The effects of dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation on growth performance, carcass quality, free fatty acid composition, and accumulation of CLA were investigated in broilers. Four hundred eighty 3-wk-old broilers were assigned to 4 dietary treatments (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5% CLA) with 6 replicates of 20 chickens. Feed consumption and BW were recorded at every 5-d period. On d 42, carcass compositions were determined from 30 birds per treatment. There were no significant differences in average daily feed intake among the treatments. However, feed conversion ratio was highly significantly different (P < 0.01) between treatments, and average daily gain was significantly reduced by a supplement of dietary CLA (P < 0.05). Live weight and percentages of carcass, drumstick, thigh, boneless thigh, pectoralis major, and pectoralis minor were not influenced by the dietary CLA. Abdominal fat was significantly reduced (P < 0.01) with the increased CLA level in the broilers' diets. Percentages of liver weight were significantly increased (P < 0.01) after the CLA treatments. Percentages of drumstick and boneless drumstick were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary CLA. In terms of free fatty acid composition in broiler meat, CLA addition significantly increased (P < 0.05) saturated fatty acids, especially in thigh muscle, whereas unsaturated fatty acids were unchanged. Accumulations of CLA in meat were significantly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing CLA level in the diet.

The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of cutting interval and cutting height on the yield and nutrient composition of King Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum x Pennisetum americanum) when grown on a sandy soil in the Northeast of Thailand. The cutting intervals were 30, 45 and 60 days between harvests and the cutting heights were 5, 10 and 15 cm above ground level. The experiment was a 3×3 factorial layout in a randomized complete block design with 4 replications-giving a total of 36 plots each 3×3 m 2 . Harvested plant material was weighed, dried and the ground subsamples taken for analyses of crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), ash, ether extract (EE), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent lignin (ADL), Hemicellulose and Cellulose. Results showed that increasing the cutting interval (i.e. advancing age of maturity) increased dry matter and nutrient yields significantly. In terms of nutrient content, it also increased the crude fiber, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) percent in the plant. However, crude protein and ash percent was markedly decreased as the cutting interval increased. Increasing cutting height had no effect on dry matter yield and yields of nutrients, but in terms of nutrient content, it decreased crude fiber content. The percent EE, NDF, ADF, Hemicellulose and Cellulose in the plant was unaffected by cutting height. From the results presented it is clear that cutting a stand of King Napier grass every 45 to 60 days will achieve greater dry matter and nutrient yields than cutting more frequently, at 30 days. The cutting height at harvest, whether 5, 10 or 15 cm above ground level had no effect on dry matter or nutrient yields of King Napier grass.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of linoleic acid with conjugated double bonds. Conjugated linoleic acids have been reported to have a wide range of health-beneficial effects, including anticarcinogenic, antiatherogenic, antidiabetic, and immune stimulatory effects. The objective of this study was to investigate the incorporation of CLA into eggs. Three hundred 27-wk-old layers were allocated to 5 dietary treatments (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4% CLA) with 5 replicates. The results of the study showed that average daily feed intakes were similar in all treatment groups, although hens fed with 4% CLA tended to consume less feed than other hens. Body weight gain and mortality rate were not significantly different (P > 0.05). Hens fed 4% dietary CLA had reduced egg, yolk, and albumen weights (P < 0.05). Yolk color significantly decreased as dietary CLA increased (P < 0.01). Shell thickness and Haugh units were not influenced by the dietary CLA. Concentrations of CLA and saturated fatty acids in egg yolk lipids increased as dietary CLA increased (P < 0.01), whereas concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased as dietary CLA increased (P < 0.01). It can be concluded from the present experiments that increasing the amount of CLA fed to hens will increase the amount of CLA in egg yolk and that this increase is accompanied by a reduction in the amount of yolk polyunsaturated fatty acids but an increase in yolk saturated fatty acids. Egg size, yolk weight, and Roche-fan determined yolk color significantly decreased at the highest level of CLA supplementation.

No abstract

No abstract