E. N. Muniz

Uso de embalagens e refrigeração na conservação de atemóia

Despite the increasing commercial interest in atemoya in Brazil, this fruit has a very limited shelf-life. The present work intended to evaluate the storage of atemoya cv. Gefner under different packing systems and cold storage periods. A factorial of 3 x 5 completely randomized design was used (three packing systems: control (unpacked), individually packed with PVC films, and placed in polyester trays wrapped in PVC film for five different storage periods), with three replicates. Weight loss, skin and pulp color, Soluble Solids (SS), Total Tritable Acidity (TTA), vitamin C, pulp pH, and water activity at harvest were recorded every three days of storage. Modified atmosphere did not influence the skin color, but it preserved the pulp brightness and reduced weight loss of the unpacked fruits. SS and TTA levels increased during the storage of unpacked fruits as did the vitamin C contents. Cold storage was efficient for the atemoya preservation, which presented good appearance after 15 days of storage.

Genetic parameters for faecal egg count, packed-cell volume and body-weight in Santa Inês lambs

Worm infection is one of the main factors responsible for economic losses in sheep breeding in Brazil. Random regression analysis was used to estimate genetic parameters for the factors faecal egg-count (FEC), packed-cell volume (PCV) and body weight (BW) in Santa Inês lambs. Data from 119 female, offspring of nine rams, were collected between December, 2005 and December, 2006, from the experimental flock of Embrapa Tabuleiros Costeiros, the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation located in Frei Paulo, SE, Brazil. After weaning, females were drenched until the faecal egg count had dropped to zero. Two natural challenges were undertaken. FEC heritability was extremely variable, this increasing from 0.04 to 0.27 in the first challenge and from 0.01 to 0.52 during the second. PCV heritability peaks were 0.31 and 0.12 in the first and second challenges, respectively. In the second challenge, BW heritability was close to 0.90. The genetic correlations among these traits did not differ from zero. There is the possibility of increasing parasite resistance in Santa Inês by selecting those animals with lower FEC. Selection to increase resistance will not adversely affect lamb-growth, although lambs with a slow growth-rate may be more susceptible to infection.

Temperatura e embalagem para abóbora minimamente processada

The present work aimed to evaluate the efficiency of different storage temperatures and packing materials for pumpkin fresh cuts. Pumpkin cuts of 5 × 10 cm were packed in polystyrene trays covered with polivynilchloride film or in vacuum high density polyethylene bags. The trays and bags were kept at 5 and 10 °C for 12 days. Soluble solids, total titratable acidity, pH, vitamin C, and color of pumpkin cuts were evaluated every 3 days. The different temperatures did not affect the storage of the pumpkins. However, packaging with PVC film allowed a longer conservation by keeping the pumpkin quality attributes up to the 9th day, except for the color which undergone minor alterations when stored within a vacuum pack.

Abundance and diversity of rumen protozoa in lambs fed Gliricidia sepium silage

The objective of this study was to evaluate changes in ruminal protozoa in lambs after partial replacement of feed concentrates in their diets with Gliricidia sepium silage. Twenty-four male Santa Ines lambs with an average initial weight of 14.5 kg were used. The experimental design was completely randomized, with four treatments and six replications. Treatments (given as a percentage of dry matter) were as follows: control - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + concentrate (400 g kg-1 as fed); GS133 - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + G. sepium silage (133 g kg-1as fed) + concentrate (267 g kg-1 as fed); GS267 - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + G. sepium silage (267g kg-1as fed) + concentrate (133 g kg-1 as fed); and GS400 - corn silage (600 g kg-1 as fed) + G. sepium silage (400 g kg-1as fed). Samples of rumen contents were obtained at slaughter, and analysis revealed the presence of nine genera of rumen protozoa that were present in all animals, with the exception of Enoploplastronand Eremoplastron. There were no significant differences in the average total numbers of rumen ciliates or in the composition of species between lambs. Inclusion of up to 400 g kg-1 (as fed) G. sepium silage in the diet of lambs does not affect the diversity or density of rumen protozoa.

Estimação de parâmetros genéticos de ovinos da raça Santa Inês utilizando modelos uni e bicaracterística

Objetivou-se nesse trabalho, estimar os parâmetros geneticos para caracteristicas de crescimento em ovinos da raca Santa Ines atraves do Metodo da Maxima Verossimilhanca Restrita (REML). Os componentes de (co)variâncias e os parâmetros geneticos foram estimados pelo Software MTDFREML (Multiple Trait Derivative-Free Restricted Maximum Likelihood). As caracteristicas avaliadas em modelos uni e bicaracteristica foram: peso ao nascimento (PN) e peso ao desmame (P90). Alem dos efeitos fixos de sexo, grupo contemporâneo e tipo de parto, foram utilizados os seguintes efeitos aleatorios: efeito genetico aditivo direto, efeito genetico aditivo materno e efeito residual. As estimativas de herdabilidade aditiva direta para PN foram 0,20 e 0,21, para os modelos uni e bicaracteristica, respectivamente. As estimativas de herdabilidade aditiva direta para P90 foram 0,04 e 0,07, para os modelos uni e bicaracteristica, respectivamente. A correlacao genetica entre PN e P90 foi de 0,11, indicando que ambas as caracteristicas devem ser trabalhadas simultaneamente.