Supplementation of Nellore young bulls on Marandu grass pastures in the dry period of the year

The objective of this study was to evaluate performance and daytime ingestive behavior of 84 Nellore young bulls in the post-weaning phase kept on Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu pastures during the dry season. Treatments were protein mineral supplementation (1 g/kg body weight) and protein+energy mineral supplementation (3 g/kg body weight). The experimental area comprised 12 paddocks in a total area of 27.36 ha, divided in two blocks of six paddocks each, having three replications per treatment in each block, with 42 animals/treatment. The data were subjected to variance analysis with repeated measures over time via procedure PROCMIXED of SAS (Statistical Analysis System, version 9.0) and means were compared by the Tukey test at 5% probability. The initial average weight of animals was 204.8 kg; final weights were 260.9 and 276.9 kg for animals that received protein and protein+energy supplement, respectively. The forage availability, sward height and stocking rate values did not differ with supplementation, but they showed difference between the experimental periods. The average time spent grazing during daylight of animals fed protein+energy supplement was shorter as compared with those which consumed protein supplement. Animals kept under the same pasture conditions during the dry season show better performance when they receive protein+energy supplement than protein supplement.

Protein ingestion increases myofibrillar protein synthesis after concurrent exercise

PURPOSE: We determined the effect of protein supplementation on anabolic signaling and rates of myofibrillar and mitochondrial protein synthesis after a single bout of concurrent training. METHODS: Using a randomized cross-over design, 8 healthy males were assigned to experimental trials consisting of resistance exercise (8 × 5 leg extension, 80% 1-RM) followed by cycling (30 min at ~70% VO2peak) with either post-exercise protein (PRO: 25 g whey protein) or placebo (PLA) ingestion. Muscle biopsies were obtained at rest, 1 and 4 h post-exercise. RESULTS: Akt and mTOR phosphorylation increased 1 h after exercise with PRO (175-400%, P<0.01) and was different from PLA (150-300%, P<0.001). MuRF1 and Atrogin-1 mRNA were elevated post-exercise but were higher with PLA compared to PRO at 1 h (50-315%, P<0.05), while PGC-1α mRNA increased 4 h post-exercise (620-730%, P<0.001) with no difference between treatments. Post-exercise rates of myofibrillar protein synthesis increased above rest in both trials (75-145%, P <0.05) but were higher with PRO (67%, P<0.05) while mitochondrial protein synthesis did not change from baseline. CONCLUSION: Our results show that a concurrent training session promotes anabolic adaptive responses and increases metabolic/oxidative mRNA expression in skeletal muscle. Protein ingestion after combined resistance and endurance exercise enhances myofibrillar protein synthesis and attenuates markers of muscle catabolism and thus is likely an important nutritional strategy to enhance adaptation responses with concurrent training.

The effectiveness of dietary counselling versus oral nutrition supplements in improving nutritional intake in malnourished patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

The evidence for nutritional support in COPD is almost entirely based on oral nutritional supplements (ONS) yet despite this dietary counseling and food fortification (DA) are often used as the first line treatment for malnutrition. This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of ONS vs. DA in improving nutritional intake in malnourished outpatients with COPD. 70 outpatients (BMI 18.4 SD 1.6 kg/m2, age 73 SD 9 years, severe COPD) were randomised to receive a 12-week intervention of either ONS or DA (n 33 ONS vs. n 37 DA). Paired t-test analysis revealed total energy intakes significantly increased with ONS at week 6 (+302 SD 537 kcal/d; p = 0.002), with a slight reduction at week 12 (+243 SD 718 kcal/d; p = 0.061) returning to baseline levels on stopping supplementation. DA resulted in small increases in energy that only reached significance 3 months post-intervention (week 6: +48 SD 623 kcal/d, p = 0.640; week 12: +157 SD 637 kcal/d, p = 0.139; week 26: +247 SD 592 kcal/d, p = 0.032). Protein intake was significantly higher in the ONS group at both week 6 and 12 (ONS: +19.0 SD 25.0 g/d vs. DA: +1.0 SD 13.0 g/d; p = 0.033 ANOVA) but no differences were found at week 26. Vitamin C, Iron and Zinc intakes significantly increased only in the ONS group. ONS significantly increased energy, protein and several micronutrient intakes in malnourished COPD patients but only during the period of supplementation. Trials investigating the effects of combined nutritional interventions are required.

Concentrate feeding strategies for growing and finishing dairy bulls offered grass silage-based diets

The first aim of this thesis was to produce data for evaluating, developing and recommending biologically and economically efficient energy and protein feeding strategies for growing and finishing dairy bulls offered grass silage-based diets. The second aim was to calculate the energy and protein supplies of the dairy bulls fed different grass silage-cereal-based diets and, based on this, to estimate the possible need to revise the current Finnish energy and protein recommendations for growing dairy bulls. The third aim was to demonstrate the phosphorus supply of dairy bulls fed grass silage-cereal-based diets with or without protein supplementation in relation to current feeding recommendations for phosphorus. The results indicate that protein supplement is not needed for finishing dairy bulls (live weight more than 250 kg) when they are fed good-quality grass silage (digestible organic matter more than 650 g/kg dry matter, restricted fermentation with low concentrations of fermentation acids and ammonia N) and grain-based concentrate with a moderate (300-700 g/kg dry matter) concentrate level. The results also suggest that with total mixed ration feeding it is possible to use rather high concentrate proportions (700 g/kg dry matter) in feeding dairy bulls. According to this study, barley fibre is a suitable energy supplement with good-quality silage for growing dairy bulls. The results suggest that 50% of barley grain can be replaced with barley fibre without affecting growth. Also oats is a suitable energy supplement for dairy bulls. However, as a consequence of decreased energy intake, the gain and feed conversion of the bulls were slightly reduced in this study when barley grain was replaced by oats in the diet. Ultimately, the rationality of the use of barley fibre and oats in the future will depend on the price in relation to other concentrates. During the feeding experiments the calculated supply of energy was 10% higher than in the Finnish feeding recommendations for the present growth rate. This indicates that there is a need to update the Finnish feeding recommendations for dairy-breed growing bulls, and further calculations are needed for the energy supply of growing dairy bulls. The calculated supply of AAT (amino acids absorbed from the small intestine) was 38% higher than in the Finnish feeding recommendations for the present growth. Possibly, the present AAT-PBV system is not an optimal protein evaluation system for growing dairy bulls more than 250 kg live weight. The calculations based on the feeding experiments and the Finnish feeding recommendations indicate that in most cases the dairy bulls (live weight more than 250 kg) received enough P from the basic grass silage cereal-based diets without additional mineral feeds. Therefore there is no need to add P in the form of mineral mixtures.

Alternative plant protein sources for pigs and chickens in the tropics – nutritional value and constraints: a review

In the tropics, a large number of smallholder farms contribute significantly to food security by raising pigs and poultry for domestic consumption and for sale on local markets. The high cost and, sometimes, the lack of availability of commercial protein supplements is one of the main limitations to efficient animal production by smallholders. Locally-grown forages and grain legumes offer ecological benefits such as nitrogen fixation, soil improvement, and erosion control which contribute to improve cropping efficiency. Besides these agronomical assets, they can be used as animal feeds in mixed farming systems. In this paper we review options to include locally-grown forages and grain legumes as alternative protein sources in the diets of pigs and poultry in order to reduce farmers’ dependence on externally-purchased protein concentrates. The potential nutritive value of a wide range of forages and grain legumes is presented and discussed. The influence of dietary fibre and plant secondary metabolites contents and their antinutritive consequences on feed intake, digestive processes and animal performances are considered according to the varying composition in those compounds of the different plant species and cultivars covered in this review. Finally, methods to overcome the antinutritive attributes of the plant secondary metabolites using heat, chemical or biological treatment are reviewed regarding their efficiency and their suitability in low input farming systems.

Effects of different nutritional regimens on the productivity of Australian Cashmere goats and the partitioning of nutrients between cashmere and hair growth

The influence of energy or protein supplementation or energy restriction on cashmere growth was studied in 35 highly productive cashmere wether goats. The goats were shorn on 3 December and randomly allocated to 3 levels of energy intake: M, goats fed to maintain liveweight; 0.8M, goats fed to lose 5 kg liveweight from December to April and then fed ad libitum; and >M, goats fed to gain liveweight. Nested within >M were ADLIB (goats offered feed ad libitum), and 1.25M and l.5M (goats fed M plus 25 or 50% of the difference in mean intake between M and ADLIB). The metabolisable energy requirement to maintain liveweight was 250 kJ kg-0.75 day-1 but to maintain body condition (l.25M) it was 3 12 kJ kg-0.75 day-1. Goats fed 0.8M had a mean intake of 0.68M and lost 26 g day-1 liveweight until April, but when fed ad libitum consumed 2.15M in June and grew rapidly in late autumn and winter at 93 g day-1. Goats fed ADLIB consumed 2.30M in February and gained 87 g day-1 from December to February, but intake declined to 1.61 M in June and they gained 20 g day-1 from April to June. Cashmere growth and fibre diameters of fleeces shorn on 17 June of goats fed >M (221g, 17.69 pm) were significantly greater (P< 0.02) than those of goats fed 0.8M (146 g, 16.67 ¦m), with levels of M-fed goats being intermediate. Within >M, there were no significant differences in cashmere growth. Protein supplementation within M (27 or 54 g day -1 formaldehyde- treated casein) resulted in 40% more wool growth in sheep (P<0.001), but no increase in cashmere or hair growth in goats. Goats fed ADLIB had significantly reduced cashmere yields (P < 0.05) and grew more hair (P<0.05) than did goats in other treatments. About 4 weeks after energy supplementation, fibre diameter of previously energy-deprived goats increased (P< 0.01). Midside patches indicated that energy-deprived goats, which lost liveweight, diverted nutrients preferentially to cashmere growth, while goats fed ADLIB partitioned nutrients towards hair growth. To maximise cashmere growth, supplementary energy should be supplied to avoid liveweight loss from December to April. Goats that had small (1-2 kg) liveweight gains and maintained body condition achieved near maximal levels of cashmere growth.

Canopy characteristics and behavior of Nellore heifers in Brachiaria brizantha pastures under different grazing heights at a continuous stocking rate

The objective of this study was to evaluate the Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu canopy structure maintained at different grazing heights under a continuous stocking rate and with a dietary supplementation strategy for the animals during the rainy season. This study also intended to observe the relationships of these variables with the grazing behaviors of the heifers. The effects of three canopy heights (15, 25 and 35 cm) were evaluated in association with three types of supplements: one mineral and two protein/energy supplements, the first with a high rumen degradable protein and energy and the others with a low ratio. Both the protein/energy supplements were provided at 0.3% of body weight/day. The experimental design was completely randomized, with two replications and repeated measures, and took place during the period from January to April 2008. The supplementation strategies did not affect any variable related to the canopy structure. Total and green herbage masses and the ratio of green/dead material increased with canopy height. The leaf/stem ratio was higher in the lowest canopy height: 15 cm. Changes in the canopy structure caused variations in the grazing behavior of the animals. Animals maintained in the 15-cm-tall pasture grazed for a longer time, increasing the time for each meal, but the number of meals was lower than that of the animals grazing within the 35-cm-tall pasture. The grazing time of animals receiving the energy/protein supplement was lower only in the period of the day during which it was supplied. Canopy structure is affected by sward height, and changes animal behavior. Supplementation does not affect the canopy structure of the pastures with similar heights.

Complexo enzimático para suínos: digestão, metabolismo, desempenho e impacto ambiental

Foram conduzidos dois experimentos para avaliar a suplementação enzimática (amilase, pentosanase, celulase, protease e a-galactosidase) em rações à base de milho e farelo de soja para suínos. No Exp 1, foram determinadas as digestibilidades aparentes da energia, matéria seca, proteína e das fibras das rações, com ou sem o complexo enzimático, para suínos machos castrados, com 19,96 ± 2,90 kg de peso vivo. Foi utilizado o método da coleta total de fezes e as rações foram formuladas com níveis reduzidos de energia, proteína e aminoácidos. No Exp 2, foram mensurados o desempenho, a excreção de sólidos totais e voláteis, matéria mineral, nitrogênio, macro e microminerais nas fezes, em relação ao desempenho, de suínos machos castrados dos 50 aos 151 dias de idade, com peso médio inicial de 18,34 ± 1,35 kg. Foram utilizadas três dietas, sendo uma ração formulada para atender ou exceder as exigências nutricionais dos animais, de acordo com o NRC (1998), e outras duas com níveis reduzidos de energia, proteína e aminoácidos, suplementadas ou não com o complexo enzimático. Foi utilizado o delineamento em blocos casualizados. A suplementação enzimática em rações contendo milho e farelo de soja não promoveu incrementos na digestibilidade de nutrientes, não melhorou o desempenho dos animais e também não reduziu a excreção de resíduos pelas fezes. Mais estudos são necessários para testar novas matrizes e diferentes níveis do complexo enzimático.

Efeito da suplementação no desempenho de bovinos de corte em pastagem de Brachiaria brizantha cv. Marandu

Conduziu-se este trabalho, com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da suplementação protéico-energética, durante o período das águas sobre o ganho de peso de bovinos mestiços (½ Nelore + ½ Blonde D'Aquitaine) mantidos em pastagem Brachiaria brizantha (A. Rich.) Stapf cv. Marandu. Avaliou-se a produção e a composição química da forragem. Foram utilizados 18 novilhos com peso médio de 181 kg, distribuídos em um delineamento em blocos ao acaso, em parcela subdividida, alocando o tratamento na parcela e o período na subparcela, com dois tratamentos e nove repetições; os tratamentos foram: sem suplementação (SS) e suplementados com concentrado em 0,6% do peso (SA). Foi verificado, durante o período das águas, aumento (P < 0,05) no ganho de peso dos novilhos (1,06 kg/dia) comparado aos novilhos que não receberam suplementação (0,77 kg/dia).

Growth and metabolism of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus Holmberg 1887) juveniles fed diets containing different protein, lipid and carbohydrate levels

To verify the potential of lipids and carbohydrates to spare dietary protein and to understand the intermediary metabolism of interaction of these nutrients in pacu juveniles, an experiment was carried out to evaluate pacu physiological and performance parameters. The experimental design was completely randomized with 12 treatments in a 2 x 2 x 3 factorial arrangement, consisting of diets containing two digestible protein levels (200 and 230 g kg(-1) PD), two lipid levels (40 and 80 g kg(-1)) and three carbohydrate levels (410, 460 and 500 g kg(-1)). Fish-fed 230 g kg(-1) digestable protein (DP) showed increased glycaemia, decreased hepatic glycogen, as well as a smaller intake index and better feed conversion ratio. The higher dietary lipid level (80 g kg(-1)) reduced protein intake and serum protein concentration, increased liver and body fat content, but did not affect growth. At a lipid level of 80 g kg(-1), the increase in dietary carbohydrate levels promoted greater weight gain (WG), crude protein intake (CPI) and better feed conversion ratio (FCR). For fish fed diets containing 40 g kg(-1) lipid, the best energy-productive values (EPV) were obtained at 460 g kg(-1) carbohydrate. Increased levels of the main nutrients in the diets reduced the levels of serum triglycerides, while the increase in energy concentration increased the hepatosomatic (HSI) and glycaemia index values. Pacu used lipids as effectively as carbohydrates in the maximization of protein usage, as long as dietary protein was at a level of 230 g kg(-1) DP. The physiological parameters indicated that the best balance between the DP, dietary lipid and carbohydrate levels within the ranged this trial was obtained at 230, 40 and 460 g kg(-1), respectively, without lower growth.

Effects of soy protein and resistance exercise on body composition and blood lipids in postmenopausal women

Objective: To assess the effect of soy protein and progressive resistance training on body composition and lipids in postmenopausal women.Design: In a controlled trial, 46 postmenopausal women were randomized to one of four groups: 25 g of soy protein (SP, n = 10), 25 g of soy protein plus resistance exercise (SPE, n = 14), 25 g of maltodextrine (placebo) (PL, n = 11), or placebo plus resistance exercise (PLE, n = 11). Progressive resistance training was held three times a week for 16 weeks and included 8 exercises (3 series of 8-12 repetitions). At baseline and after 16 weeks, body mass index, waist circumference (WC), body fat, muscle mass and serum lipid levels were measured. To confirm isoflavone absorption, urinary concentrations were determined. The t-test of Student and ANOVA were used in the statistical analysis.Results: Subjects were classified as overweight and showed android fat distribution: Urinary isoflavone excretion indicated compliance to soy protein treatment. After 16 weeks of intervention, both SPE and PLE groups showed a significant increase of 1.3 kg in muscle mass and reduction in WC of -1.4 and -2.1 cm, respectively (p < 0.05). Significant decreases in the mean values of total cholesterol and LDL (-29.0 and -24.0 mg/dL, p < 0.001 and p < 0.006, respectively) were observed in the users of soy protein alone (SP).Conclusions: Soy protein supplementation did not influence the indicators of body composition. However, it exerted possible favorable effects on lipid profile in postmenopausal women. The increase in muscle mass and reduction in abdominal fat were correlated with resistance training. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V.. All rights reserved.

Assessment of vitamin A status in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients and healthy smokers

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

Application of a serum/protein-free medium for the growth of mammalian cell lines and high level production of classical, variant and very virulent strain of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV)

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

Efeito da suplementação sobre a digestibilidade dos nutrientes e desempenho de bezerros lactentes mantidos em pastagens de Brachiaria brizantha

This study evaluated the effect of supplementation and the type of supplement on nutrient digestibility and performance of lactating calves fed with Brachiara brizantha cv. Marandu pasture from February to May. The treatments were: supplementation in creep-feeding with protein concentrate, with energy concentrate, with energy-protein concentrate and without concentrate. In a Latin square design, four Canchim calves were kept in individual pens, receiving marandu hay and controlled suckling twice a day. The performance was evaluated in a completely randomized design, with 23 calves kept with the cows. Higher intake and nutrients digestibility (65% of dry mater digestibility) and calf performance (live weight gain of 0.98 kg day-1) were obtained with energyprotein concentrate, and the cows kept weight and body reserves during the experiment. The protein concentrate did not show good results, and was lower than the performance of calves without supplementation - 0.56 and 0.77 kg day-1, respectively. The performance of calves without supplementation was similar to calves receiving energy concentrate, but the cows lost more body weight and energy reserves. The supplementation with energy-protein concentrate for lactating calves fed with Brachiara brizantha cv. Marandu during the beginning of the dry season was benefifical for the performance of calves and cows.

Características da carne de bovinos suplementados no período das águas e terminados em confinamento e em pasto

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)