Energy and protein metabolism in pregnant sows fed two levels of dietary protein

The present study was performed to quantify the energy and nutrient metabolism of pregnant sows fed high (HP) or low (LP) dietary protein [18.3 vs. 13.5% of dry matter (DM)]. A total of nine sows (four on HP and five on LP diet) were subjected to balance and respiration trials four times during their second pregnancy (approximately on days 30, 61, 80 and 104 of gestation). The digestibility of protein (83.0 vs. 79.9) (p < 0.01) and energy (84.9 vs. 83.7%) (p < 0.05) was higher for the HP diet. Daily intake of metabolizable energy (ME) and retained energy (RE) were similar for the two groups, with an average of 28.37 MJ ME and 3.94 MJ RE, respectively. Heat production (HE) measured according to the respiratory quotient (RQ) and carbon-nitrogen (CN) method was similar (464 vs. 454 kJ/kg 0.75/day, respectively). Sows fed HP retained more energy in protein (3.33 vs. 2.00 MJ/day) (p < 0.001) and tended to retain less energy in fat (1.59 vs. 2.50 MJ/day) than LP sows. Retained nitrogen (N) (22.3 vs. 13.4 g/day) (p < 0.001) and utilization of N (retained/digested) (45.2 vs. 38.1%) was higher for HP sows compared with LP sows. In late pregnancy, retained N, retained fat, HE and oxidation of carbohydrates increased, while oxidation of fat was reduced to zero. In conclusion, both diets provided adequate N for retention in maternal tissue and conception products. In spite of the lower utilization of N in LP sows, the N excretion was depressed by 5.6 g/day compared with HP sows, because of the lower N intake.     

A method for identification and mapping potentially acid sulfate soils in Jutland, Denmark

A method for mapping potentially acid sulfate soils in Jutland, Denmark is described. First the wetlands were outlined, using already existing topographic maps. Then 7900 profiles, evenly distributed over the wetland areas, were examined to point out areas with potentially acid sulfate soils. The method used to identify potentially acid sulfate material was, for carbonate-free samples, a pH-measuring at the sampling time and after the samples were inoculated with soil water extract from an acid sulfate soil and 2, 8 or 16 weeks of incubation. For carbonate-containing samples the pyrite content was compared to the acid-neutralizing capacity. A map was constructed showing the ratio of profiles containing potentially acid sulfate soil samples to total number of profiles examined within natural geographical wetland regions.The investigation showed that 35% of the wetlands in Jutland have a high frequency of potentially acid sulfate soils.     

Estimation of quantitative oxidation and fat retention from carbohydrate,protein and fat in growing pigs

Die Oxidation von Nährstoffen und Retention von Kohlenhydraten, Protein und Fett hei wachsenden Schweinen Die Oxidation von Nährstoffen sowie deren Beitrag zur Fettretention wurde an Hand von 185 individuellen Bilanzstudien mit wachsenden Schweinen (40–100 kg Lebendgewicht) beurteilt. Der Respirationskoeffizient ohne Berücksichtigung des Proteins (RQnp) lag entweder unter oder über 1. Die beschriebene Methode basierend auf Gasaustausch sowie Kohlenstoff-Stickstoffbilanz zur Berechnung der Oxidation von Nährstoffen und Lipogenese ist in beiden Fällen gültig (RQnp > 1 und RQnp < 1). Bei einer den Wachstumsbedarf deckenden Energiezufuhr (ME ≥ 1,2 MJ/kg^0.75) ist die Oxidation von Nährstoffen im Bezug auf die Proteinretention abhängig von der Menge und Qualität des verdauten Proteins. Weiterhin besteht eine Abhängigkeit von der Menge an verdaulichen Kohlenhydraten. Die Versorgung mit Fett spielt dagegen keine Rolle. Die Oxidation von Kohlenhydraten trägt mit 85%, die von Protein mit 15% zur anfallenden Wärmeenergie bei. Eine Fettoxidation findet auch bei hohem Fettgehalt der Nahrung nicht statt. Die Lipogenese aus Kohlenhydraten stellt die Hauptquelle für die Körperfettretention dar. Da keine Fettoxidation stattfindet, wird das gesamte Nahrungsfett im Körper reteniert. Bei einer für das Wachstum zu geringen Energiezufuhr werden Nahrungsfett und Körperfett oxidiert. Um Protein für die Retention zu erhalten, ist die Oxidation von Protein vermindert. Selbst bei Mobilisierung von Körperfett und Oxidation von Nahrungsfett wird ein Teil der Kohlenhydrate und des Proteins für die Lipogenese vermutlich zum Aufbau von Strukturfett verwendet.     

Dietary structured lipids for post-weaning piglets: fat digestibility, nitrogen retention and fatty acid profiles of tissues

In four groups of post-weaning piglets the effects of triacylglycerol structure and fatty acid profiles of four dietary fats on apparent faecal nutrient digestibility, nitrogen retention and fatty acid profiles of platelet and erythrocyte membranes, liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle were examined. Dietary fats included as 10% (w/w) of the diets were two structured fats of rapeseed oil interesterified with tridecanoin (R1) or coconut oil (R2), respectively, one mixture of rapeseed oil and coconut oil (R3) and rapeseed oil as control (R4). Faeces and urine from piglets weaned at 28 days of age were collected quantitatively during three periods each of 5 days, in which the piglets were kept in metabolism cages for measurement of apparent faecal nutrient and energy digestibility and nitrogen retention. Apparent faecal fat digestibilities were significantly improved in groups fed interesterified fats or the physical mixtures (R1, R2 and R3) compared with rapeseed oil (R4). Apparent faecal nitrogen digestibility and retention were similar in all four groups in the three periods, but increased with time. Apparent faecal fat digestibilities were significantly improved from the first to the third week in the groups R1 and R2. Fatty acid profiles in platelet and erythrocyte membranes and in tissues reflected the fatty acid profile of the dietary fat, except for medium-chain fatty acids, which were only found in low proportions, indicating that 10:0 was mainly used as an energy source.     

Effect of genotype and level of supplementary concentrate on foraging activity and vegetation cover in an organic free-range pig system

Abstract

The objectives were to investigate the effects of genotype and level of concentrate on foraging activity and vegetation cover in an organic pasture-based system for growing-finishing pigs. A 44% reduction in the allowance of concentrate more than doubled the rooting activity. The effect of feeding strategy on grazing was less pronounced; this behaviour only tended to be more frequent in the pigs fed restrictedly compared to the pigs fed according to recommendations. There were no significant differences in rooting activity between genotypes; however, the ‘traditional’ genotype grazed significantly more than the ‘modern’ genotype. The vegetation cover declined significantly faster in the paddocks with restrictedly fed pigs than in the paddocks with pigs fed according to recommendations. A restriction in the allowance of concentrate is a valuable tool for stimulating rooting behaviour in integrated systems where the pigs’ rooting behaviour is considered a resource in relation to, for example, soil tillage.     

Protocol: using virus-induced gene silencing to study the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pisum sativum</Emphasis>

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is an alternative reverse genetics tool for silencing of genes in some plants, which are difficult to transform. The pea early-browning virus (PEBV) has been developed as a VIGS vector and used in pea for functional analysis of several genes. However, the available PEBV-VIGS protocols are inadequate for studying genes involved in the symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF).     

Investigations of barley stripe mosaic virus as a gene silencing vector in barley roots and in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Brachypodium distachyon</Emphasis> and oat

Background  

Gene silencing vectors based on Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) are used extensively in cereals to study gene function, but nearly all studies have been limited to genes expressed in leaves of barley and wheat. However since many important aspects of plant biology are based on root-expressed genes we wanted to explore the potential of BSMV for silencing genes in root tissues. Furthermore, the newly completed genome sequence of the emerging cereal model species Brachypodium distachyon as well as the increasing amount of EST sequence information available for oat (Avena species) have created a need for tools to study gene function in these species.