scholarly journals Studies on the Rate of Wool Growth Using [35s]Cystine

1961 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 120 ◽  
Author(s):  
AM Downes ◽  
AG Lyne

The radioautographic method has been used to study the length growth rate of wool fibres in a sheep subjected to changing nutritional conditions.

1974 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 919 ◽  
Author(s):  
PJ Reis ◽  
DA Tunks

Sheep receiving a diet consisting solely of wheat (500 g/day), supplemented with a mineral mixture, were given abomasal infusions of varying amounts of DL-methionine (1.5–6.0 g/day) or of L-cystine (5 g/day). Other sheep received DL-methionine as a supplement to a roughage diet. All levels of methionine infused caused a decrease in the mass of wool grown by sheep consuming the wheat diet. This effect was greatest with 6 g methionine and was due mainly to a considerable depression of fibre diameter. Smaller amounts of methionine decreased fibre diameter and increased length growth rate. The infusion of methionine caused a considerable weakening of the wool grown by most of the sheep, with the result that a 'break' was observed in the fleece after about 1 week of methionine administration. This effect occurred with all levels of methionine but was more pronounced with 6 g/day. The abomasal infusion of cystine (5 g/day) caused little change in the mass of wool grown, but fibre diameter was decreased slightly. There were no appreciable effects on the strength of wool fibres and no wool was shed. Supplementation of the roughage diet (400 g/day) with methionine at 2 g/day stimulated wool growth, whereas with 6 or 10 g/day the mass of wool grown was unchanged but fibre diameter was markedly reduced. The strength of wool fibres was not markedly influenced by methionine infusions on this diet. The levels of amino acids in blood plasma and in abomasal digesta indicated that the mixture of amino acids absorbed was similar with both the roughage and the wheat diets.


1970 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 1077 ◽  
Author(s):  
RN Murdoch

Intravenous or intraperitoneal infusions of either L-cysteine (2, 0 gjday) or L-methionine (2�5 gjday) for 20 days increased wool diameter and its length growth rate, the main increases occurring during the first 8 days of infusion. Thus parenteral administration of these amino acids is effective in stimulating wool growth.


2001 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 29 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Sherlock ◽  
P. M. Harris ◽  
J. Lee ◽  
G. A. Wickham ◽  
J. L. Woods ◽  
...  

Sulfur amino acid supplementation increases wool production in sheep at low planes of nutrition but it is unclear whether there is any benefit of supplementation at planes of nutrition above maintenance and what implications this might have for wool quality characteristics. This experiment directly investigated the interaction between sulfur supplementation and plane of nutrition in terms of wool growth and fibre characteristics. Twenty-four Romney ewes, acclimatised in individual metabolism units over a 7-week pre-treatment period, were allocated to 1 of 4 treatment groups based on a 22 factorial arrangement. Groups were low (L) or high (H) intake (0.8 or 1.3 maintenance, respectively) with continuous intravenous infusion of either saline (–Cys) or cysteine (+Cys, 2 g/day). During the 3-month treatment period, measurements were obtained for liveweight, plasma cysteine concentration, wool sulfur concentration and output, clean wool growth, mean fibre diameter (MFD), length growth rate (LGR), colour, loose wool bulk, handle, and crimp frequency and character. Clean wool growth response (P < 0.05) to cysteine supplementation was greater for the L sheep (6.06 v. 4.31 g/100 cm2) than the H sheep (7.20 v. 6.13 g/100 cm2). The response to supplementation in LGR (P < 0.01) was similar in both H (14%) and L (20%) sheep. There was no response in MFD due to sulfur supplementation, although fibre diameter measurements made along the fibres suggest that there was a response in L but not H sheep (P < 0.1). Wool sulfur concentration and output increased as a result of cysteine supplementation but concentration increased more in L (30.6 v. 24.5 mg S/g; P < 0.01) than in H sheep (28.4 v. 26.2 mg S/g). Qualitative electrophoresis analyses suggested that the increase in wool sulfur was achieved primarily by an increase in ultra-high-sulfur proteins. Crimp frequency and character were both significantly (P < 0.01) enhanced by cysteine supplementation. It is concluded that cysteine supplementation, at feed intakes that commonly occur in the commercial situation, can produce a useful increase in wool growth. This growth increase is primarily accomplished by increasing length growth rate rather than fibre diameter, which should also improve the value of the wool fibre produced.


1971 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Reis ◽  
A. M. Downes

SUMMARYCasein in amounts ranging from 10 to 124 g/day was administered as an abomasal infusion to seven Merino wethers whose daily ration comprised 600–700 g of either chopped wheaten hay alone or a mixture of chopped wheaten and lucerne hays. Increases in both the length growth rate and diameter of the wool occurred at all levels of supplementation tested. When casein was infused at the rate of 100 g/day for a 20-day period the biggest increases in wool growth occurred during the first 4 days and there was little further change after the first 8 days.There were marked wool growth responses to the infusion of up to 80 g casein per day. The results suggest that little further increase could be expected with the infusion of more than 120 g/day.


1976 ◽  
Vol 86 (3) ◽  
pp. 475-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Reis ◽  
D. A. Tunks

SummaryMerino sheep were given abomasal infusions of (i) zein (80 g/day), (ii) zein (80 g/day) supplemented with L-lysine (6 g/day), L-tryptophan (1 g/day) or lysine and tryptophan together, or (iii) L-leucine (20 g/day). Effects on wool growth (length growth rate, fibre diameter, fibre volume growth rate and mass of wool grown) and on plasma amino acids were measured.Zein increased length growth rate and decreased fibre diameter; on average the volume growth rate and mass of wool grown were not significantly altered. The addition of tryptophan to the infusion of zein did not significantly alter wool growth, whereas the addition of lysine significantly increased all aspects of wool growth. The responses to these treatments were rapid and were adequately assessed during 12-day infusion periods. The infusion of leucine did not cause any appreciable changes in wool growth.Leucine supplementation increased the concentration of leucine in blood plasma about six-fold. Zein decreased the concentration of lysine and ornithine in plasma and increased the concentration of several essential amino acids; leucine was increased about seven-fold. The addition of tryptophan to zein had no effects on plasma amino acids, whereas lysine decreased the concentration of several amino acids in plasma and markedly increased lysine.


1970 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Lyne ◽  
M. Jolly ◽  
D. E. Hollis

SUMMARYA heat-exchange chamber made of perspex was inserted beneath the skin of a Merino sheep. By passing water at predetermined temperatures through the chamber, the normal subdermal temperature of 37°C was raised approximately 4°C for 4 days, then lowered approximately 5°C for 4 days.In response to heating, the animal's temperature regulating mechanism was able to maintain a fairly constant subdermal temperature. However, it was unable to maintain as constant a subdermal temperature in response to cooling. There was, during the cooling period, an obvious nervous response to environmental disturbances manifested by sudden transient decreases in subdermal temperature over the chamber.During the cooling period there was a decrease of 12% in mean length growth rate of wool over the chamber but mean fibre diameter was unchanged. Heating produced a small decrease in mean fibre diameter, but no change in mean length growth rate. Heating appeared to produce a slight reduction in pigmentation of some fibres but neither heating nor cooling produced demonstrable changes in crimping.


1970 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jolly ◽  
A. G. Lyne

SUMMARYHeat-exchange chambers, one for heating and one for cooling, were surgically embedded beneath the skin of a sheep. The intensity of heating and cooling was progressively increased, producing average subdermal temperatures up to 50·3 °C over one chamber and down to 21·0 °C over the other. The normal subdermal temperature was 37·7 °C.Moderate heating produced a small increase in the length growth rate of wool over the hot chamber. Higher temperatures caused a marked reduction and with still further heating there was almost complete cessation of wool growth.In contrast to heating, cooling always caused a suppression of wool growth which became more pronounced as the degree of cooling was intensified. The length growth rate decreased to half of normal at one stage but it never ceased.There was evidence of a slight but progressive decrease in fibre diameter with increasing subdermal temperatures up to 45 °C but at a temperature of 48 °C many of the fibres exhibited a marked thickening. Cooling the skin had little effect on fibre diameter. Pigmentation of the fibres was unchanged throughout the whole range of temperatures used and there was no evidence of change in crimping of the fibres.Heating in the range 45–50 °C produced an increase in epidermal thickness. Sweat and sebaceous glands, and erector muscles appeared unchanged after heating or cooling but innervation of the skin appeared to be reduced by extreme heating.The skin and wool growth over a dummy chamber were normal and similar in all respects to that in other control areas.


1984 ◽  
Vol 80 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Eppley ◽  
F. M. H. Reid ◽  
J. J. Cullen ◽  
C. D. Winant ◽  
E. Stewart

1978 ◽  
Vol 18 (90) ◽  
pp. 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
RA Hunter

Merino ewes were mated at pasture and then fed in pens either a maintenance or an 80 per cent maintenance ration of wheat grain three times a week. Half the animals at each feeding level were offered Spotted Gum (Eucalyptus maculata) sawdust. Addition of sawdust to the ration did not affect liveweight change and the wool growth rate of ewes or the birth weight and growth rate of lambs. It did, however, affect the long-term survival rate of ewes. Of the ewes that died after three months of survival feeding, four were in groups fed wheat alone and one in a group fed sawdust with the wheat. The survival rate and growth rate of lambs in all treatments were poor.


2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mansur

Ecological studies on the Nepenthes species at Barito Ulu, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia were conducted between August 2005 and September 2006. Surveys and two small plot inventories were used to determine the diversity and population of Nepenthes at the study site. We found eight Nepenthes species around the BaritoUlu study area: N. albomarginata, N. ampullaria, N. gracilis, N. hirsuta, N. rafflesiana, N. reinwardtiana, N. stenophylla, and N. hispida. Plot A was dominated by N. rafflesiana with one other species found; whilst in plot B we found five species but it was also dominated by N. rafflesiana. In plot A, the one year stem length growth rate of N. albomarginata was faster than N. rafflesiana (5.0 and 3.5 cm respectively). While in plot B, N. gracilis (21.7 cm) and N. reinwardtiana (13.1 cm) showed faster growth rates than N. albomarginata (5.2 cm), N. rafflesiana (7.0 cm) and N. stenophylla (8.5 cm). Generally, the habitat of Nepenthes in the study site is heath forest.


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