Effect of citrus pulp silage feeding on concentration of beta‐cryptoxanthin in plasma and milk of dairy cows

Citrus pulp is known to contain a functional molecule of beta‐cryptoxanthin which is one of the carotenoids showing anti‐oxidative capacity. Influences of citrus pulp silage feeding to dairy cows on beta‐cryptoxanthin concentration in plasma, other blood properties and milking performances were investigated. Four Holstein cows were fed total mixed ration (TMR) containing citrus pulp silage 20% dry matter (DM) for 2 weeks with free access to the TMR. Dry mater intake, milk production and milk components 2 weeks later were not altered compared with those of the control group without citrus pulp silage. Activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanin aminotransferase and gamma‐glutamyltranspeptidase in plasma were not affected by feeding of citrus pulp silage. Concentrations of protein, albumin, sulfhydryl residue, ascorbic acid, thio‐barbituric acid reactive substance and urea nitrogen in plasma were also not altered by citrus pulp silage feeding. Concentration of beta‐cryptoxanthin in plasma was increased approximately 20‐fold compared with the control group (P < 0.05). Content of beta‐cryptxanthin in pooled milk fat fraction was also increased approximately three times compared with that of the control group. Feeding of TMR containing citrus pulp silage 15% DM for 30 days to eight dairy cows also increased plasma beta‐cryptoxanthin concentration 30‐fold compared with that before feeding.     

Heavy metal contamination of agricultural soil and countermeasures in Japan

Many heavy metals exist in minute amounts in natural agricultural soil. However, when their amounts exceed a certain level due to pollutants brought from outside, soil contamination occurs and agricultural products become contaminated. There have been many cases in Japan of heavy metal contamination originating from old mines and smelters, and soil contamination of agricultural land has become a social issue. In particular, cadmium (Cd) is one of the most harmful heavy metals. If agricultural products absorb an excessive amount of Cd, they may adversely affect people’s health, and therefore allowable concentrations are regulated by law. If agricultural land has become contaminated with Cd, measures for minimizing the absorption of Cd by agricultural crops are necessary; these include: (1) soil dressing, (2) water management (paddy field), (3) chemical cleaning of soil, (4) phytoextraction, and (5) use of different varieties and rootstock. Other heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, copper, zinc, and mercury also sometimes cause contamination of agricultural soil.     

Granulomatous lymphadenitis associated with Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 in slaughter barrows

This study evaluated the occurrence of granulomatous lymphadenitis and its association with Actinobacillus spp. in 151 653 slaughtered pigs. Markedly enlarged pulmonary hilar, mediastinal, mandibular or hepatic lymph nodes were detected in 6 castrated males. The cut surfaces showed multifocal yellow-white lesions. Histologically, gram-negative bacilli were visible in the centers of the lesions with asteroid bodies, epithelioid cells, and multinucleated giant cells. Dense fibrous connective tissue surrounded these granulomatous lesions. Immunohistochemically, the organisms reacted with polyclonal antibodies against Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 in all 6 barrows. The organism was isolated from the lymph nodes of all 6 animals. The results indicate that the granulomatous lymphadenitis was associated with A. pleuropneumoniae serotype 2 and the disorder had a tendency to occur in slaughter barrows.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community of wheat under long-term mineral and organic amendments in semi-arid Mediterranean Turkey

A minimal amount of information is currently available concerning arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal associations with crops in semi-arid zones on Leptosols in Turkey. Therefore, using molecular ecological techniques, we studied the effects of different management practices (without fertilization, chemical fertilization, farmyard manure, and plant compost amendments) on AM fungal communities associated with wheat roots. Experiments were conducted in a field established in 1996 in southern Mediterranean Turkey where soil productivity is low owing to unfavorable climatic effects and soil characteristics. We determined 201 partial sequences of AM fungal nuclear ribosomal large subunit genes. The higher AM fungal richness was found in the control treatment without fertilization and plant compost treatments compared with the chemical fertilization and farmyard manure treatments. Clones related to Rhizophagus were found in all treatments and accounted for 37% of the total AM fungal clones, whereas those of Funneliformis were dominant under chemical fertilization. Redundancy analysis based on the frequency of operational taxonomic units revealed that AM fungal communities were divided into three groups, namely, the control treatment, the chemical fertilization treatment, and the organic treatments (farmyard manure and plant compost treatments). Although different organic amendments supported relatively similar AM fungal communities, plant compost induced higher AM fungal richness than farmyard manure fertilization.     

High night temperature stimulates photosynthesis, biomass production and growth during the vegetative stage of rice plants

The effects of night temperature on biomass accumulation and plant morphology were examined in rice ( Oryza sativa L.) during vegetative growth. Plants were grown under three different night temperatures (17, 22 and 27°C) for 63 days. The day temperature was maintained at 27°C in all treatments. The final biomass of the plants was greatest in the plants grown at the highest night temperature. Total leaf area and tiller number were also the greatest in this treatment. Growth analysis indicated that the relative growth rate in the 27°C night-temperature treatment was maximal between days 21–42 and this was caused by increases in leaf area ratio, leaf weight ratio and specific leaf area. Plant total nitrogen contents did not differ among treatments. However, nitrogen allocation to the leaf blades was highest and the accumulation of sucrose and starch in the leaf blades and sheaths was the lowest in the 27°C night-temperature treatment by day 42. Despite this, dark respiration was also highest, and both the gross and net rates of CO₂ uptake at the level of the whole plant at day 63 were the highest in the 27°C night-temperature treatment. Thus, high night temperature strongly stimulated the growth of leaf blades during the early stage of rice plant growth, leading to increased biomass during the vegetative stage of the rice plants. As the CO₂ uptake rate per total leaf area was higher, photosynthesis at the level of the whole plant was also stimulated by a high night temperature.     

Effects of the application of carbonaceous adsorbents on pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) uptake of heptachlor epoxide in soil

The use of heptachlor, a cyclodiene-type insecticide, has been banned since the 1970s because of its carcinogenic potential. However, its metabolite, heptachlor exo -epoxide (HEPX), has still been detected in the fruit of cucurbits produced in some areas. It is important to reduce the daily intake of HEPX contained in food. To address this issue, the effects of carbonaceous adsorbents on the uptake of HEPX from the soil by Cucurbita maxima Dutch. (winter squash) were investigated. Amorphous organic carbons, such as peat moss and wood chips, did not affect the concentration of HEPX in the soil solution or the amount present in the shoots. In contrast, relatively condensed carbon, such as activated carbons, decreased the concentration of HEPX in the soil solution and in the shoots. The uptake amount in the shoot was closely correlated with the concentration of HEPX in the soil solution, which suggests that its uptake by C .  maxima depends on its concentration in the soil solution. Activated carbons did not affect the growth of C .  maxima . Therefore, the application of activated carbon to soil contaminated with HEPX appears to be an effective method of reducing the uptake of HEPX by C .  maxima .     

Artificial insemination with canine semen stored at a low temperature

Cooled canine semen solutions for storage were investigated with three stock solutions: egg yolk-citrate-glycine-glucose solution, egg yolk Tris-fructose citrate solution (EYT-FC), and egg yolk sodium citrate dihydrate solution (EYCD). For the control group, the second fraction of semen was examined. Nine male beagles and 37 female (47 experimental cases) beagles for artificial insemination (AI) were used. The qualities of semen stored at 4 degrees C deteriorated earlier in the control and EYCD groups. In the other two groups, sperm motility was 60% or higher after storage for 6 days and 20% or higher after storage for 12 days. On a comparison of these two groups, the sperm motility and viability were slightly higher in the EYT-FC group. A high conception rate was obtained by AI using semen stored at a low temperature for a maximum of two days in the control group and four days in the EYT-FC group.     

Effects of bovine lactoferrin by the intramammary infusion in cows with staphylococcal mastitis during the early non-lactating period

To evaluate the clinical effects of bovine lactoferrin on staphylococcal mastitis in Holstein cows during the early non-lactating period, 41 mammary quarters were selected randomly from 36 cows on 3 dairy farms. Twelve quarters were infused intramammarily with bovine lactoferrin. Twenty-nine quarters were infused with antibiotic as a control. In the bovine lactoferrin-infused group, 91.7% of mastitic quarters were cured at 7 days after calving, compared with 48.3% in the control group. Furthermore, the changes in mammary secretion induced by the infusion of bovine lactoferrin were investigated. Mean numbers of staphylococci in mammary gland secretions were significantly decreased in both 5 bovine lactoferrin-infused quarters and 5 antibiotic-infused control quarters (p<0.05). Unlike in the control quarters, the mean total cell concentration in the mammary gland secretions increased in bovine lactoferrin-infused quarters. Similar results were obtained in 6 healthy quarters which were infused with bovine lactoferrin. In these quarters, the cell population contained mainly phagocytes such as polymorphonuclear leukocytes and cells positive for CD11b which is known as a complement receptor. The mean concentration of C3 in mammary gland secretions was significantly increased in 5 mastitic quarters infused with bovine lactoferrin (p<0.05), but showed no significant change in 5 mastitic control quarters. These results suggested that bovine lactoferrin treatment for staphylococcal mastitis in the early non-lactating period might increase the rate of cure through the induction of innate immunity in the host.     

Ruminal distribution of the cellulolytic bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes in relation to its phylogenetic grouping

To investigate the ecological importance of the cellulolytic bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes in fiber digestion, ruminal distribution of F. succinogenes was determined in relation to its phylogenetic grouping. Rumen digesta from wethers and steers fed orchardgrass hay, rice straw or fresh orchardgrass were employed as the materials for the analyses. Orchardgrass hay stem incubated in the rumen was also used. By using total DNA extracted from these materials, population sizes of total F. succinogenes and of four different phylogenetic groups of this species were quantitated through competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR products targeted the bacterial 16S rDNA. Rumen digesta and ruminally incubated hay stems had a reasonably high population size of F. succinogenes (×10^7?8/g) that was composed of strains belonging to the phylogenetic groups 1 and 3. The relative abundance of each group was different among the samples; group 1 dominated on the ruminally incubated hay stem and in the rumen of wethers fed fresh orchardgrass, while group 3 was major in the rumen of wethers and steers on hay diet. These results suggest that there could be phenotypic differences among the phylogenetic groups of F. succinogenes, and group 1 dominating on hay stem might contribute to rumen fiber digestion more than the other groups.     

Effects of high ambient temperature and restricted feed intake on urinary and plasma 3-methylhistidine in lactating Holstein cows

Three experiments were performed to examine the effects of high ambient temperature and feed restrictions on urinary 3‐methylhistidine (3MH) excretion and plasma 3MH concentrations as a marker of myofibrillar proteolysis in lactating Holstein cows. In a crossover design, four cows were maintained during two 14‐day treatment periods with ad libitum feed intake under constant moderate (18°C) or high (28°C) ambient temperature (Experiment 1), with ad libitum or 70% ad libitum feed intake under constant moderate temperature (Experiment 2), and with 70% ad libitum feed intake under constant moderate or high ambient temperature (Experiment 3). The total digestible nutrients intake was decreased (P < 0.01) under high ambient temperature (Experiment 1) or feed restriction (Experiment 2). Across experiments, urinary 3MH excretion during days 10–14 of each treatment period was not different among treatments. However, the plasma 3MH concentrations at day 14 of treatment were increased significantly under high ambient temperature with subsequent reduced feeding (P < 0.01) or moderate temperature with feed restriction (P < 0.05), and were increased slightly (P = 0.11) under high ambient temperature alone. These results show that the plasma marker of myofibrillar proteolysis in lactating dairy cows was increased at day 14 of treatments of high ambient temperature with subsequent reduced feeding, moderate temperature with feed restriction, or high ambient temperature alone.