ICP-OES analysis of total As and Cd in Columbian L. rice.

Arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) are considered toxic elements, even at trace levels. Their accurate quantification in crops can be complex at low levels and due to interference with other elements. The aim of this work was to develop and validate an analytical method for As and Cd quantification in rice stem and grains from the production systems "Irrigated Rice Ecosystems" (IRE) and "Rainfed Rice Ecosystems" (RRE) in Colombia.

Use of near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy on feces to estimate digestibility and dry matter intake of dietary nutritional characteristics under grazing conditions in Colombian creole steers.

Digestibility and intake are parameters difficult and expensive to estimate under grazing conditions; therefore, the aim of this study was to develop near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) calibrations applied to feces (F-NIRS) and evaluate their accuracy to predict dry matter digestibility (DMD) and dry matter intake (DMI) of Colombian creole cattle. Five digestibility trials using creole steers were conducted; indigestible neutral detergent fiber (iNDF) was used as internal marker and CrO and TiO as external markers. A total of 249 forage and 396 fecal samples from individual animals were collected, dried, and grinded for conventional chemical analysis.

Improving the accuracy of beef cattle methane inventories in Latin America and Caribbean countries.

On-farm methane (CH) emissions need to be estimated accurately so that the mitigation effect of recommended practices can be accounted for. In the present study prediction equations for enteric CH have been developed in lieu of expensive animal measurement approaches. Our objectives were to: (1) compile a dataset from individual beef cattle data for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region; (2) determine main predictors of CH emission variables; (3) develop and cross-validate prediction models according to dietary forage content (DFC); and (4) compare the predictive ability of these newly-developed models with extant equations reported in literature, including those currently used for CH inventories in LAC countries.

Prediction of enteric methane production and yield in dairy cattle using a Latin America and Caribbean database.

Successful mitigation efforts entail accurate estimation of on-farm emission and prediction models can be an alternative to current laborious and costly in vivo CH measurement techniques. This study aimed to: (1) collate a database of individual dairy cattle CH emission data from studies conducted in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region; (2) identify key variables for predicting CH production (g d) and yield [g kg of dry matter intake (DMI)]; (3) develop and cross-validate these newly-developed models; and (4) compare models' predictive ability with equations currently used to support national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. A total of 42 studies including 1327 individual dairy cattle records were collated.

Effect of Origanum chemotypes on broiler intestinal bacteria.

Essential oils have been proposed as alternatives to antibiotic use in food animal production. This study evaluated 3 chemotypes of the Origanum genus, containing varying amounts of secondary metabolites carvacrol, thymol, and sabinene, in the broiler chicken diet. Aerial parts of Origanum vulgare L.

Colostral antibody-mediated and cell-mediated immunity contributes to innate and antigen-specific immunity in piglets.

Immunoglobulins and immune cells are critical components of colostral immunity; however, their transfer to and function in the neonate, especially maternal lymphocytes, is unclear. Cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immunity in sow blood and colostrum and piglet blood before (PS) and after (AS) suckling were assessed to investigate transfer and function of maternal immunity in the piglet. CD4, CD8, and γδ lymphocytes were found in sow blood and colostrum and piglet blood PS and AS; each had a unique T lymphocyte profile.