Evaluation of the ratio of omega(6: omega3 fatty acids and vitamin E levels in the diet on the reproductive performance of cockerels.

Three hundred and twenty 30-week old White Leghorn cockerels were housed in individual cages and distributed in a completely randomized factorial design of 5 x 3, with five oil sources (sunflower, soybean, canola, linseed and fish/soybean) and three levels of antioxidant (30, 200 and 400 mg of vitamin E/kg). The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the ratio of omega6: omega3 fatty acids by the inclusion of different oil sources and of dietary supplementation with vitamin E on the reproductive performance of cockerels. The use of the fish/soybean combination determined the lowest total antioxidant status of the semen. However, the addition of vitamin E to the fish/soybean-oil-based diet resulted in a linear increase in semen volume, motility and sperm vigour in the 38th week and again in the 52nd week for motility and for sperm vigour and fertility rate in the periods from 50-53 and 41-53 weeks of age. The use of canola oil in the diet resulted in the highest fertility rate during 50-53 and 41-53 weeks of life. Animals receiving the soybean oil based diet showed the smallest fertility rate in the range from 50-53 weeks of age and concomitantly the highest level of cholesterol in the spermatozoa in the range from 47-51 weeks. An interaction between the vitamin E level and soybean oil was verified by the linear increase in motility and sperm vigour at 38 weeks of age. Later, the contrary was shown by a linear reduction in fertility in the periods from 44-46, 47-49 and 41-53 weeks of age. Cockerels that had been fed on the sunflower-oil-based diet showed the highest content of saturated fatty acids in the spermatozoa from 48-51 weeks. An interaction effect was observed between the vitamin E level and sunflower oil shown by a linear increase in the content of saturated fatty acids in the spermatozoa and a linear reduction in the C18: 1omega9, C18 :2 omega6 and PUFA (C18 : 2omega6 + C20 : 4omega6) contents in the spermatozoa at 48-51 weeks and in sperm volume at 52 weeks of age.

Propriedades reológicas de chocolates comerciais tipo cobertura / Rheological properties of chocolate coverings

As propriedades reológicas da massa de chocolate säo influênciadas por fatores como conteúdo de matéria graxa, umidade, presença de lectine e outros emulsificantes, tempo de conchagem, grau de temperagem, tamanho de partículas, temperatura entre outros. Alguns destes fatores estäo relacionados com a própria composiçäo do chocolate e outros referem-se a diferenças no processo de fabricaçäo. O chocolate é uma suspensäo de partículas näo-gordurosas, como açúcar e sólidos de cacau, em uma fase gordurosa contínua de manteiga de cacau, sendo caracterizado reologicamente como um fluído pseudoplástico. Através do modelo proposto por Casson, uma regressäo linear com os dados de tensäo de cisalhamento e taxa de deformaçäo fornece parâmetros limite de escoamento de Casson (tca) e viscosidade plástica de Casson (tca). O equipamento utilizado para as medidas experimentais foi um reômetro rotativo de cilindros concêntricos. Os resultados reológicos foram analisados e discutidos em funçäo da composiçäo química e física dos chocolates estudados.