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Biomedical subjects

P Vohra

Publications and source records attributed to P Vohra.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

The effect of light intensity, temperature, and diet on growth in red-legged partridge.

Three hundred Red-legged partridge chicks ( Alectoris graeca) were divided into two groups and fed starter diets calculated to contain 24.5 and 24.9% crude protein and 2646 and 2662 kcal/kg metabolizable energy, respectively. One diet consisted of 5% fish meal while the other contained all vegetable protein. One-half of the birds on each diet were grown under fluorescent light intensity of 300 lx; the remainder received 5 lx. The results indicated that neither the source of protein nor intensity of light had an effect on the rate of growth to 8 weeks of age. At 8 weeks of age, the birds were randomly divided among three climatic chambers and kept under a constant temperature of either 18.3, 23.9, or 29.5 C. At 12 weeks of age, one-half of the birds in each chamber were fed a 20% turkey grower diet; the remainder received equal parts by weight of the turkey grower diet and whole milo . Individual body weights and feed consumption were measured biweekly. Best growth was obtained in birds kept at 29.5 C and fed equal parts of turkey grower and milo from 12 to 30 weeks of age.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

The effect of cyclic and constant ambient temperatures on feed consumption, egg production, egg weight, and shell thickness of hens.

Groups of 18 hens, 230 days of age, were housed in each of three climatic chambers with light schedules of 14L:10D. One was maintained at a constant temperature of 23.9 C, the second was cycled between 15.6 and 37.7 C (mean, 26.7 C), and the third was cycled between 21.1 and 37.7 C (mean, 29.4 C). In Experiment 1, the high temperature peaked during the dark period at 0200 hr and in Experiment 2, the high temperature peak was at 1400 hr during the light period. The birds had free access to a commercial breeder feed in these two experiments. The results from three 2-week observation periods indicated no significant differences in percent hen-day production, grams of feed per gram of egg mass, or overall body weight change but feed intake per day, egg weight, and shell thickness were significantly reduced by mean temperatures of 26.7 and 29.4 C in cycling chambers. The pair-feeding of birds in the 23.9 C constant chamber compared with those in the cycling 29.4 C chamber resulted in production of significantly heavier eggs with thicker shells without significantly influencing any of the other parameters. The reductions in egg weight and shell thickness observed at cyclic temperatures were not simply a result of a reduction in nutrient intake at high temperatures but also the direct effect of heat stress on the hens. In the 23.9 C constant temperature chambers, a reduction in AME of the feed for the hens fed ad libitum was observed but not for hens pair-fed to hens in the 29.4 C cyclic chamber.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Hypocholesterolemia and growth-depression in chicks fed guar gum and konjac mannan.

Two mannans (guar gum and konjac mannan) were fed to growing chicks at a level of 2% in a semipurified diet containing 0.5% cholesterol for 4 weeks. The mannans were nearly identical in producing growth depression, pancreatic hypertrophy and reduction in plasma and hepatic cholesterol when compared to controls fed corn starch or the sugars D-galactose or D-mannose. Hepatic triglyceride levels were higher for chicks fed konjac mannan, but no significant differences in fasting plasma glucose were observed. Apparent metabolizable energy levels for the mannan diets were significantly less than those of the other diets. The effects of the mannans in this study were not correlated with viscosity measurements made in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Effect of high fat and iron levels on the growth and mortality of chickens.

Four experiments were conducted with chicks to determine whether the heating of vegetable oil and its contamination with iron might have detrimental effects upon its use in chicken diets. Soybean oil and safflower oil heated at 230 C for 51 hr and linseed oil heated at 240 C for 24 hr gave reduced growth when fed to chickens at 20 percent of the diet. Heating soybean oil at 175 C for 51 hr had no detrimental effect. However, iron at 5000 ppm depressed growth significantly when fed in a low fat diet. The depression was greatly reduced when soybean oil was fed at 10 or 20% of the diet. A different lot of soybean oil was found to cause skin dermatitis and high mortality when fed at 20% of the diet due to its physical contamination on the skin.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Alteration of lipid metabolism in Japanese quail by feeding oat hulls and brans.

Five varieties of oat brans fed for 4 weeks at 2.27% and oat hulls fed at 11.36% in a semi-purified diet containing .5% cholesterol were ineffective in lowering cholesterol levels in the serum of 5-week-old Japanese quail. Oat brans and hulls reduced the level of fat in livers of both males and females. No differences in cholesterol levels were observed between sexes, but hypertriglyceridemia and high liver fat contents were more evident in females. This may be the result of sexual maturation stimulated by a 14L:10D photoperiod.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

The effect of ambient temperature and energy level on reproduction in Red-Legged partridges.

The effects of temperature and dietary energy on various reproductive parameters were studied in Red-Legged partridges (Alectoris graeca) reared in three environmental chambers at either 18.3, 23.9, or 29.5 C. These birds were then cycled through two consecutive production periods. In Period 1, at 38 weeks of age, the birds in each chamber, 118 pair total, were divided into four subgroups and fed a diet containing either 2600, 2800, 3000, or 3200 kcal/kg of metabolizable energy. The energy to protein ratio was held constant at 186. In Period 2, at 63 weeks of age, chambers with the lowest and highest temperatures were changed from 18.3 to 15.6 C and 29.5 to 32.2 C, respectively. Only the lowest and highest energy diets were used. In both periods, the birds kept at higher temperatures and fed the high energy diets consumed significantly less feed (P less than .05) than the other comparable groups. Hatchability was significantly higher (P less than .05) in groups fed the 3000 and 3200 kcal/kg diets as compared to the 2600 kcal/kg diet group. In Period 2, egg production increased in all groups, but birds kept at 32.2 C laid significantly fewer (P less than .05) eggs per bird than those kept at 15.6 and 23.9 C, respectively. The best performance, as measured by salable chicks produced per hen, was obtained in the group kept under a constant temperature of 23.9 C and fed the high energy diet (3200 kcal/kg).

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Blood parameters of one-year-old and seven-year old partridges (Alectoris chukar).

Several blood parameters were determined for 12 1-year-old and 12 7-year-old partridges to establish base line values on blood chemistry of this species. After taking blood samples, the 7-year-old birds were killed and necropsied for gross examination. With aging, there was a significant increase in plasma glucose, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), potassium, cholesterol, uric acid, and albumin. Males generally had a significantly lower lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) than females. The 7-year-old males had a significantly higher plasma cholesterol and GOT than 1-year-old males. There were no differences in plasma potassium, sodium, and calcium between partridges and data previously reported for chickens. Blood glucose levels in young and old partridge appear to be twice that for chickens, whereas cholesterol and lactic dehydrogenase levels were much lower in chickens.

Aging↗
PubMed1981

Influence of copper supplementation on the relationship between dietary methionine and free plasma methionine.

One-day-old broiler chicks were adapted to a basal, isolated soyprotein-cornstarch diet containing 20% protein, 0.59% methionine and 3,300 kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg. They were then fed experimental diets consisting of three levels (0, 500, 1,000 ppm) of copper added to each of the basal diet plus four levels (0, 0.4, 0.8, or 1.5%) of L-methionine for 1 or 4 weeks. Growth was retarded after 1 week by all levels of supplementary methionine, and by 500 or 1,000 ppm excess copper. The plasma concentrations of free methionine, serine, alpha-aminobutyric acid and cystathionine were increased by excess dietary methionine. Excess copper prevented the increase in plasma methionine. After 4 weeks, the plasma methionine concentration and rate of growth of chicks fed 0.4% excess L-methionine did not differ significantly from basal values. The growth retardation caused by 500 ppm excess copper was alleviated by 0.4% supplemental methionine, and the elevations in plasma methionine and liver and spleen iron concentrations observed in chicks fed 1.5% excess methionine were reduced by 1,000 ppm excess copper. The patterns of the relationship between dietary methionine and liver or spleen iron, in the presence or absence of supplementary copper, were similar to those between dietary and free plasma methionine.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1981

Influence of dietary excess methionine on the relationship between dietary copper and the concentration of copper and iron in organs of broiler chicks.

Four experiments were conducted to study the nature of the relationship between methionine, copper and iron. The day-old broiler chicks used were adapted to an isolated soyprotein-cornstarch diet containing 20% protein, 3,300 kcal metabolizable energy (ME)/kg, normal levels of minerals and 0.59% methionine. They were then fed the basal diet, alone or supplemented with 1.5% DL-methionine, 2,000 ppm molybdenum (Mo), 4,000 ppm Mo, or 100, 250, 500 or 1,000 ppm copper for 1 or 3 weeks. In contrast to 1.5% excess methionine, excess Mo increased plasma copper concentrations significantly, had no effect on spleen or liver iron and did not induce neurological changes. Dietary copper or methionine significantly influenced body weight gain, and the concentrations of copper in plasmas or livers. Supplements of 1.5% DL-methionine, 500 ppm or 1,000 ppm copper retarded body weight. A direct relationship between dietary copper, and the concentration of copper in livers or plasmas was demonstrated in chicks fed either the basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 1.5% DL-methionine. However, chicks fed excess methionine had lower levels of copper in their plasmas and livers at every level of excess dietary copper. Liver and spleen iron concentrations were increased by 1.5% excess DL-methionine, but were not significantly altered by supplementary copper.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Methionine toxicity in chicks and poults.

In feeding experiments with poults, 2% DL-methionine caused a marked growth depression which could be alleviated by the addition of glycine. Homocystine at an equimolar level depressed growth to a lesser degree than methionine, and this growth depression could be alleviated by glycine. Betaine could alleviate the growth depression of homocystine but not that of methionine. Methionine-fed poults developed a cervical paralysis similar to that of a folic acid deficiency, but the addition of this vitamin at several times the requirement was ineffective in counteracting the toxicity of methionine in either chicks or poults.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Protein requirements of Coturniz coturnix japonica for reproduction using purified diets.

Not more than 20% protein is needed in purified diets based on isolated soybean protein, starch supplemented with vitamins and minerals containing about 2700 kcal./kg. metabolizable energy for optimum egg production, fertility and hatchability. A protein level as low as 16% gave slightly inferior egg production, but the data were statistically insignificant. Levels of 24 and 28% protein were not superior to the 20% protein level for the reproductive performance.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

The folacin requirements of broiler chicks and quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

Six experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of dietary composition on the folacin requirement of broiler chicks and to determine the folacin requirement of growing Japanese quail. The folacin requirement of both chicks and quail could not be determined when an isolated soybean protein based diet containing 0.44 mg. folacin per kilogram was used. Dietary composition affects folacin requirement of growing broiler chicks. Three values for the folacin requirement of growing broiler chicks were determined when three different basal diets were fed. With a low-glycine, casein based diet, growth was limited more by glycine than folic acid which improved growth only at 1.69 mg./kg. When 0.7% glycine was added to this casein diet, the folacin requirement was determined to be between 0.34 and 0.49 mg./kg. diet. However, with a casein-gelatin based diet, the folacin requirement was found to be between 0.12 and 0.27 mg./kg diet. Folacin deficiency in growing Japanese quail caused poor feathering, high mortality, leg weakness and cervical paralysis. A curly-toe system was observed in coturnix chicks fed low levels of folacin and might also be a consequence of folacin deficiency. The folacin requirement of growing Japanese quail was found to be 0.30 to 0.36 mg./kg. diet when a casein-gelatin based diet was fed.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

An abnormal requirement for iron in dystrophic chickens.

Dystrophic chickens which were fed 1% or 1.5% Na2 EDTA developed white feathers and showed lower hematocrit and hemoglobin values than normal New Hampshire chickens. These abnormalities may be corrected by adding dietary iron, indicating that chickens with hereditary m uscular dystrophy have a higher dietary requirement for iron than normal chickens. No differences were found in the utilization of 59Fe.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Studies on the sodium requirement of growing Japanese quail.

The response of Japanese quail, fed a purified diet, to dietary increments of sodium chloride was studied. Birds fed the basal diet (0.042-0.051% sodium) displayed poor growth, high mortality, depressed plasma sodium levels, elevated blood hematocrit and increased relative adrenal gland weights. Growth plateaued and the other parameters reached normal values at a total dietary sodium level of approximately 0.10 percent.

Adrenal Glands↗