Corn Husk Phenolics Modulate Hepatic Antioxidant Response in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Exposed to Hypoxia

The hypoxia conditions in intensive farming systems generate oxidative stress related to oxidative damage and mortality of fish. Corn husk meal (CHM), as a source of antioxidants, might modulate the antioxidant response and prevent the damage elicited by hypoxia. This study evaluated CHM’s ability to modulate a hepatic response in Nile tilapia exposed to hypoxia. A control and a test diet supplemented with 25 g CHM/kg feed were formulated. Ninety Nile tilapias (5.09 ± 0.55 g initial weight) were fed for 36 days to evaluate growth, feed efficiency, and hepatic antioxidant response (CAT, catalase; SOD, superoxide dismutase, and GPx, glutathione peroxidase) in normal oxygen conditions (normoxia). After the feeding trial (36 days), fish were exposed to hypoxia (1.5 ± 0.2 mg/L dissolved oxygen), and the hepatic antioxidant response was determined. There was no significant effect of CHM on growth and feed efficiency. The CAT activity was significantly increased in tilapias exposed to hypoxia and fed the test diet compared to the control group exposed to hypoxia. The SOD and GPx activities were unchanged in tilapias in normoxia and hypoxia conditions. Results suggest that CHM dietary supplementation promotes the antioxidant response in Nile tilapia exposed to hypoxia through CAT modulation.

No Observed Adverse Effects on Health Were Detected in Adult Beagle Dogs When Fed a High-Calcium Diet for 40 Weeks

The implications of long-term high calcium (Ca) intake are well documented in growing dogs and in adult dogs of large breed size, however, the consequences on other breeds and breed sizes are yet to be determined. Eighteen neutered adult beagles, nine males and nine females aged 1.4–4.4 years, were randomized to control or test diets providing in g∙4184 kJ−1 (1000 kcal−1): 1.44 and 7.19 total Ca balanced with 1.05 and 4.25 total phosphorus, respectively, for 40 weeks. Health parameters, ultrasound scans, radiographs, glomerular filtration rate, and mineral balance were measured at eight-week intervals. All dogs remained healthy with no measured evidence of orthopedic, urinary, or renal disease. The test diet resulted in a 5.2 fold increase in fecal Ca excretion. Apparent Ca digestibility (%) and Ca balance (g/d) did not significantly (p > 0.05) change from baseline in the test diet group, although dogs displayed a positive Ca balance (maximum at week 8, 1.11 g/d with 95% CI (0.41, 1.80)) before a neutral Ca balance was restored at week 32. Despite an initial positive Ca balance, we can conclude that no measurable adverse health effects were observed as a result of the test diet fed in this study in beagles over a period of 40 weeks.

EVALUTION OF POULTRY VISCERAL OFFAL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR FISH MEAL IN GROWER PULLETS’ DIETS

The effect of replacing fish meal (FM) with graded level of poultry visceral offal meal (PVOM) in five growers pullets’ diets were investigated in a 4 - weeks study using 200 Isa brown pullets from 14 to 18 weeks of age. There were four replicate per test diet, with 10 birds per replicate. Diet A (control) contained 4% FM as the sole source of dietary animal protein. PVOM was included in diets B,C,D and E at the levels of 1.81,2.37,3.55 and 4.73% of the diets to supply 25, 50, 75 and 100% of animal protein supplied by 4% FM in the control diet A respectively. All the test diets were isocaloric (11.8MJ ME/kg) and isonitrogenous (16% CP). There was no significant effect (p>0.05) of replacing dietary FM with PVOM (on an equal protein basis) on the performance parameters measured. Birds fed on diets A,B,C,D and E had similar (p>0.05) mean daily weight gains of 14.16, 13.66, 14.65, 13.35 and 13.84g/b d respectively. The mean daily feed consumption values were 73.61, 73.27,73.88, 72.10 and 71.76g/b d for the birds on diets A,B,C,D and E respectively while similar mean feed conversion ratios of 5.21, 5.45,5.04, 5.42 and 5.21were also recorded for the birds on diet A,B,C,D and E respectively. It is concluded that PVOM could replace FM completely on an equal protein basics in grower pullets diets. Cost of feed per unit of weight gain was lower on the PVOM-based diet than on the FM-based diet.

Environmental temperature and broiler age on corn energy value

This study aimed to assess the effects of environmental temperature and age of broilers on the energy value of corn. A total of 288 Cobb 500 chicks were distributed in a complete randomized design with a split-plot arrangement and six replications of six chicks each. The main plot consisted of three temperatures (cold: 18 ºC; thermoneutral: 25 ºC; and hot: 33 ºC), while the secondary plot consisted of age (initial: 11 to 14 days; growing: 25 to 28 days; and final: 39 to 42 days). The basal diet was based on corn and soybean meal. The test diet was produced by replacing the basal diet for test food: 40% corn + 60% basal diet. The mean values of AMEn observed for broiler chicks under cold, thermoneutral, and hot temperatures were 3322, 3279, and 3233 kcal/kg of natural matter, respectively, and 3215, 3218, and 3400 kcal/ kg of natural matter for the initial, growing, and final phases, respectively. Overall, the metabolizable energy values of corn and the balance and coefficients of metabolizability of nutrients in the test diet increased with the broiler age, but the true metabolizable energies of corn were not affected by environmental temperature. The balance and coefficients of metabolizability of nutrients in the test diet decreased due to heat exposure during the growing and final phases.

SHORT COMMUNICATION Performance of local fowls fed plantain peels meal

Experiment was carried out to determine performance of day old local fowls, fed supplemented plantain peels meal (PPM). The birds were arranged in completely randomized design having six birds per replicate and two treatments comprising one test diet and one control diet. At starter phase, all the parameters (body weight, body weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio) measured were not significant (p>0.05). The birds on the test diet had average initial weight, 42.00g while that of the control had average weight, 43.75g and at 5 weeks of age average weights of 133.30g and 134.54g (p>0.05) ,respectively. At the finisher phase, all the parameters measured were not significant (p>0.5). The prices per kg of feed for the test and control diets were N93.05 and N95.05, respectively. Therefore, PPM inclusion fed at early stage of life of the birds enhanced performance at a lower cost.

Apparent nutrient digestibility of carbohydrate (corn) in Cirrhinus mrigala under the influence of chromium chloride hexahydrate

A feeding trial was carried out to assess the effect of dietary chromium supplementation on apparent nutrient digestibility coefficient (%) of gelatinized and non-gelatinized corn in Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings for 90 days. Using various levels of chromium chloride hexahydrate six test diets designated as T1 (G/0.0 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg Kg-1), T2 (NG/0.0 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg Kg-1), T3 (G/0.2 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg Kg-1), T4 (NG/0.2 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg Kg-1), T5 (G/0.4 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg Kg-1) and T6 (NG/0.4 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg Kg-1) were prepared. Results showed highest apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of nutrients dry matter, crude lipid and gross energy in test diet T5 that was gelatinized and supplemented with chromium 0.4 mg/Kg while, for crude protein higher value of nutrient digestibility was recorded in T3 test diet (G/0.2 Cr2Cl3.6H2O mg/Kg). It was concluded that chromium supplementation with gelatinized corn in fish (Cirrhinus mrigala) diet can improve the nutrients digestibility more efficiently.

Digestibility Coefficients of Cattle Hoof Meal Diet by African Catfish Clarias gariepinus Juvenile

Digestibility trial of Cattle hoof waste subjected to five processing methods was conducted on Clarias gariepinus juveniles. A reference diet 70 % and test diet 30 % was formulated with chromic oxide biomarker. Feed and feacal samples collected at 8h interval after feeding were analysed for proximate parameters and digestibility coefficient calculated. There was significant difference (P < 0.05) among treatments crude protein digestibility was highest in Reference diet (88.26 ± 0.04) < soda ash diet (87.49 ± 0.04) < fermented diet (82.15 ± 0.10) < wood ash diet (81.26 ± 0.03) < raw hoof diet (79.57 ± 0.05) and lowest in Autoclaved diet (77.69 ± 0.02). Nutrient digestibility also showed significant difference (P < 0.05) among treatments with highest values for soda ash diets parameters and least protein nutrient in autoclaved diet (58.99±0.08 ); fat, dry matter and energy nutrient in raw hoof diet (56.41 ± 3.49; 23.39 ± 0.16; 25.71 ± 0.75). This study concludes that Clarias gariepinus juveniles can be fed soda ash treated cattle hoof waste.

Early-Life Supplementation of Bovine Milk Osteopontin Supports Neurodevelopment and Influences Exploratory Behavior

Introduction: Osteopontin (OPN) is a whey protein found at high concentration in human milk and is involved in processes such as bone cell proliferation and differentiation. Milk OPN has shown to be involved in various aspects of development, including the immune system and gut health. However, the influence of dietary bovine milk OPN inclusion on brain and cognitive development has not been studied extensively until recently. This research examines whether dietary supplementation of bovine milk OPN supports brain and cognitive development in the translational pig model. Methods: From postnatal day (PND) 2 to 34, twenty-one intact male pigs were provided ad libitum access to one of two dietary treatments, a standard soy protein isolate-based milk replacer to serve as a control diet (n = 11) and the same base diet supplemented with bovine milk OPN to serve as a test diet (n = 10). In addition to growth and health outcomes, recognition memory was tested using the novel object recognition (NOR) task from PND 28 to 32, and magnetic resonance imaging was conducted at PND 34 to evaluate brain development. Results: No dietary effects were observed for growth performance or health indices. For the behavioral analysis, pigs that received the test diet exhibited shorter (p < 0.05) latency to the first object visited compared with pigs fed the control diet. Although the control group exhibited novelty preference, there was no difference in recognition index between dietary groups. Neuroimaging outcomes revealed increased (p < 0.05) relative brain volumes of the corpus callosum, lateral ventricle, left and right internal capsule, left and right putamen-globus pallidus, and right hippocampus, and right cortex in the test group. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed higher (p < 0.05) radial diffusivity in the corpus callosum and lower (p < 0.05) fractional anisotropy in pigs provided the test diet. Conclusion: Dietary supplementation of bovine milk OPN increased the relative volume of several brain regions and altered behaviors in the NOR task. Underlying mechanisms of bovine milk OPN influencing the development of brain structures and additional behaviors warrant further investigation.

Effect of a struvite dissolution diet in cats with naturally occurring struvite urolithiasis

Objectives The aim of the study was to determine the efficacy of the low struvite relative supersaturation diet in dissolution of feline struvite cystoliths. Methods This was a prospective, open-label, two-center study. Twelve client-owned cats were enrolled based on the radiographic appearance of their uroliths and urinalysis parameters. Cats were fed the test diet exclusively for up to 56 days. Cats were radiographed every other week until radiographic evidence of dissolution occurred or the end of the study period was reached. Cats with radiographically apparent uroliths at the end of the study period underwent cystotomy for stone retrieval and analysis. Results Nine of the 12 cats completed the study. Eight experienced radiographic dissolution; seven of these had complete dissolution within the first month of treatment. One cat, whose owner declined cystotomy after partial dissolution at day 56, had complete radiographic resolution at 70 days of treatment. Two calcium oxalate urolith cores were removed from a cat that had partial radiographic dissolution. Conclusions and relevance The test diet was successful in dissolving suspected struvite cystoliths. As this diet is suitable for maintenance feeding of adult cats, it may be a suitable choice for long-term prevention of feline struvite urolithiasis.

Histopathological changes in liver and kidney of sharptooth catfish fed on cooked Jatropha curcas seedmeal based diets

Introduction: Histology of the organs of fish species is important in the understanding of the pathological changes related to nutritional sources. This study evaluates the histopathological alteration in the liver and kidney of sharptooth catfish fed diets containing Jatropha curcas seedmeal in a 56-day feeding trial. Methods: Clarias gariepinus fingerlings of average weight 2.61±0.02g were acclimatized for a week, and allotted into five dietary treatments; containing 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% Jatropha curcas seedmeal replacement levels for soybean meal respectively. Each treatment was replicated three times with fifteen fish per replicate. Fish were fed 5% body weight on two equal proportions per day. Histological assessment was conducted using standard procedure. Results: There were no lesions on the photomicrographs of the kidney of fish exposed to all the dietary treatments while moderate vacuolation of the hepatocytes was observed in the liver of fish fed diet D1-control diet. There were very prominent melanomicrophage centres in the liver of Clarias gariepinus fed test diet D3 with some hepatocytes which appeared vacuolated. The trend of vacuolation of hepatocytes of the liver among some treatments were not dietary related as no visible lesions were seen in the liver of fish fed test diets D2 ; D4 and D5. Significance: This study established that Jatropha curcas based diets exert hepatoprotective effect on the liver of fish fed with the diets.