Prevalence and risk factors for Giardia and coccidia species of pet cats in 2003-2004

Prevalence and risk factors for feline coccidia and Giardia species infections were estimated for cats visiting 434 Banfield hospitals in 40 states in 2003-2004. Evaluated were 631,021 cats making 1,456,712 office visits (encounters) and having 211,105 fecal examinations. The overall fecal prevalences of coccidia and Giardia species were 1.4% and 0.58%, respectively. Cats at increased risk of coccidia infection were under 4 years of age, intact, and seen during the summer, fall, and spring months compared to winter. Cats at increased risk of Giardia species infection were under 4 years of age. Those at decreased risk were mixed breed and seen during the summer, fall, and spring. The highest regional risk of coccidia and Giardia species infection was for cats in the East South Central region and Mountain region, respectively, compared to the South Pacific region.     

Detection of Campylobacter Antibodies in Sheep Sera by a Dot‐ELISA Using Acid Extracts from C. fetus ssp. fetus and C. jejuni Strains and Comparison with a Complement Fixation Test

In this study, a dot‐enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (Dot‐ELISA) was evaluated in comparison with a complement fixation test (CFT) for the detection of Campylobacter antibodies in sheep sera. Acid glycine extracts (AGE) of both Campylobacter fetus ssp. fetus and Campylobacter jejuni strains that had been isolated from the gall‐bladder of slaughtered sheep was used as antigen in both tests. A total of 153 sheep sera from aborted (74) and slaughtered (79) sheep were examined by both Dot‐ELISA and CFT. Twenty‐two sera showed anti‐complementary activity were not suitable for CFT. Of the 22 sera showing anti‐complementary activity, two sera were found to be positive in Dot‐ELISA. Eighty‐eight (67.2%) of the remaining 131 sera were negative by both Dot‐ELISA and CFT using AGE of both Campylobacter strains whereas 43 sera (32.8%) gave different reaction patterns in Dot‐ELISA and CFT with the extracts of both Campylobacter strains. Twelve sera were positive by both tests using AGE of C. fetus ssp. fetus but CFT failed to detect antibodies in nine of these sera when AGE of C. jejuni was used. Twelve sera were positive by both tests only when AGE of C. fetus ssp. fetus was used. Eleven sera were positive only by CFT. Seven of these reacted only with the AGE of C. fetus ssp. fetus and four sera were positive by using AGE of both Campylobacter strains. The remaining eight sera were found to be positive only by dot‐immunobinding assay either with the AGE of both Campylobacter strains or with the AGE of one of the Campylobacter strains. It is concluded that Dot‐ELISA using AGE from C. fetus ssp. fetus could be employed for the detection of Campylobacter antibodies in sheep sera and the additional use of AGE from C. jejuni as antigen appeared not to be profitable for this purpose.     

Radical scavenging and reducing ability of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) protein hydrolysates

Enzymatically hydrolyzed fish protein hydrolysates could be used as a source of antioxidative nutraceuticals. In our current work, we have investigated alkali-solubilized tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus) protein hydrolysates for their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and for their reducing power. Tilapia protein isolate was prepared by an alkaline solubilization technique and used as a substrate for enzyme hydrolysis. Cryotin, protease A 'Amano' 2, protease N 'Amano', Neutrase and Flavourzyme, were used separately to determine their effectiveness in hydrolyzing tilapia protein isolate. ROS scavenging ability was quantified using an isoluminol enhanced chemiluminescent assay in the presence of a) hydrogen peroxide or b) mononuclear cells isolated from human blood. Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC) of the hydrolysates using 2, 2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) or 2,2'-azinobis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), were also investigated. Results showed that, in general, the TEAC, FRAP values and ROS scavenging ability of the hydrolysates increased with an increase in the degree of hydrolysis. Among the different hydrolysates, those prepared using Cryotin were most effective and Amano A2 hydrolysates were least effective in scavenging ABTS*(+) and ROS generated by hydrogen peroxide. However, FRAP assay showed that hydrolysates prepared using Flavourzyme were most effective, and Amano N and Neutrase hydrolysates were least effective in reducing ferric ions. No significant difference was observed among the hydrolysates produced with different enzymes in their ability to scavenge ROS generated by phorbol myristate acetate stimulated mononuclear cells. These results shed light on the in vitro ROS scavenging ability of alkali solubilized tilapia protein hydrolysates, as well as potential nutraceutical use of these hydrolysates.     

Multivariate calibration for the determination of total azadirachtin-related limonoids and simple terpenoids in neem extracts using vanillin assay

Two-component and multivariate calibration techniques were developed for the simultaneous quantification of total azadirachtin-related limonoids (AZRL) and simple terpenoids (ST) in neem extracts using vanillin assay. A mathematical modeling method was also developed to aid in the analysis of the spectra and to simplify the calculations. The mathematical models were used in a two-component calibration (using azadirachtin and limonene as standards) for samples containing mainly limonoids and terpenoids (such as neem seed kernel extracts). However, for the extracts from other parts of neem, such as neem leaf, a multivariate calibration was necessary to eliminate the possible interference from phenolics and other components in order to obtain the accurate content of AZRL and ST. It was demonstrated that the accuracy of the vanillin assay in predicting the content of azadirachtin in a model mixture containing limonene (25% w/w) can be improved from 50% overestimation to 95% accuracy using the two-component calibration, while predicting the content of limonene with 98% accuracy. Both calibration techniques were applied to estimate the content of AZRL and ST in different parts of the neem plant. The results of this study indicated that the relative content of limonoids was much higher than that of the terpenoids in all parts of the neem plant studied.     

Phosphorus uptake and use efficiency in different varieties of bread wheat (Triticum Aestivum L)

Thirty spring wheat varieties were evaluated and classified into eight different groups on the basis of their grain yield performance and phosphorus (P) uptake using Metroglyph analysis. Significant variability was observed for grain and biomass yield, plant height, P content in grain and straw, total P uptake and phosphorus harvest index and P use efficiency traits. Varieties WH 711 and PBW 343 exhibited high grain yield as well as high P uptake (HGY-HP). WH 283 and UP 2425 with high index score of 19 and 16 respectively, constituted the high grain yield-medium P uptake (HGYMP) group. Both these varieties, though had similar grain yield of 5348 kg/ha, but WH 283 (12.64 kg/ha) utilized much lower P as compared to UP 2425 (16.94 kg/ha). Moreover, WH 283 (81.64) also showed higher values for phosphorus harvest index (PHI) than UP 2425 (67.88%). P uptake of WH 283 was comparable with that of Raj 3765 (10.78 kg/ha) and grouped into high grain yield and low P uptake (HGY-LP) group. The grain yield performance of these two varieties with a relatively low P uptake is reflected in their high index score for P use efficiency thus, earmarking them for low P regimes. Variety HW 2006, despite low grain yields of 4665 kg/ha had high index score of 16 due to its higher value for Phosphorus Biological (PBER) and Economic Yield (PEER) Efficiency Ratio as it has effected least (7.18 kg/ha) P mobilization. In addition high P translocation in the grain was also observed for this variety. Inter-mating of genotypes like HW 2006, UP 2338 and HW 2016 with those belonging to HGY-HP (PBW 343 and WH 711) and HGY-LP (Raj 3765 and WH 283) would be an ideal strategy to develop the cultivars for efficient phosphorus use.     

Novel mechanism of modulating natural antioxidants in functional foods: involvement of plant growth promoting Rhizobacteria NRRL B-30488

The significance of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) mediated increase in antioxidant potential in vegetables is yet unknown. The plant growth-promoting bacterium Bacillus lentimorbus NRRL B-30488 (B-30488) mediated induction of dietary antioxidant in vegetables ( Trigonella foenum-graecum, Lactuca sativa, Spinacia oleracea, and Daucus carota) and fruit ( Citrus sinensis) after minimal processing (fresh, boiled, and frozen) was tested by estimating the total phenol content, level of antioxidant enzymes, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and superoxide scavenging activities along with integral radical scavenging capacity by photochemiluminescence assay and inhibition of lipid peroxidation. Minimal processing of vegetables showed that T. foenum-graecum had the highest phenol content in B-30488-treated plants followed by L. sativa, D. carota, and S. oleracea. Thermally treated vegetables T. foenum-graecum (26-114.5 GAE microg mg (-1)) had an exceptionally high total phenolic content, followed by D. carota (25.27-101.32 GAE microg mg (-1)), L. sativa (23.22-101.10 GAE microg mg (-1)), and S. oleracea (21.87-87.57 GAE microg mg (-1)). Among the vegetables and fruit used in this study for enzymatic estimation, induction of antioxidant enzymes, namely, polyphenol oxidase (PPO), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), catalase (CAT), and superoxidase dismutase (SOD), was observed in edible parts of T. foenum-graecum, L. sativa, S. oleracea, and D. carota, after inoculation with B-30488. The scavenging capacity of the vegetables treated with B-30488 against DPPH and superoxide anion radical activity was found to be significantly high as compared to nontreated control. Mild food processing had no adverse effect on radical scavenging capacity. Photochemiluminescence also ascertains the above findings. The ability of the plant extracts to protect against lipid peroxidation and its ability to prevent oxidation of reduced glutathione (GSH) was measured in rat liver homogenate, and the results suggested that the inoculated plant exhibited better activity in all of the screened plants. Significant increases in shoot length, root length, and dry weight, averaging 164, 132, and 135% in T. foenum-graecum, 174, 141, and 156% in L. sativa, 129, 141, and 59%, in S. oleracea, and 125, 146, and 42% in D. carota, respectively, over untreated controls, were attained in greenhouse trials. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of PGPR-mediated induction of antioxidant enzyme activity (PPO, APX, CAT, and SOD) along with the antioxidant activity of the extracts in both in vitro (DPPH radical scavenging and superoxide scavenging) and ex vivo conditions using the rat liver tissue (percent inhibition of lipid peroxidation and prevention of oxidation of GSH) and phenolic content. The results demonstrate the PGPR-mediated induction of antioxidant level in vegetables and fruit controls oxidative damage even after minimal processing and thus is indicative of its potential as a viable substitute of synthetic antioxidants.     

Origins and genetic legacy of Neolithic farmers and hunter-gatherers in Europe

The farming way of life originated in the Near East some 11,000 years ago and had reached most of the European continent 5000 years later. However, the impact of the agricultural revolution on demography and patterns of genomic variation in Europe remains unknown. We obtained 249 million base pairs of genomic DNA from ~5000-year-old remains of three hunter-gatherers and one farmer excavated in Scandinavia and find that the farmer is genetically most similar to extant southern Europeans, contrasting sharply to the hunter-gatherers, whose distinct genetic signature is most similar to that of extant northern Europeans. Our results suggest that migration from southern Europe catalyzed the spread of agriculture and that admixture in the wake of this expansion eventually shaped the genomic landscape of modern-day Europe.     

Relationship between endometritis and oxidative stress in the follicular fluid and luteal function in the buffalo

In this study, alteration in the follicular fluid composition and luteal function was investigated in the buffalo with endometritis. Genitalia were classified into cytological and purulent endometritis on the basis of polymorphonuclear cell cut off while non‐endometritis served as control (n = 10/group). In the follicular phase, the number of surface follicles was counted, diameter of the largest follicle was measured and the follicular fluid was assayed for total protein, cholesterol, malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), oestradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P₄). The P₄ content of corpus luteum during mid‐luteal phase was estimated by radioimmunoassay. Ovaries from the follicular phase of oestrous cycle showed no significant difference in the total number of surface follicles, size of the largest follicle and volume of follicular fluid in the buffaloes with and without endometritis (p > .05). However, the antral fluid of the largest follicle from the genitalia of buffalo with cytological and purulent endometritis showed a significant decrease in the concentration of total protein, cholesterol, TAC and E₂ and a significant increase in the concentration of MDA and P₄ (p < .05). The results indicated that there is an association between endometritis and decreased ovarian function.