Mycoflora of poultry feeds and ochratoxin-producing ability of isolated Aspergillus and Penicillium species.

In Brazil, commercial feedstuffs are an important component in modern animal husbandry, but there is no information available about fungal contamination and ochratoxin A (OTA) production. The aims of this study were to determine the mycoflora incidence in poultry feeds and evaluate OTA production. In addition, the ability to produce OTA by several Aspergillus and Penicillium species was investigated. A total of 96 samples of poultry feeds were collected from four factories in Rio de Janeiro. Samples were examined for total moulds, for Aspergillus and Penicillium spp. occurrence and for their relative densities on dichloran rose bengal chloramphenicol and dichloran 18% glycerol media. The capacity to produce ochratoxin A by selected Aspergillus and Penicillium species was determined by HPLC. Total mould counts were generally higher than 1 x 10(5 )CFU ml(-1). Aspergillus and Penicillium species were isolated in the highest numbers. Aspergillus flovus and Penicillium citrinum were the most prevalent species. There was a high percentage of potential OTA producers (46%). The amount of OTA produced on this substrate was enough to cause adverse effects in animals. Several strains isolated from poultry feeds were able to produce high levels of OTA on chloramphenicol yeast medium. OTA in raw materials needs to be surveyed and storage practices must be investigated to determine occurrence and establish the livestock toxicological risk in poultry feed.

Simple and rapid analysis for quantitation of the most important volatile flavor compounds in yogurt by headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

The aim of this experiment is to develop a rapid, simplified, direct gas chromatographic (GC) method for the analysis of volatile flavor compounds in yogurt combining a headspace with constant heating temperature and GC with a mass spectrometric detect ion. Repeatability of the method is assessed. The relative standard deviation for individual flavor compounds range from 3.5% for acetaldehyde to 8.4% for acetone, with a total mean value of 52.4 +/- 2.2 mg/kg for all of the studied aroma components. Recovery for individual flavor compounds range from 63.7% for acetone to 82.4% for acetic acid.

Fatty acid composition of caprine milk: major, branched-chain, and trans fatty acids.

The fatty acid composition of caprine milk fat was studied using capillary gas chromatography. Milk was obtained from five goat herds belonging to different breeders in the Murcia region (Spain) and collected monthly (from November to May). The results showed significant differences among herds mainly in long-chain fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0, and C18:2). There were five branched-chain fatty acids (iso- and anteiso-C15:0, iso- and anteiso-C17:0, and iso-C16:0) with > 0.1% of the total fatty acid methyl esters and another 31 (the most monomethylated) with < 0.1%, including 4-ethyloctanoate, which is implicated in goat-like flavors. To study the content of trans unsaturated fatty acids, the fatty acid methyl esters were previously fractionated by AgNO3-thin layer chromatography. The mean contents of trans-C16:1 and trans-C18:1 were 0.16 and 2.12%, respectively. The distribution profile of trans-C18:1 was also studied.

Composition of vitamin supplements in Spanish poultry diets.

1. The composition of 106 vitamin supplements used in about 85% of the Spanish poultry production diets were studied. Vitamin supplements were grouped by production classes and, for broilers and pullets, also by feeding periods. 2. Four vitamins (niacin, alpha-tocopherol, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin) comprised over 87% of the vitamin supplements by weight (choline excluded), whereas alpha-tocopherol and retinol represented from 51% to 60% of the total vitamin cost. 3. The highest and lowest vitamin supplementation rates were for broilers in the starter and withdrawal periods (106 and 44 mg/kg, respectively) and the mean values for breeders, pullets and layers were 104, 58, and 48 mg/kg, respectively. 4. Supplements with higher vitamin contents showed less variability in their composition. Retinol, cholecalciferol, riboflavin and pantothenic acid showed the lowest variability within supplements (6% to 36% CV), whereas alpha-tocopherol, menadione, thiamin and biotin showed the highest (40% to 224% CV). 5. Vitamin supplementation rates were compared with requirements, taking into account the dietary contribution. In general, vitamin fortification exceeded the NRC recommendations, using a high safety margin for some vitamins such as vitamin A (from 2.6 to 7.8) and for some poultry classes such as breeders (3.2).

The effect of dietary fat inclusion on growth, carcass characteristics, and chemical composition of rabbits.

Two hundred ten Californian x New Zealand White rabbits were used to study the influence of diet and slaughter weight (2.0, 2.25, and 2.5 kg) on feed intake, growth, feed efficiency, carcass characteristics, and body chemical composition. Seven diets were formulated to contain 24% ADF: Diet C (control) had no added fat; Diets T, O, and S contained 3% of added beef tallow, oleins, and soybean oil, respectively; Diets TWS, OWS, and SWS contained the same level and types of fat plus 18% heated whole soybeans (WS) to increase the dietary fat by 3%. Fat addition did not affect ADG or dressing percentage, but it improved feed:gain ratio (.06 for each 1% of dietary fat, P < .001). Although the main measurements of carcass were not influenced by fat addition, the rabbits fed diets containing the highest fat percentage had the highest weights of perirenal (P < .001) and scapular (P < .01) depots and the highest body fat content (P < .01). The increase in slaughter weight improved all the desirable carcass characteristics measured but imparied feed:gain (by 13%, P < .001). Increasing slaughter weight also increased the perirenal and scapular fat depots by 40 an 24%, respectively (P < .001)< and the body fat content by 28% (P < .01). There were no differences in the utilization of animal and vegetable fats, and only for some traits ADG, feed intake, kidney weights) did the diets with soybean oil result in better responses than those with oleins. The results indicate that fat addition to fibrous diets extends the rabbit's growing period without impairing the feed:gain ratio. The joints of rabbits killed at heavier weights have more desirable weights for marketing the carcass on a retail cut basis.

The effect of fat inclusion on diet digestibility in growing rabbits.

Fifty-six California x New Zealand rabbits were used to study the influence of fat addition on nutrient digestibility. Seven diets were formulated to a 24% ADF level: Diet C had no added fat; Diets T, O, and S contained 3% of added beef tallow, oleins, and soybean oil, respectively; and Diets TWS, OWS, and SWS contained the same level and types of fat but also 18% heated whole soybean meal (WS) to increase dietary ether extract (EE) by 3%. After the digestibility trial, rabbits (weighing 2.00 +/- .13 kg) were slaughtered to determine the composition of cecal contents. Fat addition increased digestibility of energy (P < .05) and EE (P < .001). The type of fat only affected (P < .05) EE digestibility. No interaction between fat types and WS was found. Although EE levels of cecal contents increased in diets with added fat (P < .001), they did not negatively affect dietary fiber digestibility. The patterns of fatty acid digestibility in Diet C and in those with soybean oil (S and SWS) were similar; the lowest values were obtained for C16:0 and C18:0. The digestibility of unsaturated fatty acids of C18 increases as its degree of unsaturation increases. Digestibilities of C16:0 and C18:2 were, respectively, lower and higher in the diet with 3% soybean oil than in the diet with 3% tallow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Routine invasive hemodynamic monitoring does not increase risk of aortic graft infection.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether invasive hemodynamic monitoring resulted in an increased rate of aortic graft infection. DESIGN: Retrospective review with establishment of late follow-up. SETTING: Two referral teaching community medical centers. PATIENTS: Three hundred thirty consecutive patients who underwent elective aortoiliac (174), aortofemoral (91), or aortic tube (65) prosthetic graft placements during a 6-year period at the two institutions. All patients had percutaneous pulmonary artery catheter and radial artery cannula placement before surgery. Monitoring catheters were routinely removed within 72 hours. OUTCOME MEASURES: Early and late complications of catheter placement, perioperative morbidity and mortality, and late graft-related complications. RESULTS: Eighteen (5%) patients died in the perioperative period. Less than 2-year follow-up was possible in 67 patients. The remaining 245 patients were observed from 2 to 9 years (mean, 4.4 years). Graft infection was not identified in any patient. CONCLUSION: Routine invasive hemodynamic monitoring was not associated with an increase in the rate of prosthetic aortic graft infection.

Effect of type of fiber on the rate of passage and on the contribution of soft feces to nutrient intake of finishing rabbits.

One hundred thirty New Zealand White x California rabbits were used to study the influence of the source of dietary fiber on several digestive criteria. Five diets were formulated to provide 10% crude fiber (CF) on a DM basis. Sixty percent of this dietary fiber was supplied by alfalfa hay, citrus pulp, beet pulp, grape marc, or rice hulls in the diets. Weights of cecal contents, cecal ammonia concentration, and molar proportion of acetic acid in diets including pulps were higher and cecal levels of DM, CP, and molar proportion of butyric acid were lower than those of the alfalfa diet. Cecal ammonia, VFA, and CF concentrations of the grape marc diet were the lowest of all the diets studied; cecal CF level and molar proportion of acetic acid were significantly higher and CP level and molar proportion of butyric acid were lower in rice hull than in alfalfa diets. Diet had no influence on daily soft feces excretion (10 g DM/d), but N contribution of soft feces to N intake was higher in the diet with citrus pulp (18.7%) than in the other diets (12%). Mean retention time (R) was measured using fuchsin-stained feed and was found to be higher (21.3 h) in the rice hull diet and lower (9.3 h) in the grape marc diet than in the other diets. When coprophagy was prevented, R decreased by 0 to 7 h. In conclusion, the use of byproducts to substitute for traditional sources of fiber in rabbit diets influenced the retention time of the digesta in some segments of the gut and thus altered several digestive criteria.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of diet on composition of cecal contents and on excretion and composition of soft and hard feces of rabbits.

A total of 260 New Zealand White growing rabbits were used to study the effect of diet on chemical composition of cecal contents and on production and composition of soft and hard feces. Eight diets varying in their acid detergent fiber (9.8% to 32.7%) and starch (13% to 30%) levels were evaluated. The diet affected (P less than .01) all the variables studied, except dry matter (DM) and molar proportions of volatile fatty acids on cecal contents. An increase of dietary crude fiber increased crude fiber level in cecal contents (from 11.58% to 26.53%). However, a relatively lower proportion of fibrous material was found in the cecal contents when rabbits were fed the more fibrous diets. This suggests that dietary fiber has a direct influence on the efficiency of particle separation in the digestive tract. Crude protein and volatile fatty acid concentrations of cecal contents decreased (from 30.14% to 19.65% and from 47.8 to 36.7 mmol/liter, respectively) when dietary crude fiber increased. This could be related to availability of energy to cecal microorganisms. Ammonia concentration of cecal contents was not affected by dietary crude fiber. Daily production of soft feces varied from 14.98 to 29.59 g DM/d, and the contribution of soft feces to total DM and to crude protein intake ranged from 10.6% to 15.0% and from 12.8% to 20.5%, respectively; these values were the smallest and the largest for the least and the most fibrous diets, respectively. From this study we conclude that dietary fiber has a major effect on the digestive processes in the rabbit and that dietary starch level has no influence on any of the variables studied.

Effect of diet on chemical composition of rabbits slaughtered at fixed body weights.

Four hundred and thirty-two Spanish Giant rabbits were fed 12 diets of variable energy to protein ratio [kcal digestible energy (DE)/g digestible crude protein (DCP)] from weaning to slaughter, both at different ages and weights. Body composition analysis for various chemical components indicated that body weight accounted for the greatest part of the variation in these constituents. Sex influenced only the N content (P less than .05). Dietary E/P accounted for greater variability in body composition than crude protein or crude fiber content of the diet. High dietary E/P increased (P less than .001) the proportion of body fat and reduced the proportion of body protein. This effect was made more obvious by adjustment to equal rate of weight gain and it showed that there may be a greater influence of dietary E/P on body composition than previously recognized.