Effects of fibre concentration of diets consisting of hay and slowly degradable concentrate on ruminal fermentation and digesta particle size in mid-lactation dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate the intestinal microbiota of growing kittens fed moderate- or high-protein diets using DNA-based qualitative and quantitative techniques. Kittens were weaned to a high-protein (HP; n = 7) or moderate-protein (MP; n = 10) diet at 8 weeks of age. Fresh faecal samples were collected at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age. DNA was extracted and quantitative PCR used to quantify Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Clostridium perfringens, and Escherichia coli concentrations. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was performed to create a dendrogram and unrooted trees using Bionumerics 5.0 to identify similarity due to litter, age, or diet. Kittens fed HP had lower (p = 0.02) Bifidobacteria and Lactobacillus counts than MP-fed kittens. E. coli was lower (p = 0.02) in HP-fed kittens and tended to be affected by age (p = 0.09). Kittens were clustered by litter at 8 weeks of age, and then clustered by diet at 12 and 16 weeks of age. Our data suggest that faecal microbiota of growing kittens change after weaning and that dietary protein concentration affects E. coli, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillus populations. The relevance of these data in terms of intestinal health and disease remain to be determined and justifies further study.     

Age-related and seasonal variations in plasma uncarboxylated osteocalcin in male Murrah buffaloes

The present study aims to investigate the age-related and seasonal variations in plasma uncarboxylated osteocalcin (UcOCN) in male Murrah buffaloes. In experiment 1, body weight, body dimensions and plasma UcOCN levels were estimated in 120 male Murrah buffaloes aged between 18 days and 8 years. We observed a significant (p < 0.0001) decrease in plasma UcOCN with age and their levels ranged between 0.25 and 9.25 ng/ml. In experiment 2, the plasma UcOCN, cortisol, triiodothyronine (T₃), thyroxine (T₄) and prolactin levels were determined during spring and summer in 6–34 months (n = 24) old male Murrah buffaloes. Significant (p < 0.0001) higher plasma UcOCN levels were observed in spring than in summer. The plasma T₃ and T₄ levels were positively correlated with plasma UcOCN, whereas the plasma cortisol and prolactin were negatively correlated. Further, to observe the effect of season on temporal variations of UcOCN, Murrah buffaloes aged between 4–6 (n = 5), 14–16 (n = 5) and 28–30 (n = 5) months were bled at an interval of 30 min, between 0700 and 01030 h, during both the seasons. We observed significant effects of season (p < 0.0001), age (p < 0.0001) and season-by-age interaction (p < 0.01) on plasma UcOCN. The reasons for variations in plasma UcOCN with age and season will be discussed.     

A brief report on effects of transfer from outdoor grazing to indoor tethering and back on urinary cortisol and behaviour in dairy cattle

The present study was performed to investigate the effects of transferring cattle (n = 7) from pasture to indoor confinement and their return to pasture on their physiological and behavioural responses. On the day after the cows were moved to indoor tethering, urinary cortisol increased approximately 3.4-fold in comparison with the levels before. The cortisol levels remained elevated for the first week, then declined, and the basal levels were maintained during the last 3 weeks. The urinary cortisol levels did not change after the cows were returned to pasture. The ratio of lying down while ruminating tended to decrease and remained low after the cattle were transferred from pasture to indoor tethering. This ratio recovered to pre-tethering levels after the cattle were returned to pasture. This study suggests that indoor tethering, in comparison with pasture grazing, is stressful for cattle.     

Light rhythmic exercise with dietary milk fat globule membrane improves physical fitness in an elderly Japanese population: a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of home-based, light gymnastic exercise plus dietary milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) intake on physical fitness of an elderly Japanese sample in a pilot, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Seventy-one subjects (male, n = 13; female, n = 58) were randomly assigned into two groups: placebo (n = 35 [male, n = 6; female, n = 29]) and MFGM group (n = 36 [male, n = 7; female, n = 29]). The intervention was eight weeks. Subjects ingested either MFGM (1 g/day) or placebo tablets daily and engaged in an exercise program daily. Physical function tests were performed at baseline and after four and eight weeks. Foot tapping and open–close stepping scores significantly increased from baseline to eight weeks in the MFGM group. Study results suggest daily MFGM ingestion might further enhance the effects of light-intensity exercise in healthy elderly people.     

Effect of increasing the dietary tryptophan to lysine ratio on plasma levels of tryptophan,kynurenine and urea and on production traits in weaner pigs experimentally infected with an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli‡

This experiment examined if immune system stimulation of weaner pigs, initiated by inoculation an enterotoxigenic strain of Escherichia coli (ETEC), increased the requirement for dietary tryptophan (Trp), modulated the inflammatory response, altered plasma levels of Trp and its metabolite kynurenine (Kyn) and effected post-weaning diarrhoea. Individually housed pigs (n = 72) weaned at 21 d of age were allocated to one of six treatments (n = 12) according to a two by three factorial arrangement of (1) with or without ETEC infection and (2) three dietary ratios of standardised ileal digestible (SID) Trp to lysine (Lys) (SID Trp:Lys) of 0.16, 0.20 or 0.24, in a completely randomised block design. Pigs had ad libitum access to diets (per kg 14.13 MJ ME, 12.4 g SID Lys, 195 g crude protein) for 3 weeks after weaning. Pigs were infected with ETEC (O149:K98:K88) at 72, 96 and 120 h after weaning and then bled on day 3, 11 and 19. An increased dietary Trp:Lys ratio increased plasma Trp and Kyn (p < 0.001) without effect of infection. On day 3, pigs fed 0.24 SID Trp:Lys had lower levels of plasma urea than at 0.20 Trp:Lys (p = 0.047) and on day 11, plasma urea was lower at 0.20 than at 0.16 SID Trp:Lys (p = 0.007). Infection increased (p = 0.039) the diarrhoea index and deteriorated faecal consistency from day 4–10 (p < 0.05). Treatments did not affect haptoglobin and acid soluble glycoprotein levels or daily gain and feed intake. However, 0.24 SID Trp:Lys improved (p = 0.021) feed efficiency without an effect of infection. In conclusion, in the absence of dietary antibiotic growth promotants, increasing the dietary SID Trp:Lys ratio to 0.24 improved feed conversion ratio after weaning and increased plasma levels of Trp and Kyn regardless of infection with E. coli.     

Nitrogen excretion in rats on a protein-free diet and during starvation

Nitrogen balances (six days) were determined in male Wistar rats during feeding a diet with sufficient protein or a nearly protein-free diet (n = 2×24), and then during three days of starvation (n = 2×12). The objective was to evaluate the effect of protein withdrawal on minimum nitrogen excretion in urine (UN), corresponding to endogenous UN, during feeding and subsequent starvation periods. The rats fed the protein free-diet had almost the same excretion of urinary N during feeding and starvation (165 and 157 mg/kg W^0.75), while it was 444 mg/kg W^0.75 in rats previously fed with protein, demonstrating a major influence of protein content in a diet on Nexcretion during starvation. Consequently, the impact of former protein supply on Nlosses during starvation ought to be considered when evaluating minimum N requirement necessary to sustain life.     

Effects of grape seed extract as a natural antioxidant on growth performance,carcass characteristics and antioxidant status of rabbits during heat stress

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different levels of dietary supplementation of grape seed extract (GSE) on growth performance, carcass traits and antioxidant status of rabbits under heat stress conditions (temperature humidity index 87.5–93.5). Weaned male New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits about 6 weeks old (n = 144, mean body weight 705 g) were randomly allotted to four dietary groups. The Control group was fed a basal diet without GSE; the experimental groups received the basal diet with 100, 200 and 300 mg GSE/kg (Groups 100 GSE, 200 GSE and 300 GSE, respectively). The experimental period lasted for 8 weeks. Compared with other groups, rabbits of Group 300 GSE had the best body weight gain and feed conversion ratio and the lowest mortality. Dietary GSE improved carcass weight, percentage of hot carcass, intestine and edible giblets, while total non-edible parts were reduced (p ≤ 0.05) in comparison with the Control group. In Groups 200 GSE and 300 GSE, plasma total protein, albumin and globulin were increased (p ≤ 0.05). In contrast, all supplementation levels of GSE reduced (p ≤ 0.05) the plasma concentrations of total lipids, total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins. Antioxidant enzymes of rabbits (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione transferase) and total antioxidant capacity in blood were increased (p ≤ 0.05) by adding dietary GSE. However, malondialdehyde was reduced (p ≤ 0.001) with increasing GSE levels. Generally, grape seeds can be considered as rich source of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The results of the study revealed that all tested levels of GSE were useful as a natural protection against heat stress to maintain performance, carcass traits and antioxidant status and could reduce the negative effects of heat stress in rabbits.     

Post-resistance training detraining: time-of-day effects on training and testing outcomes

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of 3 and 5 weeks of detraining after 14 weeks of resistance training at a specific time of day on performances during the squat jump (SJ) and the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Thirty-one healthy male physical education students (age: 23.1 ± 1.0 years; height: 176.1 ± 6.3 cm; weight: 74.9 ± 10.9 kg) were randomly assigned to either a morning training group (MTG, training between 07:00 and 08:00 h, n = 10), an evening training group (ETG, training between 17:00 and 18:00 h, n = 11) or a control group (CG, no training, n = 10). Participants then performed eight test sessions (twice per day, at 07:00 and 17:00 h) over the course of four phases: during pre-training, immediately post-training, and after 3 and 5 weeks of detraining. Before each test session, oral temperature was recorded. During the first 12 weeks of resistance training, participants performed 3 sets of 10 repetitions to failure (10-RM) for 4 exercises (squat, leg press, leg extension and leg curl, with 2 min of recovery between each exercise); during the last two weeks, training intensity increased to 8-RM with 3 min of recovery between each exercise. Oral temperature was significantly higher at 17:00 than 07:00 h during all test periods (p < 0.05). Likewise, SJ and MVC performances were significantly higher at 17:00 h than 07:00 h during all four test days in ETG and CG, and before training and 3 and 5 weeks after training in MTG (p < 0.05). For both training groups, most SJ and MVC performances (except MTG at 07:00 h and ETG at 17:00 h) returned to baseline values after 5, but not after 3, weeks of detraining. This study showed that 14 weeks of training at a specific time of day blunted the diurnal variation of MVC and SJ in the MTG. The improvement in performance brought about by resistance training was partially retained after 3 weeks of detraining (unless training had taken place at a non-habitual time of day) but was lost after 5 weeks of detraining. There was no effect of the time of training on core temperature.     

Effects of a diet containing fusarium toxins on the fertility of gilts and on bulbourethral gland weight in barrows

Nine gilts weighing 80 kg at the beginning of the trial were fed a mycotoxin contaminated diet containing 2 mg deoxynivalenol (DON) and 0.4 mg zearalenone (ZON) per kg (Diet M). Their daily weight gain until 103 kg BW was reduced in comparison to the nine control animals fed an uncontaminated diet (Diet C) (763 vs. 912 g; p = 0.02). There was no treatment effect on the age at first observed oestrus. Seven and eight gilts receiving Diet M and C, respectively, became pregnant after being mated once or being again mated three weeks later. The examination of the uteri of gilts slaughtered 35–61 days after mating showed that the exposure to DON and ZON had no effect on the number of foetuses per gilt (p = 0.54), but increased their growth rate (p = 0.003). Thus, low dietary DON and ZON levels had no negative effects on the reproductive parameters examined. The hypothesis that the bulbourethral gland weight of barrows can be used for the bioassay of low dietary ZON levels was rejected since feeding Diet M from 80–103 kg BW did not increase the weight of that accessory sex gland (p = 0.51).     

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 (R ² = 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.     

Effect of niacin supplementation on digestibility,nitrogen utilisation and milk and blood variables in lactating dairy cows fed a diet with a negative rumen nitrogen balance

The aim of the present experiment was to determine if a niacin supplementation of 6 g/d to lactating dairy cow diets can compensate negative effects of a rumen nitrogen balance (RNB) deficit. A total of nine ruminally and duodenally fistulated lactating multiparous German Holstein cows were successively assigned to one of three diets consisting of 10 kg maize silage (dry matter [DM] basis) and7 kg DM concentrate: Diet RNB– (n = 6) with energy and utilisable crude protein at the duodenum (uCP) according to the average requirement of the animals but with a negative RNB (–0.41 g N/MJ metabolisable energy [ME]); Diet RNB0 (n = 7) with energy, uCP and a RNB (0.08 g N/MJ ME) according to the average requirement of the animals and, finally, Diet NA (n = 5), which was the same diet as RNB–, but supplemented with 6 g niacin/d. Samples of milk were taken on two consecutive days, blood samples were taken on one day pre- and post-feeding and faeces and urine were collected completely over five consecutive days. The negative RNB reduced milk and blood urea content and apparent total tract digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF). Also N excretion with urine, the total N excreted with urine and faeces and the N balance were reduced when the RNB was negative. Supplementation of niacin elevated plasma glucose concentration after feeding and the N balance increased. Supplementing the diet with a negative RNB with niacin led to a more efficient use of dietary N thereby avoiding the negative effects of the negative RNB on the digestibility of DM, OM and NDF.     

Investigations on the effects of rape oil quality,choline and methionine concentration in diets for laying hens on the trimethylamine content of the eggs,on trimethylamine metabolism and on laying performance

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to study the effects of graded levels of choline addition (0, 500, 1000 and 4000 mg/kg diet) in laying hen diets prepared either with degummed or refined rape oil on the performance, sensory properties and trimethylamine (TMA) contents of the eggs. Furthermore, the diets containing no supplemented choline or 4000 mg choline/kg diet were tested with adequate or inadequate methionine supply (4.2 vs. 2.8 g methionine/kg diet). TMA metabolism and N-balance were measured for the latter diet types, but only with the diets containing refined rape oil. Therefore, a total of 12 and 4 diets were tested in the feeding (n = 60) and balance study (n = 9). Laying performance (23 – 75 weeks of age) was not significantly influenced by increasing choline additions with the exception of feed-to-egg mass ratio which decreased significantly linearly (p _linear = 0.003). However, a significant interaction between choline addition and laying month was detected which was caused by a depression of performance of the unsupplemented control group occurring from the sixth laying month. The most obvious effect of an inadequate methionine supply was a temporary drop in performance between the third and sixth laying months. The mean TMA-concentration in pooled egg yolks [μg/g] increased with dietary choline concentration [mg/kg] in an exponentially related fashion (y = 1.14 + 4E^?10 ? x^2.71, r² = 0.962) and suggested only a minor influence of total dietary choline on TMA content up to approximately 2000 mg choline/kg. Individual TMA-concentrations varied greatly from 0.4 – 1.5 μg/g, from 2.2 – 34 μg/g and from 18.4 – 75 μg/g for eggs with a normal, aberrant and heavily aberrant odour, respectively. It is concluded that a total choline concentration of at least approximately 1500 mg/kg is necessary to maintain a maximal laying performance. An inadequate methionine supply cannot be compensated by an increased addition of choline. Neither degummed nor refined rape oil influenced the TMA content of eggs.     

Kadmium — Antimetabolit des Eisens und Zinks

The aim of the present dose response study was to examine the long-term effects of increasing the amounts of rare earth elements (REE) in the diet on growth and slaughtering performance of fattening bulls. A total of 48 bulls of German Holstein with an average initial live weight (LW) of 119 ± 13 kg were divided into four dietary treatment groups (n = 12): a control group and three REE-treated groups, which were fed a supplement of 100, 200 and 300 mg REE-citrate per kg dry matter (DM) containing mainly cerium (57.9%), lanthanum (34.0%) and praseodymium (6.5%). The feeding trial was divided into a growing period for 8 weeks and a fattening period for 39 weeks. The growing diet consisted of concentrate, grass silage and grass hay, while the fattening diet consisted of concentrate and maize silage. The animals were slaughtered at approximately 556 kg LW. The intake of grass hay and maize silage (0.55–0.31 kg/d and 6.09–5.44 kg/d, respectively) decreased linearly (p < 0.05) with increasing REE-citrate supplementation, while LW gain showed only a numerical decrease during the growing (2–4%) and the fattening period (4–5%). The feed-to-gain ratio and ME-to-gain ratio were not significantly affected by REE treatment during the whole feeding trial. The most striking effect of REE on carcass characteristics was a significantly higher dressing percentage in Group C (200 mg REE citrate kg/DM) compared to the other groups, while no effects were found on liver, kidneys, heart, thymus, pancreas, spleen and thyroid gland weights. The digestibility trials with wethers indicate that a supplementation of 300 mg REE-citrate per kg DM to a ration consisting of concentrate and straw does not enhance the digestibility of nutrients. These results suggest that, under the conditions of the present study, the supplementation of fattening bull diets with REE cannot be recommended.     

Metabolomic analysis reveals distinct profiles in the plasma and urine of rats fed a high-protein diet

A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet has been regarded as a dietary intervention for weight loss in the obese population. We integrated metabolomics profiles and correlation-based network analysis to reveal the difference in metabolism under diets with different protein:carbohydrate ratios. Rats were fed a control diet (moderate-protein moderate-carbohydrate: MPMC; 20 % protein, 56 % carbohydrate) or HPLC diet (high-protein low-carbohydrate: 45 % protein, 30 % carbohydrate) for 6 weeks. The fat content was equal for both diets. HPLC feeding induced weight loss and reduced adipose weight and plasma triglyceride. Compared to the MPMC diet, HPLC significantly increased plasma α-tocopherol, pyruvate, 2-oxoisocaproate, and β-hydroxybutyrate, and reduced linoleate, palmitate, α-glycerophosphate and pyroglutamic acid. The HPLC-associated urinary metabolite profile was signified with an increase in palmitate and stearate and a reduction of citrate, 2-ketoglutarate, malate, and pantothenate. Pathway analysis implicated a significant alteration of the TCA cycle in urine. Biomarker screening demonstrated that individual metabolites, including plasma urea, pyruvate, and urinary citrate, robustly distinguished the HPLC group from the MPMC group. Correlation-based network analysis enabled to demonstrate that the correlation of plasma metabolite was strengthened after the HPLC diet, while the energy-metabolism relatives 2-ketoglutarate and fumarate correlated positively with phenylalanine, methionine, and serine. The correlation network between plasma–urinary metabolites revealed a negative correlation of plasma valine with urinary β-hydroxybutyrate in MPMC rats. In HPLC rats, plasma 2-oxoisocaproate negatively correlated with urinary pyruvate and glycine. This study using metabolomics analysis revealed the systemic metabolism in response to diet treatment and identified the significantly distinct profiles associated with a HPLC diet.     

Circadian phase modulates the enhancing effect of the Egyptian Moringa peregrina extract on learning and memory in mice

One of the most important issues nowadays is memory disorders. The exact circadian modulation of learning and memory is still under investigation. The present study was carried out to evaluate the probable enhancing and neuroprotective effects of the Egyptian Moringa peregrina; administered at two different Zeitgeber times (ZT), on learning and memory in mice. M. peregrina dried leaves were aqueously extracted and intranasally (IN) administered at four doses (viz. 12.5, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg). Twenty animal groups (n = 8/group) were treated with M. peregrina at ZT 3:00 vs. 15:00 representing the rest (day) vs. active (night) phases, respectively. Additionally, sub-chronic effect of daily IN administration of the 25 mg/kg dose for two weeks was examined at ZT 3:00 vs. 15:00. Memory performance was assessed after 1, 2 weeks of treatment and a 3rd recovery week. Memory test was performed at ZT 17:00 by measuring the percentage of time spent in novel arm of Y-maze. Dose-response curve revealed that both 25 and 50 mg/kg doses administered at ZT 3:00 significantly improved memory efficiency. Rest phase administration significantly enhanced memory functions after 1, 2 weeks as well as after the recovery week. Moreover, IN pretreatment with M. peregrina (25 mg/kg) revealed a protective effect against scopolamine-induced amnesia. In conclusion, these findings clearly indicated that M. peregrina possesses valuable enhancing and protective effects on learning and memory processes in mice which is circadian-phase dependent.     

Relationship between atomoxetine plasma concentration, treatment response and tolerability in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and comorbid oppositional defiant disorder

The purpose of this study was to examine whether atomoxetine plasma concentration predicts attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) response. This post-hoc analysis assessed the relationship between atomoxetine plasma concentration and ADHD and ODD symptoms in patients (with ADHD and comorbid ODD) aged 6–12 years. Patients were randomly assigned to atomoxetine 1.2 mg/kg/day (n = 156) or placebo (n = 70) for 8 weeks (Study Period II). At the end of 8 weeks, ODD non-remitters (score >9 on the SNAP-IV ODD subscale and CGI-I > 2) with atomoxetine plasma concentration <800 ng/ml at 2 weeks were re-randomized to either atomoxetine 1.2 mg/kg/day or 2.4 mg/kg/day for an additional 4 weeks (Study Period III). ODD remitters and non-remitters with plasma atomoxetine ≥800 ng/ml remained on 1.2 mg/kg/day atomoxetine for 4 weeks. Patients who received atomoxetine, completed Study Period II, and entered Study Period III were included in these analyses. All the groups demonstrated improvement on the SNAP-IV ODD and ADHD-combined subscales (P < .001). At the end of Study Periods II and III, ODD and ADHD improvement was significantly greater in the remitter group compared with the non-remitter groups. Symptom improvement was numerically greater in the non-remitter (2.4 mg/kg/day compared with the non-remitter 1.2 mg/kg/day) group. Atomoxetine plasma concentration was not indicative of ODD and ADHD improvement after 12 weeks of treatment. ADHD and ODD symptoms improved in all the groups with longer duration on atomoxetine. Results suggest atomoxetine plasma concentration does not predict ODD and ADHD symptom improvement. However, a higher atomoxetine dose may benefit some patients.     

Nutritional and physiological responses of finishing pigs exposed to a permanent heat exposure during three weeks

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of a permanent heat exposure during 21 days on pig performance, nutrient digestibility, physiological response and key enzyme of skeletal muscle energy metabolism. Twenty-four male finishing pigs (crossbreed castrates, 79.0 ± 1.50 kg body weight) were allocated to three groups (n = 8): (1) Control (ambient temperature (AT) 22°C, ad libitum feeding), (2) Group HE (AT 30°C, ad libitum feeding) and (3) Group PF (AT 22°C, pair-fed to Group HE). The permanent heat exposure decreased feed intake (p < 0.01), daily body weight gain (p < 0.05) and the digestibility of gross energy, dry matter, crude protein and ash (p < 0.05); rectal temperature and respiration rate were significantly increased (p < 0.01). The levels of plasma cortisol, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were also significantly increased in Group HE (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the heat exposure changed intracellular energy metabolism, where the AMP-activated protein kinase was activated (p = 0.02). This was combined with changes in parameters of glycolysis such as an accumulation of lactic acid (p = 0.02) and a drop of pH_24?h (p = 0.02), an increase of hexokinase and pyruvate kinase activity (p < 0.01) and, finally, the maturation process of post mortem muscle was influenced. Due to pair-feeding it was possible to evaluate the effects of heat exposure, which were not dependent on reduced feed intake. Such effects were, e.g., reduced nutrient digestibility and changed activities of several enzymes in muscle and blood serum.     

Effects of dietary glucose supplementation on the fasted plasma metabolome in cats and dogs

The study objective was to evaluate nutritional metabolomics in support of companion animal nutrition. The specific purpose was to identify metabolites that differed significantly (q-value < 0.05) in the 23 h fasted plasma metabolome of healthy adult female neutered cats (n = 14) and dogs (n = 14) following 2 weeks adaptation to a single batch of diet, nutritionally complete for both species, with and without dietary glucose supplementation (3.85 % w/w). The study consisted of a two-way, crossover design with samples from individual animals on days 14, 16 and 18 of each diet. Metabolic profiling consistently identified 219 metabolites from cats and 216 metabolites from dogs. Fasted plasma glucose did not change significantly with diet in either species whilst 41 % of cat and 20 % of dog metabolites did change significantly. In general, the two species responded similarly and provided data interpretable within the context of insulin-regulated responses to glucose, for example decreased fatty acid oxidation, increased uptake of branched chain amino acids into muscle, and in cats, decreased glucogenic amino acid catabolism. Other responses, such as increased 1 carbon pool intermediates in cats, were consistent with known nutritional differences between cats and dogs and interpretable within the context of energy metabolism. Data also indicated inter-individual variability and diet-dependent changes in digestion and absorption, providing insights for future study designs. In this proof-of-principle study it was concluded that metabolomics can provide data interpretable to a well-characterised area of nutrition and metabolism and also provide novel insights into metabolic adaptations with relevance to companion animal nutrition.     

Effect of dried corn distillers’ grains with solubles and soybean meal supplements on physiological indicators and reproductive performance of ewes

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of adding dried distillers’ grains with solubles (DDGS) to the nutritional regimens of ewes at different time periods on reproductive traits, serum hormones and serum metabolites. In Experiment 1, 100 ewes were divided into 4 groups (n = 25) according to diet. The four diets were grass hay (H) alone (group H), H with barley (group H + B), H with DDGS for the whole feeding period (27 d) (group H + DDGS) or H and DDGS for 5 d (d 8–12 of oestrus cycle) (group H + DDGS5). Serum progesterone concentrations were affected by oestrus cycle (p < 0.001), but not by dietary treatments. However, feeding H + DDGS caused significant increases in serum insulin, leptin and growth hormone concentrations (p < 0.05). In Experiment 2, 30 ewes were divided into 2 groups (n = 15), receiving DDGS or soybean meal (SBM) during the prepartum period. Diets had no significant effect on weights of dams or lambs at birth; however, the weaning weights of lambs born from ewes of group DDGS were significantly higher (p < 0.05). Moreover, serum glucose, blood urea nitrogen, triglyceride and beta hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations during the prepartum period were affected by dietary treatments and by time (p < 0.001). During the prepartum period, BHBA concentrations of ewes fed SBM were higher, while BHBA levels decreased during the last weeks of pregnancy regardless of diet. Lamb serum immunoglobulin G concentrations increased from 1 h to 24 h after birth (p < 0.001). Colostrum of ewes fed SBM had higher fat-free dry matter (DM) and protein contents in comparison to colostrum of ewes fed DDGS (p < 0.05). In conclusion, DDGS can be included as protein source in pregnancy rations up to 15% of DM to obtain reproductive performance outcomes equal to or exceeding those obtained with SBM.     

Familiarity may buffer the adverse effects of relocation on marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii): Preliminary evidence

The relocation of exotic species is increasingly crucial for the proper management of captive populations. We investigated the effects of relocation on urinary cortisol levels and proximity behavior in four Wied's marmosets (Callithrix kuhlii). Two of the relocated marmosets constituted a well‐established pair, whereas two (the newly established pair) were introduced when they arrived at the new facility. Four adult females served as control animals in which we assessed cortisol response to pair formation in the absence of relocation. Urinary cortisol in the relocated subjects was monitored for 4 weeks before and 12 weeks after the relocation event. Urinary cortisol in the control subjects was monitored for 4 weeks before and 8 weeks after the pairs were formed. Proximity was monitored in the relocated subjects for 12 weeks following the move. After the animals were relocated, the newly established pair had significantly elevated levels of urinary cortisol compared to the well‐established pair and control females, which lasted at least 8 weeks. For both pairs, cortisol levels decreased over time across the 12 weeks following the relocation event. The members of the well‐established pair were in contact with each other for 65% of the intervals sampled in the 2 weeks immediately following relocation, compared to only 12% in the newly established pair. These preliminary findings suggest that relocation is associated with significant adverse physiological and behavioral changes that may be ameliorated by the presence of a highly familiar social partner. The study highlights the importance of future research in this field. Zoo Biol 24:93–100, 2005. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.