Comparison of sesame cake and cottonseed as supplementary sources of protein to weaned N'Dama bull calves in The Gambia

Summary The potential for increased productivity of N'Dama cattle in response to small supplementary inputs of proteinaceous by-products has been shown to be substantial under village husbandry conditions in The Gambia. Young N'Dama bulls were used to compare sesame cake with cottonseed as sources of supplementary protein during the wet and early dry seasons of 1987. They were fed 0, 40, 80 or 160 g crude protein/day in these forms for four months. Supplementation significantly increased growth rate from 169 g/d in controls to means of 272 and 271 g/d for those given sesame cake and cottonseed respectively; there were no significant differences among the supplemented groups. During the four months of the dry season immediately after supplementation ceased all previously supplemented groups grew significantly more rapidly than the controls (at leastP<0·05), indicating a substantial carry over effect of the supplements. Over this period the mean gain of the groups previously given sesame cake exceeded that of those that had received cottonseed (217 cf. 158 g/d;P<0·01). The economic benefits of these responses were substantial.

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Comparacion de torta de sesamo y de semilla de algodon como fuente suplementaria de proteina para terneros destetos N'Dama en Gambia

Resumen Se ha demonstrado el potencial para incrementar la productividad del ganado N'Dama, como resquesta a peque?as cantidades de insumos suplementarios de proteína, bajo condiciones de villorrio en Gambia. Se utilizaron terneros destetos N'Dama par comparar la torta de sésamo y de semilla de algodón como fuente de proteína suplementaria durate la estaicón lluviosa y principio de la seca del a?o 1987. Se les dió a los animales 0, 40, 80 o 160 g de proteína cruda/día en éstas formas durante cuatro meses. La suplementación incrementó significativamente la tasa de crecimiento, de 169 g/día en controles a 272 y 271 g/día en aquellos que recibieron torta de sésamo y de algodón respectivamente; no hubo diferenca estadística entre los grupos suplementados. Durate los cuatro meses de la estación seca inmediatamente después de que la suplementación fue suspendida, todos los grupos que habían sido suplementados crecieron sgnificativamente más rápido que los controls (P<0·05), indicando un efecto compensatorio en los suplementados. Durante ese período la media de crecimento de los grupos que recibieron torta de sésamo excedió a aquella de los que habían recibido torta de algodón (217 cf. 158 g/d;P<0·01). Los beneficios económicos de estos resultados fueron substanciales.

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Comparaison entre le tourteau de sesame et la graine de coton comme sources complementaires de proteines pour les taurillons N'Dama sevres en Gambie

Résumé Le potentiel de réponse à de petites quantités supplémentaires de sous-produits proteiniques pour accroitre la productivité de bétail N'Dama, s'est révélé manifeste, dans les conditions d'élevage villageois en Gambie. De jeunes taureaux N'Dama ont été utilisés pour comparer le tourteau de sésame et la graine de coton en tant que source de complémentation protéinique pendant la saison sèche et le début de la saison humide au cours de l'année 1987. Ils ont re?u respectivement 0, 40, 80 ou 160 g de proteines brutes par jour sus ces deux formes pendat quatre mois. Cette supplémentation a accru de fa?on significative le taux de croissance, de 169 g/jour pour les témoins jusqu'à des moyennes de 272 et 271g/jour respectivement pour ceux qui ont re?u du tourteau de sésame et de la graine de coton. Quant aux groupes complémentés, il n'ont révélé aucune différence significative. Pendat les quatre mois de la saison sèche et immédiatement après l'arrêt de la supplémentation, tous les lots ayant fait précédemment l'objet d'une distribution complémentaire ont eu une croissance significativement plus rapide que les animaux témoins, du moins pourP<0,05, ce qui indique un effet important de report des suppléments. Durant cette période, le gain moyen des lots qui ont re?u le tourteau de sésame a dépassé celui des lots auxquels on a donné de la graine de coton, soit 217 g/jour contre 158 g/jour pourP<0,01. Les profits économiques de ces réponses ont été appréciables.

     

Teratogenicity testing of BI 58 EC (38% dimethoate) in chicken embryos with special respect to degradation of the active ingredient.

The insecticide formulation BI 58 EC was tested for teratogenicity in chicken embryos, with particular reference to degradation of the active ingredient (dimethoate) after the treatment of embryonated eggs. The pesticide was diluted in water to a concentration level of 0.8%, and the emulsion was injected into the air space in a volume of 0.1 ml/egg, or hen's eggs were treated by the immersion technique. Residues of dimethoate were measured in the samples on days, 13, 15 and 19 of the incubation of chicken embryos, and morphological examinations were performed simultaneously. Analytical chemistry data indicated a slower degradation of dimethoate in embryos after the immersion of eggs, and cyllosis was remarkable in this group among the sporadic developmental anomalies. The liver tissues of both treated groups exhibited severe fatty infiltration.     

Rabies virus infection in Aedes pseudoscutellaris cells: a study on receptorial structures

Rabies virus is able to infect in vitro a wide range of homeothermic and poikilothermic cells but little is known about its multiplication in arthropod cells. In this research the infection of rabies virus in Aedes pseudoscutellaris cells, a mosquito cell line susceptible to mosquito-borne viruses, was studied. After 60 days of incubation at 26 degrees C up to 70% of infected cells showed the synthesis of both viral nucleocapsid and envelope antigens, although viral yield and cell damage could not be detected. Research performed in order to investigate the role of membrane carbohydrate moieties in rabies virus-mosquito cell interaction suggested the participation of galactose and N-acetylglucosamine whereas sialic acid, known to be a rabies binding site in many homeothermic cell lines, was not involved.     

Milk fever and subclinical hypocalcaemia--an evaluation of parameters on incidence risk, diagnosis, risk factors and biological effects as input for a decision support system for disease control.

The present review analyses the documentation on incidence, diagnosis, risk factors and effects of milk fever and subclinical hypocalcaemia. It is hereby evaluated whether the existing documentation seems sufficient for further modelling in a decision support system for selection of a control strategy. Several studies have been carried out revealing an incidence of milk fever most often in the level of 5-10%. Few studies indicate that the incidence of subclinical hypocalcaemia is several times higher than milk fever. The diagnosis based on clinical or laboratory methods or based on presence of risk factors is outlined. The clinical symptoms of milk fever are highly specific and the disease level may thus be determined from recording of treatments. Diagnosis of subclinical hypocalcaemia needs to include laboratory examinations or it may be determined by multiplying the incidence of milk fever by a certain factor. From the documentation on risk factors, it is very complex to predict the incidence from the exposure level of the risk factors. Due to uncertainty, sensitivity analyses over a wide range of values for each parameter are needed. The documentation of cow characteristics, nutrition, environment and management as risk factors are described. Among cow characteristics, parity or age, body condition and production level were found to be important. Risk factors associated with nutrition included most importantly dietary cation-anion difference and calcium level whereas the importance of general feeding related factors like type of feed stuff and feeding level were less clear. Environment and management included season, climate, housing, pasturing, exercise, length of dry period and prepartum milking. Several of the parameters on environment and management were confounded among each other and therefore firm conclusions on the importance were difficult. The documentation of the effect of milk fever includes the downer cows, reproductive disorders, occurrence of other diseases and the effect on milk production, body weight and culling. The reproductive disorders included most importantly dystocia, uterine prolapse, retained placenta, metritis and repeat breeding, and occurrence of other diseases included ketosis, displaced abomasum and mastitis. The documentation was substantial and often quantifiable within certain limits. Overall it is concluded that the present documentation on milk fever concerning incidence, diagnosis, risk factors and effects seems sufficient for a systematic inclusion in a decision support system. A model on milk fever should take into consideration the variation in biological data and individual herd characteristics. The inclusion of subclinical hypocalcaemia would be more uncertain and probably should await further documentation on possibilities of determining the herd level incidence and also the effect of this condition on production.     

Changes in the glutathione thiol-disulfide status in wheat grain by foliar sulphur fertilization: consequences for the rheological properties of dough

Storage proteins and glutathione in wheat play an important role in gluten network formation and can be modified by supplementation of nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) in wheat plants. The glutathione thiol-disulfide status and its relationship to the molecular weight distribution wheat polymeric protein and dough rheological properties have been examined after different foliar S fertilizations (S derived from micronized elemental S and NS, a mixture of N urea and elemental S) applied at the post-anthesis stage. Changes in levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), polymeric protein-glutathione mixed disulfide (PPSSG) were analysed by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography, during grain development using the wheat cultivars, Soissons and Trémie. During the grain desiccation phase, S supplementation (i) increased the GSSG/GSH ratio by 23–25% (ii) induced PPSSG accumulation, and (iii) decreased the formation of SDS-unextractable polymeric protein (UPP) and its molecular mass distribution. However, simultaneous N and S supplementation results in: (i) a decrease in PPSSG formation by 20–30% and (ii) an increase of UPP by 7–18% by enhancing both the branching of the aggregated proteins and their molecular weight. The mixograph parameters show that all forms of endogenous glutathione are linked to dough weakening and are negatively correlated with dough mixing tolerance, dough strength and consistency, while UPP is positively correlated with dough strength and consistency. These findings indicate that S nutrition influences dynamics of the glutathione forms in the grain and results in modification the degree of polymerization of storage protein. Thus both the changes in the form of glutathione and protein polymerization influence the rheological properties of dough.     

Pathogenesis of placentitis in the goat inoculated with Brucella abortus. II. Ultrastructural studies

Pregnant goats were inoculated intravenously or in uterine arteries with Brucella abortus, and tissues from the uterus and placenta were examined by electron microscopy. Identification of B. abortus in placentae was with antibody-coated colloidal gold. B. abortus was first seen in phagosomes of erythrophagocytic trophoblasts and in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of chorioallantoic trophoblasts. Subsequently, trophoblast necrosis and ulceration of chorioallantoic membranes were present. Coincidently, B. abortus was present in the lumen of placental capillaries. In late stages of infection, placental vasculitis was present, and placentomal trophoblasts were separated from maternal syncytial epithelium. In lesions with vasculitis, large numbers of B. abortus were in connective tissue of chorionic villi. Within the placentome, trophoblasts that lined chorionic villi contained no intracellular bacteria and were separated from B. abortus by intact basement membranes. These results suggest that bacteremic B. abortus is endocytosed by erythrophagocytic trophoblasts and that B. abortus replicates in the rough endoplasmic reticulum of chorioallantoic trophoblasts. Replication of brucellae in trophoblastic rough endoplasmic reticulum is unique; we believe that B. abortus may utilize endoplasmic reticulum for synthesis and glycosylation of bacterial membrane proteins or that B. abortus catabolizes trophoblast secretory proteins.     

Nuclear transfer in loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus Sauvage) by cell-to-cell electrofusion

To study nuclear transfer in the loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus Sauvage), blastula and gastrula cells were fused with UV-inactivated oocytes by cell-to-cell electrofusion. To facilitate nuclear transfer, blastula and gastrula cells were cultured or incubated at 4 °C in different solutions. TC-199 medium supplemented with 20% calf serum was the best culture solution, and effectively retained the totipotence of blastula or gastrula cells for up to 10 days. It was found that gastrula cells incubated at 4 °C had the same totipotence as blastula cells. The optimal UV dosage for inactivation of the oocyte chromatin was 180–240 mJ cm⁻². Electrofusion was carried out in a cone-shaped fusion chamber, which permitted the recipient oocyte and the donor blastula cell to contact one another. The electrofusion procedure resulted in a 10% success rate of normal-appearing fish. Genetic analysis indicated that the nuclear material originated from the donor cell (blastomere) and the oocyte pronucleus did not take part in development.     

Comparative evaluation of the effect of two maternal diets on fatty acids, vitamin E and carotenoids in the chick embryo.

1. The fatty acid profile of egg yolk and vitamin E and carotenoid accumulation in the egg yolk and embryonic tissues were investigated in relation to the maternal diet. 2. Two hundred fertile eggs (Ross 308 Broiler Breeder), obtained from hens fed on a maize-based (M-diet) or a wheat-based diet (W-diet), were incubated using standard conditions. 3. The egg yolk and embryo tissues (residual yolk, yolk sac membrane, liver, kidney, lung, muscles, adipose tissue and plasma) were collected on d 18 of incubation and on d 21 (newly-hatched chicks) and analysed for fatty acids, vitamin E and carotenoids. 4. The diets did not differ in terms of fatty acid or alpha-tocopherol concentrations. The concentration of carotenoids in the M-diet was 11.8 mg/kg and in the W-diet was 5.6 mg/kg with lutein and zeaxanthin being major carotenoids. 5. Eggs from the M-group contained higher (P<0.01) concentrations of beta+gamma-tocopherols, total carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. Chickens hatched from those eggs were characterised by the increased concentrations of total carotenoids and zeaxanthin in all the tissues studied. The concentration of beta+gamma-tocopherol was enhanced only in the liver and yolk sac membrane. 6. It is concluded that the maternal diet plays an important role in antioxidant systems formation during chick embryonic development; the M-diet can increase the antioxidant potential of the egg yolk and embryonic tissues compared to the antioxidant potential provided by parent birds fed the W-diet.