Effects of different barley grain preservation techniques on intake, growth and carcase traits of finishing dairy bulls fed grass silage-based rations

The effects of different barley grain preservation techniques on intake, growth and carcase traits of dairy bulls were determined in a feeding trial using 52 Holstein and 48 Nordic Red bulls which were allotted to four feeding treatments (five pens and 25 bulls per treatment). Spring barley was harvested with a conventional combine harvester and four different preservation techniques formed the four experimental treatments. Dry grain (DG) was dried to the targeted dry matter (DM) concentration of 870–880 g/kg and rolled within 7 days prior to feeding. High moisture grain treated with a formic acid-based additive (FA) was harvested and crimped on the targeted DM content of 700 g/kg. Low moisture grain treated with a urea-based additive (UR) and low moisture grain treated with a propionic acid-based additive (PA) were harvested and crimped on the targeted DM content of 800 g/kg. The bulls were fed with total mixed ration ad libitum. On DM basis, the diets included grass silage (500 g/kg), barley grain (485 g/kg) and a mineral–vitamin mixture (15 g/kg). Daily DM intake (DMI) and live weight gain were 6% higher when crimped grains were used instead of DG (P < 0.05). There were no observed significant differences in DMI, gain or carcase traits between high moisture and low moisture crimped grain treatments or between UR and PA. The current results show that producers have the option to vary grain preservation system without major changes to growth performance or carcase traits.

Effects of Media composition on Asymbiotic Seed Culture of Vanda tessellata : An Approach to In vitro Conservation

For initiation of seed germination and protocorm growth in Vanda tessellata (Roxb.) Hook. ex G. Don different media, namely Knudson’s C basal medium, modified Knudson’s C basal medium, Murashige and Skoog basal medium, Vacin and Went basal medium and Lindeman basal medium either alone or supplemented with vitamin or 0.1% peptone (w/v) were used. Vitamin mixture was consisted of nicotinic acid, pyridoxine and thiamine HCl at 1 : 1 : 10, respectively. For the initiation of germination, all the treatments exhibited promising results without showing significant variation. But the rate of survival of the germinated seedlings was remarkably low in all the basal media. Maximum survival rate of germinated seedlings was recorded in MS + 0.1% peptone. Necrosis of protocorms was a common phenomenon in all the treatments and 100% necrosis was recorded in LM basal medium and LM + vitamin. Addition of vitamin mixture and peptone in the basal media increased the rate of survival as well as differentiation of the germinated protocorms. Maximum rooted plantlets were recorded in VW + 0.1% peptone Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 30(2): 285-295, 2020 (December)

IMPACT OF VARIOUS 2, 4-D CONCENTRATIONS AND DIFFERENT VITAMIN MIXTURES ON in vitro CULTURE OF COCONUT (Cocos nucifera L.) BY UTILIZING SEEDLINGS SHOOT TIP

In this experiment, seedlings as sources for shoot tips was assembled from the coconut research institute (CRI) of Chinese Academy of tropical agricultural sciences germplasm, Wenchang, Hainan, China. The shoot tips were cultured on Y3 medium to study the impact of ten concentrations of 2, 4-D and three vitamin mixtures on survival, death and development % on in vitro culture establishment stage of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.). The obtained results revealed that all 2,4-D concentrations 4,7, 75, 100, 120 and 140 mg/L + any vitamin mixture did not give any development and high concentrations of 2, 4-D increased the death %. In any case, it can be concluded that the rate of differences in survival, death and development percentages exhibited by 2, 4-D concentrations was more pronounced than the analogous ones resulted by vitamin mixtures. At any rate, utilizing of (2, 4-D at concentration 25 mg/L+ vitamin mixture 1 or 2) exhibited the greatest values of survival percentage and reduced death percentage. Just as, increased the percentages of development in in vitro culture establishment stage of coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) through seedlings shoot tip.

386 Effect of essential oil and exogenous enzyme on feed intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation of finishing cattle fed different roughage sources

Eight rumen-cannulated Nellore steers (327 ± 30 Kg BW) were used in a 4x4 duplicate Latin square to evaluate the effects of two feed additives (MON - Sodium Monensin 26 mg/kg DM vs. Crina® RumistarTM - combination of blend of essential oils - 90 mg/kg DM + exogenous α-amylase - 560 mg/kg DM, respectively; DSM Produtos Nutricionais Brasil S.A.) and two roughage sources at 10% of peNDF (CS - corn silage vs SB - sugarcane bagasse, on DM basis). Final diets contained 19.5% CS or 12% SB, corn grain (70.7 and 78.2% for CS and SB diets, respectively), 5.5% soybean meal, 4% mineral-vitamin mixture and 0.3% urea, on DM basis. The experimental periods had 14-d for adaptation and 5-d of collections. Data were analyzed with PROC MIXED of SAS and means compared by Tukey test. No interaction between additives and roughage sources was observed. Animals fed Crina® RumistarTM had 0.600 kg increase (P = 0.03) on DM intake and decreased (P = 0.01) apparent crude protein digestibility (CP; 75.3 vs. 77.5%, respectively) compared to MON. Animals fed SB presented greater apparent CP digestibility (77.6 vs 75.2%, respectively; P = 0.003) compared to CS. No difference in apparent NDF digestibility for additives and roughage source was observed. Animals fed Crina® RumistarTM had lower acetate concentration (P = 0.01) compared to MON on time 9, 12, 15, 18 and 21 hours. Animals fed CS had higher acetate:propionate (P = 0.03) compared to SB at all collection times–24 hours. Ruminal ammonia-nitrogen was lower (P = 0.01) in animals fed Crina® RumistarTM compared to MON. To use Crina® RumistarTM increased DM intake and decreased ruminal ammonia-nitrogen compared to monensin, suggesting a higher CP by-passing the rumen. Crina® RumistarTM increased DM intake without negative impacts on nutrients digestibility, regardless roughage source, thus a higher amount of nutrients reaches the intestine to be absorbed and animal performance can be increased.

Effects of primary growth compared to regrowth grass silage on feed intake, growth performance and carcass traits of growing bulls

The objective was to study the effects of primary growth vs. regrowth grass silage on intake, growth and carcass traits of growing bulls. In a feeding experiment, 30 bulls were offered a total mixed ration ad libitum. Two dietary treatments included either first or second cut grass silage (550 g kg-1 dry matter) supplemented with rolled barley (435 g kg-1 dry matter) and a mineral-vitamin mixture (15 g kg-1 dry matter). Feed and energy intake as well as the live weight gain of the bulls decreased when the second cut silage was used instead of the first cut silage. No differences in carcass conformation or carcass fat score between the treatments were observed. Analysed chemical, digestibility or fermentation parameters of the silage samples did not explain the differences in feed intake. However, some second cut silage samples were found to contain mycotoxins (zearalenone, roquefortine C, mycophenolic acid and HT-2), but it is difficult to estimate whether this was the factor that affected feed intake in the present study.

The RPMI-1640 vitamin mixture promotes bovine blastocyst development in vitro and downregulates gene expression of TXNIP with epigenetic modification of associated histones

Diverse environmental conditions surrounding preimplantation embryos, including available nutrients, affect their metabolism and development in both short- and long-term manner. Thioredoxin-interacting protein (TXNIP) is a possible marker for preimplantation stress that is implicated in in vitro fertilization- (IVF) induced long-term DOHaD effects. B vitamins, as participants in one-carbon metabolism, may affect preimplantation embryos by epigenetic alterations of metabolically and developmentally important genes. In vitro-produced bovine embryos were cultured with or without Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1640 vitamin mixture, containing B vitamins and B vitamin-like substances, from day 3 after IVF and we evaluated blastocyst development and TXNIP messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the blastocysts by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The degree of trimethylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27me3) at TXNIP promoter was examined semi-quantitatively by chromatin immunoprecipitation polymerase chain reaction. Total H3K27me3 were also compared between the groups by Western blot analysis. The vitamin treatment significantly increased the rates of blastocyst development (P<0.05) and their hatching (P<0.001) from the zona pellucida by day 8. The mRNA expression of TXNIP was lower (P<0.01) in blastocysts in the vitamin-mixture-treated group concomitant with higher (P<0.05) level of H3K27me3 of its promoter compared with the control group. The total H3K27me3 in the vitamin-mixture-treated group was also higher (P<0.01) than that in the control group. The epigenetic control of genes related to important metabolic processes during the periconceptional period by nutritional conditions in utero and/or in vitro may have possible implication for the developmental programming during this period that may impact the welfare and production traits of farm animals.

A comparison of first-, second- and third-cut timothy silages in the diets of finishing beef bulls

The objective of the present experiment was to study the effects of the third-cut grass silage compared with the first- and second-cut silages on intake, performance and carcass characteristics of finishing bulls. A feeding experiment comprised 45 Simmental bulls which were fed a total mixed ration ad libitum. The three dietary treatments included either first-, second- or third-cut grass silage (550 g kg-1 dry matter), rolled barley (435 g kg-1 dry matter) and a mineral-vitamin mixture (15 g kg-1 dry matter). Dry matter and energy intakes and growth rates of the bulls increased when either first- or third-cut silages were used instead of the second-cut silage. This was probably due to differences in digestibility, which was the lowest in the second-cut silage. There were no differences in intake or growth between the first- and third-cut silage-based rations. No significant differences in carcass traits among the feeding treatments were observed.

Effects of ethanol consumption on the B-group vitamin contents of liver, blood and urine in rats

Several studies have shown that blood vitamin levels are lower in alcoholic patients than in control subjects. Acute ethanol exposure enhances the release of vitamins from liver cells in vitro. The aim of the present study is to confirm the effects of ethanol consumption on vitamin contents in vivo. We compared the contents of B-group vitamins in the liver, blood and urine between ethanol-fed and control rats fed a diet containing a sufficient- and low-vitamin mixture. The experimental rats were fed a 15 % ethanol solution freely for 28 d, and then 24 h urine samples were collected, after which the animals were killed. The B-group vitamin contents in the liver, blood and urine were measured. No differences in liver, blood and urine contents were observed between the control and ethanol-fed rats fed a diet containing a sufficient-vitamin mixture. On the contrary, in rats fed a diet containing a low-vitamin mixture, consumption of ethanol caused a decrease in the contents of vitamins B1, B2 and pantothenic acid in the liver; however, the contents of the other vitamins did not decrease. In the blood, the contents of vitamins B1, B2, B6 and pantothenic acid were lower in the ethanol-fed rats than in the controls. Urinary excretion of the B-group vitamins, except for niacin, was lower in the ethanol-fed rats. These results show that ethanol consumption affects the absorption, distribution and excretion of each of the vitamins in rats fed a diet containing a low-vitamin mixture.

REPRODUCTION PERFORMANCE OF HUMPBACK GROUPER (Cromileptes altivelis) FROM WILD BROODSTOCK (F-0), FIRST GENERATION BROODSTOCK (F-1), AND SECOND GENERATION BROODSTOCK (F-2)

<p>Grouper seeding technology still relies on the broodstock from the ocean, eventhough, the existence of the broodstock is rare and difficult to obtain. The broodstock takes a long time to mature and spawn. Therefore, to anticipate the scarcity humpback grouper from wild, it is important to produce broodfish from aquaculture. This study was aimed to know the reproduction performance of humpback grouper wild broodstock F-0, first generation broodstock (F-1) and second generation broodstock (F-2). The cultured of humback grouper broodstock used three tanks 75 m3 in volume (tank I, II and tank III). Tank I: reared 35 fishes broodstock F-0. Tank II and tank III for reared each 50 fishes F-1 and F-2 broodstock. Food for broodstock from the wild (F-0) was given from fresh trash fish, squid, and added vitamin mixture, vitamin C and vitamin E. Meanwhhile, food given to F-1 and F-2 broodstock was a commercial dry pellet (PG 9-10) that contains following nutrients: protein content of 43%, min. fat of 9%, ash content of 13%, fiber levels of 2%, and moisture content of 12%. Mixture of vitamin C and E were also added. The results showed that the humpback grouper F-0, F-1 and F-2 were cultured in 75 m3 concrete tank was successfully spawn with the fertilization rate of 87%, 78% and 45% respectively. This result proves that the broodstock from F-0 gaved the best results.</p><p>Keywords: Humpback grouper reproduction, wild broodstock (F-0), first generation (F-1), seccond generation (F-2)</p>