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.     

Morphometry and histochemistry of the semitendinosus muscle of tufted capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella Linnaeus, 1758)

Considering monkeys are animals closely related to the human, and semitendinosus muscle has been used in many postural research experiments, we have decided to study its histochemical characteristics. Samples were removed from the proximal, middle and distal regions of the semitendinosus muscles of five adult male tufted capuchin monkeys and observed for reaction with m-ATPase (with alkaline and acid pre-incubation), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase, and haematoxylin and eosin. The muscle fibres were classified as fast glycolytic (FG), fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG) and slow oxidative (SO) and quantified in terms of frequency and area. The three regions of the semitendinosus muscle showed no significant differences in frequency or area of the respective fibre types, and therefore the muscle can be considered histoenzymologically homogeneous. FG fibres presented higher frequencies and larger areas. The sum of FOG and SO fibres was 57.5%, suggesting that the semitendinosus muscle of the tufted capuchin monkey is adapted to an action involved in posture maintenance and in long arboreal dislocation. The present data agrees with the notion of differentiated quadrupedalism in some primates, which support a lower percentage of their weight on the fore limbs.     

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.     

Effects of cooking and screw-pressing on functional properties of protein in milkweed (Asclepias spp.) seed meals and press cakes

This study determined the effects of oil processing conditions on functional properties of milkweed seed proteins to evaluate their potential for value-added uses. Flaked milkweed seeds were cooked at 82 °C (180 °F) for 30, 60 or 90 min in the seed conditioner, and then screw-pressed to extract the oil. Proximate composition and protein functional properties of cooked flakes and press cakes were determined and compared with those of unprocessed ground, defatted milkweed seeds. Milkweed seed protein was most soluble at the pH range of 7–10, had excellent emulsifying properties, and produced substantial but highly unstable foams. Heat applied during seed cooking and screw-pressing did not reduce protein solubility and improved emulsifying, foaming, and water-holding capacities. Emulsifying capacity was much higher at pH 10 than at pH 7. These results showed that the protein in both the milkweed seed and its press cake from oil processing has useful functional properties that could be utilized in applications such as paint emulsifier and adhesive extender.     

Wood of Gmelina arborea in Costa Rica

New Forests - Gmelina arborea Roxb. (gmelina) was introduced in Costa Rica in the late 1960s. At the present time, gmelina is the most widely planted tree species in Costa Rica. According to...