Inclusion of licuri meal in the diet of pasture dairy cows

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The objective of this study was to evaluate the inclusion of increasing levels of licuri meal as a substitute for soybean bran in the diet of pasture-based...     

Study of the effect of genotype–environment interaction on age at first calving and production traits in Nellore cattle using multi‐trait reaction norms and Bayesian inference

This study investigated the effects of genotype–environment interaction on yearling weight, age at first calving and post‐weaning weight gain in Nellore cattle using multi‐trait reaction norm models. The environmental gradient was defined as a function of the mean yearling weight of the contemporary groups. A first‐order random regression sire model with four classes of residual variance was used in the analyses and Bayesian methods were applied to estimate the (co)variance components. The heritability estimates ranged from 0.284 to 0.547, 0.222 to 0.316 and 0.256 to 0.522 for yearling weight, age at first calving and post‐weaning weight gain, respectively. The lowest genetic correlations between environment groups for each trait were 0.38, 0.02 and 0.04 for yearling weight, age at first calving and post‐weaning weight gain, respectively. Differences in the correlation estimates were observed between traits in the same environments, with the magnitude of the estimates tending toward zero as the environment improved. The results highlight the importance of including genotype–environment interactions in genetic evaluation programs considering the differences observed between environmental groups not only in terms of heritability, but also of genetic correlations.     

Competitive effects between rainbow trout and Atlantic salmon in natural and artificial streams

Competition with non‐native species may impede the restoration of native species, but differences in competitive abilities among intraspecific native populations may make some populations more suitable for reintroduction than others. Here, juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) from two allopatric populations (LaHave and Sebago) being used for reintroduction into Lake Ontario were placed into two natural stream sites differing in the presence of ecologically similar rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We assessed the effects of competition in the natural streams on fitness‐related traits and habitat use of the Atlantic salmon. We then compared these effects to those observed in artificial streams from a previous study. Atlantic salmon in natural streams had reduced fitness‐related traits that were associated with suboptimal microhabitats in the presence of rainbow trout, but utilised optimal microhabitats in their absence. In the presence of rainbow trout, the two Atlantic salmon populations exhibited comparable recapture proportions to each other, but the individuals from the Sebago population had better performance (body size and condition) than those from the LaHave population. Responses of both Atlantic salmon populations to competition with rainbow trout were generally similar in both direction and magnitude when compared to results from the artificial stream study. The combined results suggest that native species restoration efforts should be focused on candidate populations that are ecologically suitable to reintroduction environments, as well as on suitable habitats that do not contain exotic competitors. Moreover, this study highlights the value of controlled experiments in artificial environments for predicting fitness‐related performance in natural environments.     

Antibacterial activity of the essential oil from Lippia aff. gracillis

The essential oil of fresh leaves of Lippia aff. gracillis was analyzed by GC/MS and evaluated for its antibacterial effects. The results showed a moderate antibacterial activity and confirm the traditional uses of L. aff. gracillis.     

Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry fingerprinting of Brazilian artisan cachaça aged in different wood casks

We have investigated the capability of direct infusion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in the negative ion mode, ESI(-)-MS, to differentiate representative samples of artisan cacha?a, a Brazilian sugar cane distillate of large production, aged in four different types of wood casks: amburana (Amburana cearensis), jequitibA (Cariniana estrellensis), balm (Myroxylon peruiferum), and oak (Quercus rubra). The ESI(-)-MS were found to be very characteristic, showing sets of diagnostic ions for each of the four types of samples: amburana (m/z 271, 313, 377), jequitibA (m/z 143, 171, 255), balm (m/z 137, 269, 283, 297), and oak (m/z 197, 301, 307). Furthermore, principal component (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), applied to the ESI(-)-MS data, divided these samples into four definite categories. The influence of the aging time on the ESI(-)-MS fingerprints of the cacha?a samples stored in oak casks was also established. An inversion in the relative intensity of the diagnostic ions of m/z 307 and 301 is detected in the ESI(-)-MS as the aging time increased from 1 to 2 years. The chemical structures of the major cacha?a components were proposed on the basis of the following: (a) the comparison of the ESI(-)-MS/MS of the diagnostic anions with those of the authentic anions or (b) the interpretation of the fragmentation patterns of the previously unknown diagnostic anions. Hence, direct infusion ESI(-)-MS allows not only a rapid, simple, and accurate way to distinguish among cacha?a samples stored in different wood casks but also monitoring changes in their chemical composition according to the aging time.     

A comparative study of methods for diagnosis of obesity in an urban mixed-race population in Minas Gerais, Brazil

BACKGROUND: Obesity is defined as an excess of total body fat and may be assessed by different methods. The objective of the present study was to establish the discriminatory power of anthropometric data in determining obesity. METHODS: The subjects comprised 685 individuals, aged 20-79 years, sampled from a population-based survey. The following indicators were used: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and total body fat percentage estimated with both Siri's equation (%BF Siri) and foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance analysis (%BF BIA). Sensitivity and specificity of different cut-off points for each method were determined using %BF BIA as reference. RESULTS: Of 685 participants, 57.6% were aged >/= 40 years, 69.9% were women and 72.6% self-referred themselves as non-white. To classify obesity based on sex and age among women aged 0.05). Classifying according to skin colour did not change cut-off points in any indicator. CONCLUSION: BMI and WC better discriminate obesity among women and men aged >/= 40 years from a mixed-race population.     

Triterpenic and other lipophilic components from industrial cork byproducts

The detailed chemical composition of the lipophilic extractives of cork and cork byproducts generated throughout industrial processing has been investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Triterpenes (cerine, friedeline, and betulinic acid) were the major components detected. Betulinic acid is the main triterpene (11.7 g/kg) identified in industrial cork powder, whereas in black condensates friedeline (95.3 g/kg), betuline (13.1 g/kg), and betulinic acid (12.1 g/kg) are the main triperpenes. Significant fractions of alpha-hydroxy fatty acids (115.1 g/kg) and alpha,omega-dicarboxylic acids (21.2 g/kg) were also detected in black condensate after alkaline hydrolysis. The results demonstrate that these two industrial byproducts can be considered as promising sources of bioactive chemicals or chemical intermediates for the synthesis of polymeric materials.     

Methods of Concentrating Stallion Semen

Removal of excess seminal plasma is sometimes necessary to increase the quality and the longevity of cooled equine semen; moreover, this procedure is an indispensable step aiming to concentrate the sperm cells before freezing equine semen. Typically, the removal of seminal plasma is achieved by centrifugation; however, studies have shown that the force and duration of centrifugation can damage sperm cells and reduce the sperm recovery rate. Recently, new methodologies, such as cushion and filtration, have been described that aim to decrease the mechanical damage of centrifugation to sperm cells. This study aims to compare different methods for concentrating stallion semen.     

Initial Development of Bovine Placentation (Bos indicus) from the Point of View of the Allantois and Amnion

The aim of this study was to perform a morphological characterization of the initial bovine placental development, between 20 and 70 days post-insemination (p.i.), with emphasis on the differentiation of the allantois and amnion. After collection, the conceptuses were dissected, macroscopically measured and photographically documented. The extraembryonic membranes were cut into fragments measuring 5 cm², and then fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for analysis using light microscopy, and in 2.5% glutaraldehyde for use in scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The extraembryonic and fetal membranes presented variable degrees of development throughout the periods analysed. The macroscopic appearance of vascularization of the allantois, its attempt to merge with the chorium and the effective appearance of the first cotyledons in development were the events observed from 30 to 40 days of pregnancy. The measurements of the amnion increased gradually as gestation developed. The allantoic epithelia presented cellular dimorphism from 20 to 25 days of pregnancy, but was shown to be immature from 60 to 70 days of pregnancy.