Browsing by Author "Mora Luna, Robert Emilio"

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    Ewes fed high-concentrate diets containing flint corn and increasing levels of exogenous amylolytic enzyme: effects on nutrient intake and digestibility
    (2023) Sousa, Luciano Fernandes; Lira de Sousa, Jhone Thallison; Schultz, Erica Beatriz; Miranda Feitosa, Tays Raniellen; Gomes, Vinicius Carreteiro; Mora Luna, Robert Emilio; Macedo, Gilberto de Lima Junior
    The aim was to evaluate if the inclusion of exogenous amylolytic enzyme affect the nutrient intake and digestibility in ewes fed high-concentrate diets containing flint corn. Five Santa Ines x Dorper crossbred ewes (54.04 +/- 4.5 kg and aged 8 months) were used in a 5 x 5 Latin square design. All animals were housed in individual metabolic cages for 60 days. The treatments consisted of a control diet (without amylolytic enzyme) and four inclusion levels of an amylolytic enzyme (3,000, 6,000, 9,000, and 12,000 a-amylase dextrinizing units [DU] kg(-1) dry matter [DM]). The enzyme was mixed into the feed at the time of supply to the animals. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, and orthogonal polynomial contrasts were used. Nutrient intake was not influenced by amylolytic enzyme inclusion. The digestibility of DM, organic matter, neutral detergent fiber, total carbohydrates, non-fibrous carbohydrates, and gross energy showed a quadratic increase with enzyme inclusion (P<0.05), with maximum values at levels of 7,600, 7,500, 6,300, 7,500, 7,400, and 7,800 DU kg(-1) DM, respectively. Total digestible nutrients of diets also showed a quadratic increase, with a maximum value of 894 g kg(-1) at a level of a-amylase activity of 7,786 DU kg(-1) DM. The inclusion of the exogenous amylolytic enzyme from 6,300 to 7,800 DU kg(-1) DM doesn't alter nutrient intake and improves the digestibility in ewes fed high-concentrate diets. Key words: Alpha-amylase. Nutrition. Sheep. Starch.
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    Feeding Cactus (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) Cladodes as a Partial Substitute for Elephant Grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) Induces Beneficial Changes in Milk Fatty Acid Composition of Dairy Goats Fed Full-Fat Corn Germ
    (2025) Corrêa, Agni M. N.; Corrêa, Agni M. N.; Da Silva, Camila S.; Gama, Marco A. S.; Soares, Luciana F. P.; De Souza, Andreia F.; Siqueira, Michelle C. B.; De Vasconcelos, Elizabeth Q. L.; Galeano, Victor J. L.; Mora Luna, Robert Emilio; Santos, Thayane V. M.; Rangel, Adriano H. N.; Ferreira, Marcelo de A.
    The present study explored the combined effects of CC (Opuntia stricta [Haw.] Haw.) and full-fat corn germ (FFCG) as a source of supplementary PUFA on milk fatty acid (FA) composition of dairy goats fed elephant grass (EG). Twelve Saanen goats were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (GC or FFCG as energy sources, and the inclusion or not of CC in the diet as a partial substitute for EG). The proportions of various milk FAs were influenced by CC, FFCG, or both. Significant interactions between CC and FFCG were noted for most trans-C18:1 and CLA isomers. Specifically, including CC in the FFCG-supplemented diet increased the levels of trans-11 C18:1 and cis-9, trans-11 CLA in milk fat, whereas these isomers were unchanged or slightly reduced with CC in the GC diet. Similar patterns were observed for C18:2 n-6, while C16:0 increased with CC in the GC diet. Ratios of trans-C18:1/C18:0 and trans-11 C18:1/C18:0 were notably higher when CC was included in the FFCG-supplemented diet. These findings suggest that CC inhibits the last step of rumen biohydrogenation in dairy goats, enriching milk with trans-11 C18:1 and cis-9, trans-11 CLA when supplementary PUFA is provided in the diet.
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    Functional Biopolymer Coatings with Nisin/Na-EDTA as an Active Agent: Enhancing Seafood Preservation
    (MDPI, 2025) Silva-Vera, Wladimir; Escobar Aguirre, Sebastián Gonzalo; Mora Luna, Robert Emilio; Abarca Oyarce, Romina
    The increasing demand for reliable food preservation strategies has driven the development of active biopolymer-based films as alternatives to conventional packaging. This study evaluates Nisin/Na-EDTA-enriched alginate and gelatin films for preserving Dosidicus gigas (jumbo squid) during refrigerated storage. Films were formulated using alginate, gelatin 220/280 Bloom, and glycerol, and characterized in terms of their mechanical, optical, and biodegradation properties. Their effectiveness for the preservation of squid fillets was tested, focusing on weight loss and color stability during refrigerated storage. The incorporation of Nisin/Na-EDTA significantly modified the film’s properties: elongation at break increased from 4.95% (alginate control) to 65.13% (gelatin 280 active), while tensile strength decreased from 8.86 MPa to 0.798 MPa (alginate). Transparency was reduced by up to 2.5 times in active agent-incorporated alginate films. All films degraded within 14 days under soil exposure, with polysaccharide-based films degrading faster. In refrigerated storage, squid fillets coated with gelatin–alginate films containing Nisin showed reduced weight loss (24.05%) compared with uncoated controls (66.36%), particularly in skin-on samples. Color parameters and whiteness index were better preserved with gelatin-based coatings. These results demonstrate the potential of gelatin–alginate films with Nisin/Na-EDTA as biodegradable, active packaging to extend the shelf life of high-protein seafood.