No easy solution for the fractionation of faecal nitrogen in captive wild herbivores: results of a pilot study

Faecal nitrogen (FN) concentration is used as a marker for habitat quality and digestive efficiency in free‐ranging herbivores. In herbivores, FN can be separated into undigested plant N (analysed as the N concentration of the neutral detergent residue) and metabolic faecal N (MFN). It has been suggested that by differential analysis of the faecal fibre‐bound N, the MFN fraction can be further split into a bacterial N and an endogenous N fraction [Hesta et al., Br. J. Nutr. 90 (2003) 1007]. We applied these methods to 96 faecal samples of 48 mammalian herbivore species from zoos. Species were grouped into coprophageous and non‐coprophageous hindgut fermenters and ruminating and non‐ruminating foregut fermenters. Diet was not controlled. The FN decreased with body mass, possibly reflecting higher proportions of concentrates in diets of smaller animals. The proportion of MFN increased with FN, indicating that higher quality food might enhance the gastrointestinal bacterial flora. The only outlier to this pattern was the lesser panda (Ailurus fulgens), confirming the low relevance of fermentative digestion in this herbivorous ‘carnivore’. No relevant differences between the four digestion types were noted. The proportion of endogenous faecal N (32–80% of FN) was always higher than that of bacterial faecal N (7–30%), which contradicts basal understanding of herbivore digestive physiology. Thus, the method of Hesta et al. (2003) does not appear applicable to herbivores. While the results do not exclude the possibility that detailed differences might occur between digestion types, they indicate a high degree of similarity between herbivores that rely on bacterial fermentation, regardless of their digestion type, with respect to metabolic faecal losses.     

Changes in growth performance, digestive enzyme activities and nutrient digestibility of cherry valley ducks in response to aflatoxin B1 levels

The objective of this study was to investigate toxic effects of aflatoxin B1(AFB₁) on growth performance, organs, hepatic enzyme activities, apparent digestibility of nutrients and digestive enzyme activities in ducks. Ninety 1-day-old Cherry Valley commercial ducks were designed to three treatment groups with three replicates of ten birds each. Group I (control) was fed conventional feed free of AFB₁, group II or III was fed the diets containing 20 μg/kg or 40 μg/kg AFB₁-contaminated rice respectively. The feeding trial lasted 6 weeks. The results were that decreased body weight gain and feed intake, increased feed to gain ratio and selected organ weights (liver, kidney and pancreas) were observed in AFB₁-treated groups. The activities of serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were significantly increased in AFB₁-contamined groups. The apparent digestibility of crude protein (CP) was significantly lower while activities of digestive enzyme from duodenum contents including protease, chymotrypsin, trypsin and amylase were increased in AFB₁-treated group. These results indicated that AFB₁ of feed could decrease growth performance and apparent digestibility of nutrients, change digestive enzyme activities of duodenum contents in duck.     

Separation of protein and lactose intake over meals dissociates postprandial glucose and insulin concentrations and reduces postprandial insulin responses in heavy veal calves

The present study examined, at identical daily nutrient intakes, the impact of separating protein and lactose intakes across two daily meals on the metabolic and endocrine status in heavy veal calves. Calves were assigned to one of six degrees of separating protein and lactose over the two meals (termed nutrient synchrony, SYN 1-6; 6 calves/treatment). They were fed the protein-rich (P-)meal and the lactose-rich (L-)meal at 06:00 and 18:00h, respectively, or vice versa. At SYN 1, calves were fed with 50% of the daily protein and 50% of the daily lactose intake in each meal. Protein and lactose were iso-energetically exchanged between the two daily meals from SYN 1 to 6. At SYN 6, 85% of the daily protein and 20% of the daily lactose was fed in the P-meal and the remainder in the L-meal. Blood samples were collected hourly during 24h. Mean 24h glucose concentrations increased and insulin concentrations decreased from SYN 1 to 6. Postprandial 5h areas under concentration curves (AUC(0-5h)) of glucose increased with increasing meal lactose content. AUC(0-5h) of non-esterified fatty acids increased after P- and L-meals from SYN 1 to 6. Urea concentrations increased after L-meals from SYN 1 to 6, but decreased after P-meals from SYN 1 to 6. Insulin AUC(0-5h) decreased after L-meals and after P-meals from SYN 1 to 6. Nutrient asynchrony did not affect insulin-like growth factor-1, glucagon, growth hormone, leptin, 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine and thyroxine. In conclusion, separation of protein and lactose intake over meals inhibited insulin responses to a lactose-rich meal in heavy veal calves despite high plasma glucose concentrations.     

肉用山羊营养需要量的研究进展

本文综述了肉用山羊的饲料采食量，蛋白质、能量、矿物质及维生素等营养需要量的研究进展及现状。     

棘托竹荪的生物学特征

棘托竹荪的生物学特征周崇莲（中国科学院沈阳应用生态研究所沈阳１１００１５）曾德容（湖南合同县政协会同４１８３００）关键词棘托竹荪，形态特征，生态习性，营养成份１９８５年对湖南会同县的竹荪进行野外调查时，采到一种不同于竹荪（Ｄｉｃｔｙｏｐｈｏｒａｉｎｄ...     

施氮水平对青海中华羊茅产量和营养成分含量的影响

在高寒地区旱作条件下种植青海中华羊茅最适施氮量为N60kg/hm^2,施肥后三年内产草量比对照提高23.62%,其增产值是施肥成本的2.37倍,产籽量提高12.38%,其增产值是施肥成本的4.97倍。青海中华羊茅的产量随着施氮量的增加而增加,施氮后第二年的增产量高于施肥当年的增产量。粗蛋白质含量随着施氮量的增加而增加,但其增加速度随着施氮量的增加而减少,无氮浸出物的含量则随着施氮量的增加而急剧减少,而减少的速度随着施氮量的增加而减小。     

氮、磷添加对青藏高寒草甸土壤碳氮磷化学计量特征影响的Meta分析

为了解青藏高原高寒草甸土壤碳(Carbon,C)、氮(Nitrogen,N)、磷(Phosphorus,P)化学计量特征对氮、磷添加的响应,提高养分管理水平及草地生态系统的养分平衡。本研究严格筛选出21篇文章(612项数据)进行Meta分析,通过亚组分析分析了不同施肥方式(氮添加、磷添加、氮磷添加)、不同施肥强度(轻度、中度、重度)对青藏高原草地土壤C,N,P化学计量特征的影响。研究结果表明：养分添加显著增加了青藏高原草地土壤C,N,P含量;氮添加对土壤的增加效应随施肥强度增加而增加,磷轻度施肥(20g·m^-2以下)处理、氮磷添加轻度施肥处理下的土壤C,N,P含量及化学计量比增加效果最好。本研究结果总体反映出氮、磷添加对青藏高原高寒草甸土壤产生积极影响,研究结果可为青藏高原草地生态系统的保护提供科学依据。     

Effect of season and location on the crop contents of local and improved scavenging hens in northern Vietnam

An experiment was carried out to determine the effects of season (dry and rainy), location (lowland and highland villages) and breed (local and improved) on the amount and physical and chemical composition of the scavenged feed. This was done by crop content analysis of a total of 192 Ri (local) and 192 Luongphuong (LP, improved) hens at 20 weeks of age. The mean fresh weights of the crop contents were 16.9 and 33.3 g, for the dry and rainy seasons, respectively (p < 0.001), 24.3 and 25.9 g, for the Ri and LP breeds, respectively (p < 0.001), and 25.0 and 25.3 g, for the lowland and highland village, respectively (p > 0.05). The proportions of contents were human food leftovers 38.4% and 24.3%, grains 20.9% and 33.7%, insects and worms 9.6% and 11.2%, and green materials 8.8% and 13.8%, for the dry and rainy seasons, respectively (p < 0.05). The proportion of green materials was higher in the LP hens and highland villages, while the proportion of grains was higher in the Ri hens and lowland village (p < 0.05). The dry matter, crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), total ash (Ash), calcium (Ca), phosphorus, and metabolizable energy (ME) contents were significantly higher for the rainy season (p < 0.01), and CP, Ash, Ca and ME were higher for the LP hens. The crude fibre content was higher in the dry season, and in the Ri hens and highland village (p < 0.001). The total and essential amino acid concentrations were significantly higher in the rainy season, and in the LP hens (p < 0.05), but were not different between locations (p > 0.05). Nutrient intakes from scavenging were estimated at between 20% and 30% of requirements.     

星星草地上部6种元素含量季节动态及其分布

研究星星草人工草地地上部N、P、K、Na、Ca、Mg含量的季节动态及其在不同器官和不同株高的分布情况。结果表明,在生育期间,元素含量由大到小的顺序均为K>N>P>Na>Ca>Mg。其中K、N、P、Na和Mg随着生育期的进程含量递减,而Ca在生育后期变化较小。供试元素积累量及积累速率的季节动态与生物量的变化趋势较为一致,即先升后降。在开花期后元素和干物质开始向根部运输。N在穗中最多,P、Ca、Mg在叶中最多,而K和Na则主要分布在茎中。近地面和茎的最上部元素含量相对较少。开花期为星星草最适合的收获期。     

非淹水条件不同翻压量细叶满江红腐解及养分释放特征

为明确不同翻压量细叶满江红(Azolla filiculoides)在非淹水土壤中的腐解过程差异,以玻璃纤维滤纸与尼龙网袋结合的方法开展翻压模拟试验,研究了3个翻压量(萍土质量比为5 g·kg^-1,10 g·kg^-1和15 g·kg^-1)下细叶满江红的腐解及养分释放特征。结果表明：不同翻压量细叶满江红的腐解及养分释放规律均为前期(0～10 d)快、后期(20～60 d)慢,最终(60 d后)的腐解率和养分释放率随翻压量的增加而降低,但养分释放总量随之增加,各翻压量养分释放率均为磷>钾>碳>氮。养分释放率(y)和释放速率(v)与腐解时间(x)的关系分别符合幂函数y=ax^b(P<0.001)和指数衰减模型v=v_oe^-kx(P<0.05)。回归分析表明,增加翻压量可延缓细叶满江红养分的释放,且延缓效果为氮>碳>钾>磷;随着翻压量的增加,各养分的最大释放速率均显著提升(P<0.05),但速率衰减速度也随之加快。...