RESUMO
Effect of ensiling and organic solvents on the protein extractability and on the activities of the proteolytic enzymes of layer chicken intestine was evaluated. The protein content of water extract of layer chicken intestine was 2.45 mg/ml. Highest proteolytic activity (26.3 units) was observed at pH 10.6 and lowest at pH 6.8 (7.2 units). Higher acidic proteolytic activities were observed at pH 2.4, pH2.8 and at pH 5. Acid ensiling resulted in 65.6% reduction in acidic protease activity compared to 57.4% reduction by fermentation ensiling. Neutral and alkaline protease activities were also reduced up to a maximum of 41.8% and 46.5%, respectively. A ratio of 1:1.5 of cold acetone to intestine homogenate was found best for enhancing the neutral and alkaline protease activity. The study revealed that layer chicken intestine is a rich source of proteases especially of neutral and alkaline proteases, which could be harvested for commercial purposes and both acid and fermentation ensiling of layer chicken intestine resulted in reduction of protein extractability and enzyme activity. Treatment with acetone almost doubled the activities of neutral and alkaline proteases compared to initial values in water extract of fresh intestines.
RESUMO
Jatropha curcas, a tropical plant introduced in many Asian and African countries is presently used as a source of biodiesel. The cake after oil extraction is rich in protein and is a potential source of livestock feed. In view of the high toxic nature of whole as well as dehulled seed meal due to the presence of toxic phorbol esters and lectin, the meal was subjected to alkali and heat treatments to deactivate the phorbol ester as well as lectin content. After treatment, the phorbol ester content was reduced up to 89% in whole and dehulled seed meal. Toxicity studies were conducted on male growing rats by feeding treated as well as untreated meal through dietary source. All rats irrespective of treatment had reduced appetite and diet intake was low accompanied by diarrhoea. The rats also exhibited reduced motor activity. The rats fed with treated meals exhibited delayed mortality compared to untreated meal fed rats (p0.02). There were significant changes both in terms of food intake and gain in body weight. Gross examination of vital organs indicated atrophy compared to control casein fed rats. However, histopathological examination of various vital organs did not reveal any treatment related microscopic changes suggesting that the mortality of rats occurred due to lack of food intake, diarrhoea and emaciation. Further studies are in progress for complete detoxification of J. curcas meal for use in livestock feed.
