This study evaluated the effect of essential oil (ESOL) of Mentha piperita and Melaleuca alternifolia on meat-type quails. To examine performance, a completely randomized design was used, with four treatments and eight repetitions each, using seven birds per repetition. To assess lipidemia, a completely randomized design in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme was used, with four treatments and two collection conditions using eight repetitions and one bird per repetition. Weight gain, feed intake, feed conversion, carcass yield, cholesterol, high-density lipoporteins, triglycerides, pH, and brightness of quail breast meat were assessed. The data were analyzed for homoscedasticity and normality, and the means were subjected to analysis of variance. Adding M. piperita and M. alternifolia ESOL to the diets of meat-type quails can improve performance, carcass yield, and meat quality characteristics, comparable to the use of performance-enhancing antibiotics. The use of zinc bacitracin, M. piperita, and M. alternifolia under different collection conditions did not increase the serum levels of low-density and very low-density lipoproteins. The variation coefficients measured after 12 hours of fasting were 86% lower than without fasting.

The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on the use of phytogenics in broiler nutrition. A bibliographic survey was conducted for the years between 2009 and 2019, using the keywords “eubiotics,” “phytobiotics,” “essential oils,” “phytogenic extracts,” and corresponding words associated with the terms “broiler” and “poultry.” The selected articles were grouped into the categories: animal performance, histomorphology of the intestinal wall, biochemical profile, carcass characteristics, and the effect on bacteria found in the intestine. After comparisons of several parameters on the use or non-use of phytogenics, it was found that replacing antibiotics with phytogenics contributes positively to performance, the histomorphology of the intestinal wall, the biochemical profile, carcass characteristics, and the number of bacteria found in the gut. In conclusion, based on several studies found in the literature, replacing antibiotics with phytogenic additives in broiler nutrition may be viable due to their lower residual impact on the final product, in addition to their positive effect on the parameters of animal production.

A pasture composed of the forage Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu, for more than 15 years and never fertilized, with an initial condition of degradation, was fertilized with nitrogen and humic substances, with the purpose Of recovering the vigor and productivity of the pasture. In the two years (December of 2012 to April 2013 and December 2014 to April 2015), analyses were made for dry matter production, plant height, light interception, leaf / stem ratio), chemical composition and digestibility of Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu. This was a completely randomized block experimental design, in a 5x4 arrangement, with five doses of nitrogen (0, 50, 100, 200, 400 kg N.ha-1), four doses of humic substances (0, 12.5, 25 and 50%), with 5 replicates. The forage presented lower means of dry matter production in the first year in relation to the second, but there was no difference for the chemical composition and digestibility between the years. There was a significant effect of Nitrogen levels on the production of dry matter, crude protein, silica, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (FDA), and in vitro dry matter digestibility (DVMS). The best response was obtained with 200 kg N.ha-1. The doses of humic substances influenced only reducing the leaf/stem ratio, but there was no effect of doses of humic substances on the other variables studied.

No abstract

Objective of this study was to evaluate the potential physiologic potential of seeds of four tropical forage legumes submitted to the permanence in mineral mixture for bovine, for the germination test, for the accelerated aging test and for the electric conductivity test, with the intention of dispersing them in the pasture by the bovine feces. A completely randomized design at factorial scheme 4x7 (four species, seven treatments) with four repetitions was used. The seeds stayed in the mineral mixture for: 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 hours. The saline stress, up to 24 hours, did not represent risk for the germination of the seeds. Like this, the introduction of seeds in mineral mixture for bovines for dispersion of legumes in the pasture can used. Resumo Potencial fisiológico de sementes de leguminosas submetidas à permanência em mistura mineralObjetivou-se com estudo avaliar o potencial fisiológico de sementes de quatro leguminosas forrageiras tropicais submetidas à permanência em mistura mineral para bovinos, pelo teste de germinação, pelo teste de envelhecimento acelerado e pelo teste de condutividade elétrica, com o intuito de dispersá-las na pastagem pelas fezes bovinas. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado em esquema fatorial 4x7 (quatro espécies, sete tratamentos), com quatro repetições. As sementes permaneceram na mistura mineral por: 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 e 96 horas. O estresse salino, até 24 horas, não representou risco para a germinação das sementes. Assim, a introdução de sementes em mistura mineral para bovinos para a dispersão de leguminosas na pastagem pode ser utilizada.Palavras chave: Suplemento mineral; germinação; teor de umidade e vigor. Resumen Potencial fisiológico de semillas de leguminosas sometidas a la permanencia en mezcla mineralSe objetivó io evaluar el potencial fisiológico de semillas de cuatro leguminosas forrajeras tropicales sometidas a la permanencia en mezcla mineral para bovinos, por el test de germinación, por la prueba de Cientific Paper