Apparent digestibility and nutritional composition of Leucaena leucocephala (Lam) leaf meal incorporated in the diets of Black Australorp and Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breeds

The objective of the study was to determine the apparent digestibility and nutrient composition of Leucaena leucocephala leaf meal (LLM) inclusion in Black Australorp and Potchefstroom Koekoek diets. Tender and mature leaves were separately harvested from 10 individual trees and stored separately for chemical analyses. The leaves were air-dried in a well-ventilated laboratory to constant weight and milled to pass through a 1-mm sieve. A mixture of tender and mature leaves was also collected to produce a bulk leaf meal. The four iso-nitrogenous dietary treatments were 0 (control), 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% of LLM, respectively. The apparent digestibility of two chicken breeds was also evaluated. The dry matter (DM), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), ether extract (EE), cellulose and hemicellulose of the samples did not differ between tender and mature leaves. Tender leaves had higher (P < 0.05) calcium, potassium, magnesium and sodium concentration than mature leaves. Crude protein and mimosine content were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in tender than in mature leaves. The inclusion levels of L. leucocephala leaf meal affect (P < 0.05) acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and crude protein (CP) digestibility. Crude protein digestibility decreases as the inclusion levels of L. leucocephala increase. Both tender and mature L. leucocephala leaves have a potential nutritional value that can be used in feedstuff and can be used as a protein supplement for Black Australorp and Potchefstroom Koekoek chicken breeds.

Proteomic analysis of differentially expressed whey proteins in Saanen goat milk from different provinces in China using a data-independent acquisition technique

Whey proteins of Saanen goat milk samples from 3 provinces in China (Guangdong, GD; Inner Mongolia, IM; Shaanxi, SX) were characterized and compared using data-independent acquisition quantitative proteomics technique. A total of 550 proteins were quantified in all 3 samples. There were 44, 44, and 33 differentially expressed proteins (DEP) for GD versus IM, GD versus SX, and IM versus SX, respectively. Gene ontology annotation analysis showed that the largest number of DEP for the 3 comparisons were as follows: for biological processes: response to progesterone, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate metabolic process, and negative regulation of megakaryocyte differentiation; for molecular functions: antioxidant activity, binding, and peroxiredoxin activity; and for cellular components: the same category of extracellular regions for the 3 comparisons, respectively. Pathways for the DEP of 3 comparisons were (1) disease; (2) synthesis and metabolism; and (3) synthesis, degradation, and metabolism. Protein-protein interaction network analysis showed that DEP for GD versus SX had the most interactions.