Pomegranate peels powder (PPP) contain total phenolic compounds and antioxidation activity, which can provide numerous health benefits. White soft cheese (WSC) was prepared from mixture of buffalo’s and cow’s milk and supplemented with different levels of pomegranate peels powder (0.5, 1 and 1.5%) and estimated for numerous storage quality parameters and oxidative stability under ambient (18±2°C) and refrigerated (6±2°C) conditions. Adding of PPP increased antioxidant activity, total nitrogen, soluble nitrogen, fat content and Lactococci count. Whilst, the total bacterial counts, yeast & moulds and acid degree value decreased.  Coliforms groups were not detected in all treatments. The counts of lactic acid bacteria increased up to the thirty days of storage and then decreased up to the end of storage period. Cheese sample supplemented with 1.5% PPP gained the highest total antioxidant activity. Moreover, T2 & T3 stored in 60 days at room temperature had lower total scores than other treatments. While, T2 & T3 stored at ambient temperature for 30 days as well as T1 & T2 stored at refrigerator temperature for 45 days had superior total scores than other treatments. Generally, PPP contained elevated levels of phenolic compounds, consequently it revealed efficacy antimicrobial properties and high antioxidant activity. Therefore, the PPP can be used in production of functional white soft cheese. This study indicates that peel of pomegranate can be used commercially in the dairy industry as potential natural preservative.

Most of the freshwaters worldwide are used for agriculture. Freshwater sources are expected to decline and will not suffice to support the food production needed for the growing population. Therefore, growing crops with seawater might constitute a solution. However, very little work has been done on the effect of seawater stress on wheat, an important cereal crop. The present study aimed to determine whether particular wheat genotypes provided better resistance to seawater stress. A set of 80 highly diverse spring wheat genotypes collected from different countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America was exposed to 50% seawater stress at the early growth stage. Four seeding shoot and root traits were scored for all genotypes. High genetic variations were found among all genotypes for the epicotyl length (EL), hypocotyl length (HL), number of radicles (NOR), and fresh weight (FW). Eight genotypes with high-performance scores of seedling traits were selected. The correlation analyses revealed highly significant correlations among all traits scored in this study. The strongest correlation was found between the NOR and the other seeding traits. Thus, the NOR might be an important adaptive trait for seawater tolerance. The genetic diversity among all genotypes was investigated based on genetic distance. A wide range of genetic distances among all genotypes was found. There was also a great
genetic distance among the eight selected genotypes. In particular, the genetic distance between ATRI 5310 (France) and the other seven genotypes was the greatest. Such high genetic diversity might be utilized to select highly divergent genotypes for crossing in a future breeding program. The present study provides very useful information on the presence of different genetic resources in wheat for seawater tolerance.

There is an increased interest among poultry nutritionists to increase the linoleic acid (LA) content
of the egg, which possesses many benefits for human health. This fatty acid must be provided
by the diet as the bird’s body cannot synthesise it. The present study evaluated the
influence of different levels of dietary LA on the productive performance, egg quality and yolk
lipid profile of Longyan laying ducks. In total, 900 Longyan female laying ducks aged 24 weeks
were assigned to six dietary treatments, each containing 6 replicates of 25 ducks. The six dietary
treatments contained six incremental levels of LA (analysed content: 0.36, 0.66, 0.80, 1.07, 1.28,
and 1.45%) and the experimental diets were offered for the following 20 weeks. The results
showed that different supplemental levels of dietary LA had no effects on egg production traits,
concentrations of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, or low or high-density lipoprotein cholesterol
(p>.05). There was a linear increase in yolk colour (p<.001) and yolk cholesterol (p<.005)
with increasing dietary LA. With increased intake of LA, the yolk content in C18:1, C20:1 and
total monounsaturated fatty acids decreased linearly (all p<.005), but the concentrations of
C18:2, C18:3, C20:2, C20:3, C20:4, C20:6, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids were linearly
increased (p<.008 to <.0001). The results of the present work show that LA dietary supplementation
of Longyan duck layers positively modified the yolk fatty acid profile, increased the yolk
cholesterol, and enhanced the yolk colour.
HIGHLIGHTS

This study evaluated the effects of selenium
(Se) supplementation in maternal and offspring
diets on performance and antioxidant capacity of ducklings
aged from 0 to 2 wk. A total of 144 female Longyan
duck breeders aged 22-wk were allotted into 2 treatments
and fed a control diet or a 0.16 mg Se/kg supplemented
diet. At 40-wk, 120 offspring from each
treatment were divided into 2 groups, with 6 replicates
of 10 birds. Using a 2 £ 2 factorial design, ducklings
from each maternal dietary treatment were assigned to
a control diet or a 0.16 mg Se/kg supplemented diet
from hatch to 2-wk. Compared with Se-deficient diet,
maternal diet supplemented with 0.16 mg Se/kg
increased the BW of hatchlings (P < 0.01). There were
interactions between maternal and progeny diet with
0.16 mg Se/kg in BW of ducklings aged 2 wk and BW
gain (BWG) as ducklings from maternal Se/progeny
none treatment had the lightest BW and BWG (P <
0.01). Maternal diet with 0.16 mg Se/kg decreased
plasma concentration of uric acid and insulin-like growth
factor 1 (P < 0.01), and progeny diet supplemented with 0.16 mg Se/kg increased the activities of glutathione peroxidase
3 (GPx3) in plasma and glutathione peroxidase
1 in erythrocyte (P < 0.01). Maternal diet with 0.16 mg
Se/kg increased (P < 0.05) the hepatic activity of total
superoxide dismutase (T-SOD). Progeny diet supplemented
with 0.16 mg Se/kg increased (P < 0.01) hepatic
activity of GPx3 and decreased (P < 0.01) the hepatic
concentration of malondialdehyde. Interactions were
detected between maternal and progeny diet with
0.16 mg Se/kg in hepatic activity of T-SOD and maternal
and progeny diet supplemented with Se displayed
the highest hepatic activity of T-SOD (P < 0.05). Overall,
Se supplementation in the diet of duck breeders and
offspring increased the antioxidant capacity of ducklings.
Maternal Se supplementation increased the BW of
hatchlings, whereas maternal and progeny dietary Se
supplementation did not affect the BWG of ducklings
aged from 0 to 2 wk. Se supplementation with additional
0.16 mg/kg in the diet of duck breeders and offspring
displayed beneficial effects particularly on the antioxidant
capacity in ducklings.

A unique sperm behavior was observed in Egyptian chickens. Sperm showed a tendency to agglutinate forming motile thread-like bundles. Sperm agglutination behavior, kinematics, and some morphometric measures were studied in relation to sperm competition and fertility duration in Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sperm tendency to agglutinate was assessed by examining sperm morphology using scanning electron microscopy, Acridine orange-stained semen smears using fluorescence microscopy, and recording videos of sperm under phase contrast microscope. Sperm velocity and morphometric measures were evaluated using image-J software. To assess sperm competition, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were artificially inseminated by semen pools possessing equal number of Sharaksi and Dandarawi sperm. Artificial insemination was repeated ten times. The eggs obtained were incubated, and the hatchlings were discriminated as descending from Sharkasi or Dandarawi fathers according to their phenotype. To assess the fertility duration, Sharkasi and Dandarawi hens were inseminated by semen collected from roosters of the same strain. Eggs were collected for a period of 28 days post-insemination and incubated. Sharkasi spermatozoa showed higher tendency to agglutinate forming longer and thicker motile bundles. No significant differences were observed in sperm curvilinear and straight line velocity and in sperm morphometric measures between Sharkasi and Dandarawi chickens. Sharkasi roosters fathered 81.6% and 67.7% of the hatchlings produced by Sharkasi and Dandarawi mothers, respectively. The fertility period in Sharkasi and Dandarawi was 22 and 14 days, respectively. We suggest that the differences seen in sperm competitiveness and fertility duration can be attributed to sperm agglutination behavior.

Fertility in birds is dependent on their ability to store adequate populations of viable sperm for extended durations in sperm storage tubules (SSTs). The exact mechanisms by which sperm enter, reside, and egress from the SSTs are still controversial. Sharkasi chicken sperm showed a high tendency to agglutinate, forming motile thread-like bundles comprising many cells. Since it is difficult to observe sperm motility and behavior inside the opaque oviduct, we employed a microfluidic device with a microchannel cross-section resembling close to that of sperm glands allowing for the study of sperm agglutination and motility behavior. This study discusses how sperm bundles are formed, how they move, and what role they may have in extending sperm residency inside the SSTs. We investigated sperm velocity and rheotaxis behavior when a fluid flow was generated inside a microfluidic channel by hydrostatic pressure (flow velocity = 33 µm/s). Spermatozoa tended to swim against the flow (positive rheotaxis) and sperm bundles had significantly lower velocity compared to lonesome sperm. Sperm bundles were observed to swim in a spiral-like motion and to grow in length and thickness as more lonesome sperm are recruited. Sperm bundles were observed approaching and adhering to the sidewalls of the microfluidic channels to avoid being swept with fluid flow velocity > 33 µm/s. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed that sperm bundles were supported by a copious dense substance. The findings show the distinct motility of Sharkasi chicken sperm, as well as sperm's capacity to agglutinate and form motile bundles, which provides a better understanding of long-term sperm storage in the SSTs.

أدى استخدام جمیع المعاملات الى نقص فى نسبة المواد الصلبة الذائبة الکلیة والسکریات المختزلة والکلیة وزیادة في نسبة الحموضة لثمار کلا الصنفین السيوي والحياني مقارنة بالثمار الغیر معاملة خلال موسمي الدراسة.

شهد العالم في الآونه الاخيرة العديد من التطورات والتغيرات الاقتصادية التي ساهمت بشكل فعال في حدوث تغيرات جذرية في حركة التجارة الخارجية بين الدول بعضها البعض, حيث عقدت مصر العديد من الاتفاقيات التجارية التي وقعتها مع الكثير من مختلف الدول والتكتلات العالمية, ففي هذا البحث تم التركيز علي اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء Sahel-Sahara وهي من أحدث التجمعات الاقتصادية الأفريقية. حيث وقعت هذه الاتفاقية في 4 فبراير 1998 في مدينة طرابلس بليبيا ليكون أساسا لإقامة اتحاد اقتصادی شامل بين الدول الأفريقية، وهو من التجمعات الاقتصادية الرائدة التي تعمل على تنمية العلاقات الاقتصادية العربية الأفريقية. لذا استهدف البحث بصفة اساسية الوقوف علي أثر اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء (س.ص) Sahel-Sahara علي التجارة الخارجية وانعكاساتها علي الميزان التجاري المصري بصفة عامة والزراعي والغذائي بصفة خاصة

        شهد العالم في الآونه الاخيرة العديد من التطورات والتغيرات الاقتصادية التي ساهمت بشكل فعال في حدوث تغيرات جذرية في حركة التجارة الخارجية بين الدول بعضها البعض, حيث عقدت مصر العديد من الاتفاقيات التجارية التي وقعتها مع الكثير من مختلف الدول والتكتلات العالمية, ففي هذا البحث تم التركيز علي اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء Sahel-Sahara وهي من أحدث التجمعات الاقتصادية الأفريقية. حيث وقعت هذه الاتفاقية في 4 فبراير 1998 في مدينة طرابلس بليبيا ليكون أساسا لإقامة اتحاد اقتصادی شامل بين الدول الأفريقية، وهو من التجمعات الاقتصادية الرائدة التي تعمل على تنمية العلاقات الاقتصادية العربية الأفريقية. لذا استهدف البحث بصفة اساسية الوقوف علي أثر اتفاقية تجمع دول الساحل والصحراء (س.ص) Sahel-Sahara علي التجارة الخارجية وانعكاساتها علي الميزان التجاري المصري بصفة عامة والزراعي والغذائي بصفة خاصة