An 84-day feeding trial was conducted in growing turkeys to measure the bioavailability of Cu, Zn and Mn from a commercial mineral chelate and corresponding inorganic salts in composite feeds containing supplemental riboflavin (B2) and/or pyridoxine (B6). A total of 320, 28-day-old British United Turkeys (BUT) were assigned to eight dietary treatments in a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement comprising two trace mineral sources: chelated trace mineral blend (CTMB) and its corresponding inorganic trace minerals blend (ITMB) fed solely or with supplements of vitamin B2 (8 ppm) or B6 (7 ppm) or 8 ppm B2 + 7 ppm B6. Each treatment was replicated four times with 10 turkeys each. It was observed that turkeys fed with diets supplemented solely with ITMB elicited higher (P < 0.05) Zn excretion than their counterparts fed with diets containing ITMB with supplements of vitamins B2 and/or B6. Manganese retention was lower (P < 0.05) in turkeys fed with diets supplemented solely with ITMB than those fed with diets containing vitamins B2 and/or B6 additives. Combination of CTMB or ITMB with B6 improved (P < 0.05) the concentration of Mn in the liver and Cu in the bone. It was concluded that the minerals in CTMB were more available to the animals than ITMB. Furthermore, vitamins B2 and/or B6 supplementation improved the bioavailability of the inorganic Cu, Zn and Mn in growing turkeys and tended to reduce the concentration of these trace elements in birds' excreta.
The effects of oral administration of aqueous extract of Pleuroteus tuber-regium sclerotium (PTRSE) in drinking water on growth, serum analytes and histomorphology parameters were examined using 72 cross bred growing rabbits. Eighteen rabbits each were allotted to 4 treatments with; 0, 500, 750 and 1250 mg PTRSE per liter (mg/l) in drinking water per day. The experiment lasted for 60 days. Data collected were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results revealed an improvement in the live weight (P < 0.01), weight gain (Linear (L), Quadratic (Q): P < 0.01), feed conversion ratio (L, Q:P < 0.01), water intake (L, Q:P < 0.01) and extract intake (L, Q:P < 0.01) following increasing levels of PTRSE in drinking water. Oral application of 750 mg/l PTRSE in drinking water resulted in reduced (P < 0.01) serum total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, creatinine and alkaline phosphatase and increased cecal villi height (L, Q:P < 0.05) and apical width (Q:P < 0.05). Pathological indicators suggested damages to hepatic tissues in rabbits on 1250 mg/l PTRSE. In conclusion, the oral application of 750 mg/l PTRSE in drinking water can improve the growth, cholesterol profile and absorptive capacity in growing rabbits without imposing any detrimental effect.
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