Impressions and purchasing intentions of Japanese consumers regarding pork produced by ‘Ecofeed,’ a trademark of food‐waste or food co‐product animal feed certified by the Japanese government

Impressions and purchasing intentions of Japanese consumers regarding pork produced by ‘Ecofeed’, a trademark of food‐waste or co‐product animal feeds certified by the Japanese government, were investigated by a questionnaire on the Internet. ‘Ecofeed’ did not elicit specific impressions as compared to domestic, imported, Kurobuta (in Japan), and specific pathogen‐free (SPF) pork. Purchasing intent for ‘Ecofeed’ pork was the second lowest of the five pork products. Knowledge and purchasing experience regarding ‘Ecofeed’ pork was the lowest of the five pork products. Respondents were classified into four categories according to their impressions of ‘Ecofeed’ pork. The largest category of respondents did not have any specific impression of ‘Ecofeed’ pork and had little knowledge of pork farming. A category that had a positive impression for ‘Ecofeed’ pork had high knowledge of the pork farming system. In order to establish ‘Ecofeed’ pork in Japan, our results suggest that information disclosure and education about ‘Ecofeed’, its certification system, environmental benefits and the current self‐efficiency ratio of animal feed, are needed.     

应用PCR-DGGE技术对发酵全混合日粮中可培养乳酸菌的调查

为了了解发酵全混合日粮(TMR silage)发酵过程中的乳酸菌的菌种变化,应用MRS琼脂培养基对新鲜啤酒糟和豆腐渣以及它们的发酵TMR(贮存0、14和56 d)的乳酸菌进行培养,所得的可培养乳酸菌应用PCR-DGGE进行筛选,对菌体DNA的碱基序列进行测定,在GenBank上检索相近的16S rDNA序列对其鉴定.结果表明:2种原料中的乳酸菌种类完全不同;加入相同的其他材料变成TMR后,优势乳酸菌发生改变;发酵初期(14 d)的2种发酵TMR中都有2种乳酸菌,并且有1种乳酸菌相同;发酵后期(56 d)的2种发酵TMR中都有5种乳酸菌,而且有4种乳酸菌相同.由此可知,采用不同食品废弃物所制作的发酵TMR,在发酵后期所含菌种趋于相同、种类增加.     

Changes in the bacterial community and composition of fermentation products during ensiling of wilted Italian ryegrass and wilted guinea grass silages

To gain further insights into temperate and tropical grass ensiling, fermentation products and bacterial communities were examined at both the initial and late stages of ensiling of wilted Italian ryegrass and wilted guinea grass silages. 2,3‐Butanediol and ethanol fermentation were observed in wilted Italian ryegrass silage. Enterobacteria such as Rahnella sp. and Enterobacter sp. may have been involved in fermentation; however, alcohol production was intensified after the silage enterobacterial community overwhelmed the pre‐ensiled enterobacterial community. Pediococcus spp. appeared in silage stored for 4 months, when a significant increase in lactic acid content was seen compared with that at 2 months. Prolonged storage enhanced acetic acid fermentation in wilted guinea grass silage. The disappearance of Enterococcus sulfureus and appearance of Lactobacillus plantarum may have been associated with the increased acetic acid content. Although many species of enterobacteria were found in common between the pre‐ensiled crop and silages of Italian ryegrass and guinea grass, marked differences were seen in the type of fermentation from the initial stages. These results indicate that the bacterial community of pre‐ensiled crops may be immediately replaced by one that is adapted to ensiling environments, although metabolic changes may continue over the course of ensiling.     

Work-related increases in titer of Campylobacter jejuni antibody among workers at a chicken processing plant in Miyazaki prefecture,Japan, independent of individual ingestion of edible raw chicken meat

Workers in poultry abattoirs may be frequently exposed to Campylobacter jejuni, which is a leading cause of bacterial food poisoning in Japan. The present study was conducted to measure the titers of IgG and IgA antibodies against C. jejuni among 104 female workers in a chicken processing plant in Miyazaki prefecture, Japan. Information regarding habitual ingestion of raw chicken meat and potential occupational risk factors was collected using a questionnaire. Acid extracts of four C. jejuni strains representing the genotypes most dominant in Miyazaki were used as antigens. The levels of both immunoglobulins measured by ELISA were not correlated with ingestion of edible raw chicken meat, the amount consumed in one sitting, or its frequency. Although age was correlated with antibody levels, the length of employment was not. Furthermore, the IgG and IgA levels in workers at the evisceration step were significantly higher than those at other locations in the plant. To identify the bacterial proteins recognized by the workers’ IgG and IgA antibodies, Western blotting followed by LC/MS was conducted. Flagellin was identified as the common protein recognized in the sera of workers for whom ELISA demonstrated both the highest and lowest antibody levels. We concluded that the titers of IgG and IgA against C. jejuni in workers at the processing plant had been increased by occupational exposure to Campylobacter, regardless of raw chicken meat ingestion.     

Breeding distribution and maternal genetic lineages in Lulu,a dwarf cattle population in Nepal

Lulu is a dwarf cattle population bred in the Mustang district of western and central Nepal. This area is located around the habitat boundary between Bos taurus and Bos indicus. The peculiarities of Lulu are their small size (weight range in the adult female: 68–153 kg) and rearing in high mountain areas at 2800 m to 4000 m in altitude. There were 5770 head of Lulu cattle in the Mustang district in 1998, 4333 females and 1437 males. The morphological appearance of Lulu is Bos taurus. However, one of the five Lulu studied in Kagbeni, Mustang had a Bos indicus mitochondrial DNA type based on the D‐loop sequence, while the other four were Bos taurus. It is suggested that there are hybrids of Lulu with Bos indicus maternal lineage in a mostly taurine‐breed genetic background. Steps must be taken to preserve the unique Lulu.     

Identification of lactic acid bacteria in the feces of dairy cows fed whole crop maize silage to assess the survival of silage bacteria in the gut

In order to assess the survival of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in whole crop maize silage in the gut of dairy cows, one representative silage sample and three different feces samples were collected from dairy cows on three dairy farms in Hua Bei, China and three dairy farms in Kyushu, Japan. The composition of the bacterial community was examined by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Lactobacillus acetotolerans was detected in all bunker‐made maize silage samples, regardless of the dairy farm or sampling region from which they were sourced. A total of eight LAB species were detected in the maize silage samples, of which three (L. acetotolerans, L. pontis and L. casei) appeared to survive digestion. The populations of L. acetotolerans in silage and feces were 10^6–7 and 10^3–4 copies/g, respectively, indicating that, even for the LAB species showing potential survival in the gut, competition in this niche may be harsh and the population may substantially decrease during the digestion process. It may be difficult for silage LAB to survive in the gut of silage‐fed dairy cows, because marked decrease in population can take place during the digestion process, even for surviving species.     

Evaluation of the Cranial Cruciate Ligament Repair System? in Surgery for Laryngeal Hemiplegia in Heavy Draft Horses

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the canine cranial cruciate ligament repair system on laryngeal hemiplegia in heavy draft horses. Twenty-four heavy draft horses diagnosed with grade 4 laryngeal hemiplegia were allocated to either the prosthetic laryngoplasty (PL) group (n=14) or a canine cranial cruciate ligament repair system (CCCLRS) group (n=10). Right to left angle quotients (RLQs) of abductions of the arytenoid cartilages were endoscopically evaluated before and after surgery. Post-operative RLQs in the CCCLRS group were significantly lower than those of the PL group (P<0.01). The canine cranial cruciate ligament repair system was revealed to be a good surgical procedure for laryngeal hemiplegia in heavy draft horses.     

Expression dynamics of bovine MX genes in the endometrium and placenta during early to mid pregnancy

MX belongs to a family of type I interferon (IFN)-stimulated genes, and the MX protein has antiviral activity. MX has at least two isoforms, known as MX1 and MX2, in mammals. Moreover, bovine MX1 has been found to have alternative splice variants—namely, MX1-a and MX1B. In ruminants, IFN-τ—a type I IFN—is temporarily produced from the conceptus before implantation and induces MX expression in the endometrium. However, the expression dynamics of MX after implantation are not clear. In the present study, we investigated the expression of MX1-a, MX1B and MX2 in the endometrium and placenta before and after implantation along with the expression of IFN-α, type I receptors (IFNAR1 and IFNAR2) and interferon regulatory factors (IRF3 and IRF9). Pregnant uterine samples were divided into five groups according to pregnancy days 14–18, 25–40, 50–70, 80–100, and 130–150. Tissue samples were collected from the intercaruncular endometrium (IC), caruncular endometrium (C) and fetal placenta (P). Although all the MX expressions were significantly higher in the IC and C at days 14–18, presumably caused by embryo-secreted IFN-τ stimulation, their expressions were also detectable in the IC, C and P after implantation. Furthermore, IFN-α expression was significantly higher in the IC. RT-PCR indicated IFNAR1, IFNAR2, IRF3 and IRF9 mRNA in all the tissues during pregnancy. These results suggest that all the MX genes are affected by the type I IFN pathway during pregnancy and are involved in an immune response to protect the mother and fetus.