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Some strains of Bacillus coagulans have shown probiotic characteristics and variety of technological features that make it useful across multiple industries. This study focused on investigating specific traits of B. coagulans strains IBRC10807 (T strain) and GBI-30,6086 (SH strain), such as surface hydrophobicity, tolerance to salt, acid, pepsin, trypsin, bile salt, and heat resistance. The study also examined their performance using different carbon sources (industrial glucose, date juice, grape juice, corn syrup, and sugar beet molasses) and nitrogen sources (sesame meal, soybean meal, and corn gluten), along with comparing the intensity of proteolysis of nitrogen sources. The results indicated that both strains were capable of proteolysis, with the SH strain demonstrating higher efficiency than the T strain when using corn syrup as the carbon source and soybean meal as the nitrogen source. Optimal conditions for fermentation were determined in this study, resulting in a total desirability of 95%, with the optimal amounts of soybean meal at 2.46%, corn syrup at 10.65%, and a fermentation time of 32.35 h. These findings suggest that B. coagulans strains have both probiotic and technological properties and can effectively ferment inexpensive carbon and nitrogen substrates to produce valuable materials.

Honey bee colonies can be kept and studied in smaller spaces than the hive called laboratory cages. The use of laboratory cages in honey bee studies can lead to innovative solutions to solve problems related to honey bee production and health due to the control of test conditions. In laboratory cages, if enough food is provided, the colony conditions can be made as similar as possible to the colony conditions in natural conditions. Laboratory cages are used for various purposes, and the cost of testing is greatly reduced due to keeping a smaller colony instead of using a complete colony in the field, and it is possible to perform multiple tests in a short period. The cage system is feasible and economical and has many advantages, but it should be noted that the type of laboratory cage depends on the purpose of the study and the size of the cage and the equipment needed to build the cage depends on the variables examined in the experiment.

The addition of various substances such as probiotics and prebiotics and synbiotics and herbs and their extracts as possible alternatives to antimicrobial growth stimulants have positive effects on the host.The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of different levels of barley extract and synbiotic on yield, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of Ross 308 broilers. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 5 replications and 10 chickens in each experimental unit for a total of 250 one-day-old chickens. Experimental treatments including control (without additive), barley extract 0.1%, barley malt extract 0.2%, barley extract 0.3% and soluble synbiotic in water were tested on broilers for 42 days. Feed-intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio were recorded in initial, growth, final pahse and throughout the experiment. In order to determine the characteristics of the carcass and measurement of blood parameters, at 42 days of age, two male chickens were selected from each experimental unit and slaughtered after weighing. The results showed that the addition of barley malt extract at the levels of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3% and synbiotic alone on feed intake, weight gain and feed conversion ratio of broilers compared to the control was not significant. Also, adding 0.3% barley malt extract to drinking water caused a significant increase in triglyceride and VLDL-c serum levels of broiler chickens compared to the control (p <0.05), but other levels of malt extract barley and synbiotic had no significant effect on other blood parameters of broilers compared to controls. The present study showed that different levels of malt extract and synbiotic alone could not significantly improve the performance index and carcass efficiency throughout the experiment compared to the control group.

In recent decades, with the ban on the use of antibiotics in the poultry industry, the use of new alternatives such as probiotics and prebiotics have increased. Some of these alternatives can improve the growth and health of birds by creating optimal changes in the microbial population of the digestive tract. Therefore, the present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of kappa-carrageenan polysacharid and primalac probiotic on the growth response and health of broilers.

240 one-day-old broilers of Ross 308 strain in a completely randomized design with 2× 2 factorial arrangement, including two levels of probiotic additive (zero and 0.1 % of food ration) and two levels of kappa-carrageenan additive (zero and 0.1 % of food ration) distributed in 24 cages (six replicates each containing ten birds) and reared on floor system for 24 days.

The growth performance of birds was not affected by the interaction of probiotics and kappa-carrageenan in the diet. However, the use of kappa-carrageenan in diets significantly increased the body weight gain of birds during 1 to 10 days of age. Feed intake of the birds was not affected by the experimental treatments and dietar levels of probiotic and kappa-carrageenan, but the feed conversion ratio was improved by adding 0.1% of probiotic in the diet at day 24 (P< 0.05). The relative weight of thigh in birds that received kappa-carrageenan was higher compared to the zero level of kappa-carrageenan in the diet (P< 0.05). Probiotic supplementation alone in the diet increased the relative weight of the liver of birds. Also, the relative weight of the liver was significantly lower in the birds that received diets containing kappa-carrageenan. In broilers fed with kappa-garakinan, the villus length increased in the duodenum and decreased the crypts depth in the ileum. The use of 0.1% of probiotics significantly increased the population of lactic acid bacteria in the ileum of birds. The population of lactic acid bacteria in the ileum of birds under 0.1% of probiotic increased significantly. Consumption of kappa-carrageenan and probiotics separately or mixed in the diet reduced the population of coliforms in the cecum (P< 0.05). Using a mixture of kappa-carrageenan and probiotic in the diet the activity of superoxide desmutase enzyme improved compared to the treatment containing kappa-carrageenan (P< 0.05).

The results of the present experiment showed that the use of probiotics and kappa-carrageenan in the diet of young broiler chickens can be effective in improving some parameters of the growth response during separate periods of rearing and optimally changing the microbial population of the digestive tract.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of replacing raw or fermented rapeseed meal with soybean meal on production performance and eggshell quality in broiler breeders. Rapeseed meal was fermented for 30 days with Lactobacillus subtilis and Aspergillus niger, and 140 broiler breeders (Ross 308) in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of 3 × 2, including two types of rapeseed meal (raw and fermented) and three replacement levels with soybean meal (33, 66, and 100%) with a control group (corn-soybean) were performed with 5 replications for 12 weeks (three production stages). Results indicated that pH and glucosinolates values of rapeseed meal decreased significantly after microbial fermentation (P<0.05). Fermented rapeseed meal had no significant effect on body weight, egg weight, egg production percentage, and eggshell quality in comparison with raw rapeseed meal. The effect of replacing meal level on body weight and egg weight was insignificant, but with increasing the level of raw or fermented rapeseed meal in the diet a linear significant decrease was observed in production percentage and eggshell quality (P<0.05). The production percentage was significantly lower in hens fed 100% raw or fermented rapeseed meal compared to the control group (P<0.05). According to the results of this experiment, raw or fermented rapeseed meal at the levels of more than 66% replacement with soybean meal in the diet of broiler breeders negatively affected production performance and eggshell quality.

[1]Selenium is an essential mineral for many metabolic functions of the body, including the activation of enzymes and the optimal biochemical and physiological function of birds (Antongiovanni et al., 2007). Selenium protects cell membranes from oxidative damage and can therefore improve nutrient efficiency (Arner et al., 2012). The small intestine is the most important part in the digestion and absorption of nutrients, while the large intestine and intestinal tract are very important areas for the accumulation of microbes (Chitra et al., 2013). Gastrointestinal health is one of the most important and effective factors in bird function. Gastrointestinal microbial population affects the nutrition and health of various animal species, including poultry. These microorganisms need trace elements such as selenium to perform their normal metabolic functions. Selenium may affect bacterial cells by disrupting the respiratory chain (Pappas et al., 2005). In addition to improving the quality and composition of intestinal microflora, selenium can have a positive effect on the morphology of the intestine as an antioxidant (Haghighi-khoshkhoo et al., 2010). Despite these benefits, the effect of selenium on intestinal microbial population is largely unknown, so the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of organic and inorganic selenium in the diet on microbial population, intestinal morphology and intestinal acidity in laying hens.

The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 300 laying hens of high-line strains from 23 to 35 weeks of age with 5 treatments, 6 replications and 10 hens per replication. Experimental treatments include 1- Base diet (without selenium), 2- Base diet + 0.5 mg/kg sodium-selenite, 3- Base diet + mg/kg 1 selenite-sodium, 4- Base diet + mg/kg 0.5 selenium-methionine, 5-base diet + 1 mg/kg selenium-methionine. At the end of the experiment, two birds were randomly selected from each replicate; To evaluate the microbial population, a sample of the contents of the cecum on the culture medium was used (1). Tissue samples were prepared and then measured using a microscope, villi length, villi width, crypt depth, and number of goblet cells (9). To measure acidity, samples were taken from the contents of the cecum, and acidity was measured by a pH meter.

The results indicate that consuming 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine increased the villi area compared to the control treatment. The experimental treatments did not affect villi length, villi width, crypt depth, number of goblet cells, and the ratio of villus length to crypt depth. The consumption of 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly decreased the population of Salmonella and increased the population of Lactobacillus in the cecal compared to other experimental treatments. The consumption of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine caused a significant decrease in the population of aerobic bacteria compared to the control treatment. The acidity of cecal contents in the treatment containing 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine was significantly reduced compared to the control treatment. Several studies (Langhout et al., 1999, Lukaszewicz et al., 2011, Pappas et al., 2005) have reported that using organic sources of selenium reduces the coliform population. In mice, dogs, and laying hens, selenium intake has been shown to increase the number of Lactobacillus and decrease Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in the cecum (Langhout et al., 1999, Lukaszewicz et al., 2011, Pappas et al., 2005). Increasing the population of beneficial bacteria due to the provision of sufficient selenium for their synthesis is also an antioxidant property of selenium in preserving the life of these bacteria. It appears that beneficial bacteria, such as Lactobacillus, can competitively eliminate harmful bacteria such as Escherichia coli in the gut (Lukaszewicz et al., 2011). An increase in the number of pathogenic bacteria in the intestine causes the villi to shorten and the lining to shrink (Attia et al., 2010).Numerous studies demonstrate that the consumption of diets containing selenium compounds has destructive effects on harmful intestinal bacteria (Chantiratikul et al., 2008, Hashemi et al., 2012, Heindl et al., 2010, Horn et al., 2009, Langhout et al., 1999). Adding organic selenium to the diet of broilers increases the weight of the intestines due to the growth of villi and intestinal lamina propria (Haghighi-khoshkhoo et al., 2010, Heindl et al., 2010). The lack of selenium consumption on morphology can be attributed to the levels of selenium used, as well as the bird's lack of stress. Selenium can exert its effect more effectively under stress conditions. Most harmful bacteria grow in an environment with acidity close to 7 or slightly higher, while beneficial bacteria multiply in an acidic environment and compete with pathogenic bacteria (Cooke et al. 1973). An increase in acidity leads to a decrease in Escherichia coli and Salmonella in the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the consumption of organic sources of selenium reduces the population of pathogenic microorganisms (aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella) and increases the population of Lactobacillus competitively, followed by an increase in gastrointestinal acidity. This improvement may lead to an increase in digestion, absorption, and performance (Kasaikina et al., 2011).

 According to the results of this study, it can be said that consuming organic sources of selenium (levels of one and 0.5 mg of selenium-methionine per kg of feed) significantly reduces the population of harmful aerobic bacteria, bacteria. Salmonella and Escherichia coli and cause a competitive increase in the beneficial population of Lactobacillus; The consequence of this operation is to increase the acidity of the cecum and reduce the damage and microbial destruction to the intestinal tissue, and therefore with positive changes in the morphology of the small intestine will lead to improved bird function.

Today, for the preservation and survival of honey bee colonies, special attention has been paid to the nutrition of colonies with extracts of medicinal plants. In this experiment, the effect of different levels of Rosa canina hydroalcoholic extract on population, queen egg laying, brood rearing, honey production and development of the hypopharyngeal glands of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) were studied during summer in an apiary in Ardabil province. At the beginning of the experiment, the colonies were homogenized according to the population, food storage and queens of the same age. The colonies were fed with control treatment and different concentrations of Rosa canina extract (2, 4 and 8% of the extract) during1 month. Brood rearing and queen egg laying were measured by Lattice frame (size of the squares are 5×5 cm2). The population of adult honey bee was measured by frame and 30 days after feeding the colonies. To investigate development of the hypopharyngeal glands, length and width of 10 acini from different parts of the gland for age 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days were measured using a stereomicroscope and by software (T Capture).This experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with four replications and four treatments. In this study, treatment of 2% Rosa canina extract had a significant effect on brood rearing, but in queen egg laying, population and honey production, although it had a better effect numerically, but this effect was not statistically significant. In the growth of hypopharyngeal glands, the highest growth of acini level at 3 days (0.0432 mm2) for honey bees fed with 4% Rosa canina extract and at 9 and 12 days (respectively 0.0763 and 0.0722 mm2) It belonged to the colonies fed with 2% Rosa canina extract (P<0.05). In general, it can be said that the use of 2% of Rosa canina hydroalcoholic extract has been effective in improving the performance of honey bee colonies. It is also recommended for beekeepers to use Rosa canina hydroalcoholic extract as a nutritional supplement.

This experiment carried out to investigate the effect of feeding gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal on yield, serum lipid profile and liver enzymes in Japanese quails. A total of 384 Japanese quails were used in a completely randomized design with four experimental treatments with six replications and sixteen quail per replication for 35 days. Experimental diets included diets without gamma ray irradiated cottonseed meal (control treatment) and diets containing levels of 6, 12, and 18% protein of the diet with gamma irradiated cottonseed meal. At the end of the experimental period (35 days), feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio were calculated. On the last day of the experimental period, blood samples were taken from a vein of two male quail whose body weight was close to the body weight of each replicate. The results of the effect of experimental treatments on feed intake show that there is a statistically significant difference between treatments (p<0.05). With the increase of irradiated meal in the diet composition, the amount of feed consumption in quails increased significantly (p<0.05). So that the highest amount of feed consumption belonged to the group receiving 18% of irradiated cotton seed meal with 613.85 g and the lowest amount of feed consumption related to the control treatment was 591.46 g (P<0.05). The mean weight gain in the whole rearing period was significantly different between the experimental treatments, so that the results show that the weight gain of chickens increased with increasing the level of irradiated cottonseed meal (p<0.05). The highest weight gain belonged to the birds fed with 18% of irradiated cottonseed meal with 217.60 g and the lowest weight gain belonged to the control group with 204.30 g (p<0.05). Concentrations of cholesterol, triglycerides, VLDL-C, HDL-C and LDL-C in serum of avian birds were not affected by experimental treatments. Therefore, this processing method can increase the use of cottonseed meal in poultry feed and increase the capacity to use cottonseed to replace soybean meal.

This study was performed to investigate the nutritional effect of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) hydroalcoholic extract on physiological and performance of honey bee colonies. Experimental treatments included control group and groups fed with one, two and three percent of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) extract. At the beginning of the experiment, colonies were used with the same population and reserves and homosexual queens. In this experiment, the colonies were fed with lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) extract every other day and after feeding the colonies with experimental treatments for one month, were measured parameters such as population, queen egg laying, brood rearing, honey production and development of the hypopharyngeal glands. Brood rearing and queen egg laying were measured by Lattice frame (size of the squares are 5×5 cm2) .The population of adult honey bee was measured by frame and 30 days after feeding the colonies. To investigate development of the hypopharyngeal glands, length and width of 10 acini from different parts of the gland for age 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days were measured using a stereomicroscope and by software (T Capture).This experiment was performed in a completely randomized design with 4 replications. Data were analyzed using SAS software and GLM procedure and means were compared using Duncan test at 5% probability level. The results of this study show that at the level of brood rearing, colonies fed with 2% lemon balm extract had a statistically significant increase compared to the control treatment. For population, queen egg laying and honey production parameters, no significant difference was observed between the experimental treatments, but the 2% treatment of lemon balm extract, although not statistically significant, had a better effect numerically. The highest growth of acini level at 3 days (0.0417 mm2) was for honey bees fed with 2% lemon balm extract (P<0.05).There is also a statistically significant difference in the growth of hypopharyngeal glands at different times for each of the treatments. In general, it can be said that adding 2% of lemon balm extract is recommended as a nutritional supplement to honey bee colonies.

Low feed efficiency is one of the problems in the rumen of ruminants, which results in reduced growth and production of livestock and, most importantly, environmental pollution due to the release of methane and nitrogenous compounds . Changes in ruminal fermentation can be made to improve fermentation efficiency and substrate utilization and optimize feed nutritional value . Antibiotics have been successful in reducing energy loss (from methane) and protein (from ammonia nitrogen) in the rumen . However, today, due to general concerns about the remains of these compounds in milk and meat and thus increasing the bacterial resistance to them has caused the use of materials in feed as additive in some countries . Therefore, the tendency to find alternatives with natural origin for antibiotics has increased over recent years .Plant secondary metabolites are among the natural alternatives that have been studied in recent years that have antimicrobial properties.Essential oils, also known as volatile or ethereal oils, occur in edible, medicinal, andherbal plants. As these aromatic compounds are largely volatile, they are commonly extracted by steam distillation or solvent extraction . Essential oils can be extracted from many parts of a plant, including the leaves, flowers, stem, seeds, roots and bark. However, the composition of the EO can vary among different parts of the same plant . For instance, EO obtained from the seeds of coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) have a different composition from the EO of cilantro, which is obtained from the immature leaves of the same plant . Chemical differences among EO extracted from individual plants, or different varieties of plants, also exist and are attributed to genetically determined properties, age of the plant, and the environment in which the plant grows . One of the plant essential oils that has a great potential for use in ruminant diets is the essential oil of thyme (Thymus Vulgaris). Thyme extract contains 0.6-8.8% (usually 1%) of essential oil, most of which are phenols (20-20%) and monoterpene hydrocarbons (such as P cymen and γ terpinen) and alcohols (such as Linalool and terpinen α). They show that sometimes these compounds make up 80% of the extract compounds. Naturally, thymol is also a major phenolic component in thyme and carvacrol is a sub – element (Leung and Foster., 1996). Although goats and sheep have often been fed and managed in a similar manner (goats being browsers and sheep being grazers), they are different, especially in their digestive capability, because of differences in the morphology of digestive system, including the mouth structure and gut, which may influence their ability to ingest and digest feed materials . Available information on efficiency of feed utilization between goat and sheep has been inconsistent with several studies reported sheep had higher growth performance than goats . In a recent in vitro study, Candyrine et al (2016) reported that goats had better rumen fermentation characteristics, including higher volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production and higher population of cellulolytic bacteria compared to sheep, suggesting that goats could be more superior in digesting feed materials.The results of studies performed on lambs and goats ) that have examined the effects of thyme extract or its major compounds (thymol and carvacrol) are very contradictory. And more research is needed to determine their effects on rumen fermentation and metabolism in lambs and goats. There is also little research on direct comparisons of the use of plant extracts in vivo between lambs and goats. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare these two species and the effects of thyme extract on performance and some ruminal parameters in fattening lambs and goat kids.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) extract on growth performance, feed intake, daily weight gain and digestibility of nutrients in fattening lambs and kids. For this purpose, 15 goat kids (average initial BW of 17.3 ± 1.2 Kg, 3 month- old) and 15 Dalagh lambs (average initial BW of 21.4 ± 1.5 Kg, 3 month- old) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments: 1) control (without thyme extract), 2) supplemented with 250 ml thyme extract and 3) supplemented with 500 ml thyme extract. Animals were kept in individual pens with self-mangers for 84 days. The results showed that there was no significant difference in nitrogen consumption through the use of extracts between different treatments. However, fecal and urinary excretion nitrogen was lower in treatments receiving 250 ml of thyme extract and retained and digested nitrogen was more than other treatments (P <0.01). Examination of interactions and species effects showed that the effect of thyme extract on excreted nitrogen and nitrogen retention in lambs was different from that of goat kids, so that excreted nitrogen was higher in goats and nitrogen retention was lower. With increasing levels of thyme extract, a significant decrease in gas and methane production was observed in both species (P <0.01). Rumen microbial population (total bacteria, coliforms and lactic acid bacteria) decreased due to the addition of thyme extract in both species, but this decrease was not significant. Also, in lambs and goats receiving thyme extract, with increasing the levels of the extract in the diet, the number of protozoa decreased significantly (P <0.01), so that the group receiving 500 ml of extract had the lowest number of protozoa. Concentrations of triglycerides, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein were not affected by the use of the extract. However, blood glucose concentration increased significantly with increasing the extract in the diet and blood urea nitrogen concentration decreased (P <0.01). In general, the results of this study showed that the use of thyme extract in the diets of lambs and goats can significantly reduce gas production, especially methane gas and excretion of nitrogen through urine and feces, and thus increase nitrogen retention and digestion.

For this expriment 1440 Ross 308 male broilers (from 1 to 42 days of age) were used in a randomized complete block design with eight treatments in six blocks. Experimental diets included: soybean meal (control treatment), raw soybeans, full-fat soybeans extruded (15%) at 90 and 150°C, and each of them with 0.02% or without (0.0) protease enzyme supplementation. The use of raw soybean compared to soybean meal or extruded full-fat soybean significantly reduced feed intake, body weight and relative carcass weight, as well as increased feed conversion ratio and pancreatic weight (P<0.01). weight gain was improved in diets supplemented by protease enzyme compared to diets containing raw soybean (P<0.01). Feed conversion ratio was improved in diets containing raw soybean and soy bean meal by dietary protease supplementation (P<0.01). Extrusion temperature did not affect the growth performance of experimental birds. Diet containing raw soybean without enzyme increased blood cholesterol levels (P <0.05). According to the findings of this study, the use of protease enzyme in diets containing soybean meal or raw soybean can improve the performance of broilers However, such effect is less pronounced in diets containing extruded full-fat soybean meal.

Flax seed meal (FSM) is rich in various nutrients, especially CP and energy, and can be used as animal protein feed. Flax seed meal is a by-product of flax seed oil extraction. It has approximately 13.3 MJ DE/kg DM and 32% to 37% CP. It has a balanced amino acid profile and relatively low-rumen effective degradable protein. Additionally, it has been reported that FSM has greater content of phenolics and flavonoids than that in its seed. Moreover, it exhibits high antioxidant activity, which is beneficial for the growth and health of animals. These qualities are desirable in feedstuffs for ruminants. However, studies on the effects of replacing SBM with FSM in fattening ewes are limited. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of replacing a portion of cottonseed meal with flax meal) Linum usitatissimum( on blood parameters, rumen fibrolytic enzyme activity metabolites, the immune system and growth performance in ewes.

The experimental design was a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square with the following treatments: (1) 0% flax meal, (2) 33% flax meal, (3) 66% flax meal and (4) 100% flax meal. The ewes were fed in individual pens for periods of 21 days, with the first 14 days for adaptation to diets and daily meal two hours of 08:00 am and 04:00pm were administered orally. The measurement of blood parameters (Glucose, triglyceride, Blood urea nitrogen, Cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, VLDL- cholesterol) and immune system (Leucocytus, Lymphocytes,   Monocytes, Granulocyte, Red blood cells , Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, The average volume of hemoglobin, The average weight of hemoglobin, The average concentration of hemoglobin in the cell, Red cell scattering amplitude, Platelets, The average size of platelets, The volume of platelets) at the end at the end of the 21-day period. To measure ruminal parameters (pH, ammonia nitrogen and micro-crystalline cellulose and carboxy-methyl cellulose) at the end of each sampling period was 20 days.

The results show that increasing the amount of blood urea nitrogen, cholesterol and HDL- cholesterol and LDL- cholesterol reduced. The immune system parts value hemoglobin and mean hemoglobin concentration have difference significant in treatment and the most amount was of 100% cotton meal treatment. Micro-crystalline cellulose enzyme activity to every three enzymatic activity (intracellular, extracellular and attached to particles) declined.

Overall, the results indicated that cottonseed meal can be effectively replaced by flax meal in the diets of ewes and the optimal proportion was 100% under the conditions of this experiment and without health impact.

Today, due to increasing public awareness, the use of eggs as a source of essential amino acids in the human body has expanded. Since the egg is a packaged food, the quality and mechanical integrity of the shell are of great importance. In this study, a number of healthy eggs were selected and then exposed to ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) radiation. After this step, half of the samples were smeared in sunflower oil and stored for 2 days. In the next step, the fracture force of the eggshell was obtained with the help of the Instron device. The results of this experiment showed that a number of levels of ultraviolet radiation factors were able to cause changes in the amount of fracture force of the eggshell. In the study of the effect of infrared light on the fracture force of the eggshell, it was observed that with increasing the number of bulbs and irradiation time, the amount of breaking force has also increased and this had a direct relationship with the factors of number of lamps and irradiation time. Also, in the study of the effect of infrared samples and impregnation of the shell with sunflower oil, it was concluded that impregnation of the eggshell with the oil reduces the amount of refractive force from 30.3 to 26.5 N. Finally, it was observed that the infrared samples had a higher average refractive index than the ultraviolet samples.

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of gamma ray irradiated cottonseed meal on production performance and external and internal quality traits of quail eggs. A total of 144 pieces of Japanese quail were distributed to 4 experimental treatments with 6 replications in a completely randomized design. Experimental diets included diets without gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal (control treatment) and diets containing levels of 7.5, 15 and 22.5 percent of gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal. During the experimental period, weekly feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion ratio were recorded and at the end of week 4, 2 eggs were selected from each replicate and the traits related to the external and internal quality of eggs were examined. The results showed that 40 kg dose of gamma rays could reduce the total and free gossypol of raw cottonseed meal (37.47 and 0.14 compared to 679.31 and 42.94). Addition of different levels of gamma-irradiated cottonseed meal did not have a significant effect on production yield, external and internal quality traits of quail eggs in different treatments at 70 days (p>0.05). The results of this study showed that irradiation of 40 kg dose of gamma rays to cottonseed meal can reduce the concentration of total and free gossypol and its consumption in the diet will not have a negative effect on quail performance and quail egg characteristics. The level of 22.5% of dietary protein with irradiated meal has no negative effect on production performance and external and internal quality traits of quail eggs.

This study was performed to investigate the effect of organic and inorganic selenium supplementation on laying hens' performance, quality traits and peroxidation of egg yolks and whites. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design with 300 laying hens (W-36) from 23 to 35 weeks of age with 5 treatments and 6 replications and 10 laying hens in each replication. Experimental treatments include: treatment one or control (basic diet without selenium), The second treatment of 0.5 selenite-sodium (base diet+0.5 mg/kg selenite-sodium), the third treatment selenite-sodium 1 (basic diet+1mg/kg selenite-sodium), the fourth treatment selenium-methionine 0.5 (basal diet + 0.5 mg/kg seleno-methionine) and the fifth treatment was seleno-methionine 1 (basal diet +1 mg/kg seleno-methionine). The results showed that experimental treatments had no significant effect on egg weight, weight mass, production percentage, feed intake, feed conversion ratio and egg yolk and egg white characteristics (P<0.05). Peroxidation of egg yolk and egg white fats in 1 mg/kg seleno-methionine treatment showed the lowest rate compared to other experimental treatments (P<0.05). The results of the present study showed that among the sources of selenium, 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine more effectively reduced the peroxidation of fats and increased antioxidant activity.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different levels of thyme (Thymus vulgaris) extract on growth performance, feed intake, daily weight gain and digestibility of nutrients in fattening lambs and kids. For this purpose, 15 goat kids (average initial BW of 17.3 ± 1.2 Kg, 3 month- old) and 15 Dalagh lambs (average initial BW of 21.4 ± 1.5 Kg, 3 month- old) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments: 1) control (without thyme extract), 2) supplemented with 250 ml thyme extract, 3) supplemented with 500 ml thyme extract. Animals were kept in individual pens with self-mangers for 84 days. Experimental results showed that different levels of thyme extract had a significant effect on daily weight gain and feed intake throughout the period in both species, so that in animals fed 250 ml of thyme extract was higher than other treatments (P <0.0001). Dietary treatments containing 500 ml of thyme extract had the lowest weight gain and final weight and feed intake throughout the period. Also, lambs had better weight gain and more food intake than kids. Thyme extract reduced the digestibility of organic matter and NDFand increased the digestibility of dry matter (P <0.0001) and the effect of the species on nutrient digestibility was not significant.Overall, the results showed that the best level of thyme extract in animals diets was 250 ml, and at this level the best growth performance was achieved. The lambs were also more affected by the thyme extract than the kids.

This experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, 6 repetitions and 10 chicken in each repetition in order to evaluate the effect of selenium supplement immune system related treats, egg qualitative characteristics, blood parameters and antibody titers against Newcastle disease and influenza, laying hens w36 strains. Experimental treatments include: (1) basic diet, (2) basic diet plus 0.5 mg/kg of Sodium selenite (3) basic diet plus 1 mg/kg of Sodium selenite, (4) basic diet plus 0.5 mg/kg of selenium-methionine and (5) base diets plus 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine. The results show egg traits were not affected by experimental treatments (P>0.05). treatment of 0.5 and 1 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly reduced the enzyme Aspartate Amino Transferase (P<0.05). Also, treatments containing organic selenium significantly reduced the enzyme Alanine Amino Transferase (P<0.05). The results showed that 0.5 mg/kg of selenium-methionine significantly increased the levels of immunoglobulin G, M and A compared to other experimental treatments (P<0.05). However, the levels of immunoglobulins A and M in organic and inorganic sources were not significantly affected by selenium levels (P>0.05). Newcastle antibody titers did not significantly differentiate between experimental treatments (P>0.05). However, 1 mg/kg of selenium-sodium significantly reduced the antibody titer of influenza (P<0.05). In general, although the consumption of organic and inorganic sources of selenium was ineffective on egg characteristics, organic sources of selenium more effectively stimulate the immune system and increase blood immunoglobulins than non-organic sources.

In order to investigate the effect of various levels of Poultry by-product meal(PBM) on the performance of Baluchi male lambs, an experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 4 experimental diets containing (0, 2.5, 5 and 7.5 ) doses of Poultry by-product meal residues and 6 replicates (Lamb) in each treatment. The fattening was a 90- day feeding period preceded by a 14-day adaptation period. Different levels of Poultry by-product meal had no significant effect on daily lamb weight, average daily intake of dry matter and feed conversion ratio. Significantly higher Blood urea nitrogen was observed in control diet than other treatment (P <0.05), but there was no significant difference in plasma glucose in experimental diets (P <0.05). The protein and protein portions of A, B, B1, B2, B3 and C in this experiment were 11.8, 8.23, 22.21, 19.1, and 81.3%, respectively. The results of current study showed that Poultry by-product meal 7.5% can be used in lamb̓̕s finishing diets without adverse effect on performance.

Today, due to the use of eggs as a complete food package, directly and indirectly, it is important to maintain quality. In this study, fresh eggs purchased and after placing the samples under UV rays with different levels of parameters, they were divided into two groups of impregnated and not impregnated sunflower oil. The samples were then stored for two days and then, the biochemical properties were determined for them including the percentage of fat and crude protein, pH and total ash. In the statistical analysis, the results for pure fat were the highest and the lowest was 48.3333 (20 lamps- 3 hours irradiation time) and 33.3333 (60 lamps- 1 hour irradiation time). In the study of the effects of the number of lamps and UV irradiation time on total ash, no significant changes were made at different levels of the parameters. There were also significant changes in the number of LED lamps and irradiation times in the raw protein review so that the highest level of protein in the parameters studied in this section was 40 lamps and 1 hour of irradiation and the lowest level The protein was about 20 lamps and 2 hours of ultraviolet radiation. In the pH check, the increase in the number of ultraviolet lamps and irradiation time reduced the amount of pH; As a result of the inverse relationship between the increase in the number of LED lamps and the irradiation time with the pH value. Also performing impregnated eggshell sunflower oil was a decrease in pH value.

This experiment was performed to compare the effect of adding microalgae Spirulina and probiotic Bacillus subtilis in the diet on carcass characteristics, intestinal morphology and blood parameters of broiler chicks. A total of 300 Ross one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicken were randomly distributed in a completely randomized design with 3 × 3 factorial arrangement including three levels of Spirulina platensis (0, 0.05 and 0.1% of diet) and two levels of probiotic (0 and 0.05% of the diet) and reared for 24 days. The mixture of 0.1% spirulina and probiotic decreased the relative weight of abdominal fat pad when compared to the treatment provided with 0.1% spirulina and without probiotic. The use of probiotic diet (without spirulina) increased the duodenal villus height and the ratio of villus height to crypt depth compared to the treatment without these additives (P <0.05). In the jejunum, the mixture of 0.05% Spirulina and probiotics increased the villus height than the treatment containing only probiotic (P <0.05). Supplementing of spirulina or probiotic can reduce heterophil count and the heterophile to lymphocyte ratio in the boold of broiler chickens (P< 0.05). The results of this experiment showed that spirulina, especially 0.1% level, alone or in combination with probiotic, can improve carcass quality and intestinal mophology. Also, due to the beneficial changes in blood parameters, each of these additives could be recomendable to improve the health of broiler chickens.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of different levels of sesame meal supplemented with phytase enzyme on performance and characteristics of carcass and tibia in Japanese quail, in a completely randomized design with 2 × 3 factorial arrangement containing, two levels of phytase enzymes (zero and 0.1 g/Kg in diet) and three levels of sesame meal (zero, 25 and 50%) was employed. Three hundred sixty Japanese quail were allocated to 6 experimental treatments with 4 replicates of 15 quail each. The results showed different levels sesame meal, phytase enzyme and their interaction had no significant effect on weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Percentage of liver were higher in treatment with 25% sesame meal (P< 0.05). Weight, relative weight, volume, percentage of phosphorus and calcium of tibia in treatment with 50% sesame meal were significantly higher (P< 0.05). Inclusion of phytase enzyme led to an increase in percentage of spleen, density, percentage of ash, percentage of calcium and phosphorus of tibia(P< 0.05).Treatment of 50% sesame meal with phytase enzymes had the highest percentage of thigh compared to treatment without sesame meal and without phytase enzymes (P< 0.05). Percentage of phosphorus of tibia in treatments of that 25% and 50% sesame meal with phytase were higher compared to other treatments (P< 0.05). According to the results of this study that 25% and 50% sesame meal can be used in Japanese quail’s diets, without any negative effect on performance, carcass characteristics and tibia characteristics.

This experiment was conducted to determine the chemical composition and evaluation of protein quality raw tomato pomace (RTP) and fermented tomato pomace (FTP) in broiler chickens. The amount of dry matter, fiber and crude protein in RTP were changed from 92.96, 35.13 and 14.35 to 91.40, 30.16 and 15.54% in FTP, respectively. Lactic acid bacteria population (log10 CFU/g) in RTP was changed from 7.53 to 14.85 in FTP. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four treatments including nitrogen-free diet, soybean meal, RTP and FTP as semi-pure diets on broiler chickens. Protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein ratio (NPR), feed efficiency and weight gains chickens were investigated. The results showed that the PER at 14 and 17 and the whole period for FTP was 2.69, 2.72 and 2.70, for RTP 2.36, 2.03 and 2.24, and for soybean meal 3.06, 3.26 and 3.13, respectively. NPR for FTP was 3.84, 3.76 and 3.82, for RTP was 3.47, 2.92 and 3.28, and for soybean meal 4.03, 3.99 and 4.02, respectively. Although weight gain and feed efficiency in chicks fed with FTP was lower than soybean meal, but these values were higher than the RTP (P <0.05). Therefore, due to the improvement in the quality protein FTP, it can be used to feed broiler chickens.

Two experiments were conducted to determine the nutrient ileal digestibility of raw date pit (RDP) and fermented date pit (FDP) as well as their effects on performance and some bloody traits in broiler chickens,. The first experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 72 male broiler chicks, three treatments and six replicates (four chicks each) . The treatments consisted of a corn – soybean diet and two experimental diets which prepared by replacing RDP and FDP to basal diet at 25 %. The second experiment was performed in a 2× 4 factorial arrangement along with a control treatment in completely randomized design in a population of 540 day old broiler chickens in nine treatments with five replicates (12 chicks each). Dietary treatments included a diet without date pit (control), and diets containing two, four, six and eight percent of RDP or FDP. The digestibility of crude protein, fiber and ash in the FDP were higher than RDP (p<0.05). Feeding broiler chickens with FDP compared to RDP, improved weight gain (2110.5 g vs 1991.3 g ) and increased feed intake (p<0.05). The blood cholesterol and LDL-c decreased in chickens fed by FDP compared to RDP (p<0.05). According to the results of this experiment fermentation of date pit increases digestibility of its nutrients and improves weight gain of broiler chickens.

In order to compare the effect of adding tomato pomace on broiler diets, two types of crude and fermented tomato pomace each in four levels (5, 10, 15 and 20%) as factorial arrangement 2 × 4 in a completely randomized design and a control treatment with 9 experimental treatments and 3 replications, and their effects on performance, blood parameters and morphology of ileum in broiler chicken were investigated. The results showed that feeding broiler chickens with fermented tomato pomace improved weight gain compared to raw tomato pomace and control (P<0.05). Consumption of chicken fed with fermented tomato pomace had no significant difference with raw tomato pomace. But feed conversion ratio of chickens fed with fermented tomato pomace was better (P<0.05). The highest weight gain and feed intake was observed in 15% of fermented tomato pomace (P<0.05). Feeding broiler chickens with fermented tomato pomace significantly reduced cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein and increased high density lipoprotein (P<0.05). The villus height:crypt depth ratio and villus height in the ileum was higher in chicken fed with fermented tomato pomace than raw tomato pomace and control treatment (P<0.05). The use of fermented tomato pomace reduced cholesterol, improved the performance and health of broiler chicks than raw tomato pomace, so it is possible to use it up to 15% levels in the diet of broiler chickens.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding  fermented date  pite (FDP) on performance, carcass traits and ileal microbial population  in  broiler chickens. In a  2 ×4  factorial arrangement, 540 day – old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to one of nine experimental diets, each with five replicates containing 12 chicks each. Dietary treatments  included a corn- soybean meal – based diet (control), and diets containing  2, 4, 6 and 8%  raw date pit (RDP)  and 2, 4, 6 and 8 % fermented date pit (FDP). Fermentation process effectively decreased crude fiber and increased crude protein (p < 0.05).   Feeding fermented date pite increased feed intake and improved body weight gain in finisher period (25- 42 day) of the experiment (p < 0.05 ). In this period  birds fed FDP with level  8%  had  significantly (p <0.05 ) body weight  higher in comparison to chicks fed diet control ( 1474 gr vs 1336 gr ). Birds fed FDP had  feed cost higher compared to chick fed RDP (p<0.05). Abdominal fat and gizzard  was significantly lower in broiler fed FDP than to RDP (p <0.05 ). Lactic acid  bacteria  population  and coliform  in ileum of broilers fed diet containing  FDP  as  compared to RDP were  significantly higher and lower respectively (p<0.05). Results of this study demonstrated that fermentation date pite in level 8% led to performance improvement in broiler chickens during finisher period.