Improving the nutritional values of yellow mealworm Tenebrio molitor(Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) larvae as an animal feed ingredient: a review

Yellow mealworm larvae(YML;Tenebrio molitor) are considered as a valuable insect species for animal feed due to their high nutritional values and ability to grow under different substrates and rearing conditions. Advances in the understanding of entomophagy and animal nutrition over the past decades have propelled research areas toward testing multiple aspects of YML to exploit them better as animal feed sources. This review aims to summarize various approaches that could be exploited to maximize the nutritional values of YML as an animal feed ingredient. In addition, YML has the potential to be used as an antimicrobial or bioactive agent to improve animal health and immune function in production animals. The dynamics of the nutritional profile of YML can be influenced by multiple factors and should be taken into account when attempting to optimize the nutrient contents of YML as an animal feed ingredient. Specifically, the use of novel land-based and aquatic feeding resources, probiotics, and the exploitation of larval gut microbiomes as novel strategies can assist to maximize the nutritional potential of YML. Selection of relevant feed supplies, optimization of ambient conditions, the introduction of novel genetic selection procedures, and implementation of effective post-harvest processing may be required in the future to commercialize mealworm production. Furthermore, the use of appropriate agricultural practices and technological improvements within the mealworm production sector should be aimed at achieving both economic and environmental sustainability. The issues highlighted in this review could pave the way for future approaches to improve the nutritional value of YML.

The Effects of Different Feeding Practices on the Nutritional Status of Infants below 12 Months Old in the Kumba 1 Sub-Division

Appropriate feeding practices are important during infancy for good health, growth and development of infants and children. WHO revised its earlier recommendation of Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) of infants from 4 to 6 months of age to EBF until about 6 months of age, with the addition of complementary foods thereafter. This recommendation confirms that breast milk alone is sufficient to meet infants’ nutritional requirements for the first 6 months of life. The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of various feeding practices on the Nutritional status of infants 0 - 12-month-old in the Kumba 1 Sub-Division. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2019 to August 2020. A total of 341 nursing mothers and their infants 0 - 12 months of age were recruited. Socio-demographic factors and the different feeding habits of the children were assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Nutritional status was assessed using anthropometric measurements. The overall proportion of infants who exclusively breastfed for 6 months was 69.2% and those who were mix-fed were 30.8% in the study area. The overall prevalence of malnutrition in the population was 61.0%. Among the malnourished children, 53.1% were underweight, 19.6% were wasted and 10.0% were stunted. Though not significant, the prevalence of wasting (21.0%) and underweight (58.3%) was higher among Mix-Fed (MF) children when compared to their EBF counterparts. Feeding practices affected the nutritional status of the infants. Underweight and wasting were observed among infants on Complementary Feeding (CF), although some exclusively breast-fed infants were stunted. Hence, nursing mothers should try as much as possible to practice EBF as recommended by WHO and can practice CF when the child is above six months.

The Use of Secondary Grape Biomass in Beef Cattle Nutrition on Carcass Characteristics, Quality and Shelf Life of Meat

We determined whether the inclusion of 100 g/kg dry matter of grape pomace silage (GPS) and grape pomace bran (GPB) as substitutes for other traditional fiber sources in the diet of steers (Charolais x Nellore) would improve carcass characteristics, meat quality and composition, and shelf life. Twenty-four animals (248 ± 19.32 kg of initial body weight) were fed a high concentrate diet for 121 days. Carcass characteristics were measured, and the longissimus dorsi muscle was analyzed for fatty acid (FA) profile and composition. The meat was sliced and stored in air-permeable packages for 10 days. On each sampling day (d 1, 3, 7, and 10), oxidative stability, bacterial load, lipid and protein oxidation, and staining were analyzed. The experimental diets influenced the pH of cold carcasses only. The GPS group had a higher pH than the control. The GPS and GPB groups showed improved oxidant status (i.e., lower lipid peroxidation and concentrations of reactive oxygen species were in the meat of both groups than in control). On the first day of storage, the antioxidant enzyme glutathione S-transferase activity was more significant in the meat of the GPS and GPB groups than in the control. The bacterial loads in the meat were attenuated by GPS inclusion;there were lower total coliform counts and a trend toward lower counts for enterobacteria in the control group. The diets altered the FA profile of the meat;i.e., the GPB diet allowed for a more significant amount of the n-6 omegas in the meat, while the GPS diet showed a tendency for a more significant amount of n-6 and 9 omegas. Both diets (GPS and GPB) increased the amounts of long-chain FAs. The GPS diet decreased saturated FA levels. We conclude that the dietary treatments GPS and GPB are a promising alternative to maintain meat quality standards throughout in real-world retail conditions. These treatments gave rise to an improvement in the nutritional value of the meat due to the more significant amounts of FAs that improve human health.

Dehydrated Natural Feed for Cats: Influence on Apparent Digestibility Coefficient, Feces Scores, and Serum Immune, Antioxidant, and Metabolic Biomarkers

The present study aimed to determine whether natural dehydrated feed (DNF) can replace dry extruded feed while preserving the required daily intake, nutrient digestibility and benefits for immunity and antioxidant response in cats. The animals were divided into two groups of seven animals each. One group received DNF, and the other consumed commercial extruded dry feed (DCF). The experiment lasted 45 days and we measured daily consumption and collected blood and feces samples. The animals in the DNF group showed greater digestibility of fiber and mineral matter than DCF. Cats in the DNF group had a higher volume of feces. DNF cats had lower leukocyte and granulocyte counts and cholesterol levels. Serum enzymatic antioxidant responses and non-enzymatic were higher in DNF cats. Cats in the DNF group showed lower serum acute phase proteins in addition to a tendency toward a higher concentration of transferrin than in the DCF group. Fecal Escherichia coli and total coliform counts of cats fed DNF were higher than DCF. We conclude that the daily consumption of cats is adequate. This feed had greater digestibility of fiber and mineral matter, in addition to an improvement in antioxidant and immunological responses.

Effect of a Nutrition Education Intervention on Mothers’ Infant and Young Child Feeding Knowledge and Practices in the Peri-Urban Areas of Bobo-Dioulasso: Before and after Study

Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention aiming to improve the knowledge and practices of under 5 years children’s mothers on infant and young child feeding in peri urban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Methods: A total of 243 mothers of children under 5 years in the peri-urban of Bobo-Dioulasso were surveyed before and after the intervention using the FAO questionnaire for infant and young child feeding (IYCF) knowledge and practices assessment in January and October 2017. The intervention included two components consisting of a theoretical phase (counselling and discussion) and cooking demonstrations implemented for ten months. To account for the before-and-after design of the study, the McNemar’s test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on mothers’ infant and young child feeding knowledge and practices. Results: The mean age of mothers was 29 ± 6.2 years and 50.6% of the mothers were between 20 and 29 years old. All indicators used to assess the mothers’ knowledge of breastfeeding and complementary feeding significantly improved after the intervention (all p-values < 0.05). In terms of child feeding practices, half of the indicators (early breastfeeding initiation, age of complementary feeding initiation, and minimum meal frequency) significantly increased (all p = 0.001) while two indicators (minimum dietary diversity, and minimum acceptable diet) did not change (p = 0.06 and 0.67) after the intervention. Finally, continued breastfeeding, significantly declined after the intervention (73.3% vs 86.0% p = 0.001). Conclusion: The intervention improved the mothers’ knowledge on breastfeeding and complementary feeding and some child feeding practices. This study provided some evidence of an effective nutrition education intervention to increase maternal knowledge and practices.

Influence of Sorbent Type on Drying Efficiency, Production Costs and Nutritional Values of Mango By-Products Feeds for Livestock

The aim of the study was to determine the best food absorbents between wheat, rice and maize bran and palm kernel cake, from a technical and economic point of view, in order to make a better recommandation for their use in the production process of food based on mango by-products (peels, peels + pulp). To this end, series of 18 kg of fresh feed were prepared and spread out in a stall for sun-drying using a randomized Fisher system. Preparations were made using either mango peels (75%) + absorbent (25%) or pulp + mango peels (67%) + sorbent (33%). The results show that mango Peel feed loses more water (WL) with lover production yields (PY), higher mango incorporation rates into dry feed (MRI), longer drying times (UDT) and lower production costs (CPkgPD) than mango peel + pulp. The average DM, MAT, ADF and NDF fiber contents were almost equal to those of mango peels + pulp feed. The average Crude Fiber (CF) (25.13%) and DEp (2839 kcal/kgDM) contents were higher for mango skin feed than for mango skin + pulp feed, at 8.59% and 2536 for MAT and DEp respectively. Mango peels + wheat bran (PSB25) and whole mango (MESB33) feeds recorded the highest and almost equal levels of TCP, NDF and MM. Production costs per kg of feed dry mater (CPkgDM) for feed produced at 25% were on average 33% higher than for whole mango (WM) feed. Excluding mango raw material, palm kernel meal (PK), rice bran (RB), maize bran (MB) and wheat bran (WB) can be ranked 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th in terms of cumulative performance of production parameters. Producers can then choose the type of sorbent they wish to use according to this ranking and the local availability of the sorbent. These feeds can be used for both ruminants and monogastrics, but are better suited to ruminant feeding due to their high fiber content.

Utilisation of Non-Conventional Animal Waste as Feeds by Multiple Livestock Species Farmers in Lake Victoria Crescent of Central Uganda

A cross-sectional survey was conducted to establish the utilisation of non-conventional animal waste in multiple livestock species systems. Farmers (150) were selected from four out of ten districts of Central Uganda in Lake Victoria Crescent. A structured questionnaire was used and descriptive analysis showed that over 80% are smallholder farmers on 3.0) years. Household husbands (80%) significantly (P 1.0) as they cause poor livestock health due to pathogens, parasites and toxins which are associated (OD > 1.0) with poor growth, mortality and condemnation of livestock products. The remedy to unsafe non-conventional feeds is to apply effective solar-heating (75%), chemical and ensiling treatment methods. The study showed that there are no significant (P < 0.001) public health risks associated with utilising treated non-conventional feeds instead it improves production and sustainability of multiple livestock species systems.

Validation of High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detector Methods for Determination of Aflatoxins in Different Food and Animal Feed Samples

Method validation for quantitative analysis of aflatoxins, AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 in sorghum, peanut butter, groundnut and animals feed is presented. Aflatoxins were extracted with a mixture of methanol: acetonitrile: water (60:30:10) and cleaned with Alfa test IAC chromatography before analysis by High Performance Liquid Chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD) by adopting an isocratic chromatographic system using a mobile phase consisting acetic acid: acetonitrile: methanol (59:14:27), the separation of the four aflatoxins was achieved in less than 15 minutes. Calibration curves were linear over the concentration range from 2 - 18 ng/mL for AFB1 and AFG1, 0.4 - 3.6 ng/mL for AFB2 and AFG2, respectively. The LOD and LOQ in spiked samples were found to be 0.02 and 0.05 μg/kg for both AFB1 and AFG1, 0.01 and 0.03 μg/kg for both AFB2 and AFG2. The mean recovery values were in range from 84.2% to 96.9% was obtained. Five samples were found to be contaminated with aflatoxins and the total aflatoxins ranged from 0.02 to 3.26 μg/kg were obtained. Nineteen different samples were found to be contaminated with aflatoxins;the total aflatoxins ranged from 0.27 to 10.48 μg/kg were obtained. The highest total aflatoxins value was obtained in animal feeds.

The application of omics technologies for understanding tropical plants-based bioactive compounds in ruminants:a review

Finding out how diet impacts health and metabolism while concentrating on the functional qualities and bioactive components of food is the crucial scientific objective of nutritional research. The complex relationship between metabolism and nutrition could be investigated with cutting-edge "omics" and bioinformatics techniques. This review paper provides an overview of the use of omics technologies in nutritional research, with a particular emphasis on the new applications of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomes in functional and biological activity research on ruminant livestock and products in the tropical regions. A wealth of knowledge has been uncovered regarding the regulation and use of numerous physiological and pathological processes by gene, m RNA, protein, and metabolite expressions under various physiological situations and guidelines. In particular, the components of meat and milk were assessed using omics research utilizing the various methods of transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and genomes. The goal of this review is to use omics technologies—which have been steadily gaining popularity as technological tools—to develop new nutritional, genetic, and leadership strategies to improve animal products and their quality control. We also present an overview of the new applications of omics technologies in cattle production and employ nutriomics and foodomics technologies to investigate the microbes in the rumen ecology. Thus, the application of state-of-the-art omics technology may aid in our understanding of how species and/or breeds adapt, and the sustainability of tropical animal production, in the long run, is becoming increasingly important as a means of mitigating the consequences of climate change.

Summary of the Best Evidence for Tube Feeding Intolerance in Critically Ill Children

Objective:To summarize the evidence of tube feeding intolerance in critically ill children,aiming to provide evidence-based information for clinical nursing staff.Methods:Evidence search was done in Chinese and English databases to guide network and professional associations at home and abroad.The search time limit was from January 2014 to January 2024,nearly 10 years of relevant literature,mainly including guidelines,consensus,expert advice,best practice,evidence summary,system evaluation,and meta-analysis.Literature quality evaluation and evidence extraction were independently performed by two researchers.Results:This paper included 13 articles,including three guidelines,three systematic evaluations,three expert opinions,and four expert consensus.Twenty-six pieces of evidence were summarized from 10 aspects of feeding intolerance definition,team building,nutritional assessment,nutritional preparation,feeding protocol,feeding route,feeding management,pipeline management,gastric residual volume,and drug application.Conclusion:This paper summarized the evidence of tube feeding intolerance in critically ill children,which can provide evidence-based information for clinical practice.The abdominal signs should be closely observed when evaluating feeding intolerance,focusing on the prevention and reduction of feeding interruption.

Assessment of Nutritional Status and Associated Factors in Infants Aged 6 to 23 Months in Rural Burundi

This study was carried out in the Health districts of Kayanza and Gahombo. Its aim was to assess the nutritional status and associated factors of infants aged between 6 and 23 months. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was carried out in the health centers of the action zone during medical consultations in community medicine from 13 to 22 February 2023. For this purpose, 53.0% of a sample of 398 mothers of infants aged 6 - 23 months were male, and the most represented age group was 12 - 23 months with 53.8%. Mothers were asked about the diet of their children. All the children involved in this study were vaccinated, whereas 99.2% were given vitamin A supplements. The most frequent illnesses in this age group were acute respiratory infection (ARI) (73.4%), fever (66.6%), diarrhea (53.8%), and vomiting (40.5%). Analysis of nutritional status showed that infants had severe (8.3%) and moderate (70.4%) acute malnutrition. Factors associated with infant nutritional status comprised the occupation of mother (P = 0.009), level of education of mother (P = 0.0625), and prolonged diarrhea (P = 0.004). To remedy this problem, concrete nutritional and educational interventions are needed to promote optimal infant nutrition during the first two years of life.

Solid-state fermentation of corn-soybean meal mixed feed with Bacillus subtilis and Enterococcus faecium for degrading antinutritional factors and enhancing nutritional value

Background: Corn and soybean meal(SBM) are two of the most common feed ingredients used in pig feeds.However, a variety of antinutritional factors(ANFs) present in corn and SBM can interfere with the bioavailability of nutrients and have negative health effects on the pigs. In the present study, two-stage fermentation using Bacillus subtilis followed by Enterococcus faecium was carried out to degrade ANFs and improve the nutritional quality of corn and SBM mixed feed. Furthermore, the microbial composition and in vitro nutrient digestibility of inoculated mixed feed were determined and compared those of the uninoculated controls.Results: During the fermentation process, B. subtilis and lactic acid bacteria(LAB) were the main dominant bacteria in the solid-state fermented inoculated feed, and fermentation produced a large amount of lactic acid(170 mmo L/kg),which resulted in a lower pH(5.0 vs. 6.4) than the fermented uninoculated feed. The amounts of soybean antigenic proteins(β-conglycinin and glycinin) in mixed feed were significantly decreased after first-stage fermentation with B. subtilis. Inoculated mixed feed following two-stage fermentation contained greater concentratioin of crude protein(CP), ash and total phosphorus(P) compared to uninoculated feed, whereas the concentrations of neutral detergent fiber(NDF), hemicellulose and phytate P in fermendted inoculated feed declined(P < 0.05) by 38%, 53%, and 46%,respectively. Notably, the content of trichloroacetic acid soluble protein(TCA-SP), particularly that of small peptides and free amino acids(AA), increased 6.5 fold following two-stage fermentation. There was no difference in the total AA content between fermented inoculated and uninoculated feed. However, aromatic AAs(Phe and Tyr) and Lys in inoculated feed increased, and some polar AAs, including Arg, Asp, and Glu, decreased compared with the uninoculated feed. In vitro dry matter and CP digestibility of inoculated feed improved(P < 0.05) compared with the uninoculated feed.Conclusions: Our results suggest that two-stage fermentation using B. subtilis followed by E. faecium is an effective approach to improve the quality of corn-soybean meal mixed feed.

Eating Patterns and Daily Dietary Recall of Primary School Pupils: An Empirical Evidence from A School Feeding Scheme

The objective of this study was to experimentally evaluate children’s daily food memory and eating habits.The study found that the gender and school location had an impact on the nutritional condition of primary school students as well as the school food scheme.The investigations were based on three hypotheses and three research questions.In this study,the Eating Habits and Daily Dietary Recall Scale was the tool utilized to gather data(EPDDRS).Four experts—three from the department of vocational education and one lecturer in test and measurement evaluation—validated the instrument’s face.The dependability indices of EPDDRS were calculated using Cronbach’s Alpha.While delivering the instruments,the researcher used the direct administration and retrieval approach.58 instructors and a sample size of 1240 students were selected using a systematic random selection approach.The obtained data was examined using mean and standard deviation to address the research objectives,and the null hypotheses were tested using t-test statistics and Analysis of variance(ANOVA)at the 0.05 level of significance.The main conclusions of this study were that the school meal program had a favorable impact on the students’nutritional status.Also,a balanced ration of nutrient-dense meals that were suitably varied was supplied for the students via the school food program.Also,the findings revealed a substantial difference in the mean assessments of male and female students about their eating patterns.On the school meal program’s dietary recall list,students from high,middle,and low socioeconomic status differ significantly.Recommendations were given to the government,schools,and parents based on the study’s findings.The study’s shortcomings were discussed,and recommendations for more research were made.

Dual potential of microalgae as a sustainable biofuel feedstock and animal feed

The rise in global population has led to explorations of alternative sources of energy and food. Because corn and soybean are staple food crops for humans, their common use as the main source of dietary energy and protein for food-producing animals directly competes with their allocation for human consumption. Alternatively, de-fatted marine microalgal biomass generated from the potential biofuel production may be a viable replacement of corn and soybean meal due to their high levels of protein, relatively well-balanced amino acid profiles, and rich contents of minerals and vitamins, along with unique bioactive compounds. Although the full-fatted （intact） microalgae represent the main source of omega-3 （n-3） polyunsaturated fatty acids including docohexaenoic acid （DHA） and eicosapentaenoic acid （EPA）, the de-fatted microalgal biomass may still contain good amounts of these components for enriching DHA/EPA in eggs, meats, and milk. This review is written to highlight the necessity and potential of using the de-fatted microalgal biomass as a new generation of animal feed in helping address the globa energy, food, and environmental issues. Nutritional feasibility and limitation of the biomass as the new feed ingredient for simple-stomached species are elaborated. Potential applications of the biomass for generating value-added animal products are also explored.

Microbial synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles and their potential application as an antimicrobial agent and a feed supplement in animal industry: a review

In recent years, zinc oxide nanoparticles(ZnO NPs) have gained tremendous attention attributed to their unique properties. Notably, evidence has shown that zinc is an important nutrient in living organisms. As such, both prokaryotes and eukaryotes including bacteria, fungi and yeast are exploited for the synthesis of ZnO NPs by using microbial cells or enzyme, protein and other biomolecules compounds in either an intracellular or extracellular route. ZnO NPs exhibit antimicrobial properties, however, the properties of nanoparticles(NPs) are depended upon on their size and shape, which make them specific for various applications. Nevertheless, the desired size and shape of NPs can be obtained through the optimization process of microbes mediated synthesis by manipulating their reaction conditions. It should be noted that ZnO NPs are synthesized by various chemical and physical methods.Nonetheless, these methods are expensive and not environmentally friendly. On that account, the microbes mediated synthesis of ZnO NPs have rapidly evolved recently where the microbes are cleaner, eco-friendly, nontoxic and biocompatible as the alternatives to chemical and physical practices. Moreover, zinc in the form of NPs is more effective than their bulk counterparts and thus, they have been explored for many potential applications including in animals industry. Notably, with the advent of multi-drug resistant strains, ZnO NPs have emerged as the potential antimicrobial agents. This is mainly due to their superior properties in combating a broad spectrum of pathogens. Moreover, zinc is known as an essential trace element for most of the biological function in the animal’s body. As such, the applications of ZnO NPs have been reported to significantly enhance the health and production of the farm animals. Thus, this paper reviews the biological synthesis of ZnO NPs by the microbes, the mechanisms of the biological synthesis, parameters for the optimization process and their potential application as an antimicrobial agent and feed supplement in the animal industry as well as their toxicological hazards on animals.

Protein hydrolysates in animal nutrition：Industrial production, bioactive peptides,and functional significance

Recent years have witnessed growing interest in the role of peptides in animal nutrition. Chemical, enzymatic, or microbial hydrolysis of proteins in animal by-products or plant-source feedstuffs before feeding is an attractive means of generating high-quality small or large peptides that have both nutritional and physiological or regulatory functions in livestock, poultry and fish. These peptides may also be formed from ingested proteins in the gastrointestinal tract, but the types of resultant peptides can vary greatly with the physiological conditions of the animals and the composition of the diets. In the small intestine, large peptides are hydrolyzed to small peptides,which are absorbed into enterocytes faster than free amino acids（AAs） to provide a more balanced pattern of AAs in the blood circulation. Some peptides of plant or animal sources also have antimicrobial, antioxidant,antihypertensive, and immunomodulatory activities. Those peptides which confer biological functions beyond their nutritional value are called bioactive peptides. They are usually 2–20 AA residues in length but may consist of 〉20AA residues. Inclusion of some（e.g. 2–8%） animal-protein hydrolysates（e.g., porcine intestine, porcine mucosa,salmon viscera, or poultry tissue hydrolysates） or soybean protein hydrolysates in practical corn-and soybean mealbased diets can ensure desirable rates of growth performance and feed efficiency in weanling pigs, young calves,post-hatching poultry, and fish. Thus, protein hydrolysates hold promise in optimizing the nutrition of domestic and companion animals, as well as their health（particularly gut health） and well-being.

Nutritional impact of mycotoxins in food animal production and strategies for mitigation

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that are commonly detected as natural contaminants in agricultural commodities worldwide.Mycotoxin exposure can lead to mycotoxicosis in both animals and humans when found in animal feeds and food products,and at lower concentrations can affect animal performance by disrupting nutrient digestion,absorption,metabolism,and animal physiology.Thus,mycotoxin contamination of animal feeds represents a significant issue to the livestock industry and is a health threat to food animals.Since prevention of mycotoxin formation is difficult to undertake to avoid contamination,mitigation strategies are needed.This review explores how the mycotoxins aflatoxins,deoxynivalenol,zearalenone,fumonisins and ochratoxin A impose nutritional and metabolic effects on food animals and summarizes mitigation strategies to reduce the risk of mycotoxicity.

Molecular Structure of Feeds in Relation to Nutrient Utilization and Availability in Animals： A Novel Approach

The invention and development of new research concepts, novel methodologies, and novel bioanalytical techniques are essential in advancing the animal sciences, which include feed and nutrition science. This article introduces a novel approach that shows the potential of advanced synchrotron-based bioanalytical technology for studying the effects of molecular structural changes in feeds induced by various treatments （e.g., genetic modification, gene silencing, heat-related feed processing, biofuel processing） in relation to nutrient digestion and absorption in animals. Advanced techniques based on synchrotron radiation （e.g., synchrotron radiation infrared microspectroscopy （SR-IMS） and synchrotron radiation X-ray techniques） have been developed as a fast, noninvasive, bioanalytical technology that, unlike traditional wet chemistry methods, does not damage or destroy the inherent molecular structure of the feed. The cutting-edge and advanced research tool of synchrotron light （which is a million times brighter than sunlight） can be used to explore the inherent structure of biological tissue at cellular and molecular levels at ultra-high spatial resolutions. In conclusion, the use of recently developed bioanalytical techniques based on synchrotron radiation along with common research techniques is leading to dramatic advances in animal feed and nutritional research.

Optimization of Screening Method for Feed Nutrition and Processing Conditions

On the basis of regressional relationship between nutritional indexes and technological conditions,when confronted with feed quality that contains multiple nutritional indexes,a comprehensive equation of evaluating feed quality was developed by using fuzzy mathematical method at first in this study,and then the optimum technological conditions were established by introduction of statistical frequency analysis method pursuant to the comprehensive evaluating equation mentioned above compared with conventional multi-aim nonlinear programming,this method can lead to easy solutions,and also can make adjustment of the importance of nutritional indexes to feed quality according to practical considerations.An example was given of soybean extruding to show how the method worked.

Comparison of Nutritional Components in the Muscle of Juvenile Siganus guttatus Fed with Enteromorpha prolifera and Artificial Feed

[ Objective] This experiment was conducted to analyze and compare the nutritional components in the muscle of juvenile Siganus guttatus fed with Enteromorpha prolifera and artificial feed. [ Method] A total of 180 healthy S. guttatus juveniles with similar body size were assigned into two groups： one fed with E. prolifera, and the other fed with artificial feed, respectively. There were three replicates in each group, and 30 fish in each replicate. And the experiment lasted for 90 d. [ Result] The results showed that the weight gain rate, specific growth rate and relative growth rate of E. prolifera-fed group were significantly lower than those of artificial feed-fed group （P 〈0.05） ; the contents of crude protein and crude ash of E. prolifera-fed group were significantly higher than those of artificial feed-fed group （P 〈 0.05 ）. However, the content of crude fat of E. prolifera-fed group was significantly lower than that of artificial feed-fed group （P 〈 0.05 ）. The moisture content had no significant difference between the two groups （P 〉 0.05 ）. The amino acid composition was similar between the two groups. Seventeen amino acids were found in both groups, and the essential amino acid index （EAAI） was 76.71 in E. prolifera-fed group and 70.05 in artificial feed-fed group, both of which met the criteria set by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations （FAO）/World Health Organization （WHO）. The content of eicosapentaenoic acid （EPA） ＋ docosahexaenoic acid （DHA） and the content of to-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids （ to-3 PUFAs） of E. prolifera-fed group were significantly higher than those of artificial feed-fed group （ P 〈 0.05 ）. [ Conclusion ] In conclusion, the juvenile S. guttatus in both groups contains a variety of nutritional components. S. guttatus fed with E. prolifera has higher levels of essential amino acids, more balanced composition of polyunsaturated fatty acids, higher nutritive val- ue and better taste than that fed with artificial feed.