Colostrum is the first secretion of the mammary gland produced after birth, differentiating itself from mature milk because it has a higher concentration of proteins, immunoglobulins, vitamins, minerals, bactericides (lactoferrin, lysozyme and lactoperoxidase) and growth factors. The use of bovine colostrum for human consumption has been registered for many years in food or in medicinal therapies, and several studies have been conducted with the objective of evaluating its benefits in human food supplementation. The results point to improvements in cases of gastrointestinal, respiratory, inflammation, and bone development diseases, among others. Ots commercialization currently takes place in physical or online markets in some countries. However, its commercialization for human consumption in Brazil is very recent, placing bovine colostrum as a new functional food option for consumers.

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ObjectiveFresh sugarcane has been a new roughage source for ruminant’s in semiarid regions, a function of the decline of sugar and alcohol industry in recent years. However, there is little data published regarding lambs fed sugarcane associated with spineless cactus. This study evaluated the effect of sugarcane replacement with spineless cactus (0%, 33%, 66%, and 100%) in the diet of Santa Inês lambs on carcass characteristics.MethodsThirty-six non-castrated Santa Ines lambs at four months of age and an initial body weight of 22±2.3 kg were assigned in a randomized block design and slaughtered after 70 days of confinement. The effects of spineless cactus as a replacement for sugarcane in the diet of the lambs on the carcass characteristics, commercial cut weight and yield, leg tissue composition, and carcass measurements were studied.ResultsThe study revealed quadratic behavior in slaughter body weight, and hot and cold carcass weight, with maximum values of 38.60, 18.60, and 18.11 kg and replacement levels of 40.18%, 44.42%, and 43.14%, respectively. The cold carcass yield presented an increasing linear behavior. The compactness index of carcass and leg presented a quadratic effect, with estimated maximal values of 0.28 and 0.57 kg/cm and replacement levels of 43.37% and 45.5%, respectively. The weights of commercial cuts of leg, loin, shoulder, and breast showed quadratic behavior, with maximum values of 2.79, 0.852, 1.46, and 1.30 kg and replacement levels of 49.5, 45.32, 39.0, and 40.7, respectively. For tissue composition, quadratic behavior was verified for leg weight, subcutaneous fat, and total fat.ConclusionThe replacement of sugarcane by spineless cactus at level 44% is recommended for finishing lambs considering that this level improved most of the carcass characteristics, weights, and yields of commercial cuts and leg tissue composition.

The present article is a synthesis of studies developed by fundação Norte Rio Grandense de Pesquisa e Cultura -FUNPEC and Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN for the Companhia de Águas e Esgoto do Rio Grande do Norte - CAERN, in the lower course of Doce River, RN. This paper also presents alternatives to increase the water supply from wells in the Barreiras Aquifer located to the north of Natal district, RN, considering the degraded water quality due to nitrate contamination from the right margin of Doce River. The methodology was based on the combined use of hydrogeological and geophysical techniques (gravity andelectrical resistivity). The regional structure was previously characterized by morphotectonic analysis and gravimetric and geoelectric data interpretation. According to these data, two preferential fault directions (NW and NE) directly influence local geometry of the aquifer causing abrupt variations of the saturated thickness. The potential of the Barreiras Aquifer increases gradually on the left bank of Doce River from east to west, due to larger spacing between hydrogeological equipotential surface and larger saturated thickness. These observations provided the basis to locate a new water collection area, where new wells are going to be drilled with 300 m3 /h estimated total discharge. RESUMO: O presente artigo representa uma síntese de estudos desenvolvidos pela Fundação Norte-Rio-Grandense de Pesquisa e Cultura-FUNPEC e Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte-UFRN para a Companhia de Àguas e Esgotos do Rio Grande do Norte-CAERN, na área do baixo curso do Rio Doce-RN. O mesmo objetivou apontar alternativas para o incremento do abastecimento d’água proveniente de poços no Aquífero Barreiras na zona norte do município de Natal-RN, tendo em vista o agravamento da contaminação de captações da margem direita do Rio Doce por nitrato. A metodologia adotada foi fundamentada no emprego conjunto de técnicas de hidrogeologia e geofísica (gravimetria e eletrorresistividade). A estruturação regional, caracterizada previamente a partir de análise morfotectônica e interpretação de dados gravimétricos e geoelétricos, foi evidenciada nas direções preferenciais NW e NE, influenciando diretamente na geometria local do aquífero na forma de variações bruscas de sua espessura saturada decorrente dos falhamentos. A potencialidade do Aquífero Barreiras apresenta um acréscimo gradativo na margem esquerda do Rio Doce de leste para oeste, decorrente de maiores espaçamentos entre equipotenciais hidrogeológicas e espessuras saturadas maiores. Estas observações fundamentaram a locação de uma subárea a leste da captação Rio Doce da CAERN como bastante promissora para a execução de uma segunda bateria de poços, com descarga total estimada da ordem de 300 m3 /h.Palavras-chave: Aquífero Barreiras; Rio Doce-RN, Geofísica; potencialidade hidrogeológica