Blood total antioxidant capacity (TAC) has become a key bio-marker for animal health. Forest-grazing cattle are known to forage various native plants that have high TAC. This study evaluated differences of plasma TAC between forest-grazing (FG) and pasture-grazing cattle (PG). Experiment 1 monitored the plasma TAC levels of 32 Japanese Black cattle. The level in PG did not change throughout the grazing period. However, that in FG, which increased from summer, was significantly higher than that in PG through fall (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, we used nine Japanese Black heifers and investigated their blood antioxidant parameters and the TAC in plants that the cattle consumed in late June and September. The plasma TAC levels in FG were significantly higher than those in PG in both periods (P < 0.05). Plasma levels of lipid peroxidation in FG tended to be lower than that in PG (P = 0.098). Furthermore, the TAC levels in various species of shrubs and trees consumed by FG were higher than those in pasture grasses. Results of this study show that plasma TAC of grazing Japanese Black cattle in forestland increase from summer through fall.

No abstract

Effects of spacer chain length on photoinduced electron transfer in porphyrin–viologen linked system (ZnPCnV) were investigated by laser photolysis. A long-living charge separated state was obtained with ZnPC4V in both homogeneous and bilayer systems, while ZnPC6V and ZnPC8V afforded appreciable charge separated states only in homogeneous system.

Forest-grazing enables the intake of high total antioxidant capacity (TAC) plants that might be beneficial for the TAC status of cattle. This study evaluated the relation between the seasonal foraging patterns of forest-grazing Japanese Black (JB) heifers or the TAC levels in shrubs and trees and the changes of plasma TAC. We examined 12 JB heifers, four each of which were allocated to forest-grazing (F), pasture-grazing, and pen-housed groups. The plasma TAC level in F heifers on July 26, August 13, 30 and September 17 were significantly higher than those on April 27 and June 4 (P < 0.05). In F group, the mean rates of foraging frequency (FF) of shrubs and trees during July 5-8 and September 13-16 were much higher than that during May 31-June 3 (P < 0.05). The rate of FF of grass significantly decreased later in the season (P < 0.05). The mean TAC levels in these shrubs and trees were higher than those in grasses, concentrates, and timothy hay. Results suggest that an important factor in the increase of plasma TAC in forest-grazing cattle might be the increased foraging of TAC-rich shrubs and trees during summer-fall.

Radioactive cesium (Cs) concentration of vegetation and soil was monitored in grasslands in seven farms located at a distance ranging from 90 to 180 km from the Fukushima nuclear power plant during seven months following the reactor meltdown in March 2011. The monitored sites included six sown meadows used to produce hay or silage, three sown pastures and one native pasture used for cattle grazing. The radioactive Cs concentrations of the soil ranged from 264–1593 Bq kg−1 dry matter (DM). The radioactive Cs concentrations in vegetation (aboveground parts of dominant grasses) were high with values ranging from 639–19 823 Bq kg−1 DM for the meadows, 949–7161 Bq kg−1 DM for the sown pastures and 5088–358 549 Bq kg−1 DM for the native pasture. Although the radioactive Cs concentrations tended to decrease over time in most grasslands, there was no clear decreasing trend for grassland soils low in exchangeable potassium concentration and clay content. The transfer of radioactive Cs from soil to herbage tended to be lower in soils with higher exchangeable potassium concentration and clay content. Detailed measurements in one meadow showed highest radioactive Cs concentration in surface litter, followed by standing dead and live plant material. Approximately, 71, 21 and 7% of radioactive Cs in the meadows were present in the soil, litter and standing dead material, respectively. Further regular monitoring of radioactive Cs concentration in grasslands in the affected areas surrounding the nuclear power plant is required to amend the existing guidelines regarding livestock feeding.