Body Measurements of Male Kamphaengsaen Beef Cattle as Parameters for Estimation of Live Weight

ABTRACT In countries where the marketing of beef cattle is carried out by live weight, the need for weighing equipment in the market place causes substantial difficulties for developing countries, especially where cattle production involves rural households. A dataset consisting of 504 male Kamphaengsaen beef cattle was collected at Kasetsart University, Thailand, comprising 234 feedlot cattle (FL) and 270 grass-fed cattle (GF). Measurements were recorded for body weight (BW), heart girth (HG), withers height (WH), body length (BL), shoulder width (SW), hip width (HW), shin circumference (SC), and tail circumference (TC). The correlation as measured by the coefficient of determination, between BW and linear body measurements was highly (P < 0.0001) significant. All of the seven body measurements were modeled and the three body measurements that provided the best fit were HG, BL and TC accounting for 90% of the body weight in the feedlot animals and 87% in the grass-fed animals. The high values for coefficients of determination between the body weight and the linear body measurements of the Kamphaengsaen cattle in this study indicated that the variables or their combination could be used to estimate or predict the live body weight of these cattle. The prediction equations in the present study showed no significant (P = 0.99) difference (with means of live body weight of feedlot and grass-fed respectively in brackets) between actual live body weight (413.2521 ± 88.6010, 216.0667 ± 50.0380) and live body weight predicted with the equations from the present study (413.2307 ± 84.3010, 216.0536 ± 46.8750)

Effect of pineapple stem starch feeding on rumen microbial fermentation, blood lipid profile, and growth performance of fattening cattle

Pineapple stem starch (PS) was evaluated for its suitability as a new starch source in concentrate for fattening cattle, based on the growth performance, blood profile, and rumen parameters of 36 steers in a 206-day feeding study. PS was formulated as a 40% concentrate and fed with forage in comparison with ground corn (GC) and ground cassava (CA) formulated at the same level. PS feeding improved weight gain and feed conversion ratio without affecting feed intake. PS did not obviously influence blood lipid profiles throughout the experiment. Ruminal concentration of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) increased with PS without affecting SCFA composition throughout the feeding study. Rumen amylolytic group, especially Ruminococcus bromii, was dominant in the rumen microbial community, and showed increased abundance by PS feeding throughout the experiment. These results clearly indicate the potential of PS as a useful starch source for fattening cattle in terms of rumen fermentation and growth performance

Feeding cashew nut shell liquid decreases methane production from feces by altering fecal bacterial and archaeal communities in Thai local ruminants

The effect of feeding cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) on fecal fermentation products and microbiota was investigated in Thai native cattle and swamp buffaloes. Four of each animal were fed rice straw and concentrate diet with control pellets without CNSL for 4 weeks, followed by the same diet with pellets containing CNSL for another 4 weeks, so that CNSL was administered at a level of 4 g/100 kg body weight. Feces were collected the last 2 days in each feeding period. CNSL alkyl phenols were recovered from feces (16%-28%) in a similar proportion to those in the diet, indicating that most functional anacardic acid was not selectively removed throughout the digestive tract. In vitro production of gas from feces, particularly methane, decreased with CNSL feeding. The proportion of acetate in feces decreased with CNSL feeding, whereas that of propionate increased, without affecting total short-chain fatty acid concentration. CNSL feeding changed fecal microbial community, particularly in swamp buffaloes, which exhibited decreases in the frequencies of Treponema, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, and Methanomassiliicoccaceae. These results suggest that CNSL feeding alters not only rumen fermentation but also hindgut fermentation via modulation of the microbial community, thereby potentially attenuating methane emission from the feces of ruminant animals

Transcriptional regulation of the proximal promoter of the murine pyruvate carboxylase gene in liver cells

Sarawut Jitrapakdee, Pinnara Rojvirat, Thirajit Boonsaen, Piyanate Sunyakumthorn, and John C Wallac

Feeding cashew nut shell liquid decreases methane production from feces by altering fecal bacterial and archaeal communities in Thai local ruminants

The effect of feeding cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) on fecal fermentation products and microbiota was investigated in Thai native cattle and swamp buffaloes. Four of each animal were fed rice straw and concentrate diet with control pellets without CNSL for 4 weeks, followed by the same diet with pellets containing CNSL for another 4 weeks, so that CNSL was administered at a level of 4 g/100 kg body weight. Feces were collected the last 2 days in each feeding period. CNSL alkyl phenols were recovered from feces (16%-28%) in a similar proportion to those in the diet, indicating that most functional anacardic acid was not selectively removed throughout the digestive tract. In vitro production of gas from feces, particularly methane, decreased with CNSL feeding. The proportion of acetate in feces decreased with CNSL feeding, whereas that of propionate increased, without affecting total short-chain fatty acid concentration. CNSL feeding changed fecal microbial community, particularly in swamp buffaloes, which exhibited decreases in the frequencies of Treponema, unclassified Ruminococcaceae, and Methanomassiliicoccaceae. These results suggest that CNSL feeding alters not only rumen fermentation but also hindgut fermentation via modulation of the microbial community, thereby potentially attenuating methane emission from the feces of ruminant animals

Selection of plant oil as a supplemental energy source by monitoring rumen profiles and its dietary application in Thai crossbred beef cattle

Objective: The present study was conducted to select a plant oil without inhibitory effects on rumen fermentation and microbes, and to determine the optimal supplementation level of the selected oil in a series of in vitro studies for dietary application. Then, the selected oil was evaluated in a feeding study using Thai crossbred beef cattle by monitoring growth, carcass, blood and rumen characteristics. Methods: Rumen fluid was incubated with substrates containing one of three different types of plant oil (coconut oil, palm oil, and soybean oil) widely available in Thailand. The effects of each oil on rumen fermentation and microbes were monitored and the oil without a negative influence on rumen parameters was selected. Then, the dose-response of rumen parameters to various levels of the selected palm oil was monitored to determine a suitable supplementation level. Finally, an 8-month feeding experiment with the diet supplemented with palm oil was carried out using 12 Thai crossbred beef cattle to monitor growth, carcass, rumen and blood profiles. Results: Batch culture studies revealed that coconut and soybean oils inhibited the most potent rumen cellulolytic bacterium Fibrobacter succinogenes, while palm oil had no such negative effect on this and on rumen fermentation products at 5% or higher supplementation level. Cattle fed the diet supplemented with 2.5% palm oil showed improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) without any adverse effects on rumen fermentation. Palm oil-supplemented diet increased blood cholesterol levels, suggesting a higher energy status of the experimental cattle. Conclusion: Palm oil had no negative effects on rumen fermentation and microbes when supplemented at levels up to 5% in vitro. Thai crossbred cattle fed the palm oil-supplemented diet showed improved FCR without apparent changes of rumen and carcass characteristics, but with elevated blood cholesterol levels. Therefore, palm oil can be used as a beneficial energy source

High glucose enhances binding of USF2 and ChREBP to E4 in the P2 promoter of the PC gene and suppression of Sp1, USF2 and ChREBP expression blunts glucose-induced expression of endogenous PC expression in INS-1 8322/13.

<p><b>A</b>, <i>Top panel</i>, a schematic representation of the P2 promoter region with E-box4 and primer binding sites for quantitative real time PCR indicated. <i>Bottom panel</i>, the USF1-, USF2- or ChREBP-bound chromatin was prepared from INS-1 832/13 cells grown in low (5.5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose was prepared, immunoprecipitated with their corresponding antibodies and subjected to real time PCR using the primers indicated above. The fluorescence signals obtained from the immunoprecipitated fractions were normalized to those obtained from the input fraction which was the sonicated transcription factor-bound DNA before immunoprecipitating with the antibodies. The statistical analysis was conducted by ANOVA test where **P<0.01 compared between low and high glucose concentrations. ^ΨΨP<0.001 compared with the fraction that was immunoprecipiated with no antibody at both low or high glucose concentration. <b>B</b>, Western blot analysis of nuclear (NC) and cysolic (CYT) extracts of INS-1 832/13 cells maintained under 5.5 or 25 mM glucose with anti- USF2 antibody. Loading controls of the cytosolic and nuclear proteins were assessed by stripping the blot and re-probed with anti-tubulin and anti-lamin B antibodies, respectively. <b>C</b>, INS-1 832/13 cells were mock- or transfected with siRNAs targeted to Sp1, USF1, USF2 and ChREBP. The transfected cells were cultured in the medium containing low (5.5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose for the next 24 h before the expression of Sp1, USF1, USF2, ChREBP and PC mRNAs was measured by quantitative real time PCR and their expression levels were normalized with that of 18 s rRNA. The values obtained from scramble and each knocked down cells are expressed relative to that obtained from the mocked transfection, which was arbitrarily set as 100%. The values shown are means ± standard deviations of the three independent experiments (n = 3). The statistical analysis was conducted using ANOVA test where *P<0.05; **P<0.01.</p

Multiple E-boxes in the P2 promoter of the PC gene function as GREs.

<p><b>A</b>, A series of 25 or 23-nucleotide internal deletions were generated across the −546 to −399 of P2 promoter (Δ1, Δ2, Δ3, Δ4, Δ5 and Δ6). <b>B</b>, The WT P2 promoter construct containing mutation at E1, E2, E3 and whole ChoRE (MuE1, MuE2, MuE3, MuE4 and MuE2&E4) were generated and transiently transfected into INS-1 832/13 cells. The transfected cells were maintained in RPMI containing normal (5.5 mM) or high (25 mM) glucose for 24 h. The luciferase activity of each construct was normalized to the β-galactosidase activity and expressed as relative luciferase activity. Relative luciferase values obtained from transfected cells maintaining in high glucose medium were presented as fold change relative to those obtained from those maintaining in normal concentration of glucose, each of which was arbitrarily set as 1. The statistical analysis was conducted using ANOVA test where *P<0.05; **P<0.01.</p