Visualising the nutritional performance landscapes for the black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae)

The black soldier fly (BSF), Hermetia illucens (Diptera: Stratiomyidae), has become one of the most economically important insects that can be a sustainable replacement for traditional feed for swine, poultry, and aquaculture. Despite its emerging importance, studies examining the nutritional requirement of BSF have been scarce. Here we used nutritional geometry approach to determine the separate and combined effects of dietary protein and carbohydrate content on multiple life-history traits and body composition linked to fitness in BSF. BSF larvae were reared on one of 32 chemically defined diets that varied in protein-to-carbohydrate ratio (P:C=1:16, 1:8, 1:4, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 4:1, or 8:1) and in protein plus carbohydrate concentration (P+C=60, 120, 180, or 240 g/l). Females developed more slowly into larger adults than males, but two sexes responded to dietary variation in protein and carbohydrate in a similar manner. The topography of the nutritional performance landscapes mapped for all measured traits differed significantly from one another, with the optimal P:C ratio being 1:1.71 for preadult survivorship, 1:1.56 – 1:1.11 for development time, 1:3.36 – 1:3.16 for body weight at adult emergence, and 1:1.83 – 1:1.40 for growth rate. Significant divergence in nutritional optima among these components of fitness indicates that the occurrence of fundamental life-history trade-off can be mediated by macronutrient intake. The index representing the preadult performance of BSF had a nonlinear relationship with dietary protein, with the peak centred at the intermediate P:C ratios of 1:1.43 – 1:1.37. The optimal P:C ratio was 1:2.12 – 1:1.70 for lean body weight and 1:14.14 – 1:10.82 for lipid content. Our results highlight the importance of the balanced composition of dietary protein and carbohydrate for optimising BSF performance and have implications for enhancing the mass production of this beneficial species.

Evaluation of soils with average potassium content summation for implantation of Musa sp in the municipality of Teotônio Vilela, Alagoas

Soil fertility is one of the crucial factors for agriculture, whose main objective is to increase production. Therefore it is extremely important to know the nutritional requirement of cultivars. Fertility-focused studies are essential for fertilization recommendations in all regions, especially in banana cultivation which is a very demanding plant in fertility. Thus, the present work aimed to evaluate soil fertility, emphasizing the quantification of nutrients necessary to ensure the agricultural productivity of musa sp. The research was developed at laudelino farm, municipality of Teotônio Vilela/Alagoas, between 2019 and 2020, where soil amotragens were performed, randomly collected in the 0-20 cm depth layer, removing 1 kg of soil and sent to the soil laboratory of the Campus of Engineering and Agrarian Sciences (CECA) of the Federal University of Alagoas (UFAL) located in the municipality of Rio Largo-AL, for chemical analysis. The hydrogenic potential (pH), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K+) accessible were analyzed; calcium (Ca+2) and tradable magnesium (Mg+2); saturation by exchangeable aluminum (m%), cation exchange capacity CTC at pH 7.0 (T); base saturation (V%) and; organic matter (OM). As a result of the analysis, the following results were obtained: pH content (5.6); OM (14.1 g/kg) P (5.0 mg/dm³) K (110 mg/dm³), Ca2+ (3.42 cmolc/dm³), Mg2+ (2.53 cmolc/dm³); Al3+ (0.00 cmolc/dm³), H (4.41 cmolc/dm³), and CTC (T) (10.73 cmolc/dm³); m (0.0 %) and V (59 %). Based on the above results, it is suggested the application of 1,103 kg of limestone in order to increase the base saturation to 70%, in addition to the addition of 50 kg/ha of N and 343.5 kg/ha of P2O5 and 96.7 kg/ha of K2O. It is worth mentioning that their applications in the soil must be carried out through sources of 837.8 kg/ha of triple superphosphate; 161.2 kg/ha of potassium chloride and 111 kg/ha of urea. It is also essential to add 30 to 50 t/ha of organic matter, such as bovine manure to the soil, aiming at better utilization of the material by crops.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-Mediated Transformation of NHEJ Mutant Aspergillus nidulans Conidia: An Efficient Tool for Targeted Gene Recombination Using Selectable Nutritional Markers

Protoplast transformation for the introduction of recombinant DNA into Aspergillus nidulans is technically demanding and dependant on the availability and batch variability of commercial enzyme preparations. Given the success of Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation (ATMT) in diverse pathogenic fungi, we have adapted this method to facilitate transformation of A. nidulans. Using suitably engineered binary vectors, gene-targeted ATMT of A. nidulans non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) mutant conidia has been carried out for the first time by complementation of a nutritional requirement (uridine/uracil auxotrophy). Site-specific integration in the ΔnkuA host genome occurred at high efficiency. Unlike other transformation techniques, however, cross-feeding of certain nutritional requirements from the bacterium to the fungus was found to occur, thus limiting the choice of auxotrophies available for ATMT. In complementation tests and also for comparative purposes, integration of recombinant cassettes at a specific locus could provide a means to reduce the influence of position effects (chromatin structure) on transgene expression. In this regard, targeted disruption of the wA locus permitted visual identification of transformants carrying site-specific integration events by conidial colour (white), even when auxotrophy selection was compromised due to cross-feeding. The protocol described offers an attractive alternative to the protoplast procedure for obtaining locus-targeted A. nidulans transformants.

Longitudinal assessment of taurine and amino acid concentrations in dogs fed a green lentil diet

A recent association between the inclusion of pulses in canine diets and taurine deficiency has become a prevalent issue in the pet food industry. Although there is not a nutritional requirement for taurine by dogs, the appearance of taurine deficiencies has been related with more serious health issues, such as dilated cardiomyopathy. The objective of this study was to determine the circulating concentrations of plasma and whole blood taurine, indispensable and dispensable amino acid concentrations in the plasma, and taurine and creatinine concentrations in the urine of adult dogs fed a green lentil diet. Twelve, adult, female beagles were randomly assigned to a diet containing 45% green lentils (GLD) or a poultry byproduct meal diet (CON) for 90 days. Fresh urine samples were collected every 30 d and analyzed for taurine and creatinine concentrations. A blood sample also was collected every 30 d and analyzed for amino acids including taurine. Animal procedures were approved by the University of Illinois Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. All diets were formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements outlined by AAFCO (2018) and all dogs remained healthy throughout the study. The concentrations of taurine in the plasma and whole blood showed no differences (P > 0.05) between dietary treatments or across time points. Similarly, no differences (P > 0.05) in plasma methionine concentrations were observed between treatments or across time points. A treatment effect (P < 0.05) showed dogs fed GLD had higher total primary fecal bile acid (BA) excretion compared with dogs fed CON. The differential abundance of fecal microbial communities showed Firmicutes as the predominant phyla in dogs fed both GLD and CON, with Bacteroidaceae, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Lactobacillaecae as predominant families in dogs fed GLD. The α-diversity of dogs fed GLD ( P < 0.05) was lower than in dogs fed CON. These data suggest that the inclusion of 45% green lentil in extruded diets does not lower whole blood and plasma taurine concentrations during a 90 d period and is appropriate for use in a complete and balanced formulation for dogs.

The effect of dietary forages in tetanus hyper immunized equine serum production

The determination of local forage in meeting the nutritional requirement of horses and its effect on the antibody titer production is necessary to be conducted. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of dietary forage to antibody titer production of Anti-Tetanus Serum. All procedures performed in this study were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Ethical Approval No: 01/IACUC-BF/VI/20). A total of 12 Sandalwood horses aged 3-6 years with body weight ranged at 268.4 - 365.8 kg were used in this study. Horses were randomly assigned into four dietary treatment groups for ten weeks (100% Elephant grass; 100% Mott elephant grass; 67% Elephant grass: 33% Kikuyu grass; and 67% Mott elephant grass: 33% Kikuyu grass) which allowed 7.24; 11.45; 11.12; 12.62% crude protein respectively. The titer measurement was carried out once a week during the production period. The data obtained was analyzed using correlation analysis. The results showed that 100% Mott elephant grass group produced the highest titer but the correlation between crude protein levels in the diets and titer were weak (0.44). Thus, it can be concluded that the high protein forage given has no potential to increase the serum antibody titer.

Enhancement of nutritional value on zooplankton by alteration of algal media composition: A review

In aquaculture, fish larvae regularly need a balanced diet according to the timescale because such diets essential for constant growth and reproduction and can avoid malnutrition. Thus, the use of live food organisms is critical as it will first feed for fish larvae. Studies have shown that zooplankton have more excellent digestibility and are suitable as live prey species for different sizes than other live foods (e.g. rotifer and Artemia). However, zooplankton nutrition still needs to improve to meet the nutritional requirement for fish larvae. Feeding zooplankton with well-nourished microalgae is important as it affects the nutritional value of the zooplankton. Algal growth is related to micronutrients (e.g. nitrogen, phosphorus or selenium) supply in the culture medium and the availability of nutrients affects the quality of the algal. Thus, by enriching the algal diet with micronutrients from the culture media, the nutritional value of zooplankton can be improved. This review focuses on the nutritional value of zooplankton through the manipulation of algal media composition as well as wastewater. The relation between the composition of algal media and nitrogen and phosphorus limitation are also discussed. The review links the microalgae nutrient essential with manipulating algal media composition and the change of zooplankton nutrients.

Hemin-dependent siderophore utilization promotes iron-restricted growth of the Staphylococcus aureus hemB small colony variant

Respiration deficient S. aureus small colony variants (SCVs) frequently cause persistent infections, which necessitates they acquire iron, yet how SCVs obtain iron remains unknown. To address this, we created a stable hemB mutant in S. aureus USA300 strain LAC. The hemB SCV utilized exogenously supplied hemin but was attenuated for growth under conditions of iron starvation. RNA-seq showed that both WT S. aureus and the hemB mutant sense and respond to iron starvation, however, growth assays show that the hemB mutant is defective for siderophore-mediated iron acquisition. Indeed, the hemB SCV demonstrated limited utilization of endogenous staphyloferrin B or exogenously provided staphyloferrin A, Desferal, and epinephrine. Direct measurement of intracellular ATP in hemB and WT S. aureus revealed that both strains can generate comparable levels of ATP during exponential growth suggesting defects in ATP production cannot account for the inability to efficiently utilize siderophores. Defective siderophore utilization by hemB bacteria was also evident in vivo , as administration of Desferal failed to promote hemB bacterial growth in every organ analyzed except for the kidneys. In support of the hypothesis that S. aureus accesses heme in kidney abscesses, in vitro analyses revealed that increased hemin availability enables hemB bacteria to utilize siderophores for growth when iron availability is restricted. Taken together, our data support the conclusion that hemin is not only used as an iron source itself, but as a nutrient that promotes utilization of siderophore-iron complexes. Importance S. aureus small colony variants (SCVs) are associated with chronic recurrent infection and worsened clinical outcome. SCVs persist within the host despite administration of antibiotics. This study yields insight into how S. aureus SCVs acquire iron which, during infection of a host, is a difficult-to-acquire metal nutrient. Under hemin-limited conditions, hemB S. aureus is impaired for siderophore-dependent growth and, in agreement, murine infection indicates that hemin-deficient SCVs meet their nutritional requirement for iron through utilization of hemin. Importantly, we demonstrate that hemB SCVs rely upon hemin as a nutrient to promote siderophore utilization. Therefore, perturbation of heme biosynthesis and/or utilization represents a viable to strategy to mitigate the ability of SCV bacteria to acquire siderophore-bound iron during infection.

Effect of Early Nutritional Support on Clinical Outcomes of Critically Ill Patients with Sepsis and Septic Shock

PurposeThe initial nutritional delivery policy for patients with sepsis admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) is not fully elucidated. This study aimed to determine whether initial adequate nutrition supply and route of nutrition delivery during the first week of sepsis onset may improve the clinical outcomes of critically ill septic patients. MethodsWe examined 834 adult patients with sepsis and septic shock in the ICU between November 2013 and May 2017 retrospectively. Poisson log-linear and Cox regressions were performed to assess the relationship between clinical outcomes, sex, modified nutrition risk in the critically ill (mNUTRIC) scores, sequential organ failure assessment and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation scores, route of nutrition delivery, and daily energy and protein delivery during the first week since sepsis onset. ResultsPatients who had higher protein intakes during the first week since sepsis onset had lower in-hospital mortality, while higher energy intakes were associated with lower the 30-day mortality. Route of nutrition delivery was not associated with 1-year mortality in the group with > 70% of the nutritional requirement; however, enteral feeding (EN) with supplemental parenteral nutrition (PN) was superior to only EN or only PN in patients who were underfed. ConclusionFor patients with sepsis and septic shock, a high daily average protein intake may lower in-hospital mortality and a high energy intake may lower the 30-day mortality, especially for patients with high mNUTRIC scores. For underfed patients, EN with supplemental PN may be better than EN or PN alone.

Maternal Undernutrition during Pregnancy Alters Amino Acid Metabolism and Gene Expression Associated with Energy Metabolism and Angiogenesis in Fetal Calf Muscle

To elucidate the mechanisms underlying maternal undernutrition (MUN)-induced fetal skeletal muscle growth impairment in cattle, the longissimus thoracis muscle of Japanese Black fetal calves at 8.5 months in utero was analyzed by an integrative approach with metabolomics and transcriptomics. The pregnant cows were fed on 60% (low-nutrition, LN) or 120% (high-nutrition, HN) of their overall nutritional requirement during gestation. MUN markedly decreased the bodyweight and muscle weight of the fetus. The levels of amino acids (AAs) and arginine-related metabolites including glutamine, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and putrescine were higher in the LN group than those in the HN group. Metabolite set enrichment analysis revealed that the highly different metabolites were associated with the metabolic pathways of pyrimidine, glutathione, and AAs such as arginine and glutamate, suggesting that MUN resulted in AA accumulation rather than protein accumulation. The mRNA expression levels of energy metabolism-associated genes, such as PRKAA1, ANGPTL4, APLNR, CPT1B, NOS2, NOS3, UCP2, and glycolytic genes were lower in the LN group than in the HN group. The gene ontology/pathway analysis revealed that the downregulated genes in the LN group were associated with glucose metabolism, angiogenesis, HIF-1 signaling, PI3K-Akt signaling, pentose phosphate, and insulin signaling pathways. Thus, MUN altered the levels of AAs and expression of genes associated with energy expenditure, glucose homeostasis, and angiogenesis in the fetal muscle.

Effect of Orange Peel Concentration on the Development of Sapota Marmalade in Terms of Proximate and Nutritional Composition and Consumer Preferences

The study explored to find out the possible strategy for the processing of sapota into its value-added shelf-stable products. Therefore, an attempt was made to develop marmalade with different concentrations of orange peel viz. 0 %, 5 %, 10 %, 15 % and 20 % respectively. Sensory evaluation, proximate and nutritional composition was performed on the day of preparation and after storage. Marmalade treated with orange peel and without orange peel was rich source of proximate and nutritional composition. The final TSS of the developed marmalade maintained 65.30±02°B. ß-carotene (12.21±0.01 and 11.93±0.03 µg/100 g), pH (5.05±0.04 and 4.90±0.01), total sugar (21.15±0.04 % and 22.28±0.03 %) and reducing sugar (9.70±0.01 % and 10.15±0.05 %) was superior on the day of storage and after storage in without orange peel treated marmalade (T1). On the day of storage and after storage, the highest total carotenoid and vitamin-C content of the orange peel treated marmalade ranged from 31.92±0.02 to 49.21±0.51 mg/100 g and 23.26±0.02 to 43.39±0.05 mg/100 g, 4.68±0.02 to 5.84±0.03 mg/100 g and 2.36±0.01 to 3.62±0.06 mg/100 g respectively. According to the expert panelist, the highest overall acceptability score was secured by the combination of T2 followed by others in terms of color, aroma, mouth feel and high spreadable capacity. The marketable life of the developed marmalade could be extended 6 months more without any excessive-quality deterioration. This technology could be utilized to fulfill the off-season nutritional requirement and increase the income of the farmers to enhance their productivity. Keywords: Sapota fruit, vitamin-C content, total carotenoid content, ß-carotene content, marketable life, sensory evaluation.