Effects of Fat Supplementation in Dairy Goats on Lipid Metabolism and Health Status

Fat supplementation has long been used in dairy ruminant nutrition to increase the fat content of milk and supply energy during particularly challenging production phases. Throughout the years, advances have been made in the knowledge of metabolic pathways and technological treatments of dietary fatty acids (FAs), resulting in safer and more widely available lipid supplements. There is an awareness of the positive nutraceutical effects of the addition of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) to fat supplementation, which provides consumers with healthier animal products through manipulation of their characteristics. If it is true that benefits to human health can be derived from the consumption of animal products rich in bioactive fatty acids (FAs), then it is reasonable to think that the same effect can occur in the animals to which the supplements are administered. Therefore, recent advances in fat supplementation of dairy goats with reference to the effect on health status have been summarized. In vivo trials and in vitro analysis on cultured cells, as well as histological and transcriptomic analyses of hepatic and adipose tissue, have been reviewed in order to assess documented relationships between specific FAs, lipid metabolism, and immunity

The photoinduced transition in magnetoresistive manganites: a comprehensive view

We use femtosecond x-ray diffraction to study the structural response of charge and orbitally ordered Pr$_{1-x}$Ca$_x$MnO$_3$ thin films across a phase transition induced by 800 nm laser pulses. By investigating the dynamics of both superlattice reflections and regular Bragg peaks, we disentangle the different structural contributions and analyze their relevant time-scales. The dynamics of the structural and charge order response are qualitatively different when excited above and below a critical fluence $f_c$. For excitations below $f_c$ the charge order and the superlattice is only partially suppressed and the ground state recovers within a few tens of nanosecond via diffusive cooling. When exciting above the critical fluence the superlattice vanishes within approximately half a picosecond followed by a change of the unit cell parameters on a 10 picoseconds time-scale. At this point all memory from the symmetry breaking is lost and the recovery time increases by many order of magnitudes due to the first order character of the structural phase transition

Selection of new markers for animal by-products characterization by classical microscopy

The aim of this study was to identify possible markers to distinguish differences between land animals by using the microscopic method in association with computer image analysis. For this purpose bone fragments from poultry and mammals were obtained and analysed by microscopic method. Through a digital camera and an image analysis software 85 bone lacunae images have been processed and elaborated in order to obtain for each lacuna a monochrome mask on which several measurements were performed. Data were analysed by ANOVA and LDA. Results obtained in the present study indicated that of 32 descriptors processed by image analysis software, only 12 were significantly (P<0.001) different between mammalian and poultry. However, when morphometric measurements were analysed by LDA, 86% of lacunae were correctly classified into the animal class of origin (i.e. mammalian as mammalian and poultry as poultry). By contrast 14% of lacunae were incorrectly classified. In conclusion, data here presented indicate that some of descriptors used by image analysis appears promising not only for a reliable distinction between the different origins of animal meal at the level of vertebrate classes, but also for further characterisation and identification of processed animal proteins in animal feeds

Domain size effects on the dynamics of a charge density wave in 1T-TaS2

Recent experiments have shown that the high temperature incommensurate (I) charge density wave (CDW) phase of 1T-TaS2 can be photoinduced from the lower temperature, nearly commensurate (NC) CDW state. Here we report a time-resolved x-ray diffraction study of the growth process of the photoinduced I-CDW domains. The layered nature of the material results in a marked anisotropy in the size of the photoinduced domains of the I-phase. These are found to grow self-similarly, their shape remaining unchanged throughout the growth process. The photoinduced dynamics of the newly formed I-CDW phase was probed at various stages of the growth process using a double pump scheme, where a first pump creates I-CDW domains and a second pump excites the newly formed I-CDW state. We observe larger magnitudes of the coherently excited I-CDW amplitude mode in smaller domains, which suggests that the incommensurate lattice distortion is less stable for smaller domain sizes.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Green tea and pomegranate extract administered during critical moments of the production cycle improves blood antiradical activity and alters cecal microbial ecology of broiler chickens

Phytobiotics are usually tested in feed and throughout the production cycle. However, it could be beneficial to evaluate their effects when administered only during critical moments, such as changes in feeding phases. The aim of the trial was to investigate the effect of a commercial plant extract (PE; IQV-10-P01, InQpharm Animal Health, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) on growth performance, blood antiradical activity and cecal microbiome when administered in drinking water to broiler chickens during the post-hatching phase and at each change of diet. In the experiment, 480 1-day-old male broiler chicks were assigned to two groups in a 50-day trial. Broilers received drinking water (C) or drinking water plus PE (T) at a rate of 2 mL/L on days 0 to 4, 10\u201311 and 20\u2013 21. PE did not affect performance and water intake, while total antiradical activity was improved (p &lt; 0.05). A greater abundance of lactic acid bacteria (false discovery rate (FDR) &lt; 0.05) was found in the T group and the result was confirmed at a lower taxonomic level with higher Lactobacillaceae abundance (FDR &lt; 0.05). Our findings suggest that PE administration during critical moments of the production cycle of broiler chickens may exert beneficial effects at a systemic level and on gut microbial ecology

Can lipid supplementation modulate inflammatory state and immune response in periparturient goats? A case study on hepatic and adipose miRNA expression

As a new perspective in controlling cellular pathways, the aim of the trial was to investigate the expression of miRNA implicated in adipogenesis and metabolic and endocrine functions in periparturient dairy goat fed saturated or unsaturated fatty acids. Hepatic and adipose tissue samples were obtained from twenty-three second-parity twins-diagnosed alpine dairy goats were fed either calcium stearate (ST, n:7), fish oil (FO, n:8) or a control diet without any fat supplement (C, n:8). Dietary treatments lasted from one week before (30g/head/d of fatty acids) to three weeks after kidding (50g/head/d of fatty acids). ST provided 26% C16:0 and 69.4% C18:0 while FO provided 10.4% EPA and 7.8% DHA. The expression of miR-26b and 155 (adipose infiltration of immune cells), miR-99a, 145 and 221 (inflammation and lipolysis) and miR-143 and 378 (pro-adipogenic function) was performed by RT-PCR on hepatic and adipose biopsies collected on day -7 and 7 and 21 from kidding. Data were statistically analyzed by MIXED and GLM procedures of SAS. No diet effect was found for all the miRNA considered, but a significant effect of time for miR-155 (P= 0.028) and a tendency for miR-221 (P=0.083) were found with increased values from -7 to +21d. In particular, significant higher miR-155 expression (P<0.01) from -7 to 7d (-0.17 and 0.27, respectively) proved an inflammatory status in the first week after kidding in all the groups. Obtained results for both miRNA-155 and miRNA-221 over the time copes with our previous findings on metabolic, productive parameters and mRNA expression of genes related to lipid metabolism and inflammatory response (Farina et al., 2016). These outcomes consolidate the hypothesis that lipogenesis takes place in dairy goat in the two weeks around calving, but it is reduced when compared to dairy cow (Khan et al., 2013)

Mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of Mg-HAP composites

Mg and Mg-HAP composites containing 5, 10 and 15 wt% of hydroxyapatite have been produced following a powder metallurgy route that consists of mixing raw powders and consolidation by extrusion. The microstructure, texture, mechanical behavior and resistance to corrosion under a PBS solution have been studied. Addition of HAP increases the microhardness of the composites, however the yield strength under compression slightly decreases. Texture analyses reveal a fiber texture for pure Mg that is weakened increasing the HAP fraction. This texture promotes twinning and softening of Mg and Mg-5HAP during the initial deformation stages. Mg-10HAP and Mg-15HAP present a strain-hardening dependence showing no softening. The volume fraction of HAP particles weakens the texture and favors the activation of secondary slip systems. Corrosion experiments in PBS solution have shown that Mg-5HAP exhibits the best resistance to corrosion. Texture and porosity appear to be the main material features controlling the corrosion rates of Mg-HAP composites under the present conditions.This work has been supported by the Regional Government of Madrid through the ESTRUMAT-CM Program (MAT-1585).Publicad

Transcriptional regulation of lipid metabolism and inflammation in transition dairy goats by fish oil and stearate

To better understand the interaction between saturated or unsaturated fatty acids and its effect on expression of genes involved in subcutaneous adipose tissue metabolism, 23 second parity alpine dairy goats were enrolled in the experiment and fed either a non fat-supplemented basal diet (C; n=8), the basal diet supplemented with stearic acid (ST; n=7) or the basal diet supplemented with fish oil (FO; n=8). 30g/head/d supplemental fatty acids during the dry period and 50g/head/d during lactation were delivered starting one week before parturition up to 21 days in milk. Subcutaneous adipose tissue samples were harvested at day -7, 7 and 21 relative to kidding and mRNA levels of genes involved in inflammation were measured via qPCR. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS. No significant effects for treatment were observed, however eight genes were significant for time. HP and SAA3 expression peaked at day 7 postpartum, to then return at prepartum level around 21 d relative to kidding, while IL8, IL10, and IL18 expression constantly increased along the transition period. Vice versa, expression of IL1\u3b2, IL6R, and RXRA decreased in response to kidding, with a subsequent increase at day 21. The obtained results led us to hypothesize that goats face a postponed lipomobilization after kidding, probably related to their reduced production. The next step will involve the analysis of miRNA related to immune cell infiltration, adipocyte inflammation and lipolysis and positive regulation of adipogenesis to better understand the complex network of lipid metabolism in periparturient goats