Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a Fusarium mycotoxin frequently occurring in maize-based food and feed. Alkaline processing like nixtamalisation of maize generates partially and fully hydrolysed FB1 (pHFB1 and ...HFB1) and thermal treatment in the presence of reducing sugars leads to formation of N-(1-deoxy-D-fructos-1-yl) fumonisin B1 (NDF). The toxicity of these metabolites, in particular their effect on the sphingolipid metabolism, is either unknown or discussed controversially. We produced high purity FB1, pHFB1a+b, HFB1 and NDF and fed them to male Sprague Dawley rats for three weeks. Once a week, urine and faeces samples were collected over 24 h and analysed for fumonisin metabolites as well as for the sphinganine (Sa) to sphingosine (So) ratio by validated LC-MS/MS based methods. While the latter was significantly increased in the FB1 positive control group, the Sa/So ratios of the partially and fully hydrolysed fumonisins were indifferent from the negative control group. Although NDF was partly cleaved during digestion, the liberated amounts of FB1 did not raise the Sa/So ratio. These results show that the investigated alkaline and thermal processing products of FB1 were, at the tested concentrations, non-toxic for rats, and suggest that according food processing can reduce fumonisin toxicity for humans.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of feed consumed by pigs when they had the choice to meet their nutrient requirements offering a low (LND) or a high (HND) nutrient dense diet on ...animal performance and feeding behaviour. In total 120 barrows and gilts were allotted to three dietary treatments (LND, HND and a feed choice group, FC). Diets were calculated to keep a constant ratio of megajoule net energy (MJ NE) to nutrient standardised ileal digestible (SID) lysine, SID methionine and cysteine, SID threonine, SID tryptophan, Ca, available P and Na. Pigs of the feed choice treatment that could choose between LND and HND chose an energy content between 13.3 and 13.6 MJ ME or rather 10.1 and 10.4 MJ NE. The ratio between LND and HND changed during the growing period to a higher percentage of HND (26.2% : 73.8% in the starter, 22.0% : 78.0% in the grower and 20.0% : 80.0% in the finisher phase). No differences between barrows and gilts were detected regarding the selected diet. As a result, similar zootechnical performance data were observed for HND and FC, whereas LND led to a declined (P < 0.05) performance. Regarding the feeding behaviour no differences in the parameters meal size and daily feeder visits between LND and HND (P > 0.1) were observed. However, within the FC treatment more and greater meals were consumed (P < 0.05) at the HND feeder compared to the LND feeder. Pigs of modern genetics still have the ability to cover their nutrient requirements choosing between diets differing in nutrient density without impairing performance. Furthermore, the results give no indication for the necessity of different energy levels in diets for sexed pigs.
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different sources of fibre in the diets of fattening pigs on performance, feeding behaviour and intestinal physiology. A total of 60 barrows and ...gilts (initial body weight 28.4 ± 0.4 kg) were allotted to four dietary treatments: control (CON), lignocellulose (LC), mycelium (MYC) and corn gluten feed (CGF). Diets were calculated to provide balanced available nutrient contents. Including MYC in the diet resulted in an increased average daily gain (P < 0.05) compared to CON and CGF, and improved gain to feed ratio (P < 0.05) compared to LC. Pigs in CON (P < 0.05) ate the fewest but largest meals, whereas treatment CGF (P < 0.05) showed the opposite effect, resulting in the same daily feeder occupation time. Regarding intestinal physiology, in ileum, no differences were observed between the contents of short chain fatty acids (SCFA), lactic acid and biogenic amines. In the colon, MYC showed an increased concentration of acetic acid (P < 0.05) as well as the total content of SCFA (P < 0.05), compared to LC and CGF. Distinct fermentation profiles of ammonia were recorded in ileal and colonic digesta, although contents remained below harmful concentrations. Morphometrical measurements showed differences between the fibre sources LC and MYC, as well as LC and the CON in all investigated gut sections. These results provide evidence that the inclusion of specific dietary fibre sources/contents can positively influence the gut morphology and performance of pigs. However, further studies are needed regarding the mode of action and physico-chemical characteristics of the different fibre sources as a precondition for their successful application in pig diets.
The species richness and calling activity of an anuran community inhabiting an agricultural wetland area at 1645 m a.s.l. near Butare, Rwanda, was assessed using visual and acoustic transects. The ...community included 15 species which were readily distinguishable using morphological, bioacoustic and molecular features. Eight species (Xenopus victorianus, Amietophrynus regularis, Ptychadena anchietae, P. poroshsima, Kassina senegalensis, Afrixalus quadrivittatus, Hyperolius kivuensis, H. lateralis) were taxonomically identified. The remaining seven species (three species of Hyperolius, two Phrynobatrachus, one Amietia, one Ptychadena) represent undescribed or currently unrecognized taxa, suggesting a significant magnitude of overlooked amphibian diversity in Afromontane communities. Acoustic niche analysis of the 14 species producing airborne advertisement calls integrated the spatial dimension, i.e. the microhabitat used for calling, the temporal dimension, i.e. the time of day when calling takes place, and the call structure dimension, i.e. the physical features of the advertisement call. Average standardized acoustic niche breadth was narrow (measured: 0.08, predicted: 0.07) and showed low variability (0.04–0.16) among species, which means that empirical data are in full agreement with the predictions of stochastic niche theory for species-saturated communities. Niche segregation was mainly based on advertisement call features, whereas spatial and temporal niche dimension contributed less. Measured average niche overlap (0.30) was intermediate between random overlap (0.51) and minimum possible overlap (0.11), indicating significant acoustic resource partitioning. The only taxon group with widely overlapping acoustic niches were Ptychadena spp., which might indicate a recent invasion of the community by one or two of the three species.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Colobine monkeys constitute a diverse group of primates with major radiations in Africa and Asia. However, phylogenetic relationships among genera are under debate, and recent molecular studies with ...incomplete taxon-sampling revealed discordant gene trees. To solve the evolutionary history of colobine genera and to determine causes for possible gene tree incongruences, we combined presence/absence analysis of mobile elements with autosomal, X chromosomal, Y chromosomal and mitochondrial sequence data from all recognized colobine genera.
Gene tree topologies and divergence age estimates derived from different markers were similar, but differed in placing Piliocolobus/Procolobus and langur genera among colobines. Although insufficient data, homoplasy and incomplete lineage sorting might all have contributed to the discordance among gene trees, hybridization is favored as the main cause of the observed discordance. We propose that African colobines are paraphyletic, but might later have experienced female introgression from Piliocolobus/Procolobus into Colobus. In the late Miocene, colobines invaded Eurasia and diversified into several lineages. Among Asian colobines, Semnopithecus diverged first, indicating langur paraphyly. However, unidirectional gene flow from Semnopithecus into Trachypithecus via male introgression followed by nuclear swamping might have occurred until the earliest Pleistocene.
Overall, our study provides the most comprehensive view on colobine evolution to date and emphasizes that analyses of various molecular markers, such as mobile elements and sequence data from multiple loci, are crucial to better understand evolutionary relationships and to trace hybridization events. Our results also suggest that sex-specific dispersal patterns, promoted by a respective social organization of the species involved, can result in different hybridization scenarios.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The possibility of partially replacing soybean meal (SBM) with Hermetia illucens (HI) defatted larvae meal in broiler nutrition has frequently been suggested. For sustainability reasons, however, the ...larvae fat produced during defatting should also be used and could be particularly beneficial regarding gut health due to its fatty acid composition. To evaluate the suitability of HI larvae as protein and fat source, a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement with two types of protein, i.e. SBM (S) or SBM and 15% of its crude protein replaced by HI larvae meal (L), and three levels of fat sources, namely 0 (0 L), 50% (50 L) or 100% HI larvae fat (100 L) at the expense of soybean oil was applied.
In the starter phase, an interaction showed higher body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG) and improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) if 50% or 100% HI larvae fat was fed with HI larvae meal. Moreover, BW, ADG and FCR improved when feeding HI larvae meal as protein source. Additionally, we observed an increased average daily feed intake in the grower, finisher, and overall phase in the L groups and an improved FCR in 0 L compared to 50 L groups during the overall period. Regarding apparent ileal digestibility, HI larvae meal feeding increased dry matter, organic matter, and fat digestibility. Feeding HI larvae meal as protein source decreased the concentrations of agmatine, spermidine, spermine and ammonia in the caecal digesta, whereas fat source affected agmatine with higher concentrations in 50 L compared to 0 L in the colonic digesta. In contrast, caecal ethanolamine concentrations increased in HI larvae meal groups compared to SBM. Caecal butyric acid concentrations decreased with HI larvae meal feeding. An interaction was found for the jejunal villus area, being higher in L + 100 L compared to S + 100 L. Furthermore, L groups had greater villus width.
A partial replacement of SBM with HI larvae meal and soybean oil with HI larvae fat in broiler diets without impairing animal performance or gut health seems possible. Feeding HI larvae meal affected broiler performance positively in the starter phase and improved apparent ileal digestibility.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The shift in animal welfare standards towards free-range housing for laying hens in the EU has raised questions about changes in dietary composition. Accurate assessment of outdoor plant material ...intake is crucial for effective feeding strategies. This study introduces an approach using n-alkanes as markers to determine plant intake in laying hens, involving n-alkane recovery rate assessment, discriminant analysis and linear equation-solving for both qualitative and quantitative assessment, respectively, considering systematic n-alkane combinations. Two diets: a standard commercial diet and a diet incorporating 1% alfalfa were tested. Chemical analyses showed an altered n-alkane profile due to alfalfa inclusion, resulting a recovery rates ranging from 30-44% depending on the n-alkane type and diet. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in recovery rates among the different alkanes for the same diets and between the diets for the same alkane, together with an interaction between n-alkane carbon chain length and initial concentration in the diet. The method accurately predicted plant inclusion, with a slight overestimation (2.80%) using the combination C25-C29-C33. Accurate qualitative classification of the animals based on fecal n-alkanes profiles was observed. The study successfully demonstrated the utility of n-alkanes for estimating dietary composition, providing a non-invasive approach for future free-range studies.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Early childhood caries is a challenge. Early dental screening flanked by multidisciplinary preventions by pediatricians, dentists, and midwives (MWs) may be helpful. New recommendations for dental ...screening in children (FUs) and fluoride have been introduced in Germany. The aim of this study was to investigate whether midwives consider FUs useful and implement early childhood caries prevention, as well as fluoride recommendations. The survey was conducted using an online questionnaire. Demographic data, including 11 items on early childhood dental prophylaxis and fluoride, were requested. Agreement was recorded using Likert scales. The data were analyzed descriptively. Two hundred and seventeen female MWs participated (age: 44.1 (11.04) years). One hundred and four (47.9%) participants knew about the FUs. Of the MWs, 30.7% found a referral from the first tooth to be very important (important/neutral/unimportant: 27%/27.9%/14.4%), compared with 84.8% for the entire primary dentition (11.8%/2.8%/0.5%). Of the MWs, 41.7% always recommended fluoride toothpaste from the first tooth (often/occasionally/rarely/never: 22.7%/12.4%/7.9%/15.3%) and 48.1% completely rejected fluoride-free toothpaste (always/often/occasionally/rarely: 9.8%/8.9%/17.3%/15.9%). In addition, 54.8% never recommended the use of fluoride tablets (always/often/occasionally/rarely: 9.2%/7.4%/10.2%/18.4%). The FUs are not yet well-known among MWs, and only less than one-third recommended dental check-ups, starting with the first tooth. This contrasts with the high uptake of fluoridated toothpaste. More educational work should be carried out to convince more MWs of the benefits of the FUs.
N-alkanes offer a promising approach for assessing the nutritional contribution of external sources to the diets of laying hens in free-range production systems. However, traditional laboratory ...methods, involving extraction, purification and gas chromatographic analysis, are both economically burdensome and time-consuming. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is emerging as a viable alternative, with varying degrees of accuracy depending on the chemical nature and concentration of the component of interest. In our research, we focus on the accuracy of NIRS in predicting the concentrations of n-alkanes (C25-C33) in excreta under simulated free-range conditions with two different diets: one containing a commercial feed with minimal n-alkane content and another containing 1% alfalfa on top of the commercial feed. Spectra processing and calibration were tailored for each n-alkane, with NIRS performance influenced by diet type. Notably, plant predictions using NIR-generated data were consistent with laboratory results, despite a slight tendency toward overestimation (3.40% using the NIRS-generated C25-C29-C33 combination versus 2.80% using laboratory analysis). This indicates the potential of NIRS as an efficient tool to assess n-alkanes in excreta of laying hens and, consequently, the nutritional contribution of the free-range environment, providing rapid and cost-effective results.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Enteric diseases in piglets, such as post-weaning diarrhea (PWD), often require antibiotic treatment of the entire litter. Grape polyphenols may help overcome PWD and thereby reduce the need for ...antibiotics. The potential of a grape extract (GE; continuous in-feed supplementation) on performance of weaning piglets, compared with both negative (NC; corn-based diet) and positive control (PC; NC + in-feed antibiotic (amoxicillin) in a therapeutic dosage for day 1–day 5 post weaning) was assessed. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) and microbial metabolites were also evaluated on two sampling points (day 27/28 and day 55/56). We assigned 180 weaning piglets (6.9 ± 0.1 kg body weight (BW)) to 6 male and 6 female pens per treatment with 5 piglets each. Animals from PC showed higher BW on day 13 compared with NC and GE, and a tendency for higher BW on day 56 (p = 0.080) compared to NC. Furthermore, PC increased the average daily feed intake in the starter phase (day 1–day 13), and the average daily gain in the early grower phase (day 14–day 24). Overall, GE improved the ATTD at the same level as PC (ash, acid-hydrolyzed ether extract), or at a higher level than PC (dry matter, organic matter, gross energy, crude protein, P). There were no effects on microbial metabolites apart from minor trends for lactic acid and ammonia. Dietary inclusion of GE may have beneficial effects compared to therapeutic antibiotics, as frequently used at weaning.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK