Search

In this study, we evaluated the serum profile of sheep fed with banana residue hays dried using two methods. Thirty crossbred Santa Inês × Dorper, male, non-castrated sheep (average body weight= 26.5 kg) were distributed in a randomized block design with five treatments: control, two types of residues (banana pseudo stem and banana leaf hays), and two drying methods (sun and shade drying). After feeding the experimental diets for 20 days, the animals were fasted for 12 h before collecting venous blood (6 mL) for plasma and serum at 0, 3, and 6 h after feeding. Variance analysis was performed in subdivided plots, and the means were compared using Dunnett’s test at 5% probability. No differences were observed in the dry matter intake of animals fed with banana by-product hay; however, the in vitro dry matter digestibility was high for pseudo stem hay. The differences in the nutritional value of the hays were not sufficient to alter the serum biochemistry of the animals. No differences were observed in the total protein, serum albumin and globulins, albumin/globulin ratio, and plasma glucose among time points and treatments (5.83 g/dL, 3.43 g/dL, 2.40 g/dL, 1.82 g/dL, and 64.6 mg/dL). Urea and triglyceride levels were the highest (p<0.05) at 3 h after feeding (30.1 and 37.0 mg/dL, respectively) and creatinine at 0 h (0.94 mg/dL). Serum cholesterol levels were the lowest (p<0.05) at 3 h after feeding (38.5 mg/dL). No effect of treatment on these parameters was observed. Thus, sheep can be fed with pseudo stem or banana leaves dehydrated in the sun or shade without compromising blood parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nanofiltration process as a polishing step of a membrane bioreactor inoculated with commercial baker yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) used to treat sanitary landfill leachate. The contaminants retention and influence of concentration polarization and fouling phenomena on the permeate flux decline (FD) at different operating pressures were analysed. The greatest total flux reductions of 63.57% and 70.83% were observed for the lowest and the highest pressures, respectively, being this reduction attributed mainly to the concentration polarization. Membrane itself and concentration polarization phenomena were the main resistances to the nanofiltration process. Hermia model adjustment to the experimental data revealed that cake formation was the main mechanism that explained the FD at pressures of 8, 10 and 12 bar. At recovery rates above 40%, there was a significant decrease in permeate quality, so this value was chosen as the viable value for the proposed system. Integrated MBR-nanofiltration system led to the high removal of pollutants and made the treated effluent feasible for reuse in the landfill itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Taurus is the property of Revista Taurus and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)