Physiological effects of chicory root preparations with various levels of fructan and polyphenolic fractions in diets for rats

The experiment was aimed at studying the effects of easily fermentable oligosaccharides and phenolic compounds from chicory root meal (CRM) on the fermentative processes in the caecum, the antioxidative status and the lipoprotein profile of rats. Five different diets were fed ad libitum to 40 Wistar rats (eight animals per group, individually housed): a control group (C); group PCM (10% processed CRM, deprived of polyphenolic fraction); group PCMO (8% processed CRM and 1.6% oligofructose); group UCM (10% unprocessed CRM); and group FP (8.3% fructan-polyphenol concentrate from CRM). Diets PCM, PCMO, UCM and FP induced favourable metabolic changes in the caecum, blood lipid profile and the antioxidative status of the body. In the caecum, the experimental diets increased the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and acidification of digesta as well as a decrease in the ammonia concentration and bacterial beta-glucuronidase activity. In blood serum, the total cholesterol concentration was reduced and, simultaneously, the proportion of HDL in the total cholesterol concentration was increased. The presence of the polyphenolic fraction in the unprocessed meal (diets UCM and FP) evoked a significant increase in the total antioxidative status in blood serum. Dietary fibre and the polyphenolic fraction present in diet UCM and the FOS-polyphenol concentrate in diet FP did not exhibit an antagonistic activity regarding the physiological parameters analysed, except for in the intensity of caecal fermentation. The results of the experiment point to the benefits of dietary supplementation with chicory preparations containing both prebiotic saccharides and polyphenolic compounds, which enable us to take advantage of the physiological traits of both components.     

Effects of feeding finisher pigs with chicory or lupine feed for one week or two weeks before slaughter with respect to levels of Bifidobacteria and Campylobacter

This study aimed to assess whether inclusion of chicory or lupine (prebiotics) in the diet of pre-slaughter pigs for just 1 or 2 weeks could change the composition of their intestinal microbiota, stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria and help to lower the amount of thermoplilic Campylobacter spp. (mainly Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli), which are a major cause of food-borne infections in humans. A total of 48 pigs that had an initial live weight of 90 kg were fed with either a lupine (organic concentrate with 25% blue lupine seeds), chicory (organic concentrate with 10% dried chicory roots) or control (100% organic concentrate) diet for 1 week (24 pigs) or 2 weeks (24 pigs) before slaughter. The Campylobacter spp. level in rectal faecal samples after 0, 1 and 2 weeks of feeding and in the luminal content from ileum, caecum and colon at slaughter was determined by direct plating on modified charcoal-cefoperazone-deoxycholate agar plates. DNA extracted from the luminal content of distal ileum and caecum was used for terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of the composition of intestinal microbiota and for measuring the amount of bifidobacterial and total bacterial DNA by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Campylobacter spp. were excreted by all pigs and present in the luminal content from distal ileum to midway colon with particularly high numbers in the caecum, but the excretion was reduced by 10-fold in pigs fed lupines for 1 week as compared with control- and chicory-fed pigs (mean log₁₀ 2.9 v. 4.1 CFU/g; P < 0.05). The qPCR analysis showed that feeding with lupines resulted in higher levels of bifidobacteria in caecum as compared with the other diets (P < 0.05). T-RFLP analysis showed that four of the most abundant bacteria with terminal restriction fragment values >5% relative to the intensity of total abundance differed between the feed treatments (P < 0.05). Therefore, this study showed that even a short-term alternative feeding strategy with prebiotics in the diet of pre-slaughter pigs elicited changes in the composition of the intestinal microbiota, where lupine increased the level of bifidobacteria in caecum and reduced the Campylobacter spp. excretion level after 1 week.     

棉籽浓缩蛋白替代饲料中豆粕对草鱼生长性能、健康状况及肌肉品质的影响

研究旨在探讨以棉籽浓缩蛋白(Cottonseed protein concentrate, CPC)替代饲料中豆粕对草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idella)生长性能、健康状况及肌肉品质的影响。设计了6种等氮(29%)等脂(5%)饲料,分别用棉籽浓缩蛋白替代草鱼饲料中0 (C0)、15%(C15)、30%(C30)、45%(C45)、75%(C75)和100%(C100)的豆粕,饲喂养殖于池塘网箱中平均体重为(502.46±0.40) g的草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon Idella)90d。结果显示:(1)在生长性能方面,草鱼的特定生长率和饲料系数在各组之间均无显著性差异(P>0.05)。与C0组相比, C45组草鱼的脏体比显著升高(P<0.05)。(2)在健康状况方面, C100组血清白球比显著低于C0组(P<0.05), C15组血清超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性显著高于C0组(P<0.05);各组草鱼肝脏、肌肉组织未发生病变。(3)在肌肉品质方面,与C0组相比, C75组草鱼肌肉粗蛋白含量和C30组异亮氨酸含量显著升高(P<0.0...     

Lupin-seed meal (Lupinus angustifolius cv. Uniwhite) as a protein supplement to barley-based diets for growing pigs

The apparent digestibility coefficients of the energy and nitrogen of diets containing lupin-seed meal (LSM) were similar to those of diets containing fish meal, despite the comparatively high fibre content of the former.In pigs of 25–85 kg, barley-based diets containing LSM as the sole protein concentrate supported similar rates of gain and efficiency of gain as those containing mixtures of LSM and either fish meal or meat and bone meal, and at least as fast and efficient gains as those containing fish meal or meat and bone meal alone as the source of supplementary protein. However, they depressed dressing percentage. Pigs growing from 12 to 25 kg on barley diets in which up to 45% of the supplementary lysine was supplied in the form of LSM grew as well as those given diets containing various mixtures of dried blood, fish meal and skim-milk powder.     

Effect of concentrate feeding sequence on equine hindgut fermentation parameters

Feeding a diet with a small amount of hay and a high proportion of concentrate given in large meals entails a risk of colic to horses as this can impact the hindgut microbial ecosystem. To counteract this potential negative effect, one feeding strategy is to modify the distribution sequence of concentrate and hay. The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of feeding the concentrate meal before or with the hay meal on fermentative parameters postprandial variations in caecum and right ventral colon contents and faeces. We focused on the comparison of pH value and volatile fatty acid (VFA) concentrations between the three compartments. Four horses fitted with two cannulas in the caecum and right ventral colon were fed a 100% hay diet (H) for a 3-week period, and then a 40% concentrate–60% hay diet for two consecutive periods of 3 weeks each. Concentrate and hay were offered simultaneously in two equal meals at 0800 and 1700 h (HC1) during one period, or separately in two equal meals at 0800 and 1600 h for the concentrate and at 1000 and 1730 h for hay (HC2) during the second one. During the 2^nd week of each diet period (H, HC1, HC2), caecal, right ventral colonic and faecal samples were collected before (0) and at 2, 4, 6 and 8 h after the morning meal. pH values and VFA concentrations were measured. Adding concentrate to the hay was associated with a decrease of pH value in the caecum, right ventral colon and faeces and an increase of faecal VFA concentrations (P<0.01). An impact of the concentrate feeding sequence was observed on caecal pH and faecal propionate concentration (P<0.001) but none on the other parameters investigated. In the caecum and right ventral colon, pH values decreased and VFA concentrations increased within the range of 4 to 8 h after the morning meal. Our data suggested that the variation of faecal pH could be an indicator of those of the caecal and right ventral colonic pH with a delay of 2 h. The present study showed that hay and commercial pelleted could be safely distributed simultaneously, thus making easier every day horse feeding.     

Studies on blood biochemical constituents and rumen fermentation in growing buffalo calves fed ammoniated straw-based rations supplemented with different protein sources

Studies were done on blood biochemical constituents and rumen fermentation pattern of growing buffalo calves fed ammoniated wheat straw (UAS)-based rations supplemented with three different protein supplements. Eighteen buffalo calves (140 kg) were divided into three groups of six calves each and were fed on UAS supplemented with a concentrate mixture (roughage:concentrate ratio 58:42) containing 8% (or 3.5% of total ration) untreated groundnut cake (GNC) (group I), 8% formaldehyde treated GNC (group II) and 8% fish meal (group III), respectively, for 19 weeks. During this growth study, blood biochemistry was studied. Rumen fermentation study was done on three fistulated growing buffalo calves using a 3×3 Latin square switch over design. Blood glucose and ammonia-N did not differ significantly among the treatments. However, blood urea-N of calves in group III was higher (P<0.05) than in groups I and II, but the latter two did not differ from each other in this respect. Total protein in group I was comparable to group II and group III which were significantly different from each other. The rumen pH, total volatile fatty acids, ammonia-N and total protozoal count were similar, however, total N and TCA insoluble N in group II and group III were higher (P<0.01) than in group I. Fish meal containing diet favoured holotrichs, whereas, protected GNC containing diet favoured spirotrichs as indicated by significantly higher count. It was concluded that the beneficial effects of supplementing formaldehyde protected GNC at 8% in the concentrate mixture to the UAS-based diets were greater than supplementation of unprotected GNC or low quality fish meal in ration of buffalo calves growing at 400 g because of improved rumen fermentation, absorption and metabolism of nutrients as observed in blood biochemistry.     

菊苣提取物和菊粉降脂活性研究

以300日龄商品代尼克T粉壳蛋鸡为试验动物,研究了菊苣提取物和菊粉对血清脂质、蛋黄总脂和胆固醇的影响.结果显示,0.1%菊苣提取物组、2.0%菊苣提取物组和0.1%菊粉组血清胆固醇(TC)、甘油三脂(TG)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL-C)均显著低于对照组(P<0.05),其中0.1%菊苣提取物组TC降低36.47%,TG降低40.71%,LDL-C降低36.09%,0.1%菊粉组LDL-C降低16.23%,差异极显著(P<0.01);2.0%菊苣提取物组高密度脂蛋白(HDL-C)比对照组高23.19%,差异极显著(P<0.01);2.0%菊苣提取物组蛋黄总脂和蛋黄胆固醇显著降低(P<0.05).表明菊苣提取物和菊粉均具有降血脂活性,但菊苣提取物比菊粉活性更强;菊苣提取物还具有降低蛋黄总脂和胆固醇的作用.     

The nutritional value of rat diets of differing energy and protein levels when subjected to physical processing

4 diets formulated to contain 8.5, 10.0, 11.5 and 12.5 MJ/kg metabolizable energy and 85, 133, 192 and 250 g/kg of protein respectively were prepared in 3 physical forms: meal, reground pellets or reground expanded and fed to growing rats from 28 to 56 days of age. Food intake was increased by pelleting and expanding in lower energy diets, whereas these differences tended to disappear in the higher energy diets. Growth and food conversion efficiencies showed a similar pattern, with the greatest differences evident in the low energy diets. Male rats showed greater differences than females in all parameters measured. Expanding the diet improved the microbiological status over pelleting both being superior to unprocessed meal. Measurements of digestible and metabolizable energy values of the 8.5 and 12.5 MJ/kg diets revealed consistent decreases in energy availability following processing. This suggested that the observed growth responses were due mainly to increased food intake coupled with increased nitrogen retention.     

饲料中添加磷虾水解物对大菱鲆幼鱼生长性能、体组成及相关酶活性的影响

选取初始体重为(9.46±0.01) g的大菱鲆(Scophthalmus maximus L.)为研究对象, 以30%鱼粉组为对照, 分别添加5%磷虾水解物(LKH)和10%磷虾水解物(HKH)以替代鱼粉蛋白, 配制3组等氮等脂的饲料, 在室内流水养殖系统进行为期10周的养殖实验, 旨在探究饲料中添加磷虾水解物对大菱鲆幼鱼生长性能、体组成及相关酶活性的影响。结果显示, HKH组大菱鲆幼鱼的特定生长率(SGR)、饲料效率(FE)、蛋白质效率比(PER)、蛋白质沉积率(PPV)均显著高于对照组(P<0.05), 但摄食率(FI)显著低于对照组(P<0.05); LKH、HKH组大菱鲆幼鱼肌肉总氨基酸含量和必需氨基酸含量显著高于对照组(P<0.05); LKH、HKH组肝脏谷草转氨酶(GOT)活性显著高于对照组(P<0.05), 而血清GOT活性与对照组无显著性差异(P>0.05); HKH组肝脏谷丙转氨酶(GPT)活性显著高于对照组和LKH组(P<0.05), 但血清GPT活性显著低于LKH组和对照组(P<0.05); HKH组肠道淀粉酶活性显著高于对照组(P<0.05), 同时随着磷虾水解物添加量的升高, 肠道及幽门盲囊胰蛋白酶活性先降低后升高, 且在HKH组显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。综上结果表明, 在饲料中添加10%磷虾水解物能够提高大菱鲆幼鱼的生长性能, 促进其氨基酸代谢和消化吸收。     

豆粕和土豆蛋白替代饲料中鱼粉对异育银鲫生长及能量收支的影响

利用全能量收支同步测定呼吸仪系统测定了三种不同蛋白源(鱼粉、豆粕、土豆蛋白)饲料对银鲫生长及能量收支各组分的影响。对照饲料全部以鱼粉为蛋白源,另两种饲料中30％的蛋白质分别来自豆粕和土豆蛋白。试验结果表明,银鲫对三种蛋白源的饲料的摄食率,食物转化效率均有显差异,以鱼粉组最高,豆粕其次,土豆蛋白最低。能量收支各组分也均有显差异,能量收支式如下：鱼粉88．1C=13．77F 2．95U 24．1G 41．8R 豆粕 102．3C=17．1F 2．8U 16．4G 55．4R土豆蛋白105．5C=14．9F 1．3U 14．4G 67．4R式中C、F、U、G、R分别代表摄食能、排粪能、排泄能、生长能、代谢能。     

Treatment of the haem fraction of abattoir blood with formic acid to produce a solid state,low dry matter protein supplement for use in finishing-pig diets

Commercially produced haem fraction of abattoir blood with a dry matter content of 35% was treated with formic acid of 80–85% purity at the rate of 3:100 (v/v) which transformed the “haem” from a liquid to a solid state and reduced pH from 7.2 to 3.6. The product was included at approximately 5% of the dietary dry matter for pigs over the live weight range 33–80 kg. In one experiment the diet containing the haem was compared with diets containing either 7 or 10% herring meal on an air dry basis. The pigs on the 10% herring meal diet grew slightly, but non-significantly, faster and more efficiently than pigs on the other two diets. The carcases of the pigs on the haem diet contained less lean and more fat than those on the herring meal diets, apparently because of dietary deficiencies of isoleucine and methionine + cystine. In the second experiment, diets with and without the haem fraction were formulated by linear programme taking ingredient costs into account. The performance and carcase composition of pigs on the haem diet were equal to or better than those on the control diet.The total lysine content of the haem fraction of abattoir blood treated with formic acid was 115 g/kg dry matter with an availability (1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene-reactive lysine) of 86%. In relation to the requirements of the finishing pig the limiting amino acids appear to be isoleucine and methionine + cystine.     

House fly larvae meal grown on municipal organic waste as a source of protein in poultry diets

House fly larvae (Musca domestica L.) grown in the residues of municipal organic waste were evaluated as a protein concentrate in practical diets for poultry. Seventy-two broiler-type chicks were alloted within 12 groups. Quadruplicate groups each received the following dietary treatments: a control diet containing soya bean meal alone, or two diets in which either 12% of the supplementary protein was provided by fly larvae meal or 9% by fish meal. The chicks were fed during the first four weeks of life with isocaloric and isoproteic diets and the results showed no significant differences in body weight gain (P > 0.05) or food conversion efficiency (P > 0.05), the larvae meal diet being intermediate to the other two.     

Effects of dietary replacement of fish meal by soybean meal on growth,feed utilization,and health condition of stinging catfish,Heteropneustes fossilis

Soybean meal (SBM) is a cost-effective alternative protein source to replace costly fish meal in aquaculture. This present study determined to measure the effects of replacing fish meal (FM) protein with SBM on growth, feed utilization, and health condition of stinging catfish, Heteropneustes fossilis. Four isonitrogenous (35 %) diets were applied in four treatment groups designed as SBM₀, SBM₂₅, SBM₅₀, and SBM₇₅, where 0 %, 25 %, 50 %, and 75 % of FM protein were substituted by SBM, respectively. Significantly higher mean final weight (g), weight gain (g), percent weight gain (%), specific growth rate (% day^?1), and protein efficiency ratio (PER) were recorded in SBM₀, SBM₂₅, and SBM₅₀ groups than SBM₇₅ group. Consequently, significantly lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) was found in SBM₀, SBM₂₅, and SBM₅₀ groups than SBM₇₅ group. Moreover, protein content of whole-body carcass was significantly higher in SBM₂₅ and lower in SBM₀ group however, lipid content was significantly higher in SBM₀ and SBM₇₅ than in other groups. Hemoglobin, red blood cells, and white blood cells were significantly higher in SBM₀, SBM₂₅, and SBM₅₀ groups compared to SBM₇₅. However, the higher the substitution of FM protein by SBM in diets higher the values of glucose. Morphological analysis of the intestine including villi length (μm), width (μm), and area (mm²); crypt depth (μm); wall thickness (μm); abundance of goblet cell (GB); and muscle thickness (μm) showed an increasing trend in fish fed diet containing upto 50 % replacement of FM protein by SBM. Therefore, the results suggest that SBM could replace upto 50 % FM protein in diets of H. fossilis without compromising growth, feed efficiency, and health status.     

A review of processing of feed ingredients to enhance diet digestibility in finfish

Replacement of fish meal with plant proteins in aquaculture diets presents several problems. Firstly, aquaculture diets, particularly diets for carnivorous fish species, are nutrient dense and may contain up to 450 g crude protein (CP)/kg. Such diets preclude the use of ingredients with only moderate CP content, such as pulses including peas and faba beans or oilseed meals including canola/rapeseed meal and flax. Secondly, virtually all crops contain heat-labile and heat-stable secondary compounds including protease inhibitors, tannins, lectins, phytate, dietary fibre and starch. Removal of heat-labile secondary compounds may be accomplished by extrusion or other heat treatment. However, elimination of heat-stable secondary compounds, and increasing the nutrient concentration of diets, requires fractionation of crops. Fractionation technologies range from low technology processes such as dehulling to medium technologies such as air classification to sophisticated technologies such as aqueous and solvent protein purification. Studies on the nutritional value of processed plant proteins in various fish species have consistently shown improved digestibility and growth compared to feeding unprocessed ingredients. This review examines effects of processing technologies on nutritional properties of soybean meal, canola meal, peas, lupins and flax in aquaculture diets.     

Inclusion of chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) in pigs' diets affects the intestinal microenvironment and the gut microbiota

The content and composition of prebiotic plant fiber in the diet is important in promoting gut-related health. This study investigated the effects of the dietary inclusion of chicory forage and roots on the intestinal microenvironment of pigs. Thirty-seven-week-old pigs were fed 1 of 5 diets for 18 days, including a cereal-based control diet and 4 diets with the inclusion of 80 and 160 g kg(-1) of body weight chicory forage (CF80 and CF160), 80 g kg(-1) chicory root (CR80), and a mix of 80 g kg(-1) forage and 80 g kg(-1) chicory root (CFR). The animals maintained good performance and health irrespective of diet. Bacterial community structure and diversity in ileal and colonic samples was assessed using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP), combined with cloning and sequencing. Samples clustered perfectly according to gut segment with a higher bacterial diversity in colon than ileum. Distal ileum was dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and the relative amount of this group was increased by the CF160 and CFR diets. The colonic bacterial community was dominated by butyrate-producing bacteria and Prevotella. The increased relative abundance of butyrate-producing bacteria in the colon was positively correlated with the molar proportion of acetic acid and furthermore linked to the chicory forage diets (CF80 and CF160). Diets including chicory roots (CR80 and CFR) were correlated with a higher colonic abundance of Megasphaera elsdenii. The fermentation products and pH in digesta responded to diet type and were correlated with shifts in the microbiota, showing that chicory influences the intestinal microenvironment of pigs.     

The effects of diet on muscle pH and metabolism during high intensity exercise

Five healthy male subjects exercised for 3 min at a workload equivalent to 100% VO2max on two separate occasions. Each exercise test was performed on an electrically braked cycle ergometer after a four-day period of dietary manipulation. During each of these periods subjects consumed either a low carbohydrate (3 +/- 0%, mean +/- SD), high fat (73 +/- 2%), high protein (24 +/- 3%) diet (FP) or a high carbohydrate (82 +/- 1%), low fat (8 +/- 1%) low protein (10 +/- 1%) diet (CHO). The diets were isoenergetic and were assigned in a randomised manner. Muscle biopsy samples (Vastus lateralis) were taken at rest prior to dietary manipulation, immediately prior to exercise and immediately post-exercise for measurement of pH, glycogen, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate, triose phosphates, lactate and glutamine content. Blood acid-base status and selected metabolites were measured in arterialised venous samples at rest prior to dietary manipulation, immediately prior to exercise and at pre-determined intervals during the post-exercise period. There was no differences between the two treatments in blood acid-base status at rest prior to dietary manipulation; immediately prior to exercise plasma pH (p less than 0.01), blood PCO2 (p less than 0.01), plasma bicarbonate (p less than 0.001) and blood base-excess (p less than 0.001) values were all lower on the FP treatment. There were no major differences in blood acid-base variables between the two diets during the post-exercise period.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Dairy goats adjust their meal patterns to the fibre content of the diet

Few studies have investigated how meal patterns of ruminants are affected by diet fibre content. Dairy goats (N = 32) in late lactation and early gestation were housed in eight groups of four goats, with all combinations of breed (Alpine and Saanen) and lactation number (1 and 2) represented in each group. Each goat had access to its own individual feed trough placed on a weigh scale with data logged automatically. All goats were fed the same total mixed ration (TMR; 30% concentrate and 44.6% NDF in DM) ad libitum for a control period of 22 days. Using the same feed ingredients, half of the groups were then offered a High fibre diet (20% concentrate; 47.3% NDF), and the other half a Low fibre diet (40% concentrate; 41.5% NDF) for a treatment period of 16 days. Daily meal patterns (meal frequency, duration and size, feeding rate, daily feed intake and daily feeding time) were computed for each animal using a meal criterion of 8 min. The last 10 days for each period (control and treatment) were used to calculate individual period means and individual differences between the two periods. During the control period, the goats ate on average 12.1 ± 0.49 meals/day, consuming 4.2 ± 0.10 kg fresh TMR daily. When the ration changed, all measures of feeding behaviour except meal size changed asymmetrically for the goats on the two diets. Goats fed the High fibre diet reduced their meal frequency by 10%, and the first meal after feed distribution lasted 11% longer, leading to a 9% reduction in feeding rate and no significant changes in daily feed intake and daily feeding time. Goats on the Low fibre diet did not significantly change their meal frequency or meal size, but the combined changes nevertheless led to a 9% increase in daily feed intake. On the Low fibre diet, goats were able to increase their feeding rate by a third, leading to a reduction in meal durations, thus reducing daily feeding time by 13%. Goats adapt their feeding behaviour to the fibre proportion of the offered diet, with more changes when fibre content is lowered, which needs to be taken into account when comparing phenotypes and adaptability of small ruminants to different diets.     

Performance of calves on diets containing Amaranthus leaf meal

Experiments were conducted to compare leaf meal of Amaranthus hy bridus sub-species hy bridus (Green Head) with lucerne meal and to study the effect of including up to 40% leaf meal of the same species of Amaranthus in calf rations. Fourteen concentrate diets calculated to be iso-caloric (75% TDN) and iso-nitrogenous (18% CP) were each given ad libitum to four Friesian calves from Day 11 to Day 56 post partum. Whole milk was also given at the rate of 4 l per calf per day. The first seven diets (Experiment I) contained 0, 5, 10 and 15% of either Amaranthus meal or lucerne meal. The rest (Experiment II) contained 0, 10, 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40% of Amaranthus leaf meal.Liveweight gains were similar on all the diets within each experiment and averaged about 0.5 and 0.4 kg/day in Experiments I and II, respectively. This was attributed to identical nutrient intake and efficiency of feed utilization. The relationship between oxalate intake, its disappearance in the gastro-intestinal tract of the experimental calves and apparent dietary calcium availability did not cause any appreciable differences in the performance of the experimental calves. Blood calcium levels of all the calves were within the normal range (9–12 mg/100 ml) during both trials.It is concluded that Amaranthus leaf meal is of comparable feeding value to lucerne meal in calf early weaner diets and that dairy calves perform well when given diets containing up to 40% leaf meal of Amaranthus.     

Effects of isoflavones containing soy protein isolate compared with fish protein on serum lipids and susceptibility of low density lipoprotein and liver lipids to in vitro oxidation in hamsters

The effects of dietary soy protein isolate (SPI), ethanol-extracted SPI (E-SPI) low in isoflavones, and fish protein (FP) on the concentration of blood lipids and the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein (LDL) to copper-induced oxidation were compared in male golden Syrian hamsters fed a moderate hypercholesterolemic semi-purified diet for 10 weeks. SPI, E-SPI, and FP were incorporated into the isonitrogenous experimental diets as protein sources. The SPI group exhibited significantly lower serum total cholesterol concentration compared with the E-SPI group (P < 0.05) and the FP group (P < 0.01). Both the SPI and E-SPI groups showed lower LDL cholesterol (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively) and less LDL apolipoprotein B (P < 0.01) compared with the FP group. The distribution pattern of serum lipoprotein cholesterol fractions of the SPI and E-SPI groups were similar to each other, but different from that of the FP group. The lysine/arginine ratio of the three diets was significantly correlated with serum total cholesterol concentration (r = 0.462, P = 0.023). The resistance of LDL to copper-induced oxidation was greater in the SPI group than in the E-SPI and FP groups as assessed by the lower concentrations of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and the longer lag time required for the formation of conjugated dienes (P < 0.01). Livers of hamsters fed the FP diet had a higher amount of TBARS than those of hamsters fed SPI (P < 0.01) and E-SPI (P < 0.05) diets. The SPI diet showed sparing effects on alpha-tocopherol contents in both serum and liver. It seems likely that soy isoflavones protect the circulating and membrane lipids by sparing alpha-tocopherol and endogenous antioxidants.     

The effect of increasing levels of insoluble dietary fibre on the establishment and persistence of Oesophagostomum dentatum in pigs

This investigation compared the effect of diets with increasing content of insoluble dietary fibre (DF) on the establishment and persistence of Oesophagostomum dentatum in growing pigs. Twenty-eight worm-free pigs, from a specific pathogen-free farm were randomly divided to four groups of seven animals. The animals were assigned to the following diets: diet A, barley flour plus protein mixture (70%:30%); diet B, barley flour, oat husk meal plus protein mixture (65%:7%:28%); diet C, barley flour, oat husk meal plus protein mixture (60%:14%:26%) and diet D, barley flour, oat husk meal plus protein mixture (55%:21%:24%). The diets were formulated to provide increasing content of DF but constant levels of digestible protein per feeding unit for pigs. All pigs were experimentally inoculated with 6,000 infective O. dentatum larvae and followed coprologically for 11 weeks post infection, whereafter they were slaughtered. The experimental diets influenced the mean transit time and the metabolism in the large intestine significantly. Diets C and D, with highest content of insoluble DF, provided favourable conditions for establishment of O. dentatum, but diets A and B led to a significant lower worm numbers and fecundity.