Proporção tecidual da perna de caprinos jovens em função do grupo racial, peso de abate e sexo

To evaluate the effect of breed group, slaughter weight and sex on tissue proportion of the leg and muscle, bone and fat ratio in confined kids, seventy-four goats of both sex were used and divided among breed groups: Alpine (A), ½ Nubian + ½ Alpine (½ ANA), ½ Boer + ½ Alpine (½ BA), ¾ Boer + ¼ Alpine (¾ BA) and ½ Nubian + ¼ Alpine + ¼ Boer, (Three cross - TC), at three slaughter weights (25, 30 and 35 kg). Leg represented 31.01% of half carcass, where 62.29% was total muscle, 21.45% total bone and 8.35% total fat. Alpine animals had higher bone weight than other groups. Male kids had higher muscle and bone proportion, whereas females had higher subcutaneous and intramuscular fat in leg. The percentage of total weight of the muscle, five muscles, adductor muscle, quadriceps muscle and femur were higher in the slaughter weights of 25 and 30 kg.

Effects of chronic stress and high-fat diet on metabolic and nutritional parameters in Wistar rats

Objective: The aim of this study was assess the role of chronic stress on the metabolic and nutritional profile of rats exposed to a high-fat diet. Materials and methods: Thirty-day-old male Wistar rats (70-100 g) were distributed into four groups: normal-diet (NC), chronic stress (St), high-fat diet (HD), and chronic stress/high-fat diet (HD/St). Stress consisted at immobilization during 15 weeks, 5 times per week, 1h per day; and exposure to the high-fat diet lasted 15 weeks. Nutritional and metabolic parameters were assessed. The level of significance was 5%. Results: The HD group had final body weight, total fat, as well as insulin and leptin increased, and they were insulin resistant. The St and HD/St had arterial hypertension and increased levels of corticosterone. Stress blocked the effects of the high-fat diet. Conclusion: Chronic stress prevented the appearance of obesity. Our results help to clarify the mechanisms involved in metabolic and nutritional dysfunction, and contribute to clinical cases linked to stress and high-fat diet.

Animal performance, feeding behaviour and carcass traits of feedlot cattle diet fed with agro-industrial by-product as fat source

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

Meat characteristics of nellore cattle fed different levels of lipid-based diets

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of the dietary inclusion of lipid-based diets (whole cottonseed and protected fat) on the centesimal composition, fatty acid profile, and sensory properties of meat from finishing Nellore cattle. The study was carried out from August to October 2009. Thirty nine uncastrated Nellore males with average initial body weight of 494.1 ± 10.1 kg and 36 months of age were housed for 63 days in pens with thirteen animals each. A completely randomized design with three treatments and thirteen replications was used. The treatments evaluated were: feed with 2.50% cottonseed (control diet); feed with 11.50% cottonseed; and feed with 3.13% cottonseed added of protected lipid (PL), all on a dry matter basis. No differences between treatments were observed for moisture, protein, and ash contents. However, the addition of protected fat caused an increase in the percentage of ether extract in the meat. Diets containing cottonseed or protected lipid did not affect fatty acid concentration in the meat. The intensity of the aroma, strange aroma, flavor, strange flavor, juiciness, color, and overall appearance were similar between treatments, except for tenderness, which was positively affected in cattle fed a diet in which the only lipid source was cottonseed. The study demonstrated that the addition of PL in the diets of finishing cattle led to greater levels of intramuscular fat, but to less tender meat than the other treatments.

Avaliação nutricional e conformidade da rotulagem de “petiscos” consumidos por crianças à legislação brasileira

Label is every and any information regarding to a product that is transcribed in its package. For the consumer it is through the nutritional information tables contained in the labels that there is access to data such as quantity and percentage of nutrients contained in foods. Through this knowledge, it is possible to make healthier food choices, minimizing the negative effects related to poor nutrition in the population, especially among children, the most critical rate of obesity incidence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of the labels of some foods consumed by children in relation to the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) and verify that the general aspects of the labels were in accordance with Brazilian regulations. Five products were selected like snacks, corn snacks, snacks, peanut, peanuts, potato snacks and biscuit recipes. The labels of different brands of each snack were analyzed using the Checklist of Labelling, which is based on RDC No. 259 and RDC No. 360. The nutritional adequacy of nutrients from these foods (carbohydrates, protein, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, dietary fiber and sodium) was evaluated in relation to that recommended by the RDA for children 4-8 years old. There was small percentage of mistakes in the labels of the analyzed foods, about 12%, being the presence of words that induce the consumers to the misunderstanding the irregularity with larger predominance, present in 25% of the labels. Other items in disagreement were the incomplete specification of the addictive ones alimentary in the list of ingredients and the absence of instructions about the conservation of the foods after opening the packings, both with percentile of occurrence of 18,75%. The high sodium content found in the nutritional information of food shows that should reduce the consumption of these products among children.

Influência do ambiente no desenvolvimento de colônias iniciais de formigas cortadeiras (Atta sexdens rubropilosa)

Annually, mature colonies of Atta ants produce winged males and females, where leave the colony in which they were produced to form new colonies and thus continue the species perpetuation. The foundation of Atta spp. colonies always involves high queen effort, solely responsible for growing the fungus and the care with itself and its offspring. During the foundation there is consumption of body reserves. This study investigated how the environment influences the development of newly founded colonies of leaf cutting ant, Atta sexdens rubropilosa. Therefore, it was compared field colonies collected five months after the nuptial flight and colonies maintained in the laboratory since the nuptial flight. It was analyzed the weight and size of the population (number of workers, larvae, pupae and eggs), the workers size, the volume and weight of the fungus garden and queen effort for the nest foundation (lipid content and weight of queens). In comparison to the field colonies, the laboratory colonies showed higher values in the weight and size of population, the volume and weight of the fungus garden. Measures of workers by class size did not vary between colonies from field and laboratory. The queen effort for nest foundation was higher in field colonies, which showed a lower percentage of fat and lower weight compared to laboratory colonies. These results show that the environment has a strong influence on the colonies development during the foundation, as well as on the physiological status of the queens, and therefore the survival, development and success of the colony, it is a reflection of the queen efforts and of the environment conditions.