1,721,014 research outputs found
Effect of gluconic acid on piglet growth performance, intestinal microflora, and intestinal wall morphology
No full textGluconic acid (GA) derives from the in- complete oxidation of glucose by some Gluconobacter strains. When fed to nonruminant animals, GA is only poorly absorbed in the small intestine and is primarly fermented to butyric acid in the lower gut. This study investigated the effect of GA on in vitro growth response and metabolism of swine cecal microflora and on animal growth performance, intestinal wall morphology, and intestinal microflora. During a 24-h in vitro cecal fer- mentation, total gas production and maximum rate of gas production were increased by GA (linear, P < 0.001). Ammonia in cecal liquor was reduced by GA after 4, 8, and 24 h of fermentation (quadratic, P < 0.01). After 24 h of fermentation, total short-chain fatty acids, acetic acid, propionic acid, n-butyric acid, acetic to propionic acid ratio, and acetic + butyric to propionic acid ratio were linearly increased by GA (P < 0.001). In the in vivo study, 48 piglets were divided into 4 groups and housed in individual cages for 6 wk. Piglets received a basal diet with a) no addition (control) or with GA addition at b) 3,000 ppm, c) 6,000 ppm, or d) 12,000 ppm. After 6 wk, 4 animals per treatment were killed, and samples of intestinal content and mucosa were col- lected. Compared with control, GA tended to increase average daily gain (+13 and +14% for GA at 3,000 and 6,000 ppm, respectively; P of the model = 0.11; qua- dratic, P < 0.05). Daily feed consumption and gain to feed ratio were not influenced by GA. Intestinal counts of clostridia, enterobacteriaceae, and lactic acid bacte- ria were not affected by GA. Gluconic acid tended to increase total short-chain fatty acids in the jejunum (+174, +87, and +74% for GA at 3,000, 6,000, and 12,000 ppm, respectively; P of the model = 0.07; quadratic, P = 0.07). Morphological evaluation of intestinal mucosa from jejunum, ileum, and cecum did not show any sig- nificant differences among treatments. This study showed that feeding GA influences the composition and activity of the intestinal microflora and may improve growth performance of piglets after weaning
Effect of corn silage substitution with barley silage on milk production and composition
No full textWater is becoming a restricted resource. This case could represent a problem for the Po valley agro-livestock system,
that is based on corn farm production requiring large amounts of irrigation water. Increase in temperatures and the lack
of rainfall imposed to study a new system based upon a sustainable use of water resources, by the introduction in
dairy cows diet of crops like autumn-winter cereals characterized by low water requirements. Aim of this study was
to evaluate the effect of a partial and total corn substitution with barley in dairy cows diets on milk production and
composition. Twenty Italian Friesian cows, chosen between 80 animals, were blocked according to parity, DIM and
milk yield before the start of the trial and were divided in two groups. Two trials were carried out according to a
change-over 2x2 design with two period of 4 weeks each. In trial 1 treatments were corn silage (CS1) with corn silage
as forage source, barley silage (BS1) with corn silage in combination with barley silage, whereas in trial 2 treatments
were corn silage (CS2) with corn silage as forage source and barley silage (BS2) with barley silage as forage source.
The partial and total corn substitution with barley had no effect on milk yield while milk fat percentage and milk urea
content increased
Presence of trypsin Inhibitors in conventional and low antinutritional factors content soybeans
No full textCorn silage replacement with barley silage in dairy cows' diet does not change milk quality, cheese quality and yield
No full textBACKGROUND: Considering that water availability for agricultural needs is being restricted, an alternative to corn in animal nutrition should be explored in the Po Valley. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of either a partial (Trial I) or a total (Trial II) corn silage substitution with barley silage in dairy cows' diet on milk yield and composition, its coagulation properties, cheese yield and the sensorial profile of 16-month-aged Grana Padano cheese. RESULTS: A partial or a total substitution of corn silage with barley silage had no effect on milk yield. Milk fat content in Trial I and milk urea content in both trials were higher with barley silage based diets than in corn silage based diets. No effects were observed concerning the lactodinamographic profile for milk aptitude to cheese-making, cheese yield and its organoleptic traits between feed treatments in Trials I and II. In both trials, hardness, friability and solubility scores were generally lower than reference values, whereas deformability, elasticity and stickiness scores were generally higher than reference values. CONCLUSION: A partial or a total substitution of corn silage with barley silage in diets for dairy cows did not induce any negative effects on animal performance, nor on milk-quality traits, cheese quality and yield
ValorE: An integrated and GIS-based decision support system for livestock manure management in the Lombardy region (northern Italy)
No full texttIntensive agriculture and livestock breeding represent critical factors in the Lombardy region since thenitrate vulnerable zones are 62% of utilised agricultural plain area. The aim of reducing the environmen-tal risk caused by agriculture activities (e.g. nitrogen losses into groundwater and atmosphere) can beonly achieved through a critical and scientific analysis of livestock manure management in a whole-farmperspective. Keeping in mind this objective, the decision support system (DSS) ValorE was developed. Itcan be described as a tool able to evaluate from the environmental, technical, agronomic and economicpoints of view the main components of manure management (production, storage, treatment and landapplication) for a variety of livestock types (i.e., cattle, swine, poultry, sheep, goats and horses), underdifferent scenarios adopted at farm and territorial scale. ValorE consists of three main components: datamanagement subsystem, model management subsystem and two versions of user-interface, both forfarm and territorial scale. Most of the inputs to the DSS comes from external databases, while a softwaretool developed in the .NET environment and implemented using object oriented programming (C# lan-guage), provides the logic to manage the scenario simulation of agronomic and environmental farm-scalemodels. Users and stakeholders can carry out comparative analysis, starting from the knowledge of thecurrent perspective, in terms of manure management system at farm or territorial scale by interrogatingthe available databases. Moreover, they can generate different alternative scenarios thanks to differentoptions for the manure handling and cropping system simulation. Then they can finally evaluate andcompare different scenarios through multidisciplinary and synthetic indicators but also visualise spatialeffects exploiting the coupled webGIS. ValorE is therefore an attempt to offer a comprehensive tool forimproving both farm strategy and decision making process, which is particularly important in a veryintensive agricultural area, with one of the highest livestock density in the world, as Lombardy
In vitro evaluation of the impact of zein proteins on starch digestion and dry matter digestibility for pigs
No full textzein
Organic matter fermentability of corn and barley: the influence of particle size and exogenous amylase
No full textExogenous enzymes are proposed as additives in dairy cow diets to increase the digestibility of
feed and to improve milk yield. An in vitro experiment was carried out to evaluate the potential
of different doses of a new commercial exogenous "-amylase (Ronozyme RumiStar; DSM
Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland; Novozymes, Bagsvaerd, Denmark) to modulate the
organic matter fermentability of corn and barley at two different particle sizes (PS). The two
matrices (M) were ground (2 mm sieve) and the resulting grounds separated by size (<750 and
>750 μm screen for small and large PS; respectively). Then, samples were incubated for 48h
with three enzyme doses (ED; 0, 300 and 1500 kilo novo units/kg feed dry matter for D0, D300
and D1500, respectively) in diluted rumen fluid to measure gas production (GP). Three syringes
for each of 12 treatments (2M x 2PS x 3ED) were included in each of two GP runs (replicates).
The mixed rumen fluid was from two fistulated dry dairy cows fed with a forage:concentrate
(80:20) diet (14.3% CP, 48.5% NDF). One-pool exponential model with Lag was used to describe
the in vitro GP kinetics. The GP data (kd: rate of GP, %/h; Vf: final volume, ml; T1⁄2: time of half
asymptotic, h; and Lag: lag phase, h) were analyzed using a CRD with the MIXED PROC of
SAS®. A factorial arrangement was used to study the effects of M (n=2), PS (n=2), ED (n=3) and
associated interactions (with run as a random effect). The small particles of corn and barley were
fermented faster (p<0.01) than large particles (Table 1). Similarly, the GP dynamics were
different between PS, being the Lag and T1⁄2 shorter (p<0.01) in small than large PS. However,
the Vf was higher (p<0.01) in large than small PS for both matrices. The kd increased when
exogenous "-amylase was added (highest values for D1500). However, the increments were
related to both M and PS fraction (M x PS interaction, P<0.01). Similar results were obtained for
Lag and T1⁄2, showing a different dynamic in OM fermentability due to the amylolytic enzyme
activity. No other interaction was detected. In particular, the Lag and T1⁄2 tended to be lower
when enzyme was supplemented at D300 and D1500 vs. D0 (1.09 and 1.05 vs. 1.19 h and 3.36
and 3.32 vs. 3.39 h, respectively). The Vf was increased (P<0.01) both in barley and in corn due
to enzyme supplementation up to 24h of incubation. The exogenous "-amylase and PS could
be considered the main factors affecting the GP dynamic in corn and barley by reducing the Lag
and T1⁄2 times and increasing the GP
Effects of the procedure of inclusion of a sequestering agent in the total mixed ration on proportional aflatoxin M1 excretion into milk of lactating dairy cows
No full textShort communication: The effect of an exogenous enzyme with amylolytic activity on gas production and in vitro rumen starch degradability of small and large particles of corn or barley meals
No full textThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect
of exogenous amylase supplementation on gas production
and on in vitro rumen starch degradability (IVSD)
of different sized particles of corn and barley meals
(Cm and Bm, respectively). An aqueous liquid amylase
formulation from Bacillus licheniformis was tested
at 3 enzyme doses (EnzD; 0, 300 and 1,500 kilo novo
units/kg of dry matter) on small (<750 μm) and large
(≥750 μm) particle size (PS) of Cm and Bm. Data were
analyzed according to a randomized complete block
design with a factorial arrangement of treatments; the
main tested effects were PS, EnzD, and their interaction.
Fermentation run entered in the model as random
effect. The mixed rumen fluid was collected from 2
rumen-fistulated Holstein dry dairy cows fed at maintenance
(forage:concentrate ratio of 80:20; 12% crude
protein; 55% amylase-treated neutral detergent fiber).
Small particles of both Cm and Bm had a greater rate
of fermentation and shorter lag time than large particles.
The rate of starch degradation was greater for
small than for large particles of Bm, being 0.187 and
0.125 1/h, respectively. Conversely, the rate of starch
degradation of Cm averaged 0.063 1/h and was similar
among treatments. Enzyme supplementation tended to
reduce lag time and to increase rate of fermentation for
both PS of Cm and Bm, with a more pronounced effect
for small PS. A limited EnzD effect was measured for
IVSD data and rate of starch degradation; PS influenced
fermentation parameters and the magnitude of
starch degradation more than EnzD. Supplementation
with exogenous amylase influenced the rumen fermentation
pattern of small and large PS of Cm and Bm,
even if the effect of the enzyme supplementation differed
according to the PS of cereal meals
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