ORCID Profile
0000-0003-1530-3496
Current Organisation
Universiti Putra Malaysia
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 03-04-2022
DOI: 10.3390/ANI12070917
Abstract: This experiment was designed to investigate how replacing antibiotics with postbiotics and paraprobiotics could affect growth performance, small intestine morphology, immune status, and hepatic growth gene expression in broiler chickens. The experiment followed a completely randomized design (CRD) in which eight treatments were replicated six times with seven birds per replicate. A total of 336, one-day-old (COBB 500) chicks were fed with the eight treatment diets, which include T1 = negative control (Basal diet), T2 = positive control (Basal diet + 0.01% ( The growth performance indicators (final body weight, cumulative weight gain, and feed conversion ratio) were not significantly ( Therefore, it was concluded that postbiotics and paraprobiotics differ in their effect on broiler chickens. However, they can replace antibiotics without compromising the growth performance, carcass yield, and immune status of broiler chickens.
Publisher: Yuzuncu Yil Universitesi Tarim Bilimleri Dergisi
Date: 31-12-2021
Abstract: Palm kernel cake (PKC) is a nutrient-rich by-product of oil mills that contained a high concentration of copper (Cu) among other minerals elements. The higher dietary concentration of Cu was reported to impair some physiological functions in some breeds of sheep due to Cu toxicity. Hence, this study was aimed to investigate the histopathological effects of PKC based diet on vital organs of Dorper lambs. Fifteen male Dorper lambs (8 month-old) were randomly assigned to three treatment groups. Lambs were fed with a diet supplemented with different levels of PKC based on dry matter (DM) (PKC 750 gm kg-1 DM, PKC 700 gm kg-1 DM, and PKC 650 gm kg-1 DM) for 120 days. At the end of the experiment, all the lambs were slaughtered, liver, kidney, and testis s les were examined for gross pathological lesions. Microscopic examination showed that the liver of PKC75 group animals was histologically normal. However, cell hepatocyte abnormality was observed in PKC70 and PKC65 groups. No clinical symptoms or severe histological lesions were noticed in the kidney and testis of all groups. Therefore, the histomorphological normal organs observed indicated the PKC contents provided detoxification and immune defense in male lambs.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 20-03-2029
DOI: 10.3390/ANI11072147
Abstract: This study aimed to analyse the nutritional properties, apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent metabolisable energy (AME) of broiler chickens fed with brown seaweed (BS) and green seaweed (GS). Proximate analysis was performed to determine the nutrient composition of seaweed. The amino acids were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and atomic absorption spectroscopy was used to determine the minerals content. The gross energy (GE) was determined using a fully automatic bomb calorimeter, and the AME value was calculated. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) was used as an indigestible marker to calculate the AID. A digestibility trial was conducted to investigate the effects of seaweeds on crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), ether extract (EE), dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), amino acids (AA) and minerals digestibility, and AME on broiler chickens. Thirty-six broiler chickens were randomly distributed into two dietary treatment groups with six replicates and three birds per replicate. Results showed that brown and green seaweed was a source of macro and micronutrients. For the AME and AID of seaweed-based diets, the results showed that the AME value for BS and GS was 2894.13 and 2780.70 kcal/kg, respectively. The AID of BS and GS was 88.82% and 86.8% for EE, 82.03% and 80.6% for OM, 60.69% and 57.80% for CP, 48.56 and 44.02% for CF, and 17.97 and 19.40% for ash contents, respectively. Meanwhile, the AID of CP and CF was significantly higher for BS compared to the GS. Findings showed that the AID of various AA was 40.96 to 77.54%, and the AID of selected minerals (Ca, Na, K, Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe) for both BS and GS groups were above 90%.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 15-11-2022
DOI: 10.3390/ANI12223156
Abstract: Despite being used for many decades, there is a lack of poultry research investigating the effects of dietary palmitic, carotenoid and vitamin E-rich palm oils and medium-chain fatty acid-rich PKO. The current study aimed to elucidate the influence of different dietary oils in layers on production performance, egg quality, serum biochemicals and expression of genes related to β-carotene, retinol and α-tocopherol in the liver. A total of 150 Hisex brown laying hens were fed diets containing CPO, RPO, RBD, PKO or SBO at a similar level for 16 weeks. Different oils did not affect egg production performance and egg quality. CPO improved the freshness of eggs. CPO and RPO enhanced egg yolk color. There was no influence of different oils on serum biochemicals except greater serum ALP in PKO and SBO. CPO and RPO contributed to greater β-carotene in feed, liver and yolk. There was no difference in retinol and α-tocopherol of serum, liver and yolk. However, the liver RBP4A gene was upregulated in CPO and PKO, and the CYP26A1 gene was downregulated in palm oils and PKO. In conclusion, palmitic-rich saturated fatty acids in palm oils and MCFA-rich PKO did not negatively affect egg production performance and quality compared to oil with high unsaturated fatty acids.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 16-04-2021
Abstract: The chicken egg is one of nature’s flawlessly preserved biological products, recognized as an excellent source of nutrients for humans. Selenium (Se) is an essential micro-element that plays a key role in biological processes. Organic selenium can be produced biologically by the microbial reduction of inorganic Se (sodium selenite). Therefore, the possibility of integrating Se enriched bacteria as a supplement in poultry feed can provide an interesting source of organic Se, thereby offering health-related advantages to humans. In this study, bacterial selenoproteins from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was used as a dietary supplement with other Se sources in Lohman brown Classic laying hens to study the egg yolk color, egg yolk and breast antioxidant profile, oxidative stability, and storage effect for fresh and stored egg yolk at 4 ± 2 °C for 14-days. The results showed that dietary Se supplementation significantly (p 0.05) improved egg yolk color, the antioxidant profile of egg yolk, and breast meat (total carotenoid and phenol content). When the Se treated groups were compared to control groups, there was a significant (p 0.05) decrease in total cholesterol in fresh and stored egg yolk and breast muscle. In hens that were fed ADS18-Se, the primary oxidation products (MDA) concentrations in the eggs, breast, and thigh muscle, and plasma were significantly (p 0.05) lower. However, the MDA content increased (p 0.05) with an extended storage time in egg yolk. In comparison to inorganic Se and basal diets, egg yolk from hens fed organic Se remained fresh for two weeks. The egg yolk color, antioxidant profile, and oxidative status of egg yolk and tissue improve with dietary Se organic supplementation (ADS18 Se-Yeast). The source of supplemented organic Se is critical for egg enrichment and antioxidant properties. As a result, ‘‘functional eggs’’ enriched with organic Se becomes possible to produce.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-03-2023
DOI: 10.3390/AGRICULTURE13030643
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of corn substitution on the rumen functions and fatty acid profile of Dorper lambs fed a diet based on palm kernel cake (PKC). Corn was replaced with PKC basal diet at the following levels: C0% = (0% corn + 75.3% PKC), C1% = (5% corn + 70.3% PKC) and C2% = (10% corn + 65.3% PKC) of diet. The rumen fermentation was carried out in vitro, and feeding trials were in vivo. Twenty-seven lambs were used to determine gastrointestinal tract content and rumen fluid fatty acid. Rumen liquor was obtained from four fistulae Dorper sheep and incubated with 200 mg of each treatment for 24 and 72 h. In vitro organic matter digestibility (IVOMD), in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), volatile fatty acids (VFA), methane estimation (CH4), rumen microbial population and fatty acid biohydrogenation were determined. The results of the in vitro study showed there were no significant differences in IVDMD, IVOMD, NH3-N, pH and VFA at 72 h. Higher significant CH4 production was observed in C0% when compared with C1% and C2%. Microbial population did not differ significantly between treatment groups. The rates of biohydrogenation were not affected by corn substitution, although a significant difference was observed in C18:1n9 (in vitro) and C18:1 t-11 (in vivo). In conclusion, the present study indicated that the corn substitution in the PKC diets maintained fermentation characteristics with an increase in unsaturated fatty acids in the rumen.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 08-07-2023
DOI: 10.3390/ANI13142245
Abstract: Palm-based oils (palm oil and kernel oil) and soybean oil have unique fatty acid and antioxidant profiles based on the compounds present in them. Hence, this study elucidated the antioxidant properties of crude palm oil (CPO), red palm oil (RPO), refined palm oil (RBD), palm kernel oil (PKO) and soybean oil (SBO) and the influence of dietary oils on blood lipid profiles, tissue fatty acid deposition and the expression of hepatic lipid and lipoprotein metabolism genes in laying hens. The oils were analyzed for color, beta-carotene, free fatty acid and acid value, phenolic content and lipid peroxidation. In an in vivo trial, 150 laying hens were allotted into five groups and supplemented with either CPO, RPO, RBD, PKO or SBO for 16 weeks. High antioxidant compounds present in palm oils help reduce the oxidation of oils. Dietary supplementation with palm oils, particularly CPO and RPO, contributed to the lower liver, serum and jejunal mucosal antioxidant enzyme activities. The antioxidant enzyme genes in the jejunal mucosa were downregulated in palm oils and PKO, but there was no difference between oils in antioxidant enzyme genes in the liver. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with oils with high antioxidant content contributed to protection against oxidation and was associated with a lower requirement for producing antioxidant enzymes.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 09-05-2023
DOI: 10.3390/ANI13101582
Abstract: The study was designed to analyze the effects of brown seaweed (BS) and green seaweed (GS) on blood plasma antioxidant enzyme activities, hepatic antioxidant genes expression, blood plasma lipid profile, breast meat quality, and chemical composition in broiler chickens. The dietary treatment groups contained basal diet [negative control (NC)], basal diet + vitamin E (100 mg/kg feed) [positive control (PC)], basal diet + 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1, and 1.25% BS and GS supplements separately. The findings showed that both BS and GS exhibited remarkable antioxidant activity. In contrast, the maximum antioxidant activity was recorded by BS (55.19%), which was significantly higher than the GS (25.74%). Results showed that various levels of BS and GS had no significant effects on broiler blood plasma catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activities. The hepatic superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene mRNA expression was significantly higher for birds fed 0.50% and 0.75% BS. Regarding the plasma lipid profile, the total cholesterol (TC) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels were higher (p 0.05) for birds fed 0.75 and 1% BS compared to the negative and positive control groups. The findings showed that different levels of BS and GS had significantly higher breast meat crude protein (CP) content.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 04-06-2021
DOI: 10.3390/ANI11061681
Abstract: The use of toxic and less bioavailable inorganic selenium can now be supplemented with an alternative organic source from bacterial species in nutrition for human and animal benefit. This study investigated the effects of selenium sources on laying performance, egg quality characteristics, intestinal morphology, caecum microbial population, and digesta volatile fatty acids in laying hens. One hundred and forty-four Lohman Brown Classic laying hens, at 23 weeks of age, were ided into four experimental groups (36 hens in each), differing in form of Se supplementation: no Se supplementation (Con), 0.3 mg/kg of inorganic Se in the form of sodium selenite (Na2SeO3), 0.3 mg/kg of organic Se from selenium yeast (Se-Yeast), and 0.3 mg/kg of organic Se from Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (bacterial organic Se, ADS18). The results showed that different dietary Se sources significantly affected laying rate, average egg weight, daily egg mass, feed conversion ratio (FCR), and live bodyweight (LBW) (p 0.05). However, average daily feed intake and shell-less and broken eggs were unaffected (p 0.05) among the treatment groups. The findings revealed that selenium sources had no (p 0.05) effect on egg quality (external and internal) parameters. However, eggshell breaking strength and Haugh unit were significantly (p 0.05) improved with organic (ADS18 or Se-yeast) Se-fed hens compared to the control group. In addition, egg yolk and breast tissue Se concentrations were higher (p 0.05) in the dietary Se supplemented group compared to the control. Intestinal histomorphology revealed that hens fed ADS18 or Se-Yeast groups had significantly (p 0.05) higher villi height in the duodenum and jejunum compared to those fed Na2SeO3 or a basal diet. However, when compared to organic Se fed (ADS18 or Se-Yeast) hens, the ileum villus height was higher (p 0.05) in the basal diet group with the lowest in the SS among the treatment groups. A significant increase (p 0.05) of Lactobacilli spp. and Bifidobacteria spp., and a decrease of Escherichia coli and Salmonella spp. population were observed in the organic (ADS18 or Se-yeast) compared to inorganic supplemented and control hens. The in idual digesta volatile fatty acid (VFA) was significantly different, but with no total VFA differences. Thus, bacterial selenoprotein or Se-yeast improved the performance index, egg quality characteristics, egg yolk and tissue Se contents, and intestinal villus height in laying hens. Moreover, caecum beneficial microbes increased with a decrease in the harmful microbe population and affected in idual cecal volatile fatty acids without affecting the total VFA of the laying hens digesta.
No related grants have been discovered for Henny Akit.