Dois experimentos foram conduzidos para determinar os valores de energia metabolizável aparente (EMA) e verdadeira (EMV) de 11 alimentos (amostras de milho e seus subprodutos e de milheto), utilizando o método tradicional de coleta total de excretas, com pintos em crescimento e o método da alimentação forçada, com galos adultos (método Sibbald). No exp. I, 540 pintos Hubbard machos receberam as rações experimentais em quatro repetições de 10 aves cada, exceto a ração referência, a qual foi fornecida a seis repetições. No exp. II, cada um dos 11 alimentos foram fornecidos a 6 galos, os quais receberam 15 g do alimento pela manhã (8 h) e 15 g à tarde (16 h), após terem sofrido um período de jejum de 24 horas. Simultaneamente, seis galos foram mantidos em jejum, para determinação das perdas endógenas e metabólicas. Após determinados os valores de EMAn com pintos e EMVn com galos, estabeleceram-se equações para predizer os valores energéticos dos alimentos do grupo do milho e seus subprodutos, em função de sua composição química. As EMAn e EMVn dos alimentos testados variaram de 1937 a 4108 e de 2246 a 4248 kcal/kg de matéria seca, respectivamente. Os resultados mostraram que o milheto poderá constituir-se em um alimento alternativo ao milho, porém com valores energéticos pouco inferiores ao milho. As equações de predição ajustadas com as variáveis fibra em detergente neutro (FDN) ou fibra bruta (FB) e matéria mineral (MM) podem ser utilizadas para predizer os valores energéticos do milho e de seus subprodutos, sendo EMAn = 4281,6 - 39,97FDN - 72,90MM (R² = 0,96) ou EMAn = 4354,8 - 112,05FB -- 151,74MM (R² = 0,95) e EMVn = 4485,1 - 34,20FDN - 83,83MM (R² = 0,94) ou EMVn = 4250,22 - 136,60FB - 120,48MM (R² = 0,91).

Understanding the metabolism of lipoproteins in birds is important to enable nutritionists to design diets aimed at obtaining better meat characteristics and egg quality, and can furnish useful information for future studies. In comparison to mammals, there are a number of expressive differences in the metabolism of lipids in birds, such as the transport of dietary lipids to the liver, hepatic lipogenesis and the presence of unique lipoproteins in the blood (portomicrons). Greater differences are found in egg-laying hens during the production phase, in which lipoproteins produced in the liver, under the action of oestrogen, are used for the formation of the egg yolk. The regulation of the lipid metabolism by hormones and the participation of key enzymes associated to advances in molecular biology techniques could assist in the genetic selection of more productive birds and better quality products for consumers.

Insects are a valuable source of nutrients for fish, but little is known about their nutritional value for Nile tilapia fingerlings. To evaluate the nutritional value and energy apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of five insects for Nile Tilapia male fingerlings, 900 fish were distributed in 18 fiberglass conic tanks, in a completely randomized design, with six dietary treatments (control, Nauphoeta cinerea meal (NCM) (Blattodea), Zophobas morio larvae meal (ZMM) (Coleptera), Gromphadorhina portentosa meal (GPM) (Blattodea), Gryllus assimilis meal (GAM) (Orthoptera) and Tenebrio molitor larvae meal (TMM) (Coleptera)) and three replicates (tanks), each containing 50 fish. The control diet had no insect meal included and the other five treatments comprised 80% commercial diet and 20% test ingredient with 0.1% chromic oxide as an inert marker. TMM presented a higher ADC for dry matter, protein, corrected protein and chitin than to other treatments (p < 0.01). GPM presented the highest ADC for lipids (p < 0.01). In general, the TMM presented better ADC of nutrients and energy and all the insect meals evaluated are potential feed for Nile tilapia fingerlings.

RESUMO -O experimento foi realizado para avaliar o desempenho e o teor de minerais na cama de frangos no período de 1 a 21 dias de idade, alimentados com rações contendo níveis reduzidos de proteína bruta (PB) e fósforo disponível (Pd) suplementadas com aminoácidos e fitase. Foram utilizados 1.500 pintos de corte machos de um dia de idade, da marca comercial Cobb, distribuídos em delineamento de blocos casualizados, em esquema fatorial 3 x 3 + 1, com três níveis de PB (15, 17 e 19%), três de Pd (0,25; 0,34 e 0,45%) e uma ração controle formulada de acordo com os níveis nutricionais recomendados por pesquisadores brasileiros, totalizando dez tratamentos e seis repetições de 25 aves. Nas rações com 0,25 e 0,34% de Pd, adicionaram-se 500 FTU de fitase, reduzindo em 17% o teor de cálcio. O ganho de peso das aves que consumiram as rações com 17% de PB, 0,34 e 0,45 de Pd ou com 19% de PB e diferentes de níveis de Pd foi similar ao daquelas alimentadas com a ração controle. O consumo das aves que receberam as rações com 15 e 17% de PB e 0,25% de Pd + fitase foi menor que o daquelas que consumiram a ração controle. Não houve diferenças entre as rações para a conversão alimentar. Com exceção do nitrogênio, houve redução nos teores de minerais na cama quando as aves foram alimentadas com a ração contendo 17% de PB e 0,34% de Pd. Reduções para 17% nos teores de PB e para 0,34% nos teores de Pd das rações para frangos na fase inicial não prejudicam o desempenho das aves, desde que as rações sejam suplementadas com aminoácidos e fitase. Nesses níveis de PB e Pd, observou-se redução no impacto ambiental, como conseqüência da redução nos teores de P, Ca, Cu e Zn na cama.Palavras-chave: aminoácidos, enzima, impacto ambiental, proteína ideal Decreasing dietary levels of protein and phosphorum supplemented with phytase for broilers from 1 to 21 old. Performance and mineral levels in the litter ABSTRACT -The trial was carried out to evaluate the performance and mineral levels in the litter of broilers from 1 to 21 days old, fed diets with low-crude protein (CP) and low available phosphorus (AP) supplemented with synthetic amino acids and phytase. A total of 1-d 1.500 male Cobb broiler chickens averaging initial weight of 42.5 g was allotted to floor pens as a complete randomized blocks design, with 3 x 3 + 1 factorial arrangement, being three levels of CP (15, 17 and 19%) and three levels of AP (0.25, 0.34, and 0.45%) and a control with expected nutritional requirements, according to Brazilian researchers recommendations, with six replicates of 25 broilers. In the diets with 0.25 and 0.34% of AP 500 FTU of phytase were added and the Ca levels decreased by 17%. Weight gain of the broilers fed diets with 15% of CP supplemented with synthetic amino acids in the three levels of AP + phytase and in the diet with 17% CP and 0,25% AP + phytase was lower than those fed the control diet. The feed intake of the broilers feeding low CP (15% ad 17%) and low AP (0,25%) + phytase was lower than those fed the control diet.. However, it was not ...

The objective of this study was to determine the chemical and energy composition of spirulina (Spirulina platensis), the nutrient metabolizability coefficients, and the values of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and the apparent metabolizable energy corrected for nitrogen balance (AMEn) in broilers. A digestibility trial was carried out by using total excreta collection method, with 90 Cobb 500 lineage chicks, with initial weight of 256 ± 5 g at 11 days of age. Birds were allotted in metabolic cages for 10 days, distributed in a completely randomized design, with three treatments and six repetitions with five birds each. Diets consisted on a reference-ration based on corn and soybean meal and two test diets, one containing spirulina (30%) and the other one with soybean meal (30%). Spiruline was superior to soybean meal for contents of dry matter (DM), gross energy (9.60%), crude protein (26.56%), ether extract (54.45%), mineral matter (42.77%), calcium (100%) and total phosphorus (130.77%) and also for most amino acids, except lysine, glutamate, histidine and proline. Nevertheless, spiruline presented lower values of gross fiber (83.95%), acid detergent fiber (85.12%) and neutral detergent fiber (6.15). The AME and AMEn values (kcal/kg of DM) were, respectively, 2,906 and 2,502 for the spirulina and 2,646 and 2,340 for the soybean meal and AMEn of spirulina was 6.92% higher than soybean meal.