Carry over (transfer) of feed-borne acrylamide into eggs, muscle, serum, and faeces - a pilot study with Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Two groups of 10 quails each were fed for 30 days on a diet containing either 663 microg feed-borne acrylamide (AA)/kg feed (group B) or 2472 microg AA/kg feed (group C) respectively. The concentrations of AA present in excreta and eggs were compared with those measured in eggs and excreta obtained from a control group (group A) fed on a diet low in AA (<10 microg/kg). The results clearly showed that the eggs of quails in group C contained approximately 53-112 microg AA/kg based on dry weight, while eggs collected from group A did not contain AA (limit of detection in eggs 3.5 microg/kg). Nearly 5% of the AA fed was recovered in the excreta. The AA concentrations in liver, muscle and serum were detectable, but below the limit of quantitation.

Study on the performance enhancing effect of rare earth elements in growing and fattening pigs.

A feeding study was performed to investigate possible performance enhancing effects of rare earth elements (REE) in growing and fattening pigs, as well as their influence on the blood serum biochemical changes and the accumulation of REE in the organs of pigs treated with a REE diet for a longer time period. Fourteen crossbred piglets (Deutsche Landrasse x Piétrain) were allotted to two dietary treatments: a control group and the REE-treated group which was supplemented with 300 mg of an REE mixture per kg feed. The REE mixture contained mainly chlorides of lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce) and praseodymium (Pr). The whole feeding period consisted of a 2 months ad libitum feeding period M-I and a 1 month restricted feeding period M-II. It was found that in comparison with the control group, the REE group had a better daily body weight gain of 19% (p < 0.05) in the period M-I and 12% in the period M-II; the REE group also had a better feed conversion ratio of 11% in period M-I and 3% (p > 0.05) in the period M-II. The REE had no significant (p > 0.05) influence on blood serum thyroxine (T(4)), aspartate-amino-transferase (AST), alanine-amino-transferase (ALT), alkaline-phosphatase (AP), total cholesterol, triglyceride, total protein, albumin, glucose, Ca, P, Na, K and Cl. However, serum triiodothyronine (T(3)) in the REE group was significantly (p < 0.01) lower than that in the control group. The accumulation rate of La and Ce in the muscle, liver and kidneys was very low after feeding the REE diet for 3 months. The study indicates the possibility of using rare earth elements as safe and inexpensive alternative performance enhancers for pig production.