Thermal and quality evaluation of vegetable oils used in ruminant feed

Dairies add fat supplements to the diets of small ruminants to increase energy production and consequently the production and quality nutritional and sensorial of the milk. This study investigated the thermal and oxidative stability of babassu, castor, faveleira, and sesame oils by TG/DTA and PDSC. The profile of the fatty oils studied was determined by GC–MS as well as physicochemical characteristics. The thermogravimetric profile of the oils indicated that mass loss was caused by the decomposition or volatility of the triacylglycerides. Faveleira and sesame oils showed a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially C18:2. From a nutritional standpoint, unsaturated oils are more suitable supplements for animals because they promote biochemical changes beneficial to human health.     

Increasing antibiotic activity against a multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter spp by essential oils of Citrus limon and Cinnamomum zeylanicum

The genus Acinetobacter has gained importance in recent years due to involvement in serious infections and antimicrobial resistance. Many plants have been evaluated not only for direct antimicrobial activity, but also as resistance modifying agents. The Essential oil of Citrus limon (EOCL) addition at 156.25?μgmL(-1) (MIC/8) sub-inhibitory concentration in the growth medium led to MIC decrease for amikacin, imipenem and meropenem. The Essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum (EOCZ) addition at 78.125?μg?mL(-1) (MIC/8) sub-inhibitory concentrations in the growth medium caused drastic MIC reduction of amikacin. Results of combining antibiotics and essential oils had shown us a synergistic effect with both essential oils/amikacin combinations. An additive effect was observed with the combinations of both essential oils and gentamicin. The results of this study suggest that essential oil of C. limon and C. zeylanicum may suppress the growth of Acinetobacter species and could be a source of metabolites with antibacterial modifying activity.