The effect of feeding two levels of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the performance of crossbred Friesian calves was investigated. Twenty-four neonatal male Friesian × Baladi calves (35·5 ± 0·25 kg of initial body weight) were randomly assigned in a completely randomized design into three experimental groups for 90 days (eight calves per group). Calves fed their diets without yeast (S. cerevisiae) were considered as Control, while the diets of other calves were supplemented daily either with 2·5 g (YL diet) or with 5 g (YH diet) of yeast per calf. Calves fed the YH diet showed increased feed intake, while dry matter and fibre digestibilities were increased in calves fed YH and YL diets. Calves fed YL and YH diets showed lower ruminal ammonia-N and higher total volatile fatty acids, acetate and propionate concentrations than Control calves. Both YH and YL calves showed increased plasma concentrations of total protein, globulin and glucose and decreased cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations. Calves’ final weight and daily gain were increased with S. cerevisiae yeast supplemented diets. After 42 days of experiment, Clostridium spp., Escherichia coli and Enterobacteria spp. counts were down to undetectable levels in the faeces of calves fed S. cerevisiae additive. It could be concluded that adding S. cerevisiae to milk-fed calves increased feed utilization and improved pre-weaned calf performance and health status, reducing faecal pathogenic bacteria.

The B-biotype of Bemisia tabaci (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) has become extremely resistant to commonly used insecticides in China. To further explore the mechanisms of resistance to diafenthiuron, the diafenthiuron induction profiles of carboxylesterase (COE1), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and seven cytochrome P450 genes in both resistant (R-DfWf) and susceptible (S-Lab) strains were characterized. The detoxification genes GST, CYP6CX4, CYP6DW3, CYP6DZ6 and CYP9F, which are known to be constitutively over-expressed in the R-DfWf strain, were significantly upregulated in R-DfWf and S-Lab strains exposed to diafenthiuron at LC50 compared with their levels in strains treated with distilled water (controls); however, CYP6CX1, another detoxification gene, was not upregulated. The upregulation was more pronounced in the R-DfWf strain than in the S-Lab strain exposed to different concentrations of diafenthiuron (LC10 or LC50). Interestingly, COE1, CYP6CM1 and CYP6A, which are not constitutively over-expressed in the R-DfWf strain, were all significantly upregulated after exposure to diafenthiuron. Similarly, significant differences in the expression of these detoxification genes, with the exception of CYP6CM1 in the S-Lab strain, were also observed after exposure to diafenthiuron. However, the induction of CYP6A and COE1 was more pronounced in the S-Lab strain than in the R-DfWf strain after treatment with diafenthiuron at both concentrations, indicating that diafenthiuron induction of CYP6CM1 is specific to the R-DfWf strain, while diafenthiuron induction of the other genes is common to both the R-DfWf and S-Lab strains. These results demonstrate that multiple detoxification genes are co-upregulated in the R-DfWf strain through both constitutive over-expression and induction mechanisms. This knowledge will be useful for rational selection of insecticides for use in resistance management and control of this species.

Although forage lipid is generally rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), recovery of these fatty acids (FA) in milk and meat of ruminant origin is generally low, due to microbial biohydrogenation (BH) taking place in the rumen. Since lipolysis is a prerequisite for BH, the latter process is expected to be enhanced when (conserved) forages contain lower levels of esterified FA (particularly polar lipids; PL). However, this was not observed in former studies with red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). Furthermore, red clover inclusion in the herbivore's diet was associated with decreased rumen BH as compared with other forages. Differences in plant lipase activity during wilting and ensiling has been attributed to changes in disappearance from the PL fraction, but a potential role of microbial lipases in silo has not yet been elucidated. Therefore, the aims of the present study were to assess whether BH of red clover FA is linked with PL levels of the (conserved) starting material and to clarify the possible role of in silo microbial activity on PL disappearance. In order to obtain sufficient variation in forage PL and microbial activity, laboratory-scale silages were made by wilting and ensiling damaged or undamaged red clover using molasses or formic acid as ensiling additive, while perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) was used as a control. Distribution of lipids within three lipid fractions (PL, free FA and neutral lipids) in forages was determined and BH calculated after 24 h in vitro rumen incubation. Results indicated microbial lipases in silages did not enhance FA disappearance from the PL fraction. A gradual decrease of FA in the PL fraction upon conservation was found, both in red clover and ryegrass, irrespective of the degree of damage. In red clover PL losses started from the wilting phase, while substantial PL disappearance from ryegrass only started upon ensiling. Proportions of PUFA remaining in the PL fraction after wilting and ensiling of red clover were positively correlated with PUFA BH, while this effect was not observed for ryegrass. Red clover PUFA seemed to be partially protected against ruminal BH, while disappearance of FA from the PL fraction did not seem to be hampered. Results indicated the encapsulation mechanism as a consequence of protein-bound phenol formation induced by polyphenol oxidase is still the most probable hypothesis to explain red clover's increased flow of PUFA across the rumen.

The experiment, conducted at Bahia, Brazil, from May to August 2010, aimed to evaluate the nitrogen (N) balance, urea excretion and microbial protein synthesis in lactating goats fed pelleted concentrates with the addition of crude protein (CP), obtained by replacing alfalfa hay with soybean meal. The diets consisted of different levels of CP and 200 g of roughage (Tifton 85 hay)/kg. Maize and mesquite bran were used as the energy source, with maize replaced by mesquite bran in the ratio of 1·7:1. Eight female Saanen goats were used, confined in individual pens and allocated to a 4 × 4 Latin square design. The N balance in the body was positive, and loss of body weight (–0·03 g/day) was observed for the diet with 190 g CP/kg. The concentration (mg/dl) of urea in urine, milk and blood plasma was positively influenced in a linear form, and the highest rate of increase was found in urine, with 2 mg/dl for every 10 g CP/kg added to the diet. The microbial protein synthesis was not affected, but the diets reduced the microbial protein (44 g/day) and its ruminal production efficiency (30 g/kg total digestible nutrients). The levels above 190 g of CP are not recommended because of the energy expenditure required to excrete the urea.

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R.) could play an important role as a feed source for ruminants in arid and semi-arid zones of the world owing to its high yield and drought tolerance. The current paper assessed the agronomic characteristics, ensilability, intake and digestibility of five Brazilian pearl millet cultivars (IPA Bulk1BF, BRS 1501, CMS-03, CMS-01 and BN-2) in a typical Brazilian northeastern semi-arid climate. Forage was harvested at the dough stage of grain maturity (growth stage 86 according to the BBCH scale) and ensiled under laboratory and farm conditions. Apparent digestibility of the silages was determined using 25 Santa Inês male lambs. The cultivars CMS-01, CMS-03 and BN-2 out-performed the others in terms of dry matter (DM) and digestible DM yield/ha. At DM partitioning among plant tissues, the cultivar IPA Bulk1BF had a greater DM associated with panicles and one of the greatest concentrations of organic matter, lactic acid and in vitro dry matter digestibility among the five cultivars. The cultivar BRS 1501 had greater butyric acid concentration as well as one of the highest pH values. Silage produced from BN-2 not only contained greater acetic acid concentration, but also showed one of the greatest total volatile fatty acid concentrations. There were no differences in feed intake and digestibility of nutrients and fibre fractions across all cultivars. Silage made from BN-2 resulted in greater urinary excretion of nitrogen than those produced from BRS 1501. Under the conditions of the present study, the results obtained for production of DM and digestible dry matter, and the ratio of plant fractions, indicates the possible use of these cultivars for silage production in the Brazilian semi-arid region.

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of isovalerate supplementation on growth performance and ruminal fermentation in pre- and post-weaning dairy calves. Forty-eight Chinese Holstein male calves at 15 days of age and 45·1 ± 0·36 kg body weight (BW) were assigned randomly to four groups. The treatments were: control, low-isovalerate, moderate-isovalerate (MIV) and high-isovalerate (HIV) with 0, 3, 6 and 9 g isovalerate per calf per day, respectively. Isovalerate was hand-mixed into milk in pre-weaning calves and the concentrate portion in post-weaning calves. The study lasted 75 days, including a 15-day adaptation period followed by a 60-day sampling period. Weaning was conducted when calves were 60 days old. Six calves were chosen from each treatment at random and slaughtered at 30 and 90 days of age. Average daily weight gain increased linearly whether during pre-weaning or post-weaning period with increasing isovalerate supplementation. Dry matter intake linearly increased at 90 days of age with increasing isovalerate supplementation. During weaning, ruminal pH and ammonia nitrogen (N) decreased linearly, whereas total ruminal volatile fatty acid concentration increased linearly with increasing isovalerate supplementation. The ratio of acetate to propionate increased linearly with increasing isovalerate supplementation due to increased acetate concentration and the unchanged propionate concentration. Activities of caboxymethyl-cellulase, cellobiase, xylanase and pectinase linearly increased at 90 days of age, α-amylase and β-amylase activities linearly increased at 30 and 90 days of age. Relative quantities of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, Ruminococcus albus, Fibrobacter succinogenes and Ruminococcus flavefaciens increased linearly with increasing isovalerate supplementation. Ruminal fermentation, enzyme activities and cellulolytic bacteria were higher for HIV and MIV than for the control. The present results indicate that isovalerate accelerated growth of calves by improving ruminal fermentation, microbial enzyme activities and cellulolytic bacteria growth during weaning. In the experimental conditions of the current trial, the optimum isovalerate dose was about 6·0 g isovalerate per calf per day.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of adding xylanase enzyme (XY) to a basal diet containing 300 g maize stover and 700 g concentrate/kg dry matter (DM) on feed intake, ruminal fermentation, total tract and ruminal digestibility, as well as some blood parameters. Four male Rambouillet sheep (39 ± 1·8 kg body weight), with permanent rumen and duodenum cannulae were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square design. Sheep were fed a basal diet without xylanase addition (control, XY0), or with the addition of xylanase at 1 (XY1), 3 (XY3) or 6 (XY6) μl/g of diet DM for 84 days, with four 21-day experimental periods. Feed intake, digestibility and rumen fermentation parameters were determined on days 16–21 in each experimental period, and the apparent ruminal neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility was determined on days 16 and 17. Treatments XY1 and XY3 increased feed intake, whereas digestibility was increased with XY6. Ruminal NDF digestibility increased when sheep were fed diets treated with xylanase. Ruminal pH, ammonia-N and acetic acid increased with xylanase treated diets. Propionic acid concentration increased with diet XY1 at 3 h post-feeding, but after 9 h post-feeding its concentration decreased in the rumen of sheep fed xylanase treated diets. Xylanase had no effect on blood urea, phosphorus and triglycerides. Addition of xylanase at 6 µl/g DM in a diet containing 300 g maize stover and 700 g concentrate/kg DM and fed to Rambouillet sheep improved feed digestibility and ruminal fermentation without affecting blood parameters.