Characterization of ovine strains of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis by restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA hybridization.

Restriction endonuclease analysis and DNA hybridization revealed five ovine strains of Mycobacterium paratuberculosis from South Africa had identical DNA patterns to an ovine strain from Canada. Genetically this strain type has features in common with the two major groups of M. paratuberculosis.     

Humoral recognition of lipopolysaccharide core antigens of gram-negative bacteria in neonatal swine

Serologic recognition of common lipopolysaccharide core antigens has been related to enhanced resistance to gram-negative bacterial disease in several species. Class-specific titers (IgG, IgM) were determined by direct ELISA, using intact Escherichia coli (J5) as a plate antigen. Serum samples were obtained from 224 neonatal swine between the ages of 36 and 60 hours. The mean (+/- SEM) log10 IgG titer against gram-negative core antigens was 1:1,713 +/- 0.4718 and the mean log10 IgM titer was 1:202 +/- 0.5644. The IgG titer was directly related with litter size, birth weight, and serum total IgG concentration; IgM titer was directly related with dam parity and serum total IgG concentration.     

Studies on feasibility of producing Salmonella-free turkeys

The feasibility of producing salmonella-free turkeys was investigated over a 5-year period. In Phase 1, a hatchery-breeder flock operation was monitored extensively for 4 years. Hatching eggs from a primary breeder over this period (1978-81) resulted in salmonella-free day-old poults from which 7500 hens and 600 tons were selected for breeders each of the 4 years. Approximately 2.5 million poults were produced over the 4 years. Salmonella arizonae was isolated from the hatchery debris over a 2-week period in 1980. The pelleted feed contained no animal protein products except fish solubles. A sample of feed from each delivery was cultured with no salmonella isolations. Environmental samples of dust and litter remained negative for salmonella. Phase 2 involved monitoring seven grow-out flocks initiated with salmonella-free poults with extra precautions directed at the feed and environment. The intestinal tracts of five of seven flocks at the time of marketing were negative for salmonella. Phase 3 involved a primary breeder-hatchery that had a 10-year history of S. sandiego infection in its breeder flocks and poults. A vaccination program using an autogenous oil-adjuvant bacterin supplementing other sanitation and management efforts resulted in elimination of S. sandiego. Because the breeder went out of business, it was not possible to determine if the freedom from salmonella could be sustained over a period of years.     

Ostertagia ostertagi infection in the calf: effects of a trickle challenge on appetite, digestibility, rate of passage of digesta and liveweight gain

The effects of a trickle challenge with the equivalent of 10,000 infective Ostertagia ostertagi larvae per day on appetite, digestibility, rate of passage of digesta and liveweight gain were investigated in 12 calves assigned to infected, pair-fed control and ad libitum-fed control groups. Digestibility of cellulose, nitrogen, organic matter and dry matter was determined using insoluble acid detergent fibre as a marker on two occasions during the study: (i) Between days 31 and 38, when abomasal dysfunction was greatest; and (ii) between days 52 and 58, beginning approximately one week after anthelmintic treatment (day 46). Rate of passage of digesta was measured using chromium mordanted hay, fed to each calf after each digestibility study period. Voluntary feed intake of the infected group was significantly reduced from day 37 with the greatest depression (77 per cent) occurring just before anthelmintic treatment. The drop in appetite was responsible for nearly 73 per cent of the difference in liveweight gain between the infected and ad libitum fed control groups. The apparent digestibility coefficient of nitrogen was significantly depressed (22 per cent) in the infected group though was restored to control levels by anthelmintic treatment. The rate of passage of digesta was significantly reduced in both pair-fed control (50 per cent) and infected (74 per cent) groups. Anthelmintic treatment increased the latter though only to pair-fed control group levels. It is suggested that the marked hypergastrinaemia seen in the infected calves may have been in part responsible for the decreased rate of passage of digesta and in turn for the drop in appetite.     

The use of urban organic wastes in the control of erosion in a semiarid Mediterranean soil

Abstract. A two year field experiment was carried out in a semiarid Mediterranean area in order to evaluate, the effect on soil erosion of adding different urban organic wastes: a stabilized municipal waste (compost), an unstabilized municipal waste, and an aerobic sewage sludge. All the treatments significantly reduced soil erosion, compared to the control soil. The soil amended with compost was the most effective treatment, reducing soil loss by 94% and runoff by 54%.     

Kinetics method for the quantitation of anthocyanidins, flavonols, and flavones in foods.

Flavonoids are important dietary constituents owing to their health-promoting properties. As a result, simplified analytic techniques are required for the population of databases with food values so that associations between dietary intake and disease risk/incidence can be established. The current research provides a simplified sample preparation procedure for the accurate estimation of food anthocyanidins, flavones, and flavonols as aglycons. Traditionally, flavonoid aglycons have been formed by acidic hydrolysis. However, some flavonoid aglycons are slowly degraded by acid. A procedure has been developed whereby anthocyanidins and flavonols are deglycosylated with HCl in 50% aqueous methanol and the resulting aglycons subsequently quantified by application of pseudo-first-order kinetics to their degradation. Flavones are also deglycosolated under similar conditions but, at appropriate temperatures, their aglycons are stable in acid, so kinetics were not required for the quantitation of this subclass of flavonoids. Catechins and flavanones were rapidly degraded under the hydrolytic conditions used in these studies.     

Purification of carbonic anhydrase isozyme VI (CA-VI) from swine saliva.

Salivary or secreted carbonic anhydrase (CA), which constitutes a new class of CA, designated CA-VI, was isolated. Swine CA-VI purified from swine saliva by inhibitor-affinity chromatography and ion exchange chromatography had a specific activity of 5,468 units/mg. The molecular weight was 250,000, as determined by gel filtration under non-denaturing conditions, and the subunit molecular weight was found to be 37,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating that swine CA-VI consists of 7 subunits. The treatment of the enzyme with endo-N-acetylglucosaminidase F reduced its subunit molecular weight from 37,000 to 35,000 and 32,000. We raised a rabbit antibody against purfied swine CA-VI. Double immunodiffusion showed that anti-swine CA-VI serum reacted with swine CA-VI and swine saliva, but not with hemolysate (containing CA-I and CA-Il) or muscle extracts (containing CA-III). The concentration of CA-VI in swine saliva, measured using single radial immunodiffusion, was 0.027 +/- 0.017 mg/mg total protein.     

Effects of photostimulation at 18, 24 and 30 weeks of age on the productivity of female turkeys fed ad libitum or restricted until point of lay.

1. Turkey females were fed ad libitum or restricted from 6 weeks of age to achieve mean body weights of 0.6 of ad libitum fed birds on photostimulation at 18, 24 or 30 weeks of age. Body weight, food intake, egg production and hatchability were recorded to 54 weeks of age. 2. Restricted turkeys were fed ad libitum after first egg or 36 weeks of age. Food intake after 30 weeks of age averaged 170 g/bird/d and was similar for all treatments. At 54 weeks of age, restricted turkeys photostimulated at 24 and 30 weeks were not as heavy as turkeys photostimulated at 18 weeks and ad libitum fed turkeys. 3. A large proportion of restricted turkeys photostimulated at 18 weeks of age did not commence lay until 30 to 40 weeks and a significant number of restricted birds photostimulated at 24 weeks had short laying cycles. Restricted birds photostimulated at 30 weeks came into lay and showed similar persistency of lay to ad libitum fed turkeys. 4. Ad libitum fed turkeys laid 115.0, 122.0 and 101.0 and restricted turkeys 92.4, 99.5 and 103.4 eggs when photostimulated at 18, 24 and 30 weeks, respectively. The number of non-settable eggs was lower in restricted compared with ad libitum fed turkeys and declined with age at photostimulation. 5. Egg size at the end of the experiment was similar for ad libitum fed turkeys and restricted birds photostimulated at 18 weeks but was 2.3 g lower for restricted birds photostimulated at 24 and 30 weeks of age. 6. Hatchability was higher, and the proportion of second quality poults was lower with eggs from restricted turkeys. The mean numbers of poults hatched were 59.9, 75.1 and 66.0 for ad libitum fed and 71.7, 65.7 and 79.4 for restricted turkeys photostimulated at 18, 24 and 30 weeks of age.