Eduardo Raele de Oliveira

Efeito de dietas contendo plasma sanguíneo desidratado sobre características microbiológicas, imunológicas e histológicas de leitões leves ao desmame

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of spray-dried plasma (SDP) on the growth performance, immunological, histological and microbiological profile and weight of organs of light weight weaned pigs. The trial was done using 24 pigs with an initial mean age of 21 days in a completely randomized experimental design. The treatments were: T1 - heavy weight weaned pigs, without SDP supplementation; T2 - light weight weaned pigs, supplemented with 10g/animal/day of SDP; T3 - light weight weaned pigs, supplemented with 20g/animal/day of SDP; T4 - light weight weaned pigs, without SDP supplementation. The inclusion of 20g of SDP in the diet improved the weight gain, spleen weight (g/kg) and serum IgA title between 21 and 31 days of age. The inclusion of 10g of SDP in the diet improved the length and width of the ileocolic lymph node. In the first 10 days after weaning, SDP improved the development of lymphoid organs and the protection of the intestinal mucosa.

The effect of supplementing sow and piglet diets with different forms of iron

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of chelated iron supplementation on gestating and lactating sows and on their suckling and weaned piglets. Reproductive traits, piglet performance, hematological parameters, and the iron concentrations in colostrum, milk, and stillborn livers were measured. Ninety-six sows were subjected to one of three treatment groups. Group T1 comprised pregnant and lactating sows treated with diets supplemented with inorganic iron (551 mg Fe/kg) and suckling piglets administered 200 mg of injectable iron dextran. Group T2 was the same as T1, except that sows after 84 days of gestation, lactating sows, and suckling piglets were fed a diet supplemented with 150 mg Fe/kg of chelated iron, and suckling piglets were administered injectable iron dextran. Group T3 was the same as T2 but without injectable iron dextran for suckling piglets. During the nursery phase, all of the weaned piglets were penned with their original groups or treatments and received isonutritive and isocaloric feeds. Piglets from the T2 and T3 groups also received an additional 150 mg Fe/kg of chelated iron via their feed. There were no differences among the treatments for reproductive traits or the iron concentrations in the colostrum, milk, or liver. The piglets that did not receive the injectable iron dextran showed the poorest performance during the pre-and post-weaning phases and showed the poorest hematological parameters of the suckling piglets. The chelated iron supplementation is insufficient to meet piglet demand. The iron dextran supply is necessary for suckling and weaned piglets.

The correlation between the number of antral follicles and ovarian reserves (preantral follicles) in purebred Bos indicus and Bos taurus cows

The objectives of this study were to compare populations of preantral follicles between purebred Bos indicus and Bos taurus cows with high or low antral follicle counts (AFC) and to correlate the number of preantral follicles with the population of antral follicles. Nelore (Bos indicus, n=100) and Angus (Bos taurus, n=100) cow ovaries were collected at abattoirs and examined using ultrasonography. Antral follicles ≥3mm were counted, and the cows ovaries were assigned to high (G-High) or low (G-Low) AFC groups based on the mean number (±1 SD) of ovarian antral follicles: Bos indicus with high AFC (≥57 follicles, n=8) or low AFC (≤21 follicles, n=8) and Bos taurus with high (≥45 follicles, n=10) or low AFC (≤13 follicles, n=10). The ovaries were processed, and the number of preantral follicles was estimated. Between-groups comparisons were performed using a Kruskal-Wallis test, and the correlation between preantral and antral follicles was evaluated using a Pearsons correlation test (P≤0.05). A large variation in the number of preantral follicles was observed among the animals. Although there was a correlation between the population of preantral follicles and the number of antral follicles, there was no difference between the mean number of preantral follicles in the Bos indicus G-High (48,349±30,149) and G-Low groups (33,037±31,710) or between the Bos taurus G-High (35,050±36,060) and G-Low groups (30,481±43,360). Therefore, the preantral follicle population did not differ between purebred Bos indicus and Bos taurus cattle with high or low AFC but was correlated with the number of antral follicles. In addition to the large within-groups variation in the number of preantral follicles, some cows with high AFC had lower populations of preantral follicles compared to the low AFC group, and the highest population of preantral follicles was observed in both Bos indicus and Bos taurus with low AFC.