Sodium alginate supplementation modulates gut microbiota,health parameters,growth performance and growth‐related gene expression in Malaysian Mahseer Tor tambroides

This study investigated the effects of sodium alginate supplementation on gut microbiota composition, health parameters, growth performances and growth‐related gene expression of Malaysian mahseer. Five test diets were formulated by supplementing 0%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.8% sodium alginate. Triplicate groups of juvenile Tor tambroides (2.19 ± 0.05 g) were stocked in 15 aquaria (20 individuals per aquarium) and fed at 3.0% body weight per day for 60 days. PCoA and UPGMA analysis showed that gut bacterial community were more convergence in higher sodium alginate‐supplemented diets. The percentage of Porphyromonadaceae, Bacteroides, Plesiomonas and Shewanella were substantially higher and Aeromonas, Entomoplasmatales and Prevotellaceae were drastically lower in higher sodium alginate (0.2%–0.8%) diets. Sodium alginate supplementation (≥0.2%) significantly improved the haematocrit value and respiratory burst activity of T. tambroides. Growth performances and feed utilization were significantly higher in 0.2%–0.4% sodium alginate‐supplemented diets. The increased growth rate of T. tambroides was governed by both hyperplastic and hypertrophic muscle growth. Real‐time PCR data demonstrated that most of the growth‐related genes were significantly upregulated in 0.2%–0.4% sodium alginate‐supplemented diet. Finally, it can be concluded that sodium alginate should be supplemented at 2 g/kg in practical fish feed formulation.     

Effects of dietary selenium on growth performance and oxidative stress in juvenile grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idellus

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary selenium (Se) on feed intake, weight gain and antioxidant activity in juvenile grass carp (11.2 ± 0.03 g). Six Se levels (0.13, 0.41, 0.56, 1.12, 2.18 and 4.31 mg/kg) of semi‐purified diets were assayed in triplicate. The maximum weight gain, specific growth rate and feed intake were obtained in fish fed with 1.12 mg Se/kg diet. Hepatic glutathione peroxidase activity was markedly increased when dietary Se ≤1.12 mg/kg diet and reached a plateau when dietary Se ≥1.12 mg/kg diet. Hepatic superoxide dismutase and serum catalase activities in juvenile grass carp fed with 0.56, 1.12 and 2.18 mg Se/kg diets were all significantly higher than those in the other groups. The malondialdehyde content in liver and serum was firstly decreased and then increased with increasing dietary Se content, and the lowest content was observed in fish fed with 1.12 mg Se/kg diet. With the increase in Se level, the activities of serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase were reduced. In addition, serum alkaline phosphatase activity and albumin content were highest in fish fed with 1.12 mg Se/kg diet. This study indicated that both the Se deficiency and excess of Se caused negative effect on the oxidative stress in juvenile grass carp and suggested that the health‐giving concentration of dietary inorganic Se was 1.12 mg/kg diet. Moreover, based on the broken‐line regression analysis of weight gain, the optimal concentration of dietary inorganic Se was 0.83 mg/kg for juvenile grass carp.     

丁酸钠对脂多糖诱导的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系炎性损伤的修复作用

本研究拟通过分析丁酸钠对脂多糖(LPS)诱导的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系(MAC-T细胞)炎性损伤的修复作用,进一步从体外角度阐述丁酸钠对奶牛乳腺健康的调控机制。在MAC-T细胞中添加不同浓度(0、1、10、100、1 000、10 000 ng/mL)的LPS,检测细胞活力,以确定LPS的适宜浓度,建立细胞氧化损伤模型;并进一步在MAC-T细胞中添加不同浓度(0、2、4、8、16、32μmol/L)的丁酸钠,检测细胞凋亡率,以确定丁酸钠的适宜浓度。最终选用1 000 ng/mL LPS和16μmol/L丁酸钠用于本试验。试验分为3组,分别为对照组、LPS处理组和LPS+丁酸钠处理组,分别对其细胞形态、氧化应激指标及凋亡蛋白mRNA表达水平进行检测。结果表明：1)对照组MAC-T细胞呈扁平的无规则形态,贴壁状态良好;而LPS处理组MAC-T细胞核固缩、破裂,并出现大面积死亡脱落现象;LPS+丁酸钠处理组MAC-T细胞边缘清楚,胞内颗粒较少,死亡脱落现象明显减少。2)与对照组相比,LPS处理组MAC-T细胞中超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性和总抗氧化力(T-AOC)显著降低(P<0.05),丙...     

盐藻运动特性及其影响因素

为了揭示盐藻的运动特性,在不同条件下观察了玻璃U形管两端盐藻的密度变化。结果表明,盐藻运动受光照、ATP、丙二酸钠和粘度的影响。盐藻具有向光源方向聚集的运动特性;供给ATP时盐藻运动加速,加入丙二酸钠时盐藻运动减慢,盐藻的运动是一个消耗能量的过程;增加介质粘稠度会使其运动速度减慢。     

Clinical efficacy of diclofenac sodium and flunixin meglumine as adjuncts to antibacterial treatment of respiratory disease of calves

Objective To compare the efficacy of the non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, diclofenac sodium and flunixin meglumine as adjuncts to the antibiotic treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). Procedure We randomly allocated 80 Holstein calves with BRD to three groups. All the calves received a dose of 2.5 mg/kg tulathromycin by single subcutaneous injection and two of the groups received, in addition, either 2.5 mg/kg diclofenac sodium as a single intramuscular injection (diclofenac group, n = 30) or 2.2 mg/kg flunixin meglumine as an intravenous injection on the first three consecutive days after tulathromycin administration (flunixin group, n = 30). All calves were given a clinical score prior to initial treatment (day 0) and after treatment (days 1, 2, 3, 7 and 14) by observing appetite, demeanour, rectal temperature, the rate and type of respiration, presence or absence of coughing, and nasal discharge. Results During the first 48 h, improvement of adverse signs of respiratory disease, such as pyrexia and elevated respiratory rate, and of a high clinical index score was significant in the two adjunct groups compared with the calves receiving antibiotic alone. The reduction in pyrexia was greatest in the diclofenac group. There were no statically significant differences between treatment groups with regard to eventual perceived recovery from respiratory disease in 14 days. Conclusion In this trial, a single intramuscular dose of diclofenac sodium was equally effective as three intravenous injections of flunixin meglumine given on consecutive days as adjunctive therapy for BRD.     

Specificity of polycllonal and monoclonal antibodies for the identification of Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris

Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies (PCAs and MCAs), produced to whole cells and flagellar extracts ofXanthomonas campestris pv.campestris (Xcc), respectively, were tested for specificity. In immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) the three PCAs tested, reacted at low dilutions with all Xcc strains, some other xanthomonads and non-xanthomonads. At higher dilutions most cross-reactivity with non-xanthomonad strains disappeared. However, the cross-reactivity with strains ofX. c. pv.vesicatoria (Xcv),X. c. pv.amoraciae (Xca) andX. c. pv.phaseoli var. fuscans (Xcpf) remained.Six MCA-producing cell clones viz. 20H6, 2F4, 18G12, 10C5, 17C12 and 16B5 were selected for specificity tests with an enzyme immunoassay (EIA), IF and a dot-blot immunoassay (DBI). None of the MCAs reacted with all Xcc strains in IF and EIA. In DBI, only MCAs 17C12 and 16B5 reacted with all Xcc strains. All six MCAs tested, cross-reacted in one of either tests with other pathovars ofX. campestris, such as Xcv or Xca. The MCAs were also tested in immunoblotting experiments using total bacterial extracts, cell envelope and flagellar extracts. MCAs 20H6, 2F4, 18G12 and 10C5 reacted with the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Xcc. MCAs 16B5 and 17C12 reacted with a 39 kilodalton and a 29 kilodalton protein, respectively.It is concluded that the PCAs and MCAs discussed in this study may be used for routine identification and differentiation of (a group of) Xcc strains. The significance of the cross-reactions with other pathovars ofX. campestris needs to be determined by testing seed lots.     

The induction of 1,3-β-glucanases and other enzymes in groundnut leaves infected with Cercospora arachidicola

Infection of groundnut leaves with the early leaf spot pathogen Cercospora arachidicola leads to a marked increase in extracellular 1,3-β-glucanase activity, limited to the infected tissue. Three isoforms of low molecular weight and extreme pI values, typical of pathogenesis-related proteins, were induced. These β-glucanases, when acting together, were capable of degrading the pathogen cell wall in vitro. Glucanases from homogenates of infected leaf tissue were partially purified by ion-exchange chromatography to give enzymes with molecular weights of 35, 32 and 20 kDa and pI values of 3·8, 3·6 and > 9, respectively. They were electrophoretically identical to the β-glucanases found in the intercellular washing fluid. Treatment of groundnut plants with 200 μM mercuric chloride induced the accumulation of identical extracellular β-glucanases. During the course of the infection an increase in peroxidase activity was also observed, but chitinase activity remained more or less constant.     

Modulation of sodium channels by the oxadiazine insecticide indoxacarb and its N-decarbomethoxylated metabolite in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons

The effects of the oxadiazine insecticide indoxacarb and its N-decarbomethoxylated metabolite (DCJW) on tetrodotoxin-resistant (TTX-R) voltage-gated sodium channels in rat dorsal ganglion neurons were studied using the whole-cell patch clamp technique. Indoxacarb and DCJW suppressed the peak amplitude of action potentials, and DCJW exhibited a faster time course and higher potency than indoxacarb in the blocking effects. In voltage-clamp experiments, indoxacarb and DCJW suppressed TTX-R sodium currents in a time-dependent manner without a steady-state level of suppression. IC50 values for indoxacarb and DCJW on TTX-R sodium currents were estimated to be 10.7 and 0.8 microM after 25 min of bath application, respectively. DCJW was about 10 times more potent than indoxacarb in blocking TTX-R sodium currents. Although the suppressive effects of indoxacarb were partially reversible after washout with drug-free external solution, no recovery of sodium current was observed in DCJW treated neurons after prolonged washout. In current-voltage relationships, both indoxacarb and DCJW blocked the sodium currents to the same degree in the entire range of membrane potentials. The sodium conductance-voltage curve was not shifted along the voltage axis by indoxacarb and DCJW at 10 microM. In contrast, the steady-state inactivation curves were shifted in the hyperpolarizing direction by indoxacarb as well as by DCJW. Based on these results, it was concluded that indoxacarb and DCJW potently blocked the TTX-R sodium channel in rat DRG neurons with hyperpolarizing shifts of the steady-state inactivation curves, suggesting preferential association of the insecticides to the inactivated state of sodium channels. The small structural variation between indoxacarb and DCJW resulted in clear differences in potency for blocking sodium channels and reversibility after washout.     

Effect of dietary moisture and sodium content on urine composition and calcium oxalate relative supersaturation in healthy miniature schnauzers and labrador retrievers

The aim of this series of studies was to evaluate two possible feeding strategies as methods for reducing the risk of calcium oxalate (CaOx) formation in two breeds of healthy dog. The studies compared the effect of dietary moisture (Study 1) and dietary sodium (Na), (Study 2) on urine composition of labrador retrievers (LR) and miniature schnauzers (MS). A nutritionally complete dry dog food was fed to 16 dogs (eight LR, eight MS; Study 1) and 15 dogs (seven LR, eight MS; Study 2) for 24 days (Study 1), or 36 days (Study 2). The dogs were fed the diet alone (7% moisture, 0.06 g Na/100 kcal), or supplemented with deionised water to 73% moisture (Study 1), or dietary Na, to deliver 0.20 or 0.30 g Na per 100 kcal (Study 2). Urine pH, volume, specific gravity, and concentrations of 12 analytes were measured for each dog. Urinary relative supersaturations (RSS) with CaOx were calculated from these values. The effects of supplemental Na or water were established using t tests (Study 1) or analysis of variance, and multiple range tests (least significant difference) (Study 2); P<0.05 was considered significant. Increasing dietary moisture significantly increased total moisture intake (P=0.001), and reduced urine specific gravity (P=0.003), urinary oxalate concentration (P=0.04), and CaOx relative supersaturation (P=0.04) in the MS. Urinary parameters remained unchanged in the LR, indicating that feeding a high moisture diet may reduce the risk of CaOx formation in high-risk breeds. Increasing dietary Na led to production of urine with a significantly lower CaOx RSS in both breeds, indicating that sodium supplementation to dry diet formats may reduce the risk of CaOx formation. These feeding strategies should be considered when evaluating methods for preventing CaOx formation within high-risk groups.     

Effect of ammonium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate on anthracnose of papaya

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the causal organism of anthracnose inCarica papaya L. (papaya, papaw). The effect of ammonium carbonate (3%) or sodium bicarbonate (2%) in aqueous solution or when incorporated into a wax formulation on anthracnose severity in inoculated or naturally infected fruits was examined. Both salts had significant effects, but that of ammonium carbonate was greater than that of sodium bicarbonate in controlling anthracnose. Ammonium carbonate (3%) incorporated into the wax formulation effectively reduced anthracnose incidence by 70% in naturally infected papaya and extended the storage life by maintaining the firmness, color and overall quality of the fruit in low temperature storage (13.5°C) and 95% r.h. for 21 days followed by 2 days under marketing conditions. The mode of action of ammonium carbonate on the control of anthroacnose appears to bevia complete inhibition of radial mycelial growth and conidia germination. http://www.phytoparasitica.org posting Aug. 14, 2002.