Proximate composition and variation in colour, drip loss and pH of breast meat from broilers supplemented with Moringa oleifera leaf meal over time

This study investigated the breast meat proximate composition and quality indicators in relation to response of broilers to the following dietary treatments (T): positive control (+C; with 668 mg salinomycin and 500 mg zinc bacitracin per kg of feed); Moringa oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) was fed at a low level (ML; 1–5 g/kg feed, depending on growth stage), a medium level (MM, 3 times the low level) or a high level (MH, 5 times the low level); and a negative control (–C; without supplementation) for 35 days. At postmortem, the carcass weight, and breast muscle pH at 45 min (pH45) and 24 h (pH24) were recorded. At 36 h postmortem, breast muscles were excised, weighed and stored in a refrigerator at 4°C to measure pH, colour (CIE-L*, lightness; a*, redness; and b*, yellowness) and cumulative drip loss over eight consecutive days. Chroma (C*) and hue angle (h) were calculated. The –C had the highest (P > 0.05) dressing percentage and chilled carcass weight, and ML had the lowest. Breast meat fat and energy contents were highest (P < 0.05) in +C and MOLM supplemented diets, and lowest in -C. Dietary treatments had no effect on pH at postmortem and during storage over time. Cumulative drip loss increased with each day of storage, and it was highest (P < 0.05) in +C and lowest in MH. Dietary supplementation of MOLM significantly (P < 0.05) reduced lightness, but increased redness, yellowness, chroma and the hue angle during storage over time. In conclusion, dietary supplementation of M. oleifera leaf meal had positive effects on proximate composition and shelf-life quality indicators of broiler breast meat.

The effect of slaughter weight on the carcass characteristics of pork with sex type as co-variable

A study was conducted with 192 pigs of three sex types with treatments according to slaughter weight (65 kg to 144 kg). The main statistical differences observed were for slaughter weight with significant (P < 0.05) and highly significant (P < 0.01) differences describing more than 10% of variance observed for all characteristics (liveweight, warm carcass weight, dressing percentage, eye muscle area, subcutaneous fat thickness, intramuscular fat area, subcutaneous fat : eye muscle area, intramuscular fat : eye muscle area, fat thickness, muscle depth, carcass length, ham circumference, ham length and chest depth) measured. Sex differences (P < 0.05) were also observed for dressing percentage, fat measurements and muscle depth measured between the 5th and 6th lumbar vertebrae. Sex type differences, in all instances, accounted for 10% or less variance except for subcutaneous fat : eye muscle area ratio (18.47%). It was shown that although significant sex type differences (P < 0.05) existed; slaughter weight had the largest effect on carcass characteristics in the given circumstances accounting for most of the observed variance.

Acetylated histones contribute to the immunostimulatory potential of neutrophil extracellular traps in systemic lupus erythematosus

In addition to disturbed apoptosis and insufficient clearance of apoptotic cells, there is recent evidence for a role of neutrophils in the aetiopathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In response to various stimuli, neutrophils can rapidly release DNA fibres decorated with citrullinated histones and anti-microbial peptides. These structures are referred to as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). In addition to apoptotic cell-derived microparticles, these NETs may comprise a further source of autoantigens, able to drive the autoimmune response in SLE. Our group recently identified specific histone modifications occurring during apoptosis that play an important role in the autoimmune response in SLE. In the current study, we evaluated the presence and immunostimulatory potential of these previously identified histone modifications in NETs. Compared to NETs from healthy donors, the histones present in NETs formed by SLE-derived neutrophils contain increased amounts of acetylated and methylated residues, which we previously observed to be associated with apoptosis and SLE. Treatment of neutrophils with histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor Trichostatin A (TSA), prior to induction of NETosis, induced NETs containing hyperacetylated histones, endowed with an increased capacity to activate macrophages. This implies that specific histone modifications, in particular acetylation, might enhance the immunostimulatory potential of NETs in SLE.

Nutritional evaluation of dried larvae and pupae meal of the housefly (Musca domestica) using chemical- and broiler-based biological assays

The nutritional composition of common housefly (Musca domestica) larvae and pupae meal is reported in terms of proximate analysis, amino acid profile, fatty acid composition, apparent metabolisable energy and total tract digestibility (TTD) of nutrients. Proximate analysis and TTD of meal showed larvae and pupae meal to contain, on a DM basis, a gross energy value of 20.10 MJ/kg and 20.42 MJ/kg, respectively, and an apparent metabolisable energy value of 14.23 MJ/kg and 15.15 MJ/kg, respectively. Crude protein content was 60.38% and 76.23%, with TTDs of 69% and 79%, respectively, with similarly high values reported for individual amino acids. Amino acid analysis revealed a favourable amino acid composition with high lysine concentrations but marginally low methionine concentrations. Arginine : lysine ratios of larvae and pupae meal were 0.67 and 0.91, respectively, and isoleucine : leucine ratios were 0.68 and 0.64, respectively. Crude fat contents were 14.08% and 14.39%, with TTDs of 94% and 98%, respectively, and crude fibre contents were 8.59% and 15.71%, with TTDs of 62% and 58%. Housefly larvae meal had crude protein TTD of 69%, whereas that of pupae meal was 79%. Both larvae and pupae meal had high amino acid TTDs. The TTD values of the crude fat and crude fibre were determined at 94% and 62%, respectively, for the housefly larvae, and at 98% and 58%, respectively, for the housefly pupae. M. domestica larvae meal can therefore be regarded as a good-quality protein source suitable for animal feeding.

The carcass quality, meat quality and sensory characteristics of broilers raised on diets containing either Musca domestica larvae meal, fish meal or soya bean meal as the main protein source

The effects of Musca domestica (common house fly) larvae meal (magmeal) on the meat quality of broiler chickens were investigated in a trial consisting of three isonitrogenous and isoenergetic treatment diets containing either 10% fish meal, 10% M. domestica larvae meal or a control diet with soya bean meal as the protein source. Chicks that received either the 10% M. domestica larvae meal or 10% fish meal produced significantly heavier carcasses and had a higher breast-meat yield than did the control chicks. Sensory attributes evaluated by a trained sensory panel included chicken aroma, metallic aroma, initial juiciness, chicken flavour, sustained juiciness, metallic aftertaste, toughness and mealiness. The samples were judged to have a prominent chicken aroma but a less prominent chicken flavour. Although the samples had a moderate initial juiciness, they did not have a sustained juiciness except for the larvae-fed samples, which had higher sustained juiciness values; all samples were perceived as tender; fishmeal-fed samples were judged more mealy than larvae-fed samples, with the control being intermediary; larvae-fed samples had higher metallic aroma and aftertaste values, although these values were low and unlikely to be detected by consumers. Comparison of meat-quality characteristics showed no treatment differences for breast- and thigh-muscle colour, pH, water holding capacity or cooking losses. Significant differences were observed for drip loss, with the lowest drip loss reported for the larvae meal-fed samples, followed by the control diet and the highest for fish meal-fed samples. It is concluded that the inclusion of larvae meal into the diets of broilers will have positive rather than any detrimental effects on most carcass, meat and sensory characteristics.

Performance, water intake, carcass characteristics and intestinal histomorphology of broilers supplemented with phytase

A 32-day experiment was conducted to study the effects of supplementation of phytase enzyme, Ronozyme® HiPhos (DSM Nutritional Products, Basel, Switzerland), on the production parameters, water intake, intestinal histomorphology, carcass characteristics and bone mineralization of broiler chickens. A total of 1920 one-day-old Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allocated to one of three treatments, each comprising eight replicate cages (eight replications per treatment) with 80 birds per cage. Dietary treatments were created using a standard commercial diet as the positive control (CON); reducing the nutrient content of the CON diet with values similar to the matrix values of 1500 FYT (phytase units) Ronozyme® HiPhos to create the negative control diet (NEG); and supplementing the NEG diet with 1500 FYT/kg Ronozyme HiPhos to create the phytase diet (HiPhos). Supplementation of the NEG diet with HiPhos significantly improved average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), bodyweight (BW) at slaughter and the European production efficiency factor (EPEF) of broilers compared with those in the NEG treatment group, but had no effect on total feed intake, water intake, villi height, crypt depth, dressing percentage, portion yields, pH of the meat or colour of the meat. Fat-free bone ash percentage and tibia breaking strength of broilers in the HiPhos treatment group were intermediate to broilers in the NEG and CON treatment groups. Results from the study proved that broilers could be supplemented with HiPhos phytase without detrimental effects on growth parameters, bone mineralization, carcass characteristics and water intake.Keywords: Bone breaking strength, chickens, phosphorus, villus height, weight gain