Soil quality assessments in integrated crop–livestock–forest systems: A review

Integrated crop–livestock–forest is a promising strategy to improve soil quality. It comprises four different integrated farming systems: crop–livestock, crop–forest, forest–livestock and crop–livestock–forest. This work systematically reviewed studies about integrated crop–livestock–forest systems and soil quality. A total of 92 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science—Clarivate Analytics platform, and the following information was analysed: publication year, institution, region of the studied site, type of integrated system, soil type, tillage system, maximum soil depth and the soil quality indicators assessed. Most studies were published in the second half of the 2010s. Brazil is a prominent focus of research about soil quality and integrated crop–livestock–forest systems, with significant contribution from its central and southern regions. The Embrapa was the main publishing institution, present in over one‐third of the studies. Crop–livestock was the most common integrated system, Ferralsols was the most common soil group, and most of the studied soils were clayey. No tillage was the main tillage system. Most studies focused on the topsoil, assessing physical and/or chemical soil quality indicators. More emphasis on biological indicators of soil quality is required, as well as assessments integrating biological, physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. Future works should compare different integrated systems, including assessments deeper in the soil profile, especially in systems with the forest component, and also in sandy and silty soils. Soil quality indicators that have been rarely used should be further tested. Novel indicators should be added to better understand the promotion of soil quality by integrated crop–livestock–forest systems.     

Fructose 1,6-biphosphate aldolase in the sera of Simmental young bulls Connection with the fattening capacity, muscle quantity and protein content

SUMMARY: The activity of enzyme aldolase (ALD) was determined in the sera of Simmental young bulls, with the purpose to see whether there exists a relationship between the enzyme activity and fattening capacity and whether the ALD could be an indicator of the muscle quantity and protein content. Early ALD activity was correlated with slaughter weight and ADG in the last fattening month. The regression analysis suggests that young bulls with higher serum ALD acitivity at the start of the experiment had more total muscles and less bone in the analysed rib part. On the basis of ALD activity in the first fattening month it was possible to estimate protein and fat content in the MLD. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Fructose-1,6-biphosphat Aldolase beim Serum Simmentaler Jungbullen. Beziehung zwischen Mastf?higkeit, Muskelmenge und Proteingehalt Aldolase (ALD) Enzymt?tigkeit im Serum von Simmentaler Jungbullen wurden in Hinblick auf eine Beziehung mit Mastf?higkeit, Muskelmenge und Proteingehalt untersucht. Es zeigt sich eine Korrelation zwischen früher ALD Aktivit?t und Schlachtgewicht und Tageszuwachs im Endmastmonat. Regressionsanalyse ergab, da? Jungbullen mit h?herer ALD Aktivit?t bei Mastbeginn mehr Muskelanteil im m. longissimus dorsi und weniger Knochen besitzen. ALD Aktivit?t im ersten Mastmonat erlaubt Sch?tzung des Protein- und Fettgehalts im m. long, dorsi. RESUMEN: Fructosa 1,6-bifosfato aldolasa en el suero de los terneros simentales. Relatión con sus capacidades de ser cebados, su cantidad de músculos y el contenido de proteínas Con el fin de establecer la relación entre la actividad de enzimas y las capacidades durante el proceso de la ceba, asf como para precisar si el ALD puede servir como indicador de la cantidad de músculos y el contenido de proteinas, intentaba determinarse la actividad de los enzimas de aldolasa (ALD) en el suero de los terneros simentales. A base de la actividad indicial del ALD, es posible estimar el peso final de matadero y la crecencia diaria media durante el último mes de la ceba. Tras una análisis regresiva se ha probado que los terneros con una actividad mayor del ALD en el suero a principios del proceso de su ceba tienen más músculos en total en la parte de costillas y m. longissimus dorsi mientras que tienen menos huesos. A base de la actividad del ALD durante el primer mes de la ceba es posible estimar el contenido de proteinas y grasa en m. long, dorsi. RéSUMé: Fructose 1.6-biphosphate aldolase dans le sérum des taurillons de Simmental. Le rapport entre l'aptitude à l'angraissement, la proportion des muscles et la teneur en protéines On a déterminé l'activité de l'enzyme aldolase (ALD) dans le sérum des taurillons de Simmental afin de vérifier s'il existait un rapport entre l'activité des enzymes et l'aptitude à l'engraissement et si l'ALD pouvait être indicatrice de la proportion de muscles et de la teneur en protéines. A la base de l'activité initiale de l'ALD, il est possible d'évaluer le poids de la carcasse et le gain quotidien moyen au cours du dernier mois d'engrais. Par analyse régressive, il a été établi que les taurillons à l'activité supérieure de l'ALD dans le sérum avaient au début de l'engrais plus de muscles au total dans la région costale et le m. longissimus dorsi et moins d'os. A la base de l'activité de l'ALD au cours du premier mois d'engrais il est possible d'évaluer la teneur en protéines et en graisse dans le muscle longissimus dorsi.     

Effects of protein-energetic supplementation frequency on growth performance and nutritional characteristics of grazing beef cattle

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate reduced supplementation frequencies for grazing beef cattle in rainy season. In experiment 1, evaluating the nutritional parameters, four rumen-cannulated Nellore bulls (BW = 410 kg) were used. In experiment 2, evaluating animal performance, 48 Nellore bulls (BW = 358 kg) were used. The treatments were as follows: mineral supplement (MS) alone and MS plus protein-energy supplement provided 3×, 5× and 7×/week. Supplementation frequency did not affect (P > 0.05) intake and digestibility. Average daily gain was greater (P < 0.001) to supplementation compared with MS. The supplementation 5×/week resulted in greater weight gain per hectare (9.24) and higher economic returns during the study period (1.64%) compared to other supplementations. Supplementation 5×/week increased animal performance and positively influenced economic returns.     

Swine viscera preservation in hypersaturated salt solution after alcohol fixation as a preparation method for educational purposes

The use of live animals for educational purposes is an old practice that is still employed in teaching and research institutions. However, there are several objections to this practice, whether for ethical or humanitarian reasons. Surgical techniques teaching using anatomical pieces and/or preserved cadavers promotes greater learning efficiency, provides exercise repetition and increases the confidence and satisfaction of the students when compared to the use of live animals. The current work aimed to analyse the feasibility of using fresh swine urinary bladder and small intestines (jejunum), obtained from slaughterhouses, fixed in 99.8% ethyl alcohol (EA) and preserved in sodium chloride hypersaturated solution (SCHS) at 30%, for 7, 14 and 21 days, as an alternative method for surgical skills training (SST). Swine viscera, fixed in EA and preserved in SCHS, presented a realistic appearance, absence of odour and maintained the viable morphological characteristics during the performance of the operative techniques. Preservation solutions had low cost, were easy to acquire and did not offers risks to human health. Therefore, urinary bladders and small intestines fixed in 99.8% EA for 30 days and maintained in 30% SCHS at different periods were demonstrated as a good viable option as a preservation method for surgical skills training.     

Stress responses in adult cattle due to surgical dehorning using three different types of anaesthesia

Dehorning adult cattle is a surgical procedure causing distress of varying intensities that can be reflected in behavioural changes and alterations in plasma cortisol levels. Stress responses during the dehorning process were evaluated in 18 Red Pied cows. The cows were divided into 3 groups of six and kept in tie-stall housing. Those in the first group were dehorned under general anaesthesia (GA) induced by intravenous administration of xylazine and ketamine. The second group was dehorned under sedation and local anaesthesia (SLA) induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine and local anaesthesia with lidocaine. The third group was dehorned under local anaesthesia (LA) with lidocaine. Dehorning was performed with a foetotomy wire. Blood samples were taken 0.5 h before dehorning to determine cortisol levels, and, by means of a central venous catheter inserted into the jugular vein, during surgery at 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 h post-surgery. Concurrently, occurrence of stress behaviours was assessed. Cortisol levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The lowest mean peak levels of plasma cortisol (82.53 +/- 6.04 nmol l(-1)), the most rapid return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (1.92 +/- 1.11 h), and the lowest occurrence of stress behaviours (2.38 +/- 5.83%) were noted in the SLA group. The highest mean peak levels plasma cortisol (113.86 +/- 25.65 nmol l(-1)), the slowest return of plasma cortisol levels to baseline values (3.83 +/- 2.18 h) and the most frequent occurrence of stress behaviours (65.48 +/- 28.72%) were observed in the LA group. There were significant differences between the SLA and LA groups in peak plasma cortisol levels (p = 0.011) and in occurrence of stress behaviours (p = 0.003). Sedation induced by intramuscular administration of xylazine in conjunction with local anaesthesia with lidocaine is considered the most suitable method of anaesthesia when dehorning adult cattle. Local anaesthesia with lidocaine alone was least suitable.     

Comparison of a commercial ELISA with the modified agglutination test for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in naturally exposed sheep

Surprisingly few commercial ELISAs are available for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection in animals, and none for use in sheep have been evaluated. We thus compared the Bommeli Diagnostics ELISA Toxotest for the detection of T. gondii antibodies in ruminants with the reference modified agglutination test (MAT) in a series of 180 sheep sera. ELISA results were analysed at two cut-off levels (30%, comprising both weakly positive and positive results, and 100%, comprising only positive results), and compared with MAT at three cut-off levels (titre of 1 : 25, 1 : 50 and 1 : 100). The results showed a moderate agreement of ELISA at both cut-offs (kappa = 0.46 and 0.51) with MAT at a cut-off titre of 1 : 100. However, the specificity and positive predictive value were above 95% only at an ELISA cut-off of 100%, indicating its potential as a diagnostic test, particularly in areas with a high prevalence of infection. On the other hand, lower sensitivity and negative predictive value limit its value as a screening test. Thus, the ELISA Toxotest may be used for quick diagnosis of T. gondii infection in sheep in the field, i.e. for the differential diagnosis of ovine abortion storms.     

The Characterization of Heavy Metals in the Grapevine (Vitis vinifera) Cultivar Rkatsiteli and Wild Blackberry (Rubus fruticosus) from East Serbia by ICP-OES and BAFs

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy, in combination with calculation of various biological factors, was used in this study not only for a simple illustration of the present status of some essential and non-essential metals such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), arsenic (As), and cadmium (Cd) in the grapevine cultivar Rkatsiteli and wild blackberry from East Serbia but also for the estimation of plant bioaccumulation potentials. Great majority of detected metal concentrations were in normal ranges except in few cases: Zn concentrations were at the level of deficiency in almost all plant parts, and some Cu and As concentrations were at the levels that could be considered phytotoxic. Biological accumulation factors provided very informative data on metal accumulation and translocation in both plants and pointed to low accumulation rates of metals except in the case of Cu, Zn, and As in some wild blackberry tissues.     

QTL for IHNV resistance and growth identified in a rainbow (Oncorhynchus mykiss) × Yellowstone cutthroat (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) trout cross

Infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is a major constraint to rainbow trout culture. Yellowstone cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki bouvieri) have greater resistance to this virus than do rainbow trout (O. mykiss), but the genetic mechanism of this resistance is not understood. We conducted a genome scan using a backcross of cutthroat trout into a rainbow trout background to estimate the number and locations of quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with IHNV resistance and growth in trout. IHNV resistance was considered in terms of both survival (binary trait) and days to death (quantitative trait). The genetic map was scanned using interval mapping via two different approaches: one model considered survival alone and a second two-part model combined both survival and days to death. Three QTL were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) associated with virus resistance genome-wide, explaining 32.5% of the phenotypic variation. Cutthroat alleles at two of these QTL resulted in increased resistance to the pathogen, as expected. No growth QTL were detected in this cross. We suggest that these traits are genetically independent.     

Curcumin,a Compound from Natural Sources,a True Scientific Challenge – A Review

Curcumin, a plant-derived polyphenolic compound, naturally present in turmeric (Curcuma longa), has been the subject of intensive investigations on account of its various activities. The implementation of safe, beneficial and highly functional compounds from natural sources in human nutrition/prevention/therapy requires some modifications in order to achieve their multi-functionality, improve their bioavailability and delivery strategies, with the main aim to enhance their effectiveness. The low aqueous solubility of curcumin, its rapid metabolism and elimination from the body, and consequently, poor bioavailability, constitute major obstacles to its application. The main objectives of this review are related to reported strategies to overcome these limitations and, thereby, improve the solubility, stability and bioavailability of curcumin. The effectiveness of curcumin could be greatly improved by using nanoparticle-based carriers. The significance of the quality of a substance delivery system is reflected in the fact that carrying curcumin as a food additive/nutrition also means carrying the active biological product/drug. This review summarizes the state of the art, and highlights some examples and the most significant advances in the field of curcumin research.