Effects of extrusion processing on digestibility of peas, lupins, canola meal and soybean meal in silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell) diets

Two experiments were conducted to investigate effects of processing on apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of legumes and oilseeds for juvenile silver perch, Bidyanus bidyanus (～49 g). The first experiment evaluated interactive effects of ingredients (lupins or field peas), processing (whole seed; hulls on or hulls off) and extrusion cooking (raw or extruded) on ADCs for juvenile silver perch (～4 g fish^?1). The second experiment was a three‐fixed‐factor anova designed to evaluate interactive effects of ingredients (soybean meal or canola meal), extrusion cooking (raw or extruded) and inclusion content (30% or 50% of the diet) on ADCs for juvenile silver perch (～4 g fish^?1). Lupin protein was more digestible than that of peas (ADC for crude protein 91% vs. 85% for peas) but the organic matter was less digestible (ADC for organic matter 50% vs. 67% for peas). Dehulling lupins significantly improved ADCs for all indices (dry matter, organic matter, energy and crude protein), but extrusion had no effect because lupins do not contain starch or heat‐labile anti‐nutrients. Conversely, for starch‐rich peas that contain heat‐labile trypsin inhibitors, both dehulling and extrusion significantly improved ADCs. Digestibility of soybean meal was much higher than that of canola meal. For soybean meal, neither processing, content nor their interaction affected digestibility but extrusion improved ADCs for dry matter, organic matter and energy but there was an interaction with content. Although higher overall, digestibility for these indices declined with increasing content for extruded product while there were only minor effects of inclusion for raw product. Benefits of extrusion were attributed to reductions in anti‐nutrients, including phytic acid. For canola, there were no interactions between extrusion and content for any ADC. Increasing content reduced ADCs for crude protein, dry matter and organic matter but did not effect energy. Surprisingly, extrusion of canola also reduced digestibility for all ADCs. Dehulling improved both lupins and peas. Crude protein for all ingredients was well digested with ingredients ranked: lupins>soybean meal>peas>canola meal. Energy digestibility was best for soybean meal and worst for lupins. Extrusion greatly improved digestibility of peas and to a lesser extent soybean meal, gave no benefits to lupins and was detrimental for canola.     

Evaluation of analgesic and physiologic effects of epidural morphine administered at a thoracic or lumbar level in dogs undergoing thoracotomy

ObjectiveTo evaluate the analgesic and physiological effects of epidural morphine administered at the sixth and seventh lumbar or the fifth and sixth thoracic vertebrae in dogs undergoing thoracotomy.Study designProspective, randomized, blinded trial.AnimalsFourteen mixed-breed dogs, weighing 8.6 ± 1.4 kg.MethodsThe animals received acepromazine (0.1 mg kg^?1) IM and anesthesia was induced with propofol (4 mg kg^?1) IV. The lumbosacral space was punctured and an epidural catheter was inserted up to the region between the sixth and seventh lumbar vertebrae (L, n = 6) or up to the fifth or sixth intercostal space (T, n = 8). The dogs were allowed to recover and after radiographic confirmation of correct catheter position, anesthesia was reinduced with propofol IV and maintained with 1.7% isoflurane. Following stabilization of monitored parameters, animals received morphine (0.1 mg kg^?1) diluted in 0.9% NaCl to a final volume of 0.25 mL kg^?1 via the epidural catheter, and after 40 minutes, thoracotomy was initiated. Heart rate and rhythm, systolic, mean and diastolic arterial pressures, respiratory rate, arterial hemoglobin oxygen saturation, partial pressure of expired CO₂ and body temperature were measured immediately before the epidural administration of morphine (0 minute) and every 10 minutes during the anesthetic period. The Melbourne pain scale and the visual analog scale were used to assess post-operative pain. The evaluation began 3 hours after the epidural administration of morphine and occurred each hour until rescue analgesia.ResultsThere were no important variations in the physiological parameters during the anesthetic period. The post-operative analgesic period differed between the groups, being longer in T (9.9 ± 1.6 hours) compared with L (5.8 ± 0.8 hours).ConclusionsThe use of morphine, at a volume of 0.25 mL kg^?1, administered epidurally over the thoracic vertebrae provided longer lasting analgesia than when deposited over the lumbar vertebrae.Clinical relevanceThe deposition of epidural morphine provided longer lasting analgesia when administered near to the innervation of the injured tissue without increasing side effects.     

Hyoscine‐N‐butylbromide premedication on cardiovascular variables of horses sedated with medetomidine

ObjectiveTo evaluate the effects of intravenous (IV) or intramuscular (IM) hyoscine premedication on physiologic variables following IV administration of medetomidine in horses.Study designRandomized, crossover experimental study.AnimalsEight healthy crossbred horses weighing 330 ± 39 kg and aged 7 ± 4 years.MethodsBaseline measurements of heart rate (HR), cardiac index (CI), respiratory rate, systemic vascular resistance (SVR), percentage of patients with second degree atrioventricular (2^oAV) block, mean arterial pressure (MAP), pH, and arterial partial pressures of carbon dioxide (PaCO₂) and oxygen (PaO₂) were obtained 5 minutes before administration of IV hyoscine (0.14 mg kg^?1; group HIV), IM hyoscine (0.3 mg kg^?1; group HIM), or an equal volume of physiologic saline IV (group C). Five minutes later, medetomidine (7.5 μg kg^?1) was administered IV and measurements were recorded at various time points for 130 minutes.ResultsMedetomidine induced bradycardia, 2^oAV blocks and increased SVR immediately after administration, without significant changes in CI or MAP in C. Hyoscine administration induced tachycardia and hypertension, and decreased the percentage of 2^oAV blocks induced by medetomidine. Peak HR and MAP were higher in HIV than HIM at 88 ± 18 beats minute^?1 and 241 ± 37 mmHg versus 65 ± 16 beats minute^?1 and 192 ± 38 mmHg, respectively. CI was increased significantly in HIV (p ≤ 0.05). Respiratory rate decreased significantly in all groups during the recording period. pH, PaCO₂ and PaO₂ were not significantly changed by administration of medetomidine with or without hyoscine.Conclusion and clinical relevanceHyoscine administered IV or IM before medetomidine in horses resulted in tachycardia and hypertension under the conditions of this study. The significance of these changes, and responses to other dose rates, requires further investigation.     

Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Monogalactosyl Diacylglycerols and a Monoacylglycerol from the Edible Brown Seaweed Fucus spiralis Linnaeus

A monoacylglycerol (1) and a 1:1 mixture of two monogalactosyl diacylglycerols (MGDGs) (2 and 3) were isolated from the brown seaweed Fucus spiralis Linnaeus. The structures were elucidated by spectroscopic means (NMR and MS) and by comparison with the literature. Compound 1 was composed of a glycerol moiety linked to oleic acid (C18:1 Ω9). Compounds 2 and 3 contained a glycerol moiety linked to a galactose unit and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5 Ω3) combined with octadecatetraenoic acid (C18:4 Ω3) or linolenic acid (C18:3 Ω3), respectively. The isolated compounds were tested for their cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory activity in RAW 264.7 macrophage cells. All of them inhibited NO production at non-cytotoxic concentrations. The fraction consisting of compounds 2 and 3, in a ratio of 1:1, was slightly more effective than compound 1 (IC₅₀ of 60.06 and 65.70 µg/mL, respectively). To our knowledge, this is the first report of these compounds from F. spiralis and on their anti-inflammatory capacity.     

Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Effects of Diterpenes Isolated from the Marine Alga,Dictyota menstrualis

Cardiovascular diseases represent a major cause of disability and death worldwide. Therapeutics are available, but they often have unsatisfactory results and may produce side effects. Alternative treatments based on the use of natural products have been extensively investigated, because of their low toxicity and side effects. Marine organisms are prime candidates for such products, as they are sources of numerous and complex substances with ecological and pharmacological effects. In this work, we investigated, through in vitro experiments, the effects of three diterpenes (pachydictyol A, isopachydictyol A and dichotomanol) from the Brazilian marine alga, Dictyota menstrualis, on platelet aggregation and plasma coagulation. Results showed that dichotomanol inhibited ADP- or collagen-induced aggregation of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), but failed to inhibit washed platelets (WP). In contrast, pachydictyol A and isopachydictyol A failed to inhibit the aggregation of PRP, but inhibited WP aggregation induced by collagen or thrombin. These diterpenes also inhibited coagulation analyzed by the prothrombin time and activated partial thromboplastin time and on commercial fibrinogen. Moreover, diterpenes inhibited the catalytic activity of thrombin. Theoretical studies using the Osiris Property Explorer software showed that diterpenes have low theoretical toxicity profiles and a drug-score similar to commercial anticoagulant drugs. In conclusion, these diterpenes are promising candidates for use in anticoagulant therapy, and this study also highlights the biotechnological potential of oceans and the importance of bioprospecting to develop medicines.     

Investigation of the nutritional requirements of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider 1801): digestibility of gelatinized wheat starch and clearance of an intra-peritoneal injection of d-glucose

Two experiments were performed to investigate the digestibility and utilization of carbohydrate sources by Australian snapper Pagrus auratus. In the first experiment, snapper of two different size classes (110 and 375 g) were fed a reference diet containing no starch (REF) or diets containing 150 (PN15), 250 (PN25), 350 (PN35) or 450 g kg^?1 (PN45) of 100% gelatinized wheat starch to investigate the interactive effects of fish size and starch inclusion level on apparent organic matter (OM) or gross energy (GE) digestibility (ADC), post‐prandial plasma glucose concentration, hepatosomatic index (HSI) and liver or tissue glycogen content. A second experiment used a 72 h time course study to investigate the ability of larger snapper (300–481 g) to clear an intra‐peritoneal injection of 1 g d ‐glucose kg^?1 body weight (BW). Organic matter and GE ADCs declined significantly in both fish sizes as the level of starch increased (PN45energy small fishenergy large fish). There was no interaction between fish size and inclusion level with respect to GE or OM ADCs. Gross energy ADC for both sized fish was described by the linear function GE ADC=104.97 (±3.39)–0.109 (±0.010) × inclusion level (R²=0.86). Hepatosomatic index, liver and muscle glycogen concentrations were significantly elevated in both small and large snapper‐fed diets containing gelatinized starch compared with snapper fed the REF diet. Three‐hour post‐prandial plasma glucose concentrations were not significantly affected by fish size, inclusion level or the interaction of these factors (REF=PN15=PN25=PN35=PN45), and ranged between 1.60 and 2.5 mM. The mean±SD resting level of plasma glucose (0 h) was 2.4±1.1 mM. Circulating levels of plasma glucose in snapper peaked at 18.9 mM approximately 3 h after intra‐peritoneal injection and fish exhibited hyperglycaemia for at least 12–18 h. There were no significant differences between the plasma glucose concentrations of snapper sampled 0, 18, 24, 48 or 72 h after injection (0=18=24=48=72<12< 1<3=6 h), indicating snapper required almost 18 h to regulate their circulating levels of glucose to near‐basal concentrations. Australian snapper are capable of digesting moderate levels of gelatinized wheat starch; however, increasing the dietary content of starch resulted in a reduction in OM and GE digestibility. Smaller snapper appear to be less capable of digesting gelatinized starch than larger fish, and levels above 250 and 350 g kg^?1 of diet are not recommended for small and large fish respectively. Snapper subjected to an intra‐peritoneal injection of d ‐glucose have prolonged hyperglycaemia; however, the post‐prandial response to the uptake of glucose from normally digested gelatinized starch appears to be more regulated.     

Replacement of fishmeal in diets for Australian silver perch Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell). II. Effects of cooking on digestibility of a practical diet containing different starch products

Abstract The interactive effects of cooking and starch type on the dry matter, gross energy and protein digestibility of diets fed to fingerling silver perch were examined. Nine experimental diets were made: a reference diet either uncooked or cooked, six other diets comprising uncooked reference diet supplemented with 30% uncooked or cooked wheat, maize or potato starch and one diet comprising uncooked reference diet supplemented with 15% pregelatinized maize starch. Cooking involved autoclaving at 121 °C for 15 min. The indirect method was used to calculate apparent digestibility coefficients, and chromic oxide (1%) was used as the inert indicator. Both ingredient type and cooking influenced dry matter and gross energy digestibility of diets. All diets had significantly different digestibility coefficients in the following order (from most to least digestible): reference > wheat > maize > potato, for both dry matter and gross energy. Cooking significantly increased the apparent digestibility of diets for both dry matter and gross energy. There was no significant effect of ingredient or cooking or their interaction on protein digestibility. Dry matter and energy digestibility of the diet containing pregelatinized maize starch were significantly higher than for diets containing cooked or uncooked starch products. Ingredient digestibility followed the same trend as diet digestibility. The results from this study indicate that the successful use of starch in practical diets for silver perch is dependent on the origin and processing of the starch. The significant benefits of cooking in the reference diet suggest that pelleted diets should be cooked (e.g. steam conditioned or extruded).     

The rapid detection of Aujeszky's disease virus in pigs by direct immunoperoxidase labelling

Direct immunoperoxidase labelling on impression smears of brain and pharynx was compared with virus isolation and direct immunofluorescence for the detection of Aujeszky's disease virus in experimentally-infected pigs. Immunoperoxidase labelling was as sensitive as immunofluorescence and more sensitive than virus isolation for tissue that had been stored at room temperature (approximately 20 degrees C) for up to 144 h.     

Associations ofAscaris suum and Oesophagostomum spp. infections of sows with management factors in 83 Danish sow herds

Associations of the occurrence of Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum spp. in sows with herd management factors were examined using logistic-binomial regression. The information used was from 11 to 78 sows sampled from each of 83 breeding herds (2961 sows in total) and examined for eggs per gram of faeces (EPG). A sow excreting at least 20 EPG was defined as ‘infected’. Management factors of the study herds were recorded using a questionnaire. A total of 263 sows from 50 herds (8.9% of sows) and 375 sows from 20 herds (12.7% of sows) were infected with A. suum and Oesophagostomum spp., respectively. For A. suum, sows from herds with more than 85 sows had significantly higher odds of being infected compared with those from 30 to 85 sows (P < 0.05). When bedding was provided for sows, the odds of A. suum infection was 5.4 compared with sows from herds in which bedding was not provided (P < 0.05). For Oesophagostomum spp., sows from herds with different specific pathogen free status had about one tenth the odds of being infected compared with those from conventional herds (P < 0.05). Sows that had been treated with anthelmintics had very low odds of being infected with Oesophagostomum spp. compared with those that were not treated (P < 0.05). The effects of these management factors in both final models did not differ when the definition of an ‘infected’ sow was changed. The present results suggest the importance of disposal of bedding material from pens in reducing the prevalence of A. suum in larger sow herds. Anthelmintic treatment is important in reducing the prevalence of Oesophagostomum spp. infection of sows.