Genome-wide association mapping of phenolic acids in tetraploid wheats

Phenolic acids are major components of cell walls in wheat and have important implications on human health as antioxidants with anti-tumor activity. Our objectives were to identify phenolic acid genes in wheat by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) detected within the coding sequences of candidate genes, and to identify chromosomal regions associated with single phenolic acids and total soluble phenolic compounds. A set of candidate genes involved in the biosynthesis of hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives were identified by comparative genomics. SNPs found in the coding sequences of six genes (PAL1, PAL2, C4H, C3H, COMT1 and COMT2) were used to determine their chromosomal location and accurate map position on two reference consensus linkage maps. The genome-wide association study (GWAS), based on genotyping a tetraploid wheat collection with 81,587 gene-associated SNPs, detected 22 quantitative trait loci (QTL) distributed on almost all durum wheat chromosomes. Two QTL for p-coumaric acid were coincident with the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL2) and p-coumarate 3-hydroxylase (C3H) genes on chromosome arms 2AL and 1AL, respectively. The availability of candidate gene-based markers can allow elucidating the mechanism of phenolic acids accumulation in wheat kernels and exploiting the genetic variability of phenolic acids content for the nutritional improvement of wheat end-products.     

Apparent digestibility coefficients of animal and plant feed ingredients for juvenile Pseudobagrus ussuriensis

A study was conducted to determine apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), lipid, gross energy, phosphorus and amino acids (AAs) from Peruvian fish meal (PFM), native fish meal (NFM), meat bone meal (MBM), dried daphnia meal (DDM), soybean meal (SBM), full‐fat soybean (FSBM), cottonseed meals (CSM), rapeseed meal (RSM) and corn gluten meal (CGM) for Pseudobagrus ussuriensis (7.8 ± 0.06 g). Test diets were formulated to contain a 70:30 mixture of reference diet to test ingredient with chromic oxide (5 g kg^–1) serving as the inert marker. ADCs of DM ranged from 49.94% (CGM) to 87.11% (PFM), the highest ADCs of DM were observed in PFM and the lowest was found in CGM. ADCs of CP in the test ingredients ranged from 74.92% (CGM) to 93.41% (SBM). ADCs of crude lipid ranged from 51.80% (CGM) to 94.07% (PFM) for fish. ADCs of energy ranged from 56.42% (CGM) to 90.09% (PFM). ADCs of phosphorus ranged from 21.81% (CSM) to 65.70% (PFM). AA availability for the test ingredients followed a similar pattern to ADCs of CP, in which values for PFM, NFM and MBM were generally higher (p < .05) than those of other protein ingredients. Among all plant meals, the AA availability values in SBM were higher (p < .05) than those in CGM, CSM and RSM. The availability of most AAs in CGM was the lowest (p < .05) among all tested ingredients. In conclusion, PFM and NFM are good sources of available protein and AAs. When fishmeal supply is limited, MBM and DDM are substitutes for fishmeal reduction in P. ussuriensis diets; at the same time, SBM and FSBM are also very acceptable protein feedstuffs. However, CSM, RSM and CGM could not be used at high levels in P. ussuriensis diets because of their inferior digestibilities.     

不同产地西洋参氨基酸种类及含量分析

为研究不同种植区西洋参氨基酸的含量和品质，按食品安全国家标准GB/T5009.124-2016，对加拿大多伦多市、陕西省留坝县、吉林省抚松县、山东省文登市来源的4 a生西洋参进行氨基酸种类和含量测定及对比分析。各产地西洋参均检测出17种氨基酸，其中含有人体必需的赖氨酸、蛋氨酸、异亮氨酸、苯丙氨酸、亮氨酸、苏氨酸、缬氨酸和半必需氨基酸精氨酸；含有蛋氨酸、亮氨酸、异亮氨酸、苯丙氨酸、赖氨酸、天冬氨酸、甘氨酸、谷氨酸和精氨酸等8种药用氨基酸。人体必需氨基酸及药用氨基酸含量对比分析结果表明，加拿大多伦多市来源西洋参的这两类氨基酸含量最高，分别为46.20 mg/g 和61.93 mg/g，占总氨基酸含量的 54.0%和72.3%，其次是陕西省留坝县来源的西洋参，分别为45.70 mg/g和61.63 mg/g，占总氨基酸含量的51.9%和70.0%。主成分分析及综合评价结果表明，从氨基酸含量及营养均衡性角度来看，陕西省留坝县西洋参是最接近原产地加拿大的西洋参。     

Dietary α‐Ketoglutarate supplementation alleviates harmful effects of high environmental ammonia on grass carp,Ctenopharyngodon idella

Current intensive fish farming usually causes high environmental ammonia (HEA) in ponds that is toxic to fish. α‐Ketoglutarate (α‐KG) can be rapidly transaminated to glutamic acid and further aminated to glutamine. Therefore, we hypothesized that dietary α‐KG supplementation would alleviate HEA toxicity to fish. To test the hypothesis, 270 healthy grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) juveniles were randomly assigned to control, HEA (18.37 mg/L ammonia) and HEA + α‐KG (0.75% of α‐KG) groups. Ammonia and free amino acid content in plasma and brain, liver glutamic pyruvic transaminase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase activity, and urea and glycogen content were measured on the first, seventh and 42nd days. Our results showed short‐term HEA exposure (1 day) led to a significant ammonia accumulation in the brain and plasma and significantly decreased glutamic and aspartic acid content in the brain and increased glutamine content in the brain and plasma. The long‐term HEA exposure (42 days) caused significant reductions in glycine and arginine content in the brain tissue. In most cases, dietary α‐KG supplementation alleviated the fluctuations in FAA content in the brain and plasma. Our results suggested dietary α‐KG alleviated HEA toxicity to grass carp.     

Effect of fish meal replacement with Carinata Brassica carinata in low animal protein diets of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) on trypsin activity,protein and amino acid digestibility and bioavailability

Replacement of >25% of fish meal (FM) with aerobically converted carinata meal (ACCM) in low (200g/kg) animal protein (reference = 200g/kg FM) diets of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss resulted in reduced growth, partly due to reduced feed consumption and protein utilization. In this study, we determined the effect of FM replacement with ACCM on trypsin activity, apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of protein, and essential amino acid (EAA) or conditionally essential amino acid (CEAA) ADCs and bioavailability. Replacement of FM did not alter protein ADCs or trypsin activity. Replacement of >25% FM reduced all EAA and CEAA ADCs except for arginine and leucine which were only reduced by 75% FM replacement. Only serum free lysine and muscle free histidine were reduced by >25% FM replacement. Muscle free lysine was only reduced by 75% FM replacement. Replacement of FM reduced EAA peak concentrations and resulted in slower release of EAAs in serum. Cumulative total EAAs in serum and muscle decreased with FM replacement. Ratios of EAAs to lysine showed that tryptophan was the most limiting EAA. However, isoleucine, leucine, methionine and phenylalanine were also inadequate for muscle synthesis for the first 9–12 hr following force‐feeding. Optimal time for protein synthesis was ≥36 hr. Although any level of FM replacement did not reduce protein ADCs and trypsin activity, replacement of ≥25% FM reduced EAA ADCs and bioavailability of lysine and histidine, which partly contributed to the observed differences in growth.     

龙蒿脂肪酸成分研究

试验对提取的龙蒿Artemisia dracunculus油脂进行甲酯化处理,采用气相色谱技术,首次对龙蒿脂肪酸成分进行了分析,结果表明,龙蒿中含有19种脂肪酸(鉴定17种)。脂肪酸性质评价显示,龙蒿的多不饱和脂肪酸与饱和脂肪酸相对含量比(PUFA/SFA)为3.25,可见龙蒿具有降血脂功能。     

Modeling amino acid requirements of poultry

Poultry nutritionists should constantly evaluate their feeds and feeding programs in view of the changes that continue to be made to the potential growth rate of broilers and egg production in laying hens with the objective of providing the birds with the optimum economic level of nutrients at all times. In this review, the models generated at Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Jaboticabal, to estimate the optimum intake of amino acids (AA) for broilers and laying hens are presented. These models were used to estimate the variation in AA intake within a broiler population making use of coefficients of variation that represent the real situation in a commercial broiler operation. The range of AA intakes obtained was compared to some commonly applied feeding programs and recommendations. Based on results of our developed models and other feeding programs, feeds were formulated and growth was predicted using a growth simulation model (Avinesp). The prediction of growth showed that these models are reliable and useful tools to assist the nutritionists in decision making. In a study with laying hens, the Reading model (RM) was used to establish optimum economic AA intakes in a flock of hens. The input variables were the means and standard deviations of egg output and BW, and the relationship between the marginal cost of the AA and the marginal revenue for eggs. Based on this model, the optimum intake of each AA can vary with each of the variables considered. The models proposed in our study enable important decisions to be made regarding AA intakes to be used to obtain optimum economic performance from a population of broilers and laying hens.     

The effect of different concentrations of linseed oil or fish oil in the maternal diet on the fatty acid composition and oxidative status of sows and piglets

N‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) are essential for foetal development. Hence, including n‐3 PUFA in the sow diet can be beneficial for reproduction. Both the amount and form (precursor fatty acids vs. long chain PUFA) of supplementation are important in this respect. Furthermore, including n‐3 PUFA in the diet can have negative effects, such as decreased arachidonic acid (ARA) concentration and increased oxidative stress. This study aimed to compare the efficacy to increase eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) concentrations in the piglet, when different concentrations of linseed oil (LO, source of precursor α‐linolenic acid) or fish oil (FO, source of EPA and DHA) were included in the maternal diet. Sows were fed a palm oil diet or a diet including 0.5% or 2% LO or FO from day 45 of gestation until weaning. Linoleic acid (LA) was kept constant in the diets to prevent a decrease in ARA, and all diets were supplemented with α‐tocopherol acetate (150 mg/kg) and organic selenium (0.4 mg/kg) to prevent oxidative stress. Feeding 0.5% LO or 0.5% FO to the sows resulted in comparable EPA concentrations in the 5‐day old piglet liver, but both diets resulted in lower EPA concentrations than when 2% LO was fed. The highest EPA concentration was obtained when 2% FO was fed. The DHA level in the piglet liver could only be increased when FO, but not LO, was fed to the sows. The 2% FO diet had no advantage over the 0.5% FO diet to increase DHA in the piglet. Despite the constant LA concentration in the sow diet, a decrease in ARA could not be avoided when LO or FO were included in the diet. Feeding 2% FO to the sows increased the malondialdehyde concentration (marker for lipid peroxidation) in sow plasma, but not in piglets.     

The interaction between maternal and post‐hatch n‐3 fatty acid supplementation in broiler diets

This study investigated whether offspring from n‐3‐supplemented breeders have an enhanced performance and immune organ weight when fed a post‐hatch n‐3‐enriched diet in comparison with their control‐fed counterparts and the importance of timing of omega‐3 supplementation. Therefore, 480 Ross‐308 broiler breeder hens were fed one of four different diets (120/treatment). The control diet (CON) was a basal diet, rich in n‐6 fatty acids (FA). The three other diets were enriched in n‐3 FA, formulated to obtain a different EPA/DHA ratio of 1/1 (EPA = DHA), 1/2 (DHA) or 2/1 (EPA). At 33 weeks of age, eggs were incubated to obtain 1440 offspring. They were set up according to their maternal diet and sex in 48 pens of 30 chicks each (12 pens per maternal treatment: six male and six female). Half of the offspring were given a post‐hatch control diet, whereas to other half received an n‐3‐supplemented diet. Zootechnical performance was followed for starter, grower and finisher phase, and at the end of each phase two, chicks per pen were sacrificed to determine the weight of the immune organs. No interaction was found between maternal and post‐hatch n‐3 treatment for zootechnical performance. An interaction arose between the maternal and post‐hatch n‐3 supplementation for proportional bursa weight at day 1 and day 14 and proportional liver weight at day 14, but effects on immune organ weight were rather limited. Offspring post‐hatch n‐3 supplementation did not enhance maternal n‐3 supplementation.     

镍基和均相酸催化废弃木质素的溶剂热降解

采用热化学方法降解木质素生成单体和低聚体产物。通过改变溶剂和使用均相酸、镍基催化剂,促进木质素热降解,提高油收率,改善油品质。结果表明:在密封条件下,250℃反应1 h甲醇和水协同促进了木质素降解。水/甲醇/甲酸溶剂中反应的残渣率降低至14.9%,油收率提高至44.1%。添加均相酸HCl、H3PO4和非均相催化剂Ni、Ni/Si O2-Al2O3,促进了原料裂解,抑制了产物缩合,反应生成单体、二聚体为主的油产物。Ni/Si O2-Al2O3催化促进了不饱和脂肪烃的重整和含氧官能团的减少,油收率显著下降。Ni催化则能够同时获得更好的油品质和较高的油收率(41.7%)。