Nutrient digestibility, but not mineral absorption, is age-dependent in cats

Availability of nutrients is influenced by extremes of age, and a better characterization of this influence is necessary for appropriate development of foods and nutritional management throughout life stages of cats. This study investigated nutrient digestibility, mineral absorption, faeces and urine production in three groups of six young, mature and old cats fed two diets containing different energy densities. Apparent digestibility and mineral absorption were calculated by total collection method and values were tested with ANOVA and regression analysis. A quadratic relationship was detected between age and digestibility of dry matter, organic matter, crude protein, acid-hydrolysed fat and starch in the low-energy diet. Starch digestibility showed the same response in the high-energy diet. Young adult cats had intermediate digestibility, mature cats the highest and old cats the lowest. Mineral absorption (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride) and urinary pH were not different among groups. These findings confirm previous studies that found low digestibility of nutrients in some old cats, and support evidence that this trend is even more important in less digestible dry foods. on the contrary, data suggest that mineral formulations do not need to be varied in diets for adult cats of different ages.

Bone mineral density in healthy female adolescents according to age, bone age and pubertal breast stage

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

Study on the bone mineral density of broiler suffering femoral joint degenerative lesions

An experiment was carried out with male and females broilers of two different commercial breeds to evaluate bone mineral density of the right femur head. A number of 600 one-day-old broilers were raised in an experimental poultry house up to 42 days of age at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil. After slaughter, three males and three females in each breed in each of the established gross scores were selected. Their femora heads were submitted to gross examination, and subsequently the thighs were submitted to the Veterinary Hospital for radiographic analysis. Femora were also submitted to bone resistance, Seedor index, and dry matter content analyses. All these bone quality characteristics were different between males and females, independent of breed. Breeds presented similar behavior. It was possible to establish correlations between bone quality parameters, and confidence intervals for bone mineral density values, correlating them to femoral degeneration score, which allows characterizing femoral head lesions by radiographic optical densitometry.

Impact of skeletal maturation on bone metabolism biomarkers and bone mineral density in healthy Brazilian male adolescents

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

Assessment of risk factors for low bone mineral density in Brazilian postmenopausal women

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

Evaluation of postural balance in postmenopausal women and its relationship with bone mineral density- a cross sectional study

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

Análise preditiva da densidade mineral óssea em adolescentes brasileiros eutróficos do sexo masculino

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

Bone metabolism biomarkers, body weight, and bone age in healthy Brazilian male adolescents

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

The impact of different types of physical activity on total and regional bone mineral density in young Brazilian athletes

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

Suplementação mineral e mobilização de cálcio nos ossos de eqüinos em pastagem de Brachiaria humidicola

Durante 150 dias, 12 potras Quarto-de-Milha de 1 ano de idade permaneceram exclusivamente em pastagem de Brachiaria humidicola, num experimento inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos, nível 0 (recomendação do NRC, 1989); nível 50 (50% a mais do NRC); nível 100 (100% a mais do NRC), e quatro repetições. Como palatabilizante foram empregadas 270 g de açúcar. Realizaram-se biópsias na asa do osso do ílio de cada potra, no início e final do experimento, para avaliar a mobilização de Ca e a relação Ca:P. As amostras da gramínea, foram coletadas mensalmente para verificação do teor de oxalato e composição químico-bromatológica. Houve efeito de tempo na mobilização de Ca, P e da relação Ca:P (p<0,05), independentemente dos tratamentos. As médias dos três tratamentos, no início e final do período experimental foram, quanto aos teores de Ca, P e da relação Ca:P, respectivamente: 10,05, 5,22, 1,93:1 e 6,24, 4,06, 1,54:1. O teor do oxalato na gramínea variou de 1,18 a 2,00%. A utilização do nível de cálcio suplementar duas vezes superior ao recomendado pelo National Research Council não foi suficiente para impedir a mobilização deste mineral nos ossos de eqüinos pastejando Brachiaria humidicola por longos períodos.

Effect of organic mineral supplementation on the egg quality of semi-heavy layers in their second cycle of lay

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary trace mineral levels and sources on egg quality parameters of second-cycle semi-heavy layers. A number of 360 72-week-old layers were submitted to forced molting. Upon return of lay (83 weeks of age), birds were distributed according to a completely randomized experimental design of six treatments with six replicates of 10 birds each. The control treatment consisted of 0.10% dietary supplementation of trace minerals from inorganic sources, which was proportionally replaced by five levels (110, 100, 90, 80, 70%) of an organic trace mineral supplement containing 30, 30, 40, 6, 0.61, and 0.3 g/kg product of Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, I, and Se, respectively. All diets contained equal protein, energy, and amino acid levels. Every 28 days of the experimental period (112 days) four eggs per replicate were collected for egg quality evaluation. The following parameters were evaluated: specific gravity, yolk, albumen and eggshell percentages, yolk index, Haugh units, and eggshell thickness and breaking strength. One sample per replicate, consisting of the pool of the yolks of three eggs collected at the end of each experimental period, was used to assess protein and mineral (Ca, P, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn) contents. The results were submitted to ANOVA, and means to the test of Tukey at 5% significance level. The evaluated trace mineral levels and sources did not influence any of the studied egg quality parameters. It was concluded that reducing organic trace mineral supplementation in up to 70% relative to 100% inorganic trace mineral supplementation does not affect egg parameters and therefore, can be applied to the diet of semi-heavy layers in their second cycle of lay.

Bone mineral density of tibae and femura of broiler breeders: growth, development and production

The aim of this study was to follow-up the physiological variations in the development of the bone tissue, associating them with the egg production curve. This study was carried out in the facilities of the Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia of the UNESP, Botucatu, Brazil. Twenty-three families of Ross broiler breeders were used, each family consisting of 13 females and 1 male, distributed in 23 pens of 5.0m² each. The management was that recommended by the genetic company manual (Agroceres Ross, 2003), with daily feeding until 6th week of age; and birds were fed according to a 5:2 schedule (5 days fed, 2 days of fasting) between 7 and 17 weeks of age, returning to daily feeding starting at 18 weeks of age. Birds did not receive afternoon calcium supplementation. on the fourth week of rearing, 84 females were removed for bone analyses of the right tibia and femur, using optical densitometry in radiographic images technique. These analyses were sequentially carried out in 4, 8, 12, 15, 20, 24, 30, 35, 42, 47, and 52 week-old birds. The egg production curve of the birds was followed-up and associated to bone mineral density results. For bone mineral density evaluation (BMD) birds were divided by weight categories as light, intermediate, or heavy within each data age. BMD values of the tibias were not influenced by weight range, but by the age at collection. on the other hand, interactions were found among femur BMD values and weight and age categories. There was no correlation between eggshell quality and femur BMD. A negative correlation (-0.15) was observed between tibia BMD and eggshell percentage. It was possible to conclude that the egg production has little influence on bone mineral density of the birds probably because there was no need of bone mineral mobilization during the production period, since the observed egg production was below that observed under commercial conditions.

Tibial dyschondroplasia and bone mineral density

This study was carried out at Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, UNESP, Botucatu-SP, Brazil. The aim was to establish the normal values of bone mineral density (BMD) expressed in millimeters of aluminum in the tibia of broiler chickens using optical densitometry of radiographs. Four hundred Cobb male chicks were reared from 1 to 40 days of age, when 40 of them were selected and the right femur-tibia articulation was radiographed. Radiographs were taken with the X-ray equipment calibrated for 45 kvp and 3.2 mAs and a focus-to-film distance of 90 cm. An aluminum phantom ASTM-6063 consisting of 20 ladder steps with graduate density was placed parallel to the area to be radiographed and used as a densitometry reference standard. Radiograph images were analyzed using the software ATHENA - SIA. The proximal growth plate of the right tibia epiphysis was used as the standard reading region. The inclination axis of the reading window was 0 and the window was 10 mm high and 40-45 mm wide, depending on the bone size. Optical densitometry values of the radiographs ranged from 1.46 to 1.77 mmAl, and the coefficient of variation was 9.93%. It was concluded that densitometry values beyond the range established in the present study might indicate the presence of bone alteration in the tibia of broilers.

Femur Mineral Density of Broilers with Femoral Degeneration Fed High Nutritional Density Diets

A study was carried out in the experimental facilities of FMVZ/UNESP-Botucatu, with the aim of following-up the development and the incidence of femoral degeneration (FD). A total of 305 one-day-old male broilers were housed in six pens of 5m(2) each. A completely randomized experimental design, with 3 treatments (T1-traditional nutritional density diet; T2-high nutritional density diet) of 3 replicates each was applied. Femoral head of the broilers were submitted to gross examination at 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days of aged. At 42 days of age, 60 birds (30 per treatment) were submitted to the Veterinary Hospital of FMVZ to determine bone mineral density by radiography. Birds were then sacrificed for gross examination of the legs, and FD scoring. Five legs per treatment within each FD score were submitted to computed tomography for femur head integrity and bone mineral density. Treatments did not influence FD incidence, and the first gross FD lesions appeared when birds were 28 days old. It was concluded that radiographic optical densitometry and computed tomography are efficient methods to evaluate femoral degeneration, and both techniques expressed the same profile. In addition, using radiographic optical densitometry and computed tomography, these results also allowed us to establish bone mineral density value ranges within each gross FD score. These finding may provide an excellent non-invasive tool to describe femoral degeneration.

Padronização da densidade mineral óssea (DMO) do acessório do carpo em eqüinos atletas da raça Quarto de Milha

Eqüinos da raça Quarto de Milha, 30 machos e 30 fêmeas com idade entre 42 e 48 meses, apresentando a epífise distal do rádio fechada, em plena atividade esportiva, foram analisados quanto à densidade mineral óssea (DMO) do acessório do carpo, tendo os valores expressos em milímetros de alumínio (mmAl). As radiografias da estrutura óssea, juntamente com uma escala de alumínio (penetrômetro) foram analisadas por meio de um programa computacional, especialmente desenvolvido para medida da densidade óptica em imagem radiográfica. O valor médio encontrado para as fêmeas foi de 4,49±0,69mmAl, com idade média de 43±2 meses e, para os machos, de 4,43 ± 0,81mmAl, com idade média de 45±2 meses, não havendo diferença significativa na DMO entre os sexos.