This study aimed to estimate the change of stress level in horses based on cortisol concentration levels in their saliva. A total of 61 horses were divided into the following three groups: i) tourist riding experience (TR, n = 23); ii) resting group (RR, n = 14); and iii) horse-riding education (ER, n = 24). The saliva samples of TR and ER groups were taken using plain cotton Salivettes four times a day: at 07:00 (basal), 11:00 (Exercise 1, after 1-hour exercise in the morning), 14:00 (Exercise 2, after 1-hour exercise in the afternoon), and 16:00 (Exercise 3, after 1-hour exercise in the afternoon). The saliva samples of RR were measured at the same time. The samples were analyzed using the SAS program general linear model procedure. In a percentage relative to the base value, cortisol levels in Exercise 3 were confirmed to decrease in all groups as compared to the basal value percentage in the following sequence: ER>TR>RR. The highest peak was confirmed in Exercise 2 (approximately 131%) of RR group and the lowest peak appeared in Exercise 3 (approximately 52%) of ER group. Therefore, resting without any particular exercise can also increase the stress level of horses. Thus, it is better to exercise, as exercise can reduce the stress level, even in cases when riders are clumsy or lack appropriate horse-riding experience. The results of the present study are useful to equestrian center owners and educational riding instructors in that they provide a meaningful insight into a better horse management.
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary quercetin on growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, immunoglobulin, and blood antioxidant activity in broiler chickens. Three hundred twenty one-day old Ross broilers were divided 8 treatments (C(-), basal diet; C(+), basal diet with antibiotics; vitamin E 20 IU; vitamin E 200 IU; quercetin 20 ppm; quercetin 200 ppm; methoxylated quercetin 20 ppm; methoxylated quercetin 200 ppm) with 4 replicates and 10 birds per replicate. Birds were reared for 35 days and their feed intake and weight gain were measured weekly. At 35d, eight birds of average weight from each replicate were selected for blood collection and analysis. Weight gain of birds in the groups fed quercetin was higher when compare to NC but there was no significant difference. In the serum, creatinine, BUN and AST in quercetin groups significantly decreased compared to those of control (NC and PC) (P<0.05). The contents of IgA and IgM were significantly lower in quercetin groups than those of NC (P<0.05). SOD like activity and MDA content tended to decrease in quercetin groups, however, there was no significant difference among treatments. In conclusion, supplemental quercetin to poultry diet could be positive aspect on performance and blood metabolites. Optimum adding levels was more than 20 ppm.
:Effect of vitamin C (VC) on biochemical, hematological and cortisol profile of growing Holstein calves during summer was investigated. Eighteen calves between 14 and 16 weeks of age were divided equally into two groups. One group received a diet supplemented with VC (20 g/d) for 60 days, while other non-supplemented diet fed group served as a control (CON). The temperature humidity index (THI) was recorded and computed during the experiment. From days 0 to 60, the THI exceeded 70. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each calf at days 0, 15, 30, 45 and 60. Serum albumin and total protein decreased (p<0.05) in CON and VC calves with age. Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase concentrations were not affected by treatments. Serum creatinine, albumin and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase concentrations were higher in calves in the VC group than the CON group. While red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit were lower (p<0.05) in VC calves, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, red blood cell distribution width and mean platelet volume were higher (p<0.05) in these VC supplemented calves. Leukocyte parameters including white blood cells and full term for lymphocytes were not affected by the treatments. Also, serum cortisol was not affected by treatments. At day 15, 30 and 45, the total VC in plasma was higher (p<0.05) in calves fed with VC. In conclusion, serum cortisols were not affected by plasma VC concentration, while some blood parameters were positively influenced in calves fed with VC.
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary resveratrol on growth performance, blood biochemical parameters, immunoglobulin, and blood antioxidant activity in broiler chicks. Three hundred twenty one-day old broiler chicks were divided 8 treatments (C(-), basal diet; C(+), basal diet with antibiotics; DL-α-tocopherol 20 IU; DL-α-tocopherol 200 IU; resveratrol 20 ppm; resveratrol 200 ppm; methylated resveratrol 20 ppm; methylated resveratrol 200 ppm) with 4 replicates and 10 birds per replicate. Birds were reared for 35 days, and, at the age of 35 days, eight birds of average weight from each replicate were selected for blood samples collection. There were no significant differences on feed intake and feed conversion ratio. But final body weight and weight gain in antibiotics, resveratrol and methylated resveratrol treatments were significantly higher than no-antibiotics and α-tocopherol treatments (P<0.05). There were no significant differences on carcass rate and relative organ weights among treatments, however, weights of liver and bursa of februcius in antibiotics, resveratrol and methylated resveratrol treatment were lower than other treatments. Weight of pancreas was high in resveratrol and methylated treatment. On the cecal microflora (total microbes, Coliform bacteria, Salmonella spp., and lactic acid bacteria), these in resveratrol and methylated resveratrol treatments didn't show the differences compared with those in no-antibiotics, antibiotics, and α-tocopherol treatments. In the serum, there were no significant differences on creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), total protein, albumin, globulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) among treatments, though globulin contents of reseveratrol 200 ppm and methylated resveratrol 20 ppm treatments decreased compared to those of other treatments. Immunoglobulin (IgA, IgG and IgM) were significantly decreased in antibiotics and resveratrol treatments compared to that of no-antibiotics and α-tocopherol treatments (P<0.05). Superoxide dismutase (SOD) like activity tended to increase in resveratrol groups (P<0.05), however, there was no significant difference on malondiakdehyde (MDA) content among treatments. In conclusion, these results showed that resveratrol derived from mulberry can be used as alternative of antibiotics through improvement of broiler's performance and maintain of health.
Four Nili-Ravi Buffalo bulls were used to study the influence of urea treated wheat straw (UTWS) ensiled with organic acids or fermentable carbohydrates on nutrients digestibility and nitrogen (N) balance. Four diets each having 50% dry matter (DM) from UTWS ensiled with acetic acid (AD), formic acid (FD), acidified molasses (MD) or corn steep liquor (CD) were fed to ruminally cannulated bulls in a 4×4 Latin square design. Higher ruminal ammonia N at 3 and 6 h post prandial was observed with AD and FD diets. However, at 12 h post parandial, ammonia N was higher with MD and CD diets. The digestibility was similar across all treatments. The N balance was higher in bulls fed CD and MD diets than those fed AD and FD diets. Ensiling UTWS with fermentable carbohydrates compared to organic acids increases the N fixation in the matrix of cell wall fiber thus slowing its release at ruminal level that enhanced the N synchronization with carbon skeleton (fiber fermentation) and this consequently minimizes N loss from the rumen. These results indicate that the UTWS ensiled with fermentable carbohydrates is of better feeding value for ruminants than UTWS ensiled with organic acids.
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