Digestibility Parameters Research Articles

Structure and functional characteristics of starch from different hulled oats cultivated in China

This work aimed to evaluate the structure and functional characteristics of starch from ten hulled oat cultivars grown in different locations in China. The protein, phosphorus, amylose, and starch contents were 0.2–0.4 %, 475.7–691.8 ppm, 16.2–23.0 %, and 93.6–96.7 %, respectively. All the starches showed irregular polygonal shapes and A-type crystallization with molecular weights ranging from 7.2 × 107 to 4.5 × 108 g/mol. The amounts of amylopectin A (DP 6–12), B1 (DP 13–24), B2 (DP 25–36), and B3 (DP > 36) chains were in the ranges of 10.3–16.0 %, 54.5–64.8 %, 16.5–21.1 %, and 4.9–13.1 %, respectively. The starches differed significantly in gelatinization temperatures, pasting viscosity, solubility, swelling power, rheological properties, and digestion parameters. The results revealed that the larger particle size could increase the peak viscosity of the starch paste. The presence of phosphorus increased the gelatinization temperature and enhanced the resistant starch content. The starch granules with higher crystallinity contained a higher proportion of phosphate, which increased final viscosity and setback viscosity but decreased rapidly digestible starch. Overall, oat starch with a high phosphorus content could be used to prepare low-glycemic-index food for diabetes patients.

Variability in residual feed intake, nutrient utilisation and blood parametersin Murrah buffalo calves fed on total mixed ration

The present study was conducted on 18 female Murrah buffalo calves divided into two treatment groups to determine the residual feed intake, nutrient digestibility and blood metabolite parameters when fed with ration containing wheat (Triticum aestivum) straw, berseem (Trifolium alexandrinum) fodder as roughages and concentrate mixture to meet their requirements. Regular recording of body weight and feed intake was done during 90-day trial period. Residual feed intake (RFI) values were determined for individual animals based on which they were divided into low and high RFI groups. DM intake was lower in low RFI animals than high RFI animals. The blood glucose level and growth hormone level in low and high RFI group was comparable in both groups. Low RFI group had greater concentration of creatinine (1.62 vs. 1.21 mg/dL) as well as IGF-1 (136.70 vs. 120.38 ng/mL) whereas, concentration of total plasma protein level (6.80 vs 7.43 g/dL), albumin (3.46 vs 3.71 g/dl), aspartate aminotransferase (102.20 vs. 122.60 IU/L) and cortisol (3.48 vs. 5.32 ng/mL) were lesser in low RFI group with respect to high RFI group, indicating a positive correlation of RFI with total plasma protein, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase and cortisol and a negative correlation with plasma creatinine and IGF-1 levels in female Murrah buffalo calves. It was concluded that low RFI group of female Murrah buffalo calves showed better performance when fed with total mixed ration.

OPTIMIZATION AND VALIDATION OF LIQUID-LIQUID EXTRACTION (LLE) METHOD AND THE APPLICATION OF GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY WITH FID DETECTOR FOR THE DETERMINATION AND QUANTIFICATION OF VOLATILE FATTY ACIDS IN EFFLUENTS FROM ANAEROBIC REACTORS

Controlling the chemical parameters of the anaerobic digestion (AD) process is essential for the bioconversion of organic matter to methane; among these parameters include the presence and concentration of volatile fatty acids (VFAs). It is thus necessary to use efficient analytical methods that are capable of identifying and quantifying VFAs in reactor effluents in order to obtain an immediate response to their conditions. In this study, the liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) method was optimized and validated − through an adaptation of the official method, using acetone and KHSO4, and gas chromatography with flame ionization detector (GC-FID) was used for the determination of acetic, propionic, isobutyric, butyric, isovaleric and valeric acids present in the effluents. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantification (LOQ) obtained were 1.2-2.5 mg L-1 and 1.9-3.7 mg L-1, respectively, for all analytes. These low LODs and LOQs are essentially important because the presence of isobutyric and isovaleric acids above 5.0 mg can be considered indicative of imbalances in AD. The proposed method, which presented satisfactory results with good repeatability (4.2-20.7%) and recovery (90.9-104.0%) rates, was applied for the analysis of effluent samples from three continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTR).

Influence of anaerobic digestion process parameters on the amount of volatile fatty acids formed in wastewater

The limiting indicator for the course of biological wastewater treatment is easily obtainable organic matter. If the wastewater entering the sewage treatment plant is depleted in terms of the content of easily accessible organic matter, then a set of measures aimed at their enrichment is required. Prefermentation of raw sludge was considered as a method of increasing the proportion of readily available organic matter. The influence of the main technological parameters of anaerobic digestion on the amount of volatile fatty acids formed was studied.

GROWTH PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY AND HAEMATOLOGICAL INDICES OF BROILER CHICKENS FED DIETS CONTAINING BIODEGRADED SWEET ORANGE (CITRUS SINENSIS) PEEL MEAL AS REPLACEMENT FOR MAIZE

A 56-days feeding trial was conducted to determine the effect of using the biodegradation sweet orange peel meal (BSOPM) as a replacement of maize in diet on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and haematological parameters of broiler chicks. A total of 180, one-day old broilers were distributed equally into six dietary treatments with 3 replicate of 10 chicks in each in a completely randomized design. The biodegraded sweet orange peel meal (BSOPM) was used to replaced maize at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% of the control diet (T0) and five test diets (T5) (T10) (T5) (T20) and (T25) in finishers broilers diets. Laboratory analyses were carried out on the BSOMP and experimental diets to determine its proximate composition and the result revealed that, BSOPM contained metabolizable energy content of 2854.24 kcal/kg and 89.60% dry matter (DM), 7.58% crude protein (CP), 11.11 % crude fibre (CF), 2.89% ether extract (EE), 11.58% total ash (TA), 66.84% nitrogen free extract (NFE). Results also showed that average final live body weight ranged from 798.68 – 1582.64g. Average daily feed intake and feed conversion ratio were significantly (p˂0.05) affected across the dietary treatments while final weight gain, average daily weight gain and mortality were not significantly (p>0.05) affected across the dietary treatments. The results of haematological and serum biochemical indices showed that, there were no significant differences (p>0.05) except for mean corpuscular volume (MCV) indicating that no physiological abnormalities resulted from the feeding of BSOPM to broiler chicken.

Substituição de virginiamicina por produtos à base de levadura (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) em dietas de bovinos: Digestibilidade e parâmetros ruminais

Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of substituting virginiamycin with yeastbased products in high-energy diets containing monensin on the nutrient digestibility and ruminal parameters of cattle. Five crossbred Nellore × Holstein steers (initial body weight 281 kg ± 9.2 kg) were allotted to a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The diets were composed in dry matter basis of corn silage (355 g kg-1), and concentrate composed of ground corn, soybean meal, soybean hulls,mineral mix, limestone, salt and urea (645 g kg-1). The treatments were: 1 - control, 18 mg kg-1 dry matter (DM) virginiamycin (VM); 2 - enriched yeast culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) at 7 g animal day-1 (EYC 7); 3 - enriched yeast culture (S. cerevisiae) at 14 g animal day-1 (EYC 14); 4 - autolyzed yeast (S. cerevisiae) at 7 g animal day-1 (AY 7); and 5 - autolyzed yeast (S. cerevisiae) at 14 g animal day-1 (AY 14). Monensin (18 mg kg-1 DM) was added to the mineral mix in all treatments. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found for DM intake (mean 8.36 kg DM), organic matter (OM) digestibility (average of 58.39%), or mean ruminal pH (mean 6.75) among treatments. Moreover, the treatment did not have a significant effect on the short-chain fatty acid or ammonia nitrogen concentrations. These results indicated the possibility of replacing virginiamycin with yeast-based products at the lowest level (7 g of enriched yeast culture or autolyzed yeast per animal day-1) in high-energy diets containing monensin.

Substitution of virginiamycin with yeast-based products (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in diets of cattle: digestibility and ruminal parameters

Resumo O objetivo do estudo foi avaliar a substituição de virginiamicina por produtos à base de levedura em dietas de alto grão contendo monensina, sobre a digestibilidade dos nutrientes e parâmetros ruminais. Cinco novilhos cruzados Nelore x Holandês (peso inicial 281 kg ± 9,2 kg) distribuídos em um delineamento Quadrado Latino 5 x 5. As dietas foram compostas por silagem de milho (355 g kg-1) e concentrado composto por: milho moído, farelo de soja, casca de soja, mistura mineral, calcário, sal e ureia (645 g kg-1). Os tratamentos foram: 1. Controle, 18 mg kg-1 MS de virginiamicina (VM); 2. Cultura de levedura enriquecida (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 7g animal dia-1 (CLE 7); 3. Cultura de levedura enriquecida (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 14g animal dia-1 (CLE 14); 4. Levedura autolisada (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 7g animal dia-1 (LA 7) e Levedura autolisada (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) 14g animal dia-1 (LA 14). A monensina (18 mg kg-1 MS) estava presente na mistura mineral vitamínica fornecida em todos tratamentos. Não houve diferença significativa (P>0,05) para o consumo de matéria seca (média 8,36 kg MS); digestibilidade da matéria orgânica (média 58,39%) e média de pH ruminal (média 6,75). Além disso, não foram encontrados efeitos significativos de tratamentos para concentração de ácidos graxos de cadeia curta e nitrogênio amoniacal. Estes resultados indicam a possibilidade de substituir a virginiamicina por produtos à base de levedura nos menores níveis (7g animal dia-1 de cultura de levedura enriquecida ou 7g animal dia-1 de levedura autolisada) em dietas de alto grão com monensina.

The particle sizes of milled wheat fractions affect the in vitro starch digestibility and quality parameters of wire-cut cookies made thereof.

Slow digestion of starch is linked to various health benefits. The impact of wheat particle size on in vitro starch digestibility and quality of wire-cut cookies was here evaluated by including four soft wheat fractions [i.e. flour (average diameter, 83 μm), fine farina (643 μm), coarse farina (999 μm) and bran (1036 μm)] in the recipe. The susceptibility of starch in these fractions to in vitro digestion decreased with increasing particle size, resulting in a 76% lower digestion rate for coarse farina than for flour as found with the single first-order kinetic model. Starch was protected from hydrolysis likely due to delayed diffusion of pancreatic α-amylase through the intact farina cell walls. When 20-65% starch in flour for the control cookie recipe was substituted with the same percentages in fine and coarse farina, the starch digestion rate decreased when substitution levels increased. A 62% lower digestion rate was found at 65% substitution with coarse farina. Cell wall intactness was largely preserved in the cookies and most of the starch appeared as ungelatinised granules. Further, the cookie spread ratio during baking was 48% and 33% higher and the cookies were 63% and 57% less hard than control cookies when made with 65% fine farina and 65% coarse farina, respectively. The relatively low specific surface area of large wheat particles resulted in low water absorption and less dense packing. In conclusion, encapsulation of starch by intact cell walls in coarse wheat fractions makes them promising ingredients when developing starchy food products for controlled energy release.

Potential Combination of Hermetia illucens, Linnaeus 1758 and Fish Meal to Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Jawa Super Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus, Linnaeus 1758) in the Starter Phase

This study aims to determine the potential of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) flour as feed in improving the growth and digestive tract of the Jawa Super Starter Phase. The study used 96 Jawa Super Chickens (aged 0 days). The research design used was a completely randomized design with 4 treatments and 6 replications. The treatment was conducted from the 4th day of chicken age until the 17th day with 4 treatments including P0 (BSF larval meal 0 g/kg feed + fishmeal 150 g/kg feed), P1 (BSF larval meal 50 g/kg feed + fishmeal 100 g/kg feed), P2 (BSF larval meal 100 g/kg feed + fishmeal 50 g/kg feed) and P3 (BSF larval meal 150 g/kg + fishmeal 0 g/kg feed) Parameters observed included growth parameters and digestive tract parameters. Data analysis was done by a one-way ANOVA test followed by a Duncan test. The results showed significant differences in body weight, organ weight, and intestine histology structure between treatments (P<0.05). The FCR value did not show significant differences between treatments (P>0.05). This study concludes that BSF larvae flour (100 g/kg and 150 g/kg feed) can improve the growth and digestive tract of Jawa Super Chickens.

A proposed framework to establish in vitro-in vivo relationships using gastric digestion models for food research.

In vitro digestion methods have been utilized in food research to reduce in vivo studies. Although previous studies have related in vitro and in vivo data, there is no consensus on how to establish an in vitro-in vivo relationship (IVIVR) for food digestion. A framework that serves as a tool to evaluate the utility and limitations of in vitro approaches in simulating in vivo processes is proposed to develop IVIVRs for food digestion, with a focus on the gastric phase as the main location of food structural breakdown during digestion. The IVIVR consists of three quantitative levels (A, B, and C) and a qualitative level (D), which relate gastric digestion kinetic data on a point-to-point basis, parameters derived from gastric digestion kinetic data, in vitro gastric digestion parameters with in vivo absorption or appearance parameters, and in vitro and in vivo trends, respectively. Level A, B, and C IVIVRs can be used to statistically determine the agreement between in vitro and in vivo data. Level A and B IVIVRs can be utilized further evaluate the accuracy of the in vitro approach to mimic in vivo processes. To exemplify the utilization of this framework, case studies are provided using previously published static and dynamic gastric in vitro digestion data and in vivo animal study data. Future food digestion studies designed to establish IVIVRs should be conducted to refine and improve the current framework, and to improve in vitro digestion approaches to better mimic in vivo phenomena.

Impact of THIONIL® on reducing water and soil micro-pollutant and enhancement of growth, survival, anti-vibrio, immunity and health indices of Litopenaeus vannamei in pond trial.

There is an urgent requirement for the improvement of the white leg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei; health-related indices; and immunity due to emerging diseases. Recently, probiotics have been playing an important role in L. vannamei health management. Therefore, the current pond trial was to evaluate the probiotic proficiency of commercial probiotic products of THIONIL (THIO) on the enhancement of the water, soil, growth, digestibility, survival, immune-related indices, and susceptibility of L. vannamei to infection. The study was carried out in the major shrimp culturing regions of Kavali, Nellore (Andhra Pradesh), and Ponneri (Tamil Nadu), India. Six groups (lacks/ha) of the experimental L. vannamei were allocated, including a control group (THIO 0%-untreated) and groups containing 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10% of THIO that were encapsulated with commercial feed (CP Aqua). Bioassays were performed on PLs/ shrimp at various days interval of 0, 5, 25, 50, 100, and 123th to assess productivity, anti-vibrio activity, and digestive enzyme for digestibility, histological and immunological indices, and cytotoxicity in Artemia nauplii. Significant differences were observed in the increased growth (35.71 ± 3.24g/shrimp) and digestive parameters in 10% THIO-fed shrimp. Although in contrast to the control group, the other THIO-fed prawn groups also displayed appreciable development. The findings showed that, in comparison to the control, the gill, hepatopancreas, and stomach had reduced tissue damage with 10% THIO. Furthermore, Vibrio parahaemolyticus (0.008 × 104cfu/g) and Vibrio harveyi (0.051 × 105cfu/g) (vibriosis) were potentially resistant to the 10% THIO-fed group. In addition, THIO-fed prawns (10%) showed significant improvements in immune-related expresses (proPO, SOD, and SOA) in comparison to the control. In conclusion, the findings showed that the THIO treatment prawns significantly improved the quality of their water (pH, ammonia, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and DO) and soil (Pb, Cr, Hg, Mg, Cu, Fe, and Ni), increased and demonstrated protection against vibrio infections.

Lipid supplementation with macadamia by-product reduces methane emissions by sheep

Macadamia cake (MC) is a waste product from the macadamia nut industry with high nutritional value for animal nutrition. It has the potential to modify rumen fermentation, increase the efficiency of rumen microorganisms, and reduce methanogenesis. This study aimed to evaluate how the dietary lipid supplementation with MC modulates the methane (CH4) emission and nutrients digestibility of finishing lambs. Thirty-one lambs, approximately 90 days old and mean initial body weight of 26 ± 3.4 kg, were allocated to individual metabolic cages and subjected to in vivo digestibility assays for 24 days (17 days of adaption and 7 days of data collection). The four treatments included a Control group with no MC addition, and three groups with varying amounts of MC inclusion in the diet: 4.5%, 8.5%, and 14% on a dry matter basis. The ruminal content was collected individually at the last day of the digestibility assay 2 to 3 h after the morning feed, to measure pH, protozoan count, and short-chain fatty acids. The animals were then moved to semi-open respirometry chambers for the in vivo measurement of CH4 emission. A completely randomized design was used in the study assuming MC intake (MCI) as fixed effect and each animal as random effect. The variables were submitted to tests of normality and homoscedasticity. The data was submitted to analysis of variance at a 5% significance level using the F test (P < 0.05) and polynomial regression analysis. Pearson’s correlation coefficient test was also applied to all variables. Daily dry matter intake or apparent total tract digestibility parameters were not affected by MCI (P > 0.05), while ether extract and gross energy intake showed the widest range of values, from 0.01 to 0.09 (kg/day) and 9.3 to 22.5 (MJ/day), respectively, increasing (P > 0.05) according to MCI. In addition, total digestible nutrients increased linearly with MC supplementation (P = 0.037). MCI had a significant suppressive effect on enteric CH4 production from 21.9 to 8.6 (L/day) (P < 0.05) and protozoan count (P < 0.001) from 291875 to 69500 (n/mL), while a cubic (P = 0.03) and linear (P = 0.05) effect was observed for ammonia nitrogen and butyric acid, respectively. Macadamia cake may be used as an ingredient in sheep diets and its inclusion up to 14% has shown promise in reducing daily emissions of enteric CH4 without compromising nutrient digestibility and ruminal fermentation, in addition to contributing to reducing the environmental impact by avoiding the disposal of this industrial by-product.

Dietary replacement of soybean meal with heat-treated grain soybean in diets of feedlot-finished beef cattle: impacts on intake, digestibility, and ruminal parameters.

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of increasing levels of heat-treated soybean in the diet of crossbred cattle during the finishing phase on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal parameters, digesta passage rate, nitrogen balance, and microbial protein synthesis. Five steers, crossbred 7/8 Jersey x Zebu, fitted with rumen cannulas and with an average weight of 350 ± 50kg, were utilized. The experimental treatments consisted of 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28% inclusion of heat-treated soybean in the total diet dry matter. The animals were randomly allocated in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. Evaluation of the animals took place over five experimental periods, each lasting 20days. During each experimental period, the first 15days were allocated for animal adaptation to the experimental diets, followed by five days of data collection. No significant differences were observed among the diets in terms of dry matter intake (average of 6.57kgday-1; P = 0.615) and organic matter intake (average of 6.23kgday-1; P = 0.832). However, heat-treated soybean had a significant impact on the digestibility of dry matter (P = 0.02), organic matter (P = 0.01), crude protein (P < 0.01), and neutral detergent fiber (P < 0.01). There was no observed change on microbial protein synthesis (average of 409.6gday-1) in animals with the inclusion of heat-treated soybean in the diets. With each 1% inclusion of heat-treated soybean in the cattle diet, there was an increase of 0.00754 units in ruminal pH values and a reduction of 0.75839mg dL-1 in ruminal ammoniacal nitrogen values. This study suggests that heat-treated soybean can be included in up to 15% of the dry matter in diets for finishing feedlot cattle.

COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF THREE PLANT PROTEIN CAKES ON PERFORMANCE, NUTRIENT DIGESTIBILITY, HAEMATOLOGY, SERUM BIOCHEMISTRY AND PRODUCTION ECONOMICS OF WEANER RABBITS

This research was conducted to compare the effects of feeding three plant protein cakes, groundnut cake (GNC), cottonseed cake (CSC), and palm kernel cake (PKC) on performance, nutrient digestibility, haematology, serum biochemistry, and production economics of weaner rabbits. Twenty-four six weeks old, mixed-breed rabbits of both sexes were allotted into three groups randomly containing eight rabbits each. The treatment groups (T1, T2, and T3) were fed for five weeks on three different diets containing GNC, CSC, and PKC as protein sources respectively. Data generated were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. It was revealed that majority of the performance parameters were not affected (p&gt;0.05) except final body weight which differed significantly (p&lt;0.05) across the treatment groups. The ash contents of the diets also varied significantly (p&lt;0.05) amid other parameters of nutrient digestibility. The diets had no adverse effects on hematological and biochemical parameters, but total bilirubin, creatinine, and sodium were affected (p&lt;0.05). This study also revealed that CSC compared favorably with GNC in terms of growth performance and economics of rabbit production, while PKC had poor economic values for production. It was therefore suggested that the three cakes are non-toxic to the muscle, kidneys, and liver of rabbits at 17.43% inclusion level. This indicates that groundnut cake, cottonseed cake and palm kernel cake can be used as sources of protein in the diet of weaner rabbits without affecting the blood and serum biochemical parameters of weaner rabbits because the enzyme levels continued within the reference range of healthy rabbits.

Effect of neutral detergent-soluble carbohydrate profile on digestive parameters of dairy goats

ABSTRACTThe aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of diets with high concentrations of different neutral detergent-soluble carbohydrates on the ruminal degradability and total digestibility, digestive parameters, and microbial efficiency of dairy goats. Five non-lactating goats and rumen and abomasum cannulas were arranged in a 5 × 5 Latin square design. The diets were the ratio between starch associated with soluble sugar (StSS) to NDSF (StSS:NDSF): 0.82; 1.3; 1.63; 2.94; and 5.35. Starch intake increased (P < 0.001) linearly with the increase of StSS:NDSF ratios in the diet. There was a linear decrease (P < 0.001) in the intake of soluble carbohydrates and neutral detergent soluble fiber (NDF). The ruminal degradability of dry matter (DM), crude protein, NDF, and NDSC decreased linearly (P < 0.05) with the increase of StSS:NDSF ratios in the diet. Total nitrogen flow, microbial nitrogen flow (MNF), and microbial efficiency increased (P < 0.05) with the increment of StSS:NDSF ratios in the diet. The increases in StSS:NDSF ratios in the diet affected only butyric (P < 0.001), valeric (P < 0.001), and isovaleric (P = 0.004) acids, as well as pH (P < 0.001). High StSS:NDSF ratio diets do not affect DM and NDF intake but reduce DM and NDF ruminal degradability, increasing MNF and, consequently, microbial efficiency in dairy goats.

Organic Ingredients as Alternative Protein Sources in the Diet of Juvenile Organic Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax).

The use of organic ingredients as a source of protein in aquaculture diets has gained significant attention due to the growing demand for organic seafood products. This study aimed to evaluate the potential for the use of organic ingredients as protein sources in the diet of juvenile organic seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). A total of 486 juvenile seabass with an average weight of 90 g were fed six diets containing varied organic proteins. The control group (CON) was fed a diet with conventional fishmeal from sustainable fisheries as the primary protein source. The other five groups were fed diets with different compositions: organic Iberian pig meal byproduct (IB diet), a combination of organic Iberian pig meal byproduct and insect meal (IB-IN diet), a mix of organic Iberian pig meal byproduct and organic rainbow trout meal byproduct (IB-TR diet), a blend of organic rainbow trout meal byproduct and insect meal (TR-IN), and a mixed diet containing all of these protein sources (MIX diet). Over a 125-day feeding trial, growth performance, feed utilisation, feed digestibility, and histological parameters were assessed. The results showed that the fish fed the control diet had the highest final weight and specific growth rate, followed by the fish fed the TR-IN and IB-TR diets. The IB-TR diet had the highest apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) for protein, while the TR-IN diet had the lowest. Histological analysis revealed that fish fed the control diet had the largest nucleus diameter and hepatocyte diameter. Use of IN seems to penalise performance in several ways. Fish fed diets containing insect meal grew less, and those diets had lower digestibility. Fish fed the TR and IB diets grew at rates near that of the control, and the feed had acceptable digestibility.

Study on the treatment of corn alcohol wastewater by the internal circulation anaerobic reactor.

To comprehensively assess the efficacy of employing the internal circulation (IC) anaerobic reactor for corn alcohol wastewater treatment and investigate its feasibility, this study focused on anaerobic digestion parameters, energy balance, and the composition of the prokaryotic microbial community. During the operation of the reactor, the hydraulic retention time was progressively reduced from 4.8 to 1.6 days while achieving an average organic loading rate of 12.46 kg chemical oxygen demand (COD)/(m3·d). Moreover, the removal rate of COD exceeded 98%, and the energy balance (ΔE) reached 10.29 kJ/g fed COD. The initial manifestation of organic acidosis in the reactor was a decline in gas production, which is primarily caused by propionic acid accumulation. The subsequent analysis revealed a high diversity of prokaryotes in granular sludge, with the predominant archaea primarily involved in methane production through the acetic acid pathway. The IC anaerobic reactor shows exceptional performance in treating corn alcohol wastewater by optimizing its operating conditions. Energy balance analysis confirmed the feasibility of the process. The findings of this study may offer valuable insights for optimizing control strategies and engineering applications.

Utilising locally based energy supplements in leucaena and corn stover diets to increase the average daily gain of male Bali cattle and the income of smallholder farmers

Context Supplementing a leucaena-based diet with locally available energy sources is an important strategy to extend the use of leucaena, increase liveweight (LW) gain of Bali cattle and increase profit for the smallholder. Aims This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of various local energy supplements in leucaena-based diets on the LW gain of Bali cattle and income-over-feed costs (IOFC). Methods Forty male Bali cattle were divided into five treatment groups (n = 8) and each was fed one of the following diets: (A) control diet, including leucaena ad libitum, with corn stover at 0.5% DM LW and mineral mix, (B) control + cassava meal at 1.0% DM LW, (C) control + cassava peel at 1.0% DM LW, (D) control + cassava peel and corn grain mix at 1.0% DM LW or (E) control + commercial feed at 1.0% DM LW. The experiment was run for 140 days, which included a 20-day adaptation period. Parameters measured included intake, digestibility, imbibed-water intake, LW gain, rumen and faecal parameters, feed conversion and IOFC. Key results Supplementation of local energy sources in combination with leucaena and corn stover diets increased LW gain of male Bali cattle above that of the control diet (P &lt; 0.05). The bulls receiving the cassava peel and corn mix supplement had the highest LW gain (0.57 ± 0.09 kg/day), which was associated with an increase in digestible organic-matter intake (DOMI). There were no treatment differences (P &gt; 0.05) in the rumen parameters (rumen fluid pH, rumen ammonia-N concentration and volatile fatty acids) and all parameters were optimum for rumen digestion. Conclusions The addition of local energy supplements supplied at 1% of LW improved growth rate and extended the use of a limited amount of leucaena and provided a higher IOFC. Implications Replacing approximately 40% of leucaena with energy sources can have three benefits, including an increase in LW gain, an increased capacity of farmers to feed more cattle per hectare and an increased income per cattle being fattened. This can increase the production scale and subsequent farmer income, provided that the energy sources are available at affordable prices and obtainable.

Impact of Replacing Different Levels of Potato Waste Silage with Barley on Growth Performance, Digestibility, Rumen and Blood Parameters of Fattening Lambs

Impact of Replacing Different Levels of Potato Waste Silage with Barley on Growth Performance, Digestibility, Rumen and Blood Parameters of Fattening Lambs

Assessment of Haptoglobin Gene Polymorphism in cryptogenic Ischemic Stroke in West African Patients

Introduction: For a long time, it was assumed that stroke only affected people aged over 60, but recent studies have shown that it can occur in younger people. In the latter group, molecular factors and inter-individual differences in susceptibility are being increasingly incriminated. The aim of our study was therefore to evaluate the haptoglobin gene polymorphism in subjects with cryptogenic ischemic stroke.&#x0D; Methodology: This was a prospective case-control study and included subjects with cryptogenic ischemic stroke followed at the neurology department of FANN hospital in Senegal. Healthy controls were recruited and matched with the cases according to sex and age ±2 years. The Hp gene polymorphism was determined using conventional PCR without enzymatic digestion and biochemical parameters were assayed using the Architect ci4100 system (Abott, USA).&#x0D; Results: Our study included 35 patients with cryptogenic stroke. The mean age of the patients was 45±11 years and the sex ratio was 1:1. Assessment of cardiovascular risk factors showed a high frequency of hypertension (46.57%) followed by dyslipidemia (21.42%) and diabetes (10.71%). Drug use was found in 7.14% of subjects. With regard to haptoglobin genotypes, Hp2-2 was much more prevalent in stroke patients (21.42%) than in control subjects (14.28%). In contrast, the Hp1-1 genotype was more prevalent in control subjects, with a rate of 57.14%, compared with 39.28% for cryptogenic strokes.&#x0D; Conclusion: Our results seem to show that the Hp2-2 genotype is involved in the occurrence of cryptogenic ischemic stroke. However, the impact of these parameters must be assessed in conjunction with other associated cardiovascular risk factors.