Rumen microbial responses to supplemental nitrate. II. Potential interactions with live yeast culture on the prokaryotic community and methanogenesis in continuous culture

Nitrates have been fed to ruminants, including dairy cows, as an electron sink to mitigate CH₄ emissions. In the NO₃^? reduction process, NO₂^? can accumulate, which could directly inhibit methanogens and possibly other microbes in the rumen. Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast was hypothesized to decrease NO₂^? through direct reduction or indirectly by stimulating the bacterium Selenomonas ruminantium, which is among the ruminal bacteria most well characterized to reduce both NO₃^? and NO₂^?. Ruminal fluid was incubated in continuous cultures fed diets without or with NaNO₃ (1.5% of diet dry matter; i.e., 1.09% NO₃^?) and without or with live yeast culture (LYC) fed at a recommended 0.010 g/d (scaled from cattle to fermentor intakes) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments with LYC had increased NDF digestibility and acetate:propionate by increasing acetate molar proportion but tended to decrease total VFA production. The main effect of NO₃^? increased acetate:propionate by increasing acetate molar proportion; NO₃^? also decreased molar proportions of isobutyrate and butyrate. Both NO₃^? and LYC shifted bacterial community composition (based on relative sequence abundance of 16S rRNA genes). An interaction occurred such that NO₃^? decreased valerate molar proportion only when no LYC was added. Nitrate decreased daily CH₄ emissions by 29%. However, treatment × time interactions were present for both CH₄ and H₂ emission from the headspace; CH₄ was decreased by the main effect of NO₃^? until 6 h postfeeding, but NO₃^? and LYC decreased H₂ emission up to 4 h postfeeding. As expected, NO₃^? decreased methane emissions in continuous cultures; however, contrary to expectations, LYC did not attenuate NO₂^? accumulation.     

Potential roles of nitrate and live yeast culture in suppressing methane emission and influencing ruminal fermentation,digestibility, and milk production in lactating Jersey cows

Concern over the carbon footprint of the dairy industry has led to various dietary approaches to mitigate enteric CH₄ production. One approach is feeding the electron acceptor NO₃^?, thus outcompeting methanogens for aqueous H₂. We hypothesized that a live yeast culture (LYC; Saccharomyces cerevisiae from Yea-Sacc 1026, Alltech Inc., Nicholasville, KY) would stimulate the complete reduction of NO₃^? to NH₃ by selenomonads, thus decreasing the quantity of CH₄ emissions per unit of energy-corrected milk production while decreasing blood methemoglobin concentration resulting from the absorbed intermediate, NO₂^?. Twelve lactating Jersey cows (8 multiparous and noncannulated; 4 primiparous and ruminally cannulated) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Cattle were fed diets containing 1.5% NO₃^? (from calcium ammonium nitrate) or an isonitrogenous control diet (containing additional urea) and given a top-dress of ground corn without or with LYC, with the fourth week used for data collection. Noncannulated cows were spot measured for CH₄ emission by mouth using GreenFeed (C-Lock Inc., Rapid City, SD). The main effect of NO₃^? decreased CH₄ by 17% but decreased dry matter intake by 10% (from 19.8 to 17.8 kg/d) such that CH₄:dry matter intake numerically decreased by 8% and CH₄:milk net energy for lactation production was unaffected by treatment. Milk and milk fat production were not affected, but NO₃^? decreased milk protein from 758 to 689 g/d. Ruminal pH decreased more sharply after feeding for cows fed diets without NO₃^?. Acetate:propionate was greater for cows fed NO₃^?, particularly when combined with LYC (interaction effect). Blood methemoglobin was higher for cattle fed NO₃^? than for those fed the control diet but was low for both treatments (1.5 vs. 0.5%, respectively; only one measurement exceeded 5%), indicating minimal risk for NO₂^? accumulation at our feeding level of NO₃^?. Although neither apparent organic matter nor neutral detergent fiber digestibilities were affected, apparent N digestibility had an interaction for NO₃^? × LYC such that apparent N digestibility was numerically lowest for diets containing both NO₃^? and LYC compared with the other 3 diets. Under the conditions of this study, NO₃^? mitigated ruminal methanogenesis but also depressed dry matter intake and milk protein yield. Based on the fact that few interactions were detected, LYC had a minimal role in attenuating negative cow responses to NO₃^? supplementation.     

Influence of nitrogen form and concentration on the nitrate reductase activity of winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L cv Igri)

Winter barley (Hordeum vulgare L cv Igri) plants were grown for 5 weeks in a controlled environment room using a recirculating nutrient solution culture system at a root and shoot temperature of 10°C. When solution NO₃-N concentration was varied between 0 and 64 mg litre^?1, shoot endogenous and induced nitrate reductase activity (NRA_e and NRA_i respectively) increased asymptotically from zero in plants grown with O mg NO₃-N litre^?1 to a maximum activity in solutions containing ? 16 mg NO₃-N litre^?1. Shoot Nitrogen Response Index (NRI = NRA_i/NRA_e) showed an opposite trend decreasing from a maximum of 2.6 at 2 mg NO₃-N litre^?1 to a minimum approaching unity when ? 32 mg N litre^?1 was supplied. In a separate experiment, nitrogen form (NO₃-N, NH₄-N or a 1:1 mixture) had a marked influence on shoot NRA. Enzyme activity was negligible in tissue from plants absorbing NH₄-N, highest in NO₃-fed plants and intermediate in those supplied with both N forms. NRI, however, approached unity in all treatments. The results provide evidence to suggest that NRI may be used as an indicator of the N status of barley plants grown with varied N nutrition.     

Yield and biosynthesis of nitrogenous compounds in fruits of green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L cv Strike) in response to increasing N fertilisation

The objective of the present work was to determine the effect of different dosages of N on the biosynthesis of organic N compounds in fruits and their influence on yield in green bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L cv Strike) plants. The nitrogen was applied to the nutrient solution as NH₄NO₃ at 1.5 (N1), 3 (N2), 6 (N3), 12 (N4), 18 (N5) and 24 mM (N6). Treatment N3 was considered optimal for efficient yield in green bean plants and also for the null presence of NO₃^?. Highest N dosages (18 and 24 mM ) resulted in the accumulation of NO₃^? in pods and seeds. This accumulation encouraged nitrate reductase (NR) and nitrite reductase (NiR) activity in both tissues and treatments, and therefore NR activity might be considered as a good bioindicator of the presence of NO₃^? in edible fruits. The greater NH₄⁺ assimilation by glutamine synthetase (GS) and glutamate synthase (GOGAT) occurred primarily in the pods of the N6 treatment, while the seeds acted as physiological sinks, these latter tissues presenting the highest concentrations of amino acids, proteins and organic N. The high accumulation of NO₃^? and NH₄⁺ in both seeds and pods could be the direct cause of the reduction in fruit production, indicating that green bean plants are very sensitive to high N levels. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Effects of wortmannin,sodium nitroprusside,insulin, genistein,and guanosine triphosphate on chemotaxis and cell growth of Entodinium caudatum, Epidinium caudatum, and mixed ruminal protozoa

The mechanisms by which ruminal protozoa sense and migrate toward nutrients are not fully understood. Chemotaxis by many diverse eukaryotic cells is mediated by phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase, which is highly conserved in receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) signaling pathways and consistently inhibited by wortmannin. In experiment 1a, increasing the concentration of wortmannin inhibited cell growth nonlinearly at 24 h of a culture of the rumen protozoan Entodinium caudatum, but high variability prevented growth inhibition of Epidinium caudatum from reaching significance. In experiment 1b, increasing the insulin concentration recovered 24-h cell counts for both cultures, depending on wortmannin concentration. In experiment 2, addition of sodium nitroprusside (Snp; activator of protein kinase G for cilial beat reversal in nonrumen ciliate models) at 500 µM or wortmannin at 200 µM in beakers containing rumen fluid decreased random swimming by mixed entodiniomorphids into capillary tubes (inserted into beakers) containing saline. Both Snp and wortmannin increased chemotaxis into tubes containing glucose compared with the beaker control. For isotrichids, beaker treatments had no response. Glucose increased chemotaxis, but peptides decreased chemotaxis even when combined with glucose. In experiment 3, we assessed preincubation of genistein (a purported RTK blocker in nonrumen ciliate models) at 40 or 400 µM in beakers and guanosine triphosphate (GTP; a universal chemorepellent in nonrumen ciliate models, perhaps mediated through an RTK) at 10 or 100 µM combined with glucose in capillary tubes. Neither genistein nor GTP affected chemotaxis toward glucose for entodiniomorphids. However, GTP at 100 µM reduced chemotaxis toward glucose for isotrichids. After the animal is fed, isotrichids that are depleted in glycogen migrate to the dorsal area of the rumen, and the rapid uptake of sugars is enhanced through strong chemotaxis but can be reversed by peptides or GTP. In contrast, entodiniomorphids are less intensely chemoattracted to glucose than isotrichids but are chemoattracted to peptides. Entodiniomorphids’ chemoattraction appears to be integrated with slower but prolonged availability of energy from digesting starch and fiber.     

Nitrogen fractions and soluble carbohydrates in Italian ryegrass II.—Effects of light intensity,form and level of nitrogen

S.22 Italian ryegrass grown in a glasshouse during June on clay loam soil at three light intensities (100, 68 and 44% of daylight), was given 6 amounts of N (0–500 ppm) as NH₄⁺-N or NO₃^?-N. Grass grew best in 100% daylight, and with NH₄⁺-N yields were most at 500 ppm and with NO₃^?-N at 200 ppm. Total-N, total soluble-N and nitrate-N, were much more, and protein-N, amide-N (psrticularly asparagine-N) and α-amino-N much less in grass given NO₃^?-N than in grass given NH₄⁺-N. These differences increased with increasing amounts of applied N. Shading, or increasing the amount of N increased total-N, total soluble-N, soluble organic-N and nitrate-N, and decreased protein-N and soluble carbohydrates. Light intensity had most effect on the amount of solyble carbohydrates in grass given 100 ppm of N and the effect decreased with increasing amounts of N. ‘N-Serve’ indirectly influenced the chemical composition of grass by maintaining N in the soil in the NH₄⁺-N form.     

Nitrogen concentration and nitrate/ammonium ratio affect yield and change the oxalic acid concentration and fatty acid profile of purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) grown in a soilless culture system

Purslane is an excellent source of omega‐3 fatty acids, amino acids and vitamins. The aim of this research was to study the effect of different nitrogen levels and NO₃⁻‐N/NH₄⁺‐N ratios in the nutrient solution on the yield and on the oxalic acid content and fatty acid profile in purslane grown in a soilless culture system. Two experiments were carried out to test different levels of nitrogen: (1) 8–12–16 mmol L⁻¹ and (2) 0–12–24–36 mmol L⁻¹. A third experiment was carried out maintaining the N level fixed (12 mmol L⁻¹) but varying the NO₃⁻‐N/NH₄⁺‐N ratio: 60:40, 40:60, 0:100. The results indicated that plants grew with increasing nitrogen level up to 36 mmol L⁻¹. Nitrogen supplied in both NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ forms produced bigger plants than N supplied in NH₄⁺ form only. Nitrogen did not significantly influence the polyunsaturated fatty acid content in the canopy. Significant trends were found for α‐linolenic acid (LNA; 18:3 n‐3) and linoleic acid (LA; 18:2 n‐6), indicating a favorable accumulation of omega‐3 fatty acids with increasing N; palmitic acid decreased by increasing N and by switching the NO₃⁻/NH₄⁺ ratio towards the NH₄⁺ level in the nutrient solution, but using 0:100 NO₃⁻/NH₄⁺, decreased plant quality. Increasing N lowered oxalic acid production and palmitic acid content, enhancing purslane nutritional quality. Keeping a high N level in the nutrient solution with a 40:60 NO₃⁻/NH₄⁺ ratio would give the best results in terms of yield, oxalic acid concentration and fatty acid profile. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of nitrogen form on yield and nitrate content of subirrigated early potato

Potato is classified among the vegetables with low nitrate content but, in diet, it contributes most to the daily intake of nitrate, because of its high per capita consumption. Two trials were carried out in winter–spring and autumn–winter cycles using a trough bench subirrigation system. Potato seedlings were transplanted into pots containing peat, pumice and vermiculite in a 3:1:1 volume ratio. Both trials were carried out to compare three nutrient solutions having the same nitrogen concentration (6.4 mM ), but different ammonium:nitrate (NH₄‐N:NO₃‐N) percentage ratios (100:0, 50:50 and 0:100). In the winter–spring cycle, tubers were lower in weight and were more numerous than in the autumn–winter cycle. The tuber yield of ammonium‐fed plants was lower than with the mixed form and 100% NO₃‐N, but only in the trial carried out in the winter–spring period. Nitrate‐fed plants yielded a number of tubers almost 3‐fold higher than ammonium‐fed plants. The NO₃ content of tubers harvested in spring in the presence of 100% NH₄‐N in the nutrient solution was a 25% of that in nitrate‐fed plants (44 vs 169 mg kg^?1 of fresh mass); in tubers harvested in winter, with worse light conditions, nitrate content increased with increasing NO₃‐N in the nutrient solution (26, 109, and 225 mg kg^?1 of fresh mass with NH₄‐N:NO₃‐N 100:0, 50:50 and 0:100, respectively). The substrate electrical conductivity increased with increasing ammonium concentration in the nutrient solution, and was higher in the upper layer of the substrate. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of Ca2+, K+ and NO3− fertilisation on nutritional quality of pepper

A study was conducted in order to assess the effect of different fertilisation levels of Ca²⁺, K⁺ and NO₃^? on the bioactive nutrient content in red pepper (Capsicum annuum L) fruits. The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse, under hydroponic culture. Lycopene, β‐carotene, vitamin C, total phenolic compound, sugar, nitrate and potassium contents and antioxidant activity were determined. Increasing Ca²⁺ and NO₃^? concentrations in the root medium increased the lycopene and β‐carotene contents in pepper. Antioxidant activity was determined in the hydrophilic (HAA) and lipophilic (LAA) fractions. HAA was increased by intermediate and high Ca²⁺ concentrations in the culture medium. However, LAA was raised only by NO₃^? treatments. Vitamin C, sugar and total phenolic acid contents were not affected by Ca²⁺ or NO₃^? treatments. K⁺ treatments had no effect on nutritional quality of pepper. An increased supply of Ca²⁺ and NO₃^? in the culture medium could constitute a useful practice for improving the nutritional attributes of pepper as well as its commercial quality. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mode of action of yeast culture (YEA-SACC 1026) for stimulation of rumen fermentation in buffalo calves

The effect of daily supplementation of 5 g Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast culture (YC, YEA-SACC 1026), 30 g NaHCO₃, supernatant from 5 g YC (YCS), 5 g autoclaved YC (YCH) or 5 g γ-irradiated YC (YCR) to the diet of buffalo calves on rumen microbial populations and fermentation pattern was examined. Addition of 30 g NaHCO₃ increased the rumen pH to the level observed with YC group. The pH and the concentrations of total, total viable and cellulolytic bacteria and total volatile fatty acids (VFA) were significantly higher while that of lactic acid, hexose-unit oligosaccharides and NH₃-N were significantly lower in the rumen fluid of YC compared with the control group. The effect of NaHCO₃ was 39·5 and 59·5% in decreasing the concentrations of lactic acid and hexose-unit oligosaccharides, 48·1, 47·2 and 45·5% in increasing the numbers of total, total viable and cellulolytic bacteria, 50·0 and 58·1% in increasing the concentrations of total VFA and protein and 51·3% in decreasing the concentration of NH₃-N of YC. The corresponding values for YCR addition in the diet were 38·6, 45·7, 48·5, 44·4, 51·5, 39·1, 48·1 and 46·5%. The effect of YCS and YCH was only marginal, but conspicuous up to 2 h after feeding, in changing the above rumen variables when compared with the YC group. The results indicated that contribution of increase in pH in changing the rumen variables was approximately 50% of YC and almost all the stimulatory activity was associated with live yeast cells. Autoclaving of YC destroyed almost all and γ-irradiation of YC retained about 50% of stimulatory activity of YC. The effect of YC on rumen fermentation, which was maximum up to 2 to 4 h after feeding, decreased with time. © 1998 SCI.     

Production of Anthocyanin from Strawberry Cell Suspension Cultures; Effects of Sugar and Nitrogen

Production of anthocyanins was investigated, controlling sugar concentration and ratio of ammonium: nitrate in culture medium of strawberry, Fragaria ananassa cv Shikinari. Anthocyanins were produced under 8000 lux for 2 wk using calli derived from suspension cultures of leaf tissues. Yield was greatest in modified LS medium containing 5% sucrose (W/V), a ratio of NH⁺₃ (2 mM):NO^?₃ (28mM), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and benzyladenine. Total anthocyanin was about 15 mg/100 mL of culture medium, almost six times greater than that in MS medium. Effects of sugars were also studied using eight sugars. Cell growth and anthocyanin accumulation were enhanced by glucose, sucrose, and fructose, but anthocyanin compositions were not affected. Major anthocyanins were peonindin-3-glucoside and cyanidin-3-glucoside. Peonidin-3-glucoside increased with an increase in the NH⁺₄ NO^?₃ ratio at nitrogen concentration 30 mM, while that of cyanidin-3-glucoside changed vice versa.     

Carotenoid pigments in kale are influenced by nitrogen concentration and form

The objective of these experiments was to investigate the effects of N rate and form on the accumulation of lutein, β‐carotene and chlorophyll pigments in the leaf tissues of kale. Winterbor, Toscano and Redbor kale cultivars were greenhouse grown using nutrient solution culture. In the first study, N treatments were 6, 13, 26, 52 and 105 mg L^?1 at a constant 1 NH₄‐N:3 NO₃‐N ratio. On a fresh weight basis, plant pigment concentrations (lutein, β‐carotene and chlorophylls) were not affected by N rate. When calculated on a dry weight basis, however, carotenoid pigments increased linearly in response to increasing N rate. In a second study, N rate was held constant at 105 mg L^?1 and N form was changed as follows: 100% NH₄‐N:0% NO₃‐N, 75% NH₄‐N:25% NO₃‐N, 50% NH₄‐N:50% NO₃‐N, 25% NH₄‐N:75% NO₃‐N and 0% NH₄‐N:100% NO₃‐N. Increasing NO₃‐N in nutrient solutions from 0 to 100% resulted in increases in both lutein and β‐carotene concentrations. Increases in carotenoid concentrations would be expected to increase the nutritional value of kale. Therefore N management should be considered in crop production programmes designed to increase the concentrations of nutritionally valuable carotenoids. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Influence of N doses and form on ¹⁵N natural abundance of pepper plants: considerations for using δ¹⁵N values as indicator of N source

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of the N form (NO₃^?, NH₄⁺ and organic N) and N concentration on plant isotopic fractionation and on the contribution of the different N sources to the plant N budget, in order to evaluate the feasibility of using plant δ¹⁵N values for discriminating between conventional and organic crops. To this end, different N concentrations (applied as NO₃^?), N forms (NO₃^? versus NH₄⁺), and increasing NO₃^? applications to an organic N‐based fertilization regime were studied. RESULTS: When using NO₃^? as N source, intra‐plant fractionation was significant and tended to increase when NO₃^? concentration increased in the root medium. However, negligible net isotopic fractionation was observed when comparing theoretical and measured plant δ¹⁵N values. On the other hand, when plants are fertilized with a mixture of NO₃^? and NH₄⁺, differences in uptake patterns for both salts could result in variation in plant δ¹⁵N regarding to the expected value. Finally, the application of NO₃^? to plants was detected when it was combined with high levels of organic N sources, from 99:1 organic:inorganic N ratio. CONCLUSION: Under certain conditions and following some considerations concerning sampling, δ¹⁵N values can be considered to be a potential tool to guarantee the authenticity of organic products. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Relative proportion of inorganic and total nitrogen in broiler litter as determined by various methods

We report relative proportion of inorganic N in broiler litter and compare the regular Kjeldahl method with three of its modifications (the salicylic acid–thiosulfate modification, the Devarda's alloy modification, and the potassium permanganate–reduced iron modification), and with a Leco‐combustion (CHN‐600) method for the degree to which they include NO₃^?‐N and NO₂^?‐N in broiler litter analysis. Inorganic N in the litter (<500 µm) was determined after extraction with 2 mol L^?1 KCl. NH₄⁺‐N and (NO₃^? + NO₂^?)‐N in the filtrate were analysed by steam distillation while NO₂^?‐N was determined by a modified Griess–Ilosvay colorimetric method. For the determination of total N, 25 mg broiler litter (<1000 µm) was digested according to four semi‐micro‐Kjeldahl methods in a 100‐mL Pyrex Kjeldahl flask using an electrically heated six‐flask micro‐Kjeldahl digestion rack. Ammonium‐N in the digest was determined by steam distillation. The results showed that inorganic N represents a small portion of total N in the samples. Ammonium is the most dominant inorganic N (1.61–5.39 g kg^?1) in the samples; it represents between 42 and 94% of the inorganic N. The (NO₃^? + NO₂^?)‐N contents varied between 0.19 and 5.56 g kg^?1 while NO₂^?‐N contents in the samples were negligible (<0.6 g kg^?1). The regular Kjeldahl method and its modifications recovered all the NH₄⁺‐N added but recovery of added NO₂^?‐N and NO₃^?‐N varied considerably with the methods. The Devarda's alloy and the potassium permanganate methods showed the highest N measurements while the Leco‐combustion showed the lowest N measurements. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry     

ION LEVELS OF FRESH AND PROCESSED SPINACH USING ION CHROMATOGRAPHY

The anion (Cl^?, NO^?₃, So^2-₄, PO^3-₄, OX^2-) and cation (Na⁺, K⁺, NH4⁺) composition of raw, frozen and canned spinach samples was determined by Ion Chromatography (IC). In general, the levels of these ions were determined after typical food processing operations. Important for its health-related and nutritional point of view is the observation that nitrate levels decreased by about 50% with losses of 15% in total organic nitrogen after typical commercial processing methods.     

Effect of supplemental yeast culture and dietary starch content on rumen fermentation and digestion in dairy cows

The objectives of this experiment were to evaluate the effect of feeding a culture of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on rumen metabolism and digestibility when cows are fed diets varying in starch content. Four lactating Holstein cows were assigned to a 4 × 4 Latin square design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were low starch (LS; 23% of diet DM) and no yeast culture (YC; LS-control), LS and 15 g of YC/d (LS-YC), high starch (HS; 29% of diet DM) and no YC (HS-control), and HS and 15 g of YC/d (HS-YC). Periods lasted 28 d, with the last 9 d for data collection. Days 20 to 24 were used to determine production, nutrient flow, and digestibility. On d 25, 3 kg of corn grain DM was placed in the rumen 1 h before the morning feeding, and yields of milk and milk components were measured after the challenge. Blood was sampled −1, 3, 7, and 11 h relative to the morning feeding on d 24 and 25. Rumen pH was measured continuously on d 24 and 25. Rumen papillae were collected on d 24 and 28 to quantify mRNA expression of select genes. Supplementing YC increased yields of milk (26.3 vs. 29.6 kg/d), energy-corrected milk (ECM; 26.5 vs. 30.3 kg/d), fat (0.94 vs. 1.08 kg/d), true protein (0.84 vs. 0.96 kg/d), and ECM/dry matter intake (1.15 vs. 1.30) compared with the control but did not affect dry matter intake (22.6 vs. 22.9 kg/d). Cows fed HS had increased milk true protein percentage (3.18 vs. 3.31%) and yield (0.87 vs. 0.94 kg/d) compared with cows fed LS. Feeding HS-YC increased the proportion of dietary N incorporated into milk true protein from 24.9% in the other 3 treatments to 29.6%. Feeding HS increased the concentration of propionate (21.7 vs. 32.3 mM) and reduced that of NH₃-N (8.3 vs. 6.7 mg/dL) in rumen fluid compared with the control, and combining HS with YC in HS-YC tended to increase microbial N synthesis compared with LS-YC (275 vs. 322 g/d). Supplementing YC to cows fed HS reduced plasma haptoglobin and rumen lactate concentrations, increased mean rumen pH, reduced the time with pH <6.0, and prevented the decrease in rumen neutral detergent fiber digestion caused by HS. Cows fed HS had less total-tract digestion of organic matter (73.9 vs. 72.4%) because of reduced acid detergent fiber (57.6 vs. 51.7%) and neutral detergent fiber (60.9 vs. 56.7%) digestibility. Production performance after the challenge was similar to that before the challenge, and YC improved yield of ECM. After the challenge, supplementing YC tended to reduce rumen lactate concentration compared with the control and reduced haptoglobin in cows fed HS. Feeding HS but not YC increased expression in rumen papillae of genes for receptors (FFAR2 and FFAR3) and transporter (SLC16A3) of short-chain fatty acids but did not affect genes involved in transport of Na⁺/H⁺ or water or in inflammatory response. Supplementing YC to dairy cows improved lactation performance in diets containing low or high starch, and mechanisms might be partially attributed to improvements in rumen pH, digestion of fiber, microbial N synthesis, and reduction in acute phase response.     

Differing effects of 2 active dried yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) strains on ruminal acidosis and methane production in nonlactating dairy cows

Fifteen ruminally cannulated, nonlactating Holstein cows were used to measure the effects of 2 strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, fed as active dried yeasts, on ruminal pH and fermentation and enteric methane (CH₄) emissions. Nonlactating cows were blocked by total duration (h) that their ruminal pH was below 5.8 during a 6-d pre-experimental period. Within each block, cows were randomly assigned to control (no yeast), yeast strain 1 (Levucell SC), or yeast strain 2 (a novel strain selected for enhanced in vitro fiber degradation), with both strains (Lallemand Animal Nutrition, Montréal, QC, Canada) providing 1 × 10¹⁰ cfu/head per day. Cows were fed once daily a total mixed ration consisting of a 50:50 forage to concentrate ratio (dry matter basis). The yeast strains were dosed via the rumen cannula daily at the time of feeding. During the 35-d experiment, ruminal pH was measured continuously for 7 d (d 22 to 28) by using an indwelling system, and CH₄ gas was measured for 4 d (d 32 to 35) using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer gas technique (with halters and yokes). Rumen contents were sampled on 2 d (d 22 and 26) at 0, 3, and 6 h after feeding. Dry matter intake, body weight, and apparent total-tract digestibility of nutrients were not affected by yeast feeding. Strain 2 decreased the average daily minimum (5.35 vs. 5.65 or 5.66), mean (5.98 vs. 6.24 or 6.34), and maximum ruminal pH (6.71 vs. 6.86 or 6.86), and prolonged the time that ruminal pH was below 5.8 (7.5 vs. 3.3 or 1.0  h/d) compared with the control or strain 1, respectively. The molar percentage of acetate was lower and that of propionate was greater in the ruminal fluid of cows receiving strain 2 compared with cows receiving no yeast or strain 1. Enteric CH₄ production adjusted for intake of dry matter or gross energy, however, did not differ between either yeast strain compared with the control but it tended to be reduced by 10% when strain 2 was compared with strain 1. The study shows that different strains of S. cerevisiae fed as active dried yeasts vary in their ability to modify the rumen fermentative pattern in nonlactating dairy cows. Because strain 2 tended (when compared with strain 1) to lower CH₄ emissions but increase the risk of acidosis, it may be prudent to further evaluate this strain in cattle fed high-forage diets, for which the risk of acidosis is low but CH₄ emissions are high.     

The Correlation of Inorganic Anion Contents in Rice and Its Soils Based on Four Geographical Origin

The determination of the geographical origin of foodstuffs is becoming of increasing interest to consumers and producers since it may be used as a criterion to certify quality and typicality. The correlation of inorganic anion contents in rice and its origin soils was studied in this paper, and the inorganic anion contents were used to identification the rice geographical origin. The contents of F^?, Cl^?, NO₂ ^?, NO₃ ^?, and SO₄ ^2? in rice samples and soil samples from four provinces of China were analyzed by ion chromatography. The result of variance analysis and correlation analysis demonstrated that there is significant difference in the contents for F^?, Cl^?, NO₂ ^?, NO₃ ^?, and SO₄ ^2? in the rice samples from four provinces, and the anions in rice are closely connected with the anions in soil. The predictions of geographic origin made by linear discriminant analysis (LDA) based on anions gave an overall correct classification rate of 100 % and cross-validation rate of 96.9 %. The correct rate of Q-type hierarchical cluster analysis (Q-type CA) was 81.3 %. These results demonstrate the usefulness of multi-anion fingerprints as indicators for authenticating the geographical origin of the four famous brand rices.     

Application of Mid- and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for the Control and Chemical Evaluation of Brine Solutions and Traditional Sea Salts

Mid- and near-infrared spectroscopy methodologies were explored for the analysis of brine solutions and traditional sea salt samples. Brine solutions from different salt pans, corresponding to different stages of sodium chloride crystallisation, were collected. A total of 61 dried and non-dried traditional sea salts were also analysed. Partial least squares regression with leave-one-out cross-validation strategy was applied for the calibration of inorganic constituents Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ and K⁺, alkalinity as HCO ₃ ^? , SO ₄ ^2? , NO ₂ ^? and NO ₃ ^? and phosphate in brine solutions. Promising results were obtained with the near-infrared (NIR) methodology for brine solutions with coefficients of determination R ²?>?0.90 for Mg⁺², K⁺, HCO ₃ ^? and SO ₄ ^2? . Using mid-infrared, the calibration for H₂PO ₄ ^? was R ²?=?0.85. In relation to the sea salt samples, the strategy adopted was the re-sampling based cross-validation using different spectral pre-processing treatments. In this case, the calibrations using the two IR methodologies fell bellow acceptable levels for the techniques; however, by comparing the R ² coefficient, the results were slightly better when using the NIR spectra of dried sea samples. In general, these results open a new possibility for the IR applications and also bring an opportunity for continuing with the NIR characterization for dried sea salt samples.     

Nitrate content in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L) heads in relation to plant spacing,nitrogen form and irrigation level

A field study was conducted at two locations (Jordan valley and Al‐Jubeiha) with different rainfall levels, altitudes and temperature ranges. The study was established to evaluate the optimum planting density, nitrogen (N) form and irrigation level to attain the best quality of lettuce crop in terms of minimum nitrate (NO₃) content and to minimise the impact on the environment. Seeds of ‘Amar’ lettuce were sown 1 month before transplanting. Three forms of N fertiliser (Ca(NO₃)₂, (NH₄)₂SO₄ and CO(NH₂)₂) were applied at three times at a total rate of 100 kg N ha^?1. Three in‐row spacings (15, 20 and 25 cm) were assigned. Two irrigation levels were applied: level 1 had twice the amount of irrigation water as level 2, which was achieved by doubling the number of irrigation lines. The results indicated that N form significantly increased both N and NO₃ contents. Ca(NO₃)₂ was the most effective in increasing the N and NO₃ contents in lettuce leaf tissues, followed by CO(NH₂)₂ and then (NH₄)₂SO₄. The outer leaves (green colour) had about five times the NO₃ content of the inner leaves (pale yellow colour). However, the effect of N form on production, total N absorption and N recovery was significant in the following order: (NH₄)₂SO₄ > Ca(NO₃)₂ > CO(NH₂)₂. Increasing the plant spacing resulted in a significant increase in N and NO₃ contents in the lettuce leaves. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry