Fermentation kinetics of some oil palm by-products as ruminant feeds.

The ruminant industry in Malaysia is still not self-sufficient where smallholder farmers keep the majority of ruminant livestock. Limited pasture and poor quality forages urge them to find alternative feedstuffs which are cheaper, of satisfactory nutritive value and available throughout the year. Oil palm by-products meet these criteria, however their fermentation kinetics in the rumen need to be evaluated. The in vitro fermentation kinetics of selected oil palm by-products, namely the oil palm fronds (OPF), palm kernel cake (PKC) and decanter cake (DC) were evaluated using the in vitro gas production technique. The by-products were assessed at inclusion levels of 100% (raw 100% by-product), 15% (15% by-product + 85% concentrate feed, w/w) and 30% (30% by-product + 70% concentration feed, w/w). The in vitro fermentation of the oil palm by-products was carried out in 100 mL sealed syringes with 0.25 g of substrateand 25 mL of rumen fluid-buffer mixture (1:4 v/v), which were incubated at 39ºC under anaerobic condition for 48 h. Evaluation of the fermentation kinetics was performed on the following parameters, namely gas production, rumen pH, protozoal population, volatile fatty acid (VFA) and long chain fatty acid (LCFA) profiles compared with concentrate feed which acted as the control. The decanter cake (DC) at inclusion levels of 15% and 30% yielded similar gas production, rumen pH, VFA, and total unsaturated fatty acid profile as the concentrate feed. However, the 15% and 30% DC significantly increased the total C18:1 trans fatty acids (p<0.05) compared to the concentrate and the other by-products. It is concluded that the decanter cake showed the greatest potential to be included into ruminant livestock feed which should reduce feed costs, although the increase in the unhealthy trans fatty acids must be taken into account

Meat quality and lipid oxidation of infraspinatus muscle and blood plasma of goats under dietary supplementation of herbal antioxidants.

This study investigated the effect of different antioxidants of dietary supplementation with Andrographis paniculata, turmeric and α-tocopherol on lipid and color stability of Infraspinatous (IS) kacang crossbred goat kids muscle. Four treatments of eight animals each were randomly selected consisting of Control (CN), 400 mg kg-1 Vitamin E (VE), 0.5% kg-1 DMI Turmeric (TU) and 0.5% kg-1 DMI Andrographis paniculata (AP). After 100 days feeding period, goats were slaughtered and infraspinatous muscle was sampled. The muscle was vacuum-packaged and displayed for 0, 7 and 14 days in a chiller at 3-4°C. Percent of drip loss in the IS muscle were not significantly different among of dietary supplementation antioxidants (VE, TU and AP) with CN. Period of display did not affect (p>0.05) drip loss in IS muscle. Percent of cooking loss in the IS muscle were different among of dietary supplementation antioxidants (VE, TU and AP) and AP supplemented diet only decreased significantly (p0.05). TBARS value high significantly increased in aging time at 14 days (p<0.01). Dietary antioxidants supplementation and sampling periods of blood plasma decreased (p<0.05) TBARS value of blood plasma of goats. In conclusion, feeding herbal antioxidants supplementation of male goat kids resulted in a general improvement of blood plasma and IS muscle oxidative stability as compared to feeding a control diet. Meat color deterioration, measured as changes of color descriptors aging (over) time was less pronounced in IS muscle from animals fed herbs (TU and AP) and VE diets than in IS muscle from CN-fed goats

Gastrointestinal parasites in pigs: prevalence and diagnosis

The prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in pigs in Shah Alam abattoir, Selangor was studied. A total of 120 faecal samples were collected. Each faecal sample was examined by direct smear (DS), simple floatation (SF) and formal-ether sedimentation (FES). The results revealed the presence of Balantidium coli (53.3%), Trichuris suis (17.5%), Ascaris suum (15.8%), coccidia (11.6%), strongyles (8.3%), Entamoeba suis (2.5%) and Echinostoma malayanum (1.7%). The detection rates for B. coli and E. malayanum were highest with FES. The detection rates for coccidia, Trichuris suis and strongyles were highest with SF. The detection rates for Ascaris suis and Entamoeba suis were the same with FES and SF. Generally DS had the lowest detection rate compared to FES and SF. The agreement between FES and SF was the highest when compared to SF and DS; FES and DS. It is concluded that the SF remains the method of choice for the detection of gastrointestinal parasites in pigs

Macrocyclic gelators

The field of low molecular weight supramolecular gels, also known as physical gels, has grown rapidly over the last decade. In these gels, small molecules (gelators) self-assemble through non-covalent interactions, usually into a network of fibres, to trap solvent. Many physical gels are responsive to stimuli and often these types of gels can be reversibly converted from gel to sol. These properties make them ideal candidates for investigation into a range of potential applications, including biomedical, smart materials, sensors and catalysts. This review provides an overview of macrocyclic compounds, particularly the calixarenes, that can form supramolecular gels

High-fat diets rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids delay onset of insulin resistance in rats

Insulin resistance is a growing worldwide syndrome that predispose human to a number of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Various studies have indicated that insulin action is highly influenced by diet compositions particularly dietary fat intake and proportion of n-3 and n-6 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA). The current study was designed to assess the influence of High Fat Diet (HFD) with different n-6: n-3 Fatty Acid Ratios (FAR) on insulin sensitivity, plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) and lipoprotein profile. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into four groups and received the isocaloric high fat diets enriched with either high n-6: n-3 fatty acid ratio (HFAR), medium n-6: n-3 fatty acid ratio (MFAR), low n-6: n-3 fatty acid ratio (LFAR) and compared with control rats fed standard chow (CTRL). The plasma insulin level of HFAR fed rats manifested significantly (P<0.05) higher concentration in most of the time points compared to the other groups. The corresponding insulin AUC (ng/L/120min) and insulin sensitivity index of HFAR fed rats appeared to be significantly higher (P<0.05) than CTRL (335.5±38.5), LFAR (273.7±37.6) and MFAR (265.9±21.7) groups. Blood lipid profile were found to be healthier in the LFAR and MFAR supplemented groups with significantly (P<0.05) lower total cholesterol and TAG levels. This study showed the possible protective effect against insulin resistance when low n-6: n-3 fatty acid ratio in high fat diets are applied in a rat model

Effect of antioxidants on post thaw microscopic, oxidative stress parameter and fertility of Boer goat spermatozoa in Tris egg yolk glycerol extender.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of antioxidants on standard semen parameters, lipid peroxidation and fertility of Boer goat semen after cryopreservation. Ejaculates from four bucks were collected, evaluated and pooled at 37. °C. The pooled semen was diluted with Tris citric acid fructose for washing. Semen samples, which were diluted with a Tris-based extender containing the antioxidant ascorbic acid (8.5. mg/ml), butylated hydroxytoluene (2. mM), cysteine (5. mM) and hypotaurine (10. mM) and an extender without antioxidant supplementation were cooled to 4. °C and frozen in 0.25 straws with programmable freezer and finally stored in liquid nitrogen. Data (10 replicates) were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance. Mean (±SEM) progressive motility was significantly higher in ascorbic acid than other supplement groups and control samples (P> 0.05). Best values were observed in ascorbic acid followed by BHT, cysteine, and hypotaurine. Antioxidant supplementation in extender showed significant (P< 0.05) better values than the control group for sperm membrane integrity, acrosome integrity and viability. The ability of antioxidants to reduce the lipid peroxidation (LPO) after freeze thawing was measured by the formation of malondialdehyde (MDA) using the thiobarbituric acid method. Results showed that addition of antioxidants significantly reduced the rate of LPO in comparison to control (P< 0.05). Ascorbic acid exhibited better values (1.27 ± 0.28), than butylated hydroxytoluene, cysteine and hypotaurine 1.32 ± 0.42, 2.27 ± 0.16 and 2.38 ± 0.17 respectively, which are significantly better than control (3.52 ± 0.54). Higher pregnancy rate was observed with ascorbic acid followed by butylated hydroxtolune, hypotaurine and cysteine. However, differences in the fertility rate were non-significant with hypotaurine, cysteine and control group

Effects of long term polyunsaturated fatty acids supplementation on membrane lipid composition and growth characteristics in rats.

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of modifying the n-6:n-3 Fatty Acid Ratio (FAR) of diets using fish oil, soybean oil and butter on growth performance and the fatty acid profile of rat fed with commercial concentrate diet. Fifty individually housed Sprague-Dawley rats (average of 130±2 g of body weight) were fed concentrates at 5% of body weight daily. The treatments consisted of dietary n-6:n-3 FAR of 1.94:1, 5.67:1, 51.82:1 and 61.69:1. After feeding for 20 weeks in individual cages, rats were sacrificed 15 h after feeding and samples of blood were collected. Increasing dietary saturated fatty acid increased the body weight significantly in compared to other treatment groups. Concentrations of n-6:n-3 FAR in plasma increased linearly (p0.05) in rat plasma with different n-6:n-3 FAR. Proportions of oleic acid in plasma were unchanged by diet. The proportion of Arachidonic Acid (AA) decreased (p<0.05) in plasma of rat that fed with low level of n-6:n-3 FAR in compare to the diet with higher level. Proportions of all measured long chain n-3 fatty acids were greater in plasma when diets contained more C22:5 n-3 and 22:6 n-3 from fish oil. By decreasing the dietary n-6:n-3 FAR, the proportions of long chain n-3 fatty acids in plasma increased dramatically; specifically, 22:6 n-3 and 22:5 n-3

Changes in blood parameters and electroencephalogram of cattle as affected by different stunning and slaughter methods in cattle

The present study aimed to provide a comparative analysis of the effects of penetrative stunning, non-penetrative stunning and post-slaughter stunning on biochemical parameters and electroencephalogram (EEG) associated with stress in heifers and steers. Ten animals were assigned to each of the following four treatment groups: (1) animals were subjected to conventional halal slaughter (a clean incision through the structures on the ventral neck at the approximate level of vertebrae C2–C3 – the trachea, oesophagus, carotid arteries and jugular veins) and post-cut penetrating mechanical stun within 10–20 s of the halal cut (U); (2) high-power non-penetrating mechanical stunning using a mushroom-headed humane killer, followed by conventional halal slaughter (HPNP); (3) low-power non-penetrating mechanical percussive stunning using a mushroom-headed humane killer, followed by conventional halal slaughter (LPNP); and (4) penetrative stunning using a captive-bolt pistol humane killer, followed by conventional halal slaughter (P). For each animal, blood samples and electroencephalogram recordings were taken before stunning, post-stunning (if applicable) and post-slaughter, and plasma concentrations of cortisol, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), adrenaline, noradrenaline and β-endorphin were determined. Irrespective of the stunning method, except for percentage change in plasma concentrations of noradrenaline, the values of blood parameters attained before and after stunning were not significantly different. The plasma noradrenaline concentration of the HPNP animals was significantly elevated following stunning. Following slaughter, the percentage change of plasma ACTH concentration in the P animals was significantly elevated. Neither stunning method nor sampling time had a significant effect on plasma β-endorphin concentration. On the basis of the EEG results, penetrative stunning seemed to be better in maximising the possibility of post-stunning insensibility, whereas U animals appeared to demonstrate an evident increase in EEG activity which is consistent with the presence of post-slaughter noxious stimuli associated with tissue cut and injury. The U animals had consistently higher, if not the highest, RMS values than did other stunned animals. This indicates a degree of EEG changes associated with stress and pain. On the basis of EEG data, our results suggested that penetrative stunning would be the most reliable method of ensuring insensibility and minimising pain. However, at slaughter, the P animals showed a dramatic elevation in the percentage change of circulating ACTH, suggesting physiological stress response. On a cautionary note, the results are not unequivocal, and it may be that the range of analyses available to researchers at this point of time are not sufficiently specific to allow definitive conclusions to be drawn

Effect of hypotaurine and cysteine on sperm cytological parameters of cooled and post thaw boer goat semen.

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of antioxidant additives (hypotaurine and cysteine) in different concentrations to the cryopreserving media on the semen cytological parameters pre freezing and post thawing (motility, membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity and viability).The experiment was done on 30 ejaculates collected by artificial vagina method from 5 boer goat bucks during April to May 2011. After collection, ejaculates qualifying standard criteria were pooled. Pooled ejaculates were washed for seminal plasma removal and then diluted in medium based on Tris in which antioxidants were added in various concentrations (hypotaurine 5, 10 and 20mM; cysteine 5, 10 and 20mM) or without antioxidants (control). The diluted semen was cooled at 4ºC, filled in 0.25ml French straws and then stored in liquid nitrogen. The results showed that semen quality did not differ (P < 0.05) in terms of morphology and acrosome integrity with antioxidants supplementation after cooling. Hypotaurine and cysteine significantly improved the characteristics of boer goat semen motility, membrane integrity, morphology, acrosome integrity and viability after cryopreservation. Addition of hypotaurine at 10mM and cysteine at 5mM concentration leads maximum improvement in liquid and frozen boer goat sperm cytological characteristics

Effect of feeding Lupin (Lupinusangustifolius) on carcass composition of Boer goat

This study was undertaken to measure the effects of different dietary treatments on carcass composition of Boer goats. The main protein source in the diet was Lupinusangustifolius and other ingredients were palm kernel expeller (PKE), soya bean meal, fish meal, wheat pollard, corn, molasses, crude palm oil, broken rice, and Brachariahumidicola hay. The protein level and energy level in all treatment diet was isocaloric and isonitrogenous (Crude Protein ~ 16.3% and Metabolizable Energy ~ 10.3MJ/kg). The Lupin composition in three treatment diets was 0%, 10% and 30%, respectively. Twenty four Boer goats, age 8-9 months old were used in this study which was divided into three equal groups. The adaptability period was 14 days and the feeding trial goes for 103 days. All goats were slaughtered according to Malaysian Halal Protocol 2009. The results revealed no significant differences (P<0.05) in the initial weight, final weight, weight gain, hot carcass weight, cold carcass weight and dressing percentage among the groups. There was also no significant difference on carcass composition: production of lean meat, and bone to fat ratio among the groups. Thus, this study showed that Lupin can be used as an alternative for protein source in goats reared in tropical condition and its performance in term of weight gain and carcass composition is as good as soybean meal