• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.211-220
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of yeast with bacteriocin and Lactobacillus cultures (mixture of Lactobacillus agilis BCRC 10436 and Lactobacillus reuteri BCRC 17476) supplements, alone or in combination, on broiler chicken performance. Methods: A total of 300, 1-d-old healthy broiler chickens were randomly divided into five treatment groups: i) basal diet (control), ii) basal diet+0.25% yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) (YC), iii) basal diet+0.25% yeast with bacteriocin (BA), iv) basal diet+Lactobacillus cultures (LAB), and v) basal diet +0.25% yeast with bacteriocin+Lactobacillus cultures (BA+LAB). Growth performance, cecal microbiota, cecal fermentation products, and blood biochemistry parameters were determined when chickens were 21 and 35 d old. Results: The supplementation of YC, BA, and BA+LAB resulted in a significantly better feed conversion rate (FCR) than that of the control group during 1 to 21 d (p<0.05). The LAB supplementation had a significant effect on the presence of Lactobacillus in the ceca at 35 d. None of the supplements had an effect on relative numbers of L. agilis and L. reuter at 21 d, but the BA supplementation resulted in the decrease of both Lactobacillus strains at 35 d. The BA+LAB supplementation resulted in higher short chain fatty acid (SCFA) in the ceca, but LAB supplementation significantly decreased the SCFA at 35 d (p<0.05). All treatments tended to decrease ammonia concentration in the ceca at 21 d, especially in the LAB treatment group. The BA supplementation alone decreased the triacylglycerol (TG) concentration significantly at 21 d (p<0.05), but the synergistic effect of BA and LAB supplementation was required to reduce the TG concentration at 35 d. The YC supplementation tended to increase the plasma cholesterol at 21 d and 35 d. However, the BA supplementation significantly decreased the cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol level at 35 d. In conclusion, the BA+LAB supplementation was beneficial to body weight gain and FCR of broiler chickens. Conclusion: The effect of BA and LAB supplementation may be a result of the growth of lactic acid bacteria enhancement and physiological characterization of bacteriocin, and it suggests that the BA and LAB supplementation level or Lactobacillus strain selection should be integrated in future supplementation designs.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 2007

A growth trial (Expt. 1) and an in vitro fermentation experiment (Expt. 2) were conducted to determine the response of growth performance, cecal fermentation characteristics and in vitro gas production to incremental levels of substitution of digestible fiber for lignified fiber in the diet of weaned rabbits. Three diets, formulated by substituting soyhulls (SH; used as digestible fiber source) for soybean straw (used as lignified fiber source) at substitution levels of 0, 25 and 50%, were used in a factorial design. In the growth trial (Expt. 1), increasing levels of SH substitution resulted in a quadratic increase in daily body weight gain rate (p<0.04) and feed conversion efficiency (p<0.02), but in a numerical decrease in dietary DM intake (p=0.15). When SH were included in the diet at 25% substitution level, rabbits had the highest rate of liveweight gain and feed conversion efficiency. As SH substitution level increased, pH values and ammonia-N of cecal contents linearly (p<0.001) decreased, but total VFA concentration linearly (p<0.03) increased. With incremental levels of SH substitution, the percentage of acetate and butyrate linearly (p<0.05) reduced, but the percentage of propionate and minor acids linearly (p<0.03) increased. Increasing the SH substitution levels tended to increase incidence of diarrhea. In the in vitro fermentation experiment (Expt. 2), regardless of origin of substrates fermented, increasing SH substitution level resulted in increased maximal gas production (p<0.001) and shortened gas production lag time, but had no effect on gas production rate (p>0.2). These observations suggest that incrementally feeding SH to rabbits could stimulate their cecal microbial activity, allowing cecal fermentation to shift towards favoring fiber digestion. In conclusion, digestible fiber from soyhulls may partially substitute for more lignified fiber, soybean straw, without having an adverse effect on cecal fermentative and microbial activity and growth performance. For growing rabbits, about 73% of total dietary NDF should be supplied by effective NDF, the remainder could come from digestible NDF, such as soyhulls.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.27 no.12
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• pp.1749-1754
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• 2014

The current experiment was designed to evaluate the efficacy of adding the multi-enzyme mixture (Natuzyme) into layers' diets with different levels of energy and available phosphorus in relation to laying performance, egg qualities, blood cholesterol level, microflora and intestinal viscosity. Two hundred and fifty 43-wk-old Hy-Line commercial layers were divided into five groups with five replicates per group (10 birds per replicate) and fed one of five experimental diets. A corn and soybean meal-based control diet was formulated and used as a control diet. Two experimental control diets were formulated to reduce energy and crude protein contents (rE) or energy, crude protein and phosphorus contents (rEP). In addition, Natuzyme was added into either rE (rE-Natu500) or rEP (rEP-Natu500) diet to reach a concentration of 500 mg per kg of diet. The experiment lasted 8 weeks. There were no significant differences in feed intake, egg production, egg weight, egg qualities such as eggshell color or Haugh unit, total cholesterol, relative organ weights and cecal microflora profiles between any dietary treatments. Natu500 supplementation into the rE diet, but not rEP diet significantly increased egg mass and eggshell qualities such as strength and thickness, but it decreased cecal ammonia concentration and intestinal viscosity in laying hens. In conclusion, the present study shows that adding multiple enzyme preparation could improve performance of laying hens fed energy and protein restricted diets.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.143-149
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• 2014

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of the mixture of probiotics (MP) on growth performance, size of small intestine, cecal microflora and ammonia concentrations in broiler chicks. A total of 700, one-day-old male broiler chicks were randomly allotted to four treatments with seven replications having 25 birds per pen. The birds were fed one of the four experimental diets; containing no antibiotics nor MP (negative control, NC), containing antibiotics without MP(positive control, PC), negative control with MP 0.1% and negative control with MP 0.2% for 5 weeks. During overall experiment, birds in PC and MP treatments had higher final BW and daily BW gains than birds in NC treatments; however, the significance was not identified. The feed conversion ratio of the chicks fed the diet containing MP was significantly improved as compared to those fed the NC diets. The weights of jejunum were increased by the MP (p<0.05), but weights of duodenum, ileum and length of small intestine were similar among the groups. Birds in PC treatment showed lower populations of total microbes and lactic acid bacteria than other groups (p<0.05), cecal ammonia concentrations of the chicks fed the diet containing MP were significantly decreased as compared to those of NC and PC (p<0.01). In conclusion, MP added to the broiler diets improved the feed conversion rate and reduced cecal ammonia concentration.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1718-1728
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• 2011

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the in vitro ability of keratinase to hydrolyze soybean glycinin and ${\beta}$-conglycinin and to evaluate the in vivo effects of keratinase when included in corn-soybean diets with different levels of crude protein and fed to nursery pigs. In experiment 1, a saturated keratinase solution (1 ml) was added to two blank controls of either glycinin or ${\beta}$-conglycinin resulting in the hydrolysis of 94.74% glycinin and 88.89% ${\beta}$-conglycinin. In experiment 2, 190 pigs (8.3${\pm}$0.63 kg BW) were allotted to one of four treatments in a 2${\times}$2 factorial arrangement on the basis of body weight, and sex was balanced among the pens. The effects of crude protein (19 vs. 22%) and keratinase (0 vs. 0.05%) were studied. Each treatment was applied to six pens with seven (two pens) or eight pigs per pen. Pigs were fed the experimental diets for 21 d. Weight gain and feed conversion ratio were improved (p<0.05) with keratinase supplementation while feed intake was reduced (p<0.05). Keratinase supplementation increased (p<0.05) the apparent total tract digestibility of dry matter, energy, crude protein and phosphorus. Keratinase supplementation also increased n-butyric acid in the cecum and colon, lactobacilli and total anaerobe counts in the colon as well as the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in the ileum. Additionally, fecal score, ammonia nitrogen and branch chain volatile fatty acids in the colon, E. coli and total aerobe counts in the colon, crypt depth in the jejunum and ileum as well as serum interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 concentrations were also decreased (p<0.05) by keratinase supplementation. A reduction in dietary crude protein decreased (p<0.05) colon ammonia nitrogen concentration and cecal propionic acid and branch chain volatile fatty acid concentrations. In addition, cecal E. coli counts, colon total anaerobe counts, ileal crypt depth, and serum interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 concentrations were also decreased (p<0.05) with the reduction of dietary crude protein. With the exception of fecal scores, there were no significant interactions between crude protein and keratinase. This study provides evidence that dietary keratinase supplementation improved nursery pig performance by improving intestinal morphology and ecology, thus improving nutrient digestibility and alleviating the inflammatory response.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.47-55
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• 2009

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of spider-derived protease [Arazyme (AZ)] supplementation on egg production, egg quality, cecal microflora and viscosity of intestinal contents in laying hens at the late production. A total of two hundred, 59-wks-old, Hy-Line Brown layers were divided into four groups, placed into 5 replicates per group (50 birds per group) and fed one of four diets containing 0.05, 0.075 or 0.1% AZ or control for 5 wks. The results showed that egg weight in group fed the diet containing 0.05% AZ was significantly higher than those of other groups (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in egg interior and eggshell qualities among the groups. The serum parameters such as total cholesterol, the levels of GOT and GPT were not influenced by AZ feeding. There were no significant differences in the cecal number of total microbes, Coliforms and lactic acid bacteria among the groups. The viscosity and ammonia concentration of intestinal contents in the groups fed AZ were significantly reduced compared to those of the control (P<0.05). In conclusion, laying hens fed AZ supplemented diet improved egg weight as compared with that of control. In addition, the AZ supplemented diet reduced the viscosity and ammonia concentration of intestinal contents, reflecting a significant feed enzyme effect.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.153-162
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• 2008

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the dietary effects of mixture of probiotics and colistin on laying performance, intestinal microflora and egg yolk cholesterol in laying hens. One hundred sixty 50-wk-old Hy-Line Brown layers were divided into four treatments and fed a commercial diet (Control) or experimental diets containing 0.2% mixture of probiotics or probiotics and colistin mixture (T1, Bacillus subtilis + Aspergillus oryzae + Lactobacillus plantarum; T2, Bacillus subtilis + Aspergillus oryzae; T3, Bacillus subtilis + Aspergillus oryzae+colistin) for 8 wk. No significant differences were found in laying performance and liver weight among the groups. The Haugh unit of treated groups were significantly improved (P<0.05) compared to that of control, but eggshell qualities were not changed by the treatments. The cecal ammonia concentration was significantly decreased in both T1 and T3 groups. The number of coli forms in cecal content and feces were significantly reduced in all treated groups compared to that of Control (P<0.05). The egg yolk cholesterol contents in the groups fed the diet containing mixture of probiotics and colistin were reduced in comparison with that of Control. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of mixture of probiotics and colistin improved quality of egg albumen, and reduced the egg cholesterol contents. They also reduced intestinal coli forms without harmful effects on overall productive and physiological responses in laying hens.