A study on possibility of Rosa canina seed use as feed ?ngredient in diets of Morkaraman male lambs

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the ground Rosa canina seed at various levels (0%, 5%, and 15%) in barley-soybean-based concentrates offered to Morkaraman male lambs at approximately 8?months of age, on fattening performance, carcass, and meat quality characteristics. The lambs were divided into three treatment groups including R1 (concentrate without R. canina seed; n?=?12), R2 (concentrate with 5% R. canina seed; n?=?12), and R3 (concentrate with 15% R. canina seed; n?=?12) at the beginning of fattening period. The soybean meal was used as main protein source in treatment groups. All of the groups were fed a diet consisting of concentrate offered ad libitum and 300?g of grass hay per lamb per day during 60-day fattening period. The effect of diet on daily weight gain was found statistically significant. The control group had higher daily weight gain than R3 groups with 15% of ground R. canina seed. The hot carcass and cold carcass weights and dressing percentage values were affected by diets, and R3 group fed concentrate with 15% R. canina seed had higher carcass weights and dressing percentages than R1 and R2 groups. Differences among the groups in terms of leg, rib, and hindshank weights were found highly significant. While R1 and R2 groups were not significantly different, R3 group was significantly higher to R1 and R2 groups in leg, rib, and hindshank weights. In addition, meat color parameters and pH values were not affected by diets in present study.     

Effects of individual or combined housing systems on behavioural and growth responses of dairy calves

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of individual versus combined housing systems on behavioural and growth responses of dairy calves in order to test the hypothesis that when calves were kept in early age individually and later in groups, they would increase growth performance and social behaviours. Twenty-four Holstein Friesian calves were allocated to two different housing systems. After three days of colostrum feeding, individually housed (IH) calves were kept in pens (1 m×1.5 m) for 60 days while combined housed (CH) calves were kept in group pens (3 m×3 m) for 30 days after individual housing during the period of 4–33 days. Each calf was monitored twice a week for a period of 1 h starting at 08.00, 10.00, 12.00, 18.00, 20.00 and 22.00 h at 10-min intervals. Behavioural activities were playing, walking, licking objects, idle standing, lying, restlessness, grooming and tongue playing. Calves’ live weights, body measurements and feed intakes were determined on a weekly basis. The results were: 1) combined housing calves increased their calf starter intake (37.35±1.24 kg vs. 23.39±0.86 kg; p<0.001), alfalfa hay intake (8.76±0.35 kg vs. 7.14±0.43 kg; p<0.05) and total feed intake (46.11±1.04 kg vs. 30.53±0.86 kg; p<0.001) compared to individual housed calves; 2) combined housing increased the proportional events of playing (12.80 vs. 2.86%), walking (19.14 vs. 3.81%) and grooming (8.06 vs. 4.60%), but decreased licking objects (1.03 vs. 2.94%), idle standing (20.73 vs. 36.29%), lying (30.19 vs. 39.53%) and restlessness (1.69 vs. 3.47%) compared to individual housing systems (p<0.001) without affecting tongue rolling (6.36 vs. 6.50%); 3) combined housing system increased body weight gain by about 2.36 kg and body length by about 1.48 cm per calf compared to those kept in individual pens (p<0.05). In conclusion, combined housing system provided calves more opportunity to show their walking, playing and grooming activities, reflecting increases in feed intake, body weight gain and length compared to individual housing system.     

Application of quantum dot-based biosensor to the conjunctiva in Wistar albino rats

This study was conducted to get an idea about the distribution of the lymphatic fluid in conjunctiva throughout the body parts. For this purpose, Qdot655 (QD), fluorescence nanoparticles, spread onto the conjunctiva were used on Wistar albino rats. Drainage of QD particles from conjunctiva was followed up via fluorescence images at different hours on body parts such as eye, ears, forearms, hind legs and tails. The first fluorescence signals within the 30th minutes following administration of QD were observed in the nasal region and the anterior extremities. Whereas within 60th minutes following QD spread, fluorescent signals were obtained from the ears, forearms, hind legs and tail of the female and male rats.     

Effect of calcium based fertilization on dried fig (Ficus carica L. cv. Sarılop) yield and quality

Fig tree mainly spread in regions where Mediterranean climate prevails can be grown over a wide range of soils without any significant deficiency or toxicity symptoms of plant nutrients. Surveys revealed that, however, quality is highly affected by nutrition especially N, K and Ca in fig production for commercial drying. This research work was initiated based on few studies performed on fertilization of fig. The experiment was performed between 2000 and 2002 in three fig orchards of cv. Sar?lop (syn. Calimyrna) in Ayd?n-Turkey. Trees received seven types of fertilization as (i) untreated control; (ii) NPK (430 g N, 200 g P₂O₅ and 430 g K₂O per tree); (iii) NPK + 70 g Ca; (iv) NPK + 140 g Ca; (v) NPK + 280 g Ca; (vi) NPK + 420 g Ca and (vii) N + 420 g Ca, Ca(NO₃)₂ used as the Ca source. Tested fertilizer applications showed significant differences in respect to yield and quality of fig. Basic NPK fertilization with additional 280 g Ca treatment increased overall quality by reducing the number of fruit with ostiole-end crack and sunscald. Results showed that applied fertilizers exerted significantly in reduction of cull ratio and could alleviate the negative impact of yearly drought conditions.     

α-Thujone exhibits an antifungal activity against F. graminearum by inducing oxidative stress,apoptosis, epigenetics alterations and reduced toxin synthesis

European Journal of Plant Pathology - Specific mechanisms contributing to the antifungal activity of α-thujone, one of the main compounds of essential oils in herbs, against Fusarium...     

Effect of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Fe Acquisition in Peach (Prunus Persica L) Under Calcareous Soil Conditions

Abstract

The effects of Alcaligenes 637Ca, Agrobacterium A18, Staphylococcus MFDCa1, MFDCa2, Bacillus M3 and Pantoea FF1 were tested on peach cv. ‘Elegant Lady’ on GF677 and Nemaguard rootstocks. Average increases in citric, malic, oxalic, butyric and fumaric acid in the leaf were obtained from rhizobacterial root inoculations of 33.1, 17.5, 21.7, 26.5, and 44.7% in Elegant Lady/Nemaguard, respectively. FF1 showed the highest FC-R activity in the roots of Nemaguard (112.4?nmol?FW?gr^?1?hr^?2) and GF677 (162?nmol?FW?gr^?1?hr^?2). The highest FC-R activity in the leaf was with MFDCa2 in Elegant Lady/Nemaguard (57.1?nmol?FW?gr^?1?hr^?2) and 637Ca in Elegant Lady/GF677 (87.9?nmol?FW?gr^?1?hr^?2). PGPR strains used in this study expressed increased leaf organic acid content, FC-R activity in the roots and leaf, increased active Fe content in the leaf, and possessed a great potential for the improvement of iron availability to plants.     

Arterial vascularization of the uropygial glands (Gl. uropygialis) in geese (Anser anser) and ducks (Anas platyrhynches)

In the present study, arterial vascularization of the uropygial glands (Gl. uropygialis) of 10 adult geese (Anser anser) and 10 adult ducks (Anas platyrhynches) were studied. Takilon was injected into the median coccygeal arteries of six specimens from each species, and Latex (a natural rubber with ammonia) into those of four specimens. Takilon-injected specimens were corrosion casted, and arteries nourishing the gland were revealed via dissection. Vascularization of the uropygial glands of both the goose and the duck was observed to be the right (a. gl. uropygii dextra), left (a. gl. uropygi sinistra) and ventral (a. gl. uropygi ventralis) glandular uropygial arteries, arising from the median coccygeal (a. coccygea media) artery. Both the right and left glandular uropygial arteries were observed, divided into four branches as follows; muscular ramus (ramus muscularis), medial ramus (ramus medialis), ventral ramus (ramus ventralis) and lateral ramus (ramus lateralis). Of these, as the lateral, medial and ventral branches feed the gland, the muscular branch provides blood for the lateral coccygeal (m. coccygealis lateralis) and levator coccygeal (m. levator coccygealis) muscles, and the skin. Among the arteries mentioned above, anastomosis between the first and the second branches of the right ventral uropygial arteries in the five geese and five ducks was found.     

Growth performance of bath sponge (Spongia officinalis Linnaeus, 1759) farmed on suspended ropes in the Dardanelles (Turkey)

Commercial bath sponge population in the Mediterranean has been recently reduced due to diseases and the depletion of natural banks. The commercial supply is far below the demand on the last 10–15 years. In this study, we aimed to investigate the farming performance of Spongia officinalis in the Dardanelles. Sponges collected from the Dardanelles cut into pieces of different weight. They were divided into two groups depending on the wet weight ranging from 50 to 150 g (mean weight 102.6 ± 4.81 g) and from 160 to 360 g (mean weight 235.8 ± 8.56 g). Three rope systems located parallel to each other with 6–7 m inter‐distance were constructed for the cultivation of sponges. At the end of the study, while small‐sized sponges could reach mean wet weight of 120.7 ± 14.8 g, large‐sized sponges reached mean wet weight of 247.6 ± 22.4 g. Growth rates were estimated 5–17% at 21st month. The survival rates were found 82% and 88%.     

Comparison of fatty acid contents of wild and cultured rainbow trout <Emphasis Type="Italic">Onchorhynchus mykiss</Emphasis> in Turkey

Abstract:   The total lipid content and fatty acid composition were determined in the flesh and skin of wild and cultured rainbow trout in Turkey. The effect of diet content was also investigated on cultured trout. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used for fatty acid analyses. Total lipid content of skin was higher than flesh in both types and when compared appreciably higher in cultured fish. The predominant fatty acid was palmitic acid (C16:0) in saturated fatty acids and oleic acid (C18:1n-9) in monounsaturated fatty acids. The amount of eicosapentaenoic acid was double in wild and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) 1.5 times higher in cultured fish flesh. The n-3/n-6 ratio was higher in cultured fish than wild fish. The levels of palmitic, oleic, linoleic (C18:2n-6) and palmitoleic (C16:1n-7) acids were high in skin. The level of EPA was the same in skin of wild fish but 5.5 times higher in cultured fish, whereas the proportion of DHA in skin was lower for wild and 3.5 times higher in cultured fish. Wild fish had a high level of linoleic, arachidonic (C20:4n-6) and linolenic (C18:3n-3) acids. The total amount of n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher in flesh of wild fish than cultured fish, contrary to skin of cultured fish. The data obtained demonstrated that fatty acid composition of cultured fish did not depend on that of feed.