Efficacy of three broad-spectrum anthelmintics against gastrointestinal nematode infections of goats

Groups of 10 goats, harbouring both naturally acquired and experimental infections of gastrointestinal nematodes, were drenched with either levamisole (5 mg kg-1), albendazole (3.8 mg kg-1) or parbendazole (15 mg kg-1), or remained untreated. Haemonchus contortus was the numerically dominant infection, with Strongyloides papillosus, Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Oesophagostomum columbianum also present. At 5-6 days post-treatment, goats were killed and necropsied. Post-mortem worm counts showed that the reduction in mean total worm burdens was 57.4% in levamisole-treated animals, 71.1% in the albendazole group and 85.1% in the parbendazole group. Reductions for H. contortus were 80.2, 87.9 and 83.9% in the levamisole-, albendazole- and parbendazole-treated groups, respectively. These data indicate that the anthelmintics in question are not being applied at an adequate dose rate for goats, and/or resistance to anthelmintics is occurring in the field in Pernambuco State, northeast Brazil.     

Immune response to haemophilus parahaemolyticus (HP) infection in the pig I. In vitro tests to detect sensitized cells in the blood of infected and vaccinated animals

The in vitro immune response of pigs in herds infected or non-infected with H. parahaemolyticus (HP) was investigated by lymphocyte stimulation and leucocyte migration inhibition tests. The stimulation of pig lymphocytes with HP bacteria has been measured by ³H-thymidine incorporation. The response of the cells seems to be specific, lymphocytes from chronically HP-infected animals showed positive reactions with high frequency, while on the contrary, cells from SPF (specific pathogen free) animals reacted only occasionally to the HP antigens. However, in the leucocyte migration inhibition test the reactions were less specific; the widely occurring H. parasuis bacteria seem to possess antigen(s) which causes cross reactions with HP in this test.Vaccination with HP bacteria induced sensitive lymphocytes in the blood of SPF pigs and an increase of the in vitro lymphocyte reactions in already positive animals.     

Assessment of some blood parameters as potential markers of hepatic copper accumulation in cattle.

The increasing frequency of copper (Cu) toxicosis episodes in cattle in recent years, mainly associated with excess Cu supplementation, underscores the need to identify animals in the clinically silent phase of hepatic Cu accumulation. The aim of the study reported here was to evaluate the suitability of various blood parameters as potential early markers of hepatic Cu accumulation in cattle. Paired liver and blood samples from 70 calves aged 6 to 10 months were obtained at slaughter in a region in northwestern Spain where animals usually have hepatic Cu concentration higher than safe values. Neither serum Cu concentration nor ceruloplasmin (CP) concentration, the 2 parameters most commonly used for diagnosis of Cu deficiency, were significantly associated with hepatic Cu concentration. However, whole-blood Cu concentration had a slight but significant correlation with hepatic Cu concentration (r = 0.269, P = 0.026). The use of calculated blood parameters, such as the serum or whole-blood non-CP Cu fraction, or the CP-to-serum Cu ratio, increased the correlation with the hepatic Cu concentration (r = 0.393, P = 0.001, in the case of whole-blood, non-CP Cu concentration), but the strength of the association remained insufficient for accurate prediction of hepatic Cu values. Likewise, hepatic enzyme (aspartate transaminase and gamma-glutamyltransferase) activities were significantly or nearly correlated significantly with hepatic Cu concentration, but the strength of the association remained too low for accurate prediction. It is concluded that direct analysis of Cu concentration in liver biopsy specimens--preferably postmortem liver samples obtained at slaughter--is the best technique currently available for detecting chronic subclinical Cu accumulation in cattle at risk for supraoptimal Cu exposure.     

Effect of oral administration of high vitamin C and E dosages on the gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) innate immune system

The effect of the oral administration of high dosages of vitamins C and E on the innate immune system of the seabream was investigated. Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) were fed four different diets for 45 days: a commercial diet as control, a 3g/kg vitamin C-supplemented diet, a 1.2g/kg vitamin E-supplemented diet or a diet containing both vitamin supplements. After 15, 30 and 45 days, serum ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol levels, growth, complement titers and head-kidney leucocyte phagocytic and respiratory burst activities were evaluated. The results showed that serum vitamin levels reflected dietary input. Fish fed the vitamin C-supplemented diet showed an enhanced respiratory burst activity, while fish fed the vitamin E-supplemented diet exhibited increased complement and phagocytic activities. All of these positive effects were found in fish fed the joint diet, as well as a synergistically enhanced respiratory burst activity at day 30. The results demonstrate that in vivo vitamins C and E exert a synergistic effect enhancing the respiratory burst activity of seabream phagocytes.     

Evolution of arsenate toxicity in nodulated white lupine in a long-term culture

White lupine is an As-resistant legume that is of interest for phytoremediation of As-contaminated soils. To achieve successful phytoremediation, monitoring of the nutritional status of the selected plant species during the entire culture cycle is required to maintain a plant cover with high biomass production. A long-term pot experiment was carried out with nodulated lupine grown on perlite with 10 and 100 microM As concentrations. The reproductive period (from 10 weeks) was the most sensitive phenologic stage of white lupine to long-term As exposure. The 10 microM As treatment increased the uptake and translocation of micronutrients, except for Cu, mainly at flowering with As levels in pods below the statutory limit (1 mg kg (-1) fresh weight). However, the 100 microM As treatment induced significant differences compared to the control. These findings confirm the relatively high resistance of white lupine to arsenate and support the use of this species in phytoremediation and/or revegetation of As-contaminated sites, with special attention on P and Cu nutrition at flowering.     

Real-time polymerase chain reaction monitoring of recombinant DNA entry into soil from decomposing roundup ready leaf biomass

Glyphosate-tolerant, Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans account for about 57% of all genetically modified (GM) crops grown worldwide. The entry of recombinant DNA into soil from GM crops has been identified as an environmental concern due to the possibility of their horizontal transfer to soil microorganisms. RR soybeans contain recombinant gene sequences that can be differentiated from wild-type plant and microbial genes in soil by using a sequence-specific molecular beacon and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A molecular beacon-based real-time PCR system to quantify a wild-type soybean lectin ( le1) gene was designed to compare amounts of endogenous soybean genes to recombinant DNA in soil. Microcosm studies were carried out to develop methodologies for the detection of recombinant DNA from RR soybeans in soil. RR soybean leaf litterbags were imbedded in the soil under controlled environmental conditions (60% water holding capacity, 10/15 degrees C, and 8/16 h day/night) for 30 days. The soybean biomass decomposition was described using a single-phase exponential equation, and the DNA concentration in planta and in soil was quantified using real-time PCR using sequence-specific molecular beacons for the recombinant cp4 epsps and endogenous soybean lectin ( le1) genes. The biomass of RR soybean leaves was 8.6% less than nontransgenic (NT) soybean leaves after 30 days. The pooled half-disappearance time for cp4 epsps and le1 in RR and of le1 in NT soybean leaves was 1.4 days. All genes from leaves were detected in soil after 30 days. This study provides a methodology for monitoring the entry of RR and NT soybean DNA into soil from decomposing plant residues.     

Color properties of four cyanidin-pyruvic acid adducts

Four anthocyanin-pyruvic adducts were synthesized through the reaction of cyanidin 3-O-glucoside, cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside, cyanidin 3-O-sophoroside, and cyanidin 3-O-sambubioside with pyruvic acid, structurally characterized by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and their chromatic properties were studied (pH and SO2 stability assays). Overall, these pigments were shown to have a higher resistance to discoloration toward pH variations and also in the presence of SO2, being that this resistance to discoloration was explained by a higher protection of the chromophore group against the water or bisulfite nucleophilic attack that gives rise to the colorless hemiacetal form. Only slight differences in the protection against the nucleophilic attack of water and bisulfite were found to occur between all of the cyanidin-pyruvic acid adducts studied. Indeed, anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adducts with glucose or sambubiose attached to the 3-O position of the flavylium moiety were shown to have smaller bleaching constants compared with similar pigments that possess a rutinosyl or sophorosyl moiety. The study of the pigments (A-D and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside) color parameters, namely, chroma (C), lightness (L), and the hue angle (h(a,b)), obtained from the CIELAB system, revealed that different patterns of sugars in the anthocyanin-pyruvic acid adduct moiety affected the referred three parameters of color. The loss of saturation (DeltaC < 0) and the increase of lightness (DeltaL > 0) presented by the cyanidin-pyruvic acid adduct solutions at acidic pH values (1.0 and 2.0) showed that they are much less colored than the cyanidin-3-O-glucoside. For higher pH values (5.0 and 7.0), the reverse trend was observed. This means that the cyanidin-pyruvic acid adducts A-D are much more colored than the anthocyanin at these pH values. The higher coloring capacity of these pigments at higher pH values may be an important feature, indicating a putative application of these compounds in food products.     

Comparison of the volatile composition of wild fennel samples (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) from central Spain

Comparison of the volatile composition of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) has been carried out using direct thermal desorption (DTD) coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Forty-two wild fennel stem samples were collected in two different geographical areas of Central Spain. DTD allowed a high recovery of volatiles from small sample sizes without thermal decomposition. trans-Anethole was the main volatile compound for most cases, although a high variability was found among samples, showing clear phytochemical differences.     

Allergen Ara h 1 occurs in peanuts as a large oligomer rather than as a trimer

Ara h 1, a major peanut allergen, is known as a stable trimeric protein. Nevertheless, upon purification of native Ara h 1 from peanuts using only size exclusion chromatography, the allergen appeared to exist in an oligomeric structure, rather than as a trimeric structure. The oligomeric structure was independent of the salt concentration applied. Subjecting the allergen to anion exchange chromatography induced the allergen to dissociate into trimers. Ammonium sulfate precipitation did not bring about any structural changes, whereas exposing the allergen to hydrophobic interaction chromatography caused it to partly dissociate into trimers, with increasing amounts of trimers at higher ionic strengths. The (partial) dissociation into trimers led to a change in the tertiary structure of the monomeric subunits of the allergen, with the monomers in Ara h 1 oligomers having a more compact tertiary structure compared with the monomers in Ara h 1 trimers. As structural characteristics are important for a protein's allergenicity, this finding may imply a different allergenicity for Ara h 1 than previously described.     

The psychological consequences of money

Money has been said to change people's motivation (mainly for the better) and their behavior toward others (mainly for the worse). The results of nine experiments suggest that money brings about a self-sufficient orientation in which people prefer to be free of dependency and dependents. Reminders of money, relative to nonmoney reminders, led to reduced requests for help and reduced helpfulness toward others. Relative to participants primed with neutral concepts, participants primed with money preferred to play alone, work alone, and put more physical distance between themselves and a new acquaintance.