J.O. Feijó

Growth performance, carcass traits, meat chemical composition and blood serum metabolites of broiler chicken fed on diets containing flaxseed oil

Abstract 1. This study evaluated the effects of diets with partial and total substitution of soya bean oil (SO) with flaxseed (linseed) oil (FO) on broiler chicken performance, carcass traits, meat chemical composition and blood serum metabolites. 2. A total of 448 one-d-old Cobb 500 broiler chicken were used. They were allotted among 4 treatments with 8 replications, using a completely randomised design, for 35 d. Four diets were compared: T1 = 100% SO (3%, 1–7 d; 4%, 8–21 d; and 5%, 22–35 d); T2 = 50% SO + 50% FO; T3 = 25% SO + 75% FO and T4 = 100% FO. 3. No significant differences were observed in body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and blood serum metabolites (total triglycerides, TRI; total cholesterol, CHO; high-density lipoprotein, HDL; low-density lipoprotein, LDL; glucose, GLU; albumin, ALB; globulin, GLO; and total proteins, TPs). Significant effects were observed for TRI, CHO, HDL, GLU, HDL, LDL, ALB and GLO with regard to the day of collection. 4. Carcass traits did not show significant differences for the treatments. No significant differences were observed for breast and drumstick chemical compositions, with the exception of drumstick fat concentration (quadratic effect). 5. In conclusion, the partial or total substitution of SO with FO did not affect growth performance, carcass traits, meat chemical composition or blood serum profile in broiler chicken. Therefore, FO can be an alternative to SO in the diet formulation for broiler chicken.

Hematological and biochemical parameters of dairy calves submitted to pegbovigrastim administration

This study was designed to evaluate the response of hematological and biochemical parameters submitted to pegbovigrastim administration and postchallenge with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). In experiment 1, 20 newborn Holstein calves were divided into 2 groups: the Imrestor (Elanco Saúde Animal, São Paulo, Brazil) group (IMR, n = 10), which received a 25 μg/kg of body weight (BW) subcutaneous administration of pegbovigrastim, and the control group (CTR, n = 10), which received a subcutaneous administration of 0.9% saline solution. Blood samples were collected on d 0, 10, 12, and 14 relative to birth to analyze the biochemical and hematological parameters. Moreover, growth measurements were taken on d 0, 7, 14, 21, and 60 relative to birth. The number of total leukocytes in the IMR group increased on d 12 and 14 in comparison to the CTR group, as well as the counts of segmented neutrophils, band cells, and monocytes. No differences were observed in the other hematological, biochemical, and growth parameters. In experiment 2, 20 Holstein calves from 30 to 60 d old were divided into 4 groups: group 1 (LPS, n = 5) received a 0.25 μg/kg of BW single intravenous dose of Escherichia coli LPS at d 0; group 2 (IMR, n = 5) received a 25 μg/kg of BW subcutaneous dose of pegbovigrastim at d 1; group 3 (IMR + LPS, n = 5) received a 0.25 μg/kg of BW intravenous LPS dose at d 0 and a 25 μg/kg of BW subcutaneous dose of pegbovigrastim at d 1; and group 4 (CTR, n = 5) received an intravenous dose of 0.9% sodium chloride at d 0 and a subcutaneous dose of 0.9% sodium chloride at d 1. For the analysis of biochemical and hematological parameters, blood samples were collected on d -1, 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 14, and 21 relative to LPS administration. An increase in the number of total leukocytes was observed in the IMR, IMR + LPS, and LPS groups, and the IMR group remained as the highest from d 2 to 21. The levels of paraoxonase 1 were higher in the IMR group compared with all the others. The administration of pegbovigrastim in the dairy calves increased the number of circulating leukocytes, especially neutrophils, with an increase in paraoxonase 1, without altering the metabolites for the hepatic function.

Dynamics of acute phase proteins in dairy cows with subclinical hypocalcemia

Abstract: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) on serum concentrations of acute phase proteins (APP) during the peripartum period of Holstein cows and to correlate this disorder with biochemical parameters, body condition score (BCS), body weight (BW), and milk production. According to total calcium concentrations (Cat) before calving, the animals were divided into two groups: normocalcemic (NC; >8.5 mg dL-1, n = 13) and SCH (≤8.5 mg dL-1, n = 7). Blood samples were collected in the prepartum and postpartum to determine serum concentrations of glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, phosphorus, Cat, non-esterified fatty acids, insulin, and APP: albumin (ALB), haptoglobin (HP), and paraoxonase (PON) were analysed. Prepartum, SCH group showed an increase in HP concentrations and decreased ALB related to NC. Postpartum, SCH group showed a greater decrease in BCS and BW, a reduction in negative acute phase proteins ALB and PON and increased HP, and lower milk production than NC cows. We observed that during the peripartum SCH cows experienced more evident changes in their metabolism, alterations in the synthesis of APP, BCS, BW, and milk production, there by demonstrating the importance of calcium homeostasis for health and production of dairy cows.

Combinação de butafosfan e cianocobalamina no metabolismo da glicose em vacas leiteiras após o parto

A hipotese deste estudo e de que o uso da combinacao de butafosfan e cianocobalamina pode melhorar a resistencia periferica a insulina, aumentar a quantidade de glicose disponivel para a glândula mamaria e a producao de leite. Assim, o objetivo foi investigar os efeitos combinados de butafosfan e cianocobalamina sobre o metabolismo da glicose em vacas leiteiras no periodo pos-parto. Vinte e uma vacas leiteiras foram divididas em dois grupos: grupo controle (CON, n= 11), que recebeu cinco aplicacoes de solucao salina (20mL / animal 0,9% NaCl), e grupo Catosal(r) (ABC, n= 10), que recebeu cinco aplicacoes de 20mL de uma solucao contendo as substâncias butafosfan e cianocobalamina (B12 Catosal(r), 100mg da substância butafosfan e 50µg de cianocobalamina por mL). As aplicacoes foram realizadas por via intramuscular, nos dias sete, 12, 17, 22 e 27 pos-parto. As amostras de sangue foram coletadas para a avaliacao das concentracoes plasmaticas de fosforo, glicose, acidos graxos nao esterificados (AGNE), albumina, aspartato aminotransferase (AST) e creatina quinase (CK). Nos dias oito e 28 pos-parto, os animais foram pesados e submetidos aos testes de tolerância a glicose e a insulina. O tratamento promoveu perda de peso (ABC 40,4kg, CON 10,73kg, P<0,05) e aumento da AST (ABC 62,92 ±3,31U/L, CON 53,11±3,49 U / L, P<0,05) e dos niveis de CK (ABC 134,09± 19,08U / L, CON 79,43 ± 18,27U / L). Os grupos nao diferiram quanto ao metabolismo (area sob a curva) da glicose nos dias oito e 28, porem os animais tratados tiveram um aumento na glicemia (P<0,05) no dia 28 pos-parto (97,54 ± 8,54mg / dL), apos a administracao de insulina, em comparacao ao dia oito (83,01 ± 8,54mg / dL). Assim, pode-se concluir que a combinacao de butafosfan e cianocobalamina melhora a adaptacao do metabolismo da glicose em vacas leiteiras no inicio da lactacao.

Prepartum administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) on adaptation to subclinical ketosis of the ewes and performance of the lambs

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of prepartum rbST injection on the metabolic profile of pregnant ewes induced to subclinical ketosis, as well as the metabolism until seven days of life and weight gain until seven weeks of life of the lambs. Twenty seven pregnant ewes of the pantaneiro genetic group were used, divided into two groups: rbST group (n = 14) and control group (n = 13). The rbST group received two applications of 1 mg/kg of rbST, at 97 and 111 days gestation, while the control group received placebo injections. There were significant differences between groups in levels of GGT in the ketosis post induction period and BHB concentrations in the postpartum period. Concentrations of glucose, urea, phosphorus, albumin, cholesterol, AST, NEFA and insulin were not different between dams from the two groups in different periods of the study (P>0.05). There was an effect of rbST on body weight observed already at fourteen days of life (P<0.0001), there was an increase in serum phosphorus levels at birth of lambs (P=0.0014), and albumin at seven days of life (P = 0.0014) of the lambs, with no difference between groups for the other metabolites. Therefore, the use of rbST was effective in increasing the weight of the lambs until the seventh week of life. In addition, rbST treatment had positive effects on the dam metabolism with reduction of liver overload, as indicated by decreased GGT after ketosis induction and decreased BHB at the postpartum period.