Eimeria maxima infection impacts the protein utilisation of broiler chicks from 14 to 28 days of age.

In floor-raised broilers, coccidiosis is responsible for reducing the use of nutrients, mainly by impairing intestinal tissue function and activating the immune system. Understanding and quantifying how balanced dietary protein (BP) is used when birds are challenged will allow nutritionists to make decisions regarding challenged flocks. This study aimed to determine the effects of Eimeria maxima on broiler performance and body composition, and to calculate changes in the maintenance and efficiency of protein utilisation (Ep). A total of 2 400 male 14-day-old Cobb500 broiler chickens were randomly allotted to ten groups with six replications of 40 birds each, with a 5 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Five levels of BP in reference to digestible lysine (3.6, 7.2, 10.8, 14.4, and 18.0 g/kg) were fed to unchallenged (NCH) and challenged (CH) broilers with 7 × 103E. maxima sporulated oocysts from 14 to 28 days of age. Performance and body deposition were measured using a comparative slaughter technique to compare BP maintenance requirements and Ep. ANOVA followed by a posthoc test was performed to compare the effects of BP levels, challenge, and their interactions. A monomolecular model describing the responses of NCH and CH broilers to BP intake, maintenance, and maximum protein deposition was compared. There were significant interactions between body weight gain and digestible lysine intake among the factors studied. Infection had a negative impact on all variables analysed, proving the efficacy of the challenge. The maintenance did not differ between the CH and NCH groups. Increased levels of dietary BP did not recover the maximum protein deposition in CH broilers. Eimeria maxima significantly reduced Ep by a factor of 0.09 times on Ep compared to the control group. The Eimeria maxima challenge was responsible to modify the use of BP altering the body composition and impairing broilers performance.

Strongly unbalanced gender attractiveness in a dioecious mass flowering tropical tree pollinated by stingless bees.

In dioecious, bee-pollinated tree species, male and female flowers offer different resources. It is unclear how this unbalanced quantity and quality of floral resources affects flower visits and pollen transfer to female flowers. We asked, what characteristics of flowering and dynamics of resource production by trees favour flights of bees between male and female trees. We quantified the floral resources produced by individual flowers and entire trees of Myracrodruon urundeuva (Anacardiaceae), measured pollen flow to female flowers, fruit set of naturally pollinated flowers and determined the effective pollinators. Crown volume of male trees was four-fold, flower number 15-fold and nectar volume 60 times higher than in female trees. While ~70% of male flowers opened in the morning, ~70% of female flowers opened in the afternoon. Fruit set was 27%. Stingless bee species were the main pollinators, while honeybees were common only on male flowers. Strongly unbalanced production of floral resources, high potential lifespan of female flowers and anticipated opening of male flowers favour pollinator movement and pollen deposition on female flowers, albeit low (0.003% of pollen that reached stigmas), but sufficient to produce thousands of fruits per tree. Besides being an astonishing pollen and nectar source for numerous social bee species, only a few of them were effective pollinators. Our quantitative approach to floral resource production of each gender provides new insights, such as the proportion of resources allocated to each gender and the corresponding behaviour of flower visitors, for understanding the reproductive strategy of dioecious tropical mass-flowering trees.

Estimate of choline nutritional requirements for chicks from 1 to 21 days of age.

Choline is an essential nutrient in poultry diets because it performs various important metabolic functions. The objective of this study was to re-evaluate the choline requirements of male broiler chickens from 1 to 21 days of age at two levels of methionine. Two assays using 2,160 Cobb® chickens (1,080 in each assay) were conducted. The study design was completely randomized and consisted of six treatments and six replicates, with 30 animals per experimental unit. The semipurified basal diet was formulated with corn, soya bean meal, soya protein concentrate, starch and sugar, providing 390 mg/kg choline and 0.593% digestible methionine (requirement level) in Assay 1 and a reduction of about one-quarter in the requirement level of digestible methionine (0.440%) in Assay 2. Choline chloride (62.5%) was added by a supplementation technique to both basal diets to compose crescent levels of choline supplementation (715, 1,040, 1,365, 1,690 and 2,015 mg/kg). The weight gain responses were fitted using quadratic polynomial (QP) and broken-line (BL) models. The ideal intake of choline (mg/bird.day) was estimated from the first intercept of the QP with the BL plateau (BL + QP). The results showed that the diet with the 25% reduction in digestible methionine limited the maximum weight gain by approximately 10%. The choline requirements of broilers from 1 to 7, 1 to 14 and 1 to 21 days of age were 27,013, 44,458 and 62,535 mg/bird.day, respectively, for the requirement level of digestible methionine and 26,796, 41,820 and 56,578 mg/bird.day for the broilers receiving the diet with the 25% reduction in digestible methionine.

Systematic screening of plant extracts from the Brazilian Pantanal with antimicrobial activity against bacteria with cariogenic relevance.

This study proposes a bioprospection methodology regarding the antimicrobial potential of plant extracts against bacteria with cariogenic relevance. Sixty extracts were obtained from ten plants--(1) Jatropha weddelliana, (2) Attalea phalerata, (3) Buchenavia tomentosa, (4) Croton doctoris, (5) Mouriri elliptica, (6) Mascagnia benthamiana, (7) Senna aculeata, (8) Unonopsis guatterioides, (9) Allagoptera leucocalyx and (10) Bactris glaucescens--using different extraction methods - (A) 70° ethanol 72 h/25°C, (B) water 5 min/100°C, (C) water 1 h/55°C, (D) water 72 h/25°C, (E) hexane 72 h/25°C and (F) 90° ethanol 72 h/25°C. The plants were screened for antibacterial activity at 50 mg/ml using the agar well diffusion test against Actinomyces naeslundii ATCC 19039, Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356, Streptococcus gordonii ATCC 10558, Streptococcus mutans ATCC 35688, Streptococcus sanguinis ATCC 10556, Streptococcus sobrinus ATCC 33478 and Streptococcus mitis ATCC 9811. The active extracts were tested to determine their minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), cytotoxicity and chemical characterization. Forty-seven extracts (78%) were active against at least one microorganism. Extract 4A demonstrated the lowest MIC and MBC for all microorganisms except S. gordonii and the extract at MIC concentration was non-cytotoxic. The concentrated extracts were slightly cytotoxic. Electrospray ionization with tandem mass spectrometry analyses demonstrated that the extract constituents coincided with the mass of the terpenoids and phenolics. Overall, the best results were obtained for extraction methods A, B and C. The present work proved the antimicrobial activity of several plants. Particularly, extracts from C. doctoris were the most active against bacteria involved in dental caries disease.

Self-incompatibility in a distylous species of Rubiaceae: is there a single incompatibility response of the morphs?

Heterostyly is a genetically controlled floral polymorphism usually associated with an incompatibility system. This set of features is known to occur in several angiosperm families, but some aspects of its biology has not been well studied. The present study investigates cellular aspects of the pollen-pistil interaction after compatible and incompatible pollinations of Psychotria nuda, to increase our knowledge of heteromorphic self-incompatibility (HetSI). The use of bright field, fluorescence and transmission electron microscopy methods allowed us to demonstrate that pollen tubes behave differently after incompatible and compatible pollinations. Pollen tubes were particularly distinct after incompatible pollinations of L- and S-morph flowers. Relative to compatible pollen tubes, incompatible L-morph tubes had a drastic reduction in cellular contents, but no cell rupture. Incompatible S-morph tubes exhibited dense cytoplasm in apical regions, as well as in other regions, accompanied by a rupture of the apex. These results support the hypothesis that L- and S-morph flowers have different incompatibility mechanisms during HetSI.

In vivo lymphocyte activation and apoptosis by lectins of the Diocleinae subtribe.

This paper reports the overall effects of three lectins, extracted from Canavalia brasiliensis, Dioclea violacea, and D. grandiflora, on BALB/c mice popliteal draining lymph nodes. These lectins have presented high stimulatory capacity on lymph node T cells. Additionally, they were able to induce apoptosis and inflammation (frequently associated with high endothelial venule necrosis). The data presented here suggest that the Diocleinae lectins studied can stimulate in vivo T cell activation and apoptosis, as well as present important side effects.

Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a toxic liver disease in industrial workers.

AIMS: Occupational/environmental exposure to hepatotoxins has recently been implicated in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). The aims of this study were to determine the presence and frequency of NASH in a large group of workers chronically exposed to several volatile petrochemical products in an industrial area in north-east Brazil and to observe its course in workers removed from the work environment. METHODS: 1500 asymptomatic workers were screened with standard liver blood tests during 1994-5. Those with elevated transaminases (>3x normal) on 3 occasions were evaluated further both clinically and with serum HBsAg, anti-HCV, ferritin, lipids and autoantibody determination. Patients with either no etiological diagnosis, positive HBsAg/anti-HCV serology and/or excess alcohol intake underwent liver biopsy. Those with obesity, diabetes or an isolated abnormal GGT were excluded. Of workers diagnosed as having NASH (compatible histology and no excess alcohol intake), a proportion were removed from the work environment and evaluated monthly with liver blood tests and a repeat liver biopsy 8-14 months later. RESULTS: 112 workers had abnormal transaminases and 32 fulfilled the criteria for liver biopsy. 20 of these were classified as NASH, the remainder had viral hepatitis (n = 6), alcoholic liver disease (n = 5) or portal vein thrombosis (n = 1). In all of the 10/20 who were removed from the work environment, their aminotransferases and GGT gradually decreased and their histology improved. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that NASH can occur following chronic exposure to volatile petrochemical substances in the workplace. Exposed workers should be regularly screened for the presence of liver damage and ideally removed from the work environment where possible.

Morphological aspects of early and late collagen degradation in granulation tissue.

A sequential histologic, ultrastructural and immuno pathologic study was carried out in the Selye's inflammatory pouch model to observe extracellular matrix and cellular changes during granulation tissue formation. Besides changes involving different components of the connective tissue, it was observed that collagen resorption occurred under a biphasic process. At an early phase (3rd to 15th day), in which exudative inflammatory changes predominated, signs of collagen synthesis and degradation were seen simultaneously. Extracellular breakdown and internalization of collagen fragments within fibroblasts and myofibroblasts were observed. Later on (30th to 60th day), changes affecting collagen had a different ultrastructural appearance. Collagen fragmentation, focal "lytic" and "electron dense" changes occurred in the extracellular space specially at the periphery of fibroblasts, myofibroblasts and smooth muscle cells. Collagen degradation, thus seems to be a continuous process in granulation tissue, occurring with different morphologies at different times.

Estado Nutricional y composición de la leche materna en Hierro, Zinc, Folato y Vitamina B12 de madres de bajo nivel socioeconómico de Río de Janeiro / Nutritional status and iron, zinc, folate and vitamin B12 milk composition in mothers of low socioeconomic level in Río de Janeiro

El objetivo del estudio fue verificar si el uso durante el embarazo de suplemento de hierro, folato y vitamina B12 por mujeres brasileñas de bajo nivel socioeconómico es suficiente para lograr un estado nutricional satisfactorio en estos nutrientes durante la amamantación y una composición adecuada de la leche. Como complemento del estudio fue analizado el estado nutricional de las madres y la composición de la leche en relación al zinc. Considerando los valores promedio, el estado nutricional de las madres en relación a los nutrientes estudiados fue adecuado. Sin embargo algunas madres tuvieron índices menores que los normales para mujeres no embarazadas. Estos bajos índices especialmente 30 días después del parto, sugieren que estas madres presentan un estado nutricional inadecuado. La composición de la leche en relación a los nutrientes estudiados fue comparable a la de mujeres bien nutridas de países desarrollados. Las madres que recibieron suplemento de folato durante el embarazo tuvieron niveles más altos en el suero inmediatamente después del parto, que las que no recibieron suplemento. Sin embargo, la composición de la leche no fue afectada. Se concluye que el suplemento recibido fue insuficiente para cubrir las demandas de este período y mantener reservas adecuadas

Iron, zinc, folate and vitamin B12 nutritional status and milk composition of low-income Brazilian mothers.

The purpose of this study was to assess the nutritional status of low-income Brazilian mothers, who were supplemented with iron and vitamin B12 during pregnancy, in terms of iron, zinc, folate and vitamin B12, in different stages of lactation and to determine the influence of the maternal nutritional status on milk composition. The effect of folate supplementation during pregnancy on folate status of the nursing mothers and milk composition was investigated. The effect of partial weaning on maternal status and milk composition was also studied. In general, the nutritional status of iron, zinc, folate and vitamin B12 of the mothers appears adequate. However, some of the mothers had indices of status lower than normal limits for non-pregnant women. These values, particularly after 30 d post-partum, indicate that these mothers might be at nutritional risk and that the nutrient supplementation received during pregnancy was insufficient to meet demands. There was an increase with the stage of lactation for haematocrit, serum vitamin B12, serum zinc, serum albumin, milk folate and saturation of its binding protein, but there was a decrease for milk protein, total and whey-bound iron and zinc, and lactoferrin. Mothers who took folate supplements during pregnancy had higher serum folate levels immediately after birth than those not taking the supplements but no differences were found at later stages of lactation. Milk composition was not affected. Partial weaning did not affect the maternal nutritional status or the milk composition except for iron which was higher in milk from mothers who were partially breastfeeding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Lower intestinal obstruction caused by a lactobezoar]. / Occlusion intestinale basse par lactobezoard.

Two case of the so-called "milk curd obstruction" syndrome are reported. Although seldom found elsewhere than in the stomach, more distal obstruction in the ileum or the transverse colon by milk curd aggregates may mimic more classical causes of obstruction if one is not aware of the possibility of such incident related to feeding. Appropriate interviewing of the mother about regimen and medications will be of great help, in investigating the cause of the abdominal disorder, obviating the need for surgical intervention if confirmed by radiopaque enema.

[Bean and rice mixtures of high protein value (author's transl)]. / Misturas de feijão e arroz de alto valor protéico.

The optimum content of different rice (Oryza sativa) and bean (Vigna unguiculata L.) combinations was studied in Albino rats. The mixture containing 3 g of rice proteins, corresponding to 41g of rice "in natura", and 7 g of bean protein, corresponding to 59 g of bean "in natura", presented the highest protein efficiency ratio and the feed efficiency ratio. Since the limiting amino acid of this mixture was methionine, new assays using varying levels of this amino acid as a supplement were carried out. The PER of normal rats as well as the "plateau" value of previously protein depleted rats were highest when 0.2% methionine was added to the mixture. The net protein utilization (NPU) confirmed these findings. The values attained after the addition of other amino acids were not higher than those attained by the mixture containing 7 g of bean protein and 3 g of rice protein supplemented with 0.2% methionine. The PER and the NPU values came close to those of milk.

[Biological value of a soy-corn-wheat based noodle (macaroni) supplemented with lysine (author's transl)]. / Valor biológico de uma massa alimentícia (macarrão) à base de soja-milho-trigo suplementada com lisina

The biological value of a soy-corn-wheat based noodle (macaroni) prepared by the General Food Corporation was studied. The protein level of the noodle was of 20.5g%. Thirty-six Albino rats were used in this experimental. The animals were divided into sex groups of six animals each. The experimental groups were fed: a) cooked macaroni without lysine; and b) macaroni supplemented with increasing levels of L-lysine HCL. The control group received commercial casein. The protein level of the experimental diets was of 10g%. At the end of the fourth week of the experiment some rats showed a slight difference in the growth curve, specially the animals fed macaroni without lysine. However, statistical analysis did not show a significant difference. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) of the experimental groups was similar to that of the control group, but when the lysine level of the diets increased there was a corresponding increase in the PER. No significant difference was noted too. These results suggest that lysine do not improve the biological value of the noodle.