Effects of oral administration of Spirulina platensis and probiotics on serum immunity indexes,colonic immune factors,fecal odor,and fecal flora in mice

To evaluate the effects of Spirulina platensis and probiotics on growth, immunity indexes, fecal flora, and fecal odor in mice, 40 mice were randomly allotted to four groups, and each was administrated with nothing, S. platensis, probiotics, or both for 28 days, respectively. Then, many indexes were measured. The results showed that S. platensis was more effective (P < 0.001) than probiotics in improving mice's feed conversion ration (FCR). In immunity, probiotics administration increased (P < 0.042) serum IgE, IgM, IFN-γ, colonic AHR, TLR4, and NF-κB protein expression and decreased (P < 0.039) serum IL-1α, IL-21, IL-22, and colonic ARNT gene expression. However, the S. platensis showed weaker effect, which increased (P < 0.025) the serum IgE, IgM, TNF-α, and the colonic AHR and NF-κB protein expression, and decreased (P < 0.01) serum IL-21. Probiotics consumption decreased the fecal odor by decreasing (P < 0.02) fecal Escherichia coli, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and skatole contents, and the S. platensis decreased (P = 0.04) the IAA. These results indicated that oral administration of probiotics, S. platensis, or both of them in mice probably benefited body's immunity and reduced fecal odor. However, their mechanisms were still unclear and need further study.     

Effect of trehalose supplementation in milk replacer on the incidence of diarrhea and fecal microbiota in preweaned calves

Trehalose, a nonreducing disaccharide consisting of d-glucose with α,α-1,1 linkage, was evaluated as a functional material to improve the gut environment in preweaned calves. In experiment 1, 173 calves were divided into two groups; the trehalose group was fed trehalose at 30 g/animal/d with milk replacer during the suckling period, and the control group was fed nonsupplemented milk replacer. Medication frequency was lower in the trehalose group (P < 0.05). In experiment 2, calves (n = 20) were divided into two groups (control group [n = 10] and trehalose group [n = 10]) based on their body weight and reared under the same feeding regimens as in experiment 1. Fresh feces were collected from individual animals at the beginning of the trial (average age 11 d), 3 wk after trehalose feeding (experimental day 22), and 1 d before weaning, and the fecal score was recorded daily. Fecal samples were analyzed for fermentation parameters and microbiota. The fecal score was significantly lower in the trehalose group than in the control group in the early stage (at an age of 14 to 18 d; P < 0.05) of the suckling period. Calves fed trehalose tended to have a higher proportion of fecal butyrate on day 22 than calves in the control group (P = 0.08). Population sizes of Clostridium spp. were significantly lower (P = 0.036), whereas those of Dialister spp. and Eubacterium spp. tended to be higher in the feces of calves in the trehalose group on day 22 (P = 0.060 and P = 0.083). These observations indicate that trehalose feeding modulated the gut environment and partially contributed to the reduction in medication frequency observed in experiment 1.     

Growing Degree Day: Noninvasive Remotely Sensed Method to Monitor Diet Crude Protein in Free-Ranging Cattle

The daily nutritional balance of free-ranging cattle is the net result of intake from available forage biomass and nutritive value weighed against the nutritional requirements of the animal. Plant phenology influences nutritive value. Plant phenology is dictated by time of year and an accumulation of photosynthetically active days. Growing degree day (GDD) is a concept that quantifies this relationship and has been used to predict nutritive value in perennial range grasses. GDD could be substituted for chemical analysis to inform grazing animal nutritional monitoring efforts. We hypothesized that in C4 grass-dominated rangelands, a cumulative GDD calculation would correlate with diet crude protein (CP) predictions obtained by fecal near infrared spectroscopy (FNIRS) from free-ranging cattle. Therefore, the objectives of our research were to evaluate the effectiveness of GDD to predict FNIRS-derived determinations of grazing cattle diet CP in 1) two groups of three individual animals grazing a small native pasture and 2) large commercial-scale herds grazing expansive rangelands. For the first objective, cumulative GDD and FNIRS-predicted diet CP were strongly correlated (r² = 0.76; P < 0.01). Relationships between cumulative GDD and FNIRS-predicted diet CP for the second objective varied considerably among ranches, ranging from a low r² of 0.05 (P = 0.871) to a high r² of 0.78 (P < 0.049). Similar values for individual ranch/year combinations were stronger; ranging from a minimum r² of 0.44 (P = 0.556) to a maximum of 0.95 (P = 0.051). The aggregate relationship between GDD and FNIRS-predicted CP for all ranch/year combinations was highly significant (r² = 0.37; P < 0.001), but the standard error was 1.86% CP. The noninvasive remotely sensed grazing animal nutritional monitoring method described here was accurate enough to inform tactical rangeland diet quality assessments but was not accurate enough to inform operational-scale grazing management decisions.     

溶菌酶对犊牛腹泻和生长性能的影响

[目的]本试验研究溶菌酶在使用量不同情况下,对犊牛腹泻和生长性能的影响。[方法]选择无病、健康、体型近似的犊牛100 头,随机分为4 组,每组25 头,分别为对照组、低剂量组（Ⅰ组、1 g/头·天）、中剂量组（Ⅱ组、3 g/头·天）、高剂量组（Ⅲ组、5 g/头·天）,试验期30 天。在试验开始和结束时,观察犊牛粪便、腹泻、体重、体尺变化,并记录。[结果]试验期溶菌酶对犊牛的粪便评分有影响,1~30 天的粪便评分Ⅲ组显著低于对照组（P<0.05）,且Ⅲ组比对照组降低12.5%;1~15 天时腹泻率差异显著（P<0.05）,Ⅰ组、Ⅱ组、Ⅲ组与对照组相比分别降低23.02%、41.81%、53.64%,表明溶菌酶使用量多,腹泻效果更加明显;添加溶菌酶的Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组犊牛的平均日增重均显著高于对照组（P<0.05）,分别提高9.6%、12.0%;Ⅲ组胸围显著高于对照组,高3.0%。[结论]溶菌酶使用到合适剂量,不仅能降低犊牛腹泻率,还能促进犊牛的生长性能。     

基于粪便纤维组织法探究异地驯养藏羚的食性

基于粪便纤维组织法探讨异地(铁卜加草原站)驯养藏羚的食性。结果表明,在基地生长的50种植物中,伊凡苔草、火绒草、川青早熟禾、洽草等是藏羚最喜爱食用植物,所占比例依次为18%、13%、11%和8%,其中伊凡苔草的茎、火绒草的叶、菥冥的果和迷果芹的花是其喜食部位。在基地驯养藏羚的食物组成中,各科所占比例依次为:禾本科(43%)莎草科(25%)菊科(14%)十字花科(7%)豆科(3%)。与可可西里地区类似,铁卜加地区藏羚以单子叶植物为主要食物。     

重引入普氏野马、蒙古野驴和鹅喉羚的秋季营养生态位

2009年秋季在新疆卡拉麦里山自然保护区乔木西拜,系统采集了重引入普氏野马（Equus przewalskii）、蒙古野驴（E.hemionus）和鹅喉羚（Gazella subgutturosa）的新鲜粪便,运用粪便显微分析法研究三者的秋季食性及其食物生态位。结果显示：普氏野马、鹅喉羚和蒙古野驴采食的植物种类基本相似...     

Effects of oral orbifloxacin on fecal coliforms in healthy cats: a pilot study

The study objective was to determine the effect of oral orbifloxacin (ORB) on antimicrobial susceptibility and composition of fecal coliforms in cats. Nine cats were randomized to two groups administered a daily oral dose of 2.5 and 5.0 mg ORB/kg for 7 days and a control group (three cats per group). Coliforms were isolated from stool samples and were tested for susceptibilities to ORB and 5 other drugs. ORB concentration in feces was measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The coliforms were undetectable after 2 days of ORB administration, and their number increased in most cats after termination of the administration. Furthermore, only isolates of Escherichia coli were detected in all cats before administration, and those of Citrobacter freundii were detected after termination of the administration. E. coli isolates exhibited high ORB susceptibility [Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), ≤0.125 µg/ml] or relatively low susceptibility (MIC, 1−2 µg/ml) with a single gyrA mutation. C. freundii isolates largely exhibited intermediate ORB susceptibility (MIC, 4 µg/ml), in addition to resistance to ampicillin and cefazolin, and harbored qnrB, but not a gyrA mutation. HPLC revealed that the peaks of mean concentration were 61.3 and 141.0 µg/g in groups receiving 2.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, respectively. Our findings suggest that oral ORB may alter the total counts and composition of fecal coliform, but is unlikely to yield highly fluoroquinolone-resistant mutants of E. coli and C. freundii in cats, possibly because of the high drug concentration in feces.     

污水回用中的紫外线消毒技术

介绍了紫外线消毒的机理，通过试验考察粪大肠菌群的灭菌效率与紫外剂量的关系、粪大肠菌群的复活和再生现象及紫外消毒副产物的生成，为紫外线消毒技术在污水回用中的应用提供实验基础。     

Bronchoalveolar lavage cytology from captive badgers

Background: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid is evaluated for the diagnosis and study of lung disease and airway inflammation. Cytologic profiles for BAL fluid have not been reported for badgers and may be useful in understanding the pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases such as Mycobacterium bovis. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate cytologic and microbial findings in BAL fluid from captive European badgers (Meles meles) and identify correlates with the results of concurrently collected blood and fecal samples. Methods: BAL fluid (by a nonbronchoscopic method) and jugular venous blood samples (for routine CBC) were obtained from 23 captive tuberculosis‐free anesthetized badgers on 2 occasions 4 weeks apart. Fecal samples were collected for routine parasitology. Morphologic evaluation and 100‐cell differentials were done on cytocentrifuged BAL specimens. Pellets from centrifuged BAL were aerobically cultured for bacteria. Results: With the 2 BAL samples from each of the 23 badgers combined, the median (range) cell percentages were 73.0% (5–95%) neutrophils, 7.5% (2–16%) macrophages, 8.0% (0–27%) lymphocytes, and 9.5% (0–92%) eosinophils. Macrophages frequently contained silica‐like crystals. Other findings included ciliated epithelial cells, goblet cells, mucus, and Aelurostrongylus sp. larvae. A light growth of Streptococcus, Pasteurella, or Escherichia coli was cultured in 6 badgers. Trypanosoma pestanai were identified in blood from 10 badgers and fecal parasites (mainly coccidia) were found in 20 badgers. No correlation was found between BAL and CBC results and the presence of parasites. Conclusions: The predominance of neutrophils in BAL fluid from badgers differs from the predominance of macrophages found in BAL from other species. This difference may reflect the burrowing lifestyle or the unique immune response of badgers.