The aim of the research was to study the effects of an insect meal from Hermetia illucens larvae (HILM) as complete replacement of soybean meal (SBM) on productive performance and blood profiles of laying hens, from 24 to 45 wk of age. A total of 108 24-week-old Lohmann Brown Classic laying hens was equally divided into 2 groups (54 hens/group, 9 replicates of 6 hens/group). From 24 to 45 wk of age, the groups were fed 2 different isoproteic and isoenergetic diets: the control group (SBM) was fed a corn-soybean meal based diet, while in the HILM group the soybean meal was completely replaced by Hermetia illucens larvae meal. Feed intake, number of eggs produced, and egg weight were recorded weekly along the trial. At 45 wk of age, blood samples were collected from 2 hens per replicate. The use of HIML led to a more favorable (P < 0.01) feed conversion ratio in hens but lay percentage, feed intake, average egg weight, and egg mass were higher (P < 0.01) in hens fed the SBM diet. Hens fed insect meal produced a higher percentage of eggs from small (S), medium (M), and extra-large (XL) classes (P < 0.01) than SBM, while the SBM group had a higher percentage of eggs from the large (L) class (P < 0.01). The levels of globulin and albumin to globulin ratio were, respectively, higher and lower (P < 0.05) in HILM than the SBM group. Cholesterol and triglycerides were higher (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, respectively) in hens from SBM than in the HILM group. Blood levels of Ca were higher (P < 0.01) in hens fed insect meal, while creatinine was higher (P < 0.01) in blood of hens fed SBM. Hermetia illucens larvae meal can be a suitable alternative protein source for laying hens even if the complete replacement of soybean meal needs further investigation to avoid the negative effects on feed intake.

49 The aim of the present study was to evaluate the animal 50 performance, haematochemical parameters, intestinal 51 morphology and histological features of broiler chickens fed 52 diets including Tenebrio molitor (TM) larvae meal. A total of 53 160 female broiler chicks (Ross 708) at one-day of age were 54 randomly allotted to four dietary treatments: a control (C) 55 group and three TM groups, in which TM meal was included at 56 50, 100 and 150 g/kg, respectively. Each group consisted of 57 five pens as replicates, with eight chicks per pen. After the 58 evaluation of growth performance and haematochemical 59 parameters, two birds per pen were slaughtered at 40 days and 60 carcass traits were recorded. Morphometric investigations were 61 performed on duodenum, jejunum and ileum and 62 histopathological alterations were assessed for liver, spleen, 63 thymus, bursa of Fabricius, kidney and heart. The live weight 64 (LW) showed a linear (12 days, P < 0.05, maximum with 65 TM15) and quadratic response (40 days, P < 0.05, maximum 66 with TM5) to dietary TM meal inclusion. The average daily 67 gain (ADG) showed a linear increase (1-12 days, P < 0.05, 68 maximum with TM15) in response to TM meal utilization. A 69 linear effect (1-12 and 12-25 days, P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, 70 maximum with TM15 and TM5) was observed for the daily 71 feed intake (DFI). The feed conversion ratio (FCR) showed a 72 linear response to TM utilization in the period 12-25 days (P < 73 4 0.01, maximum with TM15). A quadratic effect (P < 0.05, 74 maximum with TM5) was observed for the carcass weight. The 75 abdominal fat weight and percentage showed a linear response 76 to dietary TM meal inclusion (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01, maximum 77 with TM15 and TM10). A quadratic increase (P < 0.05, 78 maximum with TM10) was observed for the erythrocytes, 79 while the albumin and GGT showed a linear and quadratic 80 decrease (P < 0.05, minimum with TM10) in relation to TM 81 utilization. Gut morphology and histopathological findings 82 were not significantly influenced (P > 0.05) by dietary TM 83 meal inclusion. The present study suggests that increasing 84 levels of dietary TM meal inclusion in female broiler chickens 85 diets may improve body weight and feed intake, but can 86 partially worsen feed efficiency. However, positive effects on 87 carcass traits and haematochemical parameters related to TM 88 meal utilization are observed, along with no negative influence 89 on gut morphology and histological findings. 90 91 Keywords 92 Poultry; Tenebrio molitor; insect meal; growth performance; 93 histology; morphometry. 94 95 96 World population is expected to increase by over a third, 97 reaching over 9 billion people in 2050. This trend suggests that 98 market demand for food will continue to grow. In particular, 99 the demand for cereals and protein sources in both human food 100 and animal feed is projected to have an exponential growth by 101 2050 (FAO, 2013). Consequently, the world supply of some 102 conventional feedstuffs like soybean and maize will 103 ...

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Osteoarthritis is a form of chronic joint inflammation caused by the deterioration of the joint cartilage, accompanied by chronic pain, lameness and stiffness, particularly after prolonged activity. Alternative treatments of canine osteoarthritis would be desirable and, recently nutraceuticals, have been proposed for this purpose. Twenty cross breed adult dogs affected by osteoarthritis were enrolled and equally divided into two groups (control vs. experimental). The nutritional supplement (Dynamopet srl, Verone, Italy) was administered for 90 days to the dogs of the experimental group in order to evaluate its metabolic and locomotor effects. All the clinical signs (lameness, pain on manipulation and palpation, range of motion and joint swelling) significantly (p < 0.01) improved during the trial as regards the experimental group. This group showed a significantly lower joint score than the control group (mean value 7.40 vs. 3.80). With regard to haematology, the mean corpuscular volume resulted significantly (p < 0.01) higher in the experimental group, i.e. alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and triglycerides values decreased and were significantly (p < 0.01) lower than the control one, thus suggesting an improvement in bone remodelling and lipid metabolism. A decrease in the reactive oxygen metabolites and an increase in the biological antioxidant potential demonstrated an improvement in oxidative stress during the trial in the experimental group compare to the control group. Interleukins 6 decreased in the experimental group, while interleukins 10 resulted in the opposite trend. Moreover, the administration of up to 3 months of the studied supplement was well tolerated in the dogs and caused no adverse effects.

Aquaporin-1 (AQP1), a six-transmembrane domain protein, belongs to a highly conserved group of proteins called aquaporins known to regulate permeability across cell membranes. Although the role of AQP1 has been extensively studied, its specific activity along the gastrointestinal tract in animals during early postnatal development is poorly known. This study investigates the expression of AQP1 mRNA and protein in the small and large intestine of water buffalo calves after colostrum ingestion using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting, and cellular localization of AQP1 by immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed AQP1 immunoreactivity and the presence of the corresponding mRNA in all the examined tracts of the intestine but with a different cellular localization. Western blotting confirmed the presence of AQP1, with a more intense band in colostrum-suckling animals. These findings offer insights into AQP1 expression in the small and large intestine, suggesting its involvement in osmoregulation in gastrointestinal physiology particularly during the first week after birth in relation to specific maturation of intestinal structures.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are membrane channel proteins that play a role in regulating water permeability in many tissues. To date, seven isoforms of AQPs have been reported in the gastrointestinal tract in different mammalian species. In contrast, both tissue distribution and expression of AQPs are unknown in the buffalo. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of both AQP4 and AQP5 mRNAs and their relative proteins in the large intestinal tracts of buffalo calves after colostrum suckling using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Our results revealed a diversified tissue AQP4 and AQP5 immunolocalization accompanied by their highest expression in the tissues of colostrum-suckling buffalo calves confirmed by Western blotting. In particular, AQP4 was distributed along the endothelium and enterocytes while AQP5 in the endocrine cells. These findings provide direct evidence for AQP4 and AQP5 expression in the large intestine, suggesting that different AQPs collaborate functionally and distinctively in water handling during intestinal development, especially during the first period after delivery.

The use of nutraceuticals as immunomodulators in the treatment of visceral leishmaniasis has generated interest in the current approaches to treat the disease. In this clinical and immunological study, we investigated whether the administration of a nutritional supplement mediates the immune-modulatory response in canine leishmaniosis (CL) and improves the clinical outcome of the disease. With this purpose, we analysed T lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood (PB) of 12 dogs naturally infected by Leishmania infantum, following treatment with a nutritional supplement. The regulatory T (Treg) cells and the T helper (Th) 1 population were specifically evaluated. The animals underwent complete clinical examination and blood sample collection for haematological, biochemical, serological and immunological analysis before treatment (T0), one month (T30) and 3 months (T90) after the onset of the nutraceutical supplementation. We observed that nutraceutical supplementation was associated with immunomodulation of Th1 response and significant clinical improvement of the animals. No side effects were observed. Therefore, a potential supportive role for the nutraceutical supplement during canine leishmaniasis is proposed.