Organes de nutrition & de reproduction chez les vertébrés.

Mode of access: Internet.

A practical treatise on various diseases of the abdominal viscera /

Mode of access: Internet.

A practical treatise on various diseases of the abdominal viscera.

Austin, R.B. Early Amer. medical imprints,

Twentieth century practice; an international encyclopedia of modern medical science by leading authorities of Europe and America,

Contains bibliographies.

The anatomy of the peritonaeum /

Outlines of the embryological development of the abdominal viscera.

Pathological and practical observations on diseases of the alimentary canal, oesephagus, stomach, caecum and intestines.

Mode of access: Internet.

Special pathology and therapeutics of the diseases of domestic animals,

Includes bibliographies.

Estratégias tróficas do peixe traíra, Hoplias malabaricus e do peixe cascudo, Hypostomus pusarum do açude Marechal Dutra, Rio Grande do Norte, Brasil

The fish, Hoplias malabaricus (Osteichthyes: Erythrinidae) and armored catfish, Hypostomus pusarum (Loricariidae) are of freshwater origin from the neotropical region, and are considered ecologically and economically of important. This work investigated the trophic strategies, the morphology and histology of the digestive tract of these fish captured from the Marechal Dutra reservoir, Acari, the semiarid region of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. A total of 133 individuals of H. malabaricus and 118 specimens of H. pusarum were analyzed. The two study species occupy different levels in the food chain and spatial distribution in the water column of the reservoir. The results of this study are presented in the form of four scientific papers. The first article describes the morphology and histology of the digestive tract and the feeding habits of H. malabaricus (Bloch, 1794). This fish has a short intestine, with an intestinal coefficient of 0.72 ± 0.09. The dietary importance index indicates that H. malabaricus feeds preferentially on animal matter, especially on fish (72.8%) and prawns (27.2%). The histology of its digestive tract confirms the carnivorous feeding habit. The second article discusses about the pioneering work on the feeding strategy and the characterization of anatomy and histology of the digestive tract of H. pusarum. The intestine of this fish is long, with an intestinal coefficient of 10.8±0.7. The dietary importance index indicates that H. pusarum feeds preferentially on organic matter in decomposition (88.7%) and on filamentous microalgae and diatoms (11.3%). The third article compares the morphological aspects of the digestive tract of H. malabaricus and H. pusarum, in relation to their food habits. The arrangement of the digestive organs in both species is directly related to the shape of the peritoneal cavity and the form of the body. The short intestine of H. malabaricus and the long intestine of H. pusarum are associated with their feeding habits. The morphology of the digestive tracts of H. malabaricus and H. pusarum confirm their food habits, carnivorous and detritivorous / herbivorous, respectively. The fourth article discusses the food and reproductive aspects (length and weight, length-weight relationship, type of growth and sex ratio) of H. pusarum. This species has a negatively allometric growth, with the predominance of females in the sampled population. H. malabaricus inhabits the pelagic environment and is a carnivore, while H. pusarum, lives in the benthic environment and is characterized as a detritivore/herbivore. Each species studied shows a very different diet, without trophic competition between them. The morphological and anatomical structures of the digestive tract reflect their feeding strategy.

Qualitative feed restriction for heavy swines: effect on digestibility and weight of organs of digestive tract, and environmental impact of feces

Foram utilizados 50 suínos machos castrados para avaliar o efeito da restrição alimentar qualitativa sobre a digestibilidade dos componentes dietéticos, os órgãos do trato digestório, a composição e a produção fecal. Foram utilizadas cinco dietas experimentais, com níveis de restrição qualitativa de 0, 5, 10, 15 e 20%. Houve redução linear (P<0,001) para todos os coeficientes de digestibilidade, com exceção da fibra em detergente ácido, que apresentou resposta quadrática (P<0,05). Os teores de sólidos totais (P<0,01) e voláteis (P<0,05), e minerais totais (P<0,001) nas fezes aumentaram com os níveis de restrição alimentar, enquanto os níveis de K (P<0,05), Cu (P<0,01) e de N, P, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe e Zn (P<0,001), apresentaram resposta quadrática. A excreção diária de fezes, sólidos totais e voláteis, minerais totais, N, P, K, Mn e Cu (P<0,001), Ca, Na, Mg e Fe (P<0,05) apresentaram aumento em função do nível da restrição alimentar qualitativa. A restrição qualitativa pode ser alternativa para destinação de resíduos da agroindústria, conferindo boas propriedades às fezes suínas, no que diz respeito à utilização para adubação de culturas.

Enhancement of the chemoprotective enzymes glucuronosyl transferase and glutathione transferase in specific organs of the rat by the coffee components kahweol and cafestol

The coffee components kahweol and cafestol (K/C) have been reported to protect the colon and other organs of the rat against the formation of DNA adducts by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b] pyridine (PhIP) and aflatoxin B1. PhIP is a cooked-food mutagen to which significant human exposure and a role in colon cancer etiology are attributed, and, interestingly, such cancers appear to develop at a lower rate in consumers of coffees with high amounts of K/C. Earlier studies in rodent liver have shown that a key role in the chemopreventive effect of K/C is likely to be due to the potential of these compounds to induce the detoxification of xenobiotics by glutathione transferase (GST) and to enhance the synthesis of the corresponding co-factor glutathione. However, mutagens like PhIP may also be detoxified by UDP-glucuronosyl transferase (UDPGT) for which data are lacking regarding a potential effect of K/C. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the effect of K/C on UDPGT and, concomitantly, we studied overall GST and the pattern of individual GST classes, particularly GST-θ, which was not included in earlier experiments. In addition, we analyzed the organ-dependence of these potentially chemopreventive effects. K/C was fed to male F344 rats at 0.122% in the chow for 10 days. Enzyme activities in liver, kidney, lung, colon, salivary gland, pancreas, testis, heart and spleen were quantified using five characteristic substrates and the hepatic protein pattern of GST classes α, μ, and π was studied with affnity chromatography/HPLC. Our study showed that K/C is not only capable of increasing overall GST and GST classes α, μ, and π but also of enhancing UDGPT and GST-θ. All investigated K/C effects were strongest in liver and kidney, and some response was seen in lung and colon but none in the other organs. In summary, our results show that K/C treatment leads to a wide spectrum of increases in phase II detoxification enzymes. Notably, these effects occurred preferentially in the well perfused organs liver and kidney, which may thus not only contribute to local protection but also to anti-carcinogenesis in distant, less stimulated organs such as the colon.

Digestive enzymatic responses of chickens feed-restricted and refed as affected by age

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

The effect of brain size evolution on feeding propensity, digestive efficiency, and juvenile growth

One key hypothesis in the study of brain size evolution is the expensive tissue hypothesis; the idea that increased investment into the brain should be compensated by decreased investment into other costly organs, for instance the gut. Although the hypothesis is supported by both comparative and experimental evidence, little is known about the potential changes in energetic requirements or digestive traits following such evolutionary shifts in brain and gut size. Organisms may meet the greater metabolic requirements of larger brains despite smaller guts via increased food intake or better digestion. But increased investment in the brain may also hamper somatic growth. To test these hypotheses we here used guppy (Poecilia reticulata) brain size selection lines with a pronounced negative association between brain and gut size and investigated feeding propensity, digestive efficiency (DE), and juvenile growth rate. We did not find any difference in feeding propensity or DE between large- and small-brained individuals. Instead, we found that large-brained females had slower growth during the first 10 weeks after birth. Our study provides experimental support that investment into larger brains at the expense of gut tissue carries costs that are not necessarily compensated by a more efficient digestive system.

Feed form and energy concentration of the diet affect growth performance and digestive tract traits of brown-egg laying pullets from hatching to 17 weeks of age

The influence of feed form and energy concentration of the diet on growth performance and the development of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) was studied in brown-egg laying pullets. Diets formed a 2 x 5 factorial with 2 feed forms (mash vs. crumbles) and 5 levels of energy differing in 50 kcal AMEn/kg. For the entire study (0 to 17 wk of age) feeding crumbles increased ADFI (52.9 vs. 49.7 g; P < 0.001) and ADG (12.7 vs. 11.6 g; P < 0.001) and improved feed conversion ratio (FCR; 4.18 vs. 4.27; P < 0.001). An increase in the energy content of the diet decreased ADFI linearly (P < 0.001) and improved FCR quadratically (P < 0.01) but energy intake (kcal AMEn/d) was not affected. BW uniformity was higher (P < 0.05) in pullets fed crumbles than in those fed mash but was not affected (P > 0.05) by energy content of the diet. At 5, 10, and 17 wk of age, the relative weight (RW, % BW) of the GIT and the gizzard, and gizzard digesta content were lower (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) and gizzard pH was higher (P < 0.05 to P < 0.001) in pullets fed crumbles than in pullets fed mash. Energy concentration of the diet did not affect any of the GIT variables studied. In summary, feeding crumbles improved pullet performance and reduced the RW of the GIT and gizzard, and increased gizzard pH at all ages. An increase in the energy content of the diet improved FCR from 0 to 17 wk of age. The use of crumbles and the increase in the AMEn content of the diet might be used adventageously when the objetive is to increase the BW of the pullets. However, crumbles affected the development and weight of the organs of the GIT, which might have negative effects on feed intake and egg production at the beginning of the egg laying cycle.