Effects of faba bean tannins on the growth and histological structure of the intestinal tract and liver of chicks and rats

1. Diets containing a freeze‐dried tannin extract from faba beans (Vicia faba L.) at concentrations of 0, 8 and 16 g/kg were fed to growing chicks and rats.

2. Chicks fed on the tannin‐containing diets exhibited a high mortality and significant decreases in body‐weight as well as lower food intakes and higher food intake:weight gain ratios (P<0.01). In rats there was no mortality but the growth and food intake were adversely affected (P< 0.05).

3. Histological changes occurred in the ileal mucosa of chicks. Atrophy and shortening of villi with distortion of their architecture were observed. Similar histological disorders but less pronounced were also found in rats.

4. Histopathology of the liver of both chicks and rats showed an hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes, clearly more severe in the former than in the latter.     

Effect of different methods of administration of ivermectin on its efficacy against the shedding of gastrointestinal nematode eggs by gazelles

Seven different methods of administering ivermectin to gazelles were compared: subcutaneous injection, direct oral administration, administration in individual feeds, administration in a herd feed, direct oral administration of a second ivermectin formulation, administration in individual water supplies, and administration in the herd's water supply. The first five treatments were effective, as monitored by faecal egg count reduction tests, and administration in individual feeds or in a herd feed avoided the need to capture the animals, with the attendant risk of mortality. Of the factors associated with the recipients (species, sex, age and inbreeding coefficient) age was the only significant factor for the efficacy of the treatment. Oral or subcutaneous, individual or collective, and direct or indirect administrations were equally satisfactory for the treatment of all the parasite groups studied. Only when parasitic problems were due to Nematodirus species did direct administration to individual animals appear to be preferable.     

Toward a multiplexed serotyping immunoassay for foot-and-mouth disease virus.

Initial results demonstrating the feasibility of a multiplexed liquid array immunoassay for foot-and-mouth disease viral antigen detection and simultaneous serotype differentiation are presented. Serotype-specific antibodies from rabbit and guinea pig hyperimmunesera were isolated and prepared for use in a multiplexed, bead-based assay. The performance of all of the available antibodies as both capture and detector reagents was evaluated in the multiplexed system to establish a combination exhibiting the highest homotypic responses and lowest heterotypic reactions. The multiplexed assay was evaluated against inactivated cell culture supernatant samples of the same subtype as the virus used to raise the capture and detector antibodies. Distinct serotype differentiation was observed, except in the case of serotype SAT1. Subsequently, cell culture supernatant samples from a larger pool of viral subtypes were analyzed. Distinct serotype differentiation was obtained when analyzing cell culture supernatant samples from viral serotypes C, Asia, and SAT3, irrespective of the subtype. However, limitations of the current antibody pairs were realized in some inconclusive results obtained when analyzing samples from a broader range of O, A, and SAT2 subtypes. The results obtained in this initial study will be used to further optimize the assay using polyvalent or monoclonal antibodies and move toward the analysis of clinical samples.     

The chemistry of humic and fulvic acids extracted from argentine soils—I. Analytical characteristics

Five humic and three fulvic acids were extracted from Argentine Chestnut, Brunizem, Solod and Solonetz soils and analysed by electrometric, spectroscopic and spectrometric methods. There were great similarities in elementary analysis, functional group content, absorption characteristics in the visible region and in the IR, and in the ESR measurements between the humic acids and, similarly, between the fulvic acids. There were distinct differences between the humic and fulvic acids in C, H, N and O content, distribution of oxygen in functional groups, E₄/E₆ ratios and free radical content.     

Ecological and eco‐social models for the introduction of the abalone Haliotis discus hannai into benthic systems of north‐central Chile: sustainability assessment

• 1. Loop models of ecological and socio‐economic systems were developed to analyse and predict the impact of a possible accidental introduction (escapes) of the abalone Haliotis discus hannai into a benthic community of north‐central Chile.
• 2. Although the ‘new’ ecological system resulting from a successful invasion of abalone would be locally stable, the establishment of a self‐enhanced dynamic of recruits would transform this into an unstable system.
• 3. The harvest of the kelp, Lessonia trabeculata and other macroalgae is not recommended because this destabilizes the system. The harvest of abalone adults is only sustainable if they do not exert a negative effect upon other native invertebrates.
• 4. The eco‐social model showed three important results: (1) if the variables ‘Price’ and ‘Farming’ are in expansion and stationary dynamics, then the models were found unstable; (2) a self‐enhanced dynamic of abalone recruits tends toward instability; and (3) the harvest of the kelp L. trabeculata and other macroalgae would be non‐sustainable.
• 5. Based on our results, the sustainable development of extensive farming of H. discus hannai in the sea would be not reached. If it is done, an intensive monitoring of the community after introduction into the system is strongly recommended. Likewise, the farming of macroalgal species (source of food for abalone) should be promoted in order to avoid harvesting of macroalgae from natural systems.

Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Do different densities of tree cover affect pasture biomass and soil microbial communities?

Agroforestry Systems - Soil biota is considered a crucial component of soil health. Currently, the soil microbiota and its genomic material (microbiome) have received increasing attention due to...     

Thyroid gland development in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup 1858) during early life stages: A histochemical and immunohistochemical approach

A key to success in the culture of marine fish species is the mass production of high quality fry, a process largely dependent on successful first feeding and normal development and growth of fish larvae. In this regard it is important to examine the structural and functional development of the endocrine system (pituitary, thyroid, interrenal glands) during early ontogeny of marine fish. Particularly, the thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T₄) and triiodothyronine (T₃), influence numerous metabolic processes, such as growth, differentiation, metamorphosis, reproduction, respiration, migratory behaviour, central nervous system activity, seasonal adaptation, etc. Therefore the aim of this study was to describe the development of the thyroid gland and the ontogeny appearance of the thyroid hormones in Solea senegalensis larvae by means of histological and immunohistochemical techniques. The first thyroid follicle was present at 4 days-post-hatch (dph) coinciding with first feeding. During metamorphosis (12–20 dph) the follicles increased in both number and size, and by 30 dph presented the same characteristics as that seen in adult fish. Tissue immunostaining of both thyroid hormones decreased during the endogenous larvae development to nearly undetectable levels at the completion of yolk-sac absorption. During larvae exogenous phase, T₃ and T₄ immunostaining was first detected by 6 dph and an increase of specific staining for both hormones was detected between 12 and 20 dph, during metamorphosis phase.     

Qualitative modelling of the kelp forest of Lessonia nigrescens Bory (Laminariales: Phaeophyta) in eulittoral marine ecosystems of the south–east Pacific: an approach to management plan assessment

This contribution aims at the assessment of the sustainability of a management plan for Lessonia nigrescens in Chilean coastal ecosystems, specially when the harvest pressure could be increased due to that this macroalgae is considered as a food source for the abalon (Haliotis discus hannoi) farming along the Chilean coast. Three qualitative conceptual models were developed and compared; the first and second ones assuming homogeneous and heterogeneous environmental conditions, respectively, and the third expanded one considering eco-social components under the assumption of environmental heterogeneity. For all these models, the factors described by Vásquez [Bot. Mar. 38 (1995) 251] were included in the management plan for the harvesting of brown macroalgae. Based on Levins's Loop Analysis, the system will have a just weakly unstable moving equilibrium if the harvesting activities do not negatively affect the macrophyta's reproduction and recruitment processes. Therefore, coincidence of reproduction and/or recruitment with harvesting must be avoided in a putative management plan. Regarding the qualitative predictions of the system's behaviour after negatively affecting reproduction and recruitment, only an ecological model assuming a heterogeneous environment shows realistic responses in comparison to experimental studies on the same species. This contribution is the first approach considering the dynamical behaviour of L. nigrescens and its surroundings. Nevertheless, further models, based on the same modelling theory, may integrate more variables from social and economical fields in order to improve the scope of this complex system. Further comparative studies should focus on the assessment of the significance of the structural functions of L. nigrescens and other macroalgae for the conservation of this benthic system.