Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: A. Pechova Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: L. Pavlata Author-Workplace-Name: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic Title: Chromium as an essential nutrient: a review Abstract: Chromium (Cr) has been studied since the end of the 19th century, when carcinogenic effects of hexavalent Cr were discovered. Essentiality of trivalent Cr was demonstrated in 1959; Cr3+ has been studied in humans and laboratory animals since the 1970s and it is only since the 1990s that Cr has been studied as an essential element in livestock animals with the same intensity. Trivalent chromium is essential to normal carbohydrate, lipid and protein metabolism. Chromium is biologically active as part of an oligopeptide - chromodulin - potentiating the effect of insulin by facilitating insulin binding to receptors at the cell surface. With chromium acting as a cofactor of insulin, Cr activity in the organism is parallel to insulin functions. Cr absorption is low, ranging between 0.4 and 2.0% for inorganic compounds while the availability of organic Cr is more than 10 times higher. Absorbed Cr circulates in blood bound to the β-globulin plasma fraction and is transported to tissues bound to transferrin. Absorbed Cr is excreted primarily in urine, by glomerular filtration; a small amount is excreted through perspiration, bile and in milk. The demand for Cr has been growing as a result of factors commonly referred to as stressors, especially during different forms of nutritional, metabolic and physical strain. This review describes Cr metabolism, the different biological functions of Cr and symptoms of Cr deficiency. Keywords: microelements, metabolism, blood, insulin, cortisol Journal: Veterinární medicína Pages: 1-18 Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2010-VETMED File-URL: http://vetmed.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2010-VETMED.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/vet-200701-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlvet:v:52:y:2007:i:1:id:2010-VETMED Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: R. Simersky Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Experimental Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Swaczynova Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Experimental Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Name: D.A. Morris Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Experimental Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Franek Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic. Author-Name: M. Strnad Author-Workplace-Name: Laboratory of Growth Regulators, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Experimental Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Olomouc, Czech Republic Title: Development of an ELISA-based kit for the on-farm determination of progesterone in milk Abstract: Effective reproductive management is a crucial concern in the dairy industry and missed oestrus and late recognition of unsuccessful insemination can lead to substantial financial loss. Progesterone levels change in a predictable manner with progress of the oestrus cycle and with the onset of pregnancy. We report here the development of a simple ELISA test for the measurement of progesterone levels in bovine milk. The method is based on the use of polyclonal antibodies raised against 11α-hydroxyprogesterone-hemisuccinate and competition for antibody binding sites between free progesterone and horseradish peroxidase-labelled progesterone. Binding is quantified by means of the colour reaction between horseradish peroxidase and 3,3',5,5'-tetramethylbenzidine. The method has proved to be a cost effective, sensitive and easy to perform alternative to currently available methods of oestrus and pregnancy detection. The practical feasibility of the method has been proven under dairy farm conditions. Keywords: bovine milk, ELISA, oestrus, progesterone, reproduction Journal: Veterinární medicína Pages: 19-28 Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2009-VETMED File-URL: http://vetmed.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2009-VETMED.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/vet-200701-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlvet:v:52:y:2007:i:1:id:2009-VETMED Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Z. Zraly Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: B. Pisarikova Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Trckova Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: I. Herzig Author-Workplace-Name: Veterinary Research Institute, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Juzl Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Simeonovova Author-Workplace-Name: Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Brno, Czech Republic Title: The effect of white lupine on the performance, health, carcass characteristics and meat quality of market pigs Abstract: The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of diets for market pigs with 20% inclusion of lupine seeds, cv. Amiga, on the performance, health status, carcass characteristics, fatty acids (FA) profile of meat lipids and nutritional and sensory parameters of meat. Another purpose was to increase the nutritional value of a cereal-lupine diet (E1) by supplementation with lysine, methionine, threonine (E2) or fat (E3) and to perform a comparison with control diets containing animal protein (C1) or soy (C2). The experiments were performed on 50 pigs (50% males, 50% females) with initial body weights of 35.6 ± 2.2 kg, fed isonitrogenic and isoenergetic diets partly ad libitum for 90 days. Feed intake was not adversely affected by lupine inclusion. The daily body weight gain (BWG) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in group E3 in comparison with the cereal-lupine diet group (E1) and the other groups by 12.6 to 15.9% during the initial 30 days of experiment. The highest BWG (0.88 ± 0.07 kg/kg) during the entire experimental period was obtained with the fat containing diet (E3); that was non-significantly higher by 2.3 to 10.0% in comparison with the other diets. The feed conversion rate was reduced in groups E3 and E2 (2.55 and 2.58 kg/kg BWG) by 3.1 to 7.6% in comparison with groups C1, C2 and E1. No adverse effect of the lupine containing diet was observed on the carcass characteristics or the nutritional quality of the meat. Optimum content of linolenic acid in lupine seeds had a favourable effect on n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated FA ratio in meat lipids of group E3 in comparison with groups C1 and E1 (P < 0.05). By sensory meat analysis, significantly better characteristics were found for texture, juiciness (P < 0.01, P < 0.05) and taste in E3 in comparison with groups C1, C2 and E1. The obtained results indicate that animal and soy protein may be replaced with lupine, tested in the present study, in case a diet is supplemented with amino acids and fat. Keywords: L. albus cv. Amiga, pig growth, feed conversion, pork, fatty acids profile, sensory properties Journal: Veterinární medicína Pages: 29-41 Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2008-VETMED File-URL: http://vetmed.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2008-VETMED.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/vet-200701-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlvet:v:52:y:2007:i:1:id:2008-VETMED Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Travnicek Author-Name: L. Pisek Author-Name: I. Herzig Author-Name: J. Doucha Author-Name: J. Kvicala Author-Name: V. Kroupova Author-Name: H. Rodinova Title: Selenium content in the blood serum and urine of ewes receiving selenium-enriched unicellular alga Chlorella Abstract: The effect of selenium supplementation in inorganic and organic form was investigated in three five-member groups of ewes and their lambs in the course of 7 months. The basal feed ration contained 55 µg Se, ewes of experimental group E1 received a supplement of 180 µg Se in sodium selenite, and ewes of experimental group E2 were applied a supplement of 180 µg selenium bound in the biomass of the alga Chlorella. Control group C did not receive any selenium. The ewes were in the stage of non pregnant, pregnancy and lactation during the experiment. Average contents of Se in the blood serum of ewes were as follows: E1 114.2 ± 23.6; E2 103.1 ± 20.3; C 68.6 ± 16.8 µg/l (P < 0.001). A decrease in serum Se was recorded in all groups in the last third of pregnancy and in the first week post partum. Average contents of urinary selenium contents were also higher in experimental groups: E1 25.4 ± 13.5; E2 18.7 ± 9.6; C 13.3 ± 4.5 µg/l (P < 0.001). The positive effect of supplementation of Se to ewes was reflected in its higher average concentration in the blood serum of born lambs: E1 48.5 ± 7.3; E2 53.5 ± 3.4; C 30.3 ± 7.4 µg/l (P < 0.05). The effect of selenium bound in Chlorella biomass was higher and persisted until 30 days of lamb age: E1 52.9 ± 3.4; E2 59.0 ± 7.0; C 35.5 ±5.8 µg/l (P < 0.01). The average number of lambs born per ewe was 1.0 in group C and E1, and 1.8 in group E2. Keywords: sodium selenite, organically bound selenium, ewes, pregnancy, lactation, lambs Journal: Veterinární medicína Pages: 42-48 Volume: 52 Issue: 1 Year: 2007 DOI: 10.17221/2007-VETMED File-URL: http://vetmed.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/2007-VETMED.html File-Format: text/html Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlvet:v:52:y:2007:i:1:id:2007-VETMED