An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of supplemental dietary L-carnitine, chromium picolinate (Cr-Pic) and their combination on growth performance and serum total protein, cholesterol, triglyceride and glucose of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A total of 276 rainbow trout were randomly allocated to four groups. Fish (average initial body weight = 151 ± 1.69 g) were fed a basal diet without supplemental L-carnitine and chromium picolinate in the control group. The basal diet was supplemented with either 500 mg/kg L-carnitine, 1.6 mg/kg chromium picolinate or 500 mg/kg L-carnitine plus 1.6 mg/kg chromium picolinate for experimental groups 1 (C), 2 (Cr-Pic) and 3 (C ? Cr-Pic), respectively. Fish were fed twice a day to apparent satiation for 58 days. Weight gain, growth rate, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio (feed/ gain) were calculated for the whole period. At the end of the study, six fish were chosen randomly from each tank to represent the experiment and frozen at -20°C for subsequent dorsal muscle analysis. The results showed no significant differences in final body weight, weight gain or feed conversion ratio among groups. There were also no significant differences in serum total protein, cholesterol, triglyceride or glucose concentrations among groups. Significantly higher lipid concentration of dorsal muscle was observed in experimental groups 1 and 3. In conclusion, supplemental dietary L-carnitine, chromium picolinate and their combination have no beneficial effects on improving growth performance and feed conversion ratio in rainbow trout. However, dietary L-carnitine slightly increased lipid concentration in dorsal muscle of rainbow trout.

No abstract

Chemical analyses and in vitro gas production techniques were conducted in the Ruminant Feed Evaluation

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of the mixing of either vetch or alfalfa with caramba on in vitro true dry matter digestibility for ruminants. The forage mixtures were formed in that caramba hay (100%), vetch hay (100%), alfalfa hay (100%), vetch hay+caramba hay (75+25%), vetch hay+caramba hay (50+50%), vetch hay+caramba hay (25+75%), alfalfa hay+caramba hay (75+25%), alfalfa hay+caramba hay (50+50%), alfalfa hay+ caramba hay (25+75%). The filter bags containing forage mixtures, buffer solutions and rumen fluid were prepared as described for Ankom Daisy in vitro fermentation system. Buffer solutions, rumen fluid and the filter bags containing samples were added to digestion units and incubated at 39 °C for 48 h. After incubation, the incubation medium inside of digestion units was removed and the filter bags gently washed until they were completely clean. Thereafter, neutral detergent fiber procedure was performed. In vitro true dry matter digestibility of caramba (74.35±1.18%) was significantly high, in vitro true dry matter digestibilities of vetch and alfalfa hays were similar to each other. There were increases (P<0.05) in in vitro true dry matter, organic matter and neutral detergent fiber digestibility values of forage mixtures with the increasing levels of caramba. Since forage mixtures formed by either vetch hay or alfalfa hay with caramba had higher digestibility values than those of vetch and alfalfa hays, this result may be attributed to a positive interaction between feeds.

No abstract