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.     

Thermal and rheological properties of brown flour from Indica rice

The thermal, paste and rheological properties of brown flours from four Indica rice subspecies with different amylose content were examined using Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Brabender Viscometer and rheometer. Peak, final and setback viscosities (p < 0.05) increased with increasing amylose content from Brabender micro Visco-Amylo-Graph (MVA), but the phase transition temperatures of brown rice flour from DSC (p < 0.05) decreased with increasing amylose content. Rheological properties were determined by steady shear, small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and thixotropic experiments. SAOS results showed a gel-like viscoelastic behavior with G′ higher than G″. Steady-shear results showed that the brown rice flour exhibited a non-Newtonian shear-thinning behavior and the flow curves can be well described by the Herschel-Bulkley model. The upward-downward rheograms showed that brown rice flour gel, except IR-1, had a hysteresis loop, indicating a strong thixotropic behavior.     

建兰‘岭南奇蝶’种子无菌萌发与离体繁殖技术

以建兰‘岭南奇蝶’种子为外植体,开展兰花的离体繁殖技术研究。结果表明,用0.1%Hg Cl2处理25~30 min能达到较好的灭菌效果,污染率低至7.5%;添加0.5~3.0 mg·L~(-1)NAA及0.5~1.5 mg·L~(-1)IBA有利于‘岭南奇蝶’根状茎增殖生长,增殖倍数达5.25;根状茎的最适分化培养基为1/2 MS+3.0 mg·L~(-1)6-BA,分化率达63.6%;有机添加物香蕉和土豆对‘岭南奇蝶’的壮苗生根有明显的促进作用,苗高度及平均根数与对照组相比均显著增加,生根率均达100%。     

八仙花组织培养繁殖技术

以八仙花的茎段、茎尖、叶片为外植体,在MS培养基中加入不同质量分数的6-苄基腺嘌呤（6-BA）和吲哚丁酸（IBA）进行增殖培养.结果表明：适宜八仙花外植体表面灭菌的方法是利用0.1%氯化汞（HgC l2）灭菌7 m in;不同类型的八仙花外植体在初代培养时的增殖效果不同,茎尖在培养过程中首先伸长生长,然后陆续长出侧芽,表明八仙花的茎尖是比较适合用来进行增殖培养的外植体;继代培养以MS＋6-BA 1.0 mg.L-1＋IBA0.12 mg.L-1为较适宜的增殖培养基;侧芽在1/2 MS＋IBA 0.2 mg.L-1培养基中生根率和单苗根数量均较高,说明1/2 MS＋IBA 0.2 mg.L-1为较好的不定根诱导培养基.     

新几内亚凤仙组织培养和快繁技术研究

选取新几内亚凤仙具有顶芽或腋芽的茎段为外植体,诱导芽体萌发,进行繁殖培养。通过实验对比分别筛选出诱导芽分化和诱导生根的最佳培养基。实验结果表明：不同的激素水平对几内亚凤仙组培苗的生长有着显著的影响。其中最适宜的分化培养基为MS＋6-BA0.5 mg/L＋NAA0.1 mg/L;最适宜的生根培养基为1/2 MS＋IAA0.5 mg/L;最适宜的栽培基质为蛭石＋草炭＋珍珠岩（5∶3∶2）,成活率为95%。     

混栽水生植物对稻田土壤和稻米镉含量的影响

[目的]研究稻田混栽水生植物对土壤和糙米镉含量的影响。[方法]以早稻和黑藻、水葱、菖蒲等3种水生植物为试验材料,研究了稻田混栽水生植物后对土壤和糙米镉含量的影响。[结果]混栽3种水生植物后,其土壤的全镉和有效镉含量与对照比较,均没有显著差异,但稻田混栽黑藻的土壤全镉含量显著高于混栽水葱和菖蒲;混栽黑藻和水葱后,糙米镉含量显著高于对照,混栽菖蒲的糙米镉含量与对照没有显著差异。[结论]该研究为探索稻田植物降镉技术的有效途径提供了参考。     

鸡脂肪组织TCF21基因启动子区DNA甲基化与其表达的关系

旨在研究鸡脂肪组织中TCF21基因启动子区DNA甲基化水平与其表达的关系。以东北农业大学高、低腹脂双向选择品系（简称高、低脂系）第24世代7周龄肉鸡为试验材料，利用RT-qPCR检测高、低脂系肉鸡腹部脂肪组织中TCF21基因的mRNA表达水平；利用生物信息学和双荧光素酶报告系统分析TCF21基因启动子的结构与功能；利用Sequenom MassARRAY飞行质谱检测高、低脂系肉鸡腹部脂肪组织中TCF21基因启动子区CpG位点的甲基化水平；利用CpG甲基转移酶处理TCF21启动子报告基因质粒，分析DNA甲基化对TCF21基因启动子活性的影响。结果显示，高脂系肉鸡腹部脂肪组织中TCF21基因的mRNA表达水平极显著高于低脂系（P<0.001）；TCF21基因的启动子区存在40个CpG位点，且在启动子的近端和远端均有分布，但不存在CpG岛；将TCF21基因的启动子划分为5个功能区域，分别为R1区域（-2 000~-1 500 bp）、R2区域（-1 500~-1 000 bp）、R3区域（-1 000~-500 bp）、R4区域（-500~-200 bp）和Core区域（-200~-100 bp）；高脂系R2、R3和R2+R3区域的DNA甲基化水平显著或极显著高于低脂系（P<0.05或P<0.001）；R2、R3、R2+R3区域的DNA甲基化水平与TCF21基因mRNA表达水平呈显著正相关（R2区域：r=0.438，P<0.05；R3区域：r=0.371，P<0.05；R2+R3区域：r=0.489，P<0.05）；R2区域的DNA甲基化显著抑制其转录活性（P<0.05）。综上所述，TCF21基因在高、低脂系肉鸡腹部脂肪组织中的表达水平主要与其启动子R2区域的DNA甲基化水平有关。     

美洲矾根愈伤组织诱导及其快繁技术体系研究

以矾根(Heuchera micrantha)植株不同器官为外植体材料,MS培养基为基本培养基,探索了矾根组织培养与快繁技术体系。结果表明,选取幼芽作为外植体时快繁效率最高,最适芽诱导培养基配方为MS+2.0 mg/L 6-BA+0.5 mg/L NAA,采用4/5MS+0.2 mg/LNAA的生根培养方案较为适宜。     

Evidence for functional G-coupled protein receptors 43 and 120 in subcutaneous and intramuscular adipose tissue of Angus crossbred steers

We conducted 3 independent experiments to demonstrate functional G-coupled protein receptor 43 (GPR43) and GPR120 in bovine intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) adipose tissues. We hypothesized that media volatile fatty acids and long-chain fatty acids would affect cAMP-activated protein kinase-alpha (AMPKα) protein expression and cAMP concentrations differently in i.m. and s.c. adipose tissue. Experiment 1: oleic acid (18:1n-9) decreased phosphorylated AMPKα protein (p-AMPKα) and the p-AMPKα/AMPKα protein ratio in i.m. preadipocytes, increased the p-AMPKα/AMPKα protein ratio in bovine satellite cells, and had no effect in s.c. preadipocytes. Experment 2: ex vivo explants from the 5th to 8th longissimus thoracic rib muscle section of Angus crossbred steers were cultured 48 hr in media containing 0.25 µM ciglitizone, 5 mM glucose, and 5 mM acetate, in the absence or the presence of 100 µM oleic acid. Oleic acid increased acetate incorporation into fatty acids and GPR43 gene expression in i.m. adipose tissue (P < 0.05), but oleic acid had no effect on fatty acid synthesis or GPR43 expression in s.c. adipose tissue. Experiment 3: fresh s.c. and i.m. adipose tissue from the 5th to 8th longissimus thoracic rib muscle section of Angus crossbred steers was transferred immediately to 6-well culture plates containing 3 mL of KHB/Hepes/5 mM glucose. Samples were preincubated with 0.5 mM theophylline plus 10 μM forskolin for 30 min, after which increasing concentrations of acetate or propionate (0, 10⁻³, 10^−2.3, and 10⁻³ M) in the absence or the presence of 100 μM oleic acid or 100 µM palmitic acid (16:0) were added to the incubation media. Acetate had no effect on forskolin-stimulated cAMP production in s.c. adipose tissue but decreased cAMP in i.m. adipose tissue (P < 0.05); this indicates a functional GPR43 receptor in i.m. adipose tissue. The combination of 10⁻² M acetate and oleic acid decrease cAMP production in s.c. adipose tissue, consistent with GPR120 receptor activity, but oleic acid and palmitic acid attenuated the depression of cAMP production caused by acetate in i.m. adipose tissue. Palmitic acid depressed cAMP production in s.c. adipose tissue, and increased cAMP production in i.m. adipose tissue (P < 0.05). Propionate had no effect on cAMP production in s.c. or i.m. adipose tissue. These results provide evidence for functional GPR43 receptors in i.m. adipose tissue and GPR120 receptors in s.c. adipose tissue, both of which would suppress lipolysis.