Inclusion Of Oil Research Articles

Oil Inclusions Found in Skeleton Crystals of Quartz Indicated the Existence of Organic Matter Surrounding Ancient Growth Environments.

In nature, minerals record various origins and information for geology and geobiochemistry. Here, we investigated the origin of organic matter and growth mechanism of quartz with oil inclusion revealing fluorescence under short ultraviolet (UV) light, obtained from the clay vein at Shimanto-cho, Kochi, Shikoku Island, Japan. Geological investigation indicated that the oil-quartz was formed in hydrothermal metamorphic veins found in the late Cretaceous interbedded sandstone and mudstone. The obtained oil-quartz crystals are mostly double-terminated. Micro-X-ray computed tomography (microCT) indicated that oil-quartz crystals have various veins originating as skeleton structures along the quartz crystal {111} and {1-11} faces. Spectroscopic and chromatographic studies indicated that aromatic ester and tetraterpene (lycopene) molecules, which revealed fluorescence, were detected. Large molecular weight sterol molecules, such as C40, were also detected in the vein of oil-quartz. This investigation indicated that organic inclusions in mineral crystals would form with ancient microorganism culture environments.

Can Dietary Hazelnut Oil Inclusion Alleviate the Negative Effects of Oxidized Fish Oil in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) Juveniles?

Rainbow trout juveniles were fed different levels of fresh fish oil, oxidized fish oil and fresh hazelnut oil for 9 weeks. Growth performance and feed efficiency was significantly influenced by oxidized fish oil (P<0.05), but not by hazelnut oil supplementation and their interaction. Fish fed diets containing fresh fish oil had better growth and feed efficiency than those fed diets containing oxidized fish oil. Digestibility decreased with the increase in both dietary oxidized fish oil and hazelnut oil. Fatty acid profile in whole body lipids was significantly influenced by the experimental diets (P<0.05). Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) showed significant decrease with both dietary hazelnut oil inclusion and dietary oxidized fish oil. Dietary hazelnut oil resulted in a significant increase in hepatic vitamin E and a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation level (P<0.05). Our overall results suggested that dietary oxidized lipids caused growth depletion, lowered nutrient digestibility, lipid peroxidation, and decreased eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA; 22:6n-3) levels in rainbow trout. However, dietary hazelnut oil inclusion alleviated the negative effects of oxidized oil, sparing n-3 long-chain PUFAs such as EPA and DHA, and increasing hepatic α-tocopherol level which lowered lipid peroxidation despite no significant impact on growth.

Dietary inclusion of oregano essential oil in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) diet: effect on growth performance, skin and intestinal morphology, antioxidant status, and fillet fatty acid profile

Dietary inclusion of oregano essential oil in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) diet: effect on growth performance, skin and intestinal morphology, antioxidant status, and fillet fatty acid profile

Carcass yield, non-carcass components and economic viability of using licuri oil in the diet for Santa Inês ewe’s

Background: The production of biofuels has caused an increase in the prices of agricultural commodities. Thus, the ecological footprint, social inclusion and profitability of production systems have encouraged the use of agroindustrial products as an alternative in ruminant feeds. Objective: To evaluate carcass yields, non-carcass components, and the economic viability of including licuri oil in diet of Santa Ines ewes. Methods: A total of 32 Santa Ines ewes (multiparous, non-lactating, 2–4 years old, and 36.7±0.87 kg of body weight—BW) were allotted to a randomized block design with four treatments (diets containing 0, 2, 4 or 5% licuri oil) with eight replicates per treatment, and confined for 77 days. Results: The incremental inclusion of licuri oil promoted a quadratic response on slaughter BW, carcass and true yields, chest widths, heart fat, pancreas, omental fat, and ribeye area (p<0.05). Carcass, heart and loin weight, shank yield, fat thickness and loin fat were reduced (p<0.05); while cooling losses, left half-carcass weight, saw blade yield, and proportion of meat in the loin increased (p<0.05) with increasing dietary levels of licuri oil. The control diet resulted in the best gross revenue (USD$609.39); however, there was a loss (USD$50.96) regarding economic performance indicators. Conclusion: The use of up to 2% licuri oil in the diet increased carcass yield of discard ewes.

Effects of adding rumen-protected palm oil in diet on milk fatty acid profile and lipid health indices in Kivircik ewes.

This study aimed to determine the effect of the addition of rumen-protected palm oil making up 3% of the ration on lipid health indices and milk fatty acid composition of Kivircik ewes'. Kivircik ewes at two years of age, the same parity, lactation stage, and the same bodyweight (52.57 ± 5.80kg) were chosen for this purpose. Two groups were formed, in which the control group was fed a basal diet without feed supplementation, whereas the treatment group received rumen-protected palm oil which corresponded to 3% of the ration. In order to protect palm oil, it was coated with calcium salts. Treatment increased the palmitic acid (C16:0) content of milk compared to the control group (P < 0.05) and tended to increase saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (P = 0.14). An increase in SFA and MUFA was attributed to an increase in palmitic acid and oleic acid (C18:1), respectively (P < 0.05). Results indicated that the omega-6/omega-3 ratio (n-6/n-3) ranged between 0.61 and 2.63. The inclusion of palm oil in the diet tended to increase desirable fatty acids (DFAs) regardless of the week of milk sampled (P = 0.42). Treatment did not improve the atherogenicity index (AI), thrombogenicity index (TI), health-promoting index (HPI), and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (h/H) ratio. Results showed that adding rumen-protected palm oil is a plausible method to meet the energy intake of ewes required during lactation without negatively affecting lipid health indices.

Antibacterial sachet from the β‐Cyclodextrin/lemongrass oil inclusion complex for shrimp freshness

SummaryAntibacterial sachets are one of the technological approaches to maintaining food freshness by releasing active compounds through the headspace to inhibit bacterial growth. In this study, an antibacterial sachet was developed from the inclusion complex of β‐cyclodextrin/lemongrass oil (β‐CD/LO) to maintain the freshness of shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The β‐CD/LO inclusion complex was prepared using the co‐precipitation method. The antibacterial sachet was prepared by filling a nonwoven fabric bag with 1 g of the β‐CD/LO inclusion complex, inserted inside the shrimp packaging, and stored for 30 h at room temperature. The total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN) value was monitored as a spoilage indicator caused by bacterial activity during storage. The inclusion complex had antimicrobial activity against E. coli ATCC 8739 and S. aureus ATCC25923 which correlates with its ability to inhibit shrimp spoilage due to bacterial activity. The release study suggested that the inclusion complex exhibited a sustainable release of active compounds, ensuring protection against evaporation and maintaining the active compound for a long time. The TVBN value of the control shrimp had exceeded the threshold (&gt;25 mg/100 g) after 18 h of storage, whereas in the packaged shrimp with the addition of antibacterial sachets, the same TVBN levels were reached after 30 h. The shelf life of shrimp can be extended up to 12 h at room temperature (28 ± 2 °C) because the active compounds reach the surface of the shrimp in a controlled manner so that bacterial growth can be inhibited.

Acadesine supplementation in a soybean oil-based diet remodels hepatic lipid and glucose metabolism in juvenile large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

Dietary high soybean oil (SO) inclusion leads to excessive hepatic lipid accumulation and metabolism disorder in fish species. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of adenosine 5’-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathway activation by acadesine (AICAR) on hepatic histology and metabolism-related gene expression of juvenile large yellow croakers (Larimichthys crocea) fed with SO-based diet. In this study, fish (initial body weight 3.89 ± 0.02 g) were fed fish oil (FO)-based, SO, or SOA (SO diet supplemented with 100 mg kg−1 AICAR) diets with three replicates of each treatment for 70 days. In general, the replacement of dietary FO with SO led to excessive hepatic lipid accumulation and a glucose metabolism disorder. Histological sections and biochemical analysis of hepatic tissue consistently revealed that AICAR supplementation could partly ameliorate SO-induced excessive hepatic lipid accumulation, probably by suppressing the expression of genes related to fatty acid uptake and lipogenesis while enhancing the expression of lipolysis-related genes. Nevertheless, AICAR regulated lipid metabolism in muscle tissue in an inverse pattern to that in hepatic tissue, indicating that muscle tissue could attempt to mitigate lipid accumulation by improving lipolysis in response to the dietary inclusion of SO. Dietary AICAR partly improved glucose metabolism by reducing the expression of genes related to gluconeogenesis in hepatic tissue while increasing the expression of genes related to glucose uptake and glycolysis in muscle tissue. Collectively, dietary AICAR mitigated excessive hepatic lipid accumulation and glucose metabolism disorder. The amelioration of hepatic lipid accumulation by AICAR is likely caused by increasing lipid catabolism and decreasing lipid anabolism. The improved glucose metabolism by AICAR may be ascribed to decreased hepatic gluconeogenesis, as well as increased muscle glucose uptake and utilization.

Effects of dietary pomegranate seed oil addition to diets for laying hens on fatty acid profile of eggs

In an experiment with 60 laying hens (ISA Brown), 25 weeks of age, effects of dietary pomegranate seed oil supplementation on performance and egg quality were determined. In the 6-week experiment, hens were allocated to five dietary treatments (PSO0, PSO250, PSO500, PSO750 and PSO1000 with pomegranate seed oil addition at an increasing level from 0 to 1000 mg/kg diet respectively). Hens were allocated to 6 cages (replicates)/treatment of 2 hens each and received a diet at 120 g/hen/day.During the experiment, no differences (P > 0.05) occurred among pomegranate seed oil treatments in final body weight (1644 g), feed intake (119.5 g), production of cracked, thin-shelled and shell-less eggs (0.011 eggs/hen/day) and egg weight (61.26 g). However, egg production and egg mass tended to be improved for hens receiving 250 and 500 mg of added pomegranate seed oil in the diet. Feed conversion ratio was tended to be reduced for hens of the PSO250 and PSO500 treatments compared to the other ones. In addition, eggshell weight and yolk index increased, with increasing dietary pomegranate seed oil inclusion levels. The increasing dietary pomegranate seed oil inclusion levels increased egg yolk dry matter content, ash content and antioxidant activity as measured with ferric reducing antioxidant power. Regarding the egg fatty acid profile, the contents of conjugated linoleic acid, saturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids were increased. In conclusion, dietary pomegranate seed oil supplementation, at inclusion levels up to 1000 mg/kg of concentrate mixture, tended to improve performance of laying hens and some egg quality characteristics, and increased egg yolk conjugated linoleic acid and polyunsaturated fatty acids content indicating the potential to create enriched eggs.

Decipher hydrocarbon generation and accumulation based on fluid inclusion and chronology: A case study from the Upper Paleozoic buried-hills in Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin

Deciphering hydrocarbon generation and accumulation stage is of significance to understand oil and gas evolution and seek exploration targets. Taking the Upper Paleozoic buried-hills in the Huanghua Depression, Bohai Bay Basin, as a case study, hydrocarbon generation environment and detailed accumulation process are revealed by fluid inclusions observations, Laser Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Infrared spectroscopy, and K–Ar isotope measurements. The results show that both oil and gas inclusion were captured in the quartz overgrowth, dissolved feldspar and calcite microfractures, showing blue to dark brown fluoresce. The grains containing oil inclusions index (GOI) of oil, oil & gas and gas being 25%, 65%, and 10% and the inclusions with abundant methyl groups and short chains, both indicate high thermal maturity. One series of fluids inclusion is generally observed, evidenced by the concentrated homogenization temperature of 135–145 °C and salinity of 3%–15 w.t.% NaCl equiv, indicating one primary charging stage. The gas and gas & liquid inclusions mainly contain CH4, with also peaks indicating CO2 and N2. The Carboniferous and Permian biomarkers show reducing environment with brackish water, with organic matter sources both from marine and continental. The relative content of ααα20RC27, ααα20RC28, and ααα20RC29 exhibit source contributions both from algae and higher plants, and mainly of II2 to III kerogen. Both coal derived gas and oil associated hydrocarbons are identified from most of the buried-hills. Combining the fluid homogenization temperature and salinity, as well as the thermal evolution history, the hydrocarbon generated from the Upper Paleozoic was concentrated at the end of the Eocene (40 Ma±), while the beginning of charging is 60 Ma±. The Wumaying Buried-hill is of only coal derived gas and has potential for inner coal measure natural gas exploration. The results provide a detailed understanding of hydrocarbon accumulations in the study area, which can also be reference for improving petroleum exploration efficiency in similar basins.

Effects of Dietary Vegetable Oil Mixtures including Soybean Oil on Intestinal Oxidative Stress in Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata).

Fish oil is commonly replaced by vegetable oils in sea bream diets, but little is known about their effects on intestinal health regarding oxidative stress biomarkers. The negative effects of lipid peroxidation on digestive mucosa could have consequences in animal nutrition and welfare. In this study, five isonitrogenous (46%) and isolipidic (22%) diets with 75% of vegetable oils inclusion were evaluated: soybean oil (S) alone or different mixtures containing soybean oil with linseed (SL), linseed and rapeseed (SLR), linseed and palm (SLP), and linseed, rapeseed, and palm (SLRP). Gilthead sea bream juveniles were fed twice a day for 18 weeks. Pyloric caeca and proximal intestine samples were collected 24 h post feeding for lipid peroxidation (LPO), antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GPx, GST, and GR) and gene expression analyses. Pyloric caeca presented larger unhealthy changes in oxidative status than proximal intestine. Although SL-fed fish showed the highest antioxidant activities, they were unable to cope with LPO that in pyloric caeca was 31.4 times higher than in the other groups. Instead, SLP fish presented the best oxidative status, with low LPO levels, antioxidant enzyme activities, and gene expression. In summary, between the vegetable oils dietary mixtures tested, SPL would maintain better intestinal health.

Therapeutic Effectiveness of Sesame Preparations and its Bioactive Ingredients in Management of Cardiometabolic Syndrome in Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to appraise and recapitulate all research investigations to elucidate the effects of Sesamum indicum preparations on managing the cardiometabolic syndrome of Diabetes mellitus (DM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS). A systematic review was carried out in a Cochrane fashion and in compliance with the PRISMA checklist using the published academic works in PubMed/MEDLINE, WOS, SCOPUS, and EMBASE databases that were searched up to June 2021. Abstracts that met PICO criteria for qualitative studies were duplicate reviewed for data extraction to assess the quality and details of the study. Sesamum indicum preparations and its bioactive lignans, such as sesamin, sesamol, and pinoresinol, were found to possess anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hyperlipidemia, anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, anti-hypertensive, cardioprotective, and hepatoprotective effects both in patients with T2DM as well as in experimental animal models with T1DM and MetS. The incorporation of sesame oil as a natural adjuvant can be effective in improving vascular reactivity and aortic permeability, reproductive parameters, and diabetic nephropathy, as well as modification of anthropometry indices. Therefore, sesame oil and bioactive lignans as combination therapy with drugs can exhibit synergistic effects and provide a favorable preference in clinical settings. Sesame oil and lignans present in it act in a dose-dependent manner. The best dosage to improve risk biomarkers of patients with T2DM and MetS is 30-35 ml daily of sesame oil or inclusion of sesame oil in daily dietary patterns up to 30% of total energy for 8-12 weeks and/or 200 mg daily of sesamin supplementation for eight weeks.

EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION FENUGREEK OIL TO THE DIET ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL, ANATOMICAL AND HISTOLOGICAL TRAITS OF BROILERS

This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementing fenugreek seed oil to the diet on the physiological, anatomical and histological characteristics of broilers. A total of 200 chicks one day-old of (Ross308) were used in this study and divided into 4 treatments, 5 replicate for each treatment by 10 chicks in each replicate. The treatments were T1(control diet) = without additives (basal diet), T2 = basal diet + 0.25 ml fenugreek oil / kg, T3 = basal diet + 0.50 ml fenugreek oil / kg and T4 = basal diet + 0.75 ml fenugreek oil /kg. The results showed Fenugreek oil inclusion at levels 0.50 ml/kg exhibited significant decrease (P &lt;0.05) in jejunum and ileum relative weight, villi height and increasing (P &lt;0.05) heart relative weight for T3 compare with the other groups. T4 showed significant increased (P &lt;0.05) in lactic acid bacteria count compare with control group (T1). Supplemented 0.25 ml/ kg of fenugreek oil resulted in increasing villi height, thickness and Epithelium thickness for duodenum as compared with control group. It was observed that adding 0.25 ml/kg and 0.50 ml/kg feed fenugreek oil to the broiler chicken diet could be optimum level to enhance the productivity and histological characteristics of broiler.

PVA/Inulin-Based Sustainable Films Reinforced with Pickering Emulsion of Niaouli Essential Oil for Potential Wound Healing Applications.

In this study, sustainable water-based films were produced via the solvent-casting method. Petroleum-free-based polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and carbohydrate-based inulin (INL) were used as matrices. Vegetable-waste pumpkin powder was used in the study because of its sustainability and antibacterial properties. Pickering emulsions were prepared using β-cyclodextrin. The influence of the different ratios of the β-cyclodextrin/niaouli essential oil (β-CD/NEO) inclusion complex (such as 1:1, 1:3, and 1:5) on the morphological (SEM), thermal (TGA), physical (FT-IR), wettability (contact angle), and mechanical (tensile test) characteristics of PVA/inulin films were investigated. Moreover, the antibacterial activities against the Gram (-) (Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and Gram (+) (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria of the obtained films were studied. From the morphological analysis, good emulsion stability and porosity were obtained in the Pickering films with the highest oil content, while instability was observed in the Pickering films with the lowest concentration of oil content. Thermal and spectroscopic analysis indicated there was no significant difference between the Pickering emulsion films and neat films. With the addition of Pickering emulsions, the tensile stress values decreased from 7.3 ± 1.9 MPa to 3.3 ± 0.2. According to the antibacterial efficiency results, films containing pumpkin powder and Pickering emulsion films containing both pumpkin powder and a ratio of 1:1 (β-CD/NEO) did not have an antibacterial effect, while Pickering emulsion films with a ratio of (β-CD/NEO) 1:3 and 1:5 showed an antibacterial effect against Escherichia coli, with a zone diameter of 12 cm and 17 cm, respectively. Among the samples, the films with ratio of (β-CD/NEO) 1:5 had the highest antioxidant capacity, as assessed by DPPH radical scavenging at 12 h intervals. Further, none of the samples showed any cytotoxic effects the according to LDH and WST-1 cytotoxicity analysis for the NIH3T3 cell line. Ultimately, it is expected that these films are completely bio-based and may be potential candidates for use in wound healing applications.

Geochemical characteristics of inclusion oils and charge history in the Fushan Sag, Beibuwan Basin, South China Sea

The Fluid Inclusion (FI) petrology and biomarker analysis of the inclusion oils were carried out on three sandstone samples from the Liushagang Formation (Els) reservoirs in the Fushan Sag, the Beibuwan Basin, South China Sea. The purpose of this study is to identify the origin of the inclusion oils and understand the charging history and oil accumulation process in the Els reservoirs through the inclusion oil-source correlation, analysis of Homogenization Temperature (Th) and 1D basin modelling. The results show that the maturities of the Els22 inclusion oils are higher than that of the Els1 inclusion oil based on methylphenanthrene index and the inclusion oils were originated from fluvial/delta mudstone. The geochemical correlation between the inclusion oils and source rocks based on the biomarkers clearly shows that the inclusion oils from the Els22 sandstone reservoirs may have sourced from Els22 source rock or mixed source from the Els3 and Els22 mudstones, and the inclusion oil in the Els1 reservoir was generated from the Els1 source rock in the sag. The oil source of inclusion oils from different layers was almost consistent with that of crude oil in reservoirs. Combined with the Th of the FIs and 1D basin modelling, two episodes of oil charge are identified in the center of the Bailian Sub-sag: the first oil charge in the Els22 reservoirs started around 38.5 Ma in the lower petroleum play, which is consistent with the early oil generation time of the Els3 and Els22 source rocks in the Bailian Sub-sag. The second oil charge in the Els1 reservoir was coincided with the early oil generation time (∼13-0 Ma) of Els1 source rock. The oil charge and accumulation occurred in the isolated upper and lower petroleum plays. The oil charge and accumulation in the lower petroleum play from the Els3 and/or Els22 source rocks is almost distributed in the whole sag, and the oil in the upper petroleum play from the Els21 and/or Els1 source rock is mostly distributed in the center of the sag.

Effect of canola oil supplementation level on total tract digestion, ruminal fermentation, and methane emissions of cows grazing Urochloa sp. supplemented with a fixed amount of concentrate

Four rumen-cannulated cows (Bos taurus × Bos indicus, 657 ± 92 kg body weight, BW) in a rotational grazing (Urochloa sp.) system were assigned to different canola oil (CO) inclusion levels, 0.0, 0.40, 0.80, and 1.2 g/kg according to shrunk body weight (SBW, BW adjusted for gastrointestinal filling) in a 4 × 4 Latin Square design to evaluate CO on the CH4 emissions and dietary energy intake. CH4 emissions were estimated using an infrared analyzer methodology (Sniffer method). Grass intake and fecal production were estimated using Cr2O3 as an external marker. CO supplementation increased (linear effect, P ≤ 0.05) total dry matter and gross energy intake with a linear increase (P = 0.09) in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake. While digestible energy (Mcal/kg) linearly increased with increasing CO supplementation level (linear effect, P < 0.05), total tract digestion of organic matter, NDF, and CP was comparable (P > 0.05) between levels. Maximal CO supplementation (1.2 g/kg SBW) significantly decreased total ruminal protozoa population, acetate:propionate ratio, and enteric methane production (g/kg DMI) by 9, 5.3, and 17.5%, respectively. This study showed that, for cows grazing tropical forages, CO can be supplemented up to 1.2 g/kg SBW (5.8% of the total diet) without negatively affecting intake and nutrient digestion while reducing ruminal fermentation efficiency and enteric methane emission (≤ 17.5%).

Potential of nutritional strategies to reduce enteric methane emission in feedlot sheep: A meta-analysis and multivariate analysis

The objective of this study was to use meta-analytical methods to evaluate the effects of nutritional strategies on the reduction of enteric methane emission in feedlot sheep. Additionally, this study aimed to evaluate interrelationships among diet composition, intake and digestibility of nutrients, rumen parameters, rumen microbial population, nitrogen metabolism and enteric methane production in sheep. The dataset was composed by 45 peer-reviewed publications with 102 treatment means. The strategies to mitigate enteric methane emission were evaluated by examining the weighted mean difference between control treatment (diets containing no additives and/or any other strategies to mitigate methane emission) and reduced-methane treatment (diets containing strategies to mitigate methane emission: protozoa-free, nitrate, lipids, saponins, essential oils and tannins). The interaction of factors associated with diet composition, nutrient intake and digestibility, rumen parameters on methane emission from sheep depends on how methane production is expressed (Production=CH4 g/d vs Yield= CH4 g/kg DMI). Lipids inclusion to diets reduced methane production in 6.28 g/d and 5.87 g CH4/kg of DMI. Oil inclusion in amounts greater than 20 g oil/day reduced methane production (CH4 g/d). Lipid inclusion to diets presented the greatest effectiveness in reducing methane emission in sheep fed TMR diets containing different forage: concentrate ratios. Tannins inclusion to diets reduced methane production in 1.22 g/d CH4 and 2.61 gCH4/kg of DMI, presenting long-term effect on methane emission. Tannins effects on methane production were greater in sheep fed high-forage total mixed rations. Rumen defaunation (protozoa-free) and essential oils inclusion to diets had no effects on methane production. Although methane production reduced with saponin and nitrate inclusion to diets, further studies are needed to confirm their effects on methane emission and better elucidate factors interacting with the response of sheep to saponins and nitrate supplementation.

Effect of the rearing diet on gene expression of antimicrobial peptides in Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae).

Insect proteins have been proposed for human and animal food production. Safeguarding the health status of insects in mass rearing allows to obtain high-quality products and to avoid severe economic losses due to entomopathogens. Therefore, new strategies for preserving insect health must be implemented. Modulation of the insect immune system through the diet is one such strategy. We evaluated gene expression of two antimicrobial peptides (one defensin and one cecropin) in Hermetia illucens (L.) (Diptera: Stratiomyidae) reared on different diets. Analyses were performed on prepupae and 10-day-old larvae reared on cereal- and municipal organic waste-based diets and on only prepupae reared on a cereal-based diet supplemented with sunflower, corn, or soybean oil. The inclusion of sunflower oil at different points in the cereal-based diet was also evaluated. Moreover, diet-driven differences in the inhibitory activity of the hemolymph were tested against Escherichia coli DH5α and Micrococcus yunnanensis HI55 using diffusion assays in solid media. Results showed that a municipal organic waste-based diet produced a significant overexpression of antimicrobial peptides only in prepupae. Inclusion of vegetable oils caused an upregulation of at least one peptide, except for the corn oil. Higher expression of both genes was observed when sunflower oil was added 5 days before pupation. All hemolymph samples showed an inhibitory activity against bacteria colonies. Our results suggest that municipal organic waste-based diet and vegetable oil-added diet may successfully impact the immune system of H. illucens. Such alternatives may also exist for other species of economic interest.

Effects of dietary palm oil supplementation on ruminal degradation and apparent digestibility of nutrients in sheep.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the inclusion of palm oil on the ruminal environment and nutrient digestibility of sheep diets. Twenty rumen-cannulated sheep were kept in individual stalls equipped with feeding and drinking troughs The animals were fed five diets based on Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum. cv. Roxo) silage and supplemented with 0, 25, 50, 75, or 100 g kg-1 of palm oil (based on total DM). The Elephant grass was harvested at 90 days of regrowth and the concentrate was based on ground corn grain, soybean meal and mineral mix (20 g kg-1 DM), offered to the sheep at a ratio of 1.5 g kg-1d-1 of body weight (restricted intake) to maintain a forage-to-concentrate ratio of 1:1, based on DM. There were no differences (P = 0.324) in ruminal disappearance and degradability parameters with up to 75 g of oil per kg of DM. Organic matter showed a linear reduction in apparent digestibility, while ether extract increased linearly. Palm oil affected the digestibility and nutritional parameters in ruminant diets.

Bioprospecting essential oils of exotic species as potential mitigations of ruminant enteric methanogenesis

The inclusion of essential oils (EOs) in the diet of ruminants is one of the strategies used to alter ruminal microbial fermentation, improving feed efficiency, while simultaneously reducing enteric methane (CH4) production. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of three new EOs from plants exotic to the Azores, Pittosporum undulatum (PU), Hedychium gardnerianum (HG), and Cryptomeria japonica (CJ), on biogas production kinetics and in vitro CH4 production.Three levels of EOs (40, 80, and 120 μL/g dry matter (DM) were added to the basal diet to evaluate ruminal fermentation using the in vitro gas production technique. Added 800 mL of rumen inoculum with 5 g DM of the basal diet (BD) to all experimental units for 96 h, except for the blanks, to which only the inoculum was added. The total gas and CH4 produced by treatment incubation were recorded every hour after incubation until 96 h. The results showed that the gas production decreased significantly (P < 0.001) at 24 and 96 h after incubation, in the medium and high levels, with the essential oils PU, CJ, and HG treatment, when compared to the control treatment. The same significant differences (P < 0.001) were observed in in vitro CH4 production. The greatest reduction was noted with the addition of PUEO at the highest concentration (120 μL), which allowed a reduction in CH4 production at 24 h of 47% (P < 0.01). There was an interaction effect between EOs and concentration levels for all variables (P < 0.001). A decrease in total volatile fat acid (VFA) concentration (P < 0.05) was recorded compared to control, as well as the insoluble fraction and the potential degradation of the BD when EOs were included in the diet. In conclusion, the addition of EOs to the BD effectively reduced total enteric gas emissions and mitigated CH4 production. The most significant reduction of CH4 (47% in 24 h of incubation) occurs when 120 μL PUEO is added to each gram DM. The inclusion of OEs in the BD also affected the gas production kinetics and fermentation parameters.

Dieta de alto grão e inclusão de óleo residual de fritura na alimentação de cordeiros

Abstract In animal production, a large part of financial resources is destined to animal feed, so the use of low-cost diets with maximum production efficiency is crucial. The present study evaluated the effects of a high-grain diet and the use of residual frying oil on the productive performance and carcass characteristics of lambs. Fifteen lambs were distributed into three groups in a completely randomized design in which they were fed a control diet, a high-grain diet, or a diet with the inclusion of residual frying oil, for 40 days. There was no difference (P &gt; 0.05) between the control and frying-oil diets regarding the daily intakes of dry matter, crude protein, mineral matter, neutral detergent fiber, or total carbohydrates. The high-grain diet reduced the intake of dry matter and nutrients, negatively affecting weight gain. The highest means for final weight, total weight, and daily weight gain were obtained with the control diet and the diet containing residual oil, which did not differ from each other (P&gt; 0.05). Slaughter weight and hot and cold carcass weights decreased with the high-grain diet. There was an effect (P &lt; 0.05) of frying oil inclusion on the carcass characteristics of the lambs. The diets did not affect (P &gt; 0.05) carcass yields. The animals on the high-grain diet showed unsatisfactory production performance, with impaired carcass characteristics. The inclusion of frying oil led to greater weight gain as well as more attractive carcass characteristics, making it the most viable alternative in this research.