Reliability of visible reflectance spectroscopy in discriminating between pasture and stall-fed lambs from thin and fat-tailed sheep breeds in dry and hot environment.

Considering the additional market value of pasture meat, many authentication methods were developed to discriminate it from meat produced in conventional systems. The visible reflectance spectroscopy technique has proved its efficiency under European conditions and breeds. The present study tested the reliability of this method to discriminate between pasture-fed (P) and stall-fed (S) lambs under North African conditions and investigated the effect of feeding system (FS) (P v. S) and breed (Barbarine; Queue Fine de l'Ouest; and Noire de Thibar) on weight and colour of perirenal, subcutaneous and caudal fat. A total of 18 P and 18 S lambs were used with 6 P and 6 S lambs for each breed. The colour and the reflectance spectrum of different fat tissues were measured. The FS affected weights of all fat tissues and all colour parameters of perirenal and subcutaneous fat (P ≤ 0.01); it almost affected redness and yellowness of caudal fat (P ≤ 0.05; P ≤ 0.01). In all adipose tissues, lightness was higher and both redness and yellowness were lower for S lambs than P lambs. The breed affected weight, lightness and redness of perirenal fat and weight and redness of subcutaneous fat with significant interaction with FS for subcutaneous fat data. To discriminate P lambs from S lambs, the reflectance spectrum of perirenal, subcutaneous and caudal fat at wavelengths between 450 and 510 nm (Method 1, M1) or at wavelengths between 400 and 700 nm using partial least squares discriminative analysis as a classification method (Method 2, M2) were used. M2 yielded to a higher proportion of correctly classified lambs compared with M1 (P = 0.001). The proportion of correctly classified lambs using M2 was 76.4, 75.0 and 80.0% for perirenal, subcutaneous and caudal fat for P lambs and 83.3, 76.4 and 100.0% for S lambs. Despite lower reliability in comparisons to European researches, this study confirmed the efficiency of visible reflectance spectroscopy technique applied on perirenal fat in feeding systems authentication under North African conditions and spotted the caudal fat as a new support for better classification of fat-tailed breeds.

Rehabilitation of Barbarine cull ewes using rosemary residues and linseed: effect on weight gain, carcass characteristics and meat quality.

The cull ewes represent an important part of sheep flock. However, this category of animal is often submitted to under nutrition leading to poor BW and skeletal carcasses. Their rehabilitation using a high energy diet can be an alternative to improve their body condition. The objective of this experiment was to study the BW gain and carcass characteristics of Barbarine cull ewes using rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) distillation residues (RR) and extruded linseed. For this, 28 ewes above 6 years old and 33±0.5 kg of BW were divided into four groups: CCC was fed 500 g of barley-straw with concentrate, RCC received 300 g of straw and 200 g of RR as basal diet with concentrate; whereas two other groups received the experimental concentrate, containing 10% of linseed, with 500 g of straw for CLC and 300 g of straw plus 200 g of RR for RLC group. At the end of experiment (90 days), all animals were slaughtered. For all ewes, the daily concentrate intake averaged 700 g; the average daily gain was 131 g and the slaughter BW 43.4 kg without significant difference between groups. Neither basal diet nor concentrate type did affect the carcass' weight, yield and composition. In addition, the organ's proportions were similar for all groups. The RR intake slightly improved muscle's protein content (P=0.03) and tended to decrease initial pH (P=0.06) and to increase meat redness (P=0.06), whereas linseed concentrate had no effect on meat color and its chemical composition. The subcutaneous fat color and firmness score relived a good quality trade for carcasses from all diets, in spite of higher yellowness and lower firmness recorded for linseed diet (P<0.05), which were moderately improved by rosemary combination with linseed. To conclude, the Barbarine cull ewes could gain up to 120 g/day in BW. The used diets permitted this BW gain without undesirable effects on carcass characteristics and meat quality. However, the study of meat fatty acid profile and antioxidant status should continue.

Growth performance, carcass and noncarcass traits and meat quality of Barbarine lambs fed rosemary distillation residues.

The aim of this experiment was to study the effect of total replacement of oat hay by rosemary distillation residues (RR) on growth, carcass characteristics and meat quality of Barbarine lambs. A total of 21 lambs were divided into three groups. The control group (C) was offered 600 g of oat hay; the RR87 and RR60 groups received 600 g of pellets containing 87% and 60% of RR, respectively. The CP content was 9% and 14% for RR87 and RR60, respectively. All animals were supplemented by 600 g of concentrate. After 77 days of fattening, lambs were slaughtered. The DM and CP intakes were significantly increased with RR diets. The average daily gain was higher (P<0.001), while the feed conversion rate was lower for RR60 and RR87 than C group. The dressing percentage was similar for all groups. The tissular (muscle, fat and bone) and the regional (leg, shoulder, etc.) carcass composition did not differ among groups. The bony organs and gut weights were similar among groups, while functional ones (skin, liver, kidney and testicles) were significantly heavier for both RR groups than control. The ultimate pH, water cooking loss and color variables were similar among groups and the chemical composition (protein, fat, myoglobin, collagen and iron) did not differ also among groups. These results revealed the opportunity of RR use in fattening lambs without adverse effects on carcass and meat characteristics. Moreover, 9% CP in RR pellets are enough given the same growth performance recorded as that of RR with 14% CP.

[Rare complication of a post-traumatic left diaphragmatic hernia]. / Complication rare d'une hernie diaphragmatique gauche post-traumatique.

Diaphragmatic hernia is a post-traumatic lesion specific trauma that may go unnoticed. The left hemidiaphragm is the most frequently affected. The diagnosis is then made at the occasion of a complication, especially gastric volvulus. The authors report the case of a young man aged 26 years old with a gastric volvulus on post-traumatic diaphragmatic hernia diagnosed by CT.

Multiple intussusceptions revealing metastases from renal carcinoma to the small intestine.

Malignant tumors of the kidney represent rare primary intestinal metastases. They occur in 4% of cases. These intestinal metastases are mainly the small intestine; colon is a rare achievement. We report a case of small intestine metastatic of a tubulo-pappilary carcinoma revealed by a multiple intussusception a year after nephrectomy. The cross-sectional imaging (ultrasound and CT) was the gold standard for positive diagnosis of intussusception and the nature of secondary underlying tumor. Intestinal metastases of renal cell carcinoma sometimes occur many years after nephrectomy. On imaging, metastases simulate all tumor aspects.

Use of spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus indica f. inermis) for dairy goats and growing kids: impacts on milk production, kid's growth, and meat quality.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of spineless cactus incorporation in food of dairy goats and growing kids on milk production and composition and on kid's growth and meat characteristics. Two experiments were conducted on Tunisian local goats. In the first, 30 females were divided into two groups; goats of Control group were reared on grazing pasture receiving indoor 0.5 kg of hay and 0.4 kg of concentrate. Goats for the second group (Cac-FL) were kept in feedlot and fed cactus ad libitum more 0.5 kg of hay and 0.4 kg of concentrate. In the second experiment, 14 kids were divided into 2 groups receiving 600 g of hay. The Control group received ad libitum a concentrate containing 130 g crude protein (CP) per kg of dry matter. The second group received cactus ad-libitum plus the half concentrate quantity of control one with 260 g CP/kg DM (Cactus). The daily milk production averaged 485 ml for Control group and 407 ml for Cac-FL one. The milk fat content was significantly higher for Control than Cac-FL group. In the second experiment, animals in Control and Cactus groups had similar growth rate. Carcass fat was significantly lower in Cactus than in the Control group. Cactus in the diet was associated with more C18:2 and conjugated linoleic acid as well as a higher proportion of PUFA than Control ones.

[A case of pancreatic schwannoma successfully treated by enucleation]. / Schwannome pancréatique traité avec succès par énucléation : à propos d'un cas.

Benign pancreatic schwannoma is a very rare cystic and solid tumor, which poses a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Herein, we present a case of 4-cm solitary benign schwannoma of pancreatic uncinate process, with pancreas divisum, incidentally discovered in a 53-year-old woman. Preoperative diagnosis was established by endoscopic ultrasound and fine needle aspiration. Simple enucleation of the tumor from the surrounding parenchyma was successfully performed. No complications were found after the operation.

[Conservative treatment of an aortoduodenal fistula after paraaortic lymphadenectomy in hepatobiliary malignancy surgery with aortic endoprosthesis]. / Traitement conservateur d'une fistule aortoduodénale après curage interaorticocave dans le cadre d'une chirurgie hépatobiliaire carcinologique par endoprothèse aortique.

Lower gastrointestinal bleeding from a primary aortoduodenal fistula is unusual and usually fatal. Postoperative aortoduodenal fistula after biliary surgery is a very rare complication. We report hence a 69-year-old female patient who underwent a main bile duct resection with extended paraaortic lymphadenectomy for a cholangiocarcinoma. Acute melena with hemoglobin drop occurred on postoperative day 24. Initial CT-scan showed an aortic pseudoaneurysm with aortoduodenal fistula. An aortic endoprosthesis with endoscopic drainage of periaortic collections allowed successful treatment.