Antioxidant and haematological biomarkers in different groups of horses supplemented with polyunsaturated oil and vitamin E

Oxidative stress has been correlated with pathologies that impair the performance of athlete horses. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of supplementation with a mixture of polyunsaturated oil and vitamin E on the antioxidant and haematological biomarkers of horses. Horses under maintenance care (n = 6) and horses in training (n = 10) received 100 and 300 ml of the oil mixture respectively. Supplementation was provided for a period of 8 weeks, together with isocaloric inclusion. Blood samples were collected at three time periods (pretest, after 4 weeks and after 8 weeks) to analyse the following: the red blood cell count (RBCc); haemoglobin (Hb); haematocrit (HT); leucocytes; lymphocytes; platelets; the mean corpuscular volume (MCV); the mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC); the standard deviation of the red blood cell distribution width (RDW‐SD); the coefficient of variation of the red blood cell distribution width (RDW‐CV); glutathione peroxidase (GPx); superoxide dismutase (SOD); uric acid (UrAc); total plasma proteins (TPP); and creatine kinase (CK). After the 8 weeks of supplementation, animals under maintenance care exhibited significant increases in SOD, UrAc, the white blood cell count (WBCc), the RDW‐SD and the RDW‐CV (p < 0.05). The animals in training exhibited increases in GPx, SOD and UrAc (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with polyunsaturated oil and vitamin E increases blood antioxidants among animals under maintenance and in training, with different trends, while contributing to the fight against oxidative stress in each group analysed.     

Demonstration of non-inferiority of a novel combination intramammary antimicrobial in the treatment of clinical mastitis

AIM: To test the non-inferiority of a novel combination intramammary product containing penicillin and cloxacillin to a reference intramammary product containing oxytetracycline, oleandomycin, neomycin and prednisolone with regard to bacteriological cure and clinical cure.

METHODS: Clinical cases of mastitis were sourced from 30 spring-calving dairy farms in the Southland region of New Zealand. Affected quarters were infused three times at 24 hourly intervals with either the novel combination product containing 1?g penicillin and 200?mg cloxacillin, or a reference product containing 200?mg oxytetracycline, 100?mg oleandomycin, 100?mg neomycin and 5?mg prednisolone. Cows were enrolled when a farmer detected a case of clinical mastitis. Milk samples were collected for microbiological culture immediately before treatment (Day 0) and on Days 9, 16 and 23. Bacteriological cure was compared for 187 and 178 quarters treated with the reference and novel product, respectively, and clinical cure was compared for 235 and 223 quarters, respectively. Non-inferiority was assessed by calculating the difference in cure rates between the two products and constructing a 95% CI around the difference, using the variance inflation factor to account for herd level clustering. The non-inferiority margin was 20% for both bacteriological and clinical cure. Generalising estimating equation models were used to determine predictor variables.

RESULTS: The bacteriological cure percentage, adjusted to account for herd-level clustering, was 8.5 (95% CI=?1.7–21.8)% higher for quarters treated with the novel than the reference product. The adjusted clinical cure percentage was 0.3 (95% CI=?11.2–12.0)% higher for clinical quarters treated with the novel than the reference product. Bacterial species was the only covariate for bacteriological cure (p=0.003), and quarter score at enrolment (indicating udder inflammation) was the only covariate for clinical cure (p=0.032) in the multivariable models.

CONCLUSION: The novel combination product was demonstrated to be non-inferior to the reference product with regards to both bacteriological cure and clinical cure.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Clinicians treating mastitis now have access to this novel combination intramammary product, and demonstration of its non-inferiority compared to the existing reference product will provide options for treatment approaches. The novel product contains fewer antimicrobials; which are of a narrower spectrum of activity.     

Pulmonary mycobacteriosis caused by Mycobacterium intracellulare in a Tasmanian devil (Sarcophilus harrisii)

The health of captive Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisii) is currently of increased interest because wild populations are being decimated by the spread of devil facial tumour disease. This report describes the pathology of an aged captive Tasmanian devil that had a pulmonary mycobacterial infection caused by Mycobacterium intracellulare in addition to multiple neoplastic processes.     

牛心朴杀鼠活性初报

通过试管和圆形滤纸预试法初步确定了牛心朴(Cynanchum komarovii)乙醇提取液中含有生物碱、酚类物质、鞣质、皂甙、黄酮、甾体(或萜类)、糖、多糖(或甙类)和强心甙等成分。杀鼠活性的测定结果表明,乙醇提取液在饵料中的含量为15％时,小白鼠的平均食毒量为39．04g／kg,对小白鼠的毒杀率为100％;饵料中牛心朴粉的含量为15％和10％时,小白鼠的平均食毒量分别为26．61g／kg和29．27g／kg,对小白鼠的毒杀率分别为100％和90％;提取液中的化学成分基本包括了牛心朴杀鼠的活性成分,且适口性较原粉为好。     

镉胁迫下黑曲霉TL-F2的促生特征及其对黑麦草种子萌发、幼苗生长和镉含量的影响

以黑曲霉(Aspergillus niger)TL-F2为供试菌株,黑麦草为供试植物,研究Cd胁迫下A. niger TL-F2的促生特性,以及对黑麦草种子萌发、幼苗生长和Cd含量的影响。结果表明:与不加Cd的对照组相比,低浓度Cd(5 mg·L^-1)胁迫下,A. niger TL-F2产吲哚乙酸(IAA)和溶磷的能力无显著变化,但产铁载体的能力显著(P<0.05)降低48.18%;中(20 mg·L^-1)、高(50 mg·L^-1)浓度Cd胁迫下,A. niger TL-F2产IAA的能力分别显著(P<0.05)降低55.76%和65.69%,溶磷量分别显著(P<0.05)降低50.07%和78.19%,产铁载体的能力分别显著(P<0.05)降低69.71%和80.08%。接种高浓度(1×10⁸ mL^-1)A. niger TL-F2有助于促进Cd胁迫下黑麦草种子的萌发和生长,高浓度Cd胁迫下,黑麦草地上部Cd含量较不接菌的显著(P<0.05)增加,增幅为17.95%;接种低浓度(1×10⁶ mL^-1)A. niger TL-F2对黑麦草种子萌发、Cd含量无明显促进作用。综合来看,接种适当量的A. niger TL-F2有助于促进Cd胁迫下黑麦草种子的萌发和生长,增加黑麦草地上部Cd含量,可作为黑麦草修复Cd污染水体和土壤的强化措施。     

碱性盐胁迫对燕麦矿质离子吸收与分配的影响

为探讨燕麦耐碱性与矿质离子的关系,通过盆栽试验,将碱性盐Na2CO3、NaHCO3按摩尔比1∶1混合设置不同浓度(0、50和100mmol·L-1)胁迫处理,分析燕麦耐碱性品种vao-9和碱敏感性品种白燕5号根、茎、叶对Na+、K+、Ca2+、Mg2+、Fe2+、Cu2+、Zn2+的吸收及分配规律。结果表明,碱性盐胁迫下2个品种根、茎、叶中Na+含量增加,K+、Cu2+含量下降;Ca2+、Mg2+含量在根中增加,在茎、叶中下降,Fe2+、Zn2+含量在不同胁迫程度下和不同器官中变化不同。与白燕5号相比,vao-9吸收的Na+总量较低,K+、Ca2+、Cu2+总量较高,Mg2+、Fe2+、Zn2+总量变化不大。在胁迫浓度达到100mmol·L-1时,vao-9茎中截留Na+,叶片中较K+、Ca2+、Mg2+、Fe2+、Cu2+和Zn2+分配较多,而白燕5号叶片中积累Na+较多,茎中积累K+较多,根中积累Ca2+、Mg2+、Fe2+、Cu2+、Zn2+较多,从而使碱性盐胁迫下vao-9较白燕5号叶片中保持的Na+/K+、Na+/Ca2+和Na+/Mg2+低。可见,在高浓度碱性盐胁迫下vao-9茎中区域化Na+,选择吸收K+、Ca2+、Cu2+,并在叶片中分配较多的矿质离子来保持燕麦体内离子平衡,以适应盐碱胁迫。     

基于TDC-GP1的波速法单板层积材分级系统设计

提出一种单板层积材力学强度分级系统的设计方案。该方案利用高精度数字时间转换芯片TDC-GP1测试超声波在单板层积材中的传播速度,从而评估单板层积材的力学强度并对其进行在线分级。试验表明,该系统工作稳定、抗干扰能力强,精度高,适合工业推广。     

Isolation, identification and antimicrobial susceptibility of Bacteroides fragilis group strains recovered from broiler faeces

1. The objective was to evaluate the occurrence of cultivable components of the Bacteroides fragilis group in faeces of broiler chickens and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns.

2. Faecal samples of 36?×?45-d-old Cobb broilers of both sexes from 15 different flocks on one farm were diluted 10-fold and plated on to Bacteroides-bile-esculin agar for colony count and isolation. Identification was by molecular methods and antimicrobial susceptibility in the agar dilution assay.

3. A total of 236 isolates was recovered from a mean population of 3·32?×?10⁷ colony-forming units/g of faeces. B. fragilis was shown to be the predominant Bacteroides species (45·3%), followed by B. distasonis (35·6%), B. vulgatus (8·9%), B. ovatus (2·5%) and B. stercoris (1·3%).

4. Among 204 bacterial isolates tested, high resistance to ampicillin (98·5%), norfloxacin (95·1%) and tetracycline (88·2%) were observed. High (89·7%) multi-drug resistance was observed to 3–7 of the tested drugs.

5. Components of the B. fragilis group were sub-dominant in broiler faecal microbiota, with a different species pattern compared with human and high antimicrobial multi-drug resistance.