Replacing soybean oil with increasing levels of soybean acid oil in diets of coturnix quails (Coturnix coturnix coturnix) and the effects on egg quality

ABSTRACT The effects of increasing levels of soybean acid oil in diets of quails on the quality of eggs were evaluated over a period of 56 days. A completely randomized design with five treatment levels of soybean acid oil (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8%) as a replacer for soybean oil and eight replicates of two quails each were used. A total of 240 fresh eggs were used for quality analysis, and 400 eggs were stored at 23ºC over a period of 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 days for analysis of shelf-life. Polynomial regression and ANOVA with repeated measurements and Tukey´s tests were used. Soybean acid oil linearly increased the intensity of red (a* = -5.26 + 0.14 x, R2 = 0.89, P = 0.01) and yellow (b* = 42.32 + 0.44 x, R2 = 0.88 P = 0.01). All other variables of egg quality were not affected by the treatments, with the exception of sensory attributes, such as odor and aftertaste, which were more pronounced with soybean acid oil. In conclusion, soybean acid oil affects the intensity of yellow and red color of the yolk. Trained assessors detected differences in odor and aftertaste of eggs when soybean acid oil was included in the quail diet.

Egg surface structure of the freshwater toadfish Thalassophryne amazonica (Teleostei: Batrachoididae) with information on its distribution and natural habitat

The egg surface structure of Thalassophryne amazonica, a freshwater toadfish from the Amazon basin is described. Eggs of this species show a remarkable, highly unusual system of parallel ridges and intermittent grooves that originate at the equator of the egg and lead to the micropylar pit, at which they end in a spiralling pattern. A similar egg surface structure has so far been described only from a group of Asian anabantoid percomorphs, obviously not closely related to Thalassophryne. This egg surface pattern may enhance fertilization success by guiding sperm to the micropyle. We review museum records for T. amazonica, present an updated map of its occurrence in the Amazon basin, and provide information on its habitat.

A estrutura da superfície do ovo de Thalassophryne amazonica um batracoidídeo de água doce da bacia amazônica é descrita. Os ovos dessa espécie apresentam um sistema notável e incomum de cristas paralelas e canais intermitentes, que se originam na porção equatorial do ovo e vão até a micrópila onde terminam em um padrão espiralado. Uma estrutura superficial de ovo semelhante foi até agora descrita apenas para um grupo de anabantóideos asiáticos, obviamente não relacionado a Thalassophryne. Esse padrão de superfície de ovo talvez aumente o sucesso da fertilização ao guiar o espermatozóide até à micrópila. Nós revisamos os registros de T. amazonica em museus, apresentamos um mapa atualizado de sua ocorrência na bacia Amazônica e fornecemos informações sobre seu habitat.

Características morfológicas da casca do ovo de avestruz / Morphologicals characteristics of the ostrich eggshell

A análise morfológica da casca do ovo da avestruz é importante, pois diversos fatores morfológicos podem estar relacionados com a eclodibilidade do ovo desta espécie no Brasil. Para tanto foram analisadas 60 amostras de ovos aparentemente normais (ovos eclodidos e com morte embrionária). Foram efetuadas observações que permitiram estabelecer: a espessura média da casca do ovo, a porosidade da casca destes ovos, e correlacionar estas variáveis com a eclodibilidade. Os resultados foram analisados estatisticamente mediante o teste de Duncan, o que mostrou que ovos com menor porosidade tem também uma menor eclodibilidade. A porosidade média dos ovos eclodidos é de 19,87 poros/cm², e dos ovos com morte embrionária é de 16,78 poros/cm². Não houve diferença estatística entre a espessura da casca nas regiões estudada, nem interação entre viabilidade e as regiões.

Morphological analysis of the ostrich eggshell is important because several factors can be related to morphological hatchability of eggs of this species in Brazil. Therefore, 60 samples of apparently normal eggs were analyzed (eggs hatched and with embryonic death). The observations were allowed to establish that: the average thickness of the eggshell, the porosity of the shell of the eggs, and correlate these variables with hatchability. The results were statistically analyzed by Duncan's test, which showed that eggs with less porosity also have a lower hatchability. The average porosity of hatched eggs is 19.87 pores/cm², and of eggs with embryonic death is pores/cm2 16.78. There was no statistical difference between the thickness of the shell in the regions studied, no interaction between viability and the regions studied.

Quantification of japanese quail eggshell colour by image analysis

The Japanese quail lays eggs with colourful and patterned shells which make the eggshell colour difficult to classify. In this study, the method of measuring colour of patchy eggs using image analyses and its power to discriminate among individual variation were established. Estimated repeatability for egg colour and proportion of patterned areas was high (>0.58), suggesting intermedíate or high heritability of eggshell colour characteristics. Three components have been identified as significant in discriminant function analysis. These three components explained 91.4 percent of the total variance in egg colour characteristics. In cluster analysis, 78.3 percent of the eggs that were collected from 15 females were correctly classified. This study indicates that eggshell colour characteristics can be reliably studied by image analyses and that this method can provide a unified character list for future examinations and interpretations of quail egg characteristics.

Regeneración del tejido óseo usando cáscara de huevo como material de relleno / Bone tissue regeneration using eggshell as an allograft material

La reconstrucción de diversas deficiencias esqueléticas se presenta como un problema clínico de importancia en el territorio maxilofacial; tales deficiencias pueden ser el resultado de traumatismos, infecciones, resección de tumores, formaciones quísticas, malformaciones congénitas, cirugía, extracciones, enfermedad periodontal, etc. Por años se han buscado materiales que permitan una mejor regeneración del tejido óseo y una más rápida cicatrización, con la consecuente disminución de los riesgos que significa un largo período de recuperación por una parte y el mejoramiento del pronóstico por otra, además los materiales que actualmente se conocen requieren técnicas complejas o son de alto costo. El objetivo de este trabajo fue probar la capacidad del material inorgánico obtenido de la cáscara del huevo como material de relleno de defectos óseos, investigando acerca de su biocompatibilidad o bioadaptación, que es la capacidad del organismo de incorporar el material como un todo al sistema. Para esto se utilizaron animales de experimentación (conejos) realizando un injerto en la tibia y analizando histológicamente, en forma seriada, para evaluar el desarrollo de la reacción del tejido frente al injerto. Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio demostraron que existe neoformación ósea alrededor dela cáscara de huevo, aunque se aprecia tardíamente una reacción a cuerpo extraño, aún así se abre el camino a distintas líneas de investigación en las que estamos trabajando y que publicaremos oportunamente