This study was conducted to examine the effect of two humic substances (HS) supplemented in broilers’ diet on the breast meat quality of broiler chickens. In this experiment, 120 pieces of one-day-old COBB500 broiler chickens were used. Broilers were divided into three groups, each containing 40 birds with three replications (13, 13, and 14 per one pen). Fattening lasted 38 days. The first experimental diet was supplemented with 0.7% of HS (HS0.7) and the second was enriched with 0.7% of acidified HS (HSA0.7). The control group of broilers (C) was fed a basal diet without the addition of any supplements. HS0.7 samples had the highest total protein content and the lowest content of fat (p < 0.01). The effects of broiler diet and storage had a significant impact on the pH of breast samples, p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively. Supplementation of HS in broiler diet positively affected the lipid oxidation of breast meat samples, as indicated by the lower malondialdehyde content (p < 0.05). HSA0.7 samples had significantly better juiciness after the storage period (p < 0.001). The quality of meat produced with supplementation of HS in broilers’ feed can be considered as valuable in human nutrition due to improved protein and fat content with decreased lipid oxidation.

Introduction: Fusaria are microscopic filamentous fungi which are spread in soil, in various organic substrates, and include more than 80 phytopathogenic species which are predominantly hosted by cereals, fruits and vegetables. Many of these species, under certain conditions, are capable of...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the buffering capacity of some fermented feedstuffs and the effect of dietary acid-base status on ruminal fluid pH. The first experiment was performed with different types (n = 24) of wet and dry fermented feedstuffs to determine the buffering capacity and buffer value index. The buffer value index of wet corn silages was more negative than for dry corn silages account on acid loss during drying. In the second experiment, the effects of different concentrations of lactic acid on base-buffering capacity, buffer value index and indicators of fermentation process were studied in two groups of corn silages (n = 21). Two groups of analyzed values were compared using unpaired t -test. Differences among the groups in base-buffering capacity ( P < 0.001) and buffer value index ( P < 0.01) were significant. In the third experiment, rumen fluid pH was measured using 8 total mixed rations on 48 lactating dairy cows. In the present study no significant ( P > 0.05) correlation was found between ruminal pH and dietary buffer value index. These results confirmed that dietary acid-base status alone is not adequate as a predictor of the need for buffers in the diet of lactating cows. It is the first report about using of buffering capacity determination methods for evaluation of feedstuffs and dietary acid-base status in dairy cows.

The impact of the broiler diet modification on the following parameters was evaluated: meat quality, carcass traits, and bone and blood parameters. One hundred twenty one-day-old COBB 500 broiler chickens were assigned to three experimental groups (40 birds per group) with four replications (10 per pen) for 35 days of fattening. The control (C) was fed a basic feed mixture. The diet supplemented with 10% of fermented feed (FF10) and additionally supported by 0.2% of agrimony extract (FF10 + AE) was applied to the second and third groups, respectively. FF10 showed both a lower average daily feed intake and total feed consumption when compared to that of C (p < 0.05). Lower concentration of alkaline-phosphatase and calcium and higher total lipids and triglycerides in blood were observed in FF10 + AE. Breast and thigh meat showed a lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acid n-3 and n-6 in the FF10 + AE group (p < 0.01). The increase of gamma-linolenic acid content in breast and thigh meat samples obtained from the experimental groups was significant (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05; respectively). Lower lipid oxidation was observed in the thigh muscle of the FF10 + AE group on the first day of storage (p < 0.01). The current study indicates that FF10 + AE supplementation can be successfully applied to enhance broiler performance and meat quality.

Despite the fact that humic substances (HS) have been frequently studied in relation to their effects on livestock health, studies on their influence on egg production and quality, immunity, and intestinal microbiota of laying hens are limited. In this study, the influence of 0.5% HS supplementation on the specific production parameters of eggshell mineral quality, immune parameters (relative expression of IgA, IGF-2, MUC-2 gene in cecum; activity of phagocytes, percentage of selected lymphocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood), and number of lactic acid bacteria and enterobacteria in the intestinal contents in laying hens was tested. The addition of 0.5% HS to the laying hen feed had a positive effect on egg laying rate, daily egg mass, egg weight, feed conversion and eggshell quality and also had an immunostimulatory effect manifested by increased phagocyte activity and B cell response. Concurrently, an increase in the number of enterobacteria in the intestinal contents and a decrease in the proportion of T lymphocytes (p < 0.05) was observed, which can be considered as a negative effect of HS. The results confirmed that HS can be used for the improvement of egg production and targeted immunostimulation, but their effect on the intestinal microbiota and T lymphocytes should be studied in more detail.

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between concentration of non-esterified fatty acid and ketone bodies in blood of dairy cows, and to evaluate these concentrations for the detection of prevalence of subclinical ketosis. The second aim was to compare the concentration of β-hydroxybutyric acid determined by an electronic handheld meter Precision Xtra ^® with serum concentration of β-hydroxybutyric acid analysed in laboratory with izotachometric and photometric method, respectively. Blood samples were collected from jugular vein 4–6 h after morning feeding in three groups of Holstein cows (n = 909) according to the lactation phase from 51 different herds with similar husbandry characteristics. High lipomobilization (non-esterified fatty acid ≥ 0.35 mmol·l ^-1 , mean concentration 0.34 ± 0.15 mmol·l ^-1 ) was detected in 30.3% of antepartum cows, while increased concentrations of β-hydroxybutyric acid (≥ 1.0 mmol·l ^-1 , prevalence of subclinical ketosis) were detected in 18.5% and 14.1% of the early lactation and mid lactation cows, respectively. The correlation coefficient (r = 0.84, P < 0.001; r = 0.93, P < 0.001) was found between measurements of whole blood β-hydroxybutyric acid of 60 and 38 dairy cows determined with the Precision Xtra ^® test and plasma or serum β-hydroxybutyric acid concentration determined by isotachophoresis and photometrical method, respectively. Our results show that the monitoring of changes in the blood concentration of β-hydroxybutyric acid in high-yielding cows in the early postpartum period by the electronic handheld meter Precision Xtra ^® may be effective in reducing the incidence of ketosis and health problems associated with ketosis in dairy cattle herds.