ResumoObjetivou-se avaliar as características quantitativas das carcaças de cordeiros da raça Santa Inês em confinamento, abatidos com três espessuras de gordura subcutâneas (EGS) diferentes. Foram utilizados 24 cordeiros, machos não castrados da raça Santa Inês, com aproximadamente 100 dias de idade e peso vivo de 22,7±3,75kg, divididos aleatoriamente em três tratamentos: abates com espessura de gordura subcutânea de 2,0; 3,0 e 4,0mm. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos e oito repetições por tratamento. Para as análises estatísticas utilizou-se o softwareSAEG Os cordeiros abatidos com 2,0mm apresentaram maiores rendimentos do fígado (2,12%), baço (0,32%), cabeça (6,69%) e patas (3,08%), havendo um declínio nos rendimentos com o aumento da EGS. Os rendimentos de carcaça na origem, no frigorifico, comercial e verdadeiro, sofreram interferência das EGS (p<0,05), seguindo o mesmo comportamento dos pesos corporais e pesos das carcaças, em que os cordeiros abatidos com 4,00 mm de EGS apresentaram resultados superiores aos abatidos com 2,00 mm. Com o aumento da EGS foi observado no lombo que as proporções dos tecidos apresentaram o seguinte comportamento, aumento da gordura, diminuição do osso e não alteração do músculo. Recomenda-se o abate de cordeiros Santa Inês com 3,0 mm de EGS, pois foram os que proporcionaram melhores resultados para as características quantitativas da carcaça.

The objective of this study was to evaluate productive and economic performances and quantitative carcass characteristics of ½Dorper + ½Santa Inês (½D-SI) and purebred Santa Inês (SI) lambs slaughtered with different subcutaneous fat thicknesses (SFT). Thirty-four lambs (16 SI and 18 ½D-SI) were confined and fed a total diet for an average daily weight gain of 0.300 kg. The subcutaneous fat thickness was measured by ultrasound (between the 12th and 13th ribs) and weekly weighing, and the lambs were slaughtered as they reached the pre-established SFT of 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 mm. Breed group had no effect on productive performance. With regard to SFT, the final body weight was highest in the animals slaughtered with 4.0 mm. The economic evaluation provided an increasing net income with increase in SFT. The commercial and true yields were affected by the SFT at slaughter. For the cuts, the yield of the loin of crossbred animals was higher than that of Santa Inês lambs. The loin measurements showed no difference between breed groups. The lambs slaughtered with 2.0 and 3.0 mm of fat thickness presented the best feed conversion; however, those slaughtered with 4.0 mm of fat thickness had better economic results.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) on the regional composition of the carcass, the tissue composition of cuts, and the leg muscularity index of Santa Inês lambs. This experiment involved 24 uncastrated male lambs at approximately 100 days of age and at an average live weight of 22.70 ± 3.75 kg that were kept in the feedlot, where they received a complete pelleted diet formulated to provide a daily gain of 0.30 kg. The animals were slaughtered as they reached the pre-defined SFT of 2.00, 3.00, and 4.00 mm, evaluated by ultrasonography. Lambs slaughtered with 4.00 mm SFT had a heavier shoulder (1.80 kg) and leg (2.99 kg), differing from those slaughtered with 2.00 mm. No significant differences were observed (P > 0.05) between the treatments for the percentages of muscle in the cuts, which averaged 48.38% for the neck, 58.71% for the shoulder, 43.87% for the ribs, 53.56% for the loin, and 64.52% for the leg. Lambs slaughtered with 4.00 and 3.00 mm SFT differed from those slaughtered with 2.00 mm SFT for the percentage of total fat in the shoulder, which averaged 20.10, 19.02, and 15.79%, respectively. The animals slaughtered with 2.00 mm of fat exhibited the highest percentage of bone in the loin (20.23%). Leg muscularity was lower (0.34) in those slaughtered with 2.00 mm of subcutaneous fat. Slaughtering Santa Inês lambs with different subcutaneous fat thicknesses yields different regional compositions of the carcass, tissue compositions of cuts, and leg muscularity indices. It is recommended to slaughter Santa Inês lambs when they reach a subcutaneous fat thickness of 3.00 mm. Key words: Leg. Muscularity. Sheep. Ultrasound. ResumoO objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito da espessura de gordura subcutânea (EGS) sobre a composição regional da carcaça, a tecidual dos cortes e o índice de musculosidade da perna de cordeiros Santa Inês. Vinte e quatro cordeiros, macho não castrados, com aproximadamente 100 dias de idade e peso vivo de 22,70 ± 3,75 kg foram utilizados. Os cordeiros foram mantidos em confinamento, recebendo ração completa peletizada, calculada para ganho de peso diário de 0,30 kg. Os abates ocorreram à medida que os cordeiros atingiam a EGS, pré-determinada em 2,00; 3,00 e 4,00 mm, avaliadas por ultrassonografia. Cordeiros abatidos com 4,00 mm apresentaram maiores pesos para a paleta (1,80 kg) e perna (2,99

RESUMOForam utilizadas 24 cordeiras do grupo genético Pantaneiro, abatidas com 2,0; 3,0 e 4,0 mm de espessura de gordura, avaliadas por ultrassonografia no Longissimus dorsi. Avaliaram-se características quantitativas de carcaça, do lombo e índice de musculosidade da perna. As cordeiras receberam ração completa misturada calculada para ganho de peso diário de 0,300 kg. Foram realizadas avaliações por ultrassonografia (entre a 12ª e a 13ª costela) e pesagens a cada 14 dias, sendo que os abates ocorriam à medida que as cordeiras atingiam a espessura de gordura pré-determinada: 2,0; 3,0 e 4,0 mm. Não houve efeito para rendimento verdadeiro da carcaça, rendimento comercial da carcaça e índice de compacidade da perna. Foi observado maior rendimento do lombo para cordeiras abatidas com 4,0 mm de espessura de gordura subcutânea. As espessuras de gordura subcutânea não influenciaram a área de olho de lombo, porém animais com 4,0 mm apresentaram maiores medidas. Foram observadas diferenças nas proporções de músculo, osso e gordura da perna entre as espessuras de gordura subcutânea avaliadas. A musculosidade da perna não foi influenciada com o aumento da espessura da gordura subcutânea. Com base neste estudo e também com as exigências do mercado consumidor, recomenda-se o abate de animais com aproximadamente 3,00 mm de gordura. Palavras

The accuracy of the FAMACHA © method was evaluated on the identification of female sheep fed two levels of crude protein, naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus, by means of the correspondent hematocrit value. Forty-seven female sheep of the breeds Santa Inês (n = 16), Texel (n = 16) and Ile de France (n = 15) aged between eight and twelve months were assigned to two treatments, 12 or 16 % crude protein in the diet. All the animals were wormed thirty days before the first data collections, which were done fortnightly between July 2005 and March 2006. The color of the ocular conjunctiva was individually evaluated according to the precepts of the FAMACHA © method and the hematocrit value of each animal was obtained in laboratory. A correlation of 1:0.7991 was found between the hematocrit values and the classification given by the FAMACHA © method aiming to identify animals with different degrees of anemia. The method was efficient to identify animals to worm, thus representing a support in the identification of animals susceptible to Haemonchus contortus.

RESUMO SUMMARYThis study aimed to evaluate the physiological parameters and performance of sheep Santa Inês and Dorperlambs ½-SantaInes in summer and winter seasons. 160 Santa Inês sheep and 189 ½ Dorper lambs were used -Santa Inês completely randomized in two treatments, summer: 80 sheep and 92 lambs and winter: 80 sheep and 97 lambs.Was recorded environmental the environmental parameters of air temperature (Ta°C), relative humidity (% RH), wind speed (Vvms-1) and black globe temperature (Tg°C) and physiological parameters of rectal temperature (Tr°C), respiratory rate (RR mov.min-1) and heart rate (HR beat.min -1). The body condition of the ewes was measured at birth. In the final third of gestation there was a significant effect P < 0.05) for TR, FR and HR on sheep, where in summer the values were 40.63°C, 102.58 (mov.min-1) and 128,34 (beat.min-1) with 46 ICT, and winter was 38.34°C , 35.71 (mov.min-1), 77.96 (beat.min-1) with ICT of 14. The values of TR, RR and HR at birth and weaning were also significant between the summer and winter seasons. Differences were observed (P < 0.05) for TR, RR and HR of lambs at birth and weaning

-Physical (pH, color, tenderness, and cooking weight loss), chemical (moisture, crude protein, ash, and lipids) and sensory (odor, flavor, juiciness, and overall acceptance) characteristics of meat from Santa Inês lambs slaughtered with 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 mm of subcutaneous fat thickness (SFT) were evaluated. Samples of the longissimus dorsi muscles were removed from 24 male uncastrated lambs distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and eight replicates. Weightings and ultrasound evaluations were performed every 14 days. No significant differences were observed for pH 0h , which averaged 6.24. Lambs slaughtered with 4.0 mm SFT differed from the treatments with 2.0 and 3.0 mm as to the pH 24h values. The meat from lambs slaughtered with 3.0 and 4.0 mm SFT showed a greater lightness (L*) value. Meat tenderness (2.21 kgf/cm 2 ), cooking weight loss (13.90%), moisture (74.39%), and crude protein (22.10%) contents were not affected by the SFT. For the total lipid contents of the meat, significant differences were observed between the lambs slaughtered with 2.0 mm and those with 3.0 and 4.0 mm SFT. The sensory traits were not affected by the SFT with which the lambs were slaughtered. Lambs slaughtered with 4.0 mm SFT remained 33 days longer in feedlot and showed similar live weights at slaughter to those with 3.00 mm. It is recommended to slaughter Santa Inês lambs with a subcutaneous fat thickness of 3.00 mm.

Although fumonisins are identified as responsible for alterations in weight gain, little information is available on their effects on expression of growth-related genes, especially for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. In this study, Nile tilapia fingerlings were treated with increasing levels of fumonisin B1 (FB1) and fumonisin B2 (FB2) (diets of 0, 20, 40, and 60 mg/kg) to evaluate their effects on weight gain (WG), feed intake (FI), feed efficiency (FE), growth hormone receptor (GHR) and insulin growth factor 1 (IGF-1) mRNA expression in liver of this fish. All variables were evaluated at 15 and 30 days of treatment. Diet containing 0 mg fumonisin/kg was used as control treatment. Treatment with 20, 40, and 60 mg fumonisin/kg of diet significantly reduced WG (P<0.0001) and FE (P<0.0001), while GHR and IGF-1 mRNA expression was reduced both at 15 and 30 days of treatment. Feed intake was not affected by diets in any of the evaluated periods. These results indicate that fumonisins (FB1 + FB2) affect the growth of Nile tilapia fingerlings through mechanisms that involve reduction of GHR and IGF-1 expression.