Effect of stachyose supplementation on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and caecal fermentation characteristics in broilers

1. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether the oligosaccharide stachyose enhances gastrointestinal tract health by fermentation and proliferation of desirable bacteria species and thus affects growth performance and nutrient digestibility in broilers. 2. A total of 432 1-d-old male Arbor Acres (AA) broilers were randomly allocated to one of 6 treatments, with 12 replicate pens per treatment and 6 birds per pen. Chicks were fed a maize-hamlet protein 300 (HP300) basal diet with 0, 4.0, 8.0, 12.0 or 16.0 g/kg stachyose. A sixth diet contained no HP300 but soybean meal (SBM) and provided 8.7 g/kg stachyose and 3.1 g/kg raffinose. The duration of the study was 42 d. 3. Stachyose contents above 12.0 g/kg depressed group body weights, average daily gain and feed/gain but not feed intake during the whole experimental period. Broiler growth decreased linearly and quadratically with increasing stachyose content. No differences were detected between diets supplemented with 12.0 g/kg stachyose and SBM. 4. Nutrient digestibility tended to decrease but not significantly with increasing stachyose. 5. Stachyose content had no significant positive effects on caecal pH, microflora population and the resulting short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolites during the 42 d experiment, with only butyrate differing significantly in the initial period.     

Effect of cortisol on luteinizing hormone release during sexual behavior in the boar.

The effect of inhibiting the rise in cortisol concentrations that occurs at copulation upon luteinizing hormone release was studied in seven adult boars. Plasma samples were collected for assay of luteinizing hormone, testosterone and cortisol on a control day and before, during and after exposure to an estrous sow. The area under the curve was used to evaluate hormone production and treatment effects were evaluated by a paired Student's t-test. The 11 beta-hydroxylase inhibitor, metyrapone, was used to suppress glucocorticoid hormone production. Cortisol concentrations increased significantly (p less than 0.05) after breeding compared to values on the control day while treatment with metyrapone prior to breeding prevented the cortisol increase (p greater than 0.05). Although luteinizing hormone production increased significantly after copulation in both breeding experiments, metyrapone pretreatment resulted in a reduction of luteinizing hormone secretion (p less than 0.05). Testosterone production was also reduced in boars pretreated with metyrapone. The results suggest that the increased levels of cortisol occurring at copulation may enhance luteinizing hormone release in boars.     

美国乙醇市场和玉米消费

3月3日,美国乙醇工业协会(EIA)公布了12月美国乙醇产量报告,另外,近期报道称甲基叔丁基醚(MTBE)将停止使用,在此对乙醇产业市场和玉米消费以及今年剩余时间里可能会影响该产业的因素进行略为详尽的研究。图1显示出美国乙醇产业持续强劲增长的状况。3月3日EIA公布的2005年12月报告显示:美国每天乙醇产量为28万桶,再次创下月度高点。2005年美国乙醇产量为9300万桶(39亿加仑),全年平均日产量为25.5万桶。2005年乙醇产量高于2004年的8100万桶(34亿加仑),2004年日产量为22.1万桶。12月份数据显示当月用于乙醇生产的玉米用量约为1.29亿蒲式耳,…     

Genetic parameters of product quality and hepatic metabolism in fattened mule ducks

Genetic parameters of traits related to hepatic lipid metabolism, carcass composition, and product quality of overfed mule ducks were estimated on both parental lines of this hybrid: the common duck line for the maternal side and the Muscovy line for the paternal side. The originality of the statistical model was to include simultaneously the additive genetic effect of the common ducks and that of the Muscovy ducks, revealing a greater genetic determinism in common than in Muscovy. Plasma metabolic indicators (glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol contents) were heritable, in particular at the end of the overfeeding period, and heritabilities increased with the overfeeding stage. Carcass composition traits were highly heritable in the common line, with values ranging from 0.15 for liver weight, 0.21 for carcass weight, and 0.25 for abdominal fat weight to 0.32 for breast muscle weight. Heritabilities of technological outputs were greater for the fatty liver (0.19 and 0.08, respectively, on common and Muscovy sides for liver melting rate) than for the pectoralis major muscle (between 0.02 and 0.05 on both parental sides for cooking losses). Fortunately, the processing industry is mainly facing problems in liver quality, such as too high of a melting rate, than in meat quality. The meat quality appraisal criteria (such as texture and cooking losses), usually dependent on pH and the rate of decline of pH, were also very lowly heritable. This study demonstrated that genetic determinism of meat quality and ability of overfeeding is not similar in the common population and in the Muscovy population; traits related to fattening, muscle development, and BW have heritability values from 2 to 4 times greater on the common line than on the Muscovy line, which is relevant for considering different selection strategies.     

复方泛菌克对犬细小病毒的临床疗效观察

复方泛菌克是(犬毒必治)一种新型高效复方抗菌、抗病毒药物,能迅速消除动物肠毒素和内毒素,增强胃肠吸收能力,提高机体免疫功能。试验用犬毒必治对30只患犬细小病毒的病犬进行治疗,治愈28只,死亡2只,治愈率为93.3%。     

GA1-2菌株的分离鉴定及其对香蕉尖孢镰刀菌的抑菌效果

为了从土壤中分离筛选对香蕉尖孢镰刀菌具有良好拮抗作用的放线菌,采用平板稀释涂布法从四川省会理县干热河谷小麦根际土壤中进行放线菌分离,并采用平板对峙法和孢子萌发法进行筛选,通过形态特征、培养特征、生理生化特征以及16S r DNA序列分析对筛选菌株进行鉴定。结果表明,从四川省会理县干热河谷小麦根际土壤筛选获得一株对香蕉尖孢镰刀菌4号生理小种Fusarium oxysporum f.sp.cubense race 4(FOC4)菌丝和孢子萌发都有很强抑制作用的菌株GA1-2,对FOC4菌丝和孢子萌发抑制率分别为36.34%和94.81%。菌株GA1-2与薰衣草灰链轮丝菌Streptoverticillium lavenduligriseum的亲缘关系最近,相似率达99.85%,且其形态特征、培养特征、生理生化特征也与薰衣草灰链轮丝菌基本相符,因此将菌株GA1-2初步鉴定为薰衣草灰链轮丝菌。     

A SCAR marker linked to the N gene for resistance to root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

The root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are important nematode pests and cause serious diseases in pepper in the world. No molecular markers linked to the nematodes resistance N gene have been reported. In this paper, ‘Carolina Wonder’ (Capsicum annuum L.), a sweet pepper line resistant to root-knot nematode with N gene, ‘20080-5-29’ (C. annuum L.), an inbred line susceptible to root-knot nematode with good horticultural characteristics, and their F₂ progeny with 320 individuals were used as materials. Evaluation of resistance and susceptibility of parental lines, F₁ and F₂ progeny inoculated with root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) were carried out. ‘Bulked segregant analysis’ method was used to search for polymorphic markers from 512 pairs of AFLP primers. Based on the assessment of resistance and susceptibility and polymorphism of the AFLP marker in F₂ population, the genetic linkage distance between the AFLP marker and the N gene was estimated. One AFLP marker E39/M41-339 was obtained and transferred to a SCAR marker amplifying a 315 bp DNA fragment linked to the N resistant allele and a 331 bp fragment linked to the N⁺ susceptible allele. The distance between the molecular marker and the nematodes resistance N gene is 6.3 cM. This research delivered a valuable tool for the marker assisted selection of nematodes resistance in pepper.     

Modulation of broilers’ caecal microflora and metabolites in response to a potential probiotic Bacillus amyloliquefaciens

Studies have found that a dietary supplement of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens improved the growth performance, increased the nutrient digestibility of hosts and modulated the intestinal microflora. A total of 360 1‐day‐old Ross broilers were randomly divided into three treatments: a control group with a basal diet, an antibiotic group with a basal diet and added colistin sulphate, and a probiotics group with a basal diet and added Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The HiSeq high‐throughput sequencing analysis of 16S rRNA was used to investigate the differences in birds’ caecal microflora, and metabolomics was used to analyse changes in caecal metabolites. Results showed that the supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens significantly improved the BW and ADG compared with the control birds. Results of sequencing indicated that (i) 645, 670, 596 unique operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were found in birds supplemented with Bacillus amyloliquefaciens on day 7, 21 and 42, separately, (ii) due to the diversity and relative abundance of the birds’ caecal microflora, the OTUs of the caecal microflora clustered according to age and treatment, except on day 42, (iii) among the six predominate families (Ruminococcaceae, Lachnospiraceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, Lactobacillaceae and Rikenellaceae), the supplementation of Bacillus amyloliquefaciens significantly increased Enterobacteriaceae on day 42, (iv) Bacillus amyloliquefaciens increased the relative abundance of Faecalibacterium and Ruminococcus on day 21, increased the Faecalibacterium and Blautia and decreased the Ruminococcus on day 42. The metabolomics of caecal metabolites showed that the dietary Bacillus amyloliquefaciens changed the caecal metabolites involved of amino acid metabolism and glyceride metabolism, and the antibiotics changed the caecal metabolites that were related to carbohydrates and amino acid metabolism on day 21.     

高质量发展下我国休闲农业知识产权保护研究

随着农业新业态迅猛发展,我国农业新业态新领域的知识产权保护显著滞后,尤其在休闲农业领域较为突出。加强相关领域知识产权保护,对于促进我国农业高质量发展和乡村振兴具有重要作用。但是由于休闲农业相关知识产权保护制度体系缺乏可借鉴的国际经验、制度执行缺少针对性的保护手段、新型经营主体知识产权保护意识差等问题,对休闲农业长期健康发展造成较大影响。因此,应基于对不同主体知识产权应用与保护诉求的充分了解,精准创设新型知识产权制度、加快管理方式创新、搭建多元参与平台,系统解决创意设计边界不清、农业资源权利主体模糊、技术更迭快过制度供给等问题。