Protein nutrition for ruminants in European countries, in the light of animal feeding regulations linked to bovine spongiform encephalopathy

Abstract

Natural scrapie, a degenerative disease affecting the central nervous system of domestic sheep, and less commonly of domestic goats, has been known for over two hundred years in Great Britain and other countries in Europe. Research on this progressive and invariably fatal neurological disorder began in the 19th Century, and theories on the cause and the mode of transmission of the disease have been debated for many years (14, 15). According to Prusiner et al. (38, 39), the scrapie agent is an infectious protein, i.e. an abnormal form of a host-encoded protein, prion protein (PrP), which accumulates in the central nervous system of affected animals (PrP for prionproteinaceous infectious particle-protein). Investigations on natural and experimentally induced scrapie in sheep have shown that genetic susceptibility to the disease is modulated by at least three different codons (136, 154, 171) of the sheep PrP gene. Studies reported so far on the PrP genotypes relevant to the scrapie susceptibility status reveal the resistance of homozygous ARR/ARR (ARR: alanine, arginine, arginine) animals and the high liability to disease of VRQ/VRQ (VRQ: valine, arginine, glutamine) and VRQ/ARQ (ARQ: alanine, arginine, glutamine) animals in scrapie-affected flocks (47). However, a new disease, referred to as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), emerged in the mid-1980s in the United Kingdom (UK), and the first case of BSE was confirmed in November 1986 on the basis of histopathological examination of affected brains (57). Rapidly, BSE was recognised as being a new member of the scrapie-like family of neurodegenerative diseases. This finding provided new impetus

Comparison of DNA variants in the PRNP and NF1 regions between bovine spongiform encephalopathy and control cattle

“…As discussed in several papers (e.g. Sellier 2003), contamination via fodder is a main factor in BSE incidence. The level of contamination most likely differs between herds, and only cattle infected by critical doses of pathogens have the propensity for showing the disease.…”

Greenhouse Gas Life Cycle Assessment of Products Arising from the Rendering of Mammalian Animal Byproducts in the UK

“…Soybean meal was chosen based on its similar total protein content: the total crude protein contents of PAP and soybean meal being 538 and 516 g/kg dry matter respectively. 13 Systems S1 and S2 also include ABP transport to the rendering plant, MBM transport from the rendering plant to the FBC power plant, electricity, water, wastewater treatment and the production of chemicals used in the rendering process (Figure 1). Infrastructure was not included and a rationale for its exclusion is provided in the Sensitivity Analysis (Supporting Information).…”

Tetracyclines in Processed Animal Proteins: A Monitoring Study on Their Occurrence and Antimicrobial Activity

“…The European legislation defines and describes specific requirements for PAPs, which must be submitted to regulated rendering practices, providing reduction in size, and sterilization of products, under standardized conditions of temperature and pressure [ 2 , 3 ]. PAPs are an available, cost-effective, and high value protein source since they are produced from fit for consumption animal by-products (ABPs) of slaughtered animals [ 4 , 5 , 6 ].…”