Growth, nutrient retention and serum metabolites of broiler chickens fed high fibre hulled sunflower seed cake

The nutrient value of high fibre (22% Crude protein) hulled sunflower cake (HFSC) substituted at 0, 25, 50 and 75 for soybean cake on protein was assessed using 180 day-old unsexed Anak broiler chicken. The diets contained about 23 and 20% crude protein as well as 2.95 kcal/g and 2.85kcal/g metabolizable energy at the starter and finisher phases respectively. At the starter phase, inclusion of HFSC above 25% significantly (P<0.05) reduced body weight (BW) and protein efficiency ratio (PER). At the finisher phase, inclusion of HFSC up to 50% increased crude fibre retention while 25% HFSC increased PER. There were significant (P<0.05) reduction in values of glutamate oxumate pyruvate transaminase at the starter and finisher phases. At the starter phase total protein (TP) and glucose (GL) were reduced at 75% HFSC diets, while above 25% HFSC inclusion reduced creatinine and urea nitrogen concentrations. At the finisher phase TP and albumin concentrations were reduced significantly (P<0.05) when above 25% HFSC was included. There was significant increase in glucose concentration except at 75% which did not differ from values obtained with 0% HFSC diet. There were significant (P<0.05) decreases in concentration, of creainine and urea nitrogen except at 50% and 25% of HFSC inclusion respectively. At the overall (starter and finisher) live weight and feed efficiency of 50% did not differ (P>0.05) from values obtained with 0% HFSC. This study suggested that not more than 50% of HFSC could replace soybeancake in broiler chicken diets.

Toxicity of pristine and paint-embedded TiO2 nanomaterials

Little is known on the toxicity of nanomaterials in the user phase. Inclusion of nanomaterials in paints is a common nanotechnology application. This study focuses on the toxicity of dusts from sanding of paints containing nanomaterials. We compared the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanomaterials (TiO2NMs) and dusts generated by sanding boards coated with paints with different amounts of two different types of uncoated TiO2NMs (diameters:10.5 nm and 38 nm). Mice were intratracheally instilled with a single dose of 18, 54 and 162 µg of TiO2NMs or 54, 162 and 486 µg of sanding dusts. At 1, 3 and 28 days post-instillation, we evaluated pulmonary inflammation, liver histology and DNA damage in lung and liver. Pulmonary exposure to both pristine TiO2NMs and sanding dusts with different types of TiO2NMs resulted in dose-dependently increased influx of neutrophils into the lung lumen. There was no difference between the sanding dusts from the two paints. For all exposures but not in vehicle controls, mild histological lesions were observed in the liver. Pulmonary exposure to pristine TiO2NMs and paint dusts with TiO2NMs caused similar type of histological lesions in the liver.