Effects of Short-Term High Carbohydrate or Fat Intakes on Leptin, Growth Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone Secretions in Prepubertal Fat-Tailed Tuj Lambs

The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effects of high carbohydrate or fat diets, fed for 15 days at the end of breeding season, on leptin, GH and LH secretions in prepubertal fat‐tailed Tuj lambs. For that purpose, 9‐month‐old ram‐lambs were divided into three groups as control group (fed with basal ration, n = 4), high carbohydrate (HC) group, basal ration plus barley, n = 4), or high fat (HF) group (basal ration plus by‐pass fat, n = 4). For the measurement of leptin and GH, blood plasma samples were collected on days 1, 4, 9 and 14 of the experiment. For the measurement of LH pulse frequency, serial blood samples were collected every 15 min for 6 h on day 14. Lambs were weighed and body condition scored (BCS) on days 1 and 15. Body weight and BCS increased towards the end of the study (p < 0.05). The BCS was higher in high energy groups at the end of the experiment (p < 0.05). Diet affected plasma leptin concentrations (p = 0.002) but time did not. The GH concentrations were not affected by diet or time. The LH pulse frequency appeared to be higher in HC and HF groups but there were no statistical difference between the groups. There was a significant positive relationship between overall BCS and corresponding leptin concentrations (R² = 0.263; p = 0.010) and between LH pulse frequency and leptin concentrations (R² = 0.594; p = 0.003). In conclusion, the present study suggests that rather than type of energy, amount of energy intake and body energy reserves are much important regulators of plasma leptin concentrations and LH pulse frequency in fat‐tailed Tuj lambs.     

The contribution of agricultural practices to nitrous oxide emissions in semi-arid Mali

The yield and flux of nitrous oxide (N₂O) emitted from continuous cereals (with and without urea), legumes/cereal in rotation and cereal/legume in rotation all with or without organic manure was monitored from January 2004 to February 2005. All treatments except continuous cereals had phosphate added. The cereal grown July–October in 2003 and 2004 was pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) and the legume was a bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris ). The 10 m × 10 m plots were established in a semi-arid climate in Mali. The addition of organic manure and both inorganic fertilizers increased yield and N₂O emissions. Continuous cereals treated with both organic manure and urea emitted significantly less N₂O (882 g N/ha per year) than plots receiving no organic manure(1535 g N/ha per year). Growing N-fixing crops in rotation did not significantly increase N₂O emissions. This study supports the new practice of growing cereal and legumes in rotation as an environmentally sustainable system in semi-arid Mali.     

Energy use efficiency of deficit-irrigated silage maize in different soil tillage practices on a high plain with a semi-arid climate

ABSTRACT

Energy requirement increases rapidly in agriculture due to the increase in mechanization. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the energy use efficiency of silage maize under three different tillage practices (conventional, reduced, no-tillage) combined with four different irrigation levels (full and three deficit irrigations). The no-tillage and reduced tillage practices provided savings in input energy at the rate of 17.4 and 9.1%, respectively compared to the conventional tillage. The highest silage yields in all irrigation levels were obtained in the no-tillage practice. Therefore, in full and deficit irrigated silage maize, the highest energy ratio, energy productivity and net energy and the lowest specific energy values were manifested in the no-tillage practice. Energy rates in the no-tillage practice were higher by 34.2 and 22.9% than the conventional and the reduced tillage practices, respectively. Moreover, the direct and non-renewable energy requirements were the lowest in the no-tillage practice. In conclusion, the fully-irrigated no-tillage practice can be recommended to obtain the highest energy use ratio and productivity. However, no-tillage irrigated with up to 50% less water amount could be a better alternative for areas with a water shortage by improving the energy use ratio with better water and fuel savings.     

Phytochemical accumulation and antioxidant capacity at four maturity stages of cranberry fruit

Specific components of cranberry fruit are being associated with human health attributes, such as maintenance of urinary tract health and antioxidant status. Some of the chemical properties and antioxidant capacity of cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Ait. cv. Pilgrim) fruits were investigated at light green, blush, light red and dark red maturation stages. Fruit total phenolics, total monomeric anthocyanins, soluble solids, titratable acidity and individual organic acids were examined. Antioxidant capacity of fruits were determined by both the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) assays. The fruit color was measured using a portable chromameter. A converse relationship was found between total phenolics and anthocyanin as fruits mature. Total phenolic concentration was declined from 7990 to 4745 mg GAE/kg fw, while total monomeric anthocyanin content was increased from 0.8 to 111.0 mg/kg fw from green to dark red stage. Brix was increased from 6 to 9.3% as well. The main organic acid was citric acid determined by the HPLC method. The antioxidant capacity of cranberries decreased to light red stage; when a fruit accumulates more anthocyanin the activity increased again in both FRAP and TEAC methods. Averaged antioxidant capacity measured was 12.61 and 17.48 mmol TE/kg fw by FRAP and TEAC methods.     

Serotypes and electrophoretic protein profiles of Pasteurella haemolytica isolated from pneumonic ovine lungs.

Serotypes and SDS-PAGE protein profiles of P. haemolytica isolated from pneumonic ovine lungs were investigated. Of 268 P. haemolytica isolates, 232 (86.6%) were serotypable. A total of 12 serotypes were recognized in 20 different geographic origins of central Turkey. The most common serotype was A2, followed by A7, A1 and T4. Serotypes A13, A14, A16 and T15 could not be detected. In SDS-PAGE, marked differences between major bands of biotype A and T strains were found. In numerical analysis of protein profiles, biotype A and T strains were separated at 58% similarity level. Biotype A isolates produced a cluster at 80% similarity level, and biotype T isolates at 92% similarity level. No single cut off level was able to discriminate between each serotype studied and isolates could not be clustered on the basis of their geographic origins.     

The Effect of Frying – the Chemical,Microbiological, and Acrylamide Composition of Mussels as a Street Food

The effects of frying methods and covering processes on the proximate composition, fatty acid profile, amino acid profile, cholesterol, acrylamide, and microbiological content of fried mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis 1819) were investigated in the present study. The group of mussels that were purchased for study was divided into six groups (control – unprocessed mussel meat; Group A – covered mussels fried in deep fat; Group B – mussel fried in low fat; Group C – uncoated mussel meat fried in deep fat; Group D – uncoated mussel fried in low fat; and Group E – mussel served in restaurants). It was determined that the mussel frying methods can affect the nutritional composition and cause changes in the amino acid, fatty acid, and cholesterol content.     

Effect of biofloc technology on growth of speckled shrimp,Metapenaeus monoceros (Fabricus) in different feeding regimes

The effects of biofloc technology (BFT) were tested on growth performance, water quality, haemolymph parameters and hepatopancreas histology with and without BFT for the speckled shrimp. In this study, eight different experimental groups were formed (four BFT and four control groups) to measure the effects of different feeding rates on compensatory growth of speckled shrimp. BFT treatments were performed with zero water exchange and planned as BFT1: gradually feed decreasing group 4, 2 and 1% bw, BFT2: 4% bw, BFT3: 2‐days feed with 4% bw, 1‐day fasted, and BFT4: 1‐day feed with 4% bw, 1‐day fasted. In control treatment, the same trial groups were constituted for comparing with BFT at a 50% daily water exchange: C1 (gradually feed decreasing group: 4%, 2% and 1% bw), C2 (4% bw), C3 (2‐days feed with 4% bw, 1‐day fasted), C4 (1‐day feed with 4% bw, 1‐day fasted). There were significant differences between BFT and C groups in terms of some water quality (p < 0.05). In general, BFT had an effect on haemocyte profile. At the histological examination, there were no pathological findings in both BFT and control groups. The growth parameters of speckled shrimps in BFT groups, as well as the whole body crude protein ratios and crude ash contents, were higher than the control group (p < 0.05). The results confirmed that biofloc utilization increased with decreasing feeding.     

Expression of MHC-I and -II in Uterine Tissue from Early Pregnant Bitches

The aim of the study was to investigate the expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-I and -II in uterine tissues from pregnant and non-pregnant bitches, taken at different time periods after mating. The pregnant bitches were ovariohysterectomized during the pre-implantation (group 1, n = 4), implantation (group 2, n = 7) and placentation stage (group 3, n = 7). Non-pregnant animals in diestrus served as controls (group 4, n = 7). The expression of MHC- I and -II in salpinx, apex, middle horn, corpus uteri and at implantation sites was investigated by immunohistochemistry as well as qualitative and quantitative RT-PCR; MHC-I mRNA was detected in all tissues and with quantitative RT-PCR, and no significant changes were detected until placentation. Immunohistologically, at the apex and corpus site, the average number of MHC-II positive cells increased from the pre-implantation to the post-implantation stage (apex: 1.54 ± 1.21 to 3.82 ± 2.93; corpus: 1.62 ± 1.9 to 5.04 ± 4.95; p < 0.05). The greatest numbers of MHC-II positive cells were observed at placentation sites (6.64 ± 5.9). In parallel, a marked increase in the relative mRNA expression of MHC-II in uterine tissues was assessed from the pre-implantation to the placentation stage (relative to Glycerinaldehyd-3-phosphate-Dehydrogenase (GAPDH): 6.9 ± 9.5, 8.4 ± 5.8, p > 0.05). Immunohistologically, in the salpinx, significantly greater numbers of MHC-II positive cells were found in the tissues of pregnant animals than in the control group (p < 0.05). It is proposed that the increase in MHC-II is pregnancy-related, even though the impact on maintenance of canine pregnancy is still unclear.     

Ceratocystis platani is killing plane trees in Istanbul (Turkey)

Ceratocystis platani was detected at several locations in the European side of Istanbul, causing severe dieback and mortality, mainly on Platanus × acerifolia imported from Italy approximately 160 years ago, but also on Platanus orientalis. In the work reported here, the causal agent of the dieback and mortality was identified based on morphological characteristics in culture and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing, confirming the presence of C. platani in Turkey. All analysed C. platani isolates from Istanbul shared the same ITS sequence with European C. platani strains available in the NCBI, but differed from other species previously ascribed to the Ceratocystis fimbriata species complex. Pathogenicity of C. platani was proven by inoculation onto 25‐cm‐long and 4–9 mm diam. P. orientalis twigs and the causal agent reisolated from symptomatic tissues. In a survey of 976 Platanus in streets and parks of Istanbul, 26.5% of trees showed symptoms of C. platani infections, whilst 5.6% were dead. The proportion of symptomatic trees was higher where management interventions, such as topping or pruning and felling infected trees had been carried out.