Meat quality of swine supplemented with ractopamine under commercial conditions in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of feeding regime and finishing system on lamb muscle fiber and meat quality

Avaliou-se a influência dos níveis nutricionais da ovelha antes do parto, da idade à desmama e do sistema de terminação sobre as fibras musculares e a qualidade da carne dos cordeiros. Utilizaram-se matrizes mestiças Ile de France × Bergamacia criadas a pasto. As ovelhas foram divididas em dois grupos: um com suplementação alimentar 30 dias antes do parto e outro sem suplementação. Os animais (ovelha e cordeiros) foram subdivididos de acordo com a idade à desmama (45 ou 60 dias de idade) e os cordeiros desmamados foram submetidos a três sistemas de terminação: confinamento com dieta completa; confinamento somente com feno; e confinamento somente no pasto. O abate dos cordeiros foi realizado aos 30 kg de peso vivo ou aos 150 dias de idade. As características de carcaça analisadas foram morfofisiologia da fibra do músculo longissimus dorsi, fragmentação miofibrilar pós-morte (maturados nos dias 0, 3 e 7 pos mortem) e redução do pH e da temperatura da carne pós-abate. Não houve efeito da suplementação às ovelhas ou da idade à desmama sobre nenhuma das características avaliadas. A composição em fibras de contração lenta e oxidativa, contração rápida e oxidativa ou contração rápida e glicolítica não foi alterada pelos fatores em estudo, mas a área transversal das fibras foi menor nos cordeiros terminados com feno, assim como os valores de pH, temperatura e as medidas dos fragmentos de miofibrila. Com o aumento do tempo de maturação de 0 para 3 e 7 dias post mortem, houve redução do comprimento dos fragmentos de miofibrilas. O sistema de terminação de cordeiros em confinamento somente com feno interfere mais intensamente na qualidade da carne que o sistema de terminação a pasto ou em confinamento com dieta completa.

Efficiency of prebiotics and probiotics on the performance, yield, meat quality and presence of Salmonella spp in carcasses of free-range broiler chickens

Two trials were carried out in the present study. Trial I evaluated the performance, carcass yield and breast meat quality, whereas Trial II evaluated the efficacy of utilizing prebiotics + probiotics on the control of Salmonella spp incidence in the carcasses of free-range broilers. In Trial I, 688 one-day-old male chicks of the Naked Neck Label Rouge strain were used, distributed in a randomized block design arranged according to a 2 x 2 factorial: control diet or diet supplemented with probiotics and prebiotics; and two rearing systems (confined or with access to paddocks - 3m²/bird), using four replicates with 35 birds each. The birds were reared until 84 days of age following the recommendations of management and nutrition for free-range strains, and had access to paddocks after 35 days of age. Water and food were given inside the experimental poultry house. Birds fed probiotics and prebiotics in the diet and the confined birds showed better performance, carcass yield and meat quality compared to the birds of the other treatments. In Trial II, 128 one-day-old male chicks of the free-range Naked Neck Label Rouge strain were used. The birds were distributed into four treatments: NCC (non-challenged control), NCS (non-challenged supplemented), CC (challenged control) and CS (challenged supplemented). There were no significant effects of adding probiotics and prebiotics in the diet in regard to Salmonella enteritidis recovery from the carcasses.

Relationship between disease severity and quality of life in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Diet-induced obesity causes metabolic, endocrine and cardiac alterations in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influence of light quality on germination and initial growth of canephori seedlings Peltophorum dubium (Sprenge) Taub.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Influence of cage fish farming on the diet of dominant fish species of a Brazilian reservoir (Tiete River, High Parana River basin)

The cage farming of aquatic organisms was initiated 50 years ago, and was introduced to Brazil in the 1990's. In these systems, there is an input of organic matter from ration that is not totally used by the cage fishes, becoming available for the organisms of adjacent biota, including fish fauna. The aim of this work is to evaluate the interference in the diet of three dominant fish species (Plagioscion squamosissimus Heckel, 1840, Astyanax altiparanae Garutti and Britski, 2000 and Metynnis maculatus Kner, 1858) associated with ish cage farming. For determination of the diet, the Alimentary Index (AI) was used. In both stretches (around cage farm and control), P. squamosissimus selected aquatic insects, while A. altiparanae preferred terrestrial insects and M. maculatus eats ration remains. Diferences in abundance of these feeding resources found of the stomach content were observed among the two stretches. Thus, the small alterations in the diets of P. squamosissimus and A. altiparanae, indicate that cage farming can change the diet of resident species in reservoirs. This practice also influences the population structure of fish species, since higher middle standard lengths were found in A. altiparanae and P. squamosissimus populations resident around cage farms, in relation to the control stretch.

N-Acetylcysteine an Allium Plant Compound Improves High-Sucrose Diet-Induced Obesity and Related Effects

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morphological modifications induced by an artificial diet on the hypopharyngeal glands of Apis mellifera (Hymenoptera, apidae) during their degenerative process

The morphological aspects of the hypopharyngeal glands were analyzed in worker bees of Apis mellifera of 15 and 30 days of age. The individuals were kept in a room with controlled temperature at 32degreesC where they received water and either a protein or a high energy food. Nurse and foraging workers were used as a control for the experiment. The morphological results showed that the different diets modified the cell death characteristics and intensified its occurrence. Both diets caused precocious glandular degeneration. However, this anticipation of cell death was more pronounced in the glandular tissue of the workers who received the high energy diet when compared to the glands of the bees fed with the protein meal.The degenerative signs observed were an intense cytoplasmic vacuolization, with a loss of cytoplasm and of the cell boundaries, dilation or condensation of the cells and nuclei, and nuclear fragmentation. At the end of the degenerative process, we observed the extrusion of nuclei and, finally, the dissolution of the glands. The hypopharyngeal glands' remains were found in the haemolymph.

Reactivity of mesenteric and aortic rings from trained rats fed with high caloric diet

A strong association between the benefits of physical exercise on the cardiovascular disease with an improvement of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor production has been consistently shown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of exercise training associated with high caloric diet in the reactivity of rat mesenteric and aortic rings. Experimental protocol consisted of 4 weeks of high caloric diet consumption previous to 4 weeks of run training (1.2 km/h, 0% grade, in sessions of 60 min, 5 days/week). Concentrations of triglycerides, glucose, insulin and nitrite/nitrate levels were measured and atherogenic index was calculated. Concentration-response curves to acetylcholine (10 nM-100 mu M), sodium nitroprusside (100 pM-100 nM) and phenylephrine (1 nM-3 mu M) were obtained. Exercise training reduced body mass (6%) and triglyceride levels (about 54%), without changes in glucose and insulin concentrations. An improvement of endothelium-dependent relaxation responses to acetylcholine in mesenteric and aortic rings was observed in trained group. No changes were seen for sodium nitroprusside and phenylephrine. In conclusion, our study is the first to show clearly that run training promotes an improvement of the endothelium-dependent relaxing response in aorta and mesenteric rings from rats fed with high caloric diet and that is associated with increase of NO production. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exercise test and glucose homeostasis in rats treated with alloxan during the neonatal period or fed a high calorie diet

Background: Animal models appear well-suited for studies into the role of exercise in the prevention of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). The aim of the present study was to analyze glucose homeostasis and blood lactate during an exercise swimming test in rats treated with alloxan during the neonatal period and/or fed a high calorie diet from weaning onwards.Methods: Rats were injected with alloxan (200 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle (citrate buffer) at 6 days of age. After weaning, rats were divided into four groups and fed either a balanced diet or a high-caloric diet as follows: C, control group (vehicle + normal diet); A, alloxan-treated rats fed the normal diet; H, vehicle-treated rats fed the high-caloric diet; and HA, alloxan-treated rats fed the high-caloric diet.Results: Fasting serum glucose levels were higher in groups A and AH compared with the control group. The Homeostatic Model Assessment index varied in the groups as follows: H > A > HA = C. There were no differences in free fatty acids or blood lactate concentrations during the swim test.Conclusions: Alloxan-treated rats fed a normal or high-caloric diet have the potential to be used in studies analyzing the role physical exercise plays in the prevention of NIDDM.

Diet and feeding of fish from Grande River, located below the Volta Grande Reservoir, MG-SP

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Effect of fertilization in water quality and in zooplankton community in open plankton-culture ponds

The effect of swine manure fertilization on the water quality of zooplankton artificial culture in two ponds was measured in diel cycles on different months (October 1999, January and March 2000). Fertilization affected directly water quality; values for total phosphorus were above 1.4 mgL(-1) and maximum rates for ammonia reached 108 mu gL(-1). Zooplankton community comprised four species, namely, Brachionus calyciflorus, B. falcatus, Moina sp. and Thermocyclops sp. B. falcatus (Rotifera) and Moina sp (Cladocera) were dominant respectively in January and in March. There was no difference in abundance of zooplankton between the two ponds (p>0.05), although adult cyclopoid Thermocyclops sp was different between diel cycles (p<0.05). There were significant differences (p<0.05) in dissolved oxygen, ammonia, total phosphorus, orthophosphate, nitrite and nitrate between ponds. In fact, only dissolved oxygen and pH were significantly different (p<0.05) between the ponds' surface and bottom. Organic fertilization also provided greater amount of nutrients and higher pH and conductivity, coupled to greater oscillations in the concentration of dissolved oxygen, directly affecting the zooplanktonic composition.

A fish-based biotic integrity index for assessment of lowland streams in southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)