The effect of feeding rations with different ratios of concentrate to alfalfa hay on blood hematological and biochemical parameters of farmed ostriches (Struthio camelus)

A two-month trial was conducted to investigate the effects of pelleting rations with 70:30, 65:35, and 60:40 concentrate to high-quality roughage (alfalfa hay) ratios on hematological and biochemical parameters of ostriches. A total of 18 seven-month-old male ostrich chicks, initially weighing an average of 60–70 kg, were distributed into three different outdoor paddocks at a stocking density of six birds per paddock. In the morning, blood collection was made from the wing vein after about 12 h of fasting. All rations resulted in no significant change in hematological parameters. However, with increasing alfalfa inclusion rate, the heterophil/lymphocyte ratio tended to be lower (P?=?0.089); whereas the values of hemoglobin, packed cell volume (PCV), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) tended to be higher (P values 0.069, 0.072 and 0.094, respectively). In terms of plasma biochemical parameters, increasing the ratio of concentrate to alfalfa hay in ostrich diets resulted in significant (P?<?0.05) depression in the values of glucose (up to 20.2 %), total cholesterol (up to 19.2 %), creatine kinase (up to 27.9 %), and aspartate aminotransferase (up to 29.9 %). Additionally, the 65:35 or 60:40 rations caused a decrease in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level (27.9 and 42 %, respectively; P?=?0.008) compared to the 70:40 ration. Without exception, no rations affected the values of leukocyte subsets, total protein, albumin, globulin, uric acid, alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyl transferase, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and very low density lipoprotein. Based on our results, the concentrate to alfalfa ratio of 60:40 could be suggested as optimum ratio for good health conditions of juvenile ostriches.     

Profiling microRNA expression in bovine alveolar macrophages using RNA-seq

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and are known to play a key role in regulating both adaptive and innate immunity. Bovine alveolar macrophages (BAMs) help maintain lung homeostasis and constitute the front line of host defense against several infectious respiratory diseases, such as bovine tuberculosis. Little is known, however, about the role miRNAs play in these cells. In this study, we used a high-throughput sequencing approach, RNA-seq, to determine the expression levels of known and novel miRNAs in unchallenged BAMs isolated from lung lavages of eight different healthy Holstein–Friesian male calves. Approximately 80 million sequence reads were generated from eight BAM miRNA Illumina sequencing libraries, and 80 miRNAs were identified as being expressed in BAMs at a threshold of at least 100 reads per million (RPM). The expression levels of miRNAs varied over a large dynamic range, with a few miRNAs expressed at very high levels (up to 800,000 RPM), and the majority lowly expressed. Notably, many of the most highly expressed miRNAs in BAMs have known roles in regulating immunity in other species (e.g. bta-let-7i, bta-miR-21, bta-miR-27, bta-miR-99b, bta-miR-146, bta-miR-147, bta-miR-155 and bta-miR-223). The most highly expressed miRNA in BAMs was miR-21, which has been shown to regulate the expression of antimicrobial peptides in Mycobacterium leprae-infected human monocytes. Furthermore, the predicted target genes of BAM-expressed miRNAs were found to be statistically enriched for roles in innate immunity. In addition to profiling the expression of known miRNAs, the RNA-seq data was also analysed to identify potentially novel bovine miRNAs. One putatively novel bovine miRNA was identified. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first RNA-seq study to profile miRNA expression in BAMs and provides an important reference dataset for investigating the regulatory roles miRNAs play in this important immune cell type.     

Equine stereotypic behaviors: Causation,occurrence, and prevention

There are strong suggestions that equine stereotypies are connected to poor welfare and a suboptimal management and/or stabling environment. Different forms of equine stereotypic behaviors have been described. Crib biting, weaving, and box walking are considered the most prevalent. Several studies have been conducted to establish links between the underlying causes and potential function of such behaviors. Both experimental and epidemiological studies have indicated management factors specifically feeding practices, housing conditions, and weaning method as crucial in the development of stereotypies in stabled horses. Some neurological studies on equine stereotypy demonstrated some forms of central nervous system dysfunction as being associated with the performance of stereotypic behaviors. Different researchers hypothesized that the functional significance of stereotypies is that they reduce stress in captive environments and should thus be considered as a coping mechanism. In contrast, the owner's perspective is often that a stereotypic horse has a “stable vice” that needs to be stopped, and different kinds of methods have been developed to control or regulate stereotypic behaviors. However, if the stress-reducing hypothesis is correct, controlling stereotypic behaviors particularly by physical and surgical approaches without addressing the underlying causes is of great concern to the horse's welfare. Although there is ongoing uncertainty about the exact function, the growing knowledge about causation should be applied: under all circumstances prevention is better than cure.     

Cyanobacteria—From the Oceans to the Potential Biotechnological and Biomedical Applications

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic prokaryotic organisms which represent a significant source of novel, bioactive, secondary metabolites, and they are also considered an abundant source of bioactive compounds/drugs, such as dolastatin, cryptophycin 1, curacin toyocamycin, phytoalexin, cyanovirin-N and phycocyanin. Some of these compounds have displayed promising results in successful Phase I, II, III and IV clinical trials. Additionally, the cyanobacterial compounds applied to medical research have demonstrated an exciting future with great potential to be developed into new medicines. Most of these compounds have exhibited strong pharmacological activities, including neurotoxicity, cytotoxicity and antiviral activity against HCMV, HSV-1, HHV-6 and HIV-1, so these metabolites could be promising candidates for COVID-19 treatment. Therefore, the effective large-scale production of natural marine products through synthesis is important for resolving the existing issues associated with chemical isolation, including small yields, and may be necessary to better investigate their biological activities. Herein, we highlight the total synthesized and stereochemical determinations of the cyanobacterial bioactive compounds. Furthermore, this review primarily focuses on the biotechnological applications of cyanobacteria, including applications as cosmetics, food supplements, and the nanobiotechnological applications of cyanobacterial bioactive compounds in potential medicinal applications for various human diseases are discussed.     

Evaluation of the relationship between endometriosis and omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids

Background: Endometriosis is a common chronic inflammation causing major problems including infertility. The role of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids as their potential anti-inflammatory effects in endometriosis needs to be further explored. The objective of this study was to compare serum phospholipid fatty acid profile in endometriosis patients with controls, and to explore the correlation of this profile with the severity of the disease. Methods: Sixty-four endometriosis patients and 74 control women, in reproductive age, participated in this study. Among the endometriosis patients, 19 cases were in stage I, 27 cases in stage II, 8 cases in stage III, and 10 cases in stage IV. Each patient underwent laparoscopy. Before surgery, 5 ml of blood was obtained. After extraction of the total lipids, serum total phospholipid fraction was isolated by thin layer chromatography. Fatty acid composition of the phospholipid fraction was determined by gas chromatography and the resulted profile was compared in endometriosis patients and controls. The profile was also compared in the endometriosis group based on the severity of disease. Results: Stearic acid was significantly lower in the endometriosis group as compared to controls (P= 0.030). No other fatty acid compositions were significantly different between patients and controls. Serum ratio of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to arachidonic acid (AA) was in reasonable correlation with the severity of endometriosis (r = 0.34, P = 0.006). Conclusion: According to these findings, levels of fatty acids in serum total phospholipids seem not to be a marker for endometriosis, but the EPA to AA ratio was a relevant factor indicating severity of illness.Key Words: Endometriosis, Phospholipids, Omega-3 fatty acids     

Demographics of patients with surgical and nonsurgical cystic echinococcosis in East Azerbaijan from 2001 to 2012

Echinococcosis is very frequent helminthic infection in human being. The disease is endemic in Iran and particularly in its northwestern region, East Azerbaijan. The objective of this study was to study demographics of patients with cystic echinococcosis in East Azerbaijan; as well as to repot the sites of involvements. In this cross-sectional study, 318 patients with surgical and nonsurgical cystic echinococcosis were recruited from three referral centers in Tabriz within a 10-year period of time. The patients' demographics (age and gender) and the site of infection were investigated. Among the patients, females were predominant (57.5 vs. 42.5%). The mean age of patients was 32.59 +/- 18.47 (range: < 1-87) years and the most frequently age group was 20-30 years (23.6%), followed by the age groups of 30-40 years (21.7%), 10-20 years (14.2%), 40-50 years (11.9%), 50-60 years (11.3%), < 1 year (6%), 60-70 years (4.7%), 1-10 years (4.1%) and finally, > 70 years (2.5%). The lung was the most frequently infected organ (48.1%), followed by the liver (28.9%), gallbladder (3.5%), spleen and kidney (each one in 2.2%), abdomen, intestine, pleura, bronchus and mediastinum (each one in 1.6%), chest wall and heart (each one in 1.3%), brain, pericardium, facial sinus, pancreas and esophagus (each one in 0.6%) and the ovary, uterus, axillary region, pelvis and femur (each one in 0.3%). In conclusion, this study showed that the patients with hydatid cysts in East Azerbaijan Province are mainly females in the age group of 20-40 years. The lung and liver are the major sites of infection in these patients.     

Effects of dietary administration of Echinacea purpurea on growth indices and biochemical and hematological indices in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fingerlings

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Echinacea purpurea (EP) on growth and some hematological and blood biochemical indices of rainbow trout fingerlings. A basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 0.25, 0.5, 1, and 2 g EP kg?1 to formulate five experimental diets. Each diet was randomly allocated to triplicate groups of fish with an initial average weight of approximately 8 g. After 8 weeks of feeding trial, fish fed diets with 0.25 and 0.5 g EP kg?1 showed highest final weight and SGR and fish fed with the control diet indicated the lowest final weight and SGR. There was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in FCR between the control group and the groups fed with diets of 0.25 and 0.5 g EP kg?1. Biochemical parameters such as serum total protein content, albumin content, globulin content, and albumin/globulin ratio in the fish were evaluated. There were significant differences between hematological parameters including RBC, WBC, HB, lymphocyte, and neutrophil percentage in fish fed with dietary nucleotide compared with control treatment (P < 0.05). The results suggest that EP administration at 0.25 and 0.5 g EP kg?1 exerted positive effects on growth and biochemical and hematological indices in rainbow trout.     

Protein Quality and Physical Characteristics of Kisra (Fermented Sorghum Pancake‐like Flatbread) Made from Tannin and Non‐Tannin Sorghum Cultivars

Kisra is a naturally lactic acid bacteria‐ and yeast‐fermented sorghum thin pancake‐like flatbread produced in Sudan. Kisra has considerable potential as the basis for development of a gluten‐free sandwich wrap. To help direct cultivar selection for commercial production of these products, two white, tan plant non‐tannin Type I, one white Type II tannin, and one red Type III tannin sorghum cultivars were evaluated with respect to kisra protein quality and physical characteristics. Kisra from the non‐tannin sorghums were flexible and had an open‐textured structure with many regular gas cells, whereas those from the tannin sorghums were more brittle, denser in structure, and contained far fewer and smaller gas cells. Kisra from the tannin sorghums had the lowest reactive lysine content, in vitro protein digestibility, and Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Score (PDCAAS), with values being lowest for the Type III sorghum. PDCAAS of kisra from the Type III sorghum was only 0.12, less than half of that from the Type I sorghums. As the tannins in tannin sorghums adversely affect kisra protein quality and physical characteristics, white tan plant, non‐tannin sorghum cultivars are most suitable for kisra production and for development of wrap‐type sorghum‐based baked goods.     

Effects of foliar spray of two kinds of zinc oxide on the growth and ion concentration of sunflower cultivars under salt stress

This study investigated the effects of foliar application of normal and nano-sized zinc oxide on the response of sunflower cultivars to salinity. Treatments included five cultivars (‘Alstar’, ‘Olsion’, ‘Yourflor’, ‘Hysun36’ and ‘Hysun33’), two salinity levels [0 and 100 mM sodium chloride (NaCl)], and three levels of fertilizer application. Fertilizer treatments were the foliar application of normal and nano-sized zinc oxide (ZnO). Foliar application of ZnO in either forms increased leaf area, shoot dry weight, net carbon dioxide (CO₂) assimilation rate (A), sub-stomatal CO₂ concentration (Ci), chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm, and Zn content and decreased Na content in leaves. The extent of increase in chlorophyll content, Fv/Fm and shoot weight was greater as nano-sized ZnO was applied to the normal form. The results show that the nano-sized particles of ZnO compared to normal form has greater effect on biomass production of sunflower plants.     

The effectiveness of seed priming with synthetic zinc-amino acid chelates in comparison with soil-applied ZnSO4 in improving yield and zinc availability of wheat grain

The effect of soil applied zinc (Zn) sulfate and seed priming with Zn-glutamine [Zn(Gln)₂], Zn-glycine [Zn(Gly)₂], Zn-arginine [Zn(Arg)₂], and Zn-histidine [Zn(His)₂] on yield and grain nutritional quality of two bread (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. Back Cross and Kavir) and a durum wheat genotype (Triticum durum L. cv. Durum) was investigated. Seed priming with [Zn(Gly)₂] and [Zn(Gln)₂] increased grain yield of wheat over soil applied Zn-sulfate treatment by 46 and 14%, respectively. Seed priming with [Zn(Gln)₂], [Zn(Arg)₂], and [Zn(His)₂] significantly increased grain protein content of wheat in comparison with control treatment. Seed priming with [Zn(Arg)₂] and [Zn(His)₂] resulted in higher Zn and Fe accumulation in wheat grain as compared with the other Zn treatments. Priming seeds with [Zn(Arg)₂] reduced phytic acid to Zn molar ratio of wheat grain. Seed priming with [Zn(Arg)₂] and [Zn(His)₂] might be used as an alternative approach for soil application of Zn-sulfate to overcome Zn deficiency in calcareous soils.