A review of okara (soybean curd residue) utilization as animal feed: Nutritive value and animal performance aspects

Year by year, huge quantities of by-products are generated during the manufacturing process of soybean-based products. Okara is one of the by-products, and it is an insoluble portion of the soybean. It consists of high moisture (8.4–22.9%); on dry matter basis, it contains high metabolizable energy (9.0–14.2 MJ/kg) and other components that include crude protein (20.9–39.1%), crude fiber (12.2–61.3%), crude fat (4.9–21.5%), and ash (3.4–5.3%). Fermentation of okara improves its nutritional quality and reduces its anti-nutrient contents. Due to animals' palatability, okara can be used to replace the soybean meal/concentrate feed partially or completely in ruminant's diet and partially in nonruminant's diet. Okara feeding does not depress the intake, digestibility, growth, milk production, blood metabolic profiles, and meat quality of animals. However, this by-product decays quickly due to its high moisture content, and its heavy weight and sticky nature make it difficult to process and expensive to dry using conventional methods. This paper thoroughly summarizes the utilization of okara as animal feed in the cause of developing a general guideline with favorable levels of inclusion in the diets of animals for its exploitation and valorization. This review will encourage further research to develop eco-friendly and value added feed for animals.     

Socio-spatial organization reveals paternity and low kinship in the Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) in Costa Rica

Ectophylla alba is a tent-making bat that roosts in mixed-sex clusters comprising adults and offspring. Our goal was to determine the genetic identity of individuals belonging to different roosting groups. We tested the hypothesis of kin selection as a major force structuring group composition. We used 9 microsatellites designed for E. alba to determine the genetic identity and probability of parentage of individuals. We analyzed parentage and kinship using the software ML-Relate, GenAIEx, and Cervus. The obtained relationship probabilities (0.5) revealed a clear maternal relationship between female adults and offspring with allele compatibility, and at least 5 relationships between male adults and pups. We found a low degree of relatedness within roosting groups. Between roosting groups at different sites, the mean probability of a half-sibling relationship ranged from 0.214 to 0.244 and, for full-sibling relationship, from 0.383 to 0.553. Genetically, adult individuals were poorly related within clusters, and kinship as an evolutionary force could not explain group membership.     

制种玉米密度对土壤水分及产量构成的影响研究

通过田间试验,就制种玉米密度对土壤水分、农艺性状、产量构成及产量的影响进行了研究分析。结果表明:1在拔节期以前,低密组的土壤含水量比高密组的高;在拔节期到灌浆期,高密组的比低密组的高。在整个生育期,拔节期前土壤含水量比较高,而后逐渐降低,吐丝期达到最低,然后又逐步上升。2在一定密度范围内,制种玉米株高、亩产量随着密度的增大而增加单株产量产量相反;叶长、穗粗、穗粒数先随着密度的增大而减小,后随着密度的增大而增大;叶宽、穗长、百粒重、出籽率先随着密度的增大而增加,后随着密度的增大而减小;叶面积、茎粗、穗位先随着密度的增大而减小,后随着密度的增大而增加,然后又随着密度的增大而减小,秃顶变化规律相反。     

Growth performance,carcass traits,physiochemical characteristics and intramuscular fatty acid composition of finishing Japanese black steers fed soybean curd residue and soy sauce cake

This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary soybean curd residue (SCR) and soy sauce cake (SSC) on the growth performance, carcass traits and physiochemical and intramuscular fatty acid (FA) characteristics in Japanese Black steers. Ten steers (29.7 ± 0.3 months old, 856.6 ± 24.4 kg body weight) were assigned to either treatment C, fed a conventional concentrate or T, fed the test diet including dried SCR and SSC for 3 months. In growth performance, dry matter (DM) intake and average daily gain, and carcass traits did not differ significantly between the treatments. Color of beef was affected by the dietary treatments and meat samples from T showed higher a^* value and chroma than those in C. On FA composition, there was no significant difference between the treatments in neutral lipids, whereas in polar lipids, meat samples from T had higher C16:1 (P < 0.05) and tended to have higher C16:0 (P = 0.05) and C18:1 (P = 0.08), but lower C17:0 (P = 0.098), C18:2 (P = 0.06) and C20:4 (P = 0.07) than those from C. The study suggested that SCR and SSC could be used as a substitute for conventional concentrate and would influence meat color and intramuscular FA composition of polar lipids.     

贮藏时间与蒙药黄芩对紫花苜蓿草颗粒维生素和化学成分的影响

为有效保全苜蓿草颗粒贮藏过程中维生素及营养品质,本研究以紫花苜蓿草颗粒为研究材料,研究贮藏时间(0,60,120,180,240 d,冷冻240 d)与蒙药黄芩(0%,0.5%,1.0%,1.5%)对其维生素含量和营养品质的影响。结果表明：在贮藏过程中,与其他添加量相比,添加1.5%黄芩有利于保存苜蓿草颗粒维生素B5、维生素C和α-维生素E含量。贮藏60 d及以上显著降低了苜蓿草颗粒维生素B1、维生素B3、维生素C和维生素E含量;贮藏120 d时苜蓿草颗粒DM含量趋于稳定;苜蓿草颗粒贮藏180 d后其CP含量显著降低;贮藏0～180 d期间,随着贮藏时间的延长,苜蓿草颗粒NDF和ADF含量显著升高。与常温贮藏240 d相比,冷冻贮藏相同时间有利于保存苜蓿草颗粒中维生素B1、维生素B5、α-维生素E和OM含量,显著降低DM、NDF和ADF含量。因此,1.5%黄芩添加剂有利于保存苜蓿草颗粒维生素含量,且常温贮藏时间不宜超过60天。     

Effects of Compound Plant Nutrients on Rumen Fermentation Parameters,Rumen Microbiota and Fatty Acid Composition of Longissimus dorsi Muscle in Finishing Small Tail Han Sheep北大核心CSCD

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of compound p1ant nutrients (CPN) on rumen fermentation parameters, rumen microbiota and fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi musc1e in finishing sma11 tai1 Han sheep. Sixteen 4-month-o1d finishing sma11 tai1 Han sheep with an initia1 body weight (BW) of (24.18±0.31) kg were random1y divided into two groups, name1y, with 8 rep1icates per group and 1 sheep per rep1icate. The sheep in the contro1 group were fed a basa1 diet, whereas the sheep of the contro1 group (CPN group) was fed the basa1 diet supp1ementation with 3‰ CPN. The experiment 1asted for 97 days after 7 days adaption. The resu1ts showed as fo11ows: compared with the contro1 group, 1) adding CPN decreased the concentration of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) (P<0.05); 2) CPN supp1ementation affected beta diversity of rumen microbiota; 3) the re1ative abundance of Acidobacteriota, Erysipe1otrichaceae_UCG-002, Lactobacillus, and Megasphaera were enhanced by adding CPN (P<0.05), whereas, the re1ative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Prevotella was 1ower (P<0.05); 4) the supp1ementation of CPN had no significant effect on fatty acid composition of longissimus dorsi musc1e of fattening sma11-tai1ed Han sheep (P>0.05); 5) the contents of tota1 MUFA, C18:1n9c, C14:1, C16:1, C18:2n6c, C18:3n3 and n-3PUFA in the longissimus dorsi musc1e were corre1ated with the re1ative abundance of Megasphaera, Erysipe1otrichaceae_UCG-002, Succiniclasticum and Ruminococcus (P<0.05). In conc1usion, CPN can regu1ate the rumen microbiota structure and reduce the rumen NH3-N concentration of fattening sma11-tai1ed Han sheep. In production practice, CPN can be used as a rumen eco1ogica1 regu1ator. © 2023 Authors. All rights reserved.     

沮漳河下游洪水遭遇地区组成规律

漳河水库由观音寺和鸡公尖两个水库以明槽渠道组成，涉及入库洪水的两个来源，而为下游防洪又涉及到与水库坝址至两河口区间及沮河洪水的组成遭遇。沮漳河为长江的一级支流，对长江防洪安全有一定的影响作用，为了确保水库及其下游防护区的安全，必须研究洪水的地区组成，为防洪错峰及安全调度提供设计依据。通过F检验法及t检验法来进行回归方程及相关系数的检验，证明回归方程是显著的，相关也较密切，可用于生产实际。     

婴幼儿配方奶粉研究进展

婴幼儿配方奶粉是非母乳喂养婴儿最重要的营养来源,我国婴幼儿配方奶粉市场需求巨大,但基础营养与加工技术研究起步较晚。本文从母乳营养需求、配方奶粉标准和奶粉基料研发等方面,详细介绍了婴幼儿配方奶粉的营养学研究进展;从干法与湿法等生产工艺对配方奶粉特性的影响方面论述了婴幼儿配方奶粉加工技术的研究进展;同时也讨论了婴幼儿奶粉中存在的危害风险,为我国婴幼儿配方奶粉在基料选择、生产技术和产业发展方面提供参考。     

马肠道微生物组成及影响因素的研究进展

马肠道微生物群对其营养消化及维持机体健康具有重要作用,肠道不同部位的微生物具有不同功能,易受到各种因素的影响。马肠道正常微生物群结构遭到破坏,可导致肠道微生物失衡和机体功能紊乱,进而引起多种疾病。介绍了马肠道不同部位的微生物群结构组成特征,阐述了影响马肠道微生物群变化的各类因素,以期为改善马肠道营养健康、开发马健康监测和疾病预防工具提供科学依据,也为马肠道微生物研究提供新的视角。