Egg production,fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some chicken strains under high ambient temperatures

This experiment was designed to investigate and compare the egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses of some local developed Egyptian chicken strains under high ambient temperatures. A total of 108 (26 weeks old) laying hens of Matrouh, Silver Montazah, Mandarah and Inshas (9 hens × 3 replicates × 4 strains) were used to evaluate the impact of thermal stress (24-34ºC) during summer season (June, July and August) on egg production, fertility, hatchability and immune responses. The obtained results revealed that final body weight (FBW/g) and body weight change (BWC/g) among different chicken strains were not affected. The daily feed consumption (FC/g) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The mean egg production (EP/%) and egg mass (EM) for Silver Montazah and Inshas strains were significantly (p ≤ .05) higher than those of Matrouh and Mandarah strains. The highest percentages of hatchability of total eggs (HTE) and fertile eggs (HFE) were recorded in Inshas chickens, while the lowest value was recorded in Mandarah chickens. Also, the highest embryonic mortalities (p ≤ .05) and lowest chick weight at hatch (CWH/g) were recorded in Mandarah chickens compared with the other strains. The highest values for antibody titres against phytohemagglutinin-P (PHA-P) were recorded in Mandarah chickens, while the least values were recorded in Inshas chickens.     

Molecular characterization of the equine herpesvirus 1 strains RacL11 and Kentucky D

The pathogenicities of RacL11 and Kentucky D strains of equine herpesvirus 1 in the hamster infection model are different from those of Ab4p and the Japanese isolates. Virus genome restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis and sequence comparison of an intergenic region, glycoproteins and tegument genes showed higher conservation but with some strain-specific differences. These results indicate that point nucleotide differences in RacL11 and Kentucky D might be responsible for their pathogenicity in rodent models.     

Evaluation of Semipurified Test Diets for Tilapia zillii Fingerlings

An experiment was conducted to evaluate semipurified test diets for Tilapia zillii fingerlings. Four isocaloric (300 kcal dietary energy/100 g) diets containing casein (at 30 and 39%). casein supplemented with L-arginine (Arg) and casein/gelatin mixture as protein sources were fed to triplicate groups of T. zillii fingerlings at a daily rate of 3% of their body weight for 6 weeks. When casein was fed as the sole dietary protein source at 30% level, fish growth, feed conversion efficiency (FC) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were significantly reduced. Those variables were significantly improved when casein was supplemented with Arg. The group of fish fed casein/gelatin diet showed the best growth and feed utilization. When casein was increased to 39% to meet the Arg requirement, fish growth and feed conversion were not significantly different from those of fish fed casein/gelatin diet, while PER and protein production value (PPV) were significantly reduced. These results indicated that casein/gelatin is superior to casein or casein/Arg as a protein source in semipurified test diets for T. zillii fingerlings.     

Bioactive constituents of Leptadenia arborea

The aerial part of Leptadenia arborea has been shown to contain pinoresinol (1), syringaresinol (2), leucanthemitol (3) and E-ferulaldehyde (4). These known compounds are being reported for the first time from this plant. Among them, syringaresinol has shown an inhibitory effect against acetylcholinesterase. The IC(50) (the concentration of 50% enzyme inhibition) value of this compound was 200 microg/ml.     

Identification and quantification of seed carotenoids in selected wheat species

Selected primitive and modern wheat species were evaluated on the basis of their carotenoid composition and effects of the genotype and environment on lutein using spectrometry and liquid chromatography. Carotenoids in the wheat extracts were identified and confirmed on the basis of their UV/vis and mass spectra compared with those of authentic standards. The protonated molecule (M + 1)+ at m/z 569 was the predominant ion for zeaxanthin compared to the fragment ion at m/z 551 for lutein. A similar carotenoid profile was obtained for the wheat species investigated, but significant differences were observed in the concentration of carotenoids. Einkorn (Triticum monococcum) exhibited the highest level of all-trans-lutein, averaging 7.41 microg/g with small amounts of all-trans-zeaxanthin, cis-lutein isomers, and beta-carotene. Durum, Kamut, and Khorasan (Triticum turgidum) had intermediate levels of lutein (5.41-5.77 microg/g), while common bread or pastry wheat (Triticum aestivum) had the lowest content (2.01-2.11 microg/g). Lutein in einkorn appeared to be influenced significantly by environmental growing conditions.     

Dietary curcumin nanoparticles promoted the performance,antioxidant activity,and humoral immunity,and modulated the hepatic and intestinal histology of Nile tilapia fingerlings

Fish Physiology and Biochemistry - The current study investigated the effects of dietary curcumin nanoparticles (C-NPs) on the performance, hemato-biochemical profile, digestive enzymes activities,...     

Enzymatic extraction of beta-glucan from oat bran cereals and oat crackers and optimization of viscosity measurement

The viscosity of the soluble fibre, β-glucan, has been shown to influence its ability to lower serum cholesterol and postprandial blood glucose levels. The impact of various amylases, proteases and lipase on the solubility and resulting viscosity of β-glucan extracted from oat bran cereals with a range of β-glucan concentrations and molecular weights was investigated. Addition of enzymes increased the final viscosity of high molecular weight β-glucan in cereals by facilitating the release of β-glucan from the food matrix. For cereals with partially depolymerized β-glucan, the addition of digestive enzymes decreased the final viscosity by eliminating the contribution of starch and protein to viscosity. Final viscosity varied depending on enzyme combinations including pancreatin, salivary and microbial α-amylases, microbial protease, porcine protease, trypsin and α-chymotrypsin. Addition of lipase did not significantly affect viscosity or solubility of β-glucan extracted from oat crackers. Addition of lichenase showed that β-glucan was the major contributor of viscosity to the system, with negligible interference from other components. The viscosity of the optimized protocol was compared to physiological results previously obtained. The viscosity of β-glucan extracted with pancreatin plus microbial α-amylase (pH 6.9) was predictive of LDL-cholesterol reduction (R² = 0.847) and glycemic response (R² = 0.883).     

Nimbus-7 coastal zone color scanner: system description and initial imagery

The Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) on Nimbus-7, launched in October 1978, is the only sensor in orbit that is specifically designed to study living marine resources. The initial imagery confirms that CZCS data can be processed to a level that reveals subtle variations in the concentration of phytoplankton pigments. This development has potential applications for the study of large-scale patchiness in phytoplankton distributions, the evolution of spring blooms, water mass boundaries, and mesoscale circulation patterns.