1, Maja
KOROŠEC, Stojan KOSTANJEVEC, Alenka POLAK,
Verena KOCH
1
Tacenska cesta 135 a, SI-1133 Ljubljana, Slovenia, Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
The article presents analysis of reasons for food
dislikes among Slovenian primary schoolchildren aged 10 to 15, by gender,
age and permanent residence. Altogether 628 primary school children from 16
randomly chosen schools in Slovenia filled the questionnaire. We found out
that the most influential origins of food dislikes among schoolchildren were
sensory characteristics, especially taste and smell. Among environmental
factors were the most influential eating habits in families. Girls were more
particular about their food then boys, except when it comes to vegetables.
The study revealed that older schoolchildren disliked more organ meat than
their younger colleagues. Differences among schoolchildren from western and
eastern Slovenia were significant in dislikes toward meat from molluscs and
amphibians. Schoolchildren from western Slovenia were less rejectable toward
this kind of food.
Key words: human nutrition / primary school
children / food dislikes / eating habits / Slovenia
Agris category
codes: L02
COBISS
1.02 Language: English
Use of herbs and spices and their extracts in
animal nutrition
1,
Mojca VOLJČ, Janez SALOBIR, Vida REZAR
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia,
Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
The ban on nutritive antibiotic use in Europe and the
increased awareness of the consumers triggered a need for natural and safe
feed additives to achieve better production results of farm animals. Plant
extracts are used in animal nutrition as appetite and digestion stimulants,
stimulants of physiological functions, for prevention and treatment of
certain pathological conditions, as colorants and antioxidants. This article
is a review of present literature data on the usage of plant extracts in
poultry, pig and ruminant nutrition.
Agris
category codes:
L51 COBISS
1.01 Language: English
Time dependent formation of markers of oxidative stress
induced by a high fat diet supplemented or unsupplemented with vitamin E in
pigs
1, Janez
SALOBIR, Vida REZAR
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia,
Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
The time dependent formation of oxidative
damage induced by polyunsaturated fat in the diet was investigated in an
experiment with pigs as a model for humans. The role of vitamin E in the
prevention of oxidative stress was also studied. Twenty-four growing pigs
were penned individually and after an adaptation period divided into three
groups. All groups received isocaloric daily rations composed of a basal
diet isocalorically supplemented with: starch, linseed oil or linseed oil
and vitamin E. Oxidative stress was evaluated by measuring the degree of
lymphocyte and granulocyte nuclear DNA damage, concentration of
malondialdehyde (MDA) in blood plasma, 24-hour urine MDA excretion rate and
concentration of vitamin E isomers in the blood at the beginning, after 24
hours, after 6 days and at the end of the 22 day experimental period. The
results confirmed that a high proportion of polyunsaturated fat in the diet
increased lymphocyte and granulocyte DNA damage only after 6 days. The
lymphocytes appear to be more sensitive to this type of oxidative stress
than granulocytes. The MDA concentration in the blood and urinary MDA
excretion after 24 hours of oxidative stress seem to be more accurate
indicators than the rate of lymphocyte and especially granulocyte DNA
damage. Vitamin E supplementation effectively protects the blood cells
against increased DNA damage during the whole course of the experiment, but
failed to reduce MDA formation significantly 24 hours and 6 days after the
beginning of oxidative load. The study further suggests that supplementation
of vitamin E is able to completely prevent DNA damage of both types of
investigated blood cells at any time, but is only able to reduce the
formation of lipid peroxidation products after prolonged treatment.
Agris
category codes: L51
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
Effects of dietary pectin on protein digestion and
metabolism in growing rats
1,
Philippe PATUREAU MIRAND, Andrej OREŠNIK, Janez SALOBIR
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia,
Assist.Prof., Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
In an attempt to clarify the
relationships between the digestive and metabolic effects of additional
feeding of citrus pectin, the intestinal contents, tissues weights, nitrogen
excretion and retention were studied in laboratory rats. Twenty-four growing
male Wistar rats (98.8 g ± 5.3 g of body weight) were fed ad libitum
for 20 days with balanced diets containing casein as the source of protein.
In the experimental diet 96 g of wheat starch was replaced by 80 g of citrus
pectin and 16 g of vegetable oil. Apparent digestibility and apparent
protein biological value were calculated, the weights of digestive tissues
and digestive organ content weights were also determined. All tissues of
different parts of the digestive tract were heavier in the pectin fed group,
and small intestine and caecum were statistically significant different as
compared to control group. The contents of the small intestine and caecum
were significant heavier in the pectin group. Pectin significantly lowered
dry matter intake and growth rate and significantly increased faecal
excretion of nitrogen and significantly decreased urinary nitrogen
excretion. The consequence of alteration in the nitrogen excretion route was
significantly lower apparent protein digestibility and apparent net protein
utilisation, but apparent protein biological value was unchanged.
Key words:
proteins / digestibility / metabolism / pectin / small intestine / large
intestine / laboratory rats
Molecular genetics markers used for parentage
verification and paternity determination in multiple-sire sheep pedigrees
1, Drago KOMPAN, Peter DOVČ, Simon HORVAT
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
ABSTRACT
Pedigree data from recorded
flocks are of importance for the proper flock management as well as for the
selection programmes and accurate performance prediction. In this study we
examined if the use of eight molecular markers and computer analysis package
ATLAS can be applied to verify known pedigrees of Jezersko-Solčava and
Improved Jezersko-Solčava sheep breed from Slovenia. 90.9 % of pedigree data
were in concordance with molecular genetic tests whereas in four pedigrees
discordant parentage tests were obtained. In two cases, a different father
or mother was assigned, whereas in the other two pedigrees both parents were
discordant with molecular test results. In the second part of this study we
aimed to determine the paternity for four lambs of Istrian Pramenka breed,
in which a random mating scheme with 20 rams was used and hence the lambs
had no father assigned. Using the same set of eight microsatellite markers,
we were able to unequivocally determine paternity for 3 out of 4 lambs. In
one case the analysis was not informative enough but with inclusion of 4
more microsatellite markers its sire could be determined. With the chosen
set of microsatellite markers and data analysis programme ATLAS it is
therefore possible to efficiently perform pedigree data validation as well
as paternity prediction for lambs from flocks, where a large number of rams
are used in a random mating system. Applying such molecular tests could help
sheep breeders in flock management and improve efficiency of selection
programmes.
Agris
category codes: L10
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
In vitromammary gland model:
establishment and characterization of a caprine mammary
epithelial cell line
1, Sonja
PRPAR, Peter DOVČ
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia
ABSTRACT
Demanding transcriptomic
studies in combination with challenging experiments in livestock animal
species could be replaced by good in vitro models mimicking the
function of ruminant mammary gland. The objective of our study was to
establish epithelial cell line obtained from primary cell culture of
lactating goat mammary gland. Mammary tissue from lactating Saanen goat (Caprahircus) was digested in collagenase and hyaluronidase solution and
plated on plastic flasks. When growing on plastic, typical cobblestone
morphology of epithelial cells and larger irregularly shaped cells,
corresponding to myoepithelial cells were observed. When growth medium was
supplemented with lactogenic hormones (insulin, hydrocortisone, and
prolactin) and cells were cultured on plastic for extended period of time at
high density, dome-like structures appeared as a result of cell to cell
contact induced differentiation. Immunofluorescence staining using
antibodies against smooth muscle α-actin, vimentin and various cytokeratins
were used to distinguish between different cell types. Cell types of
epithelial and myoepithelial cells were confirmed. Complete differentiation
of cells was achieved when growing them on a commercial basal membrane
matrix preparation which contains laminin, collagen IV, and various growth
factors. Cells grown on basal membrane matrix in growth medium supplemented
with lactogenic hormones differentiated morphologically and functionally.
Spherical structures that resembled the alveoli of lactating mammary gland
were observed. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) was performed on the total
RNA extracted from the cultured cells in order to detect the potentially
present milk protein mRNAs.
Agris
category codes: /
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
New primer combinations with
comparable melting temperatures detecting highest
numbers of nosZ
sequences from sequence databases
1, Boštjan
MUROVEC
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia,
Ph.D., M.Sc.
ABSTRACT
We explored existing primer
sequences targeting nitrous oxide reductase (nosZ) gene in order to
explore their capability to recognize variant nosZ sequences.
Published nosZ sequences longer than 380 AA residues were obtained
from FunctionalGene Database /Repository (http://flyingcloud.cme.msu.edu/fungene/)
and used for explorations with PrimerChart program. The numbers of sequences
recovered using all possible forward and reverse primer combinations were
determined and the stringency of primer site recognition was further varied
by allowing 1, 2, or 3 primer mismatches to DNA binding site. We identified
novel primer combinations resulting in satisfactory amplicon length (> 500
bp) and increased sequence recognition capabilities at comparable forward
and reverse primer melting temperatures. Overall, this study
indicates that current state of the art molecular methods can be and should
frequently be further refined by the use of targeted bioinformatic
approaches.
Agris
category codes: /
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
Isolation and use of
Prevotella ruminicola TC18
plasmid pTC18 in Escherichia
coli-P. ruminicola
shuttle vector construction
1
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia,
Ph.D., M.Sc.
ABSTRACT
A cryptic plasmid of
approximately 3 kilobases named pTC18 was discovered in a ruminal
Prevotella ruminicola TC18 strain and cloned into Escherichia coli.
Based on pTC18, several shuttle vectors, containing Prevotella/BacteroidestetQ selection marker and E. coli vector pUC19 inserted at two
different positions in pTC18 were constructed. The shuttle vectors,
protected with HaeIII methylase against the P. ruminicola 23
restriction were electroporated into P. ruminicola. Despite numerous
attempts a tetracycline resistant recombinantstrain 23 was not
obtained. The possible causes for electroporation failure are discussed.
Agris
category codes: /
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
The search for conjugative transposon in rumen
bacterium
Prevotella
bryantii B14
Gregor GORENC 1,
Tomaž ACCETTO,
1Univ. of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Animal Science,
Groblje 3, SI-1230 Domžale, Slovenia,
Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
Only few plasmids and
bacteriophages have been described to date in ruminal prevotella strains,
therefore it appears plausible that the genetic exchange in these organisms
must exploit other routes. Large conjugative transposons make possible the
gene exchange process in bacteria from the genus Bacteroides, the
phylogenetic relatives of ruminal prevotellas. The access to fully or
partially finished genome sequences of Bacteroides and Prevotella
representatives made possible the search for conserved regions within
putative conjugative transposons. Multiple sequence alignment of known and
putative conjugative transposon gene sequences of Bacteroides
thetaiotaomicron, Prevotella intermedia, Bacteroides fragilis
and Tanerellasp. was used to locate partially conserved
regions within most preserved conjugative transposition genes, traG,
and to construct appropriate degenerated oligonucleotide primers. These were
used to amplify genome fragments from ruminal prevotella strains. Sequence
analysis of the subcloned PCR products revealed the presence of a
hypothetical gene in the genome of Prevotella bryantii B14,
similar to the ORF BF2880 from B. fragilis YCH46, which is a part of
a large conjugative transposon. Inverse PCRs were designed and performed to
confirm the initial findings. A partial map of P. bryantii B14
putative conjugative transposon region was constructed, indicating an
intergeneric horizontal gene transfer.
Agris
category codes: L01, L50
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
Strain and placement density effects on welfare,
haematological and serum biochemical indices of broilers in north central
Nigeria
1,
Jafaru Ari GWASKA, Adebowale Emmanuel SALAKO
1
Nasarawa State University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Animal
Science, Keffi, Shabu-Lafia Campus, P.M.B. 135, Lafia, Nigeria,
Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
This study aimed at
evaluating the influence of strain and stocking density on welfare,
haematological and serum biochemical indices of broilers in a 28-day trial.
Two hundred and seven 4-week old birds each of Anak Titan and Arbor Acre
genetic provenience were randomly allocated to three housing densities of
8.3, 11.1 and 14.3 birds/m2.These corresponded to 17, 22 and 30
birds per pen ( 2.01 × 1.00 m ) in a 2x3 factorial experiment. Each
treatment group was replicated three times. The welfare parameters estimated
were gait score, feather score, foot and hock burns, pecking, pushes,
chases, fights and mortality. Blood samples were tested for packed cell
volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin (Hb),
mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean
corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Similarly, sera were utilized
for the determination of total protein, albumin, globulin, glucose,
cholesterol, and creatinine contents. There were no genotype-associated
differences (P > 0.05) in the welfare indicators examined. However,
placement density significantly (P < 0.05) influenced incidence of pushes,
chases and fights, with higher values in most cases recorded for birds
housed at the highest density. The strains and population densities were
similar (P > 0.05) in haematological profile. Strain and stocking density
also exerted no influence (P > 0.05) on serum biochemical components. Strain
× stocking density interaction effects were not observed in all the
parameters. Consequently, the two strains could be reared at a density of
14.3 birds/m2 since density did not lead to a great degree of
stress.
Agris
category codes: L02, P30
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
Minerals management in silvopastoral system of karst
pasture
Matej VIDRIH 1,
Anton VIDRIH, Milan POGAČNIK, Drago KOMPAN
1Univ.
of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Agronomy, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1111
Ljubljana, Slovenia,
Assist., Ph.D.
ABSTRACT
A survey of mountain pasture
topsoil was undertaken first to set up field experiment in karst region on
effects of applied P on minerals concentration in herbage. Content of SOM,
C, N, CEC of soil and its base saturation are presented in the article.
Great variability in depth, pH value and K level was found in soil. Low base
saturation and high deficit of P was more common for all soil samples. Six
different plant species presenting a great portion of herbage available for
grazing and browsing at different occasions during grazing season were
sampled and analysed for macro- and some microminerals. Concentration of P
was very low in perennial grasses (1.1 g P kg−1 of DM). In leaves
of common hazel (Corylus avellana L.) and common beech (Fagus
silvatica L.) the concentration of P was identical as in white clover (Trifolium
repens L.) and the level was high enough to cover animal needs when
intake of herbage was sufficient. Leaves of woody plants were high in Mn
concentration, but still below the levels that reduced growth rate in lambs.
Application of P fertilizer had only small effect on increase of P in
herbage, but large one on decrease on concentration of Ca in herbage. There
was not clear effect of added P on concentration of Zn, Mn, Fe and Cu.
Higher yield of DM induced with added fertilizer had not have any dilution
effect on concentration of those minor elements in herbage.
Agris
category codes: P05
COBISS
1.01 Language: English
Introduction pilot biogas reactors and application to
define biogas potential of basic substrat, swine slurry
1,
Aleš ZVER
1Univ.
of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Fac., Dept. of Agronomy, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1111
Ljubljana, Slovenia,
Prof., Ph.D., M.Sc.
ABSTRACT
Cooperation between the
‘Panvita Group’ and the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana,
resulted in the construction of a pilot biogas reactor – a miniaturised
version of the economical biogas reactor. The aim of construction was to
support scientific research in the field of biogas generation, while, at the
same time, optimising the processes conducted in economical reactors and
testing the new substrates in the field of biogas generation. A 2500-litre
reactor, containing a 500-litre gasholder, was built to this purpose. In the
first operating period, biogas-generation potential of the raw and partially
purified swine slurries was tested. The three repetitions allowed us to
generate an average of 529 litres CH4 per 1 kilogram of organic
dry matter.
Key words:
biogas reactor / pig slurry / biogas / methane / electric energy
