A protective effect of two herbs, Glycyrrhiza glabra and Tinospora cordifolia, given as feed additives was observed against the growth inhibitory effect of ochratoxin A (OTA) and associated immunosuppression and biochemical or pathomorphological changes. The feed levels of 3 mg/kg OTA and fine powder of one of both herbs were given during a period of 32 days to female broiler chicks divided into 3 experimental and 1 control groups (14 chicks per group). The observed pathological and biochemical changes, the changes in relative organs’ weight and body weight, and the decrease of antibody titer against Newcastle disease were more pronounced in the OTA-treated chicks without herbal supplementation, and less pronounced in the chicks treated additionally with G. glabra or T. cordifolia as was shown by the better feed performance and the higher body weight in the chicks treated with the herbs. The higher relative weight of lymphoid organs of the chicks supplemented with both herbs revealed their beneficial effects on the immune system. The hepatoprotective effect of both herbs was evident, being stronger in the chicks additionally supplemented with G. glabra shown by the pathomorphological findings and by the lower levels of aspartate transaminase (131.1 U/l) compared to chicks given only OTA (156.0 U/l). A protective effect of T. cordifolia on the bone marrow and kidneys was found as was shown by the lower levels of uric acid (382.9 μmol/l) compared to chicks given only OTA (466.9 μmol/l).

The effects of de-hulled sunflower seed meal (SFM) samples with different crude protein (CP) and non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) content on apparent metabolizable energy (AME), AME metabolizability (EM) and pre-caecal protein digestibility (pcPD) were examined. The birds were fed one of four mash diets. On a per kilogram basis, the basal diet (BD) contained as major ingredients 549.5 g wheat, 150 g soybean meal and 175 g full fat soybean meal as well as 215.4 g crude protein kg -1 and 12.81 MJ AME kg -1 . Another three diets containing 200 g kg -1 of each of three experimental SFM samples in place of the BD were also mixed. Each diet was fed to birds in ten pens with two male Ross 308 broilers ranging in age from 8 to 21 days. Dietary AME was determined from excreta collection between days 17 and 21, while AME, EM and pcPD were determined when the birds were 21 days old. The substitutional method was used to determine AME, EM and pcPD in the SFM samples. The SFM samples high in NSP had lower AME (P = 0.001), EM (P < 0.001) and pcPD (P = 0.005). The beneficial effect of carrying out a further de-hulling of SFM seems to be mediated through reduced NSP content and improved energy and protein bioavailability. K e y w o r d s: sunflower seed meal, broiler chickens, protein digestibility, metabolizable energy * The project was supported by the ERASMUS Plus programme and The

The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Silymarin on serum lysozyme concentrations, complement and betalysin activity in broiler chickens. In this experiment 144 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chicks were used. All chicks were divided in four groups of 36 birds each: Group 1: Basal diet (BD) with no supplementation of Ochratoxin A (OTA) and Silymarin; Group 2: BD with 1.0% Silymarin; Group 3: BD with 3.0 mg/kg OTA; Group 4: BD with 3.0 mg/kg OTA plus 1.0% Silymarin. It was found that lysozyme concentration in the 2nd group there is a significant difference to groups 3 and 4. The immunosuppressive effect of Ochratoxin A is underlined but no protective effect of Silymarin in the group 4 was found. The alternative pathway of complement activation (APCA) is affected in the group 4. Betalysine there is a significant decreasing in the group 3 but slightly increasing of Betalysine in 4th group. Based on these results it can be concluded that OTA there is an immunosuppressive effect on the studied traits and there is a positive effect of Silymarin only on serum betalysine.

The study examined the effects of two methods of processing de-hulled sunflower seed meal (SFM) from the same batch of sunflower seeds. Sunflower seed meal was fed to broilers as meal (MSFM) or after it had been pelleted (PSFM) at 75 °C and 360 kPa pressure to pass through a 3 mm mesh. Three diets were prepared, namely a balancer feed (BF) and two diets containing 200 g/kg MSFM or 200 g/kg PSFM. They were fed to 30 pens (two birds each) with male Ross 308 broilers, from 8 to 21 days old, following randomization. Data were analysed by ANOVA. Two pre-planned orthogonal contrast tests were performed to compare overall differences between the diets containing SFM and BF and between diets containing the MSFM and PSFM. The BF had a very different nutrient composition from the complete feeds containing SFM so, as expected, there were differences in growth performance and nutrient retention. The diet containing PSFM had greater apparent metabolizable energy corrected for N retention (AMEn) and dry matter retention (DMR) than that containing MSFM. The use of the substitution method showed the PSFM had AMEn that was 18% greater than the MSFM (8.79 vs 7.47 MJ/kg DM). Under the conditions of the current study, incorporating PSFM in a mash broiler feed increased dietary AMEn compared with the same feed containing MSFM. Further studies are needed to identify whether the benefits of pre-pelleting SFM remain after this product has been incorporated in complete pelleted broiler feeds.

Using methods for balance experiments, the apparent (AMEn), the true (TMEn) metabolizable energy (0-n balance corrected) and the coefficient of true digestibility of the nitrogen/protein (CTDP) of extruded bread wastes have been studied. The chemical composition of the dry matter of the fodder was, as follow (in %): crude protein-12.28; crude fats-1.34; crude fiber-2.28; NPE-80.1. The following energy/protein levels in the DM have been established: (AMEn-14.17 MJ/kg; TMEn-15.37 MJ/kg; CTDP-84.15. The established nutritional values are similar to those of wheat, both fodders can be replaced each other in the production of compound feed for poultry.