Objective: In this study effects of three types of beddings on broiler leg health and bone biomechanics were evaluated.Methods: A total of 504 male chicks (Ross 308) were randomly placed on three beddings (4 replicates/group; 42 birds/pen), zeolite-added litter (ZL), plastic-grid flooring (PF), and wood shavings (WS). On day 42, chickens were weighed, slaughtered, and samples (bone, muscle, and drumstick) were collected. Bones were subjected to leg health tests, morphometric measurements, biomechanical testing, and ash analysis.Results: Broilers in PF and WS groups showed higher live weight than the ZL group (p<0.001), and the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) and varus valgus deformity due to distal bending was significantly higher in PF (p<0.001). Multinomial logistic regression showed that bedding has a significant (p = 0.038) contribution toward the development of TD. Tibial strength (p = 0.040), drumstick width (p = 0.001), and total femur and epiphyseal ash contents (p = 0.044, 0.016) were higher in the ZL group. Chicken live weight was correlated with tibial length and weight (r = 0.762, 0.725).Conclusion: Flooring and the type of bedding material directly affect broiler bone length, strength and leg health. Plastic bedding improves the slaughter weight of chickens on the expense of leg deformities, and zeolite litter improves leg health and bone strength.

The poultry industry is considered potent for the economy of any country because chicken production is an important food source now-a-days. However, skeletal abnormalities are one of the major contributing factors to production loss. For decades researchers are trying to make contributions for the diagnosis of these problems effectively and are giving suggestions for the improvement in their skeletal deficiencies. Bone structural and metabolic disturbances (like tibial dyschondroplasia, osteoporosis and osteoarthrosis) are common in broiler chickens and have emerged in past few years. Due to fast growth and high leg to body weight ratio bone suffers excessive stress and loses the strength. Such conditions are manifested with a tendency for fracture. Understanding of bone quality provides deep information of the mechanical and functional aspects of bone tissues. The measurements of the bone strength can be performed with some methods, like the geometrical indices, radiographic or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric density measurements, ash content measurements or the assays of bone turnover biomarkers. But biomechanical tests are the core diagnostic tools that can measure bone health parameters with reliable indicators. In this review, an overview of the mechanical tests used to test bone quality has been given and the effectiveness of such methods is discussed using different bones of poultry birds. Knowing the basic concepts on biomechanical tests applied in poultry bones and comparing the results to identify suitable testing methods may input improvement in the dialogue between the researchers interested in the assessment of bone strength at both structural and pathophysiological levels.

The influence of sericin supplementation and chilling temperatures (4 and 15 °C) on the short-term storage quality and fertility of rabbit semen was assessed over 72 h of storage. In experiment 1, pooled semen (five replications) was diluted to a concentration of 50 M mL⁻¹, and assigned to control, 0.1%, and 0.5% sericin groups, stored at 4 or 15 °C. Sperm motility, sperm kinematics, viability, and membrane and acrosome integrity were assessed at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h of storage. Experiments 2 and 3 were conducted to observe the effect of sericin on bacterial growth and in vivo fertility. The results of experiment 1 showed that sericin treatment, storage temperature, and storage duration influenced progressive and total sperm motility. The storage duration affected all sperm kinematics variables, whereas VCL, VSL, VAP, and BCF sperm kinematics altered in response to sericin treatment and storage temperature. Similarly, significant effects of sericin treatment, storage temperature, and storage duration were observed for acrosome integrity, sperm membrane integrity, and sperm viability. The results of experiment 2 indicated the antimicrobial effects of sericin when sperm were stored at 15 °C for 72 h. While promising pregnancy outcomes were observed with sericin-treated sperm for 72 h, these results were not significantly different. This study conclusively demonstrates that sericin treatment enhances the quality of rabbit semen when stored at lower temperatures for longer durations. The antimicrobial effects of sericin could be a contributing factor to the improved in vitro and in vivo fertility of rabbit sperm.

The influence of sericin supplementation and chilling temperatures (4°C and 15°C) on the short-term storage quality and fertility of rabbit semen was assessed over 72 hours of storage. In experiment 1, pooled semen (from five ejaculates) was diluted to a concentration of 50M ml−1, and assigned to control, 0.1% and 0.5% sericin groups, stored at 4 or 15°C. Sperm motility, sperm kinematics, viability, membrane and acrosome integrity were assessed at 0, 24, 48, and 72 hours of storage. The experiment 2 and 3 were conducted to observe effect of sericin on bacterial growth and in vivo fertility. The results of experiment 1 showed that sericin treatment, storage temperature, and storage duration influenced progressive and total motility, as well as sperm kinematics. Similar effects were observed for acrosome integrity, membrane integrity, and sperm viability. The results of experiment 2 indicated the antimicrobial effects of sericin when sperm were stored at 15C for 72 hours. While promising pregnancy outcomes were observed with sericin treated sperm for 72 hours, these results not significantly different. The study conclusively demonstrates that sericin treatment enhances the quality of rabbit semen when stored at lower temperatures for longer durations. Antimicrobial effects of sericin could be a contributing factor to the improved in-vitro and in-vivo fertility of rabbit sperm.

This study evaluated the protective efficacy of probiotics supplementation against cigarette smoke-induced lung emphysema, inflammation, and loss of cilia in mice. Probiotics are known to promote mucosal tolerance and mitigate respiratory injuries. Twenty-four adult mice were randomly divided into three groups: control (Ctr), cigarette smoke (CS), and cigarette smoke + probiotics (CS+P). Probiotics were given for 7 days before exposure to smoke in the CS+P group. Tissue samples of the trachea (goblet cell count and index, loss of cilia), lungs (airspace distention), and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were collected and processed. The results showed a significant increase in acidic and neutral goblet cells in the CS group compared to the Ctr and CS+P groups (P < 0.05). Overall, goblet cell number and index were lower in the CS+P group (41.71 ± 5.76, 0.67 ± 0.073) than CS group (56.28 ± 5.34, 1.31 ± 0.28). Inflammatory cells and loss of cilia significantly decreased in mice fed probiotics before exposure to cigarette smoke (P < 0.05). Lung emphysema was also significantly reduced in the CS+P group compared to the CS group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of probiotics reduced lung emphysema, inflammatory cells, goblet cell index, and loss of cilia under conditions of cigarette smoke exposure in mice.