High Nutritional Density Research Articles

The Non-Denatured Processing of Brasenia schreberi Mucilage-Characteristics of Hydrodynamic Properties and the Effect on In Vivo Functions.

Food non-denatured processes, such as freeze-drying and grinding, are commonly applied to raw materials with good bioactive functions. Although the functional components are maintained, whether structural and physical changes impact the in vivo function is often ignored in practical situations. Brasenia schreberi mucilage (BSM) has a significant alleviation effect on DSS-induced colitis. This work focused on the influence of non-denatured manufacture on the colonic benefits of BSM-based products. First, three forms of products including fresh mucilage (FM), freeze-dried products (FS), and freeze-dried powder (FP) were prepared. Then, their in vitro physiochemical properties were compared, analyzing their influence on the gut inflammation degree, microbial composition, and SCFA production in mice. The results suggested that the water retention rate of FS and FP was decreased to 34.59 ± 3.85%, and 9.93 ± 1.76%. The viscosity of FM, FS, and FP was 20.14 Pa∙s, 4.92 Pa∙s, and 0.41 Pa∙s, respectively. The freeze-drying and grinding process also damaged the lamellar microstructure of BSM. Then, animal tests showed that colitis mice intervened with FM, FS, and FP had disease activity scores of 2.03, 3.95, and 4.62. Meanwhile, FM notably changed the gut microbial composition and significantly increased propionate and butyrate levels. It seemed that the distinct colitis alleviation efficacy of BSM-based products is attributed to different hydrodynamic properties in the gut. FM had relatively higher viscosity and correspondingly high nutritional density in the gut lumen, which stimulates Firmicutes growth and promotes butyrate production, and thereby exhibited the best efficiency on protecting from colitis.

Donkey milk: chemical make-up, biochemical features, nutritional worth, and possible human health benefits - Current state of scientific knowledge

Milk and milk derivatives are widely consumed because of their high nutritional density. Donkey milk and milk products have been consumed since ancient times. The use of donkey milk in the human diet is gaining popularity. The abundance of antibacterial components and protective elements in donkey milk sets it apart from the milk of other animals. Like human milk, donkey milk has low fat, high lactose, and low casein/whey protein ratio. Donkey milk whey protein's anti-proliferative properties imply lung cancer treatment. Alpha-lactalbumin, a type of protein, has been found to have antiviral, anticancer, and anti-stress properties. Donkey milk, like human milk, includes a low amount of casein and a smaller quantity of beta-lactoglobulin than cow milk. Donkey milk is an alternative for newborns with cow milk protein allergy and lactose intolerance since it has a higher amount of lactose, improves palatability, and prevents allergies. Osteogenesis, arteriosclerosis therapy, cardiac rehabilitation, accelerated aging, and hypocholesterolemic diets are some areas where donkey milk is beneficial. Since it contains probiotic lactobacilli strains, fermented beverages can be made with donkey milk. Donkey milk moisturizes skin due to its high vitamin, mineral, and polyunsaturated fatty acid content. The chemical makeup and potential therapeutic benefits of donkey milk warrant additional research. This has led to a rise in interest in producing dairy goods derived from donkey milk. Donkey milk has been used to make cheese, ice cream, milk powder, and even some experimental useful fermented drinks. The present article summarises what we know about donkey milk's chemical makeup, biological functions, nutritional worth, and possible human health benefits.

SOCIALIZATION AND TRAINING IN WILD PLANT PROCESSING SUPERFOOD FOR PKK WOMEN AND PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN TO OVERCOME STUNTING IN KURIPANSARI VILLAGE

Stunting is a major nutritional problem caused by many factors such as socio-economic conditions, birth order, maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lack of nutritional intake for babies. In the case of East Java, one of the districts that has a higher stunting rate compared to the provincial and national levels in 2021 is Mojokerto Regency, especially in Kuripansari Village, Pacet District. As an effort to overcome this problem, outreach and training activities were carried out regarding the processing of superfood wild plants, namely plants or food that have a high nutritional density, are easy to find and have no economic value, as an alternative to help meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women and toddlers as well as to reduce the risk of stunting. The targets of the socialization and training program for processing wild superfood plants are PKK women (Family Welfare Programme) and elementary school children in Kuripansari Village. For PKK women, the activities carried out include the introduction and processing of superfood wild plants to enrich the availability of affordable side dishes and delicious, highly nutritious food at the household level. In elementary school children, activities carried out include socialization about nutrition and the introduction of superfood wild plants as alternative healthy and nutritious foods or snacks. The expected target is that the community can know the types of superfood wild plants and can use them to meet their nutritional needs. The results of the activities show that the outreach and training carried out have helped increase the participants' knowledge and skills in processing wild superfood plants. The advice given in this activity is the need for further assistance in the processing of superfood wild plants so that it not only has an impact on nutritional problems and stunting, but can also have an impact on the community's economy through activity development programs, for example in the form of cultivation and marketing of superfood wild plant food products. as well as educational tourism activities.

Preparation of value-added food products by the incorporation of chia seeds and sunflower seeds

Super foods are foods that have a very high nutritional density. This means that they provide a substantial amount of nutrients and very few calories, which provides a clinically proven and documented health benefit and thus, an important source of in the prevention, management and treatment of chronic diseases of the modern age. The present study was undertaken with the objectives to develop a nutritious Laddu and Gajak by the incorporation of Chia and Sunflower seeds and to assess their organoleptic quality as well as nutritive value. Two value added products “Laddu” and “Gajak” were prepared by incorporation of chia and sunflower seeds at different levels, 5, 10 and 15 per cent, respectively. Sensory evaluation with respect to colour and appearance, body and texture, taste and flavour and overall acceptability was done by five panel members using the nine-point Hedonic scale. Chemical analysis of the developed food products for moisture, total ash, protein, crude fibre and fat were determined by AOAC (2005) method. Calcium and iron was estimated by colorimeter. The value of carbohydrate and energy was calculated by difference method. On the basis of results, it is concluded that Chia seeds and sunflower seeds was successfully incorporated in preparation of the products like Laddu and Gajak. The sensory attributes of the prepared products with different treatments T2 (Ragi flour (40%), Chia seeds (10%), sunflower seeds (10%), Ghee (10%) and Jaggery (30%)) of Laddu and T2 (Gingelly seeds, Chia seeds, Sunflower seeds and Jaggery) of Gajak, were highly accepted by the panel members, when compared to control i.e. T0. Chemical analysis of this study concludes that the preserved products Laddu and Gajak made by the incorporation of Chia seeds and sunflower seeds were good sources of energy, calcium, fibre, protein and fat content. It is reveals that nutritive composition of the prepared products were significantly increased as the incorporation level increased. Cost of Laddu is slightly increased from control to treatments. T3 has the highest cost and T0 has the lowest cost. Cost of Gajak is also increased from control to treatments. T3 has the highest cost and T0 has the lowest cost.

THE ECOLOGICAL AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS – SOURCES OF RAW MATERIALS FOR QUALITY FOOD PRODUCTS

Organic agricultural products are the best raw materials for food products with high nutritional density (food supplements, functional foods, and nutraceuticals). The applied technologies in the organic farming system use inputs free of hormones, GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics and other synthetic substances - and all of these allow both the preservation of the bio-availability of the active compounds during processing and the elimination of toxicological risks in final food products. The authors present an innovative approach to the production technology specific to a food product with high nutritional density that is developed from raw materials from Romania. The production of quality foods with high nutritional density can be supported both by Romania's huge potential within the production system specific to ecological agriculture and by the increased demand for such products with added value. The use of special techniques of Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), extraction of active bio-compounds with the help of supercritical agents (SFE), molecular absorption spectrometry (MAS) facilitates the monitoring of food safety for both raw materials and final foods.

Growth curves of broilers fed different nutritional relationships using the Gompertz model

The study aimed to evaluate performance and growth curves of broilers fed different nutritional relations. A total of 1,440 Cobb-500 male day-old chicks were assigned to eight treatments in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with six replicates of 30 birds each. The main factors were nutritional density (control and high), lysine source (HCl and sulfate), and calcium pidolate (presence and absence). Analyses were made for body weight gain (BWG), and feed conversion rate (FCR) at 21, and 42 days of age. The growth curves were adjusted by weighing a bird per plot every three days. Data for BWG were tested by ANOVA to evaluate the effects of treatments and their interactions at 5% significance, and the Gompertz model was adjusted by NLS. Birds fed a high nutritional density had higher BWG and lower FCR. Calcium pidolate and different sources of lysine did not influence the FCR of broilers, however a triple interaction was evidenced for BWG at 1 to 42 days of age. The day with maximum gain adjusted by Gompertz of all treatments was at the 32nd day of age and the maximum weight (A) was around 5.85 kg.

Reasonableness of Enriching Cow's Milk with Vitamins and Minerals.

Milk is an exceptional nutritional product that has been used for many millennia in human nutrition. Milk is a source of many valuable nutrients, including calcium, vitamin B, an especially significant amount of vitamin B2 and fat-soluble vitamins, such as A, D and E. Milk is an attractive product for fortification as it has a high nutritional density in a small volume and a relatively low price. Research shows positive health effects of drinking milk and consuming dairy products. Even more health benefits can be obtained from consuming fortified dairy products. A literature review, current nutritional recommendations, medical recommendations and an analysis of the market situation all recommend introducing milk enriched with minerals in combination with vitamins to the market. This concept corresponds to the current market demand and may supplement the missing and expected range of fortified milk and the correct number of recipients.

Aceitabilidade de preparações culinárias com ora-pro-nóbis por escolares atendidos pelo Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar

Introdução: O apoio ao desenvolvimento sustentável por meio da aquisição de alimentos diversificados e regionais é uma das diretrizes do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar. De grande aplicação culinária, a ora-pro-nóbis é uma planta alimentícia não convencional com elevada densidade nutricional, que pode contribuir para a valorização da biodiversidade brasileira, enriquecimento nutricional da dieta e incentivo à agricultura familiar. Objetivo: O principal objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o potencial de introdução de receitas culinárias do projeto Biodiversidade para Alimentação e Nutrição com ora-pro-nóbis em cardápios do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar, a partir da medida da aceitação de escolares atendidos. Método: Estudo transversal experimental controlado conduzido com escolares de 8-10 anos matriculados em duas escolas municipais de Santos-SP, localizadas em regiões com indicadores sociodemográficos distintos. A escala hedônica facial foi utilizada para avaliar a aceitabilidade do pão e torta de ora-pro-nóbis, e suas respectivas preparações-controle elaboradas com a couve-manteiga. Resultado: As preparações com ora-pro-nóbis melhoraram a densidade de micronutrientes e fibra alimentar. O pão de ora-pro-nóbis foi aceito pelos escolares de menor nível socioeconômico (p<0,05). A análise sensorial das preparações resultou em percentuais de aceitação de 46-72%, insuficientes para sua incorporação no cardápio escolar. Conclusão: A exposição repetida pode ser uma estratégia adotada para a familiarização e melhora da aceitação pelos escolares. Os alimentos da biodiversidade brasileira devem continuar sendo estudados e explorados, pois possuem grande potencial nutricional, contribuem para a valorização de espécies nativas, rompimento da monotonia alimentar, transformação dos sistemas agroalimentares e promoção da segurança alimentar e nutricional.

Role of dairy and alternative plant products in a healthy and sustainable diet

Dairy products and plant alternatives are two food groups that are part of the Spanish population's diet. Both have a very different nutritional composition - unlike plant products, the high nutritional density of dairy products makes it easier to meet nutrient requirements at different stages of life. Although the environmental impact of dairy production is greater than that of plant-based products, it falls below that of other food groups such as red meat, including pork and beef. Dairy and plant alternatives meet critical points of the sustainable diet definition, and several food guides from countries around the world are including them within healthy and sustainable eating patterns. For this reason, it is necessary to clarify that both products can be part of a healthy and sustainable diet, although they belong to different food groups, which are not interchangeable and should not be used alternatively.

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN ROMANIA - AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE OF QUALITY RAW MATERIALS FOR INNOVATIVE FOODS

Organic foods, functional foods, Food supplements are designed and built from organic agricultural raw materials and natural food additives. In the last ten years, in Romania, there has been a significant increase in ecologically certified areas, an increase in organic cereal crops, areas cultivated with green harvested plants and permanent crops (orchards, vines, fruit bushes). These increases facilitate the obtaining of foods with high nutritional density and an increased processing efficiency. All these are part of the Sustainable Development Strategy of Romania in the period 2020-2030, approved in EC.

Supra-nutritional Levels of Selected B Vitamins in Animal or Vegetable Diets for Broiler Chicken

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of supra-nutritional level of selected B vitamins in different types of diet on broiler performance. Two experiments were conducted using male and female one-day-old chicks (n=288 each; initial body weights in experiment I and II was, respectively, 47.57 ± 0.43, and 47.98 ± 0.31) reared in batteries up to 18 days. In experiment I, the chicks were fed a corn and soybean meal-based diet and, in experiment II, a diet containing oxidized animal by-product meals and soybean oil was used. Both experiments followed a completely randomized design in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement, consisting of the factors: i) supplementation levels of selected B vitamins (control, 3- or 6-times control of the vitamins riboflavin, pantothenic acid, niacin, folic acid and vitamin B12); ii) dietary nutritional density (low or high), totaling 6 treatments and 8 replicates of 6 birds each (3 males and 3 females). As result of this study, in Exp. I, chicks showed higher weight gain (741.1 g vs. 697.3 g) and feed intake (920.2 vs. 878.5 g) when fed low-nutritional density diet with supra-nutritional vitamin level 6-times higher than the control. However, this effect was not found in the performance of chickens fed high-nutritional density diet. Despite the poor quality of the ingredients used in Exp. II, no statistical effect was shown of the use of vitamin super-dose in rations with different dietary nutrient density. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly improved for chickens fed high-nutritional density diet (1.191 vs. 1.246 in experiment I, 1.244 vs. 1.275 in experiment II, p<0.01). We conclude that birds fed a vegetable diet formulated with low-dietary density improved body weight (BW) and feed intake (FI) when receiving supra-nutritional levels of vitamins 6-times higher than the control.

Nutritional value, phytochemical composition, and biological activities of Middle Eastern and North African date fruit: an overview

The fruit of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is an important component of the diet in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). This study gathered nutritional informations about the important date varieties grown in the countries from the MENA region. The objective of this article is to give a general overview of what has been achieved with dates from MENA countries, especially Arab countries, in terms of nutritional quality, content of bioactive molecules, and therapeutic virtues. More than 80 references were consulted that were published in well-known databases. This analysis revealed that dates from the MENA region are of high nutritional density. The dates are a rich source of carbohydrates and dietary fiber with contents up to 88.02% and 16.95%, respectively, in some varieties. However, the dates are low in proteins and fats, less than 3.30% and 0.56%, respectively, except the Halaoua variety from Saudi Arabia that can present a high content of fats. The presence of minerals is also noteworthy in dates at up to 6.20% in some varieties. The dates are also a considerable source of bioactive molecules, in particular carotenoids and phenolic compounds that can prevent and/or reduce the risk of diseases due to oxidative stress. This composition makes the fruit beneficial and an appropriate food source for all people of different age groups. Results from this overview underline the importance of the consumption of dates, which can be a good alternative source of basic nutritional requirements, beside encouraging the development of new appropriate processing and packaging technologies in order to extend the shelf life of the fruit to allow access to other parts of the world for general nutrition and a potential emerging medicinal food, thus improving long-term human well-being.

Role of yogurt in children's breakfast

Some studies link children and adolescents breakfast habits with a better quality of the diet and higher intake of nutrients in general, and lower adiposity and cardiometabolic risk, which highlights the important role of this meal. A quality breakfast should include at least three food groups: cereals, dairy and fruits. However, the most frequent breakfast of Spanish schoolchildren combines only dairy and cereals. Therefore, it would be desirable to incorporate fruit in this first meal of the day, which would also help to improve the overall low consumption of fruit by Spanish children. On the other hand, yogurt is a food of high nutritional density and its habitual consumption in children is associated with a greater intake of most nutrients, with the follow-up of more balanced diets and with a lower prevalence of overweight and obesity. Incorporating yogurt into breakfast can help to improve the intake of some of the nutrients that are insufficiently in the diet, and can be a vehicle to incorporate other foods such as fruits. The combination of these two foods in the same meal has a synergistic effect, both by complementing the nutrients of each of these foods, and by the synbiotic effect that is achieved by adding the probiotic effect of yogurt and the prebiotic fiber of the fruits.

Precision dietary guidelines and ingredients for chronic diseases in pre-senior and senior populations

The aging of the population underlines an important challenge for the health system not only from sanitary and economic reasons but also by quality perspectives concerning preventive care, where precision nutrition (PN) and the prescription or advice on healthy habits becomes relevant. PN focuses on provide nutrition adapted to each individual, understanding that the prevention or treatment of chronic disorders (obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc.) must be addressed in a comprehensive way, considering not only relevant personal and clinical information, but also healthy aging and phenotypical and genotypical features. This guide was prepared due to the need to develop precision nutritional models that allow individualized nutritional treatment for each subject and physiopathological particularities with emphasis on the elderly. Therefore, the requirements of the Spanish pre-senior and senior populations, dietary recommendations and precision foods are reviewed in this document: have at least three daily meals, reduce total calories, choose a varied and balanced diet with fresh foods and high nutritional density, add vegetables, legumes and fish, consume dairy products and fiber, prefer white meat instead of red, avoid fried foods, sausages and processed foods, moderate the consumption of salt, coffee and alcohol, and get hydrated.

Meat intake among adults: a population-based study in the city of Campinas, Brazil. A cross-sectional study.

Meat is a food with high nutritional density that has significant participation in the Brazilian diet. However, in excess it can cause harm to health. The aim of this study was to analyze the meat intake (g/day) among adults according to sociodemographic, behavioral and health situation characteristics, and to assess the types of meat most consumed. Cross-sectional population-based study conducted in the city of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, in 2008 and 2009. Two-stage cluster sampling was used. The analysis included 948 adults between 20 and 59 years, who were participants in the Campinas Health Survey. Meat intake was assessed using 24-hour dietary recall. The mean meat intake adjusted for sex and age was 182.3 g (95% CI: 170.6-193.9 g), with significantly lower intake among women, individuals aged 50 years or over, those with the presence of two or more self-reported chronic diseases and those with three or more health complaints. Higher meat intake was found in segments with intermediate monthly family income (between 1 and 3 minimum wages), those with 16 or more appliances per household and those who consumed soft drinks seven days a week. Beef was consumed most frequently (44%) among the meats in the diet, followed by poultry, fish and pork. The data from this study reveal high meat intake in the population of Campinas and identify the segments that need to be prioritized for strategies directed towards appropriate meat intake.

Attitudes toward beef and vegetarians in Argentina, Brazil, France, and the USA

Meat is both the most favored and most tabooed food in the world. In the developed world, there is a tension between its high nutritional density, preferred taste, and high status on the one hand, and concerns about weight, degenerative diseases, the ethics of killing animals, and the environmental cost of meat production on the other hand. The present study investigated attitudes toward beef, and toward vegetarians, among college students in Argentina, Brazil, France, and the USA. Across countries, men were more pro-beef, in free associations, liking, craving, and frequency of consumption. By country, Brazil and Argentina were generally the most positive, followed by France and then the United States. Ambivalence to beef was higher in women, and highest in Brazil. Only Brazilian and American women reported frequent negative associations to beef (e.g. “disgusting”, “fatty”). Overall, most students had positive attitudes to beef, and the attitude to vegetarians was generally neutral. America and Brazilian women showed some admiration for vegetarians, while only French men and women had negative attitudes to vegetarians. In spite of frequent negative ethical, health, and weight concerns, in the majority of the sample, liking for and consumption of beef was maintained at a high level.

Traditional vs modern: role of breed type in determining enteric methane emissions from cattle grazing as part of contrasting grassland-based systems.

Ruminant livestock turn forages and poor-quality feeds into human edible products, but enteric methane (CH4) emissions from ruminants are a significant contributor to greenhouse gases (GHGs) and hence to climate change. Despite the predominance of pasture-based beef production systems in many parts of Europe there are little data available regarding enteric CH4 emissions from free-ranging grazing cattle. It is possible that differences in physiology or behaviour could influence comparative emissions intensities for traditional and modern breed types depending on the nutritional characteristics of the herbage grazed. This study investigated the role of breed type in influencing CH4 emissions from growing beef steers managed on contrasting grasslands typical of intensive (lowland) and extensive (upland) production systems. Using the SF6 dilution technique CH4 emissions were estimated for a modern, fast-growing crossbred (Limousin cross) and a smaller and hardier native breed (Welsh Black) when grazing lowland perennial ryegrass (high nutritional density, low sward heterogeneity) and semi-improved upland pasture (low/medium nutritional density, high sward heterogeneity). Live-weight gain was substantially lower for steers on the upland system compared to the lowland system (0.31 vs. 1.04 kg d−1; s.e.d. = 0.085 kg d−1; P<0.001), leading to significant differences in estimated dry matter intakes (8.0 vs. 11.1 kg DM d−1 for upland and lowland respectively; s.e.d. = 0.68 kg DM d−1; P<0.001). While emissions per unit feed intake were similar for the lowland and upland systems, CH4 emissions per unit of live-weight gain (LWG) were substantially higher when the steers grazed the poorer quality hill pasture (760 vs 214 g kg−1 LWG; s.e.d. = 133.5 g kg−1 LWG; P<0.001). Overall any effects of breed type were relatively small relative to the combined influence of pasture type and location.

Ruminant milk: A source of vitamins in human nutrition

Meeting vitamin requirements is still a worldwide public health problem, especially when taking into account chronic suboptimal intakes. In contrast to what is generally believed, a large part of the population remains at risk, and this risk is primarily dependent on eating habits that, in turn, are dependent on age, physiology, season, geographical area, economic or social status, and cultural behavior. Bovine milk contains the 13 known vitamins, and as a common component in the human diet, it makes a significant contribution to the reference intake of adults for several vitamins such as retinol (vitamin A: 11 to 16%), calciferol (vitamin D: 17 to 50%), riboflavin (vitamin B2: 32 to 46%), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5: 17 to 21%), and cobalamin (vitamin B12; 42 to 56%), according to reference values for fresh milk from USDA. In Western societies, bovine milk and dairy products are among the primary contributors of retinol, calciferol, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, folic acid (B9), and cobalamin intakes in human nutrition. High nutritional density and the relatively low cost of milk and dairy products make them attractive sources of vitamins, especially for economically disadvantaged populations not having access to a diversified diet. Factors, especially from dietary origin, that may or may not act directly on vitamin concentrations in milk of dairy species should be elucidated in order to propose rearing systems that promote production of milk with an improved nutritional value; that is, an “ideal milk” according to its vitamin content.

Avaliação de rações de alta densidade nutricional para porcas em lactação no verão

Para avaliar dietas de alta densidade nutricional, com ou sem suplementação de aminoácidos industriais, ajustadas com base na energia líquida, utilizaram-se 80 porcas pluríparas, em lactação, do mesmo padrão genético, distribuídas em delineamento experimental de blocos composto por quatro dietas, 20 blocos, considerando cada porca uma unidade experimental. Na formação dos blocos, utilizaram-se como critérios o peso e a ordem de parto das porcas. As dietas foram formuladas com a combinação de quatro níveis de proteína bruta (18,33; 15,23; 19,63; ou 16,59%), quatro de energia metabolizável (3.344; 3.293; 3.480; e 3.440 kcal/kg), dois de lisina digestível (0,85 e 0,95%) e dois de energia líquida (2.519 e 2.636 kcal de EL/kg) e da suplementação com aminoácidos industriais até a relação triptofano:lisina digestíveis de 18%. Não houve efeito das dietas com alta densidade nutricional, com ou sem suplementação de aminoácidos, sobre o consumo médio diário de ração. As dietas também não influenciaram o peso, a perda e variação de peso, o intervalo desmama-estro nem a estimativa da produção de leite das porcas no período de lactação. Dietas de alta densidade nutricional (lisina e energia) para porcas em lactação são eficientes em reduzir a mobilização de reservas corporais e não afetam os desempenhos produtivo e reprodutivo das porcas.

Femur Mineral Density of Broilers with Femoral Degeneration Fed High Nutritional Density Diets

Se realizo un estudio en las instalaciones experimentales de FMVZ/UNESP-Botucatu, con el objetivo de seguir el desarrollo y la incidencia de degeneracion femoral en pollos. Se utilizaron 305 polluelos de un dia, machos, distribuidos en seis corrales de 5m2 cada uno. Se adopto un delineamiento experimental totalmente al azar, con dos tratamientos de 3 repeticiones cada uno. Se alimentaron las aves del T1 con dietas con densidad nutricional convencional, mientras el T2 consistio de una dieta con alta densidad nutricional. Se realizaron analisis macroscopicos de la cabeza del femur de aves de 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 y 42 dias de edad. A los 42 dias de edad, se llevaron 60 aves (30 por tratamiento) al Hospital Veterinario de FMVZ, para hacer radiografias para el analisis de la densidad mineral osea. Posteriormente, se sacrificaron los pollos para el analisis macroscopico de las piernas y se atribuyeron puntajes para DF. Se seleccionaron cinco muslos por tratamiento dentro de cada puntaje de DF, que fueron sometidas a tomografia para evaluacion de la integridad y de la densidad osea de la cabeza del femur. Los tratamientos no tuvieron influencia en la incidencia de DF, y a partir de los 28 dias de vida, las aves presentaron lesiones macroscopicas. Se establecio que la densitometria osea y la tomografia son metodos eficaces para evaluar la DF, ademas que ambos expresan el mismo perfil. Por otra parte, se encontraron intervalos de valores para densidad mineral osea obtenida por densitometria optica radiografica y por tomografia en funcion de los puntajes macroscopicos de DF. Esos hallazgos son una importante herramienta no invasiva para la caracterizacion de degeneracion femoral.