This study examined the effects of a dietary synbiotic supplement on the behavioral patterns and growth performance of broiler chickens exposed to he

This study examined effect of a dietary synbiotic supplement on the concentrations of plasma thyroid hormones, expressions of heat shock protein 70 (

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a dietary synbiotic supplement on the cecal microflora, antioxidant status, and immune response of

Serotonin (5-HT) regulates aggressive behavior via binding to its receptors, such as 5-HT1A and 1B, in humans and rodents. Here we investigate the he

Heat stress as an environmental stressor causes abnormal bone remodeling and microarchitectural deterioration. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a Bacillus subtilis–based probiotic on bone mass of broilers subjected to cycling high ambient temperature. One hundred and twenty 1-day-old Ross 708 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatments (12 pens per treatment): control diet and the control diet plus 250-ppm probiotic consisting of 3 strains of Bacillus subtilis. Room temperature was gradually decreased from 35°C on day 1 by 0.5°C/d until day 15, when ambient temperature was increased from 28°C to 32°C for 10 h (07:00 h–17:00 h) daily until day 44. Samples of blood, leg bones (tibia and femur), and brains (raphe nuclei and hypothalamus) were collected at day 43, while latency to lie test was conducted at day 44. Compared with controls, probiotic supplementation increased bone mineral content, weight, size, weight to length index, and reduced robusticity index in the tibia and femur (P < 0.05) of broilers subjected to heat stress. Serum concentrations of c-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) were reduced (P = 0.02) by the probiotic supplementation, while ionized calcium, phosphate, and osteocalcin were not affected (P > 0.05). Moreover, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in probiotic fed broilers was decreased (P = 0.003) without changes of plasma interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, interferon-γ, and corticosterone concentrations. There were no treatment effects on the concentrations of peripheral serotonin and central serotonin and catecholamines (norepinephrine, epinephrine, and dopamine) as well as their metabolites. These results may indicate that dietary supplementation of Bacillus subtilis–based probiotic increases bone growth in broilers under a cyclic heating episode probably via inhibition of bone resorption, resulting from downregulation of the circulating TNF-α and CTX. Dietary probiotic supplementation may be a management strategy for increasing skeletal health of broilers under hot weather.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a dietary synbiotic inclusion on broiler bone health under daily cyclic heat stress. A to