Inactivation of lectins from castor cake by alternative chemical compounds.

Enabling the use of castor cake in animal feeding is an excellent alternative strategy to reduce feed costs. The cake is a by-product derived from the extraction of the castor oil by the biodiesel industry whose chemical composition is satisfactory despite the presence of antinutritional factors like toxic lectins, which require detoxification before it can be used as a dietary ingredient. The aim of the present study was to evaluate alternative chemical sources in the degradation and inactivation of ricin and Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA), two lectins from castor cake. Ten chemical compounds were evaluated: sodium hydroxide, monodicalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate, calcium oxide, calcium hydroxide, calcitic limestone, magnesian limestone, urea, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride. Gel electrophoresis indicated 100% lectin degradation only in the cakes treated with 90 g sodium hydroxide and 2500 mL water per kg of cake. The hemagglutination assay was crucial to providing innocuousness to the treated cakes, with total absence of hemagglutinating activity observed in the castor cakes treated with 60 or 90 g sodium hydroxide in water volumes equal to or higher than 1500 mL/kg of castor cake and in the cakes treated with 90 g calcium oxide with 2500 or 3000 mL water/kg castor cake. Thus, though depending on the concentration of the chemical compound and on the volume of water per kilogram of treated cake, sodium hydroxide and calcium oxide showed to be promising chemical products for degradation and complete inactivation of the lectins present in castor cake to allow its use as an ingredient in animal diets.

Effect of diets with goat milk fat supplemented with exercise on anxiety and oxidative stress in the brains of adult rats.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of a diet with goat milk fat supplemented with physical training on markers of oxidative stress in the brain and anxiety behavior in rats. Adult male rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 10 per group): control sedentary (CON) and exercised (CON-EX) groups, goat milk fat sedentary (GM) and exercised (GM-EX) groups, goat milk fat enriched with CLA sedentary (GM-CLA) and exercised (GM-CLA-EX) groups. The exercised groups were submitted to treadmill running during four weeks. Anxiety parameters were evaluated with the open field (OF) and elevated plus maze (EPM) tests. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels were measured in the brain. Compared to the CON and GM groups, the GM-CLA group (p < 0.05), in which the animals were treated with goat milk fat with an increased CLA content, showed higher rearing. All exercised animals presented an increase in grooming when compared to sedentary animals. The number of entries in the open arms and time spent in the open arms was higher in sedentary groups (p < 0.05). MDA levels in the brain were lower in the GM group when compared to those in the CON group (p < 0.05). MDA increased in exercised animals (p < 0.05). GM and GM-CLA groups showed a significant elevation in the GSH levels in the brain. Goat milk fat, however, showed a potential effect on the reduction of oxidative stress, which was associated with a reduction in anxiety behavior. However, this beneficial effect was reversed when exercise was involved.

Acceleration of reflex maturation and physical development in suckling rats: effects of a maternal diet containing lipids from goat milk.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of lipids from goat milk containing conjugated linoleic acids on body weight and reflex ontogeny of neonatal rats treated during the prenatal and suckling periods. METHODS: Three groups were studied: soybean oil (S), coconut oil (C), and goat milk lipids (GM). Reflex maturation (palm grasp, righting reflex, cliff avoidance, vibrissae placing, negative geotaxis, auditory startle, and free-fall righting) as well as body weight evolution were recorded during lactation. RESULTS: Data demonstrated that the lipids from goat milk accelerated body weight evolution as well as all the reflex maturation investigated (P < 0.05). DISCUSSION: The supply of goat's milk offered to Wistar rats during pregnancy and lactation provided a variety of fatty acids necessary to accelerate the development of offspring.

Consumo, digestibilidade de nutrientes e parâmetros sanguíneos de cabras mestiças moxotó suplementadas com óleos de licuri ou mamona / Intake, digestibility of nutrients and blood parameters of crossbred moxotó goats suplemented with licuri or castor oils

Objetivou-se com esta pesquisa avaliar a possibilidade da inclusão dos óleos de Licuri ou Mamona, em dois níveis, na dieta de cabras mestiças Moxotó, por meio do estudo do consumo de matéria seca, da digestibilidade e dos níveis de ureia, glicose e ácidos graxos não esterificados (AGNE) no sangue. Os tratamentos consistiam em um grupo controle sem óleo (SO) e adição de 3 ou 5 por cento de óleo de Licuri (OL-3 ou OL-5) ou Mamona (OM-3 ou OM-5), com base na matéria seca. Foram utilizadas 10 cabras mestiças Moxotó em lactação, confinadas, distribuídas em um quadrado latino duplo (5 x 5), no qual cada período consistia em 12 dias de adaptação e três dias de coleta. A inclusão de óleo na dieta reduziu o consumo de matéria seca, com exceção do consumo dos animais suplementados com OM-3. No entanto, a adição de 3 por cento de óleo não alterou o consumo de energia metabolizável e proteína bruta. Já a suplementação com OL-5 reduziu o consumo dos nutrientes, com exceção do consumo de extrato etéreo. A suplementação lipídica não alterou a digestibilidade da matéria seca, entretanto aumentou a digestibilidade da FDN e a digestibilidade aparente da PB e EE. Os níveis de glicose, ureia e AGNE sanguíneos não diferiram entre os tratamentos. É possível utilizar 3 por cento de óleo de Mamona na dieta de cabras em lactação.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the possibility of including Castor or Licuri oil at two levels in the diets of crossbred Moxotó goat's through dry matter intake, digestibility and levels of urea, glucose and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA) in the blood. The treatments consisted of control groups without oil, 3 percent or 5 percent of Licuri (LO-3 or LO-5) or Castor (CO-3 or CO-5) oil, based on dry matter supplementation. Ten Moxotó lactating goats were used according to a double Latin Square (5 x 5) experiment design. The addition of oil to the diet reduced the dry matter intake, except for animals that were supplemented with CO-3. However, the addition of 3 percent of oil didn´t alter the intake of metabolizable energy and crude protein. The animals supplemented with LO-5 oil showed smaller nutrients intake, except for ether extract intake. The lipid supplement didn´t alter the dry matter digestibility, however increased the NDF digestibility the CP and EE apparent digestibility. There was no difference among the glucose levels, urea and NEFA in the blood. It is possible to use 3 percentCastor oil in the diet of lactating goats.