Biochemical responses to iron deficiency in kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa)

A comparative study of two kiwifruit genotypes (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev.) C.F. Liang et A.R. Ferguson var. deliciosa) with different tolerance to iron (Fe) deficiency was conducted to identify biochemical features associated with tolerance to Fe deficiency. After 14 days of growth in hydroponic culture under Fe-deficient and Fe-sufficient conditions, leaf chlorophyll concentration, activities of ferric chelate reductase (FCR), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and citrate synthase in root extracts, concentrations of organic acids in roots, leaves and xylem sap, and xylem sap pH were measured. In response to Fe deficiency, the tolerant genotype D1 showed: (i) higher FCR activity associated with a longer lasting induction of FCR; (ii) higher PEPC activity; (iii) higher concentrations of citric acid in roots; and (iv) lower xylem sap pH compared with the susceptible genotype Hayward. These findings imply that induction of FCR and PEPC activities in roots in response to Fe deficiency are important physiological adaptations enabling Fe-efficient kiwifruit plants to tolerate Fe deficiency.     

Effects of Biochar and Marble mud on Mine Waste Properties to Reclaim Tailing Ponds

The effects of biochar addition in improving soil physical properties are not clearly understood in mining tailings. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of three different types of biochars, in addition to marble mud (MM) and their mixtures, on the structural stability and water retention of mine wastes in Cartagena, Spain. Biochars were produced at 500 °C from pig manure (PM), cotton (Gossipium hirsutum L.) crop residues (CR) and municipal solid waste (MSW). Biochars were added to the mine waste (MW) along with MM and a control (no amendments added). These mixtures were incubated in cores for 90 days (25 °C). PM and CR mixed with MM decreased soil bulk density (from 0 · 98 g cm^‐3 to 0 · 89 and 0 · 84 g cm⁻³, respectively). Amendments had no significant effect on total porosity whereas they increased gas diffusion by 100%, except for MSW. MM improved the plant available water from 0 · 59 to 2 · 56 cm as its combination with biochars, extremely relevant in water scarce climates. The micropores were likely replaced by mesopores when application of PM, CR, MM, and biochars + MM and they improved water retention. Total carbon (TC) and total nitrogen (TN) increased by using biochars and MM and no significant effects were assessed on aggregates. In general, MM mixed with PM and CR derived biochar improved the structural stability and exhibited a strong impact in reclaiming physical quality on mine tailings. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Cocoa-enriched diet enhances antioxidant enzyme activity and modulates lymphocyte composition in thymus from young rats

Cocoa is a rich source of flavonoids, mainly (-)-epicatechin, (+)-catechin, and procyanidins. This article reports the effect of continuous cocoa intake on antioxidant capacity in plasma and tissues, including lymphoid organs and liver, from young rats. Weaned Wistar rats received natural cocoa (4% or 10% food intake) for three weeks, corresponding to their infancy. Flavonoid absorption was confirmed through the quantification of epicatechin metabolites in urine. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and the activity of antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase, were examined. Cocoa intake enhanced TAC in all tissues especially in thymus. Moreover, thymus SOD and catalase activities were also dose-dependently increased by cocoa. It was also analyzed whether the enhanced antioxidant system in thymus could influence its cellular composition. An increase in the percentage of thymocytes in advanced development stage was found. In summary, cocoa diet enhances thymus antioxidant defenses and influences thymocyte differentiation.     

Comparison of blood non-specific immune parameters in Bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) persistently infected and in immune heifers

Several data from different authors show that Bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) could be a key component in multiple-etiology diseases, indeed a lower leukocytes number and their impaired functions decrease the resistance to infections. However, most of the information on the impairment of immune function during BVDV infections arise from circumstantial evidence and from experimental infection studies, and few from field data. To assess the effects of BVDV on blood cells parameters, cellular and humoral functions under field conditions, we designed a controlled study in commercial dairy herds, comparing persistent infected (PI) and healthy heifers. A total of 45 heifers were considered, the PI animals were nine, the control animals were 34, while two controls were considered as acute infected animals. The comparison of the mean values in PI calves showed a significant decrease for leukocytes and granulocytes, while platelets showed a significant increase, when compared with control animals. The total number of lymphocytes decreased not significantly in PI animals, while the proportion significantly increased. The number and proportion of monocytes was significantly reduced in PI animals, when compared with controls. The data collected on markers of cellular immunity during our study cannot be compared with the literature because there are no reference values. The presence of a persistent infection affected the cellular enzymes: NAGase, lysozyme and respiratory burst showed a large statistically significant decrease in PI animals when compared with controls. The presence of a persistent infection with BVD virus influenced blood cells number and impaired some blood cell functions. Such impairment confirms that PI animals represent a threat to the herd not only because they could spread BVDV, but also because they are more susceptible to other infectious diseases.     

Effects of weight loss in obese cats on biochemical analytes related to inflammation and glucose homeostasis

The aim of the current study was to measure circulating metabolic and inflammation-related biochemical analytes in obese cats before and after weight loss. Thirty-seven overweight neutered cats were studied, median body weight 6.85 kg (range, 4.70 to 10.30 kg), representing a range of ages and both sexes. An individualized weight-loss program was devised for each cat and monitored until completion. Body fat mass was determined by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, whereas plasma concentrations of acute-phase proteins (APPs; eg, haptoglobin and serum amyloid A), hormones (eg, insulin, IGF-1, and adiponectin), and enzymes (eg, butyrylcholinesterase and paraoxonase type 1 [PON-1]) associated with inflammation and metabolic compounds (eg, glucose) were also measured. No significant changes were found in APPs after weight loss (P > 0.3), but significant increases in plasma adiponectin (P = 0.021) and IGF-1 (P = 0.036) were seen, whereas insulin (P < 0.001) and homeostasis model assessment (P = 0.005) decreased significantly. Plasma concentrations before weight loss of PON-1 (P = 0.004), adiponectin (P = 0.02), and IGF-1 (P = 0.048) were less in cats that failed to complete weight loss than cats that were successful, whereas glucose concentration was greater. Finally, multivariable linear regression analysis showed that lean tissue loss during weight management was associated with percentage weight loss (greater weight loss, greater lean tissue loss; R = 0.71, P < 0.001) and plasma adiponectin concentration before weight loss (lesser adiponectin, more lean tissue loss; R = -0.52, P = 0.023). In conclusion, various metabolic abnormalities occur in feline obesity, and these can be linked to outcomes of weight-loss programs. The changes that occur with weight loss suggest an improved metabolic status.     

Qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Leishmania in spleen samples from naturally infected dogs

Because infected dogs are widely considered to be the main domestic reservoir for Leishmania infantum (syn Leishmania chagasi) parasites in Brazil, the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) must be made both accurately and promptly. The present study attempted to standardize a conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) protocol for the detection of L. infantum DNA in canine spleen samples. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique was used to confirm the presence of Leishmania DNA in the canine spleen fragments. A comparison was made between the efficacies of these molecular diagnostic techniques and conventional parasitological and serological methods. cPCR protocols for spleen samples were standardized using primers that amplify a 145 bp fragment, located at the parasite kinetoplast minicircle. The genus specificity of the cPCR protocol was assessed by its inability to amplify the DNA of other common canine pathogens, such as Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis, Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma cruzi. cPCR protocol sensitivity was tested by assessing the reaction detection limit, determined to be 10 fg of L. infantum reference strain DNA, which corresponds to a range of 0.03-0.1 parasites per fragment. Standardized cPCR protocol was used to detect the presence of Leishmania in 45 dog spleen samples. Our results showed that 40% of the spleen fragment cultures were positive for Leishmania parasites, 58% of the dog serum samples tested positive using ELISA, and parasite DNA was detected in 44% using qPCR, while 47% of the spleen samples using cPCR. Diagnostic methods performance was assessed and revealed a better degree of ascertainment for cPCR when compared to other diagnostic methods. The sensitivity of ELISA was 83.3%, qPCR was 83.3%, and cPCR was 88.9%; PPV for ELISA was 57.7%, qPCR was 75% and cPCR was 76.2%; the Kappa coefficients were found to be 0.40 (fair) for ELISA, 0.64 (substantial) for qPCR and 0.68 (substantial) for cPCR. In both oligosymptomatic and polysymptomatic dogs, cPCR revealed the better performance analysis when compared to other diagnostic methods. The findings presented herein establish cPCR as the most indicated test to detect Leishmania when compared to the other two diagnostic methods evaluated. Despite the fact that the qPCR protocol provides a highly accurate quantification of parasites when targeting the SSU rRNA gene, this technique does not significantly improve the diagnosis of CVL when compared with the performance of the cPCR protocol, which focused on the kinetoplast minicircle.     

Betula pendula leaves: polyphenolic characterization and potential innovative use in skin whitening products

The research of new tyrosinase inhibitors is currently important for the development of skin whitening agents; particularly, birch leaves extracts are included in many skin cosmetic products. In this study, the potential ability of Betula pendula leaves ethanolic extract (BE) was evaluated on mushroom tyrosinase activity. Results showed that BE was capable to inhibit dose-dependently l-DOPA oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase. The inhibition kinetics, analyzed by Lineweaver-Burk plots, showed a noncompetitive inhibition of BE towards the enzyme, using l-DOPA as substrate. The inhibitory mechanism of BE as studied by spectrophotometric analysis, demonstrated its ability to chelate copper ion in the active site of tyrosinase. In addition, BE exhibited Fe(2+)-chelating ability (IC(50)=614.12±2.14 μg/mL), reducing power and radical-scavenging properties (IC(50)=137.22±1.98 μg/mL). These results suggest the usefulness of birch leaves extracts in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries for their skin-whitening and antioxidant effects. Determination of the polyphenolic compounds in BE extracts was afterward achieved by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with photodiode array (PDA) and mass spectrometry (MS) detection. A total of 25 compounds were positively identified, through the complementary analytical information, and are reported in such a matrix for the first time. Knowledge on the qualitative composition and contents of these natural sources in fact represents mandatory information, for rational consumption and correlation of the beneficial effects to the specific amounts.     

Long-term follow-up after weight management in obese dogs: the role of diet in preventing regain

Regain after weight loss is widely reported in humans, but there is little information on this phenomenon in dogs. The current study aim was to determine long-term success of a weight loss regime and those factors linked with regain. Thirty-three obese dogs, that had successfully lost weight, were included, all enrolled between December 2004 and May 2009. After weight loss, dogs were switched to a maintenance regime and follow-up weight checks were performed periodically. A review of cases that had completed their weight programme was held during the summer of 2010 and a follow-up check was subsequently conducted, where dogs were reweighed and information was collected on current feeding practices. Median duration of follow-up was 640 days (119-1828 days). Fourteen dogs (42%) maintained weight, 3 (9%) lost >5% additional weight, and 16 (48%) gained >5% weight. Dogs fed a purpose-formulated weight loss diet regained less weight than those switched onto a standard maintenance diet (P=0.0016). Energy intake at the time of follow-up was significantly higher in those dogs fed a standard maintenance diet, compared with those that had remained on a purpose-formulated weight loss diet (P=0.017). These results suggest that weight regain occurs in about half of dogs after successful weight loss. Long-term use of a purpose-formulated weight management diet can significantly limit regain in the follow-up period, likely by limiting food intake.     

Analytical performance of commercially-available assays for feline insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), adiponectin and ghrelin measurements

The objective of this study was to evaluate three commercially-available human assays for the determination of adiponectin, ghrelin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) concentrations in feline serum samples. Intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were lower than 20%, 15% and 6% for adiponectin, ghrelin and IGF-1 assays, respectively. Dilutions of feline serum pools resulted in linear regression equations in all kits. Mean recovery of adiponectin, ghrelin and IGF-1 assays were 107%, 102% and 105%, respectively. Significant differences were detected in adiponectin and ghrelin concentrations between lean and obese cats (P <0.05 in both cases), but there was no difference in IGF-1 concentrations (P = 0.12).     

Quality of life is reduced in obese dogs but improves after successful weight loss

Obesity is thought to affect quality of life, but limited objective data exist to support this supposition. The current study aim was to use a questionnaire to determine health-related quality of life (HRQOL) both before and after weight loss, in obese client-owned dogs. Fifty obese dogs were included, and represented a variety of breeds and genders. Prior to weight loss, owners were asked to complete a validated standardised questionnaire to determine HRQOL. Thirty of the dogs successfully completed their weight loss programme and reached target, and owners then completed a follow-up questionnaire. The completed questionnaire responses were transformed to scores corresponding to each of four factors (vitality, emotional disturbance, anxiety and pain), and scored on a scale of 0-6. Changes in the scores were used to explore the sensitivity of the questionnaire, and scores were correlated with responses to direct questions about quality of life and pain, as well as weight loss. Dogs that failed to complete their weight loss programme had lower vitality and higher emotional disturbance scores than those successfully losing weight (P=0.03 for both). In the 30 dogs that completed, weight loss led to an increased vitality score (P<0.001), and decreased scores for both emotional disturbance (P<0.001) and pain (P<0.001). However, there was no change in anxiety (P=0.09). The change in vitality score was positively associated with percentage weight loss (r(P)=0.43, P=0.02) and percentage body fat loss (r(P)=0.39, P=0.03). These results indicate demonstrable improvement in HRQOL for obese dogs that successfully lose weight.