Hepatotoxicity to dogs of horse meat contaminated with indospicine

SUMMARY: An outbreak of liver disease which killed more than 30 dogs at Alice Springs was associated with feeding meat from horses, some of which had developed Indigofera linnaei poisoning (Birdsville horse disease). Affected livers were small, nodular and yellow. There was associated jaundice, ascites, elevation of alanine aminotransferase levels in serum, a tendency to bleed, and signs of hepatic encephalopathy. Histologically, livers showed periacinar necrosis, collapse and haemorrhage, with severe swelling, vacuolation and cholestasis in remaining hepatocytes. Indospicine, a toxic amino acid found in the genus Indigofera, was detected in samples of suspect horsemeat. Experimental feeding of horsemeat containing 16 mg indospicine/kg for 32 days produced periacinar necrosis and hepatocellular swelling in 2 dogs, although neither died nor showed clinical illness. In another experiment, intakes of as little as 0.13 mg indospicine/kg bodyweightlday for 70 days produced periacinar liver lesions, and indospicine concentrations in serum, muscle and liver rose during this period to 3.9, 7.9 and 17.5 mg/kg, respectively. It was concluded that meat from horses grazing l. linnael can be hepatotoxic for dogs, and that this toxicity may be related to its indospicine content.     

Development and study of a maize cultivar rich in anthocyanins: coloured polenta,a new functional food

Among the phytonutrients, anthocyanins have been extensively studied because of their antioxidant power, the characteristic supposedly responsible for their capacity for chronic disease prevention. Anthocyanins can also be synthesized in maize even though in Europe the colourless varieties have always been preferred. The aim of this study was to develop and characterize a new polenta variety of maize rich in anthocyanins, bred by a recurrent selection scheme, to increase the antioxidant power of this food. The recurrent selection was based on the anthocyanin content and other specific traits of the kernel. The coloured polenta obtained was analysed by TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography) analysis and DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging ability, before and after cooking. The results obtained showed that even though cooking reduced the anthocyanin content by about 22%, the remaining anthocyanins exhibited twofolds higher antioxidant capacity, expressed as ARP (antiradical power) using acetone/water extraction buffer in DPPH assay, compared to the colourless control. Furthermore, our data showed that the anthocyanin content did not alter the taste of the coloured polenta.     

Genetic identification of horse mackerel and related species in seafood products by means of forensically informative nucleotide sequencing methodology

In the present study, a methodology based on the amplification of a fragment of mitochondrial cytochrome b and subsequent phylogenetic analysis (FINS: forensically informative nucleotide sequencing) to genetically identify horse mackerels have been developed. This methodology makes possible the identification of more than 20 species belonging to the families Carangidae, Mullidae, and Scombridae. The main novelty of this work lies in the longest number of different horse mackerel species included and in the applicability of the developed methods to all kinds of processed products that can be found by consumers in markets around the world, including those that have undergone intensive processes of transformation, as for instance canned foods. Finally, the methods were applied to 15 commercial samples, all of them canned products. Therefore, these methods are useful for checking the fulfillment of labeling regulations for horse mackerels and horse mackerel products, verifying the correct traceability in commercial trade, and fisheries control.     

A canine distemper virus seroprevalence study of dogs on three islands in the Torres Strait region,Australia

Canine distemper virus (CDV) can cause mortality in domestic dogs, which is easily prevented by the consistent application of vaccination protocols. The aim of this study was to determine if the dog populations of three strategically located islands in the Torres Strait of Australia, adjacent to Papua New Guinea, are infected by CDV. Eighty-four serum samples were collected from 70 dogs resident on Saibai, Dauan and Boigu Islands during 2017–2018. Sera were tested for CDV antibodies by a virus neutralization test (VNT). Overall, 7 (8.3%) sera from 6 (8.6%) dogs resident on all three islands were test positive. VNT titres ranged from 20 to >1280. Male adult dogs were more commonly seropositive than female and juvenile dogs. Considering the origin and age of test positive dogs, and veterinary visits to these islands, it was concluded that there is evidence of exposure to a field strain of CDV – rather than previous vaccination – in 4 of the 70 dogs (5.7%) tested in this study. Given the strategic location of these islands in a zone of high biosecurity risk, ongoing surveillance of pathogens such as CDV could inform on potential disease spread pathways in this region. In addition, the presence of high serological titres in the apparent absence of clinical disease requires further investigation.