Indicators Of Nutritional Value Research Articles

A comparison of the quality of UHT milk and its plant-based analogs

The aim of this study was to compare selected physical (density) and physicochemical (color, pH, titratable acidity) properties and the fatty acid profile of dairy UHT milk and its plant-based analogs, i.e., almond, soy, rice, oat, and coconut beverages. Ten products of each type were analyzed in each group. UHT milk was characterized by higher values of color lightness (L*) and titratable acidity than all plant-based milk alternatives, higher yellowness (b*) than rice drink, higher density than almond drink, and higher pH than rice and coconut drinks. In comparison with UHT milk, all plant-based beverages were characterized by higher redness (a*), soy drink was characterized by higher values of b* and chroma (C*), and almond and soy drinks had higher pH values. In the group of non-dairy beverages, the values of b* and C* were highest in soy drink, and the value of a* was highest in almond drink. Almond drink had the highest pH value, and soy and coconut drinks had the highest titratable acidity. Rice drink had higher density than oat, soy and almond drinks. The indicators characterizing the nutritional value of fat were considerably lower in coconut drink and dairy milk than in the remaining products. The values of UFA/SFA, MUFA/SFA, and DFA/OFA ratios and the indicator of nutritional value were highest in rice drink. The PUFA/SFA ratio and the total content of EFAs were highest in soy drink, and the n-6/n-3 PUFA ratio was highest in almond drink.

Qualitative characteristics of young horse meat of different breeds of horses in Yakutia

The purpose of the work was to study the biochemical composition and nutritional value of the meat of foals of Prilenskaya and Megezhekskaya breeds in comparison with the original Yakut breed. Based on special analyses, the indicators of nutritional value and biochemical composition of the meat of foals of the studied breeds have been studied. As a result of the conducted research, the expediency of using stationary pre-slaughter maintenance of foals of above-average fatness for 4 days in order to improve the quality indicators of horse meat has been objectively proved. In a comparative study of different cut of meat of 6-month-old foals of the three above-mentioned breeds, it has been found that the meat of horses of the indigenous type of Yakut breed and Prilenskaya breed was the most caloric, because it contained more fat. From the point of view of consumer characteristics, the optimal ratio of protein and fat was noted in the dorsal-rib and sacral part of the cut in the meat of foals of Megezhekskaya and Yakut breeds, and in the Prilenskaya in the brisket. As a result of the conducted studies on the growth and development of horses of different breeds, as well as on the qualitative assessment of young horse meat obtained from foals of different breeds in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), it has been found that from foals of Prilenskaya and Megezhekskaya breeds, in comparison with the original Yakut breed, higher quality horse meat was obtained. With the average selling price of 1 kg of live weight of 22,8 thousand rubles, additional cash income is provided for breeding horses of Prilenskaya breed in the amount of 79,4 million rubles, and Megezhekskaya breed 56,0 million rubles compared to the original Yakut breed.

DEVELOPMENT OF COMPOUND FEED RECIPES FOR GEESE AND DETERMINATION OF THEIR QUALITY

The article describes that goose farming is an important source of increasing poultry production and expanding the range of poultry products. In Ukraine, the goose breeding business is promising, profitable and underdeveloped, with low competition. The profitability of geese breeding is about 75%. In addition, goose farming is one of the possible ways to solve the problem of animal protein deficiency in the world.The high-quality calculation of recipes is a necessary part of efficient production and use of finished products at the present stage of the feed industry development.Optimization of compound feed recipes determines its composition and takes into account the impact of certain feed components on the physiology, health, growth and productivity of animals. Recipe calculation programs occupy a key place in the technological chain of animal husbandry production, combining producer and products consumer.The quality of the final product and the compliance of the calculated indicators of nutritional value with the actual depend on the accuracy of the recipes calculation and take into account all the destabilizing factors in the technological production process. Thanks to modern software optimization of recipes, it becomes possible not only to make a diet with available raw materials that is optimal in quality and cost, but also to assess the feasibility of introducing a particular additiv e, both from a biological and economic point of view.It is proven that geese must receive high quality and balanced feed by all indicators for the normal development and realization of genetic potential. Therefore, the urgent task is to develop recipes for high-quality geese feed using domestic available raw materials.With the help of the software package "Korm Optima Expert" we have developed complete feed recipes for parent flock geese aged 0… 3 weeks (starter), 4… 8 weeks (grower), 9… 26 weeks (finisher), older 27 weeks (breeder), and recipes for broiler type geese aged 0… 4 weeks (starter) and older 5 weeks (finisher). The program includes the principle of calcula ting recipes at the minimum cost, taking into account the limitations of the input of each component and the nutritional value of the finished product using linear programming formulas.Experimental samples of starter, grower, finisher and breeder were made in accordance with the developed recipes of complete feed for parent flock geese. Physical properties and chemical composition were studied in the experimental samples.It is established that the experimental samples of starter, grower, finisher and breeder are characterized by satisfactory physical properties and comply with regulatory and technical documentation. They are balanced in content of nutrients and biologically active substances and meet the physiological needs and feeding standards of the parent flock geese.

Nitrogen levels and age at harvest and their effects on the nutritive value and fermentative characteristics of corn (Zea mays L.)

The experiment consisted of two dates of planting [in September (D1) and February (D2)] of maize (Zea mays L.) DKC 67-60, to evaluate the effect of four N fertilization levels (0, 56, 112 and 185 kg/ha) and three ages at harvest [70, 77 and 84 days after planting (DAP)] on dry matter yield (DMY) of the leaves, stem, ear and of the entire plant; and as indicators of nutritive value [crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF)] of harvested material prior to ensiling. In both plantings, the levels of N affected (P<0.05) DMY of leaves, stems, ears and entire plant, exhibiting both a linear and a quadratic response, and suggesting that the optimum N application rate is between 112 and 185 kg/ha. Age at harvest date affected (P<0.05) DMY of stems, ears and entire plant, but not that of the leaves. Greater DMY was observed at 84 DAP for all components. The CP concentration was greater in the forage of the first planting (D1). Increasing N application rates increased CP, but had no effect on NDF concentration. Age at harvest had no effect on CP, but progressively increased NDF. Both pH and organic acid concentrations in the silages were similar with the four N levels; all of the silages showed good fermentation characteristics.

Laboratory shortwave infrared reflectance spectroscopy for estimating grain protein content in rice and wheat

ABSTRACT Grain protein content (GPC), as an important agronomic indicator of nutritional value, is commonly used for optimized cultivation, classified harvesting, and quality grading. Previous studies on the spectroscopic estimation of GPC were often conducted at the canopy level with vegetation indices (VIs) derived from the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) bands, which are apart from the absorption features of protein predominately located in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) region. Since those absorption features are mostly masked by water for living plants, the causal relationships between sensitive spectral bands and protein absorption features are poorly understood. Recently, continuous wavelet spectral analysis has been commonly applied to the spectroscopic estimation of vegetation parameters in the way of extracting the optimal wavelet feature (denoted as WF λ,S, λ is the shifting factor in wavelength and S is the scaling factor in the power number of two) or the red-edge position. This study proposed the wavelet-based SWIR edge position (SWEP) for estimating the GPC in cereal crops through extending the red edge position extraction technique to laboratory SWIR reflectance spectroscopy. The performance of SWEPs and WFs was evaluated in coefficient of determination (R 2), root mean squared error (RMSE) and relative RMSE (RRMSE) with experimental data over field trials. Our results demonstrated that the protein absorption features in the SWIR region could be enhanced using wavelet-based methods towards accurate estimation of the GPC across rice and wheat crops. The optimal features WF1510,4 (R 2 = 0.96) and WF1610,5 (R 2 = 0.93) exhibited similar performance for GPC estimation as compared to normalized difference protein indices (NDPIs) on calibration data, but the latter NDPI models had much poorer performance on independent validation data (NDPI1745,1780: R 2 = 0.35, RMSE = 1.83%, RRMSE = 21.70%; NDPI2080,2160: R 2 = 0.57, RMSE = 1.48%, RRMSE = 17.55%). The GPC could be estimated with high accuracies on both calibration (R 2 = 0.94) and validation (R 2 = 0.92, RMSE = 0.64%, RRMSE = 7.59%) using the SWEP extracted from the 1450–1650 nm range at Scale 5. Given their close predictive performance, the wavelet-based SWEP was less affected by the degradation of spectral resolution in the input data than the WF. The application of SWEPs could help us better understand the spectroscopy mechanism of GPC estimation from grain reflectance spectra. It also suggests that not just the commonly used red edges but also the insufficiently exploited SWIR edges are important in the entire spectral domain for quantifying vegetation properties.

Changes in nutritional values induced by butachlor in juvenile diploid and triploid Clarias gariepinus

There is a paucity of information about the effects of environmental stressors on nutritional values in fish. This study investigated the effects of the organochlorine pesticide, butachlor, on key indicators of nutritional value in both diploid and triploid African catfish (Clarias gariepinus). Amino acids (AA), fatty acids (FA), and the proximate composition (protein, lipid, moisture, and ash content) in the white muscle of full-sibling juvenile fish were measured following a 21-day exposure to graded butachlor concentrations [mean measured: 26.3, 48.4, and 66.1 µg/L]. No significant differences in AAs, FAs, protein, lipid, moisture, or ash content were observed between unexposed diploid and triploid fish. In diploids, exposure to butachlor significantly altered the concentrations of some of the AAs and FAs, and protein content, when compared to the control group. In triploid fish, however, butachlor treatments had no effect on the AA or proximate composition, but significantly changed the concentration of two individual FAs in the muscle. Butachlor treatments showed fewer changes in the nutritional values of triploid fish. This research is the first to study the nutritional values in any polyploid animals following the exposure to a contaminant.

AN APPROACH TO THE CHOICE OF ALTERNATIVES OF THE OPTIMIZED FORMULATIONS

Abstract: The scientific direction of the food product designing with a specified set of indicators of nutritional value is currently topical in the world. The mathematical bases for solving formulation problems are well studied. The problems concerning the multi-objective optimization of formulations for multicomponent products are frequently met. At the same time, only one, the most important, criterion is to be optimized, and the rest criteria act as the additional constraints, since the intersection of sets of the optimal solutions for all single-objective problems usually turns out to be an empty set. As a result, several formulation alternatives are obtained, which are optimized according to any single or several (but not all) criteria. The purpose of the work is to theoretically substantiate a universal approach to choosing out of the set of alternatives of the optimized formulations of food products. The authors suggest reasserting the problem of choice as the problem of assessing the degree of the product’s composition conformance with the recommended physiological standards. When assessing the balanced state of the formulation alternatives, the conclusions are made by comparing the relative degree of conformance of the generalized Harrington's desirability function value with the reference standard, and not of the absolute value of the generalized desirability function. To select from a variety of the optimized formulation alternatives of the multicomponent food products, it is proposed to use the following 6 criteria: a balanced state index of the product’s macronutrient composition; a balanced state index of the vitamin composition; a balanced state index of the mineral composition; a balanced state index of the amino acid composition; a balanced state index of the fatty acid composition; and a balanced state index of the energy value. Wherein, it is proposed to calculate the generalized Harrington's desirability function as a geometric mean of the partial balanced state indices. A universal approach is suggested for making a choice out of the variety of the optimized formulation alternatives. At the same time, the subjectivity is eliminated in choosing the nomenclature and numerical values of the physical indicators of quality of the compared variants of multicomponent products.

Effect of the way of cooking on contents of essential polyunsaturated fatty acids in filets of zander

Fatty acid content of raw and cooked zander (Sander lucioperca) was studied. Special attention was paid to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic, 20:5 n-3 (EPA) and docosahexaenoic, 22:6 n-3 (DHA), and also to the n-6/n-3 ratio, which are regarded as indicators of nutritive value. As found, the heat treatments, boiling, stewing and frying, including those in a convection steam oven (CSO), did not significantly decrease the content of EPA and DHA in the products. Boiling and stewing appeared to give products of a higher nutritive value, regarding the above indicators, than frying and cake preparation. Frying of zander in CSO was found to be more beneficial for nutrition compared to pan-frying. The cooked zander had higher EPA and DHA contents than many other popular food fish species, and also had a high nutritive value due to the low n-6/n-3 ratio when boiled and stewed. 

Condensed tannin content of several shrub species from a mountain area in northern Spain, and its relationship to various indicators of nutritive value

The condensed tannin (CT) content of eight shrub species ( Cytisus purgans, C. scoparius, Genista florida, G. occidentalis, Calluna vulgaris, Erica arborea, E. australis and Juniperus communis) from a grazing mountain area of northern Spain was analysed and related to various indicators of nutritive value. Chemical composition, in vitro gas production, OM degradation and true DM digestibility were evaluated in samples collected in January and June. With the exception of two samples comprised of considerable amounts of flowers, the shrub legumes examined had low contents of CT (less than 6.51 g quebracho tannin equivalents/kg DM) which would generally be considered unlikely to affect digestion of nutrients in the gastrointestinal tract of animals. However, Ericaceae species and J. communis, which are evergreen species, showed a high CT content (higher than 176 g quebracho tannin equivalents/kg DM) throughout the year. CT were negatively correlated ( P<0.05) with OM degradation and cumulative gas production, and positively correlated with lag time, which is consistent with the extensively reported suppressive effect of condensed tannins on rumen degradation and on the interference of these compounds with microbial attachment to feeds. The positive correlation between these plant secondary compounds and the partitioning factor (OM degradation/total gas production) indicates that the effect of CT is more strongly reflected in the reduction of gas production than in the reduction of OM degradation.

The effect of closing date on the performance of beef weaners grazing foggaged Digitaria eriantha and Acroceras macrum

Digitaria eriantha spp. eriantha and Acroceras macrum foggage, closed off at three different dates (end of December, end of January and end of February), was evaluated for use as winter grazing for the overwintering of weaner steers in the Sour Sandveld of KwaZulu-Natal. Delaying the closing date led to an improvement in the quality of the herbage, where a higher crude protein content and a reduced crude fibre content were taken as indicators of nutritive value. Closing date had a major effect on dry matter yield, which was directly related to the length of time the pasture was closed off. Closing date significantly affected animal performance. With both pastures, steer growth rate was negative when the pastures were closed off in December, whereas the steers grazing pastures closed off in February achieved the highest live mass gains over the grazing period. (South African Journal of Animal Science: 2000, 30(1): 82-86)

A modification of the Daisy II - 220 technique for the determination of in vitro dry matter digestibility

Extracted from text ... A modification of the Daisy II - 220 technique for the determination of in vitro drymatter digestibilityM. de Figueiredo, A. Mbhele and J. ZondiDept of Agriculture, KwaZulu-Natal, P Bag X9059, Pietermaritzburg, 3200IntroductionThe digestibility value of a feed is one of the best indicators of nutritive value. In vivo determinations areexpensive and time-consuming, rendering this technique impractical for routine analyses. In vitro determinations ofdigestibility using rumen fluid/cellulase have been used extensively in laboratories worldwide. These techniquesuse individual digestion containers shaken twice daily and a two-stage 48 h digestion. Due to the individual samplehandling, filtration and washing steps performed, the introduction of ..

Reproduction and adult longevity of five species of planktonic cyclopoid copepods reared on different diets: a comparative study

1. The nutritional value of a pure algal food, the phytoflagellate Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, and a mixed diet was tested for five planktonic cyclopoid copepods (Acanthocyclops robustus, Cyclops vicinus, Cyclops abyssorum, Mesocyclops leuckarti and Thermocyclops crassus). The algae were offered at high density (4.5 × 105 cells ml–1; 22.5 mg C l–1) in a flow‐through system. The mixed diet consisted of concentrated natural plankton (rotifers, copepod nauplii, small copepodites and large phytoplankton forms) in the size range 50–150 μm and with a dry mass &gt; 20 mg l–1. Reproductive parameters (clutch size, interclutch periods, number of clutches produced) and adult longevity were monitored as indicators of nutritive value.2. All species had a significantly lower reproductive output and a shorter or unchanged adult lifespan on the algal compared with the mixed diet.3. The species differed considerably in their ability to use algae. Mesocyclops leuckarti produced no clutches with algae, and females died earlier than with the mixed food. Acanthocyclops robustus and C. vicinus produced smaller and fewer clutches, displayed a longer interclutch period and shorter (A. robustus) or similar (C. vicinus) lifespan on the algal food than on the mixed food. Thermocyclops crassus and C. abyssorum produced smaller clutches with the algal food, but interclutch period was shorter with the algal than with the mixed diet (T. crassus) or of the same length with both diets (C. abyssorum). Adult lifespan was the same under both food regimes. Unfed females produced no eggs.4. The ability to utilize algae, the reproductive output and the reproductive allocation were not related to body size. Acanthocyclops robustus, a species of intermediate size, produced by far the largest clutches and the most eggs per lifetime under both food regimes and invested more in reproduction than the other species.5. Reproduction was costly. Unfed and non‐reproducing females of C. vicinus and C. abyssorum reached the same age or lived longer than fed and reproducing ones.6. The adult cyclopoids tested are primarily omnivorous, but utilize algae which are frequently sufficient for egg production.

The effect of variety, type of straw and ammonia treatment on digestibility and growth rate in steers

The gross energy content of cereal straw is almost as high as that of grain, but, because straw is relatively indigestible even to ruminants, much of this energy passes right through the digestive system and so makes no contribution to nutrition. Treatment of straw with alkali (normally ammonia or sodium hydroxide) improves digestibility and thus increases the amounts of energy available to animals. Straw which has been improved in this way is often said to be of similar nutritional value to medium quality hay; but responses in terms of animal performance demonstrate that this is not always so.It has been observed that the nutritive values of straws of the various cereals and of the varieties within each cereal differ considerably and that, though alkali treatments generally improve the least digestible straws the most, the differences between improved straws may still be large enough to be important. Degradability measurements carried out on large numbers of wheat, barley and oat straws to obtain an indication of nutritive value, confirm this (Tuah et al. 1986), but further evidence was needed using feeding trials with animals to support these findings and demonstrate their practical significance.

The effect of varying carbon/nitrogen ratio in the phytoplankter Thalassiosira pseudonana (3H) on its food value to the bivalve Tapes japonica

The growth of juvenile Manila clams, Tapes japonica, was examined on diets of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana (3H) of similar cell concentrations but of differing C N ratios (by atoms) over a period of 4 weeks. Bivalve tissue growth was correlated with the total quantity of dietary nitrogen available rather than dietary carbon; however, dietary C N ratios of 8.4–10.5 appear superior to higher or lower values. The use of C N ratios as an indicator of nutritional value in aquaculture food species, and measurement and interpretation of the ratio are critically reviewed.

Selection for crude protein content in Phalaris tuberosa L. I. Response to selection and preliminary studies on correlated responses

In a highly variable breeding population of P. tuberosa, marked responses were obtained to three generations of selection for high and low crude protein concentration (percentage nitrogen x 6.25) in whole tillers at heading. Total response was similar in each direction, and realized heritability estimates were h2 = 0.25 and h2 = 0.20 in the high and low directions respectively. The responses were accompanied by positively correlated changes in in vitro digestibility and in characters commonly used as indicators of nutritive value of herbage. However, there were large negatively correlated changes in seedling vigour, relative growth rates, and other morphological and physiological characters. The implications of the results for pasture plant breeding are discussed.

Reliability of Score-Card Judging of Hay1,2

Summary A total of 129 samples of alfalfa or alfalfa-brome mixtures (55 first-crop, 65 later-crop, and nine additional samples) were each scored twice by seven judges, using a score-card based on stage of growth, leafiness, and color and condition. Cutting dates were recorded for the first-crop samples. These dates provided a means, other than the judges’ estimates, of scoring stage of growth on the first-crop samples. Repeatability in the use of the score-card was studied on a within-judge basis by computing the appropriate intraclass correlation. These repeatability estimates ranged from .42 to .80. Between-judge repeatabilities were estimated by averaging simple between-judge correlations. These repeatability estimates ranged from .38 to .78. All estimates of repeatability were highly significant. Simple correlation and multiple regression techniques were used to study the relationship of the score-card and its components to various indicators of nutritive value. Simple correlations were averaged for the seven judges over both scorings. These analyses indicated that the score-card was most effective in reflecting nutritive value when used among later crop samples low in grass content. Among these samples the average correlations between final score and crude protein, crude fiber, estimated TDN, and percentage of cellulose were .50, −.43, .43, and −.51, respectively, and were highly significant. However, among first-crop samples and among later-crop samples which were high in grass content nonsignificant correlations were obtained. The multiple regression analyses indicated that dates of cutting for first-crop samples and leafiness scores for later-crop samples were the most useful criteria of the score-card for predicting nutritive value. However, even among the later-crop samples, where the score card appeared most effective, it accounted for only 20–30% of the variation in estimated TDN.