Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation with modified-hen-egg-yolk on plasma lipids and lipoprotein profiles in rats. During the four-week-experiment, 64 Wistar rats were divided into four groups of 16 (eight of both sexes), and fed commercial rat food (group C); food containing 70% commercial rat mixture and 30% freshly cooked egg yolk originating from laying hen eggs fed with 3% fish oil (group F); 3% palm olein (group P), or 3% lard (group L). The cooked egg yolk in the rat diet affected the concentrations of plasma total and LDL-cholesterol in males of the P and L groups. Cholesterol and total fat in the diet did not have a hypercholesterolemic effect on their own, but when in combination with fatty acid composition, they could contribute to an increase in plasma total and LDL cholesterol concentrations in rats. HDL-cholesterol was the most resilient plasma lipoprotein of rats to dietary treatments in our experiment. Compared to the control group, the addition of hen egg yolk to the rat diet regardless of its quality, adversely affected the values of HDL-C/TC and HDL-C/LDL-C in both males and females.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of test mixture or probiotic addition to drinking water on the growth performance of broiler chickens. A total of 240 one-day-old Cobb 500 chickens were distributed into three groups with eight replicates in each (10 chickens in each replicate). The control group of chickens (C) were without treatment. The chickens in experimental group E1 were treated with the commercial probiotic Probios® and the chickens in experimental group E2 were treated with the test mixture (Lactobacillus acidophilus culture, inactivated baker’s yeast, C vitamin, lactose and glucose) prepared using the authors’ own recipe. Treatments of chickens were conducted during the first three days of life and for three days using the chickens’ vaccination drinking water. The experiment lasted for 42 days. Feed and water were offered ad libitum during the experiment. Body weight, daily feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), carcass weight, carcass yield and European production index (EPI) were studied in this experiment. The addition of the experimental probiotic significantly increased (P<0.05) body weight gain at 21, 35 and 42 days of age, however, the probiotic Probios® improved body weight gain over the same period without any significant difference compared to the control group. FCR was significantly improved at 21 and 35 days of age in both E1 and E2 groups, but at the end of fattening the FCR was not affected. Feed consumption was not influenced by the treatments. The results obtained indicate that carcass weight significantly increased (P<0.05) in the groups of chickens treated by the test mixture or probiotic. It was concluded that addition of test mixture or probiotic improved body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, carcass weight and EPI.

ABSTRACT Background: Towards preparation for a possible influenza pandemic, investigation of the molecular characteristics of the circulating avian H5N1 influenza virus strains is of crucial importance. These H5N1 viruses continue to spread, to infect animals and humans and to evolve and diversify providing so an ever-looming pandemic threat.Aim: To identify genetic structure and molecular biological characteristics of BiH's isolates of H5N1 HPAI as well as to assess the level of pathogenicity, phylogenetic origin and host- specificity of the isolates.Material and Methods: SPF embryonated chicken eggs were used for virus isolation. Viral RNA extracted using QIAamp viral RNA kit and manufacturer’s protocol (QIAGEN®) was used for PCR amplification. cDNA synthesis and PCR amplification of the coding region, using gene specific primer sets (primer sequences available on request), were carried out for all eight viral RNA segments separately. The Prism Big Dye Terminator v1.1 cycle sequencing kit (Applied Biosystems) was used and products were analyzed on an automatic ABI PRISM 3130 genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Nucleotide sequences were analyzed using Bioedit software (v. 7.0.9.0) with an engine based on the ClustalW 1.4 algorithm. MEGA software (v. 4,0), using the neighbor joining tree inference analysis with the Tamura-Nei γ-model, was used to estimate phylogenies and calculate bootstrap values from the nucleotide sequences.Results: Full-length nucleotide sequences of the A/Cygnus olor/BIH/1/2006 (H5N1) strain were deposited in EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database under accession nos. FN186008 to FN186014 and FM20943. The pathogenicity and host specificity of this strain, as polygenic traits, are determined in silico by the structure of its proteins, especially surface glycoproteins, HA and NA. Multibasic amino acid stretch PQGERRRKKR/GLF, marker of strains highly pathogenic to poultry, was present at the HA cleavage site of BiH strain. The RBS was typical for avian influenza viruses and contained Gln and Gly at positions 238 and 240 (H5 numbering) that is,226 and 228 according to H3 numbering with seven potential glycosylated sites but with increased binding to alpha2-6 sialoglycans thanks to substitutions, as follows, 110N, 171N, 171N, 172A, 205R and 251P. NA structure assigned this strain to the Z genotype, characterized also by the deletion of the five amino acid residues of the NS1 protein (positions 80-84). Amino acid residues, typical for the avian influenza viruses, were revealed in 40 out of 43 positions of M1, M2, NP, PA, PB2 and HA, determining the host range specificity. Phylogenetic analysis of the HA gene revealed that BiH isolates belonged to genetic clade 2.2., and presence of aspartic acid at the position of 403 of HA locate BiH isolates in 2.2.2. sub-clade.Conclusions: The BiH’s isolates were determined as HPAI virus with genes sequences closely related to A/Cygnus olor/Astrakhan/Ast05-2-10/2005 (H5N1). Three residues (M2 - 28V and 78K, NP - 33I), typical of human influenza viruses, were found, indicating a certain degree of intercurrent evolutionary adaptive changes in BiH isolates. Sequence comparison of HA and NA segments with relevant sequences in GenBank revealed that the BiH isolates and the ones from the southern Russia (Astrakhan region) group together phylogenetically, forming a monophyleticcluster in both genes indicating that these isolates have evolved from the same origin. Sequence derived phenotype markers of NA protein (E99, V129, D131, R136, H255 and Y256) as well as of M2 protein (26L, 27V, 30A, S31 and G34) showed that the isolates have an oseltamivir and amantadine sensitive genotype. 

The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of the commercial preparations (Sintacidomix granular and Sintacidomix granular combined with Sun Drops P (Sintofarm SPA)) added to standard broiler diets on average mortality, relevant production parameters and the presence of Salmonella spp. During the experiment, Cobb 500 broilers were randomly divided onto three farms. The first and the second experimental group of the broilers were fed with the addition of Sintacidomix granular and Sintacidomix granular combined with Sun Drops P, respectively. The broilers from the third, control group, were fed with standard diet without addition of commercial premix preparations.At the end of the breeding, better feed conversion and reduced mortality were observed in the broilers from both experimental groups, while the average body weight was observed to be higher in the second experimental group in comparison with the control one. Meconial and fecal samples of the broilers revealed no Salmonella spp during the experiment. With the use of the commercial premix preparations it was observed that in the first and the second experimental group Campylobacter caecal colonisation was postponed until the third week in comparison with the second week in the control group. Key words: broilers, production parameters, caecal colonisation

It is common that experts use routine procedures for disinfection. Every part of the disinfection procedure is routinely done: preparation of the disinfection media, selection of the type of disinfection, protective measures, effect control and environmental issues. This article offers a new insight into the use of stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide as a qualitative alternative disinfectant for wider application by comparing it to the most frequently used chlorine and its compounds. When used in the stabilized liquid form, all limiting properties of the gas form are removed. Once again, the importance of conducting every part of the preparation process prior to disinfection was emphasized. Key words: disinfection, chlorine, chlorine dioxide, stabilized, oxidants

A successful and harmless method for rehabilitation of hygienic status of water and its supply system using a stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide solution on a farm of the laying hens affected by severe colisepticemia is described. Source of infection was drinking water contaminated by slurry from two pig facilities located above the water tank. The contaminated water caused the emergence of biofilm consisting mainly of coliform bacteria on the interior surfaces of the plastic pipes. Through drinking the contaminated water the infection of the laying flocks occurred. With the aim of improving the flocks’ health status, a programme of sanitary treatment of external and internal water supply system and water was created and implemented. In order to prevent biofilm formation and improve sanitation prescribed was the use of stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide (ClO2) in the 4‰ concentration for so-called night "shock" treatments, and 2‰ concentration for prophylactic daily disinfection of drinking water. With the improvement of the flocks’ health status, the "shock" treatments with ClO2 were repeated in the upcoming months. As an add-on therapy, 40 mg per bird of vitamin C through drinking water for three days was prescribed. The use of non-resorptive antibiotics, AD3E vitamins and amino acid supplements was excluded because they had failed to improve the flocks’ health status in the acute phase. Therefore, the sanitation programme based on the use of stabilized liquid ClO2 in the water supply system of the laying flocks affected by severe colisepticemia resulted in radical decrease of mortality during the next three months. Key words: chlorine dioxide, biofilm, sanitation, disinfection, colisepticemia

The conducted research gives an overview of the results obtained after the application of 1‰ solution of stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide on some food-born related bacteria - E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, S. Enteritidis and C. jejuni.  For this purpose,  reference strains of the aforementioned pathogens in decimal dilutions were exposed to 1 ml of 1‰ solution of stabilized liquid chlorine dioxide for one hour. Reduction of bacteria counts per mililitre (CFU/ml) has been noticed for all bacteria, with total reduction of C. jejuni and Staphylococcus aureus in the fourth (1:104), and for S. Enteritidis and E. coli in the sixth (1:106) decimal dilution. Key words: chlorine dioxide, E. coli, S. aureus, S. Enteritidis, C. jejuni