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Effects of L-carnitine administration via drinking water on growth performance, carcass traits, blood serum parameters and abdominal fatty acid composition of ducks was examined. One hundred day-old Turkish native duck chicks were divided into two groups, each with five replicates and given the same diets with 0 and 200 mg/l carnitine chlorhydrate via drinking water. The study lasted 8 weeks, with the first 4 weeks as a starter and the last 4 weeks as grower period. At the end of the study five ducks were randomly selected from each subgroup for slaughter. Growth performance parameters of ducks were not affected significantly by L-carnitine administration. Live weight, daily weight gain, cumulative feed consumption and average feed conversion efficiency were found to be 1490 and 1621 g, 26.0 and 28.1 g, 5386 and 5662 g, 3.75 and 3.54 kg/kg in the control and in the carnitine groups respectively. L-carnitine administration did not effect carcass traits and serum cholesterol, total lipid, triglyceride and glucose levels. Total saturated fatty acid content of abdominal fat significantly decreased, mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acid content were not affected by L-carnitine administration. In conclusion, L-carnitine administration by drinking water did not affect growth performance, carcass traits and blood parameters in ducks.

No abstract

FIG 1: (a) Positive result for cardiac troponin-T in heparinised blood. (-) Control line (negative result), (+) Test line (positive result). (b) Positive result for cardiac troponin-I in serum. C Control line, T Test line (a)

Abstract. The current study was designed to determine the changes of the cardiac troponin I (cTnI) expression in blood and tissue during the myocardial degeneration in calves with foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). Seventeen crossbred calves presenting pathological signs for FMD confirmed by viral analysis were studied. A biochemistry panel and immunohistochemistry were performed on 17 diseased calves and 7 calves used as controls. Creatine kinase (CK), CK-myocardial band (CK-MB), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were analyzed for both groups. Cardiac troponin I levels were measured by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Mean cTnI (14.8 6 1.9 ng/ml) concentration and CK (573 6 407 U/l), CK-MB (238 6 37 U/l), AST (84 6 7), and LDH (298 6 29 U/l) activities were higher in FMD cases compared with controls. Immunohistochemistry revealed loss or depletion of cTnI expression in myocardium of all cases. None of the 7 controls showed loss of cTnI expression. Increased serum cTnI concentration correlated with myocardial injury and loss of cTnI immunolabeling in cardiomyocytes of calves with FMD.