Citrullus colocynthis (CC) has been known as a natural medicinal plant with wide biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antilipidemic effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of inclusion of the ethanolic extract of CC seeds (ECCs) into layer diets on the lipid profile, stress indicators, and physiological and productive performance of laying hens. A total of 216 forty-week-old commercial Hy-Line brown laying hens were randomly assigned into four equal groups (3 birds × 18 replicates per group) that received a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 g/kg of ECCs for 12 consecutive weeks. The first group served as a control. The results showed that ECCs at 1.0 and 2.0 g/kg significantly (p < 0.05) improved the productive and physiological performance compared to the other groups. In addition, stress indicators examined in the laying hens, including lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde (MDA)), corticosterone hormone (CORT), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα), and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), were significantly alleviated after inclusion of ECCs into layer diets at the three levels compared to the control group. Furthermore, all ECC levels induced a significant reduction in plasma triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (CH) levels in the plasma, liver, and egg yolk, whereas the highest levels were obtained with 2.0 g/kg of ECCs. Particularly important, a high linear correlation (R² = 0.60–0.79) was observed between increasing doses of ECCs and MDA, liver CH, and egg yolk CH concentrations and egg weight, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio; moreover, the correlation was extremely high (R² = 0.80–0.100) with the level of TG, CH, low-density lipoprotein CH, high-density lipoprotein CH, and CORT. These results indicated that dietary supplementation with 2.0 g/kg of ECCs could be considered a successful nutritional approach to producing healthier, lower-cholesterol eggs for consumers, in addition to enhancing the physiological and productive performance of laying hens by alleviating the stress of intensive commercial production.

This study examines the role of maize in food security and economic stability, focusing on its response to climate change and strategies to enhance resilience. Using a qualitative descriptive research methodology, the study analyzes the impact of climate change on global maize production and proposes innovative strategies for sustainability and food security. The agricultural environment is vulnerable to heavy metal toxicity, which is linked to the relationship between soil health and climate change. From 1850 to 2020, the Earth’s temperature increased by 1.1 °C, with projections indicating continued warming. This trend has significant economic implications, particularly in developing countries where agriculture employs 69% of the population. Heat waves and droughts represent abiotic stresses faced by maize. Research suggests that high greenhouse gas emissions could lead to a 24% reduction in maize yield by 2030. The study highlights the need to focus on breeding and phenotyping technologies to develop heat- and drought-tolerant maize varieties that use water efficiently. Additionally, strategies such as genomic editing, transcriptome analysis, and maize quality mapping are crucial to addressing these challenges. Developing insect-resistant maize is another objective. This study emphasizes the necessity of ongoing research to improve agricultural productivity and ensure food security, especially in light of global population growth. It also advocates for new regulations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to global warming.

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) genes considered as one of the large family of multifunctional growth factors that participate in the regulation of a broad spectrum of biological activities included in morphogenesis, development, and differentiation processes in chicken. The current study was conducted to identify genetic polymorphisms of TGF-β2 gene by using PCR-RFLP method in Giza M-2 line after 7 generations of selection for increasing 6-week live body weight (LBW) compared to Random bred control (RBC) line. Also, the association between TGF-β2 with productive performance was evaluated for each line. Results indicated that, Giza M-2 line had higher LBW at different ages, LBW at 6 week of age (LBW6), and carcass parts weights and percentages compared to RBC line. In addition, Giza M-2 line had high TGF-β2-BB genotype frequency value (0.80) which explains the positive effects of TGF- β2 gene on LBW and carcass traits in Giza M-2 line compared to RBC line. The current research conducts the broad effects of TGF-β2 gene on productive performance of chickens. In addition, the association between these valuable productive traits and TGF β2 gene will effectively develop the selection process by using Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS) in Giza M-2 line breeding program in the near future.

The chicken Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) is strongly associated with resistance and susceptibility to many diseases. Moreover, selection for genetic resistance to diseases is a critical goal in the poultry breeding industry, which needs to be accurately balanced with other traits, including live body weight (LBW) and meat yield. The microsatellite marker LEI0258 is used to evaluate the effect of selection for 12 generations for high LBW at 6 weeks of age (LBW6) with natural selection against Marek disease (MD) on genetic component associated with resistance to MD and Newcastle diseases (ND) in Cairo B-2 line, local broiler breeders, compared with commercial broiler breeder line (AA line). Results indicated that, Cairo B-2 line had lower carcass parts with higher internal organs percentages compared to AA line. In addition, there was a positive association between 473 bp allele of LEI0258 with regard to LBW6 and carcass traits in two lines. Moreover, LEI0258 alleles 357 bp and 295 bp were present with high content in Cairo B-2 line only, which increased the genetic resistance to Marek’s disease and increased the humural immune response against ND vaccination in Cairo B-2 line than AA line. The association between these critical economic traits and LEI0258 microsatellite will facilitate the selection process by applying marker-assisted selection in Cairo B-2 line breeding program in the future.