In the present study, the effects of dietary resveratrol on the induction of heat shock proteins, transcription factors and antioxidative enzyme system in liver of quails under heat stress were investigated. A total of 180 (55-day-old) female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) were reared either at 22 °C for 24 h/day (thermoneutral, TN) or 34 °C for 8 h/day (heat stress, HS; 09:00-17:00 hours) for 12 weeks. Birds in both environments were randomly fed one of three diets: basal diet and basal diet added with either 200 or 400 mg of resveratrol per kg of diet. The results showed that exposure to high ambient temperature induced decreases in feed intake, egg production, and hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities but increases in hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations (p < 0.001). Liver Hsp70, Hsp90 and NF-κB expression was greater while Nrf2 expression was lower for quails reared under the heat stress than for those reared under the TN environment (p < 0.0001). There were linear increases in feed intake, egg production, hepatic SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities as well as Nrf2 expression, but linear decreases in hepatic MDA concentrations and Hsp70, Hsp90, and NF-κB expressions with increasing supplemental resveratrol level (p < 0.0001). Two-way treatment interactions revealed that the degree of restorations in all response variables was more notable under the high ambient temperature than that of the TN environment as dietary resveratrol concentration was increased. The results of the present study suggest that supplemental resveratrol reduces oxidative stress in heat-stressed quails through modulating the hepatic heat shock proteins and nuclear transcription factors.

Seventy-two 26-wk-old Single Comb White Leghorn laying hens were randomly assigned to 36 cages (2 per cage) in a 3-orthogonal 4 x 4 latin square, with the fourth row suppressed, to assess the effect of feeding refined seal blubber oil (SBO, containing 22.2% omega-3 fatty acids) on the fatty acid composition and position in the egg yolk lipids. The experiment was conducted over a period of 9 wk. Eggs were collected and numbered, and the weights were recorded for each week and cage. Eggs collected at wk 5 and 9 were used for total lipid, lipid class, fatty acid, and positional analyses. Sensory evaluation was carried out on eggs collected at wk 6 and 7. Feeding SBO at 1.25% led to an increase (P < 0.0001) in the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCn3PUFA) and a concomitant decrease (P < 0.0001) in arachidonic acid (ARA) in the egg yolk lipids. Yet this amount of SBO in the diet had no effect (P > 0.1) on the sensory attributes of the egg and on production parameters such as egg weight, number of eggs laid, and feed intake (P > 0.05). When feeding SBO in amounts higher than 1.25% proportionately, a plateau effect of the LCn3PUFA content of the eggs was observed. This appears to be because the PUFA content in the sn-2 position of the phospholipids cannot exceed a certain amount. When this amount is reached, the LCn3PUFA will be increasingly stored in triglycerides. The results presented here clearly indicate how eggs can be produced with optimized composition of LCn3PUFA without affecting (P > 0.1) the sensory properties of the eggs. The procedures elaborated herein provide directly applicable consequences for the food industry.

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Six male and six female Alaskan Huskies allocated three by three to two teams fed rations slightly different in protein/fat ratio (A, 29.2: 53.7%; B, 34.1: 48.5% of digestible energy) were studied for hematological and metabolic changes during a complete training and racing season (24 wk). Blood variables [packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell count (RBC), mean corpuscular volume, hemoglobin, total plasma protein, free fatty acids, cholesterol, lactic acid, creatine phosphokinase (CPK), creatinine, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)] and six minerals were determined before (at rest) and immediately after a test run of 9 km and then 10, 20 and 30 min later, at the beginning of training as well as 7, 20 and 24 wk later. Training and exercise both significantly influenced PCV, RBC, creatinine and ALT and exercise influenced CPK. Only negligible differences were found between the diets.

Zusammenfassung Eine verbesserte Methode zur Abschätzung des Energiegehaltes in Hunde‐ und Katzenfutter Zur Entwicklung einer Schätzmethode für den Energiegehalt in (kommerziellen) Hunde‐ und Katzenfuttern standen drei Datensätze zur Verfügung: Datensatz A: 128 Verdauungsversuche an Hunden, Fasergehalt als Rohfaser (CF) bestimmt, Datensatz B: 107 Verdauungsversuche an Hunden, Faser als Gesamtfaser (TF) nach Englyst und Cummings (1988) und Datensatz C: 58 Verdauungsversuche an Katzen, Fasergehalt als Rohfaser (CF) bestimmt. Zunächst wurden multiple Regressionsberechnungen mit der verdaulichen Energie (DE) als abhängige und den Rohnährstoffen einschließlich der Faser als unabhängige Variablen durchgeführt. In einem weiteren Berechnungsansatz erfolgte die Abschätzung der DE basierend auf den Beziehungen zwischen der Verdaulichkeit der Energie (ad GE) in% und dem Fasergehalt in% der Trockenmasse. Für Datensatz A: ad GE = 91,2 −1,43 × CF; für Datensatz B: ad GE = 93,3–1,42 × TF und für Datensatz C: ad GE = 87,9–0,88 × CF. DE wurde dann wie folgt berechnet: DE = Bruttoenergie (GE) × ad GE/100. GE in kJ/100g Trockenmasse wurde entweder berechnet oder im Bombenkalorimeter direkt bestimmt. Die Schätzwerte korrelierten bei allen Methoden signifikant mit der experimentell ermittelten DE (r > 0,88**). Die Berechnung der GE stellte sich als erhebliche Fehlerquelle heraus. Als zur Zeit genaueste Methode zur Schätzung der DE ist daher die direkte Bestimmung der GE im Bombenkalorimeter und die Abschätzung der Verdaulichkeit über den Fasergehalt zu empfehlen. Die umsetzbare Energie (ME) kann dann durch N‐Korrektur berechnet werden. Pro Gramm Protein werden bei Hundefutter 4,34 kJ und bei Katzenfutter 3,10 kJ abgezogen. Beim Vergleich der eigenen Methode mit der vom NRC vorgeschlagenen Formel ergab sich an einem Datensatz mit 61 kommerziellen Hundefuttern, die nicht bei der Entwicklung der eigenen Methode verwendet wurden, eine sehr gute Übereinstimmung zwischen berechneter und experimentell bestimmter ME für die eigene Methode (r = 0,95**) und eine deutlich geringere für die NRC‐Formel (r = 0,56**).

A hospital-based case study was conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna for a 1-year period. The purpose of this study was to determine possible alterable and non-alterable risk factors of equine colic in Austria. The investigated parameters were obtained from hospital medical records (individual factors, duty of the horse, deworming, change in diet and water intake), from questionnaires (feed intake, watering types, housing and pasture practices) and from http://www.orf.at (weather-related factors). Moreover, 221 collected feed samples were investigated through hygienic quality sensory evaluation and mould, yeast and bacteria presumptive samples were confirmed by microbiological investigation. Variables that were observed from the hospital medical records and found to be significantly associated with colic in a univariate analysis were included in multivariate analysis and the only remaining risk factor was decreased water consumption (p < 0.001, OR = 5.025). Consequently, a total of 2743 horses and 366 cases of colic were observed during the study period. The risk factors for colic in Austria were identified for the first time in this study and these increased risk factors were decreased water consumption, high amount of concentrate intake (p = 0.037), low hygienic quality of hay (p = 0.027) and high temperature on the arrival date (p = 0.003). Results suggest that the occurrence of colic may not stop, but may decrease with better feed management practices in Austria.

The aim of this study was to determine the evacuation of sand from the equine intestine after a double treatment with psyllium and mineral oil or mineral oil only. A crossover study was conducted. Twelve healthy horses were fed 1 kg sand once a day for 5 days. Subsequently, these horses were divided into two groups: A and B. From day 6-10, both groups were treated with 2 l of mineral oil once a day and group B received an additional 0.5 kg of psyllium twice a day. The trial was repeated after 2 weeks with treatment crossover of groups A and B. The horses were housed sand free and 1.8 kg hay/100 kg body weight was offered to meet the maintenance energy requirement. Prior to the sand administration, faeces were collected from each horse for 3 days and the crude ash was determined to establish a baseline output of ash. There was no difference between the baseline crude ash output of the first and second treatment. From day 6-10, faeces were collected daily and the fresh weight and the dry matter and the crude ash contents were determined. For administration, sand or psyllium was mixed with 1 l of Irish mash (concentrate mixed with water), respectively, and mineral oil was administered via a nasogastric tube. All horses showed higher crude ash excretion when treated with psyllium and mineral oil compared with the mineral oil administration only. On the second, third and fourth day of the treatment, the difference was significant. Faeces crude ash weight corrected for baseline crude ash output while treated with psyllium plus oil and oil solely, reached a mean of 51.0 (SD 20.5) and 26.1 (SD 17.7) % of the administered sand mass, respectively. The results of this trial show that the ash output differed highly between the horses. Nevertheless, all horses showed a higher total ash output within the 5 days treatment period when the psyllium semen and mineral oil were used for the treatment than when treated with mineral oil solely.