NUTRITION PHYSIOLOGY

General Module

Course Sheet

Academic Year of enrolment:

2019/2020

Type of Course:

Basic

Optional/Mandatory:

Compulsory

Degree:

5-year Single Cycle Master's Degree Programme in VETERINARY MEDICINE

Disciplinary Sector:

Veterinary Physiology

Is part of:

PHYSIOLOGY 2

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

BOMBOI Giovanni Cristoforo

Obligatory attendance:

Yes

Hours of classroom activity:

Prerequisites:

Those foreseen by the didactic regulations are recommended. It is essential to follow the course:
a) knowledge of the histology and macroscopic anatomy of the digestive system of monogastric and ruminant domestic animals, birds and fish species.
b) general concepts of microbiology of bacteria, protozoa and fungi.
c) basic knowledge of organic chemistry and biochemistry of food principles.
d) the biochemistry of the liver and hormones related to digestion and liver and pancreatic function.

The nutrition physiology course interfaces with biochemistry, endocrinology, with the physiology of lactation, reproduction and growth and with subsequent studies of nutrition, reproduction, production and clinics.

AF code:

40003338

Teaching period

First semester

Objectives

Nutrition Physiology (Integrated course of Physiology 2)
A.A. 2020/2021 Maximum credits: 02
Total hours: 18
SSD: VET / 02
Italian language
Educational objectives. The student must acquire: basic knowledge for the studies of nutrition, reproduction, production and clinics; the physiological dynamics relating to the grasping, chewing, swallowing and digestion of food with the regulation of ingestion; the absorption of food principles and their metabolic fate as a function of reproduction, growth and animal production; the dynamics of energy and nitrogen metabolism in relation to the energy demands of the reproductive and productive cycle.

Lectures: 15 hours, through the Microsoft Teams platform; unique code: 36hk74t.

Practical exercises: 3 hours for a single group of students, through Microsoft Teams platform; unique code: 36hk74t.

Contents

Course contents: The first lesson will be dedicated to addressing issues relating to biosecurity in practical exercises in the field and in the laboratory. Solid food intake and fluid intake. Regulation of ingestion. Chewing. Saliva. Swallowing. Esophageal transit. Gastric digestion. Digestion in the small intestine. Pancreatic juice. Bile. Digestion in the cecum and colon. Absorption processes. Motor activity of the small intestine, cecum and colon. Digestion in ruminants. Digestion of cellulose, proteins and lipids. Nitrogen ingestion. Belching. Rumination. Motor activity of the rumen, reticulum, omasum and abomasum. Processes of absorption and metabolic fate of volatile fatty acids, protein and non-protein nitrogen and lipids. Food behavior: factors that regulate the ingestion of food. Diets rich in concentrates: rumen acidosis. Ketosis. Toxicity from ammonia, nitrate and oxalic acid. Meteorism. Physiology of nutrition in undernutrition food stress conditions. Digestion in the newborn. The liver. Plastic and energetic fate of nutrients in lactation, dryness, pregnancy and growth.
Digestion in birds and fish species.

Practical activity: sampling and chemical-physical and microbiological analysis of rumen fluid in Sardinian sheep, in a single group of students. The student, under the supervision of the teacher, must learn the manual skills of taking the ruminal fluid and immediately its physical analysis (smell and color), chemistry (pH) and the analysis of physiological microorganisms with an optical microscope (bacteria, protozoa and fungi).
Educational objectives of the practical exercises:
a) understand the physiological significance of the physical, chemical and microbiological variations of rumen juice as a function of nutrition and subsequent clinical diagnostics.
b) Knowing the usefulness of the examination to evaluate the effects of some therapeutic substances on the microbial activity of the rumen.
c) understand the need to have the availability of rumen juice from healthy animals to be used for the practice of transfaunation in subjects with pathologies such as dyspepsia or ketosis.
Methods of examination. The exam will take place with an oral test using the Microsoft Teams platform (unique code: 36hk74t). During the exam it is necessary that:
a) the student expresses himself correctly in a scientific
language,
b) demonstrates knowledge of the dynamics exposed,
c) associates the knowledge acquired with the other
disciplines,
d) knows how to solve the questions posed by the lecturer,
e) demonstrates that he has acquired the basic knowledge of
the physiology of nutrition in domestic animals for subsequent
studies of nutrition, reproduction, production and clinics.
f) It is essential that they know the dynamics of energy and nitrogen metabolism in relation to the different energy demands of the reproductive and productive cycle, according to the subsequent interpretation of metabolic profiles.

Recommended Bibliography

Reference texts. 1) Physiology of domestic animals with elements of ethology. 1998.G. Aguggini, V. Beghelli, L. Giulio. UTET Publisher, Turin. 2) Manual of Veterinary Physiology. 2006. J. G. Cunningham. 3rd Edition. A. Delfino Editore, Rome. 3) Physiology of Domestic Animals. 2002. Dukes.M. J. Swenson, W. O. Reece. Idelson Gnocchi Publisher, Naples.
4) Veterinary Physiology. 2009. M.G. Clement.Point Veterinaire Italie Editore, Milan.
5) Physiology of domestic animals. 2013.O.V. Sjaastad, O. Sand, K. Hove. Ambrosiana Publishing House, Milan.

Other information. The lessons and the fact sheet on practical activities are available on the eUniss-eLearning multimedia platform, https://evet.uniss.it and on the Microsoft Teams platform. Unique code: 36hk74t.

Reception hours. Students can contact the teacher from Monday to Friday through the Teams platform (unique code 36hk74t), upon shared appointment by phone or email.

Methods for verifying learning. During the verification of results the student must demonstrate:
1. Knowledge and understanding of what the student knows at the end of learning. At the end of the course, the student will have to demonstrate:
a) knowledge of the mechanisms related to the digestion of carbohydrates, lipids and protein and non-protein nitrogen,
b) the result of the digestion process of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins as a function of health / welfare of the animal and of the productions,
c) how to take the rumen fluid and its chemical-physical and microbiological analysis.
2. Ability to apply knowledge and understanding. The students will have to demonstrate that they have knowledge and concepts useful in order to establish a correlation between the ingestion of food and the state of health / well-being of the animal and the quantity / quality of the products. He will have to demonstrate that he is able to do a correct sampling of rumen fluid.
3. Critical and judgmental skills. the students will have to demonstrate that they are able to work in the field to evaluate the causes and mechanisms of food origin that lead: a) to a reduced growth or lower production, b) to metabolic dysfunctions such as rumen acidosis, meteorism and non-protein nitrogen intoxication (ammonia and urea). With this objective, the student can critically argue the information acquired in the field using his updated knowledge.
4. Ability to communicate what has been learned. The students will have to demonstrate the ability to express themselves with scientifically appropriate terminology, in particular with regard to the dynamics relating to the digestion of carbohydrates, lipids and protein and non-protein nitrogen end to the fate of the products deriving from these digestions. The exercises are intended to stimulate the ability to express oneself on what is being examined and the ability to discuss scientifically with peers and using an appropriate language with farmers.
5. Ability to continue studying independently throughout life.
the student will have to demonstrate the ability to use the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired to interpret the metabolic profile regarding energy and nitrogen ingestion by associating them with the state of health of the animal and the productions and helping himself with the sources of knowledge available and a solid intellectual organization of professionalizing cultural resources. The nutrition physiology course contributes to develop these day one competences that the student can use from the first day of work.

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