Factors of significance for pork quality-a review.

This paper reviews current knowledge about factors of importance for pork quality with special emphasis on technological quality attributes. It is evident that production and slaughter factors can be used to control technological quality traits. However, most of the present knowledge is based on studies investigating the influence of a single or at the most two factors.

Feed and strain effects on the use of outdoor areas by broilers.

1. The use of outdoor areas by two broiler strains, known to have different growth rates and with access to either moderate (M) or low (L) energy feeds, was examined to assess the consequences for production, meat quality, health and welfare. 2.

pH Dependence of the progression in NMR T(2) relaxation times in post-mortem muscle.

Continuous NMR T(2) relaxation measurements were carried out on seven rabbit longissimus muscle samples in the period from 25 min to 28 h post-mortem at 200 MHz for (1)H. To display differences in post-mortem pH progress and extent of changes in water characteristics during conversion of muscle to meat, three of the seven animals were pre-slaughter injected with adrenaline (0.5 mg/kg live weight 4 h before sacrifice) to differentiate muscle glycogen stores at the time of slaughter.

Genetic parameters of postnatal mortality in Danish Holstein calves.

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of postnatal mortality (PM) in dairy cattle. Data originated from 841,921 Danish Holstein calves. Four binary traits of mortality were considered: D1-14, D15-60, D61-180, and D1-180 with numbers indicating the period of risk in days after birth.

Rye bread in the diet of pigs enhances the formation of enterolactone and increases its levels in plasma, urine and feces.

To obtain new insight into the quantitative and qualitative metabolism of rye and wheat lignans, we performed three series of experiments with catheterized pigs. Two diets with similar levels of dietary fiber and macronutrients but with contrasting levels of plant lignans (isolariciresinol, lariciresinol, matairesinol, pinoresinol, secoisolariciresinol and syringaresinol) were prepared from rye (high in lignans) and wheat (low in lignans) soft and crisp breads. In two series of experiments we quantified the uptake from the gut of enterolactone in four pigs fitted with catheters in the portal vein and mesenteric artery and with an ultrasonic flow probe attached to the portal vein to monitor the blood flow.

Bioaugmentation of tar-contaminated soils under field conditions using Pleurotus ostreatus refuse from commercial mushroom production.

The influence of the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus on the degradation of selected poly- and heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (referred to as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]) in soil was investigated under field conditions representing the Northern temperate zone. Pleurotus ostreatus was added to two contaminated soils in the form of homogenized refuse from the commercial production of fungus. The soils were collected from a former shipyard (the B&W soil) and underneath a former coal tar storage at an old asphalt factory in Denmark (the Ringe soil).

Post-mortem changes in porcine M. longissimus studied by solid-state 13C cross-polarization magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Solid-state (13)C cross-polarization (CP) magic-angle spinning (MAS) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments are carried out for the first time on rapidly frozen muscle biopsies taken in M. longissimus in vivo and at 1 min, 45 min, and 24 h post-mortem from three pigs. Two of the pigs were CO(2)-stunned (control animals), and one was pre-slaughter-stressed (treadmill exercise) followed by electrical stunning to induce difference in metabolism post-mortem.

Behavioural responses of farm mink towards familiar and novel food.

The study aimed to (i) describe the response of farmed mink towards familiar and novel food, and (ii) assess the suitability of using novel food in order to measure fear responses in mink. A total of 48 farm mink from two behaviourally selected genetic lines were caged individually with one standardised daily feeding. The experimental feedings were carried out in a balanced order on 2 successive days.

Loss of pod set caused by drought stress is associated with water status and ABA content of reproductive structures in soybean.

Drought stress occurring during flowering and early pod expansion decreases pod set in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.).

Differences in chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ialpha gene expression between Marek's disease-resistant and -susceptible MHC haplotypes.

The expression of chicken major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ialpha genes was investigated in spleen cells from a panel of chickens with well-defined MHC haplotypes, and two class Ialpha transcripts of 1.9 and 1.5 kb were detected in various amounts.

Multitrait fine mapping of quantitative trait loci using combined linkage disequilibria and linkage analysis.

A novel multitrait fine-mapping method is presented. The method is implemented by a model that treats QTL effects as random variables. The covariance matrix of allelic effects is proportional to the IBD matrix, where each element is the probability that a pair of alleles is identical by descent, given marker information and QTL position.

Effect of the serotonin agonist buspirone on behaviour and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in confident and fearful mink.

Behavioural and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis responses were investigated in farm mink (Mustela vison) selected for either confident or fearful behaviour for nine generations. Two groups of 2-year-old confident (n=12) and fearful (n=12) female mink were given the serotonin (5-HT) 1A receptor agonist buspirone (1.25 mg/kg/day), whereas two other groups of 2-year-old confident (n=12) and fearful (n=12) female mink were given saline, continuously for 5 weeks via osmotic minipumps.

Light interception and dry matter conversion efficiency of miscanthus genotypes estimated from spectral reflectance measurements.

• Relationships between crop reflectance in the visible and the near infrared wavelengths are closely correlated with the amount of photosynthetically active tissue in the crop. Reflectance measurements were used to quantify genotypic differences in light interception, dry matter (DM) conversion efficiency and senescence pattern within the genus Miscanthus. The aim was to verify this method as a selection tool in plant breeding programmes.

Hydraulic and chemical signals in the control of leaf expansion and stomatal conductance in soybean exposed to drought stress.

Both hydraulic and chemical signals are probably important in regulating leaf growth and stomatal conductance of soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) under drought stress.

The significance of pre-slaughter stress and diet on colour and colour stability of pork.

The influence of pre-slaughter stress and a diet known to affect post mortem muscle metabolism or a standard diet (control pigs) on colour and colour stability of m. longissimus dorsi, m. biceps femoris and m.

Sexual motivation in relation to social rank in pair-housed sows.

The influence of social subordination on sexual motivation during oestrus was studied using 36 sows of which 24 treatment sows were housed in pairs and 12 control sows were housed individually in 12 and 6 m(2) pens, respectively. Video recordings were made from 07:00 h to 19:00 h during the first 2 days after grouping, which took place 3 days after weaning of the piglets. Based on the aggressive interactions between the pair-housed sows, their rank was determined.

Energy and protein metabolism in pregnant sows fed two levels of dietary protein.

The present study was performed to quantify the energy and nutrient metabolism of pregnant sows fed high (HP) or low (LP) dietary protein [18.3 vs. 13.

Enumeration of bifidobacteria in gastrointestinal samples from piglets.

The population of Bifidobacterium spp. in fecal samples from suckling piglets was investigated, and Beerens, raffinose-bifidobacterium (RB), and modified Wilkins-Chalgren (MW) agar media were evaluated with regard to the enumeration of bifidobacteria in porcine intestinal samples. The results demonstrated that the population of bifidobacteria in the feces of suckling piglets is numerically low, and a phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene from bifidobacterial isolates suggested that a possibly new Bifidobacterium species was isolated.

Potential rates of fermentation in digesta from the gastrointestinal tract of pigs: effect of feeding fermented liquid feed.

Microbial catabolic capacity in digesta from the gastrointestinal tract of pigs fed either dry feed or fermented liquid feed (FLF) was determined with the PhenePlate multisubstrate system. The in vitro technique was modified to analyze the kinetics of substrate catabolism mediated by the standing stock of enzymes (potential rates of fermentation), allowing a quantitative evaluation of the dietary effect on the catabolic capacity of the microbiota. In total, the potential rates of fermentation were significantly reduced in digesta from the large intestine (cecum, P < 0.

Effects of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates on functional diversity of microbial communities in soil.

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) often occur in sewage sludge that is applied to agricultural soil. Here LAS may affect the microbial activity, which is an important basis for nutrient cycling. Previous studies have shown that single bacterial species and specific soil processes can be very sensitive to LAS.

Production of trichothecenes and other secondary metabolites by Fusarium culmorum and Fusarium equiseti on common laboratory media and a soil organic matter agar: an ecological interpretation.

Fusarium culmorum and F. equiseti were characterized with regard to production of trichothecenes and other secondary metabolites. Results following growth on laboratory media are interpreted with the aim of increasing the understanding of fungal metabolism in the field environment.

Transport of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) applied with sewage sludge to undisturbed and repacked soil columns.

Municipal sewage sludge is often used on arable soils as a source of nitrogen and phosphorus, but it also contains organic contaminants that may be leached to the ground water. Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) is a priority pollutant that is present in sewage sludge in ubiquitous amounts. Column experiments were performed on undisturbed soil cores (20-cm depth x 20-cm diameter) with three different soil types: a sand, a loamy sand, and a sandy loam soil.

Aldehyde-induced xanthine oxidase activity in raw milk.

In the present study, the aldehyde-induced pro-oxidative activity of xanthine oxidase was followed in an accelerated raw milk system using spin-trap electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. The aldehydes acetaldehyde, propanal, hexanal, trans-2-hexenal, trans-2-heptenal, trans-2-nonenal, and 3-methyl-2-butenal were all found to initiate radical reactions when added to milk. Formation of superoxide through aldehyde-induced xanthine oxidase activity is suggested as the initial reaction, as all tested aldehydes were shown to trigger superoxide formation in an ultrahigh temperature (UHT) milk model system with added xanthine oxidase.

Quantitative determination of bile salt hydrolase activity in bacteria isolated from the small intestine of chickens.

A quantitative assay based on high-performance liquid chromatography analysis of bile salts and bacterial protein determination was established for investigating bile salt hydrolase (BSH) activity in bacteria isolated from the small intestine of chickens. Bacteria were isolated using various media and were subsequently grouped according to cell morphology, fermentation profile, and 16S ribosomal DNA sequence. Representative isolates from each bacterial group were assayed for BSH activity.

Effects of dietary fat source and subtherapeutic levels of antibiotic on the bacterial community in the ileum of broiler chickens at various ages.

The effect of dietary fat source (soy oil or a mixture of lard and tallow) and dietary supplementation with antibiotics (a combination of avilamycin at 10 mg kg of feed(-1) and salinomycin at 40 mg kg of feed(-1)) on the bacterial community in the ileum of broiler chickens at different ages (7, 14, 21, and 35 days) was studied using PCR with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis and bacteriological culture. The bacterial origin of fragments in DGGE profiles was identified by sequencing. Bacterial enumeration results, together with PCR-DGGE profiles, showed that the composition of the microflora was age dependent and influenced by dietary fat source and antibiotic supplementation.