• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.6
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• pp.470-476
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• 2010

The resistant dextrin NUTRIOSE$^{(R)}$, developed from starch, is expected to act as a prebiotic. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of NUTRIOSE$^{(R)}$ on cecal parameters, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentrations, and fecal excretion in rats. In an initial experiment, twenty-four male Fischer F344 rats were randomly assigned to one of the following four treatments for 14 days: G0 (control diet), G2.5 (control diet+2.5% of dextrin), G5 (control diet + 5% of dextrin), and G10 (control diet + 10% of dextrin). After 14 days, total cecal weight, cecal content, and cecal wall weight were significantly increased in G5 and G10 compared to G0. At the same time, cecal pH was significantly lower in G10 compared to G0. Total SCFA concentration was significantly higher in G10 than in G5, G2.5, and G0, and significantly higher in G5 than in G0. Acetate, butyrate, and propionate concentrations were significantly increased in G5 and G10 compared to the controls. In a second trial based on a similar design, eighteen male Fischer F344 rats were treated with a control diet supplemented with 5% of dextrin or 5% of fructo-oligosaccharide. The results obtained with NUTRIOSE$^{(R)}$ were similar to those obtained with the fructo-oligosaccharide. In a third experiment, two groups of 5 Fischer F344 rats were orally treated with 100 and 1,000 mg/kg NUTRIOSE$^{(R)}$, respectively, and from 18% to 25% of the dextrin was excreted in the feces. The results of these three studies show that the consumption of NUTRIOSE$^{(R)}$, by its effects on total cecal weight, cecal content, cecal wall weight, pH, and SCFA production, could induce healthy benefits since these effects are reported to be prebiotic effects.

• Environmental Engineering Research
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.95-101
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• 2013

Alternative sources of water are sought in some water stressed communities in the study area. The study focuses on the Aguata-Awka area of southeastern Nigeria. Aquifers occur at great depths, and surface waters may be far from homesteads. The scarcity of water has necessitated the people to adopt various local technologies for harvesting rainfall. The local technology includes collecting rainwater from roofs and channeling the water into large underground tanks, shallow wells and surface reservoirs. Large concrete tanks of $6m{\times}6m{\times}4m$ dimensions are often built underground and can store $144m^3$ of water. Surface reservoirs built on 4 m concrete pillar supports having dimensions of $10m{\times}10m{\times}4m$ and have a storage capacity of $400m^3$. Water samples were collected at 3 different locations of Agulu, Ekwulobia, and Awka and were analyzed for their physical, chemical, and bacteriological parameters. Results indicate a range of values for pH, 5.9 to 7.1; turbidity, 0.9 to 2.7; total dissolved solids, 80 to 170 mg/L; total hardness, 4.5 to 6.4 mg/L; magnesium, 1.2 to 1.4 mg/L; bicarbonate, 19.4 to 83.6 mg/L; and sulfate, 3.6 to 6.4 mg/L. Bacteriological analysis results were negative for fecal and total coliform counts. All parameters, with the exception of pH where aluminum and galvanized iron roofs are used for collection, fall within the recommended guidelines for drinking water quality of the World Health Organization, and the Standard Organization of Nigeria, new Nigerian standards for drinking water quality. Magnesium is above the maximum permitted level for consumer acceptability of the Nigerian standards for drinking water quality. The water can be classified as fresh moderately hard and soft. The water can be described as a calcium and bicarbonate type.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.99-103
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• 2007

The purpose of this study was to develop a simple detection method, possibly at the species-level, that allows for large-scale screening of bifidobacteria. Human fecal samples were plated on MRS-raffinose agar containing cysteine and neomycin sulfate, serving as selective pressure for bifidobacteria, and 0.003%(w/v) bromocresol green. All of the test strains grew well on this medium at $37{\pm}1^{\circ}C$, forming white colonies surrounded by yellow halos, which presented a sharp contrast against the green background. In this disc assay, the required incubation time to develop a yellowish zone varied with the species of Bifidobacterium that was tested, allowing for differential counts and easy identification at the species-level: 10-14 hr for B. bifidum, 20-22 hr for B. catenulatum and B. infantis. and 24-25 hr for B. longum and B. breve. No apparent color was observed for B. angulatum and B. adolescentis 28 hr after inoculation. To evaluate the results of pH indicator-based identification, individual isolates were subjected to a colony-PCR experiment with genus-specific primers. The amplified products from the isolates were in good accordance with those from the reference strains at a level of 95% agreement. These results suggest that the present method could be conveniently applied to cell counts, as well as to the preliminary identification of bifidobacteria from a variety of sample types including human feces, dairy products, and commercial probiotic supplements.

• Journal of the Korea Organic Resources Recycling Association
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.69-84
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• 1993

In order to determine the optimum operational paramsters in cow manure composting, 4 laboratory scale composters were established. The cow manure was mixed with certain amount of saw dust to adjust the initial C/N ratio to 24, initial pH to 6.9 and composting was performed with varying operational conditions. It was found that the optimum aeration rate was 1000 ml/min kg. VS, the optimum moisture content 50% and no significant difference was found with different initial pH condition. Microorganisms were counted under the optimum conditions determined in this study. At the end of the experimental period, the number of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi was $1.5{\times}10^9$ cells, $1.1{\times}10^8$ cells and $3.0{\times}10^8$ cells/g dry compost, respectively. At day 0, the number of coliforms, fecal coliforms and fecal streptococci was $3.1{\times}10^3$ cells, $7.5{\times}10^2$ cells and $5.6{\times}103$ cells/g dry composting material, respectively. Their population was decreased with time lapse, However, their survival time was longer than those reported by other researchers. Microorganisms were identified at the end of the experiment. Genus Bacillus was the most dominant comprising 89.3% of the total population. Among the Genus Bacillus, B. circulans compoex was the most abundant, followed by B. Stearothermophilus, B. Sphericus, B. licheniformis and B, brevis.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.109-118
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• 1985

This experiment was carried out to evaluate the water quality in the lower part of the Nagdong river in Korea. Three hundred and sixty water samples were collected from the 15 stations from December 1981 to November 1982 by tide(see Fig.1). Water temperature, pH, chloride ion, salinity, total coliform, fecal coliform, viable cell count and the composition of coliform were observed to evaluate the water quality. The variations of water temperature was ranged from $2.0^{\circ}C\;to\;29.5^{\circ}C$ and as mean value from $15.8^{\circ}C\;to\;18.9^{\circ}C$. The range of pH was 6.00-8.88 and 7.20-7.96 as mean value. The concentration of chloride ion from St. 1 to 5 was higher as 17.51-771 mg/l in flood tide than 13.12-264.58 mg/l in ebb tide. Specially, water quality at St.1 (Samrangjin) which located about 46 km far from Hadan was also influenced by tide. Salinities of water in flood tide were a litte higher ($11.05{\sim}31.08\%0$) than those of in ebb tide ($7.80{\sim}29.28\%0$). Total coliform MPN's ranged from 3.6/100 m/l to 460,000/100ml. The geometric mean value of the upper area (included St. $1{\sim}3$) was $259{\sim}538/100ml$, that of the middle area (included St. $4{\sim}6$) was $1,097{\sim}39,544/100ml$ for it leveled heavy contamination. Specially, in the ebb tide St. 10 was influenced by St. 6 and 7. In the upper area, the geometric mean value of fecal coliform MPN's was $109{\sim}199/100ml$ but in the area in cluded St. 5, 6 and 7 were heavily contaminated by domestic sewage, waste water from the factories area and bird's excrement. Composition of coliform was $17\%$ Escherichia coli group, $33\%$ Citrobacter freundii group, $28\%$ Enterobacter aerogenes group and $21\%$ others. Plate count of samples was varied from <30 to $3.9{\times}10^4/ml$ during the study period.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.435-438
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• 1997

Twelve newborn goat kids born of philippine does (3.5 and 5 years old) were used in this study. Four mother (candidate) doe goats were randomly allocated to each group. The mother does were infected orally with three levels (0, 15,000 and 30,000 larvae) of infective Haemonchus contortus larvae. Before infection all animals were housed in individual pens with concrete floors. They were provided with a uniform management. Estrus of does were synchronized using PGF2 alpha. All the animals were bred naturally by the same buck. Baby goat born of infected mother goats were divided into three groups. $T_1$, $T_2$ and $T_3$), respectively, from mother treatment groups. Birth weight and growth of goat kids born from H. contortus infected mother goats were determined. Birth weights of kids of $T_1$, $T_2$ and $T_3$ were 1.9, 1.5 and 1.2 kg, respectively. No significant (p > 0.05) differences in birth weight of kids for the 3 treatment groups were found. However, significant (p < 0.05) effects of stomach worm infection and duration of infection on liveweight gain of kids were observed. After second and third week of birth, respectively, the kids of groups 3 and 2 registered lover liveweight gains than the kids in control group. However, no significant (p > 0.05) difference in liveweight gain was found between the kids of infected mother does. Fecal egg counts of the infected mother does showed patent infections which also indicated by postmortem worm counts. However, no worm egg was found in the feces of the test kids.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.237-243
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to evaluate Solpro500 (a wheat hydrolysate containing a high level of glutamine) as a replacement for spray dried porcine plasma (SDPP) in diets fed to nursery pigs. One hundred and eight pigs (Dalland, $5.39{\pm}0.80$ kg BW) weaned at 21 days were assigned to one of three treatment groups for a 28 day feeding trial. The experimental diets were based on corn and soybean meal and were supplemented with either 8% SDPP, 4% SDPP plus 4% Solpro500 or 8% Solpro500. Each treatment was fed to six pens with six pigs per pen (4 barrows and 2 gilts). The experimental results indicated no significant difference (p>0.05) in daily gain, feed intake or feed efficiency for pigs fed the three experimental diets. However, the diarrhea index for pigs fed either 4% SDPP and 4% Solpro500 or 8% Solpro500 was lower (p<0.05) than that for pigs fed 8% SDPP. No differences (p>0.05) were found in the apparent fecal digestibility of dry matter, organic matter or crude protein between pigs fed the three diets. The intestinal morphology (villous height, villous width and crypt depth) was not affected by diet treatments (p>0.05). In conclusion, Solpro500 SDPP can replace SDPP without any negative effects on nursery pig performance.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.254-260
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• 2017

The primary goals of this research were to evaluate the impact of diet supplemented with 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ ($Hy{\cdot}D(R)$) on sow's body condition and reproduction performance. A total of sixteen multiparous sows [(Landrace ${\times}$ Yorkshire), average parity = $3.79{\pm}0.32$] and their litters were randomly allotted to 2 treatments to give 8 replicates per treatment. Diet treatments were randomized to receive a non-active (ND) or active 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ (AD) diet (0.36 mg cholecalciferol/g) during pregnancy. The results of this experiment were observed at the gestation of d 58 - 75, d 76 - 95, d 96 - 110, and d 111 - 115. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was formulated to meet or exceed the nutrient requirements recommended by NRC (2012). Results indicated that the sows' farrowing duration was shortened (4.71, 5.38 h), and the average number of mummified fetuses decreased significantly (p < 0.05) in AD treatment compared with ND treatment (0.1, 0.5) while birth weight was significantly (p < 0.05) improved (1.44, 1.18 kg). There were no significant effects on body weight, backfat thickness, and fecal score during the gestation of sows in different phases (p > 0.05). And the total birth, stillbirth, live birth, and survival rates of the litter did not change (p > 0.05). The results of this study suggest that the farrowing duration of sow pigs will be shortened and the number of mummies will be decreased while their litters' body weight may be improved, if fed active 25-hydroxyvitamin $D_3$ (0.36 mg/g) during pregnancy phase.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.197-202
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• 1999

Three barrows weighing 45.0 kg, fitted with simple T-cannulas in both the duodenum and terminal ileum, were assigned to diets in a $3{\times}3$ Latin Square design experiment to determine the effect of two calcium levels (0.8% vs 0.4%) on phytase activity and nutrient balance in growing pigs. The control diet contained 0.8% calcium, with no added inorganic phosphorus (0.45% total phosphorus) and no added phytase. The two additional experimental diets contained microbial phytase (750 phytase units/kg) and supplied either 0.8% or 0.4% calcium. With added microbial phytase, ileal and total tract digestibility of rotal phosphorus were improved by 20.9 and 13.8 percentage units, respectively (p=0.01). The apparent duodenal and ileal digestibility of phytate phosphorus were increased by 51.8 and 49.7 percentage units (p=0.01). Lowering dietary calcium in the presence of microbial phytase increased the digestibility of phytate phosphorus by an additional 10.9 (p=0.001) and 5.7 percentage units for duodenal and ileal digestibility, respectively. Supplementation with microbial phytase significantly reduced fecal excretion of nitrogen and phosphorus and increased the percentage of these nutrients retained by the pig. Lowering dietary calcium further increased the percentage of dietary phosphorus retained. Overall, reducing dietary calcium appeared to increase the effectiveness of added microbial phytase in degrading phytate phosphorus. As a result, care should be taken to avoid high levels of dietary calcium when supplementing swine diets with microbial phytase.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.386-391
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• 2017

Objective: Protein supplementation is costly and can result in excess nitrogen (N) excretion. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding different levels of dietary protein on average daily gain, body size, rumen fermentation, and nitrogen excretion of 8 to 10 month-old Holstein heifers. Methods: Thirty-six Holstein heifers were divided into 12 blocks according to age ($273{\pm}6.2d$) and were randomly assigned to diets containing a low (10.2% dry matter [DM]), medium (11.9% DM), or high (13.5% DM) level of dietary crude protein (CP). All diets contained approximately 70% roughage and 30% concentrate with similar dietary metabolizable energy (ME) content (2.47 Mcal/kg). Results: Dry matter intake did not differ among the treatments, and average daily gain increased with the increasing dietary protein, 0.79, 0.95, 0.97 kg/d for low, medium, and high group, respectively. Body height increased linearly with increasing dietary CP but no other significant differences in body dimensions were found among the treatments. The increased ratios of dietary CP improved the rate of rear teat length growth remarkably (p<0.05). There was no difference in rumen pH or ruminal major volatile fatty acid (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) concentration among the 3 diets, but rumen ammonia-N concentration increased with the higher dietary CP (p<0.05). Increasing N intake led to increased total N excretion; urinary N excretion was significantly increased (p<0.05) but fecal N excretion was similar among the treatments. Conclusion: These data suggest that the diet containing 11.9% CP (ME 2.47 Mcal/kg) could meet the maintenance and growth requirements of 9 to 11 month-old Holstein heifers gaining approximately 0.9 kg/d.