جستجوی مقالات مرتبط با کلیدواژه « آنتی اکسیدان » در نشریات گروه « علوم دام »

The present study was conducted in order to use different levels of curcumin in the diluting sperm epididymis of Shal breed rams during storage at five degrees Celsius in the form of a completely randomized design with four treatments in six replications. Sperm samples were extracted from the testicular tissue and used in the Tris-egg yolk diluent. Different concentrations of curcumin including 0, 10, 25 and 50 μM were added to the diluents. The samples were gradually cooled at 5°C and after stabilization at this temperature, in 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours, the parameters of total motility, progressive motility, viability, membrane integrity and the percentage of sperm abnormalities were evaluated. The results showed that the use of 25μM curcumin improved the parameters of total motility, progressive motility, viability and membrane integrity only at 6 and 12 hours, but no significant difference was observed at 24 and 48 hours compared to other treatment groups. Regarding sperm abnormalities, no significant difference was observed between the treatments in all the examined times. The results of this study indicate that using a concentration of 25μM curcumin can lead to the improvement of ram epididymal sperm quality in the initial periods of storage, but it loses its effect in longer periods of time. Therefore, it is recommended to use nanotechnology methods to improve the effectiveness of curcumin, especially during long-term storage of ram sperm.

During the last two decades, the use of antibiotics in poultry diets as animal growth promotors and growth inhibitors of harmful microorganisms has been stopped in different parts of the world (Roth et al., 2019), which led to a decrease in poultry performance and an increase in the prevalence of diseases (Jha et al 2019; Adhikari et al 2020). Researchers have proposed various ways to improve production efficiency, including the use of probiotics, prebiotics, symbiotic, plant extracts, enzymes and organic acids (Gadde et al 2017; Yadav et al 2019). As the age of laying hens increases, the quality of the egg shell decreases, which is due to the increases in weight and size of eggs, the direct effect of age on the structure of the shell, decreased bone calcium uptake and etc (Curtis et al 2005; Curtis 2008). Heat stress has negative effects on the human health and animal performance and product quality. High ambient temperatures cause reduced egg production, egg weight, egg quality (especially egg shell thickness and strength), impaired immunity and poor poultry welfare (Elnagar et al 2010, Ebied et al 2012). The impaired performances of poultry subjected to heat stress (HS) have been associated with a number of factors, including poor appetite and reduced feed intake (due to activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis), impaired digestion and metabolism, altered endocrine status (increased corticosterone concentration and reduced thyroid hormones concentrations), metabolic shifts at the systemic and cellular levels and changes in body composition (Elnagar et al 2010, Azad et al 2010, Ebied et al 2012, Safdari-Rostamabad et al 2017). Therefore, it is important to design the strategies or ways of minimizing the negative effect of heat stress as part of methods to maintaining egg production, egg quality and poultry welfare. There are several strategies to reduce the effects of heat stress in the laying hens, including use of feed additive, vitamins, organic minerals and antioxidants. In this study, researchers evaluated the effects of MultiAct-L® (Contains probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, enzymes, organic form of Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Co, Cr and antioxidants) on production performance, egg quality, Newcastle disease antibody titer, antioxidant capacity and gut morphology of laying hens subjected to HS in late laying cycle.

Two hundred and sixteen LSL-Lite laying hens (90 weeks of age) were randomly assigned to three dietary treatments with six replicates and twelve birds in each replicate. Dietary treatments were: 1) basal diet based on a corn-soybean meal 2) basal diet with 0.3 % MultiAct-L® and 3) basal diet with 0.5% MultiAct-L®. The birds were exposed to 36±1°C for 6 hours per day. Egg production, egg weight, feed intake, egg mass and feed conversion ratio were recorded weekly and mortality was recorded daily. Egg mass was calculated by multiplying the total number of eggs laid per hens by the average egg weight. At the end of experimental period, one bird from each replicate (close to cage average weight) was slaughtered, and blood samples were taken for analysis. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein and then serum samples were separated at 3000 ×g for 10 min. Total antioxidant capacity, malondialdehyde, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, albumin, calcium and phosphorus were measured using analytical kits. Serum titer to Newcastle disease virus was determined by hemagglutination inhibition test. Villus height, villus width, crypt depth, villus surface area and villus height/crypt depth were measured in the jejunum section of the small intestine. The data were analyzed using the general linear model procedure of the SAS (2003). The Duncan multiple range test was used to determine the significant differences between treatment means.

MultiAct-L® did not affect the body weight gain of laying hens (P>0.05). The results also showed that feeding MultiAct-L® enhanced the feed intake, egg production, egg weight and egg mass (P<0.05). Feed conversion ratio was improved and mortality was lower in the treatments receiving 0.3 or 0.5% MultiAct-L® than the control group (P<0.05). In agreement with our findings, Deng et al. (2012) and Zhang et al. (2017) reported the significant increase of egg production, feed intake and egg weight by dietary supplementation of probiotic in laying hens subjected to HS. Supplementation of 0.3% MultiAct-L® to diet decreased the abnormal eggs (P>0.05). Shape index, Haugh unit, yolk weight, albumen weight, shell weight, shell thickness and egg specific gravity were not affected by dietary treatments (P>0.05). Similarly, Bozkurt et al. (2012) showed that egg quality parameters weren’t affected by dietary supplementation of essential oil or mannan oligosaccharide in laying hens subjected to heat stress. MultiAct-L® supplement did not significantly affect the titer of antibody against Newcastle disease virus at days 10 and 30 post-vaccination (P>0.05). There was no significant difference in the total antioxidant capacity and glutathione peroxidase among experimental treatments (P>0.05); however, dietary MultiAct-L® supplementation had increased the superoxide dismutase levels and decreased malondialdehyde levels in serum (P<0.05). Blood glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides, uric acid, albumin, calcium and phosphorus in experimental treatments were not significantly different between the control group and the MultiAct-L®-treated groups (P>0.05). No significant changes in villus height, villus width, villus surface area, crypt depth and villus height to crypt depth ratio were observed between three groups at the end of the 8 weeks experimental period (P>0.05). Similarly, Deng et al. (2012) showed that villus height, villus width, crypt depth in the ileum weren’t affected by dietary supplementation of probiotic in laying hens subjected to HS.

As for the results of this study, Multiact-L® could improve laying performance and antioxidant status in laying hens subjected to heat stress during the late laying period.

Fertility is one of the main factors influencing the economic result in poultry flocks and it is influenced by several variables including breed, nutrition quality, flock age and sperm quality. As a result, the decrease in the fertility of beef mother herds after the peak of production is one of the most important factors in reducing the economic profit of breeding units. It has been shown that fertility decline at the end of the productive period can be partially prevented through artificial insemination. The requirement for optimal use of artificial insemination in any species is the possibility of storing sperm in liquid and frozen form. Fertility rate of poultry sperm in frozen conditions is facing a serious challenge compared to other species, this challenge may be related to some special physiological characteristics of rooster sperm that lead to increased sensitivity in frozen conditions. Ginger is a plant that has strong antioxidant substances, which increases the level of antioxidant enzymes and collects free radicals and protects the cell membrane against the risk of oxidation and peroxidation of fats. The main antioxidant compounds in ginger are gingerols, sesquiterpenes, shogaols and some phenolic ketone derivatives, which have the ability to neutralize superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. This evidence shows that adding ginger powder to the diet of broilers can improve the quality of sperm after thawing and increase the fertility rate by improving the antioxidant properties of semen and protecting sperm from damage caused by freezing-thawing. In this research, twenty-seven Ras 308 breeding broilers were tested in the southern desert research farm in collaboration with Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.  At the age of 47 weeks, the sows were habituated for two weeks in individual cages and fed with basic ration and abdominal rubbing method for sperm collection. From the age of 49 to 60 weeks for 12 weeks, the sows were fed with a basic diet (control group) or diets with different levels of ginger powder (treatment groups) and kept at a temperature of 19-23 degrees Celsius and a photoperiod of 14 hours of light and 10 hours of darkness.  Experimental treatments included: control diet (no feeding of ginger powder), daily feeding of 7.5 grams of ginger powder and daily feeding of 15 g of ginger powder per kg of diet. During the test period, sperm samples were collected weekly by abdominal rub method and after initial evaluation, from the age of 51 weeks, they were frozen, and the quality parameters of semen, including total and progressive aspect, plasma membrane function, sperm viability and morphology after thawing were evaluated. took Frozen semen samples from weeks 59 and 60 were inoculated into broiler hens to evaluate sperm fertility after thawing. The effect of treatment and test weeks on most of the parameters measured including total and progressive motility, viability and function of sperm plasma membrane was significant. The interaction of treatment and test weeks significantly affected overall and progressive behavior, but its effect on survival tended to be significant. The effects of treatment, week and the interaction of treatment in week had no significant effect on the percentage of abnormal sperms. The study by Shafiq et al. (2015) improved the storage of rooster sperm using rosemary essential oil after the freezing and thawing process; The results of the research showed that the use of rosemary essential oil in the diluent improves the quality of rooster sperm, which is consistent with the present research.  Ginger comprises essential antioxidant compounds such as gingerols, sesquiterpenes, shogaols, and certain phenolic ketone derivatives. These compounds possess the remarkable ability to neutralize superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, contributing to their sustained antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase plays a crucial role in safeguarding sperm in the tissues of the testis and epididymis. A decline in the levels of this enzyme within the body has been associated with infertility. Recognizing the significance of these antioxidant components and enzymes underscores their continuous impact on maintaining reproductive health. By being placed in the sperm plasma membrane, this enzyme protects the sperm nucleus and epididymal fluid from the attack of free radicals and causes the final swelling and development of sperms. Fertility percentage and sperm yield in chicks of hens fed with 7.5 and 15 g/kg of ginger powder in the diet increased significantly compared to the control group. Among the sperm parameters, sperm motility and viability are considered to be the most important factors influencing sperm transfer to SSTs; In this research, the total and progressive motility and survival were increased in the groups of 7.5 and 15 grams per kg of diet, which can be the reasons for increasing the fertility and hatching of chicks in these groups. In a research by Masoudi et al. (2021), they investigated the effect of milk thistle, carob and ginger on the reproductive performance of Ras breed broilers and reported that supplementing the diet with plant additives significantly improved the quality of sperm and fertility of the sows compared to the control group. In generally, the results of the present study showed that the addition of 7.5 and 15 g per kg of ginger powder in the diet significantly increased the total and progressive motility, the integrity and function of the plasma membrane, and finally, the fertility and egg retrieval of sperm after thawing.

Ascites is one of the most common metabolic syndromes in today's fast-growing broilers and is associated with rapidly growing tissues and characterized by accumulation of lymph fluid in the peritoneal spaces. Effective factors in the occurrence of ascites syndrome include free radicals in the body such as superoxide, hydroxide, and hydrogen peroxide. By reducing the capacity of the body's antioxidant systems, free radicals make the bird susceptible to various diseases. Free radicals produced in the body by damaging the cell membrane lead to cell death and ultimately tissue damage. Therefore, by increasing cell protection from such injuries, one of the common causes of ascites and heart failure abnormalities can be prevented. In addition, free radicals from oxygen derivatives reduce the half-life of nitric oxide (vasodilating agent), causing a decrease in the ability of vasodilation and providing the basis for the occurrence of ascites. Therefore, it is suggested that the use of antioxidants can prevent ascites and improve performance in broilers. Medicinal plants are among the rich sources of natural antioxidants that do not have the harmful effects of antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants. For this reason, the use of medicinal plant extracts is an important step in animal nutrition to increase the immunity of poultry. The mentioned extracts have strong antioxidant, antibacterial, and digestive properties. Probably, the positive effects of medicinal plants are due to the active compounds found in plant extracts such as menthol, thymol, and carvacrol. This study aimed to investigate the effects of ethanolic extract of sage on the performance, antioxidant status, and blood parameters of broiler chickens under induced ascites.
A total of 450 one-day-old chickens (Ross 308) were reared in the form of a completely randomized design with six treatments and five replications (15 chickens in each replication). Experimental treatments include 1. Positive control group (without inducing ascites and fed with basic diet), 2. Negative control group (inducing ascites and fed with basic diet), 3 and 4. Vitamin C group (inducing ascites with levels of 1000 and 2000 ppm vitamin C), 5 and 6- Sage group (ascites induction with 1000 and 2000 ppm of sage extract). To induce ascites, water containing 1200 mg of sodium (three grams per liter of sodium salt) was provided to the chickens from the 15th day of the experiment. Growth performance parameters including feed intake, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio were calculated for the total period. On the last day of the experiment (42 d), two birds were randomly selected from each cage and after sampling from the wing vein, killed and the ascites index was calculated as the ratio of the weight of the right ventricle to the total ventricles. The mortalities were collected as soon as they were observed and after weighing to correct the feed conversion ratio, were necropsied to investigate the cause of death. Blood and biochemical parameters such as the number of red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, heterophil and lymphocyte, serum triglyceride, and cholesterol, as well as serum antioxidant parameters including the level of malondialdehyde and the activity of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase were measured. In addition, liver enzymes present in the serum including alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were also measured.
The results showed that induction of ascites increased the ratio of the right ventricle to total ventricles, mortality due to ascites, feed consumption, feed conversion ratio, and body weight loss (P<0.05). Administering sage extract improved the mentioned traits and vitamin C also reduced the ratio of right ventricle to total ventricles, losses due to ascites (P<0.05). Sage extract and vitamin C moderated the increasing effects of ascites induction on heterophiles, triglyceride, and cholesterol and increased red blood cells, hematocrit, and hemoglobin compared to the negative control treatment (P<0.05). In addition, the induction of ascites decreased the activity of glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase enzymes and increased serum malondialdehyde, experimental treatments, especially sage extract, improved the antioxidant status compared to the negative control treatment (P<0.05). Also, the induction of ascites increased the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gammaglutaryl transferase, and alkaline phosphatase enzymes. The addition of experimental supplements, especially sage, decreased the serum level of the mentioned enzymes (P<0.05).
The results of this research showed that the use of sage extract compared to vitamin C has better results on performance, increasing antioxidant power, and reducing stress of broilers with ascites.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of vitamin A injection on reproductive performance in repeat breeder cows. One hundred and sixty-two multiparous Holstein cows with at least three consecutive unsuccessful inseminations were randomly assigned to experimental treatments. Treatments included (1) control: twice intramuscular injection 10 ml placebo30 days apart: 0.9% sodium chloride (n=87) and (2) vitamin A:  twice intramuscular injection 10 ml retinol palmitate 30 days apart (n=75). Animals submitted to double-ovsynch protocol and received their experimental treatments on the tenth day of the protocol (the day of the second injection of GnRH). The injection of retinol palmitate significantly increased the number of ovarian follicles larger than 10 mm compared to the control (P <0.05). Plasma concentration of superoxide dismutase enzyme tended to increase (P = 0.09) and malondialdehyde concentration tended to decrease (P = 0.08) under the influence of vitamin A injection. The conception rate at first artificial insemination was 25.29% and 34.66% for control and vitamin A treatments respectively, this difference was not significant (P = 0.19). The odds ratio of conception in the first service for vitamin A treatment was 1.57 times higher than the control treatment but was not statistically significant (P = 0.19). In conclusion, vitamin A injection improved antioxidant function and ovarian function. The reproductive performance improved, although not statistically significant.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of flaxseed oil and ginger powder on lipid profiles, thyroid hormones and liver enzymes of elderly broiler breeders. For this purpose the Number of 200 female Ross 308 broiler breeders by 45 weeks of age used in a completely random factorial design (2×4) including 2 levels of ginger (zero and 1.5%) and two levels of flax (zero, 1, 2 and 3%) as long as 10 weeks in 5 experimental treatments 5 replications and 5 hens per replication were performed. The results showed that consumption of ginger, flaxseed oil and co-consumption of ginger with flaxseed oil had no significant effect on triglycerides, cholesterol, HDL and glucose (p<0.05).LDL concentration decreased in birds fed with 1.5% ginger powder (p<0.05). using 1.5% ginger powder in the ratio decreased aspartate aminotransferase enzyme, while, feeding flaxseed oil and co-consumption feeding of flaxseed oil and ginger oil had no significant effect on in control treatment group (p<0.05). Consumption of ginger, flaxseed oil and concomitant consumption of flaxseed oil and ginger reduced the enzyme alanine aminotransferase compared to the group receiving zero levels of ginger and zero flaxseed oil (p<0.05). Using ginger and flaxseed oil in the diet had no significant effect on thyroid hormones (p<0.05). Adipose tissue and liver parameters didn’t significantly affected by flaxseed and ginger oil (p<0.05). To wrap up, the results of present study revealed that, supplementing the mother's diet with 1.5% ginger and 2% flaxseed oil has a positive effect on liver enzymes.

Sperm cryopreservation has become an indispensable tool in reproductive biology. However, maintaining fertility in frozen sperm is very important. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of selenium nano-particles on the storage of dog semen at 4 ˚C during a period of 48 hours. In this study, 20 ejaculates were collected from 4 mix dogs and diluted in a Tris-based diluent. Then, they were divided into 4 parts in control and treated with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 µg selenium nano-particles groups. Sperm parameters including evaluation of total and progressive motility sperm, motility characteristics and viability of sperm were evaluated for 48 hours. The obtained results showed that in concentrations of 1 µg [progressive sperm (27.03±1.48), total motility (49.48±1.27) and viability (41.40±1.03)] and 0.5 µg [progressive sperm (30.76±1.67), total motility (53.18±1.54) and viability (43.15±1.58)] of selenium nanoparticles compared to the control group, but in the concentration of 1.5 µg was lower than the control group (p< 0.05). As a result, the present study showed that adding selenium nanoparticles in concentrations of 0.1 and 0.5 µg to dog semen can improve the parameters of dog semen after liquid storage, but in concentrations of 1.5 µg it causes toxic effects and overall agitation. And it reduces sperm viability.

Artificial insemination is one of the most accessible techniques for raising domestic animals. It has been proven that refrigeration significantly reduces the quality of sperm. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of crocin on the storage of dog semen at 4 ºC during a period of 48 hours. In this study, 25 ejaculates were collected from 5 terrier dogs and diluted in a Tris-based diluent. Then, they were divided into 5 parts in control, control dissolve (Dimethyl sulfoxide 5%, dissolve of crocin) and treated with 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mM crocin groups. Sperm parameters including evaluation of total motility, progressive motility, motility characteristics and sperm viability were evaluated for 48 hours. The obtained results showed that progressive motility and total motility during 48 hours of storage were significantly higher in 1.5, 1, and 0.5 mM crocin concentrations compared to the control group. Also, the examination of motility characteristics, except for STR, showed that the addition of 1.5 mM crocin significantly improved the characteristics compared to the control group. Investigating sperm viability showed that the addition of 1.5, 1 and 0.5 mM crocin significantly improves sperm viability. As a result, the present study determined that the addition of crocin to dog semen can improve the parameters of dog semen after liquid storage.

Rams usually experience summer heat stress. In addition, rams due to high sexual activity during joining season experience doubled stress. Following the stress, the production of free radicals increases and oxidative stress related damages occur. High levels of free radicals cause sperm viability reduction, infertility and alter post-absorptive carbohydrate metabolism and glucose tolerance. There are various strategies to reduce the harmful effects of oxidative stress. The supplementation of antioxidants and some trace elements are important nutritional strategies have been recommended to combat harmful effects of oxidative stress. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the synergistic effect of organic chromium or selenium on post-absorptive glucose metabolism and blood plasma antioxidant status in Mehraban rams.

Sixteen Mehraban rams (2-4 years old, with a body score of 2.5-3.5 and 70.14 kg in initial body weight) were randomly divided in to four groups (n=4). Treatments included two levels of Se 0 and 0.6 mg/ram/day (in form of yeast selenium) and, two levels of Cr, 0 and 1 mg/ram/day (in form of Cr-Methionine). The experiment lasted for 60 days. The supplements were fed daily and with the morning meal and total antioxidant capacity and malondyaldehyde levels were determined at days 30 and 60 of experiment. At the end of the experiment an intravenous glucose tolerance test was performed. To do this, 0.5 g of glucose/kg BW as sterile 50 % dextrose solution (w/v) was infused by jugular vein and subsequently blood glucose concentrations were determined at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min post-infusion. Then plasma glucose kinetics was calculated.

Time effect and treatment×time interaction did not impact malondialdehyde level and total antioxidant capacity. Interaction of chromium × selenium did impact total antioxidant capacity (P < 0.05) but, did not affect malondialdehyde level. Total antioxidant capacity was higher and malondialdehyde level was lower in chromium and selenium groups compared to control. Glucose basal and peak concentrations and amount of change (peak-basal concentrations) after glucose tolerance test did not differ among groups. Glucose concentrations were lower in chromium and selenium co-supplemented compared to chromium or selenium supplemented group at 15, 150 and 180 min glucose post-infusion and a significant chromium × selenium interaction was found (P < 0.05). Interaction of chromium × selenium did not impact glucose concentration at 20, 25 and 120 min post-infusion but glucose concentration at the mentioned time points in 1 mg level showed tendency to decrease compared to 0 levels. Plasma glucose clearance rate at 5 to 15 min post-infusion was higher and half-life was lower in chromium and selenium co-supplemented compared to selenium-supplemented group (P < 0.05). Main effect of chromium at the mentioned time interval was significant and 1 mg Cr/day had higher glucose clearance rate and lower half life (P < 0.05). Area under the curve at 5 to 15 min post-infusion did not differ between groups. Regardless of whether area under the curve was calculated from 0 to 30 min or 0 to 45 min, area under the curve was lower for chromium co-supplemented group compared to Se-supplemented group (P < 0.05).

Results of this study showed that organic chromium and selenium supplements alone or their combination improve the antioxidant status of rams in summer but, only the use of chromium alone or combined with selenium improves the post-absorption glucose metabolism characteristics. Also, the combined use of those two elements does not have a synergistic effect on post-absorptive glucose metabolism and blood plasma antioxidant status in Mehraban rams.

The present study was aimed to evaluate temporal changes in milk fatty acids and antioxidants of Saanen goat in response to berberine (BBR) supplementation during the transition period. Twenty-four primiparous Saanen dairy goats were used from 21 days before predicted parturition to 21 days after kidding. Experimental treatments were included: 1) control (without BBR supplement), 2) control + 1 g/d BBR, 3) control + 2 g/d BBR and 4) control + 4 g/d BBR. Body condition score (BCS) and body weight (BW) of individual goats were measured on days -21, -14, -7, 0, 7, 14 and 21 relative to parturition. Also, milk samples were harvested at days 0, 7, 14 and 21 following parturition. The results showed that dry matter intake (DMI), BCS and milk yield were increased with supplementation of 2 and 4 g/d BBR (P≤0.05). Milk lactose was also enhanced with increased BBR ingestion (P≤0.05). BBR consumption caused changes in milk fatty acids (FAs) profile in accordance with the energy balance. By supplementing 2 and 4 g/d BBR in transition goats, the level of de novo FAs were increased and free fatty acids (FFAs) were decreased (P≤0.05). BBR supplementation was also associated with a decrease in C18:1n9 fatty acid. The level of milk malondialdehyde (MDA) in goats supplemented with 2 and 4 g/d BBR was also decreased (P≤0.05). The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as well as the level of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) enzymes in the milk of goats fed 2 and 4 g/d BBR was higher than the control (P≤0.05). In summary, these results showed that BBR supplementation as a new therapeutic strategy in transition period could improve lactation performance, energy balance, and milk antioxidant indicators.

Increased concerns about antibiotic resistance due to increased growth-promoting antibiotic inclusion in animal feed over the therapeutic dosage have been made scientists look for a proper alternative with similar benefits and without negative impacts on animal and human communities. Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium L.) has been considered as a possible alternative for both antibiotics and synthetic antioxidants (Mohammadi, 2020). Although few studies have investigated the effects of this herbal plant on the production performance of laying hens and quality traits of eggs stored under different environmental conditions and storage times (Nobakht et al., 2011, Paymard et al., 2013), previous studies have been reported confusing information in this case (Aydın and Bölükbaşı, 2020). Most of these studies have reported reduced egg production due to the supplementation of pennyroyal powder to laying hens’ diet. Also, it has been reported that pennyroyal supplementation has less or no impact on egg quality traits. However, it has been suggested that pennyroyal might have strong antioxidant properties due to its composition of essential oils and/or phenolic compounds, such as pulegone as a dominant compound, which may affect the quality traits of eggs, especially those stored for a long period of time (Ruberto and Baratta, 2000). Therefore, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of different levels of pennyroyal supplementation on the performance and egg quality traits of old laying hens that are highly prone to oxidative stress. In this experiment, one-hundred and twenty laying hens (Hy-line W36) with 53 weeks of age were provided farm the nearest commercial layer farm and distributed in three treatments, four replicate and eight birds per replicate with similar body weights (±5%) on a completely randomized design. Experimental treatments include 1) control diet (without pennyroyal supplementation), 2) 0.5%, and 3) 1% pennyroyal supplementation. In this study, two weeks were considered as an adaptation period and the birds fed with the control diet. The experiment lasted for eight weeks and birds fed the experimental treatments. The aerial parts of the pennyroyal were purchased fresh from a local store in West Azerbaijan, and their essential oil contents were measured by GC-mass spectrometry after air-drying and grinding. Chemical composition analysis has indicated that pulegone was the dominant component of the pennyroyal powder used in this study (17.11%). The present study consisted of two experiments; the first one for evaluating the production performance and egg quality traits, and the second one for evaluating the internal quality traits of the eggs stored under different storage times (7 or 30 days) and temperatures (4 or 25°C). Experimental diets based on the corn-soybean meal were formulated according to the nutritional recommendations of the Hy-line W36 strain and fed for eight weeks. The egg numbers and mean egg weight were recorded daily, and the feed conversion ratio, feed intake, and egg mass were calculated weekly. Two eggs were collected from each replicate to evaluate their quality traits at both experiments. Serum samples were obtained by blood sampling from the wings vein to evaluate serum biochemical parameters. The results of the present study indicated that pennyroyal supplementation has significantly reduced egg production and egg mass, and increased FCR (P<0.05). These findings are in agreement with the previous studies (Arjomandi et al., 2011, Nobakht et al., 2011, Paymard et al., 2013). According to the findings of the present study and previous investigations, the negative impacts of the pennyroyal supplementation might be due to the high content of pulegone (in this study 17.11%), which converts to menthofuran (a hepatotoxic composition) after being metabolized. Furthermore, pennyroyal supplementation significantly reduced the Haugh unit and increased albumen pH (P<0.05). These findings were in agreement with the study of Paymard et al. (2013) and disagreement with the other studies (Arjomandi et al., 2011, Nobakht et al., 2011); Since they have seen no impact of pennyroyal supplementation of egg quality traits. The probable reason for these negative impacts might be explained by the previous studies that investigated the other antioxidant alternatives, which have stated that polyphenolic compounds or essential oils of herbal plants could increase the albumen pH and therefore weakens the protein bonds between lysozyme and ovomucin of albumen (Ahn et al., 1999, Arpášová et al., 2014). Evaluation of the internal quality traits of the eggs stored under different times and temperatures indicated that the main effects of pennyroyal supplementation were not significant in desired parameters; however, the main effects of times on HU and ApH, and the main effects of different temperatures on YI, HU, ApH, and YH were significant (P<0.05). Additionally, significant interactions existed between pennyroyal levels and storage times in HU, YI, and YH (P<0.05). Also, Significant interactions were reported between pennyroyal levels and storage temperatures in ApH and YpH (P<0.05). Furthermore, significant interactions existed between storage times and temperatures in HU and YP (P<0.05). Though, no significant interactions were reported between all three factors. Almost no study has been conducted to evaluate the effects of pennyroyal supplementation on the internal quality traits of eggs stored under different times and temperatures. Therefore, according to the previous studies, oxidation of lipids in the egg's vitelline membranes, over time, increases the transfer of ions between the albumen and the yolk, which in turn increases the pH and ultimately reduces the Hough unit (Silversides et al., 2001). According to the findings of the present study, pennyroyal supplementation reduced production performance, egg quality traits, and internal quality traits of the stored eggs. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the pennyroyal powder supplementation in old laying hens’ diet to improve production performance and egg quality traits.

In this study, nutritional and digestibility value of tomato pomace before (TP) and after oil extraction (DTP) were measured. Lycopene content of TP and its rumen disappearance rate was determined. In a completely randomized design, gas production content of TP and DTP was measured in vitro. Ruminal disappearance of dry matter and lycopene of TP were determined at 0, 2, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 hours of incubation using fistula cows. Ruminal degradability parameters including rapidly degraded fraction (a), slowly degraded fraction (b), fractional rate of degradation (c), potential of degradability (PD) and effective degradability (ED) were estimated. Results showed that lycopene content of TP was 168 mg/kg DM. DTP contained higher crude protein, NDF, and ADF than TP. De-oiled TP showed higher gas production, digestibility of organic matter and short-chain fatty acids and lower N-ammonia as compared to TP. The values for a, b, c, PD and ED for dry matter were 57.1, 0.07, 66.4 and 49.3% and for lycopene were 3.87, 42.1, 0.076, 45.9 and 34.1, respectively. In conclusion, ruminal degradability of lycopene was about 30% meaning that about than 70% of lycopene by-passes the rumen. Moreover, de-oiled tomato pomace has reasonable nutritive values to be used in ruminant nutrition.

One of the major problems of mother herd industry is the accumulation of abdominal fats and increasing plasma fat index by furthering production period. These changes predispose chickens and roosters to metabolic diseases and fertility issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of flaxseed oil and ginger powder on fat metabolism, lipid profiles and liver enzymes of broilers.

we used 72 pieces of Ross 308 broiler mother rooster by 45 weeks of age, in a completely randomized factorial design (4×2) including 2 levels of ginger powder (consisting 0 & 1.5 percent of ratio), 4 levels of flaxseed oil. (0, 1, 2 and 3percent of ratio) as long as 10 weeks in 8 experimental treatments with 3 replicate and 3 roosters per replication.

The results of present study revealed that consumption of ginger powder and flaxseed oil significantly reduced the triglyceride and plasma cholesterol concentrations in broiler compared to the control group (p<0.05).  Also, interactions of different levels of ginger powder and flaxseed oil on triglyceride and total plasma were significant (p<0.05). Consumption ginger powder significantly reduced low-density lipoproteins and increased high-density lipoproteins of blood plasma (p<0.05), while flaxseed oil and the simultaneous effects of ginger powder and flaxseed oil had a significant effect on low density lipoproteins (LDL). And did not have any significant effect on high density lipoproteins (HDL) (p<0.05).  The Glucose concentration didn’t affect by ginger powder and flaxseed oil and also the interaction effects of ginger powder and flaxseed oil (p<0.05). Using 1.5% of ginger powder in diet decreased aspartate aminotransferase enzyme (p<0.05), while using flaxseed oil and simultaneous consumption of flaxseed oil and ginger powder had no significant effect on aspartate aminotransferase enzyme (p<0.05). The main effect of ginger powder, flaxseed oil and the interaction effects of ginger powder and flaxseed oil in reducing plasma alanine aminotransferase were also significant (p<0.05). Liver weight, relative liver weight and abdominal fat weight, relative weight of abdominal fat weight didn’t affect by ginger powder and flaxseed oil and the simultaneous effects of ginger and flax (p<0.05).

Based on the results of the present study, supplementation of the mother rooster diet simultaneously with a level of 1.5% ginger powder and the level of 2% flaxseed oil had positive effect on lipid profile and liver enzymes.

The need for artificial insemination in the ewe is to access fresh and frozen sperm. Cryopreservation is a suitable method for long-term storage of semen and sperm, but may cause a minor irreversible damage to the sperm cell, especially its membrane region (Khorramabadi et al., 2017). The oxidation of fatty acids leads to the production of free oxygen radicals (ROS). These radicals are necessary in normal conditions for certain physiological activities and sperm processes, but excessive production of ROS in the sperm can reduce membrane fluidity, DNA fracture, damage to proteins, and ultimately reduced sperm motility and fertility. (Bakhshayesh et al., 2017). Silymarin, the scientific name of Silbum marianum, is the English name Milk Thistle and is a potent inhibitor of oxidative stress as a potent antioxidant. Due to the nature of its friend fat, silymarin is firmly attached to the plasmid membrane compounds, thus preventing fracture and its collapse by increasing membrane strength. Increasing the amount of active oxygen species and lipid peroxidation disrupts mitochondrial membrane, decreases ATP and damage to sperm acesomes, which ultimately reduces the progression of sperm motility. (Kvasnikova et al., 2003). The mechanism of action of salimarin is through stimulation of the ribosomal RNA and protects the membrane from oxidative damage. They also stated that silymarin stimulates the activity of the antioxidant enzymes of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (Wellington and Jarvis, 2001) . Silymarin improves the sperm motility and survival, sperm abnormalities, and preservation of the sperm membrane after freezing-thawing. Improvement of semen quality in both freezing and cooling is due to the strong silicomain antioxidant capacity (Fakorzai et al., 2008; Longpyram et al., 2013). .

Regarding the anti-oxidant effects of silymarin, this study aimed to investigate the effect of silymarin on storage of ram sperm.

In this research, four rams of pure ghee were used 2-3 years old and each ram was 6 times sperm. Sperm was performed twice a week by artificial vagina. After the sample was transferred to the laboratory, a series of preliminary evaluations including sample size, sample color, wave motion, total mobility, in-situ motion, progressive motion and live weight, and abnormal sperm and density were performed. If standards were met, Necessary (scaling over 2.5 billion sperm and progressive movement above 70%) dilution was performed with treatments. The diluents were prepared prior to sampling and placed in a bin Marie temperature of 37 ° C. Tris-based diluent was used to contain 2.73 g of tries, 1.4 g of fructose, 1 g of citric acid and 100 mg streptomycin in 100 ml sterile distilled water. To prepare the diluent, 73% of the prepared solution will be mixed with 20% egg yolk and 7% glycerol. In order to dilute the sprays from trace based diluent, egg yolk, semen collected with diluent without antioxidants (control) and silymarin 5 and 10 μg / ml mix After cooling for 90 minutes in the refrigerator and reaching 5 ° C, it was placed in 4 cm above the liquid nitrogen for 8-10 minutes and then immersed in liquid nitrogen. The post-mortem examinations of sperm quality properties included liveliness, total motion, progressive motion, integrity of the plasma membrane (tests) on days 0, 15, 30 of the experiment.

According to the results of the experiment, the diluents containing the levels of silymarin significantly increased the total motion, progressive, live survival of ram sperm after the freeze-thawing process compared to the control group Were opened. Addition of different concentrations of silymarin was 5 and 10 μg with mean of 74.45% and 67.33%, respectively, compared to the control group, significantly increased the total sperm motility with mean of 68.07 and 60.95%, significantly Progressive motility of frozen ram sperm were frozen (p <0.01). According to the results, the in situ movement in the control group (5.92 ± 0.92) was lower than that of the 5 and 10 μg silymarin (6.38 ± 0.92) and (8.9 ± 0.92) respectively In the least amount.

Application of silymarin as an antioxidant in the ram sperm diluent system reduces oxidative damage and improves sperm quality properties such as mobility, viability and the health of acrosome and plasma membrane during freezing process. Was opened. Adding 5 μg of silymarin to diluted ram minus 10 μg and control group reduced fat peroxidation and also improved the structure and performance of sperm during storage.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of organic selenium (oSe) on blood parameters of male broiler breeder under dexamethasone (Dexa) challange. Fifty broiler breeder roosters (Ross 308) at the age of 64 weeks were randomly allotted to five groups (10 roosters/group) and fed a standard diet supplemented with different levels of oSe during 10 successive weeks of the experimental period. To induce stress, dexamethasone (2 mg/kg body weight) was injected during weeks of 4 to 6 of the experiment, in one-day-interval manner. Experimental treatments including diet without oSe supplementation and Dexa treatments (negative control; NC), or treated with Dexa and different levels of oSe including 0 (positive control; PC), 0.15 (Se15+Dexa), 0.30 (Se30+Dexa) or 0.45 (Se45+Dexa) mg/kg of diet. During the experimental period, concentration of testosterone, corticosterone, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), hepatic enzymes activity (ALT and AST), uric acid, total protein, albumin, plasma lipid and glucose parameters, were evaluated every two weeks. Liver enzymes and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity, TAC, concentration of uric acid, total protein, albumin and glucose were not affected by the treatments. Dexamethasone injection increased plasma concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and MDA in the PC group compared to the NC group (P<0.05). However, oSe ameliorated these negative impacts in dexamethasone-stressed roosters (P<0.05). Generally, the results of this study indicate that dietary inclusion of oSe mitigate the negative effects of Dexa on some blood parameters in roosters under dexamethasone challange.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of using vitamin C and aspirin on the performance of broiler turkeys during different weeks, the European performance efficiency factor, and economic analysis of the rearing period in normal conditions.288 male turkey chickens, BUT6 strain, were used as a 3×3 factorial experiment (three levels of 0, 250, and 500 mg/kg vitamin C, and three levels of 0, 75, and 150 mg/kg aspirin) ina completely randomized design with nine experimental groups, 4 replications and 8 birds per replication. The results showed that vitamin C and aspirin have no effect on body weight, daily weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio of broiler turkeys during different weeks of rearing (P>0.05). However, only in the ninth week of rearing, chickens fed the combination of aspirin and vitamin C in levels of 75 and 250 mg/kg showed a higher daily weight gain than the control group (P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio of chickens in this group was lower than that in other groups in the ninth week (P<0.05). On the other hand, the European performance efficiency factor was not affected by the experimental groups. Economic analysis of the rearing period showed that vitamin C and aspirin supplementation have no effect on total feed cost/bird, feed cost/Kg body weight, sale bird, and net return. In conclusion, the use of vitamin C and aspirin does not recommend in turkey chickens under normal conditions.

Lycopene (C40H56) is a fat-soluble carotenoid with the highest antioxidant activity among carotenoids. Lycopene is effective on alleviating oxidative stress and improving the quality of animal products. It is expected that the addition of strong antioxidants such as lycopene can be useful in improving the optimal condition of the rumen and subsequent digestion and animal health. In this study the effects of using different levels of lycopene in on fermentation parameters in vitro; digestibility and feed intake of fattening lambs had been investigated.

In this study, in first stage, the digestibility and fermentation parameters of diets containing 0 (control), 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 and 2.4 mg/g DM of lycopene were determined in vitro in a completely randomized design experiment. In Second stage, the effect of selected diets from the in vitro stage (diet with and without 2.4 g/kg lycopene supplement DM) on feed intake and nutrient digestibility was investigated in vivo using 20 male lambs.

The results showed that increasing level of lycopene in the diet caused a linear decrease in gas production (p<0.05). Total gas productions were 65.8, 64.5, 64.2, 64.2 and 58.4 ml fin and control, 0.4, 0.8, 1.6 and 2.4 mg/g DM lycopene respectively. Adding lycopene to the diet increased partitioning factor (4.91, 4.92, 5.01, 5.1 and 5.44 mg/ml) and microbial protein synthesis (198, 200, 203, 208 and 220 mg) (p<0.05) but decreased ammonia nitrogen (p<0.05). However, pH, short-chain fatty acids metabolizable energy, dry matter and organic matter disappearance were not affected by lycopene. Results from Tilley and Terry experiment showed that lycopene had no significant effect on digestibility of dry matter, neutral detergent and acid detergents fiber. In vivo results showed that lycopene supplementation increased feed intake with no effect of nutrient digestibility in fattening lambs.

Lycopene supplementation increased partitioning factor, production of microbial protein in vitro, and increased feed intake of fattening lambs in vivo.

The low fertility rate of frozen sperm of poultry compared to other species is a serious challenge for artificial insemination in commercial flocks. This challenge may be related to some physiological characteristics of poultry sperm. On the other hand, osmotic, chemical and mechanical stresses during cooling processes are the most important reasons that cause structural, biochemical and functional changes in sperm, which results in a series of cascade phenomena that will lead to a decrease in sperm fertility. Quercetin is a bioactive compound with a plant origin, which has a polyphenolic chemical structure and has antioxidant properties. This composition, as an important flavonoid and a strong antioxidant, eliminates free radicals and reduces oxidative stress in chicken spermatogonia. The purpose of this study is to use quercetin in nano form in the diluent of rooster sperm during storage at 4 degrees.

Immediately after collecting semen from roosters, initial evaluations were done. Semen collected from all 15 roosters were mixed together and added to the dilution medium in order to eliminate individual effects. Different concentrations of quercetin (10, 15 and 20 μM) in three forms (unprotected and inside liposomal and NLC structures) added to base diluent composition. Then the diluted semen samples were gradually cooled at 4°C for 3 hours. Then, at time zero (immediately after the samples reach the temperature of 4°C), 24 and 48, the motility parameters, membrane integrity, lipid peroxidation, the percentage of abnormal sperms and the percentage of viability of the samples were evaluated.

The results indicated that the experimental treatments did not have a significant effect on the evaluated parameters at zero time. During 24 hours of storage at 4 degrees, 15 μM of quercetin loaded in NLC significantly improved the parameters of sperm total motility, progressive motility, viability and integrity of sperm membrane compared to the control group. During 48 hours of storage at 4 degrees, the treatment of 15 μM quercetin loaded in NLC caused a significant improvement in the parameters of sperm total motility, progressive motility, viability and integrity of sperm membrane compared to the control group. Also, the results showed that the experimental treatments did not have a significant effect on the abnormality percentage of rooster sperm during storage at 4 degrees in three times of 0, 24 and 48 hours. During 24 and 48 hours of storage at 4 degrees, the treatment of 15 μM quercetin loaded in NLC caused a significant decrease in sperm MDA compared to the control group.

The results of this experiment show that the treatment of 15 μM quercetin loaded in NLC improves many evaluated parameters and therefore it is recommended for use in rooster sperm diluent.

Increasing the growth rate has made broilers susceptible to environmental stresses and has reduced the bird's ability to confront oxidative stresses and has increased the incidence of metabolic diseases, especially ascites syndrome. Oxidative stress is caused by an imbalance between the production of free radicals in the body and antioxidant defense mechanisms and it is one of the effective factors in increased pulmonary blood pressure. Peppermint with the scientific name of Mentha piperita stimulates growth and immune response and in addition to antibacterial and antifungal effects, it has antioxidant properties. The most important constituents of this plant are menthol, menthone, and methyl acetate, which in low concentrations, dilate blood vessels and reduce the production of malondialdehyde. This experiment was performed to evaluate the effects of adding peppermint powder on the performance, immune response, and blood parameters of broilers under ascites induction conditions.

After preparing the dry powder of the peppermint plant, the amount of essential oils was extracted using a Clevenger apparatus, and the active substances, volatile and phenolic compounds were measured using a GC-Mass spectrometry. 600 male Ross broilers were used in a completely randomized design with six treatments, five replications, and 20 chicks per experimental unit from 10 to 42 days of age. Diets were adjusted based on the nutritional needs of the Ross strain. Experimental treatments were included: 1) positive control (without induction of ascites and without adding the antioxidant), 2) negative control (induction of ascites without adding the antioxidant), 3) vitamin C (induction of ascites with 400 mg/kg diet), 4) vitamin E (induction of ascites with 200 mg/kg diet), 5) and 6) levels of one and two percentages of peppermint powder with induction of ascites, respectively. To induce ascites, chickens were given water containing 1,200 mg/L sodium (3 g/L NaCl) from day 15 of the experiment. During the experimental period, performance traits (body weight and feed intake) were recorded and on day 38 of the experiment, two blood samples from each replication were taken to measure blood parameters (glucose, total protein, albumin, cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)). At the end of the experiment, two chicks of each replication were slaughtered to measure immune organs. The ratio of the right ventricle to the total ventricle (RV / TV) was also considered to be an anatomical indicator of ascites. To measure the humoral immune response, 10 % SRBC suspension solution was injected intravenously, and to measure the cellular immune response, 0.1 mL of phytohemagglutinin was injected between the toes of the bird's right toes.

Laboratory analysis of peppermint powder showed that the most active compounds and substances included menthol with 46.21 % and dihydrocarole acetate with 16.19 %. The total essential oil content of peppermint was measured as 1.1 %. Results showed that body weight gain and feed conversion ratio decreased significantly under the ascites induction (P<0.05). The use of antioxidant compounds of vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as peppermint powder at the level of one percent, led to their improvement (P<0.05). Feed intake was not affected by experimental treatments. The weight of the spleen and bursa of Fabricius as a percentage of live weight was not affected by experimental treatments. The ratio of the right ventricle to the total ventricle (ascites index) showed a significant tendency (P = 0.08) and the ascites index was relatively improved as a result of using antioxidant vitamins and peppermint powder. Blood parameters were not affected by experimental treatments. Induction of ascites decreased cellular immune response (PHA) (P<0.05), and antioxidant treatments, especially vitamin C, improved it. Humoral immune response was not affected by experimental treatments. The role of plant compounds as natural growth stimulants in broiler feed has been proven, although their growth stimulation mechanisms are still unclear. Medicinal plants have active aromatic compounds and they have beneficial effects on gastrointestinal health and bird performance. The effect of antioxidants on reducing the incidence of ascites is due to the elimination of free radicals, reduced blood density, and reduced resistance to pulmonary blood flow. Many of the active substances in medicinal plants prevent lipid peroxidation and improve bird performance by scavenging free radicals or by activating antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. The effectiveness of plant materials used in feeding broilers depends on factors such as the composition and level of plant material added to the diet, bird genetics, diet composition, and farm management.

‌ In general, the results of this study showed that the use of antioxidant compounds, especially vitamin C has a more effective role in improving performance, and the level of one percent peppermint powder in the diet can be used as an effective antioxidant compound in ascites syndrome.

In the present study, the effect of vanillic acid in comparison with vitamin E+C on the semen characteristics of Zel's ram under short and long-term preservation, was investigated. The experimental groups consisted of different concentrations of vanillic acid (0, 1, 10 and 100 μg/mL), a mixture of alpha-tocopherol and ascorbic acid (vitamin E+C), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) (as alpha-tocopherol solvent). The samples were evaluated at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours after storage at 4 °C and following the freeze-thawing process. During the cold storage, sperm quality traits (motility, viability and membrane integrity) and mitochondrial activity increased significantly (P<0.05) at concentrations of 1 and 10 μg/ml vanillic acid in comparison with control and vitamin E+C groups. Our results revealed that the total motility and percentage of spermatozoids in the concentration of 1 μg/ml of vanillic acid were higher than control and vitamin E+C groups (P<0.05). Also, plasma membrane integrity and morphology of spermatozoid were higher in concentrations of 1 and 10 μg/ml of vanillic acid than control group. Concentration of 1 μg/ml of vanillic acid showed the highest mitochondrial activity than vitamin E+C treatment (P<0.05). Our findings showed that addition of vanillic acid at the concentrations of 1 and 10 μg/mL to the semen extender improved the quality of spermatozoid in the Zel breed sheep.