NITROGEN DYNAMICS IN THE RUMEN AND ABOMASUM OF SHEEP DETERMINED WITH 15 N-LABELLED AMMONIA OR 15 N-LABELLED DUCKWEED

An experiment was carried out to investigate the dynamics of nitrogen (N) in the rumen and abomasum of rumen and abomasum-cannulated sheep using 15 N dilution techniques. The 15 N tracer was administered into the rumen as 15 N-ammonia or 15 N-labelled duckweed and the transfer of the 15 N label to various N pools was followed. Flow of digesta from the rumen into the abomasum was ascertained by double marker technique with cobalt and acid insoluble ash as liquid digesta and particle digesta marker, respectively. Results showed that the average of rumen water volume was 4.5 l ± SEM 0.57 and the mean water flow through the abomasum (8.6 ± 0.45 l/d) was higher than outflow from the rumen (7.4 ± 0.55 l/d). Nitrogen intake tended to be higher, but total-N passing the abomasum tended to be lower when the sheep were infused by 15 N-ammonia than when they were ingesting 15 N-duckweed. The ammonia concentration in abomasal digesta was about 93 mg N/kg and non ammonia N (NAN) was about 1.58 g N/kg. The rates of flow of total-N as ammonia-N and as NAN did not differ (P>0.05) between animals or diets, with means (± SEM) of 57.7 ± 0.96 and 964 ± 2.13 mmol/d (or 0.81 and 13.5 g N/d), respectively. About 34-59% of the dietary N was removed from the rumen as ammonia (absorbed and in digesta). The enrichments of rumen ammonia N appeared to have reached plateau values after about 10 h of 15 N-ammonia infusion. The percentage of bacterial-N derived from ammonia-N (from the period of 15 N-ammonia infusion) was 53.63 % (ratio of plateau enrichments) and thus 37.47% of bacterial-N was derived from NAN sources in the rumen. The total 15 N flow through the abomasum was higher (P<0.001) when 5 N duckweed was given rather than 15 N-ammonia (2.40 0.02 mmol/d). The 15 N in NAN flowing to the abomasum (mmol/d) was also significantly higher (P<0.001) when 15 N-duckweed was given rather than 15 N ammonia, with means of 0.00, respectively. The flow of 15 N in ammonia, on the other hand, was lower (P<0.01) when sheep ingested 15 N-duckweed than when they were infused with 15 N-ammonia (0.09  0.00v. 0.13  0.09  mmol/d).Damry 1 Keywords : Nitrogen Dynamics, Rumen, Ammonia-N, Bacterial-

EFFECTS OF DEFAUNATION AND METHIONINE IN THE PRESENCE OF PROTOZOA ON THE FLOW OF MICROBIAL LONG CHAIN FATTY ACIDS FROM THE RUMEN OF SHEEP

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the presence or absence of protozoa in the rumen, and of methionine supplement when protozoa are present in the rumen, on microbial production of LCFA. The study used 12 first-cross Merino x Border Leicester wethers (2 years old) with body weights of between 35 and 44 kg, each was equipped with both rumen and abomasum cannulas. All sheep were offered a mix of 400 g of oaten chaff + 400 g of lucerne chaff per day which was delivered in 24 equal portions at hourly intervals via an overhead automatic-feeding machine. Digesta flow was measured using chromium ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (CrEDTA) complex and dietary acid-insoluble ash (AIA) as the liquid- and particle-digesta marker, respectively. All sheep were firstly defaunation using detergent alkanate 3SL3, and 8 of them were refaunated with a fresh rumen liquid obtained from a normal donor animal. Thus, there were 8 animals in the refaunated group at the commencement of study, 4 of which were intended to receive methionine supplement. However, comparison of refaunated sheep with or without methionine supplement is based on only 3 sheep per cell; 2 animals (1 of the methionine-supplemented and 1 of the methionine-unsupplemented group) were suitable to be included in the analysis. Comparison of defaunated and refaunated sheep was based on 4 sheep per cell. The study showed that the daily flow of dry matter through the abomasum was higher (P0.05) by the presence or absence of protozoa in the rumen. However, the presence of protozoa increased concentration of LCFA in particle-digesta dry matter (P=0.081), the ruminal production (P<0.05) and daily flow of LCFA (0.01). Methionine supplementation did not alter (P 0.05) the concentration of LCFA in digesta, but significantly reduced (P<0.05) the flow of LCFA to abomasum

PRODUKSI DAN KANDUNGAN NUTRIEN HIJAUAN PADANG PENGGEMBALAAN ALAM DI KECAMATAN LORE UTARA, KABUPATEN POSO

A research was performed to study production and nutrient composition of forage produced from a natural grassland in Lore Utara Subdistrict, Poso District. Forage samples were collected from two villages (Winowanga and Alitupu) with a destructive sampling method using a pair of 1 m2 sized quadrant. These samples were then taken to University of Tadulako for dry matter and main nutrient analysis at the Animal Nutrition Laboratory, Animal Science Department. On the basis of dry matter contents, the available dry matter production and carrying capacity were calculated with some assumptions, and all data were descriptically analysed. Results showed that the forage consisted mainly of grass with an average available dry matter production of 941 kg/ha. Average carrying capacity was 0.63 AU/ha/year, calculated assuming 1 AU is equivalent to a 500 kg cattle. Average nutrient contents (g per 100 g) were 6.47 (crude protein), 2.23 (crude fat), 42.71 (crude fibre), 9.98 (ash), and 40.29 (nitrogen free extracts)

Nutritional Qualities of Cocoa Pod Husk Treated with Bioconversion and or Provision of Nitrogen Sources in the Rumen

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of bioconversion using Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ostreatus and or inclusion of Moringa oleifera leaves and urea in the rumen on cocoa pod husk digestibility and fermentation in the rumen. There were 4 treatments tested: (1) 100% untreated cocoa pod husk (UCPH), (2) 55% UCPH + 43.7% M. oleifera + 1.30% urea (UCPHMU), (3) 100% bioconverted cocoa pod husk (BCPH), and (4) 55% BCPH + 44.5 M. oleifera + 0.5% urea (BCPHMU). Each of the treatments was replicated three times. Variables observed were dry matter and organic matter digestibilities and degradabilities, rumen VFA and ammonia concentrations, gas production, and calculated microbial biomass yields. Results indicated that the treatment increased dry matter (P&lt;0.001) and organic matter (P&lt;0.01) digestibility, with the highest for the BCPHMU and the lowest for the UCPH. The treatments also increased dry matter and organic matter degradability in the rumen (P&lt;0.001), with the highest for the BCPHMU, followed by the UCPHMU, and then by the BCPH and the lowest was UCPH. The treatment affected rumen ammonia concentration (P=0.01), the highest value was found for the BCPHMU followed with UCPHMU and BCPH. Microbial biomass synthesis was affected (P&lt;0.001) by the treatment and it was always higher when nitrogen was provided (UCPHMU and BCPHMU). Total VFA concentration or total gas production was higher for BCPHMU compared to other treatments. It can be concluded that nutritional quality of cocoa pod husk can be improved by either bioconversion with P. chrysosporium and P. ostreatus or inclusion of M. oleifera and urea in the rumen, but the best improvement can be obtained by the combination of bioconversion and provision of the nitrogen sources in the rumen

Role of TNFSF9 in germinal centre B cells and lymphoma formation

Members of the TNF superfamily play critical regulatory functions in hematopoietic cell lineage and function. Tnfsf9 is expressed in various hematopoietic cells, including B cells. Its receptor CD137, also known as 4-1BB, has been characterised and studied in the context of T cell activation and cancer immunotherapy. Loss of Tnfsf9 is recurrently found in human germinal centre (GC) B cell derived lymphomas and animals lacking Tnfsf9 develop B cell lymphomas. The use of genetically engineered mouse models may help to understand better the biology and function of Tnfsf9 in physiology and cancer. Here, we discover that animals completely deficient for Tnfsf9 display early in life enlarged lymph nodes and spleen, accompanied by spontaneous formation of large GCs. In addition, we investigate in a B cell specific manner the effects of Tnfsf9 loss and report a similar phenotype of spontaneous GCs. Protein microarray analysis of the sera of these mice shows the presence of both IgM and IgG autoantibodies, accompanied by immunoglobulin deposits in kidneys later in life. However, Tnfsf9 deficient animals do not show signs of overt autoimmune mediated pathology; they develop GC B-cell derived lymphomas with 100% penetrance as they age. We show that B cells deficient for Tnfsf9 display increased survival in vitro, and that this phenotype is accompanied by elevated Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL expression. Mechanistically loss of Tnfsf9 increases the activity of the alternative NF-kB signalling pathway upon BCR activation, by allowing increased nuclear translocation of p52. Our findings have implications for the understanding of B cell survival through the modulation of signals emanating from the BCR, and we report here a potential novel role of Tnfsf9 in linking BCR signalling and the alternative NF-kB pathway

Delipidation and Deproteination of Coconut Dregs Fermented with Aspergillus niger to Produce Prebiotic compounds

Coconut dregs are the waste product of oil extraction, either to produce conventional cooking oil or virgin coconut oil (VCO). These coconut dregs contain mannan compound in the form of galactomannan. Fermentation of this compound could generate mannan-oligosaccharides, having prebiotic properties, due to the presence of mannanase enzyme during fermentation. A study on fermentation of coconut dregs was carried out with a delipidation process using n-hexane and deproteination using NaOH 1M. The fermentation process was done using Aspergillus niger with different duration of fermentation (48, 72, 96, 120 and 144 hours). The fermentation product was placed in the free-air container to kill the fungi and keep the biodegradation process through enzymatic process for 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The products were tested for prebiotic properties through spread plate method using Lactobacillus casei and Escherichia coli. The results of the delipidation process could decreased lipid content to 0.77% and the deproteination process could bring down crude protein of coconut dregs to 1.45%. The highest mannanase activity was found when coconut dregs were fermented for 120 hours with a value of 1.0331U/ml. Hydrolyzate produced during incubation had a prebiotic activity by increasing the population Lactobacillus casei and decreasing population of Escherichia coli. Lactobacillus casei bacteria increased from 2x107 CFU/ml to between 30.6x107 CFU/ml and 35.0x107 CFU/ ml, whereas Escherichia coli bacteria decreased from 2x107 CFU / ml to between 5.3x106 CFU/ml and 8.3x106 CFU/ml. Keywords: Coconut dregs, Aspergillus niger, Prebiotics DOI: 10.7176/JBAH/10-6-03 Publication date:March 31st 2020

Modulation of terahertz polarization on picosecond timescales using polymer-encapsulated semiconductor nanowires

© OSA 2017. We exploit the photoconductivity of semiconductor nanowires to achieve ultrafast broad-bandwidth modulation of THz pulses. A modulation depth of -8 dB was exhibited by a polarizer consisting of 14 layers of nanowires encapsulated in polymer

Aortopulmonary window: a rare congenital heart disease

We report the case of a 3,5 month-old infant presented at cardiology consultation of our institution for investigation of a heart murmur associated with failure to thrive and respiratory distress. Echocardiogram showed dilatation of left heart cavities, patent foramen ovale, small muscular ventricular septal defect and pulmonary hypertension. Angio-CT was performed on a 64-slice CT to better characterize the congenital heart disease. Aortopulmonary window was diagnosed and surgically corrected. Patient evolution was good with discharge 10 days after surgery. The authors review the literature and stress the importance of angio-CT in pre-operative evaluation