Chemical composition and rumen degradation of diet combinations of cottonseed cake, dried brewer's grains and Lablab purpureus hay incubated in the rumen of fistulated N'dama steers in South-western Nigeria

The chemical composition and dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) degradation characteristics of four diet combinations at four total digestible nutrients (TDN) levels of cottonseed cake (CSC), dried brewer's grains (DBG) and Lablab purpureus hay (LL) which were fed to ruminants in the humid zone of Ibadan, South-west Nigeria, were evaluated. The TDN levels used were 3.5, 4.5, 5.5 and 6.5 kg TDN. The CSC and DBG used are agro-industrial by-products which are used in feeding livestock while the LL is a leguminous plant which is not used much as human feed but is usually grown as forage legume for animal feeding. The completely randomized design with four treatments and three replicates was used. The experiment was carried out in Ibadan, South-western Nigeria during the wet season (June to July). The diets were high in crude protein contents so that they had high nutritional potential for ruminants feeding and productivity. The potential degradability (PD) of dry matter (DM) values ranged from 75.24 to 79.47 g/ 100g DM, while that for the nitrogen (N) degradability ranged between 88.36 and 94.30 g/100g N. The soluble fraction a value of DM degradation and the crude fibre (CF) content of the chemical composition of the diets were significantly correlated (r= 0.644; P= 0.007). The potential degradability (PD) values for both the DM and N degradabilities were not significantly (P>0.05) different among the four treatment diets combinations. Keywords: Chemical composition, degradation, N'dama steers, cotton seed cake, dried brewer's grainsLablab purpureu

Optimal levels of calotropis procera leaf and stem juices for optimal yield and consumer acceptance of West African soft unripened cheese (“wara”) in Ibadan, Oyo state.

Optimal levels of Calotropis procera Leaf Juice (CPLJ) and Calotropis procera Stem Juice (CPSJ) that would give the highest cheese yield with good chemical composition and consumer acceptance as determined by the organoleptic properties were assessed. 14 x 500ml of milk from30 White Fulani cows placed in individual pots were inoculated with 0.00, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75 and 5.00ml Calotropis procera Leaf Juice (CPLJ) and 0.00, 1.25, 2.50, 3.75, 5.00, 6.25, 7.50, 8.75 and 10.00ml Calotropis procera Stem Juice (CPSJ) to assess the amount of juice that will give the highest yield, nutritive value and consumer acceptance of the West African soft unripened cheese (“wara”). Cheese Yield (CY) of 25.85% from 7.50ml of CPSJ and 22.62% from 3.75ml of CPLJ were highest (

Effects of different processing methods on some macro-minerals in West African soft unripened cheese

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different processing methods on some macro-minerals in West African soft unripened cheese. Milk was processed by blending with high speed mixer for five (5) minutes followed by pasteurization of the blended milk (Blended Pasteurized Milk: BPM). Milk was also fortified with 6 % skimmed milk powder (31.50g skimmed milk in 500ml milk) followed by the pasteurization of fortified milk (Fortified Pasteurized Milk: FPM). Raw milk served as the control. Fresh cheese was coagulated from 500ml milk using 3.75 ml (0.75 % v/v) Calotropis procera medium sized (8 x 15 cm) leaf extract as milk coagulant. Each treatment was replicated four (4) times. Range 0.16 – 0.24 % Ca was obtained. The Ca content of fortified pasteurized milk cheese for the cheeses produced was similar to the control. Fortified pasteurized milk cheese contained significantly higher Na and Cl than raw milk cheese. However, Na and Cl values obtained for FPM cheese and BPM cheese were similar being 0.08 and 0.05, 0.06 and 0.04 % Na and Cl respectively. Milk processing method had little (P > 0.05) effect on the K and Mg content of cheese. It was concluded that raw milk should be used in producing West African soft unripened cheese because milk fortification with blended milk and blending with pasteurization of milk significantly increased the Na content of cheese and this may pose some health risks.Keywords: Blended Pasteurized Milk, Fortified Pasteurized Milk, Raw Milk, Cheese, health risk

Performance of sheep fed soybean stover and cassava crumb based diets

A digestibility study was conducted with West African Dwarf (WAD) sheep offered four varieties of soybean stovers (SBS) basal diets, TGx 1019-2EN (SBS1), TGx 1448-2E (SBS2), TGx 1660-19F (SBS3) and TGx 932-2E (SBS4) and a growth study with WAD sheep offered three varieties of soybean stovers SBS1, SBS2 and SBS3 incorporated into three diets such that the roughage source in the diet was a 50:50 mixture of stover and hay supplemented with 15 percent cassava crumb to investigate feed intake, digestibility and body weight change. In Experiment 1, similar (p>0.05) mean voluntary dry matter intake (VDMI) (37.32 (+ or -) 2.19 g kg-1 BW 0.75 day -1) observed for sheep fed SBS1, SBS2 and SBS3 was higher (p0.05) DM mean N-intake (0.68 (+ or -) 0.04 g kg -1 BW 0.75 day -1) of SBS1, SBS2 and SBS4 was higher (p0.05) mean (61.32 (+ or -) 3.08 percent) CPD value of sheep fed SBS1 and SBS3 while sheep fed SBS3 recorded the least (p0.05) mean NDFD value (49.02 (+ or -) 5.90 percent) of sheep fed SBS1, SBS3 and SBS4. In Experiment 2, average VDMI of sheep fed diet I (54.58 (+ or -) 1.93 g kg -1 BW 0.75 day -1) was higher (p<0.05) than the corresponding mean VDMI (48.41 (+ or -) 1.93 g kg -1 BW 0.75 day -1) of sheep fed diets 2 and 3. Similar mean dry matter digestibility (DMD) value (68.25 (+ or -) 1.89 percent) of sheep fed diets 1 and 3 was higher (p<0.05) than DMD value (56.68 (+ or -) 1.89 percent of diet 2. N-retained as percentage of N-intake (g kg -1 BW 0.75 day -1) of sheep fed diet 1 (78.83 (+ or -) 2.58) was higher (p<0.05) than (64.49 (+ or -) 1.58) of diet 2 and (61.3 (+ or -) 2.58) of diet 3 was the lowest (p<0.05) mean value (30.50 (+ or -) 3.13) of diet 2 and 3. Also, sheep fed diet 1 recorded growth rate (g day -1) (18.68 (+ or -) 0.16) which was higher (p<0.05) than 15.38 (+ or -) 0.16 of sheep fed diet 3 and sheep fed diet 2 recorded the lowest (p<0.05) growth rate of 10.99

Morinda lucida aqueous stem bark extract ameliorates hepato-renal dysfunctions in experimental diabetes model

Summary: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is a leading pan-systemic endocrine disorder with attendant high morbidity and mortality owing to its deleterious effects on vital body organs caused by untreated chronic hyperglycemia, attendant oxidative stress and glycation processes. The present study is designed to investigate possible protective role and mechanism(s) of action of 125-500 mg/kg/day of Morinda lucida aqueous stem bark extract (MLASE) on renal and hepatic functions in alloxan-induced hyperglycemic rats for 8 days. Forty-two alloxan-induced hyperglycemiic male Wistar rats were randomly allotted to Groups II-VI and orally treated with 10 ml/kg/day distilled water, 5 mg/kg/day glibenclamide, 125 mg/kg MLASE, 250 mg/kg MLASE, and 500 mg/kg/day MLASE, respectively. Group I normal rats served as untreated control and were orally treated with 10 ml/kg of distilled water, all under same sham-handling. Blood samples were taken for measurement of fasting blood glucose, renal and hepatic function profile. Liver and kidney tissue samples were taken for determination of the activities of oxidative stress markers such as malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and superoxidase dismutase (SOD). Results showed that intraperitoneal injection with 120 mg/kg of alloxan in cold 0.9% normal saline reliably and significantly induced a steadily sustained hyperglycemia which were ameliorated by short-term oral treatment with 125-500 mg/kg/day of MLASE, dose dependently, similar to that ameliorated by the standard antihyperglycemic drug, glibenclamide. Similarly, MLASE significantly mitigated against derangements in the measured renal and hepatic function parameters as well as oxidative stress induced by alloxan-induced hyperglycemia. In conclusion, results of this study showed the protective role of 125-500 mg/kg/day of MLASE in chronic hyperglycemia-associated renal and hepatic dysfunctions which was mediated via antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of MLASE.Keywords: Induced hyperglycemia, hepatic and renal function profile, oxidative stress markers, Morinda lucid

Efeito do extrato aquoso de leucena na germinação e no desenvolvimento do milho Effect of aqueous extract of leucaena on germination and growth of corn

Foram desenvolvidos bioensaios, na Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Milho e Sorgo (CNPMS), para avaliar o efeito de extratos aquosos, a frio e a quente, da parte aérea de leucena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit.), sobre a germinação e o desenvolvimento das plantas de milho (Zea mays L.). Os extratos foram preparados na concentração 20% (p/v), e avaliados em solo e papel- germiteste, em casa de vegetação, e em papel-filtro em laboratório. O extrato obtido com água fria (EF) e aplicado ao solo não causou nenhum efeito fitotóxico sobre a germinação e o desenvolvimento das plantas de milho. O extrato obtido com água quente (EQ), quando aplicado em papel-germiteste ou papel-filtro, causou redução no comprimento da raiz seminal, mas não interferiu na germinação das sementes de milho. O comprimento da raiz seminal foi um indicador mais sensível aos efeitos do EQ do que a germinação.<br>Bioassays were carried out at Embrapa-Centro Nacional de Pesquisa de Milho e Sorgo (CNPMS), to evaluate the effect of leucaena (Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) De Wit.) cold and hot aqueous extracts on germination and growth of corn (Zea mays L.). Extracts at 20% (w/v) concentration were used in greenhouse on soil and germitest paper, and on filter paper under laboratory conditions. Results indicated that extract obtained with cold water (EC) when applied in soil had no phytotoxic effect on germination and plant growth. Extraction with hot water (EH) caused reduction in root length, but had no effect on maize seeds germination. The root length was more efficient as a sensitive indicator to EH than germination