Effects of phytase supplementation on calcium and phosphorus output, production traits and mechanical stability of the tibia in broiler chickens.

A feeding trial was performed using 4 x 60 day-old chickens (Ross 208 cockerels) raised up to 42 days of age to determine whether exogenous phytase addition increases phosphorus utilisation by broiler chickens, and to assess its effects on some production traits as well as on the ash content and mechanical stability of the tibia. The chickens' feed consisted of maize, wheat, soybean meal, fish meal, yeast, and fat powder. The basic feed was supplemented with inorganic phosphorus in groups A and B. In groups C and D, the amount of the inorganic phosphorus supplement (DCP) was decreased by 50%, at the same calcium/phosphorus ratio. The 50% reduction of inorganic phosphorus supplementation represents a 20% decrease of total phosphorus. To the diets of groups B and D a phytase enzyme preparation (Phytase Novo CT) was added. The calculated exogenous phytase activity was 600 FYT/kg feed. The decrease of inorganic phosphorus did not cause significant differences in the daily weight gain but lowered the feed conversion rate by 10%. Calcium and phosphorus excretion decreased by 18% and 15%, and the breaking strength of the tibia was also lower. Phytase supplementation of the feed at a lower rate of inorganic phosphorus supplementation did not cause changes in the body weight gain but improved the feed conversion rate by 5.6%. Phosphorus and calcium output decreased by 21% and 11%, respectively, but chemical composition and mechanical stability of the tibia were unaltered.

Novel dietary strategy for overcoming the antinutritional effects of soyabean whey of high agglutinin content.

A diet-switching experiment, which aimed to improve the utilization of soyabean whey was carried out for 61 d with young rats. Feeding was arranged in such a way that after a few days on the soyabean diet, the rats were switched to a high-quality lactalbumin diet for a short period, after which the cycle was repeated several times. The weights of the rats at the end of the soyabean phases were significantly less than those of animals pair-fed on a high-quality diet throughout. However, the test group regained the weight loss after switching to the lactalbumin diet. After three cycles there were no significant differences between the weights of the test rats fed on a poor soyabean diet for over a third of the experiment and those fed on the lactalbumin diet throughout. Feed conversion was always significantly higher with test rats in the lactalbumin period than with continually pair-fed controls. Similarly, faecal N losses were significantly higher for test rats in the soyabean phase, but these differences disappeared after switching to the lactalbumin diet. At the end of the experiment there were no significant differences in body protein or lipids between the groups although the pancreas was significantly heavier while the liver was lighter in soyabean-fed rats. The high destruction of trypsin inhibitors in the gut suggests that they probably had little effect on protein digestion in the gut. In contrast, as selective depletion of the agglutinin from soyabean whey removed the nutritional benefit in the lactalbumin part of the cycle, the improved feed conversion in this period must have been the result mainly of the survival and functionality of soyabean agglutinin and the benefits due to the hyperplastic growth and faster renewal of the gut surface it induced. As processing is unnecessary, this novel method is cheap and can be easily adapted for the use of soyabean whey, regarded as a waste product.

Both free and complexed trypsin inhibitors stimulate pancreatic secretion and change duodenal enzyme levels.

Secretion of pancreatic digestive enzymes was measured in pancreatic cannulated rats after duodenal stimulation with Kunitz or Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors or their complexes with trypsin and/or chymotrypsin. Free and complexed inhibitors were bound by the duodenal epithelium, stimulated the discharge of cholecystokinin, and significantly increased secretion rates of alpha-amylase, trypsinogen, and chymotrypsinogen. Inasmuch as secretion rates returned to basal levels with cholecystokinin-A receptor antagonists, the stimulation was likely to be mediated by cholecystokinin. Soya factors also influenced the duodenal concentration of pancreatic enzymes under simulated feeding conditions. Thus the level of alpha-amylase increased while the trypsin concentration decreased in rats gavaged with free or complexed inhibitors. The same was true for chymotrypsin when the Bowman-Birk inhibitor was used, but the Kunitz inhibitor and its trypsin complex actually raised the luminal concentration of chymotrypsin. Accordingly, because soya inhibitors remained effective in stimulating pancreatic secretion after elimination of their inhibitory activity by complex formation, it is questionable whether the signal for cholecystokinin secretion was solely due to lowering of duodenal protease levels.

Drug hepatitis of cholestatic type in association with a FAC-regimen for breast cancer.

The case of a 36 year old patient in whom breast cancer was diagnosed in February 1983 is reported. At the time of the diagnosis bone metastases, were already present. Therapy was started on the basis of a FAC-regimen (Ftorofur-, Adriamycin-Cyclophosphamide), where after the patient developed clinical and laboratory signs of hepatic lesion. At the time of the first FAC-course the suspicion of viral hepatitis of cholestatic type was raised; HBsAg was consistently negative. In the 3rd week after completion of the second FAC-course clinical signs of cholestatic hepatitis with high fever and leucopenia of increasing severity were suggestive of drug-induced hepatitis. Cyclophosphamide was incriminated, therefore, this component was omitted from the subsequent FAC-course. Nevertheless, the clinical manifestations reappeared in a more pronounced form. This time, too steroids were administered, with beneficial effect. In view of the complaints pointed to bone-metastases further cytostatic treatment, Vepesid monotherapy was started, but after the first course the patient developed hepatitis and died. Necropsy revealed, in addition to extensive bone-metastases, microscopic signs of drug-induced hepatitis. The types of liver damage caused by the cytostatic agents used in this study are reviewed. No hepatitis has been reported in connection with these drugs (Adriamycin + Ftorofur or Vepesid) thus far. The diagnostic criteria of drug-induced hepatitis are outlined. It is pointed out that with the eves more extensive use of cytostatic therapy a growing incidence of this complication should be taken into account.