Differential scanning calorimetry evidence of the enhancement of beta-sitosterol absorption across biological membranes mediated by beta-cyclodextrins

beta-Sitosterol is a plant sterol that has received much attention because of its effectiveness in reducing the absorption of dietary cholesterol, as well as in offering protection from cardiovascular diseases and cancer development. Thus, the knowledge of the interaction of beta-sitosterol with biological membranes can help in understanding its mechanism of action. In the present paper, the differential scanning calorimetry technique has been used to study the interaction of beta-sitosterol with a biomembrane model constituted by dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine multilamellar vesicles. Furthermore, kinetic experiments have been carried out to follow the uptake of beta-sitosterol by biomembranes and the effect of beta-cyclodextrins on such a process. Our results indicate that opportune concentrations of beta-cyclodextrins improve the uptake of beta-sitosterol by phospholipid membranes.     

Isolation of Microsporum canis from the hair coat of pet dogs and cats belonging to owners diagnosed with M. canis tinea corporis

Microsporum canis has been frequently isolated from human cases of tinea capitis and tinea corporis. The infection may be acquired from infected animals with cutaneous lesions but also from asymptomatic carriers or from the environment. As asymptomatic M. canis carriers are considered to be a critical factor in the epidemiology of dermatophytosis in humans, this study investigated the relationship between the presence of dermatophytes on the hair coats of dogs and cats without cutaneous lesions and the occurrence of the disease in their respective owners. A total of 136 dogs and 248 cats were sampled from January 1999 to January 2005. Seventy-eight animals (22 dogs and 56 cats) belonged to individuals affected by tinea corporis caused by M. canis and 306 (114 dogs and 192 cats) to individuals without dermatophytosis. Age, sex, breed, habitat and season were recorded for each animal and examined as potential risk factors. Dermatophytes were isolated from 20.5% of the dogs and 28.2% of the cats. Microsporum canis was isolated from 36.4% of dogs cohabiting with owners diagnosed with tinea corporis but it was never isolated from dogs whose owners had no lesions. By contrast, M. canis was isolated from 53.6% of cats cohabiting with owners diagnosed with tinea corporis and from 14.6% of cats whose owners had no signs of the disease. These results clearly indicate that both cats and dogs should be considered as a major source of pathogenic dermatophytes for humans even when they do not present clinical signs of dermatophytosis.     

A new approach for the diagnosis of myiasis of animals: the example of horse nasal myiasis

The myiasis caused by larvae of Rhinoestrus purpureus and Rhinoestrus usbekistanicus (Diptera, Oestridae) are of importance in the horse medicine since it causes severe respiratory diseases. Therefore an accurate diagnosis of rhinoestrosis is central to its epidemiology and control. This paper describes concisely a molecular diagnostic tool that overcomes the current inherent diagnostic constraints and, therefore, is of importance to understand the actual incidence and epidemiology of this myiasis in live horses.     

Evaluation of assay procedures for prediction of passive transfer status in lambs

OBJECTIVE: To compare 4 assay procedures for prediction of passive transfer status in lambs. ANIMALS: Thirty-one 1-day-old Sardinian lambs. PROCEDURE: Serum IgG concentration was determined by use of single radial immunodiffusion. The following were determined: serum total protein concentration as measured by refractometry (ie, refractometry serum total protein concentration), serum total protein concentration as determined by the biuret method (ie, biuret method serum total protein concentration), serum gamma-globulin concentration as determined by serum protein electrophoresis, and serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) activity as measured by spectrophotometry. Accuracy of these assays for estimation of serum IgG concentration in 1-day-old lambs was established by use of linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Refractometry serum total protein concentration, biuret method serum total protein concentration, and serum gamma-globulin concentration were closely and linearly correlated with serum IgG concentration. The natural logarithm (ln) of serum GGT activity was closely and linearly correlated with serum IgG concentration (ln). Refractometry serum total protein concentration, biuret method serum total protein concentration, and gamma-globulin concentration accounted for approximately 85%, 91%, and 95% of the variation in serum IgG concentration, respectively. Serum GGT activity (ln) accounted for approximately 92% of the variation in serum IgG concentration (ln). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: For prediction of passive transfer status in 1-day-old lambs, serum GGT activity or biuret method serum total protein concentration determination will allow for passive transfer monitoring program development. Immediate refractometry serum total protein concentration determination is beneficial in making timely management and treatment decisions. Serum gamma-globulin concentration determination can be used as a confirmatory test.     

Effect of passive transfer status on preweaning growth performance in dairy lambs

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of passive transfer status, determined by measuring serum IgG concentration 24 hours after parturition, on preweaning growth performance in dairy lambs. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. ANIMALS: 20 healthy Sardinian dairy lambs. PROCEDURES: Serum IgG concentration was measured 24 hours after birth. Body weight was measured at birth and at the time of weaning 28 days (ie, 27 to 29 days) after birth. Mean daily gain from birth to day 28 and day 28 weight were used as measures of preweaning growth performance. Regression analysis was used to evaluate associations between serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth and measures of preweaning growth performance. RESULTS: Mean +/- SD serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth was 24.6 +/- 17.5 mg/mL. Mean body weights at birth and weaning were 2,696 +/- 937 g and 9,253 +/- 2,116 g, respectively, and mean daily gain was 234 +/- 63 g/d. No significant association was detected between serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth and birth weight. However, serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth was significantly associated with mean daily gain (R(2) = 0.25). Each 1 mg/mL increase in serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth was associated with a 1.8 g/d increase in mean daily gain and a 60.8-g increase in day 28 weight. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that passive transfer status, determined as serum IgG concentration 24 hours after birth, was a significant source of variation in preweaning growth performance in dairy lambs.     

Protein and Quality Characterization of Complete and Partial Near‐Isogenic Lines of Waxy Wheat

The objective of this study was to evaluate protein composition and its effects on flour quality and physical dough test parameters using waxy wheat near‐isogenic lines. Partial waxy (single and double nulls) and waxy (null at all three waxy loci, Wx‐A1, Wx‐B1, and Wx‐D1) lines of N11 set (bread wheat) and Svevo (durum) were investigated. For protein composition, waxy wheats in this study had relatively lower albumins‐globulins than the hard winter wheat control. In the bread wheats (N11), dough strength as measured by mixograph peak dough development time (MDDT) (r = 0.75) and maximum resistance (R_max) (r = 0.70) was significantly correlated with unextractable polymeric protein (UPP), whereas in durum wheats, moderate correlation was observed (r = 0.73 and 0.59, respectively). This may be due to the presence of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW‐GS) Dx2+Dy12 at the Glu‐D1 locus instead of Dx5+Dy10, which are associated with dough strength. Significant correlation of initial loaf volume (ILV) to flour polymeric protein (FPP) (r = 0.75) and flour protein (FP) (r = 0.63) was found in bread wheats, whereas in durum wheats, a weak correlation of ILV was observed with FP (r = 0.09) and FPP (r =0.51). Significant correlation of ILV with FPP in bread wheats and with % polymeric protein (PPP) (r = 0.75) in durum lines indicates that this aspect of end‐use functionality is influenced by FPP and PPP, respectively, in these waxy wheat lines. High ILV was observed with 100% waxy wheat flour alone and was not affected by 50% blending with bread wheat flour. However, dark color and poor crumb structure was observed with 100% waxy flour, which was unacceptable to consumers. As the amylopectin content of the starch increases, loaf expansion increases but the crumb structure becomes increasingly unstable and collapses.     

Infection by Eucoleus aerophilus in dogs and cats: Is another extra-intestinal parasitic nematode of pets emerging in Italy?

The occurrence of the infection by the lungworm Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) in dogs and cats from Italy has been evaluated with conventional diagnostic procedures. Individual faecal samples from 569 dogs and 200 cats were undertaken to faecal flotation with sugar and zinc sulphate solution. Sixteen dogs (2.8%) and 11 cats (5.5%) scored positive for eggs of E. aerophilus when samples were processed with either of the two flotation solutions. Overall 14 of 16 dogs and eight of 11 cats infected by E. aerophilus showed respiratory symptoms and the most common were general respiratory distress, dry cough, wheezing and sneezing. These results indicate that E. aerophilus is not uncommon and that canine and feline capillariosis is of clinical importance. Given the impact that E. aerophilus infections may have upon animal health and its zoonotic potential, it is strongly advisable to routinely include this disease in the differential diagnosis of (cardio)-respiratory diseases of dogs and cats.     

Evaluation of Five Microalgae Diets for Juvenile Pen Shells Atrina maura

–Juvenile pen shells Atrina maura were fed for 21 d with equal daily rations, equivalent to 6.5% of their live weight, of monoalgal cultures of Tetraselmis suecica, Isochrysis galbana, Chaetoceros muelleri, Chaetoceros calcitrans , and Thalassiosira pseudonana. Pen shell survival was 100% in all cases. All microalgae diets produced shell growth, and live and ash-free dry weight increases. However, the two Chaetoceros strains gave significantly better results, with shell height increases of 4.7 to 2.9 mm, live weight gains of 0.5 to 0.3 g, and final ash-free dry weights of 0.16 to 0.14 g after 3 wk. These results are not related to the algae gross biochemical composition, suggesting that other factors are involved in their nutritional value for this mollusc species.     

HPLC analyses of seed storage proteins reveal polymorphism in Italian common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) ecotypes

Phaseolin (PHAS) and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) represent the main seed protein fractions in common bean. Currently, several ecotypes of common bean cultivated in marginal areas exist, above all in Southern Italy regions. Such germplasm could be lost due to the genetic uniformity of new cultivars. Moreover, the first step to obtain community recognition and denomination requires the full characterization of the available germplasm. In the present study, PHAS and PHA extracted in saline solutions from nine ecotypes of common bean ‘di Controne’ (Campania region) were analysed by anionic and cation exchange-high performance liquid chromatography (AE- and CE-HPLC), SDS-PAGE and IEF. The results obtained by AE-HPLC have allowed us either to standardize a high resolution, cost-effective and time-saving biochemical methodology or to compare the studied ecotypes with some cultivars of common bean most widely grown in Italy. The elution profiles of the nine ecotypes, already analyzed at the morpho-physiological and molecular levels, allowed us to differentiate the ecotypes either from a qualitative point of view (presence/absence of one or more peaks) or a quantitative one. For instance, the ecotypes of common bean ‘di Controne’ could be clearly differentiated from some commercial cultivars of dwarf and/or climbing bean. In contrast, the analysis of the electrophoresis patterns supplied less information. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Assessment of genetic variation in a collection of lentil using molecular tools

A collection of lentil landraces, mostly from Italy, but including Mediterranean and foreign germplasm as reference, was evaluated using RAPDs, microsatellite-primed PCR and ISSRs. A low level of useful polymorphic bands was detected with the former two markers, whereas ISSRs revealed a higher degree of variation. The UPGMA trees, based on Jaccard similarity index matrices, obtained with RAPD and ISSR respectively, did not produce similar clusters. However, in both cases, the accession which differentiated the most from the others was from Ethiopia, a country where also other cultivated species have shown a remarkable degree of variation. On the other hand, Italian accessions showed a trend to group together. ISSR markers proved to be useful for distinguishing closely related genotypes, and possibly for substantiating the genetic peculiarity of ecotypes applying for the obtainment of origin and quality marks. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.