Colony composition and nutrient analysis of Polyrhachis dives ants, a natural prey of the Chinese pangolin ( Manis pentadactyla )

AbstractThe present study was carried out to produce a high quality puffed infant rice cereal from rice and mung bean through extrusion technology. Experiments were designed using 3 independent variables (i. e. 14–18% feed moisture, 400–550 r/min screw speed and 125–175 °C barrel temperature) and 3 response variables (i. e. bulk density, water solubility index and degree of gelatinisation) at five different levels of central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The results of optimization demonstrated that 14% feed moisture, 400 r/min screw speed and 175 °C barrel temperature could generate rice-mungbean extrudates with desirable functional properties. The selected extrudate samples were further examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM), rapid viscosity analyzer (RVA), Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, in vitro digestibility and fundamental nutrient analysis. Notably, the initial oval-shaped particle structure of starch in the raw materials disappeared, the surface debris and roughness increased, and the density decreased. The time required for the gelatinization of puffed infant rice cereal was the shortest, which was in agreement with the positioning of ready-to-eat weaning food for infants. Moreover, the puffed infant rice cereal displayed higher peak viscosity and breakdown value, smaller retrogradation value and greater top taste value compared to the commercial infant rice cereal. Besides maintaining the initial characteristic peak of starch, the puffed infant rice cereal demonstrated characteristic absorption peaks of COO- in the vicinity of 1546 cm−1 and 1437 cm−1, indicating the formation of carboxylate during extrusion. In addition, the puffed infant rice cereal exhibited firm diffraction peaks at the diffraction angles of 7.4°, 12.5° and 20.5°, indicating that a certain amount of starch changed from type A to type V. Furthermore, the digestive rate of puffed infant rice cereal was higher than that of commercial infant cereal (90.21 versus 86.96%, respectively; p < 0.05). Altogether, our findings reveal that the developed puffed infant rice cereal meets the standards set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC; 74-1981).

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Relation between Feed Particle Size Distribution and Plumage Condition in Laying Hens on Commercial Farms

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani11030773 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 773

Author(s):

Ruben Schreiter ◽

Klaus Damme ◽

Markus Freick

Keyword(s):

Damage Control ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Nutrient Analysis ◽

Indirect Measure ◽

Model Animal ◽

Commercial Farms ◽

And Control ◽

Feed Samples

In this cross-sectional study, 103 complete feed samples from laying hen herds affected by plumage damage as an indirect measure for severe feather pecking (affected herds; AH, n = 37) and control herds without plumage damage (control herd; CH, n = 66) of commercial German farms were examined by dry sieve and nutrient analysis. AH showed higher percentages of particles >2.50 mm (mean ± SD, CH: 11.0 ± 8.5%, AH: 24.9 ± 14.3%) and 2.00–2.50 mm (CH: 11.2 ± 5.3%, AH: 15.7 ± 5.7%), but lower proportions of fractions 1.01–1.60 mm (CH: 22.9 ± 4.9%, AH: 17.8 ± 5.7%), 0.51–1.00 mm (CH: 25.5 ± 8.2%, AH: 16.0 ± 6.8%) and ≤0.50 mm (CH: 15.4 ± 5.0%, AH: 11.0 ± 4.8%) (p < 0.001). Diets of AH had a higher geometric mean diameter (GMD) compared to CH (AH: 1470.8 ± 343.9 μm; CH: 1113.3 ± 225.7 μm) (p < 0.001). Contents of crude ash (CH: 130.3 ± 18.8 g/kg, AH: 115.9 ± 24.3 g/kg), lysine (CH: 8.2 ± 1.0 g/kg, AH: 7.7 ± 1.2 g/kg), methionine (CH: 3.4 ± 0.5 g/kg, AH: 3.2 ± 0.6 g/kg) and sodium (CH: 1.7 ± 0.4 g/kg, AH: 1.3 ± 0.4 g/kg) were lower in AH (p ≤ 0.041). In a logistic regression model, animal age (p = 0.041) and GMD (p < 0.001) were significant factors on the occurrence of plumage damage.

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Impact of the 2017 Child and Adult Care Food Program Meal Pattern Requirement Change on Menu Quality in Tribal Early Care Environments: The Food Resource Equity and Sustainability for Health Study

Current Developments in Nutrition ◽

10.1093/cdn/nzz094 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 12-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Susan B Sisson ◽

Kaysha Sleet ◽

Rachel Rickman ◽

Charlotte Love ◽

Alexandria Bledsoe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Native American ◽

Best Practice ◽

Food Resource ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Health Study ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Early Care ◽

Adult Care ◽

Nutrient Analysis ◽

Before And After

ABSTRACT Background Native American (NA) children have a high prevalence of obesity contributing to lifespan health disparities. Dietary intake is important to promote healthy weight gain, growth, and development. In 2017, the USDA enforced changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The CACFP provides reimbursement to qualifying Early Care and Education (ECE) programs that serve foods that uphold the program's nutrition requirements. Objective This study had the following 2 objectives: 1) Describe a novel index to evaluate ECE menus based on revised CACFP requirements (accounting for food substitutions) and best practices for 3- to-5-y-old children, and 2) analyze CACFP requirement and best practice compliance and nutrient changes in 9 NA ECE programs before and after enforcement of the revised CACFP requirements. Methods This longitudinal study is within a larger community-based participatory research study. Menus and meals served were evaluated for 1 wk at each of 9 programs before and after enforcement of the revised meal patterns. Nutrient analysis, CACFP requirement and best practice compliance, and substitution quality were evaluated. Differences were determined using a paired t-test or Wilcoxon matched test. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03251950. Results Total grams of fiber consumed increased (5.0 ± 1.2 compared with 5.9 ± 0.8 g, P = 0.04) and total grams of sugar consumed decreased (53.8 ± 12.6 compared with 48.4 ± 7.9 g, P = 0.024), although room for further improvement exists. Although total grams of fat remained unchanged, grams of saturated fat significantly increased (7.8 ± 1.4 compared with 10.5 ± 3.4, P = 0.041). Other nutrients remained unchanged. Overall CACFP requirement and best practice compliance scores improved, although this finding was not statistically significant. No significant changes in food quality associated with substitutions occurred. Conclusions This study provides early evidence to support the beneficial impact of the revised CACFP requirements. Understanding barriers to compliance within rural NA communities would be an important next step in enhancing the health of vulnerable children.

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