Two experiments were conducted to assess the endogenous fraction of purine derivative (PD) excretion, urinary recovery, and intestinal digestibility of purines in Nellore heifers. For both experiments, 8 Nellore heifers fitted with ruminal and abomasal cannulas were allocated to two 4 × 4 Latin squares. The diets were based on corn silage and concentrate (60 and 40% DM basis, respectively); feces and urine samples were obtained by total collection, and abomasal DM flow was estimated using indigestible NDF as an internal marker. In Exp. I, 4 of the 8 heifers (BW 258 ± 20 kg) were also fitted with ileal cannula. The planned treatments were 4 different DMI: 1.2, 1.6, 2.0, and 2.4% of BW (DM basis). The endogenous losses and purine recovery as urinary PD were estimated using linear regression between daily urinary PD excretion (Y) and daily abomasal flow of purine bases (X), expressed in millimoles per kilogram of BW^0.75. In Exp. II, the same 8 Nellore heifers (BW of 296 ± 15 kg) were fed at 1.37% BW (DM basis). The treatments were the infusion of purines (RNA from torula yeast, type VI, Sigma) into the abomasum in increasing amounts (0, 33, 66, and 100 mmol/d). All statistical analyses were performed using the PROC MIXED procedure in SAS. In Exp. I, the DMI range was 1.16 to 1.84% of BW and did not affect (P > 0.05) the apparent RNA digestibility in the small intestine, which had a mean of 75.6%, and a true digestibility of 93.0%. The mean ratio of the N-RNA to the total-N in the ruminal bacteria was 0.137. The daily urinary PD excretion (Y, mmol/kg of BW^0.75) was a function of RNA flow in the abomasum (X, mmol/kg of BW^0.75): Y = 0.860X + 0.460, where 0.860 and 0.460 were the PD recovery of purines and the endogenous fraction (in mmol/kg of BW^0.75), respectively. In Exp. II, the daily urinary PD excretion was a function of RNA flow in the abomasum: Y = 0.741X + 0.301, where 0.741 and 0.301 were the recovery of PD in urine of infused purines and the endogenous losses (in mmol/kg of BW^0.75), respectively. In conclusion, our data suggest that in Nellore heifers the respective values of endogenous PD excretion (mmol/kg of BW^0.75), urinary recovery of the purines absorbed in the abomasum, and true digestibility of RNA in the small intestine were 0.30, 0.80, and 0.93. Copyright © 2011. American Society of Animal Science .

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of feeding licuri cake to lambs on the sensory characteristics, physicochemical characteristics and fatty acid (FA) profile of meat from lambs. Forty-four crossbred Santa Ines lambs (21.2 ± 2.70 kg body weight; 6 months old) were housed in individual pens and fed 4 experimental diets, containing 0, 8, 16 or 24% licuri cake (DM basis). The averages concentrations of ash (11.4), pH (5.82), lightness (38.1), cooking loss (26.8) or shear-force resistance (2.48) of lamb meat were not affected by the licuri cake diets. However, there was a linear decrease (P < 0.01) of redness and chroma indexes, lipid and protein contents, whereas the moisture content of the meat (P < 0.001) increased linearly due to the inclusion of licuri cake in lambs’ diets. The licuri cake inclusion in the lambs feed linearly increased (P < 0.05) the fatty acids concentrations of C12:0, C17:0, C20:0, C20:1, C18:3, C20:3, C20:4 and ΣPUFA/ΣMUFA ratio, Σω–3 and atherogenicity index (AI). However, C18:1 cis, C20:2, C20:5, ΣMUFA, ΣMUFA/ΣSFA and Σω–6:Σω–3 ratios in the longissimus lumborum of lambs linearly decreased by licuri cake inclusion. There was a quadratic increase (P < 0.05) on C14:0 (maximum point 4.94 g/100 g FAME to 14.5% licuri inclusion), C16:1 (maximum point 8.59 g/100 g FAME to 10.7% licuri inclusion) and enzymatic activities of Δ⁹-desaturase C16 (maximum point 27.5 g/100 g FAME to 10.6% licuri inclusion) in the longissimus lumborum of lambs fed due to increased concentrations of licuri cake. However, there was a quadratic decrease (P = 0.04) in ΣPUFA/ΣSFA ratio with minimum concentration of 0.63 g/100 g FAME to 11.1% inclusion. The inclusion of licuri cake in the lambs diet did not change (P > 0.05) the concentrations of SFA C10:0, C15:0, C16:0, C18:0, C14:1, MUFA C18:1 trans, PUFA C18:2 cis, CLA, total sum of ΣSFA and ΣPUFA, desirable fatty acids (DFA), hypocholesterolemic:hypercholesterolemic index, and elongase and Δ⁹-desaturase C18 enzymes. Licuri cake in the lamb diet improved (P < 0.05) meat aroma, flavor and overall acceptance by consumers. Licuri cake inclusion in the diet of lambs improves sensory attributes of meat and the meat fatty acid profile becomes nutritionally healthier for the human diet because do not affect major FA of meat; however, the growth performance of finishing lambs is reduced.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of the inclusion of sunflower cake in the diets of lambs on meat quality. Forty male, uncastrated Santa Ines lambs with an initial average body weight of 20.9 ± 0.41 kg were used in a completely randomized design with four treatments. The lambs were fed 500 g/kg hay and 500 g/kg concentrate (corn, soybean meal, urea, ammonium sulfate and sunflower cake) in their diet, and the experimental treatments were 0, 10, 20, and 30% sunflower cake inclusion (DM basis). The inclusion of sunflower cake in the diet did not affect (P > 0.05) the content of ash and protein, overall acceptance, or sensory aroma of the lamb meat. Total lipids and moisture content of the longissimus lumborum muscle increased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with sunflower cake inclusion. The C16:0, ΣSFA, ΣMUFA:ΣSFA ratio, Δ–9 desaturase enzyme and atherogenicity index in the longissimus lumborum muscle decreased linearly (P ≤ 0.05) with sunflower cake inclusion in lamb diets, whereas a linear increase occurred (P ≤ 0.05) in C12:0, C18:0, ΣMUFA, ΣPUFA, ΣPUFA:ΣSFA and ΣPUFA:ΣMUFA ratios, Σn–6, Σn–3, desirable fatty acids, h:H index, elongase activity, and flavor, tenderness and juiciness sensory qualities in lamb meat. Among the panelists, the highest preference (35.9%) was for meat with 30% sunflower cake inclusion in the diet. Sunflower cake up to 30% of total DM can be included in the diet of Santa Ines lambs, because lipid nutritional quality and the sensory qualities of the lamb meat increase, in addition to improvement in nutraceutical compounds, such as the CLA content, and in the AI, PUFA:SFA and PUFA:MUFA ratios, desirable fatty acids content and h:H ratio, which are beneficial to the health of consumers.

Milk andMinas frescalcheese were evaluated from crossbred Holstein × Gir cows that were fed diets enriched with 0, 33, 66 and 100% inclusion levels of palm kernel cake in a concentrated supplement in replace of soybean meal. Eight crossbred lactating cows were distributed (four animals × four treatments × four periods) in the experimental design of double 4 × 4 Latin squares. The capric (C : 10,P= 0·0270), undecylic (C : 11,P= 0·0134), and lauric (C : 12,P= 0·0342) saturated fatty acid concentrations and CLA (C18 : 2c9t11,P= 0·0164) of the milk fat decreased linearly with an increasing percentage of peanut cake in the diet. The increased peanut cake content (100%) in the diet was associated with a linear decrease in C : 10 (P= 0·0447), C : 12 (P= 0·0002), mirystic (C : 14,P< 0·0001) and palmitic (C : 16,P< 0·0001) saturated fatty acid concentrations and an increase in arachidic, lignoceric, palmitoleic and elaidic acid levels in theMinas frescalcheese fat made from the milk. Both the milk and theMinas frescalcheese showed a linear decrease in the concentration of monosaturated fatty acids (P< 0·0001), atherogenicity index, and thrombogenicity index (P< 0·05), while the hypocholesterolaemic: hypercholesterolaemic and omega 6: omega 3 (P> 0·05) ratios were not influenced by the different peanut cake levels. The inclusion of up to 100% peanut cake as a substitution for soybean meal in the concentrate of grazing lactating cows resulted in changes in the nutritional quality of their milk products, as indicated by the increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids and the decrease of saturated fatty acids (lauric, myristic, and palmitic).