Manufacture of pelletised feeds, their storage and quality control

Presentation of feed in its most suitable physical form is key to the successful performance of the feed. The physical design of a feed should be in accordance with the feeding habits of the candidate animal and should not cause any impediment to its feeding activity. It is also important to consider that the design of the feed should have the practicability of inexpensive storage and easy way of dispensing. Involvement of sophisticated processing enhances the cost of production. Finfish generally graze the feed. The convenient way of presenting the feed to them is in the form of wet dough, certain fish can also freely feed upon floating pellets and flaked feeds

Scientific basis of fat requirement for Indians and recent trends in CVD

Dietary fats have several roles such as provision of metabolic energy, fat soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids (linoleic, LA and ?-linolenic, ALNA). Fats improve texture and palatability and have a satiety role. LA and ALNA and their long-chain polyunstaturated fatty acids (LC n-6 PUFA and LC n-3 PUFA respectively) are important structural membrane components and therefore essential for formation of new tissues. LC n-3 PUFA have specific role in vision and nervous system. Both n-6 and n-3 PUFA are essential for fetal and early infant growth and development and nervous tissue development.  The absolute levels and ratio of n-6 and n-3 PUFA in membrane affect a wide range of physiological processes either directly or through eicosanoids. The individual components of fats affect the risk of diet - related chronic diseases through the atherogenic effects of plasma lipids, insulin resistance, thrombosis, endothelial dysfunction as well as pathways of inflammation. The chain length/geometric configuration of double bonds and position of saturated (SFA), mono unsaturated (MUFA) or PUFA on glycerol backbone (triglyceride structure) modify the nutritional and metabolic effects of dietary fats. The non-glyceride components present in the vegetable oils have hypocholesterolemic and antioxidant effects. Several lines of evidence have documented that restrictions in SFA and cholesterol, negligible intake of trans fatty acids (TFA) on the one hand and preference for more than one type of vegetable oil (to ensure adequate absolute intakes of LA, ALNA and their ratio), adding n-3 PUFA from fish or plant sources, and ensuring moderate intake of  total fat in  the diet  substantially reduces the risk of diet-related chronic diseases. Studies were done at National Institute of Nutrition  on intake of individual  fatty acids, the pro/anti-athero-thrombogenic effects of different types of visible fats in Indian adults, insulin sensitivity and the antioxidant properties of  unique non glyceride components of some of the  commonly consumed edible oils. From the data generated, the quantity and combination of visible fats, foods to be preferred so as to increase ‘healthy fats', foods to be avoided/restricted to reduce ‘unhealthy fats' have  been worked out. Ensuring optimal intake of fat (quantity and quality) throughout life-span may contribute to the widely prevalent nutrition and health problems in India (low birth weight, chronic energy deficiency and diet-related chronic diseases). The rapid increase in prevalence of diet-related chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, obesity and hypertension worldwide possess an immense public health and medical challenge for the implementation of successful preventive and treatment strategies.  Insulin resistance is an important risk factor for type 2 diabetes and is often associated with other metabolic abnormalities and cardiovascular risk factors. Moreover it is also an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).  Obesity when associated with abdominal adiposity is an important determinant of insulin resistance and represents the most important risk factor for type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome.  The explanation for the explosion of the epidemic of chronic diseases involve changes in dietary habits and or / increasing the sedentary life style, since our genetic pool remained stable.  Poor control of the life style risk factors results in metabolic dysregulation, endothelial dysfunction and increased adiposity which in turn together lead to dyslipidemia, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, systemic inflammation, thrombosis and risk of arrhythmia (1).  The ultimate result is sub clinical and then clinically apparent CVD including coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiac arrhythmia, heart failure and stroke.  The best way of preventing chronic diseases is to take a balanced diet that does not provide excess calories along with regular physical activity.  Over the past few decades evidences that has accumulated suggests that both the quality and quantity of dietary fat is associated with pathogenesis of several diet-related chronic diseases (2)

Social benefits and costs of interventions in coconut based homesteads of central Kerala

A research project on 'possible diversifications and restructuring of coconut based homesteads' was implemented in six agro-ecosystems of Central Zone of Kerala covering three districts namely Palakkad, Thrissur and Eranakulam from the year 2005 to 2008 in a holistic approach with the participation of all the stakeholders. The interventions were selected by the farmers on participatory basis. Analysis of social and monitory benefits consequent to the adoption of interventions showed that all the six dimensions of Social Cost Index Value were found as the lowest in High Elevation-Medium Rainfall situation. Among all the dimensions, exploitation by middlemen was rated as the maximum Social Cost Index Value in almost all the situations and, therefore this dimension requires the attention of policy makers to ensure suitable price for the farm produce. Among the six dimensions in the Social Benefit Index Value, family labour utilisation and self confidence contributed maximum to this attribute. Benefit Index Value. It indicated that, the interventions made in the homesteads fully utilized family labour and enhanced the self confidence of the participating farmers. Social Benefit Cost Ratio was computed as the highest with 2.04 at High Elevation-Medium Rainfall situation and the lowest with 1.07 at Medium Elevation-Low Rainfall situation after three years of adoption of interventions. The interventions on restructuring of coconut based homesteads were found to be economically viable and socially desirable

Determination of growth inhibitors and toxins

Certain feedstuffs contain natural toxins that; at high enough levels, are growth inhibitors and sometimes fatal to the animal consuming them. Principal among these are: (a) Urease-an enzyme found in raw soybean which produces toxicity through the hydrolysis of urea to ammonia; (b) gosaypol-an endogenous toxin present in the gland of cottonseed which persists during production of the meal unless removed by a special process, or, unless, the cotton seed is a glandless variety; (c) Isothiocyanatescyanogenic glycosides are found in linseed and cassava; (d) aflatoxin is a class of extremely potent toxins produced by the mould Aspergillus flavus. Aflatoxin may be present in any materials produced and stored under hot and humid conditions and is usually found in groundnut cake, palm cake, copra cake and maize

Impact of particle size of ingredients in compounded diets on pellet stability and performance in Penaeus indicus H. Milne Edwards

The impact of particle size of ingredients in a research diet and a practical feed in the water stability of pellets. Their digestibility, growth, and food conversion ratio in the prawn Penaeus ;ndicus were investigated. The research diet consisted of casein, code liver oil, sucrose, starch, cellulose and other additives while the practical feed was made up of prawn waste mantis shrimp (Squilla), fish meal, groundnut oil cake and tapioca. Casein in the research diet and prawn waste, mantis shrimp, and groundnut oil cake in the practical feed were prepared into panicles of 500, 420,300,250,2 10, 100, and 50 gm and dry pellets were prepared with ingredients in each size

Proximate composition analysis of feeds

The chemical composition of the feed gives its potential nutritive value and hence, in the assessment of quality of a feed the proximate principles are first determined. The Weende proximate analysis system for analyzing animal feed includes the determination of moisture (dry matter) ether extract (crude fat) crude protein, ash, crude fibre and nitrogen free extract (NFE)

Determination of minerals

Mineral elements have a great diversity of uses within the animal body. The prominence of each mineral element in body tissues is closely related to its functional role. Calcium and phosphorus are too major mineral elements that must be present in adequate amounts in the feeds supplied. The amount of sodium chloride and potassium in certain feeds should also be ascertained to screen out feeds for feeding fish and shellfish