Liveweight Change Research Articles

AB-Kefir Reduced Body Weight and Ameliorated Inflammation in Adipose Tissue of Obese Mice Fed a High-Fat Diet, but Not a High-Sucrose Diet.

Consumption of different types of high-calorie foods leads to the development of various metabolic disorders. However, the effects of multi-strain probiotics on different types of diet-induced obesity and intestinal dysbiosis remain unclear. In this study, mice were fed a control diet, high-fat diet (HFD; 60% kcal fat and 20% kcal carbohydrate), or western diet (WD; 40% kcal fat and 43% kcal carbohydrate) and administered with multi-strain AB-Kefir containing six strains of lactic acid bacteria and a Bifidobacterium strain, at 109 CFU per mouse for 10 weeks. Results demonstrated that AB-Kefir reduced body weight gain, glucose intolerance, and hepatic steatosis with a minor influence on gut microbiota composition in HFD-fed mice, but not in WD-fed mice. In addition, AB-Kefir significantly reduced the weight and size of adipose tissues by regulating the expression of CD36, Igf1, and Pgc1 in HFD-fed mice. Although AB-Kefir did not reduce the volume of white adipose tissue, it markedly regulated CD36, Dgat1 and Mogat1 mRNA expression. Moreover, the abundance of Eubacterium_coprostanoligenes_group and Ruminiclostridium significantly correlated with changes in body weight, liver weight, and fasting glucose in test mice. Overall, this study provides important evidence to understand the interactions between probiotics, gut microbiota, and diet in obesity treatment.

The Effect of Herbage Availability, Pregnancy Stage and Rank on the Rate of Liveweight Loss during Fasting in Ewes

Sheep liveweight and liveweight change are vital tools both for commercial and research farm management. However, they can be unreliable when collection procedures are not standardized or when there are varying time delays between sheep removal from grazing and weighing. This study had two stages with different objectives: (1) A liveweight loss study to determine the effect of herbage availability (Low and High) on the rate of liveweight loss of ewes at different pregnancy stages (approximately 100 days of pregnancy: P100 and 130 days: P130) and ranks (single and twin); (2) A follow-up liveweight loss study to develop and validate correction equations for delayed liveweights by applying them to data sets collected under commercial conditions. Results from each stage showed that the rate of liveweight loss varied by herbage availability and stage of pregnancy (p < 0.05) but not pregnancy-rank (p > 0.05). Further, the rate of liveweight loss differed by farm (p < 0.05). Applying liveweight correction equations increased the accuracy of without delay liveweight estimates in P100 ewes by 56% and 45% for single-bearing and twin-bearing ewes, respectively, when offered the Low-level diet. In ewes offered the High-level diet, accuracies of without delay liveweight estimates were increased by 53% and 67% for single-bearing and twin-bearing ewes, respectively. Among P130 ewes, accuracy was increased by 43% and 37% for single-bearing and twin-bearing ewes, respectively, when offered the Low herbage level and by 60% and 50% for single-bearing and twin-bearing ewes, respectively, when offered the High herbage level. In conclusion, a short-term delay of up to 8 hours prior to weighing, which is commonly associated with practical handling operations, significantly reduced the liveweight recorded for individual sheep. Using delayed liveweights on commercial farms and in research can have consequences for management practices and research results; thus, liveweight data should be collected without delay. However, when this is not feasible, delayed ewe liveweights should be corrected and, in the absence of locally devised correction equations, the ones generated in the current study could be applied on farms with similar management conditions and herbage type.

Use of iodine and selenium enriched fodder rations for production of fortified young lamb

The article is devoted to preventive measures to eliminate the problem of dysmicroelementosis in order to increase the productivity of young sheep. The article presents the results of studies of the influence of feeding rations on the growth and development of young sheep of the Edilbaev breed, on the level of their meat productivity and the qualitative characteristics of biologically fortified lamb. Feed additives based on Yoddar-Zn and DAFS-25 were added to the main ration of lambs at the age of four months, once a day, being added into a fodder mixture with concentrates. For the experiment the herd of lambs was divided to four groups of 25 heads each.The changes in live weight at the age of four, five, six and seven months were analyzed, and it was found that at the age of seven months, the absolute average weight gain in the experimental groups varied from 3.45 kg to 4.49 kg, in the control group it was 3.1 kg, while the largest live weight gain was recorded in group III which received both feed additives based on Yoddar-Zn and DAFS-25.There were no significant differences in the parameters of body measurements, with the exception of group III, where the chest circumference increased by 7.2%, and the height of a lamb at the withers increased in average by 8.1%. It was found that group III had the highest meat density coefficient, equal to 3.9, and the cross-sectional area of m. Longissimus dorsi was equal to 13.61 cm2. It was noted that the amount of free amino acids of the lamb group III is 18.8% higher than the meat of the control group. The lamb obtained from the animals of the experimental groups showed a higher protein content and less fat. The ratio of water to protein in all samples was slightly higher than 3.7, which corresponds to the Federa number for meat raw materials. Enriching the rations of the Edilbaevskoy sheep with feed additives Yoddar-Zn and DAFS-25 promotes the stimulation of growth and development of animals, increases the productivity and nutritional value of lamb.

A Case Study on the Use of Virtual Fencing to Intensively Graze Angus Heifers Using Moving Front and Back-Fences

Virtual fencing contains and controls grazing cattle using sensory cues rather than physical fences. The technology comprises a neckband-mounted device that delivers an audio cue when the animal nears a virtual boundary that has been set via global positioning system, followed by an electrical stimulus if it walks beyond the boundary. Virtual fencing has successfully been used to intensively graze cattle using a simple virtual front-fence, but a more complex intensive grazing system comprising moving virtual front and back-fences has not been assessed. We studied the effectiveness of virtual fencing technology to contain groups of Angus heifers within grazing cells defined by semi-permanent electric side-fences and virtual front and back-fences, compared to groups of heifers contained in cells defined only by electric fencing. Four groups of 10 Angus heifers were randomly allocated to a “control” (grazed with a conventional electric front and back-fence, n = 2 groups) or “virtual fence” treatment (grazed with a virtual front and back-fence, n = 2 groups). The groups of heifers grazed four adjacent experimental paddocks that were established using TechnoGrazing™ infrastructure. An estimated 9.5 kg pasture DM/heifer.day was offered in each of three 3 day allocations (9 day study period). Data collected include cues delivered by the neckbands, time beyond the virtual boundaries, pasture consumption for each allocation and heifer live weight changes over the study period. The virtual front and back-fences successfully contained one group of heifers in their grazing cell, but the second group of heifers spent an increasing amount of time in the exclusion zone during the second and third allocations and consequently received an increasing number of audio and electrical stimuli. There were no effects of electric or virtual-fence treatment on live weight change or pasture utilization. By grazing heifers in adjacent paddocks our experimental design may have produced a motivation for some heifers to cross the virtual boundary to regain close contact with familiar conspecifics. Despite this, valuable learnings were gained from this study. Most notably, virtual fencing should not be used to manage cattle that have close visual contact to other mobs. We conclude that the successful application of virtual fencing technology needs to accommodate the natural behaviors of cattle.

Calf Birth Weight Predicted Remotely Using Automated in-Paddock Weighing Technology.

Simple SummaryThe use of ‘in paddock’ walk-over-weighing scales (WOW) enables cattle liveweight (LW) data collection, remotely and individually, at a high frequency (e.g., daily). Liveweight data obtained can be used to calculate the liveweight change experienced by a dam at calving (ΔLWC), which is linked with calf birth weight (CBW). This study utilised WOW technology to investigate the degree of association between CBW, LW before and after calving, ΔLWC, and cow non-foetal weight loss at calving (NFW) (ΔLWC–CBW = NFW, e.g., membranes, fluids). Such outcomes could contribute to predicting CBW by assessing ΔLWC without the need of weighing the calf manually, which can be a labour and time-consuming operation in the extensive conditions of beef production. There was no correlation between CBW and the LW of the dam before and after calving; however, positive associations between CBW, ΔLWC, and NFW were found. Particularly, 56% of the variation in ΔLWC was attributed to CBW. These findings suggest that the remote monitoring of ΔLWC has potential to be used for CBW predictions, regardless of the LW of the dam around calving time.The present study aimed to develop predictive models of calf birth weight (CBW) from liveweight (LW) data collected remotely and individually using an automated in-paddock walk-over-weighing scale (WOW). Twenty-eight multiparous Charolais cows were mated with two Brahman bulls. The WOW was installed at the only watering point to capture LW over five months. Calf birth date and weight were manually recorded, and the liveweight change experienced by a dam at calving (ΔLWC) was calculated as pre-LW minus post-LW calving. Cow non-foetal weight loss at calving (NFW) was calculated as ΔLWC minus CBW. Pearson’s correlational analysis and simple linear regressions were used to identify associations between all variables measured. No correlations were found between ΔLWC and pre-LW (p = 0.52), or post-LW (p = 0.14). However, positive associations were observed between ΔLWC and CBW (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.56) and NFW (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.90). Thus, the results suggest that 56% of the variation in ΔLWC is attributed to the calf weight, and consequently could be used as an indicator of CBW. Remote, in-paddock weighing systems have the potential to provide timely and accurate LW data of breeding cows to improve calving management and productivity.

Short-term liveweight changes of dairy cows measured by stationary and walk-over weighing scales

Monitoring and detecting individual cows' liveweight (LW) and liveweight change (LWC) are important for estimation of nutritional requirements and health management, and could be useful to measure short-term feed intake, water consumption, defecation, and urination. Walk-over weighing (WOW) systems can facilitate measurements of LW for these purposes, providing automated LW recorded at different times of the day. We conducted a field study to (1) quantify the contribution of feed and water intake, as well as urine and feces excretions, to short-term LWC and (2) determine the feasibility of stationary and WOW scales to detect subtle changes in LW as a result of feed and water intake, urination, and defecation. In this experiment, 10 cows walked through a WOW system and then stood individually on a stationary scale collecting weights at 10 and 3.3 Hz, respectively. Cows were offered 4 kg of feed and 10 kg of water on the stationary scale. For each animal, LW before and after eating and drinking was then calculated using different approaches. Liveweight change was calculated as the difference between the initial and final LW before and after eating and drinking for each statistical measure. The weights of feed intake, water consumption, urination, and defecation were measured and used as predictors of LWC. Urine and feces were collected from individual cows while the cow was on the scale, using a container, and weighed separately. The agreement between LWC measured using either stationary or WOW scales was assessed to determine the sensitivity of the scales to detect subtle changes in LW using the coefficient of determination (R2), Lin's concordance correlation coefficient (CCC), and mean bias. The prediction model showed that most of the regression coefficients were not significantly different from +1.0 for feed and water, or -1.0 for urine and feces. The R2 and CCC values demonstrated a satisfactory agreement between calculated and stationary LWC and values ranged from 0.60 to 0.92 and 0.71 to 0.94, respectively. A moderate agreement was achieved between calculated and automated LWC with R2 and Lin's CCC values of 0.45 to 0.63 and 0.60 to 0.74, respectively. Therefore, results demonstrated that new algorithms and data processing methods need to be continuously explored and improved to obtain accurate measurements of LW to measure changes in LW, especially from WOW scales.

Oxicological effects of artemether-nevirapine coadministration on serum biochemistry and some organs of Wistar rats

This study investigated toxicological effects of 5 and/or 10 mg/kg artemether (ART5 or ART10) and nevirapine (NVP) co-administration on serum biochemistry and some organs of Wistar rats. Drugs were administered intraperitoneally to 6 groups (n=6) for 21 days. On day 22, rats were sacrificed, sera obtained to determine electrolyte and antioxidant levels. Liver, kidney, lung and spleen were harvested and weighed for histological studies. Data analysed using oneway ANOVA, Dunnett’s post-hoc test and were considered significant at p≤0.05. There was no difference in superoxide, catalase, Na+ , K+ , Ca2+ and HCO3- levels in the treated groups. Cl- decreased (p≤0.05) in NVP + T80 and NVP + ART10 administered groups. MDA increased (p≤0.05) in NVP + ART10 group while GPx decreased. No pathological changes were observed in the liver of all treated groups but relative weight increased (p≤0.05) in NVPART10 treated group. The kidney of NVP-ART5 and NVP-ART10 treated groups did not differ in relative weight but showed some renal necrosis. The spleen and lung of ART10 treated group showed some pathological changes. The changes in relative liver weight, kidney tissue, Cl-, MDA and GPx levels of ART-NVP administered rats suggest the need for precautionary measures during drug treatment combination.&#x0D; Keywords: Artemether; Nevirapine; Toxicology; Liver; Kidney; Spleen; Lung, Biochemical parameters

Live weight and body condition changes in dry cows at pasture and effects on subsequent performance.

During a 720-d experiment in a Holstein and Brown Swiss herd, two feeding regimens were compared during the grazing phase of dry cow management until confinement before expected calving.The two treatments involved rotational grazing (24-d cycles) at a stocking rate of 2.5 animals per hectare in; (A) all-grass swards or (B) all-grass plus 3 h daily access to swards of Leucaena leucocephala and grasses, Large heifers were added as needed to maintain constant group size at pasture. A daily supplement of 2 kg/head of bulky concentrate was fed. During the first 19 mo of the study, while rainfall was adequate, dry cows in treatments A and B gained live weight (LW) satisfactorily (0.69 ± 0.26 and 0.67 ± 0.23 kg/d) and increased in body condition score (BCS) on a scale of 1 to 5 at rates of 0.40 and 0.34 point/100 d, respectively. During the final 5 mo, pasture conditions and LW gains were poor because of prolonged drought. Monthly rainfall of 50 mm or more maintained grazing conditions adequate for use with the present level of supplemental feeding. There were no differences (P &gt; 0.05) between treatments. Under common postpartum management, standard 305-d lactational milk yields were unaffected by previous treatments A or B. However, a positive trend (P &lt; 0.10) was associated with higher prepartum BCS. Cows that scored 3.5 produced 4,013; 4,111; 4,367; 4,627 and 4,450 kg, respectively. Postcalving reproductive performance was not affected by previous treatment or by BCS prepartum or BCS at 6 wk postpartum.

Meat Productivity of Hereford Breed Calves with the Carbohydrate Complex Diet

In current conditions, we are increasing beef production, including through the organization of full-fledged feeding of growing young animals. The literature analysis indicates that the science of feeding contains a large set of experimental and practical data on the effect of feeding on the productivity of livestock. However, the questions about the influence of various types of feed additives on the composition of finished products have not been sufficiently worked out, which determined that the task we set is relevant. In this regard, we have set ourselves to increase the productivity of young animals by enriching the diet with a new carbohydrate complex. The paper considers changes in live weight, slaughter indicators, the carcass's morphological composition and chemical indicators of the average minced meat sample of young Hereford cattle, consuming different dosages of the Felutsen complex. The analysed additive stimulated animal growth due to a better nutrient intake. The intergroup difference between animals at the age of one and a half years reached 14.60-29.4 kg (2.82-5.65%). Compared to the control animals, the experimental ones receiving an average dosage had higher hot carcass and slaughter weights by 5% and the slaughter yield by more than 1%. The carcass's morphological composition also improved with higher meat proportion and less bone and connective tissue. A comparative analysis of minced meat samples' chemical composition showed the differences in the dry matter, fat, protein and ash content. "Felutsen" K 2-4 supplement at a dose of 50, 100 and 150 g/animal/day (from 6 to 12 months), "Felutsen" K 2-6 at a dose of 100, 150 and 200 g/animal/day (from 12 to 18 months) had the greatest effect. The conducted study found that a carbohydrate complex in the diet of calves raised for meat production positively affects growth and development indicators. It contributes to better slaughter qualities, more intensive muscle tissue development resulting in a better morphological composition of carcasses.

In Vitro Antioxidant Activity of Litsea martabanica Root Extract and Its Hepatoprotective Effect on Chlorpyrifos-Induced Toxicity in Rats.

In Thailand, people in the highland communities whose occupational exposure to pesticides used the root of Litsea martabanica as a detoxifying agent. However, the scientific data to support the traditional use of this plant are insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activity and anti-pesticide potential of L. martabanica root extract. Antioxidant properties were investigated by 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, superoxide radicals scavenging assay, 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) assay, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total phenolic content determination. In all assays, L. martabanica extracts and their fractions exhibited high antioxidant activities differently. The water extract is traditionally used as a detoxifying agent. Therefore, it was chosen for in vivo experiments. The rats received the extract in a way that mimics the traditional methods of tribal communities followed by chlorpyrifos for 16 days. The results showed that acetylcholinesterase activity decreases in pesticide-exposed rats. Treatment with the extract caused increasing acetylcholinesterase activity in the rats. Therefore, L. martabanica extract may potentially be used as a detoxifying agent, especially for the chlorpyrifos pesticide. The antioxidant properties of L. martabanica may provide a beneficial effect by protecting liver cells from damage caused by free radicals. Histopathology results revealed no liver cell necrosis and showed the regeneration of liver cells in the treatment group. L. martabanica extract did not cause changes in behavior, liver weight, hematological and biochemical profiles of the rats.

Measuring liveweight changes in lactating dairy ewes with an automated walk-over-weighing system

Monitoring liveweight (LW) is an important part of sound management practices at the individual and flock level (e.g., controlling for nutritional status based on body condition, reproduction, and health-related issues), but it is time consuming and stressful. To our knowledge, no literature has reported on the evaluation of automated weighing systems in dairy sheep as an alternative to conventional static scales. The objective of this research was to evaluate the practical feasibility of using an automated walk-over-weighing (WoW) prototype to measure daily LW changes in dairy ewes without human intervention. We used adult Lacaune dairy ewes in 2 complementary trials conducted indoors. Trial 1 aimed at evaluating the repeatability, precision, and accuracy of LW measures recorded using WoW scales compared with a static scale (the gold standard). Forty-two adult ewes (LW ± standard deviation = 71.3 ± 10.4 kg) were randomly drafted from the main flock and used in a 1-day session. The trial included 3 passages. In each passage, ewes were weighed first on a static scale; once a static position was achieved and LW recorded, they continued the circuit and immediately traversed the WoW scale for an automated LW record. Trial 2 aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of using the WoW device under real-world conditions in a dairy sheep-farming system. The WoW scale was installed in the exit race of the milking parlor and evaluated over 7 wk with adult ewes in mid lactation (n = 93; LW 78.5 ± 8.1 kg). Once the ewes were acclimated to the WoW system, 1 group of ewes (n = 48) continued to receive the same feeding regimen (controls), and the other group (n = 45) underwent a nutritional challenge [challenged; 2 wk of undernutrition and then back to control regimen (refeeding) for 1 wk]. We evaluated the ability of the WoW to detect small changes in LW. We collected LW data (2 weighings per ewe per day) from the WoW after each of the 2 milking sessions (morning and evening). We also obtained LW values by weighing the ewes using a static scale once a week. The automated WoW system showed substantial agreement with the gold standard when assessed using Lin's concordance correlation coefficient and Bland and Altman's method, largely due to high repeatability. The WoW system was adequate for detecting small daily variations in LW during undernutrition and refeeding periods. Misbehaviors resulted in spurious WoW values in trial 2, requiring us to use filtration methods to exclude outlier weights and allow meaningful assessment of small LW changes. The WoW system evaluated here is an alternative to the static scales conventionally used on dairy sheep farms. If sound filtration of raw data is applied, WoW could contribute to the close (daily) monitoring of individual LW without operator intervention (i.e., voluntary weighing) and taking animal welfare into account (i.e., no stress related to the weighing session on static scales).

White Leghorn Chick의 초기 성장단계에서 소화기관의 발달, 소장의 소화 효소 및 간 조직의 항산화 방어작용

We aimed to investigate the age-dependent development of digestive organs, intestinal enzymes, and hepatic antioxidant defense system in White Leghorn chicks aged 0, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days. Body weight (BW) did not significantly change between days 0 and 7 but significantly increased (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05) after day 7. The relative liver weight (g/100 g of BW) was significantly lower at day 0 than at the other ages but markedly increased at days 3 and 7 (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). The relative pancreatic weight changed similar to the change in liver weight, with the maximum development at 7 days (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). The relative intestinal and mucosal tissue weights increased rapidly after hatching (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05), with the maximum growth at 7 days. Furthermore, maltase and sucrase activities were significantly higher at day 3 than at day 0 (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Leucine aminopeptidase activity was high at day 0 and remained constant as age increased. Superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase activities in the liver were the lowest at day 0 but significantly increased after 7 days (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Glutathione peroxidase activity increased significantly after day 14 compared with that at days 0 and 7 (<i>P</i>&lt;0.05). Lipid peroxidation was not affected by age. In conclusion, the digestive organ weights and hydrolase activity of chicks increased rapidly during the first 3 or 7 days post-hatching. Hepatic antioxidant enzyme activity increased simultaneously with the increase in digestive organ weights, after 7 days.

ROSEMARY VOLATILE OIL AS A PRESERVATIVE AGENT IN SOME CANNED MEAT FOODS

This research was aimed to evaluate activity of Rosemary volatile oil and Nisin A in vivo and on B. cereus isolated from some canned meat products in vitro. The results showed that the activity of Rosemary volatile oil (2000 µg/ml) and Nisin A (350 µg\ml) attained to 27 and 19 mm inhibitory zone diameter respectively in well diffusion method. The viable plate count from samples of canned meat treated with effective concentration of Rosemary volatile oil and Nisin A were examined. The samples with Rosemary volatile oil was not showed any CFU/g after 9 days of preservation while sample with Nisin A and control observed 49 and 45 CFU/g respectively. In vivo experiment on mice, two weeks after oral dose of Rosemary volatile oil (2000 µg/ml) and Nisin A (350 IU\ ml), there were no death. Furthermore, there were no changes in histological sections taken from liver and spleen of mice treated with Rosemary volatile oil while Nisin A have shown changes in liver and spleen weights and gross or histological characteristics. In conclusion, the Rosemary volatile oil have higher antibacterial effect against B. cereus compare with using Nisin A which caused more damage to the organs in the liver and spleen, Thus, it can use the volatile oil of this plant as a preservative at the same time for preservation of meat.

The Effect of Herbage Availability and Season of Year on the Rate of Liveweight Loss during Weighing of Fasting Ewe Lambs

Sheep (Ovis aries) liveweight and liveweight change can contain errors when collection procedures are not standardized, or when there are varying time delays between removal from grazing and weighing. A two-stage study was conducted to determine the effect of herbage availability and season of year on the rate of liveweight loss during fasting and to develop and validate correction equations applied to sets of delayed liveweights collected under commercial conditions. Results showed that ewe lambs offered the Low herbage availability lost up to 1.7 kg and those offered the Medium or High herbage availability lost 2.4 kg during 8 h of delayed weighing without access to feed or drinking water. The rate of liveweight loss varied by season, herbage availability and farm (p &lt; 0.05). Applying correction equations on matching liveweight data collected under similar conditions, provided more accurate estimates (33–55%) of without delay liveweight than using the delayed liveweight. In conclusion, a short-term delay prior to weighing commonly associated with practical handling operations significantly reduced the liveweight recorded for individual sheep. Using delayed liveweights on commercial farms and in research can have significant consequences for management practices and research results globally, therefore, liveweight data should be collected without delay. However, when this is not feasible delayed liveweights should be corrected, and in the absence of locally formulated correction equations, the ones presented in this paper could be used.

Phytolacca dodecandra (Phytolaccaceae) Root Extract Exhibits Antioxidant and Hepatoprotective Activities in Mice with CCl4-Induced Acute Liver Damage.

BackgroundThe liver is a hub of metabolism and detoxification of substances. Since many redox reactions take place in the liver, it is prone to oxidative damage. Unlike conventional agents, botanicals act through several mechanisms in preventing oxidative damage. Among these Phytolacca dodecandra is the most commonly used agent in Ethiopian folk medicine.ObjectiveTo evaluate antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities of the 80% methanol extract of P. dodecandra root.MethodsMale mice were divided into six groups and treated accordingly. Negative control was given 2% Tween 80, toxicant control administered with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), positive control treated with silymarin 100 mg/kg, and test groups were treated with 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg of the extract. Then, serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, albumin, total protein, and bilirubin were determined. Determination of the change in body weight and liver weight, histopathologic examination of the liver, and in vitro and in vivo antioxidant assays were also carried out.ResultsThe levels of ALP, ALT, AST, GGT, LDH, and bilirubin were significantly reduced, while albumin and total protein were significantly increased after treatment with P. dodecandra root extract at the doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg in CCl4 intoxicated mice. Cholesterol metabolism and lipoprotein synthesis capabilities of the liver of mice were also returned to normal in the two doses. Besides, the 200 and 400 mg/kg doses were able to return the normal architecture and morphology of hepatocytes. Furthermore, the plant extract was found to scavenge free radicals in vitro and inhibit lipid peroxidation in vivo.ConclusionThe results suggest that the 80% methanol extract of P. dodecandra root can be used for the management of liver disease.

Live weight changes during lactation in Montbéliarde cows

Article Details: Received: 2020-09-22 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31 https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.5-10 Abstract This research was conducted on 147 cows of purebred Montbeliarde dairy cattle during their first to seventh lactation. On average, each dairy cow provided 161 values on live weight during lactation via the automatic milking system (AMS). The average live weight of a dairy cow of said herd was 699.94 kg, the daily milk yield was 33.67 kg on average and the average day of lactation (DIM) was 111.75. This research discovered a statistically significant decrease of live weight in dairy cattle before the 60th day of lactation in every observed lactation. On the contrary, the changes in live weight in the last 60 days of standardized lactation proved to be inconclusive. Between days 60 and 240 of the lactation, an increase of live weight of varying intensities was observed, mainly in cows who had undergone less lactation cycles in the past. Similarly, the research has proven an impact of the number of lactation cycles the cow has undergone in the past on the live weight of the cow during the first, second and third lactation (645.21 kg, 700.35 kg and 752.10 kg respectively). On the contrary, there was no conclusive difference in live weight between the third and more lactation cycles. The results have also shown that the changes in live weight during lactation were significantly different in first-calf heifers, as opposed to cows after more lactation cycles, similarly to the differences in milk yield. Keywords: Montbeliarde, dairy, body weight, lactation, cow References ALAWNEH, J. I. et al. (2011). Automatic recording of daily walkover liveweight of dairy cattle at pasture in the first 100 days in milk. Journal of Dairy Science , 94, 4431–4440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-4002 CHLADEK, G., KUCERA, J. (2000). An analysis of some factors affecting the milk production of cows sired by Montbeliarde sires in the Czech Republic. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis , 48(3), 21–26. CHLADEK, G. et al. (2001). The effect of Montbeliarde sires on the populations of Montbeliarde and Czech Spotted cows in the Czech Republic. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis , 49(4), 7–12. GRUBER, L. et al. (2018). Body weight prediction using body size measurements in Fleckvieh, Holstein, and Brown Swiss dairy cows in lactation and dry periods. Archives Animal Breeding , 61, 413–424. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/aab-61-413-2018 KOPEC, T. et al. (2013). The effect of the calving season on the Wood’s model parameters and characteristics of the lactation curve in Czech Fleckvieh cows. Archives Animal Breeding , 56, 808–815. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7482/0003-9438-56-080 LEDINEK, M. et al. (2019). Analysis of lactating cows in commercial Austrian dairy farms: diet composition, and influence of genotype, parity and stage of lactation on nutrient intake, body weight and body condition score. Italian Journal of Animal Science , 18, 202–214. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/1828051X.2018.1504632 MLYNEK, K., GLOWINSKA, B. (2020). The relationship of body condition and chewing time with body weight, the level of plasma cocaine and amphetamine regulated transcript, leptin and energy metabolites in cows until reaching the lactation peak. Acta Veterinaria Brno , 89, 31–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2754/avb202089010031 PORTES, J. V. et al. (2020). Evaluation of body weight and hip height in Nellore cows in a tropical environment. Livestock Science , 233. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2020.103953 PSZCZOLA, M. et al. (2018). Short communication: Improving repeatability of cows’ body weight recorded by an automated milking system. Livestock Science , 214, 149–152. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2018.04.016 SOYEURT, H. et al. (2019). Contribution of Milk Mid-Infrared Spectrum to Improve the Accuracy of Test-Day Body Weight Predicted from Stage, Lactation Number, Month of Test and Milk Yield. Livestock Science , 227, 82–89. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2019.07.007 TOSHNIWAL, J. K. et al. (2008). Heritability of Electronically Recorded Daily Body Weight and Correlations with Yield, Dry Matter Intake, and Body Condition Score. Journal of Dairy Science , 91, 3201–3210. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0627

Gestation Food Restriction and Refeeding Compensate Maternal Energy Status and Alleviate Metabolic Consequences in Juvenile Offspring in a Rabbit Model.

Nutritional status during gestation can influence mother and offspring metabolism. Undernutrition in pregnancy affects women in both western and developing countries, and it is associated with a high prevalence of chronic diseases in later life. The present work was conducted in the rabbit model, as a longitudinal study, to examine the effect of food restriction during early and mid-gestation, and re-feeding ad libitum until the end of pregnancy on metabolic status and body reserves of mother and, its association with development and metabolism of fetuses and female offspring to the juvenile stage. Little changes in live body weight (LBW), compensatory feed intake, similar body reserves, and metabolism were observed in dams. Placenta biometry and efficiency were slightly affected, but fetal BW and phenotype were not modified. However, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and hypertriglyceridemia were demonstrated in pre-term fetuses. In the juvenile period, these changes were not evidenced, and a similar pattern of growth and serum metabolic parameters in offspring of food-restricted mothers were found, except in serum aminotransferases levels, which increased. These were associated with higher liver fibrosis. Maternal food restriction in the early and mid-pregnancy followed by re-feeding in our rabbit model established a compensatory energy status in dams and alleviated potential long-term consequences in growth and metabolism in the offspring, even if fetal metabolism was altered.

The Role of Bole (Lake Soil) as a Mineral Supplement to Arsi-Bale Sheep Fed Natural Grass Hay and Concentrate Supplement

Background: Mineral deficiencies are considered to be one of the nutritional constraints to sheep performance. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the role of bole soil on feed intake, live weight change and carcass characteristics of Arsi-Bale sheep fed natural grass hay and concentrate supplement and its cost-benefit analysis of bole soil supplementation. Result: Total DM, OM, CP, NDF, ADF intake and ADL were higher (p less than 0.0001) for T3 than for T1, T2 and T4. Final weight, body weight change, average daily gain and feed conversion efficiency were greater (p less than 0.0001) for T3 and T2 than for T1 and T4. There were no differences (p greater than 0.05) between T3 and T2 whereas T4 was greater than T1 in these variables. Slaughter weight (SW) was heavier (p less than 0.0001) for treatment two and treatment three than for treatment four and treatment one, hot carcass weight, foreleg weight and dressing percentage on empty body weight basis were greater (p less than 0.0001) for T3 and T2 than for T1and T4. Conclusion: Bole soil supplementation had potentially highest effect on feed intake, live weight change and carcass characteristics of Arsi-Bale sheep than non-supplemented groups. The present study also revealed that supplementation of minerals improved the total weight gain of sheep over the control treatment.

Live weight changes during lactation and its relationship with milk off-take and yield in West African Dwarf and Red Sokoto goats intensively managed within the humid zone of Nigeria

This study focused on changes in doe live weight during lactation in West African dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto (RS) goats intensively managed within the humid zone of South-western Nigeria. The data analysed was based on 202 weekly records. from 17 lactations of 8 WAD and 9 RS goats from year 2000-2002. Mean live weight for RS does (21.16+0.34 kg) was higher (P&lt;0.001) than the estimate (18.15+0.34 kg) for WAD does. Live weight decreased (P&gt;0.05) from parturition up to fourth week and increased (P&gt; 0.05) thereafter till the 12th week of lactation. There was no significant interaction between breed and week of lactation. Cumulative mean weight changes of 0.16+4119 kg for WAD and 0.38+0.22 kg for RS were not significantly different, Does had higher (P&lt;0.001) body weights during the late- wet and early-dry seasons than during late-thy and early-wet seasons.. Live weight increased .significantly (P&lt;0.001) with parity of doe, the trend being maintained with regards to cumulative weight change. Does that suckled male kids were less superior in body weights. This was reflected by a negative cumulative weight change. Live weight was positively con-elated with milk yield (rp = 0.24; P&lt;0.05,4 estimated at 270.61+13.48 ml and 281.98+ 13. 17 ml respectively for RS and WAD goats (P&gt;0.05). Corresponding values for milk off-take were (.14.09+3.64 and 16,45+3.56 ml; P&gt;0.05), Milk off-take was lowly correlated with live weight (rp= 0_06; P&gt;0.05) while its relationship with milk yield was positive and significant (rp= 0.40: P&lt;0.001).

Digestion and utilization of citrus by-products by two breeds of West African goats

TWELVE young goats, consisting of 6 West African Dwarf (Fouta Djallon), (10.19 to 15.45 kg).and 6 Red Sokoto (Maradi), (9.09 to 14.09 kg), were used throughout the experiment (3 trials). The 12 goats were maintained on basal forage (Cynodon nlemfuensis) in Trial 1 but in Trial 2, they were divided into two groups with two animals per sub-group. Animals in a sub-group were maintained on basal forage plus 25, 50 or 75 % fresh citrus pulp. In Trial 3, six West African Dwarfs were maintained on similar levels as in Trial 2 but using dried citrus pulp. The results showed that protein content of citrus pulp was low (6%) with high crude fibre value of 15% high moisture content (84%), and high nitrogen-free extractive (NFE) value (57%). Dry matter (DM) intakes of basal forage ration were higher than those of mixtures of basal forage and fresh citrus pulp (P &lt; 0.01) due probably to high moisture content of the pulp, because the DM intakes of dried pulp mixtures were higher than those of basal rations (P &lt; 0.01). The rations with 50% fresh or dried pulp was consumed more than the other mixture. Fresh pulp significantly depressed nutrient digestibilities at all levels of supplementation relative to basal forage (P &lt; 0.05), while those of dried samples were about the same with the values for the basal ration. Red Sokoto and West African dwarf goats retained 39.29 and 41.34g/N/100g/N consumed respectively when fed on forage only, but 11.43 and 17.03, 14 11 and -14.22, -2.48 and 15.23g N/100g N consumed respectively when fed on grass/fresh citrus mixtures. The corresponding N retention for West African dwarf goats were 38.51, 31.86 and 40.01g N/100g N when fed the forage dried citrus mixtures. The digestible energy (DE) and metabolizable energy (ME) intakes for these animals were optimal at the 25 and 50% citrus supplementation. There was highly significant correlation between ME intake and liveweight changes throughout the experiment (P &lt;0.01]). Animals fed on forage fresh pulp mixtures lost weights (-0.59 &lt;0.01 kg/ animal/week) in Trial 2, while those on forage-dried citrus mixtures gained weights (0.05 &lt;03 kg/ animal/week) in Trial 3.&#x0D;