First Day Of Feeding Research Articles

The Use of Acartia tonsa Nauplii during the First Days of Feeding on the Ontogeny of the Digestive System of Greater Amberjack (Seriola dumerili Risso, 1810)

The effect of feeding greater amberjack with copepod nauplii (Acartia tonsa) on the ontogeny of the digestive system was observed until 40 days after hatching (DAH). Copepods are part of the diet of fish larvae in nature, and they are rich in highly unsaturated fatty acids and free amino acids that enhance the digestive capacity of the fish. In a marine hatchery, four cylindroconical tanks of 2,700 L were stocked with about 150 × 103 greater amberjack larvae (Seriola dumerili) in each. The larvae were initially fed from 3 to 17 DAH in two tanks with copepod nauplii and rotifers (Brachionus sp.; Copepods group), while in the other two tanks, they were fed only with rotifers (Control group) during the same period. All the tanks were fed with rotifers (3–27 DAH), Artemia nauplii (12–22 DAH), enriched Artemia metanauplii (20–30 DAH), and formulated diet (25–40 DAH). Fish samples were taken regularly (every 2 or 4 days) for histological analysis and every day for the measurement of total length (TL). The TL was 3.7, 4.5 ± 0.1, 6.1, 11, 17.3 ± 0.1 and 20.3 ± 2.3 mm at 4, 10, 16, 22, 30, and 40 DAH, respectively. Copepod-fed fish showed higher TL in the last 2 days of the trial (p <0.05), while mortality rates were lower in the beginning of the trial 10–17 DAH, (p <0.05). In addition, copepods-fed fish had less skeletal deformities (p <0.05). Pyloric caeca appeared earlier in the Copepods group compared with the Control, while the length and surface of the villi, the abundance of goblet cells/100 μm of intestine length, and the area covered with lipid vacuoles in the liver were significantly higher in the Copepods group (p <0.05). We can conclude that the use of copepods in the diet of the greater amberjack larvae can improve the ontogeny of the digestive system.

Ingestion Rate, Prey Selectivity, and Growth of Larval Vieja zonata (Teleostei: Cichlidae) Co‐Fed Rotifers with Cladocerans

The study of fish larval nutrition is important as dietary requirements change significantly with growth. Vieja zonata is a cichlid species that is endemic to Mexico. In this study, we investigated the ingestion rate, prey selectivity, and growth of V. zonata larvae that were fed on prey cultured with and without probiotics. We conducted three experiments to test the acceptability of the prey offered, determine the optimal density of the prey items, and observe the effect of probiotics on the larvae’s growth. The first experiment tested the acceptability of the prey offered to 5 days post‐hatched (dph) V. zonata larvae, and the second experiment determined the optimal density of the prey items. In the third experiment, we individually placed 5 dph larvae (SL = 5.97 ± 0.13 mm; 8.5 ± 0.25 mg) and fed them for 10 days with three different prey items: two rotifer species (Brachionus angularis and Plationus patulus at a density of 20 ind/mL) and a cladoceran species (Moina cf. macrocopa at 1 ind/mL), both cultures with and without probiotics. We counted the prey items consumed daily and provided fresh media with new prey at the above density. We determined the total counts, ingestion rates, and Manly’s selectivity index (αi) and measured and weighed the larvae at the beginning and end of the experiment. The endogenous feeding period with the yolk sac lasted until 5 dph, a mixed period with endogenous and exogenous feeding occurred from 5 to 7 dph, and an exogenous feeding period in which they fed on zooplankton was observed from day 7 to 15 dph. Brachionus angularis and Plationus patulus were accepted as prey after 5 dph, and Moina cf. macrocopa was accepted on 11 dph. During the first days of feeding, the preferred prey item was P. patulus, which later switched to M. cf. macrocopa on day 11. We found that the use of prey produced with NanoCrusta probiotics resulted in a significant increase in the somatic growth and weight of V. zonata. Our findings suggest that probiotics may potentially enhance the nutritional value of prey items and promote the growth of V. zonata larvae.

Serological profile of respiratory viruses in unvaccinated steers upon their arrival at Brazilian feedlot facilities.

Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine alphaherpesvirus 1 (BoAHV1), bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), and bovine parainfluenza virus 3 (BPIV-3) are involved in bovine respiratory disease. These viruses can infect the respiratory system and cause considerable economic losses to beef and dairy cattle herds. This study aimed to determine the serological profiles of steers for BVDV, BoAHV1, BRSV, and BPIV-3 upon their arrival at Brazilian feedlot facilities. A total of 1,282 serum samples from unvaccinated steers were obtained on the first day of feeding. Samples were collected from 31 beef cattle herds reared in an extensive rearing system in six Brazilian states. Antibodies against BVDV, BoAHV1, BRSV, and BPIV-3 were detected using a virus neutralization test. The steers were distributed in agreement with their age and the Brazilian state of origin. The highest seropositivity was for BoAHV1 and BPIV-3 at 92.1% (1,154/1,253) and 86.6% (1,100/1,270), respectively. The seropositivity of BRSV was 77.1% (959/1,244). BVDV presented a lower rate, at slightly more than 50% (51.8%; 656/1,266). Age was a risk factor for the presence of antibodies against BVDV, BoAHV1, and BPIV-3 but not BRSV. A positive correlation was identified between BoAHV1 and BPIV-3 (P = 0.85) and between BRSV and BPIV-3 (P = 0.47). The high rate of seropositive steers for these four respiratory viruses on the first day of confinement identified in this serological survey provides important epidemiological information on respiratory infections, as the seropositivity of the four main bovine respiratory viruses in Brazilian beef cattle herds in an extensive rearing system.

The Effectiveness of Selenium in Oral Nutritional Therapy for Patients With Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

Background and Aim: Every year, traumatic brain injuries lead to more than one million admissions to emergency rooms and more than 50,000 deaths, and millions of disabilities worldwide, among all ages and genders. This study aimed to examine the effects of selenium added to oral nutritional therapy on the mortality rate and length of hospital stay in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) for six months. Methods and Materials/Patients: This clinical trial included 100 patients admitted to the ICU of Loghman Hakim Hospital, Tehran, Iran. These patients were then randomly assigned to intervention or control groups. Standard oral solutions were administered to both groups according to recommended guidelines. Along with the standard nutritional intake, the participants in the intervention group were given 1000 μg of selenium (Selenase-Biosyn, Germany) on the first day of feeding, dissolved in 100 mL of normal saline for 30 minutes, followed by 500μg of selenium daily for 10 days. We screened patients for GCS, and APACHE-II scores, as well as cortisol levels on days 1 and 10. Results: The APACHE-II mean score on the 10th day was significantly different between the two groups, and this was also true before the intervention. In terms of mortality rates, there was no significant difference between the control group and the intervention group. Neither the control group nor the intervention group spent significantly more time in ICU. Conclusion: The effects of selenium on other variables were unclear, although mortality rates did not differ significantly between the two groups. Considering the confounding variables through regression analysis, the APACHE-II variable was negatively impacted by selenium, but taking into account the significant effect of age, a definitive conclusion cannot be made.

Calorie restriction and calorie dilution have different impacts on body fat, metabolism, behavior, and hypothalamic gene expression.

Caloric restriction is a robust intervention to increase lifespan. Giving less food (calorie restriction [CR]) or allowing free access to a diluted diet with indigestible components (calorie dilution [CD]) are two methods to impose restriction. CD does not generate the same lifespan effect as CR. We compare responses of C57BL/6 mice with equivalent levels of CR and CD. The two groups have different responses in fat loss, circulating hormones, and metabolic rate. CR mice are hungrier, as assessed by behavioral assays. Although gene expression of Npy, Agrp, and Pomc do not differ between CR and CD groups, CR mice had a distinctive hypothalamic gene-expression profile with many genes related to starvation upregulated relative to CD. While both result in lower calorie intake, CR and CD are not equivalent procedures. Increased hunger under CR supports the hypothesis that hunger signaling is a key process mediating the benefits of CR.

Is preeclampsia an independent risk factor for feeding intolerance in very preterm infants?

Objective The causative factors of neonatal feeding intolerance are poorly understood. Intrauterin environment and fetal conditions are important factors affecting gastrointestinal perfusion. Our aim was to evaluate whether maternal preeclampsia negatively affects preterm infants’ enteral feeding tolerability. Material and Methods Eight hundred and twenty preterm infants who were born between January 2015- December 2016 and were under 1500 grams and 30 weeks of gestational age were included in this entire cohort of which 701 were retrospectively analyzed because of missing records. Antenatal, perinatal, and neonatal outcome data were retrospectively analyzed. Results There were statistical differences between infants with maternal preeclampsia (n=128) and without preeclampsia (n=573), in terms of mean birth weight, mean gestational age, grade 3-4 IVH, platelet count, being under 3rd percentile of body weight during discharge from NICU and feeding intolerance. There was no significant difference on the first day of feeding, fully enterally feeding days, and time of catch-up birth weight. After correcting the data with birth weight, gestational age, and SGA as a cofactor; nominal regression revealed that PE strongly may be an independent risk factor for FI in this study group [OR: 5.469 (95%CI 1.099-2.929) p:0.019]. Conclusion According to this study’s results, we could say that preeclampsia is a significant risk factor for feeding intolerance in very low birth-weight preterm babies. For babies of mothers with preeclampsia, a nutrition plan should be made, interventions and treatments to minimize fetal effects should be investigated.

Age and Body Condition Influence the Post-Prandial Interleukin-1β Response to a High-Starch Meal in Horses.

Simple SummaryIn horses, consumption of meals rich in nonstructural carbohydrate content transiently increase plasma concentrations of the pro-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-1β. The current experiment provides evidence that age and body condition score influence these results. For instance, younger and leaner horses only experienced this response after regular and prolonged intake of high-starch meals, whereas older and heavier conditioned individuals experience elevated post-prandial interleukin-1β concentrations on day 1 of feeding and thereafter.Older horses and those prone to obesity may be at a higher risk for inflammation than younger and leaner counterparts. Previous research indicated a postprandial elevation in plasma concentrations of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), a pro-inflammatory cytokine, after consuming 1.2 g of non-structural carbohydrates/kilogram of body weight. However, these studies utilized horses of mixed age and body condition. The current study evaluated post-prandial IL-1β concentrations in horses specifically comparing lean to over-conditioned and middle aged to older. Our results suggest that at least two weeks of daily consumption of a high non-structural carbohydrate diet is required to induce a post-prandial increase in IL-1β concentrations in younger and leaner horses. In opposition to this, older and over-conditioned horses experience plasma increased on the first day of feeding and thereafter. Feeding management practices of older and over-conditioned individuals should emphasize lower non-structural carbohydrate intakes and further research should elucidate mechanisms of IL-1β activation.

ИЗУЧЕНИЕ РЕЗИСТЕНТНОСТИ ОРГАНИЗМА СВИНЕЙ ПРИ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИИ В ПИТАНИИ КОМПЛЕКСНОГО МИКРОКОРМОВОГО ПРОДУКТА

The object of research is the components of feed additives, namely dihydroquercetin, blue-green algae spirulina and organic iodine, in various combinations used in feeding piglets from the first days of feeding and before transferring them to fattening, at the age of 90 days. Three groups of piglets, one control and two experimental ones, were formed according to the principle of analogues. Piglets of the first experimental group received to the general diet, a feed additive MKBA-1, consisting of Spirulina – 1 mg, dihydroquercetin – 3 mg, organic iodine – 1,5 mg per 1,5 kg of live weight per day; piglets of the second experimental group to the main diet received a feed supplement ICBA-1, consisting of Spirulina – 2 mg and dihydroquercetin – 2 mg per 3 kg of live weight per day. The use of dihydroquercetin, blue-green algae spirulina and organic iodine in various combinations in feeding piglets contributed to an increase in the adaptive ability of the body, pathogenetic reactivity and correction of metabolic processes, which provided a higher realization of the genetic potential of pigs. The introduction of feed additives into the diet of pigs contributed to an increase in the bactericidal activity of blood serum in the first experimental group by 1%, in the second experimental group by 14,1%, compared with the control group. The number of white blood cells in piglets of the experimental groups was lower and red blood cells is higher compared to piglets in the control group, which was reflected in the hemoglobin content of blood, which was higher than piglets from the control group by 2% and 8,9%, respectively.

Digestive Enzyme Activity during Larval Development of Black Snook, Centropomus nigrescens

AbstractBlack snook, Centropomus nigrescens, have been identified as a promising candidate for aquaculture although, like many of the Centropomid species, high mortality associated with early larval stages presents a significant bottleneck to their commercialization. The digestive capacity of black snook larvae throughout the first 37 d after hatch (d.a.h.) was evaluated by quantifying digestive enzyme activities using biochemical techniques. Results showed that black snook larvae have alkaline proteases at hatching, which are known to be important during the first days of feeding for digestion. Toward the end of the study, acid proteases concentration increased (37 d.a.h.). Enzymes for lipid digestion, pancreatic lipase and bile salt‐activated lipase, were already present in the larvae before exogenous feeding commenced, and their activity increased with age and growth (length). Intracellular digestion, measured as the activity of leucine‐alanine peptidase, was high early on (5 d.a.h.) and decreased as development progressed (next 32 d). In contrast, alkaline phosphatase activity was lowest at first feeding and subsequently increased with age. Overall patterns in enzyme activity suggest the possibility of live feed weaning before 32 d.a.h. if artificial diets can be properly balanced.

Impact of farm management on expression of early mortality syndrome/acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (EMS/AHPND) on penaeid shrimp farms in Thailand

Asian shrimp farming industry has experienced massive production losses due to a disease caused by toxins of Vibrio bacteria, known as early mortality syndrome/acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease (EMS/AHPND) for the last 5years. The disease can cause up to 100% cumulative pond mortality within a week. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with AHPND occurrence on shrimp farms. A case-control study was carried out on shrimp farms in four provinces of Thailand. Factors related to farm characteristics, farm management, pond and water preparation, feed management, post-larvae (PL) shrimp and stock management were evaluated. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified factors affecting AHPND occurrence at the pond level. Chlorine treatment, reservoir availability, use of predator fish in the water preparation, culture of multiple shrimp species in one farm and increased PL stocking density contributed to an increased risk of AHPND infection, while delayed first day of feeding, polyculture and water ageing were likely to promote outbreak protection. Additionally, the source of PL was found to be associated with AHPND occurrence in shrimp ponds, which requires further study at the hatchery level. Identification of these factors will facilitate the development of effective control strategies for AHPND on shrimp farms.

Growth heterogeneity in broiler breeder pullets is settled before the onset of feed restriction but is not predicted by size at hatch.

Uniform growth is a desirable trait in all large-scale animal production systems because it simplifies animal management and increases profitability. In parental broiler flocks, so-called broiler breeders, low growth uniformity is largely attributed to the feed competition that arises from quantitatively restricted feeding. As feed restriction is crucial to maintaining healthy and fertile breeders, several practices for reducing feed competition and the associated growth heterogeneity have been suggested and range from nutrient dilution by increasing fiber content in feed to intermittent fasting with increased portion size ("skip a day"), but no practice appears to be entirely effective. The fact that a large part of the heterogeneity remains even when feed competition is minimized suggests that some growth variation is caused by other factors. We investigated whether this variation arises during embryonic development (as measured by size at hatch) or during posthatch development by following the growth and body composition of birds of varying hatch sizes. Our results support the posthatch alternative, with animals that later grow to be small or large (here defined as >1 SD lighter or heavier than mean BW of the flock) being significantly different in size as early as 1 d after gaining access to feed ( < 0.05). We then investigated 2 possible causes for different postnatal growth: that high growth performance is linked 1) to interindividual variations in metabolism (as measured by cloacal temperature and verified by respirometry) or 2) to higher levels of social motivation (as measured in a social reinstatement T-maze), which should reduce the stress of being reared in large-scale commercial flocks. Neither of these follow-up hypotheses could account for the observed heterogeneity in growth. We suggest that the basis of growth heterogeneity in broiler breeder pullets may already be determined at the time of hatch in the form of qualitatively different maternal investments or immediately thereafter as an indirect result of differences in incubation conditions, hatching time, and resulting fasting time. Although this potential difference in maternal investment is not seen in body mass, tarsometatarsal length, or full body length of day-old chicks arriving at the farm, it may influence the development of differential feed and water intake during the first day of feeding, which in turn has direct effects on growth heterogeneity.

Effect of cultivated copepods (Acartia tonsa) in first-feeding of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) larvae

The aim of this study was to compare the nutritional composition and effects of short periods with cultivated copepod nauplii versus rotifers in first-feeding. Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) larvae were given four different dietary regimes in the earliest start-feeding period. One group was fed the copepod Acartia tonsa nauplii (Cop), a second fed enriched rotifers (RotMG), a third fed unenriched rotifers (RotChl) and a fourth copepods for the seven first days of feeding and enriched rotifers the rest of the period (Cop7). Cod larvae were fed Artemia sp. between 20 and 40 dph (days posthatching), and ballan wrasse between 36 and 40 dph, with weaning to a formulated diet thereafter. In addition to assessing growth and survival, response to handling stress was measured. This study showed that even short periods of feeding with cultivated copepod nauplii (7 days) had positive long-term effects on the growth and viability of the fish larvae. At the end of both studies (60 days posthatching), fish larvae fed copepods showed higher survival, better growth and viability than larvae fed rotifers. This underlines the importance of early larval nutrition.

Comparing Factors Associated with Breastfeeding in Late Preterm Infants of Different Gestational Ages

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the rate of breastfeeding and factors which affect late preterm infants’ (LPIs) breastfeeding according to gestational age. Methods: Participants were LPIs of 34 weeks (n=70), 35 weeks (n=75), and 36 weeks (n=88). Data were collected from July to December, 2011 from four university hospitals in D city. Descriptive statistics and odds ratio were used to compare three groups. Results: The rate of breastfeeding at 1 week after LPIs’ discharge was 32.9%, 37.3%, 23.9% at 34, 35 and 36 weeks, respectively. The tendency to breastfeed in LPIs of 34 weeks was lower for LPIs born by Cesarean-section, while it was higher for LPIs with a longer period of breastfeeding during hospitalization and higher body weight at the first day of feeding. The prevalence of breastfeeding in LPIs of 35 weeks and 36 weeks was higher for infants with a history of more frequent breastfeeding during hospitalization. Conclusion: The rate of breastfeeding in LPIs of 36 weeks was the lowest. This study suggests that nurses should give more customized education to mothers with LPIs of 36 weeks during their stay in hospitals.

Influence of Microalgae Supernatant, and Bacteria Isolated from Microalgae Cultures, on Microbiology, and Digestive Capacity of Larval Gilthead Seabream, Sparus aurata, and Senegalese Sole, Solea senegalensis

This study aimed at investigating addition of microalgae in the rearing of marine fish larvae (green water technique). Addition of microalgae supernatant, or bacteria isolated from microalgae cultures, to the rearing tanks of larval Senegalese sole, Solea senegalensis, and gilthead seabream, Sparus aurata, had no significant (P < 0.05) influence on survival or growth of the larvae. Addition of four bacterial strains isolated from microalgae decreased however the numbers of presumptive Vibrio in gilthead seabream larvae and seawater were compared with the control treatment 7 d after hatching (P < 0.05). No such effects were shown on the numbers of presumptive Vibrio in the rearing of sole larvae. Addition of bacteria improved the digestive capacity of gilthead seabream larvae, as the total activity (U/larva) of trypsin, amylase, and alkaline phosphatase in the treatment with added bacteria were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than in larvae from the control treatment 10 d after hatching. No such effects were shown in the case of sole larvae. The present results indicated that bacteria associated with microalgae may play an important role for the inhibition of proliferation of Vibrio and improvement of digestive capacity during the first days of feeding of gilthead seabream larvae, but does not appear to be beneficial for larvae of Senegalese sole.

Live feeds for early stages of fish rearing

Despite the recent progress in the production of inert diets for fish larvae, feeding of most species of interest for aquaculture still relies on live feeds during the early life stages. Independently of their nutritional value, live feeds are easily detected and captured, due to their swimming movements in the water column, and highly digestible, given their lower nutrient concentration (water content>80%). The present paper reviews the main types of live feeds used in aquaculture, their advantages and pitfalls, with a special emphasis on their nutritional value and the extent to which this can be manipulated. The most commonly used live feeds in aquaculture are rotifers (Brachionus sp.) and brine shrimp (Artemia sp.), due to the existence of standardized cost-effective protocols for their mass production. However, both rotifers and Artemia have nutritional deficiencies for marine species, particularly in essential n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA, e.g., docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid). Enrichment of these live feeds with HUFA-rich lipid emulsions may lead to an excess dietary lipid and sub-optimal dietary protein content for fish larvae. In addition, rotifers and Artemia are likely to have sub-optimal dietary levels of some amino acids, vitamins and minerals, at least for some species. Several species of microalgae are also used in larviculture. These are used as feed for other live feeds, but mostly in the ‘green water’ technique in fish larval rearing, with putative beneficial effects on feeding behaviour, digestive function, nutritional value, water quality and microflora. Copepods and other natural zooplankton organisms have also been used as live feeds, normally with considerably better results in terms of larval survival rates, growth and quality, when compared with rotifers and Artemia. Nonetheless, technical difficulties in mass-producing these organisms are still a constraint to their routine use. Improvements in inert microdiets will likely lead to a progressive substitution of live feeds. However, complete substitution is probably years away for most species, at least for the first days of feeding.

Refeeding syndrome in hospital patients referred for enteral and parenteral nutrition

Background: The reported incidence of refeeding syndrome is highly variable due to the heterogeneity of its definition, the electrolyte reference ranges used, patient populations investigated and the treatment protocols implemented (Marik &amp; Bedigian, 1996; Fan et al., 2004). Recent guidelines have been published by the National Institute of Clinical Excellence on the identification and management of patients at risk of refeeding syndrome (NICE, 2006). The aim of this prospective observational study was to determine the incidence of refeeding syndrome in hospital patients referred for artificial nutrition and hydration (ANH) via the enteral or parenteral route, where national practice guidelines exist to prevent its occurrence.Methods: Data was collected as part of a larger, ongoing study at a London hospital. All patients referred to the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics for ANH had their feeding regimen and their risk of refeeding syndrome determined based upon the clinical decision of their dietitian and local guidelines. An independent researcher screened patients for inclusion into the study and then categorised their risk of refeeding syndrome based upon criteria from national guidelines (NICE, 2006). Patient characteristics, diet history, anthropometry, feed prescription and baseline serum phosphate, potassium and magnesium were recorded. Electrolytes were recorded every 3 days, up to 15 days, to determine clinical signs consistent with refeeding syndrome. Patients ‘at risk’ of refeeding syndrome were compared with those categorised as ‘not at risk’. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS version 15 and included descriptive statistics, McNemar's test and independent t‐tests for continuous data. Ethical approval was obtained from the appropriate committee.Results: Of the 24 patients recruited, only three (13%) were judged to be ‘at‐risk’ of refeeding syndrome by the patient's dietitian, compared with 18 (75%) who were identified as ‘at‐risk’ based upon criteria from national guidelines (P &lt; 0.001). There were no significant differences in energy prescription (P = 0.836), energy delivery on the first day of feeding (P = 0.814) or serum electrolyte concentrations at any time point during feeding, when comparing patients identified as ‘at‐risk’ or ‘not at‐risk’ by national guidelines. Refeeding syndrome was not observed.Discussion: Adherence to the NICE guidelines (2006) for preventing refeeding syndrome was variable in these patients. However, patients identified as being ‘at‐risk’ according to these guidelines did not develop refeeding syndrome, despite frequently receiving energy prescriptions in excess of the recommendations.Conclusions: Patients who were categorised as ‘at risk’ of refeeding syndrome according to national guidelines did not always go on to develop the syndrome. The role of dietetic assessment of risk of refeeding syndrome warrants further investigation.References Fan, C., Ren, J., Wang, X. &amp; Li, J. (2004) Refeeding syndrome in patients with gastrointestinal fistula. Nutrition 20, 346–350.Marik, P.E. &amp; Bedigian, M.K. (1996) Refeeding hypophosphatemia in critically ill patients in an intensive care unit. Arch. Surg. 131, 1043–1047.National Institute for Clinical Excellence/National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care, February 2006. Nutrition support in adults. Oral nutrition support, enteral tube feeding and parenteral nutrition. London: National Collaborating Centre for Acute Care.

Characterization of digestive enzymes during larval development of red drum ( Sciaenops ocellatus)

The digestive capacity of red drum larvae throughout development was evaluated by characterizing and quantifying digestive enzyme activities using biochemical and substrate-SDS-PAGE techniques with specific inhibitors. Results showed that red drum larvae posses a nearly complete set of alkaline proteases since first feeding (3 days post-hatch). Alkaline proteases played a major role in digestion during the first days of feeding, while acid proteases became more important toward the end of the larval period, concomitant with the appearance of a functional stomach. Enzymes for the digestion of proteins (trypsin-like), lipids (lipase) and carbohydrates (amylase) were already present in the larvae before exogenous feeding commenced, and their activity subsequently increased with age and length. At some stages of development, digestive enzymes of red drum larvae seem to have a temporal distribution mediated by underlying genetic mechanisms, rather than controlled by feeding activity. Intracellular digestion, measured as the activity of leucine–alanine peptidase, was high early in the larval stage and decreased as development progressed. In contrast, aminopeptidase activity, which is present in the intestinal brush border membrane and is indicative of intestinal maturity, was lowest at first feeding and subsequently increased with age. Using specific inhibitors the relative contribution of the alkaline proteases to the overall alkaline proteolytic activity was assessed. Interestingly, chymotrypsin relative contribution to alkaline proteolytic activity was higher than that for trypsin by 22 DAH. Substrate-SDS-PAGE analysis indicated that although the proteolytic enzymes measured were at least in part comprised of serine-type proteases, other types such as metalo-proteases may play a significant role in the digestive process in red drum larvae and should be further characterized.

Investigation of the percentage of prescribed enteral nutrition actually delivered to hospitalized companion animals

AbstractObjective: To investigate the percentage of prescribed enteral nutrition that is actually delivered; the percentage of goal feeds [defined in terms of the animal's estimated resting energy requirement (RER)] that are delivered; and the reasons animals are under or overfed in a small animal teaching hospital.Design: Prospective investigation.Setting: Matthew J. Ryan Veterinary Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.Animals: All dogs and cats that received tube feeding while admitted to the Ryan Veterinary Hospital during the months of August–December 2003.Interventions: The medical record for each animal was reviewed to determine the feeding prescription, the amount of tube feeds actually delivered, and any reasons why the amount delivered differed from the amount prescribed. The amount prescribed was also compared with the animal's goal feeds which were defined for a patient as 50% RER/day on the first day of feeding and 100% RER/day for the remaining days of hospitalization.Main results: Twenty‐five animals (23 cats and 2 dogs) were enrolled in the study. Animals received a median of 91% (range: 68–100%) of their prescribed feeds/day and a median of 90% (range: 36–133%) of goal feeds/day. Nausea or vomiting and conflict with other treatments were the most common recorded reasons for incomplete feeds.Conclusions: Both prescribed and goal feeds were delivered to the animals in this investigation with a good rate of success. Consultation with the Nutrition Support Service improved the likelihood that prescribed feeds would meet the animal's estimated RER.

Biochemical and technical observations supporting the use of copepods as live feed organisms in marine larviculture

The use of live prey is still necessary for a large number of raised fish species. Small sized rotifers are usually used as live preys during the first days of feeding in small mouth fish. An alternative to this is the use of copepods as prey for first feeding. In this study, the sizes, weight and biochemical contents of two copepods and one rotifer species raised on similar algal food conditions were compared. Rotifers contained a higher proportion of essential amino acids in the free amino acid (FAA) fraction (43%) than copepods (30–32%). However, rotifers had lower levels of important fatty acids like DHA (7% compared with 23–32% in copepods) and their DHA/EPA ratio was lower than that in copepods (0.54 compared with 1.35–1.63 in copepods). The FAA pattern of the preys tended to be species-specific and its implications from an aquaculture point of view is discussed. In contrast, the-protein bound amino acids tended to be very conservative among the studied organisms. The second part of the work is focused on ‘the price’ of hatching in Acartia tonsa eggs before or after cold storage at 3°C. The fatty acid contents in A. tonsa tended to decrease with the storage time. It also decreased with hatching of the nauplii, but its proportion compared with the dry weight remained constant.

Influence of larval co-feeding with live and inert diets on weaning the tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis

The tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis, an inshore fish in China, has showed great potential in aquaculture recently. However, poor survival was recorded during the period of weaning from live Artemia to artificial diets. In this paper, the influence of co-feeding larvae with live and inert diet on weaning performance was described. The C. semilaevis larvae were reared at 21 ± 1 °C and fed four different feeding regimes from 6 days post-hatching (dph): A, Artemia (10 individuals mL−1); B, Artemia (5 individuals mL−1); C, mixed diet (10 Artemia individuals mL−1 and 12 mg L−1 inert diet); and D, mixed diet (5 Artemia individuals mL−1 and 12 mg L−1 inert diet). Rotifers were also supplied in all cases during the first days of feeding. Mixed diets of commercial formulated feed and live prey (rotifers and Artemia) allowed larvae to complete metamorphosis, achieving similar specific growth rate (SGR) (18.5 ± 1.4% and 18.7 ± 1.6%) and survival (40 ± 7.6% and 48.5 ± 6.8%) compared with larvae fed on live feed alone (SGR of 18.3 ± 1.2%, 19.3 ± 1.9% and survival of 41.2 ± 11.3%, 38 ± 4.9%). However, in metamorphosed fish, when live feed was withdrawn on 31 dph, there was significant difference (P < 0.05) in survival and growth among treatments. Metamorphosed fish, previously fed mixture diets during larval stages, had similar survival (62.1 ± 7.6% and 62.8 ± 3.9% for regimes C and D, respectively) but higher than that obtained for fish that previously fed on live feed (49.3 ± 2% and 42.1 ± 3.9% for regimes A and B, respectively) after weaning (day 60). The SGR of weaned fish previously fed live feed was similar (3.1 ± 0.6% and 2.92 ± 0.6% for regimes A and B, respectively) but lower than that recorded for fish that was fed from day 6 to day 30 on the mixed diet (4.5 ± 1.1% and 4.9 ± 0.3% for regimes C and D, respectively). It is suggested that weaning of C. semilaevis from early development would appear to be feasible and larval co-feeding improves growth and survival.