The influences of ambient temperature and crude protein levels on performance and serum biochemical parameters in broilers

This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of ambient temperature, crude protein levels and their interaction on performance and serum biochemical parameters of broiler chickens. A total of 216 Arbor Acre broiler chickens (108 males and 108 females) were used in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement and randomly reared at two temperatures (normal temperature: 23 °C; daily cyclic high temperature: 28–32 °C) and fed on three diets with different crude protein levels (153.3, 183.3 or 213.3 g/kg, with constant essential amino acids) from 28 to 42 days of age. Daily cyclic high ambient temperature decreased final body weight, average daily weight gain, average daily feed intake and serum total protein contents (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p = 0.008 respectively), but increased feed/gain, mortality, respiratory rate, rectal temperature, serum uric acid contents and serum creatine kinase activity (p = 0.008, p = 0.003, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.003 respectively), irrespective of crude protein levels. At the ambient temperature, reducing crude protein levels resulted in an increase in feed/gain (p < 0.001), but a decrease in serum total protein and uric acid contents. Only serum creatine kinase activity in broiler chickens was interacted by daily cyclic high ambient temperature and dietary crude protein levels (p = 0.003). These results indicated that daily cyclic high ambient temperature had a great effect on performance and serum biochemical parameters in broiler chickens, whereas dietary crude protein levels affected them partially.     

Comparison of sampling sites and detection methods for Haemophilus parasuis

Objective To improve the isolation rate and identification procedures for Haemophilus parasuis from pig tissues. Design Thirteen sampling sites and up to three methods were used to confirm the presence of H. parasuis in pigs after experimental challenge. Procedure Colostrum‐deprived, naturally farrowed pigs were challenged intratracheally with H parasuis serovar 12 or 4. Samples taken during necropsy were either inoculated onto culture plates, processed directly for PCR or enriched prior to being processed for PCR. The recovery of H parasuis from different sampling sites and using different sampling methods was compared for each serovar. Results H parasuis was recovered from several sample sites for all serovar 12 challenged pigs, while the trachea was the only positive site for all pigs following serovar 4 challenge. The method of solid medium culture of swabs, and confirmation of the identity of cultured bacteria by PCR, resulted in 38% and 14% more positive results on a site basis for serovars 12 and 4, retrospectively, than direct PCR on the swabs. This difference was significant in the serovar 12 challenge. Conclusion Conventional culture proved to be more effective in detecting H parasuis than direct PCR or PCR on enrichment broths. For subacute (serovar 4) infections, the most successful sites for culture or direct PCR were pleural fluid, peritoneal fibrin and fluid, lung and pericardial fluid. For acute (serovar 12) infections, the best sites were lung, heart blood, affected joints and brain. The methodologies and key sampling sites identified in this study will enable improved isolation of H parasuis and aid the diagnosis of Glässer's disease.     

Susceptibility pattern of bacterial isolates in equine ulcerative keratitis: Implications for empirical treatment at a university teaching hospital in Sydney

Corneal ulceration is a common ophthalmic condition in horses. It is frequently caused by trauma to the corneal surface, followed by secondary infection by commensal or pathogenic organisms including Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus spp. Emerging antimicrobial resistance amongst these organisms has raised the need for appropriate antimicrobial therapy selection, to optimise treatment efficacy while minimising further antimicrobial resistance. Medical records of 38 horses presented at the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Camden for ulcerative keratitis between 2010 and 2020 were reviewed to identify those with positive bacterial cultures and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles (13/38). Common susceptibility patterns were identified and used to guide the empirical treatment of equine bacterial corneal ulcers. Pseudomonas spp. (64.3%), Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (14.3%) and Actinobacillus spp. (14.3%) were most commonly identified. Susceptibility to amikacin, gentamicin and ciprofloxacin was observed in 100%, 66.7% and 85.7% Pseudomonas spp. isolates respectively. Resistance to polymyxin B and neomycin occurred in 85.7% and 71.4% of Pseudomonas spp., respectively. All Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus organisms in this study were susceptible to ceftiofur, cephalexin, penicillin and ampicillin, while they were all resistant to gentamicin, neomycin, enrofloxacin and marbofloxacin. Predominating in this study, Pseudomonas spp. maintained overall aminoglycoside susceptibility despite some emerging resistance, and good fluoroquinolone susceptibility. High resistance to Polymyxin B could have arisen from its common use as first-line therapy for bacterial corneal ulcers. Although further research is required, these new findings about predominant bacteria in equine corneal ulceration in the Camden region and their antimicrobial susceptibility patterns can be used to guide the empirical treatment of bacterial corneal ulcers in horses.     

云厚朴SFE-CO2萃取物中厚朴酚与和厚朴酚的热稳定性考察

温度是影响云厚朴提取物稳定性的主要因素,本研究考察云厚朴提取物的热稳定性。采用高效液相色谱法,测定云厚朴SFE-CO2(二氧化碳超临界流体萃取)工艺萃取物中的和厚朴酚、厚朴酚在不同温度干燥时的含量变化并得出降解规律,干燥时降解为一级反应,在100 ℃降解较快。采用恒温加速实验,得出SFE-CO2萃取液中的和厚朴酚、厚朴酚室温25 ℃贮存期分别为1 125.6 h和975.7 h。在制剂生产中,云厚朴SFE-CO2萃取物不宜长时间贮存,以减少有效成分损失;由于热不稳定性,高温干燥会导致制剂质量不稳定,降低药效,应在较低温度下干燥。     

云南高原粳稻抗白叶枯病新品系云资抗21号的选育

以高产优质的云南高原粳稻品种滇系4号为轮回亲本，以IRBB21为白叶枯病抗性基因Xa21的供体亲本，通过杂交和3次回交以及5次自交形成BC3F，代材料，并结合后代材料的白叶枯病抗性鉴定及农艺性状的评价选择，选育出高原粳稻新品系云资抗21号，对云资抗21号的21个单株采用与Xa21连锁标记RM21和RM229、以及22个独立分离的SSR标记进行检测，结果表明这21个单株在RM21位点上均为IRBB21的纯合基因型，在RM229位点上有1个单株显示为轮回亲本的纯合基因型，其余的20个单株均为IRBB21的纯合基因型，而在其余22个SSR标记位点上均显示为轮回亲本的纯合基因型。该新品系白叶枯病抗性与IRBB21相近，农艺性状与轮回亲本相似，具有很好的应用前景。