Animal Production

Previous experimental studies have highlighted that citrulline (CIT) could be a promising pharmaconutrient. However, its pharmacokinetic characteristics and tolerance to loading have not been studied to date. The objective was to characterise the plasma kinetics of CIT in a multiple-dosing study design and to assess the effect of CIT intake on the concentrations of other plasma amino acids (AA). The effects of CIT loading on anabolic hormones were also determined. Eight fasting healthy males underwent four separate oral loading tests (2, 5, 10 or 15 g CIT) in random order. Blood was drawn ten times over an 8 h period for measurement of plasma AA, insulin and growth hormone (Gh). Urine samples were collected before CIT administration and over the next 24 h. None of the subjects experienced side effects whatever the CIT dose. Concerning AA, only CIT, ornithine (ORN) and arginine (ARG) plasma concentrations were affected (maximum concentration 146 (sem 8) to 303 (sem 11) μmol/l (ARG) a...

Lameness in breeding swine has a large negative economic impact and is a welfare concern. Pain-related behaviour, such as postural changes, may be used to evaluate the presence and severity of pain in animals. The objective of this work was to determine the effects of flunixin meglumine (FM) and meloxicam (M) on postural changes in lame sows. Lameness was induced in 24 mature sows (Sus scrofa) using a chemical synovitis model. Three treatments were compared: FM (2.2 mg kg -1 ; n = 24, intramuscular [IM]), M (1.0 mg kg -1 ; n = 24, by mouth [PO]) and sterile saline (equivalent volume to FM; n = 24 [IM]), administered approximately 28 and 52 h after lameness induction. Behavioural data were collected in the home pen during 12-h periods and quantified using 15-min scan sampling on the day prior to (-24 h; Day -1) through +168 h post lameness induction. Frequency of behaviour was analysed by day using generalised linear mixed model methods. The frequency of standing postures significantly decreased and lying postures increased 24-72 h post lameness induction relative to baseline day. All postures returned to baseline frequencies by +168 h.

Choline and betaine are nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism. Choline is essential for neurodevelopment and brain function. We studied the associations between cognitive function and plasma concentrations of free choline and betaine. In a cross-sectional study, 2195 subjects (55 % women), aged 70-74 years, underwent extensive cognitive testing including the Kendrick Object Learning Test (KOLT), Trail Making Test (part A, TMT-A), modified versions of the Digit Symbol Test (m-DST), Block Design (m-BD), Mini-Mental State Examination (m-MMSE) and Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT). Compared with low concentrations, high choline (.8·4 mmol/l) was associated with better test scores in the TMT-A (56·0 v. 61·5, P¼ 0·004), m-DST (10·5 v. 9·8, P¼ 0·005) and m-MMSE (11·5 v. 11·4, P¼ 0·01). A generalised additive regression model showed a positive dose -response relationship between the m-MMSE and choline (P¼0·012 from a corresponding linear regression model). Betaine was associated with the KOLT, TMT-A and COWAT, but after adjustments for potential confounders, the associations lost significance. Risk ratios (RR) for poor test performance roughly tripled when low choline was combined with either low plasma vitamin B 12 (# 257 pmol/l) concentrations (RR KOLT ¼ 2·6, 95 % CI 1·1, 6·1; RR m-MMSE ¼ 2·7, 95 % CI 1·1, 6·6; RR COWAT ¼ 3·1, 95 % CI 1·4, 7·2) or high methylmalonic acid (MMA) ($3·95 mmol/l) concentrations (RR m-BD ¼ 2·8, 95 % CI 1·3, 6·1). Low betaine (# 31·1 mmol/l) combined with high MMA was associated with elevated RR on KOLT (RR KOLT ¼ 2·5, 95 % CI 1·0, 6·2). Low plasma free choline concentrations are associated with poor cognitive performance. There were significant interactions between low choline or betaine and low vitamin B 12 or high MMA on cognitive performance.

The aim of this review was to present various topics related to lactose intolerance with special attention given to the role of fermented foods and probiotics in alleviating gastrointestinal symptoms. Lactose intolerance is a common digestive problem in which the human body is unable to digest lactose, known as milk sugar. Lactose intolerance can either be hereditary or a consequence of intestinal diseases. Recent work has demonstrated that fermented dairy products and probiotics can modify the metabolic activities of colonic microbiota and may alleviate the symptoms of lactose intolerance. We suggest that, lactose free dairy products could be recommended as alternatives for the alleviation of lactose intolerance and for the promotion of human health and wellness.

The Grains for Health FoundationÕs Whole Grains Summit, held May 19-22, 2012 in Minneapolis, was the first meeting of its kind to convene >300 scientists, educators, food technologists, grain breeders, food manufacturers, marketers, health professionals, and regulators from around the world. Its goals were to identify potential avenues for collaborative efforts and formulate new approaches to whole-grains research and health communications that support global public health and business. This paper summarizes some of the challenges and opportunities that researchers and nutrition educators face in expanding the knowledge base on whole grains and health and in translating and disseminating that knowledge to consumers. The consensus of the summit was that effective, long-term, public-private partnerships are needed to reach across the globe and galvanize the whole-grains community to collaborate effectively in translating whole-grains science into strategies that increase the availability and affordability of more healthful, grain-based food products. A prerequisite of that is the need to build trust among diverse multidisciplinary professionals involved in the growing, producing, marketing, and regulating of whole-grain products and between the grain and public health communities.

The potential of gas production technique to predict fractions of rumen fermentable organic matter, kinetics of gas production, metabolizable and net energy, as well as organic matter digestibility were studied in five species of roughages. The roughages were used are rice straw, linseed straw, sugarcane bagasse, date stone and berseem hay. A gas production was continuously measured by incubating samples in buffered rumen fluid from cannulated sheep for 96 h. Cumulative gas production was recorded at 3, 48, 72 and 96 h of incubation periods and kinetics of gas production was described. The chemical analysis of these roughages showed that sugarcane bagasse contained less ash (21.0 g/kg) and protein (12.9 g/kg) but ash content in linseed straw was very high (259.5g/kg). Sugarcane bagasse and linseed straw have the highest crude fibre content in comparison to other feedstuffs. Date stone contained the highest ether extract and lowest crude fibre value. The NDF, ADF and ADL were significantly different among roughages used in this study. The linseed straw, rice straw and sugarcane bagasse showed the highest levels of NDF and ADF, while linseed straw contained the highest level of ADL. The maximum gas volume (A) was highest for berseem hay followed by date stone, sugarcane bagasse and rice straw. The cumulative gas production for the linseed straw was significantly low in comparison to other roughages. Gas production kinetics obtained from the exponential model showed significant differences among roughages. The fractional fermentation rate (µ) at different times of incubation was highest for sugarcane bagasse, date stone, berseem hay and lowest for rate with rice straw. There were significant (P<0.05) differences among feedstuffs in terms of metabolizable energy (ME), net energy (NE) (MJ/kg DM), short chain fatty acids (SCFA, mM) and organic matter digestibility (OMD). The organic matter digestibility values were ranged from 27.2 to 54.2 % for linseed straw and berseem hay, respectively. The linseed straw showed the lowest (P<0.05) values for ME, NE, SCFA and OMD in this study. It was concluded that there were considerable differences in the fermentability of carbohydrates between different roughages. Date stone and sugarcane bagasse revealed that these byproducts could be interesting alternative animal feed sources and valuable in the ruminant feeding but need to enhance system adaptability and feeding value.

Estimados colegas, éste es el primer número de Noticias de Reproducción Bovina, publicación que tiene como propósito ofrecer información para los Médicos Veterinarios Zootecnistas que están trabajando en el manejo reproductivo de hatos bovinos tanto lecheros como de carne. La información contenida proviene de publicaciones científicas periódicas de alto nivel y también de artículos de difusión técnica escritos por especialistas. Aquí podrán encontrar los resúmenes y la referencia para la consulta del artículo completo. La selección de la información está a cargo de los editores y se hace de acuerdo con el criterio de la utilidad práctica de la misma. El objetivo al iniciar con el primer número es ofrecer una publicación bimestral, la cual llegará en forma electrónica a los colegas inscritos en nuestras bases de datos y a todos aquellos que nos escriban solicitándola. Esta es una publicación sin fin de lucro y su único objetivo es ofrecer información actualizada para mejorar el desempeño de los Veterinarios y con ello contribuir al aumento de la productividad de los hatos bovinos de nuestro país.

Plant ingredients contain antinutritional factors that may affect fish growth performance and health when included in their diets. The present work aimed at studying the effect of two soy purified antinutrients, saponins and phytosterols, on growth, intestinal morphology and immune response of on-growing sea bream. Fish were fed one of seven diets for 48 days: control diet (fishmeal and fish oil based) and six experimental diets containing low (0.1%) or high (0.2%) levels of soya saponins, low (0.5%) or high (1.0%) levels of phytosterols or a combination of 0.1% saponins +0.5% phytosterols or 0.2% saponins +1.0% phytosterols. At day 15 and at the end of the trial pyloric caeca (PC) and distal intestine (DI) samples were collected for histological evaluation. At the end of the trial plasma was sampled for cholesterol analysis and DI was sampled for gene expression of immune and functional genes. Saponins and phytosterols did not affect fish growth, feed utilisation or plasma cholesterol levels. Histologically only a mild increase in the number of eosinophilic granular cells in the PC after 15 and 48 days of feeding in fish fed 0.1% saponins and 0.5% phytosterols, respectively. Gene expression of immune related genes was not affected by the presence of dietary antinutrients. Sea bream in grow-out phase showed high tolerance for saponins and phytosterols either alone or in combination, thus indicating an ability to cope with dietary plant feedstuffs containing such antinutrients, at least within the concentration range used in the present study.

Felids in captivity are often inactive and elusive in zoos, leading to a frustrating visitor experience. Eight roars were recorded from an adult male lion and played back over speakers as auditory enrichment to benefit the lions while simultaneously enhancing the zoo visitor experience. In addition, ungulates in an adjacent exhibit were observed to ensure that the novel location and increased frequency of roars did not lead to a stress or fear response. The male lion in this study roared more in the playback phase than in the baseline phases while not increasing any behaviors that would indicate compromised welfare. In addition, zoo visitors remained at the lion exhibit longer during playback. The nearby ungulates never exhibited any reactions stronger than orienting to playbacks, identical to their reactions to live roars. Therefore, naturalistic playbacks of lion roars are a potential form of auditory enrichment that leads to more instances of live lion roars and enhances the visitor experience without increasing the stress levels of nearby ungulates or the lion themselves, who might interpret the roar as that of an intruder.

The yield and bromatological composition of two cultivars of Brachiaria brizantha (Sinaí and Xaraés), in two soil types and three types of fertilizer, were evaluated by a completely randomized design with factorial arrangement (2x2x3) with four repetitions. The variables studied were yields of green matter, dry matter, number of leaves, as well as plant height, crude protein, the contents of calcium, phosphorus and crude fiber. The fertilizer factor had a positive effect on the variable plant height. With the application of bovine manure, the highest average height of 96.06 cm was obtained. At 21 days, the highest green matter yield of 756.2 kg ha-1 was obtained with the mineral fertilizer. The dry matter content was significantly influenced by the triple interaction (p≤ 0.05), where Sinaí achieved the highest average value of 132.5 kg ha-1 at 21 days of regrowth. The highest average CP content was found in plants of both varieties that received chemical fertilization. The highest average Ca content was found in Sinaí (1.9%) and Xaraés (2.08%), which received organic fertilization. While the highest average content of P was found in Xaraés (0.42%) with the application of AMF. Finally, the Sinaí plant that received bovine manure in sterilized soil had a higher average CF content (27.27%). Organic and inorganic fertilization had a significant effect on grass yield and nutritional quality.

Knowledge learned from research has been effectively transferred to the agricultural industry in some areas and poorly transferred in others. Knowledge that has been used to create a thing such as pharmaceutical or a piece of equipment is more likely to be adopted by industry than a behavioral management technique that reduces stress to improve productivity and welfare. The author has observed during her career that some people will purchase a new cattle handling system which is designed with animal behavioral principles but they will continue to handle cattle roughly. People are more likely to purchase new equipment than use easy to learn low stress techniques for moving cattle. Even when financial benefits are clear, some people find it difficult to believe that a purely behavioral management method will really work. Many studies done during the last twenty years on dairies and pig farms have clearly shown the benefits of good stockmanship on animal productivity. Unfortunately a large segment of the livestock industry has been slow to implement improved stockmanship. I would like to speculate that a possible reason why some people resist learning better stockmanship is because a good stockperson must recognize that an animal is a conscious being that has feelings.

The Domestic Cat The biology of its behaviour Humans have lived with cats for thousands of years, and there are now more cats kept in western households than any other animal. Cherished as companions, valued as rodent catchers, their enigmatic behaviour has intrigued and ...

In recent years, zoos and aquaria have intensified efforts to develop approaches and tools for assessing the welfare of populations and individual animals in their care. Advances made by welfare scientists conducting studies on exotic, farm, laboratory, and companion animals have led to the emergence of a new perspective on welfare assessment in zoos. This perspective: (1) emphasizes the importance of supplementing resource-based assessments with animal-based approaches that require measures of the behavioral and/or physical state of individual animals, (2) focuses on the subjective experiences of individual animals, and (3) considers positive affective states. We propose that the zoo community also should increase efforts to integrate measures of positive affect into both population-level studies and tools for monitoring individual well-being. For years, zoo welfare researchers have conducted trans-disciplinary, multi-institutional studies to identify risk factors associated with poor welfare. In the future, large-scale research projects, as well as epidemiological studies specifically designed to examine the patterns of welfare issues within populations, should integrate behavioral, physiological, and biological measures of good well-being (e.g. play, exploratory behaviors, measures of immunological function). While the results of population-level studies can be used to refine animal care guidelines, individual animals should be monitored to ensure that their needs are being met. Furthermore, after determining how to elicit positive affective states in individual animals, the zoo community should attempt to promote these states by offering positive experiences. We describe two strategies that zoos can currently pursue to facilitate the occurrence of positive affective states: (1) provide animals with stimulating opportunities to overcome challenges, make choices, and have some level of control over their environments, and (2) promote appropriate and beneficial keeper−animal relationships. Ultimately, we hope that as welfare researchers gain a better understanding of how to assess and promote good well-being, zoos and aquaria can apply these findings to actively strive toward achieving the best possible welfare for all animals in their care.

The behavior of nine lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) living in three social groups at Zoo Atlanta was compared in an indoor holding area versus an outdoor exhibit. Focal animal data were collected for each animal during 15 min observation sessions, alternating between indoors and outdoors. A variety of solitary and social behaviors differed in the two conditions. All individual and social behaviors that showed a difference, except eating, occurred more indoors than outdoors. These included aggressive displays, reclining, self manipulation, and social examination of others. Additionally, the gorillas spent more time closer together in the indoor condition. A variety of other behaviors measured did not change between the two environments. There was a clear effect on behavior of the different housing conditions in which the gorillas were kept. It is suggested that the differences in aggressive behavior may be related to environmental complexity. It is further suggested that zoos should be aware that differences in behavior reported by caretaking staff, researchers and visitors may be a reflection of the differing environmental circumstances in which the animals are observed. 0 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

Dietary advanced glycation end products (AGE) formed during heating of food have gained interest as potential nutritional toxins with adverse effects on inflammation and glucose metabolism. In the present study, we investigated the short-term effects of high and low molecular weight (HMW and LMW) dietary AGE on insulin sensitivity, expression of the receptor for AGE (RAGE), the AGE receptor 1 (AGER1) andTNF-α, F2-isoprostaglandins, body composition and food intake. For 2 weeks, thirty-six Sprague–Dawley rats were fed a diet containing 20 % milk powder with different proportions of this being given as heated milk powder (0, 40 or 100 %), either native (HMW) or hydrolysed (LMW). Gene expression ofRAGEandAGER1in whole blood increased in the group receiving a high AGE LMW diet, which also had the highest urinary excretion of the AGE, methylglyoxal-derived hydroimidazolone 1 (MG-H1). Urinary excretion ofNε-carboxymethyl-lysine increased with increasing proportion of heat-treated milk pow...

This study compared the use of the enclosure facilities (sheltered area, water-tank and exercise area) by wild versus captive-born capybaras. A total of 44 adult capybaras were kept in eight groups: four groups of animals born in the wild and caught as adults and four groups of those born and reared in captivity. Each group comprised one male and four to six females in one of eight outdoor enclosures. The observations were made during daylight, from 6:00 to 18:00 h. Wild animals used the water-tank more than did captive-born animals during the early hours and at the end of the day. These results were related to escape behavior among capybaras. The caretakers cleaned the enclosure between 7:00 and 9:00 h, and fed the animals in the afternoon, between 14:00 and 18:00 h. In this study, we showed that captive-born capybaras behave differently during periods when humans are present in their enclosures than do wild caught capybaras. Consequently, we hypothesize that the caretaker continued to represent a threat to wild-caught animals, in spite of their having been maintained in captivity for 2 years prior to the study.

Soursop juice was submitted to sonication at amplitude levels ranging from 20 to 100 % of the total input power (500 W) at constant frequency of 19 kHz for different times (2e10 min). Response surface methodology based on a central composite design was applied to investigate the effect of ultrasound on polyphenol oxidase (PPO) residual activity, temperature increase, color, ascorbic acid and phenolic compounds. After processing, the PPO activity in the juice was reduced and color changes were subtle. A good retention of phenolic compounds was obtained at higher intensity. Ascorbic acid content was found to be higher in most of the samples treated. The higher the ultrasound intensity and the juice exposure time, the higher its final temperature. An optimum set was chosen and the final product was submitted to a sensorial test. The sonicated sample had a good acceptance. The technology could be suitable as an alternative to thermal and other treatments that results in quality loss.

Bile acids can function in the postprandial state as circulating signaling molecules in the regulation of glucose and lipid metabolism via the transmembrane receptor TGR5 and nuclear receptor FXR. Both receptors are present in the central nervous system, but their function in the brain is unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of taurolithocholate (tLCA), a strong TGR5 agonist, and GW4064, a synthetic FXR agonist, on energy metabolism. We determined the effects of chronic icv infusion of tLCA, GW4064, or vehicle on energy expenditure, body weight and composition as well as tissue specific fatty acid uptake in mice equipped with osmotic minipumps. icv administration of tLCA (final concentration in cerebrospinal fluid: 1μM) increased fat oxidation (tLCA group: 0.083±0.006 vs control group: 0.036±0.023 kcal/h, F=5.46, p=0.04) and decreased fat mass (after 9 days of tLCA infusion: 1.35±0.13 vs controls: 1.96±0.23 g, p=0.03). These...

The objective of this study was to examine relationships among metabolic and endocrine factors that may influence ovarian activity during early lactation. Holstein cows (n = 19) were bled twice each week to determine plasma concentrations of insulin (INS), glucose, cholesterol, insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-I), and progesterone (P 4). Feed intake and milk production were recorded daily while body weights and milk composition were recorded weekly. Relationships among plasma cholesterol and P 4 , and days to first and second postpartum ovulation were modeled with energy balance (EB), dry matter intake, milk yield and composition, plasma metabolites, and hormones using the backward elimination technique of multivariate regression analysis. Variables that contributed the most to predicting plasma cholesterol concentrations were dry matter intake × SNF using model 1 (production variables) and the square of glucose (i.e., glucose 2) using model 3 (plasma hormones and metabolites). For plasma P 4 concentrations, EB (model 2, production variables) and IGF-I (model 3, plasma hormones and metabolites) were the major predictors. The production variables EB and percentage of milk lactose were the greatest contributors to the models predicting days to first and second postpartum ovulations, respectively. Of the plasma hormones and metabolites evaluated, IGF-I 2 was the most significant predictor of days to first postpartum ovulation, whereas glucose 2 and INS were the significant predictors of days to second postpartum ovulation. Plasma IGF-I, glucose, and INS have been implicated in ovarian functions and their significant contributions to these models are consistent with possible important roles in postpartum return to ovarian competence.

Central to commercial fluid milk processing is the use of high temperature, short time (HTST) pasteurization to ensure the safety and quality of milk, and homogenization to prevent creaming of fat-containing milk. Ultra-high-temperature sterilization is also applied to milk and is typically used to extend the shelf life of refrigerated, specialty milk products or to provide shelf-stable milk. The structures of the milk proteins and lipids are affected by processing but little information is available on the effects of the individual processes or sequences of processes on digestibility. In this study, raw whole milk was subjected to homogenization, HTST pasteurization, and homogenization followed by HTST or UHT processing. Raw skim milk was subjected to the same heating regimens. In vitro gastrointestinal digestion using a fasting model was then used to detect the processing-induced changes in the proteins and lipids. Using sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE, gastric pepsin digestion of the...

Protein concentrates prepared by expanded bed adsorption (EBA) chromatography from industrial potato juice (PJ) were analysed for chemical composition, color, enzyme activities, thermal properties and selected functional properties (solubility and emulsifying stability). Two EBA multi-modal resins, MIMO I-45 and MIMO 1300 (UpFront Chromatography), were employed under various pH conditions resulting in four potato protein concentrates, AD. Concentrate B contained an electrophoretically pure protease inhibitor fraction (20-21 kDa), whereas concentrate A, C and D contained both patatin (41 kDa) and protease inhibitors. The potato protein concentrates were explored for the presence of transitions from native to denatured states using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Concentrate C had lower heat of transition (DH) and T-onset than the other concentrates. The concentrate containing protease inhibitors exhibited the highest denaturation temperature and enthalpy. All concentrates differed significantly (P < 0.05) in color brightness, with concentrate B and D emerging as the brightest. The solubility of the concentrates was evaluated at pH 6 and pH 4.5. All concentrates had lower solubility at pH 4.5 than at pH 6 (70-80%). The stability of emulsions (1% protein, 20% oil, 0.08% xanthan gum) against creaming was analysed with a new method based on the Single electrode Capacitance Probe (SeCaP) technology. Small differences among concentrates were observed by the new SeCaP method.

The beef sector in North America, as in much of Europe, has not industrialized as rapidly as other animal production industries (pork, poultry). At the same time, the market share for beef in household meat consumption has dwindled. Apart from a penalizing price effect, various studies in ...

The aim of the survey was to determine the prevalence of all types of lesions associated with contact dermatitis in commercial broiler chickens using pathomorphological methods. Contact dermatitis in commercial broiler chickens was monitored for a period of one year. The samples were taken from a fattening Ross 308 hybrid farm. The annual production cycle was 696,000 birds. The investigations were performed by clinical examination of chickens which showed obvious signs of contact dermatitis on their carcasses in the slaughterhouse. The number and type of contact dermatitis lesions in the different flocks were determined through a meat inspection process. In addition to the gross examination, a histological study on a predetermined proportion of tissue samples was conducted. The total number of contact dermatitis lesions was 152,215 (21.87%). The occurrence was most prevalent during the winter-spring and autumn seasons-88,932 (12.77%), as opposed to 63,283 (9.1%) during the summer period. Lesions on the plantar skin surface of the foot were predominant-109,272 (15.7%). This was followed by contact dermatitis lesions on the breast, affecting the sternal bursa-36,888 (5.3%). The contact dermatitis lesions in the tarsometatarsal joint region were the least prevalent-6,055 (0.87%).

Approximately 3% of infants born have at least one serious congenital malformation. In the U.S., an average of 10 infants per thousand die before 1 y of life; about half of these deaths can be attributed to birth defects, low birth weight or prematurity. Although the causes of developmental abnormalities are clearly multifactorial in nature, we suggest that a common factor contributing to the occurrence of developmental abnormalities is suboptimal mineral nutrition during embryonic and fetal development. Using zinc and copper as examples, evidence is presented that nutritional deficiencies can rapidly affect the developing conceptus and result in gross structural abnormalities. Deficits of zinc or copper can result in rapid changes in cellular redox balance, tissue oxidative stress, inappropriate patterns of cell death, alterations in the migration of neural crest cells and changes in the expression of key patterning genes. In addition to well-recognized malformations, mineral deficiencies during perinatal development can result in behavioral, immunological and biochemical abnormalities that persist into adulthood. Although these persistent defects can in part be attributed to subtle morphological abnormalities, in other cases they may be secondary to epigenetic or developmental changes in DNA methylation patterns. Epigenetic defects combined with subtle morphological abnormalities can influence an individual's risk for certain chronic diseases and thus influence his or her risk for morbidity and mortality later in life.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the influence of severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) on lipid composition and fatty acid profile in the small intestinal mucosa of lactating pigs. Malnutrition was achieved by 80% protein-energy restriction for 30 d (20% of the food intake in the control group) in 7-d-old newborn piglets. Malnourished piglets had significantly lower concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipid and triglycerides in the jejunum and ileum compared with freely fed controls. Fatty acid composition of the intestinal mucosa was severely affected by malnutrition. A sharp decline in the relative percentages of (n-3) and (n-6) long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) in malnourished piglets paralleled higher (n-9) fatty acid proportions in the total mucosa, microsomes and phospholipids of the jejunum. The structure of the small intestine was severely affected as assessed by light and electron microscopy, and alkaline phosphatase and disaccharidase activities ...

A study was conducted to assess effects of stocking rate (SR) on grazing behavior and energy expenditure (EE) by growing sheep and goat wethers co-grazing grass/forb pastures. Grazing was for 16-week periods in 2002 and 2003. Pastures consisted of various grasses, primarily bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) and johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), and forbs (e.g., ragweed; Ambrosia spp.). Sheep (Khatadin) and goats (≥75% Boer) averaged 21 ± 0.7 and 21 ± 0.5 kg initial BW, respectively, and were 4-5 months of age when grazing began. Stocking rates were four (SR4), six (SR6), and eight (SR8) animals per 0.4-ha pasture, with equal numbers of sheep and goats. The nine pastures (three/treatment) were divided into four paddocks that were rotationally grazed in 2-week periods. In weeks 3, 8, and 13 of both years, EE was determined on one goat and one sheep in each pasture via heart rate. In the same weeks, behavioral observations (position and activity) were made every 30 min of 13.5 h of daylight on two goats and two sheep in each pasture. Grazing behavior using IGER Grazing Behavior Monitoring System units was also measured over 24-h periods on animals used for EE measurement. Based on visual observations, grazing (52.7, 57.1, and 61.4%) and standing time (61.1, 66.3, and 69.8%) increased and idle time in daylight (24.2, 21.1, and 15.9% for SR4, SR6, and SR8, respectively) decreased linearly (P < 0.05) as SR increased. Species interacted (P < 0.05) with year in daylight time spent standing and ruminating. Grazing time during daylight was similar between species (56.1 and 58.0% for sheep and goats, respectively), although idle time was greater (P < 0.05) for goats (23.6% versus 17.2%; S.E. = 1.41). Time spent ruminating in daylight was similar among SR but was greater for sheep in year 2 but not year 1 (year 1, 22.3% versus 19.0%; year 2, 27.8% versus 15.1% for sheep and goats, respectively; S.E. = 1.44). Based on the IGER units, the number of steps increased linearly (P < 0.05) with increasing SR (2279, 2707, and 2788 for SR4, SR6, and SR8, respectively (S.E. = 96.4)), but was similar for the two species. As SR increased, time spent eating increased (7.4, 8.4, and 9.6 h) and time spent lying (11.0, 10.2, and 8.9 h), G. Animut et al. / Small Ruminant Research 59 (2005) 191-201 ruminating (7.9, 7.7, and 6.8 h), and idle (8.6, 8.0, and 7.6 h for SR4, SR6, and SR8, respectively) decreased (P < 0.05). Goats spent less time eating (1.1 h) and more time idle (0.7 h) than did sheep (P < 0.05). SR, species, and year interacted (P < 0.05) in EE of wethers (year 1, sheep: 510, 569, and 572 kJ/kg BW 0.75 ; year 2, sheep: 572, 597, and 648 kJ/kg BW 0.75 ; year 1, goat: 524, 524, and 640 kJ/kg BW 0.75 ; year 2, goat: 499, 496, and 551 kJ/kg BW 0.75 for SR4, SR6, and SR8, respectively; S.E. = 17.0). In summary, influences of SR on grazing time and EE can vary with grazing season. With forage conditions of this study, SR had similar effects on grazing behavior of sheep and goats when co-grazing. Effects of SR on EE may contribute to impact on ADG by small ruminants.

This study investigated the effects of environmentally enriched and standard laboratory housing conditions on behavioral performance in 16 subadult ratsnakes (Elaphe obsoleta) using a split-clutch design. In a problem-solving task, snakes housed in enriched environments (EC) exhibited shorter latencies to the goal hole as compared to snakes housed in standard conditions (SC). In an open field task, EC snakes tended to habituate more quickly than SC snakes with repeated testing. A feeding task did not reveal any significant differences between EC and SC snakes. A discriminant function analysis correctly assigned all snakes to their appropriate housing treatment groups, based on the responses in each of the behavioral tasks. This suggests that each group had a distinct behavioral profile; that is, EC snakes were more behaviorally adaptive than SC snakes. This study demonstrated that housing conditions can affect the behavior of captive snakes and produce improvements in behavior similar to those seen in mammalian enrichment studies.

An algorithm is described to estimate variance components for a univariate animal model using REML. Sparse matrix techniques are employed to calculate those elements of the inverse of the coefficient matrix required for the first derivatives of the likelihood. Residuals and fitted ...

Membrane distillation is an emerging membrane process based on evaporation of a volatile solvent. One of its often stated advantages is the low flux sensitivity toward concentration of the processed fluid, in contrast to reverse osmosis. In the present paper, we looked at 2 high-solids applications of the dairy industry: skim milk and whey. Performance was assessed under various hydrodynamic conditions to investigate the feasibility of fouling mitigation by changing the operating parameters and to compare performance to widespread membrane filtration processes. Whereas filtration processes are hydraulic pressure driven, membrane distillation uses vapor pressure from heat to drive separation and, therefore, operating parameters have a different bearing on the process. Experimental and calculated results identified factors influencing heat and mass transfer under various operating conditions using polytetrafluoroethylene flat-sheet membranes. Linear velocity was found to influence performance during skim milk processing but not during whey processing. Lower feed and higher permeate temperature was found to reduce fouling in the processing of both dairy solutions. Concentration of skim milk and whey by membrane distillation has potential, as it showed high rejection (>99%) of all dairy components and can operate using low electrical energy and pressures (<10 kPa). At higher cross-flow velocities (around 0.141 m/s), fluxes were comparable to those found with reverse osmosis, achieving a sustainable flux of approximately 12 kg/ h·m 2 for skim milk of 20% dry matter concentration and approximately 20 kg/h·m 2 after 18 h of operation with whey at 20% dry matter concentration.

Despite clear physiological duress, rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) infected with the pathogenic haemoflagellate Cryptobia salmositica do not appear to mount a cortisol stress response. Therefore, we hypothesized that the infection suppresses the stress response by inhibiting the key effectors of the hypothalamic-pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis. To test this, we characterized the basal activity of the HPI axis and the cortisol response to air exposure in saline-and parasite-injected fish. All fish were sampled at 4 and 6 weeks post-injection (wpi). While both the treatment groups had resting plasma cortisol levels, the parasite-infected fish had lower levels of plasma ACTH than the control fish. Relative to the control fish, the infected fish had higher mRNA levels of brain pre-optic area corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and pituitary CRF receptor type 1, no change in pituitary POMC-A1, -A2 and -B gene expression, higher and lower head kidney melanocortin 2 receptor mRNA levels at 4 and 6 wpi respectively and reduced gene expression of key proteins regulating interrenal steroidogenesis: StAR, cytochrome P450scc and 11b-hydroxylase. The parasite-infected fish also had a reduced plasma cortisol response to a 60-s air exposure stressor. Superfusion of the head kidney tissues of the parasite-infected fish led to significantly lower ACTH-stimulated cortisol release rates than that observed in the control fish. These novel findings show that infection of rainbow trout with C. salmositica results in complex changes in the transcriptional activity of both central and peripheral regulators of the HPI axis and in a reduction in the interrenal capacity to synthesize cortisol. Research B N MADISON and others Stress response of parasite-infected trout 218:3 288 Research B N MADISON and others Stress response of parasite-infected trout 218:3 289 Research B N MADISON and others Stress response of parasite-infected trout 218:3 290

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar as produções vegetal e animal e a resposta econômica de uma pastagem natural submetida à adubação de correção e doses de nitrogênio durante a estação de crescimento 1998/99. O experimento foi conduzido em área da Estação Experimental Agronômica da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (EEA - UFRGS). Em 1996 foram aplicados 3000kg ha-1 de calcário e adubação correspondente a 500kg ha-1 da fórmula 5-20-20. Na análise econômica, considerou-se um terço destas quantidades como referente à utilização na estação de crescimento 1998/99. Os tratamentos foram doses de nitrogênio (N) na forma de uréia (zero, 100 e 200kg ha-1 de N), em um delineamento de blocos ao acaso com duas repetições de área por tratamento. Os animais experimentais foram novilhas de corte com um ano de idade e peso médio inicial de 160kg. A massa de forragem, a taxa de acúmulo diário de matéria seca, a produção total de matéria seca verde e a eficiência de transformação do N em pr...

The aim of this study was to assess inter-and intraobserver variability of commonly used semi-quantitative and quantitative parameters in feline thyroid scintigraphy: thyroid to salivary gland ratio (T/S), thyroid to background ratio (T/B) and the percentage technetium pertechnetate uptake for the thyroid glands (%TcU T). These parameters are being used to diagnose thyroid disease and to assess its severity, but may be influenced by operator related factors when processing the images. Additionally, inter-and intraobserver variability of the percentage technetium pertechnetate uptake for the salivary glands was determined (%TcU SG). The study included technetium pertechnetate scans of 100 hyperthyroid cats. Variability within and between three observers was determined using a random effects model and variance components were estimated by the restricted maximum likelihood procedure. The %TcU for the thyroid and salivary glands, as well as the T/S ratio, showed little to no difference in inter-and intraobserver variability, whereas this was clearly present for the T/B ratio. Overall, the T/S ratio and %TcU SG showed a good repeatability and reproducibility with low inter-and intraobserver variabilities. Inter-and intraobserver variability was higher for the %TcU T , however variations were still considered to be acceptable. On the contrary, inter-and intraobserver variability was clearly larger for the T/B ratio. These findings suggest the preferential use of the T/S ratio or %TcU, especially in facilities with a less experienced staff.

Our recent study has shown that beetroot juice protects against N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDEA)-induced liver injury and increases the activity of phase II enzymes, suggesting the activation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)–antioxidant response element (ARE) pathway. The aim of the present study was to further explore the mechanism of the activity of beetroot by evaluating the cytoprotective effects of its major component. The influence of betanin (BET) on the activation of Nrf2 and the expression of GSTA, GSTP, GSTM, GSTT, NQO1 and HO-1 was assessed in two hepatic cell lines: non-tumour THLE-2 and hepatoma-derived HepG2 cell lines. The level of the tumour suppressor p53 in both cell lines and the methylation of GSTP in HepG2 cells were also evaluated. Treatment of both cell lines with 2, 10 and 20 μm of BET resulted in the translocation of Nrf2 from the cytosol to the nucleus. The mRNA and nuclear protein levels of Nrf2 and the binding of Nrf2 to ARE sequence...

Relationships between silage chemical components or organic matter (OM) pepsin-cellulase solubility and in vivo organic matter digestibility (OMD) and D-value (digestible OM content in dry matter) were studied. Twenty-five silages were made from primary growth timothy-meadow fescue swards in 6 years (3-6 silages per year) at 6-10 days intervals. The silages were analyzed for chemical composition, in vitro pepsin-cellulase solubility and in vivo digestibility in sheep. Chemical components of silage were highly correlated with OMD and D-value, but the accuracy of the OMD and D-value prediction equations were not satisfactory for ration formulation. Acid detergent fibre was the best single predictor of chemical parameters explaining 0.80 of the variation in OMD (residual mean square error (RMSE) 27.2 g kg −1). Relationships between crude protein (CP) and lignin were improved, when the effects of year or year × component interaction were included in the model. For CP the intercepts and for lignin the slopes, were different between the years. Pepsin-cellulase solubility was superior to chemical parameters in predicting silage OMD and D-value. The monovariate regression equation between OM solubility and OMD was: OMD (g kg −1) = 97 + 0.87 × OM solubility (R 2 = 0.974; RMSE = 10.8 g kg −1). Prediction of D-value was improved by including ash as a second factor in bivariate regression analysis: D-value (g DOM (kg DM) −1) = 160 + 0.818 × OM solubility −1.

The present study aimed to assess the relative validity and reliability of a modified Food and Nutrition Literacy (M-FNLIT) questionnaire in primary school children in the city of Mashhad. The study was conducted in four phases. In the first step, the content and face validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by Delphi consensus as well as interviewing the students. Then, construct validity was examined using Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA). The internal consistency and reliability of the questionnaire were also assessed using Cronbach α and Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), respectively. Finally, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to detect the cut-off scores of the M-FNLIT scale. Findings of two rounds of Delphi showed satisfactory levels of Content Validity Ratio (CVR): 0.72 and 0.92, Content Validity Index (CVI): 0.92 and 0.98, respectively. The results of CFA for domains and subscales of M-FNLIT questionnaire including cognitive domain...

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of feeding different sources of easily fermentable carbohydrates to entire male pigs during the last weeks before slaughter. In Exp. 1, 48 entire male pigs (21.8 and 100.5 kg initial and final body weight, respectively) were used to evaluate the effect of adding 0, 3, 6, or 9% chicory inulin (containing 70% inulin) to diets during the last 30 days before slaughter on skatole concentration in the hind-gut and adipose tissue and on the composition of microbiota and mucosa morphology in the hind-gut. In Exp. 2, 66 entire male pigs (31.0 and 112.0 kg initial and final body weight, respectively) were used to evaluate the effect of adding 20% raw potato starch to diets as a top dressing or adding increasing levels of potato starch (0, 5, 10, 15%, and 20%) to diets prior to pelleting during the last 14 days before slaughter on skatole concentrations in hind-gut and adipose tissue and on the composition of microbiota in the hind-gut. Results from Exp. 1 showed a significant reduction in skatole levels in colon and rectum with increasing dietary levels of inulin (linear, P ≤ 0.002). In these diets there was also a reduction of enterobacteria counts in colon descendens (linear, P = 0.04) and rectum (linear, P = 0.02), and a tendency towards reduced levels of Enterococcus spp. in colon descendens (linear, P = 0.09) and rectum (linear, P = 0.08). Results from Exp. 2 showed that adding raw potato starch as a top dressing reduced skatole levels in rectum and adipose tissue compared with the control, while adding increasing levels of potato starch to diets prior to pelleting did not affect skatole levels. Adding potato starch as a top dressing or to diets before pelleting did not affect the cultured bacteria in the hind-gut of pigs. Feeding inulin or potato starch did not affect mucosal epithelial cell counts in the cecum or colon in Exp. 1 and Exp. 2, respectively. In conclusion, feeding increasing levels of chicory inulin to entire male pigs during the last period before slaughter reduced the level of skatole in the distal intestine and in adipose tissue, feeding pelleted diets containing up to 20% potato starch had no effect, while feeding 20% raw potato starch as top dressing reduced the level of skatole in the distal intestine and the adipose tissue of the entire male pigs.

The growing concern about the cost of feed ingredients, use of least cost feed formulation and maintenance of a reliable nutritional requirement for broiler birds irrespective of the season is almost compelling to look for alternatives. Thus, this experiment was conducted to evaluate the performance of broiler chickens fed rice milling waste (RMW) as a replacement for maize. Chemical composition of rice milling waste was determined, while eleven experimental diets each were formulated to contain RMW as replacement for maize at 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90% and 100%. Three hundred (300), 7-day-old chicks were allocated to the 11 dietary treatments each having 3 replicate pens with 10 birds per pen in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Feed and water were provided ad libitum for 6 weeks. Growth performance, carcass yield, organ proportions and economics of production were monitored. Data were subjected to ANOVA at P&lt;0.05. The result from the chemical compositio...

Merera, C., Abebe, G., Sebsibe, A. and Goetsch, AL 2010. Effects and interactions of origin of sheep in Ethiopia (Highland vs Lowland areas), feeding and lengths of rest and feeding on harvest measures. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 37: 33–42. Yearling sheep from ...

Tomato plants were grown in the greenhouse in the soil, in confined beds, or in combined beds where the roots could also develop in the soil outside the bed. The beds were filled with compost based on clover grass hay, deep litter and peat and harvested in early summer and autumn in 2002 and 2003, and in the soil treatment the same compost was incorporated into the soil. The tomato fruit quality was assessed by sensory analysis and content of chemical components as, e.g. dry matter, soluble solids, citric acids and volatile components. The content of minerals was mainly determined to evaluate possible limitations in nutrient supply. Due to only minor effects of growing systems on sensory quality and chemical composition of tomato fruits it is concluded that it is possible to produce tomato fruits in confined and combined soil bed systems without any loss in eating quality. Actually the results indicate that a slight increase in quality of tomatoes from the confined and combined systems is obtained. The present result points to the fact that confined and combined growing systems may be new relevant commercial growing systems, in which the quality of tomatoes seems to be ensured, and in which nutrient loss and root diseases contamination can be reduced.

RIASSUNTO-La sostituzione della farina di pesce con fonti proteiche vegetali nella produzione del suinetto. 144 suinetti svezzati (età allo svezzamento giorni 28; peso vivo medio kg 7,58), sono stati omogeneamente assegnati a 4 gruppi sperimentali le cui diete prevedevano la sostituzione totale della farina di pesce con fonti proteiche vegetali rappresentate, rispettivamente, da farina di estrazione di girasole parzialmente decorticato, glutine di mais e concentrato proteico di patata. Le diete sono state bilanciate in termini di apporti in aminoacidi ed Energia Netta. Ad eccezione del gruppo alimentato con concentrato proteico di patata, che ha dimostrato un ritmo di accrescimento significativamente migliore, non si sono evidenziate differenze tra le tesi. Lo stato di salute è stato sempre soddisfacente, con una bassa mortalità (4%, circa) e un modesto "punteggio diarrea" (valore massimo punti 1,59). La presente esperienza indica come, nell'alimentazione del suinetto nel post-svezzamento, sia possibile sostituire la farina di pesce con fonti proteiche vegetali, purché vengano correttamente bilanciati gli apporti aminoacidi ed energetici delle diete.

Pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A and-A2 (PAPPA and PAPPA2) are proteases that cleave IGF binding proteins (IGFBPs) and thereby increase the bioavailability of growth factors. PAPPA has long been recognized as a marker of fetal genetic disorders and adverse pregnancy outcomes. In contrast, although PAPPA2 is also highly expressed in human placenta, its physiological importance is not clear. To establish whether mice will be a useful model for the study of PAPPA2, we compared the patterns of expression of PAPPA2 in the placentae of mouse and human. We show, for the first time, that Pappa2 is highly expressed in mouse placenta, as is the case in humans. Specifically, it is expressed at the interface of the maternal and fetal layers of the mouse placenta at all gestational stages studied (10. 5-16. 5 days post coitum). Similarly, PAPPA2 is expressed in the syncytiotrophoblast layer of human placental villi and is also detected in some invasive extravillous trophoblasts in the first trimester. These results are consistent with a model whereby PAPPA2 cleaves IGFBPs produced in the maternal decidua to promote fetoplacental growth, and indicate that this protein may play analogous roles in human and mouse placenta. PAPPA2 protein is detectable in the circulation of pregnant mice and humans during the first trimester and at term, raising the possibility that PAPPA2 may be a useful biomarker of placental dysfunction. Pappa2 expression also shows specific localization within the mouse embryo and therefore may play roles in fetal development, independent of its action in the placenta.