This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of bee pollen (BP) levels on the IgG and IgM titers, weight of lymphoid organs, and on the tibia morphometric measures and mineralization in broilers at 21 and 42 days of age. Four hundred birds were used in an entirely randomized design with four treatments (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% of BP feed inclusion) and five replicates. At 21 and 42 days of rearing, blood samples were collected for IgG and IgM analysis, as well as lymphoid organs (bursa, thymus and spleen) and the tibiae. There was no effect (p>0.05) of the BP inclusion on IgG titers, bursa and spleen weights, tibia morphometric measures and mineralization at 21 and 42 days, IgM titer at 42 days or thymus weight at 21 days. However, IgM titers at 21 days and the thymus weight at 42 days linearly increased with BP dietary inclusion. It was concluded that up to 1.5% BP can be included in broiler feeds until 21 days of age to enhance bird immunity.

-The effects of liquid vinasse (LV) in the diet for growing rabbits on performance, carcass yield and intestinal morphometry were assessed. Eighty New Zealand white rabbits were used in a randomized block design with five treatments (LV inclusion at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg diet) and four replications. There was no effect of the treatment on final weight, daily weight gain, mortality rate and carcass yield characteristics. The daily intakes of feed, dry matter, crude protein and energy and feed conversion decreased linearly with increase in LV in the diet. Including LV affected the duodenum crypt depth and the ilium villus perimeter and height linearly and affected the duodenum villus perimeter, height and the absorption surfaces and ilium crypt depth and absorption surface quadratically. There was no effect of including LV on jejunum morphometry. Vinasse can be used to feed growing rabbits at up to 87.8 g per kilogram of diet.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of digestible methionine and cystine (Met + Cys) levels on the hematological and serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens during the initial and growth stages. For this, 1,800 male chicks of the Coob 500 strain were used, with 900 chicks in the initial phase (1 to 21 days old) and 900 chicks in the growth phase (22 to 42 days old), distributed in a completely randomized design of five treatments with six replicates of 30 birds. The treatments consisted of 0.545, 0.616, 0.711, 0.782, and 0.853%; and 0.514, 0.571, 0.647, 0.704, and 0.761% digestible Met + Cys for “1 to 21” and “22 to 42” days of breeding, respectively. Results showed that digestible Met + Cys levels in broiler feed altered some hematological parameters (erythrocyte, hematocrit hemoglobin, total leukocytes, heterophile: lymphocyte) and serum biochemistry (uric acid, PST, total LDL, and TG). The digestible Met + Cys levels in the diet of broilers affected the hematological parameters and serum biochemistry, especially at higher levels. From the inclusion level 0.761 of Met + Cist in the broiler diet, red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit changes begin to appear.

El polen de abeja (PA) puede ser un complemento nutricional para los animales, ya que mejora la eficiencia del uso de nutrientes, lo que aumenta su absorción, acelera el crecimiento de los animales y mejora su rendimiento productivo. El efecto del PA en la dieta de pollos de engorda se evaluó sobre la digestibilidad, rendimiento, mucosa intestinal y calidad de la cama. Para evaluar la digestibilidad, se utilizaron 200 aves en un diseño de bloques al azar con cuatro tratamientos (0, 0.5, 1.0 y 1.5 % de inclusión de PA) y cinco repeticiones. Cuatrocientas (400) aves se utilizaron para evaluar el desempeño, la morfología de la mucosa intestinal y calidad de la cama, en un diseño completamente al azar con los cuatro tratamientos y cinco repeticiones. El polen tuvo un efecto cuadrático en la digestibilidad aparente de la materia seca y extracto etéreo y un efecto lineal sobre la retención de calcio y en el valor de la energía metabolizable aparente. La inclusión de PA no influyó (P>0.05) en el desempeño, rendimiento de la canal y las vísceras o el duodeno y el yeyuno a los 42 días, el íleon a los 21 días y la calidad de la cama hasta 21 días de edad. El PA mejoró el rendimiento del páncreas, de vellosidades, la morfología en el duodeno y el yeyuno a los 21 días, y en el íleon a los 42 días y la volatilización de amoníaco. Como conclusión, incluyendo 1.5% de polen de abeja mejora la digestibilidad de los nutrientes y la morfología intestinal, pero no el comportamiento productivo.

The occurrence of mycotoxins has become a problem to be discussed, due to its harmfulness to humans and animal's health, and may be an obstacle to the poultry economy. Mycotoxins are toxic metabolites produced by certain species of fungi and may contaminate food. Aflatoxins are mainly produced by Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and B1, B2, G1 and G2 are its best known types. Fumonisin, with its B1, B2 or B3 types, are produced by Fusarium, while ochratoxin A is produced by Penicillium and Aspergillus. The main trichothecenes mycotoxins are T-2 toxin, deoxynivalenol and diacetoxyscirpenol. Zearalenone, produced by different species of Fusarium fungi affects chickens only when they are exposed to extremely high levels of contamination. Generally, immunosuppression, hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity as a decrease in performance and production gains are the most observed effects. There are several laboratory methods that can be used for the determination of mycotoxins. In order to control the contamination, it is necessary to adopt proper farming practices which prevent fungi growth. Once grains and feed are contaminated, biological, physical and/or chemical decontamination methods may be employed, although the physical process with adsorbents mixed to the feed is more widely used. Due to the importance of mycotoxins to poultry production, it is necessary to adopt measures to prevent contamination, and also develop a control and an anti-fungal growth and toxin production program by reviewing the critical points favorable to the emergence of toxin-producing fungi. KEYWORDS: aflatoxin, fumonisins, ochratoxins, trichothecenes, zearalenone. RESUMOA ocorrência de micotoxinas tornou-se um problema a ser discutido, pois representa riscos à saúde dos animais e humanos, podendo constituir um obstáculo à economia avícola. Micotoxinas são metabólitos tóxicos produzidos por algumas espécies de fungose podem contaminar os alimentos. Aflatoxinas são majoritariamente produzidas por Aspergillus flavus e Aspergillus parasiticus, sendo B1, B2, G1 e G2 os tipos mais conhecidos. Fumonisinas são do tipo B1, B2 e B3, e produzidas pelo gênero Fusarium, enquanto a ocratoxina A é produzida por fungos da espécie Penicillium e Aspergillus. As principais micotoxinas dos tricotecenos são toxina T-2, deoxynivalenol e diacetoxyscirpenol. A zearalenona, produzida por diferentes espécies de fungos do gênero Fusarium, afeta os frangos apenas quando estes são expostos a níveis extremamente altos de contaminação. De modo geral, são observados efeitos imunossupressores, hepatotóxicos e nefrotóxicos, com queda no desempenho e nos ganhos de produção. Vários são os métodos laboratoriais que podem ser utilizados para a determinação de micotoxinas. Para o controle da contaminação, é necessário adoção de práticas agrícolas correta, com vistas à prevenção do crescimento de fungos. Após a contaminação de grãos e rações, métodos de descontaminação, biológicos, físicos e/ou químicos podem ser empregados, embora o processo físico com adsor...