Chitin ranks next to cellulose as the most important bio-polysaccharide which can primarily be extracted from crustacean shells. However, the emergence of new areas of the application of chitin and its derivatives are on the increase and there is growing demand for new chitin sources. In this study, therefore, an attempt was made to extract chitin from the house cricket (Brachytrupes portentosus) by a chemical method. The physicochemical properties of chitin and chitosan extracted from crickets were compared with commercial chitin and chitosan extracted from shrimps, in terms of proximate analysis in particular, of their ash and moisture content. Also, infrared spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis were conducted. The chitin and chitosan yield of the house cricket ranges over 4.3%-7.1% and 2.4%-5.8% respectively. Chitin and chitosan from crickets compares favourably with those extracted from shrimps, and were found to exhibit some similarities. The result shows that cricket and shrimp chitin and chitosan have the same degree of acetylation and degree of deacetylation of 108.1% and 80.5% respectively, following Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The characteristic XRD strong/sharp peaks of 9.4 and 19.4° for α-chitin are common for both cricket and shrimp chitin. The percentage ash content of chitin and chitosan extracted from B. portentosus is 1%, which is lower than that obtained from shrimp products. Therefore, cricket chitin and chitosan can be said to be of better quality and of purer form than commercially produced chitin and chitosan from shrimp. Based on the quality of the product, chitin and chitosan isolated from B. portentosus can replace commercial chitin and chitosan in terms of utilization and applications. Therefore, B. portentosus is a promising alternative source of chitin and chitosan.

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In the present work six metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Mn and Ni) were analyzed for, using atomic absorption spectrophotometry in three main feed brands commonly used in Sokoto (2 commercial feed and 1 locally compounded chicken feed). Initially, the samples were digested with concentrated nitric acid and perchloric acid at about 3700C to 4500C heat in a digestion block. The concentration in ìg/ml of the six metals analyzed for in the feed samples ranged between 0.04 and 1.21 for Cu, 0.01 and 0.55 for Pb, 1.43 and 11.65 for Zn, 0.10 and 0.12 Cd, 0.94 and 3.12 for Mn and 0.004 and 0.25 for Ni. In most of the analyzed samples, the concentration of Cu, Zn, Mn and Ni was found to be lower than the nutritional requirement of broiler chicken at a level which could be harmful for the poultry. Also the study showed the presence of heavy metals (Pb and Cd) in all the feed samples analyzed, but none exceeded permissible levels as set by European Union and National Research Council.Keywords: Atomic absorption spectrophotometry, Chicken feeds, Contamination, Heavy metals, Sokoto, Toxicity

Majority of the studies on the effect of chitin and chitosan on growth and carcass characteristics of broiler chickens has concentrated more on shrimp chitin and shrimp chitosan, and often with contradictory results. Therefore, the objective of this present study is to evaluate and compare the effect of dietary chitin and chitosan from cricket and shrimp on growth performance, carcass, and organ characteristics of broiler chickens. One hundred fifty-day-old male Cobb500 broiler chicks of similar average weight were randomly allotted into one of the five dietary treatments with three replicates. Treatment 1 (T1) chicks were fed basal diet only (control), treatment 2 and 3 (T2 and T3) chicks were given basal diet with 0.5 g/kg diet of cricket chitin and cricket chitosan, respectively, while treatment 4 and 5 (T4 and T5) chicks were served basal diet with 0.5 g/kg diet of shrimp chitin and shrimp chitosan respectively. No significant variation occurred between cricket chitin and shrimp chitin, although data on growth performance were higher in cricket chitin, but growth performance varied significantly between cricket chitosan and shrimp chitosan. This study revealed that cricket chitin at 0.5 g/ kg significantly improved growth performance, carcass quality, and organ characteristics of broilers more than chitosan. Birds fed basal diet alone, although gained more weight, also accumulated more fat having the poorest feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the highest mortality. However, carcass of birds fed cricket chitin was the leanest and thus economically beneficial as they consumed the least amount of feed with the best FCR.

This study was conducted to investigate in vivo antimicrobial potential of garlic against Clostridium perferinges and resultant promotant effects on performance of the broiler chickens. Garlic powder was used as an alternative to GPAs (Growth Promotant Antibiotics) to prevent subclinical Necrotic Enteritis (NE) due to C. perferinges. 120 day-old broiler chicks were randomly distributed to six treatment groups of 20 chicks each (2 replicates(-10) chicks). Six isonutrient diets supplemented with garlic at graded levels of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 g kg(-1) were fed to the birds for seven weeks. Data were collected weekly on performance parameters including feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Also, on the 21 35 and 49th days of the study, two birds per group were randomly selected, slaughtered and dissected. 1 g of caecal contents per each bird were sampled into labelled sterile sample bottles. The samples were subjected to culturing, bacterial identification and colony counting. All data were subjected to analysis of variance. Results showed that garlic significantly (p > 0.05) depressed feed intake (3310 g feed/bird at 1.0 g kg(-1) supplementation) but improved FCR. The supplement has no significant effect on weight gain but C. perfringens colony counts in the treated groups, were numerically reduced (lowest count, 0.93 x 10(5) cfu g(-1) at 1.0 g kg(-1) supplementation), as compared to the control. It is therefore concluded that diets could be supplemented with garlic at dose range of 1.0 to 1.5 g kg(-1) to prevent subclinical NE and achieve improved performance in birds.

Aim:The study examined the effect of different drinking water sources on performance, carcass characteristics and haematology of broiler chickens.Materials and Methods: 63 unsexed day-old broiler chicks were randomly grouped into three treatment groups (Treatments 1, 2 and 3), each consisting of three replicates of seven chicks each. Treatments 1, 2 and 3 were given water from various sources: pipe borne water; borehole water and well water, respectively from day-old to seven weeks of age. The water samples were subjected to physico-chemical and bacteriological analyses.Results: Physico-chemically, only well water had a fair taste, it also had highest turbidity; while borehole water was least turbid. Borehole water had highest total hardness, nitrate, sodium, and calcium. Chloride was higher in borehole water and magnesium was higher in well water; while these were absent in pipe borne water. The study revealed that all water sources were contaminated with bacteria. The well water had the highest bacterial load of 3 21.2×10 cfu/ml, followed by borehole water with 5.8×10 cfu/ml, while pipe borne water recorded least bacterial 2 counts (1.6×10 cfu/ml). Escherichia coli, Klesiella spp and Proteus vulgaris were isolated from pipe borne, borehole and well water, respectively. The water treatments had no significant (p>0.05) effect on broiler chicken's performance, carcass characteristics and haematological indices. However, numerical increase in feed intake and weight gain was observed in birds placed on borehole water (Treatment2). Conclusion:This study suggest that different water sources used as drinking water in this experiment have no significant effect on performance, carcass characteristics and haematology of broiler chicken production in Sokoto metropolis. However, drinking water quality standard for poultry should not be jeopardized.

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The aim of the study was to assess the effect of feeding the same diet to different breeds of chickens and at different ages on fatty acid (FA) composition of the breast and thigh muscles. A total of 150 chickens comprising 50 each of red jungle fowl (RJ) and village chicken (VC), the slow-growing birds, and the commercial broiler (CB), fast-growing birds, were used for this study. Ten chickens from each breed were serially euthanized at days 1, 10, 20, 56, and 120 post hatch, and pectoralis major and bicep femoris were harvested to represent the breast and thigh muscles respectively. It was revealed that the breast muscle concentrations of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), and total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are significantly different (p<0.05) among the breeds. Also, the FA composition of breast and thigh muscles among RJ, VC, and CB at various ages studied varied significantly (p<0.05) but without a definite pattern. The composition of MUFA was lower, but that of PUFA was higher in the RJ and VC than in the CB breast muscles. Within the breeds, the composition of total MUFA decreased, while that of PUFA increased with age. The total MUFA and PUFA showed no significant difference (p>0.05) between the breast and thigh muscles at different ages evaluated. This study suggests that slow-growing birds (RJ and VC) might be better sources of desirable FA than the fast-growing birds, CB. KeywordsPectoralis major . Bicep femoris . Lipids . Red jungle fowl . Village chicken and broiler chickens * H. I. Lokman