Urinary protein level determination as a rapid method for the detection of contamination of slaughtered swine

Reference is made to work undertaken by Stehle (1983) on rapid semiquantitative determination of urinary protein in pigs for slaughter to identify premortal strain and stress, with additional studies being conducted into the suitability of the method. The investigations performed for this study covered urinary protein samples from 59 living and 762 slaughtered pigs. The Biophan E paper strip test was applied to groups of animals, and, when compared to high-accuracy laboratory determination of urinary protein, it provided sufficiently accurate information on the presence of stress-related proteinuria. Its accuracy, however, proved to be insufficient, when individual animals were examined. The number of clearly stressed slaughter pigs was unexpectedly high, although the same animals had been rated clinically inconspicuous prior to slaughter. Brief rest period resulted in significant rise of stress. The Biophan E paper strip test was found to be suitable for instantaneous determination of stress and strain on pigs for slaughter.     

Storage of Non-structural Carbohydrates in Sweet Sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.]: Comparison of Sterile and Fertile Lines

The accumulation of soluble carbohydrates in vegetative parts of sweet sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.) represents an intermediate reserve pool for grain filling as well as an irreversible storage up to maturity. In order to study the effect of Sterility on soluble sugar accumulation in vegetative parts, two cytoplasmic male sterile (CMS) lines of sweet sorghum were compared with their corresponding fertile mamtainers for non-structural carbohydrate concentrations in shoots. Plants were harvested at four different physiological stages. The lines showed significant differences in the yield of non-structural carbohydrates. At maturity, the yields of soluble carbohydrates from vegetative parts of the two sterile lines were 93 % and 43 % higher than the yield of the two corresponding fertile lines. At that stage, sucrose represented about 80 % of total soluble carbohydrates and the higher yield of soluble carbohydrates of sterile lines was mainly due to the higher yield of sucrose. This indicates that the yield of extractable carbohydrates, especially sucrose, in vegetative parts of sweet sorghum could be considerably improved by using sterile lines which are utilized in hybrid production.     

The substitution of lysine supplemented high protein wheat for protein feeds during the rearing and laying periods of hens. 8. Nitrogen excretion and true amino acid digestibility as an effect of various lysine levels and successive laying periods]

Digestibility trials were performed with laying hens receiving 3 types of rations containing equal proportions of the same dietary components. The percentage of high-protein wheat in these rations was 74%. Ration I was supplemented with 0.12% lysine while 0.06% lysine was added to ration II; ration III remained unsupplemented. The crude protein content of rations 1 to 3 was 16.1%, 16.5% and 16.6%, respectively. The corresponding lysine percentages were 0.66, 0.62 and 0.56. Studies were made to investigate the influence of different lysine levels on the rate of N excretion and various amino acid data. These studies were carried out during two successive laying periods. Only random differences between the data for urinary N excretion and N balances per kg liveweight were obtained in the two laying periods and for the different lysine levels. The true lysine digestibility was significantly lower in the poor-lysine ration as compared with the ration with 0.66% lysine. Moreover, the absorptive capacity for thio-amino acids is influenced by the lysine level of the ration. The proportion of lysine contained in faecal crude protein increased with the decreasing lysine content of the ration. Similarly, the total number of amino acids present in faecal crude protein increased with the declining supply of lysine. These findings suggest that relatively more NPN compounds are excreted in the faeces if adequate amounts of amino acids are supplied rather than when one amino acid is deficient.     

Substitution of protein feed through lysine-supplemented high-protein wheat during the rearing and laying period of hens. 3. Effect of graded lysine doses on the crude nutrient content of carcasses and on the level of amino acids and GOT activity in the blood of young hens]

A large-scale trial was carried out under commercial conditions to investigate to which extent the feeding of rations with varying lysine content to young hens would influence the crude nutrient content of the body fractions and might change the pattern of amino acid composition and the activity of GOT in the blood. Four rations were fed each containing 14.2% crude protein, 626-633 EFh units/kg and 0.59%, 0.61%, 0.54% and 0.46% lysine. The crude protein and crude fat content of the total body and of body fractions were in no case found to be related to the feeding regime. The proportion of crude ash in the "remainder of non-utilizable parts", in "bones", "intestinal and abdominal fat", "ovaries" and "small intestine" decreased with the decreasing lysine content of the rations. The concentrations of free lysine, histidine, arginine, and phenylalanine in the deproteinized blood plasma of the young hens were significantly (a = 0.01) lower in the birds of the lysine deficient group than in the hens of the other groups. Positive regressions were calculated for the lysine content or the content of aspartic acid in the ration and the pattern of free amino acids in blood plasma. Positive and negative linear relationships were found to exist between the concentrations of free lysine, and those of histidine, arginine or threonine, and serine. A close correlation existed between the total amount of essential amino acids in blood plasma and the lysine concentrations of the plasma. Increasing lysine supplementation produced a decline in the N content of the whole blood and blood corpuscles but a rise in the N content of blood plasma. The activity of GOT in the blood of young hens was not found to be useful as an indicator of the quality of dietary proteins.     

Maize harvest index and water use efficiency can be improved by inhibition of gibberellin biosynthesis

Possibilities to improve maize harvest index and nutrient utilization efficiency by application of plant growth regulators were investigated. In container experiments, the effects of different growth regulators on the development of the maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars Pioneer 3906 and Fabregas were tested. Paclobutrazol (PAC) and chlorocholine chloride (CCC), two inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis, as well as gibberellic acid (GA₃) were applied at growth stage V5. Three weeks after application of PAC, shoot growth of both maize cultivars was strongly affected with a significant decrease in plant height in the PAC treatment by 44% and 36% for Pioneer 3906 and Fabregas, respectively. The growth‐retarded plants had higher leaf areas and reduced transpiration rates. The higher shoot growth after GA₃ application was accompanied by a reduction in leaf area and an increase in transpiration rate during 1 week before anthesis. CCC treatment showed no significant effects on plant height, leaf area and transpiration rate. The PAC‐treated cultivar Pioneer 3906 produced several cobs per plant, which were mainly barren at maturity. However, PAC application to Fabregas resulted in just one cob per plant with good kernel development and a grain yield, which was not significantly reduced in comparison with the control. With this similar grain yield in combination with a straw yield decrease of 32%, the harvest index was significantly improved by 12%. In addition, with PAC‐treated Fabregas plants, a 19% increased water use efficiency of the grain (WUE_grain) during the critical period of kernel setting was achieved. In this maize cultivar, CCC application also improved harvest index by 5%, but no effect on WUE_grain occurred. GA₃ treatment decreased harvest index of both maize cultivars, and it either reduced WUE_grain (Pioneer 3906) or showed no effect (Fabregas). Utilization efficiencies of N, P and K were not increased with growth regulator application, even in the PAC‐treated Fabregas plants with a significantly improved allocation of assimilates to the grain, mirrored by the higher harvest index. The results indicate that fertilizer applications must be adjusted to the reduced demand of growth‐retarded plants, most likely leading to higher nutrient utilization efficiencies.     

Comparison of Salt and Drought‐Stress Effects on Maize Growth and Yield Formation with Regard to Acid Invertase Activity in the Kernels

The long‐term effects of salt stress (11 dS m^?1) and drought stress (35 % WHC) were investigated for two maize genotypes, focusing on the relation between metabolic changes around the time of pollination and the impact on yield determinants at maturity. The relatively salt‐resistant hybrid Pioneer 3906 and the relatively drought‐resistant hybrid Fabregas were compared. The experiments were conducted in large plastic containers in a vegetation hall in two consecutive years (2011 and 2012). Plant height and leaf area were significantly reduced under both stress conditions. The transpiration rate was only slightly reduced under drought stress; but under salt stress, a significant reduction occurred 40–53 days after sowing. As a significant increase in sucrose concentrations was observed in the salt‐treated maize kernels 2 days after pollination, the availability of assimilates was not limiting and the plants could afford to save water by reduced stomatal opening. Although under both stress conditions the soluble acid invertase activity was reduced 2 days after pollination, concomitantly, an increase in hexose concentrations was observed. Thus, in these experiments, the delivery of hexoses by acid invertase activity did not limit kernel development. Differences in grain yield at maturity between salt and drought stress were most likely caused by salt‐specific effects (Na⁺ toxicity), Fabregas being more affected than Pioneer 3906.