Effect of dietary protein source on piglet meat quality characteristics

An experiment was conducted to examine the effects of different dietary protein sources (soybean meal vs whey protein) on piglet meat quality characteristics. Eighteen castrated male Large White × Duroc × Landrace piglets were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Piglets were kept in individual metabolic cages and fed ad libitum over a period of 38 days the following 2 diets: diet SB, which was formulated to meet the nutrient requirements of piglets using soybean meal as the main crude protein source and diet WP, where SB was totally replaced by a mixture of whey proteins on equal digestible energy and crude protein basis. At the end of the experiment, piglets were weighed and slaughtered. After overnight chilling, samples of Longissimus dorsi muscle were taken and were used for meat quality measurements.         No significant differences were observed in the values of pH, colour, water holding capacity, shear force and intramuscular fat content of L. dorsi muscle between the dietary treatments. Measurement of lipid oxidation values showed that dietary supplementation with different protein sources did not influence meat antioxidant properties during refrigerated storage. The SB piglets had lower 14:0 (P<0.01) and higher 18:3n-3 (P<0.001) levels in intramuscular fat in comparison with WP piglets. However, these changes were attributed to background differences in the dietary FA profile and not to a direct protein source effect. The results of this preliminary study indicate that the examined dietary protein sources (soybean meal or whey protein) do not have a significant effect on meat quality characteristics of piglets

Effects of olive pulp addition to broiler diets on performance, selected biochemical parameters and antioxidant enzymes

H παραγωγή ελαιόλαδου δημιουργεί ορισμένα υποπροϊόντα τα οποία μπορούν να χρησιμοποιηθούν στη διατροφή των ζώων. Αυτά τα υποπροϊόντα περιέχουν αρκετές πολυφαινολικές ενώσεις που ενδέχεται να παρουσιάζουν αντιοξειδωτικές ιδιότητες. Η παρούσα μελέτη σχεδιάστηκε για να αξιολογήσει την επίδραση της προσθήκης πάστας ελαιόκαρπου στο σιτηρέσιο ορνιθίων κρεοπαραγωγής στην ανάπτυξη, στην απόδοση σε σφάγιο και στην ενεργότητα ορισμένων αντιοξειδωτικών ενζύμων. Διακόσιοι (200), νεοσσοί κρεοπαραγωγής Cobb 500, ηλικίας μιας ημέρας, εκτράφηκαν για συνολικά 42 ημέρες. Υπήρξαν 4 διατροφικές επεμβάσεις. Στην επέμβαση T1 δεν προστέθηκε πάστα ελαιόκαρπου στο εναρκτήριο, ανάπτυξης και τελικό σιτηρέσιο. Στην επέμβαση Τ2, η πάστα ελαιόκαρπου προστέθηκε στο εναρκτήριο, ανάπτυξης και τελικό σε επίπεδο 0, 2,5 και 5% αντιστοίχως. Στην επέμβαση Τ3, η πάστα ελαιόκαρπου προστέθηκε στα τρία σιτηρέσια σε επίπεδο 0, 5 και 5% αντιστοίχως, ενώ στην επέμβαση T4 σε επίπεδο 0, 5 και 8% αντιστοίχως. Μελετήθηκε η ανάπτυξη, η απόδοση σε σφάγιο και ένας αριθμός βιοχημικών παραμέτρων. Η oλευρωπεΐνη και η υδροξυτυροσόλη ανιχνεύτηκαν στην πάστα ελαιόκαρπου σε επίπεδα 952 και 216 mg/kg αντιστοίχως. Τα ορνίθια αναπτύχθηκαν καλά και δεν παρατηρήθηκαν διαφορές μεταξύ των επεμβάσεων στο τελικό σωματικό βάρος, την απόδοση σε σφάγιο, την ολική αντιοξειδωτική ικανότητα και την ενεργότητα των αντιοξειδωτικών ενζύμων. Εφαρμογή της διακριτικής ανάλυσης έδειξε ότι τα δείγματα διακρίνονται βάση του επιπέδου προσθήκης πάστας ελαιόκαρπου. Τα δείγματα των επεμβάσεων Τ2 και Τ3 εντοπίστηκαν στο κέντρο του διαγράμματος απομακρυσμένα από τις άλλες επεμβάσεις παρουσιάζοντας υψηλές τιμές σε απόδοση σε σφάγιο, αναλογία βάρους στήθους προς σωματικό βάρος και ενεργότητα των περισσοτέρων αντιοξειδωτικών ενζύμων. Συμπερασματικά, η πάστα ελαιόκαρπου μπορεί να χρησιμοποιηθεί στα σιτηρέσια ορνιθίων κρεοπαραγωγής έως 5% και μελλοντικές μελέτες σε πραγματικές συνθήκες εκτροφής ίσως αναδείξουν περαιτέρω τις θετικές επιδράσεις αυτού στην απόδοση και αντιοξειδωτική προστασία των ορνιθίων.Olive oil production generates various by-products that can be used in animal nutrition. These by-products contain several polyphenolic compounds that may exhibit antioxidant properties. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of adding olive pulp to the feed on broiler performance, carcass yield and antioxidant enzymes. Two hundred (200), as hatched, day-old, Cobb 500 broilers were reared in total for 42 days. There were 4 dietary treatments. In T1 treatment, no olive pulp was added to starter, grower and finisher diet. In T2 treatment, olive pulp was added to starter, grower and finisher diet at a level of 0, 2.5 and 5% respectively. In T3 treatment, olive pulp was added to starter, grower and finisher diet at a level of 0, 5 and 5% respectively. In T4 treatment, olive pulp was added to starter, grower and finisher diet at a level of 0, 5 and 8% respectively. Performance, carcass yield and a number of biochemical parameters were examined. Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol were present in the olive pulp at 952 and 216 mg/kg respectively. Broilers performed well and no differences were observed between treatments on final body weight, carcass yield, total antioxidant activity and expression of selected antioxidant enzymes. Discriminant analysis was further applied and revealed that samples clustered according to added level of olive pulp. Samples from broilers fed T2 and T3 diet were located in the middle of the plot away from other treatments exhibiting high values of carcass, breast yield and most of the antioxidant enzyme activities. In conclusion, olive pulp can be used up to 5% in diets of broilers and future studies conducted on-farm conditions may pronounce its impact on growth performance and antioxidant potential

The Food for Feed Concept: Redefining the Use of Hotel Food Residues in Broiler Diets

The large quantities of food waste that are generated every year have raised management concerns. Animal diets might be a feasible strategy for utilizing food waste and partially replacing commercially available feedstuffs. The present study examined the potential use of food waste originating from hotels for broiler chickens’ diets. Two hundred and forty (240) one-day-old broilers were allocated into four treatment groups, namely, control (C), non-meat treatment (NM), non-sterilized treatment (NS) and sterilized treatment (S), each with 5 replicate pens of 12 broilers. The experimental period lasted 42 days. Several parameters were recorded throughout the experiment, such as the initial and final body weight, the feed conversion ratio (FCR), the traits, some biochemical and hematological parameters, the weight of internal organs and selected breast meat quality indices. The results showed no major differences in health parameters and the carcass quality traits. There was also no difference in growth rate between the three groups (C, NS, S), but broilers fed the NM diet (without meat remnants) had a significantly lower growth rate by 11.4% compared to the control. Food waste residues can be an alternative feedstuff for broiler chickens and can maintain performance at acceptable levels

A life-threatening case of disseminated nocardiosis due to Nocardia brasiliensis

Nocardiosis is a rare disease caused by infection with Nocardia species, aerobic actinomycetes with a worldwide distribution. A rare life-threatening disseminated Nocardia brasiliensis infection is described in an elderly, immunocompromised patient. Microorganism was recovered from bronchial secretions and dermal lesions, and was identified using molecular assays. Prompt, timely diagnosis and appropriate treatment ensured a favorable outcome

Pleural effusion causing cardiac tamponade: Report of two cases and review of the literature

We report on two patients who developed large left-sided pleural effusions in association with hemodynamic compromise. in both cases transthoracic echo cardiography demonstrated left ventricular diastolic collapse confirming our clinical suspicion of cardiac tamponade. Large-volume thoracentesis in the first case and thoracotomy with drainage of the pleural collection in the second case resulted in immediate hemodynamic improvement. Our report shows that large pleural effusions can result in impaired cardiac filling and a tamponade-like physiology. Thoracentesis in this setting can lead to rapid improvement of the hemodynamic profile

Failure of tigecycline to treat severe Clostridium difficile infection

Clostridium difficile infection is an emerging and often difficult-to-treat iatrogenic complication. Recent data suggest that tigecycline, a novel antibiotic with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity, can be used successfully to treat patients with severe Clostridium difficile infection. We report a 70-year-old man who developed severe Clostridium difficile infection, was admitted to the intensive care unit and eventually succumbed to complications of his illness despite receiving tigecycline for approximately three weeks in combination with vancomycin, metronidazole and intravenous immunoglobulin. Additionally, we discuss the unique challenges that emerged during tigecycline treatment, such as the development of Proteus mirabilis bacteraemia and of colonisation with Acinetobacter baumannii resistant to tigecycline. Finally, we review data on other cases reported in the medical literature. Even though tigecycline looks promising for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infection, we urge caution against its indiscriminate use for off label indications

Effects of gestational maternal undernutrition on growth, carcass composition and meat quality of rabbit offspring.

An experiment was conducted in order to evaluate the effects of gestational undernutrition of rabbit does on growth, carcass composition and meat quality of the offsprings. Thirty primiparous non lactating rabbit does were artificially inseminated and randomly divided in three treatment groups: Control (C; fed to 100% of maintenance requirements throughout gestation, n = 10), early undernourished (EU; fed to 50% of maintenance requirements during days 7-19 of gestation, n = 10) and late undernourished (LU; fed to 50% of maintenance requirements during days 20-27 of gestation, n = 10). During the 4th week of the gestation period, LU does significantly lost weight compared to C and EU groups (P<0.05). At kindling, C does produced litters with higher proportions of stillborn kits (P<0.05) while the total litter size (alive and stillborn kits) was not different among groups (10.7, 12.8 and 12.7 kits in C, EU and LU groups, respectively). Kit birth weight tended to be lower in the LU group. During fattening, body weight and feed intake were not different among offsprings of the three experimental groups. Moreover, the maternal undernutrition did not have any impact on carcass composition of the offsprings in terms of carcass parts and internal organs weights as well as meat quality of L. lumborum muscle (pH24, colour, water holding capacity and shear values) at slaughter (70 days of age). Therefore, it can be concluded that the gestational undernutrition of the mother does not have detrimental effects on the productive and quality traits of the offsprings

Colistin methanesulfonate and colistin pharmacokinetics in critically ill patients receiving continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration

This report describes the pharmacokinetics of colistin methanesulfonate (CMS) and colistin in five intensive care unit patients receiving continuous venovenous hemodiafiltration. For CMS, the mean maximum concentration of drug in plasma (Cmax) after the fourth dose was 6.92 mg/liter and total clearance (CL) 8.23 liters/h. For colistin, the mean concentration was 0.92 mg/liter and CL/metabolized fraction (fm) 18.91 liters/h. Colistin concentrations were below the current MIC breakpoints, and the area under the concentration-time curve for the free, unbound fraction of the drug over 24 h in the steady state divided by the MIC (fAUC/MIC) was lower than recommended, suggesting that a dosage regimen of 160 mg CMS every 8 h (q8h) is inadequate. Copyright © 2013, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved

Reduction of environmental contamination with multidrug-resistant bacteria by copper-alloy coating of surfaces in a highly endemic setting

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of copper-coating in reducing environmental colonization in an intensive-care unit (ICU) with multidrug-resistant-organism (MDRO) endemicity DESIGN Interventional, comparative crossover trial SETTING The general ICU of Attikon University hospital in Athens, Greece PATIENTS Those admitted to ICU compartments A and B during the study period METHODS Before any intervention (phase 1), the optimum sampling method using 2 nylon swabs was validated. In phase 2, 6 copper-coated beds (ie, with coated upper, lower, and side rails) and accessories (ie, coated side table, intravenous [i.v.] pole stands, side-cart handles, and manual antiseptic dispenser cover) were introduced as follows: During phase 2a (September 2011 to February 2012), coated items were placed next to noncoated ones (controls) in both compartments A and B; during phase 2b (May 2012 to January 2013), all copper-coated items were placed in compartment A, and all noncoated ones (controls) in compartment B. Patients were randomly assigned to available beds. Environmental samples were cultured quantitatively for clinically important bacteria. Clinical and demographic data were collected from medical records. RESULTS Copper coating significantly reduced the percentage of colonized surfaces (55.6% vs 72.5%; P&amp;lt;.0001), the percentage of surfaces colonized by MDR gram-negative bacteria (13.8% vs 22.7%; P=.003) or by enterococci (4% vs 17%; P=.014), the total bioburden (2,858 vs 7,631 cfu/100 cm2; P=.008), and the bioburden of gram-negative isolates, specifically (261 vs 1,266 cfu/100 cm2; P=.049). This effect was more pronounced when the ratio of coated surfaces around the patient was increased (phase 2b). CONCLUSIONS Copper-coated items in an ICU setting with endemic high antimicrobial resistance reduced environmental colonization by MDROs. © 2017 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America