Effect of added dietary lysine and methionine above recommended levels, on growth performance, breast meat yield and financial returns in broilers

This study investigated the effect of added lysine and methionine above recommended levels in broiler diets, on their growth, breast meat yield and financial returns. A total of 175 one-day-old Cobb 500 chicks were assigned to seven dietary treatments in a completely randomized design. Treatment one (T1) was a control diet formulated to breed specifications. Treatments two (T2) and three (T3) contained 1.2 times recommended levels of Lys and Met respectively. Treatment four (T4) contained Lys and Met at 1.2 times recommended levels. Treatments five (T5) to seven (T7) had similar combinations of Lys and Met as T2 to T4 but their inclusions were 1.4 times recommended levels. On day 43 five birds per treatment were slaughtered for breast meat yield measurements. Broilers on T6 had heavier (P<0.05) breast meat (691.6 g) and tenderloin weights (126.4 g) compared to birds on T1 (491.2 and 93.8 g respectively). The premium on the price of breast meat more than offset the added feed cost of the nutrient dense diets. However, if the finished dressed broilers are to be sold whole and uncut, this trial showed that it is better to feed the birds at the manufacturers recommended levels of Lys and Met. Keywords: Lysine; Methionine; Broilers; Breastmeat; Financial analysi

Apparent Nutrient Digestibility of Farm-made and Commercial Tilapia Diets in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

Aims: To determine the apparent digestibility of gross nutrients in a farm-made tilapia grower diet, ARDECFEED and those of two commercial ones, RAANAN and COPPENS in Oreochromis niloticus with a view of establishing whether all the diets would be well utilized by O. niloticus, the most cultured fish in Ghana. Study Design: Completely Randomized Design. Place and Duration of Study: The Aquaculture Research and Development Centre (ARDEC), Akosombo, of Water Research Institute (WRI) of Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Ghana, in November, 2015. Methodology: Each of the diets was finely milled separately and subsequently sieved. Exactly 0.5% of chromic oxide (Cr2O3) was incorporated into 99.5% of each diet type. Nine plastic tanks (about 0.10 m2 bottom area), each with 45.0 L total volume capacity, filled with 30.0 L of water. Aeration in the tanks was maintained by the insertion of air stones. Monosex male O. niloticus with mean weight 22.8 ± 2.1 g were randomly divided into three groups of 4 fish (three treatments in triplicate) and stocked in the tanks. The fish were fed twice a day (0900 and 1500 hours) at a rate of 6% of their body weight with the various diets for 20 days. Faeces were collected for about two weeks. An indirect method of measuring digestibility was used to calculate the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADCs) of nutrients of the diets.   Results: There were significant differences (P < .05) in the ADCs of all the parameters in all the dietary treatments. The apparent nutrient digestibility coefficients were high (> 65%) in all the diets. The digestibility of crude protein, crude lipid and carbohydrate ranged from 77.49 to 87.02%, 81.46 to 93.90% and 65.28 to 85.94% respectively. Conclusion: All the diets can be well utilized by O. niloticus, hence they will be appropriate for commercial production of Nile tilapia

The Effect of Feeding Sorghum-Barley Brewer’s Spent Grain (Sbbsg) on Performance and Egg Quality of Laying Hens

The objective of the study was to establish if inclusion of Sorghum-Barley Brewer’s Spent Grain (SBBSG) in laying hen diets will affect laying performance and egg quality. A total of 300 Bovan Brown laying hens (37 weeks old) were randomly allocated in a completely randomized design, to five dietary treatments, T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, representing 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20% SBBSG inclusion in the diets, respectively. Each treatment was replicated 4 times and the trial lasted 112 days. Feed and water were provided ad-lib. Eggs laid were collected twice daily and laying performance and egg quality characteristics determined. There were no significant differences (P>0.05) among treatment diets for hen day and hen housed egg production, daily feed intake and egg weight. FCE was similar for T4 and T5 (0.54 and 0.54 respectively) and significantly better (P<0.05) than for T1, T2 and T3 (0.53, 0.53 and 0.53 respectively). Birds on T5 had eggs with significantly thicker shells (0.44mm) than that of birds on T1 to T4 (0.42, 0.42, 0.43 and 0.42 mm respectively). Birds that had no SBBSG in their diet (T1) had egg yolks with the highest cholesterol concentration (414.9 mg/dl). This was significantly higher (P<0.05) than cholesterol concentration of eggs from T2, T3, T4 and T5 (266.66, 279.62, 243.52 and 246.61mg/d), respectively. Feed cost per kg egg produced for birds on T5 was 1.33 GH¢. This was significantly lower (P<0.05) than feed cost for birds on T1 (1.41 GH¢) and similar (P>0.05) to birds fed T2 to T4 (1.38, 1.37 and 1.35 GH¢), respectively. The present study shows that SBBSG can effectively be included in laying hen diets up to 20% without any adverse effect on laying performance and egg quality while at the same time reducing egg cholesterol content and being cheaper.Keywords: Sorghum-Barley Brewer’s Spent Grain (SBBSG), Layers, Egg Qualit

Adverse events and adherence to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis: a cohort study at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana

BACKGROUND: There is strong evidence that post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with antiretroviral drugs in the timely management of occupational exposures sustained by healthcare workers decreases the risk of HIV infection and PEP is now widely used. Antiretroviral drugs have well documented toxicities and produce adverse events in patients living with HIV/AIDS. In the era of "highly active antiretroviral therapy", non-adherence to treatment has been closely linked to the occurrence of adverse events in HIV patients and this ultimately influences treatment success but the influence of adverse events on adherence during PEP is less well studied. METHODS: Following the introduction of a HIV post-exposure prophylaxis program in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in January 2005, the incidence of adverse events and adherence were documented in occupationally-exposed healthcare workers (HCWs) and healthcare students (HCSs). Cohort event monitoring was used in following-up on exposed HCWs/HCSs for the two study outcomes; adverse events and adherence. All adverse events reported were grouped by MedDRA system organ classification and then by preferred term according to prophylaxis regimen. Adherence was determined by the completion of prophylaxis schedule. Cox proportional regression analysis was applied to determine the factors associated with the cohort study outcomes. Differences in frequencies were tested using the Chi square test and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 228 exposed HCWs/HCSs were followed up during the study, made up of 101 exposed HCWs/HCSs administered lamivudine/zidovudine (3TC/AZT) for 3 days; 75 exposed HCWs/HCSs administered lamivudine/zidovudine (3TC/AZT) for 28 days; and 52 exposed HCWs/HCSs administered lamivudine/zidovudine/lopinavir-ritonavir (3TC/AZT/LPV-RTV) for 28 days. The frequency of adverse events was 28% (n = 28) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3 days, 91% (n = 68) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days and 96% (n = 50) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT/LPV-RTV for 28 days. Nausea was the most commonly reported adverse events in all three regimens. Adherence was complete in all exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3days, 56% (n = 42) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days and 62% (n = 32) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT/LPV-RTV for 28 days. In the Cox regression multi-variate analysis, exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3 days were 70% less likely to report adverse events compared with exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days (Adjusted HR = 0.30 [95% CI, 0.18-0.48], p < 0.001). Exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3 days were 75% more likely to adhere to the schedule compared with exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days (Adjusted HR = 1.75 [95% CI, 1.16-2.66], p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The intolerance to adverse events was cited as the sole reason for truncating PEP, thereby indicating the need for adequate, appropriate and effective counselling, education, active follow-up (possibly through mobile /phone contact) and management of adverse events. Education on the need to complete PEP schedule (especially for exposed HCWs/HCSs on 28-day schedule) can lead to increased adherence, which is very critical in minimizing the risk of HIV sero-conversion. The present results also indicate that cohort event monitoring could be an effective pharmacovigilance tool in monitoring adverse events in exposed HCWs/HCSs on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis

Adverse events and adherence to HIV post-exposure prophylaxis : a cohort study at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, Ghana

BACKGROUND: There is strong evidence that post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) with antiretroviral drugs in the timely management of occupational exposures sustained by healthcare workers decreases the risk of HIV infection and PEP is now widely used. Antiretroviral drugs have well documented toxicities and produce adverse events in patients living with HIV/AIDS. In the era of "highly active antiretroviral therapy", non-adherence to treatment has been closely linked to the occurrence of adverse events in HIV patients and this ultimately influences treatment success but the influence of adverse events on adherence during PEP is less well studied. METHODS: Following the introduction of a HIV post-exposure prophylaxis program in the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in January 2005, the incidence of adverse events and adherence were documented in occupationally-exposed healthcare workers (HCWs) and healthcare students (HCSs). Cohort event monitoring was used in following-up on exposed HCWs/HCSs for the two study outcomes; adverse events and adherence. All adverse events reported were grouped by MedDRA system organ classification and then by preferred term according to prophylaxis regimen. Adherence was determined by the completion of prophylaxis schedule. Cox proportional regression analysis was applied to determine the factors associated with the cohort study outcomes. Differences in frequencies were tested using the Chi square test and p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 228 exposed HCWs/HCSs were followed up during the study, made up of 101 exposed HCWs/HCSs administered lamivudine/zidovudine (3TC/AZT) for 3 days; 75 exposed HCWs/HCSs administered lamivudine/zidovudine (3TC/AZT) for 28 days; and 52 exposed HCWs/HCSs administered lamivudine/zidovudine/lopinavir-ritonavir (3TC/AZT/LPV-RTV) for 28 days. The frequency of adverse events was 28% (n = 28) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3 days, 91% (n = 68) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days and 96% (n = 50) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT/LPV-RTV for 28 days. Nausea was the most commonly reported adverse events in all three regimens. Adherence was complete in all exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3days, 56% (n = 42) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days and 62% (n = 32) in exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT/LPV-RTV for 28 days. In the Cox regression multi-variate analysis, exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3 days were 70% less likely to report adverse events compared with exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days (Adjusted HR = 0.30 [95% CI, 0.18-0.48], p < 0.001). Exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 3 days were 75% more likely to adhere to the schedule compared with exposed HCWs/HCSs administered 3TC/AZT for 28 days (Adjusted HR = 1.75 [95% CI, 1.16-2.66], p = 0.008). CONCLUSION: The intolerance to adverse events was cited as the sole reason for truncating PEP, thereby indicating the need for adequate, appropriate and effective counselling, education, active follow-up (possibly through mobile /phone contact) and management of adverse events. Education on the need to complete PEP schedule (especially for exposed HCWs/HCSs on 28-day schedule) can lead to increased adherence, which is very critical in minimizing the risk of HIV sero-conversion. The present results also indicate that cohort event monitoring could be an effective pharmacovigilance tool in monitoring adverse events in exposed HCWs/HCSs on HIV post-exposure prophylaxis