Spray‐dried porcine plasma improves feed intake of weaned piglets subjected to heat stress

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of spray‐dried porcine plasma (SDPP) on performance, measurement of thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), body temperature and relative organ weights of weaned piglets exposed to a heat stress or a thermoneutral environment. One hundred and forty‐four piglets with initial BW of 5.82 ± 0.33 kg (28 d old) were used. The experimental design was a 4 x 2 factorial arrangement, four plasma levels (0.0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5%) and two environments (34º [heat stress (HS)] and 24°C [thermoneutral (TN)]). SDPP was fed from weaning (28 d of age) to the end of the trial (piglets were weighed at the beginning, 7, 21 and 35 days of trial). Rectal, neck, shoulder and leg temperatures were measured every seven days. At 21 days of trial, one piglet per pen was slaughtered to determine the weight of the carcass and organs. Blood samples were collected at 18 and 35 days of trial to determine levels T3 and T4. The rectal, neck, shoulder and leg temperatures were increased (p < 0.05) 0.4, 1.5, 1.0 and 1.3ºC, respectively, and relative weight of the lungs (p < 0.05) and total T3 (p < 0.05) were decreased 0.001 kg/kg and 0.19 ng/dl, respectively, for pigs in the HS environment. The estimated inclusion of 5.1% of SDPP had the greatest (p < 0.05) weight gain during the first week, and throughout the nursery phase, the 5% of inclusion had a tendency of improvement (p = 0.075), regardless of ambient temperature. For the entire period, pigs reared in the HS environment had the greatest (p < 0.05) estimated feed intake by the quadratic regression with the inclusion of 4.3% of SDPP.     

Carcass characteristics and meat quality of lambs fed babassu cake (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Orbignya speciosa</Emphasis>) as a replacement for elephant grass silage

The study aimed to evaluate the effect of the partial replacement of elephant grass silage with babassu cake (Orbignya speciosa) on the carcass characteristics and meat quality of feedlot lambs. Forty-five castrated male Santa Ines sheep (19.08?±?0.41 kg) approximately 4 months old were distributed in a completely randomized design, with five treatments 0.0, 12.5, 25.0, 37.5 and 50 % (%DM) replacement of babassu cake with silage forming isoproteic diets formulated at a ratio of 40 % roughage to 60 % concentrate. All of the studied animals were slaughtered at the end of the experiment. The liver weights and yields increased with the inclusion of babassu cake. The weight of the shoulder increased from 2.31 to 2.61 kg, while the loin yield decreased from 7.38 to 6.64 % with the inclusion of babassu cake, both linearly. The body length, thoracic perimeter, rump perimeter and carcass compactness index showed high and positive correlations with the hot and cold carcass weights. The myofibrillar fragmentation index decreased linearly as a function of the inclusion level of babassu cake, but other quality variables were not affected. The replacement of up to 50 % of the elephant grass silage with babassu cake in the diet of lambs does not cause negative effects on carcass characteristics or meat quality.     

Elephant grass, sugarcane, and rice bran in diets for confined sheep

We aimed to evaluate the effects of diets, based on elephant grass or sugarcane as roughage and corn meal or rice bran as energy concentrate, on performance and body composition in terms of diet intake and digestibility. A total of 30 Santa Ines crossbreds (SIC), castrated male sheep with 19.8?±?2.0?kg initial body weight (BW) were used. Six animals were slaughtered at the onset of the experiment to estimate the initial body composition for the other animals. The remaining 24 animals were distributed in a completely randomized 2?×?2 factorial design, with four treatments (two roughages and two concentrates) and six replicates. The sheep were slaughtered when they reached 30.0?kg BW. Elephant grass diets provided higher intake and digestibility than sugarcane diets for the following contents: dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre, minerals, total carbohydrates (TC), and total digestible nutrients (TDN). Among the concentrates, corn meal diets were associated with higher intakes than rice bran diets for the following contents: DM, OM, CP, TC, and TDN. Animals from all of the treatments exhibited low average daily weight gain and low protein and high fat and energy body levels. Sugarcane and rice bran can be used as ingredients in diets for sheep with low weight gain potential. Regardless of roughage or concentrate types used in diets for confined SIC sheep, performance and body composition remained unaltered.     

番茄红素常用提取工艺研究

实验以对番茄进行高附加值深加工研究为目的,采用有机溶剂浸提法,微波辅助提取法和超声波辅助提取法从新鲜番茄,番茄酱中提取番茄红素。结果表明:冷冻干燥的预加工方法对番茄红素的提取有所促进;微波辅助提取法和超声波辅助提取法较有机溶剂浸提法提取番茄中番茄红素的提取含量之比分别是:1.57∶1和2.19∶1。微波辅助提取番茄红素的建议工艺条件:55℃,30 s。在300 w,50℃,6 min,料液比1∶6(V/V);超声辅助提取番茄红素的建议提取溶剂是乙酸乙酯。     

The first stars in the universe and cosmic reionization

The earliest generation of stars, far from being a mere novelty, transformed the universe from darkness to light. The first atoms to form after the Big Bang filled the universe with atomic hydrogen and a few light elements. As gravity pulled gas clouds together, the first stars ignited and their radiation turned the surrounding atoms into ions. By looking at gas between us and distant galaxies, we know that this ionization eventually pervaded all space, so that few hydrogen atoms remain today between galaxies. Knowing exactly when and how it did so is a primary goal of cosmologists, because this would tell us when the early stars formed and in what kinds of galaxies. Although this ionization is beginning to be understood by using theoretical models and computer simulations, a new generation of telescopes is being built that will map atomic hydrogen throughout the universe.     

Replacement levels of elephant grass by moist pineapple by-product silage in diets of Santa Inês crossbred sheep: performance and digestibility

The present study evaluated the effect of replacing elephant grass (EG) with moist pineapple by-product silage (PS) on the apparent digestibility, consumption of digestible nutrients and performance of 25 castrated male lambs Santa Ines crossbreds. The lambs had an initial body weight of 20.2?±?3.5 kg and were housed in individual pens in a completely randomised design with five treatments (replacement of EG by PS at five proportions of 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %) and five replicates during 74 days. There was no significant effect of PS replacement proportions on the intake of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), total carbohydrates (TC), non-fibrous carbohydrates or total digestible nutrients (TDN). The consumption of crude protein (CP) decreased linearly with the inclusion of PS in the diets. The digestibility of DM, OM and TCs as well as levels of TDN increased linearly with the addition of PS. The use of PS in the diets had no significant effect on the digestibility of CP and neutral detergent fibre corrected for ashes and protein (NDFom(n)). These results demonstrated that there was no difference in the performance of animals fed diets with or without PS.     

Behavior of sheep fed babassu cake (Orbygnia speciosa) as a substitution for elephant grass silage

This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of sheep fed babassu cake as a substitution for elephant grass silage. The experiment was conducted at the Federal Rural University of Amazonia (Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia ‐ UFRA), Brazil, using 45 sheep housed in individual stalls, with unlimited access to feed and distributed in a completely randomized design with five treatments (0, 12.5, 25, 37.5 and 50% inclusion of babassu cake) and nine replications. All of the treatments contained a roughage‐to‐concentrate ratio of 40:60. No differences were observed in the time spent feeding (P > 0.05), regardless of the source of roughage used. However, there was a reduction in the time spent in rumination (P < 0.05) and an increase in time spent idling (P < 0.05) when babassu cake was included in the diet. Although there was a reduction in the time spent chewing the ruminal bolus (P < 0.05), the total daily chewing time was the same for all animals (P > 0.05). However, the sheep fed babassu cake showed higher feeding and rumination efficiency (P < 0.05). Therefore, the substitution of elephant grass silage with babassu cake can be performed at up to 50% without compromising the total time spent eating and chewing, which allows increased feeding and rumination efficiency.     

Performance and digestibility of growing sheep fed with a?ai seed meal-based diets

This trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of a?ai seeds in the diet of sheep, specifically, to evaluate the intake, digestibility, and weight gain in sheep that are fed with diets containing four different mixtures of a?ai seeds and coastcross hay. Sixteen noncastrated male sheep with an average initial body weight of 22?kg were randomly assigned to one of four diet treatments using initial body weight as a covariate. The diets used coastcross hay as the basal roughage in a 60:40 roughage/concentrate ratio. The concentrate was the same in all the treatments. The a?ai seed was added to the diet as a partial substitute for the coastcross hay to make up four diet treatments: 0 (control), 5, 10, and 15?% a?aí added to the diet on a dry matter basis. The daily weight gain, final body weight, and feed intake were found to linearly increase with the increase in added dietary a?ai seed meal (P?相似文献