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The effect of green and brown seaweeds supplementation on laying performance, egg quality, serum lipid profile and antioxidant capacity was evaluated in Japanese quails. Five groups of Japanese quails (total = 180; 120 hens + 60 males) of 10 wks old were fed on diets without or with green (GS) and brown (BS) seaweeds, each at 1.5 and 3% for 14 weeks. Results indicate that GS and BS supplementation significantly improved egg-laying rate and increase egg number, egg weight and egg mass and decrease feed conversion ratio (FCR). However, feed consumption (FC) was not significantly affected by experimental treatments. The GS and BS supplemented groups led to improve the eggshell thickness, also helped to improve the egg yolk weight, index and color compared to the control. Supplementing dried GS and BS significantly decreased the value of Haugh unit, total lipids and total cholesterol content of egg yolk as well as displayed higher fertility and hatchability percentages than those of the control group. Quails received dried GS and BS treatments had a higher dressing percentage and a lesser percentage of abdominal fat compared to the control group. Serum total lipids, triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL values were significantly decreased compared to the control. There were significant effects on enzymatic antioxidant activity of blood serum (malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). It is concluded that green and brown seaweeds supplementation can improve egg-laying performance and had a positive effect on fertility and hatchability values and resulted in significant reduction in total lipids and total cholesterol in the serum and yolk while enhancing total antioxidant capacity in blood serum as well as positively affecting economic parameters. Thus, these results suggested that green and brown seaweeds can be used safely as a feed additive in diets for laying Japanese quail.

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Essential oils (EOs) and their active components are attracting a lot of attention as sustainable feed additives due to their known antimicrobial properties against a variety of microorganisms, including bacteria, protozoa, and fungi. They also have biological therapeutic, antioxidant, and flavor properties. They can be used for modifying the rumen environment and improving animal productivity. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of supplementation with 2.5 and 5 g/head/day of an essential oils blend (EOB) of clove, oregano, and juniper in equal proportions on milk production and quality, and physiological status of early lactating Holstein dairy cows for 8 weeks of treatment followed by 8 weeks of posttreatment. The results revealed an improvement in milk yield (p ≤ 0.02) and feed efficiency (p ≤ 0.001) with EOB at a dose of 2.5 g/head/day. The percentages of milk protein and lactose were increased (p ≤ 0.03) with a high dose of EOB inclusion during the treatment period as compared with the control group. Milk fat percentage, fat-corrected milk, and energy-corrected milk were not significantly affected by EOB supplementation. The supplementation of EOB tended to decrease milk total bacterial and somatic cell counts when compared to the control group. The supplementation of EOB at both doses increased serum total protein (p ≤ 0.02) and globulin (p ≤ 0.05), and decreased cholesterol level (p ≤ 0.001) and creatinine (p ≤ 0.001) as compared to the control group. Furthermore, the results show that the low dose of EOB had more desirable effects on milk yield, milk total bacterial count, milk somatic cell count, and feed efficiency than the high dose, suggesting that lower doses may not inhibit rumen microbial populations. Moreover, the low doses of EOB could be used as sustainable natural alternatives to antibiotics in livestock diets.

Exposure of male rabbits to heat stress during summer adversely affects their fertility, leading to major production losses. A total of 16 male rabbits were randomly divided into 4 experimental groups exposed to temperatures ranging from a high of 30.3 to a low of 27.3 °C. Animals from first to fourth groups were fed diets containing 0, 1.5, 3.0, or 4.5% pomegranate peel (PP) to evaluate the ability of PP feeding to enhance bucks' reproductive status. Pomegranate peel treatments significantly increased ejaculate volume by 19, 18 and 12%, increased seminal plasma fructose by 7, 18, and 24%, improved sperm motility by 28, 34 and 49%, increased sperm total output by 37, 69 and 102% and reduced dead sperm by 24, 32 and 64% with diets containing 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5% of PP compared to the heat stressed control animals. Seminal plasma total lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides increased while alkaline phosphatase decreased with PP treatments. Seminal plasma total antioxidant capacity increased to reach 126, 143 and 191% with diets containing 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5% of PP, while lipid peroxide (malondialdehyde) levels decreased significantly to reach around 54% of the heat stressed bucks' value with the three PP dietary doses used. It was concluded that supplementations of PP in the diet of bucks during summer season in Egypt can improve their semen characteristics, probably due to their antioxidant actions.