Tannins were added to experimental diets at levels of 1 and 2g/kg DM (hydrolysable tannins; Castanea sativa wood extract) and saponins at 2 and 30mg/kg DM (sarsaponin; Yucca schidigera extract). These levels were far below thresholds expected to be adverse in ruminants. Effects were measured in lambs by comparison with unsupplemented control diets calculated to be either deficient (10%) or adequate in protein. The diets consisted of hay, concentrate (1:1) and extra wheat starch with increasing body weight. Ruminal pH, VFA concentration, protozoa count and apparent digestibilities of organic matter and fibre did not differ among treatments. The low tannin dose significantly decreased bacteria count compared to the high saponin dose. Saponin supplementation and the high tannin dose showed some potential to reduce ruminal ammonia concentration. This was associated with weak trends towards lower urine N excretion (only tannins) and ammonia emission from manure. Methane release was increased by the low tannin dose compared to the unsupplemented control. Diet effects on heat production were not systematic. In conclusion, the extracts rich in tannins or saponins gave only slight indications for either increased body nitrogen retention or reduced nitrogen emission. However, effects might have been larger with more pronounced dietary protein deficit.

Effects of a supplementation of 80mg L-carnitine perkg diet were studied in broiler chicken at two dietary levels of fat (4 and 8 %) and different feeding levels (ad libitum in a growth trial, 95 and 85 % of ad libitum in a balance trial). A low-carnitine basal diet adequate in amino acid concentration was used. In the growth trial, each diet was fed to 9 groups of 10 birds each for 16 days from day 5 of live onwards. Growth and feed intake were determined. At the end of the trial, birds were killed and homogenised for subsequent empty body analysis. Accretion of protein and energy was determined using a representative blank group killed at the beginning of the trial. In the balance trial, 8 individual birds were used per treatment. Birds were offered the feed at approximately 85 and 95% of ad libitum intake, which was determined with separate birds for both fat levels. Excreta were quantitatively collected three times daily for 8 consecutive days beginning on day 17 individually for each bird. Supplemented L-carnitine did not significantly affect any response criterion. However, growth and feed conversion tended to be improved by about 5% in the carnitine supplemented diets when fed ad libitum. An interaction between carnitine and fat level occurred with regard to feed conversion, indicating that carnitine had a positive effect at the high fat level, but not at the low fat level. L-carnitine did not positively affect the metabolisability of energy (ME/GE) and the efficiency of energy utilisation (RE/GE or RE/ME). Similarly, no significant carnitine effect was determined with regard to N accretion and the efficiency of utilisation of dietary protein in both trials. It is concluded that endogenous carnitine synthesis is not the limiting factor for energy utilisation in broiler chicken, even at high dietary fat concentration. Occasionally reported positive effects of supplemental carnitine were likewise caused by reasons other than improved energy or protein utilisation. Further studies on amino acid utilisation and catabolism should consider marginal amino acid supply.

The crude protein content and amino acid profile of seven feedstuffs (linseed meal, maize gluten meal, rapeseed meal, rapeseed meal protected, soybean meal, fullfat soybean extruded and sunflower meal) were determined before and after ruminal incubation for 16h in three bulls with large rumen cannulas. The intestinal disappearance of amino acids was measured using mobile bag technique. Ruminal incubation affected amino acid profile of all experimental feedstuffs. Crude protein degradation varied from 29.3% for maize gluten meal to 86.4% for rapeseed meal. A tendency towards increased disappearance was observed for glutamic acid, histidine, lysine and proline and decreased disappearance for branched-chain amino acids. The intestinal crude protein digestibility was higher than >80%, except rapeseed meal (66.4%) and sunflower meal (77.8%). The least digestible individual amino acids were methionine and isoleucine in rapeseed meal, histidine and methionine in rapeseed meal protected and arginine in sunflower meal. In general, the lowest amino acid digestibilities were found in feedstuffs with the highest fibre content. The feedstuffs show that they have different potential for supplying of limiting amino acids. Of particular value are the feedstuffs with low crude protein degradability in the rumen and high intestinal digestibility of amino acids.

A feeding trial was carried out with turkey poults, which were fed a diet containing 1010 viable probiotic E. faecium NCIB 10415 cells/kg feed. Samples of the intestinal tract were analyzed for lactate, colony forming units of total anaerobic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, enterobacteria and enterococci. Furthermore, metabolic activity of total eubacterial, lactobacilli and enterococci was recorded in selected RNA-extracts with specific ribosomal RNA oligonucleotide probes. Animals fed the probiotic diet showed continously increasing lactate concentrations throughout the sampling period up to day 42 of life. No correlation was found for colony forming units (cfu) of lactic acid bacteria, but metabolic activity of lactobacilli showed very close relation to continously increasing lactate concentrations. Throughout the feeding trial, enterococci in the control group continously increased to a maximum of 104 cfu/g wet weight, but 10-fold higher enterococci cfu were generally found in the treated group. However, rRNA content as measure for metabolic activity showed a drastic decline in both groups after high metabolic activities on day 7. This study shows that E. faecium NCIB 10415 (E. faecium SF68) stimulates other lactic acid bacteria in the small intestine, especially lactobacilli.

The influence of dietary protein, methionine, and lysine on leather quality in blue fox pelts was studied. The pelt material originated from animals in two consecutive feeding trials (Exp. 1 and Exp. 2) with three protein levels: conventional, slightly lowered, and very low. The two lowest protein diets were fed as such or as supplemented with methionine or with lysine (lysine only in Exp. 2). The following physical leather properties were measured: breaking load (BRL), tensile strength (TEN), relative elongation at break (PEB), straining of skins at pelting, and shrinkage at dressing. A decline in the dietary protein content reduced BRL and, hence, leather firmness, and increased straining and the corresponding shrinking in Exp. 1. The supplemented methionine tended to improve leather strength and elasticity by increasing TEN and PEB in Exp. 1, whereas lysine elicited no response. Methionine supplementation at the slightly lowered protein level increased BRL in both experiments by almost 10% as compared with the respective non-supplemented diet. We conclude that with high protein quality diets, a level of 200g/kg DM (as digestible protein) appears to be adequate for producing pelts with firm, elastic leather, provided that an adequate amount of methionine is included in the diet.

The presented study was designed to elucidate whether the cholinergic mechanisms control ovine antral slow waves in various physiological conditions, including feeding and various phases of migrating myoelectric complex (MMC). The investigations were carried out on six adult sheep of Polish Merino breed with seven bipolar electrodes surgically implanted onto the antral and small intestinal wall. In the course of chronic experiments, the myoelectric activity was recorded from these regions using the multichannel electroencephalograph. Experiments were performed on 48h fasted and non-fasted animals. During some of these experiments, sheep were fed with standard fodder. During control experiments 0.15M NaCl was slowly administered i.v. through the indwelling catheter and during other experiment, hexamethonium bromide (2.0 and 5.0mg/kg), atropine sulfate (0.02; 0.1; 0.5 and 1.5mg/kg) and pirenzepine dihydrochloride (0.02; 0.5 and 2.0mg/kg) were administered i.v. during phase 1-2a or 2b MMC. The drugs were also given in combinations. The recordings were analysed and the antral slow wave amplitudes and frequencies were calculated. Unlike the slow wave amplitude, either feeding or the anticholinergic drugs significantly increased slow wave frequency, especially when the given procedure was started during phase 2b MMC. The most pronounced effects were observed after hexamethonium given alone or in combinations. Thus, the cholinergic system modulates antral slow wave frequency in sheep.

One hundred and forty crossbred pigs (Pig Improvement Canada Ltd, Acme Alberta), weighing an average of 21.5 + 3.6kg, were assigned on the basis of sex, weight and litter to one of five dietary treatments. The control diet was barley-based, while in the remaining four treatments, the grain component consisted of either normal or low viscosity rye fed with or without pentosanase. Digestibility coefficients for dry matter, crude protein and gross energy were significantly ( P = 0.0001) higher for the rye-based diets than the barley based diet. There were no differences in digestibility coefficients between normal and low viscosity diets or between diets supplemented or unsupplemented with pentosanase. Over the entire experimental period (21.5 to 100.7kg), pigs fed the normal viscosity rye gained better ( P = 0.001) and had a higher daily intake ( P = 0.001) than pigs fed the low viscosity rye. Pigs fed the low viscosity rye tended to gain slower than pigs fed barley and with lower intake while pigs fed the normal viscosity rye had similar gains and intake to the pigs fed barley. Enzyme supplementation failed to improve pig performance. Males had higher gains and intake than females ( P < 0.05). Enzyme supplementation, rye viscosity or choice of cereal grain had no effect on any of the carcass traits measured. In conclusion, the results of the present experiment indicate that rye is a good alternative to barley for use in growing-finishing rations and becomes increasing attractive as the age of the pig increases. Breeding efforts directed towards reducing the viscosity of rye are unlikely to be successful in improving the nutritive value of rye for swine.

Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation with f -galactosidase preparation and stachyose on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and intestinal bacterial populations of piglets. In Experiment I 72 crossbred piglets were allotted to three treatments, i.e. 1) control (basal) diet, 2) f -Gal1 and 3) f -Gal5, the basal diet supplemented with 0.01% and 0.05% f -galactosidase preparation ( f -Gal), respectively. Average daily gain, average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were not influenced by f -Gal supplementation. In Experiment II 72 crossbred weanling piglets were randomly assigned to four treatments with a complete factorial design, i.e. 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet with 0.01% f -Gal supplementation, 3) basal diet with 1% stachyose supplementation and 4) basal diet with 1% stachyose and 0.01% f -Gal supplementation. Average daily gain and feed conversion ratio were influenced by f -Gal and stachyose supplementation. The ileal digestibility of stachyose, raffinose, gross energy and crude protein was improved significantly by f -Gal supplementation. The microbial populations in the intestine were modified by both f -Gal and stachyose supplementation. The data suggested that stachyose supplementation had an adverse effect on the growth performance of piglets and f -Gal supplementation could ameliorate it, especially in younger pigs.

Studies were conducted with ten barrows, average initial body weight 34.5 ± 2.1kg, fitted with a T-cannula at the distal ileum, to study the accuracy of determination of the apparent ileal digestibility (AID) values of crude protein (CP) and amino acids (AA) in rapeseed meal and cake and the effects of processing, using the difference method. Five corn starch-based diets in the studies were formulated to contain 17.7% CP and based on soybean meal, prepress-extraction rapeseed meal, prepress-extraction rapeseed meal plus soybean meal, high-temperature press rapeseed cake plus soybean meal, or low-temperature press rapeseed cake plus soybean meal as the sole source of dietary protein. The design was an incomplete Latin Square involving two three-week periods and five-treatments. It was found that the AID values of CP and most AA determined with the difference or direct method were significantly lower in rapeseed meal or cakes than soybean meal. The AID values of CP and most AA in prepress-extraction rapeseed meal, high-temperature press or low-temperature cakes determined with the difference method were no difference from those in prepress-extraction rapeseed meal determined with the direct method. The AID values of CP and AA in rapeseed meal and cake determined with the difference method were accurate, when the contribution of CP and AA from rapeseed was more than 50%. The AID values of CP and AA (especially lysine) were lower in the high-temperature press rapeseed cake than in the low-temperature press cake or the prepress-extraction meal.

A grower finisher performance trial with forty-eight pigs was designed to compare the growth performance of pigs fed diets containing either genetically modified (GM) Bt-maize (NX6262) or its parental maize (Prelude) line. During the experiment, the pigs were fed with a grower and a finisher diet both containing 70% maize investigated in a previously study which showed that they contained similar ME values and digestibility of crude nutrients. The pigs with an initial live weight of 23.9 ± 3.0kg were allotted to single boxes. During a 91 days growing period the pigs of both groups recorded equal performance in daily weight gain ( j W) 815 ± 93 vs. 804 ± 64g/d depending on equal amounts of feed intake 1.95 ± 0.15 vs . 1.94 ± 0.15kg/d (parental vs. transgenic). The results confirm equal performance among growing-finishing pigs fed parental or genetically modified maize containing diets. For slaughtering the pigs were divided into 4 groups with a different duration of the finishing period. After slaughtering the carcass characteristic were registered.