Effects of high dietary fibre diets formulated from by-products from vegetable and agricultural industries on plasma metabolites in gestating sows

The aim of the present study was to examine the biochemical influence of feeding high dietary fibre (DF) diets formulated from by-products from the vegetable and agricultural industries to sows during early to mid-gestation. The effect of feeding frequency (once vs. twice daily) on diurnal plasma metabolites patterns was also examined. The study included a total of 48 gestating sows from four blocks (12 gestating sows in each block). The sows were fed four different diets containing varying levels of starch (304-519 g/kg dry matter (DM)) and DF (171-404 g/kg DM) but with equal amounts of net energy. The low-DF diet (control) was based on barley and wheat, and the three high-DF diets formulated by replacing barley and wheat by pectin residue, sugar beet pulp and potato pulp, respectively. The experimental design comprised two periods of 4 weeks each. Half the sows were fed once daily at 08:00 h in the first period and twice daily at 08:00 and 15:00 h during the second period, and vice versa for the other half of the sows. Plasma samples from vena jugularis were collected by venipuncture at 07:00, 09:00, 12:00 and 19:00 h. Feeding high-DF increased plasma short-chain fatty acids (p = 0.02) and non-esterified fatty acids (p < 0.001). However, there was no clear effect of DF on glucose and insulin responses. A negative correlation between amount of DF in the diets and plasma creatine (R2 = 1.00; diet effect: p = 0.02) suggested that plasma creatine concentrations was an indicator for the level of glucose-glycogen interchange. Furthermore, an explorative approach using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based metabonomics identified betaine (p < 0.001), dimethyl sulfone (DMSO2; p < 0.001) and scyllo-inositol (p < 0.001) as biomarkers for the different by-products; pectin residue was related to high plasma levels of DMSO2, sugar beet pulp to plasma betaine, DMSO2 and scyllo-inositol, and potato pulp to plasma DMSO2 and scyllo-inositol. In conclusion, replacing starch by DF affected surprisingly few metabolites in peripheral plasma. No negative effects were found in feeding pectin residue, sugar beet pulp or potato pulp for gestating sows as judged from the minor metabolic changes.     

Influence of different fibre sources on digestibility and nitrogen and energy balances in growing pigs

Abstract

The present study was undertaken to investigate how three different fibre sources, sugar beet pulp, soya bean hulls and pectin residue, constituting 15% of diets for growing pigs, influenced daily body gain, feed conversion, apparent faecal digestibility and nitrogen and energy balances. Eight castrated crossbreed pigs (30 – 80 kg live weight) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin-square design with one control diet and three fibre containing diets. Daily body weight gain and feed conversion were not affected by the dietary treatments. The apparent faecal digestibility of organic matter (OM) and energy were significantly lower for the fibre diets (OM: 0.81 – 0.85; energy: 0.78 – 0.83) compared to the control diet (OM: 0.88; energy: 0.86). The apparent faecal digestibility of crude protein (CP) was lower for the fibre diets (0.71 – 0.78) compared to the control diet (0.83), although it was only significantly lower for the sugar beet pulp and pectin residue diets. The pectin residue diet, which contained the highest amount of dietary fibre, lignin and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides, had the lowest digestibility of OM, CP and energy. There was a tendency (p = 0.07) for a diet effect on retained nitrogen in proportion to digested nitrogen, where the sugar beet pulp and pectin residue diets had numerically the highest values. Heat production and retained energy in proportion to metabolizable energy intake were not affected by fibre inclusion. It was concluded that the inclusion of sugar beet pulp, soya bean hulls and pectin residue in diets for growing pigs decreased the apparent faecal digestibility and in the diets with sugar beet pulp and pectin residue higher utilization of digested nitrogen for retention compensated for the lower amount of digested nitrogen.     

Comparative digestibility of energy and nutrients in diets fed to sows and growing pigs

The objective of this research was to compare values for digestible energy (DE) and metabolisable energy (ME) and apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients in 11 diets fed to both growing pigs and gestating sows. Three diets were based on corn, wheat or sorghum and eight diets were based on a combination of corn and soybean meal, canola meal, conventional distillers’ dried grains with solubles, low-fat distillers’ dried grains with solubles, corn germ meal, corn bran, wheat middlings or soybean hulls. A total of 88 gestating sows (252 ± 24.2 kg BW; parity two to six) and 88 growing barrows (40 ± 4.7 kg BW) were used and randomly allotted to the 11 diets with eight replicate sows or pigs per diet. Faecal and urine samples were collected for 4 d following a 19 d adaptation period. The DE, ME and ATTD of gross energy (GE), acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and crude protein (CP) in the 11 diets were calculated. Gestating sows had greater (p < 0.05) ATTD of GE and CP and DE values for all diets compared with growing pigs. Gestating sows also had greater (p < 0.05) ME values than growing pigs for the three grain diets and the diets containing wheat middlings and soybean hulls. No differences were observed in ATTD of ADF and NDF between gestating sows and growing pigs for any of the diets, except that gestating sows had greater (p < 0.05) ATTD of NDF than growing pigs when they were fed the four protein diets. The ATTD of GE and CP and DE values in gestating sows may be predicted by using equations generated from the values of ATTD of GE and CP and DE values obtained in growing pigs. Results of this research indicate that ATTD values of CP and GE obtained in gestating sows are greater than the values obtained in growing pigs, but values for ATTD of ADF obtained in growing pigs are not different from values in gestating sows.     

Influence of dietary fibre level and pelleting on the digestibility of energy and nutrients in growing pigs and adult sows

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of pelleting on the apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of energy and nutrients according to the dietary fibre (DF) level in growing pigs (experiment 1) and in adult sows (experiment 2). Four diets based on wheat, barley, maize and soybean meal and supplemented with increased contents of a mixture of wheat bran, maize bran, soybean hulls and sugar beet pulp (116, 192, 268 and 344 g NDF/kg dry matter (DM) in diets 1 to 4) were tested. In experiment 1, 32 growing pigs (62 kg average BW), in two replicates and according to a factorial design, were fed one of the four diets, either as mash or as pellets. The digestibility of energy, organic matter (OM) and all nutrients decreased with DF increasing for both feed forms; the reduction was about 1% for each 1% NDF increase in the diet (P < 0.001). Pelleting improved moderately the digestibility of energy and OM (+1.5% and +1.0%, respectively; P < 0.05) in connection with greater DF (+5%; P < 0.05) and fat digestibility (+25%). Thus, pelleting improved the digestible energy content of diets on average by 0.3 MJ/kg of feed DM (P < 0.01). In experiment 2, four adult dry sows (235 kg average BW) were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design and fed the four diets used in experiment 1 as pellets. The digestibility of energy, OM and macronutrients also decreased with DF increase (P < 0.001; -0.4% per 1% increase of dietary NDF for energy) while the digestibility of DF (i.e. crude fibre (CF) or ADF) increased (P < 0.001) or remained at a high level. In conclusion, increasing DF in diets decreases the digestibility of nutrients and energy in pigs and in sows. Although positive, the pelleting impact is minor on the energy and nutrients digestibility of fibre-rich diets in growing pigs, even in high-DF diets.     

Effects of L-carnitine on reproductive performance,milk composition,placental development and IGF concentrations in blood plasma and placental chorions in sows

Recent studies have shown that L-carnitine supplementation of sows during pregnancy and lactation enhances their reproductive performance, but the underlying mechanisms are still needed to be further confirmed. This study was conducted to investigate the function of L-carnitine on placental development, milk nutrient content and release of hormones in sows. In this experiment, 40 multiparous crossbred sows (Yorkshire × Landrace) were allotted to two groups fed diets with or without a supplemental 50 mg/kg L-carnitine. The experimental diets were fed from d 1 post-coitus until d 21 post-partum. L-carnitine-treated sow had fewer weak piglets (p < 0.05) and a greater percentage of oestrus by 5 after 5-d post-partum (p < 0.05) than control sows. The percentage fat from colostrum was greater in L-carnitine-treated sow than control sows (p < 0.05). L-carnitine-treated sows had greater plasma concentrations of triglyceride and insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and lesser plasma concentrations of glucose and IGF-binding protein (IGFBP-3) on day 60 of pregnancy (p < 0.05). A clearer structure of chorions, better-developed capillaries and absence of necrosis were observed in L-carnitine-treated sows compared with control sows. The protein abundance of IGF-1 and IGF-2 in placental chorions was greater in L-carnitine-treated sows compared with control sows (p < 0.05). This study suggests that sows fed an L-carnitine supplemented diet during pregnancy improved reproductive performance through enhancement of placental development and by increasing IGF concentrations in blood plasma and placental chorions.     

Effects of different iron supply to pregnant sows (Sus scrofa domestica L.) on reproductive performance as well as iron status of new-born piglets

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different iron (Fe) supply to sows during gestation on their reproductive performance and placental Fe load. Additionally, the Fe status of the corresponding offspring was assessed. Twenty multiparous sows were fed from insemination to farrowing with isoenergetic and isonitrogenic balanced diets differing in Fe content. The diet low in Fe (Group ?Fe) was mainly composed of soybean meal and maize meal and had a Fe content of 114 mg/kg DM. For the diet high in Fe (Group +Fe), the diet was supplemented with Fe(II)SO₄ · 7H₂O to a total Fe content of 256 mg/kg. Blood characteristics (haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular haem concentration, total Fe-binding capacity, transferrin saturation) of all sows were measured at the beginning and at the end of gestation. Daily Fe retention was calculated at the day of farrowing. After birth, reproductive performance (litter size, piglet weight, litter weight), placental Fe content and Fe blood characteristics of the piglets were determined. Apparent daily Fe retention tended to be greater in Group +Fe (p < 0.1). Blood parameters of the sows did not show any variations between feeding groups, neither at the beginning nor at the end of pregnancy, whereas placental Fe content was lower in Group ?Fe (p < 0.05). In addition, Fe supply during gestation improved litter size (p < 0.01) and litter weight (p < 0.05). Although all sows were supplied according to the current Fe recommendations, a significant decline in reproductive performance of Group ?Fe was recognised. Therefore, it was concluded that the re-evaluation of the gross Fe requirements of pregnant sows is inevitable to accommodate the current feeding recommendations.     

Influence of different fibre sources on digestibility and nitrogen and energy balances in growing pigs

The present study was undertaken to investigate how three different fibre sources, sugar beet pulp, soya bean hulls and pectin residue, constituting 15% of diets for growing pigs, influenced daily body gain, feed conversion, apparent faecal digestibility and nitrogen and energy balances. Eight castrated crossbreed pigs (30-80 kg live weight) were used in a replicated 4 x 4 Latin-square design with one control diet and three fibre containing diets. Daily body weight gain and feed conversion were not affected by the dietary treatments. The apparent faecal digestibility of organic matter (OM) and energy were significantly lower for the fibre diets (OM: 0.81-0.85; energy: 0.78-0.83) compared to the control diet (OM: 0.88; energy: 0.86). The apparent faecal digestibility of crude protein (CP) was lower for the fibre diets (0.71-0.78) compared to the control diet (0.83), although it was only significantly lower for the sugar beet pulp and pectin residue diets. The pectin residue diet, which contained the highest amount of dietary fibre, lignin and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides, had the lowest digestibility of OM, CP and energy. There was a tendency (p = 0.07) for a diet effect on retained nitrogen in proportion to digested nitrogen, where the sugar beet pulp and pectin residue diets had numerically the highest values. Heat production and retained energy in proportion to metabolizable energy intake were not affected by fibre inclusion. It was concluded that the inclusion of sugar beet pulp, soya bean hulls and pectin residue in diets for growing pigs decreased the apparent faecal digestibility and in the diets with sugar beet pulp and pectin residue higher utilization of digested nitrogen for retention compensated for the lower amount of digested nitrogen.     

Chelating agents improve enzymatic solubilization of pectinaceous co-processing streams

This study investigates the hypothesis that loosening of the egg-box structure by presence of divalent ion chelating agents during enzymatic degradation of homogalacturonan (HG) can improve enzymatic polysaccharide solubilization on pectinaceous, agro-industrial co-processing streams. The influence of different levels of ethylene-diaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), citric acid, oxalic acid, and phosphate was assessed in relation to enzymatic solubilization of isopropanol precipitatable oligo- and polysaccharides from sugar beet pulp, citrus peel, and two types of potato pulp. The two types of potato pulp were FiberBind 400, a dried commercial potato pulp product, and PUF, a dried calcium reduced product, respectively. The enzymatic treatment consisted of 1% (w/w) of substrate treated with pectin lyase from Aspergillus nidulans and polygalacturonase from A. aculeatus [each dosed at 1.0% (w/w) enzyme/substrate] at 60 °C, pH 6.0 for 1 min. Characterization of the released fractions demonstrated a significantly improved effect of chelating agents for polysaccharide solubilization from FiberBind 400, PUF, and citrus peel, whereas only low amounts of polysaccharides were solubilized from the sugar beet pulp. The results substantiated the importance of chelating agents during enzymatic extraction of pectinaceous polysaccharides. Lower levels of chelating agents were required for the calcium-reduced potato pulp substrate (PUF) indicating the significance of calcium cross-linking in HG in relation to the enzymatic solubilization yields. The effect of the chelating agents correlated to their dissociation constants (pK_a values) and calcium binding constants and citric acid and EDTA exerted highest effects. Maximum polysaccharide yield was obtained for FiberBind 400 where the enzymatic treatment in presence of citric acid yielded 22.5% (w/w) polysaccharides of the initial substrate dry matter.     

Peripartum Ca and P homeostasis in multiparous sows fed adequate or excess dietary Ca

The recent increased prevalence of uterine prolapses in sows around parturition has led to inferences that the prolapses may be associated with hypocalcemia. However, limited data are available to support that hypocalcemia occurs in sows. Hypocalcemia in dairy cows is associated with feeding excess dietary Ca during late gestation. The excess Ca is assumed to suppress homeostatic mechanisms critical to maintain serum Ca concentrations as the Ca demand increases during the early stages of lactation. In this experiment, sows were fed diets with excess Ca during late gestation and early lactation to assess the potential development of hypocalcemia in the peripartum period. Twelve crossbred (Large White × Landrace) multiparous gestating sows were fed a control diet (CON), 0.65% Ca to 0.38% standardized total tract digestible P (STTD P) and 0.67% Ca to 0.38% STTD P in gestation and lactation diets, respectively) or a high Ca diet (HCa, 1.75% Ca to 0.46% STTD P and 1.75% Ca to 0.45% STTD P in gestation and lactation diets, respectively). The diets were fed from gestation day 86 þ ± 1 until the end of lactation (27 þ ± 2 days period). On day 112 of gestation, indwelling venous catheters were placed in each sow. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals within four designated times (0700, 1000, 1300 and 1700 h) on gestation day 113 and lactation days 1, 3 and 5. Venous blood pH, gases (pO₂, pCO₂ and HCO₃⁻), electrolytes (K⁺, Na⁺ and Cl⁻), ionized Ca (iCa), metabolites (glucose and lactate), plasma total Ca (tCa), and P were analyzed. Overall, sows fed HCa diet had greater (P < 0.001) concentrations of blood iCa and plasma tCa than sows fed CON diets. No clinical signs of Ca metabolism disorders were observed. Unexpectedly, concentrations of plasma P in sows fed HCa diets were lower (P < 0.001) than in sows fed CON diets. Plasma P tended to decrease (P = 0.057) as day of lactation increased. Differences between dietary treatments for blood pH, gases, electrolytes and metabolites were not detected (P > 0.05). No evidence for hypocalcemia was detected in peripartum sows fed CON or HCa diets. These data imply that excess Ca in late gestation diets did not result in hypocalcemia during the peripartum period. Future experiments should focus on factors other than hypocalcemia to identify causes of uterine prolapses in sows.     

Equine pre-caecal and total tract digestibility of individual carbohydrate fractions and their effect on caecal pH response

The working hypothesis was that a minor postprandial caecal pH decline would affect apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of the fibre fraction in horses and, hence, that soluble fibre would amplify fermentation and consequently increase ATTD of fibre. This study was a 4 × 4 Latin Square design with a sequence of 17 days adaptation to the ration followed by 8 sampling days. The feed rations consisted of only timothy hay (Group H), hay plus molassed sugar beet pulp combined with either whole oats (Group OB) or barley (Group BB) and hay plus loose chaff based concentrate (Group M). Four horses fitted with permanent caecal cannulas and collection harnesses were used. A pH electrode with logger was inserted through the cannula and caecal pH was recorded at 1 min intervals for 8 h. The mobile nylon bag technique was used to quantify pre-caecal loss (PCL) of individual feedstuffs. Fibre was analysed as dietary fibre (DF), non-starch polysaccharides, soluble non-cellulosic polysaccharides (S-NCP), insoluble non-cellulosic polysaccharide (I-NCP) and neutral detergent fibre. The ATTD of the S-NCP fraction was above 0.8, which was 60% higher than for the I-NCP fraction. The PCL of starch were 0.98 (oats) and 0.75 (barley). The BB diet lowered (p < 0.001) postprandial caecal pH more than the other diets and a significant correlation was found between the lowest pH and ATTD of I-NCP (r = ?0.66; p = 0.005). In conclusion, this study successfully measured the in vivo digestibility of individual fibre fractions and found that S-NCP was more digestible than the I-NCP, and that a single meal of unprocessed barley was sufficient to decrease caecal pH to such an extent that the fibre digestibility of the whole diet was negatively affected.     

Effect of cellobiose supplementation and dietary soluble fibre content on in vitro caecal fermentation of carbohydrate-rich substrates in rabbits

The in vitro caecal fermentation of five substrates low in starch and protein content [d-(+)-glucose (GLU), d-cellobiose (CEL), sugar beet pectin (PEC), sugar beet pulp (SBP) and wheat straw (WS)] was investigated using soft faeces from rabbits receiving different levels of cellobiose and soluble fibre as inoculum. A total of 24 rabbits were supplemented 3 levels of cellobiose in the drinking water (0.0, 7.5, 15.0 g/l) and fed two experimental diets containing either low soluble fibre (LSF) or high soluble fibre (HSF) levels (84.0 and 130 g/kg dry matter). All substrates were subjected to a two-step pepsin/pancreatin in vitro pre-digestion, and the whole residue was used as substrate for the in vitro incubations. Gas production was measured until 144 h, and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production was determined at 24 h incubation. Experimental treatments did not affect SBP fermentation and had only a subtle influence on fermentation of WS and GLU. In contrast, cellobiose supplementation × donors’ diet interactions were detected for most gas production parameters for CEL. Both the fractional gas production (k) and maximal gas production rates were linearly increased (p ≤ 0.042) and the initial delay in the onset of gas production (Lag) linearly decreased (p < 0.001) by cellobiose supplementation with the HSF inoculum, with no differences between the 7.5 and 15.0 doses. In contrast, with the LSF inoculum cellobiose supplementation only affected k values, which were quadratically increased (p = 0.043) and had maximal values for the 7.5 dose. A quadratic effect (p ≤ 0.018) of cellobiose supplementation was observed for total VFA production at 24 h when CEL and PEC were fermented, obtaining the maximal VFA production for the 7.5 dose of cellobiose. Total VFA production for CEL was greater with LSF than with HSF inoculum (20.7 vs. 12.9 mmol/l; p = 0.014), but the opposite was found for WS (3.97 vs. 6.21 mmol/l; p = 0.005). The use of LSF inoculum for CEL fermentation sharply reduced acetate (p = 0.001) and increased butyrate proportions (p ≤ 0.001) compared with the HSF inoculum. A positive relationship between total VFA caecal concentrations in rabbits receiving the same experimental treatments and in vitro values was only observed when WS was used as substrate (r = 0.90; p = 0.015; n = 6). The results suggest that experimental factors influenced the fermentative activity of caecal digesta, but the observed response differed with the incubated substrate, being the CEL the most affected.     

Energy supply of the okapi in captivity: intake and digestion trials

In the nutrition of browsing ruminants in captivity, adequate nutrient digestibility and energy content of diet is debated. Problems related to energy‐provision and low forage intake have been reported for the okapi and other browsers like the giraffe, particularly during winter. High‐fiber concentrates like unmolassed beet pulp have some potential to improve the nutritional management of these species. Using a total of six okapis in captivity, seven feeding trials were carried out at two facilities (A+B) on a structured but opportunistic base. Three trials (A₁, A₂, B₁) were conducted when animals were fed their regular diet including grain based energy concentrates, fruits and vegetables, and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) hay. Two trials (A₅, B₂) examined the effect of unmolassed beet pulp, and two (A₃,₄) examined the effect of unmolassed beet pulp+fresh browse. Daily intake and feces production were quantified over 8–12 days. Samples were analyzed for dry matter, crude ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF)/acid detergent fiber (ADF)/acid detergent lignin (ADL), crude protein, and gross energy. Metabolizable energy content of diets was estimated via a factor (0.83) from digestible energy. The proportion of beet pulp in diets was 13% (A₃), 24% (A₄), 20% (A₅), and 21% (B₂). Browse proportion was 11% (A₃) and 32% (A₄). Daily feed intake ranged between 1.5–1.7% of body weight (BW), digestibility of organic matter between 61–74%. Digestibility of fiber (NDF) was higher in beet pulp diets (A₃=39%, A₄=60%, A₅=54%, B₂=61%) than in the others (A₁=48%, A₂=33%, B₁=48%). Supply of metabolizable energy (ME) ranged between 0.50–0.70 MJ ME/(kg BW^0.75*day), meeting energy requirements of okapis of 0.50–0.53 MJ ME/(kg BW^0.75*day) in general. Diets with beet pulp+browse were not found to be highest, but in the upper level of the range of forage proportions of this study. Palatable browse species were preferred over all other feedstuff offered. The use of unmolassed beet pulp as energy‐concentrate for browsing ruminants like the okapi can be recommended because diets high in this high‐fibre feedstuff resulted in adequate energy intakes. Zoo Biol 0:1–14, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Influence of feeding a fish oil-containing diet to young,lean, adult dogs: effects on lipid metabolites,postprandial glycaemia and body weight

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feeding a fish oil (FO)-containing diet on lipid and protein metabolism, postprandial glycaemia and body weight in young, lean, adult dogs. Eight female Beagles were randomly assigned to one of two isonitrogenous and isoenergetic diets, Control or FO, in a crossover design. At the beginning of the experiment and at 30 and 60 d, a baseline blood sample was collected and the dogs then were fed their daily ration. Nitrogen balance began at 07:00 h on day 63 of each experimental period and ended at 07:00 h on day 69. On day 66 of each period, a single dose (7.5 mg/kg) of ¹⁵N-glycine was administered orally to each dog via gelatin capsule. Postprandial glycaemia did not differ between treatments or among sampling days within treatment. Cholesterol concentration was increased (p < 0.05) on the Control treatment throughout the experiment when compared to values of day 0. Dogs fed the FO treatment had higher plasma triglyceride and ghrelin concentrations than those fed the Control treatment. Body weight and food intake did not differ between dietary treatments. Faecal excretion was increased (p < 0.05) in the FO treatment. Dry matter digestibility was decreased (p < 0.05) and fat digestibility tended (p < 0.10) to decrease in the FO treatment. Overall, feeding a FO-containing diet showed a protective effect against the rise of plasma cholesterol and it increased plasma ghrelin concentration. However, FO supplementation did not appear to affect protein metabolism or postprandial glycaemia in adult lean dogs.     

Ensiled sugar beets as dietary component and their effect on preference and dry matter intake by goats

This study examines the influence of ensiled sugar beets (Beta vulgaris ssp. vulgaris) on preference and short-time dry matter (DM) intake of goats. Whole sugar beets were ensiled either without any silage additive (sugar beet silage (SBS)) or with a chemical additive (6 l/t) containing 85% formic and propionic acids (treated sugar beet silage (TBS)) and were chopped after ensiling. The influence of different proportions of SBS (0%, 6.25%, 12.5%, 18.75% and 25% of dietary DM) and TBS (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% of DM) in partial mixed rations on short-time DM intake by goats (adult Saanen type wethers; n = 10) was studied in two separate, independent trials. Preference behaviour was investigated by offering the goats two different experimental diets per day and offer each possible combination of them (n = 10) once throughout the trial. On this basis, the mean DM intake (within 30 min and 3 h) of each experimental diet was determined. Both sugar beet silages showed good fermentation quality with low pH. By using the chemical silage additive, the production of ethanol was reduced and considerable amounts of sugar were preserved. In the short-term preference experiment, increasing concentrations of sugar beet silage in the ration increased DM intake (p < 0.05) in a linear way with a strong preference for those diets containing high amounts of sugar beet silage. Initial DM intake after 30 min was 4–5 fold increased for diets containing the highest beet concentration. It is assumed that the preference was positively influenced by sugar and sweet taste or the associated higher concentration of metabolisable energy.     

Addition of citrus pulp and apple pomace in diets for dogs: influence on fermentation kinetics,digestion, faecal characteristics and bacterial populations

Fermentation kinetics, digestibility, faecal characteristics and bacterial populations (aerobes, anaerobes, lactobacilli, lactic acid bacteria, enterococci, coliforms and clostridia) of dog food mixed with citrus pulp and apple pomace were evaluated. The in vitro gas production of a pre-digested dog food mixed with 0, 30, 50 and 70 g/kg dry matter (DM) of citrus pulp or apple pomace was measured, and also an experiment with dogs fed the same dog food with or without the addition of 70 g/kg of either fresh citrus pulp or apple pomace was conducted. Gas production increased linearly (p < 0.001) and quadratically (p < 0.001) as fibre levels augmented. The inclusion of fibre sources in the diets resulted in higher faecal output (p = 0.005) and defecation frequency (p < 0.001), and lower faecal pH (p < 0.001) and digestibility values (p < 0.01). Faecal consistencies and microbial populations did not differ among treatments. The addition of fresh citrus and apple was effective to stimulate the hindgut fermentation, but slightly depressed the digestion.     

Effect of developmental stage on bovine oocyte plasma membrane water and cryoprotectant permeability characteristics

Knowledge of bovine oocyte plasma membrane permeability characteristics at different developmental stages in the presence of cryoprotective agents (CPAs) is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the oolema hydraulic conductivity (L_p), cryoprotectant permeability (P_CPA), and reflection coefficient (σ) for immature (germinal vesicle stage, GV) and in vitro–matured (metaphase II, MII) bovine oocytes. Two commonly used cryoprotective agents, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethylene glycol (EG), were studied. Osmometric studies were performed using a micromanipulator connected to an inverted microscope at 22 ± 2°C. Each oocyte was immobilized via a holding pipette, and osmotically induced volume changes over time (dv/dt) were recorded. The L_p values for GV and MII oocytes in DMSO (L_p^DMSO) were 0.70 ± 0.06 and 1.14 ± 0.07 μm/min/atm (mean ± SEM) and in EG (L_p^EG) were 0.50 ± 0.06 and 0.83 ± 0.07 μm/min/atm, respectively. Estimates of P_DMSO for GV and MII oocytes were 0.36 ± 0.03 and 0.48 ± 0.03 μm/sec, and P_EG values for GV and MII oocytes were 0.22 ± 0.03, 0.37 ± 0.03 μm/sec, respectively. The σ values for GV and MII oocytes in DMSO (σ_DMSO) were 0.86 ± 0.03 and 0.90 ± 0.04 and in EG (σ_EG) were 0.94 ± 0.03 and 0.76 ± 0.04, respectively. These data demonstrate that bovine oolema permeability coefficients to water and cryoprotectants change after in vitro maturation. Furthermore, the bovine oocyte P_DMSO is higher than the P_EG. These results may provide a biophysical basis for developing criteria for choosing optimal CPAs and for minimizing damage during addition and removal of the CPAs. Additionally, these data support the hypothesis that different procedures may be required for optimal cryopreservation of different oocyte developmental stages. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 49:408–415, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Athletes’ rest-activity circadian rhythm differs in accordance with the sport discipline

The correct expression of circadian rhythmicity is crucial for the body homeostasis. The rest-activity circadian rhythms (RARs) are involved in the control of the sleep-wake cycle and altered RARs could lead to a compromised health status. Many studies focused on examining sleep behavior and circadian rhythms in physically active subjects or athletes but, unexpectedly, no data on RARs are available. Therefore, we studied the existence of the RAR in athletes and the possible difference in RAR’s characteristics among sport disciplines. The study had a prospective observational design and RARs were recorded for five consecutive training days through actigraphy (Actiwatch 2 actigraph; Philips Respironics, OR, USA) in 43 athletes (mean age: 25.6 ± 3.2 years). Athletes competed in three different disciplines and had different training schedules and competition levels: professional triathletes (N = 10; 6 females and 4 males) had 2 morning (08:30–12:00) and 1 afternoon (15:00–17:00) training sessions, professional volleyball players (N = 19; 12 females and 7 males) used to train once in the morning (09:00–11:30) and once in the afternoon (15:00–18:00), and non-professional soccer players (N = 14; all males) trained always late in the evening (20:30–22:30). To determine the existence of RARs, the activity counts (A.C.) data were analyzed using the single and the population mean cosinor method; a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by the Tukey–Kramer post-hoc test was used for the comparison of RAR characteristics among soccer, volleyball and triathlon athletes. Partial eta squared (?_p²) was used to determine the magnitude of the effect for significant outcomes (α = 0.05) in ANOVA. The presence of a significant RAR both for each of the 43 athletes (p < 0.001) and for the three categories of athletes (p < 0.001) was observed. RARs differed among sport disciplines: the Midline Estimating Statistic of Rhythm (MESOR) was significantly higher in triathletes (mean: 347 A.C. with 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 314–379) compared to both volleyball (mean: 188 A.C. with 95% CI: 173–203; p < 0.001) and soccer players (mean: 289 A.C. with 95% CI: 267–312; p < 0.01) with ?_p² = 0.72. Amplitude (A) values showed the same significant trend of MESOR data (ANOVA: p < 0.001; ?_p² = 0.65) while the acrophase (Φ) occurred at 18:28 for soccer players, significantly later than triathlon (15:20 h; p < 0.001) and volleyball players (16:24 h; p < 0.001) (ANOVA: p < 0.001; ?p2 = 0.84). The higher training duration and intensity reached by triathlon athletes in the morning sessions caused a phase advance of their RAR’s acrophase Φ and higher MESOR and A amplitude compared to volleyball players and triathletes. Therefore, different sport disciplines require different training schedules, training loads and intensities that translate into different RARs. Strength coaches and medical staff of professional teams should strongly consider actigraphy as a practical and powerful tool to monitor RARs, sleep behavior, and the activity levels of their athletes; highlighting potential circadian disruptions through actigraphy could be helpful to prevent musculoskeletal injuries.     

Enzymatic solubilization of a pectinaceous dietary fiber fraction from potato pulp: Optimization of the fiber extraction process

Upgrading of potato pulp, a byproduct stream from industrial manufacture of potato starch, is important for the continued economic competitiveness of the potato starch industry. The major part of potato pulp consists of the tuber plant cell wall material which is particularly rich in galactan branched rhamnogalacturonan I type pectin. In the work reported here, the release of high-molecular weight pectinaceous dietary fiber polysaccharides from starch free potato pulp was accomplished by use of a multicomponent pectinase preparation from Aspergillus aculeatus (Viscozyme^® L). The enzyme reaction conditions for the solubilization were optimized via a surface response design to be addition of 0.27% Viscozyme^® L by weight of potato pulp substrate dry matter, 1 h treatment at pH 3.5, 62.5 °C. Analysis of the molecular size and monomer composition of the enzymatically released fibers showed that they were rich in galactose and uronic acid indicating that the solubilized fibers were mainly made up of galactan branched rhamnogalacturonan I type pectin polymers.     

Response of performance characteristics and fecal consistency to long-lasting dietary supplementation with the probiotic strain Bacillus cereus var. toyoi to sows and piglets

Abstract

As part of an interdisciplinary research project, we studied the performance response of sows and their litters to the probiotic strain Bacillus cereus var. toyoi as well as feces consistency of piglets. Gestating sows (n = 26) were randomly allotted into two groups. The probiotic B. cereus var. toyoi was administered by dietary supplementation to one group of sows and their respective litters (probiotic group) whereas the second group (control group) received no probiotic supplementation. The duration of the application was nearly 17 weeks for sows (day 90 ante partum until day 28 post partum) and six weeks for piglets (day 15–56). Piglets were weaned after 28 days. Body weight and feed consumption were recorded weekly and fecal consistency of weaned piglets was studied daily. B. cereus var. toyoi was recovered from feces of sows and piglets as well as from digesta of piglets in the probiotic group, while being absent from all samples of control animals. In addition, the probiotic was detected in piglet feces and digesta before pre-starter feed was offered, indicating a second route of uptake besides diet. Sows of the probiotic group nursed numerically more piglets and supported a higher sum of total nursing days of all piglets within each litter than control sows (p = 0.04). In turn, body weight (BW) up to day 35 was greater for control piglets (p < 0.01), while average daily gain and gain to feed ratio (G:F) in weeks six and eight postweaning was higher in the probiotic group (p < 0.05). The overall G:F of the total postweaning period was 680 g/kg and 628 g/kg in the probiotic group and control group, respectively (p = 0.009). During the trial a high prevalence of liquid feces with its maximum in the second week after weaning was observed. Probiotic supplementation led to a reduction in the incidence of liquid feces and postweaning diarrhea by 38% and 59%, respectively (p < 0.001).