Effects of temperature and particle size on the thermophysical properties of six plant-origin protein supplements

Reasonable design of the parameters of thermal processing such as conditioning and cooling according to formula changes of pelleted feeds has always been a serious challenge for Chinese feed mills and feed equipment manufacturers. Studying the thermophysical properties of different protein feeds under different temperatures and particle sizes will facilitate the equipment design, parameter optimization, and simulation for the thermal processing of pelleted feeds. In this study, the specific heat (Cp), thermal conductivity (kb), and thermal diffusivity (α) of six plant protein supplements with three particle sizes were determined over a temperature range of 25℃-100℃. The differences in Cp, kb, and α among different feedstuffs and particle sizes were analyzed and the influences of temperature and particle size on these properties were evaluated. Results showed that the Cp, kb, and α of all the feedstuffs increased with increasing temperature and varied from 1.622 to 2.417 kJ/(kg∙℃), 0.080 to 0.362 W/(m∙℃), 6.379×10^(-8) to 21.984×10^(-8) m^(2)/s, respectively. To rise to the same temperature, the distiller’s dried grain with solubles (DDGS) needed to absorb 3% more heat than that required for soybean meal (SBM), while the rest four feedstuffs just needed to absorb 93%-98% heat for SBM. Particle size had no significant effect on Cp for all the feedstuffs (p>0.05). However, descending trends in kb and α were observed with increasing particle size for a certain feedstuff at the same bulk density. In addition, regression equations with only statistically significant terms were developed to describe Cp, kb, and α as a function of temperature and particle size for six feedstuffs. The results can provide basic theory and data for the optimization of thermal processing parameters required for the plant-protein ingredient change in compound feed formulations.

Estimation of Digestible Energy Values of Plant Protein Supplement in Pig

[Objective] The aim of the study was to establish the effective and accurate formulas for estimating the digestible energy （DE） values of plant protein supplement in pig. [Method] By difference method with different amount of alternative feeds （20% -50%）, two4 x4 Latin- square-designed trials were taken on eight castrated male pigs [ Yorkshire x Landrace x Neijiang pig, initial body-weight： （46 ±2） kg ] to deter- mine the apparent digestible energy （ADE） of the eight kinds of plant protein supplement commonly used in China, that is, corn gluten meal （sol.）, soybean meal （ sol. ）, fababean, pea, rapeseed meal （ sol. ）, sesame meal （ sol. ）, rapeseed meal （ exp. ） and cotton seed meal （sol.）. [Resultl （1） Fiber was the most important factor to estimate the ADE of plant protein supplement in pigs, and ADF was the best one. （2） The most effective equations were as below： （ 1 ） OE （kJ/kg DM） = 14 741.86 - 185.01ADF＋54.01SCHO＋22.45CP （ R =0.988,RSD= 67.9,P〈0.01 ） ; （2） DE （kJ/kg DM） =22 223.26 -209.58ADF＋26.79SCHO-1.09GE （ Ff =0.989,RSD=66.9, P〈0.01 ） . [Conclusion] The accurate, practical and specific regression equations were established for DE prediction of plant protein supplement in pig.

Effect of Rice Bran Quality and Protein Supplement, Base Mix, and/or Soybean Meal on Growing Pig Performance in Cambodia

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of rice bran quality and dietary supplement source on growing pig performance. A total of 60 castrated male pigs (Yorkshire × Duroc, initially 16.1 kg) were used for 52-day trial. Pigs were allotted to pens in a completely randomized design (4 pigs per pen) and assigned to four dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial with factors being rice bran source (high or low-quality) and source of protein, vitamins, and minerals (supplement or soybean meal and base mix). Analyzed protein and fat level for the high- and low-quality rice bran was 11.07% and 5.86% and 11.20% and 4.50%, respectively. Crude fiber content for high- and low-quality rice bran was 13.44% and 27.79%. Diets were formulated in two phases (phase 1: 16 to 27 and phase 2: 27 to 48 kg) to adjust to the pig’s nutrient requirements. There was no evidence for an interaction (P > 0.05) between rice bran quality × supplement type or main effect of supplement type (soybean meal + base mix vs protein supplement) for final body weight, average daily gain (ADG), average daily feed intake (ADFI), and feed efficiency (F/G). However, pigs fed high-quality rice bran had improved (P < 0.001) ADG and F/G and lower ADFI compared to pigs fed low protein rice bran. In conclusion, rice bran quality as measured by protein, crude fiber, and fat influenced growing pig performance, while the type of dietary protein supplement did not. Additionally, rice bran with high protein, fat, and low fiber improved ADG and F/G.

Sarcopenia in heart failure： mechanisms and therapeutic strategies

Chronic heart failure （CHF） is a highly prevalent condition among the elderly and is associated with considerable morbidity, institution-alization and mortality. In its advanced stages, CHF is often accompanied by the loss of muscle mass and strength. Sarcopenia is a geriatric syndrome that has been actively studied in recent years due to its association with a wide range of adverse health outcomes. The goal of this review is to discuss the relationship between CHF and sarcopenia, with a focus on shared pathophysiological pathways and treatments. Mal- nutrition, systemic inflammation, endocrine imbalances, and oxidative stress appear to connect sarcopenia and CHF. At the muscular level, alterations of the ubiquitin proteasome system, myostatin signaling, and apoptosis have been described in both sarcopenia and CHF and could play a role in the loss of muscle mass and function. Possible therapeutic strategies to impede the progression of muscle wasting in CHF patients include protein and vitamin D supplementation, structured physical exercise, and the administration of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and β-blockers. Hormonal supplementation with growth hormone, testosterone, and ghrelin is also discussed as a potential treatment.

Evaluation of nutritive value and in vitro rumen fermentation gas accumulation of de-oiled algal residues

Background：Algae are widely recognized for their high oil content and for exponentially accumulating biomass with particular potential to provide single cell protein for human consumption or animal feed.It is believed that along with biodiesel from algae,the high protein de-oiled algal residue may become an alternative feed supplement option in the future.This study was conducted to investigate de-oiled algal residue obtained from the common Chlorella species,Thalassiosira weissflogii,Selenarstrum capricornutum,Scenedesmus sp.,and Scenedesmus dimorphus for assessment as potential feed supplements for ruminants by comparing with soybean（Glycine max） meal and alfalfa（Medicago sativa） hay.Results：With the exception of T.weissflogii,algal residue had higher concentrations of Cu,Zn,and Mn and lower concentration of Ca,Mg,and K than soybean meal and alfalfa hay.The algal residue CP（crude protein）concentrations ranged from 140 to 445 g/kg DM and varied among the de-oiled residues.In vitro rumen fermentation gas accumulation curves indicated that algal biomass degradation potential was less than that of soybean meal or alfalfa hay by up to 41.7%.The gas production curve,interpreted with a dual pool logistic model,confirmed that the fraction sizes for fast fermenting and slow fermenting of de-oiled algal residues were smaller than those in soybean meal and alfalfa hay,and the fermenting rate of the fractions was also low.Conclusions：Inferior in vitro rumen gas accumulation from the five de-oiled algal residues suggests that these algal byproducts are less degradable in the rumen.

Post-operative protein supplementation following orthopaedic surgery: A systematic review

Decreased mechanical loading after orthopaedic surgery predisposes patients to develop muscle atrophy.The purpose of this review was to assess whether the evidence supports oral protein supplementation can help decrease postoperative muscle atrophy and/or improve patient outcomes following orthopaedic surgery.A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and MetaAnalysis(PRISMA).PubMed(MEDLINE),Embase,Scopus,and Web of Science were searched for randomized controlled trials that assessed protein or amino acid supplementation in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery.Two investigators independently conducted the search using relevant Boolean operations.Primary outcomes included functional or physiologic measures of muscle atrophy or strength.Fourteen studies including 611 patients(224 males,387 females)were analyzed.Three studies evaluated protein supplementation after ACL reconstruction(ACLR),3 after total hip arthroplasty(THA),5 after total knee arthroplasty(TKA),and 3 after surgical treatment of hip fracture.Protein supplementation showed beneficial effects across all types of surgery.The primary benefit was a decrease in muscle atrophy compared to placebo as measured by muscle cross sectional area.Multiple authors also demonstrated improved functional measures and quicker achievement of rehabilitation benchmarks.Protein supplementation has beneficial effects on mitigating muscle atrophy in the postoperative period following ACLR,THA,TKA,and surgical treatment of hip fracture.These effects often correlate with improved functional measures and quicker achievement of rehabilitation benchmarks.Further research is needed to evaluate long-term effects of protein supplementation and to establish standardized population-specific regimens that maximize treatment efficacy in the postoperative period.