Influence of probiotic supplementation on blood parameters and growth performance in broiler chickens

AbstractEffects of commercial probiotic (Bactocell®) on growth performance and blood parameters were evaluated. A total of 800 one day-old Ross broiler chicks were raised over 42days. Chicks were wing-banded, weighed individually and randomly allocated into four equally major groups each having two replicates. Chicks of group 1 (control group) were fed the starter and finisher diets that did not supplemented with probiotic. The chicks of groups 2, 3, and 4 were fed the control starter and finisher diets supplemented with 1.6g, 1g and 0.8g of probiotic per kg feed, respectively. Weekly body weight, feed consumption and feed conversion were measured. Blood parameters at 1, 4 and 6weeks of age including packed cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin (Hb), total protein, albumin, total lipid and cholesterol were determined. All birds were kept under similar environmental, managerial and hygienic conditions. The results of the current study revealed that there was no significant change for Hb and PCV concentrations among different groups at all studied times. Also, total protein, lipids and albumin concentrations were not affected by probiotic supplementation. Chicken fed a diet containing various levels of probiotic showed a significant decrease (p⩽0.05) in cholesterol concentration compared to control group. Probiotic supplementation significantly increased the body weight and daily weight gain of broiler chicks at late ages (3–6weeks). Also, the birds fed on probiotic levels 1 and 0.8g/kg diet exhibited higher body weight among chicken groups at 6weeks of age. Improved feed conversion was noticed in birds fed a diet supplemented with probiotic. There was no significant difference in mortality rate among groups. We concluded that use of selected commercial probiotic resulted in improved performance parameters and reduced serum cholesterol in broiler chickens. Moreover, supplementation of the probiotic to broilers in the levels of 1 and 0.8g/kg diet was found to be better than control and 1.6g/kg level indicating that increasing dietary probiotic level does not has the best performance

Air quality in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

Yanbu, on the Red Sea, is an affluent Saudi Arabian industrial city of modest size. Substantial effort has been spent to balance environmental quality, especially air pollution, and industrial development. We have analyzed six years of observations of criteria pollutants O3, SO2, particles (PM2.5 and PM10) and the known ozone precursors—volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). The results suggest frequent VOC-limited conditions in which ozone concentrations increase with decreasing NOx and with increasing VOCs when NOx is plentiful. For the remaining circumstances ozone has a complex non-linear relationship with the VOCs. The interactions between these factors at Yanbu cause measurable impacts on air pollution including the weekend effect in which ozone concentrations stay the same or even increase despite significantly lower emissions of the precursors on the weekends. Air pollution was lower during the Eids (al-Fitr and al-Adha), Ramadan and the Hajj periods. During Ramadan, there were substantial night time emissions as the cycle everyday living is almost reversed between night and day. The exceedances of air pollution standards were evaluated using criteria from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), World Health Organization (WHO), the Saudi Presidency of Meteorology and Environment (PME) and the Royal Commission Environmental Regulations (RCER). The latter are stricter standards set just for Yanbu and Jubail. For the fine particles (PM2.5), an analysis of the winds showed a major impact from desert dust. This effect had to be taken into account but still left many occasions when standards were exceeded. Fewer exceedances were found for SO2, and fewer still for ozone. The paper presents a comprehensive view of air quality at this isolated desert urban environment

Antagonistic effects of Spirulina platensis on diazinon-induced hemato-biochemical alterations and oxidative stress in rats

International audienc

A review of Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy used in food adulteration and authenticity investigations

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.The increasing demand for food and the globalisation of the supply chain, have resulted in a rise in food fraud, and recent high profile cases, such as the Chinese milk scandal in 2008 and the EU horsemeat scandal in 2013 have emphasised the vulnerability of the food supply system to adulteration and authenticity frauds. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is routinely used in cases of suspected food fraud as it offers a rapid, easy and reliable detection method for these investigations. In this review we first present a brief summary of the concepts of food adulteration and authenticity as well as a discussion of the current legislation regarding these crimes. Thereafter, we give an extensive overview of FTIR as an analytical technique and the different foods where FTIR analysis has been employed for food fraud investigations as well as the subsequent multivariate data analysis have been applied successfully to investigate case of adulteration or authenticity. Finally, we give a critical discussion of the applications and limitations of FTIR, either as a standalone technique or incorporated in a test battery, in the fight against food fraud