 1 (PiT-1), inorganic phosphate transporter 2 (PiT-2), nuclear vitamin D receptor (nVDR), and membrane vitamin D receptor (mVDR). The mRNA abundances of Ca and P transporters and VDRs were the highest at 25 days of age. Conclusion: These data indicate that age quadratically affects intestinal Ca and P transporter gene expression and mineral absorption capacity in broiler chickens.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.9
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• pp.1296-1302
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• 2009

Ninety six beak-trimmed 72 week-old Lohmann Brown hens were randomly divided into four equal groups. Each group comprised 4 replicates. Isoenergetic and isonitrogenous experimental diets contained low calcium (3.5%); optimum calcium (4.2%); low Ca (3.5% Ca)+1% Clinoptilolite (CLP); low Ca (3.5% Ca)+2% CLP. Data were collected biweekly and the experiment lasted 6 weeks. Egg production, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, tibia Ca, P, ash and eggshell thickness were not affected by addition of CLP to the diets (p>0.05). There were no significant differences in egg shell strength and ash when data were analyzed individually in measurement periods ($74^{th}$, $76^{th}$ and $78^{th}$ weeks). However, according to pooled data ($74^{th}$-$78^{th}$ weeks), eggshell strength was increased (p<0.05) only by 2% CLP supplementation versus low Ca (3.5%) diet, and shell ash was significantly increased by 2% CLP supplementation compared with the other diets. The damaged egg ratio on 1% and 2% CLP diets was significantly decreased between 76-78 weeks'data when compared with the low Ca diet. However; damaged egg ratio on the 2% CLP diet was significantly decreased when pooled data (74-78) were compared with no CLP diets. The differences in marketable egg ratio paralleled damaged egg ratio. The plasma calcium level at the end of experiment was increased on the 2% CLP diet when compared with the low Ca (3.5%) diet (p<0.05). Furthermore, at the end of the experiment a marked decrease of manure moisture was observed on both CLP diets (p<0.01). In conclusion, Clinoptilolite (2%) supplementation to layer diets tends to improve eggshell quality and manure dry matter (1% and 2% CLP) after six weeks.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.9
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• pp.1393-1402
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• 2023

Objective: In this study effects of three types of beddings on broiler leg health and bone biomechanics were evaluated. Methods: A total of 504 male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly placed on three beddings (4 replicates/group; 42 birds/pen), zeolite-added litter (ZL), plastic-grid flooring (PF), and wood shavings (WS). On day 42, chickens were weighed, slaughtered, and samples (bone, muscle, and drumstick) were collected. Bones were subjected to leg health tests, morphometric measurements, biomechanical testing, and ash analysis. Results: Broilers in PF and WS groups showed higher live weight than the ZL group (p<0.001), and the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and varus valgus deformity due to distal bending was significantly higher in PF (p<0.001). Multinomial logistic regression showed that bedding has a significant (p = 0.038) contribution toward the development of TD. Tibial strength (p = 0.040), drumstick width (p = 0.001), and total femur and epiphyseal ash contents (p = 0.044, 0.016) were higher in the ZL group. Chicken live weight was correlated with tibial length and weight (r = 0.762, 0.725). Conclusion: Flooring and the type of bedding material directly affect broiler bone length, strength and leg health. Plastic bedding improves the slaughter weight of chickens on the expense of leg deformities, and zeolite litter improves leg health and bone strength.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.902-915
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• 2022

Objective: Diet acidification supplementation is known to influence intestinal morphology, gut microbiota, and on phosphorus (P) utilization of broilers. Alterations in intestinal barrier and microbiota have been associated with systemic inflammation and thus regulating bone turnover. Hence the effect of acidifier addition to drinking water on tibia mass and the linkages between intestinal integrity and bone were studied. Methods: One-d-old male broilers were randomly assigned to normal water (control) or continuous supply of acidified water (2% the blend of 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyric acid, lactic, and phosphoric acid) group with 5 replicates of 10 chicks per replicate for 42 d. Results: Acidification of drinking water improved the ash percentage and calcium content of tibia at 42 d. Broilers receiving acidified water had increased serum P concentration compared to control birds. The acidified group showed improved intestinal barrier, evidenced by increased wall thickness, villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio, and upregulated mucin-2 expression in ileum. Broilers receiving drinking water containing mixed organic acids had a higher proportion of Firmicutes and the ratio of Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, as well as a lower population of Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, the addition of acidifier to drinking water resulted in declined ileal and serum proinflammatory factors level and increased immunoglobulin concentrations in serum. Concerning bone remodeling, acidifier addition was linked to a decrease in serum C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase reflecting bone resorption, whereas it did not apparently change serum alkaline phosphatase activity that is a bone formation marker. Conclusion: Acidified drinking water increased tibia mineral deposition of broilers, which was probably linked with higher P utilization and decreased bone resorption through improved intestinal integrity and gut microbiota and through decreased systemic inflammation.