Fatal Chlamydia psittaci infection in a domestic kitten

Chlamydia psittaci has not been reported to cause disease in domestic cats, to our knowledge. In contrast, C. felis infection is common in domestic cats and typically results in conjunctivitis, upper respiratory tract infection, and less frequently pneumonia. Herein, we report the pathologic findings and diagnostic features of a fatal case of psittacosis in a 7-wk-old domestic kitten. The animal was 1 of a litter of 5 that, together with the queen, were yielded to a pet rescue center in Wyoming. Over a period of ~3 wk, the kittens and queen became sick, thin, and icteric prior to death, despite antimicrobial treatments. Postmortem evaluation of a kitten revealed necrosuppurative hepatitis with Gimenez stain–positive intracellular bacteria, nonsuppurative pneumonia, and mild leptomeningitis. The diagnosis of psittacosis was made by 16S rRNA PCR using multiple primer sets and sequencing from liver. Psittacosis should be considered a differential diagnosis in domestic cats with intracellular bacterial hepatitis and interstitial pneumonia.     

Free-range system and supplementation of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol increases the performance and serum vitamin levels in mixed-parity sows

Improvements in sow productivity have raised questions regarding dietary vitamin D recommendations. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of the housing system with access to sunlight exposure and supplementation of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol on performance and serum levels of 25(OH)D₃ in sows during gestation and lactation. Sows were distributed in an experimental design with two housing systems: gestation crates or gestation free-range system with external area for sunlight exposure; and two diets: 0 or 50 μg of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol kg⁻¹. The use of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol tended (P = 0.052) to improve total born and influenced (P = 0.046) on number of born alive. Litter weight at birth was also increased (P = 0.01) by 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation; 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation and housing system (free-range with sunlight exposure) tended to increase weaning weight (P = 0.07) and litter daily gain (P = 0.051) during lactation. Exposure to sunlight and 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation increased 25(OH)D₃ serum levels when compared with control treatment during gestation (136.95 vs. 113.92 ng mL⁻¹; P = 0.035) and lactation (120.29 vs. 88.93 ng mL⁻¹; P = 0.026). In conclusion, the association of 25-hydroxicholecalciferol supplementation with exposure to sunlight during gestation improved significantly 25(OH)D₃ serum levels and consequently performance traits in gestation and lactation.     

Effect of the Nixtamalization Process on the Dietary Fiber Content,Starch Digestibility,and Antioxidant Capacity of Blue Maize Tortilla

Nixtamalization is an ancient process developed by the Mesoamerican cultures. Initially, volcanic ashes were used and then calcium hydroxide in commercial production, and more recently nixtamalization with calcium salts (NCS) has been proposed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of NCS on carbohydrate digestibility and antioxidant capacity in the elaboration of blue maize tortillas. NCS in blue tortillas showed a high amount of total dietary fiber (14.27 g/100 g), the main fraction being insoluble dietary fiber. The contents of resistant starch and slowly digestible starch did not change with the nixtamalization process. The predicted glycemic index value was lower in blue tortillas with the NCS process (58) than with the traditional nixtamalization process (71). In general, NCS in blue tortillas presented a higher antioxidant capacity than traditional tortillas (ferric reducing antioxidant power method), indicating that phenolics present in blue maize maintain their activity after cooking. It can be concluded that the nutraceutical features (high dietary fiber content and antioxidant capacity) of blue maize tortillas are enhanced when they are elaborated with the NCS process.     

Addition of Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate to Corn and Sorghum Starch Extrudates Enhances the Performance of Pregelatinized Beer Adjuncts

Double mashing for wort production is a time‐consuming process that can be reduced if pregelatinized adjuncts are used. Optimal extruding conditions were determined to obtain brewing adjuncts from corn and sorghum starch. For corn starch extrusion, a Box–Behnken design was devised in which moisture, screw speed, temperature of the barrel, and concentrations of sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) were varied, and sorghum starch was extruded according to a 2³ model in which the modified variables were moisture, SSL concentration, and temperature. The aim was to maximize starch damage and minimize resistant starch and final viscosity as determined with a Rapid Visco Analyzer. The treatments that satisfied these requirements were mashed, and wort extract yield was determined. Glucose, maltose, and maltotriose concentrations in the resulting worts were determined by HPLC with a refractive index detector. Feedstock tempering and SSL content were the most important factors affecting the response; for corn starch, treatments with lower moisture (20%) and middle levels of SSL (0.5%) or with high levels of both moisture (40%) and SSL (1%) produced the most desirable samples for mashing, whereas for sorghum starch the best treatment was tempering to 20% moisture and containing middle levels of SSL (0.5%). No statistical differences were found between these experimental treatments and the control.