A review of okara (soybean curd residue) utilization as animal feed: Nutritive value and animal performance aspects

Year by year, huge quantities of by-products are generated during the manufacturing process of soybean-based products. Okara is one of the by-products, and it is an insoluble portion of the soybean. It consists of high moisture (8.4–22.9%); on dry matter basis, it contains high metabolizable energy (9.0–14.2 MJ/kg) and other components that include crude protein (20.9–39.1%), crude fiber (12.2–61.3%), crude fat (4.9–21.5%), and ash (3.4–5.3%). Fermentation of okara improves its nutritional quality and reduces its anti-nutrient contents. Due to animals' palatability, okara can be used to replace the soybean meal/concentrate feed partially or completely in ruminant's diet and partially in nonruminant's diet. Okara feeding does not depress the intake, digestibility, growth, milk production, blood metabolic profiles, and meat quality of animals. However, this by-product decays quickly due to its high moisture content, and its heavy weight and sticky nature make it difficult to process and expensive to dry using conventional methods. This paper thoroughly summarizes the utilization of okara as animal feed in the cause of developing a general guideline with favorable levels of inclusion in the diets of animals for its exploitation and valorization. This review will encourage further research to develop eco-friendly and value added feed for animals.     

Effects of porcine small intestinal submucosa on elution characteristics of gentamicin-impregnated plaster of Paris

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effects of small intestinal submucosa (SIS) on elution properties of plaster of Paris (POP). SAMPLE POPULATION: 27 POP cylinders, 27 POP spheres, and 9 polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) spheres. PROCEDURES: Pellets were loaded with gentamicin (50 mg/g) and divided into 7 groups of 9 beads each: PMMA spheres; POP cylinders coated with 0, 4, or 8 layers of SIS; and POP spheres coated with 0, 4, or 8 layers of SIS. Gentamicin concentration was measured 6, 12, 18, 24, 32, 40, and 48 hours and 3, 4, 5, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days after wrapping. Porosity was evaluated via scanning electron microscopy. Curvature factor of elution curves, total amount of drug released (TDR), time required to reach 50% of total release (TDR(t50)), and number of days with concentrations > or = 1 microg/mL were compared among groups. RESULTS: SIS decreased the curvature factor and increased the TDR(t50) and TDR of POP spheres and cylinders. Curvature factor of the PMMA-release curve remained lower than that for any POP group, but all POP groups wrapped in SIS released more gentamicin than PMMA spheres. Gentamicin concentrations remained > or = 1 microg/mL in SIS-wrapped POP and PMMA groups throughout the study. Wrapping POP in SIS minimized the increase in porosity of pellets. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Wrapping POP with SIS slows the release and increases the amount of gentamicin leaching from spheres and cylinders. All groups wrapped in SIS maintained antimicrobial concentrations greater than the minimum inhibitory concentration of most pathogens.     

Application of an electrometric method for measurement of blood cholinesterase activities in sheep, goats and cattle treated with organophosphate insecticides

A modified electrometric cholinesterase method has been described for use in ruminants exposed to organophosphate insecticides. The method was used to measure cholinesterase activities in the plasma and erythrocytes of sheep, goats and cattle treated with organophosphate insecticides under field conditions. The animals were treated topically to control ectoparasites with malathion (0.05%) or diazinon (0.06%). The treated animals did not suffer from adverse effects related to cholinesterase inhibition. However, 2 h after treatments, plasma and erythrocyte cholinesterase activities significantly decreased in sheep by 20% and 39% and in goats by 18% and 30%, respectively, when compared with respective untreated control values. Diazinon did not significantly affect plasma and erythrocyte cholinesterase activities in the cattle. The results suggest that the described electrometric method could be efficiently used for detecting cholinesterase inhibition in ruminants exposed to organophosphate insecticides.     

Glutathione content of in vivo and in vitro matured canine oocytes collected from different reproductive stages

Glutathione (GSH) concentrations of oocytes are considered as an important marker of the cytoplasmic maturation. The present study was designed to compare GSH concentrations of in vivo and in vitro matured canine oocytes. In vivo matured oocytes were collected 72 hr after ovulation by flushing fallopian tubes after laparotomy. Ovaries were collected from bitches with different reproductive stages, and collected oocytes were divided into 2 groups according to the size viz. < 120 microm and > 120 microm in diameter and cultured for 72 hr in Tissue Culture Medium-199 supplemented with 10% FBS, 2.2 mg/ml sodium bicarbonate, 2.0 microg/ml estrogen, 0.5 microg/ml FSH, 0.03 IU/ml hCG, and 1% penicillin-streptomycin solution in the presence or absence of 50 microM beta-mercaptoethanol. GSH concentrations were determined by the dithionitrobenzoic acid-glutathione disulfide (DTNB-GSSG) reductase recycling assay. GSH concentrations of immature canine oocytes were 2.9 and 3.8, 3.5 and 6.8, and 3.1 and 6.5 pM/oocyte for < 120 microm and > 120 microm in diameter oocyte groups at anestrous, follicular and luteal stage, respectively (P<0.05). In vivo matured oocytes had significantly higher GSH concentrations compared with in vitro matured oocytes. The GSH content was 19.2 pM/oocyte for in vivo matured oocytes, while 4.1 to 8.1 and 5.7 to 13.2 pM/oocyte for in vitro matured oocytes cultured in the absence or presence of beta-mercaptoethanol, respectively (P<0.05). Presence of beta-mercaptoethanol increased GSH synthesis in canine oocytes cultured in vitro, and oocytes collected from follicular and luteal stage was superior to anestrus oocytes.     

Comparison of water status indicators for young peach trees

We measured a series of physiological and physical indicators and compared them to xylem sap flow, to identify the most sensitive and reliable plant water status indicator. In the growing season of 1998, 4-year-old peach trees (Prunus persica Batsch cv. 'Suncrest', grafted on 'GF 677' rootstock) were studied under two irrigation treatments, 25 l day^у and no irrigation, and during recovery. Trials were conducted near Pisa (Italy) in a peach orchard situated on a medium clay loam soil and equipped with a drip-irrigation system (four 4 l h^у drippers per tree). Measurements of leaf water potential (ƒ_W), stem water potential (ƒ_S), and leaf temperature (T_l) were taken over 5 days (from dawn to sunset) and analyzed in conjunction with climatic data, sap flow (SF), trunk diameter fluctuation (TDF) and soil water content (SWC). Physiological indicators showed substantial differences in sensitivity. The first indication of changes in water status was the decrease of stem radial growth. TDF and SF revealed significant differences between the two irrigation treatments even in the absence of differences in pre-dawn leaf water potential (pdƒ_W), up until now widely accepted as the benchmark of water status indicators. Irrigated trees showed a typical trend in SF rate during the day, while in non-irrigated plants the maximum peak of transpiration was anticipated. Measurements of water potential showed ƒ_S to be a better indicator of tree water status than ƒ_W. T_l was found to have poor sensitivity. In conclusion, we found the sensitivity of the indicators from the most to the least was: TDF >SF rate >SF cumulated = pdƒ_W=ƒ_S>mdƒ_W>T_l.     

Controlled water table management as a strategy for reducing salt loads from subsurface drainage under perennial agriculture in semi-arid Australia

Recent community based actions to ensure the sustainability of irrigation and protection of associated ecosystems in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA) of Australia has seen the implementation of a regional Land and Water Management Plan. This aims to improve land and water management within the irrigation area and minimise downstream impacts associated with irrigation. One of the plan objectives is to decrease current salt loads generated from subsurface drainage in perennial horticulture within the area from 20 000 tonnes/year to 17 000 tonnes/year. In order to meet such objectives Controlled Water table Management (CWM) is being investigated as a possible ‘Best Management Practice’, to reduce drainage volumes and salt loads.During 2000–2002 a trial was conducted on a 15 ha subsurface drained vineyard. This compared a traditional unmanaged subsurface drainage system with a controlled drainage system utilizing weirs to maintain water tables and changes in irrigation scheduling to maximize the potential crop use of a shallow water table. Drainage volumes, salt loads and water table elevations throughout the field were monitored to investigate the effects of controlled drainage on drain flows and salt loads.Results from the experiment showed that controlled drainage significantly reduced drainage volumes and salt loads compared to unmanaged systems. However, there were marked increases in soil salinity which will need to be carefully monitored and managed.     

Potato evapotranspiration and yield under different drip irrigation regimes

A field experiment comparing different irrigation frequencies and soil matric potential thresholds on potato evapotranspiration (ET), yield (Y) and water-use efficiency (WUE) was carried out in a loam soil. The experiment included five treatments for soil matric potential: F1 (-15 kPa), F2 (-25 kPa), F3 (-35 kPa), F4 (-45 kPa) and F5 (-55 kPa) and six treatments for irrigation frequency: N1 (once every day), N2 (once every 2 days), N3 (once every 3 days), N4 (once every 4 days), N6 (once every 6 days) and N8 (once every 8 days). Results indicate that both soil matric potential and drip irrigation frequency influenced potato ET, Y and WUE. Potato ET increased as irrigation frequency and soil matric potential increased. Comparing soil water potential, the highest ET was 63.4 mm (32.1%) more than the lowest value. Based on irrigation frequency treatments, the highest ET was 36.7 mm (19.2%) more than the lowest value. Potato Y and WUE were also found to increase as irrigation frequency increased. Potato Y increased with an increase in soil water potential then started to decrease. The highest Y and WUE values were achieved with a soil matric potential threshold of -25 kPa and an irrigation frequency of once a day.Communicated by J. Ayars     

Simulation of drainage water quality with DRAINMOD

The design and management of drainage systems should consider impacts on drainage water quality and receiving streams, as well as on agricultural productivity. Two simulation models that are being developed to predict these impacts are briefly described. DRAINMOD-N uses hydrologic predictions by DRAINMOD, including daily soil water fluxes, in numerical solutions to the advective-dispersive-reactive (ADR) equation to describe movement and fate of NO₃-N in shallow water table soils. DRAINMOD- CREAMS links DRAINMOD hydrology with submodels in CREAMS to predict effects of drainage treatment and controlled drainage losses of sediment and agricultural chemicals via surface runoff. The models were applied to analyze effects of drainage intensity on a Portsmouth sandy loam in eastern North Carolina. Depending on surface depressional storage, agricultural production objectives could be satisfied with drain spacings of 40 m or less. Predicted effects of drainage design and management on NO₃-N losses were substantial. Increasing drain spacing from 20 m to 40 m reduced predicted NO₃-N losses by over 45% for both good and poor surface drainage. Controlled drainage further decreases NO₃-N losses. For example, predicted average annual NO₃-N losses for a 30 m spacing were reduced 50% by controlled drainage. Splitting the application of nitrogen fertilizer, so that 100 kg/ha is applied at planting and 50 kg/ha is applied 37 days later, reduced average predicted NO₃-N losses but by only 5 to 6%. This practice was more effective in years when heavy rainfall occurred directly after planting. In contrast to effects on NO₃-N losses, reducing drainage intensity by increasing drain spacing or use of controlled drainage increased predicted losses of sediment and phosphorus (P). These losses were small for relatively flat conditions (0.2% slope), but may be large for even moderate slopes. For example, predicted sediment losses for a 2% slope exceeded 8000 kg/ha for a poorly drained condition (drain spacing of 100 m), but were reduced to 2100 kg/ha for a 20 m spacing. Agricultural production and water quality goals are sometimes in conflict. Our results indicate that simulation modeling can be used to examine the benefits of alternative designs and management strategies, from both production and environmental points-of-view. The utility of this methodology places additional emphasis on the need for field experiments to test the validity of the models over a range of soil, site and climatological conditions.