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The effect of chromium associated with vitamins and minerals (synthetic or natural ingredients) on broiler meat nutritional quality, subjected to heat stress conditions were evaluated. The 6-week feeding trial was conducted on 120 unsexed 1-day-old Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to 4 treatments and housed in digestibility cages at 32 °C constant temperature. Compared to the control diet (C), the experimental diets were supplemented with 200 µg/kg diet chromium picolinate (Cr), as follows: Cr-AA has 0.25 g ascorbic acid/kg diet; Cr-Zn has 0.025 g zinc/kg diet; Cr-WS has 10 g creeping wood sorrel/kg diet. The results of the study showed that essential amino acids concentrations determined in the thigh meat samples tend to increase in groups supplemented with chromium and ascorbic acid and chromium and zinc, especially sulphur containing amino acids (methionine and cystine) which increased for experimental groups (methionine: 1.25% (C) vs. 1.77% (Cr-AA); 1.58% (Cr-Zn); 1.64% (Cr-WS) and cystine: 0.46% (C) vs. 0.52% (Cr-AA); 0.54% (Cr-WS)). Among the compounds with biological value, vitamin E and lutein & zeaxanthin concentration registered the highest increase for chromium and zinc supplemented group (vitamin E: 35.49 mg/kg (C) vs. 59.05 mg/kg (Cr-Zn) and lutein & zeaxanthin: 0.66 mg/kg (C) vs. 1.36 mg/kg (Cr-Zn)). The peroxidation process was delayed under nutritional supplements influence, the primary oxidation parameters (peroxide value) from the Cr-WS group being significantly lower compared to the control group. The same trend was maintained for the secondary oxidation parameters, the Cr-WS group highlighting reduced values for p-anisidine and TBARS concentration compared to the C group (p-anisidine: 17.22 (C) vs. 9.29 (Cr-WS) and TBARS: 0.15 mg/kg (C) vs. 0.11 mg/kg (Cr-WS)). In conclusion, sulphur-containing amino acids (methionine and cysteine) concentrations increased for experimental groups, in the thigh meat samples, the liposoluble compounds (vitamin E, lutein & zeaxanthin) concentration registered the highest increase for chromium and zinc supplemented group and the peroxidation process was more pronounced delayed under chromium and wooden sorrel combination.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of synbiotic and organic acids on oxidative stability of breast broiler meat. The experiment consists on 120, 2 days old Ross 308 chicks, housed in metabolic cages (6 chicks/cage). A 2 x 2 factorial arrangement was considered with 4 treatments and 5 replicates (30 animals per group). Two different levels of synbiotic (0 and 10 g/kg) and two different levels of organic acids (0 and 1.5 g/kg) were added to the standard diets in order to constitute the four experimental diets. For further analysis, breast meat from 6 animals per group were collected in 42nd experimental day. No significant differences were noticed for any oxidative parameter measured in breast samples except TBARS (significant decreased values for OA supplemented groups), at the end of experiment. After 4 days of refrigeration (4°C), the secondary oxidative products (panisidine, TBARS) were significant smaller for E groups, compared to C. After 7 days of refrigeration (4°C), the OA groups had significant smaller values for primary (CD) and secondary oxidation products. Synbiotic and organic acids supplements presented positive effect on meat quality by increasing oxidative stability of breast meat during storage.

During two feeding trials, the effect of dietary phytogenic mixture on the performance and oxidative stress biomarkers in the liver of broilers reared under thermoneutral conditions (TN) and heat stress (HS) was studied. A number of 60 Cobb 500 chicks/trial were sheltered in environmentally-controlled digestibility cages. On the 14 days of age, the chicks were weighted and assigned to four groups (2 groups/trial with 30 chicks/group). In the first trial, two groups (C-TN and PM-TN) were kept in thermoneutral conditions. In the second trial, other two groups were kept (C-HS and PM-HS) in heat stress (32 ±1 °C). The structure of diets was the same in both experiments. Compared with the control diet (C), the experimental diet (PM) contained the addition of 1% phytogenic mixture (bilberry leaves, peppermint leaves, fennel leaves and sea buckthorn meal). Irrespective of temperature conditions, dietary PM did not affect broiler’s performance. The dietary supplementation of PM delayed protein and lipid oxidation in the liver tissue of broilers in both trials by increasing the hepatic catalase, glutathione and superoxide dismutase activity.

The present work was planned to test the effects of 2 protein-oil rich ingredients which replaced an important part of classical soybean meal, on nitrogen (N) metabolism indicators. Simultaneous we aimed to assess performances, enteric methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted through manure. A balance test was conducted with 15 barrows, 36 ± 0.24 Kg initial body weight, assigned in three groups in metabolism cages: 1. SC diet based on a classical diet (soybean meal, 13%); 2. SP diet based on peas Tudor variety 16% that replace 49% of SM; 3. SPF diet containing 8% soybean meal, 12% peas and 4% linseed Lirina variety. Faecal and urine were quantitatively collected in two balance periods. A semiautomatic Kjeldahl method was used for assessing the N. The Spotchem EZ SP-4430 was used for determining plasma protein and urea nitrogen (BUN). The regression equations were used to determine N metabolism indicators, CO2 emitted and enteric CH4. An increase of 1.16 times of feed intake was noticed in the SP group compared to SC. The lipid intake was slightly higher in the SP fed group which contributed to an increase of energy intake compared to SC group (>1.17 times) and vs SPL fed group (>1.2 times). The average daily gain (ADG) decreased highly significant in the SP diet compared to the SC diet. Linseed adds in SPL diet contributed to obtaining performances closed to SC group. SP diets increased the N level slightly in faeces and urine. BUN concentration has a linear relation with urinary N. CO2 emitted represent 28-32% of CO2 exhalation. CO2 increased in the SP diet (P4 estimated value, although a slight increase was observed in the SP diet. In conclusion, although certain N metabolism indicator was affected by peas diet, only a little part was significantly modified. An oil-rich ingredient such as linseed could successfully complement peas by diminishing its adverse effects.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation with tomato peels (TP) and rosehip meal (RM) on their phytochemicals transfer to the egg, the antioxidant profile and the markers of lipid peroxidation in stored eggs. The experiment was conducted on 42-week-old TETRA SL laying hens, which were assigned to three dietary treatments with 30 birds each: the Control group (CON) received a corn-soybean diet containing 6% flaxseed meal without any by-product addition. Groups TP and RM received Diet CON with additionally 2% TP and 2% RM, respectively. Average daily feed intake, feed conversion ratio and laying percentage were not significantly changed by the dietary treatments. Compared to the other groups, the inclusion of dietary TP led to a significant increase in egg weight (p

The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementing the diet of laying hens with linseed meal and carotenoids from different sources on egg characteristics, yolk fatty acid and carotenoid profile, and lipid peroxidation. A 4-week experiment was conducted on 168 Lohmann Brown layers (43 weeks of age), assigned to four dietary treatments (42 hens/group, 21 replicate/groups with 2 birds/pen) consisting of a control diet (C) and three diets simultaneously supplemented with 6% linseed meal and 2% dried kapia pepper (E1), 2% dried sea buckthorn pomace (E2) and 2% dried carrot (E3). Every 2 weeks, 18 eggs/group/period were collected randomly from each group and used to determine the egg quality and nutritional parameters. The results showed that dietary linseed meal and carotenoids sources improved egg color, carotenoids’ accumulation in egg yolk and fatty acid profile, especially the n-3 PUFA content. Dietary carotenoids supplementation reduced, n-6/n-3 ratio, cholesterol content of the egg yolk and improved yolk pH, egg thickness and yolk oxidative stability. In conclusion, the use of these sources of carotenoids in the linseed meal enriched diets could be an effective way to improve the nutritional properties of the eggs without affecting their quality and consumer’s safety.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of grape seed oil (GSO) supplementation to broilers fed polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA)-enriched diets on growth performance, color, texture, fatty acid content and lipid peroxidation of meat. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 120 Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to three groups and housed in an experimental hall on permanent wood shaves litter. GSO was tested as source of natural antioxidants at different levels, 0% (GSO0, control), 1.5% (GSO1.5) and 3% (GSO3) in the presence of 4% flaxseed meal (FSM) in a completely randomized design. The results show that at the end of the experiment (42 days) the GSO supplementation had no effect (p &lt, 0.05) on productivity parameters, except the final weight which was improved in GSO3 compared to GSO. The thigh meat color indicated a higher degree of lightness (p &lt, 0.05), but the meat texture was not influenced (p &lt, 0.05) by the new tested diets. The GSO diets increased (p &lt, 0.05) the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content and decreased the PUFA content in the thigh meat. Thigh meat samples from GSO treatments had significantly (p &lt, 0.05) improved oxidative stability. In the breast meat only the concentration of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) decreased (p &lt, 0.05). It is concluded that the GSO significantly improved the thigh meat oxidative stability.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential of a byproduct mixture derived from grapeseed and sea buckthorn oil industry to mitigate the harmful damage produced by ochratoxin A and aflatoxin B1 at hepatic and renal level in piglets after weaning. Forty cross-bred TOPIGS-40 hybrid piglets after weaning were assigned to three experimental groups (E1, E2, E3) and one control group (C), and fed with experimental diets for 30 days. The basal diet was served as a control and contained normal compound feed for starter piglets without mycotoxins. The experimental groups were fed as follows: E1—basal diet plus a mixture (1:1) of two byproducts (grapeseed and sea buckthorn meal), E2—the basal diet experimentally contaminated with mycotoxins (479 ppb OTA and 62ppb AFB1), and E3—basal diet containing 5% of the mixture (1:1) of grapeseed and sea buckthorn meal and contaminated with the mix of OTA and AFB1. After 4 weeks, the animals were slaughtered, and tissue samples were taken from liver and kidney in order to perform gene expression and histological analysis. The gene expression analysis showed that when weaned piglets were fed with contaminated diet, the expression of most analyzed genes was downregulated. Among the CYP450 family, CYP1A2 was the gene with the highest downregulation. According to these results, in liver, we found that mycotoxins induced histomorphological alterations in liver and kidney and had an effect on the expression level of CYP1A2, CYP2A19, CYP2E1, and CYP3A29, but we did not detect important changes in the expression level of CY4A24, MRP2 and GSTA1 genes.

The effects of using grape pomace as natural antioxidant in polyunsaturated fatty acids enriched broiler diets (4% flaxseed meal) on color, texture and lipid peroxidation of meat were evaluated. The 4-week feeding trial was conducted on 200, Cobb 500 broilers, assigned to 5 groups and housed in an experimental hall with floored pens. Compared to the control group, the diet for the experimental groups included 3% or 6% of two grape pomace varieties, white and red. Diet formulation enrichment with red grape pomace influenced the meat color parameters, underlining an accentuated total color difference (&Delta, E) for both breast and thigh as compared to the control. The dietary supplementation with grape pomace led to the increase of meat hardness regardless of the amount and variety added. The grape pomace inclusion in broiler diets positively influenced meat color and texture. Regarding the lipid oxidation parameters, there was a decrease of the value of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in thigh meat in all experimental groups. Additionally, significant differences were highlighted for breast in 3% white grape pomace and 6% red grape pomace supplemented groups when compared to the control group. In conclusion, the supplementation of broiler diets enriched in PUFA with grape pomace improved meat color and texture, which are essential parameters for consumer&rsquo, s choice. Also, the grape pomace supplementation indicated an improvement of thigh meat oxidative stability, especially regarding the TBARS value.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of dietary inclusion of walnut and bilberry leaves (WL and BL), as sources of natural antioxidants in poultry diets, on the enrichment of antioxidant nutrients in the egg yolk and on the susceptibility of the yolk to lipid peroxidation during storage. The experiment was conducted on 32-week-old TETRA SL LL laying hens, which were assigned to three dietary treatments with 30 birds each. Each treatment was replicated 10 times with three chicks per replicate pen. Experimental dietary treatments differed from control diet (C) by addition of 0.5% BL supplement or 1% WL supplement. The phytoadditives were not significant contributors to the productive parameters. The addition of BL and WL in laying hens&rsquo, diets significantly increased the total polyphenol content, and the zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations in the egg yolks. In regards to the oxidative stability parameters, a significant decrease in the concentrations of primary oxidation products formed in the egg yolk of experimental groups was seen, proving an efficient inhibition effect of the phytoadditives on peroxyl radical formation. A significant correlation was observed between primary oxidation products and total polyphenol content of the egg yolks, where zinc, lutein and zeaxanthin are the bioactive compounds that inhibit the formation of secondary oxidation products.

This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary creeping wood sorrel powder (Oxalis corniculata) and chromium supplemented to broilers (1-42 days) exposed to heat stress, on their performance and on the intestinal and caecal microbiota.Area of study: Ilfov, RomaniaMaterial and methods: The feeding trial was conducted on 60, day-old Cobb 500 broilers, divided equally in two groups, each group with six replicates (5 chicks/ replicate). The broilers were housed in an experimental hall at 32° C constant temperature and 23h light regimen. Unlike the dietary control diet (C), the experimental diet (E) was supplemented with 1% creeping wood sorrel powder and 20 mg chromium picolinate/ kg premix. One bird from each replication was slaughtered on days 28 and 42, and samples of caecal and intestinal content were collected for bacteriological analysis.Main results: The dietary creeping wood sorrel powder and chromium supplements for heat-stressed broilers had no significant influence on their growth performance (1-42 d). Overall, E diet had a beneficial effect on the balance of the caecal microflora; however, in the intestine, E diet had a positive influence on the balance of the intestinal microflora, only for the samples collected at 28 days.Research highlights: Dietary creeping wood sorrel powder and chromium supplements can be an efficient tool for maintaining a proper balance of intestinal microflora in heat-stressed broilers.

Poultry meat is a valuable source of nutrients and the enrichment with health-promoting substances such as polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) is an important factor for consumers’ choice. Camelina meal (Camelina sativa) is an animal feedstuff used to achieve this goal, but the administration of n-3 PUFA-enriched diets in broiler nutrition can accelerate the oxidative processes in meat leading to a decreased quality of final product. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the organic Cr as chromium picolinate (CrPic) on meat quality, fatty acid profile of fat and oxidative stability of meat from broilers fed supplemented dietary Camelina meal. An experiment was conducted on 240 Ross 308 broiler chicken aged 14 days which were assigned to 6 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement. Within the treatment arrangement two concentrations of Camelina meal (0% and 3%) and three concentrations of Cr3+ (0, 200 and 400 μg/kg) were used. Dietary treatments were: (1) Control diet (C) containing a corn–soybean diet with no added Camelina meal or Cr3+; (2) a C diet containing an additional 200 μg/kg of Cr3+ as CrPic; (3) a C diet containing an additional 400 μg/kg of Cr3+ as CrPic; (4) a C diet containing an additional 3% Camelina meal; (5) diet 2 containing an additional 3% Camelina meal; (6) diet 3 containing an additional 3% Camelina meal. Chromium supplementation significantly (P

We investigated changes in nitrogen metabolism and chemical, fatty acid (FA) and amino acid (AA) composition in tissues (longissimus dorsi (LD) and semitendinosus (ST) muscles, heart, spleen, liver and cecum) following the dietary addition of extruded linseed and walnut meal (50:50 mix). Plasma creatinine and urea nitrogen were determined as well. Two trials were designed using barrows (five replicates) allotted in two groups [(control, (SM) and experimental, (LEW))] in metabolic cages. The experimental diet rich in n-3 FA led to a significant increase of retained nitrogen (&gt, 8.09% in the LEW group). The biological value of feed protein was 14.8% higher in the LEW group than in the SM group. LD muscles from the SM group and liver from the LEW group had greater nitrogen contents, whereas the heart and spleen had lower concentrations of nitrogen in the LEW group. Diet had a pronounced effect on n-3 FA, particularly on &alpha, linolenic fatty acid (ALA) (p &lt, 0.0001). The highest levels of ALA were recorded in the cecum (&gt, 6.06 times in LEW) and heart (&gt, 5.44 times in LEW). The highest level of lysine was noticed in the LD muscle (&gt, 2.1% in SM). An n-3-rich diet significantly reduced the amount of nitrogen excreted, greater than 40% nitrogen was retained, thus improving the meat composition.

The aim of this study was to assess the nutritional quality of four botanical mixtures (AFC): AFC 1 (containing red corn, pumpkin pulp and marigold), AFC 2 (containing alfalfa meal, pumpkin pulp and marigold), AFC 3 (containing kale, alfalfa meal, marigold and spinach leaves), AFC 4 (containing buckthorn, red corn, pumpkin pulp and marigold), in terms of proximate analysis (crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, ash), amino acid (AA) profile, vitamin E concentration and lutein and zeaxanthin content, in order to determine the potential of AFCs as feed additives in laying hens nutrition. The crude protein content for the analysed botanical mixtures ranged between 9.07-18.18% DM, and crude fiber between 10.41-30.83% DM. The amino acid profile of the mixture AFC 4 revealed a content of limiting essential amino acids required for laying hens: lysine 5.719% CP, methionine 1.058% CP and threonine 4.415% CP. The highest content of lutein and zeaxanthin was found in the mixture AFC 4 (66.659 mg/100 g), which also had the highest amount of vitamin E (640.93 mg/kg). With regard to safety of the botanical mixtures, lead and cadmium concentrations were determined. Concentration of lead ranged from 0.28-0.75 µg/g DM and 0.06-0.09 µg/g DM for concentration of cadmium, which was within the legislation of maximal limits of EU regulations. It can be concluded that the botanical mixture AFC 4 had the highest concentration of lutein, zeaxanthin and vitamin E, with an adequate content of essential amino acids. Furthermore, all four botanical mixtures had high amounts of xantophylls and should be tested in laying hens trials in order to establish their effects on lutein and zeaxanthin concentration in egg yolk.

The effects of inulin-supplemented diet on Cu, Mn, and Zn bioavailability in recently weaned piglets raised at an experimental and a commercial farm were studied. Piglets were weaned at 28 days of age, when all of them were fed a barley-wheat based starter diet supplemented with a usual vitamin-mineral premix for piglets. The reference diet group received additional 50 mg of zinc per kg diet, while the experimental inulin diet group was supplemented with 1.5% inulin (no additional zinc). Both diets, low in inorganic copper (pro - vided only from forages), covered the demands for minerals of the growing piglets. Four piglets were sacrificed on days 28, 33, and 39 in each group at each farm and liver samples were collected and analyzed . The contents of Cu, Mn, and Zn were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrometry. The feeding experiments showed that the presence of inulin enhanced ( P 0.05) between experimental inulin diet group and reference diet group could be noticed for zinc and manganese concentrations in the liver. Biological availability of copper was higher in the piglets reared under high and standardized sanitary conditions than in those reared under commercial farm conditions ( P < 0.05).

Plants and plant extracts (PPEs) have gained increasing interest as feed additives and possible replacing antibiotics for pig productions. The effects of dietary Chlorella vulgaris (1%), sodium alginate (0.1%), inulin (1.5%), and a mixture of essential oils (0.04%) supplements on immune response, and bioavail- ability of some micronutrients (iron − Fe, copper − Cu, manganese − Mn, and zinc − Zn) were investigated in weaned piglets in this study. The results showed that the concentration of IgG was increased in the plasma of pigs fed the PPEs supplemented diets being significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the case of dietary sodium alginate supplementation in comparison to the control (6.00 vs. 4.03 mg/ml). In liver, PPEs, especially inulin and essential oils, were able to modulate the level of cytokine production and mineral retention, resulting in higher liver concentration of IL-1β (125.4 and 88.9%), IL-8 (136.9 and 61.3%), TNF-a (296.6 and 121.6%), and IFN-γ (51.2 and 107.28%), Cu (71.31 ppm), and Fe (192.56 ppm) in comparison to the control. The results of this experiment indicate that natural supplements investigated herein, especially inulin, essential oils, and sodium alginate had the ability to potentiate both the immune function and mineral retention during the initial post weaning period.

Protein quality is determined by the type and concentration of the essential amino acids and by their bioavailability. Hence, the content of dietary essential amino acids from a protein or mixture of proteins is a factor which determines the feeding quality of the protein. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the quality of the protein from a high protein raw ingredient (corn gluten) using a chromatographic method (HPLC) under optimized experimental conditions. In this study, we used pre-column derivatization, separation by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and UV detection. The optimized method was used to determine the amino acids from high-protein raw ingredients commonly used in animal feeding (corn gluten, 61%CP). A set of 6 amino acids analyses has been performed in 6 different days, each sample being prepared in double. For characterization of data strings we used quality parameters: average, standard deviation, standard error, confidence level, precision, accuracy. For verifying the Gaussian shape of the strings we used the Kernel Density. For identifying and rejecting the outliers from the data strings we used the Q test. The very low values of the accuracy for several amino acids (glutamic acid, threonine, alanine, valine, phenylalanine, isoleucine, leucine) determined us to introduce the dilution stage (1:2) for the hydrolysed samples. The method can be considered as repeatable (precision in different days) and accurate (evaluation by tracing yields) for all the determined amino acids.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the partial or total replacement of the inorganic Cu and Fe salts by organic forms of these elements on broiler performance and on the elimination of minerals through broiler droppings. A study was conducted for 42 days on 240 broiler chicks treated with trace elements chelates with amino acids: B-TRAXIMRTEC Cu-I30; BTRAXIMRTEC Fe-120. The broiler chicks were housed in cages (10 chicks per cage, 6 cages per group) and assigned to 4 groups (C, E1, E3 and E3) fed on the same corn-soybean meal-based diet. Phased-feeding was used according to the developmental stages of the broilers (starter, grower and finisher). Feed intake and the amount of droppings were recorded daily. The daily records of droppings and their chemical analysis was used to determine the trace elements load of the droppings. The total or partial replacement of the inorganic Cu and Fe salts by chelates of these minerals with amino acids in broiler diets didn?t affect broiler performance. The inclusion of Cu chelates in broiler diets at the level recommended by the manufacturer of by NRC decreased by at least 34% the level of Cu (environmentally toxic element) in the droppings. The corresponding decrease was of 5-21% for Fe.

Many plants and their constituents (carotenoids, flavonoids and other phenolic compounds), action to inhibit the free radical by the use of antioxidant activity, helping to a better efficiency of nutrients utilization. The purpose of this study was to investigate the antioxidant activity and phenolic content of five different plants, known for their antioxidant potential. Total phenols were determined by FolinCiocalteumethod, with few modifications. The antioxidant capacity was evaluated by DPPH, ABTS radical-scavenging activity and phosphomolybdenum method. The results showed that the highest antioxidant activity was obtained for walnut leaves in terms of ABTS evaluation and for bilberry leaves by DPPH and phosphomolybdenum methods. In the present study, peppermint, walnut and bilberry leaves proved to have an important antioxidant activity and also a total phenolic content.

The aim of this study is the evaluation of photo-Fenton as a suitable advanced oxidation process to degrade ampicillin and streptomycin antibiotics. The degradation was studied by monitoring the organic substrate concentration changes in aqueous solution as a function of reaction time using COD analysis. The oxidation process follows two successive stages. In the first stage (I) the oxidation of the antibiotics takes place with high reaction rate, leading to intermediate oxidation products. In the second stage (II) the reaction rate is much lower, the intermediate compounds being more resistant towards the oxidation process. For each oxidation stage, the process follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics according to the Lagergren model, the first-order kinetic constants being k1 I (magnitude order of 10-3 s-1) and k1 II (magnitude order of 10-4 s-1). The kinetics constant k1 I and k1 II values are correlated with the nature and structure of the antibiotic and the intermediate oxidation products, which determine the oxidation reactivity.

Synthesis of two unconventional ion exchange resins and their behaviour on the mercury sorption experiments were investigated. The ion exchange resins were obtained by the quaternization reaction of 4-vinylpyridine:divinylbenzene copolymer, gel-type, by two ways namely, the nucleophilic substitution of the pyridine matrix with 2-chloroacetamide and the nucleophilic addition of protonated copolymer to acrylamide. Comparative sorptions of Hg2+ ions on the synthesized pyridine resins by batch experiments in mono- and binary system were analyzed. Mercury retention experiments aimed to study the influence of the solution concentration, contact time and solution pH. The removal of Hg2+ ions from aqueous solutions depends on the pH values, the amount of the retained mercury increased with the pH value. The studied strong base pyridine anion exchange resins presented a good selectivity for the Hg2+ ions during the competitive sorption of Hg2+/Cu2+, Hg2+/Zn2+ and Hg2+/Fe3+ at metal cations ratio of 1:1.

Chromate sorption on pyridine strong base anion exchangers with different functional groups (methyl, ethyl, and butyl groups), at the quaternary nitrogen atoms, was studied as a function of various initial concentrations (100–1500 mg Cr/L) and counterion type. The studied resins in the Cl−[ form have higher Cr(VI)-retention capacities than those in the SO form. The pyridine strong base anion exchangers showed a selectivity reversal for the sulfate and chromate anions compared to that of the commercial resins. The alkyl substituent length of the quaternary nitrogen atoms exerted a substantial influence on the Cr(VI)-retention capacity values for the resins in the Cl− form; the chromate anions preferred resins with methyl functional groups, that is, resins with a greater hydrophilic structure. For the resins in the SO form the length of the substituent at the quaternary nitrogen atom had only a negligible influence on their Cr(VI)-retention values. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 1957–1963, 2004

A comparative analysis of the behaviour of two strong base anion exchangers with different chemical structures, namely a noncommon strong base anion exchanger containing 4-vinyl-1-ethylpyridinium chloride structural units from the quaternization of the gel type 4-vinylpyridine:8% divinylbenzene copolymer and a commercial type I and gel styrene strong base anion exchanger, Purolite A 400, in the retention process of CrO 4 2− anion from K 2 CrO 4 aqueous solutions was investigated. For this, using the batch method, the ion-exchange equilibrium and kinetics studies were performed. From these studies the following aspects were observed: (a) the two resins had the retention capacities of CrO 4 2− anion of the same values with those of their exchange capacities, a higher value being for the pyridine resin; (b) the ion-exchange isotherms and the separation factors showed that both resins exhibited a much higher preference for CrO 4 2− anion over Cl − anion, the higher preference having the styrene resin; (c) for both resins appeared the same ion-exchange rates and using Boy–Adamson diffusion equation, the ion diffusion apparent coefficients were calculated, they having values of 1.587 × 10 −8 cm 2 /s and 2.140 × 10 −8 cm 2 /s for pyridine resin and Purolite A 400, respectively.

Thermodynamic and kinetic data are presented, in order to compare the adsorption of SO2 on natural and synthetic zeolites (Clinoptilolite, Mordenite, X, Y, ZSM-5 and Beta). The adsorption capacities determined on static conditions and on transient regimes are strongly dependent on the nature, structure and SiO2/Al2O3 molar ratio of the zeolites. The synthetic zeolites present greater capacities adsorption values compared to the natural ones. The natural clinoptilolite type zeolite presents low adsorption capacity for sulphur dioxide, but it reaches considerably higher values after chemical and thermal activation. The experimental adsorption isotherms are of I-type according to the Brunauer, Demming and Teller classification and fits with Langmuir-type isotherms. On the low temperature domain (200C), the adsorption process is diffusionally controlled and the apparent diffusion coefficients values are related to the channels and access opening dimensions of the zeolite structures.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of chromium picolinate (CrPic) on growth performance, nutrient digestibility, and protein and lipid quality of five anatomical parts in growing pigs. The 30-day study was conducted on eight castrated Topigs growing male pigs, with an initial bodyweight of 17.16 ± 0.62 kg. The pigs were assigned to two groups (C, E), housed in individual metabolic cages, and fed on conventional diets with 17.80% crude protein (CP) and 3078 kcal/kg metabolizable energy (ME). The diet of E was supplemented with 200 ppm CrPic. Samples of ingesta and faeces were collected in three balance periods of five days each. At the end of the experiment, blood samples were collected, all pigs were slaughtered, and meat (tenderloin, loin, ham, shoulder, and belly) samples were collected. No significant differences of productive or plasma parameters were noticed. The results of the balance study showed that CrPic did not influence the digestibility of nitrogen, but the digestibility of fat was significantly decreased for group E. The nutritional quality of the collected samples was evaluated for proximate analysis. The tenderloin and ham samples had increased protein concentrations compared with C group. For belly and ham, the fat concentrations decreased significantly. As a result of this observation, amino acids and fatty acid profiles were analysed and a significant improvement were determined for E regarding essential amino acids. The conclusion of the study was that CrPic had positive effects on protein and fat metabolism and the meat had functional food attributes. Keywords: Amino acids, biochemical profile, chromium picolinate, digestibility, fatty acids, pork

Organic trace minerals present a higher bioavailability and stability, therefore lower rates of inclusion in feed will be needed to meet the poultry nutritional requirements which will lead to a lower environmental output. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of total replacement of the inorganic Mn and Fe salts by organic forms of these elements on nutritional quality of eggs and on apparent absorption coefficients. A study was conducted on 192 laying hens, housed in cages (2 birds/cage), divided into 3 groups (C, E 1 , E 2 ). All groups received a similar diet (17.96% CP and 2724.31 kcal/kg ME). Diet E 1 used the same level of Mn and Fe as diet C, but in chelated form (71.9 mg Mn/kg and 60 mg Fe/kg). Compared to C, diet E 2 had the same level of Fe (inorganic source) but the Mn concentration was 200 mg/kg (organic source). Every two weeks egg samples were collected randomly (18 eggs/group). During the study, all droppings were daily collected in order to form average weekly samples/cage, from which Mn, Fe was determined by FAAS. The replacement of the inorganic Mn and Fe salts by chelates of these minerals in layers diets didn’t affect their performances. The analytical results showed an improvement of nutritional quality of eggs in terms of significant (P≤0.05) increasing of Mn concentration in egg yolk for E 2 (1.84±0.28 mg/kg) compare to C (1.46±0.16 mg/kg) and E 1 (1.59±0.30 mg/kg) but without any statistically assured improvement of Fe concentrations. The apparent absorption coefficients of Fe and Mn were higher for E 2 compare to the other two groups (E 1 , C). A possible explanation of these results could be the existent interactions between the trace elements found in animal organism, a high concentration of Mn being able to influence positively the absorption of Fe in organism. The chelate source of trace minerals can be a way of obtaining Mn enrichment eggs but only using amounts of Mn above conventional rate.

In this paper, energy and exergy analyses of an absorption cooling system using H2O/LiBr and solar energy as heat source are conducted. A simple schematic of a chiller and an improved one, are compared using Thermoptim and EES software. An increase in the coefficient of performance (COP) from 0.69 to 0.8 was noticed. Numerical simulations are performed for six values of the condensing/absorption temperatures, which vary in the interval 31–36°C. The increase in these temperatures implies a decrease in the COP from 0.8 to 0.56. The exergy analysis of the overall system and of each component shows a decrease in the exergetic efficiency of the system from 0.27 to 0.18. A detailed exergy analysis of the absorber reveals the real causes of exergy destruction. A new exergy destruction indicator was introduced, which shows the importance of the irreversibility of each component, relative to the starting potential.

This study reveals the synthesis of a membrane system by a simple and efficient procedure. The conditions used for preparing a membrane system to a substrate have a great effect on its performance. The determination of a suitable immobilisation procedure for specific application becomes complicated with the methods developed over the years. A hybrid coating of fiberglass served as substrate to obtain a photocatalytic system. The working procedure is based on the immersion of fiberglass in suspension consisting of sodium silicate solution and titanium dioxide. The new synthesised membrane system was characterized using X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The present study is focused on the procedure for obtaining new materials for environmental applications and performance evaluation of membrane system in advanced oxidation processes. The photocatalytic activity of the membrane system was evaluated through the oxidation process of organic compounds from wastewater. A synthetic solution by 4-chlorophenol was used as test substance. Removal of phenols compounds from wastewater is extremely important from an environmental perspective.

This work presents a hybrid method for advanced removal of 4-chlorophenol from water by combining the membrane and photo-catalytic processes. The hybrid method consists of photo-catalytic oxidation procedure using a photo-catalytic reactor equipped with a TiO 2 -functionalized membrane obtained by the sol-gel method. The photo-catalytic activity is dependent on the alcohol solvent type used for synthesis, which determines the TiO 2 deposition and characteristics. At higher reaction time, the regenerated cellulose membrane becomes slightly unstable due to UV radiations and a strong oxidizing potential of the reaction medium.

A 4-week study conducted on 20 weaned piglets (average initial weight 15 kg) evaluated the effects of dietary oregano (Origanum vulgare) used in the presence/absence of phytase on the Cu and Zn balance, while reducing/eliminating their inclusion in the diet as inorganic salts. Oregano was harvested from the wild flora. The Cu and Zn concentrations that were taken into consideration (9.85 ppm and 53.31 pmm, respectively) were the consensus values obtained in an interlaboratory study. The piglets were assigned to 4 groups (C, E1, E2, E3), housed in individual metabolic cages and fed on corn-soybean meal-based diets. The diet of the control group (C) with addition of 1% inorganic mineral premix (MP), contained: 40.92 ppm Cu, 144.96 ppm Zn. The experimental diets differed from the C diet as follows: E1--3% oregano, 0% phytase (5000 PU/g), 0% MP; E2--3% oregano, 0.01% phytase, 0% MP; E3--3% oregano, 0% phytase, 0.5% MP, E4--3% oregano, 0.01% phytase, 0,5% premix. For groups E1, E2, E3 and E4, 0.5% Zn of the MP were included in the diet, because the dietary oregano amount did not meet the requirements (NRC) for piglets. The mineral balance was determined during 3 periods of 5 days each. The levels of Cu and Zn were measured by FAAS in the samples (weekly samples/piglet) of ingesta, faeces and urine. It was noticed that although the dietary Cu ingested by the groups without MP was 75% (10.08 ppm) lower than C, the absorption coefficients were only 47% (28.83) lower than for group C (54.22%), while in the groups with 0.5% MP, the absorption was just 10% (48.86%) lower than for group C. For Zn, where the amount ingested by the experimental groups was 33% (97.62 ppm) lower than for group C, the absorption coefficients were just 20% (46.3%) lower than for group C (57.64%). No significant differences were noticed for Cu and Zn in terms of apparent absorption, between the groups with/without phytase. The deposits of Cu and Zn in the main organs and serum (from slaughtered piglets) were also evaluated.

An experimental study on 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation in aqueous solutions by advanced oxidation process photo-Fenton type is presented. The efficiency of the oxidation process is determined by the very high oxidative potential of the OH. radicals generated by catalytic and photo-catalytic processes. The presence of the inorganic species inside the reaction medium influences the rate of the oxidation process as function of their nature and concentration. The inorganic anionic species reduce drastically the 4-CP oxidation efficiency by Fe2+/3+ complexing processes, HO. radicals scavenging effect or iron precipitate forming. The decrease of the 4-CP oxidation degree is correlated with the nature of the anions as following: Cl- ] PO43- ] SO42- ]] NO3-. The presence of the insoluble inorganic species (bentonite) modifies the oxidation efficiency by additional 4-CP and UV sorption processes, especially at high solution turbidity values.

ESR investigations on ZnO doped with various amounts of γ-Al2O3 thermally treated, are reported. Experimental data are related to the electronic structure of ZnO-γ-Al2O3 and to desulfurization specific activity for natural gas.