Avulsion of the common retinaculum in meat turkeys

An increase in leg condemnations was experienced in several commercial meat flocks of male and female turkeys. Affected legs had hematomas around and above the tibiotarsus-tarsometatarsus (hock) joint. Avulsion of the common retinaculum from the external condyle was observed when the skin and muscular fascia were removed. A farm investigation was performed and similar changes were observed in turkeys between 10 and 19 wk of age. Interestingly, birds with avulsion of this fibrinous bridge were not lame. Body weights were normal, no infectious agent was detected, and mineral contents of bones and tendons were within normal limits. Avulsion of the retinaculum might not have been diagnosed in the past because the birds are not lame and the lesion is tightly covered by the skin and muscular fascia.     

Effect of feeding green onions (Allium ascalonicum) to White Chinese geese (Threskiornis spinicollis).

Sudden increase in mortality was observed in 2 different flocks of mature breeder geese fed green onions. At necropsy, birds had pale epicardium with random petechiation, sanguinous fluid accumulation in the pericardial sac, and mild swelling of the liver and spleen. Histologically, there was accumulation of hemosiderin in hepatocytes, Kupffer cells of the liver, macrophages, and renal tubules. There was also moderate to severe hepatic necrosis, vacuolation of hepatocytes, splenitis, and renal tubular nephrosis. To assess the effects of green onion ingestion, 2 feeding trials were carried out in 3 mature White Chinese geese. In the first trial, onions were thoroughly mixed with pellet maintenance ration. In the second trial, onions were offered in a separate trough from the pelleted diet. During the 21 days of experiments, the red blood cell count and hematocrit decreased, whereas the polychromasia and reticulocyte estimate increased. The blood changes were more marked in birds from the second feeding trial. Gross and histologic changes were similar in both trials. Mild swelling and severe darkening of the liver were the only significant findings at necropsy. Histologically, the liver looked similar to that seen from the field outbreak. The liver contained moderate amounts of hemosiderin in the hepatocytes and Kupffer cells, and had centrolobular necrosis and vacuolation of hepatocytes. This experimental study demonstrated that anemia and liver pathology could be caused by ingestion of onions. Furthermore, Heinz bodies are not a consistent finding in the blood of geese fed onions.     

Antimicrobial activity of Diospyros anisandra

Leaves, root and stem bark of Diospyros anisandra were screened against two strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, one resistant and one susceptible to antibiotics, using the microplate Alamar blue assay test. The lypophylic fractions of the root and bark showed significant inhibitory activity against both strains, with the hexane fraction of the bark showing the strongest activity (MIC 6.25 microg/ml) against the resistant strain and a significant antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Candida albicans, Aspergillus niger, and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The bioassay-guided purification of the bioactive hexane fraction resulted in the isolation and identification of the naphthoquinone plumbagin as one of the metabolites responsible for the biological activity.     

Effect of vitamin C and astaxanthin on stress and disease resistance of postlarval tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius)

Postlarvae of tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon (Fabricius), were fed semipurified diets supplemented with various levels of astaxanthin (AX) and ascorbic acid-polyphosphate (ApP): three groups were fed 230 mg AX kg^?1 diet combined with 100, 1700 and 3400 mg ascorbic acid (AA) kg^?1 diet, respectively; two diets contained 810 mg AX kg^?1 mixed with 200 and 1700 mg AA kg^?1, respectively. Each treatment was run in four replicates. Incorporated levels of AA and AX, production output, and physiological condition were recorded after 4 weeks of feeding. Whole-body AA (21-47 μg g^?1) and AX, concentrations (19-35 μgg^?1) were linked to dietary ApP and AX supply, respectively, although not significantly for the latter. The biomass of the group receiving the lower dietary ApP-AX combination was significantly lower than for all other treatments, i.e. 3.1 versus 3.9 g, respectively. In the groups fed 230 mg AX kg^?1 diet, significant differences in stress resistance were observed according to the dietary ApP level, i.e. raising the vitamin C content in the feed from 100 to 3400 mg AA kg^?1 resulted in a concomitant drop in mortality after an osmotic shock. For the treatments receiving 810 mg AX kg^?1 diet, the beneficial effect of extra dietary vitamin C was not significant. An increase in the dietary AX for shrimp fed comparable ApP levels resulted in a significant drop of the stress index from 56 to 33 (cumulative mortality index). An increased resistance to salinity shock was demonstrated in association with supplementation of high dietary AA or AX levels. No conclusive results regarding possible improved disease resistance could be made since no mortality was observed after a disease challenge with Vibrio harveyi.     

Molecular survey of selected viruses in Pudus (Pudu puda) in Chile revealing first identification of caprine herpesvirus—2 (CpHV-2) in South American ungulates

Viral diseases jeopardize the health of wildlife in Chile. However, this country lacks health surveillance programs that allow for defining preventive measures to tackle such diseases. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence and the genetic diversity of pestivirus, herpesvirus and adenovirus in pudus from Chile. Blood samples from wild (n=34) and captive (n=32) pudus were collected between 2011 and 2019 and analyzed through consensus PCR. All the samples were negative to pestivirus and adenovirus. Herpesvirus was confirmed in four captive, and one wild pudu. All four zoo animals share the same sequence for both polymerase and glycoprotein genes. Both sequences share a 100% identity with caprine herpesvirus-2, classifying them in the same cluster as the Macavirus group. In turn, novel sequences of the polymerase and glycoprotein B genes were obtained from the wild pudu. Our study reports the first evidence of CpHV-2 infection in Chile and South American ungulate populations. Further research will be necessary to assess the pathogenicity of CpHV-2 in this species. It is also urgently recommended that molecular, serological and pathological screening should be conducted in Chilean wild and captive pudus to understand the impact of the herpesvirus on their populations.     

A Non-digestible Fraction of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis During Early Carcinogenesis

We have previously demonstrated that the non-digestible fraction (NDF) from common cooked beans (P. vulgaris L., cv Negro 8025) inhibits azoxymethane (AOM)-induced colon cancer and influences the expression of genes involved in the induction of apoptosis and cell cycle arrest through the action of butyrate. The objective of this study was to identify cell cycle alterations and morphological changes induced by treatment with AOM and to examine the formation of colonic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in male Sprague Dawley rats fed with these beans. Rats were fed control diets upon arrival and were randomly placed into four groups after one week of acclimatization: control, NDF (intragastric administration), NDF?+?AOM and AOM. Rats treated with NDF?+?AOM exhibited a significantly lower number of total colonic ACF with a notable increase in the number of cells present in the G₁ phase (83.14 %); a decreased proliferation index was observed in the NDF?+?AOM group when compared to AOM group. NDF?+?AOM also displayed a higher number of apoptotic cells compared to AOM group. NDF of cooked common beans inhibited colon carcinogenesis at an early stage by inducing cell cycle arrest of colon cells and morphological changes linked to apoptosis, thus confirming previous results obtained with gene expression studies.     

Effects of feeding frequency on intake, ruminal fermentation, and feeding behavior in heifers fed high-concentrate diets

Four ruminally fistulated Holstein heifers (BW = 385 +/- 6.2 kg) were used in a 4 x 4 Latin square experiment to determine the effect of feeding frequency on intake, water consumption, ruminal fermentation, and feeding and animal behavior. The treatments consisted of different feeding frequencies: a) once daily (T1); b) twice daily (T2); c) 3 times daily (T3); and d) 4 times daily (T4). Heifers were offered ad libitum access to concentrate and barley straw. Feeding frequency did not affect DMI (P >0.10), but water consumption tended to increase linearly as feeding frequency increased (P = 0.08). Average ruminal pH was not affected (P >0.10) by feeding frequency, but at 12 h after feeding ruminal pH was greater for T2 than for the other treatments. Total VFA concentration and VFA proportions were not affected (P >0.10) by feeding frequency, except valerate proportion, which increased linearly (P = 0.05) as feeding frequency increased. The concentration of ammonia-N was affected (P <0.05) cubically as feeding frequency increased (greatest for T3 = 9.3 mg of N/100 mL; lowest for T2 = 7.2 mg of N/100 mL). Feeding frequency had no effect on daily percentages of behavioral activities (P >0.05), except for observational behavior, for which there was a linear decrease as feeding frequency increased (P = 0.02). Heifers spent the same time on chewing activities, independent of feeding frequency. However, meal criteria tended to be affected (P = 0.07) by feeding frequency, with T2 (39.4 min) showing the longest intermeal interval. Total daily meal time, meal frequency, and meal size were not affected by feeding frequency (P >0.10), whereas meal length and eating rate showed cubic tendencies (P = 0.10 and P = 0.06, respectively) as feeding frequency increased. These results suggest that in the present experimental conditions, with heifers fed high-concentrate diets and with noncompetitive feeding, a smaller range of ruminal pH values was observed when feed was offered twice daily. Although heifers spent the same time on chewing activities, more stable ruminal conditions were probably achieved by feeding twice daily due to the rumination pattern, which was more constant during daytime in T2 than in T1. Moreover, when daytime and nighttime ruminating activity were analyzed separately, this activity was different in T1 (17.3 vs. 30.8%, respectively; P <0.05) but not in T2 (21.5 vs. 28.0%, respectively; P >0.05).     

Variations in landscape patterns and vegetation cover between 1957 and 1994 in a semiarid Mediterranean ecosystem

The aim of this study was to analyze the main processes that determine changes in landscape patterns and vegetation cover from 1957-1994 to develop a model for land cover dynamics. Land cover and landscape patterns were assessed and compared using aerial photographs taken in 1957, 1985, and 1994. Over this period, tall grass steppe and arid garrigues increased by 6% and 4%, respectively, while crop fields decreased by 15% and tall arid brush remained the same. Over the same period, tall grass steppes and arid garrigues became less fragmented.Changes in land use were triggered by socioeconomic forces, which were constrained by the underlying structure of the physical landscape. The best preserved vegetation (tall arid brushes) was concentrated at higher elevations, with a pronounced slope, not oriented towards the sea, and in volcanic substrate. Communities tended to be better preserved further away from towns and at lower house densities. Tall grass steppe was present on more gradual sea-oriented slope and in calcareous substrate, and increased at higher elevations, although not far from the town but away from high anthropogenic influence. Previous studies have revealed that traditional land uses of this landscape, particularly grazing, favoured the transition from tall arid brush to tall grass steppe. In this study, we analyzed to what extent the underlying structure of the physical landscape imposes limitations to the vulnerability to human activity of the main vegetation types. According to the data on the probability of vegetation transition over the 37-year period, the shift from tall arid brush to tall grass steppe appeared to be favoured by gradual slopes. Tall arid brush recovered from either arid garrigues or tall grass steppes at steeper slopes. Thus, steep terrain had a favourable effect on the formation of brushwood and more gradual terrain favoured tall grass steppe. The prevalent trends were confirmed by a projection of a transition matrix over 100 years.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.