The effect of three anaesthetic protocols on the stress response in cane toads (Rhinella marina)

ObjectiveThree anaesthetics (MS222, clove oil and a mixture of ketamine/diazepam) were administered to cane toads to determine their effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Time to induction and recovery and any adverse events were also evaluated.Study designProspective randomized experimental trial.AnimalsThirty adult male cane toads (Rhinella marina) with body mass ranging between 130 and 250 g were captured from the field.MethodsThree groups of 10 toads were anaesthetized with ketamine (200 mg kg^?1) and diazepam (0.2 mg kg^?1) by intramuscular injection, MS222 (3 g L^?1) or clove-oil (0.3 mL L^?1) both by immersion. Blood samples were collected to determine plasma corticosterone concentrations. Induction and recovery time were recorded in each treatment. After full recovery animals were euthanized and a complete post-mortem examination was performed.ResultsSignificant differences were found in the activation of the HPA axis and in the times of induction and recovery between treatments (p < 0.001). Animals anaesthetized with clove-oil had the highest levels of corticosterone in plasma (42.5 ± 21.6 ng mL^?1). No differences were found between ketamine/diazepam (15.0 ± 13.3 ng mL^?1) and MS222 (22.0 ± 13.6 ng mL^?1) groups. The mean ± SD induction (minutes) and recovery (hours) times respectively were; ketamine/diazepam 66.5 ± 11 and 8 ± 3, clove oil 39 ± 12 and 7.6 ± 3, and MS222 42.5 ± 11 and 1.5 ± 0.5. Clove oil exposure had 30% mortality. Death followed a period of respiratory distress with changes consistent with non-cardiogenic oedema observed at post-mortem examination.Conclusions and Clinical relevanceBased on shorter induction and recovery times and minimal activation of HPA, MS222 is the anaesthetic of choice in cane toads. If it is not possible to use immersion methods of anaesthesia, ketamine/diazepam can be used but induction and recovery times are prolonged. Clove oil had unacceptable mortality in this study and should be used with extreme caution.     

Acaricidal effects of the essential oil of Origanum minutiflorum (Lamiaceae) against Rhipicephalus turanicus (Acari: Ixodidae)

The acaricidal effects of the volatile essential oil Origanum minutiflorum O. Schwarz & P.H. Davis (Lamiaceae) against adult Rhipicephalus turanicus was evaluated at a variety of concentrations and exposure times. Generally tick mortality increased with concentration and exposure. Ticks exposed to vapors from cotton wicks containing at least 10 μl/L resulted in complete (100%) mortality at 120 min. The major constituent of essential oil obtained from the plant material of O. minutiflorum was carvacrol.     

饲用油腊的加工技术及应用

本文介绍了近几年在饲料工业生产中不同饲用油脂添加技术应用及研究,重点对常规喷涂技术、真空喷涂技术和固态油脂喷雾干燥技术进行综述、分析,并对饲料中应用的固态油脂生产加工和应用技术进行了展望。     

植物源蒸馏油对柑橘木虱控制效果的评价

植物源蒸馏油是一种新型植物油,本文探讨了植物源蒸馏油在害虫控制中的应用潜力。以矿物油乳剂为参照,以柑橘木虱为试虫,分析比较植物油蒸馏油的触杀和拒避作用。植物油和矿物油对柑橘木虱的卵、若虫和成虫均有一定的触杀作用,其中对若虫尤其低龄若虫的触杀作用最强,可达90%以上。两种油剂对雌虫产卵均有一定的拒避作用,拒避雌虫产卵维持约2 d。两种油剂对成虫寄主选择没有明显的拒避作用。总体上,植物源蒸馏油对柑橘木虱的触杀作用以及对成虫的拒避作用与矿物油相当。如果进一步改进该植物油的乳化效果,可替代矿物油乳剂应用于害虫防治中。     

Effect of dietary nutmeg oil on heat‐stress tolerance‐related parameters in Korean native chicken reared under hot temperature

This study investigated the effect of dietary nutmeg oil (NO) on growth performance, blood parameters, lipid peroxidation and heat shock protein (HSP) 70 expression in Korean native chicken (KNC) reared under hot temperature. We allocated 273 meat‐type KNCs (Hanhyup‐3, 4‐week‐old, body weight [BW] = 539.93 ± 1.75 g) to the following three treatments with seven replicate pens (13 birds/pen) per treatment. Three treatment diets were as follows: (a) Control, basal diet without NO supplementation; (b) NO 250; and (c) NO 500, basal diet supplemented with 250 and 500 ppm NO respectively. Diets and water were provided ad libitum throughout the 6‐week feeding trial. During overall period (0–6 weeks), no differences (p > 0.05) were observed in BW gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion rate (FCR) among treatments. However, the FI at 0–3 weeks decreased (p < 0.05) quadratically with increasing NO levels. Most blood parameters did not differ (p > 0.05) among treatments, although the monocyte level of the NO 500 group was considerably lower (p > 0.05) than that of the other groups. Furthermore, dietary NO did not affect serum triglyceride, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, calcium, phosphorus and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels (p > 0.05); however, it linearly decreased serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) level (p < 0.05). Additionally, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration decreased (p < 0.05) and heart MDA concentration was lower (p = 0.08) with increasing dietary NO supplementation. After a 3‐hr heat (35°C) challenge, the rectal temperature (RT) reduced (p < 0.05) linearly with increasing NO levels. Dietary NO did not affect liver HSP70 (p > 0.05) gene expression. In conclusion, NO potentially enhanced the ability of chickens to alleviate heat stress. Furthermore, our findings suggest that lipid oxidation inhibition by dietary NO likely mediated the enhanced heat‐stress tolerance of the chickens.     

补饲高蛋白质、高脂肪精饲料对驴产乳量和乳成分的影响

本试验旨在研究补饲高蛋白质、高脂肪精饲料对驴产乳量和乳成分的影响。选择 ３～７岁的健康泌乳母驴 ３４头,设 Ａ（１２头）、Ｂ（１０头）和 Ｃ（１２头）３个区,共 ５个处理。所有驴饲喂基础饲粮。每个区均设对照组,各试验组驴分别补饲粗蛋白质水平为 ３１．４４％（试验 １组,Ａ区,４头）、粗脂肪水平为 ２５．７７％［２０％棉籽油（试验 ２组,Ａ区,４头）、２０％葵花籽油（试验 ３组,Ｂ区,５头）、２０％菜籽油（试验 ４组,Ｃ区,６头）］的试验精饲料 １．５ｋｇ／ｄ。预试期 １４ｄ,正试期１４ｄ。结果表明：１）除含 ２０％葵花籽油的试验精饲料外,其余试验精饲料采食量（＞１３００ｇ／ｄ）均达到预期的采食量,且未出现消化异常,表明所用精饲料适口性较好,驴对它们有较好的适应性;２）补饲含 ２０％棉籽油和含 ２０％菜籽油的试验精饲料均显著提高了驴日均产乳量（Ｐ＜０．０５）,驴日均产乳量可达 １．５ｋｇ／ｄ,而日均总泌乳量可达 ４ｋｇ／ｄ;３）补饲不同试验精饲料对乳成分无显著影响（Ｐ＞０．０５）,驴乳中乳蛋白、乳糖、粗灰分含量较稳定,而乳脂含量变化非常大。总之,补饲高蛋白质、高脂肪的精饲料可提高驴产乳量,但对乳成分的影响不明显。     

Evaluation of the Feeding Value of Palm Press Fibre Using In Vitro Digestibility Techniques

Palm press fibre (PPF) was obtained from two sources, a small-scale oil palm processing unit and a large-scale factory processing unit, and its chemical composition was determined. In vitro digestibility techniques were used to assess the feeding value of untreated, defatted and sodium hydroxide-treated PPF. For the NaOH treatment, 0.5 g oven-dried PPF was treated for 24 h with 5% NaOH in three ways: treated and not washed (NaNW); treated and washed (NaW); and treated after milling (NAD).The results indicate that, on a dry matter basis, PPF is low in nitrogen (12–13 g/kg), moisture (37–90 g/kg) and ash (53–62 g/kg), but high in ether extract (269–355 g/kg), neutral detergent fibre (532–768 g/kg), acid detergent fibre (375–548 g/kg) and lignin (219 g/kg). The in vitro dry matter digestibility values were low for the samples from both sources, but the large-scale factory-processed PPF had higher in vitro dry matter digestibility (0.215 vs 0.166) and in vitro organic matter digestibility (0.196 vs 0.145). Defatting the PPF and treating it with 5% NaOH solution significantly (p<0.01) improved both the dry matter and organic matter digestibility. Washing the NaOH-treated PPF resulted in a higher digestibility of dry matter as against NaNW or NAD. These results suggest that defatting and treatment with 5% NaOH would improve the feeding value of PPF.     

Effect of dietary fish oil intake on ubiquitin ligase expression during muscle atrophy induced by sciatic nerve denervation in mice

Dietary fish oil intake improves muscle atrophy in several atrophy models however the effect on denervation‐induced muscle atrophy is not clear. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary fish oil intake on muscle atrophy and the expression of muscle atrophy markers induced by sciatic nerve denervation in mice. We performed histological and quantitative mRNA expression analysis of muscle atrophy markers in mice fed with fish oil with sciatic nerve denervation. Histological analysis indicated that dietary fish oil intake slightly prevented the decrease of muscle fiber diameter induced by denervation treatment. In addition, dietary fish oil intake suppressed the MuRF1 (tripartite motif‐containing 63) expression up‐regulated by denervation treatment, and this was due to decreased tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) production in skeletal muscle. We concluded that dietary fish oil intake suppressed MuRF1 expression by decreasing TNF‐α production during muscle atrophy induced by sciatic nerve denervation in mice.     

滁菊挥发油提取工艺研究

目的:采用正交试验法筛选滁菊挥发油最优提取工艺。方法:以挥发油得率为考察指标,分别以药材粉碎度、加水量、浸泡时间、蒸馏时间为考察因素进行正交试验设计,确定滁菊挥发油的最佳提取工艺。结果:影响滁菊挥发油提取的最主要因素为粉碎度,其次为蒸馏时间、加水量、浸泡时间,滁菊中挥发油最佳提取工艺条件为:菊花粉碎度80-100目,14倍加水量,浸泡10 h,提取13 h。结论:此提取工艺合理可行,试验重复性较好,可用于滁菊挥发油的提取。     

Multi‐level mixed models for evaluating factors affecting the mortality and weaning weight of piglets in large‐scale commercial farms in central China

This study investigated the factors affecting piglet mortality (square root of mortality, SQRM) and average weaning weight (AWW) in commercial farms in central China. Information on sow diets, management and climate from 2478 weaning batches completed in 16 pig farms was collected from 2009 to 2013. Multi‐level mixed models, which included batch level (level 1) and farm level (level 2), were used to analyze the factors associated with SQRM and AWW. The mean values of SQRM and AWW were 2.52% (SD = 0.96) and 7.31 (SD = 0.77), respectively. Lactation sow diets supplemented with oregano essential oils (OEOs) decreased the SQRM (P < 0.05) and increased the AWW of piglets (P < 0.01). The SQRM was lower in period 2 (June to September, hot) than in period 1 (February to May, warm) and period 3 (October to January, cold; P < 0.05 and 0.001, respectively). The AWW was lower in periods 2 and 3 than in period 1 (P < 0.01). In conclusion, supplying OEOs to lactation diets can increase the weaning weight and reduce the mortality of piglets. The sources of variations in SQRM and AWW are of greater concern in the warm season than in the hot season.