Natural antioxidant has been used to prevent lipid oxidation and microbiological development in meat and meat products. This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of different concentrations of green tea extract on minced mutton quality during chilled storage. The minced mutton was divided into 5 treatment groups, with TGE1 as negative control while TGE2, TGE3, TGE4 and TGE5 were added with green tea extracts at 0.5%, 1%, 1.5% and 2%, respectively. The pH, myoglobin, water holding capacity (WHC), drip and cooking loss of minced mutton were studied during chilled storage at days 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12. Present findings showed that minced mutton added with green tea extract had significantly higher (P<0.05) pH, myoglobin content and WHC than the untreated control group at days 3, 6, 9 and 12. In addition, minced mutton with added green tea extract also had significantly lower (P<0.05) drip and cooking loss than the control group. This study also showed that a higher concentration of green tea extract added had a better effect on the meat quality traits measured. Taken together, these results indicate that the addition of green tea extract improved the minced mutton quality.

This study was conducted in the animal field of the University of Anbar College of Agriculture from 15/December/2021 to 15/February/2022. Twelve Iraqi Awassi female lambs were used in the experiment, at ranged of ages 2-3 months with average body weight 16.737 kg. The experimental animals were randomly divided into three groups, each group consisted of four lambs. The first group (G1) was considered the control group and left without any treatment, while the second group (G2) was treated with omega-3 supplemented with vitamins A, D3 and E of 1.5 CC, whilst the third group (G3) was treated with vitamins A, D3 and E of 1.5 CC by intramuscular injection, the lambs were injected with 6 times, the interval between each injection was 15 days. The lambs were nourished on the same concentrated diet, alfalfa hay, minerals bloke and water given adliptum. The result showed that G2 had significant increased (P≤0.05) on glucose concentration level as comported with G1. G3 had significant increase (P≤0.05) in urea concentration level as comported with G1 and G2. G3 had significant increased (P≤0.05) in Cholesterol and Triglyceride concentration level as comported with G1and G2. G1 had significant increase in LDL concentration level as comported with G2 and G3. T1 had significant increase in AST in G1, G2 and G3 as comported with T2 and T3. In conclusion, that treat a lamb with vitamins A, E, D3 supplemented with omega3 and vitamins A, E, D3 (without omega -3) led to improve lipid profile, liver enzyme activity and public health of lambs.

This study investigated the effects of high dietary organic copper supplementation on growth performance, mineral metabolism and organ histology in male Awassi lambs. Fifteen lambs with similar body weight (16 ± 1.53 kg) were assigned to three groups: a control group (T1) receiving a basal diet, and two treatment groups (T2 and T3) supplemented with 0.5 g and 1 g of organic copper per kg DM, respectively. The total dietary copper concentrations were 6.18, 81.68 and 156.75 ppm in T1, T2, and T3 groups, respectively. The basal diet, composed of soybeans, wheat, and barley, provided 2.4 Mcal/kg metabolizable energy and 14% crude protein. High dietary copper supplementation had no significant impact on growth performance and body biometric measurements. Testicular length was increased in T3 lambs. Mineral analysis showed increased hepatic copper concentrations in T2 and T3 lambs. Kidney copper levels remained within normal ranges, while renal zinc concentrations declined in T2 and T3 lambs. Gene expression analysis demonstrated upregulation of ATP7A and ATP7B genes in T3 lambs, indicating a cellular adaptation to elevated copper levels, while IGF1 expression remained unchanged. Histological assessments, however, revealed hepatic and renal changes in T3 lambs. Overall, high dietary organic copper supplementation, particularly at 1 g Cu/kg DM, increases copper retention and may support reproductive health in Awassi lambs. However, excessive intake poses risks of liver and kidney damage, highlighting the need for careful dietary management.

Chickens respond to the signals of other chickens, and as the signals are repeated, the chicken's reactions adapt over time. In studies of chickens responding to repeated playbacks of recorded chicken signals, the word "habituation" has been used to describe both overt behaviours and behavioural responses during specific tests in both field and laboratory settings. Gene silencing, on the other hand, is the regulation of gene expression in a cell that inhibits a particular gene from expressing. The current study aimed to reduce the stress responses of a breed of local chickens by changing their behavioural or genetic factors, and assessed blood traits that reflect their level of welfare. The study used 120 hen chickens obtained at 22 weeks old, divided into six treatments, with four replicates for each treatment (20 chicks per treatment, 5 chicks per replicate) as follows: T1 was a negative control treatment consisting of a local Iraqi chicken breed; T2 was a positive control treatment consisting of a commercial breed of chickens; T3 involved the local breed with siRNA used to silence the corticosterone hormone pathway to the CYP11B2 and CYP11B1 genes by injection in the jugular vein at the age of 24 and 40 weeks; T4 consisted of mixed groups with 25% commercial chicken + 75% local chicks; whilst T5 consisted of 50% commercial chicken + 50% local chicken; and T6 consisted of 75% commercial chicken + 25% local chicken. The results showed a significant improvement (P≤0.05) in Glucose, Cholesterol, Total Protein, LDL, HDL, Globulin and Albumin for T3 and T5 compared with the other treatments; and a significant improvement (P≤0.05) in blood corticosterone in T3 immediately after the injection and two weeks later. The results show that there is an effect of habituation and gene silencing on blood traits, indicating an improved level of welfare for the T3 and T5 chickens.

Background: Local chickens play a vital role in ensuring food security in developing countries due to their adaptability, disease resistance, and tolerance to harsh environments. However, their productive efficiency remains low compared to commercial strains, mainly because of physiological stress and weak hormonal regulation. Recent advances in molecular biology, such as small interfering RNA (siRNA) technology, offer new approaches to improve performance by silencing stress-related genes and enhancing reproductive function. Aims and Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the physiological and productive responses of local and commercial laying hens under different management and genetic treatments, including the application of siRNA technology and behavioral habituation through mixed rearing. The goal was to reduce stress, enhance egg production, and explore the potential of siRNA in improving local chicken performance. Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted at the Poultry Research Field, College of Agriculture, University of Anbar, from December 2022 to February 2023. Fifty-four hens (32 local and 22 commercial, 38 weeks old) were randomly divided into six treatments (T1–T6) with three replicates each. Treatments included pure local and commercial controls, siRNA-treated local hens, and various habituation ratios of local to commercial hens (75:25, 50:50, 25:75). Data on egg production rate, egg mass, egg weight, and number of eggs were recorded across three 28-day periods. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS software under a Completely Randomized Design. Results: Significant differences ( P ≤ 0.05) were observed among treatments. Commercial hens (T2) consistently achieved the highest productivity in all traits, followed by siRNA-treated local hens (T3), which showed marked improvement in egg production and number, particularly during the third period. Habituation treatments (T4 and T6) also exhibited improved performance compared with the local control, indicating behavioral adaptation and reduced stress. The siRNA treatment effectively suppressed corticosterone expression, enhancing reproductive hormone balance and productive efficiency. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that siRNA technology can mitigate stress and improve the productive traits of local laying hens, while behavioral habituation through mixed rearing further enhances adaptability and welfare. Combining genetic silencing and environmental habituation may represent a promising strategy to enhance local poultry productivity and sustainability.

The increased demand for meat and meat products necessitates safe preservation in order to meet their desired quality. Natural preservatives have become the safer alternative to artificial preservatives. These preservatives come mainly from plant sources without negative side effects as unlike artificial ones. This study aimed to examine the effect of green tea extract (GTE) on extending the shelf life of fresh mutton under various storage conditions. Lamb leg samples were stored for 0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days at a temperature of 5℃ and frozen storage at -20°C for 30, 60 and 90 days of storage. Minced meat samples were treated with various levels of aqueous extract of green tea leaves to increase the shelf life of fresh mutton. The aqueous extracts were sprayed on minced meat samples at concentrations of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% (GTE1, GTE2, GTE3, GTE4 and GTE5, respectively). The results revealed that the extraction of green tea was instrumental in significantly inhibiting Escherichia coli growth in GTE2, GTE4, and GTE5 for up to 4 days in chilled samples. There was no significant effect on frozen samples stored for 30 days. The biogenic amines differed among samples treated with different extracts, with GTE1 having the highest as compared to GTE2, GTE3, GTE4, and GTE5 for samples stored at 5°C for all storage periods. On day 30, cadaverine was not noticed in the mutton but subsequently appeared at an increasing rate in GTE1 as compared to other treated groups after 60 and 90 days of frozen storage. Green tea extract has the potential to act as a natural antibacterial and antioxidant in the preservation of mutton.