Growout production of camouflage grouper, Epinephelus polyphekadion (Bleeker), in a tank culture system

Growout production of the camouflage grouper, Epinephelus polyphekadion (Bleeker), in a 10-m³-capacity fibreglass tank culture system was evaluated, using hatchery-produced fingerlings (56-59 g initial weight) at stocking densities of five, 15 and 45 fish m^?3. During the first 9 months of a 12-month growout period, the fish were fed twice a day with a moist pellet feed containing 40.9% protein. From month 10 onwards until harvest, the fish were fed moist pellets in the morning and trash fish in the evening at a 1:1 ratio. The final weight of fish at harvest was up to 900 g, with mean weights of 544.6 ± 170.72 g at five fish m^?3, 540.2 ± 150.82 g at 15 fish m-^?3 and 513.3 ± 134.52 g at 45 fish m^?3. The results showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in growth rate and fish size between the different stocking densities tested. The average daily growth rate ranged from 0.62 to 3.38 g fish^?1 day^?1, with mean weights of 1.49 ± 0.74 g fish^?1 day^?1 at five fish m^?3 through 0.53 to 2.38 g fish^?1 day^?1, 1.32 ± 0.57 g fish^?1 day^?1 at 15 fish m^?3 to 0.48-3.32 g fish^?1 day^?1 and 1.31 g fish^?1 day^?1 at 45 fish m^?3 stocking density. Although up to 100% survival was observed at the lowest stocking density, the survival rate significantly decreased (P < 0.05) with increasing stocking density. The food conversion ratio (FCR) significantly decreased (P <0.05) with increasing stocking densities, showing efficient feed utilization with increasing stocking densities of E. polyphekadion. The FCR averaged 2.1 at a stocking density of 45 fish m^?3. The yield in terms of kg fish produced m^?3 of water used in the culture system significantly increased (P < 0.001) from five to 45 fish m^?3. The yield averaged 17.3 ±0.53 kg m^?3 at a stocking density of 45 fish m^?3. The present results show that the present tank culture system could sustain more biomass in terms of increasing fish stocking densities. The growth performance of E. polyphekadion observed during this investigation has been reviewed with other grouper species.     

Stocking method effects on forage accumulation,canopy attributes,and nutritive value of grazed Mulato II brachiariagrass pastures

Rotational stocking (RS) is generally associated with the intensification of pasture-based animal production systems, although many studies have shown little advantage over continuous stocking (CS). The objective of this research was to describe and explain the effects of two average canopy heights (20 and 30 cm) and three stocking methods (CS; rotational stocking with lenient defoliation, RSL; and rotational stocking with moderate defoliation, RSM) on forage accumulation (FA), vertical distribution of plant-part components, and nutritive value of ‘Mulato II’ hybrid brachiariagrass (Brachiaria spp. syn. Urochloa spp.) during two summer rainy seasons in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil. Pastures were maintained at average canopy height of 20 and 30 cm under CS, and treatments under RSL and RSM were imposed by variations of ±20 and 30% of the average canopy heights, representing defoliation intensities of 33 and 47% of the pre-graze heights, respectively. The FA was not affected by CS, RSL, RSM stocking methods, averaging 8090 kg DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Canopy bulk density and distribution of plant-part components in the canopy profile were better at the average canopy height of 20 cm, accompanied by the greater nutritive value. The leaf bulk density was generally greater in RSM compared to CS. Pastures under CS had greater crude protein and in vitro digestible matter, and lesser neutral detergent fibre concentrations. Mulato II brachiariagrass should be managed at an average height of 20 cm under CS.     

Re-ensiling effects on inoculated sorghum: Intake,apparent digestibility,nitrogen balance,and animal feeding behaviour

This study aimed to determine whether using inoculants and re-ensiling in sorghum silages affect the intake and feeding behaviour, apparent digestibility, digestible energy, and nitrogen balance of sheep in maintenance. Half the sorghum was inoculated on the day of harvest, and the other half received the same inoculation volume but with water. Sorghum was ensiled in 100 experimental metal drum silos of 200 L covered with plastic: 50 silos with inoculants and 50 without them. After 56 days, 25 drums with inoculants and 25 without were exposed to air for 48 h. The other silos remained closed. The treatments were arranged in a 2 × 2 factorial scheme with inoculation and re-ensiling. The sheep received the silages after 211 days of ensiling and 155 days of re-ensiling to determine the intake, apparent digestibility, and feeding behaviour of animals. The experimental design was a simultaneous double 4 × 4 Latin square. The re-ensiling process increased silage pH, N-NH₃.TN⁻¹, butyric acid, and propionic acid. The inoculant increased propionic acid in ensiled and re-ensiled silages. Lactic acid concentration presented a statistical interaction with the inoculated and ensiled silage, 58% higher than the other treatment averages. The ADFap digestibility showed a complex interaction, in which the control ensiled and the inoculated and re-ensiled silages were about 35% lower than the inoculated ensiled silage. The Nbal:Nint ratio (g.g⁻¹) in the inoculated and re-ensiled silage had lower nitrogen retention than intake compared with the other treatments. These results indicate that exposing inoculated silages to air does not compromise their use in sheep feeding.     

Chemical and Physicochemical Properties of Maize Starch After Industrial Nixtamalization

Processing conditions similar to traditional nixtamalization are now used by the industry in the production of dry maize flours (DMF). The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of industrial nixtamalization on maize starch. Thus, dent maize grains were sampled from storage silos and the starch isolated (S). From the same batch of maize, DMF was obtained and the starch isolated (S‐DMF). The amylose content in the starches was quite similar (21.5–23.4%) and characteristic of a dent maize. However, nixtamalization increased the calcium content in S‐DMF. The starches investigated exhibited the typical A‐type diffraction pattern after 40 days of storage at 11–84.1% rh. However, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that annealing of maize starch occurred during storage at 30°C. On the other hand, industrial nixtamalization has both a melting and annealing effect on maize starch. Thus, the operative glass transition temperature (T_g), and the DSC parameters that define starch gelatinization (T_p and ΔH) showed that the proportion between crystalline and amorphous regions within the starch granule and the extent of physical damage to starch were modified by nixtamalization. As an example, T_g for S was between 60 and 62.5°C, while the S‐DMF had a T_g of 45–55°C for damaged starch and 65–70°C for annealed starch. Additionally, the extraction of the nonconstitutive starch lipids provided starches with more consistent thermal properties, particularly in the behavior of gelatinization at different water content. This last observation might have important implications in the consistency of starch physicochemical properties and, consequently, in the quality of maize products such as tortillas.     

Production and characterization of fibroin hydrogel using waste silk fibers

The use of natural resources, especially processing wastes, as low cost and environmentally friendly alternative aiming high value-added applications is a subject of broad interest. Since the Brazilian silk production annually generates a large amount of waste during the silk fibers processing, this work explores the preparation and characterization of silk fibroin hydrogels using spinning waste silk fibers from textile processing and the processed ones. Hydrogels were obtained directly by dialyzing silk fibroin solutions against frequent changes of water until the gelation point and then lyophilized and characterized in terms of their morphology, crystallinity, thermal resistance and secondary structure. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed the presence of β-sheet conformation related to sol-gel transition. FT-IR spectra indicated the coexistence of random coil (silk I) and β-sheet (silk II) structures, with predominance of β-sheet conformation for hydrogels from processed silk fibers. From thermogravimetric analysis the presence of β-sheet secondary conformation was demonstrated by a degradation peak around 292 °C for both hydrogels. Freeze-dried hydrogels presented sheet or leaf like morphology and no significant change was observed among the hydrogels from waste silk fibers and processed ones. These characteristics suggest that silk fibroin hydrogels prepared from spinning waste silk fibers and obtained directly by dialysis can be potential candidates for biomaterials application, such as drug delivery systems and for wound dressings.     

Digestive dynamics during chyme formation of Octopus maya (Mollusca,Cephalopoda)

In the present study, digestive dynamics, measured through the changes in the in situ pH along the digestive tract, was evaluated along with the glycogen concentration in the digestive gland (DG) and the proteolytic enzyme activity of the gastric juice (GJ) (both acid and alkaline proteases) to obtain useful information that will allow for the understanding of the DG's function and the role that it plays as an extracellular digestive enzyme source and for energy storage, providing new information on the digestive physiology of Octopus maya. The results showed that pH along the digestive tract changed according to the postprandial time following the food transit. At the beginning, the pH on crop (St) was 5, changing to 6 when the food arrived. Similar changes were observed on the caecum (Ce) and DG. Glycogen from DG is used as a source of energy during digestion and recovered 8 h after feeding. Maximum activities of digestive gland GJ enzymes were observed 6 h after feeding, indicating that chyme enzymes are still active when they arrive at the DG's lumen. The presence of food in the digestive tract modifies the pH, which, in combination with GJ, favours the activity of the released enzymes of O. maya.     

Trophic Ecology of Arapaima sp. in a ria lake—river–floodplain transition zone of the Amazon

Neotropical floodplains are usually productive systems that are maintained by the nutrient, detritus and sediment inputs provided by the main river channel flood pulse. Ria lakes represent a special feature and habitat in the Amazonian floodplains, being characterised by a dendritic morphology and dependence on terrestrial inputs provided by an intricate stream network. Our objective was to evaluate the trophic ecology of the arapaima (Arapaima sp.). We combined stomach content analysis with measurements of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope values from dorsal muscle to infer the ontogenetic changes in trophic level and isotopic niche width in floodplain and ria lakes. Arapaima diet was dominated by fish from low trophic positions. While most of the stomachs sampled in the study ria lake were full, empty stomachs predominated in samples taken in the floodplain lakes. These differences indicate that ria lakes may provide better feeding grounds for arapaima during the dry season, presumably because ria lakes are interconnected with a large stream network and the main river channel year round. Nitrogen stable isotope results further indicated an ontogenetic dietary shift in arapaima, with piscivory increasing as a function of length in both environments. Carbon stable isotope analysis indicated that energy sources used by arapaima varied by environment, with arapaima using a greater diversity of food sources in ria lakes than in floodplain lakes. Information about the main carbon sources is useful for fishery management because stakeholders may choose to conserve key vegetal groups to ensure the productivity and diversity of aquatic ecosystems.     

西班牙养猪密集地区同时流行A型流感病毒H1N2、H1N1和H3N2亚型的证据

本文报道了对西班牙养猪密集地区进行的猪流感病毒(SIV)血清学和病毒学调查结果,其目的是检测H1N2亚型猪流感病毒是否和在欧洲其它地区一样也流行于这些地区。在西班牙北部和东部地区100个未接种猪流感疫苗的繁育群采集了600份母猪血清,以进行抗H1N1、H3N2和H1N2亚型病毒的血凝抑制试验(HI);再借助鸡胚病毒分离法和商品薄膜免疫分析法,对采自有呼吸道疾患的225份病猪肺样本进行检测以确定是否存在猪流感病毒。通过HI和逆转录酶-聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR)方法,再辅以cDNA部分序列的测定,对分离毒株进行鉴定。对血清所作的HI试验表明,在83%受测猪群和76·3%受测猪中至少存在抗一种猪流感病毒亚型的抗体。在受检的600份母猪血清中,仅含抗H1N2、H3N2或H1N1亚型病毒抗体的样本数分别为109份(占总样本比例的18·2%)、60份(10%)和41(6·8%)。从有呼吸道疾患的猪肺样本中分离到12株H3N2亚型病毒、9株H1N1亚型病毒和1株H1N2病毒。对H1N2亚型分离株的神经氨酸酶基因436个核苷酸序列进行的分析,进一步证实了其身份。显然,猪流感依然流行于所研究猪群中,同时一种新的亚型病毒(即H1N2亚型病毒)可能正在开始流行,并且也在西班牙引起了临床发病。     

Effect of caffeic acid on the color of red wine

The copigmentation effect of prefermentation additions of different doses of caffeic acid was investigated during the 1997 harvest. Microfermentation with the major red grape cultivars Listán negro and Negramoll, grown in the Canary Islands, was carried out with the same protocol. Visible and UV spectra were registered periodically. HPLC chromatograms were carried out. The color enhancement of cv. Negramoll wine varied between 13 and 75% (AU at 520 nm), and that of cv. Listán negro wine between 25 and 45% at the end of fermentation. During aging these values were enhanced to reach even >100% in some cases. An initial complex of the 1:1 type, where one molecule of caffeic acid associates with one molecule of anthocyanin, has been identified using the mathematical procedure of Brouillard et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1989, 111, 2604-2610). Caffeic acid seems to contribute to color stability and protection against oxidation. The importance of nonpigment composition in pigment extraction and color retention during and after fermentation is demonstrated.     

Phenolic compounds and related enzymes are not rate-limiting in browning development of fresh-cut potatoes

The effect of minimal processing on polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD), phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), and phenolic compounds was studied in five potato cultivars (Agria, Cara, Liseta, Monalisa, and Spunta). Minimal processing caused an overall increase in PPO, POD, and PAL activities. The isoform pattern of PPO was the same for all of the cultivars before and after processing. No latent PPO was detected. The isoperoxidase pattern was approximately the same among cultivars. An increase in POD activity was related to the specific induction of an acidic isoperoxidase. PAL showed an induction pattern characterized by the presence of a maximum peak of activity after 4 days of processing for all of the cultivars. The sequence of browning susceptibility of potato cultivars was as follows: Monalisa > Spunta > Liseta > Cara > Agria. Browning development was only partially correlated to PAL activity (only during the first 4 days after wounding). However, this correlation could not explain the above sequence of browning susceptibility. Minimal processing caused an increase of chlorogenic acid, whereas tyrosine content remained unchanged. In summary, no significant correlation was found between either rate or degree of browning and any other biochemical and physiological attribute investigated (PPO, POD, hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid content, and initial phenolics content as well as total and individual phenolics accumulation).