Different carbohydrate sources affect swine performance and post-prandial glycaemic response

The type of starch and fibre in the diet affects several parameters, including glycaemic and insulin response, that are involved in pig growth performance. Four experimental diets for growing pigs differing for carbohydrates source (corn, barley, faba bean and pea) were tested. The diets were analysed in vitro to assess the carbohydrates characteristics, and they were administered to 56 crossbreed growing pigs (Landrace × Large White) randomly divided into four groups (mean age of 95 ± 6 days; body weight 80 kg ± 4 days). Clinical examination and average daily gain were performed before recruitment and after 40 days of experiment. The metabolic effects were investigated by blood count and serum biochemical parameters and by the glycaemic and insulin post-prandial response. The study revealed substantial differences among the diets, suggesting that alternative feedstuffs for swine affect several parameters, including glycaemic and insulin response, with no negative effects on growing performance. The Barley group showed the highest daily weight gain (p <.05) associated with the highest glycaemic (p <.05) and insulin response at 1 and 2 h post-prandial (p <.01), suggesting that the barley-based diet can support performance comparable to that of the corn-based diet in growing pig. By contrast, the lowest glycaemia was observed in the Faba bean group (p <.05), confirming the capacity of this legume to modulate post-prandial glucose levels. Moreover, the ability of some ingredients in lowering glucose and insulin response enriches the knowledge on functional nutrients for animal diets and to prevent the incidence of enteric diseases.Highlights The type of starch and fibre used in the diet highly affected some blood parameters, such as glycaemic and insulin responses. The Barley group showed the highest daily weight gain. Lower glycaemia levels were observed in the Faba bean group compared to the Corn one. Alternative protein sources for swine diets can limit the glycaemic and insulin response with no negative effects on growing performance

Aloe arborescens supplementation in cat diet: Evaluation of effects by in vitro gas production technique

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of Aloe arborescens on organic matter digestibility (OMD), cumulative gas (OMCV) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) production, using the in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT). Three adult cats were fed with a commercial diet (CP 31.21; EE 16.64% as fed) for 20 days before the collection of their faeces used as inoculum. The same diet, used as substrate, was incubated in vitro supplemented with different amounts (0, 0.7, 1.6 and 3.2%) of lyophilised Aloe arborescens. OMD, OMCV and SCFA significantly decreased with the increase of Aloe addition; an increase of L-lactic acid production was detected, even if pH was within physiological range. A potential prebiotic role of the Aloe arborescens car- bohydrates was hypothesised in cats, but it needs further investigations. As a whole, our results show that IVGPT can represent a useful tool for nutritional evaluation of novel ingredient and/or additive also in cats

La adulación entre modelos clásicos y desengaño

La adulación, según observa Starobinski, es una noción que permite examinar unos aspectos de la vida social del punto de vista psicológico, pero, al mismo tiempo, de considerar según la perspectiva social ciertos aspectos de la psicología. En este trabajo se analiza la fenomenología de la adulación / lisonja en varios contextos de la obra, en verso y en prosa, de Quevedo. Retomando el hilo de la tradición clásica, del neoestoicismo y de la crítica cristiana en contra del mundano deseo de bienes terrenales, Quevedo explora el abanico semántico de la noción de lisonja y su fenomenología bajo el perfil social y psicológico. According to Starobinski, the concept of adulation allows to treat from a psychological point of view some aspects of social life and to face as well some aspects of psychological life from a social point of view. This article examines several passages of Quevedo’s work, poetry as well as prose, in which the author explores thoroughly, in both respects, the semantic configuration of «lisonja» deriving his approach from the classical tradition and from the Christian thought as well as from his personal experience

Comparison of nutritional and antinutritional traits among different species (Lupinus albus L., Lupinus luteus L., Lupinus angustifolius L.) and varieties of lupin seeds

In order to promote the use of lupin in pig nutrition, in this research the nutritional characteristics (i.e. dietary fibre, alkaloid and fatty acid profile) and the in vitro gas production of 12 lupin varieties grown in the Mediterranean basin and belonging to three lupin species (Lupinus albus, Lupinus angustifolius and Lupinus luteus) were assessed. Four varieties of L. albus (Asfer, Lublanc, Lutteur and Multitalia) were grown in South Campania. Three varieties of L. luteus (Dukat, Mister and Taper), three of L. angustifolius (Jindalee, Sonet and Wonga) and two of L. albus (Rosetta and Luxor) were grown in Eastern Sicily. Lupinus albus varieties showed interesting nutritional and dietetic characteristics (i.e. high protein and low fibre content); the lipid fraction, rather elevated, is well represented by monounsaturated fatty acids (544 g/kg), whereas saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are less represented (167 g/kg) and the n-3/n-6 ratio (0.510) is the most favourable. Lupinus luteus varieties presented the most remarkable dietetic aspects, in terms of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content (569 g/kg), n-6 PUFA series (490 g/kg), UFA/SFA (5.24) and PUFA/SFA (3.56) ratios and atherogenic (0.059) and thrombogenic (0.100) indices and very low alkaloid content (1.07 mg per 100 g). Lupinus angustifolius varieties showed the least interesting nutritional and dietetic characteristics: low protein and fat content, high fibre level, high SFA amount (248 g/kg) and the lowest favourable nutritional indices (IA: 0.164 and IT: 0.334). Regarding the fermentation process, in L. albus, the tendency to increase the rate of gas production during the early stages of fermentation suggests that the high presence of alkaloids did not affect the in vitro degradability, production of short-chain fatty acids and fermentation process, probably due to their concentration and/or water solubility. Lupinus angustifolius and L. luteus showed intermediate and slightly worse in vitro fermentation patterns respectively. From a nutritional and dietetic point of view, lupin may represent an interesting alternative to soya bean in pig feeding

Influence of dietary hydrogenated palm oil supplementation on serum biochemistry and progesterone levels in dairy goats

The aim of this research was to investigate the influence of hydrogenated palm oil (HPO) added to a dairy goat diet on serum biochemistry and progesterone levels. Thirty pregnant Cilentana dairy goats were equally divided into 2 groups (control [CTR] and HPO groups). After kidding, concentrated feed for both groups was gradually increased up to 400 g/(animal$d), and the HPO group received 50 g/(animal$d) of HPO. Supplementation with HPO significantly increased cholesterol levels (mg/dL, 63.80 vs. 54.68 at 30 d, P 0.05; 78.20 vs. 58.00 at 60 d, P 0.05; 83.80 vs. 57.83 at 120 d, P 0.01) compared with the CTR group although no significant differences were detected for liver and kidney function indicators. Moreover, other biochemical parameters were not affected by HPO supplementation thus suggesting no change occurred in lipid and protein metabolism. Furthermore, a significant correlation was found be- tween progesterone levels and serum cholesterol (r 1⁄4 0.65, P 0.01) although these were not signifi- cantly higher in HPO supplemented goats. The dose and time of HPO supplementation appears critical as regards assessing the limits between the risks and benefits of HPO supplementation in dairy goats. At the tested dose, HPO was well tolerated by the animals and may represent a useful tool to increase energy availability during highly demanding periods

Sicilian Semi- and Supercentenarians: Age-related NK Cell Immunophenotype and Longevity Trait Definition

: The immune system of semi- and supercentenarians (i.e., the oldest centenarians) is believed to have peculiar characteristics that enable them to reach extreme longevity in a relatively healthy state. Therefore, in previous papers, we investigated, through flow cytometry, variations in the percentages of the main subsets of Tαβ and Tγδ cells in a Sicilian cohort of 28 women and 26 men (age range 19-110 years), including 11 long-living individuals (&gt;90 years old) and 8 oldest centenarians. These investigations suggested that some observed immunophenotypic changes may contribute to the extreme longevity of the oldest centenarians. In the present study, to further characterize the immunophenotype of the oldest centenarians, we examined the percentages of Natural Killer (NK) cells identified as CD3-CD56 + CD16+ in the previously described Sicilian cohort. We found a highly significant increase in NK cell percentages with age. When stratified by gender, this significant increase with age was maintained in both sexes, with higher significance observed in males. Our findings on NK cells, together with the previously obtained results, discussed in the context of the literature, suggest that these changes are not unfavourable for centenarians, including the oldest ones, supporting the hypothesis that immune aging should be considered as a differential adaptation rather than a general immune alteration. These adapted immune mechanisms allow the oldest centenarians to successfully adapt to a history of insults and achieve remarkable longevity

In vitro and in vivo studies of Cucurbita pepo L. flowers: chemical profile and bioactivity

Edible flowers consumption has increased in recent years due to their rich content of healthy phytochemicals. The aim of this study was to analyse the chemical profile of Cucurbita pepo L. flowers, and to explore their antioxidant and hypoglycaemic prop- erties. Moreover, in order to assess in vivo effects, biochemical analysis, Reactive Oxygen Metabolites (d-ROMs) and Biological Antioxidant Potential (BAP) tests were performed on mice serum. High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Diode Array Detection (HPLC-DAD) analyses revealed the presence of (þ)-catechin, ()-epicatechin, rutin, and syringic acid as main constituents. 2,20- Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) tests showed interest- ing results. The extract exhibited the strongest inhibitory effect on a-glucosidase (IC50 of 144.77lg/mL). In vivo results confirmed the hypoglycaemic effects, also affecting lipid metabolism but did not revealed benefits on ROS production. These results may add some information supporting the use of C. pepo flowers as func- tional foods and/or nutraceuticals

First Light And Reionization Epoch Simulations (FLARES) VII : The star formation and metal enrichment histories of galaxies in the early Universe

The star formation and metal enrichment histories of galaxies - at any epoch - constitute one of the key properties of galaxies, and their measurement is a core aim of observational extragalactic astronomy. The lack of deep rest-frame optical coverage at high redshift has made robust constraints elusive, but this is now changing thanks to JWST. In preparation for the constraints provided by JWST, we explore the star formation and metal enrichment histories of galaxies at z = 5-13 using the First Light And Reionization Epoch Simulations (FLARES) suite. Built on the EAGLE model, the unique strategy of FLARES allows us to simulate galaxies with a wide range of stellar masses (and luminosities) and environments. While we predict significant redshift evolution of average ages and specific star formation rates, our core result is mostly a flat relationship of age and specific star formation rate with stellar mass. We also find that galaxies in this epoch predominantly have strongly rising star formation histories, albeit with the normalization dropping with redshift and stellar mass. In terms of chemical enrichment, we predict a strong stellar mass-metallicity relation present at z = 10 and beyond alongside significant a-enhancement. Finally, we find no large-scale environmental dependence of the relationship between age, specific star formation rate, or metallicity with stellar mass.Peer reviewe

Different carbohydrate sources affect swine performance and post-prandial glycaemic response

The type of starch and fibre in the diet affects several parameters, including glycaemic and insulin response, that are involved in pig growth performance. Four experimental diets for growing pigs differing for carbohydrates source (corn, barley, faba bean and pea) were tested. The diets were analysed in vitro to assess the carbohydrates characteristics, and they were administered to 56 crossbreed growing pigs (Landrace × Large White) randomly divided into four groups (mean age of 95 ± 6 days; body weight 80 kg ± 4 days). Clinical examination and average daily gain were performed before recruitment and after 40 days of experiment. The metabolic effects were investigated by blood count and serum biochemical parameters and by the glycaemic and insulin post-prandial response. The study revealed substantial differences among the diets, suggesting that alternative feedstuffs for swine affect several parameters, including glycaemic and insulin response, with no negative effects on growing performance. The Barley group showed the highest daily weight gain (p < .05) associated with the highest glycaemic (p < .05) and insulin response at 1 and 2 h post-prandial (p < .01), suggesting that the barley-based diet can support performance comparable to that of the corn-based diet in growing pig. By contrast, the lowest glycaemia was observed in the Faba bean group (p < .05), confirming the capacity of this legume to modulate post-prandial glucose levels. Moreover, the ability of some ingredients in lowering glucose and insulin response enriches the knowledge on functional nutrients for animal diets and to prevent the incidence of enteric diseases.Highlights The type of starch and fibre used in the diet highly affected some blood parameters, such as glycaemic and insulin responses. The Barley group showed the highest daily weight gain . Lower glycaemia levels were observed in the Faba bean group compared to the Corn one. Alternative protein sources for swine diets can limit the glycaemic and insulin response with no negative effects on growing performance