Puerarin improved growth performance and postmortem meat quality by regulating lipid metabolism of cattle under hot environment

This study aims to evaluate the effect of puerarin on performance, meat quality, and serum indexes of beef cattle under hot environment. Thirty-two bulls were divided into four groups and fed diet supplemented with puerarin at 0, 200, 400, or 800 mg/kg. Results showed that heat stress was employed for 54 out of 60 days, 400 mg/kg group declined serum cortisol (COR) contents, all treatments increased the contents of total cholesterol, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total superoxide dismutase activity; in addition, glutathione peroxidase activity of 200 mg/kg group were enhanced, only 800 mg/kg group enhanced immunoglobulin (IgA, IgM, and IgG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol contents compared with the control (p < .05). Moreover, 400-mg/kg puerarin increased serum growth hormone levels compared with 200 mg/kg group but declined COR concentrations compared with 200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg groups (p < .05). More importantly, average daily gain and daily matter intake, and intramuscular fat contents of 400 mg/kg group were enhanced, but the shear force of beef in 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg groups were declined compared with the control (p < .05). These findings indicated that supplemental with puerarin enhanced immune and antioxidant, and 400 mg/kg of puerarin improved performance and meat quality by normalizing levels of stress hormones and increasing intramuscular fat deposition of beef cattle under hot environment.     

Phenotypic and allelic variation for wort protein Z in Australian and Canadian barleys

Protein Z is a major component in beer foam. Two-dimensional electrophoresis was used to analyze wort proteins of two Australian (Buloke and Commander) and two Canadian (CDC Meredith and Bentley) varieties. The Canadian barley contained more abundant proteins from MW 40–45 kDa (pI 5 to 7). These proteins were identified as either protein Z4 or protein Z7 using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry. Full-length gene of protein Z4 and Z7 were sequenced from Canadian and Australian barleys. Sequence differences were identified in the coding region and upstream regions of the two genes, resulting in protein sequence and expression variations. Molecular markers were designed according to the indels in the upstream regions of protein Z4 and Z7 genes. These markers were highly correlated to wort protein Z content in Canadian and Australian varieties. The Canadian barleys contained ‘high level’ genotypes for protein Z4 and Z7 while most Australian barleys had ‘low level’ genotypes for protein Z4, Z7 or both. The markers identified in this study provide a valuable tool for the selection of protein Z alleles in marker-assisted breeding. Total protein Z content was assessed using different steeping conditions, and increasing air-rest time increased protein Z content in 15 varieties.     

不同生物刺激剂对鲜食玉米产量和品质的影响

为研究生物刺激剂对玉米的增产提质效果,试验探讨不同生物刺激剂对玉米的产量和品质方面的影响,为鲜食玉米的优质高产栽培提供技术支撑。以鲜食玉米‘钱江糯3号’为试验品种,以3种生物刺激剂（阿美滋、美基、保康灵1号）为供试药剂,设置6个处理（阿美滋1000倍液、阿美滋1500倍液、阿美滋2000倍液、美基3000倍液、保康灵1号300倍液、清水对照）,研究大田常规施肥水平下药剂对‘钱江糯3号’的经济性状、产量及品质的影响。在阿美滋1500倍液喷施下,玉米的行粒数、单穗鲜重和单穗净重、产量均最高,蛋白质含量、粗纤维含量、还原糖含量、淀粉含量均居第3位;在保康灵1号300倍液喷施下,玉米的穗粗最高,单穗鲜重、单穗净重、产量均居第2位,蛋白质含量最高,脂肪含量最低,还原糖含量居第2位。阿美滋1500倍液在增加玉米产量上是最佳选择,保康灵1号300倍液则对提升玉米品质最有效果。建议生产上将阿美滋1500倍液与保康灵1号300倍液配合施用,这对鲜食玉米的增产提质效果最好。     

UV-C处理对甘薯贮藏品质的影响

以海南桥头产区的“高系14”甘薯为材料,分别进行10、20、30 min的UV-C照射处理,统计甘薯贮藏60 d内的腐烂率、失重率和发芽率,并同时记录5种生理指标的变化,以探讨UV-C处理对甘薯贮藏品质的影响。结果表明：UV-C处理显著降低了甘薯贮藏期间的腐烂率,但同时促进了发芽,而对失重率无显著影响。生理指标方面,30 min的UV-C照射提高了可溶性蛋白的积累,减少可溶性固形物的损耗,并促进了POD、SOD和CAT的总体酶活性。综合来说,UV-C处理若要应用于甘薯贮藏保鲜,还需辅助使用其他的抑芽手段。     

Are dual-purpose and male layer chickens more resilient against a low-protein-low-soybean diet than slow-growing broilers?

ABSTRACT

1. Although fattening dual-purpose types or male layer hybrid chickens appears more ethical than the common practice of culling day-old male layer chicks, the lower feed efficiency of these birds raises concerns. Replacing feed ingredients that compete with food production by those of lower value for human nutrition would be beneficial.

2. Lohmann Dual (LD), a modern dual-purpose type, Lohmann Brown (LB), a male layer hybrid, and Hubbard JA 957 (HU), a slow-growing broiler type, were fattened for nine weeks on two diets (control or ?20% crude protein; n = 6 × 12 birds). Growth, carcass and meat quality were analysed.

3. Growth performance of HU exceeded that of LD and especially of LB. The growth depression caused by the low-protein diet fed to LD (?7%) was only half of that found in HU (?13%). The LD fed the control diet had the same feed efficiency as the HU fed the low-protein diet. Even the LB had a lower performance and feed efficiency with the low-protein diet in growth. There was a gradient in carcass properties (weight, dressing percentage, breast meat yield, breast proportion and breast angle) from HU to LD to LB, with some additional adverse effects of the low-protein diet especially in HU. There were some breed differences in fatty acid profile in the intramuscular fat.

4. In conclusion, the dual-purpose type used complied with regulations for Swiss organic poultry systems in terms of growth rate and was found to respond less when fed a low-protein diet than the slow-growing broiler type. The LB males were inferior in all growth and carcass quality traits. Future studies need to determine the exact protein and amino acid requirements of dual-purpose and layer hybrid chickens and the economic feasibility of the systems, especially for organic farming.     

施用多功能生态肥对番茄生长和经济效益的影响

为了解决敦煌市蔬菜品质差、产量低而不稳的疑难问题,为温室蔬菜安全生产提供技术支撑,进行了多功能生态肥对番茄生长和效益的研究。结果表明:多功能生态肥原料间的主次效应(R)是:B(番茄专用肥,R=26.92)A(有机生态肥,R=24.29)C(土壤消毒杀菌剂,R=12.55);最佳配方组合是:m(有机生态肥)∶m(番茄专用肥)∶m(土壤消毒杀菌剂)=0.818 6∶0.177 4∶0.004 0。施用多功能生态肥与施用传统化肥比较,番茄早疫病发病率和可滴定酸分别降低66.67%和28.00%;株高、生长速度、茎粗、地上部分鲜质量和地上部分干质量分别增加4.45%、3.81%、7.61%、8.40%和6.67%;单果质量、单株果质量、产量、可溶性糖和VC含量分别增加6.23%、9.26%、8.82%、27.46%和23.65%;施肥利润和肥料投资效率分别增加1.84×10~4元/hm~2和1.23元/元。在甘肃省敦煌市肃州镇的温室土壤上施用多功能生态肥,改善了番茄品质,提高了番茄的经济效益。     

细分外推与模糊预测在近海水质非线性时序处理中的比较分析

近海水质非线性时间序列通常由于采集范围大、时间间隔长带有一定震荡性和模糊性,这使得对其进行分析与预测有一定的难度。本研究中以某近海水质指标磷酸盐(PO3-4-P)、硝酸盐(NO-3-N)、亚硝酸盐(NO-2-N)、铵盐(TNH+4-N)和硅酸盐(Si O2-3-Si)所形成的5种时间序列为例,采用逼近细分模式导出的细分外推法和多参考加权数据的模糊预测法对近海水质时序预测进行了比较分析,并通过图形与误差计算比较了两种方法的异同。结果表明:采用细分外推法预测序列在整体形状上能更好地逼近初始时序,而模糊预测法在整体逼近精度上占有优势。本研究中提出的预测比较方法可为同类问题的预测与模型选取提供参考依据。     

饲料脂质对养殖鱼类品质的影响

目前,高脂饲料在鱼类养殖中的应用已越来越广泛。然而,目前全球每年鱼油产量虽然基本恒定,但水产饲料中鱼油的需求量却在持续上升,到2010年,鱼油的使用量将超出产量的70%。鱼油的有限供给和过量消耗,以及其中可能积蓄的二噁英和多氯联苯,使鱼类养殖业迫切需要采用其他脂肪源来代替饲料中的鱼油。然而,高脂饲料或用其他脂肪源替代饲料中的鱼油不仅影响养殖鱼