Heat stress has a profound effect on poultry health and productivity. The present study evaluated whether feeding betaine could ameliorate long-term heat stress-induced impairment of productive performance in indigenous yellow-feathered broilers. A total of 240 five-week-old male broilers were randomly allocated to five treatments with six replicates of eight broilers each. The five treatments included a thermoneutral zone control group (TN, fed basal diet), a heat stress control group (HS, fed basal diet), and an HS control group supplemented 500, 1000, 2000 mg/kg betaine, respectively. The TN group was raised at 26 ± 1 °C during the whole study, HS groups exposed to 32 ± 1 °C for 8 h/day from 9:00 am to 17:00 pm. The results showed that heat stress decreased the body weight gain (BWG) and feed intake of broilers during 1–5, 6–10, and 1–10 weeks (p < 0.05). Dietary betaine tended to improve the BWG and feed intake of broilers under 5 weeks of heat stress (linear, p < 0.10), and betaine supplementation linearly increased the BWG and feed intake during 6–10 and 1–10 weeks (p < 0.05). Additionally, nitrogen retention was reduced by 5 weeks and 10 weeks of heat stress (p < 0.05), whereas dietary betaine could improve nitrogen retention in heat stressed broilers after both 5 and 10 weeks of heat stress (linear, p < 0.05). Moreover, this study observed that the trypsin activity of jejunum was decreased by 5 weeks of heat stress (p < 0.05), whereas betaine supplementation had quadratic effects on trypsin activity of jejunum in heat stressed broilers (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 10 weeks of heat stress induced a reduction of villus height of the duodenum and jejunum (p < 0.05), and decreased the villus height to crypt depth ratio of the jejunum (p < 0.05). Supplementation with betaine ameliorated the adverse effects of heat stress on these parameters (p < 0.05). Compared with the TN group, 10 weeks of heat stress reduced carcass and breast yield (p < 0.05) and betaine supplementation improved carcass and breast yield of heat stressed broilers (linear, p < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of betaine could reduce the detrimental effects of long-term heat stress on growth performance, digestive function, and carcass traits in indigenous yellow-feathered broilers.

Colorectal carcinoma is one of the utmost diagnosed cancer with a steep increase in mortality rate. The incidence has been increasing in developing countries like India due to a westernization life style. Flavonoids have been explored widely for its various pharmacological activity including antitumor activity. Orientin, an analogue of luteolin (citrus flavonoid) isolated from rooibos and tulsi leaves is also expected to deliver significant antitumor activity similar to that of luteolin. The present study anticipates exploring the antitumor activity of orientin against colorectal carcinoma cells (HT29). Orientin exhibited remarkable cytotoxicity and antiproliferative activity against HT29 cells, which is clearly evident from tetrazolium based cytotoxicity and lactate dehydrogenase release assays. Orientin induce G0/G1 cell cycle arrest and regulates cyclin and cyclin-dependent protein kinases in order to prevent the entry of the cell cycle to the S phase. Annexin V-FITC (V-Fluorescein Isothiocyanate) dual staining reveals the apoptotic induction ability of orientin. The Bcl-2 family proteins along with the inhibitor of apoptotic proteins were regulated and the tumor suppressor p-53 expression have been decreased. In conclusion, our results proposed that orientin could be a potent chemotherapeutic agent against colorectal cancer after ascertaining their molecular mechanisms.

This 6-weeks study was conducted to investigate the efficiency of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens as probiotic in laying hens. A total of 180 ISA brown laying hens (28-weeks-old) were randomly allocated into 90 cages (two hens per cage), and then assigned to three dietary treatments with 10 replicates per treatment (each replicate with three adjacent cages): (i) CON, basal diet (antibiotic-free); (ii) P1, CON +1.0 × 10⁷ cfu/kg probiotic; (iii) P2, CON +2.0 × 10⁷ cfu/kg probiotic. The probiotic was a commercial product. The Hen Day production was daily recorded. The egg quality parameters were measured by using egg multi-tester. The caecal contents and fresh excreta were collected for measuring the caecal microflora and excreta gas emission, respectively. All data were analysed using the GLM procedure of SAS. Differences among treatment means were determined using the Tukey’s range test. During 4–6 weeks, hens fed P1 and P2 diets had a greater (p < .05) egg production than those fed CON diets. Additionally, birds in P2 treatments had higher (p < .05) eggshell strength and eggshell thickness than those in CON treatment at 3 and 6 weeks. The caecal Lactobacillus numbers were increased (p < .05) while the caecal Escherichia coli and Salmonella concentrations and the excreta NH₃ emission were decreased (p < .05) in the P1 and P2 groups. In conclusion, dietary B. amyloliquefaciens supplementation had positive effects on productive performance in laying hens.