This study investigated the effects of probiotic supplementation on performance, egg quality, antioxidant capacity, gut morphology, fecal microbiota, and bone morphology in Lohmann Brown laying hens aged 44 weeks over a 16-week period. Ninety-six hens were randomly divided into control and probiotic groups (n = 48 each). The probiotic group received probiotic supplement containing Lactobacillus acidophilus KUEN 1607 and Pediococcus acidilactici KUEN 1608 via drinking water at 0.5%. Probiotic supplementation significantly improved feed conversion ratio (FCR), eggshell strength and thickness, and albumen quality (p < 0.001) and reduced the incidence of cracked and shell-less eggs (p < 0.05). Yolk and serum cholesterol levels decreased (p < 0.001), and antioxidant parameters improved, along with elevated serum IgG (p < 0.001). Histological analysis showed an increased ratio of villus height to crypt depth (p < 0.001) in the jejunum, indicating enhanced intestinal health. Fecal samples revealed increased Lactobacillus spp. and reduced coliform counts (p < 0.001), suggesting improved gut microbiota balance. While bone volume and surface area showed no significant difference, 3D geometric morphometric analysis identified subtle shape changes in long bones, especially the femur and tibiotarsus. These findings demonstrate that the selected probiotic combination supports nutrient utilization, egg quality, gut integrity, immune status, and skeletal health, offering a sustainable strategy to enhance productivity and welfare in laying hens.

This study investigated the effects of dietary xylanase and protease supplementation, applied individually or in combination, on growth performance, intestinal characteristics, gut fermentation, meat quality, and skeletal traits in broiler chickens. A total of 540-day-old male broiler chicks were allocated to six experimental groups and fed a control corn-soybean meal-based diet or diets supplemented with xylanase, protease, or a xylanase–protease combination. Enzyme supplementation significantly improved body weight gain and feed efficiency, particularly between days 22 and 42, and reduced intestinal digesta viscosity. Improvements in gut morphology were reflected by increased villus height and villus-to-crypt ratios, accompanied by higher cecal total volatile fatty acid concentrations, increased Lactobacillus populations, and reduced coliform counts. In contrast, breast meat physicochemical composition and antioxidant status were not affected by dietary treatments. Skeletal development was positively influenced, with improvements observed in selected morphometric and structural bone traits. Overall, dietary xylanase and protease supplementation enhanced broiler performance and skeletal development primarily through improved digestive efficiency and favorable modulation of gut morphology, microbial ecology, and intestinal fermentation, without adverse effects on meat quality.

In this study, the alteration of paraoxonase, ceruloplasmin and immunoglobulin G levels in hair goats at different ages were investigated. 88 hair goats grazed in the same season in Adana (Turkey) were included in the study. Goats were divided into five groups as 0-6 months old, 7-12 months old, 1.5-2 years old, 2.5-6 years old and 7< years old. Paraoxonase activity and ceruloplasmin levels were measured by spectrophotometer and immunoglobulin G was measured with ELISA kit. Although there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in paraoxonase activity, it increased until 6 years of age, but decreased with aging. A statistically significant difference was found between the groups in ceruloplasmin levels. While it provided a decrease in values up to the age of 2 and in old age, a little increase was observed in the fourth group. A statistically significant difference was found between the groups in immunoglobulin G levels, and it was observed that immunoglobulin G levels increased from newborns to adulthood, decreased with age, but increased again with aging. As a result, aging actually means an increase in reactive oxygen species, the emergence of diseases, and the loss of function of tissues and cells. Based on this, it can be said that as you get older, the body will become open to microorganisms and the emergence of diseases will increase. These results suggest that immunoglobulin G increase with age to protect the body. Paraoxonase and ceruloplasmin levels also showed significant change with age. However, more extensive studies are needed to reveal the cause more precisely.

Cherry laurel (L. officinalis) is a well known natural product and folk medicine in the Black Sea region of Turkey. The aim of this study was to investigate the antioxidant effect, polyphenolic, and mineral content of cherry laurel and the cytotoxic effect of its methanolic extraction on human embryonic kidney cells. The total phenolic content of L. officinalis was found to be 1.28 mg GAE/g, while the flavonoid content was 1.26 mg RE/g. The DPPH scavenging activity was 118.76 μg/g. Total antioxidant capacity was found to be 3.54 mM/100 g and in HPLC analysis only chlorogenic acid (101 μg/g) could be detected, but cyanidin‐3‐glucoside chloride, resveratrol, vanillic acid, (+)‐catechin, and (−)‐epicatechin could not. The highest mineral content was found in magnesium levels (46.10 ± 0.57 μg/g), but also contained selenium (9.90 ± 0.78 μg/g), silver (4.46 ± 0.27 μg/g), lead (1.34 ± 0.08 μg/g), zinc (1.31 ± 0.11 μg/g), and copper (0.66 ± 0.05 μg/g). Trace amounts of manganese (0.17 ± 0.02 μg/g) and mercury (0.08 ± 0.01 μg/g) were found in aqueous extraction of L. officinalis but in ethanolic and methanolic extractions these elements could not be detected. In all elements there was a statistically significant increase in water extraction of L. officinalis. Cobalt could not be detected in any of the extractions. The IC₅₀ concentration of L. officinalis on Hek‐293 cells was found to be 370 mg/mL. As a conclusion, L. officinalis is rich in chlorogenic acid and is a good antioxidant fruit. The high antioxidant activity, phenolic and flavonoid content, and mineral content are mostly used to decrease oxidative stress; however, it should not be forgotten that antioxidants may also have pro‐oxidant effects and should be investigated more on healthy and unhealthy cells.

Pumpkin seeds are essential for health due to their rich content, especially their oils, which are high in phenolic compounds. These compounds can be an alternative treatment for diabetes mellitus by reducing blood glucose levels. This study examined the seeds of C. maxima and C. pepo, which were grown in the Sakarya-Arifiye region and harvested in November 2022. DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging activity, total polyphenol, and flavonoid content of methanolic extracts were measured spectrophotometrically, with three separate extraction replicates for each sample. The total phenolic content was 0.31 ± 0.09 mg/g for C. pepo seeds and 0.19 ± 0.02 mg/g for C. maxima seeds. Total flavonoid content was 217.2 ± 20.9 μg/g in C. pepo and 162.9 ± 19.3 μg/g in C. maxima. Antioxidant activity levels demonstrated 12.7 ± 2.4% inhibition for C. pepo and 15.09 ± 0.4% for C. maxima in DPPH scavenging. In the MEC-1 (mutant p53 chronic B cell leukaemia) cell line, the IC50 value for C. pepo was 205 mg/ml, while for C. maxima, it indicated a proliferative effect. In the HG-3 (wild-type chronic B cell leukaemia) cell line, IC50 was 209 mg/ml for C. pepo and 940 mg/ml for C. maxima. These findings indicate that antioxidant, flavonoid, and phenolic content vary by species and growing conditions, influencing antiproliferative effects on cancer cells. Further studies on pumpkin seeds’ effects on metabolic pathways in various diseases will be beneficial.

Diabetes is highly prevalent worldwide, and urine analyses with dipstick methods are important tools to monitor glucosuria and nephron status in diabetic animals. The aim of this study is to follow glucosuria, ketonuria, and proteinuria changes in hypoglycemic drug use in diabetes and drug and natural product combinations. Male wistar albino rats were used in the study and type 2 diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (65 mg/kg, i.p.) and nicotinamide (110 mg/kg, i.p.). The drug and natural products were administered orally for a period of 84 days (healthy control, diabetic, diabetic+metformin, diabetic+metformin+cherry laurel, diabetic+metformin+rutin and diabetic+metformin+alpha lipoic acid groups), and the urine samples were collected at the end of the experiment. The urinalysis (glucose, ketone, and protein) was done with a dipstick. The results were scored between 0 and 3, and Kruskal-Wallis analysis was applied. There was a significant difference between the untreated diabetic group (DM) and the remaining groups in glucose, but ketone and protein analysis did not show any statistically significant differences. The results showed that drug and drug+natural product combination reduced urinary glucose excretion in diabetes. In conclusion, the use of metformin and/or natural product combinations decreased the glucose output in urine. With an easy and cheap monitoring method such as a dipstick, the metabolic state can be revealed. And the effect of drug and natural product combinations can be monitored.