Growing societal concern about food quality and health has increased the demand for reliable information on food origin, influencing dietary choices. Although fish is widely recognized as a healthy protein source, per capita consumption in Brazil (9 kg year-1) and particularly in Rio Grande do Sul (3.36 kg year-1), remains below the minimum recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization (14 kg year-1). Public dissemination of information plays a key role in shaping consumer behavior and may influence changes in fish consumption. This study analyzed 11,757 articles published over a ten-year period in Zero Hora, the largest newspaper in Rio Grande do Sul, identifying 254 articles related to fish consumption. Despite a general decline in the total number of published articles, the relative frequency of fish-related content increased, indicating growing relevance of the topic. This trend appears to be associated with increased attention to healthy diets and improved fish availability linked to the expansion of aquaculture in Brazil. Sushi emerged as a recurrent term, reflecting the popularity of oriental cuisine in southern Brazil. Peaks in coverage occurred between March and April, coinciding with Holy Week and Easter, periods of strong cultural influence in the region.
This study aimed to determine the mineral and fatty acid profiles in pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) spine and head broth raised in fish farms in the state of Rondônia, Brazil. A total of 12 pirarucu (8.1–11 kg) were analyzed, with head and spine samples collected. Processing included weighing, evisceration, and freeze-drying. Minerals were quantified using spectroscopy, and results compared to WHO intake recommendations. Lipid analysis used gas chromatography to determine fatty acid profiles, evaluating nutritional quality through indices like atherogenicity, thrombogenicity, and hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratios. Pirarucu head and spine showed high mineral content, including iron (40.1–90.3 mg 100 g-1), calcium (400.9 mg 100 g-1), and magnesium (406.0 mg 100 g-1). Fatty acid analysis revealed 54.69% SFAs and 39.95% UFAs, including EPA (1.09%) and DHA (0.17%). Lipid quality indices included AI (1.00), TI (1.98), and n-6/n-3 ratio (4.34). Pirarucu spine and head are rich in essential minerals and polyunsaturated fatty acids like EPA and DHA, promoting heart health. The study advocates for consuming pirarucu broth and developing new food products for health-conscious, sustainable consumers.
The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is a major aquaculture shellfish worldwide and plays a fundamental economic role in oyster farming in Brazil. Despite a decade-long selection and breeding process, the genetic diversity of Pacific oysters in this farming system has not yet been investigated. Artificial fertilization methods (gamete pools) can directly influence genetic variability, compromising the sustainability of breeding programs. We examined the genetic diversity of the parents (25 males and 25 females from the Laboratory of Marine Mollusks, LMM/UFSC) and 85 offspring from gamete pools using microsatellite markers. The mean expected and observed heterozygosity were 0.64 and 0.49 for parents, and 0.56 and 0.62 for offspring, respectively. The mean allelic richness was 6.97 for parents and 6.53 for offspring. The pairwise relationships between breeders demonstrated that 18.6% presented some degree of kinship. The kinship assignment showed that 60% of the males and 76% of the females were potential parents of the 85 offspring. Although the genetic diversity values were similar to those of other oyster farms, kinship analysis indicated that many parents were genetically related, which may have compromised the genetic viability of this breeding program.
The increasing demand for high-quality sheep meat has driven the adoption of nutritional and genetic strategies to improve productive performance. The semi-intensive system, which combines grazing and supplementation, is an efficient alternative to increasing productivity. This study evaluated the impact of diets with different roughage-to-concentrate ratios on the performance of two sheep genotypes (Santa Inês and crossbred sheep – SRD) raised in a semi-intensive system. Two diets with different roughage-to-concentrate (R:C) ratios (70:30 and 30:70) were tested in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The R:C ratio affected dry matter intake (DMI), nutrient intake, and animal performance. Animals fed diets with higher concentrate levels showed increased weight gain and feed efficiency, while roughage-rich diets favored rumen health but reduced DMI due to their higher fiber content. Santa Inês sheep consumed more nutrients and performed better than SRD animals, especially on high-concentrate diets. SRD sheep had lower-than-recommended DMI, which negatively impacted nutrient intake and weight gain. The study highlights the importance of the interaction between genotype and diet, emphasizing the need for nutritional strategies tailored to genetic potential to enhance efficiency and sustainability in sheep production.
This study evaluated the impacts of using recycled cardboard as a total or partial replacement for conventional rice straw bedding in the rearing of broiler quail. A total of 750 male and female quail (14 days of age) were used, distributed into three bedding treatments: (i) chopped cardboard, (ii) a mixture of cardboard and rice straw, and (iii) rice straw. Each experimental unit consisted of a pen containing 50 birds, with 5 replicates per treatment. The results showed that bedding material had no significant effect on feed intake or feed conversion ratio. However, cardboard bedding resulted in a lower incidence of footpad lesions and higher intestinal villus height, suggesting potential health benefits for birds. Infestation by lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) was significantly lower in the cardboard group, likely due to its non-compact structure. Economic analysis revealed that the cost of cardboard was considerably lower than that of rice straw, making it a cost-effective alternative for rearing broiler quail. Overall, the use of recycled cardboard as bedding for broiler quail is a viable and sustainable option, offering comparable performance to traditional materials while improving bird health, reducing parasite infestation, and lowering production costs.
Cancer is a global health problem and the second-leading cause of death worldwide. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are used in a wide range of medical fields, particularly in cancer diagnosis and treatment, therapy, and anti-inflammation. However, the question that always arises is whether GNPs affect normal, healthy cells when used as treatment. Therefore, GNPs were used in this research to treat muscle and brain cancer and to demonstrate its effect on tissues in living organs in healthy mice. The objectives were to determine the efficiency of GNPs in killing cancer cells through cytotoxicity assay, examine the effect of GNPs on different healthy organ tissues, and show the influence of different GNP concentrations, cell types, and incubation times through in vitro experiments. Two cell lines, AMGM (brain cancer cell line) and RD (muscle cancer cell line), at different concentrations (4.5×1012 – 6×1010 particles mL-1) with two incubation periods (24 and 72h) were used in this study. Ten adult male albino mice were randomly distributed into two groups. The experiment was extended for 10 days to study the effect of a single dose of 250 µl of GNPs (4.5×1012 particles mL-1) administered through intraperitoneal injection by examining the histological changes of the liver, kidney, and spleen of the mice. In the cytotoxicity experiment, high GNP concentrations had the greatest effect at 24h, and the RD cell line was more sensitive than the AMGM cell line at 72h. Histological tests of the mouse organs revealed different changes such as severe hepatic granulomas, renal apoptosis, amyloidosis of spleen tissues, and inflammation with fibrosis of intestinal tissues. GNPs are an influential factor in cancer therapy, and their effects vary with cell line type, exposure time, and dose. They also cause histological harm (fibrosis, inflammation, and apoptosis) on vital organs.
This study was done to assess the effects of dietary Dill (Anethum graviolens L.) inclusion on growth performance, carcass characteristics, some blood metabolites, ileal micro-flora, humoral immunity, and immune-related gene expression in broilers. This experiment arranged by using a total of 600 day-old Ross-308 broilers with 5 treatments, 6 replicates as 20 birds per replicate. Treatments included: basal diet contained 1% dill plant powder, basal diet contained 2% dill plant powder, and basal diet contained 3% dill plant powder, basal diet, basal diet + Lincomycin (0.05%, positive control). The results indicated that during the whole period of the experiment (1-42 day), dietary dill powder inclusion at the levels of 1 or 2 percent increased body weight gain of the broilers (p<0.05). Production efficiency index of the broilers fed with 2 percent dill powder was higher than the control group (p<0.05). The birds consumed 2 percent dill powder had higher ileal Lactobacillus population (p<0.05). Feeding the birds by 2 or 3 percent dill caused to decrease ileal Escheriashia-Coli count of the broilers (p<0.05). In conclusion, using 2% dill powder in broilers diet could improve growth performance and intestinal micro-flora without any adverse effect on the birds’ carcass traits.
The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of inclusion of essential oil of Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) in rumen fermentation parameters, nutrients digestibility and nitrogen balance in lambs feeding. The treatments were: negative control or CN (no additives); positive control or MON (addition of 25 mg of monensin kg-1 of dry matter); and 1.25, 2.5 and 3.75 mL essential oil kg-1 of diet as feed. Thirty crossbred Dorper x Santa Ines lamb cannulated in the rumen with 59.66 ± 10.03 kg of body weight (BW) were allocated into randomized complete blocks design with five replicates per treatment. Based on the total data of collections, the treatment 1.25 mL of essential oil of lemon grass was able to positively manipulate ruminal fermentation in which it was observed higher concentration of total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA), higher concentrations of acetate and propionate -together with lower acetate/propionate ratio, but with higher methane concentration. The treatments did not influence dry matter intake, but the its digestibility. Organic matter and ether extract were higher for the three doses of essential oil of lemon grass compared to the CN and MON treatments, respectively. The lemon grass essential oil did not affect the nitrogen balance in sheep. Thus, it is concluded that the best dosage was 1.25 mL in terms of total SCFA, propionate and decreased acetate/propionate ratio, however, these same treatments can be evaluated in sheep performance and thus ensure the best dose of this essential oil so that it can have a better feed efficiency in sheep.
We aimed to evaluate the effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization in tropical pastures and yeast culture (YC) supplementation on intake and digestibility, N use efficiency, and growth performance of Nellore young bulls during their growing phase. Treatments: 1) protein–energy supplementation at 0.3% body weight (BW) with YC (fertilized pasture 100 kg N ha-1 year-1), 2) protein–energy supplementation at 0.3% BW without YC (fertilized pasture 100 kg N-1 ha-1 year), 3) protein–energy supplementation at 0.3% BW with YC (unfertilized pasture), and 4) protein–energy supplementation at 0.3% BW without YC (unfertilized pasture). The experiment lasted 112 days and involved 60 Nellore young bulls (initial BW: 230 ± 10 kg) in a completely randomized design in a 2×2 factorial arrangement (Factor A: with/without fertilization; Factor B: with/without YC supplementation). Animals fed YC-supplemented diets consumed 145 g day-1 more crude protein, showed an additional average daily weight gain of 130 g day-1, and retained 20.4% more N (p<0.005) than animals fed diets without YC. Protein–energy supplementation at 0.3% of BW with YC addition effectively increased N retention in grazing Nellore young bulls and improved their growth performance. N fertilization in tropical pasture-based beef cattle systems, improved forage digestibility and animal production per unit area.
Fish are highly susceptible to water pollution due to their direct exposure to contaminants. Chemical pollutants of rivers, such as toxic chemicals, heavy metals, pesticides, oil spills, excessive nutrients and industrial effluents, can have pathophysiological effects on fish populations and their habitats. The present study evaluated inflammatory cytokines, molecular stress factors and oxidative DNA damage markers of female catfish captured from different fishing sites of Ureje river in Ado Ekiti. Sixty matured female African catfish, Clarias gariepinus were caught with nets by fishermen from an Earthen Pond, and different fishing points of Ureje river as it flows through the metropolis (waterworks, Ajebamidele, Emirin, Erinfun and Aduloju fishing locations) Blood samples were collected and serum obtained for analysis. The result showed that 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) of female catfish from the Waterworks, Ajebamidele, Emirin, Erinfun and Aduloju fishing points were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those from the Earthen Pond. Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-kB) of female catfish were significantly (p<0.05) higher in fishing points than those at the Ureje reservoir (waterworks) and earthen pond. The Transforming growth factor beta 1 and Interleukin 6 of catfish from Water Works and Earthen Pond were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those from Emirin, Erinfun, Ajebamidele, and Aduloju fishing points. The Heat shock protein 70, Tumor necrosis factor α, Interferon γ, Interleukin 10 and Immunoglobulin M were higher in catfish from the Earthen Pond. In conclusion, this study revealed that fishes captured from fishing points far away from Ureje reservoir within Ado Metropolis are prone to oxidative DNA damage and abberations occasioned by higher 8-OHdG and NF-kB, while higher stocking density of earthen ponds perturb the inflammatory cytokines of female African catfish.
This study was designed to examine sexual dimorphism for economic traits in pigs. A total of 80 grower pigs averaging 4 weeks of age were randomly allotted into 2 groups with 4 replicates, each comprising of 10 pigs, in a Completely Randomized Design. Data were collected from the 6th to 18th week of age. Body weight gain (BWG) and feed intakes (FI) were measured. Morphometric and carcass characteristics measured includes: Body Length (BL), Ham Length (HL), Ear Length (EL), Shank Length (SL) Ham Weight (HW), Head weight (Hw), Neck weight (NW), liver weight (LW), heart weight (Hw) and Offals weight (OW). Male animals displayed significantly higher (p<0.05) body weight (19.75±0.65 compared to 16.39±0.52), final body measurements of body length (86.50±1.10 and 81.03±1.10) and body girth (72.50±0.87 and 70.45±2.11), and a feed conversion ratio of 6.70±0.26 compared to 7.78±0.45, except for weeks 8 and 10 of the study. The ham length was significantly different (p<0.05) at 6 (20.15 vs 18.85), 8 (22.17 vs 21.17), 14 (25.80 vs 24.30), 16 (26.20 vs 22.28), and 18 weeks (25.89 vs 24.65) for males versus females, respectively. A similar trend was observed for shank length, tail length, neck weight, and offal weight. This study concludes that sexual dimorphism exist for the traits measured with males having better body weight gain, carcass traits, and other morphometric traits in commercial pig population. This could possibly guide consumers and pig producers in selection of pigs for important economic traits in pigs with reference to gender.
Conventional bovine milk contains both A1 and A2 β-caseins, with A1 being associated with dietary dysfunctions. Consequently, A2 milk and plant-based beverages have gained prominence. This study aimed to analyse consumption trends of bovine milk and plant-based beverages, as well as the acceptance of A2 milk and its implications for the dairy sector. An online questionnaire was disseminated via digital platforms over a 15-day period, resulting in 145 valid responses. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA), using Ward’s method, identified three clusters, which were characterised using descriptive statistics. Most participants were female, aged between 20 and 29 years, and held higher education qualifications. Bovine milk consumption predominated in clusters 1 and 2, whereas cluster 3 exhibited the lowest consumption, correlating with a higher incidence of dietary dysfunctions following consumption. Awareness of A2 milk remains limited, and 22% of participants indicated a tendency to substitute conventional milk with plant-based beverages in cases of dietary dysfunctions. It is concluded that knowledge about A2 milk and its availability in the market are limited, which encourages its replacement by plant-based beverages. However, when price is not a factor, consumers show a preference for A2 milk.
Aquaculture is an essential productive activity in food security, economy, and the sustainability of water resources globally. The study analyzes the application of artificial intelligence techniques in aquaculture on the American continent through a systematic review of 31 articles published between 2020 and 2024 in the Scopus and SciELO databases. Five key areas of application were identified: monitoring and control, organism identification and counting, biomass and mortality rate prediction, behavioral analysis, and production optimization. The most commonly used techniques include machine learning, deep learning, artificial vision, and genetic algorithms, with models such as Convolutional Neural Networks, Random Forest, and YOLO standing out, demonstrating high accuracy in aquaculture processes. However, research has focused mainly on fish, while other organisms, such as shellfish and shrimp, have received less attention. In addition, adopting these technologies faces challenges related to infrastructure, data availability, and staff training. It is concluded that the integration of AI in aquaculture has a high potential to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the sector. However, it is necessary to expand the study to other species and strengthen technological accessibility for small and medium-sized producers.
The objective of this scientometric study was to evaluate the global trends and characteristics of research published with native horses from 1920 to July 24, 2024. In total, after screening, 274 articles were considered for scientometric analyses. The data was collected in Scopus and analyzed in the RStudio software, “Bibliometrix” was used to calculate the basic bibliometric characteristics, present the collaboration conditions of countries and authors, and generate a three-field graph to show the relationships between authors, affiliations, and most cited articles based on total global and local citations and keywords. The VOSviewer was used for country and institution co-authorship analysis, bibliometric coupling, and keyword co-occurrence analysis. During this time period, the annual growth rate of articles was 2.02%, with an average of 9.57 citations. The articles have an average age of 10.80 years and contain 7795 references. A total of 839 additional keywords. The documents were written by 1333 authors, with an average of 6.07 co-authors per document and 26.28% international co-authorship. The scientific community has shown a great interest in understanding the origin, genetic variability and conservation needs of native horses, using advanced molecular tools and promoting international collaboration.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the ingestive behavior of calves born to Nellore cows subjected to protein supplementation during the middle third of gestation. In phase I, 20 cows were used, and the study spanned the entire middle third of gestation. The cows were divided into two groups: supplemented and unsupplemented. The supplement contained 40% CP and 78% TDN, provided at 0.5 kg animal-1 day-1 to maintain a BCS between 5 and 6. Phase II began after calving and ended at 240 days postpartum. Ingestive behavior was evaluated for 24h on the 120th day of life, with observations made every five minutes. Data were statistically interpreted through analysis of variance and the F-test at a significance level of 0.05, in a completely randomized design, using the SAEG statistical software. Supplementation had no effect on the ingestive behavior of the calves. Discrete bouts and rumination parameters showed no differences; however, among the bite-related variables, biting rate and number of bites per day differed statistically. Protein supplementation during the middle third of gestation did not influence calf ingestive behavior, except for bite-related variables.
Sheep meat, especially from adult animals, is high in saturated fatty acids due to extensive biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids in their diet. This study explored how feeding sheep flaxseed could increase beneficial fatty acids in the meat and addresses a gap in the literature regarding the fatty acid profile of fresh sausages made from flaxseed-fed sheep meat. Fresh mixed sausage formulations were created with varying proportions of sheep and pork meat (100:0; 90:10; 80:20; 70:30, sheep:pork), with sheep fed a diet containing 15% flaxseed for 30, 45, and 60 days. The main fatty acids identified were oleic acid (C18:1 ω9c), palmitic acid (C16:0), and stearic acid (C18:0). The proportion of sheep meat did not significantly affect the fatty acid content of the sausages. However, sausages made with sheep meat from those fed flaxseeds for longer periods had higher levels of linolenic acid (C18:3 ω3) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA, C18:2C9T11), along with a reduced ω6/ω3 ratio (4:1). TGA and DSC analyses showed lower stability and melting temperatures of fat from sausages with longer flaxseed feeding. Flaxseed inclusion in sheep diets resulted in a final product with higher nutritional value.
The Crab-eating raccoon (Procyon cancrivorus) is widely distributed in Brazil's diverse ecosystems. This case report describes the treatment and rehabilitation of a 6.8 kg male Procyon cancrivorus with severe polytrauma, including fractures in both pelvic limbs, following a ballistic injury. Physical examination revealed body score condition score of one out of nine, significant bruising, lacerations, hypocolored and dehydrated mucous membranes, and muscle atrophy. The animal presented anemia and leukocytosis. Radiographs revealed oblique and comminuted fractures in the proximal and middle diaphysis regions of the femur, and metallic foreign body in the right femur and cervical region at the level of C1. Surgical intervention was performed under general anesthesia, using a combination of propofol, midazolam, and sevoflurane, with epidural anesthesia for pain management. Osteosynthesis involved the application of a 2.7 mm bridge plate and locking screws to the right femur, and cerclage wires and a plate to the left femur. Postoperative care included antibiotics, analgesics, and anti-inflammatory medications. Suture dehiscence and infection occurred at 42 days post-surgery, requiring additional wound care and antibiotic treatment. Bacteriology identified multidrug-resistant Enterococcus sp. and Enterobacter cloacae. The anesthetic combination and epidural anesthesia, along with the osteosynthesis technique, confirmed efficacy in recovery and rehabilitation.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance and metabolic parameters of crossbred lactating cows under intermittent grazing on Megathyrsus maximum cv. Mombaça with protein supplementation in three different proportions. Twelve lactating crossbred multiparous cows, grouped in randomized blocks, received supplementation in three proportions of crude protein (CP): 9, 15 and 21% DM in the concentrate, for 60 days. Milk yield, fat, protein, casein, lactose, defatted dry extract and total solids content were not influenced (p>0.05) by the crude protein content of the concentrates. Milk yield corrected for 4% fat, linearly decreased (p<0.05) with the increase in CP content of the concentrates. Values of urea and urea nitrogen in plasma were higher for treatments with 15 and 21% CP. The values of albumins, globulins, hemoglobin, and total proteins were not influenced (p>0.05) by the crude protein levels. It is concluded that the increase in crude protein levels in the concentrate in the diet of lactating cows grazing on Mombaça grass influences productive and metabolic parameters. It is recommended a level of 9% Crude Protein.
This study aims to estimate the nutrient digestibility, performance and serum metabolites of sheep fed guinea grass silage supplemented with shrimp waste meal (SWM). A total of sixteen West African Dwarf male sheep of 18 months old, with average weight of 20.25±0.08 kg were randomly assigned according to weight into four treatments, with four sheep per treatment in a completely randomized design, (T1 – 100% silage + 0% SWM, T2 – 95% silage + 5% SWM, T3 – 90% silage + 10% SWM and T4 – 85% silage + 15% SWM). Data on growth performance, nutrient digestibility and serum metabolites were taken. Analysis of variance at p<0.05 was used for data analysis and Duncan Multiple Range Test for mean separation. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in the crude protein digestibility (90.02%) at 15% inclusion of shrimp waste. Total weight gain and total feed intake were higher in sheep fed 10% of SWM compared to others. Higher total protein, albumin and urea were observed in sheep fed diet with 0% SWM and 10% SWM. It was concluded from this study that growth performance, digestibility and serum metabolites were best and without any adverse effect, when silage was supplemented with shrimp waste at 10% inclusion.
Broiler production in the tropics faces challenges from harmful residual effects of synthetic antibiotics and excessive fat accumulation. This study hypothesized that combining phytogenic products, like olive-garlic extract oil (OGEO), could enhance broiler health and lipid metabolism due to their bioactive compounds. The effects of OGEO supplementation on serum chemistry, lipid profile, and oxidative status were investigated using 240 Ross broilers assigned to four treatments: a control diet (no OGEO) and diets supplemented with 1% (10 g kg-1), 3% (30 g kg-1), and 5% (50 g kg-1) OGEO. Each treatment consisted of six replicates with ten birds each. Blood samples were collected for Serum and lipid analysis on days 21 and 42 and oxidative status was assessed on day 42. Data were analysed using SAS Institute Inc. (2000). At day 21, 5% OGEO increased serum total protein (TP) (linear, p = 0.003) and globulin (linear, p = 0.002). By day 42, 5% OGEO improved TP, albumin, and reduced cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased with 5% OGEO, while meat cholesterol and triglycerides decreased. Malondialdehyde (MDA), an oxidative stress marker, was reduced in blood and meat at 1, 3, and 5% OGEO. The study concludes that 5% OGEO supplementation improves serum TP, reduces cholesterol, and enhances lipid profile and oxidative stability in broilers.
