Objective The experiment was conducted to explore the effects of silymarin on reproductive and lactation performance,serum antioxidants,and body metabolism of sows.Methods Sixty pregnant sows(85 d,Large×Landrace)...Objective The experiment was conducted to explore the effects of silymarin on reproductive and lactation performance,serum antioxidants,and body metabolism of sows.Methods Sixty pregnant sows(85 d,Large×Landrace)with similar genetic background,body condition,and parity were randomly divided into three groups,and each group has 20 individually housed sows.The sows in the control group(CG)were fed with basal diet,and those in the experimental group A(EGA)and B(EGB)were fed with basal diet containing 250 and 500 mg/kg silymarin,respectively.The experiment lasted 46 days from day 85 of gestation to the end of lactation(weaning on day 17).The milk composition and serum biochemical para-meters were determined by a milk composition analyzer and a blood biochemical analyzer,respectively.Serum antioxidant indexes and plasma hormone levels were measured using the biochemical kits.The gas chromatograph was applied to detect the fecal short chain fatty acids.Results Compared with the CG,the total feed intake(TFI)and average daily feed intake(ADFI)were significantly increased(P<0.01),and the urea content in regular milk tended to increase(P=0.095)in the EG.The serum malondialdehyde(MDA)contents were decreased on day 90 of gestation and the day of farrowing(P<0.01),and the serum contents of total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)tended to increase on day 17 of lactation(P=0.099)compared with the CG.Compared with the CG,the serum triglyceride(TG)concentrations in the EG tended to increase on day 90 of gestation(P=0.062),and the content of serum total protein(TP)and albumin(ALB)reduced on day 17 of lactation(P<0.01).Compared with the CG,plasm D-lactic acid content was decreased(P<0.05),and the plasma prostaglandin(PG)level tended to increase(P=0.088)in the EG on the day of farrowing and day 17 of lactation.Compared with the CG,fecal isobutyric acid concentration in the EG significantly decreased on the day of farrowing(P<0.05).Conclusion Adding 250-500 mg/kg silymarin to diets from the late gestation to the end of lactation could improve reproductive and lactation performance of sows via the regulation of nutrient metabolism and serum antioxidant.展开更多
Lesser kestrels Falco naumanni are migratory central-place foragers that breed in dynamic arable landscapes. After arriving from migration, kestrels have no knowledge of the distribution of crops, and consequently pre...Lesser kestrels Falco naumanni are migratory central-place foragers that breed in dynamic arable landscapes. After arriving from migration, kestrels have no knowledge of the distribution of crops, and consequently prey, around their colony. The energy demand of pairs increases as breeding season progresses, but at the same time prey abundance, and their knowledge on prey distribution, also increases. Wind can have a strong influence on flight cost and kestrels should try to reduce energy expendi- ture when possible. When prey abundance is low, kestrels have little knowledge of prey distribution, and pairs have no chicks, they could reduce foraging flight cost by leaving the colony with tailwinds. When prey is abundant, knowledge on prey distribu- tion has increased, and chick demand is high, kestrels should fly to the most favorable foraging patches. We analyzed foraging trips directions in a lesser kestrel colony along the breeding season and in relation to wind speed and direction. We recorded 664 foraging trips from 19 individuals using GPS-dataloggers. We found that outward flights direction changed from uniform to a concentrated distribution along the season, as prey abundance and individual experience increased. We also found a temporal trend in the angular difference between outward flights and wind directions, with low values early in the season and then increa- sing as expected, but again low values at the end, contrary to expectation. Results suggest changes in kestrels foraging strategy along the season in relation to wind. Kestrels depart more with tailwinds in exploratory flights early in the season, while there is a spurious coincidence in direction to preferred foraging patches and dominant wind direction at the end [Current Zoology 60 （5）： 604-615, 2014].展开更多
基金National Key Research and Development Program(2021YFD1300201 and 2021YFD1301004)Science and Technology Innovation Program of Hunan Province(2020RC2063)+2 种基金Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(2022JJ40532)Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Agro-ecological Processes in Subtropical Region,Chinese Academy of Sciences(ISA2021103)the cooperation between research institutes and enterprises(E0490205 and E0490207).
文摘Objective The experiment was conducted to explore the effects of silymarin on reproductive and lactation performance,serum antioxidants,and body metabolism of sows.Methods Sixty pregnant sows(85 d,Large×Landrace)with similar genetic background,body condition,and parity were randomly divided into three groups,and each group has 20 individually housed sows.The sows in the control group(CG)were fed with basal diet,and those in the experimental group A(EGA)and B(EGB)were fed with basal diet containing 250 and 500 mg/kg silymarin,respectively.The experiment lasted 46 days from day 85 of gestation to the end of lactation(weaning on day 17).The milk composition and serum biochemical para-meters were determined by a milk composition analyzer and a blood biochemical analyzer,respectively.Serum antioxidant indexes and plasma hormone levels were measured using the biochemical kits.The gas chromatograph was applied to detect the fecal short chain fatty acids.Results Compared with the CG,the total feed intake(TFI)and average daily feed intake(ADFI)were significantly increased(P<0.01),and the urea content in regular milk tended to increase(P=0.095)in the EG.The serum malondialdehyde(MDA)contents were decreased on day 90 of gestation and the day of farrowing(P<0.01),and the serum contents of total antioxidant capacity(T-AOC)tended to increase on day 17 of lactation(P=0.099)compared with the CG.Compared with the CG,the serum triglyceride(TG)concentrations in the EG tended to increase on day 90 of gestation(P=0.062),and the content of serum total protein(TP)and albumin(ALB)reduced on day 17 of lactation(P<0.01).Compared with the CG,plasm D-lactic acid content was decreased(P<0.05),and the plasma prostaglandin(PG)level tended to increase(P=0.088)in the EG on the day of farrowing and day 17 of lactation.Compared with the CG,fecal isobutyric acid concentration in the EG significantly decreased on the day of farrowing(P<0.05).Conclusion Adding 250-500 mg/kg silymarin to diets from the late gestation to the end of lactation could improve reproductive and lactation performance of sows via the regulation of nutrient metabolism and serum antioxidant.
文摘Lesser kestrels Falco naumanni are migratory central-place foragers that breed in dynamic arable landscapes. After arriving from migration, kestrels have no knowledge of the distribution of crops, and consequently prey, around their colony. The energy demand of pairs increases as breeding season progresses, but at the same time prey abundance, and their knowledge on prey distribution, also increases. Wind can have a strong influence on flight cost and kestrels should try to reduce energy expendi- ture when possible. When prey abundance is low, kestrels have little knowledge of prey distribution, and pairs have no chicks, they could reduce foraging flight cost by leaving the colony with tailwinds. When prey is abundant, knowledge on prey distribu- tion has increased, and chick demand is high, kestrels should fly to the most favorable foraging patches. We analyzed foraging trips directions in a lesser kestrel colony along the breeding season and in relation to wind speed and direction. We recorded 664 foraging trips from 19 individuals using GPS-dataloggers. We found that outward flights direction changed from uniform to a concentrated distribution along the season, as prey abundance and individual experience increased. We also found a temporal trend in the angular difference between outward flights and wind directions, with low values early in the season and then increa- sing as expected, but again low values at the end, contrary to expectation. Results suggest changes in kestrels foraging strategy along the season in relation to wind. Kestrels depart more with tailwinds in exploratory flights early in the season, while there is a spurious coincidence in direction to preferred foraging patches and dominant wind direction at the end [Current Zoology 60 （5）： 604-615, 2014].
