The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the influence of Gln and vitamin E (VE) supplementation in the diet of broiler chickens (Cobb-Vantress) on the morphometry of the intestinal mucosa. The design was completely randomized in a 2 x 3 (VE x periods of administering Gln) factorial arrangement. The levels of VE used were 10 and 500 mg/kg of diet and 3 periods of administering (1%) Gln-supplemented starter diet (for the first 7 or 14 d of life or for no added Gln), totaling 6 treatments with 5 replicates of 50 birds per experimental unit. In the growth period (d 22 to 41 posthatch), the treatments consisted only in the respective levels of VE. On d 7, 14, 21, and 41 posthatch, 2 birds per replicate were killed, and samples of the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were subsequently removed, fixed in Bouin solution, and later embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The parameters analyzed were villus height and crypt depth. An ANOVA was applied to the obtained data, and the means were compared using Tukey's test (5% significance level). Greater development was observed in the duodenum, followed by the jejunum and ileum. On 41 d of life, diets with 10 mg of VE/kg supplemented with Gln (for the first 7 d of life) provided better development of the intestinal mucosa in broiler chickens.

This trial aimed at evaluating the effect of organic trace mineral supplementation of commercial layer diets on productive performance and egg quality. One-hundred-ninety-two Hy Line W36 white 69-w-old layers were distributed into a completely randomized design with three treatments, and eight replicates, with eight birds each. Treatments consisted of a basal diet supplemented with inorganic trace minerals (R1), and two others experimental diets containing 0.250 ppm (R2) and 0.500 ppm (R3) of an organic source of zinc, manganese, and selenium. Feed intake (g/bird/day), feed conversion ratio (kg/dozen egg and kg/kg egg), egg weight (g), egg production (%), thin and cracked eggshells (%), specific gravity (g/mL), Haugh Units, total egg solids (%), yolk yield, white and shell yields (%), eggshell thickness, and egg Se content were evaluated Tukey's test analyzed differences among means at 5% of probability using PROC GLM in SAS (2000). Although not significant as compared to the non-supplemented diet, improvements on relative cracked-plus-thin shells were observed with the use of organic mineral blend. The addition of the organic blend to the diet at 0.250 kg/ton resulted in (p<0.05) higher total egg solids. Also, as compared to eggs from control group, fresh and dried yolk yields were higher with the dietary inclusion of the organic mineral blend at 0.250 and 0.500 kg/ton

The aim of this study was to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of silymarin in diets contaminated or not with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the productive performance and serum biochemical profile of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) in the laying phase. A total of 240 12-week-old Japanese quail was used in a completely randomized design in a 3 × 2 factorial scheme (additives x contaminated or not with AFB1 - 1,500 μg/kg), totaling 6 treatments and 5 replicates of 8 birds each. The additives used were silymarin (500 g/ton), adsorbent (1 kg/ton), and a control diet (without additive). Of the total aflatoxin content, 84.64% was AFB1; 4.28% was AFB2; 11.07% was AFG1; and AFG2 was not detected. The data were submitted to ANOVA, and means were compared by Tukey's test. There was no interaction (P > 0.05) between the additive and AFB1 on performance parameters. However, the inclusion of AF in diets reduced (P < 0.05) egg weight and feed intake, impairing feed conversion compared to the unchallenged groups. There was an increase (P < 0.05) in blood concentrations of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), and creatine kinase (CK) in birds challenged with AFB1, regardless of the additive used, characterizing a possible alteration in hepatic metabolism. Serum total protein and globulin levels were reduced (P < 0.05) in birds challenged with toxins. The consumption of diets contaminated with 1,500 μg AFB1/kg altered hepatic function in quail, impairing productive performance and egg weight. The concentrations of silymarin and adsorbent evaluated in this study were not able to mitigate the negative effect of toxins on the metabolism and performance of laying quail.

This study aimed at evaluating the influence of Glutamine (Gln) and Vitamin E (VE) supplementation on the performance and immune response of broilers. A completely randomizes experimental design with a 2 x 3 (VE x Gln) factorial arrangement was used. VE was supplemented at 10 and 500 mg/kg feed, with or without Gln (1%) addition, and two periods of supplementation in the starter diets (1-7 and 1-14 days of age), with five replicates of 50 birds each. The analyzed parameters were: live performance (weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio); relative weights of the spleen, bursa, and thymus; antibody titers (with sheep red blood cells suspension -SRBC) and cutaneous basophilic hypersensivity (CBH). Data were submitted to the analysis of variance, and means were compared using the test of Tukey. Treatments did not influence (P>0.05) live performance parameters or antibody titers. VE reduced (P=0.01) CBH, with the level of 10 mg VE/kg allowing higher cell proliferation as compared to 500 mg VE/kg. As to lymphoid organs, only the spleen was affected (P=0.035) by Gln, which resulted in higher spleen relative weight when fed during the first week of age. Results showed that 10 mg VE/kg with Gln (1-7 days) promoted better immune responses.

The objective of this study was to determine the requirements and interactions between the standardized ileal digestible (SID) Leu and Val levels in low-protein diets, and their effects on performance, serum characteristics, carcass yield and diameter of muscle fibers of broiler chickens from d 21 to 42 posthatch. A total of 1,500 21-day-old Cobb 500 male broiler chickens were distributed in a completely randomized design in a 5 × 5 factorial arrangement for a total of 25 treatments with 3 replicates of 20 birds each. Treatments consisted of 5 SID Leu levels (1.0, 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, or 1.8%) and 5 SID Val levels (0.52, 0.67, 0.82, 0.97, or 1.12%). At 42 d of age, there was interaction (P < 0.05) between the SID levels of Leu and Val on feed intake and weight gain. There was a quadratic effect (P < 0.05) of Leu and Val levels on feed conversion, with minimal point estimated at the levels of 1.19 and 0.86%, respectively. Dietary Leu supplementation reduced linearly (P < 0.05) serum concentrations of triglycerides and β-hydroxybutyrate. Dietary Leu increased (P ≤ 0.05) the fiber diameters of the pectoralis major muscle and breast yield at the levels of 1.24 and 1.13%, respectively, while the thigh yield was improved with the level of 0.71% Val. Abdominal fat decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of dietary Leu and Val. The SID Leu and Val levels needed to optimize weight gain and feed conversion in low-CP diets for broiler chickens from d 21 to 42 posthatch were estimated at 1.15 and 0.86%, and 1.19 and 0.86%, respectively. The supplementation of Leu and Val can reduce the abdominal fat deposition in birds fed low-CP diets during the grower phase. Leu and Val interactions can influence the performance but not the serum characteristics, carcass yield and diameter of muscle fibers of broilers fed low-protein diets. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the dietary Leu content to estimate the ideal level of Val in low-CP diets for optimum broiler performance.

RESUMO -Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar o melhor nível de sal comum para codornas japonesas (Coturnix coturnix japonica) em postura. Foram utilizadas 336 codornas com 13 semanas de idade, alojadas em gaiolas de 118 cm 2 /codorna durante 84 dias (quatro ciclos de 21 dias). O delineamento experimental utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com sete tratamentos (0; 0,15; 0,20; 0,25; 0,30; 0,35 e 0,45% de sal comum) e seis repetições de oito aves por parcela. A cada 21 dias, foram avaliados os parâmetros de desempenho (postura, consumo de ração e conversão alimentar) e qualidade dos ovos (peso médio do ovo, massa de ovo, porcentagem e espessura da casca e Unidade Haugh). Os dados obtidos foram submetidos às análises de variância e de regressão e as médias comparadas pelo teste Dunnett a 5% de significância. A equação de regressão ajustada não foi significativa para os parâmetros avaliados em função dos níveis de sal na dieta. Entretanto, pela comparação entre as médias, observou-se que, nos tratamentos com a adição de sal, as aves apresentaram melhor desempenho produtivo e qualidade externa dos ovos, sendo que o nível de 0,15% de sal (equivalente a 0,10% de Na e 0,12% de Cl) foi suficiente para obtenção destes resultados. Palavras-chave: desempenho, qualidade dos ovos, umidade das excretas Determination of the best level of salt for Japanese laying quailsABSTRACT -The aim of this experiment was to determine the best level of salt for Japanese laying quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Three hundred and thirty-six quails with 13 weeks of age were housed in cages with 118 cm 2 /quail for 84 days (four cycles of 21 days each). The experiment was analyzed as a complete randomized design with seven treatments (0, 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, 0.30, 0.35, and 0.45% of salt) with six replicates of eight quails per pen. Every 21 days, the productive performance (% of production, feed intake and feed gain ratio [kg/kg and kg/dozen]) and egg quality (average egg weight, egg mass, eggshell percentage and thickness and Unit Haugh) were evaluated. Data were submitted to analyses of variance and regression, and the means, compared by Dunnett test at 5% of significance. Regression equation showed no treatment effect on productive performance. However, by the comparison among the means it was observed that the birds fed diet with salt addition showed higher values of performance and external egg quality than control (without salt). The 0.15% salt level (equivalent to 0.10% of Na and 0.12% of Cl) was sufficient to obtain these results.Key Words: egg quality, feces moisture, performance IntroduçãoApesar dos avanços na criação de codornas, as exigên-cias nutricionais dessas aves ainda não estão bem definidas. As rações utilizadas nas criações são formuladas com base nas exigências nutricionais de galinhas de postura ou em dados descritos na literatura internacional, pouco condizentes com as condições brasileiras, o que compromete, às vezes, a produtividade (Murakami & Furlan, 2002).A composição corporal em minerais vari...

The objective of this trial was to evaluate the effect of sunflower seed inclusion (0, 1.4, 2.8, 4.2 and 5.6%) in a laying hen diet containing corn, soybean meal, wheat meal and soybean oil as main ingredients on performance and egg quality. The evaluated variables were daily feed intake, average egg weight, feed conversion (kg.kg -1 and kg.dz -1), eggshell percentage, yolk color and Haugh unit. One hundred and sixty 25 weekold Lohmann laying hens were used in a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications of eight birds per experimental unit. Four periods of 28 days were evaluated during 112 days. The inclusion of sunflower seed in the diet had no effect on production parameters during the experimental period. Thus, can be concluded that sunflower seed might be used at concentrations up to 5.6% in laying hen diets without affecting performance and egg quality.

Recebido em 21/11/2008 Performance, egg quality and nitrogen balance of commercial laying hens fed diets with different levels of crude protein and lysine ABSTRACT -The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of diets with different levels of crude protein (CP) and lysine (LYS) on characteristics of performance, egg internal quality, and nitrogen balance/retention. It was used 160 Hisex White laying hens at 48 weeks of age, individually accomodated in a complete random design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme with four levels of crude protein (12, 14, 16 and 18%) and two levels of lysine (0.85 and 1.00%), totalizing eight treatments with five replicates of four birds each. Crude protein intake, egg weight, egg mass and percentage of the albumen show increasing linear response to the levels of crude protein in the diet. Nitrogen balance is not altered by the levels of proteins in the diets.