Quality improvement of prerigor salted ground chicken breast with basic amino acids at low NaCl level.

The prerigor salting effect is known to provide superior meat processing quality. Based on the urgent need for low salt meat products, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the prerigor salting effect when basic amino acids were introduced at 1% NaCl level. Ground chicken breast meat was salted with NaCl and basic amino acids at 30 min, 60 min, and 90 min postmortem for prerigor treatments. Compared to the 1% NaCl (w/w) treatment, the introduction of 0.06% basic amino acids (w/w) in the prerigor significantly led to an increase in myofibril fragmentation, myofibrillar protein solubility, emulsion activity, storage modulus change rate, gel water-holding capacity and hardness (P < 0.05). Furthermore, smaller and more uniformly sized droplets were produced in emulsion by basic amino acids. Individual basic amino acids had different prerigor salting effects, and it was indicated that basic amino acids could play a positive role in the prerigor salting effect when NaCl was reduced.

[Analysis of the impact of health management measures for entry personnel on imported Dengue fever in Guangdong Province, 2020-2022].

Objective: To explore the impact of health management measures for entry personnel (entry management measures) against COVID-19 on the epidemiological characteristics of imported Dengue fever in Guangdong Province from 2020 to 2022. Methods: Data of imported Dengue fever from January 1, 2016 to August 31, 2022, mosquito density surveillance from 2016 to 2021, and international airline passengers and Dengue fever annual reported cases from 2011 to 2021 in Guangdong were collected. Comparative analysis was conducted to explore changes in the epidemic characteristics of imported Dengue fever before the implementation of entry management measures (from January 1, 2016 to March 20, 2020) and after the implementation (from March 21, 2020 to August 31, 2022). Results: From March 21, 2020, to August 31, 2022, a total of 52 cases of imported Dengue fever cases were reported, with an imported risk intensity of 0.12, which were lower than those before implementation of entry management measures (1 828, 5.29). No significant differences were found in the characteristics of imported cases before and after implementation of entry management measures, including seasonality, sex, age, career, and imported countries (all P>0.05). 59.62% (31/52) of cases were found at the centralized isolation sites and 38.46% (20/52) at the entry ports. However, before implementation of entry management measures, 95.08% (1 738/1 828) of cases were found in hospitals. Among 51 cases who had provided entry dates, 82.35% (42/51) and 98.04% (50/51) of cases were found within seven days and fourteen days after entry, slightly higher than before implementation [(72.69%(362/498) and 97.59% (486/498)]. There was significant difference between the monthly mean values of Aedes mosquito larval density (Bretto index) from 2020 to 2021 and those from 2016 to 2019 (Z=2.83, P=0.005). There is a strong positive correlation between the annual international airline passengers volume in Guangdong from 2011 to 2021 and the annual imported Dengue fever cases (r=0.94, P<0.001), and a positive correlation also existed between the international passenger volume and the annual indigenous Dengue fever cases (r=0.72, P=0.013). Conclusions: In Guangdong, the entry management measures of centralized isolation for fourteen days after entry from abroad had been implemented, and most imported Dengue fever cases were found within fourteen days after entry. The risk of local transmission caused by imported cases has reduced significantly.

[Analysis of the characteristics of delayed high-degree atrioventricular block after transcatheter aortic valve replacement].

Objective: To investigate the characteristics of delayed high-degree atrioventricular block (DHAVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Methods: One hundred and seventy-six patients who underwent TAVR with a self-extending valve between May 2014 and November 2018 in the Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, were retrospectively enrolled, including 101 males and 75 females, aged 54-92 (73±7) years, and the data were collected during the perioperative and 30 d follow-up periods. According to the occurrence of HAVB after TAVR, 160 patients were divided into no-HAVB group (145 cases) and DHAVB group (15 cases), except 16 patients who developed HAVB within 2 days after TAVR. Baseline data, intraoperative data, and immediate postoperative ECG characteristics were compared between the two groups, and logistic regression models were used to analyze the factors associated with the occurrence of DHAVB after TAVR. Meanwhile, the diagnostic ability of the postoperative routine 12-lead ECG for DHAVB was evaluated using the ambulatory ECG findings as the standard diagnosis. Results: The incidence of DHAVB was 8.5% (15/176) and occurred at 5 (4, 6) d. Compared with the no-HAVB group. The percentage of no new conduction block on the immediate postoperative ECG was lower in the DHAVB group [6/15 vs 66.2%(96/145), P=0.044], and the percentage of new right bundle branch block on the immediate postoperative ECG was higher [4/15 vs 3.4%(5/145), P=0.002]. Multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that right bundle branch block on the immediate postoperative ECG [OR (95%CI):6.60 (1.26-34.47), P=0.025] was an associated factor for the development of DHAVB after TAVR. The specificity of postoperative routine 12-lead ECG for the diagnosis of DHAVB was 100% (145/145), but the sensitivity was only 73.3% (11/15). Conclusions: The incidence of DHAVB after TAVR is also high in Chinese. The immediate postoperative ECG characteristics of patients who underwent TAVR are associated with DHAVB events, and applying these characteristics to risk stratify patients may optimize the management of DHAVB after TAVR.

[Occurrence and prediction on post-contrast acute kidney injury following endovascular interventions].

Objective: To investigate the incidence, risk factors and prognosis of post-contrast acute kidney injury (PC-AKI) and to evaluate the usefulness of serum cystatin C (sCysC) and serum creatinine (sCr) for the prediction of PC-AKI after endovascular interventions. Methods: The clinical data of 404 patients who underwent endovascular procedures from August 2014 to October 2018 in the Sixth People's Hospital South Campus, Shanghai Jiao Tong University were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received 0.9% sodium chloride through an angiographic catheter during the procedure. Patients with an estimated GFR (eGFR)<60 ml/(min·1.73m2) received a continuous intravenous hydration with isotonic saline from 6 hours before to 12 hours after an endovascular procedure. The level of sCr, eGFR and sCysC were measured at 1-2 days pre-procedure and at 48, 72 h, and 7 days post-procedure. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify risk factors of PC-AKI. A receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the usefulness of various factors for the prediction of PC-AKI. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Results: Thirteen patients (3.2%) developed PC-AKI. All patients were divided into PC-AKI group and no PC-AKI group for statistical comparison. Wilcoxon signed rank sum test revealed that sCr levels at 7 days post-procedure [63.0 (56.0, 74.0) µmol/L] were significantly lower than pre-procedure sCr levels [65.6 (56.2, 77.0) µmol/L] in patients without PC-AKI (P<0.05). Meanwhile, eGFR levels were significantly higher at 72 h [114.9 (96.3, 135.0) ml/(min·1.73m2)] and 7 days [116.7 (98.5, 139.9) ml/(min·1.73m2)] post-procedure than eGFR levels before endovascular procedures [112.3 (94.1, 133.5) ml/(min·1.73m2)] in patients without PC-AKI (P<0.05). However, there was an increase in sCysC at 48 h [0.9 (0.8, 1.1) mg/L] after endovascular procedures than pre-operative sCysC [0.9 (0.8, 1.1) mg/L] in patients without PC-AKI (P<0.05). SCr, sCysC, levels were significantly increased at 48 h [108.0 (95.3, 125.0) µmol/L, 1.5 (1.2, 2.0) mg/L] and 72 h [123.4 (91.3, 143.0) µmol/L, 1.6 (1.1, 2.0) mg/L] post-procedure than SCr, sCysC, levels before endovascular procedures [81.6 (63.1, 111.0) µmol/L, 1.1 (1.0,1.7) mg/L] and eGFR levels were significantly decreased at 48 h [55.8 (48.9, 77.6) ml/(min·1.73m2)] and 72 h [52.7 (47.7, 63.9) ml/(min·1.73m2)] after endovascular procedures than eGFR levels before exposure to CM [88.8 (65.6, 100.7) ml/(min·1.73m2)] in patients with PC-AKI (P<0.05). SCr, sCysC and eGFR in PC-AKI group tended to levels before an endovascular procedure within 7 days. The receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed that preoperative sCysC and sCr levels had high discriminatory power for evaluating the risk of PC-AKI after an endovascular procedure. ROC analysis showed that sCysC before endovascular procedures was useful to predict the risk of PC-AKI with a satisfactory sensitivity of 69.2% (9/13), specificity of 77.5% (300/387), positive predictive value (PPV) of 9.3% (9/96) and negative predictive value (NPV) of 98.7% (300/304). The incidence of PC-AKI was low in patients with a pre-procedure sCysC<1.09 mg/L. The sCr was predictive of PC-AKI with a satisfactory sensitivity of 69.2% (9/13), specificity of 76.7% (300/391), PPV of 9.0% (9/100) and NPV of 98.7% (300/304). The incidence of PC-AKI was low in patients with a pre-procedure sCr<77.6 µmol/L. Results of univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that sCysC before endovascular procedures was an risk factor for PC-AKI (OR=13.917, 95%CI:1.666-116.237, P=0.015). The one-year, three-year and five-year survival rate for patients diagnosed with PC-AKI was 50%, 30% and 30% respectively. The median survival time was 6 (0-26) months. Conclusions: The sCysC before endovascular procedures is an independent risk factor of PC-AKI. SCysC and SCr before an endovascular procedure with a cut-off value of 1.09 mg/L and 77.6 µmol/L may help to rule out patients at lower risk of PC-AKI.

Visual and rapid detection of Plesiomonas shigelloides using loop-mediated isothermal amplification method.

Plesiomonas shigelloides is a common pathogen of aquatic animals and can pose a certain hazard to aquaculture. Here, we aimed to develop a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method for the visual detection of P. shigelloides to aid the diagnosis of infections caused by this pathogen in aquatic animals. We used LAMP to amplify P. shigelloides DNA and combined it with calcein or nucleic acid dipstick assay (NADA) to visualize the amplified products. The optimal LAMP amplification temperature was 64°C, and the reaction lasted for 50 min. The limit of detection of recombinant plasmids containing the target gene using the LAMP method was 2·0 × 102 copies per µl, which is ten times higher than that using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR). LAMP products could be visualized without agarose gel electrophoresis. We tested 85 fish specimens using the established LAMP method and conventional PCR. The detection rate was 42·4% using the LAMP method and 34·1% using conventional PCR. Based on our results, the LAMP method combined with calcein or NADA is a rapid, specific, sensitive and accurate method for visual detection of fish-derived P. shigelloides and can be used for the laboratory diagnosis of infections caused by it. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The combination of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and calcein and nucleic acid dipstick assay (NADA) provided a rapid, specific and sensitive method for detecting Plesiomonas shigelloides, which is an important pathogen that causes diseases in aquatic animals worldwide. In the present study, the LAMP method showed a higher detection rate than conventional PCR for P. shigelloides using templates from 85 fish specimens. Thus, the LAMP method could be a reliable and convenient tool for diagnosing diseases in aquatic animals in the laboratory.

Parasitism of Spodoptera litura (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) by Microplitis prodeniae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Spodoptera litura Fabricius is a major vegetable pest that is widely distributed throughout tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. Microplitis prodeniae Rao and Chandry is a solitary endoparasitoid of S. litura. To assess the potential use of this parasitoid as a biological control agent, the reproductive schedule, fecundity and functional response of M. prodeniae were investigated under conditions of 28 ± 1°C and 70 ± 10% relative humidity with a 14:10-h L:D photoperiod. The parasitoid's average lifetime fecundity was 171.0 ± 10.4 eggs, of which approximately 50% were laid within the first 3 days. Additionally, M. prodeniae exhibited a Holling type II functional response, and the estimated maximum numbers of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd instar larvae that were parasitized by a single M. prodeniae female were 71.6, 78.4 and 41.5 larvae over a 24-h period, respectively. The results of this study suggest that M. prodeniae has great potential as a candidate for controlling S. litura and can guide efforts in its mass production.

Effects of cold storage on the biological characteristics of Microplitis prodeniae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

The endoparasitoid Microplitis prodeniae Rao and Chandry is an important potential augmentative biological control agent for lepidopteran pests of vegetables and tobacco. However, cold storage of pupae is required to ensure that sufficient parasitoids are available when they are needed in the field. In this study, pupae were maintained at 0, 4 or 10°C for 5-50 days after which the adults were evaluated for emergence, pre-emergence period, sex ratio, female longevity, oviposition period, and fecundity. Cold storage did not affect the pre-emergence period or proportion of females; however, there was a significant reduction in emergence, female longevity, oviposition period, and fecundity with increased exposure to cold. The pre-emergence period was approximately 5 days, and approximately 50% of the emergent parasitoids were females. A cold storage regime of 10 days at 10°C had no effect on the parasitoids and adult emergence was greater than 50% even after 20 days at 10°C. There was no carryover of the cold treatment from parental to F1 and F2 generations. Thus, M. prodeniae can be stockpiled for field release by exposing the pupae to a cold regime and subsequently holding them for adult emergence at 28°C.

The influence of age at menarche, menstrual cycle length and bleeding duration on time to pregnancy: a large prospective cohort study among rural Chinese women.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relations among age at menarche (AAM), menstrual cycle length, menstrual bleeding duration and time to pregnancy in a large cohort of rural Chinese women. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study. SETTING: Local family-planning service agencies and maternal/child care service centres. POPULATION: A total of 391 320 rural women of reproductive age who participated in the National Free Pre-pregnancy Checkups and were planning to conceive were enrolled. METHODS: Menstrual characteristics were collected via face-to-face interviews. The Cox proportional hazards model were used to estimate the fecundability ratios (FRs) and 95% confidence intervals for each measure relative to its reference category. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to pregnancy. RESULTS: Women with an AAM later than 14 years of age were less likely become pregnant compared with women with AAM at 13-14 years of age (FR 0.93, 95% CI 0.92-0.94). Those with menstrual cycle lengths >29 days were less likely to come pregnant (FR 0.91, 95% CI 0.90-0.92) compared with the reference cycle length of 27-29 days. Women with bleeding durations of <4 (FR 0.88; 95% CI 0.86-0.91) or >5 days (FR 0.91; 95% CI 0.90-0.91) showed lower FRs compared with those reporting 4-5 days of bleeding. The associations were independent of maternal age, ethnicity, education level, occupation, tobacco use, alcohol use and body mass index. CONCLUSION: A later onset of menarche, longer menstrual cycle length, both shorter (<4 days) and longer (>5 days) bleeding duration were associated with a lower FR and longer time to pregnancy in rural Chinese women. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: A later menarche, longer cycle, shorter or longer bleeding duration were associated with lower fecundity.

Parasitism Performance of Tetrastichus brontispae Ferriere over the Coconut Hispine Beetle, Brontispa longissima (Gestro).

In this study, the effect of host density, host, and parasitoid ages in choice and no-choice tests on the parasitism performance of Tetrastichus brontispae Ferriere, one of the major parasitoid of Brontispa longissima (Gestro), was investigated in the laboratory. The results revealed that an increased host density resulted in no increased parasitism of B. longissima by T. brontispae; the optimal host density was three host pupae per parasitoid when considering the costs for mass rearing. Moreover, parasitoid age was quite crucial for effective parasitism and affected the emergence rate. Although 2-h to 4-day-old parasitoids successfully parasitized the host pupae, younger parasitoids (within 2-day-old) presented higher parasitism capacity than older parasitoids. More importantly, both choice and no-choice tests confirmed that all host stages tested from 2-h to 4-day-old were suitable for T. brontispae parasitization, although 2-h to 2-day-old hosts were preferred. We also demonstrated that sex ratio, emergence rate, and egg to adult developmental time were not influenced by host density, parasitoid, and host age in both choice and no-choice tests. Our data will allow for more accurate prediction and interpretation on the parasitization by T. brontispae, supporting mass-production initiatives and mass release in programs of B. longissima.

Increased expression of the lncRNA BANCR and its prognostic significance in human osteosarcoma.

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in the formation and progression of many types of human malignancies. The aim of our study was to investigate the expression and biological functions of the lncRNA BRAF-activated noncoding RNA (BANCR) in human osteosarcoma. BANCR expression was quantified by real-time PCR in human osteosarcoma cell lines and tissues. We analyzed the association between BANCR levels and clinicopathological factors and patient prognosis. MTT, flow cytometric, and transwell invasion assays were performed to observe the effects of BANCR on MG-63 cell biological behaviors. BANCR overexpression was observed in osteosarcoma cell lines and clinical specimens. Increased BANCR expression was significantly associated with large tumor size, positive distant metastasis, and advanced clinical stage. High BANCR expression in osteosarcoma was an independent predictor of poor survival. Downregulation of BANCR inhibited MG-63 cell proliferation and invasion and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. These findings suggested that BANCR may act as a tumor promoter in osteosarcoma and could serve as a potential therapeutic target for this disease.

Transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longissima.

The coconut leaf beetle, Brontispa longissima, is a destructive pest of palm plants. Although its ecological and biological characteristics are well understood, its genetic information remains largely unknown. To advance our understanding of its molecular ba-sis of biology and ecology, we sequenced and analyzed its whole transcriptome by using high-throughput Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. Approximately 8.08 Gb of clean reads were generated in a single run, which were assembled by using Trinity into 41,652 unigenes with an average length of 932 bp. By sequence similarity searches for known proteins, 23,077 (55.4%) unigenes were annotated by BLASTx searches against the NCBI non-redundant protein database. Of the unigenes assembled, 18,153 and 13,733 were assigned to Gene Ontology and Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins, respectively. In addition, 10,415 unigenes were mapped onto 247 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database. These transcriptomic resources will facilitate gene identification and elucidate the molecular mechanisms of biological and ecological aspects under-lying this palm pest, in order to design a new control strategy.

Transcriptomic identification of chemoreceptor genes in the red palm weevil Rhynchophorus ferrugineus.

Olfaction is crucial for insects' survival because it enables them to recognize various environmental information. It is primarily mediated by a large family of chemoreceptors, including olfactory receptors (ORs), gustatory receptors (GRs), and ionotropic receptors (IRs). Here, we assembled the transcriptome of the economically important pest of palms, Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, to reveal its chemoreceptor gene repertoire. About 8.08 Gbp data were generated using a HiSeq platform and their assembly led to a total of 24,439 unigenes. Among the transcripts, 12,523 (51.24%) showed significant similarity (E-value <10(-5)) to known proteins in the National Center for Biotechnology Information Nr database. From these sequences, 18 candidate genes of ORs were identified. Nine putative transcripts were homologous to GR genes, while 9 were similar to IR genes. The expression profiles of all identified chemoreceptor genes were determined by quantitative real-time PCR in antenna, head, thorax, abdomen, and legs of both sexes. Most chemoreceptor genes were antenna-enriched. This study demonstrated a successful application of a transcriptome for discovering a large number of divergent chemoreceptor genes of a non-model organism. The findings provide a valuable sequence resource and gene tissue distribution information for systematic functional analysis of molecular mechanisms underlying chemoreception in this pest.

Effects of frying conditions on the formation of heterocyclic amines and trans fatty acids in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus).

The effects of frying temperature and the number of frying cycles on the formation of heterocyclic amines (HAs) and trans fatty acids (TFAs) in grass carp were investigated. 9t-18:1 FAs was detected in all samples. The TFA contents of samples fried at 150-210°C were not significantly different (P>0.05). The content and number of different types of HAs increased with increasing frying temperature. 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (Norharman), 1-methyl-9H-pyrido [3,4-b]indole (Harman), and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimdazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (7,8-diMeIQx) were detected in most of the tested samples. The differences in the surface colour (ΔE) increased with frying temperature, and ΔE of samples fried at 170°C was significantly higher than that of 150°C (P<0.05). The analysis of different cycle times revealed that the TFA levels increased with an increase in the usage period of the frying fat, and 9t,12t-18:2 FAs was detected after the 40th frying cycle. As the number of frying cycles increased, the number of different types of HAs increased, seven types of HAs were detected after the 25th frying cycle.

The solubility and conformational characteristics of porcine myosin as affected by the presence of L-lysine and L-histidine.

The influence of L-lys and L-his on the solubility, surface hydrophobicity, sulphydryl content and conformational characteristics of porcine myosin solubilised in high (0.6 M), physiological (0.15 M) and low (1 mM) ionic strength solutions were explored. The solubility of myosin was increased in the presence of L-his and/or L-lys in all ionic strength solutions used. The presence of L-his and L-lys caused increases in the surface hydrophobicity and reactive sulphydryl content (p<0.05). Circular dichroism revealed a significant decrease of α-helical content with an increase of random coils, ß-turns and ß-sheets in the presence of L-his and/or L-lys. These results demonstrate that the introduction of L-lys and L-his causes the unfolding of myosin, resulting in loss of α-helical structure, which is followed by increases in random coils, ß-turns and ß-sheets, which exposes buried hydrophobic and sulphydryl groups to the myosin surface, ultimately increasing the solubility of porcine myosin.

Effects of frying and boiling on the formation of heterocyclic amines in braised chicken.

Braised chicken is a traditional ready-to-eat poultry product produced by frying chicken coated with maltose or honey and then boiling it in a soup that is circularly used. This study examined the effects of the frying time, honey concentration, boiling time, and cycle times of the soup on the formation of heterocyclic amines (HA), a class of mutagenic/carcinogenic compounds generated in heated muscle meat. Nine HA in chicken and recycled soups were analyzed by HPLC with UV and fluorescence detection. 1-Methyl-9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (Harman), 9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole (Norharman), and 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) were detected in most samples, and the amount of each HA increased with the frying or boiling time. Chicken skin was found to have higher HA content than chicken meat. More HA were detected in the soup than in the chicken, in most cases. 2-Amino-3-methylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoline and 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazoquinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx) were also detected in chicken and soup circularly boiled 20 times, and the total amount of HA reached 68.80 and 96.98 ng/g in chicken and soup, respectively.

Determination of heterocyclic amines in braised sauce beef.

A simplified and improved analysis method to determine the content of heterocyclic amines (HAs) was developed. Samples were extracted with ethyl acetate, and macrosubstances were removed by centrifugation. The eluent used consisted of methanol/ammonia water (9:1, v/v), and the eluates were directly mixed for further HPLC analysis. A binary mobile phase consisting of 0.05 M ammonium acetate-acetic acid and acetonitrile was used for the separation of 12 HAs, and the excitation and emission wavelengths of 3-amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-2), 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) and 3-amino-1,4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole (Trp-P-1) were adjusted to the same 315 and 410 nm, respectively. This method was further applied to determine the content of HAs in "Jiang Niu Rou", namely braised sauce beef. Nine kinds of HAs were found in the samples and the total amounts of HAs ranged from 4.33 to 27.15 ng/g. The sterilized samples contained more HAs than un-sterilized samples.

Isolation and characterization of eight polymorphic microsatellite loci for the coconut pest, Brontispa longissima (Coleoptera: Hispidae).

Brontispa longissima is one of the most serious insect pests of coconut in Southeast Asia; it was first discovered on Hainan Island in June 2002. Despite the economic risk associated with this pest, genetic aspects of the invasion process have remained relatively unexplored. Using microsatellite markers, we investigated the population structure, genetic variability and pattern of invasion in various geographic populations. The methodology was based on a modified biotin-capture method. Eight polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for the pest. The allele number per locus varied from 2 to 3 (N = 30). The expected and observed heterozygosities of the eight loci ranged from 0.042 to 0.509 and from 0.042 to 0.963, respectively. Although the frequency of polymorphisms was not very high in this population, the microsatellite loci that were isolated will be useful for investigating the genetic diversity and migration routes of B. longissima populations.

Methionine and selenium yeast supplementation of the maternal diets affects antioxidant activity of breeding eggs.

Four hundred fifty 52-wk-old Langshan layer hens (dual-purpose type, an indigenous poultry breed of China) were randomly divided into 9 treatments with 5 replicates in each treatment. Birds were fed corn-soybean diets (0.13 mg of Se/kg) supplemented with 0, 0.30, and 0.60 mg/kg of Se from Se yeast and 3.2, 4.0, and 5.4 g of dl-Met/kg, respectively. Increasing Se yeast supplementation significantly increased Se concentration in the egg yolk (P < 0.01) and the Se concentration of the 3.2 g of Met/kg treatment was higher than those of the 4.0 and 5.4 g of Met/kg treatments. Adding 0.3 mg of Se/kg to the diet significantly increased glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the egg yolk compared with 0 and 0.6 mg of Se/kg (P < 0.01) and increasing Se yeast supplementation significantly increased the GSH-Px activity in the egg albumen (P < 0.01). Increasing Met supplementation significantly decreased the GSH-Px activity in both the yolk and the albumen of the eggs (P < 0.01). Methionine supplemented at 3.2 and 4.0 g/kg significantly increased glutathione concentration in the egg yolk compared with 5.4 g of Met/kg (P < 0.01) and increasing Met supplementation increased the glutathione concentration in the egg albumen. Increasing Met supplementation significantly decreased malondialdehyde concentration in the egg yolk (P < 0.01) and Se supplemented at 0 and 0.6 mg/kg increased the malondialdehyde concentrations in the egg yolk compared with 0.3 mg of Se/kg (P < 0.01). Methionine supplemented at 4.0 and 5.4 g/kg significantly decreased carbonyl concentration compared with 3.2 g of Met/kg. The conclusion was drawn that Se yeast and Met supplementation of the maternal diets could enhance antioxidant activity of breeding eggs.

Effects of selenium and methionine supplementation of breeder hen diets on selenium concentration and oxidative stability of lipids in the thigh muscles of progeny.

The effects of dietary supplementation to female chickens with selenium (Se) and methionine (Met) on the next generation were studied. Lang-shan breeding hens (450) were obtained at 52 wk of age and randomly allotted to 9 treatments; 5 replicates of each treatment were carried out. The breeders were fed a basal corn-soybean meal diet (0.13 mg Se/kg) supplemented with 0, 0.30, or 0.60 mg/kg Se from Sel-Plex and 0.32%, 0.40%, or 0.54% Met for the 30-d adapting period and 70-d experiment period. Se and glutathione (GSH) concentrations, glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, and the oxidative stability of muscular lipids of 90-d progeny were determined by testing the TBARS values. When breeders received the highest levels of Met or Se, GSH-Px activity was decreased, the Se concentration and the oxidative stability of muscular lipids were increased with the supplementation of Se or Met. When breeder hens were given a Met-deficient diet, supplementing with Se decreased the Se deposition in progeny thigh. With regard to lipid oxidation, 0.3 mg/kg maternal dietary Se supplementation decreased the oxidative stability of muscle lipid and 0.6 mg/kg Se supplementation showed no difference from the control. When breeders were fed a Se-deficient diet, the GSH-Px activity was increased significantly and the oxidative stability of progeny muscles was decreased with the supplementation of Met. It was concluded that supplementation of the maternal diet with higher Se and Met can increase Se deposition in progeny muscle and lead to more effective protection against lipid oxidation in progeny thighs.