• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.99-106
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• 2001

Pathologic changes and distribution of viral antigen as determined by immunohistochemistry were compared among 4-wk-old specific-pathogen free (SPF) chickens inoculated intratracheally with velogenic vis-cerotropic Newcastle disease virus isolated in Korea. Although the pattern of organ involvement and severity of lesion was different among chickens infected with different velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle disease (VVND) viruses, the pathological types of lesion was similar among the chickens. Severe lymphocytic necrosis and depletion were main histologic lesions in the immune related organs such as thymus, Fabricius bursa and spleen. The frequency of IP positive staining was variable depends on the types of tissues but not types of the kinds of VVND viruses infected. Brain, Fabricius bursa, thymus, cecal tonsil and trachea were IP positive with fairly high frequency and spleen, lung, proventriculus, intestine, pancreas, liver, kidney, heart and Harderian gland were with relatively low frequency. These results suggest that histologic evaluation and viral antigen specific immunohistochemical staining methods to determine virus distribution will be useful for pathogenic study of velogenic viscerotropic Newcastle disease virus infection in chicken.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1752-1756
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• 2011

This study was conducted to explore the effects of squid ink on growth performance, immune functions and antioxidant ability of broiler chickens during a period of six weeks. Either sex Arbor Acres broilers were equally allotted to 4 groups with 3 replicates of 20 chickens each. Broilers diets for the 4 test groups were prepared separately with starter and finisher phases. Control chickens were fed with basal diet and birds of group Exp 2, Exp 4 and Exp 6 were fed with the basal diet supplemented with 2%, 4% and 6% of squid ink, respectively. Broilers were sacrificed to investigate antioxidant parameters of sera, indices of thymus, spleen and bursa of fabricius and spleen lymphocyte proliferation, as well as growth performance on the $21^{th}$ and $42^{th}$ day. The results revealed that, i) squid ink promoted growth performance of broilers during days 22 to 42 and the whole trial period (p<0.05 or p<0.01); ii) squid ink elevated relative weight of the three immune organs during the starter phase and spleen lymphocyte proliferation throughout the experiment (p<0.05); iii) squid ink increased SOD activity and decreased MDA level in sera from broilers during the whole period (p<0.05). The above results suggest that squid ink could improve growth performance, antioxidant ability and immune functions of growing broiler chickens and be employed in the development of feed additives for animals.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.247-251
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• 2015

This experiment was carried out to investigate effects of onion extract on growth performance, meat quality and blood profiles of White mini broilers. Total of 600 one-d-old male White mini broiler chicks were divided into four groups and fed control diets (non-medicated commercial diet or antibiotics medicated) or experimental diets (non-medicated diets containing 0.3% or 0.5% onion extract) for 5 wks. The final body weight (BW) and weight gain of the group fed non-medicated control diet were lower than those of medicated control group (p<0.01). The chicks fed diet with 0.3% or 0.5% onion extract showed a similar BW to that of medicated control group. The relative weight of various organs, such as liver, spleen, bursa of Fabricius, abdominal fat, and the activities of serum enzymes were not affected by dietary treatments. There were no significant differences in meat color among groups. Whereas, groups fed diets containing onion extract had slightly lower cooking loss and higher shear force value, but not significantly. The concentrations of serum free cholesterol and triacylglycerol in groups fed diet containing onion extract were significantly decreased compared with those of controls (p<0.01). In conclusion, the onion extracts exerted a growth-promoting effect when added in White mini broiler diets, reflecting potential alternative substances to replace antibiotics.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.7
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• pp.993-1000
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• 2011

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of fermented red ginseng extract (FRGE) as feed additive in broilers and laying hens. In broilers, 480 Arbor Acre male broilers were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with 6 replications per treatment and 20 chicks per pen. The experiment lasted 5 weeks and dietary treatments were as follows: i) CON, basal diet; ii) FRGE1, basal diet+1 g/kg fermented red ginseng extract; iii) FRGE2, basal diet+2 g/kg fermented red ginseng extract and iv) FRGE3 basal diet+4 g/kg fermented red ginseng extract. Throughout the experiment, no effects were observed (p>0.05) in performance in response to FRGE. At the end of the experiment, FRGE administration improved (p<0.05) the lymphocyte level compared with CON. The relative weight of bursa of fabricius and spleen were increased (p<0.05) by the inclusion of FRGE3. Besides, redness ($a^*$) value for the breast meat was higher (p<0.05) in FRGE1 and FRGE3 treatments than that in CON. In laying hens, 240 ISA brown layers at 35 weeks of age were used in this 8-week trial. Dietary treatments were the same as in the broilers trial with 10 replicates per treatment and 6 layers per replicate. During the entire experiment, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) in performance or egg quality among all the treatments. However, the layers fed diets supplemented with FRGE had higher lymphocyte level (p<0.05) compared with those fed CON. In conclusion, the dietary supplementation with FRGE did not influence performance but improved the lymphocyte level in both broilers and laying hens.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.5
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• pp.513-520
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• 2014

Three echinostome species, i.e., Patagifer bilobus, Petasiger neocomense, and Saakotrema metatestis, are newly recorded in the trematode fauna of the Republic of Korea. They were recovered from 3 species of migratory birds (Platalea minor, Podiceps cristatus, and Egretta garzetta), which were donated by the Wildlife Center of Chungbuk (WCC) and the Conservation Genome Resource Bank for Korean Wildlife (CGRB). Only 1 P. bilobus specimen was recovered from the intestine of a black-faced spoonbill (P. minor), and characterized by the bilobed head crown with a deep dorsal incision and 54 collar spines. Twenty P. neocomense were recovered from the intestine of a great crested grebe (P. cristatus), and they had a well-developed head crown with 19 spines and 2 testes obliquely located at the posterior middle of the body. Total 70 S. metatestis were collected from the bursa of Fabricius of 1 little egret (E. garzetta). It is characterized by stout tegumental spines covered in the entire leaf-shaped body, posterior extension of the uterus, presence of the uroproct and a well-developed head crown with 12 pairs of collar spines on each side. By the present study, these 3 echinostome species are newly added to the trematode fauna in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.335-349
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• 2002

The immune response against Salmonella gallinarum infection was investigated in immunosuppresed chickens. Newly hatched chickens were treated with cyclophosphamide at the first and second day after birth and were challenged intraperitoneally with S gallinarum ($1{\times}10^7CFU/m{\ell}$) on day 6. Group 1, Immunosuppresed and Challenged group, was treated with cyclophaiphamide and challenged with S gallinarum; group 2, Immunosuppressed group, was only treated with cyclophsphamide; group 3, Challenged group, was only challenged with S gallinarum; group 4, Control group. In each group, the localization of lymphocytes of the lymphoid organs and intestine was immunohistochemically compared using a variety of monoclonal antiboies ($CD4^+$, $CD8^+$, and B lymphocyte). Also, S gallinarum were assessed by Maccallum-Goodpasture stain and immunohistochemical analysis in the paraffin-embedded intestinal tissues. In S gallinarum challenged chickens, $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ lymphocytes of the intestinal organs such as duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon were increased. However, in cyclophophamide treated chickens, $CD4^+$ and $CD8^+$ lymphocytes and especially B lymphocytes of the lymphoid organs such as thymus, spleen, and bursa of Fabricius were dramatically decreased. These results suggest that cyclophsophamide is an immunosuppressive agent that especially causes depletion of B lymphocytes, suppress humoral immunity and eventually suppresses avian immune responses. Its protection against S gallinarum infection is mainly dependent on both cell-mediated mechanism and the humoral immune response.

• Proceedings of the Korea Society of Poultry Science Conference
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• 2006.11a
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• pp.66-68
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• 2006

This experiment was conducted to study the effects of medicinal plant extract on performance in broiler chickens. A total of eight hundred forty, 1-d-old broiler chicks(Ross) were randomly allocated to 7 treatments with 4 replicates of 30 birds per replicate. The treatments were negative control (NC, diets without antibiotics), positive control (PC, diets with-containing antibiotics), Schisandrae fructus (T1), Scutellariae radix (T2), Camellia sinensis (T3), Artemisia capillaris (T4) and mixed medicinal plants (T5) extracts added to drinking water. The final body weight, body weight gain and feed conversion rate were significantly improved in all treatments compared to NC (P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the relative weights of liver, spleen, pancreas, bursa of Fabricius and intestinal tract among the groups. The relative lengths of duodenum, jejunum and ileum were significantly decreased in PC compared with other groups (P<0.05). No significant differences were observed in the cecal microflora. The contents of triacylglycerol (TG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GPT) in blood serum were not significantly influenced. The concentration of cholesterol in blood serum was significantly decreased in all treated groups as compared to those of the control (P<0.05). There was no difference in the components of leukocytes and erythrocytes among the groups.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.706-713
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• 2003

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the efficacy of dietary FERMKIT, a commercial toxin binder consisting of probiotic-fermented natural product containing chitin, chitosan and chitosan oligosaccharides ($FERMKITO^{(R)}$, EASY-BIO SYSTEM, Inc., Korea), in binding aflatoxin (AF) and zearalenone (ZEN) and ameliorating their mycotoxicity in meat type ducks. FERMKIT was supplemented to AF contaminated diets (at 120 ppb) at either 0.3 or 0.6% in experiment 1 and to ZEN contaminated diets (at 150 ppb) at 0.6% in experiment 2. In experiment 1 body weight gains were reduced by 37% and mortality was increased by 18% in ducks fed diet contaminated with AF at 120 ppb compared to ducks fed control diet (<10 ppb AF) for the 4-wk experimental period. However, dietary FERMKIT supplementation effectively alleviated overall toxicity induced by AF. The significant treatment-related changes in feather growth, web-toe hemorrhage, leg deformity, liver paleness, organ weights, hematological values and serum biochemical values, as compared to the control, were observed. The FERMKIT supplementation significantly diminished the adverse effects of AF and restored all the parameters measured back (<0.05) toward the control values. These findings indicated that FERMKIT, when added at the levels of 0.3 or 0.6% in the 120 ppb AF diets, could modulate the toxicity of AF with percentage sorption capacity of 52.70% at the level 0.3% and 79.85% at the level 0.6% of the diets (experiment 1). In experiment 2, FERMKIT, when added at 0.6% to the 150 ppb ZEN diets for the 4-wk experimental period, diminished the toxicity as shown by body weight gain, weights of testicles, oviducts, Bursa of Fabricius and cloaca eversion score as compared with the controls (<10 ppb ZEN) and 150 ppb ZEN diet with no added FERMKIT. The findings indicated that FERMKIT could be protective against the effects of ZEN in young growing ducks with percentage sorption capacity of 67.11% as evaluated from toxicity index parameter measured when added at 0.6% of the diets containing 150 ppb ZEN.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 1995

This study represented an endeavor to observe clinical signs and pathological lesions in broiler chicks suffering from experimental Infectious stunting syndrome(ISS). One hundred and twenty day old broiler chicks were divide randomly into two equal groups i.e. control (A) and inoculated (B). At day one of age each chick of the groups (A and B) was dosed with one ml of either tryptose phosphate broth or prepared inoculum respectively. Chicks of both the groups were housed separately under similar standard management. Inoculation induced characteristic clinical changes in birds of treatment group like of brownish diarrhea, lameness, feather developing problems and paleness of combs, wattles and shanks. By day-29 of the experiment all the stunted birds from group-B and an equal number of birds from group-A were slaughtered. These birds were examined thoroughly to record the gross changes in various structures and then the severely affected organs were processed for histopathological examination. The skeletons of affected birds were brittle, keel bones showed quite prominence while the muscles and subcutaneous tissues were almost devoid of fat. Grossly it was observed that pancreas, spleen and bursa of Fabricius were severely atrophied while the intestines were ballooned with undigested feed and gases. Histopathological examination of pancreas and spleen revealed a classical picture necessary for understanding the pathogenesis of the syndrome. The acivar cells of pancreas were atrophied and underwent vacuolation, degeneration and vecrosis. The zymogen granules were almost absent from the acinar cells. A characteristic change was an inflammatory reaction in one or more pancreatic ducts where the epithelium and fibrous tissues occluded the lumen of the ducts and led to the obstruction in pancreatic drainage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.256-260
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• 2012

The objectives of this study were to investigate the immune responses of broiler chickens fed diets supplemented with different level of chromium methionine (CrMet) in heat stress (HS) condition. Two hundred and eighty eight male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were allocated to four treatment groups (supplementation with 0, 200, 400 or 800 ppb Cr in the form of CrMet) in a completely randomized design. The experiment was conducted at heat stressed condition and all birds were kept under temperature of $33{\pm}2^{\circ}C$. Antibody titers against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), heterophil to lymphocyte ratios (H/L), and concentration of plasma cortisol (CPC) were measured at 21 and 42 d. At 42 days of age two birds were chosen randomly from each replicate, slaughtered, spleen and bursa of Fabricius were collected, weighed and expressed as a percentage of live body weight. Antibody titers against NDV and IBV at 21 and 42 days of age in broiler fed supplemental CrMet were higher than in broiler chickens fed control diet (p<0.05). CPC level in broiler chickens fed CrMet were significantly (p<0.05) decreased. Increases in lymphocyte counts and consequently a decrease in heterophil to lymphocyte ratios in broiler chickens fed 800 ppb Cr were observed at 21 and 42 d. Supplementation with CrMet had no significant effect on lymphoid organs of broilers. The results suggest that dietary CrMet supplementation at a level of 800 ppb can improve some immune responses of broiler chickens under heat stress conditions.