Download 1 - Oregon State University

ANSC 413/513
Comparative Nutrition of Domestic and Wild Animals
(3 CR)
Winter 2007
Instructor:
Dr. Peter R. Cheeke
316 Withycombe Hall
Phone: 737-1917
Email: [email protected]
COURSE OVERVIEW
This course will provide a comprehensive discussion of comparative similarities and differences
in nutrient digestion and metabolism of domestic and wild animals, including mammals and
avian species. Herbivores such as ruminants and hindgut fermentors will be emphasized, as will
mammalian and avian carnivorous species. Emphasis will be on protein, carbohydrate and lipid
metabolism, with other topics selected from the attached Table of Contents (syllabus) in
accordance with student interest in a particular year. Student course fee: $10.
GRADING MODE
A/F
CLASS MEETINGS PER WEEK
Three one-hour lecture sessions per week.
SCHEDULE TYPE
Lecture
PREREQUISITES, CO-REQUISITES AND ENFORCED PREREQUISITES
Junior or senior status is required. A prerequisite of Introduction to Biochemistry is
recommended but not required. Introduction to Organic Chemistry is a required prerequisite.
One goal of the class is to attract students from Fisheries and Wildlife who have had no previous
course work in nutrition.
STATEMENT REGARDING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Accommodations are collaborative efforts between students, faculty and Services for Students
with Disabilities (SSD). Students with accommodations approved through SSD are responsible
for contacting the faculty member in charge of the course prior to or during the first week of the
term to discuss accommodations. Students who believe they are eligible for accommodations but
who have not yet obtained approval through SSD should contact SSD immediately at 737-4098.
LINK TO STATEMENT OF EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENT CONDUCT, I.E.
CHEATING POLICIES
http://oregonstate.edu/admin/stucon/achon.htm
EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE
Student performance will be assessed with two written midterms (one hour each) and one twohour written final exam.
Graduate students will also be given a comprehensive one-hour oral exam. All students will
submit a term paper. Graduate students will give an oral report on their term paper.
For undergraduates, the final grade will be calculated by:
First midterm
100 points
Second midterm
100 points
Term paper
100 points
Final exam
200 points
Grand total
500 points
For graduate students, the final grade will be calculated by:
First midterm
Second midterm
Term paper
Final written exam
Final oral exam
Oral presentation
Grand total
JUSTIFICATION
100 points
100 points
100 points
200 points
50 points
50 points
600 points
Charles T. Robbins, a distinguished professor of wildlife nutrition at WSU, commented in the
preface of his book, “Wildlife Feeding and Nutrition,” as follows:
“The wildlife nutritionist often does have much more of a comparative perspective than does the
domestic animal nutritionist. Unfortunately, although many of the principles of nutrition could
be learned by wildlife students taking the standard animal nutrition course taught in animal
science departments, most of these departments have chosen to virtually ignore the
nondomesticated and nonlaboratory species.”
The above statement is a strong justification for a course integrating nutritional knowledge of
domestic and wild species. Additionally, I have served on numerous graduate committees of
Masters and Ph.D. students in Fisheries and Wildlife. In several instances, I have noted that their
research involves nutritional aspects, but they don’t have the nutritional background to fully
interpret their results.
Finally, there are increasing opportunities for animal science graduates in zoo and exotic animal
nutrition. Exposure of animal science students to aspects of wild animal nutrition will widen
their career options.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
The expected learning outcomes for all students are:
1. To be able to list the major types of digestive tract physiology of domestic and wild animals,
with particular emphasis on Hofmann’s classification of wild ruminants. Students will be
required to describe Hofmann’s categories and explain how anatomical characteristics
influence diet selection and fermentation processes.
2. To be able to name and describe major pathways of carbohydrate, lipid and protein
metabolism, with special emphasis on nutritional idiosyncracies of selected carnivores and
herbivores. Students will be required to diagram major metabolic pathways, and explain how
energy-yielding nutrients enter these pathways. Students will be asked to identify unique
pathways in selected carnivorous and herbivorous species.
3. To describe the cofactor roles of minerals and vitamins, with relevance to the importance of
differences in digestive tract physiology. Students will identify specific metabolic sites
where trace elements and β-complex vitamins serve as cofactors and coenzymes in pathways
of intermediary metabolism.
4. To list and describe particular roles of vitamins and minerals in specific metabolic functions,
such as growth, skeletal development, fluid balance and electrolyte inter-relationships,
development of the pelage, and nutritional involvement in pigmentation. Students will be
required to describe and explain non-cofactor roles of micro-nutrients in tissue development
and function.
5. To list and describe factors regulating diet selection and feed intake, including intake-energy
relationships, metabolic size, and the roles of plant secondary compounds in diet selection.
Students will identify factors influencing diet selection and feed intake, and will explain the
roles of phytochemicals in diet selection by herbivores.
Students will learn the basics of the fate of nutrients from the point of ingestion to the end point
of elimination. They will gain an appreciation of the wide array of influences of digestive tract
physiology on these processes. They will gain a biochemically-oriented perspective to
comparative nutrition.
TEXT
Comparative Nutrition of Domestic and Wild Animals, by P.R. Cheeke et al. (in preparation,
presently available as course packet).
SYLLABUS/COURSE OUTLINE
The table of contents of a proposed book, “Comparative Nutrition of Domestic and Wild
Animals,” follows. Chapters 1-8 will be discussed in detail. Additional chapters will be
discussed according to student interests and as time allows. The proposed course outline is based
on this text.
COMPARATIVE NUTRITION OF DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS
P.R. Cheeke
PART I.
Chapter 1. Introduction
Nutrients and their functions – an overview
Cellular metabolism – an overview
Chapter 2. Digestive Physiology
Feeding strategies
Comparative digestive physiology
Autoenzymatic digestors
Simple nonruminants
e.g. pig
Avian species
Alloenzymatic digestors
Foregut fermentors
Ruminants
Concentrate-selectors
Bulk and roughage eaters
Intermediate feeders
Non-ruminant foregut fermentors
e.g. kangaroo, colobus monkey, sloth, hoatzin
Hindgut fermentors
Cecal fermentors
e.g. rabbit, koala, ostrich
Colonic and ceco-colonic fermentors
equids, New World monkeys, lemurs, beaver
Anatomy and functions of segments of the gut
e.g. villi, microvilli, brush border, mucus secretion
Gastrointestinal hormones
Function and regulation
e.g. CCK, somatostatin, VIP, etc.
Microbiology of the gut
Chapter 3. Protein, Amino Acid and Nitrogen Metabolism
Structures and chemical properties of amino acids
Proteins and protein structure
Classification of proteins
Protein digestion
Autoenzymatic digestion in non-ruminants
Nitrogen metabolism in the hindgut
Protein digestion in ruminants
Nitrogen metabolism in the rumen
Post-ruminal protein digestion
Protein digestion in non-ruminant herbivores
Protein structure and synthesis
Genetic code, nucleic acids
Amino acid metabolism
Synthesis of “non-essentials”
Nitrogen fixation
Disposal of excess amino acids
Deamination
Transamination
The urea cycle
Uric acid synthesis
Other aspects
Sulfur amino acid metabolism
Tryptophan and indole metabolism
Tyrosine metabolism
Branched chain amino acids
Conjugation of toxins
Excitatory amino acids
Formation of nitric oxide
Chapter 4. Carbohydrates: Structure and Digestion
Chemical structure of carbohydrates
Structure of plant fiber and plant cells
Feed sources of carbohydrates: grains, roughages
Carbohydrate digestion
Simple non-ruminants
Ruminants
Carbohydrate fermentation in the rumen
Carbohydrate digestion in the hindgut
Non-ruminant herbivores
Digestive processes
Hindgut fermentation
Cecotrophy
Chapter 5. Lipids: Structure and Function
Chemical structure of lipids
Dietary sources of lipids
Comparative digestion
Cholesterol, triglycerides, atherosclerosis
Dynamic state of body fat
Species differences in composition of body fat
w-3, w-6, CLA
PART II. NUTRIENT FUNCTIONS AND METABOLISM
Chapter 6. Overview of Minerals and Vitamins
Structures
Occurrence
Deficiency and toxicity signs
Interrelationships
Many specific metabolic roles will be covered in other chapters.
Chapter 7. Energy and Intermediary Metabolism
Calorimetry and energy categories: GE, DE, ME, NE
Pathways of carbohydrate metabolism
Catabolism of fatty acids and amino acids
Functions of minerals and vitamins in energy metabolism
Endocrine regulation of intermediary metabolism
Insulin, thyroxin, growth hormone, etc.
Inter-cellular and intra-cellular signaling and communication
Energy storage: lipogenesis and gluconeogenesis; glycogen and adipose tissue
Autooxidation and free radicals
Roles of vitamin E and Se
Disorders of energy metabolism: Obesity, diabetes, ketosis
Caloric intake and longevity
Metabolism of toxins: Phases I and II
Chapter 8. Anabolism (Growth)
Body composition and age
Protein synthesis and degradation
Chapter 9. The Skeletal System
Roles of Ca, P, vitamin D, vitamin K in bone mineralization
Disorders: Osteoporosis, milk fever
Connective tissue formation
Roles of vitamin C, lysine, proline, copper, vitamin A, manganese,
lathyrogens
Chapter 10. Blood, Eelectrolytes and Fluid Balance
Roles of iron and copper in hemoglobin synthesis
Blood clotting
Vitamin K, Ca
Electrolytes: Na, K, Cl
Fluid balance
Metabolic acidosis
Water metabolism and requirements
Desert animals
Chapter 11. The Pelage: Skin, hair, hooves, feathers, antlers
Roles of nutrients, e.g. zinc, copper, amino acids
Skin pigmentation
The carotenoids
Vitamin A
Xanthophylls
Other carotenoids
Pigmentation in birds
Poultry, flamingoes, etc.
Pigmentation in fish
Chapter 12. Nutrition and the Immune System
Chapter 13. Nutrition and Reproduction
Female reproduction
Energy, phosphorus
Phytoestrogens
Egg production
Poultry
Wild avian species
Male reproduction
Nutrients
Dietary toxins, e.g. gossypol
Environmental estrogens
Chapter 14. Feed Intake and Diet Selection
Roles of energy and protein; gut distention, blood metabolites
Metabolic body size
Foraging strategies
Plant secondary compounds
Coevolution of plants and herbivores
COURSE OUTLINE
Lecture #
Topic
1
Introduction to nutrients and their functions.
2
Digestive physiology-autoenzymatic digestors.
3
Digestive physiology-alloenzymatic digestors-foregut.
4
Digestive physiology-alloenzymatic digestors – hindgut fermentors.
5
The small intestine-structure and function; gastrointestinal hormones.
6
Microbiology of the gut.
7.
Protein metabolism-structure and properties of amino acids.
8
Protein metabolism-autoenzymatic digestion in non-ruminants. Nitrogen
metabolism in the hindgut.
9.
Protein and nitrogen metabolism in ruminants and non-ruminant herbivores.
10
First midterm.
11
Amino acid metabolism-nitrogen fixation, deamination, transamination.
12
Nitrogen excretion: the urea cycle; uric acid formation and excretion.
13
Non-protein roles of amino acids.
14
Carbohydrates: structure, feed sources.
15
Carbohydrates-autoenzymatic digestion; fermentation in herbivores.
16
Lipids – structure and function.
17
Lipids – comparative digestion; fatty acid metabolism.
18
Lipids – cholesterol, species differences in body fat, conjugated linoleic acid
(CLA) in ruminants.
19
Pathways of carbohydrate metabolism.
20
Second midterm.
21
Pathways of lipid metabolism; β-oxidation; fatty acid biosynthesis.
22
Energy storage: glycogen and adipose tissue.
23
Integration of carbohydrates, amino acids and lipids in cellular metabolism.
24
Ketosis.
25
Autoxidation of fats; free radicals, antioxidant nutrients (vitamin E and selenium),
polyphenolic antioxidants.
26
Nutrition of carnivores: domestic and wild canines and felines.
27
Nutrition of small herbivores: rabbits, hares, marsupials.
28
Pigmentation in domestic and wild mammals, fish and birds.
29
Feed intake and diet selection.
30
Foraging strategies; metabolic body size.
31
Final Exam.
GRADUATE STUDENT REQUIREMENTS
All students will be required to submit a term paper on a topic of their choosing, on some aspect
of comparative nutrition. Graduate students will be required to give an oral presentation of the
term paper. Graduate students will also be required to complete a more lengthy and
comprehensive final exam than the undergraduates.
In addition to the above Learning Outcomes, graduate students will be expected to:
1. Participate in a final oral exam in which they will be asked to:
a) Explain, evaluate and elucidate current controversies regarding the validity of Hofmann’s
digestive tract-feeding strategy proposals.
b) Explain metabolic events which lead to the development of ketosis in domestic animals,
and explain why ketosis does not occur in hibernating animals.
2. Submit and explain one current (last 12 months) scientific paper dealing with some aspect of
the nutrition of a non-domestic animal species.