Rawad Sweidan

The Dromedary camel has a remarkable history amongst cultures across Asia and northern Africa, serving multiple purposes ranging from providing milk, textiles, racing, and acting as pack animals. Recent genetic studies have revealed that many dromedaries are genetically homogenous, indicating that they do not represent different breeds, advocating for camel “type” over camel “breed.” In this study, we leveraged whole genome sequencing (WGS) to sequence 15 Jordanian Alia camels for the first time, alongside 9 Jordanian mixed camels from diverse locations within the country. Additionally, we analyzed 48 publicly available whole genomes of dromedary camels from the Arabian Peninsula for comparison. We demonstrate that the Alia camel is a distinct breed of camel, carefully bred in Jordan for racing and milk production. Compared with other dromedary camels, the Alia is genetically distinct and a unique breed that should be conserved. Our data further suggest that WGS of different camel populations may identify additional breeds and inform approaches to optimize traits and preserve genetic diversity.

This review highlights some literature data on salicylic acid supplementation and its effects on heat-stressed broiler chickens. The current review will assess the potential use of supplemented salicylic acid and highlight its mode of action to decrease the adverse effects of heat stress on broiler production, including growth performance, animal health, gut microbiota, and heat-shock protein expression in broiler chickens. Dry matter intake, growth rate, and feed conversion ratio were improved for broilers when salicylic acid was added to their diet either in powder form or supplemented in their drinking water. It also improves carcass quality in both broiler chicken and Japanese quail. Data from recent literature showed lower blood cholesterol (up to -26.3%) and triglycerides (up to -30.7%) and glucose (up to -16.4%) were found in heat-stressed chickens fed 50 – 100g/100 kg of salicylic acid compared to chickens fed a regular diet. In addition, salicylic acid improves the oxidative status of birds by lowering the amount of malondialdehyde in the liver under HS. Salicylic acid supplementation also inhibits colonization of harmful microbiota and intestinal pathogens, such as Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Enterococcus species, and E. coli, in the gut of broilers by enhancing intestinal barrier function and maintaining intestinal microflora balance. Moreover, the review highlights the value of salicylic acid as a natural alternative supplement for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant abilities in animal nutrition to mitigate the negative effects of heat stress and enhance poultry production.

Willow (Salix spp.) trees, found worldwide, contain secondary metabolites that are valuable as dietary supplements for animal feed and as anti-parasitic compounds. We quantified secondary metabolites (phenolic, flavonoids, and salicylic acid) in ethanolic extracts from leaves and branches of three Salix acmophylla genotypes and investigated their potential to inhibit Eimeria sp. sporulation, a major concern in ruminants. The total phenolic content of willow leaves and branches was similar in two of three different genotypes. The total flavonoid content of the branches was significantly higher than that of leaves of the same genotype; however, the salicylic acid content was significantly higher in leaves than in branches. Importantly, all extracts exhibited significant inhibition of Eimeria sporulation, where over 70% inhibition was obtained at concentrations as low as 750 ppm. The sporulation inhibition by branch or leaf extracts exceeded 80% for leaves and 90% for branches at concentrations above 1250 ppm. The study highlights the potential of using Salix extracts as bioactive compounds for biological control of coccidiosis in ruminants and emphasizes the importance of genotype-specific variations in secondary metabolite profiles. We conclude that all parts of S. acmophylla can provide secondary metabolites that act as a coccidiostat to treat Eimeria in goats.