Nutrient composition, pest and microbial status and effects of discarded biscuits on the growth performance, carcass characteristics and economic profiles of growing-finishing pigs

A ten-week experiment was conducted to evaluate discarded biscuits (DB) as an alternative to maize in pig diets. Proximate composition, pest and microbial status of the DB and its effects on growth performance, economics of production and carcass characteristics of growing-finishing pigs were determined. Twenty Large White starter pigs aged 9-10 weeks with an average initial weight of 16.6kg were allotted to 4 dietary treatments with 5 replicates in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) based on their weight and sex. They were fed ad libitum with isonitrogenous diets containing 0%, 10%, 20% and 30% levels of DB replacing similar amounts of maize and labelled 0%DB (Control), 10%DB, 20%DB and 30%DB, respectively. Prior to the feeding trial, samples of the DB were studied for their proximate composition, pest and microbial status. The DB contained 17.0% moisture, 9.90% crude protein (CP), 0.63% crude fibre (CF), 11.0% ether extract (EE), 0.50% ash and 60.97% nitrogen-free extract (NFE). Tribolium species was the main insect pest identified in the samples; both live and dead forms were observed. The microbial analysis uncovered three (3) fungi species, namely Penicillium sp., Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus versicolor with Penicillium sp. being the most dominant. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences in the values for the average daily feed intake (ADFI), total feed intake (ATFI), daily weight gain (ADWG), total weight gain (ATWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) for the four dietary treatments. There was a linear decrease in feed cost as the level of DB increased in the diet, and the cost of gain followed a similar trend. Carcass characteristics were similar (P>0.05). It was concluded that DB could constitute as much as 30% of the diet and replace about 60% of the maize in the diet of growing pig without any adverse effect on growth performance and carcass characteristics.Keywords: Back fat, discarded biscuit, carcass, insect pests, microbial status, pig

A Host Small GTP-binding Protein ARL8 Plays Crucial Roles in Tobamovirus RNA Replication

Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), like other eukaryotic positive-strand RNA viruses, replicates its genomic RNA in replication complexes formed on intracellular membranes. Previous studies showed that a host seven-pass transmembrane protein TOM1 is necessary for efficient ToMV multiplication. Here, we show that a small GTP-binding protein ARL8, along with TOM1, is co-purified with a FLAG epitope-tagged ToMV 180K replication protein from solubilized membranes of ToMV-infected tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) cells. When solubilized membranes of ToMV-infected tobacco cells that expressed FLAG-tagged ARL8 were subjected to immunopurification with anti-FLAG antibody, ToMV 130K and 180K replication proteins and TOM1 were co-purified and the purified fraction showed RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity that transcribed ToMV RNA. From uninfected cells, TOM1 co-purified with FLAG-tagged ARL8 less efficiently, suggesting that a complex containing ToMV replication proteins, TOM1, and ARL8 are formed on membranes in infected cells. In Arabidopsis thaliana, ARL8 consists of four family members. Simultaneous mutations in two specific ARL8 genes completely inhibited tobamovirus multiplication. In an in vitro ToMV RNA translation-replication system, the lack of either TOM1 or ARL8 proteins inhibited the production of replicative-form RNA, indicating that TOM1 and ARL8 are required for efficient negative-strand RNA synthesis. When ToMV 130K protein was co-expressed with TOM1 and ARL8 in yeast, RNA 5′-capping activity was detected in the membrane fraction. This activity was undetectable or very weak when the 130K protein was expressed alone or with either TOM1 or ARL8. Taken together, these results suggest that TOM1 and ARL8 are components of ToMV RNA replication complexes and play crucial roles in a process toward activation of the replication proteins' RNA synthesizing and capping functions

Nutrient composition, insect pests and microbial population in rice bran samples from some mills in Kumasi and its environs

No Abstract. Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 23(1) 2003: 1-

Nutrient composition, availability, current and potential uses of dusa: a cereal by-product obtained from \'koko\' (porridge) production

Samples of Dusa, a cereal by-product derived from \'koko\' (porridge) production, from twenty \'koko\' producers located at Aboabo, Akwatia Line, Dagomba Line, Adukrom, Roman Hill and Sabon-Zongo, all suburbs of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana were analysed to determine nutrient composition, establish the extent of availability, the current and potential uses. Questionnaires were administered at each production site to determine, inter alia, the type of cereals used, production processes, the extraction rate and cost (¢/kg) of dry Dusa. The samples were analysed for their proximate composition and (%) NDF, ADF and Hemicellulose. The mean DM, CP, EE, CF, Ash and NFE ranged between 89.58-93.02, 10.51-21.86, 1.42-5.38, 4.70-10.77, 0.68-4.55 and 58.29-68.89% respectively and the corresponding mean NDF, ADF and Hemicellulose ranged from 27.56-62.47, 6.52-14.95 and 18.76-50.08%. There were significant (p < 0.05) differences between the products from the different sites with respect to their DM, CP, CF, Ash and NFE contents. The survey showed that mainly backyard farmers patronised Dusa and the data collected indicated that the extraction rate for Dusa was 9.02%. The price of dry Dusa ranged between ¢200.00 and ¢300.00/kg. Dusa is comparable to other cereal by-products such as rice bran, maize bran, wheat bran, etc. in nutrient composition and can therefore be used in ration formulation for both ruminant and non-ruminant livestock. Keywords: \'koko\', dusa, nutrient composition Journal Of Science And Technology Vol. 25 (1) 2005: 33-4

The nutritive value of quality protein maize in the diets of broiler chickens

Two experiments, each lasting 6 weeks, were conducted to evaluate quality protein maize (QPM) as a feed gredient for broiler chickens. In Experiment 1, either normal hybrid maize (NM) or QPM was used as the sole source of protein and amino acids, and the diets were balanced for vitamins and minerals by the addition of a vitamin-mineral premix. These diets were compared with a balanced 21 per cent crude protein starter-finisher broiler diet. In Experiment 2, broiler chicks were fed combined starter-finisher diets of varying protein contents in which QPM replaced normal maize. The aim was to assess the potential for reducing dietary fishmeal incorporation as QPM replaced normal maize. In both experiments, feed and water were supplied ad libitum. The parameters measured included feed intake, growth rate, feed conversion efficiency, and carcass characteristics. The economics of broiler production was determined in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, birds receiving QPM as the sole source of amino acids performed significantly better (