Search results for "animal nutrition"
showing 10 items of 24 documents
A possible link between parasite defence and residual reproduction
2007
Life-history theory centres around trade-offs between current and future reproduction, but we have little understanding of how such trade-offs are mediated. We supplementary fed Ural owls (Strix uralensis) during the nestling period and quantified parents' current and future life-history components as well as their physiological health by monitoring haematocrit, leucocyte profile, intra- and extracellular blood parasites. Feeding led to reduced parental effort but did not improve offspring viability, male parasite defence, or parental survival. Intracellular leucocytozoan infection was reduced in fed females which lasted to the following year's reproductive season (carry-over effect), when …
Impact of host nutritional status on infection dynamics and parasite virulence in a bird-malaria system.
2014
10 pages; International audience; Host resources can drive the optimal parasite exploitation strategy by offering a good or a poor environment to pathogens. Hosts living in resource-rich habitats might offer a favourable environment to developing parasites because they provide a wealth of resources. However, hosts living in resource-rich habitats might afford a higher investment into costly immune defences providing an effective barrier against infection. Understanding how parasites can adapt to hosts living in habitats of different quality is a major challenge in the light of the current human-driven environmental changes. We studied the role of nutritional resources as a source of phenoty…
The relative abundance of hemocyte types in a polyphagous moth larva depends on diet.
2016
7 pages; International audience; Hemocytes are crucial cells of the insect immune system because of their involvement in multiple immune responses including coagulation, phagocytosis and encapsulation. There are various types of hemocytes, each having a particular role in immunity, such that variation in their relative abundance affects the outcome of the immune response. This study aims to characterize these various types of hemocytes in larvae of the grapevine pest insect Eupoecilia ambiguella, and to assess variation in their concentration as a function of larval diet and immune challenge. Four types of hemocytes were found in the hemolymph of 5th instar larvae: granulocytes, oenocytoids…
Effect of the inclusion of fresh lemon pulp in the diet of lactating ewes on the properties of milk and cheese
2017
This study investigated the effects of fresh lemon pulp (FLP), as a natural antioxidant in the diet, on the intake of feed and the production of milk and cheese of Valle del Belice lactating ewes during the hot summer in Sicily. A total of 15 second-lambing ewes, kept individually in 3 × 3 m pens, were divided into 3 homogeneous groups fed with 3 diets in a 3 × 3 Latin square design, with 3 experimental phases of 21 days each. The diets were: mixed hay ad libitum plus 600 g/day of concentrate (FLP0); mixed hay ad libitum plus 400 g/day of concentrate and 1 kg/day of FLP (FLP1); and mixed hay ad libitum plus 200 g/day of concentrate and 2 kg/day of FLP (FLP2). Nine experimental Pecorino chee…
Transient postnatal over nutrition induces long-term alterations in cardiac NLRP3-inflammasome pathway.
2018
International audience; Background and aims: The prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate. Altered early nutrition, in particular postnatal overfeeding (PNOF), is a risk factor for impaired cardiac function in adulthood. In the understanding of the initiation or progression of heart diseases, NLRP3 inflammasome and non-coding RNAs have been proposed as key players. In this context, the aim of this study was to decipher the role of NLRP3 inflammasome and its post transcriptional control by micro-RNAs in the regulation of cardiac metabolic function induced by PNOF in mice. Methods and results: Based on a model of mice exposed to PNOF through litter size reduction, we …
Effects of ewes grazing sulla or ryegrass pasture for different daily durations on forage intake, milk production and fatty acid composition of cheese
2016
Sulla (Sulla coronarium L.) forage is valued for its positive impact on ruminant production, in part due to its moderate content of condensed tannin (CT). The duration of daily grazing is a factor affecting the feed intake and milk production of ewes. In this study, the effects of grazing sulla pasture compared with annual ryegrass, and the extension of grazing from 8 to 22 h/day, were evaluated with regard to ewe forage intake and milk production, as well as the physicochemical properties and fatty acid (FA) composition of cheese. During 42 days in the spring, 28 ewes of the Comisana breed were divided into four groups (S8, S22, R8 and R22) that grazed sulla (S) or ryegrass (R) for 8 (0800…
A Novel Micronutrient Blend Mimics Calorie Restriction Transcriptomics in Multiple Tissues of Mice and Increases Lifespan and Mobility in C. elegans
2020
Background: We previously described a novel micronutrient blend that behaves like a putative calorie restriction mimetic. The aim of this paper was to analyze the beneficial effects of our micronutrient blend in mice and C. elegans, and compare them with calorie restriction. Methods: Whole transcriptomic analysis was performed in the brain cortex, skeletal muscle and heart in three groups of mice: old controls (30 months), old + calorie restriction and old + novel micronutrient blend. Longevity and vitality were tested in C. elegans. Results: The micronutrient blend elicited transcriptomic changes in a manner similar to those in the calorie-restricted group and different from those in the c…
trans-C18: 1 Isomers in Cheeses Enriched in Unsaturated Fatty Acids and Manufactured with Different Milk Fat Globule Sizes
2008
International audience; Increasing the knowledge on dietary fat composition, mainly the minor components, will improve the nutritional value of foods and their labeling. In this study, we examined the trans-octadecenoic acid (C18:1) composition of Emmental cheeses enriched in unsaturated fatty acids (FA) and manufactured with milks produced by cows selected to produce small and large fat globules. The FA composition of the milks was not significantly (P > 0.05) different from the FA composition of the corresponding Emmental cheeses. Increasing the unsaturated FA content of the cheeses using dietary manipulations lead to an increase in the trans-C18:1 and changed their isomeric profiles. In …
Digestion of bamboo compared to grass and lucerne in a small hindgut fermenting herbivore, the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus)
2022
Bamboo is an enigmatic forage, representing a niche food for pandas and bamboo lemurs. Bamboo might not represent a suitable forage for herbivores relying on fermentative digestion, potentially due to its low fermentability. To test this hypothesis, guinea pigs (n = 36) were used as model species and fed ad libitum with one of three forages (bamboo, lucerne, or timothy grass) in a fresh or dried state, with six individuals per group, for 3 weeks. The nutrient composition and in vitro fermentation profile of bamboo displayed low fermentation potential, i.e. high lignin and silica levels together with a gas production (Hohenheim gas test) at 12 h of only 36% of that of lucerne and grass. Alth…
Dietary administration effects of exopolysaccharide from potential probiotic strains on immune and antioxidant status and nutritional value of Europe…
2020
The use of biological immunostimulants is considered a valuable practice to improve culture conditions in aquaculture sector that may help to increase production and maintain healthy environment. We undertook this study in order to evaluate the potential effect of the administration of two exopolysaccharides (EPS) "EPLB" and "EPB" derived from potential probiotic strains on immune and antioxidant status of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) larvae. In order to find out if the EPSs have an effect on the biochemical composition during the trial period, the nutritional value has been evaluated. The results revealed that expression levels of immune-relevant genes (infg, Il1b, Il8, Il6 …