The proximate analysis, amino acid content and true amino acid digestibility and TMEn for poultry of adult Field crickets Gryllus testaceus Walker, were investigated. The insect was also used as partial replacement of protein supplements in the broiler diet on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis. The results indicated that the adult insect contained: crude protein 58.3%; fat 10.3%, chitin 8.7% and ash 2.96% on dry matter basis, respectively. The total amounts of methionine, cystine and lysine in the Field crickets were 1.93%, 1.01% and 4.79%, respectively, and their true digestibility coefficients, determined in cecectomized roosters, were 94.1%, 85% and 96%, respectively. The TMEn of this insect meal was 2,960 kcal/kg determined in cecectomized roosters. When cornsoybean meal diets were formulated on an equal CP percentage and TMEn basis, up to 15% Field cricket could replace control diet without any adverse affects on broiler weight gain, feed intake or gain:feed ratio from 8 to 20 d posthatching.

The present study was performed with tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to evaluate the effects of diet supplementation with grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) on fish growth performance, some serum parameters and body composition. Three hundred tilapia fingerlings with the initial average body weight of 8.25±0.07 g were randomly divided into five treatment groups with four replicates in each group and 15 fish in each replicate. The dietary GSPs levels of five treatment groups were 0 (control group), 200, 400, 600, and 800 mg/kg, respectively. The trial period was 49 days. Growth performance parameters were significantly improved by GSPs supplementation (P<0.05), while survival rates were similar among all groups (P>0.05). Serum parameter results showed that activities of aminotransferase aspartate in 200 and 400 mg/kg GSPs groups and alanine aminotransferase in 400 mg/kg GSPs group were lowered significantly (P<0.05). Levels of triglyceride and total cholesterol (except 200 mg/kg GSPs group) were significantly lowered, while lysozyme activity and albumin level were significantly higher in fish of GSPs supplemented groups, independently from the level of supplementation. The highest crude protein level and lowest crude lipid level were found in fish of all GSPs supplemented groups, while levels of moisture and ash in fish of all groups were similar (P>0.05). The results indicated that dietary 200 mg/kg GSPs could exert beneficial effects on growth and body composition of tilapia fingerlings, and ameliorate serum biochemistry parameters related to health status.

A precision-fed assay was conducted to determine true metabolisable energy and true amino acid digestibility in Chinese quality protein maize (QPM) compared with normal maize (NM). Thirty adult roosters, kept in individual cages, were made to fast for 48h and then tub-fed 50g QPM or NM per bird and their excreta was colleted for the subsequent 48h. Additional fifteen roosters were made to fast in order to estimate endogenous losses of energy and amino acids (AA) in excreta. Gross energy of the two types of maize were similar; the lysine content in NM and QPM were 0.27% and 0.41% (DM basis), respectively. True metabolisable energy (TME) and true metabolisable energy nitrogen corrected (TMEn) values of QPM and NM were not significantly different (P>0.05). Digestibility of some AA, including lysine and methionine, in QPM were higher than those in NM (P<0.05). The results of this study indicated that the nutritive value of QPM might be higher than that of NM