Effets de la consanguinité sur les performances de croissance et de viabilité des ovins des races Timahdite et Sardi

The objective of this study was to assess the effect of inbreeding on weights at 10 (W10d), 30 (W30d) and 70 days of age (W70 d), on average daily gain between 10-30 days (ADG10-30) and between 30-70 days (ADG30-70), as well as on the lamb survival between birth and 70 days of Timahdite and Sardi sheep. The study was based on the performance of 183086 Timahdite lambs and 46193 Sardi lambs collected from 2002 to 2012 in selection farms supervised by the National Association of Sheep and Goats. Effects of inbreeding on performance were estimated by least-squares method. The increase by 1% in the level of individual inbreeding leads to a significant decrease of 0.0022 and 0.0023 kg for W30d and W70d, respectively of Timahdite lambs and 0.0044 and 0.0065 kg, respectively of Sardi lambs. The effect of inbreeding was non-significant on W10d and ADG of both breeds. However, the effect was significantly positive (0.0283%/%F) on Timahdite lamb survival and positive but not significant (0.0216%/%F) on Sardi lamb survival. Maternal inbreeding had a significant effect (0.0366 g/j/%F) only on the ADG30-70 of Timahdite breed. It was concluded that inbreeding depression has little significance on flocks with a low level of inbreeding.  L’objectif de la présente étude est l’évaluation des effets de la consanguinité sur les poids à 10 (P10j), à 30 (P30j) et  à 70 jours (P70j), sur les gains moyens quotidiens entre 10-30 jours (GMQ10-30) et entre 30-70 jours (GMQ30-70), ainsi que sur la viabilité entre la naissance et 70 jours des agneaux des races Timahdite et Sardi. L’étude a porté sur les performances de 183086 agneaux de race Timahdite et 46193 agneaux de race Sardi collectées entre 2002 et 2012 dans les élevages encadrés par l’Association Nationale Ovine et Caprine. L'effet de la consanguinité sur les caractères étudiés a été estimé par la méthode des moindres carrés. L’augmentation de 1% de la consanguinité individuelle engendre des baisses significatives de 0,0022 kg et 0,0023 kg respectivement des P30j et P70j des agneaux Timahdite et de 0,0044 kg et 0,0065 kg des agneaux Sardi. L’effet de la consanguinité s’est révélé non significatif sur le P10j et les GMQ des agneaux des deux races. En revanche, l’effet est significativement positif (0,0283%/%F) sur la viabilité des agneaux Timahdite et positif mais non significatif (0,0216%/%F) sur la viabilité des agneaux Sardi. La consanguinité maternelle exerce un effet significatif (0,0366 g/j/%F) uniquement sur le GMQ30-70 de la race Timahdite. Il a été conclu que les effets dépressifs de la consanguinité n’ont pas une grande importance sur les troupeaux ayant des taux de consanguinité faibles.   &nbsp

Les probiotiques: Seraient-ils la nouvelle génération naturelle des cofacteurs promoteurs de croissance chez le poulet de chair ?

Growth promoter antibiotics (GPAs) play an important role in improving growth performances by preventing intestinal pathogenic bacteria proliferation such us Escherichia coli, Salmonella and clostridium. However, the large use of GPAs led to antibio-resistance and residues in both food of poultry origin (offal...) and environment which has negative effects on public health and meat quality. Thus, several clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate the effects of potential alternatives to ban GPAs’ use in poultry breeding. In fact, effects of those alternatives on gut health and growth performances, have been reported to be similar at GPAs especially ensuring intestinal microbiota balance and improving gut health and zootechnical performances. Thus, there is a need for further investigations to determine: strains, doses, synergistic combination, administration’ moment and cost of the probiotics per bird to establish appropriate protocols. The current review paper sheds light on the different aspects that define probiotics, going from their mechanism of action and their effects on zootechnical parameters and the digestive health on broilers to conclude with an overview on the economic indicators that succeed in their use and the revolutionary concept of the Ovo-feed.  Key words: GPA, probiotics, broilers, gut health, growth performancesDepuis leur apparition, les antibiotiques promoteurs de croissance (APC) ont joué un rôle crucial dans l’amélioration des performances zootechniques à travers la prévention de la prolifération des bactéries pathogènes au niveau intestinal du poulet, notamment Escherichia coli, salmonelles et clostridies. Les différentes investigations scientifiques ont prouvé que leur utilisation à grande échelle a engendré une antibio-résistance et des résidus dans l’environnement, la viande et les denrées alimentaires d’origine avicole (abats...) ce qui peut se répercuter négativement sur la santé publique et l’image de qualité de ces produits.  Par conséquent, il était primordial de trouver des alternatives potentielles aux antibiotiques promoteurs de croissance afin de bannir leur utilisation en élevage avicole. On compte parmi ces produits précédemment cités, une multitude de substances et de micro-organismes, notamment les probiotiques. En effet, ces substituts ont prouvé leur faculté à égaler les effets escomptés par un APC à savoir assurer un bon équilibre du microbiote intestinal et améliorer la santé digestive et les performances zootechniques. Ainsi, il serait très lucide d’approfondir les investigations afin de déterminer la souche, la dose, le moment d’administration, les associations synergiques avec d’autre produits alternatifs ainsi que le coût de revient par individu des probiotiques afin d’établir un protocole d’usage en fonction des effets souhaités. L’objectif de ce travail est de mettre l’accent sur les différents volets qui définissent les probiotiques et ce en allant de leur mécanisme d’action et leurs effets sur les paramètres zootechniques et la santé digestive du poulet de chair pour conclure avec un aperçu sur les indicateurs économiques qui succèdent à leur usage tout en passant par un léger préambule sur le concept révolutionnaire de l’Ovo-feeding. Mots clés : APC, probiotiques, poulet de chair, santé digestive, performances de croissance

ZINC: THE POULTRY INDUSTRY’S PRODIGIOUS TRACE ELEMENT!

In 2006, the European Union, Switzerland and other countries around the world banned the use of antibiotics as growth-promoters (AGPs) in poultry feed. This is due to the fact that excessive use of AGPs would generate antibiotic resistance at dangerously high levels. compromising the capacity to treat common infectious diseases in humans such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, sepsis, ... This fact implies the urgency of banning the use of AGPs in poultry farms and the obligation to substitute them with alternatives that can match their effects in terms of growth performance but also can improve intestinal health such as Zinc. In fact, Zinc in organic or inorganic form has multiple effects, like improving growth parameters in broilers and production in layers and breeders, stimulating the immune system and maintaining the balance of the intestinal microbiota. Zinc is thus a broad-spectrum substitute for AGPs in poultry and its potential should be further explored.</jats:p

Nanocomposite material from TiO2 and activated carbon for the removal of pharmaceutical product sulfamethazine by combined adsorption/photocatalysis in aqueous media

International audienc

Detection of Sutterella spp. in Broiler Liver and Breast

Sutterella sp. is a gram-negative, microaerophilic bacterium that is particularly resistant to bile acids. It has recently been associated with several human pathologies such as inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, diabetes, and autism. Indeed, susceptibility patterns to ciprofloxacin and erythromycin, combined with resistance to metronidazole, indicate that Sutterella wadsworthensis patterns are closer to those of Campylobacter. The objective of this study is to identify, for the first time, Sutterella spp. in the liver and breast of broiler chickens by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Liver, breast, and cecal content samples were taken from 25 birds and frozen at −20°C until analyzed. The main results showed that Sutterella sp. is part of the cecal microbiota of 48% of the birds and present in the liver and breast of, respectively 20 and 40% of the chicks with a variable Cq. We, therefore, conclude that Sutterella sp. exists in poultry and poultry meat and that foodstuffs of poultry origin might be considered as a potential source of contamination for humans.</jats:p

NSPASES: CAN THOSE EXOGENOUS ENZYMES REALLY CONSTITUTE NATURAL GROWTH COFACTORS IN BROILER CHICKENS?

In the quest to improve public and animal health, white meat is considered to be one of the major causes of antibioresistance identified in medicine, through uncontrolled use of antibiotics in poultry farming as growth promoters (GPA). Thus, this use needs to be reconsidered at large scale. This reconsideration involves the substitution of GPAs by natural alternatives, particularly enzymes degrading non-starch polysaccharides (NSPases) which will allow:1) modulation of the intestinal microbiota, to attenuate the anti-nutritional effects of insoluble NSPs, 2)reduction of the non-digested portion of the substrate and 3) improvement of the zootechnical performance of the chicken. Non-starch polysaccharides contain two main families, namely: water-insoluble NSPs including cellulose and partially water-soluble NSPs. However, despite the fact that these components constitute the major part of cereal dietary fiber, they have an anti-nutritional effect associated with the viscous nature of these polysaccharides and their interaction with the intestinal microflora due to the fact that poultry does not produce enough endogenous enzymes to hydrolyze NSPs. The use of NSPases produced mainly by fungi and bacteria allows counterbalancing the anti-nutritional properties of dietary fibers by increasing the digestibility of starch and improving the zootechnical performance of broilers, particularly the conversion index.Thus, this literature review aims to shed light on the effects of NSPases on the zootechnical parameters of chickens, the intestinal microflora as well as on nutritional digestibility in order to use them as alternatives to GPAs and limit the aggravation of the phenomenon of antibioresistance. This approach is therefore, part of the world famous concept of one world one health and which applies to the design and implementation of programs, policies, legislations and research for which several sectors communicate and collaborate to improve public health outcomes.</jats:p