Effects of feed processing on the apparent ileal digestibility of amino acids in pig diets containing wheat bran or wheat middlings

Selostus: Prosessoinnin vaikutus vehnän sivutuotteita sisältävien rehuseosten aminohappojen ohutsuolisulavuuteen sioilla

Fungi distribution in poultry feed

Feed can easily be contaminated and colonized by fungi that use up the nutrients for their own metabolism and growth, producing secondary metabolites such as mycotoxins that are not eliminated throughout the feed processing. The major problems associated with mycotoxin contaminated animal feed are metabolic disturbances resulting in poor animal productivity. In addition, handling contaminated animal feed can also raise health issues regarding workers exposure to fungi and mycotoxins. The scope of this work was to characterize fungal distribution in 11 poultry feed samples. Twenty grams of feed were suspended in 180 mL of distilled water and homogenized during 20 minutes at 200 rpm. The washed supernatant was plated in malt extract agar (MEA) and dichloran glycerol agar base (DG18) media for morphological identification of the mycobiota present. Using macro- and microscopic analysis of the colonies, fungal contamination was evident in 72.7% of the analyzed poultry feed samples. Fungal load ranged from 0 to 13140 CFU/g, and the most prevalent species/genera were F. graminearum complex (71.1%), Penicillium sp. (11.6%), Cladosporium sp. (8.8%), and Fusarium poae (3.6%). In addition to these species, we also isolated Aspergillus sections Circumdati, Nigri and Aspergilli, and Mucor and Rhizopus genus albeit at a lower abundance. The data obtained showed that, besides high fungal contamination, mycotoxins contamination is probably a reality, particularly in the final product since mycotoxins resist to all the processing operations including thermal treatment. Additionally, data claimed attention for the probable co-exposure to fungi and mycotoxins of the workers in feed industries.

A safety evaluation of genetically modified feedstuffs for livestock production; the fate of transgenic DNA and proteins

dTwo genetic constructs used to confer improved agronomic characteristics, namely herbicide tolerance (HT) in maize and soyabean and insect resistance (Bt) in maize, are considered in respect of feeding to farm livestock, animal performance and the nutritional value and safety of animal products. A review of nucleic acid (DNA) and protein digestion in farm livestock concludes that the frequency of intact transgenic DNA and proteins of GM and non-GM crops being absorbed is minimal/non existent, although there is some evidence of the presence of short fragments of rubisco DNA of non-GM soya in animal tissues. It has been established that feed processing (especially heat) prior to feeding causes significant disruption of plant DNA. Studies with ruminant and non-ruminant farm livestock offered GM feeds demonstrated that animal performance and product composition are unaffected and that there is no evidence of transgenic DNA or proteins of current GM in the products of animals consuming such feeds. On this evidence, current HT and Bt constructs represent no threat to the health of animals, or humans consuming the products of such animals. However as new GM constructs become available it will be necessary to subject these to rigorous evaluation.

Apparent digestibility of different ingredients in diets for bullfrog Rana catesbeiana tadpoles

The objective of this study was to determine apparent digestibility of protein and energy of ingredients commonly present in rations fed to bullfrog tadpoles Rana catesbeiana such as corn, soybean meal, wheat meal, rice bran, poultry by-product meal, blood meal, fish meal, corn starch and soybean oil. A completely randomized design was used to test ten experimental diets with four replicates. About 30% of the reference diet was replaced by the test ingredients, except for soybean oil that was used at 10% ratio and 0.5% of chromium oxide as inert marker. The values of apparent digestibility coefficient of crude protein (ADCCP) and gross energy (ADCGE) of the protein ingredients were, respectively: fish meal, 81 and 95%; poultry byproduct meal, 82 and 87%; blood meal, 64 and 53%; and soybean meal, 93 and 90%. While for the energetic ingredients, ADCCP and ADCGE, were, respectively: wheat meal, 100 and 72%; rice bran, 57 and 24%; and corn, 84 and 92%. Soybean oil and cornstarch ADCGE values were 70 and 96%, respectively; cornstarch digestibility is highly dependent on feed processing technique. The results showed that the ing redients of plant origin, except for rice bran, had good digestibility, thus indicating that tadpoles can effectively use plant protein. In this trial, the least digestible ingredients were blood meal and rice bran, thus indicating that the use of such ingredients in bullfrog tadpole diets should be limited. © Copyright by the World Aquaculture Society 2005.

Growth performance and intestinal histomorphology of Nile tilapia juveniles fed probiotics

The objective of this study was to assess the growth performance and the histomorphometric characterization of the middle intestine of GIFT strain Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus juveniles fed probiotics, added either before or after the feed processing. The experimental design was completely randomized, with five treatments and five replications: pelleted feed without any probiotic; pelleted feed with inclusion of probiotic before the processing; pelleted feed with inclusion of probiotic after the processing; extruded feed without any probiotic and extruded feed with inclusion of probiotic after the processing. Two hundred and fifty juveniles were distributed in 25 aquaria (20L) and fed for 63 days. Differences in the mean values of total weight were found at the end of the experiment. After 42 days of feed intake, significant differences in feed conversion were verified for treatments with extruded diets when compared to the pelleted ones. The fishes fed diets supplemented with probiotic presented increase in the thickness of the epithelium of the intestine. The best zootechnical performance was observed in the extruded diet supplemented with probiotic added after the feed processing. The inclusion of 4.0 x 10(8) CFU g-1 of Bacillus subtilis and 4.0 x 10(8) CFU g-1 of Bacillus toyoi in both the pelleted and the extruded diets promoted an increase in the thickness of the epithelial layer of the middle intestine.

Comparing environmental impacts of native and introduced freshwater prawn farming in Brazil and the influence of better effluent management using LCA

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

An Evaluation of Effective Fiber in Beef Feedlot Finishing Diets

A study was designed to collect a database of Iowa feedlot rations for determination of effective neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in complete diets from fiber analysis and particle size determination of individual feed ingredients and compare this with particle size determination of mixed wet rations. Seventy-one beef finishing total mixed rations were collected by ISU Extension Beef Field Specialists across Iowa. Producers were asked to complete a form assessing the acidosis risk associated with each ration. The average NDF of these diets was 25.9%. Of the total mixed rations 1.33 % remained in the top tray (>.75 in.), 47.27 % remained in the middle tray (>.31 in.), and 50.88 % was smaller than the .31 in screen. The effective NDF (eNDF) calculated from the eNDF of the ingredients averaged 10.56%. Estimated eNDF from total diet NDF and the percentage of the total diet in the top and middle trays averaged 12.47%. The calculated eNDF from non-grain sources alone averaged 3.6%. The percentage of digestive deads was weakly related to the percentage of the ration in the bottom tray (r=.19), the percentage in the top tray (r=- .46) and the effective NDF of the ration (r=-.23). The percentage of bloat was related to the total NDF of the diet (r=.28) and the effective fiber from non-grain sources (r=-.23). The number of off-feed incidences was related to the dry matter of the ration (r=.38), the apparent eNDF (r=-.28) and the percentage of ration in the bottom tray (r=.24). This study confirms that there is some relationship between effective NDF of the diet, effective NDF from non-grain sources or diet particle size; and acidosis indicators. These relationships are weak, however, indicating that other factors such as feedbunk management, feed processing, feed presentation and feed mixing likely also play a role in the incidence of acidosis in feedlot cattle.

Anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor applied to automobile industry wastewater treatment: Volumetric loading rate and feed strategy effects

This paper presents a technological viability study of wastewater treatment in an automobile industry by an anaerobic sequencing batch biofilm reactor containing immobilized biomass (AnSBBR) with a draft tube. The reactor was operated in 8-h cycles, with agitation of 400 rpm, at 30 degrees C and treating 2.0 L wastewater per cycle. Initially the efficiency and stability of the reactor were studied when supplied with nutrients and alkalinity. Removal efficiency of 88% was obtained at volumetric loading rate (VLR) of 3.09 mg COD/L day. When VLR was increased to 6.19 mg COD/L day the system presented stable operation with reduction in efficiency of 71%. In a second stage the AnSBBR was operated treating wastewater in natura, i.e., without nutrients supplementation, only with alkalinity, thereby changing feed strategy. The first strategy consisted in feeding 2.0 L batch wise (10 min), the second in feeding 1.0 L of influent batch wise (10 min) and an additional 1.0 L fed-batch wise (4 h), both dewatering 2.0 L of the effluent in 10 min. The third one maintained 1.0 L of treated effluent in the reactor, without discharging, and 1.0 L of influent was fed fed-batch wise (4 h) with dewatering 1.0 L of the effluent in 10 min. For all implemented strategies (VLR of 1.40, 2.57 and 2.61 mg COD/L day) the system presented stability and removal efficiency of approximately 80%. These results show that the AnSBBR presents operational flexibility, as the influent can be fed according to industry availability. In industrial processes this is a considerable advantage, as the influent may be prone to variations. Moreover, for all the investigated conditions the kinetic parameters were obtained from fitting a first-order model to the profiles of organic matter, total volatile acids and methane concentrations. Analysis of the kinetic parameters showed that the best strategy is feeding 1.0 L of influent batchwise (10 min) and 1.0 L fed-batch wise (4 h) in 8-h cycle. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Processing of Rosmarinus officinalis Linne extract on spray and spouted bed dryers

This article presents an investigation of the potential of spray and spouted bed technology for the production of dried extracts of Rosmarinus officinalis Linne, popularly known as rosemary. The extractive solution was characterized by loss on drying, extractable matter and total phenolic and flavonoid compounds (chemical markers). The product was characterized by determination of loss on drying, size distribution, morphology, flow properties and thermal degradation and thermal behavior. The spray and spouted bed dryer performance were assessed through estimation of thermal efficiency, product accumulation and product recovery. The parameters studied were the inlet temperature of the spouting gas (80 and 150 degrees C) and the feed mass flow rate of concentrated extract relative to the evaporation capacity of the dryer, W-s/W-max (15 to 75%). The atomizing air flow rate was maintained at 20 l/min with a pressure of 196.1 kPa. The spouting gas flow rate used in the drying runs was 40% higher than the gas flow under the condition of minimum spouting. The spray drying gas flow rate was fixed at 0.0118 kg/s. Under the conditions studied, performance in the spray and spouted bed drying of rosemary extract was poor, causing high degradation of the marker compounds (mainly the phenolic compounds). Thus, process improvements are required before use on an industrial scale.

Tracing the fate of N-15-enriched feed in an intensive shrimp system

The fate of N-15-nitrogen-enriched formulated feed fed to shrimp was traced through the food web in shallow, outdoor tank systems (1000 1) stocked with shrimp. Triplicate tanks containing shrimp water with and without sediment were used to identify the role of the natural biota in the water column and sediment in processing dietary nitrogen (N). A preliminary experiment demonstrated that N-15-nitrogen-enriched feed products could be detected in the food web. Based on this, a 15-day experiment was conducted. The ammonium (NH4+) pool in the water column became rapidly enriched (within one day) with N-15-nitrogen after shrimp were fed N-15-enriched feed. By day 15, 6% of the added N-15-nitrogen was in this fraction in the 'sediment' tanks compared with 0.4% in the 'no sediment' tanks. The particulate fraction in the water column, principally autotrophic nanoflagellates, accounted for 4-5% of the N-15-nitrogen fed to shrimp after one day. This increased to 16% in the 'no sediment' treatment, and decreased to 2% in the 'sediment' treatment by day 15. It appears that dietary N was more accessible to the phytoplankton community in the absence of sediment. The difference is possibly because a proportion of the dietary N was buried in the sediment in the 'sediment' treatment, making it unavailable to the phytoplankton. Alternatively, the dietary N was retained in the NH4+ pool in the water column since phytoplankton growth, and hence, N utilization was lower in the 'sediment' treatment. The lower growth of phytoplankton in the 'sediment' treatment appeared to be related to higher turbidity, and hence, lower light availability for growth. The percentage N-15-nitrogen detected in the sediment was only 6% despite the high capacity for sedimentation of the large biomass of plankton detritus and shrimp waste. This suggests rapid remineralization of organic waste by the microbial community in the sediment resulting in diffusion of inorganic N sources into the water column. It is likely that most of the dietary N will ultimately be removed from the tank system by water discharges. Our study showed that N-15-nitrogen derived from aquaculture feed can be processed by the microbial community in outdoor aquaculture systems and provides a method for determining the effect of dietary N on ecosystems. However, a significant amount of the dietary N was not retained by the natural biota and is likely to be present in the soluble organic fraction. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Fungal contamination in feed production in Portugal: what to expect regarding mycotoxins contamination?

Fungi on crops produce mycotoxins in the field, during handling, and in storage. Exposure of animals and humans are usually through consumption of contaminated feedstuffs or foods. Molds can grow and mycotoxins can be produced either pre-harvest or post-harvest, during storage, transport, processing, or feeding. Worldwide, approximately 25% of crops are affected by mycotoxins annually. Because of this is possible to concluded that mycotoxins occur frequently in a variety of feedstuffs that are given to animals causing several effects: subclinical losses in performance, increases the incidence of disease and reduced reproductive performance. Aim of study: A study was developed intending to know environmental fungal contamination in a Portuguese feed production unit. Corn, wheat and soybeans were the most common cereals used in the feed production.

Caracterización, procesamiento e industrialización del grano de quinoa, cultivado en la provincia de Córdoba - Argentina. Characterization, processing and industrialization of quinoa seed harvested in the province of Córdoba - Argentina

La quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd), es un pseudocereal originario de la región Andina. Fue utilizada como alimento básico por los pueblos nativos. La quinoa, la papa y el maíz constituyeron el trinomio base de la alimentación indígena de este continente. La colonización española fue desplazando su cultivo a favor del trigo europeo y otros cereales, quedando reducida a las zonas altas de la región andina. La Quínoa ha adquirido una considerable atención en los últimos tiempos, principalmente por la calidad de sus proteínas y la ausencia de gluten en ella. Su empleo está ampliamente difundido en los países andinos, especialmente Bolivia y Perú, con un notable crecimiento de la superficie sembrada. En nuestro país la explotación de este cultivo se ubica principalmente en las provincias norteñas de Salta y Jujuy. En estos últimos años se ha reivindicado su cultivo y los granos privados de saponinas son considerados como un excelente alimento, reconocido por la OMS, la FAO y la NASA. Además de la calidad de sus lípidos y vitaminas, y al elevado contenido en almidón, la quinoa posee una proteína de excelente calidad nutricional y libre de gluten, lo que hace a este grano especialmente indicado para la alimentación de personas que sufren de la enfermedad celíaca o del síndrome de intestino irritado. El presente proyecto está orientado al aprovechamiento integral del grano de quinoa. Es nuestra intensión aquí, demostrar que dicho grano, cultivado en la provincia de Córdoba, permitirá elaborar productos alimenticios asi como también derivados de su industrialización. Para este objetivo se cuenta con las instalaciones de la Planta Piloto del Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de los Alimentos (ICTA), de la UNC, así como de intrumental moderno y acorde, como HPLC, GC, Espectrofotómetro UV-Vis, rotavapores de laboratorio e industrial, cámara fría, balanzas analíticas y de precisión, muflas, estufas, molinos y tamices, así como también, contamos con profesionales, algunos de ellos realizando su tesis doctoral en este tema. En cuanto a los objetivos que se persiguen, se espera obtener productos tales como sopas, papillas, productos para panadería y galletería y salsas. En el plano industrial, se pretende elaborar concentrados proteicos, almidón y saponinas. Como se dijo más arriba, a nivel internacional la quinoa ha comenzado a extender sus fronteras, y es así que hoy el principal productor mundial de este grano, Bolivia, destina un porcentaje importante de su producción a la exportación. La creciente demanda mundial de quinoa a hecho que se constituya en un cultivo estratégico y de alto valor, con precios internacionales que rondan los U$S 1200 la tonelada. Si a esto unimos que la planta presenta una gran resistencia a la sequía, que se adapta bien a terrenos salitrosos, arenosos y pobres, podemos comprender la importancia que adquiere para nuestra provincia, toda vez que en la misma existen zonas geográficas potencialmente aptas para su cultivo. Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd) is a pseudocereal originating in the Andean region. It was used as a staple food by native peoples. Quinoa, potatoes and corn were the tree most important indigenous staple food to this part of South America. Spanish colonization was marginalized cultivation in favor of European wheat and other grains, displacing it to the highlands of the Andean region. Quinoa has recently gained considerable attention, mainly by its protein quality and lack of gluten. Its use is widespread in the Andean countries, especially Bolivia and Peru, with a notable increase in plantings. In our country, the exploitation of this crop is located mainly in the northern provinces of Salta and Jujuy. In recent years its cultivation has been promoted, and the grains once free of saponins are considered an excellent food, recognized by WHO, FAO and NASA. In addition to its lipid and vitamins, and high starch contain, quinoa protein has an excellent nutritional value and it is free of gluten, making it particularly suitable for this grain to feed people with celiac disease or irritable bowel syndrome. This project aims at an integral development of quinoa grain. It is our intention here to demonstrate that this grain grown in the province of Córdoba, can produce food products resulting from local industrialization. This team has access to the facilities of the Pilot Plant of the Institute of Science and Food Technology (ICTA) of the UNC, and the modern equipments in it, as HPLC, GC, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, laboratory and industrial rotary evaporators, cold storage, analytical and precision balances, flasks, ovens, grinders and screens. Also, we have an important professional staff, some of them doing their thesis on this subject. With regard to the objectives pursued, we expect to obtain products such as soups, baby food, bakery products and biscuits and sauces. At the industrial level, it aims at producing protein concentrates, starch and saponins.

Towards a resolution of conflicting models of illusory contour processing in humans.

Despite myriad studies, neurophysiologic mechanisms mediating illusory contour (IC) sensitivity remain controversial. Among the competing models one favors feed-forward effects within lower-tier cortices (V1/V2). Another situates IC sensitivity first within higher-tier cortices, principally lateral-occipital cortices (LOC), with later feedback effects in V1/V2. Still others postulate that LOC are sensitive to salient regions demarcated by the inducing stimuli, whereas V1/V2 effects specifically support IC sensitivity. We resolved these discordances by using misaligned line gratings, oriented either horizontally or vertically, to induce ICs. Line orientation provides an established assay of V1/V2 modulations independently of IC presence, and gratings lack salient regions. Electrical neuroimaging analyses of visual evoked potentials (VEPs) disambiguated the relative timing and localization of IC sensitivity with respect to that for grating orientation. Millisecond-by-millisecond analyses of VEPs and distributed source estimations revealed a main effect of grating orientation beginning at 65 ms post-stimulus onset within the calcarine sulcus that was followed by a main effect of IC presence beginning at 85 ms post-stimulus onset within the LOC. There was no evidence for differential processing of ICs as a function of the orientation of the grating. These results support models wherein IC sensitivity occurs first within the LOC.

Gradation Analysis of Cold Feed and Extracted Bituminuous Mix Samples, MLR-88-2, 1988

Since 1987, the Iowa Department of Transportation has based control of hot asphalt concrete mixes on cold feed gradations. This report presents results of comparisons between cold feed gradations and gradations of aggregate from the same material after it has been processed through the plant and laydown machine. Results are categorized based on mix type, plant type, and method of dust control, in an effort to quantify and identify the factors contributing to those changes. Results of the report are: 1. From the 390 sample comparisons made, aggregate degradation due to asphalt plant processing was demonstrated by an average increase of +0.7% passing the #200 sieve and an average increase in surface area of +1.8 sq. ft. per pound of aggregate. 2. Categories with Type A Mix or Recycling as a sorting criteria generally produced greater degradation than categories containing Type B Mixes and/or plants with scrubbers. 3. None of the averages calculated for the categories should be considered unacceptably high, however, it is information that should be considered when making mix changes in the field, selecting asphalt contents for borderline mix designs, or when evaluating potential mix gradation specification or design criteria changes.