Studies on carbon-13 turnover in eggs and blood of commercial layers

This paper aimed at evaluating the influence of diets containing different isotopic values of carbon-13 turnover on the half-life of egg (yolk + albumen), yolk and albumen individually, and blood of poultry using δ‰ 13C isotopic variation. Commercial layers fed four experimental isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets (RC 4, RC 3, RMC 4 and RMC 3) containing different isotopic values, during an experimental period of 56 days. Turnover of the studied tissues was influenced by the experimental diets. Blood and albumen were more influenced by dietary treatments as compared to egg and yolk. The RMC 3 diet induced better performance (better feed intake and higher egg production) due faster rate of carbon substitution than the RC 4 diet, and lower half-life for egg (yolk + albumen), yolk, and albumen.

Inclusão de ovo desidratado em rações para frangos de corte nas fases pré-inicial e de crescimento

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Description of eggs and nymphal instars of Triatoma baratai Carcavallo and Jurberg, 2000 based on optical and scanning electron microscopy (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Triatominae)

Triatoma baratai Carcavallo & Jurberg, is a wild (i.e., nonperidomestic) species found in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul (Bodoquena region, county of Bonito), Brazil. Its eggs and nymphs are described here based on optical and scanning electron microscopy. The operculum and exochorion have pentagonal, hexagonal, and heptagonal cells, with small cracks and small random pits. Differences in the eggs and five nymphal instars of T. baratai allow them to be distinguished from the sympatric species Triatoma williami Galvão, Souza & Lima, and from six of the nine members of the Triatoma oliveirai complex. The most useful differentiating characters are in the color, shape of the abdomen, head, and total body length. Keys are provided to separate the eggs and nymphal instars of six of the nine members of the Triatoma oliveirai species complex. Copyright ©2009 Magnolia Press.

Hematological and incubation parameters of chicks from young breeders eggs: Variation with sex and incubation temperature

This experiment analyzed the effect of sex and incubation temperature on daily mass loss and eggshell conductance, embryo mortality rates, incubation duration, hematological parameters and body, liver, heart and bursa weights of neonatal chicks from young breeders. The daily mass loss was higher at incubation temperature of 39°C. The eggshell conductance rate increased with the temperature. The total and partial duration of incubation were lower for eggs incubated at 39°C. The time taken by the chick to leave the eggshell did not differ below and above the thermoneutral temperature. The total and intermediate embryo mortality rates increased with the incubation temperature, whereas the early and late embryo mortality rates were higher at incubation temperature of 39°C. Sex did not influence the analyzed parameters, while the incubation temperature did not affect the body and bursa weight and the erythrocytes characteristics. The liver weight of chicks incubated at 36°C was higher than the incubated at 39°C, however there were no differences among the liver weight from chicks incubated at 36 and 39°C and those incubated at 37.5°C. The number of heterophils and the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio (H/L ratio) increased following the temperature, whereas the number of lymphocytes decreased at high temperatures. The other leukocyte parameters did not suffer influence of temperature. Males and females presented similar response to variation of incubation temperatures (36, 37.5 and 39°C) and demonstrated higher sensibility to temperatures above the thermoneutral. Moreover, temperatures below the thermoneutral demonstrated to be better for improvement of hatchability and development of chicks from light eggs. © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2010.

Comparison of intestinal response of chicks from light and heavy eggs to posthatch fasting

The effects of posthatch fasting on villi height and number, crypt depth and number of globet cells in duodenum, jejunum and ileum of broiler chicks from heavy and light eggs were compared. The 2×3×3 factorial design (egg weight: light and heavy eggs; treatments: with water and feed, with water, without water and feed; treatment duration: 24, 48 and 72 h) was used. The villi presented higher size in chicks from heavy than from light eggs. The fasting resulted in lower villi in duodenum (at 48 h), jejunum and ileum (at 72 h). The villi number increased in duodenum and jejunum of chicks from light eggs and only in jejunum of chicks from heavy eggs, but the increase was more accented in chicks from light ones. The fasting reduced the globet cells number in jejunum. Water intake avoided the fasting effects on villi height but had no effect on villi number. Chicks from heavy eggs fed with water and ration presented deeper crypts in all regions of the small intestine. The duodenum and ileum crypt depth of the chicks from heavy eggs reduced when they were submitted to fasting and when they were fed only with water. The results showed that chicks from light eggs were more affected than chicks from heavy eggs. The water intake partially avoided the fasting effects. © Asian Network for Scientific Information, 2011.

Blood parameters of chicks from eggs injected with ascorbic acid and subjected to thermal stress

This study was aimed to verify if chicks from eggs injected with ascorbic acid and subjected to thermal stress would have higher immunity than chicks from incubation at thermoneutrality without injection of ascorbic acid. The parameters evaluated were temperature on oxygen saturation in hemoglobin, glucose, number of erythrocytes, hematocrit rate and number of hemoglobins of newly hatched male chicks, hatched from eggs injected with ascorbic acid (AA) and subjected to thermal stress during incubation. The experimental design was completely randomized in factorial scheme 5 (application levels of ascorbic acid) x 2 (incubation temperatures). The data were subjected to analysis of variance using the General Linear Model procedure (GLM) of SAS ®. For the parameters (number of erythrocytes, rate of hematrocit and values of hemoglobin), there was significant interaction (p <0.05) between treatments in egg and incubation temperatures. Analyzing the interactions for these parameters, it was observed that the application of 0% ascorbic acid in egg minimized the effect of heat stress when compared with treatment without injection. The application of ascorbic acid levels in eggs incubated under heat stress failed to maximize the immunity of newly hatched chicks. It is assumed that the increased liquid in the amniotic fluid, in those embryos injected with water, favored the lower heat conductance for these embryos, thus helping in their development in relation to immunity. Considering that hemoglobin is related to the transport of gases, these data suggest that increasing the concentration of AA solution inoculated may influence the respiratory rates of eggs.

Balance of pH of chicks from eggs injected with ascorbic acid and subjected to thermal stress

This study aimed to verify that chicks from eggs injected with ascorbic acid and subjected to heat stress would have changes in acid-base balance, compared to chicks incubated at thermoneutral without injection of ascorbic acid. The parameters evaluated were blood pressure of carbon dioxide and oxygen, base excess, total carbon dioxide, concentration of sodium, potassium, ionized calcium, bicarbonate and pH of newly hatched male chicks, hatched from eggs injected with acid ascorbic acid (AA) and subjected to heat stress during incubation. The experimental design was completely randomized in factorial scheme 5 (application levels of ascorbic acid) x 2 (incubation temperatures). The data were subjected to analysis of variance using the General Linear Model procedure (GLM) of SAS ®. For the blood pH was observed significant interaction (p <0.05) between treatments with application in eggs and incubation temperatures. For the other parameters were not significant effects (p< 0.05) of AA level and neither temperature of incubation. Analyzing the unfolding of the interaction to pH was observed that chicks from eggs injected with 6% ascorbic acid and subjected to heat stress during incubation had a higher pH value compared with the thermoneutral temperature incubated (p <0.05). Therefore, it is suggested that the incubation of eggs in high temperature (39°C) can alter the metabolic rate of these embryos.

Salmonella enteritidis in the eggs of Japanese quails (coturnix coturnix Japonica - Temminck & Schlegel, 1849) fed diets with different calcium and phosphorus levels

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Improvement of Matrinxã, Brycon amazonicus, Larviculture by Exposing Eggs to Triiodothyronine

This work evaluated the effect of triiodothyronine (T3) on larviculture of matrinxã, Brycon amazonicus. Oocytes of three females were pooled, fertilized with pooled semen of two males and separated in four batches that were immersed in triiodothyronine solutions as follows: M1 (control - water); M2 (0.01mg/L T3); M3 (0.05mg/L T3); and M4 (0.1mg/L T3). Triiodothyronine did not affect fertilization rate and number of hatched larvae. Weight of hatched larvae was significantly higher in treatments M3 and M4, as well as among larvae sampled at Day 12 in all treatments. After 12d of rearing, biomass gain was higher in the hormone treatments (M1 688±569mg; M2 2436±562mg; M3 3572±569mg; and M4 4129±770mg). In general, coefficients of variation of weight (CVw) and length (CVl) did not differ among treatments and cannibalism was registered between 36 and 72hours post-hatching (h.p.h.) without differences among treatments. Larval survival increased in the hormone treatments (M1 26.5%; M2 37.6%; M3 40.6%; and M4 40.8%). The results indicate that the immersion of matrinxã eggs in triiodothyronine can promote beneficial effects to its larviculture and indicate promising perspectives for culture of this tropical species. © by the World Aquaculture Society 2013.

Comparison of eggs, larvae, and pupae of plutella xylostella (lepidoptera: Plutellidae) as prey for podisus nigrispinus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Free Amino Acids in Pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, Eggs and Larvae

Free amino acids (FAA) are used principally as substrate in protein synthesis and the source of energy in aerobic catabolism. In marine fish, embryo and larvae FAA are used to maintain body fluid osmolality during fish early development. However, there is essentially no information about FAA concentrations in early ontogeny of freshwater neotropical species in comparison to marine fishes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the FAA concentrations in pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, eggs and larvae. Broodstock fish were induced to spawn and ovulated females were stripped of their eggs and immediately sampled for analysis. Larvae were sampled right after hatching (HL) and after the completion of the yolk-sac absorption (YSA). The wet weight of the HL and YSA larvae amounted to 0.5±0.1mg and 1.1±0.3mg, respectively. HL larvae showed higher levels of most of the indispensable amino acids (IAA) in comparison to eggs and YSA larvae. Exceptions were observed with His and Trp that showed higher or similar levels, respectively, in YSA larvae. The FAA Orn, Tau, Glu, Gln, Gly, and Tyr increased concentrations in both larval stages while that of Tau was found in higher concentration in all analyzed stages. Also, the concentrations of Asn, Ala, Pro, Ser, and Asp were higher in HL larvae. Both larval stages displayed a rise in total free IAA/total free DAA (dispensable amino acids) ratio. The authors conclude that the highest level of FAA in HL pacu larvae is indicative of active proteolysis of yolk reserves and a probable catabolism regulation of some FAA through spare-effect. In addition, Tau is one of the major FAA occurring during pacu ontogeny and may be performing regulation on body fluid osmolality regulation. © Copyright by the World Aquaculture Society 2013.

Effect of immersion and inoculation in ovo of Lactobacillus spp. in embryonated chicken eggs in the prevention of Salmonella enteritidis after hatch

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

Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of dried powder formulations of Agaricus blazei and Lentinus edodes

Several mushroom species have been pointed out as sources of antioxidant compounds, in addition to their important nutritional value. Agaricus blazei and Lentinus edodes are among the most studied species all over the world, but those studies focused on their fruiting bodies instead of other presentations, such as powdered preparations, used as supplements. In the present work the chemical composition (nutrients and bioactive compounds) and antioxidant activity (free radical scavenging activity, reducing power and lipid peroxidation inhibition) of dried powder formulations of the mentioned mushroom species (APF and LPF, respectively) were evaluated. Powder formulations of both species revealed the presence of essential nutrients, such as proteins, carbohydrates and unsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, they present a low fat content (<2 g/100 g) and can be used in low-calorie diets, just like the mushrooms fruiting bodies. APF showed higher antioxidant activity and higher content of tocopherols and phenolic compounds (124 and 770 μg/100 g, respectively) than LPF (32 and 690 μg/100 g). Both formulations could be used as antioxidant sources to prevent diseases related to oxidative stress. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extracellular β-fructofuranosidase from Fusarium graminearum: Stability of the spray-dried enzyme in the presence of different carbohydrates

Microbial enzymes have been used for various biotechnological applications; however, enzyme stabilization remains a challenge for industries and needs to be considered. This study describes the effects of spray-drying conditions on the activity and stability of β-fructofuranosidase from Fusarium graminearum. The extracellular enzyme β-fructofuranosidase was spray dried in the presence of stabilizers, including starch (Capsul) (SC), microcrystalline cellulose (MC), trehalose (TR), lactose (LC) and β-cyclodextrin (CD). In the presence of TR (2% w/v), the enzymatic activity was fully retained. After 1 year of storage, 74% of the enzymatic activity was maintained with the CD stabilizer (10% w/v). The residual activity was maintained as high as 80% for 1 h at 70°C when MC, SC and CD (5% w/v) stabilizers were used. Spray drying with carbohydrates was effective in stabilizing the F. graminearum β-fructofuranosidase, improved enzymatic properties compared to the soluble enzyme and demonstrated a potential use in future biotechnology applications. © 2013 Informa UK Ltd. All rights reserved.

Avaliação dos resíduos sólidos e líquidos num sistema de abate de bovinos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)