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This experiment compared milk production, milk composition, and physiological responses in lactating dairy cows supplemented with or without a mixture of condensed tannins, encapsulated cinnamaldehyde, curcumin, capsaicin, and piperine. Thirty-six lactating, multiparous, pregnant ¾ Holstein × » Gir cows were maintained in a single drylot pen with ad libitum access to water and a total-mixed ration and were milked twice daily (d -7 to 84). On d 0, cows were ranked by days in milk (86 ± 3 d), milk yield (27.8 ± 1.0 kg), body weight (BW; 584 ± 10 kg), and body condition score (BCS; 3.04 ± 0.06) and assigned to receive (SUPP; n = 18) or not (CON; n = 18) 30 g/cow daily (as-fed basis) of Actifor Pro (Delacon Biotechnik GmbH; Steyregg, Austria). From d 0 to 84, SUPP cows individually received (as-fed basis) 15 g of Actifor Pro mixed with 85 g of finely ground corn through self-locking headgates before each milking of the day. Each CON cow concurrently received 85 g (as-fed basis) of finely ground corn through self-locking headgates. Throughout the experimental period (d -7 to 84), cows from both treatments were administered 500 mg of sometribove zinc at 14-d intervals and were monitored daily for morbidity, including clinical mastitis. Individual milk production was recorded daily, whereas milk samples were collected weekly for analysis of milk composition. Cow BW, BCS, and blood samples were also collected weekly. Cows receiving SUPP gained more BCS (P = 0.05) and had greater (P = 0.04) milk yield during the experiment compared with CON cows (0.22 vs. 0.07 of BCS, SEM = 0.05; 29.5 vs. 27.9 kg/d, SEM = 0.5). Milk composition did not differ (P ≥ 0.15) between SUPP and CON cows; hence, SUPP cows also had greater (P ≤ 0.02) production of fat-corrected and energy-corrected milk. Incidence of clinical mastitis did not differ (P ≥ 0.49) between SUPP and CON cows. No treatment differences were also detected (P ≥ 0.21) for serum concentrations of glucose and serum urea N. Mean serum haptoglobin concentration during the experiment was greater (P = 0.05) in CON vs. SUPP cows. Cows receiving SUPP had less (P ≤ 0.04) serum cortisol concentrations on d 21 and 42, and greater (P ≤ 0.05) serum concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I on d 7, 35, and 63 compared with CON cows (treatment × day interactions; P ≤ 0.02). Collectively, supplementing phytogenic feed ingredients improved nutritional status and milk production of lactating ¾ Holstein × » Gir cows.

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AIMS: To evaluate the influence of storage conditions on the composition of the bacterial microbiota of living oysters Crassostrea gasar. METHODS AND RESULTS: The oysters used in this study came from marine farms (Guaratuba Bay, Brazil) and were exposed to two conditions that simulated different storage situations: immersion in water (group I) and exposure to air (group II). The animals were subjected to five different temperatures (5-25°C), for 10 days. The 16S rRNA gene from oysters was amplified and sequenced to determine the taxonomic units and bacterial strains present in the samples. Group I showed higher diversity of bacteria (163 genera) rather than group II (104 genera). In all, 59 bacterial genera potentially pathogenic to humans were identified (n = 56 in group I and n = 45 in group II). CONCLUSIONS: The storage conditions having a direct influence on the oyster microbiota. Live C. gasar should be stored exposed to air at 5-25°C, because it favours a lower prevalence of bacteria potentially pathogenic to humans. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: During the oyster commercialization process, some conditions of storage, time and temperature must be followed in order to reduce the prevalence of bacteria potentially pathogenic to humans.

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O caranguejo-uçá, Ucides cordatus, é uma espécie típica dos manguezais brasileiros e tem grande importância econômica para as populações litorâneas tradicionais. O presente trabalho investigou a influência da intensidade luminosa sobre a sobrevivência e a taxa de desenvolvimento larval de U. cordatus. Três intensidades luminosas foram avaliadas: claro - 710 lux, penumbra - 210 lux e escuro - 1 lux, em duas condições de cultivo, individual e coletivo. Houve diferenças significativas entre as taxas de sobrevivência das larvas zoea e as três intensidades luminosas avaliadas (p<0,05). As maiores taxas de ecdise para o estágio de megalopa foram obtidas no tratamento claro (42% nos cultivos coletivos e 30% nos cultivos individuais). No tratamento escuro, a metamorfose para megalopa foi de apenas 16% nos cultivos coletivos e de 7% nos cultivos individuais. Estes resultados indicam que a manutenção das larvas em baixas intensidades luminosas afeta negativamente a sobrevivência larval de U. cordatus...

Ucides cordatus is an edible crab species typical of Brazilian mangroves, and traditionally represents an important economic resource for many coastal populations. The present study investigated the influence of light intensity on the survival and rate of larval development of U. cordatus. Three different levels of luminosity were evaluated: 710 (Light), 210 Lux (Shaded) and 1 Lux (Dark), both in individual and collective cultivation conditions. Significant differences were found for survival of zoea larvae under the different light intensities (P<0.05). The greatest survival rates as well as rates of ecdysis to the megalopa stage were obtained under Light conditions (42% in collective cultures and 30% in individual cultures). In Dark conditions events of metamorphosis to megalopa stage was observed only in 16% of collective cultures and 7% of individual cultures. The result indicates that low light intensities may negatively affect larval survivorship during U. cordatus larval cultivations...

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Astyanax is among the most speciose genera in the Characidae. In this study, molecular markers were used to assess the extent to which some of the commonly recognized Astyanax species of the upper Iguaçu River correspond to natural groups. These results indicate that the diversity of Astyanax has been severely underestimated with several potential cryptic species.

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The lethargic crab disease (LCD) is an emergent infirmity that has decimated native populations of the mangrove land crab (Ucides cordatus, Decapoda: Ocypodidae) along the Brazilian coast. Several potential etiological agents have been linked with LCD, but only in 2005 was it proved that it is caused by an ascomycete fungus. This is the first attempt to develop a mathematical model to describe the epidemiological dynamics of LCD. The model presents four possible scenarios, namely, the trivial equilibrium, the disease-free equilibrium, endemic equilibrium, and limit cycles arising from a Hopf bifurcation. The threshold values depend on the basic reproductive number of crabs and fungi, and on the infection rate. These scenarios depend on both the biological assumptions and the temporal evolution of the disease. Numerical simulations corroborate the analytical results and illustrate the different temporal dynamics of the crab and fungus populations.

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The acute toxicity of total ammonia-N, (NH3 + NH4+), and un-ionized ammonia-N, NH3-N, on newly hatched Artemia nauplii and Artemia adults was measured in 24, 48, 72, and 96-h semi-static bioassays system. There was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in medial lethal concentrations (LC50) obtained during the tests. The LC50 values on nauplii ranged from 650 mg/l, in 24-h, to 399.1 mg/l total ammonia-N, in 96-h, while the LC50 values on adults ranged from 1290.4 mg/l to 600.5 mg/l total ammonia-N, in the same period. Two methods for calculations of un-ionized ammonia toxicity are analyzed and discussed.

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Larval shrimp Penaeus paulensis showed a tendency to decrease in ammonia tolerance as the larva metamorphosed from nauplius to postlarvae stage. The 24-h LC50 were 4.04, 1.70, 2.72, and 1.42 mg/l NH3-N on nauplii, zoea, mysis and postlarvae, respectively. The zoea stage and the initial postlarvae substages were very susceptible to ammonia. The 96-h LC50 values on zoea and postlarvae were 0.69 mg/l and 0.32 mg/l, against 0.80 mg/l NH3-N on mysis. The eggs of Penaeus paulensis were very affected by ammonia, which provoked a progressive decrease in the hatching rate and induced morphological deformities in hatched nauplii. A "safe level" of ammonia was estimated at 0.032 mg/l NH3-N on the basis of 24-h LC50 for eggs.

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