It can be concluded that PROB supplementation 1) reduces AL and alveolar bone loss in rats with LIP and 2) can protect the small intestine from reactive changes induced by LIP.

Understanding the metabolism of lipoproteins in birds is important to enable nutritionists to design diets aimed at obtaining better meat characteristics and egg quality, and can furnish useful information for future studies. In comparison to mammals, there are a number of expressive differences in the metabolism of lipids in birds, such as the transport of dietary lipids to the liver, hepatic lipogenesis and the presence of unique lipoproteins in the blood (portomicrons). Greater differences are found in egg-laying hens during the production phase, in which lipoproteins produced in the liver, under the action of oestrogen, are used for the formation of the egg yolk. The regulation of the lipid metabolism by hormones and the participation of key enzymes associated to advances in molecular biology techniques could assist in the genetic selection of more productive birds and better quality products for consumers.

No abstract

RESUMO -Um ensaio de digestibilidade foi conduzido para determinar a energia metabolizável (EMAn), os coeficientes de digestibilidade da matéria seca -MS (CDMS), a excreção e os coeficientes de retenção aparente do fósforo (P), nitrogênio (N), cálcio (Ca), potássio (K), cobre (Cu) e zinco (Zn). Duzentos e cinqüenta pintos de corte, machos, foram distribuídos em um esquema fatorial 3 × 3 + 1 (três níveis de fósforo disponível -0,25; 0,34 e 0,45%, três níveis de proteína bruta (PB) -15,0; 17,0 e 19,0% e uma ração controle com níveis nutricionais normais), com cinco repetições de cinco aves cada. Às rações com níveis reduzidos de fósforo disponível (Pd) foram adicionadas 500 FTU de fitase, reduzindo-se o teor de Ca em 17%. Com exceção da ração controle, as demais foram formuladas com base em aminoácidos digestíveis. Os valores energéticos das rações com 15 e 17% de PB, independentemente dos níveis de Pd utilizados ou da suplementação com a fitase, apresentaram maior EMAn que a ração controle, possivelmente devido à adição de aminoácidos suplementares. Os CDMS das rações com teores de proteína reduzidos e diferentes níveis de Pd foram superiores ao da ração controle. A redução da proteína na ração, associada a baixos níveis de Pd e suplementação com a enzima fitase, permitiu reduzir a excreção de minerais, que tiveram os melhores coeficientes de retenção, com exceção do Zn, que apresentou coeficiente de retenção inferior ao da ração controle. Porém, a excreção de todos os minerais estudados, comparada relativamente ao tratamento controle, foi minimizada quando foram utilizados níveis baixos de PB e do Pd na ração, suplementada com fitase. A manipulação dos níveis de proteína e P em rações suplementadas com aminoácidos e fitase pode reduzir, principalmente, a excreção de P, N e Cu, minimizando a poluição ambiental causada por esses elementos.Palavras-chave: aminoácidos digestíveis, enzima, fósforo disponível, poluição ambiental, proteína ideal Protein and phosphorus levels in diets with phytase for broilers chicken from 14 to 21 days-old. Energy values and nutrient digestibilityABSTRACT -A digestibility assay was carried out to determine the apparent metabolizable energy values (AMEn), dry matter digestibility coefficients (DMDC), the excretion and apparent retention coefficient of phosphorus (P), nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), potassium (K), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn), using 250 Cobb male broiler chickens receiving the treatments distributed in a factorial schedule 3 × 3 + 1 (available phosphorus level -0.25; 0.34 and 0.45% and crude protein level [CP]-15.0; 17.0 and 19.0% and a control diet, with normal nutritional levels), with five replicates of five birds each. In the diets with reduced levels of available phosphorus (aP), 500 FTU of phytase were added and calcium requirement was reduced in 17%.Except for control treatment, all the diets were formulated on digestible amino acids basis. The energetic values of the diets with 15.0 and 17.0% CP, independently of the aP levels used or the phytase supplementation, presen...

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical and energy composition of spirulina (Spirulina platensis), the nutrient metabolizability coefficients, and the values of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and the apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) in broilers. A digestibility trial was carried out by using total excreta collection method, with 90 Cobb 500 lineage chicks, with initial weight of 256 ± 5 g at 11 days of age. Birds were allotted in metabolic cages for 10 days, distributed in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and six repetitions with five birds each. Diets consisted on a reference-ration based on corn and soybean meal and two test diets, one containing spirulina (30%) and the other one with soybean meal (30%). Spiruline was superior to soybean meal for contents of dry matter (DM), gross energy (9.60%), crude protein (26.56%), ether extract (54.45%), mineral matter (42.77%), calcium (100%) and total phosphorus (130.77%) and also for most amino acids, except lysine, glutamate, histidine and proline. Nevertheless, spiruline presented lower values of gross fiber (83.95%), acid detergent fiber (85.12%) and neutral detergent fiber (6.15). The AME and AMEn values (kcal/kg of DM) were, respectively, 2,906 and 2,502 for the spirulina and 2,646 and 2,340 for the soybean meal and AMEn of spirulina was 6.92% higher than soybean meal.

Brucellosis is a neglected zoonotic disease of remarkable importance worldwide. The focus of this systematic review was to investigate occupational brucellosis and to identify the main infection risks for each group exposed to the pathogen. Seven databases were used to identify papers related to occupational brucellosis: CABI, Cochrane, Pubmed, Scielo, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science. The search resulted in 6123 studies, of which 63 were selected using the quality assessment tools guided from National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Case Report Guidelines (CARE). Five different job-related groups were considered greatly exposed to the disease: rural workers, abattoir workers, veterinarians and veterinary assistants, laboratory workers and hunters. The main risk factors and exposure sources involved in the occupational infection observed from the analysis of the articles were direct contact with animal fluids, failure to comply with the use of personal protective equipment, accidental exposure to live attenuated anti-brucellosis vaccines and non-compliance with biosafety standards. Brucella species frequently isolated from job-related infection were Brucella melitensis, Brucella abortus, Brucella suis and Brucella canis. In addition, a metaanalysis was performed using the case-control studies and demonstrated that animal breeders, laboratory workers and abattoir workers have 3.47 [95% confidence interval (CI); 1.47-8.19] times more chance to become infected with Brucella spp. than others individuals that have no contact with the possible sources of infection. This systematic review improved the understanding of the epidemiology of brucellosis as an occupational disease. Rural workers, abattoir workers, veterinarians, laboratory workers and hunters were the groups more exposed to occupational Brucella spp. infection. Moreover, it was observed that the lack of knowledge about brucellosis among frequently exposed professionals, in addition to some behaviors, such as negligence in the use of individual and collective protective measures, increases the probability of infection.

-The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of photoperiod on locomotor activity, growth and gonadal development in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. A completely randomised design was used, with five treatments (0L:24D, 6L:18D, 12L:12D, 18L:6D and 24L:0D) and four replicates, with the aquarium as the experimental unit. One hundred and sixty fingerlings of tilapia weighing 3.21±0.05 g and measuring 4.35±0.07 cm each were distributed among 20 aquaria of 20 L in a recirculation system with the temperature controlled to 27 °C, with eight fish per aquarium. Feeding was carried out twice daily for 75 days, with extruded feed containing 40% crude protein. The fingerlings subjected to a photoperiod of 12L:12D as well as those under 18L:6D and 24L:0D showed the greatest locomotor activity, whereas those under 6L:18D and 0L:24D showed the lowest activity. Fish subjected to a photoperiod of 18L:6D and 24L:0D showed the highest levels of performance. However, manipulation of the photoperiod did not influence the gonadal development, survival or the appearance of deformities in juvenile Nile tilapia. Under long photoperiods (18L:6D and 24L:0D), fish direct their energy to somatic growth and induce best feed efficiency.

The aim of this article was to evaluate the in vivo mechanism of action through which ractopamine reduces the amount of adipose tissue in carcass of animals fed diets supplemented with this drug. Literature search was carried out, using the keywords Ractopamine, lipogenesis, lipolysis, fatty acid and adipose tissue. The scoring system was designed for the adequacy of the methodology. A total of eight papers were found-all published in the English language. The determination of lipolysis and lipogenesis was carried out using different methods-from the quantification of non-esterified fatty acids in the blood to molecular analyses of adipose tissue. The review analysis suggested that, at least in the pigs, the use of this drug reduced lipid deposition in the carcass due to a greater inhibition of lipogenesis than an increase in lipolysis.