The effects of sage extract on the activity of intestinal alkaline phosphatase (AP), proliferative ability of enterocytes, and growth performance in chickens were studied during 42 days of the experiment under commercial conditions. A significant increase of body weight gain was found in chickens fed with sage extract in the grower period (17-29 days of age) and in the finisher period (30-42 day of age). Total serum proteins were significantly (p < 0.05) increased at 29 days of age in animals treated with sage extract. A significant (p < 0.001) decrease in activity of intestinal AP was demonstrated on 29 and 42 days in animals fed with sage extract complemented diet. Proliferative activity of enterocytes was increased (p < 0.01) in the finisher period along the duodenal villi in animals treated with sage extract. We conclude that the higher growth performance was probably due to improved endogenous secretion of the liver as a consequence of increased total proteins mainly in the grower period. Decreased activity of intestinal alkaline phosphatase was not in correlation with proliferative ability of enterocytes and the lower activity of AP could be influenced by improved digestion of lipids.

A field trial with Miscanthus sinensis Anderss. was performed in Vysoká nad Uhom (average yearly temperature: 9.0°C, yearly precipitation: 584 mm) on Haplic fluvisol (WRB 2006) during 2006-2009. The average dry matter (DM) yield of the above- ground phytomass was 25.63 t/ha/year (excluding establish- ment year when yield was 4.81 t/ha) and had an increasing trend according to production years (14.13, 26.14 and 36.63 t/ha). We achieved in developing a trial stand in the third year of production when the field coverage of 10 thousand rhizomes being planted per hectare was over 80%; however, it can be used as a denser spacing for the earlier performance of stand with full production capability, which means plantation of 12-13 thousand plants per hectare. The average lower heating value of the organic sample of phytomass, as received (LHV) was 15.56 MJ/kg, and according to the trial years were 15.09; 15.80; 15.70; and 15.80 MJ/kg. The amount of total energy value of the produced phytomass per unit area (energy yield) was 1,284.989 GJ/ha, and 72.583, 223.254, 410.398, 578.754 GJ/ha, respectively, in the trial years. The energy yield was exclusively affected (r = 0.999), and the caloric value (LHV) was affected by phytomass yield (r = 0.739). Obtained emission characteristics and the concentration of selected volatiles, and remaining ash, ash content 3.46%, total water 10.65%, carbon 42.49%, hydrogen 5.20%, total sulphur 0.12%, nitrogen 0.55%, silicone 1.17% and chlorine 0.16% have supported the environmentally friendly introduction of Chinese silvergrass, as the energy crop is desirable for the targeted agroecological conditions of Slovakia.

Hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) is rich in many substances beneficial in human nutrition, especially proteins, lipids, and total dietary fibre. Contents of these primary metabolites were analysed in seeds of hemp cultivar Finola grown at three locations in Slovakia (Borovce, Vígľaš-Pstruša, Milhostov) within two years (2013, 2014). The average content of total dietary fibre was 36.10 ± 1.92%, lipids 32.05 ± 0.42%, and proteins 24.66 ± 0.55%. The main fatty acids in oil were linoleic, α-linolenic, and oleic acids. About 75% of all fatty acids were polyunsaturated ones. The content of lipids and fatty acids such as γ-linolenic, stearidonic, linoleic, α-linolenic, oleic, cis-vaccenic, stearic, and gadoleic acids, as well as total dietary fibre were significantly affected (P≤0.05) by the year of cultivation. Content of proteins, gadoleic and arachidonic acids were significantly (P≤0.05) influenced by maturity of seeds. The growing location significantly influenced the content of lipids, total dietary fibre, proteins, fatty acids, and the ratio saturated:polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Milk thistle Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. is one of the most researched medicinal plants, but at the same time it belongs to crops with wide industry potential whose growth requirements for marginal agroecological conditions or the response to agronomic interventions has not yet been sufficiently studied. The aim of the present research was to verify the effect of mineral nutrition (NPK 200 kg/ha) and humic acids applied to the soil (HUMAC Agro 250 kg/ha) on the main biometric parameters and the intensity of photosynthesis of milk thistle grown under less favourable climatic conditions of the semi-cold and humid foothills in Central Europe. The highest seed yield was achieved with the NPK variant in terms of dry matter 0.534 t/ha, in the HUMAC Agro variant 0.254 t/ha and with the untreated control 0.087 t/ha. The soil before the trial establishment was characterised by low nutrient content. The use of mineral fertiliser on NPK treatment eliminated the influence of low PK nutrients content of the soil, influencing the crop growth and yield/quality, while no doses of NPK were used on the HUMAC Agro variant and the untreated control. For both of the two sequences created (temperature and light), the highest photosynthesis rate was measured on untreated control (20.115 and 12.386 mmol/m2/s1), markedly lower on HUMAC Agro (16.386 and 9.653 mmol/m2/s1) – and the lowest on the NPK (10.933 and 7.813 mmol/m2/s1, respectively), in inverse proportion to the crop yield. Therefore, the size of the leaf area of the crop was decisive for the increased crop yield. The polynomial trend line of the photosynthesis rate according to the temperature sequence shows the photosynthesis rate and the torrential decrease by temperature increasing on untreated control compared with both treated variants. Both of these threats, mineral nutrition and use of humic preparations to soil, although they reduce the photosynthesis rate, have a wide range of complex effects that provide an opportunity to optimise the growth and yield of milk thistle. Ideally, the mineral nutrition and humic preparations should be used in combination with the crop of milk thistle for medicinal and energy purposes.