ABSTRACT
Addition of Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) products to canine or feline diets improved the character and reduced the intensity of faecal aroma as monitored by a human panel. The general condition of the animals was not adversely affected as monitored by faecal pH, food retention time, and blood cell counts. Blood urea increased significantly in YSE-treated cats, possibly due to the saponins of YSE affecting gut wall permeability. This finding contrasts with previously published reports of a reduction in blood urea on the addition of sarsaponin (from YSE) to rat diets and of YSE products to poultry and cattle diets.
Subject(s)
Cats/physiology , Dogs/physiology , Feces , Liliaceae/chemistry , Odorants , Analysis of Variance , Animals , Blood Cell Count/veterinary , Blood Urea Nitrogen , Diet/veterinary , Female , Hydrogen-Ion Concentration , Male , Models, Statistical , Plant Extracts/administration & dosage , Plant Extracts/analysis , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Saponins/analysis , Saponins/pharmacology , Urea/bloodABSTRACT
Addition of Yucca schidigera extract (YSE) products to canine or feline diets improved faecal aroma as monitored by a human panel. Odour port-gas chromatography (GC) indicated different odour component types in dog faecal volatiles and, in particular, 'faecal'-type odours due to methyl sulfides. GC-mass spectrometry demonstrated several chemical compound classes present in faecal volatiles and quantitation in the cat indicated apparently significant changes in the concentrations of several compounds on YSE treatment, although these were not necessarily aroma components. The potential for direct YSE alteration of aroma perception in a mixture of volatiles, possibly by binding, was demonstrated.
Subject(s)
Cats/physiology , Dogs/physiology , Feces , Liliaceae/chemistry , Odorants , Animals , Diet/veterinary , Feces/chemistry , Female , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/methods , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/veterinary , Male , Plant Extracts/analysis , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Sulfides/analysisABSTRACT
Four oilseeds providing cocoa-butter substitutes--shea, pentadecima, illipe, and salseed--when tested as substrates for aflatoxin production by two strains of Aspergillus parasiticus, gave varying levels of aflatoxin. Aflatoxins were found at low levels occurring naturally in moldy shea-nuts, but none of 21 commercial shea-nut samples contained greater than 20 micrograms of aflatoxin B1 per kg.
