Evaluation of targeted drenching using Famacha method in Creole goat: reduction of anthelmintic use, and effects on kid production and pasture contamination

Haemonchus infection was monitored for 2 years (six kidding periods) in a Creole goat flock grazing under oceanic-tropical climate. Two hundred and thirty individual does were involved from late pregnancy to weaning. Anaemia diagnoses using Famacha method and packed cell volume (PCV) were compared. The best agreement (Kappa=0.33) was found if anaemia was declared when PCV values fell to 16 or below and Famacha score was 4 or 5. Drenching policy according to Famacha method was compared to systematic drenching policy. Using the Famacha method allowed a dramatic decrease in anthelmintic use during the periparturient period (0.57 individual dose instead of three doses for the control). The proportion of the nematode population on the pasture not derived from previously-treated goats (in refugia) was estimated to about 79% (65-90%) of the pasture contamination derived from the Famacha group. On the average, goats which needed to be drenched produced less than the control or undrenched goats (kid average daily gain was decreased by about 15%). The repeatability of the need for drenching individual does was estimated to 0.41. The older goats or the goats in poorer body condition at kidding needed more drenching than the younger animals and the animals in good body condition. Consequently the Famacha method may be used as an additional tool for the culling management.     

Collection of exhaled breath condensate and analysis of hydrogen peroxide as a potential marker of lower airway inflammation in cats

The objective of this study was to describe a standardised and non-invasive method for exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection in cats and to test whether determination of hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) in EBC might be used as marker of lower airway inflammation. The technique of barometric whole body plethysmography for cats was combined with a system to condense the effluent air from the plethysmograph, allowing simultaneous EBC collection and respiratory pattern measurement. H(2)O(2) was determined spectrophotometrically. Eighteen experimental cats were used to investigate the impact on EBC volume and EBC H(2)O(2) of plethysmograph ventilation rate, collection duration, sample stability, within-day and day-to-day variability. After determination of a standardised EBC collection procedure, correlation analyses between EBC H(2)O(2) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cytology of healthy and allergen-challenged Ascaris suum (AS)-sensitised cats were performed. A significant and positive correlation between EBC H(2)O(2) and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) neutrophil% was found in healthy cats (P < 0.001, r = 0.55), whereas in AS-sensitised cats, correlation with BAL eosinophil% was significant (P < 0.005, r = 0.61). H(2)O(2) was increased after an allergen challenge in AS-sensitised cats (n = 6, 0.56+/-0.12 versus 1.08+/-0.35 micromol/L, P < 0.05). This study proposes a non-invasive, well tolerated and repeatable method of EBC collection for cats and suggests that EBC H(2)O(2) might be used as non-invasive biomarker for monitoring lower airway inflammation.     

Geosmin causes off‐flavour in arctic charr in recirculating aquaculture systems

The ‘earthy’ and ‘muddy’ off‐flavours in pond‐reared fish are due to the presence of geosmin or 2‐methylisoborneol in the flesh of the fish. Similar off‐flavours have been reported in fish raised in recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS); however, little information is available regarding the cause of these off‐flavours. Our hypothesis was that earthy and muddy off‐flavour compounds, found previously in pond‐raised fish, are also responsible for off‐flavours in fish raised in RAS. In this preliminary study, we examined water, biofilms in RAS and fillets from cultured arctic charr known to have off‐flavours and requiring depuration using instrumental [solid‐phase microextraction procedure and gas chromatograph‐mass spectrometry (GC‐MS)] and human sensory analyses. Geosmin was present in the samples taken from the biofilter and on the side walls of the tanks. Two‐methylisoborneol was only found in low levels in the samples. The GC‐MS results indicated the presence of geosmin in the fillets (705 ng kg^?1), but lower levels were found in the water (30.5 ng L^?1). Sensory analyses also detected an earthy flavour (i.e., geosmin presence) in the fillets, and, therefore, it appears that geosmin is the main compound responsible for the off‐flavour in RAS. Further studies are being performed to identify the microorganisms responsible for geosmin production in RAS.     

Effect of an inactivated bluetongue serotype 8 vaccine on semen quality in rams

The aim of this study was to determine whether a single dose of an inactivated bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8) vaccine altered semen quality in rams. Twenty sexually mature rams were assigned to three experimental groups: two groups of four animals were vaccinated and a third group of four animals was unvaccinated. The first group included rams with a history of natural BTV-8 infection in 2007 and the second and third groups included BTV-8 na?ve rams. Semen was collected prior to vaccination and for 4months post-vaccination. There were no significant differences in semen quality traits, including motility and concentration of spermatozoa, and percentages of living, normal dead and abnormal dead spermatozoa, between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, or over time (P>0.05). The BTV-8 vaccine tested in this study did not appear to have any adverse effect on semen quality in rams.     

Efficacy of an oral live vaccine for veterinary use against pseudotuberculosis

Pseudotuberculosis, an infection caused by the ubiquitous enteropathogenic bacterium Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, is a recurrent veterinary problem in livestock and zoo animals. The only vaccine currently available in zoos is Pseudovac (a mixture of killed strains of various serotypes), but its efficacy is not well established. We show here that Pseudovac does not protect guinea pigs against a severe Y. pseudotuberculosis infection. We thus evaluated the possibility of using a live attenuated Y. pseudotuberculosis strain (IP32680) as an oral vaccine against animal pseudotuberculosis. We report that IP32680 is avirulent for guinea pigs and induces a strong IgG response against various serotypes of Y. pseudotuberculosis. One and two oral inoculations of IP32680 provided 50% and 83% protection, respectively against a severe infection with a highly pathogenic strain. The avirulent Y. pseudotuberculosis IP32680 is therefore much more protective than Pseudovac and may represent a valuable oral vaccine against pseudotuberculosis in zoo animals.     

Hydrolysis of whey protein isolate with Bacillus licheniformis protease: fractionation and identification of aggregating peptides

The objective of this work was to identify the dominant aggregating peptides from a whey protein hydrolysate (degree of hydrolysis of 6.8%) obtained with Bacillus licheniformis protease. The aggregating peptides were fractionated with preparative reversed-phase chromatography and identified with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results showed that the dominant aggregating peptide, at pH 7.0, was beta-lg AB [f1-45]. In addition, the peptides beta-lg AB [f90-108]-S-S-alpha-la [f50-113], alpha-la [f12-49]-S-S-alpha-la [f50-113], beta-lg AB [f90-108]-S-S-beta-lg AB [f90-108], beta-lg A [f90-157], and beta-lg AB [f135-157/158] were also identified as main aggregating peptides. The results further showed that aggregation, via hydrophobic interactions, prevented further digestion (at pH 8.0), thereby explaining the large size of the aggregating peptides. It is hypothesized that B. licheniformis protease breaks down hydrophilic segments in the substrate and, therefore, preserves hydrophobic segments that aggregate once exposed to the solvent.     

Canine reference intervals for the Sysmex XT-2000iV hematology analyzer

Background: The laser‐based Sysmex XT‐2000iV hematology analyzer is increasingly used in veterinary clinical pathology laboratories, and instrument‐specific reference intervals for dogs are not available. Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish canine hematologic reference intervals according to International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines using the Sysmex XT‐2000iV hematology analyzer. Methods: Blood samples from 132 healthy purebred dogs from France, selected to represent the most prevalent canine breeds in France, were analyzed. Blood smears were scored for platelet (PLT) aggregates. Reference intervals were established using the nonparametric method. PLT and RBC counts obtained by impedance and optical methods were compared. Effects of sex and age on reference intervals were determined. Results: The correlation between impedance (I) and optical (O) measurements of RBC and PLT counts was excellent (Pearson r=.99 and .98, respectively); however, there were significant differences between the 2 methods (Student's paired t‐test, P<.0001). Differences between sexes were not significant except for HCT, PLT‐I, and PLT‐O. WBC, lymphocyte, and neutrophil counts decreased significantly with age (ANOVA, P<.05). Median eosinophil counts were higher in Brittany Spaniels (1.87 × 10⁹/L), Rottweilers (1.41 × 10⁹/L), and German Shepherd dogs (1.38 × 10⁹/L) than in the overall population (0.9 × 10⁹/L). PLT aggregates were responsible for lower PLT counts by the impedance, but not the optical, method. Conclusion: Reference intervals for hematologic analytes and indices were determined under controlled preanalytical and analytical conditions for a well‐characterized population of dogs according to international recommendations.     

Marennine,Promising Blue Pigments from a Widespread Haslea Diatom Species Complex

In diatoms, the main photosynthetic pigments are chlorophylls a and c, fucoxanthin, diadinoxanthin and diatoxanthin. The marine pennate diatom Haslea ostrearia has long been known for producing, in addition to these generic pigments, a water-soluble blue pigment, marennine. This pigment, responsible for the greening of oysters in western France, presents different biological activities: allelopathic, antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral, and growth-inhibiting. A method to extract and purify marennine has been developed, but its chemical structure could hitherto not be resolved. For decades, H. ostrearia was the only organism known to produce marennine, and can be found worldwide. Our knowledge about H. ostrearia-like diatom biodiversity has recently been extended with the discovery of several new species of blue diatoms, the recently described H. karadagensis, H. silbo sp. inedit. and H. provincialis sp. inedit. These blue diatoms produce different marennine-like pigments, which belong to the same chemical family and present similar biological activities. Aside from being a potential source of natural blue pigments, H. ostrearia-like diatoms thus present a commercial potential for aquaculture, cosmetics, food and health industries.