Abstract Pereskia grandifolia Haworth (PGH) and Pereskia aculeata Miller (PAM) are recognized sources of proteins; dietary fiber; vitamins and minerals make this plant leaves, raw, cooked, and braised, an important ally against protein and micronutrient deficiencies. One of the main problems is the presence of antinutritional factors that may interfere in the digestibility and bioavailability of some nutrients. The objective was to evaluate the amino acid profile and the chemical score of the raw leaves and the effects of heating media and time on the total dietary fiber, minerals, trypsin inhibition, oxalic acid and tannins of leaves of PGH and PAM. The samples had similar amino acid profiles and total dietary fiber. With regard to antinutritional compounds, heating the leaves of PGH led to a decrease in trypsin inhibition, primarily after the first minutes of wet cooking. Oxalic acid and tannins predominated in both species. Considering the interaction with time, the variables related to iron and zinc minimized the tannin responses in PGH and PAM, respectively. Heating media and times interfered with the chemical components present in the leaves of Pereskia species and led to high antinutrient retention after heat treatment.

For confined animals, performance is improved when their diet is supplemented with a mineral mixture and protein energy. This study evaluated the effect of dietary supplementation on feedlot sheep on native pasture. Two experiments were conducted in sequence, with the animals constrained in one and animals confined to pasture in the other. The experiments were conducted with 32 Santa Ines lambs, with average initial weights of 16.8 and 19.9 kg for the constrained and pasture studies, respectively. In both experiments, the animals were offered the following supplements: Supplement 1 = 200 g of the concentrate without mineral mixture; Supplement 2 = 200 g of the concentrate with mineral mixture + Mn + Zn; Supplement 3 = 300 g of the concentrate with mineral mixture + Mn+Zn; and Supplement 4: 300 g of the concentrate with mineral mixture + Zn without Mn. The intake of the mineral mixture resulted in a higher average intake of crude protein in feedlot lambs and neutral detergent fiber in pasture lambs than the other diets, regardless of the presence of manganese and thus provided more consistent weight gain among the animals. The mineral mixture supplementation increased the average daily intake of Zn and Mn. The animals on the diets containing 300 g day-1 supplementation with the concentrated mineral mixture also had more weight gain and better feed conversion than those on the other diets, most likely because of the greater responsiveness to supplementation in these animals.

La suplementación con una mezcla de minerales y energía de proteína proporciona un mejor rendimiento en los animales confinados. El objetivo fue evaluar el efecto de estrategias suplementarias de corderos. Se realizaron dos experimentos en secuencia, utilizando 32 animales de Santa Inés, con un peso inicial promedio de 16.8 kg en estabulación y 19.9 kg régimen de pastoreo. En ambos experimentos se ofrecieron: Suplemento 1 = 200 g de concentrado sin mezcla mineral; Suplemento 2 = 200 g de concentrado + mezcla mineral + Mn + Zn; Suplemento 3 = 300 g de concentrado + mezcla mineral + Mn + Zn; Suplemento 4: 300 g de concentrado + mezcla mineral + Zn sin Mn. La mezcla de minerales tuvo una mayor ingesta media de proteína bruta en comparación con otras dietas, en la estabulación y fibra en pastoreo, independientemente de la presencia de manganeso, proporcionando de este modo la ganancia de peso más consistente entre los animales. La administración de suplementos de mezcla mineral aumentó la ingesta diaria de Zn y Mn. Los animales sometidos a dietas que contienen la suplementación con 300 g día-1 con la mezcla de mineral concentrado también tuvieron aumento de peso y mejor conversión del alimento que los de las otras dietas, muy probablemente, debido a la mayor capacidad de respuesta a la suplementación de estos animales.

The chemical composition of the essential oil from the leaves of Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L'Hér., Geraniaceae, was determined and the antimicrobial activities against the Aspergillus flavus CML 1816, Aspergillus carbonarius CML1815 and Aspergillus parasiticus CMLA 817 fungi, as well the Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 and Escherichia coli ATCC 25 992 bacteria were evaluated. The essential oil was isolated by steam distillation using a modified Clevenger apparatus, and its constituents were identified and quantified by GC/MS and GC-FID analyses. In vitro bioanalytical testing was performed using a completely randomized design. The concentrations of essential oil employed ranged from 0.1 to 2 μL.mL-1 (in dimethyl sulfoxide) for the fungus species and from 1 to 500 μL.mL-1 for the bacteria. The diameters of the inhibition zones formed for bacteria and the mean diameters of mycelial growth in perpendicular directions for fungi were measured, followed by calculation of the percentage of inhibition. The essential oil from the leaves of P. odoratissimum furnished methyleugenol (96.80%), a phenylpropanoid. This essential oil inhibited the growth of fungi (100% inhibition) and exhibited a small effect on the bacteria at the concentrations tested.