Quality Analysis and Evaluation of Maize Cultivars Approved by Shanxi Province

[Objective] This study aimed to provide a theoretical basis for the genetic improvement of maize quality in Shanxi Province. [Method] The variations in unit weight, crude starch content, crude protein content, crude fat content and lysine content of maize cultivars approved by Shanxi Province during 2003-2012 were analyzed. [Result] In Shanxi Province, the average unit weight and crude starch content of maize cultivars approved during 2003-2012 were trended to be increased;the crude fat contents of maize cultivars approved during 2003-2012 showed no significant changes; the lysine contents of maize cultivars approved during 2003-2008 were essentially unchanged; the crude protein contents of maize cultivars approved during 2003-2012 declined slightly. [Conclusion] The crude starch content and unit weight of maize increased with the increased yield; the crude protein content, crude fat content and lysine content showed certain stability, and they were mainly controlled by genes. Therefore, the breeding of particular maize should be strengthened.

Analysis of the chemical compositions of Hirudinaria manillensis

Aim To determine and analyze fatty acids, amino acids and trace elements of Hirudinaria manillensis. Methods Contents of fatty acids, amino acids and trace elements were determined by GC/MS, HPLC and ICP-AES. Results H. manillensis contained sixteen fatty acids, among which the percentage of unsaturated fatty acids is 34.05%. The eighteen amino acids were detected, which included eight essential amino acids in human body with a ratio of 33.53 %. There were eight trace elements （Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, V and Zn） from H. manillensis, and the content of Ca, Zn and Fe were apparently higher than those of other elements. Conclusion These methods are simple and accurate. This study reports routine quantitative methods for the analysis of multiple components in H. manillensis by GC/MS, HPLC and ICP-AES.

一种皂基乳液的制备及其性能研究

以棕榈酸和硬脂酸为脂肪酸,三乙醇胺为碱,在皂基和高pH条件下,通过单甘脂和多元醇快速将油脂乳化,加入防腐剂和功效成分等制备出一种保湿滋润的皂基乳液,并研究了多元醇量、脂肪酸量、脂肪酸比、增稠剂对乳液黏度、pH、粒径分布的影响。

EFFECTS OF HARVEST STAGE ON THE TOTAL LIPID AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF FOUR CYLINDROTHECA STRAINS

Four strains of Cylindrotheca (B156, B164, B196, and B200) were harvested at three phases in the growth curve and their total lipid and fatty acid composition were determined. Total lipid reached highest values in the late stationary phase in B156 (24.0%), B164 (26.6%) and B200 (17.3%), in the exponential phase in B196 (15.5%). Saturated fatty acids increased with the development of the culture in B156 and B196, and reached their highest values in the late stationary phase in B156 (41.7%) and B196 (45.1%), in the early stationary phase in B164 (45.4%) and B200 (37.6%). Monounsaturated fatty acids increased with the development of the culture in B196 and B200, and reached their highest values in the late stationary phase in B196 (32.4%) and B200 (32.8%), in the early stationary phase in B164 (31.0%) and in the exponential phase in B156 (29.3%). Polyunsaturated fatty acids decreased in the later phases of the culture in B164, B196 and B200, and peaked in the exponential phase in B164 (29.5%), B196 (42.9%) and B200 (37.3%), and in the early stationary phase in B156 (32.0%).

Effect of Nitrogen Sources on the Growth and Docosahexaenoic Acid Accumulation in Crypthecodinium cohnii

The effect of various nitrogen sources on the growth and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) yield is determined in Crypthecodinium cohnii ATCC30556. Single nitrogen tryptone and peptone are suitable to growth, the dry weight biomass is up to 2.78 g/L and 2.70g/L respectively on medium containing 0.34 g/L nitrogen. Peptone is a favorable nitrogen source for DHA accumulation, DHA yield increases up to 338.56 mg/L. Using peptone and KNO3 as a multiple nitrogen source, the highest biomass and DHA yield are obtained from media containing 0.34 g/L nitrogen in which the ratio of peptone-N:NO3--N is 1:2,and the biomass and DHA yield are 2.98 g/L(DW) and 527.97mg/L respectively.

Effect of Dietary Vitamin E on the Sperm Quality of Turbot(Scophthalmus maximus)

A 3-month feeding experiment was conducted in an in-door seawater system to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin E （Ve） on the sperm quality of turbot （Scophthalmus maximus）. D-α-tocopherol acetate was supplemented to the basal （control） diet （65.14 mg kg-l Ve） to obtain low and high levels of dietary Ve （244.60 mgkg-1, LVe; 721.60 mg kg-1, HVe）. Compared with the con- trol, sperm concentration was significantly increased in Ve-supplemented groups （LVe and HVe）; while relative sperm volume and testis-somatic index were significantly increased in group HVe only. Sperm motility duration was significantly longer in group HVe than in the control, but no significant difference was observed in percent motility among groups. Sperm size, the uniformity of mito- chondrial size, and the integrity of mitochondria cristae and plasma membrane were improved by dietary Ve, especially in HVe. The content of Ve in testis and liver as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids in sperm increased with dietary Ve. These results suggested that dietary Ve, especially at the high level （721.60 mg kgl）, significantly improved sperm concentration and motility duration and main- tained normal sperm morphology of turbot.Abstract A 3-month feeding experiment was conducted in an in-door seawater system to investigate the effect of dietary vitamin E （Ve） on the sperm quality of turbot （Scophthalmus maximus）. D-α-tocopherol acetate was supplemented to the basal （control） diet （65.14 mg kg-l Ve） to obtain low and high levels of dietary Ve （244.60 mgkg-1, LVe; 721.60 mg kg-1, HVe）. Compared with the con- trol, sperm concentration was significantly increased in Ve-supplemented groups （LVe and HVe）; while relative sperm volume and testis-somatic index were significantly increased in group HVe only. Sperm motility duration was significantly longer in group HVe than in the control, but no significant difference was observed in percent motility among groups. Sperm size, the uniformity of mito- chondrial size, and the integrity of mitochondria cristae and plasma membrane were improved by dietary Ve, especially in HVe. The content of Ve in testis and liver as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids in sperm increased with dietary Ve. These results suggested that dietary Ve, especially at the high level （721.60 mg kgl）, significantly improved sperm concentration and motility duration and main- tained normal sperm morphology of turbot.

Low-Molecular-Weight Aliphatic Acids in Soils Incubated with Plant Residues Under Different Moisture Conditions

Incubation experiments were conducted to investigate the dynamics of low- molecufar-weight aliphatic acids in two andosols with and without plant materials. Results showed that amount of low- molecular-weight aliphatic acids in soils alone varied considerably with water regime under which the soil was incubated,duration of incubation and soil organic matter content, ranging from 257-860 pmol kg-1 soil I of which 19%～33% was in free state. Incorporation of plant materials increased greatly both the amount and number of members of low- molecular- weight aliphaticacidst and also the proporticn of low-molec "far-weight aliphatic acids occurred in free state. Generally, among these aliphatic acids detected, acetic, propionic, glyoxalic and formic acids were predominant.

EFFECT OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE TOTAL LIPID AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SIX STRAINS OF MARINE DIATOMS

The effect of light intensity (1500 lx and 5000 lx) on the total lipid and fatty acid composition of six strains of marine diatoms Cylindrotheca fusiformis (B211), Phaeodactylum tricornutum (B114, B118 and B221) Nitzschia closterium (B222) and Chaetoceros gracilis (B13) was investigated. The total lipids of B13, B114, and B211 grown at 5000 lx were lower than those grown at 1500 lx. No evident changes were observed in B118, B221 and B222. Fatty acid composition changed considerably at different light intensity although no consistent correlation between the relative proportion of a single FA and light intensity. The major fatty acids of the 6 strains were 14:0, 16:0, 16:1(n-7) and 20:5(n-3). Cylindrotheca fusiformis had high percentage of 20:4n-6 (9.2-10.9%). The total polyunsaturated fatty acid in all 6 strains decreased with increasing light intensity. The percentage of the highly unsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) decreased with increasing light intensity in all strains except Chaetoceros gracilis.

Lipid and Fatty Acid Compositions of Cod (Gadus morhua),Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus)

This study was conducted to compare lipid and fatty acid composition of cod,haddock and halibut.Three groups of cod（276 g±61 g）,haddock（538 g±83 g）and halibut（3704 g±221 g）were maintained with commercial feeds mainly based on fish meal and marine fish oil for 12 weeks prior to sampling.The fatty acid compositions of muscle and liver were determined by GC/FID after derivatization of extracted lipids into fatty acid methyl esters（FAME）.Lipids were also fractionated into neutral and polar lipids using Waters silica Sep-Pak（R）.The phospholipid fraction was further separated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography（HPTLC）and the FAME profile was obtained.Results of the present study showed that cod and haddock were lean fish and their total muscle lipid contents were 0.8% and 0.7%,respectively,with phospholipid constituting 83.6% and 87.5% of the total muscle lipid,respectively.Halibut was a medium-fat fish and its muscle lipid content was 8%,with 84% of the total muscle lipid being neutral lipid.Total liver lipid contents of cod,haddock and halibut were 36.9%,67.2% and 30.7%,respectively,of which the neutral lipids accounted for the major fraction（88.1%-97.1%）.Polyunsaturated fatty acids were the most abundant in cod and haddock muscle neutral lipid.Monounsaturated fatty acid level was the highest in halibut muscle neutral lipid.Fatty acid compositions of phospholipid were relatively constant.In summary,the liver of cod and haddock as lean fish was the main lipid reserve organ,and structural phospholipid is the major lipid form in flesh.However,as a medium-fat fish,halibut stored lipid in both their liver and muscle.

Measurement and Correlation for Solubility of Adipic Acid in Several Solvents

Using a laser detecting system, solubility data were measured for adipic acid dissolved in six pure solvents, namely, cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, acetic acid, N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide, and dimethylsulfoxide at the temperature range from 293.15K to 353.15K. All these data were regressed by 2h, NRTL, Wilson, and the modified Wilson models. For the study of six, 2h, NRTL, and the modified Wilson models were found to provide an accurate mathematical representation of the experimental results, with overall average absolute relative deviations between measured and calculated values as 1.74%, 2.06%, and 3.06%, respectively. The results showed that the λh model is the most suitable for description of the solid-liquid equilibrium containing adipic acid.

Genetic and epigenetic variants influencing the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease （NAFLD） is common worldwide. The importance of genetic and epigen- eric changes in etiology and pathogenesis of NAFLD has been increasingly recognized. However, the ex- act mechanism is largely unknown. A large number of single nucleotide polymorphisms （SNPs） related to NAFLD has been documented by candidate gene studies （CGSs）. Among these genes, peroxisome pro- liferatoractivated receptor-γ, adiponectin, leptin and tumor necrosis factor-α were frequently reported. Since the introduction of genome-wide association studies （GWASs）, there have been significant advances in our understanding of genomic variations of NAFLD. Patatin- like phospholipase domain containing family member A3 （PNPLA3, SNP rs738409, encoding I148M）, also termed adiponutrin, has caught most attention. The evidence that PNPLA3 is associated with increased hepatic fat levels and hepatic inflammation has been validated by a series of studies. Epigenetic modification refers to phenotypic changes caused by an adaptive mechanism unrelated to alteration of primary DNA se- quences. Epigenetic regulation mainly includes microR- NAs （miRs）, DNA methylation, histone modifications and ubiquitination, among which miRs are studied most extensively, miRs are small natural single stranded RNA molecules regulating mRNA degradation or translation inhibition, subsequently altering protein expression of target genes. The miR-122, a highly abundant miR ac- counting for nearly 70% of all miRs in the liver, is sig- nificantly under-expressed in NAFLD subjects. Inhibition of miR-122 with an antisense oligonucleotide results in decreased mRNA expression of lipogenJc genes and improvement of liver steatosis. The investigation into epigenetic involvement in NAFLD pathogenesis is just at the beginning and needs to be refined. This review summarizes the roles of genetics and epigenetics in the development of NAFLD. The progress made in this field may provide novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeu- tic targets for NAFLD management.

Biodiesel Production from Waste Edible Oils and Grease Containing Free Fatty Acids

Till now, most part of the biodiesel is produced from the refined vegetable oils using methanol as feedstock in the presence of an alkali catalyst. However, large amount of waste edible oils and grease are available. The difficulty with alkali-catalyzed esterification of these oils is that they often contain large amount of free fatty acids （FFA）, polymers and decomposition products. These free fatty acids can quickly react with the alkali catalyst to produce soaps that inhibit the separation of the ester and glycerine. An esterification and transesterification process is developed to convert the high FFA oil to its monoesters, The first step, the acidcatalyzed esterification with glycerine and these FFA reduces the FFA content of the oil and grease to less than 3%, and then an azeotropic distillation solvent is used to remove the water. The major factors affecting the conversion efficiency of the process such as glycerol to free fatty acid molar ratio, catalyst amount, reaction temperature and reaction duration are analyzed, The second step, alkali-catalyzed transesterificatiou process converts the products of the first step to its monoesters and glycerol, and then the glycerol is recycled for utilization in the first step. Technical indicators of the biodiesel product can meet the ASTM 6751 standard.

Seasonal biochemical changes in composition of body wall tissues of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Seasonal variation in proximate, amino acid and fatty acid composition of the body wall of sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus was evaluated. The proximate composition, except for ash content, changed significantly among seasons （P〈0.05）. Alanine, glycine, glutamic acid and asparagic acid were the most abundant amino acids. Total amino acid and essential amino acid contents both varied clearly with seasons （P〈0.05）. 16：0 and 16：1n7 were the primary saturated fatty acid （SFA） and monounsaturated fatty acid （MUFA） respectively for all months. EPA （20：5n-3）, AA （20：4n-6） and DHA （22：6n-3） were the major polyunsaturated fatty acids （PUFA）. The proportions of SFA and PUFA yielded significant seasonal variations （P〈0.001）, but MUFA did not changed significantly. The results indicated that the biochemical compositions of the body wall in A. japonieus were significantly influenced by seasons and that the body wall tissue is an excellent source of protein, MUFA and n-3 PUFA for humans.

Comparative study of the nutritional composition and toxic elements of farmed and wild Chanodichthys mongolicus

Information of the difference in quality between farmed and wild fish is central to better ensuring fish products produced in aquaculture meet regulatory and consumer requirements. Proximate composition, amino acid and fatty acid profiles, and toxic elements contents of fanned and wild Chanodichthys mongolicus were established and compared. Significantly higher crude protein content while lower moisture content in farmed fish compared to wild fish were observed （P〈0.05）. The percentages of total amino acids （TAA）, total essential amino acids （TEAA）, total non-essential amino acids （TNEAA） and total delicious amino acids （TDAA） in farmed fish were all significantly higher than those in the wild equivalent （P〈0.05）. Compared to the FAO/WHO recommended reference values, the ratios of TEAA/ TAA （39.84%o-40.33%） were comparable to 40% and TEAA / TNEAA （66.22%-67.60%） were above 60%. Fatty acid profiles in both farmed and wild C. mongolicus were dominated by monounsaturated fatty acid （MUFA）, with farmed fish contained much more MUFA content compared to wild counterpart （P〈0.05）. Notably, wild fish exhibited significantly higher levels of total polyunsaturated fatty acid （PUFA） including eicosapentaenoic acid （EPA） and docosahexaenoic acid （DHA） than fanned fish （P〈0.05）. The EPA （C20：503） and linoleic acid （C18：206） were the predominant PUFA in wild and farmed C. mongolicus, respectively. Moreover, farmed fish displayed an overall lower toxic element levels （As, Cd, Pb and Hg） in comparison with wild fish, and both were far lower than the established limit standard. In conclusion, our results suggest that the nutritional quality of fanned C. mongolicus was inferior to their wild counterpart with respect to fatty acids nutrition, and therefore further studies should focus on the improving C. mongolicus diet in order to enhance the overall nutritional composition.

FATTY ACIDS PROFILE IN A HIGH CELL DENSITY CULTURE OF ARACHIDONIC ACID-RICH PARIETOCHLORIS INCISA (TREBOUXIOPHYCEAE,CHLOROPHYTA) EXPOSED TO HIGH PFD

The changes in arachidonic acid (AA) and fatty acids profiles along the growth curve of Parietochloris incisa, a coccoid snow green alga, were studied in a 2.8 cm light-path flat photobioreactor, exposed to strong photon flux density [PFD, 2400 μEmol/(m 2·s)]. Sixteen fatty acids were identified by gas chromatography showing that AA was the dominant fatty acid (33%-41%) followed by linoleic acid (17%-21%). AA content was closely investigated with respect to total fatty acids (TFA), ash free dry weight (AFDW) of cell mass as well as total culture content. These parameters were influenced significantly in a similar manner by culture growth phase, i.e., slightly decreasing in the lag period, gradually increasing in the logarithmic phase, becoming maximal at the early stationary phase, starting to decrease at the late stationary phase, sharply dropping at the decline phase. The increase in AA per culture volume during the logarithmic phase was not only associated with the increase in AFDW but also connected with a corresponding increase in AA/TFA, TFA/AFDW as well as AA/AFDW. The sharp decrease in AA content of the culture during the decline phase was mainly due to the decrease in AA/TFA, TFA/AFDW and AA/AFDW, although AFDW declined only a small extent. Maximal AA concentration, obtained at the early stationary phase, was 900 mg/L culture volume, and the average daily net increase of AA during 9 days logarithmic growth was 1.7 g/(m 2·day). Therefore, harvesting prior to the decline phase in a batch culture, or at steady state in continuous culture mode seems best for high AA production. The latter possibility was also further confirmed by continuous culture with 5 gradients of harvesting rate.

Body composition and compensatory growth in Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus under different feeding intervals

We investigated the growth and body composition of Nile tilapia under five different feeding regimes. A control group was fed to satiation twice daily for 185 days; four treatment groups were fed at intervals of 2, 3, 4 or 7 days(dietary ‘restricted' period, days 0–80) and then fed to satiation(‘refeeding' period, days 80–185). Compensatory growth in weight and length of the feed-restricted groups was observed during the refeeding period. However, the growth of none of the restricted groups caught up with that of the control group over the experimental period. Feed intake upon refeeding increased with the duration of deprivation. There were no significant differences in feed efficiency between the restricted and control groups during the refeeding stage, suggesting that hyperphagia was the mechanism responsible for the increased growth rates during this period. Tilapia preferentially used n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and nonessential amino acids during the restricted-feeding period. Higher production was achieved by higher feed consumption. We suggest that if attainment of market size in minimum time is required, fish should be consistently fed to satiation, while taking care to avoid the possible negative consequences of overfeeding.

Practical Application of Diets Rich in Ground Linseed to Enhance Omega-3 Milk Production in Holstein Dairy Farms Located in Northeast Iran

In an attempt to enhance organic omega-3 milk production, a practical study was performing in 7 Holstein dairy farms in Northeast Iran. The experiment was conducted at the ＂ShafashirToos industrial dairy farmers production and distribution cooperative＂ located in Northeast Iran, between June 2010 and December 2010. In Golshid-Mashhad Co., cows were fed with no linseed containing diets （NO-Lin）, while in the other farms （Hanaei Co., Ghasemi Co., Taheri Co., Teliseh Co., Arasp Co. and Navingholshid-Khorasan Co.）, cows were fed diets containing 9% ground linseed （Lin）. Cows were used in a randomized complete block experimental design. Diets were provided as TMR. Concentration of fat, protein and lactose in milk was measured. Milk fat extraction and fatty acid separation were determined. There were no differences in the most of the milk fatty acid profiles of cows in farms that received ground linseed but feeding Lin diets compared with NO-Lin, significantly decreased （P 〈 0.05） C8：0-C16：0 concentration and it increased those of C 18：1 n9trans, C 18：1 n9cis, C 18：2 trans and C 18：3 n3. As a result, farms with Lin diets had better milk fatty acid profiles with doubled in a-Linolenic acid concentration and increased in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids and decrease in medium chain and saturated fatty acids compared with those of the NO-Lin diet. These results clearly demonstrate the possibility for sustainable production of organic omega-3 milk with levels ofC18：3 FA up to 2.4 times higher than typical levels in dairy fat. The manufacture of omega-3 enriched milk and milk products could supply dietary fatty acids at levels that may henefit health, without the need for unrealistic changes to eating habits.

A Comparative Study of Stability of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil and Grape Seed Oil against Domestic Deep Frying

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relative stability of extra virgin olive oil （EVOO）, virgin coconut oil （VCO） and grape seed oil （GSO） against domestic deep frying. Oil samples were subjected to deep frying at 190 ℃ for 30, 60, and 90 min and then compared with fresh oil samples in terms of fatty acid composition, peroxide value （PV）, p-anisidine value （p-AV）, total oxidation value （TOTOX）, iodine value （IV）, free fatty acid content （%FFA） and total phenolic content （TPC）. Experimental results showed that the changes in the fatty acid composition, p-AV and TOTOX were in the order, GSO 〉 EVOO 〉 VCO throughout the experiment, while PV was in the order, VCO 〉 EVO0 〉 GSO. Meanwhile, the reduction in the IV was in the order, GSO 〉 VCO 〉 EVOO throughout the experiment. On the other hand, the changes in the %FFA were in the order, VCO 〉 GSO 〉 EVO0 throughout the experiment. VCO had the greatest stability against domestic deep frying, followed by EVO0 and GSO had the least stability against domestics deep frying.

Biochemical Composition and Nutritional Value of the Muscle Tissue of Yellowback Seabream, Evynnis Tumifrons, from the East China Sea

Biochemical composition and nutritional value of muscle tissue of wild-caught yellowback seabream （Evynnis tumifrons） from the East China Sea were determined. The yellowback seabream muscle contained 18.30% crude protein and 0.47% crude lipid. The contents of biochemical, moisture, crude protein, crude lipid, and ash were analyzed using AOAC standard methods. The compositions and contents of amino-acid and fatty-acid were determined by Amino Acid 20 Analyzer and Agilent 6890 Gas Chromatograph. The total essential amino acids （EAA; those required by humans） accounts for 46.96% of the total amino acids in E. tumifrons, higher than FAO/WHO standard but lower than whole-egg protein standard. In E. tumifrons, the first limiting amino acids were threonine （Thr）, based on amino acid score （AAS）, and methionine （Met） and cysteine （Cys）, based on chemical score （CS）. A total of 19 fatty acids were identified; together, eicosapentaenoic acid （EPA） and docosahexaenoic acid （DHA） contributed 22.65% of the total fatty-acid content, with 17.25% from DHA. The nutritional-requirement characteristics of this fish, which tumifrons mariculture. composition data provided useful information on the food quality and may facilitate the development of appropriate feed formulation in E.

Inclusion Levels of Fermented Apple Bagasse on in Vitro Rumen Fermentation of Alfalfa Hay

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of inclusion of fermented apple bagasse （FAB） obtained through solid state fermentation on pH, ammonia nitrogen （N-NH3）, volatile fatty acids （VFA） content, in vitro dry matter digestibility （IVDMD）, lactic acid and microbial counting of alfalfa hay under in vitro rumen environment; four levels of FAB were evaluated （0, 0.25, 0.50 and 0. 75 g/dry matter of FAB） replacing 1.5 g dry matter （DM） of alfalfa hay and incubated at different fermentation times （0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h） using a complete random design with repeated measures on time. Counts of live yeast colonies （6.08, 6.33, 6.24 and 6.51 CFU/mL expressed as log 10） was higher when FAB was included in the different levels up to the 12 h of fermentation （P 〈 0.0001）; lactic acid content also increased as FAB was included in the different levels （10.61, 13.86, 16.84 and 14.57μg/mL） up to the 12 h of incubation （P 〈 0.001）. Nevertheless, the other variables measured as pH, N-NH3, VFA, IVDMD, total bacteria and fungi counts, were not affected by the treatments. It is concluded that substitution of FAB by alfalfa hay in an in vitro rumen ecosystem positively modified live yeast colonies and lactic acid concentration, without effect on the other fermentative and microbial parameters of the in vitro rumen environment, but considering mixes of FAB and alfalfa hay as a quality ingredient for the feeding of ruminants.