Influence of Molybdenum and Organic Sources of Copper and Sulfur on the Performance, Carcass Traits, Blood Mineral Concentration, and Ceruloplasmin Activity in Lambs.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of molybdenum (Mo) and organic and inorganic sources of copper (Cu) and sulfur (S) on the performance, carcass traits, and blood concentration of these minerals in lambs. Forty male non-castrated crossbred Dorper x Santa Inês lambs (20 ± 1.2 kg of body weight and 90 ± 2 d of age) were randomly allocated into one of the ten following treatments: (T0) control, basal diet; (T1) Mo; (T2) inorganic Cu and inorganic S; (T3) inorganic Cu and organic S; (T4) organic Cu and inorganic S; (T5) organic Cu and organic S; (T6) Mo plus inorganic Cu and inorganic S; (T7) Mo plus inorganic Cu and organic S; (T8) Mo plus organic Cu and inorganic S; and (T9) Mo plus organic Cu and organic S. Regardless of the source, Mo, Cu, and S were added at levels of 10 mg, 10 mg, and 2000mg/kg DM, respectively. The mineral supplements (Mo, Cu, and S) were added into the total mixed ration (TMR) by mixing them apart with the mineral and vitamin premix and then put into the TMR. The animals were kept in individual pens and received a total mixed ration for 84 days. Body weight and blood sampling was performed every 28 days. All animals were slaughtered after 84 days, and carcass traits were evaluated. Although organic sources of Cu and S added to Mo supplementation had increased the ADG throughout the study, this effect did not reflect in the heavier final BW outcomes for this treatment. In addition, no effect of these treatments was observed on the carcass traits. The serum Cu concentration was higher for the T0 group compared to the other groups; otherwise, Mo reduced the serum Cu concentration compared to the other groups. Considering the interaction among the minerals and their sources at 84 d of study, organic sources of Cu and S treatment and Mo associated with inorganic sources of Cu plus organic S treatment had an increased serum Cu concentration compared to other groups. Regardless of time, organic sources of Cu and S increased serum S concentration. At 84 days after enrollment, serum Mo concentration was lower for the control group compared to the other groups. Further, Mo supplementation increased its blood concentration compared to the control group throughout the study. The control group had the highest ceruloplasmin activity compared to the other groups; otherwise, at 84 d of the study, either Mo or inorganic S supplementation reduced ceruloplasmin activity. Serum ceruloplasmin activity was higher when Cu supplementation, regardless of source, was associated with organic S. However, at d 84 of the study, inorganic Cu associated to organic S supplements increased serum ceruloplasmin activity. In this current study, it was not possible to identify a pattern in the variables studied, however, further studies are needed to confirm that organic sources of Cu and S interacted alone without a defined pattern.

Influence of number of ingredients, use of supplement and vegetarian or vegan preparation on the composition of homemade diets for dogs and cats.

BACKGROUND: Homemade diets are a worldwide trend, and many recipes are currently available on websites but may not be considered balanced. This study aimed to evaluate if the number of ingredients, supplement, or vegetarian/vegan-only ingredients included in a recipe influence the nutrient content of homemade diets for dogs and cats. Chemical analyses were performed on 75 diets for dogs and 25 for cats prepared according to websites' recipes, and minerals were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). RESULTS: Canine diets that met fat requirements had more ingredients than those below recommendations. None of the cat diets met iron requirements, and feline diets that met requirements of manganese had fewer ingredients and those that supplied requirements of protein and sodium had more ingredients than the diets below recommendations (p < 0.05). Non-supplemented canine and feline diets had calcium and calcium:phosphorus ratio below recommendations (p < 0.05). Non-supplemented feline diets had lower sodium and iron, and zinc levels were below recommendation in diets for both species. Diets with animal products for dogs had higher levels of protein and zinc, although zinc was deficient in both groups, and there were higher amounts of crude fiber, magnesium, and manganese in vegetarian/vegan diets (p < 0.05). Diets with animal products for cats had higher levels of protein (p = 0.003), but there was a higher amount of crude fiber (p = 0.014) in vegetarian/vegan diets. CONCLUSION: The number of ingredients and vegetarian/vegan preparation did not guarantee nutritional adequacy of diets, and the presence of supplement did not ensure a balanced diet.

Vitamin-mineral supplements do not guarantee the minimum recommendations and may imply risks of mercury poisoning in dogs and cats.

Given the importance of using the vitamin-mineral supplements to guarantee the minimum nutritional recommendations for pets in homemade foods, and hypothesizing that these products may contribute to toxic metals contamination, the present study aimed to determine the concentrations of essential minerals and toxic metals in vitamin-mineral supplements available in the Brazilian market and calculate if the amount recommended by the manufacturer guarantees the minimum recommendations of NRC (2006) and FEDIAF (2020), as well as calculating the amount of toxic metals that animals would consume, according to the amounts recommended by the manufacturer. Seven vitamin-mineral supplements were analyzed. The determination of essential minerals and toxic metals was performed using ICP-OES. Comparisons were made with the minimum recommendations for essential minerals, and with the maximum tolerated levels of toxic metals established by the FDA (2011), descriptively. Most of the vitamin-mineral supplements, in the quantities recommended by the manufacturers, do not guarantee the minimum recommendations of NCR (2006) and FEDIAF (2020) for the following elements: calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, phosphorus, selenium, and zinc. Only one supplement had detectable selenium concentrations. Three supplements provided more than 0.02mg of mercury/kg of body weight, the safe upper limit used to establish the maximum tolerated level of this element. It is concluded that most vitamin-mineral supplements do not meet the minimum recommendations for most essential minerals and, if formulated by untrained professionals, even with supplementation, homemade foods may still be nutritionally deficient. Furthermore, some vitamin-mineral supplements analyzed may imply risks of mercury poisoning in pets.

Comparison of methodologies for fat determination and evaluation of calcium and phosphorus content in snacks for dogs / Comparação de metodologias para determinação de gordura e avaliação do conteúdo de cálcio e fósforo em petiscos para cães

In recent years, the relationship between humans and companion animals has tightened considerably and resulted in the expansion of the range of pet food industry products available in the market. In this context, snacks have gained greater popularity as pet owners seek to please their animals by providing such foods. Due to the growing importance of the snack segment, a need exists for accurate information on the nutritional composition of these products, such as fat concentration. No studies were found that evaluated the effectiveness of different methods applied for determining the content of this nutrient in dog snacks. In addition, too much mineral content can pose health risks. Thus, the objective of this study was to compare three methodologies for determining fat in pet snack products. The moisture, calcium and phosphorus content of each was also determined to compare the obtained results with each value stated on their product labels. Fat determination methods evaluated were ether extract (EE), ether extract after acid hydrolysis (EEHA), and fat content obtained from Ankom XT15 analyzer (ANKOM). Twenty-four snacks produced by 17 companies were evaluated. The results of the three methodologies were compared using the Tukey test. The comparison between the results of the laboratory analysis and the values stated on the labels was performed using descriptive statistics. There was no difference between the three methods evaluated (p = 0.34) regarding fat content. Regarding the nutritional compliance of the labels, 25% (n = 6) of the snacks presented higher moisture content than the declared amount, 50% (n = 12) presented lower fat content, 25% (n = 6) lower phosphorus content and, in 50% (n = 12), the calcium content was not within the minimum and maximum range stated on the label. Therefore, due to the absence of difference between the results, any of the three fat determination methodologies could be used. Regarding compliance of labels for calcium, phosphorus and fat content, greater control over the nutritional composition of these foods is required since most pet owners tend to supply large quantities of snacks to dogs, leading to excessive daily energy intake.(AU)

Nos últimos anos a relação entre seres humanos e animais de companhia estreitou-se consideravelmente e houve uma expansão da gama de produtos da indústria pet food disponíveis no mercado. Nesse contexto, os petiscos ganharam maior popularidade, uma vez que os tutores buscam agradar seus pets com esse tipo de alimento. Devido à crescente importância do segmento de petiscos, há a necessidade de informações precisas sobre a composição nutricional desses produtos, como o teor de gordura, uma vez que não foram encontrados estudos que avaliassem a eficácia dos métodos de determinação do teor deste nutriente em petiscos destinados a cães e o excesso de minerais pode implicar em riscos para a saúde. Assim, o presente trabalho comparou três metodologias para determinação de gordura em petiscos para cães, e também determinou os seus respectivos teores de umidade, cálcio e fósforo, cujos resultados foram comparados aos valores declarados pelos fabricantes nos rótulos dos produtos. Os métodos de determinação da gordura avaliados foram: extrato etéreo (EE), extrato etéreo após hidrólise ácida (EEHA) e teor de gordura obtido em analisador Ankom XT15 (ANKOM). Vinte e quatro petiscos produzidos por 17 empresas foram avaliados. Os resultados das três metodologias de determinação da gordura foram comparados com o emprego do teste Tukey. A comparação entre os resultados das análises laboratoriais e os valores declarados nos rótulos foi realizada por meio de estatística descritiva. Não houve diferença entre os três métodos avaliados (p = 0,34) em relação ao teor de gordura dos petiscos examinados. Em relação à conformidade nutricional dos rótulos, 25% (n = 6) dos petiscos apresentaram teor de umidade superior ao declarado, 50% (n = 12) apresentaram menor teor de gordura; 25% (n = 6) menor teor de fósforo e, em 50% (n = 12) deles, o teor de cálcio estava fora da faixa mínima e máxima declarada no rótulo. Portanto, devido à ausência de diferença entre os resultados, as três metodologias de determinação de gordura podem ser utilizadas. Quanto à conformidade dos rótulos em relação aos teores de cálcio, fósforo e gordura, é necessário maior controle sobre a composição nutricional desses alimentos, uma vez que a maioria dos tutores fornece petiscos em elevadas quantidades para os cães, que podem determinar excessivo consumo de energia.(AU)

Concentrations of macronutrients, minerals and heavy metals in home-prepared diets for adult dogs and cats.

Pet owners often don't acknowledge the need for home-prepared diet formulation by a trained professional and may use recipes from sources such as the internet. Macronutrient and mineral composition of home-prepared diets were analyzed and compared to NRC and FEDIAF recommendations, and heavy metal concentrations were analyzed and compared to FDA maximum tolerable levels (MTL) for dogs and cats. Recipes of home-prepared diets for adult dogs (n = 75) and cats (n = 25) were evaluated. Analyses of protein, fat, and fiber were performed according to AOAC, and mineral and heavy metal analyses were performed using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). None of the diets supplied recommended levels of all nutrients evaluated, and more than 84.0% of diets presented three or more nutrients below recommendations. Nutrients with most levels below recommendations were calcium and potassium in recipes for dogs and iron and zinc in recipes for cats. As for heavy metals, levels of lead, cobalt, mercury, uranium, and vanadium were above MTLs. Results suggest that home-prepared diets may be a health risk to dogs and cats if not properly formulated. Furthermore, the chronic heavy metal intake must be better elucidated in order to understand the full impact of results.

Effects of different sources and levels of copper on lipid metabolism in Merino × Texel lambs.

The study was conducted with 40 lambs Merino × Texel in order to determine the effects of 10 or 30 mg of Cu/kg DM of copper sulphate and copper-methionine on the lipid and cholesterol metabolism. The lambs were randomly distributed into 5 treatments, with 8 animals each. The treatments were: control, without cooper additions; 10 or 30 mg of Cu/kg DM in the form of copper sulphate; 10 or 30 mg of Cu/kg DM in the form of copper-methionine. The hepatic concentration of copper was higher in lambs supplemented with copper. Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the serum, as well as the SFTU did not differ between treatments. The supplementation of copper regardless of source or level reduced the concentration of cholesterol in the LT muscle, and reduced the concentration of GSH and increased the concentration of GSSG in the liver. Additionally, there was a minimal effect on the fatty acid profile of lipid in lambs.

Substituição parcial de farelo de soja por uréia na alimentação de vacas Girolanda em lactação / Parcial replacement of soy bean meal by urea on Girolanda lactation cows ration

Objetivo - Comparar a substituição parcial de farelo de soja por uréia sobre a produtividade e qualidade do leite. Métodos - Foram utilizadas 24 vacas Girolanda em lactação em um experimento com delineamento inteiramente casualizado. Dois concentrados foram utilizados: (C) controle, sendo a principal fonte de proteína o farelo de soja e (U) uréia, neste tratamento 1/3 da proteína total foi substituída por nitrogênio não protéico (NNP) oriundo da uréia. Foram avaliadas a produção, a composição e as características físico-químicas do leite. As dietas foram formuladas seguindo as recomendações do NRC (2001) e a nutrição protéica foi acompanhada pela concentração de uréia plasmática. A contagem de células somáticas foi utilizada com a finalidade de monitorar a sanidade da glândula mamária. Resultados - A produção leiteira foi diferente (P<0,05) entre os tratamentos 9,41 para o grupo Uréia vs. 7,98 kg/vaca/dia para o grupo Controle. A composição e as características físico-químicas foram semelhantes entre os tratamentos (P>0,05). Houve redução de 11,5% no custo do concentrado com inclusão de uréia. Conclusão - A substituição parcial do farelo de soja por uréia em dietas para vacas Girolanda mostrou-se uma alternativa viável para a produção leiteira, pois além de aumentar a produção, reduziu os custos com alimentação, sem alterar o valor nutricional do leite.

Objective - To compare the partially replacement of soybean meal by urea on lactation performance in experiment completely randomized. Methods - Twenty four Girolanda dairy cows were used. Two treatments were used: (C) control, being the main source of protein soybean meal and (U) urea, in this treatment 1/3 of total protein was replaced by non-protein nitrogen (NPN) derived from the urea. Milk production, composition and physico-chemical characteristic were measured. Diets were formulated following the recommendations of NRC (2001) and protein diet was accompanied by the concentration of blood urea nitrogen. Somatic cell count was used to monitor udder health. Results - There were differences (P>0.05) among treatments only for milk production 9.41 for urea treatment vs. 7.98 kg/cow/day for control treatment. Milk composition and physico-quimical characteristics were similar among treatments (P>0.05). There was a decrease of 11,5% in the cost of the concentrate with addition of urea. Conclusion - This study indicated that using urea for lactating Girolanda dairy cows had no detrimental effect on lactation performance or on milk nutritional value.