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ABSTRACT: Enriching eggs with omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FA), such as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), is a well-accepted practice that benefits the egg industry and consumers. However, issues around cost, sustainability, and product acceptance have necessitated the search for alternatives to feeding hens fish oil for DHA enrichment. The effects of feeding 2 algal oils on egg production and DHA enrichment in eggs and selected tissues were investigated. The algal oils were: 1) OmegaPro (OPAO) standardized algal oil for DHA content and 2) Crude algal oil (CAO). A total of 400, 46-wk-old Lohmann LSL lite hens were housed in enriched cages (10 birds/cage) and allocated 5 diets (n = 8) for a 12-wk trial. The iso-caloric and -nitrogenous diets were a standard corn and soybean meal diet, standard plus 0.25 or 0.76% OPAO and standard plus 0.23 or 0.69% CAO; algal oils diets supplied similar DHA at each level. Egg production indices (hen day egg production, feed intake, FCR, egg weight, egg mass, and eggshell quality) were monitored for 10 wk. Diet samples were analyzed for fatty acids (FA) on wk 1, 6, and 12 and eggs on wk 4, 5, 6, 9, and 12. At the end of the trial, one hen/cage was weighed and dissected for liver, breast and thigh for FA and long bones for ash content analyses. Concentration of omega-6 to omega-3 FA ratio was 12.9, 6.64, 3.48, 6.96, and 3.59 for standard, 0.23 and 0.76% OPAO, 0.25 and 0.69% CAO, respectively. Algal oils increased (P ≤ 0.046) eggshell thickness linearly. The concentration of DHA in the eggs from the birds fed the standard, 0.23 and 0.76% OPAO, 0.25 and 0.69% CAO was 84, 195, 286, 183, and 297 mg/100g egg, respectively, and algal oils enriched eggs with DHA linearly and quadratically (P ≤ 0.01). In conclusion, algal oils increased the concentration of DHA in eggs and had no adverse effects on egg production and eggshell quality.

Good rumen function, which is largely influenced by the diet of the cow, is essential to optimise animal performance. This study, conducted over the course of a full lactation in a spring-calving milk production system, compared the rumen function and milk production of cows offered one of three dietary treatments: (1) Cows grazing grass-only swards receiving 250 kg nitrogen (N)/ha/year (Grass), (2) Cows grazing grass-white clover swards receiving 250 kg N/ha/year (Grass-Clover), and (3) Cows offered a total mixed ration diet and housed indoors (TMR). Treatment significantly affected milk production; milk yield and milk solids yield were generally highest on the TMR treatment. There was no effect of treatment on rumen pH. However, treatment significantly altered the rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA), and ammonia and lactic acid profiles. Clover inclusion in the sward led to higher (p < 0.05) total VFA and ammonia concentrations compared to the Grass and TMR treatments. The increased rumen ammonia concentration was associated with a significantly greater milk urea nitrogen (MUN) content in the milk from cows fed on Grass-Clover, indicating a greater excess of dietary protein in that treatment. It was concluded that a clover-based dairy cow feeding system could significantly alter rumen function, milk composition and milk yield.

Intake and digestibility are key drivers of animal production from grazed forage. The objective of this study was to compare the in vivo digestibility and voluntary dry matter (DM) intake of grass-only and grass-white clover (grass-clover) forage in individually housed sheep. This study was a Latin square design, repeated on three occasions in 2017: Spring (27 March–29 April), summer (19 June–22 July) and autumn (4 September–29 September). Grass-clover and grass-only swards were harvested daily and offered ad libitum to 6 individually housed wether sheep per treatment per period. Digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) were determined using the total faecal collection method. Dry matter intake was not significantly different between treatments. White clover inclusion increased forage crude protein concentration in autumn (p < 0.001) and reduced NDF concentration in the offered forage (p < 0.001), increasing nitrogen intake per sheep in autumn (p < 0.001) and decreasing NDF intake per sheep in autumn (p < 0.001). Grass-clover swards had a significantly greater OM and DM digestibility compared to grass-only swards (p < 0.05). This could potentially result in increased animal production from grass-clover swards compared to grass-only swards.

We surveyed the prevalence of obesity in the general population in Jamaica, and examined the relationship between it and lifestyle. The survey population consisted of 1935 inhabitants, whose body weight, marital status, educational history, and other obesity-associated lifestyle factors were surveyed. Six major findings emerged. The first finding is that the proportion of obesity in women was very high, and there was a big gender difference. Secondly, a lower prevalence towards obesity was associated with cohabitation of the subjects in both genders, and higher educational levels in female subjects. Thirdly, the proportion of the subjects who considered their weight to be quite acceptable was higher in the obese/overweight groups in both genders, although they felt physically unfit. Fourthly, exercise frequency showed a negative correlation with the body mass index (BMI) in men but not in women, and the frequency of exercising was apparently lower in women than in men. Fifthly, as for dietary factors, in both genders, vegetables showed a negative correlation with the BMI. Finally, non-smokers were also associated with a lower obesity prevalence in men. These findings suggest that social and lifestyle factors such as the educational level, marital status and dietary habits of the general population influence Jamaican obesity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A five-(5) year Joint Technical Cooperation Project between the Government of Jamaica and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was implemented with an overall goal of improving the health status of the Jamaican population by strengthening the function of the regional health system in Southern Jamaica. A joint project management team was established, comprised of Jamaican and Japanese counterparts working side by side for the duration of the project. Early activities focused on a needs analysis of organizational capacity, human resource skills, clinical activities and community lifestyles, especially in relationship to the prevention of Chronic Lifestyle Diseases (CLDs). Guided by findings from this analysis, a disease prevention model (including a mobile clinic) was first established in the parish of Manchester and then extended to the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Clarendon. Concurrently, capacity building and staff training activities were implemented with both Jamaican and Japanese inputs. The disease prevention model including free health screening (BP and BMI,) was established as planned, first in the parish of Manchester with subsequent extensions to Clarendon and St. Elizabeth. A total of 5,539 clients were seen at the end of December 2002. In spite of financial and human resource constraints (on the Jamaican side) all planned outputs were achieved although some (e.g. mobile clinic in Clarendon) were achieved later than projected dates. A detailed evaluation of lifestyle changes is pending. However, anecdotal evidence suggests positive changes among staff and clients (including community groups). The intervention facilitated strengthening of chronic lifestyle disease prevention at the community level through capacity building and human resources training which included strengthening the pioneering approach of Community Health Aide (CHA) involvement in health screening and promotion. The method of technical transfer undoubtedly played an integral role in the success of the project and could be seriously considered as an approach in other CARICOM countries with similar chronic disease challenges.Objective: To document the Joint Technical Cooperation Project between Jamaica and Japan on strengthening health care in the Southern Region. Method: Within an overall goal of improving the health status of the Jamaican population by strengthening the function of the regional health system, a joint project management team was established, which comprised of Jamaican and Japanese counterparts working side by side, for the duration of the project. Early activities focused on a need analysis of organizational capacity, human resource skills, clinical activities and community lifestyles, especially in relationship to the prevention of Chronic Lifestyle Diseases (CLDs). Guided by findings from this analysis, a disease prevention model was first established in the parish of Manchester and then extended to the parishes of St. Elizabeth and Clarendon. Concurrently, capacity-building and staff-training activities were implemented with both Jamaican and Japanese inputs. Achievements/Outcomes: The disease prevention model, including free health screening (BP and BMI), was established as planned, first in the parish of Manchester with subsequent extensions to Clarendon and St. Elizabeth. A total of 5539 clients were seen at the end of December 2002. In spite of financial and human resource constraints (on the Jamaican side), all planned outputs were achieved, although some (e.g., mobile clinic in Clarendon) were achieved later than projected dates. A detailed evaluation of lifestyle changes is pending. However, anecdotal evidence suggests positive changes among staff and clients (including community groups). Conclusion: This intervention facilitated the strengthening of chronic lifestyle disease prevention at the community level through capacity building and human resource training, which included strengthening the pioneering approach of Community Health Aide (CHA) involvement in health screening and promotion. The method of technical transfer undoubtedly played an integral role in the success of the project and could be seriously considered as an approach in other CARICOM countries with similar chronic disease challenges. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We surveyed the prevalence of obesity in the general population in Jamaica, and examined the relationship between it and lifestyle. The survey population consisted of 1,935 inhabitants in Jamaica, whose body weight, height, marital status, educational history, employment status and other obesity-associated lifestyle factors were surveyed. Six major findings emerged. The first finding is that the proportion of obesity in women was very high, and there was a big gender difference. Secondly, a lower prevalence towards obesity was associated with cohabitation of the subjects in both genders, and higher educational levels in female subjects. Thirdly, the proportion of the subjects who considered their weight to be quite acceptable was higher in the obese/overweight groups in both genders. Fourthly, exercise frequency showed a negative correlation with the body mass index (BMI) in men, and the frequency of exercising was apparently lower in women than in men. Fifthly, as for dietary factors, in both genders vegetables showed a negative correlation with the BMI. Sixthly, non-smokers were also associated with a lower obesity prevalence in men. In conclusions, these findings suggest that social and lifestyle factors such as the educational level, marital status and dietary habits of the general population influence Jamaican obesity.