The effects of carnitine (L‐carnitine) at 0.1% were tested at three levels of dietary lysine (L‐lysine‐HCl), 1.1, 1.4 or 1.7%, with fingerling channel caffish. Semipurified diets containing 30% protein and 3.44 kcal digestible energy/g were fed for 8 wk in flow‐through water at 26.5 ± 0.5 C. Carnitine did not significantly (P > 0.71) affect channel catflsh weight gain over this time interval. Weight gain was less when 1.1% dietary lysine was fed without supplemented carnitine than when diets contained 1.4 or 1.7% lysine. Carnitine reduced muscle lipid (P < 0.0003) and liver lipid (P < 0.0001) significantly. Percentage visceral fat was reduced with added dietary carnitine (P < 0.0001) but not with dietary lysine although there was a combined effect of carnitine and lysine (P < 0.0008). Channel catfish wholebody lipid content was reduced by supplemented dietary carnitine, lysine, or both. Protein content of channel catfish wholebody increased with added carnitine, lysine, and their interaction (P < 0.19, P < 0.003 and P < 0.001). Under these conditions, dietary carnitine improves caffish tissue characteristics by reducing fat content and increasing protein content.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of a lactic acid bacteria inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum, LP), fibrolytic enzyme (EN), combination of LP and EN (LP+EN) on fermentation quality, nutritive characteristics and in vitro digestibility of total mixed ration (TMR) silages containing 0, 7.5% and 15.0% (on dry matter basis) of rape (Brassica campestris L.) straw (RS) (denoted as CTMR, LTMR and MTMR, respectively). After ensiling for 60 days, TMR silages without additives were well preserved, but MTMR had higher pH than CTMR and LTMR. There were no differences in other parameters of fermentation quality, microbial composition, nutrition and in vitro digestibility between CTMR and LTMR except for yeast and mold number and crude protein (CP) content. CTMR and LTMR silage had higher CP content, in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (IVNDFD) and in vitro acid detergent fiber digestibility (IVADFD), lower acid detergent fiber (ADF) content than MTMR silage. LP and EN decreased pH and increased DM recovery of TMR silages. LP+EN improved the fermentation quality, nutritive characteristics and in vitro digestibility of TMR silages, showed by lower pH, ADF content, higher lactic acid content, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and IVNDFD. Therefore, It was suggested that TMR silage contained 7.5% RS on a DM basis and treated with LP+EN can be as a useful feed for ruminant.

Two lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains, Pediococcus pentosaceus SC1 and Lactobacillus paraplantarum SC2 isolated from king grass silage, were characterized and their effectiveness to improve the silage fermentation quality of stylo (Stylosanthes guianensis Sw.) was studied. Strain SC1 was able to grow at a high temperature of 45°C, while SC2 did not. SC2 normally grew at a low pH of 4.0, while SC1 could not. These two strains and a commercial inoculant of LAB (L. plantarum, LP) were used as additives to stylo silage preparation at various temperatures (20°C, 30°C and 40°C). All LAB inoculants significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the pH value and ammonia-N content, and increased the ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid and quality score compared with the control. In addition, inoculating LAB strains markedly (P < 0.05) reduced butyric acid content at the temperatures of 30°C and 40°C. Compared to SC2 and LP strains, strain SC1 was the most effective for improving stylo silage quality at 20°C, indicated by the increase in lactic acid, ratio of lactic acid to acetic acid and quality score. At 30°C and 40°C, there were no significant differences among SC1, SC2 and LP treatments in pH values, contents of acetic acid, butyric acid and ammonia-N (P > 0.05).

The results of this study suggested that strain GG13 is a good LAB inoculant for producing well-fermented silages during the high temperatures of summer times. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

This study aimed to explore the association between the percentage of reticulated platelets (RP%) and infection, and analyze the value of combined measurement of RP% with other inflammatory indicators in diagnosing infection. A total of 190 patients with signs and symptoms suspicious of infection were included in the infection group, and 70 healthy subjects with comparable percentages of gender and age were included in the control group. Peripheral white blood cell (WBC) count, percentage of neutrophils (N%), platelet count, C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), RP%, and axillary temperature were recorded. Dynamic changes in RP% with infection were measured to analyze the association between RP% and infection. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the value of each inflammatory indicator in diagnosing infection and analyze the diagnostic value of the combined adoption of multiple inflammatory indicators. RP% was significantly higher in the infection group than in the noninfection and control groups. The sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing infection were, respectively, 91.78% and 93.18% when RP% and CRP were used in combination, 90.41% and 90.90% when RP% and PCT were used in combination, and 100% and 100% when RP%, CRP, and PCT were used in combination. RP% changed dynamically with the progression of infection and recovered to lower than 5.5% at 2 to 7 days before the body temperature recovered to a normal level. The diagnostic value of RP% was the highest. A combined use with CRP/PCT could improve the sensitivity and specificity in the early diagnosis of infectious diseases.