Antibodies against Leptospira interrogans in California sea lion pups from Gulf of California.

One hundred and twenty-five serum samples from California sea lion (Zalophus californianus californianus) pups, and one from an adult female from eight reproductive rookeries located in seven islands in the Gulf of California (Mexico), were collected during the 1994-96 reproductive seasons. These were tested for antibodies to 19 serovars of Leptospira interrogans using a Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Forty-one samples (32%) had antibody levels from 1:20 to 1:320 to one or more serovars. The most frequently detected serotypes were Leptospira interrogans hardjo (n = 13), cynopteri (8), ballum (6), and szwajizak (5). Serovars with the highest prevalence were Leptospira interrogans hardjo and serjoe (1:320), ballum (1:160), and cynopteri, girppotyphosa, and tarassovi (1:80). Based on these results, exposure of sea lions to L. interrogans serovar hardjo seems to be relatively common among colonies located in the islands of the Gulf of California in contrast with those located on the Pacific coast, where the most frequently detected serovar is L. interrogans serovar pomona.

Protein quality evaluation of amaranth in adult humans.

This study was carried out to determine the nutritional quality of the protein of amaranth grain submitted to extrusion and popping processes, using cheese protein as reference. For the biological evaluation, the short-term nitrogen balance index method was followed with 12 experimental adult male human subjects. A Latin square series 3 x 3 was used (three periods, three subjects) as an experimental design balanced to minimize residual effects by randomly ordering treatments, columns and rows. The study consisted of three periods of nine days each. The first period started by feeding all subjects a low nitrogen diet, followed by increases of the protein level every two days. The levels were 0.2, 0.4, 0.6/g protein/kg/day, keeping other nutritional elements constant and adequate, including calories, minerals and vitamins. All subjects received all their meals using as a source of protein extruded amaranth, popped amaranth or processed cheese. Water intake was kept at a rate of 0.8-1.0 ml per calories consumed. During the study, the subjects maintained regular physical activity. Amaranthus cruentus was utilized. The extruded amaranth was prepared with the Brady Crop Cooker under conditions previously established in other studies. The popped amaranth was prepared at a 250 degrees C temperature during 15-20 sec. The extruded and popped amaranths were provided as a sweet puree and, as all the other foods conforming the diets of each subject, they were weighed with 0.1 g of accuracy. Diet samples, as well as faeces and urine, were collected daily, which were ordered according to period and level of protein, conforming pools to determine their nitrogen content by the Kjeldahl method. True digestibility results of the protein were 101.4, 89.8 and 85.5% for cheese, extruded amaranth and popped amaranth, respectively. The statistical analysis according to the Tukey test showed that the true digestibility of the protein was the same for the two products of amaranth and different than the digestibility of cheese. Nitrogen balance index values from the equation between nitrogen intake and nitrogen retained, were 0.97, 0.86 and 0.79 for cheese, extruded amaranth and popped amaranth, respectively. The respective values between nitrogen absorbed and nitrogen retained were 0.97, 0.98 and 0.96. The Tukey test indicated that for NI to NR cheese was statistically different for the two amaranth products, which were similar between them. For the relationship NA to NR all values were statistically the same.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)