Chlorogenic acid moderately decreases the quality of whey proteins in rats

During processing and storage, phenolic compounds (PCs) may react with food protein bound amino acids (AAs). Such reactions have been reported to change physicochemical and to decrease in vitro digestion properties of proteins. A rat growth and nitrogen (N) balance study was conducted to prove whether derivatization with chlorogenic acid (CA) affects the nutritional quality of beta-lactoglobulin (beta-LG). Test diets (10% protein level) contained nonderivatized beta-LG (LG, treated under omission of CA), low derivatization level beta-LG (LGL), high derivatization level beta-LG (LGH), or casein supplemented with l-methionine (0.3% of diet; C+met) as an internal standard. An additional group received untreated beta-LG supplemented with pure CA (1.03% of diet; LG+CA). The AA composition of test proteins, plasma AAs, and liver glutathione (GSH) concentrations were determined. Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) was calculated using human or rat AA requirement patterns and rat fecal digestibility values. N excretion was significantly higher in feces and lower in urine of rats fed with LGH as compared to LG and LGL. Consequently, true N digestibility (TND) was significantly lower with LGH as compared to LG and LGL. The lower content of methionine, cysteine, lysine, and tryptophan in LGH corresponded to a reduced TND. Net protein utilization (NPU) was not different between treated beta-LG fed diet groups but was lower than in LG+CA and C+met fed groups. Only at a relatively high level of derivatization with CA, the otherwise good nutritional quality of beta-LG is affected so that TND is reduced, while NPU still remains unaffected. Derivatization of beta-LG with CA does not seem to lead to an additional deficiency in a specific indispensable AA in growing rats fed with 10% protein.     

Bioassays for the ecotoxicological and genotoxicological assessment of contaminated soils (Results of a round-robin test)

For the assessment of contaminated or remediated soils, aside from chemical analyses, ecotoxicological tests are performed which focus on the retention function of soils (determined by tests with aqueous soil extracts) and on the habitat function (determined by tests with soil). Whereas numerous tests exist as standardized guidelines for identifying the effect of chemicals, this is not the case for the assessment of soil quality. A round-robin test was performed to monitor the comparability of the results from ecotoxicological test methods on soils and to facilitate the standardization of corresponding test methods. Four contaminated soils were tested using a total number of fifteen test systems, including ecotoxicological and genotoxicological tests with soil extracts and soil. In the second part of this publication series, the results obtained from the tests with soil microorganisms and soil fauna are presented.     

Reoccurrence of histomonosis in turkey breeder farm

Histomonosis is a severe disease caused by the protozoan parasite Histomonas (H.) meleagridis, which can lead to high losses in turkeys. The present report describes the reoccurrence of histomonosis in a turkey breeder farm. The first outbreak occurred in 2005 in 17 weeks old hens, the second in 2009 in 8 weeks old hens. The disease remained restricted in one house and one compartment, respectively. Mortality rose to 26 and 65% respectively within few days in spite of therapy with various compounds. Both flocks had to be euthanized. In both cases H. meleagridis belonging to genotype A was detected. The source of infection remained unclear in both cases.     

Evaluation of carbon dioxide anaesthesia for the castration of male suckling piglets by stress hormone concentrations, behaviour and clinical factors

The objective of this study was to examine the effect of an anaesthesia using 70% carbon dioxide and 30% oxygen on endocrine stress reaction, behaviour and clinical parameters of male suckling piglets during castration. One hundred and seventy one male piglets, three to five days of age, were allocated to two experiments. They were assigned either to the procedures control handling, control castration, handling under anaesthesia or castration under anaesthesia in each experiment. In Experiment 1, adrenaline and noradrenaline plasma concentrations were measured in blood samples taken before (-15 min) and after (immediately, 2 min) handling/castration. In Experiment 2, behavioural observations and clinical parameters such as heart and respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, reflexes and recovery time were assessed at several sampling times. Measurement of adrenaline and noradrenaline concentrations revealed an increase in all groups after handling/castration (p < 0.0167), but higher concentrations were seen in the anaesthetized groups (25 to 93 times) than in control groups (two to four times). The excessive endocrine reaction suggests that carbon dioxide inhalation causes a more stressful situation in piglets compared to castration without anaesthesia. Behavioural abnormalities, significant decreases in the heart rate, the respiratory rate and the oxygen saturation (p < or = 0.001) including a cardiac arrhythmia (extrasystoles) underline the impression that CO2 inhalation anaesthesia negatively affects animal welfare. Based on the results of this study, this anaesthetic method is unsuitable to reduce stress induced by castration. Further research on alternatives is necessary to ensure the well-being of the piglets during castration.     

Antitrypanosomal sesquiterpene lactones from Saussurea costus

In the course of a larger screen of 1800 plant and fungal extracts, the ethyl acetate extract of Saussurea costus roots potently inhibited the growth of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense. Subsequent HPLC based activity profiling led to the identification of the sesquiterpene lactones arbusculin B (1), α-cyclocostunolide (2), costunolide (3), and dehydrocostuslactone (4). They were tested for in vitro antitrypanosomal activities and cytotoxicity alongside the structurally related sesquiterpene lactones parthenolide (5), zaluzanin D (6), and eupatoriopicrin (7), and had IC₅₀s between 0.8 and 22 μM. Cytotoxic IC₅₀s were from 1.6 to 19 μM, and selectivity indices from 0.5 to 6.5.     

Equine cervical intervertebral disc degeneration is associated with location and MRI features

Morphology of the equine cervical intervertebral disc is different from that in humans and small companion animals and published imaging data are scarcely available. The objectives of this exploratory, methods comparison study were (a) to describe MRI features of macroscopically nondegenerated and degenerated intervertebral discs (b) to test associations between spinal location and macroscopic degeneration or MRI‐detected annular protrusion and between MRI‐detected annular protrusion and macroscopic degeneration, and (c) to define MRI sequences for characterizing equine cervical intervertebral disc degeneration. Ex vivo MRI of intervertebral discs was performed in 11 horses with clinical signs related to the cervical region prior to macroscopic assessment. Mixed‐effect logistic regression modeling included spinal location, MRI‐detected annular protrusion, and presence of macroscopic degeneration with “horse” as random effect. Odds ratio and 95% confidence interval were determined. Reduced signal intensity in proton density turbo SE represented intervertebral disc degeneration. Signal voids due to presence of gas and/or hemorrhage were seen in gradient echo sequences. Presence of macroscopic intervertebral disc degeneration was significantly associated with spinal location with odds being higher in the caudal (C5 to T1) versus cranial (C2 to C5) part of the cervical vertebral column. Intervertebral discs with MRI‐detected annular protrusion grades 2‐4 did have higher odds than with grade 1 to have macroscopic degeneration. It was concluded that MRI findings corresponded well with gross macroscopic data. Magnetic resonance imaging of the equine cervical intervertebral disc seems to be a promising technique, but its potential clinical value for live horses needs to be explored further in a larger and more diverse population of horses.     

Functional expression of the free fatty acids receptor-1 and -4 (FFA1/GPR40 and FFA4/GPR120) in bovine endometrial cells

Veterinary Research Communications - Endometrial epithelial cells play a key defensive role as part of the innate immune response of cow uterus. An association between risk of acquiring infectious...