Daniel Emygdio de Faria Filho

DXA, bioelectrical impedance, ultrasonography and biometry for the estimation of fat and lean mass in cats during weight loss

BackgroundFew equations have been developed in veterinary medicine compared to human medicine to predict body composition. The present study was done to evaluate the influence of weight loss on biometry (BIO), bioimpedance analysis (BIA) and ultrasonography (US) in cats, proposing equations to estimate fat (FM) and lean (LM) body mass, as compared to dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the referenced method. For this were used 16 gonadectomized obese cats (8 males and 8 females) in a weight loss program. DXA, BIO, BIA and US were performed in the obese state (T0; obese animals), after 10% of weight loss (T1) and after 20% of weight loss (T2). Stepwise regression was used to analyze the relationship between the dependent variables (FM, LM) determined by DXA and the independent variables obtained by BIO, BIA and US. The better models chosen were evaluated by a simple regression analysis and means predicted vs. determined by DXA were compared to verify the accuracy of the equations.ResultsThe independent variables determined by BIO, BIA and US that best correlated (pu2009<u20090.005) with the dependent variables (FM and LM) were BW (body weight), TC (thoracic circumference), PC (pelvic circumference), R (resistance) and SFLT (subcutaneous fat layer thickness). Using Mallows’Cp statistics, p value and r2, 19 equations were selected (12 for FM, 7 for LM); however, only 7 equations accurately predicted FM and one LM of cats.ConclusionsThe equations with two variables are better to use because they are effective and will be an alternative method to estimate body composition in the clinical routine. For estimated lean mass the equations using body weight associated with biometrics measures can be proposed. For estimated fat mass the equations using body weight associated with bioimpedance analysis can be proposed.

Vitaminas D e C para poedeiras na fase inicial de produção de ovos

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of two vitamin D sources and three vitamin C levels on performance, internal and external egg quality, and bone strength characteristics. In addition, the total and ionic blood calcium concentrations, bone ash and calcium were determined. Two hundred and eighty eight 23-week-old ISA Babcock B-300® laying hens were used during the 12-week study in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement: vitamin D sources (cholecalciferol and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol - 25(OH)D3) and vitamin C levels (0, 100 and 200 ppm) resulting in six treatments with eight replicates of six hens each. The basal cholecalciferol level was 2,756 IU/kg, corresponding to 5.51 g Hy.D®/t, as source of 25(OH)D3. Feed intake, egg production, egg weight and egg mass were not influenced by the treatments. An interaction was observed for feed conversion, which was improved when 25(OH)D3 was added without vitamin C. Haugh unit and yolk index were not influenced, however, interactions were observed for albumen percent and yolk percent, which were improved when 200 ppm of vitamin C was supplemented. Egg specific gravity, serum calcium, bone ash and bone strength resistance were not influenced by the treatments. There was an interaction for shell percent and shell thickness, which were improved when vitamin C was added in association with 25(OH)D3. It was concluded, for laying hens at initial phase of egg production, that feed conversion is improved when 25(OH)D3 was the vitamin D source, and that shell thickness and shell percent are improved when the vitamin D source was 25(OH)D3 with diets supplemented with vitamin C (100 or 200 ppm, respectively).

Eficácia de resíduos da bananicultura sobre a inibição do desenvolvimento larval em Haemonchus spp. provenientes de ovinos

This study evaluated the in vitro efficacy of aqueous extracts from banana crop residues on the inhibition of larval development of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes. The quantitative and qualitative coproculture technique was performed to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of the aqueous extract of leafs , pseudostems and hearts from banana plants, cv Prata Ana, at 25, 75 and 150mg mL-1 concentrations, in a completely randomized design. The results showed that the three extracts, in concentrations equal to or greater than 75mg mL-1, decreased significantly (P<0.05) the nematodes larval development, with efficacy up 96.9%. The identification of the developed larvae revealed occurrence of Haemonchus spp. in the evaluated samples, allowing to conclude that the tested parts of this plant showed anthelmintic properties on the larval development of this important parasite.

Metabolizable energy and nutrient digestibility of detoxified castor meal and castor cake for poultry

This experiment aimed to determine the metabolizable energy and the digestibility of detoxified castor meal and castor cake nutrients for broilers. A total of 180 Cobb-500TM broilers from 21 to 32 days of age was randomly distributed in three treatments with six replicates of 10 broilers - 5 males and 5 females. The experimental treatments were a reference-diet and two test-diets composed of 80% of reference-diet and 20% of detoxified castor cake or castor meal. The adaptation period ranged from 21 to 27 days of age and the total excreta collection period ranged from 28 to 32 days of age. The detoxified castor meal presented apparent metabolizable energy of 2,032 kcal/kg of natural matter, apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance of 1,829 kcal/kg of natural matter and the digestibility coefficients of 57.8% dry matter, 68.4% crude protein, 10.5% crude fiber, 35.9% nitrogen free extract, 80.0% ether extract and 26.6% ash. In the detoxified castor cake, the apparent metabolizable energy content was 2,550 kcal/kg of natural matter, the nitrogen corrected apparent metabolizable energy balance was of 2,320 kcal/kg of natural matter and the digestibility coefficients of 60.6% for dry matter, 77.2% for crude protein, 14.0% for crude fiber, 45.7% for nitrogen free extract, 85.4% for ether extract and 28.2% for ash. The metabolizable energy and digestibility of nutrients in detoxified castor cake are higher than in the detoxified castor meal.

Desempenho de bezerros alimentados com silagem de leite de transição

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho de bezerros da raca Holandesa, aleitados com leite ou silagem de leite de transicao diluida em agua ou misturada ao leite, bem como realizar analise economica das dietas. Foram utilizados 18 animais, com peso corporal inicial medio de 36,50±4,03 kg, alojados individualmente em baias. Os animais receberam quatro litros de dieta liquida por dia, durante 54 dias. Os dados de consumo, ganho de peso diario, medidas de crescimento e conversao alimentar foram analisados em parcelas subdivididas; e o peso corporal final, o ganho total e a ocorrencia de diarreia foram analisados em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. A silagem de leite de transicao nao alterou o consumo de concentrado e o total de materia seca, nem a ocorrencia de diarreia. O desempenho dos animais foi reduzido, quando a silagem foi diluida em agua, o que resultou em menor peso final e menor ganho total de peso. Os animais tratados com silagem misturada ao leite tiveram desempenho similar aos tratados com leite, o que possibilita menor custo por quilograma de ganho de peso total e se mostra como opcao viavel para o aleitamento de bezerros leiteiros.