Growth performance, energy, and nitrogen balance of weanling pigs fed a cereal-based diet supplemented with Chinese rhubarb

Forty Swiss Large White piglets of 4 weeks of age were used to determine the effect of dietary Chinese rhubarb on growth performance, as well as on energy and nitrogen metabolism by means of indirect respiration calorimetry studies. A cereal-based diet, supplemented with four different dosages of Chinese rhubarb (0.0%, 0.25%, 0.5%, 1%), was offered ad libitum to the piglets. Gaseous exchange was measured, and urine, faeces, and blood samples were taken. The addition of 0.25% dietary rhubarb increased feed intake (+32%) and daily weight gain (+67%) compared to the diet containing the greatest amount of rhubarb (1%). The piglets fed diet supplemented with 0.25% rhubarb digested and metabolised more energy and nitrogen relative to the animals of treatment 1%. As a consequence, the same group (0.25%) converted more energy and nitrogen into body protein than piglets receiving diet supplemented with 1% rhubarb. However, compared to the control group, the addition of 0.25% rhubarb to the diet resulted in not significantly alter growth performance, energy, and nitrogen metabolism of the animals.Blood parameters were not affected by the rhubarb supplementation. The dose-responding effect of Chinese rhubarb was reflected by the dry matter content of faecal samples. According to the laxative effect of higher doses of rhubarb, the addition of 1% rhubarb to the diet reduced dry matter content of faeces. This effect was well visible in practice, although not relevant in statistical terms. The addition of 0.5% dietary rhubarb had no relevant effect on growth performance or on energy and nitrogen metabolism of treated animals.     

Effect of diet composition and slaughter weight on animal performance, carcass and meat quality, and fatty acid composition in veal calves

The effect of true milk use in the diet of Spanish Brown Swiss male calves on animal performance, carcass and meat quality, and fatty acids composition was studied. In experiment 1, the effect of milk intake [ad libitum continuous (ADLIB) feed vs. restricted 0.7 during 75 days followed by ad libitum feed (RESTR)] and slaughter endpoint (225 kg vs. 5 month) were studied. In experiment 2, ad libitum concentrate feeding [grain-fed (GF)] was compared with milk supplementation until slaughter [milk-fed (MF)] in calves slaughtered at 345 kg. As regards to milk intake, carcass weight and degree of fatness were higher in the ADLIB group (P<0.05). The RESTR group revealed a higher percentage of saturated fatty acids (P<0.05). In experiment 2, the MF group exhibited a higher fat percentage (P<0.05), lower press and cooking losses (P<0.05), and higher scores for tenderness and juiciness (P<0.05) than the GF group. The percentage of saturated fatty acids was higher in the MF group (P<0.05). The results suggest that true milk use in veal production could be an advantageous alternative in terms on production costs, animal performance, and carcass and meat quality.     

Breeding objectives for beef cattle used in different production systems: 2. Model application to production systems with the Charolais breed

A general bio-economic model for beef cattle production was used to define breeding objectives for Charolais cattle to be utilized in a variety of linked production systems. Economic weights were calculated for 16 traits (some with both direct and maternal components) in three production systems (pure-breeding and terminal crossing with beef or dairy cows) and two marketing strategies (sale or fattening of weaned surplus calves). Economic weights for the total breeding objective were calculated as weighted averages, where weights were numbers of cows expected to be mated with Charolais bulls in each production system and marketing strategy. Results suggest that the direct component of calving performance and cow longevity were of primary economic importance in all systems. Conception rate of cows and weaning weight reached about 50% of the standardized economic weight of calving performance in purebred systems with sale of weaned calves, whereas in purebred systems with fattening the economic importance of the direct component of cow conception rate, losses at calving, mature weight of cows, weaning weight, and fattening traits were of equal importance (each approximately about 20% that of calving performance). In terminal crossing systems, weaning weight was important when calves were sold at weaning, and fattening traits were important for systems selling fattened animals. The bio-economic model performed well under the conditions of this demonstration and could easily be customized for other applications.     

GAL‐ and VIP‐Immunoreactive Nerve Structures in the Ileum and Large Intestine of Pigs with Dysentery

The morphology, neurochemistry and function of intramural nerve structures in the mammalian gastrointestinal tract are relatively well known, but in normal, healthy individuals. The present study was aimed at investigating the chemical coding of nerve structures in the wall of the ileum and large intestine in normal pigs (n = 3) and in pigs undergoing dysentery (n = 6). Dysentery was evoked by artificial infection of the clinically healthy animals per os with Brachyspira hyodysenteriae. All the animals were deeply anaesthetized and transcardially perfused with 4% paraformaldehyde. The cryostat sections of the intestines were processed for double‐labelling immunohistochemistry using antisera against PGP 9.5, GAL and VIP. In the intramural plexuses of the control pigs, the percentage of GAL‐immunoreactive (GAL‐IR) perykarya varied from 11% (descending colon) to 19% (centrifugal turns of the ascending colon) whereas in the dysenteric pigs, it was distinctly higher, reaching from 28% (ileum) up to 48% (cecum). In the control animals, the percentage of VIP‐IR neuronal somata varied from 3% (descending colon) to 19% (ileum). In dysenteric pigs, it was from 6% (descending colon) up to 28% (cecum). In the muscular coat (MC) and mucous membrane (MM) of the normal intestine, very numerous GAL‐ and VIP‐IR nerve fibres were observed. The nerve fibres in the myenteric plexus (MP) were even more numerous than those in the muscular coat while in the outer (OSP) and inner (ISP) submucous plexuses, they were less abundant. In the dysenteric pigs, the nerve fibres found in MC, MP and OSP were less numerous, whereas those observed in ISP and MM were more abundant than those in the control animals. The present results suggest that GAL and VIP are involved in the regulation of inflammatory processes developing in the porcine gastrointestinal tract during dysentery.     

椰糠对黄瓜穴盘苗生长发育的影响

将草炭、椰糠、蛭石按不同比例配制育苗基质,探讨椰糠对黄瓜秧苗生长发育的影响。结果表明,椰糠具有较好的保水性,酸碱度适合于作为穴盘育苗基质,出苗情况较好,秧苗质量高,证明椰糠是一种良好的园艺栽培基质。     

用吹扫捕集法测定十字花科蔬菜中挥发性物质

采用吹扫捕集技术(Purge and Trap technique)对不同十字花科蔬菜中的挥发性成分进行了富集,以气质联用仪(GC／MS)进行鉴定。结果在白菜、羽衣甘蓝、芥蓝、青花菜、芥菜和大白菜中共鉴定出86种挥发性物质,化合物的种类包括醇类、醛类、酮类、酯类、硫醚类等,同时还发现了硫苷降解产物异硫氰酸盐和腈类等化合物。     

施肥和灌溉对蔬菜品质影响的研究进展

综述了蔬菜品质的内涵及施肥、灌溉对蔬菜品质影响的研究进展。综合前人研究结果可以看出,适量增加施肥量通常可改善蔬菜商品品质,并可提高蔬菜产品中蛋白质、游离氨基酸、有机酸等营养物质指标的含量,但过量施肥则常导致总糖、可溶性糖、抗坏血酸等营养成分含量的降低,并可导致卫生品质及风味品质的降低。合理灌溉可以有效提高蔬菜各种品质指标,但对于许多果菜类而言,适当控制浇水量则有利于营养品质的提高。通常情况下,施肥与灌溉对蔬菜产品品质的影响结果受土壤基础肥力、肥料种类及其配比、蔬菜种类、产品成熟度等因素的影响较大。     

毛皮质量的营养调控

影响毛皮质量的因素很多,如品种、性别、年龄、生理状况、饲料营养、饲养管理、加工过程等。本文从饲料营养水平、添加剂的使用等角度论述营养与毛皮品质的关系。     

HPLC法检测发酵玉米粉中的黄曲霉毒素B1、B2、G1、G2

发酵玉米粉用甲醇∶水(80∶20,V∶V)提取黄曲霉毒素(AFT),经免疫亲合柱(IAC)分离纯化、在线光化学衍生器柱后衍生化后,反相高效液相色谱(HPLC)荧光检测器测定AFT(B1、B2、G1、G2)含量。4种毒素在0.5ng/g和2ng/g2个水平下,样品加标回收率平均值分别为B188.0%和93.6%、B285.2%和85.3%、G192.4%和91.5%、G289.6%和85.6%;5次测定的标准差分别为:B12.5和6.3、B23.5和6.0、G12.8和9.0、G22.3和6.9;4种毒素的方法检出限均达到0.05ng/g。     

不同生长年限王草的营养价值研究

本文对生长第1、2、3年的王草在100cm高度时刈割的营养成分及其体外干物质、有机物降解率进行分析研究。结果表明:不同生长年限王草第1年的粗蛋白质显著高于第2、3年(P<0.05),而中性洗涤纤维(NDF)、酸性洗涤纤维(ADF)显著低于第3年(P<0.05)。干物质、有机物的降解率第1年最高,第3年的最低,但差异不大。