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Fulltext Effect of exogenous emulsifier on growth performance, fat digestibility, apparent metabolisable energy in broiler chickens

Tan, Hui San, Abdoreza Soleimani Farjam, Goh, Yong Meng, Idrus Zulkifli, Evi Croes, Sarathi Karmakar Partha, et al.

Journal of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2016;4(1):7-10.
MyJurnal

This research was done to evaluate the effect of a commercial exogenous emulsifier
(polyethylene glycol ricinoleate (PEGR)) with high hydrophilic-to-lipophilic balance (HLB)
supplementation to broiler chicken diets on growth performance, digestibility of fat and
apparent metabolisable energy (AME) content in week 1, 3 and 5. A total of 360 one-day-old
male Cobb broiler chicks were assigned in groups of 30 to 12 battery cages. The chicks were
randomly assigned to two dietary treatments, with 6 replicate cages per treatment. The diets
were either standard broiler starter and finisher, with rice bran oil (RBO) as supplemented fat
source or similar diets + 0.05% emulsifier (RBOV). Feed intakes of RBOV groups significantly
increased compared to those of RBO groups from week 2 till 4 while body weights of RBOV
diets significantly increased in week 4 and 5. Both RBOV and RBO groups had similar FCR
except for week 5. Addition of this strongly hydrophilic emulsifier showed no significant
difference in fat digestibility of both RC and RV groups but higher AME was noted for the
treatment than for the control groups at week 5. Therefore, supplementing the exogenous
emulsifier into a broiler diet enriched with rice bran oil improved body weight and AME
content at week 5 with minimal effect on fat digestibility.
The Influence of Stable Management and Feeding Practices on the Abnormal Behaviors Among Stabled Horses in Malaysia

Hanis F, Chung ELT, Kamalludin MH, Idrus Z

J Equine Vet Sci, 2020 11;94:103230.
PMID: 33077069 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2020.103230

The present study aimed to provide preliminary data on the prevalence of oral stereotypic, locomotory stereotypic, and redirected behaviors as well as their associations with stable management and feeding practices. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 207 working horses used for leisure riding, equestrian sport, polo, endurance, and patrolling were selected from seven equine facilities. Data on the stable management and feeding practices were obtained through the stable records, interviews, and on-site monitoring visits, whereas the prevalence of abnormal behaviors in the studied population was determined using the instantaneous scan sampling method. Most horses in the present study worked for more than 8 hours per week (n = 93). In addition, more horses were fed three times per day (n = 65) with different amounts of hay, concentrate, and chaff. Among the study population, oral stereotypic behaviors had the highest prevalence (n = 281; 54%), followed by redirected behavior (n = 181; 34%), and locomotory stereotypic behaviors had the lowest prevalence (n = 63; 12%). The oral stereotypic behavior was found to be significantly influenced (P < .05) by the working hours, amount of hay, and amount of concentrate. Both locomotory stereotypic and redirected behaviors were found to be influenced (P < .05) by the number of feedings per day and the amount of hay. In summary, the present study has proven that the stable management and feeding practices could influence the prevalence of different abnormal behaviors in the majority of working horses, with oral stereotypy being the most common abnormal behavior in this country.
Effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles on growth performance and concentrations of malondialdehyde, zinc in tissues, and corticosterone in broiler chickens under heat stress conditions

Ramiah SK, Awad EA, Mookiah S, Idrus Z

Poult Sci, 2019 Sep 01;98(9):3828-3838.
PMID: 30839088 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez093

The use of nanominerals, such as nano-zinc, represents a promising and emerging technology in the animal farming industry. Due to the small particle size and bioavailability of nano-zinc, it can be easily assimilated in the digestive system, thereby reducing excretion and environmental pollution. The present study was conducted to assess the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) on the growth performance, zinc (Zn) concentration in edible tissues, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, and corticosterone concentrations in broilers reared under normal or heat stress environmental conditions. The experiment was performed with a completely randomized design based on a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement consisting of 4 diets (basal diet + 60 mg/kg conventional zinc oxide as control diet; basal diet + 40 mg/kg of ZnONPs; basal diet + 60 mg/kg of ZnONPs; and basal diet + 100 mg/kg of ZnONPs) and 2 environmental conditions (normal and heat stress). On day 22, birds from each dietary group were divided equally to normal temperature (23 ± 1°C throughout) or heat stress conditions (34 ± 1°C daily for 6 h from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm). From 1 to 42 D of age, the broiler chickens fed 100 mg/kg ZnONPs exhibited lower feed intake and feed conversion ratio than the control. The accumulation of Zn in the liver of broilers was significantly higher among all treatment groups compared to breast and thigh muscle tissues regardless of the temperature conditions. At 40 and 60 mg/kg ZnONPs, the malondialdehyde content increased in thigh muscle of broilers at 7 D postmortem, indicating that ZnONPs potentially inhibited the antioxidant system in muscle tissues. The control and ZnONPs at 40 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg led to low serum corticosterone levels that may be attributed to the antioxidant and antistress properties of Zn. Taken together, although supplementation with ZnONPs at 40 mg/kg and 60 mg/kg alleviated the negative results of heat stress, further research is needed to determine the optimal level of dietary ZnONPs supplementation.
Blood Profile, Hormones, and Telomere Responses: Potential Biomarkers in Horses Exhibiting Abnormal Oral Behavior

Hanis F, Chung ELT, Kamalludin MH, Idrus Z

J Equine Vet Sci, 2022 Nov;118:104130.
PMID: 36182046 DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2022.104130

The high prevalence of abnormal oral behavior (AOB) in working horses has been linked to management issues and the pathophysiology of this behavior remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to elucidate the blood profile, hormones, and telomere length responses between low and high levels of AOB among different horse working groups. A total of 207 healthy horses from various breeds were initially selected from four working groups (leisure riding, equestrian, endurance, and patrolling) and observed for the time spent on AOB. Then, six horses each with higher and lower AOB than the population means were randomly selected from each of the working groups and categorized as high and low AOB horses, respectively. Blood samples were collected for hematology, biochemistry, cortisol, ghrelin, leptin, and relative telomere length analyzes. High AOB horses notably had higher values of glucose, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and creatine kinase (CK) compared to low AOB horses. High AOB horses also recorded higher plasma cortisol and ghrelin, but lower leptin concentrations. Among working groups, both endurance and patrolling horses presented the highest values in sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphate, ALT, and CK. While patrolling horses had the lowest levels of urea, ALP, and albumin levels, equestrian and leisure horses recorded the highest and lowest plasma cortisol and leptin concentrations, respectively. Finally, the telomere length of endurance and patrolling horses were significantly greater than leisure and equestrian horses. The present findings suggest that AOB horses had distinctive physiological characteristics that could be linked to improper diet and a demanding workload, while ghrelin and leptin hormones could be potential biomarkers for this behavior.
Fulltext Telomere Length, Apoptotic, and Inflammatory Genes: Novel Biomarkers of Gastrointestinal Tract Pathology and Meat Quality Traits in Chickens under Chronic Stress (Gallus gallus domesticus)

Badmus KA, Idrus Z, Meng GY, Mamat-Hamidi K

Animals (Basel), 2021 Nov 16;11(11).
PMID: 34828008 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113276

This study was designed to examine the potentials of telomere length, mitochondria, and acute phase protein genes as novel biomarkers of gastrointestinal (GI) tract pathologies and meat quality traits. Chickens were fed a diet containing corticosterone (CORT) for 4 weeks and records on body weight, telomere length, GI tract and muscle histopathological test, meat quality traits, mitochondria, and acute phase protein genes were obtained at weeks 4 and 6 of age. The body weight of CORT-fed chickens was significantly suppressed (p < 0.05). CORT significantly altered the GI tract and meat quality traits. The interaction effect of CORT and age on body weight, duodenum and ileum crypt depth, pH, and meat color was significant (p < 0.05). CORT significantly (p < 0.05) shortened buffy coat telomere length. UCP3 and COX6A1 were diversely and significantly expressed in the muscle, liver, and heart of the CORT-fed chicken. Significant expression of SAAL1 and CRP in the liver and hypothalamus of the CORT-fed chickens was observed at week 4 and 6. Therefore, telomere lengths, mitochondria, and acute phase protein genes could be used as novel biomarkers for GI tract pathologies and meat quality traits.
Fulltext In Ovo and dietary administration of oligosaccharides extracted from palm kernel cake influence general health of pre- and neonatal broiler chicks

Faseleh Jahromi M, Shokryazdan P, Idrus Z, Ebrahimi R, Liang JB

PLoS One, 2017;12(9):e0184553.
PMID: 28880894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184553

Palm kernel cake (PKC) is the main byproduct from the palm oil industry in several tropical countries that contains considerable amounts of oligosaccharide. We earlier demonstrated beneficial prebiotic effects of oligosaccharides extract of PKC (OligoPKC) in starter and finisher broiler birds. This study was envisaged to elucidate the effects of in ovo and/or oral administration of the OligoPKC on prenatal and post-hatched broiler chicks. A total of 140 broiler (Cobb500) eggs were randomly divided into two groups (n = 70 each), and on day 12 of incubation, eggs in one group received in ovo injection of 0.1 mL (containing 20 mg) of OligoPKC, while those in the other group received 0.1 mL of saline (placebo) solution. Of these in ovo placebo or OligoPKC injected eggs, after hatching, six chicks from each group were sampled for day-one analysis, while 48 chicks from each group were randomly allocated to two dietary regimes involving either no feeding or feeding of OligoPKC through basal diet for a 14 days experiment forming the experimental groups as: (i) saline-injected (Control, C), (ii) OligoPKC-injected (PREBovo), (iii) saline-injected, but fed 1% OligoPKC (PREBd), and (iv) OligoPKC-injected and also 1% OligoPKC (PREBovo+d). In ovo injection of prebiotic OligoPKC had no effect on body weight and serum immunoglobulins concentrations of day old chicks, except for IgG, which was increased significantly (P<0.05). Body weight and feed conversion ratio of 14 days old chicks were neither affected by in ovo injection nor feeding of OligoPKC. However, populations of cecal total bacteria and major beneficial bacteria of the chicks were markedly enhanced by feeding of OligoPKC (PREBd and PREBovo+d > C and PREBovo), but lesser influenced by in ovo OligoPKC injection. Irrespective of its prior in ovo exposure, chicks fed OligoPKC diets had lower population of pathogenic bacteria. Overall serum immunoglobulin status of birds was improved by feeding of OligoPKC but in ovo OligoPKC injection had minor effect on that. In most cases, in ovo OligoPKC injection and feeding of OligoPKC reduced the expression of nutrient transporters in the intestine and improved antioxidant capacity of liver and serum. It is concluded that in ovo injection of OligoPKC increased IgG production and antioxidant capacity in serum and liver of prenatal chicks and had limited carrying-over effects on the post-hatched chicks comparing to the supplementary feeding of OligoPKC.
Dietary supplementation of a mixture of Lactobacillus strains enhances performance of broiler chickens raised under heat stress conditions

Faseleh Jahromi M, Wesam Altaher Y, Shokryazdan P, Ebrahimi R, Ebrahimi M, Idrus Z, et al.

Int J Biometeorol, 2016 Jul;60(7):1099-110.
PMID: 26593972 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-015-1103-x

High ambient temperature is a major problem in commercial broiler production in the humid tropics because high producing broiler birds consume more feed, have higher metabolic activity, and thus higher body heat production. To evaluate the effects of two previously isolated potential probiotic strains (Lactobacillus pentosus ITA23 and Lactobacillus acidophilus ITA44) on broilers growing under heat stress condition, a total of 192 chicks were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 48 chickens each as follows: CL, birds fed with basal diet raised in 24 °C; PL, birds fed with basal diet plus 0.1 % probiotic mixture raised in 24 °C; CH, birds fed with basal diet raised in 35 °C; and PH, birds fed with basal diet plus 0.1 % probiotic mixture raised in 35 °C. The effects of probiotic mixture on the performance, expression of nutrient absorption genes of the small intestine, volatile fatty acids (VFA) and microbial population of cecal contents, antioxidant capacity of liver, and fatty acid composition of breast muscle were investigated. Results showed that probiotic positively affected the final body weight under both temperature conditions (PL and PH groups) compared to their respective control groups (CL and CH). Probiotic supplementation numerically improved the average daily gain (ADG) under lower temperature, but significantly improved ADG under the higher temperature (P
Fulltext Effect of dietary lead on intestinal nutrient transporters mRNA expression in broiler chickens

Ebrahimi R, Faseleh Jahromi M, Liang JB, Soleimani Farjam A, Shokryazdan P, Idrus Z

Biomed Res Int, 2015;2015:149745.
PMID: 25695048 DOI: 10.1155/2015/149745

Lead- (Pb-) induced oxidative stress is known to suppress growth performance and feed efficiency in broiler chickens. In an attempt to describe the specific underlying mechanisms of such phenomenon we carried out the current study. Ninety-six one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 2 dietary treatment groups of 6 pen replicates, namely, (i) basal diet containing no lead supplement (control) and (ii) basal diet containing 200 mg lead acetate/kg of diet. Following 3 weeks of experimental period, jejunum samples were collected to examine the changes in gene expression of several nutrient transporters, antioxidant enzymes, and heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) using quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed that addition of lead significantly decreased feed intake, body weight gain, and feed efficiency. Moreover, with the exception of GLUT5, the expression of all sugar, peptide, and amino acid transporters was significantly downregulated in the birds under Pb induced oxidative stress. Exposure to Pb also upregulated the antioxidant enzymes gene expression together with the downregulation of glutathione S-transferase and Hsp70. In conclusion, it appears that Pb-induced oxidative stress adversely suppresses feed efficiency and growth performance in chicken and the possible underlying mechanism for such phenomenon is downregulation of major nutrient transporter genes in small intestine.
Fulltext Palm kernel cake extract exerts hepatoprotective activity in heat-induced oxidative stress in chicken hepatocytes

Oskoueian E, Abdullah N, Idrus Z, Ebrahimi M, Goh YM, Shakeri M, et al.

BMC Complement Altern Med, 2014;14:368.
PMID: 25273634 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6882-14-368

Palm kernel cake (PKC), the most abundant by-product of oil palm industry is believed to contain bioactive compounds with hepatoprotective potential. These compounds may serve as hepatoprotective agents which could help the poultry industry to alleviate adverse effects of heat stress on liver function in chickens.
Fulltext Motivations for Industry Stakeholders in China, Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia to Improve Livestock Welfare

Sinclair M, Idrus Z, Nhiem DV, Katawatin S, Todd B, Burn GL, et al.

Animals (Basel), 2019 Jul 04;9(7).
PMID: 31277448 DOI: 10.3390/ani9070416

Understanding what might motivate livestock stakeholders to improve animal welfare is useful information when developing initiatives that benefit from stakeholder engagement. This study was designed to assess the strength of motivating drivers in the development of attitudes to animal welfare, and the factors that impacted their ability to improve animal welfare. During a series of qualitative focus group sessions with livestock leaders across the same countries (Malaysia, China, Vietnam and Thailand), the current study presented livestock leaders (n = 139) with the most significant results in their country, and collected data pertaining to the meaning and applicability of these results. This data was then subject to thematic analysis to identify salient and repeated motivating factors and meanings. This process revealed a complex picture of relationships between motivators and the contexts that drive them. Figures are presented to begin illustrating these relationships. Some strong motivators were uncovered that were previously rated low in the survey (i.e., financial benefit) or not included at all (e.g., food safety). This paper also presents the opportunity to better understand the strength and relationship of extrinsic and intrinsic motivational forces behind animal welfare improvement.
Fulltext Telomere Length and Regulatory Genes as Novel Stress Biomarkers and Their Diversities in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) Subjected to Corticosterone Feeding

Badmus KA, Idrus Z, Meng GY, Sazili AQ, Mamat-Hamidi K

Animals (Basel), 2021 Sep 22;11(10).
PMID: 34679783 DOI: 10.3390/ani11102759

This study was designed to characterize telomere length and its regulatory genes and to evaluate their potential as well-being biomarkers. Chickens were fed a diet containing corticosterone (CORT) for 4 weeks and performances, organ weight, plasma CORT levels, telomere lengths and regulatory genes were measured and recorded. Body weights of CORT-fed chickens were significantly suppressed (p < 0.05), and organ weights and circulating CORT plasma levels (p < 0.05) were altered. Interaction effect of CORT and duration was significant (p < 0.05) on heart and liver telomere length. CORT significantly (p < 0.05) shortened the telomere length of the whole blood, muscle, liver and heart. The TRF1, chTERT, TELO2 and HSF1 were significantly (p < 0.05) upregulated in the liver and heart at week 4 although these genes and TERRA were downregulated in the muscles at weeks 2 and 4. Therefore, telomere lengths and their regulators are associated and diverse, so they can be used as novel biomarkers of stress in broiler chickens fed with CORT.
Dose-response relationship of tryptophan with large neutral amino acids, and its impact on physiological responses in the chick model

Bello AU, Idrus Z, Meng GY, Narayan EJ, Farjam AS

Gen Comp Endocrinol, 2018 05 01;260:146-150.
PMID: 29339185 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2018.01.012

Tryptophan (Trp) has been associated with the regulation of several behavioral and physiological processes, through stimulation of serotonergic activity. Tryptophan utilization at the metabolic level is influenced by the competitive carrier system it shares with large neutral amino acids (LNAA). This study was carried out using meat-type chicken as a model, to investigate the dose response effects of Trp/LNAA on fear response (tonic immobility; TI) and hormonal responses, including corticosterone (CORT), serotonin (5-HT), triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). A total of 12 cages (48 birds) were assigned to each of the six experimental groups at 29-42 days of age. Experimental diets were formulated to have incremental levels of Trp/LNAA (0.025, 0.030, 0.035, 0.040, 0.045, and 0.050). The results revealed that, Trp/NAA had no significant effect on growth performance and TI of the birds. However, elevation of Trp/LNAA was concurred with a linear reduction in CORT (P 
Fulltext Modulation of Immune Function in Rats Using Oligosaccharides Extracted from Palm Kernel Cake

Faseleh Jahromi M, Shokryazdan P, Idrus Z, Ebrahimi R, Bashokouh F, Liang JB

Biomed Res Int, 2017;2017:2576921.
PMID: 29349067 DOI: 10.1155/2017/2576921

To investigate the prebiotic and immunomodulatory effects of PKC extract (OligoPKC) a total of 24 male rats were randomly assigned to three treatment groups receiving basal diet (control), basal diet containing 0.5% OligoPKC, or basal diet containing 1% OligoPKC for four weeks. We found that OligoPKC had no significant effect on the tested growth parameters. However, it increased the size of the total and beneficial bacterial populations while reducing pathogen populations. OligoPKC increased the concentration of immunoglobulins in the serum and cecal contents of rats. It also enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the liver while reducing lipid peroxidation in liver tissue. OligoPKC affected the expression of genes involved in immune system function in the intestine. Therefore, OligoPKC could be considered a potential mannan-based prebiotic for humans and animals due to its beneficial effects on the health and well-being of the model rats.
Fulltext Effects of Thermal Manipulation on mRNA Regulation of Response Genes Regarding Improvement of Thermotolerance Adaptation in Chickens during Embryogenesis

Ramiah SK, Balakrishnan KN, Subramaniam Y, Iyasere OS, Idrus Z

Animals (Basel), 2022 Nov 29;12(23).
PMID: 36496875 DOI: 10.3390/ani12233354

The phenomenon of increasing heat stress (HS) among animals is of particular significance when it is seen in economically significant industries, such as poultry. Due to the identification of the physiological, molecular, and genetic roots of HS responses in chickens, a substantial number of studies have focused on reducing the effects of HS in poultry through environmental management, dietary manipulation, and genetic alterations. Temperature manipulation (TM) during embryogenesis has been claimed to increase the thermal tolerance and well-being of chickens without affecting their capacity for future growth. There has been little investigation into the vulnerability of the epigenome involving TM during embryogenesis, although the cellular pathways activated by HS have been explored in chickens. Epigenetic changes caused by prenatal TM enhance postnatal temperature adaption and produce physiological memory. This work offers a thorough analysis that explains the cumulative impact of HS response genes, such as genes related to heat shock proteins, antioxidants, and immunological genes, which may aid in the enhanced adaptability of chickens that have undergone thermal manipulation during their embryonic stages.
Fulltext Extracellular Proteolytic Activity and Amino Acid Production by Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Malaysian Foods

Toe CJ, Foo HL, Loh TC, Mohamad R, Abdul Rahim R, Idrus Z

Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Apr 10;20(7).
PMID: 30974873 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20071777

Amino acids (AAs) are vital elements for growth, reproduction, and maintenance of organisms. Current technology uses genetically engineered microorganisms for AAs production, which has urged the search for a safer food-grade AA producer strain. The extracellular proteolytic activities of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be a vital tool to hydrolyze extracellular protein molecules into free AAs, thereby exhibiting great potential for functional AA production. In this study, eight LAB isolated from Malaysian foods were determined for their extracellular proteolytic activities and their capability of producing AAs. All studied LAB exhibited versatile extracellular proteolytic activities from acidic to alkaline pH conditions. In comparison, Pediococcus pentosaceus UP-2 exhibited the highest ability to produce 15 AAs extracellularly, including aspartate, lysine, methionine, threonine, isoleucine, glutamate, proline, alanine, valine, leucine, tryptophan, tyrosine, serine, glycine, and cystine, followed by Pediococcus pentosaceus UL-2, Pediococcus acidilactici UB-6, and Pediococcus acidilactici UP-1 with 11 to 12 different AAs production detected extracellularly. Pediococcus pentosaceus UL-6 demonstrated the highest increment of proline production at 24 h of incubation. However, Pediococcusacidilactici UL-3 and Lactobacillus plantarum I-UL4 exhibited the greatest requirement for AA. The results of this study showed that different LAB possess different extracellular proteolytic activities and potentials as extracellular AA producers.
Fulltext Optimized medium via statistical approach enhanced threonine production by Pediococcus pentosaceus TL-3 isolated from Malaysian food

Lim YH, Foo HL, Loh TC, Mohamad R, Abdul Rahim R, Idrus Z

Microb Cell Fact, 2019 Jul 22;18(1):125.
PMID: 31331395 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-019-1173-2

BACKGROUND: Threonine is an essential amino acid that is extensively used in livestock industry as feed supplement due to its pronounced effect in improving the growth performance of animals. Application of genetically engineered bacteria for amino acid production has its share of controversies after eosinophils myalgia syndrome outbreak in 1980s. This has urged for continuous search for a food grade producer as a safer alternative for industrial amino acid production. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) appear as an exceptional candidate owing to their non-pathogenic nature and reputation of Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. Recently, we have identified a LAB, Pediococcus pentosaceus TL-3, isolated from Malaysian food as a potential threonine producer. Thus, the objective of this study was to enhance the threonine production by P. pentosaceus TL-3 via optimized medium developed by using Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and central composite design (CCD).
RESULTS: Molasses, meat extract, (NH4)2SO4, and MnSO4 were identified as the main medium components for threonine production by P. pentosaceus TL-3. The optimum concentration of molasses, meat extract, (NH4)2SO4 and MnSO4 were found to be 30.79 g/L, 25.30 g/L, 8.59 g/L, and 0.098 g/L respectively based on model obtained in CCD with a predicted net threonine production of 123.07 mg/L. The net threonine production by P. pentosaceus TL-3 in the optimized medium was enhanced approximately 2 folds compared to the control.
CONCLUSIONS: This study has revealed the potential of P. pentosaceus TL-3 as a safer alternative to produce threonine. Additionally, the current study has identified the key medium components affecting the production of threonine by P. pentosaceus TL-3, followed by optimization of their concentrations by means of statistical approach. The findings of this study could act as a guideline for the future exploration of amino acid production by LAB.
Fulltext Attitudes of the public towards halal food and associated animal welfare issues in two countries with predominantly Muslim and non-Muslim populations

Jalil NSA, Tawde AV, Zito S, Sinclair M, Fryer C, Idrus Z, et al.

PLoS One, 2018;13(10):e0204094.
PMID: 30379818 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0204094

Halal food is that which is permissible or lawful for Muslims to consume. Meat products must abide by a number of requirements in relation to their preparation, condition and content to be considered halal. We conducted a survey in order to assess the knowledge of, and attitudes towards, halal meat products in two contrasting countries, one with a majority non-Muslim population (Australia, respondent n = 565), where the most commonly followed religion is Christianity, and one with a majority Muslim population (Malaysia, n = 740). The most common reasons for avoiding halal food were animal welfare, religion and meat quality. Malaysians generally believed that halal processes led to improved meat quality, whereas Australians did not. The general consensus was in favour of legally controlling animal welfare during slaughter, supported by both Muslims and Christians. Malaysians were more aware of the main tenets of halal slaughter than Australians. However, some non-compulsory, incorrect practices were thought to be required practices by respondents in both countries, but especially in Australia. Muslims were more concerned about humane treatment of animals during halal slaughter. They generally believed that stunning is never allowed and that this view was acceptable, whereas people from other belief systems generally held the view that this was unacceptable. Religion and education were the most common factors associated with attitudes, beliefs and consumer habits concerning halal. Information from this study can help to improve understanding of attitudes to halal and provide insights to policy makers seeking to address animal welfare concerns.
Fulltext Comparative Study of Extracellular Proteolytic, Cellulolytic, and Hemicellulolytic Enzyme Activities and Biotransformation of Palm Kernel Cake Biomass by Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated from Malaysian Foods

Lee FH, Wan SY, Foo HL, Loh TC, Mohamad R, Abdul Rahim R, et al.

Int J Mol Sci, 2019 Oct 09;20(20).
PMID: 31600952 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20204979

Biotransformation via solid state fermentation (SSF) mediated by microorganisms is a promising approach to produce useful products from agricultural biomass. Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) that are commonly found in fermented foods have been shown to exhibit extracellular proteolytic, β-glucosidase, β-mannosidase, and β-mannanase activities. Therefore, extracellular proteolytic, cellulolytic, and hemicellulolytic enzyme activities of seven Lactobacillus plantarum strains (a prominent species of LAB) isolated from Malaysian foods were compared in this study. The biotransformation of palm kernel cake (PKC) biomass mediated by selected L. plantarum strains was subsequently conducted. The results obtained in this study exhibited the studied L. plantarum strains produced versatile multi extracellular hydrolytic enzyme activities that were active from acidic to alkaline pH conditions. The highest total score of extracellular hydrolytic enzyme activities were recorded by L. plantarum RI11, L. plantarum RG11, and L. plantarum RG14. Therefore, they were selected for the subsequent biotransformation of PKC biomass via SSF. The hydrolytic enzyme activities of treated PKC extract were compared for each sampling interval. The scanning electron microscopy analyses revealed the formation of extracellular matrices around L. plantarum strains attached to the surface of PKC biomass during SSF, inferring that the investigated L. plantarum strains have the capability to grow on PKC biomass and perform synergistic secretions of various extracellular proteolytic, cellulolytic, and hemicellulolytic enzymes that were essential for the effective biodegradation of PKC. The substantial growth of selected L. plamtraum strains on PKC during SSF revealed the promising application of selected L. plantarum strains as a biotransformation agent for cellulosic biomass.
Fulltext Palm Kernel Cake Oligosaccharides Acute Toxicity and Effects on Nitric Oxide Levels Using a Zebrafish Larvae Model

Foo RQ, Ahmad S, Lai KS, Idrus Z, Yusoff K, Liang JB

Front Physiol, 2020;11:555122.
PMID: 33071816 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.555122

One of the beneficial effects of non-digestible oligosaccharides (NDOs) is their anti-inflammatory effects on host animals. While conventional animal studies require that analysis be done after samples have been taken from the host, zebrafish larvae are optically transparent upon hatching and this provides an opportunity for observations to be made within the living zebrafish larvae. This study aimed to take advantage of the optical transparency of zebrafish larvae to study the nitric oxide (NO) reducing effects of NDOs through the use of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Salmonella enterica serovar (ser.) Enteritidis (S. Enteritidis) to induce cardiac NO production. Prior to running the above experiment, an acute toxicity assay was conducted in order to determine the appropriate concentration of oligosaccharides to be used. The oligosaccharides tested consisted of oligosaccharides which were extracted from palm kernel cake with a degree of polymerization (DP) equal to or less than six (OligoPKC), commercial mannanoligosaccharide (MOS) and commercial fructooligosaccharide (FOS). Acute toxicity test results revealed that the OligoPKC has a LC50 of 488.1 μg/ml while both MOS and FOS were non-toxic up to 1,000 μg/ml. Results of the in vivo NO measurements revealed that all three NDOs were capable of significantly reducing NO levels in LPS stimulated zebrafish embryos. In summary, at 250 μg/ml, OligoPKC was comparable to MOS and better than FOS at lowering NO in LPS induced zebrafish larvae. However, at higher doses, OligoPKC appears toxic to zebrafish larvae. This implies that the therapeutic potential of OligoPKC is limited by its toxicity.
Fulltext Correlation of Mortality Burdens of Cerebrovascular Disease and Diabetes Mellitus with Domestic Consumption of Soya and Palm Oils

Ismail M, Alsalahi A, Khaza'ai H, Imam MU, Ooi J, Samsudin MN, et al.

Int J Environ Res Public Health, 2020 07 28;17(15).
PMID: 32731336 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155410

BACKGROUND: Cerebrovascular diseases (CBVDs) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are interrelated and cumbersome global health burdens. However, the relationship between edible oils consumption and mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM has not yet been evaluated. This review aims to explore correlations between per capita mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM, as well as food consumption of palm or soya oils in 11 randomly selected countries in 2005, 2010, and 2016.
METHODS: After obtaining data on food consumption of palm and soya oils and mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM, correlations between the consumption of oils and mortality burdens of diseases were explored.
RESULTS: There was a positive correlation between the consumption of soya oil with the mortality burden of CBVDs in Australia, Switzerland, and Indonesia, as well as the mortality burden of DM in the USA. The consumption of palm oil had a positive correlation with the mortality burden of DM in Jordan only.
CONCLUSIONS: Food consumption of soya oil in several countries possibly contributes to the mortality burden of CBVDs or DM more than food consumption of palm oil, which could be a possible risk factor in the mortality burdens of CBVDs and DM.

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