Seasonal variation of alimentary mineral and nitrogen pools in the moose

Gross intestinal morphometry and allometry in ruminants

While some descriptions of ruminants' dietary adaptations suggest that the length of the intestinal tract reflects the proportion of grass or browse in the diet, this assumption has been questioned. We collated data on body mass (BM), as well as small intestine, caecum, colon/rectum, large and total intestine length in 68 ruminant species, and, while accounting for the phylogenetic structure of the dataset, evaluated both allometric scaling and the potential influence of diet, digestive physiology or climate proxies on measures of intestine length. Intestinal length generally scaled to BM at an exponent higher than the 0.33 expected due to geometry. Diet or digestive physiology proxies did not have an influence on any intestinal length measures, though some proxies indicating more arid natural habitats were positively correlated with measures of the large intestine. The relative size of a forestomach compartment, the omasum, was negatively correlated with intestine length. The results indicate that intestine length measures provide little indication of feeding type or digestive physiology, but rather indicate adaptations to aridity. Higher-than-geometry scaling of intestinal length may be related to the necessity of maintaining geometric (or metabolic) scaling of intestinal surface area while keeping gut diameter, and hence the diffusion distances, small. The way in which space trade-offs determine the macroanatomy of different organs in the abdominal cavity, such as the omasum and the intestine, deserves further investigation.

Bio-prospecting of cuttle fish waste and cow dung for the production of fibrinolytic enzyme from Bacillus cereus IND5 in solid state fermentation

The process parameters governing the production of fibrinolytic enzyme in solid state fermentation employing Bacillus cereus IND5 and using cuttle fish waste and cow dung substrate were optimized. The pH value of the medium, moisture content, sucrose, casein and magnesium sulfate were considered for two-level full factorial design and pH, casein and magnesium sulfate were identified as the important factors for fibrinolytic enzyme production. Central composite design was applied to investigate the interactive effect among variables (pH, casein and magnesium sulfate) and response surface plots were created to find the pinnacle of process response. The optimized levels of factors were pH 7.8, 1.1% casein and 0.1% magnesium sulfate. Enzyme production was increased 2.5-fold after statistical approach. The enzyme was purified up to a specific activity of 364.5 U/g proteins and its molecular weight was 47 kDa. It was stable at pH 8.0 and was highly active at 50 °C. The mixture of cuttle fish waste and cow dung could find great application as solid substrate for the production of fibrinolytic enzyme.

Mineral absorption and secretion patterns in the alimentary tract of the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Concentrations of macrominerals; Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, and Cl were measured in different sections of the alimentary tract of five roe deer, Capreolus capreolus, kept in captivity and fed a diet of grass pellets and oats. By means of the non-absorbed marker-slaughter technique (using 51CrEDTA as marker), sites of secretion and absorption of minerals in the alimentary tract were determined. Large amounts of P, Na and K were secreted into the rumen, whereas Cl was secreted into the abomasum. The larger amounts of these minerals were absorbed from the distal small intestine and caecum/proximal colon. In the coiled colon, small quantities of Na, K and Cl were absorbed which is essential for the maintenance of mineral balance. Emphasis is put on the role of the large hindgut in concentrate selectors both with respect to fermentation and conservation of minerals and other nutrients.

Seasonal variations in total and alimentary nutrient concentrations and pools in European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus)

Alimentary and entire body pools of mineral (K, Na, P, Ca and Mg) and nitrogen were measured in 20 roe deer collected in February, April; May/June and September. Seasonal variations in nutrient concentration of the vegetation were recorded. The nitrogen, K, P, Ca and Mg concentration in the alimentary tract was in general synchronized with the seasonal nutrient concentration in the vegetation. The lower Na ruminal concentration and pool in early summer coincided with increased K intake. No seasonal variation in total body pools in relation to body mass were recorded, indicating no severe seasonal mineral constraints.