An experiment was conducted designed to evaluate the effect of a probiotic as alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for broiler chicks. One hundred and fifty unsexed one-day-old Ross broiler chicks were randomly assigned to five equal groups; the first was considered the control group, while the second to fifth was the treatments groups. Each group included three equal replicates each of 20 chicks. The ration used in the first group was the experimental ration without any supplements (control) while, those of 2-5 treatment groups were the same ration, but supplemented with antibiotic Neomycin (200 mg/kg diet), probiotic (1g/kg diet), probiotic (1.5g/kg diet), and probiotic (2g/kg diet), respectively. All birds were raised in wire floored batteries with the following dimensions: width: 97 cm; length: 50 cm; height: 45 cm under similar environmental and management conditions. Body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR); carcass and some organ weights percentages as well as intestines and ceca lengths were determined at the end of the experiment (42 days of age). The obtained results revealed that birds fed ration supplemented with antibiotic (G2), achieved significantly heavier final BW and higher BWG than birds received different levels of probiotic (G3 to G5) or the control diet (G1). However, birds received 1g or 1.5g probiotic/kg diets (G3 or G4) had significantly higher final BW and BWG than those fed the probiotic diet (G5) and the control diet (G1). Birds fed antibiotic diet (G2) or received 1g and 1.5 g probiotic/kg diets (G3 and G4) had significantly better FCR values than those of birds fed the control diet (G1) and 2g probiotic/kg diet (G5). The total mortality rate of birds in G3 was lower than those of the other groups. Supplementing the diets with antibiotic or probiotics did not affect the percentages of carcass and body organ weights (gizzard, liver, heart, spleen and Giblets) as well as the lengths of intestines and ceca. The abdominal fat percentage in G1 and G4 was decreased compared to the other groups. Therefore, the supplementation of 1.5 g probiotic/kg diet as an alternative to antibiotics in broiler diet is highly recommended to obtain higher growth performance, improved feed conversion, and lower mortality, without adverse effect on abdominal fat and carcass traits.

One hundred and eighty, 60 weeks old, Hi-sex Brown laying hens were randomly classified into three equal experimental groups. Each of them included twelve replicates, of 5 hens each. Birds in all replicates were kept individually in wire cages under controlled conditions in a closed laying house. Experimental hens in groups 1, 2 and 3 were fasted all 24 hrs for 8, 10 and 12 days, respectively. All hens were receiving water ad libitum. At the end of fastening, birds in each group were divided into two equal subgroups. Birds in the first three subgroups were fed on mash diets, while those of the second three subgroups fed pelleted diets. Body weight loss of fasted hens for 12 d (35.8%) excelled significantly those (30.6 and 27.3%) of fasted hens for 8 and 10 d, respectively. All fasted groups ceased egg production by 5 d of the start of fasting and remained out of production until 19, 21 and 27 days before the onset of laying for 8, 10, 12 days fasted groups, respectively. They reached 50% hen-day post molt egg production by 40, 48, 55 d, respectively. During the experimental period, the mortality rate (MR) of 10 d fasted group (5.1%) decreased significantly than both of 8 and 12 d fasted groups (6.6%). The molted hens by 10 d fasting which fed on either fed on either mash or pelleted diets had lower morality than the other subgroups. The molted hens by fasting 10 or 12 d had significantly better hen day egg production (HDP) and egg mass (EM); significantly more shell and yolk percentages(SP and YP, respectively); and significantly less albumen percentage (AP) than those of the molted hens by 8 d. The molted hens by fasting 10 d had significantly improved feed conversation ratio (FCR) than those of fasted hens by 8 and 12 d. The differences due to fasting periods in egg weight (EW), feed consumption (FC), mortality rate (MR), egg shape index (ESI), Haugh unit (HU) and egg yolk index (EYI) were very limited and insignificant. Feeding on pelleted rations had significantly higher HDP, EW, EM, FC, shell thickness (ST), SP and HU; as well as significantly less FCR as compared with hens fed on mash diets. Feed form did not affect MR, YP, AP, ESI and EYI. All fasted hens on mash diets had significantly decreased FC; increased EW; and improved FCR as compared with those of fasted hens fed pelleted diets. The achieved results could suggest that inducing molt of laying hens by 10 d fasting and feeding on mash diets can achieves better FCR, lower MR, and without adverse effects on the productive performance.

Five pyridine derivatives, namely, N-morpholinium 7,7-dimethyl-3-cyano-4-(4′-nitrophenyl)-5-oxo-1,4,5,6,7,8- hexahydroquinoline-2-thiolate (1), sodium 5-acetyl-3-amino-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-6-methylthieno[2,3-b] pyridine-2-carboxylate (2), piperidinium 3,5-dicyano-2-oxo-4-spirocyclopentane-1,2,3,4-tetrahydropyridine-6-thiolate (3), piperidinium 5-acetyl-3- cyano-4-(4′-methoxyphenyl)-6-methylpyridine-2-thiolate (4), and piperidinium 5-acetyl-4-(4′-chlorophenyl)-3-cyano-6-methylpyridine- 2-thiolate (5) were prepared in pure state and subjected to the title study. The bioassay results indicated that the insecticidal activity of compound 1 is about 4-fold that of acetamiprid insecticide. The rest of the tested compounds possess moderate to strong aphidicidal activities.

The antibacterial activity of aqueous extracts and essential oils of twenty medicinal plants of Egypt were determined by the agar diffusion-method against three bacterial species, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Bacillus subtilis, isolated from colorectal cancer tissues and normal adjacent tissues. Aqueous extracts and essential oils showed significant antibacterial activity against all the bacterial species tested. The highest significant inhibition zone and percentage relevant to tetracycline (positive control) was found for marjoram, black cumin and peppermint essential oils against B. subtilis isolated from tumoral and normal tissues. Marjoram and basil showed significant antibacterial activity against E. coli. Meanwhile, thyme and rosemary showed significant inhibitory activity against P. aeruginosa. The data also suggested that the best aqueous extract was from Albizzia lebbeck, which inhibited the growth of all bacterial strains tested except for B. subtilis isolated from tumoral tissues.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an inexpensive source of protein for both animals and humans, but the polyphenolics in the seed coat have been associated with reduced nutritional bioavailability at the protein and mineral level. There are two complimentary genes, zt-1 and zt-2, that affect the polyphenolic pathway and the presence of the homozygous recessive form of either will result in what is known as the “zero tannin” phenotype: unpigmented seed coats and white flowers. This is reminiscent of white flower/clear seed coat phenotype in pea where the A gene, a bHLH transcription factor, is responsible for the phenotype. This gene is part of the Myb-bHLH-WD40 transcription factor complex that regulates flavonoid biosynthesis. Zt-1 is likely the WD-40 gene (O’Sullivan, pers.comm.) and we hypothesize that Zt-2 is a bHLH, like in pea, or a Myb homologue. We used available sequences of these genes from other legumes to investigate zt-1 and zt-2 in faba bean to design sequencing primers to amplify these genes in Snowbird (zt-1), Disco (zt-2) and high tannin lines (wild type). Sequences will be compared to try to identify SNPs or other indels for which specific marker assays can be developed and tested in segregating populations. These SNP markers will facilitate identification of specific zero tannin genotypes and allow breeders to know which gene is in their crossing parents and to predict whether there will be segregation or not in the offspring.

Faba bean, being a combine harvested grain legume with about 30% of seed protein content, is a traditional yet underused domestic source of N and protein. With current advances in breeding for improved winter hardiness and with climate change, we expect an expansion of autumn-sown winter beans beyond UK and France into Germany. Here, we phenotyped N=189 pure line winter beans which represent the major part of German winter bean breeding germplasm and which trace back to one diverse winter bean population (‘Göttingen winter bean population’). Phenotyping was done for (1) reaction to frost after hardening (minus 16 to minus 19°C; ‘frost chamber’, juvenile potted plants), and for (2) physiological aspects of drought tolerance (traits such as drought-induced proline and glycine-betaine accumulation in leaves). In addition, a subset of lines (N=40) was phenotyped for reaction to drought as juvenile, potted plants in green-house. Heritabilities of traits varied between 0.61 h² 0.93 for reaction to frost, 0.62 h² 0.89 for physiological traits and 0.37 h² 0.68 for reactions to drought in green-house. The material was genotyped with 1147 AFLP and 175 SNP markers (MAF>5%), the majority of which are mapped. Association analyses (Tassel 3.0.169, MLM, K-matrix) yielded N=9 (7 AFLP and 2 SNP) putative QTL for frost tolerance and N=5 putative QTL for drought tolerance. A frost trait seems most promising for an immediate marker-assisted improvement: ‘maintenance vs. loss of leaf color and leaf turgor after frost‘, with seven QTL explaining singly from 9% down to 6% and together explaining 28% of the phenotypic variance. Analysis is ongoing; we will report on extent of marker-marker LD, phenotypic and genotypic correlations between traits, and deliberate on data’s impact on breeding of winter faba bean.

A study of three local populations and ninety seven Tunisian field bean (Vicia faba L. var minor) derived F4 breeding lines originating from an old heterogeneous population maintained at INAT was carried out. Agro-morphological variability based on the internationally recognized descriptors of the International Union for protection of new varieties (UPOV, 2002) and Biodiversity international, (IBPGR, 1985) was used to characterize this collection, targeting traits of interest for breeders such as white hilum, white flower color, determinate growth habit, and precocity while assessing the potential of progenitors that could be useful for both local and international breeding programs. Three white hilum lines, a unique determinate growth habit line and a unique uncommon trait: anthocyanin spotted seed was identified. Precocity for flowering time is 10 days for some lines. Cluster analysis of quantitative traits divided the collection into three groups. Several lines were promising material for pod production and growth habit. Further studies, especially at the molecular level, are required to compare this collection to international diversity and to map the interesting traits for breeding purposes.

Identification of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and markers associated with heat and drought tolerance is warranted for marker-assisted selection in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding programs in areas prone to these abiotic stresses. Our study used a family-based mapping approach in which 19 families consisting of 384 individuals were developed by threeway crosses involving the heat tolerant, tetraploid cultivated emmer (Triticum turgidum L. var dicoccum) genotype IG45069 and ten heat susceptible tetraploid genotypes, IG44999, IG44961, IG45413, IG83047, IG45441, IG127682, IG45448, IG110572, IG88723 and IG54073, in order to detect QTL and markers associatedwith heat tolerance.The 384 individualswere phenotyped for physiological traits associated with heat tolerance and genotyped by SSR markers. The QTL associated with heat stress tolerance, as measured by chlorophyll content, flag leaf temperature depression (FLTD) and individual kernel weight (IKW) were mapped on chromosomes 1B (QChlc.tamu-1B), 2B (QFlt.tamu-2B), and 5A (QIkw.tamu-5A), respectively, using linkage analysis. Alleles from IG45069 possessed the highest associations with the phenotypic data for the studied traits. This study demonstrates that a family-based mapping approach can be utilized in rapid detection of QTL associated with heat tolerance in wheat based on linkage and association analyses.