Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Zearalenone (ZEN) is an estrogenic mycotoxin produced by fungi in the genus Fusarium. Fusarium species commonly occur in cereal crops such as corn, wheat, barley, and rice which are used in swine feed. In addition to cereals, co-products of ethanol distillation, brewing, and baking are frequently re-purposed as swine feed. ZEN contamination has been related to severe reproductive issues including pelvic organ prolapse (POP), which describes the displacement of pelvic floor organs from their healthy anatomical positions. A recent rise in the rate of POP in sows highlights a need for more information surrounding the occurrence of ZEN in swine feed and the possible role of ZEN in POP. This research aims to understand the relationship between ZEN contamination in swine feed and swine reproductive health. The primary objectives of this work are to (1) characterize the stress relaxation behavior of vaginal tissue in the swine model, (2) determine how ZEN consumption effects the elasticity of pelvic support tissue. (3) determine where ZEN and a related metabolite accumulate in the swine reproductive tract, (4) evaluate the prevalence of ZEN and related Fusarium mycotoxins in swine feed and ingredients, and (5) track ZEN and related Fusarium mycotoxins throughout production of beer and brewers' spent grains (BSG). Results from this work can help stakeholders to mitigate mycotoxin contamination in swine feed, evaluate swine for ZEN toxicosis, and provide care for animals experiencing POP. / Doctor of Philosophy / Under certain conditions, some fungi produce harmful toxins (mycotoxins) that can compromise the health of humans and animals. Mycotoxin-producing fungi are common in cereal crops such as corn, wheat, and barley which may be fed to humans or animals. Swine are especially sensitive to mycotoxins, making feed composition important for animal welfare and profitability. Zearalenone (ZEN) is a mycotoxin that behaves like estrogen, a hormone frequently associated with female reproductive health. Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is a condition, common in women, wherein organs in the pelvic floor such as the vagina, rectum, and uterus, descend from their healthy anatomical position. Swine herds are experiencing higher rates of POP, which may be related to ZEN contamination in feed. The overall goal of this research is to understand the relationship between mycotoxin contamination in feed and swine reproductive health. The specific objectives of this research are to (1) characterize the mechanical properties of vaginal tissue in swine, (2) characterize mechanical properties of pelvic support tissue associated with POP, in swine fed ZEN, (3) determine which reproductive tissues which accumulate ZEN in swine, (4) evaluate the prevalence of ZEN and related mycotoxins in swine feed, and (5) track ZEN and related mycotoxins throughout production of beer and brewers' spent grain, a co-product used in animal feed. This research can help animal producers develop strategies to mitigate mycotoxin contamination in feed and improve veterinary care.

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1979 N53 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1984 O53 / Master of Science

Raspberry pomace, consisting of seeds, pulp and added rice hulls, is the residue from the pressing of raspberries for juice and concentrate production. Through the determination of chemical composition by laboratory analyses and the measurement of feeding value in animal trials, the pomace was evaluated as a feedstuff for growing pigs. Pomace contains 11.1% crude fat, 10.0% crude protein, 59.5% total dietary fibre, 7.4% soluble carbohydrates, and a gross energy level of 5220 kcal*kg⁻¹. The acid detergent residue of the pomace contains 11.7% lignin, 6.0% cutin, 2.2% acid detergent ash and 26.0% cellulose (by difference). The digestibility of dry matter, fat, protein and energy was determined. Pomace dried at 60 C, whole and ground (1mm) was fed to growing male pigs (30-35 kg) in a replicated 4X4 Latin Square design with treatments basal (B) , B plus 40% unground pomace, B plus 40% ground pomace and B plus 40% barley. Grinding of pomace significantly improved the digestibility of all parameters measured, however, the barley-soybean meal basal ration was consistently better digested than either of the pomace treatments. The digestibility of whole and ground pomace was respectively: dry matter 10.7% and 20.8% (S.E.M. 1.30), fat 24.1% and 79.7% (S.E.M. 3.47), protein 10.6% and 14.7% (S.E.M. 4.83) and energy 7.9% and 28.4% (S.E.M. 1.80). Protein quality of ground (1mm) and freeze-dried pomace was evaluated with rats in metabolism cages to produce the following values: true protein digestibility 36.0% (S.E.M. 0.66), biological value 91.0% (S.E.M. 3.46), and net protein utilization 32.7% (S.E.M. 1.15). In rat growth trials, where pomace replaced barley incrementally, growth rate was not affected at replacement levels up to 40%, although feed efficiency declined consistently as the level of pomace in the diet increased. It is suggested that raspberry pomace could replace up to 20% of an energy feedstuff in a ration for growing swine without significantly reducing growth rate or feed efficiency. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1985 V36 / Master of Science

Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 G66 / Master of Science / Animal Science and Industry

M. Tech. Animal Sciences. / The main objective of this study is to develop an in vitro technique to determine the digestibility of high fibre pig feeds in order to improve pig feed formulation. An in vitro digestibility technique as an alternative to the costly, labour intensive, time consuming and ethically difficult in vivo method was developed to determine the digestibility of fibrous pig feeds. Effects of bag pore size, bag pretreatment, sample size, particle size, incubation time, enzyme concentration, fibrolytic enzymes' cocktail activity and buffer quantity on in vitro dry matter digestibility of selected feedstuffs were evaluated.

Corn is widely used as animal feed as well as for fuel ethanol production. Fiber present in corn is not digested well by non-ruminants such as chicken and swine. Also, this fiber does not participate in conversion of starch to ethanol. Fiber separation from corn flour using the Elusieve process, a combination of sieving and air classification, would result in high starch animal feed and increase ethanol productivity. The objective of the first part of this dissertation was to understand the effect of retention screen size in the hammer mill on fiber separation from corn flour using the Elusieve process. Four different retention screen opening sizes were studied. The highest starch content of 65.2% was in the enhanced flour obtained by using 3.2 mm (8/64") retention screen; starch content of the original corn flour was 62.5%. The objective of the second part was to evaluate Elusieve process for sorghum flour. The combination of hammer milling and Elusieve process was less effective for sorghum flour compared to corn flour. The objectives of the third part were to determine the operating air velocities for corn particles and to compare physical properties of corn particles with that of Distillers’ dried grains with soluble (DDGS) particles. The operating air velocities for large, medium and small corn size fractions were 2.9 to 3.8, 2.8 to 3.0 and 2.5 to 2.6 m/s, respectively. Densities of nonfiber particles for corn flour were higher than for DDGS (earlier study). Compared to DDGS, the difference between fiber and nonfiber particle terminal velocities was higher for corn, signifying relative ease of operability for fiber separation from corn flour. The objective of the fourth part was to study the effect of corn moisture content on fiber separation. There was no effect of moisture content on fiber separation. The objective of the fifth part was to assess the economics of the Elusieve process. For ethanol plant of 50 million gallons/year capacity (50 MGY), payback period would be 3.1 years. The payback period for implementing Elusieve process in an integrated broiler operation with 8 million birds capacity would be 0.4 to 1.3 years.

Three balance experiments were conducted to determine the effects of dietary fiber on mineral balance and intestinal.morphology of growing pigs. Fiber sources were added to corn-soybean meal diets at levels which increased neutral-detergent fiber levels by 6 to 8%. In experiment 1, 10% oat hulls (OH) decreased Ca (P<.06) and Zn (P<.01) balances of pigs after a 7 d feeding period. Wheat bran (20%) increased Mg intake and balance (P<.02), but did not affect Ca and Zn balances. In experiment 2, pigs were fed diets (with or without supplements of Zn, Fe and Mg) containing 15% OH or soybean hulls (SH) for 5 d or 26 d. SH increased Fe intake and balance (P<.01) and ( Mg absorption (P<.01). Compared with balances at 5 d, Zn balance was similar, while Fe and Mg balances were higher at 26 d for pigs fed the basal (P<.05) or SH (P<.01) diets. However, Zn balance was lower (P<.05) at 26 d 1 but Fe balance did not change over time for pigs fed the OH diets. At each time period, Zn balance was not different between pigs fed the basal or high-fiber diets. In experiment 3, Ca, Zn and Mg absorption were not affected by 15% OH or SH or 20% alfalfa meal (AM) after 67 d or 39 d, although SH and AM increased Fe balance (P<.01). Intestinal surface morphology of 12 pigs fed in experiment 3 was examined by scanning electron microscopy. Villus morphology was variable in jejunum, ileum and colon, although evidence of villus blunting and folding accompanied by erosion of microvilli and loss of epithelial cells was observed in small intestine of some pigs fed the SH and AM diets. Damage was not consistent in all sites examined in individual pigs, and did not occur in all pigs fed any specific diets. Although Ca and Zn balances were decreased by OH in two of the balance trials, the inability of OH to consistently decrease mineral balance suggests that the ability of the pig to adapt to different diets may be sufficient to overcome the mild inhibitory effect on mineral absorption of some fiber sources. When viewed together, the results of the balance trials indicate that moderate amounts of dietary fiber have a minimal negative impact on mineral balance of pigs fed practical corn-soybean meal diets. However, the results also indicate that fiber sources such as SH and AM, are rich sources of some minerals for the pig, particularly Fe. Evidence of intestinal damage was evident in pigs fed the high-fiber diets. However, not all animals fed a particular diet were affected, which suggests that some pigs within a given population may be susceptible to detrimental effects of dietary fiber on intestinal structure or function. / Ph. D.