Department of Poultry Science (1994 - Present)
Poultry Nutrition
Animal Physiology Animal Nutrition, Leeds, Leeds, England
My academic carrier consists of degree in Food Science, MSc in Poultry Science and PhD in Poultry Nutrition from Cardiff University, Glasgow University and Leeds University (UK) respectively from 1980 to 1992. I Joined Tarbiat Modares University (a university dedicated for Post graduate courses) in 1993 as Assistant Professor. In year 2000, I became Associate Professor and then in 2010 graded to Professor in Poultry Nutrition. The overall theme of my research is poultry nutrition. My main research interests are applied nutrition of commercial layer and broiler meat-type poultry and determination of nutrient requirement of poultry. My primary research focus is investigating the effect of macro, micro nutrients and especially feed additives on poultry performances My second research interest is in the following area: utilization of agricultural co-products and waste as feed ingredients for poultry, the concurrent impact of nutrition and environment temperature on poultry performances.
Cockerel semen is sensitive to cooling, which limits chilled storage of semen for more than 24?h. Results of artificial insemination with cold-stored semen are not desirable. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary fish oil and vitamin E (vitE) for cold-storage of rooster semen and its effects on parameters of semen during 48?h cooling preservation. Roosters were assigned into four dietary treatments; 1) control group received a basal diet, 2) vitE group received a basal diet supplemented with 200?mg/kg vitE, 3) fish oil group (FO) received a basal diet supplemented with 2% fish oil and 4) fish oil and vitE group received a basal diet supplemented with 2% fish oil and 200?mg/kg vitE (FO?+?vitE). Semen samples were collec
The objective of this study was to observe the effects of dietary supplementation with zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) on performance, egg quality, tissue Zn content, bone parameters, superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), and egg malondialdehyde (MDA) content in laying hens. A total of 288 laying hens at 64?weeks of age were randomly assigned to 4 treatments, 6 replicates, with 12 birds each. Experimental diets included the based diet (without Zn supplementation), and basal diet supplemented with 40, 80, and 120?mg Zn/kg from ZnO-NPs. Feed intake and egg mass were significantly higher in the 40 and 80 ZnO-NPs groups than the other groups. The birds in the 80 ZnO-NPs group had significantly higher egg product than the 120 ZnO-
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary n-3: n-6 fatty acid (FA) ratios and vitamin E (vitE) on the semen quality, FA composition, hormonal responses, and reproductive performance of aged roosters. Thirty-six Ross broiler breeder roosters were assigned to a 3 ? 2 factorial design with 3 n-3: n-6 FA ratios (0.09, 0.16, and 0.23) based on the inclusion of 3 oil sources (canola, canola/fish, and fish) and 2 vitE levels (0 and 200?mg/kg). During the 60 d of treatment, semen parameters, FAs composition of sperm, lipid peroxidation, and hormonal responses were monitored. Reproductive performance using artificial insemination was also evaluated at the end of experiment (on day 60). Results showed that the 0.16 and
A total of 144 ostrich eggs (24 per group) were injected with 4?mL of physiological saline solution [positive control (PC)], carbohydrates (CHO — 20% maltose, 2.5% sucrose, and 2.5% dextrin), β-hydroxy-β-methylbutyrate (HMB), vitamin B6 solution, and vitamin D3 (vit D3) solution at 38?d of incubation. Injection of 4?mL physiological saline decreased the hatchability compared with negative control (NC) group (not injected eggs) (68.5% vs. 71.7%; P < 0.05). There was also lower hatchability and more number of embryonic deaths before piping in vitamin-injected group (72.2%). Heart, gizzard, pancreas, spleen and thymus, ileum, cecum, and rectum relative weight were not significantly different among treatments at hatch (P > 0.05). Ca
An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of diets supplemented with different Zn sources on performance, egg quality, bone parameters, Zn status, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and egg malondialdehyde (MDA) content in laying hens. A total of 192 laying hens at 52 wk of age, with the initial average body weight of 1.53 ? 0.02?kg, were randomly assigned to 4 treatments with 4 replicate cages and 12 laying hens per cage. Dietary treatments included the corn-soybean meal based diet (without Zn supplementation), and basal diet supplemented with 80?mg Zn/kg diet from Zn oxide-nanoparticles (ZnO-NP), Zn oxide, and Zn-Met. The results showed that dietary Zn supplementation had no effect on feed intake, feed conversion ratio, live
Effect of intermittent mash-pellet feeding programs on broilers performance, ascites susceptibility and economic yield was studied using 480 broilers in six treatments and five replicates of 16 chicks per pen were used in a completely randomized design. Treatments including: 1. Mash feed, 2. Heated-mash feed, 3. Mash feed in starter and grower and pellet feed in finisher, 4. Mash feed in starter and pellet feed in grower and finisher, 5. Pellet feed, 6. Grinded-pellet feed. Pellet feeding increased the feed intake and body weight gain and improved the feed conversion ratio, although the ascites susceptibility increased (P< 0.01). Mash feeds decreased the body weight gain and increased the feed conversion ratio (P< O. OI). Feeding pellet in
An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplementing a low available phosphorous (P) diet (0.14%) with phytase, propionic acid, and sodium citrate on performance, mineral metabolism, and tibia properties of broilers. A 2 ? 2 ? 2 factorial arrangement of treatments based a completely randomized design was used to evaluate the effects of phytase (0 and 300 units kg−1), propionic acid (0% and 0.2%), and sodium citrate (0% and 3%). The phytase improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) and increased feed intake (FI), digestibility of Ca, percentage Ca of tibia ash, and bone-breaking strength (P?< .05). Broilers fed with a diet supplemented with sodium citrate had higher digestibility of Ca, and bone breaking strength th
The effects of wet-feeding of five levels of corn steep liquor (CSL) on broilers performance and relative internal organ weights were examined. Three hundreds 1-d old broilers (Ross 308) were randomly allocated to one of the six dietary treatments in a completely randomized design with 5 replications of 10 chicks per pen. The dietary treatments were: 1. Dry-fed control, no add water nor CSL in feed, 2. Wet-fed control, add water in feed, 3. Wet-fed, 10% CSL in feed, 4. Wet-fed, 20% CSL in feed, 5. Wet-fed, 30% CSL in feed, and 6. Wet-fed, 40% CSL in feed. The body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly affected by dietary levels of CSL inclusion, in 1-42 d growing period (P< 0.05). The response to increasing d
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of thermal manipulation (TM) during pre and post-hatch periods on thermotolerance of male broiler chickens exposed to chronic heat stress (CHS) during the finisher phase (34???2?C, 6?h/day). Seven hundred fertile eggs of Ross 308 were assigned to the following groups: 1) control group incubated and housed in standard conditions, 2) pre-hatch treatment (PRE), the eggs were exposed to 39.5?C and 65% RH for 12?h, d from embryonic d 7 to 16 and after hatching the chicks where housed in standard conditions; 3 and 4) post-hatch TM at d 3 (PO3) and post-hatch TM at d 5 (PO5), which had the same incubation conditions as control and exposed to 36 to 38?C for 24?h at 3 and 5 days of age, resp
A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of R. coriaria L. and P. farcta extracts as alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in broilers diet. A total of 300 one-day-old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments (five pen replicates, 15 birds per pen) for the 0-to 28-d period, and all data were analyzed in a randomized complete design. Dietary treatments included a basal diet (as control diet, without additive) and three similar diets that were supplemented with 200 mg/kg R. coriaria L. extract, P. farcta extract, and oxytetracycline 20 percent, respectively. The results showed that average daily gain was significantly increased (P< 0.05) by supplementing diets with all feed additives in 7-14 d perio
In this study, one hundred and twenty 40-wk-old White Leghorn laying hens were submitted to two different thermal conditions (24? C vs. 34? C) and were fed three levels (0, 10, or and 20 g/kg of diet)of fennel fruits (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) as a feed additive in. This study was carried out according to a factorial design consisting of two temperatures and three fennel levels with five 5 replicates each (n = 2 ? 3 ? 5). Performance, egg production, egg quality, and oxidative product levels (malondialdehyde, MDA, and carbonyl) in the eggs were measured before and after heat exposure. The results showed that the tested temperatures did not affect egg production (p>0.05), but the production of eggs with broken shell and feed intake were affe
The inclusion of raw or autoclaved rice bran (RB) into broiler chicken diets was evaluated. A total of 420 broiler chickens (Ross 308) were assigned to a basal diet (without RB) or diets containing 6, 12, and 18% raw or autoclaved RB with 3 replicates of 20 chickens. By polynomial orthogonal contrasts, a significant reduction in body weight gain and feed intake (L: P= 0.048), the weight of abdominal fat (L: P= 0.048), ether extract digestibility (L: P= 0.025), villus height (L: P= 0.046), and crypt depth (L and Q: P= 0.043) was achieved by increasing the inclusion levels of raw or autoclaved RB in the diets. On day 42, significant decreases were found in the weights and the ash contents of tibia (L: P= 0.003) with increasing the level of ra
An experiment was carried out to develop and evaluate a semi-purified diet suitable for fiber related studies without negative impacts on performance, serum biochemistry and intestinal morphology of growing Japanese quails. Total of 144 Japanese quail chicks were used in a factorial arrangement using completely randomized design with 6 treatments, 4 replicates of 6 quails in each replicate. The levels of dietary crude fiber (3.37%, 1.18% and 0.08%, respectively) viz. high, medium and low crude fiber diets. The dietary supplementation levels of a commercial feed additive concentrate fiber-Arbocel were considered 0 and 3 %. The medium crude fiber semi-purified diet produced acceptable growth performances comparable to conventional high crude
To study the influence of processing of rice hulls (RH), and inclusion of additional fiber in the semipurified diet on the performance and digestive traits of quails from 7 to 35 day of age; Seven treatments were arranged in a completely randomized design, with 7 sources of fiber (none, 3% raw RH, 3% RH soaked in distilled water, 3% RH boiled in water contained NaCl, 3% autoclaved RH, 3% of two Micronized insoluble fibers) and 5 bird each. Each treatment was replicated four. Growth traits were recorded; digestive traits and litter moisture were measured. Supplementation of processed rice hulls (PRH) was associated with increases in daily body weight gain and feed conversion ratio and decrease in feed intake throughout the experimental perio
Zinc accumulation and the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were investigated in a culture with zinc sulfate-supplemented medium. The cultivations were performed on Sabouraud dextrose broth medium in aerobic conditions, without the addition of zinc (control culture) and with the addition of zinc sulfate (5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 mg ZnSO4 l-1 medium) at 28 C for 72 hours. The results showed similar trends of yeast growth rates at 24, 48, and 72-hour interval, with concentrations above 10 mg l-1 ZnSO4 in the nutritional medium significantly decreasing the yeast growth rate and the biomass yield (P< 0.05). Substantial differences between the initial ZnSO4 concentrations in the growth medium were demonstrated in the overall adsorption of Zn ions (
Two trials were conducted to determination of chemical composition and nutritive value of grade 1 wheat middling wastes and its suitable levels in turkey diets were investigated. Experiment 1 evaluated the chemical composition, and energy and protein content. The experiment 2 was conducted by 160 day old unsexed white wide breast turkeys. Four rations were used as a four treatments includes (0, 10, 20, 30%) of wheat middling’s in turkeys diets. Four replicates with 10 birds were arranged in each. All of diets were Is energetic and is one erogenous. The experiment was started from 30 days of age to the 120 days of old. Experiment statistical was in complete random design (CRD), data analyzed by SAS program and means were examined by Duncan
Free radical formation is a natural consequence of the body’s normal activity and also it’sa part of the immune system in animal body that is involved in the destruction process of microorganisms. CHANCE et al.(1979) reported that in a single cell about 2? 1010 molecules of reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated per day and in stress conditions the rate of ROS production is increased. Presence of free radicals and ROS in the body of animals continued the oxidation process post mortem and deteriorates meat quality. Specific mechanisms have been developed in the body of living organisms to deal with this ROS. The major factor that enables the survival of organisms in an oxygen-rich environment is the presence of natural antioxidants.
AN EXPERIMENT WAS CONDUCTED UNDER COMPLETELY RANDOMIZED DESIGN TO EVALUATE THE EFFECTS OF THREE MIXED MEDICINAL PLANTS AND ANTIBIOTIC VIRGINIAMYCIN ON SERUM COMPOSITION OF BROILER CHICKS. ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY DAY-OLD CHICKS (MIXED MALE AND FEMALE) WERE PROCURED AND DIVIDED INTO THREE TREATMENTS AND FOUR REPLICATES (10 CHICKS IN EACH REPLICATE)....
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