Black soldier fly and yellow mealworm live larvae for broiler chickens: Effects on bird performance and health status

The commercial broiler chicken strains are the result of successful selection programmes. Most of the problems related to welfare arise from the high growth rate and body weight. The use of environmental enrichments in intensive farming could have a positive effect on birds by increasing animal welfare. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of Hermetia illucens (HI) and Tenebrio molitor (TM) live larvae in the diets of broiler chickens on growth performance, carcass yield and health status. A total of 180 four-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were randomly allotted to 18 pens. Each pen was assigned to one of the three dietary treatments (6 replicates/treatment, 10 birds/replicate) as follows: (i) control diet (C): commercial feed (two feeding phases: starter [4–11 days] and grower [12–38 days]), (ii) HI: C + 5% of the expected daily feed intake (DFI) HI live larvae (calculated on dry matter [DM]) and (iii) TM: C + 5% of DFI TM live larvae (DM). At 39 days of age, birds were slaughtered. Growth performance parameters were overall not affected by dietary treatments, except for the grower phase feed conversion ratio (FCR) and the overall FCR being better in the TM broilers than the others (p < 0.01). No differences were observed for slaughtering performance and haematological and serum parameters, except for the spleen relative weight being higher (p < 0.01) in the birds administered with larvae when compared to the C group. Gut morphometric indexes and histopathological alterations were not influenced by insect larvae administration. In conclusion, the administration in limited quantities of HI and TM live larvae as environmental enrichment has no negative effects on broiler chicken growth performance and health status. A behavioural study could confirm that live insect larvae represent a novel natural environmental enrichment in broiler farming.     

Gluten Structural Evolution During Pasta Processing of Refined and Whole Wheat Pasta from Hard White Winter Wheat: The Influence of Mixing,Drying, and Cooking

An attempt was made to evaluate gluten structural changes in refined and whole wheat pasta from hard white winter wheat to elucidate the impact of whole wheat components on the formation and structure of the gluten network in pasta. Attenuated total reflectance–FTIR spectroscopy was used to track gluten secondary structure through most of the major steps in pasta processing: raw material, mixing, drying, and cooking. Protein solubility, accessible thiols, and SDS‐PAGE data were also collected to provide additional information on the nature of protein interactions and network composition. Few secondary structural differences were observed between refined and whole wheat flours from hard white wheat. However, mixing induced a significant shift to β‐sheet structures in refined dough that was not equally matched by whole wheat dough. Drying under both high temperature, short time (HT) and low temperature, long time (LT) conditions resulted in a reversion to structural distributions similar to those for flour in both pastas. However, greater protein denaturation in HT samples was indicated by lower protein solubility also in the presence of denaturants and disulfide reducing agents. Cooking generated a substantial increase in β‐sheet structures for both pasta systems. This structure was greatest in refined and LT samples. Thiol accessibility data indicate the presence of a highly aggregated, compact gluten network in refined pasta, mostly driven by hydrophobic association. Conversely, the network in whole wheat pasta was more loosely associated and dependent on disulfide bonding, both of which fit well with the secondary structural data.     

Relationship between serum cortisol levels and some physiological parameters following reining training session in horse

The changes of cortisol, red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR) and rectal temperature (RT) were evaluated after a reining training session in eight Quarter Horses. All parameters were measured before exercise (T0), immediately after exercise (T1), 1 h after exercise (T2), 2 h after exercise (T3) and 24 h after exercise (T4). One‐way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures, followed Bonferroni's post hoc test, showed a significant effect of the reining training session (P < 0.0001) on cortisol, RBC, Hb, Hct, HR, RR and RT. Simple linear regression analysis showed the positive correlation (P < 0.05) between cortisol changes and variations of studied parameters in T1, T3 and T4. Exercise‐induced cortisol concentrations reflect the physiological response of reining training, suggesting that the changes observed are useful to assess the performance in reining horses and their reining training adaptability.     

Successful management of jejunojejunal anastomosis dehiscence by extra-abdominal exteriorization and bandaging in a cat with septic peritonitis

Duodenal and jejunal resections were performed in a cat with septic peritonitis due to small intestinal perforations by a linear foreign body. Three days later jejunal resection and anastomosis were repeated due to dehiscence of the anastomosis site. This segment of intestine was exteriorized through the body wall and managed with bandages for 5 days before it was surgically replaced into the abdomen. The cat made a full recovery.     

Sublethal effects of nine insecticides on Drosophila suzukii and its major pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae

Background

Although the pupal parasitoid Trichopria drosophilae is used in conservative and augmentative biocontrol of Drosophila suzukii infestations, current pest management strategies mostly rely on multiple insecticide applications. In this context, the aim of the study was to investigate the baseline toxicity of nine insecticides on D. suzukii larvae and their multiple sublethal effects (LC₁₀) on immature stages of the pest feeding on contaminated diet and T. drosophilae developing within the intoxicated host.

Results

Chlorpyriphos and azadirachtin showed the lowest and the highest LC₁₀, the values of which were 9.78 × 10¹³ and 1.46 × 10³ times lower than their recommended label field rate, respectively. Among tested insecticides, imidacloprid, malathion and dimethoate were the only treatments that did not affect the juvenile development time of D. suzukii, while spinosad and the organophosphates chlorpyriphos and dimethoate did not influence fly pupal size. No sublethal effects were recorded on T. drosophilae degree of infestation (DI) and juvenile development time. On the contrary, cyazypyr and dimethoate negatively affected the success of parasitism (SP) and the number of progeny of the pupal parasitoid, in association with malathion for the first parameter and spinosad for the fertility. Compared to the untreated control, more female progeny emerged following azadirachtin exposure, while dimethoate caused the opposite effect. Imidacloprid, lambda-cyhalothrin and spinetoram decreased hind tibia length of emerged parasitoids.

Conclusion

This study provides new insights on the (eco)toxicological profile of nine insecticides and new information needed to support the deployment of T. drosophilae in the field within the sustainable management techniques against D. suzukii. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.     

Investigation of the Potential Health Benefits as Lipase Inhibitor and Antioxidant of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Leopoldia comosa</Emphasis> (L.) Parl.: Variability of Chemical Composition of Wild and Cultivated Bulbs

There is a great interest in the nutritional value of vegetables and fruits and how the habitat affects nutritive and biological properties. In vitro studies here reported were performed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of formulations from edible plant on pancreatic lipase. The aim of this study was also to evaluate the biovariability of L. comosa (L.) Parl. bulbs from Italy. The wild bulbs were compared with the same cultivated species that are commonly commercialized to identify samples with the best quality for a potential therapeutic application. Hydroalcoholic extract and polar fraction of wild bulbs showed a very important pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity, with IC₅₀ values of 0.166 ± 0.005 and 0.153 ± 0.005 mg/mL, respectively. In order to characterize the extracts, gas chromatography associated with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed, revealing the predominance of palmitic acid. Phenolic and flavonoid composition was also evaluated. L. comosa extract obtained from wild bulbs demonstrated both antioxidant and anti-obesity activities that might be attributed to a wide range of present phenolic compounds.     

Comparative evaluation of an indirect ELISA test for diagnosis of swine cysticercosis employing antigen from Taenia solium and Taenia crassiceps metacestodes

Taenia solium cysticercosis is still a serious public health problem in several countries where poverty and lack of hygiene favor transmission. Because pigs are the primary intermediate hosts, prevalence of porcine cysticercosis is a reliable indicator of active transmission zones. Serological diagnostic methods are important tools for epidemiological studies since they can be applied to living animals on a large scale. Four antigen preparations (cyst fluid and crude) from T. solium and T. crassiceps metacestodes were compared for swine cysticercosis diagnosis by indirect ELISA (IE). Twenty-eight serum samples from swine naturally and experimentally infected by cysticerci of T. solium and 56 serum samples from swine reared in commercial herds were tested. Best results of overall sensitivity were obtained by the use of cyst fluid and crude antigen of T. crassiceps metacestode (100 and 96.4%, respectively). Using homologous antigen preparations we have observed higher specificity percentage (98.2% for cyst fluid and 96. 4% for crude metacestode T. solium antigen). We concluded that sensitivity is of far more importance than specificity for identification of endemic areas in order to prevent transmission to man. We conclude, therefore, that IE performed with cyst fluid antigen of T. crassiceps metacestode is a better tool for that purpose.     

Ecosystem services from coffee agroforestry in Central America: estimation using the CAF2021 model

The goal of sustainable coffee production requires multiple functions from agroforestry systems. Many are difficult to quantify and data are lacking, hampering the choice of shade tree species and agronomic management. Process-based modelling may help quantify ecosystem services and disservices. We introduce and apply coffee agroforestry model CAF2021 (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5862195). The model allows for complex systems with up to three shade tree species. It simulates coffee yield, timber and fruit production by shade trees, soil loss in erosion, C-sequestration, N-fixation, -emission and -leaching. To calibrate the model, we used multivariate data from 32 different treatments applied in two long-term coffee agroforestry experiments in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Without any further calibration, the model was then applied to agroforestry systems on 89 farms in Costa Rica and 79 in Guatemala where yields had been reported previously in farmer interviews. Despite wide variation in environmental and agronomic conditions, the model explained 36% of yield variation in Costa Rica but only 15% in Guatemala. Model analysis quantified trade-offs between yield and other ecosystem services as a function of fertilisation and shading.