Fruit antioxidant activity, ascorbic acid, total phenol, quercetin, and carotene of Irwin mango fruits stored at low temperature after high electric field pretreatment

Greenhouse-grown tree ripe (TR) and mature green (MG) mangoes (cv. Irwin) were exposed to high electric field treatment before 20 and 30 days of storage at 5 degrees C. MG fruits were allowed to ripen at room temperature after low-temperature storage. Fruit physical quality attributes, ascorbic acid, carotene, quercetin, total phenols, and antioxidant capacity were estimated before and after the storage period. Antioxidant capacity of fruit juice was estimated using the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. Fruit firmness decreased significantly during storage. Titratable acidity decreased 20 days after storage. Total soluble solids did not change during storage. Antioxidant capacity of fruits remained unchanged up to 20 days of storage period and decreased thereafter. Total phenol and carotenes increased during storage. Antioxidant capacity of fruits was significantly correlated only to ascorbic acids. Peel color and carotenes were higher in TR fruits, whereas titratable acidity and firmness were higher in MG fruits. There was no significant difference in other parameters between the stages of picking. Electric field pretreatment affected the respiration and antioxidant capacity of TR fruits and did not have any significant affect on other parameters. TR mangoes of cv. Irwin are more suitable for low-temperature storage and can be successfully stored for up to 20 days at 5 degrees C without any significant losses in functional properties and quality attributes.     

Graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) in clonal amago salmon,Oncorhynchus rhodurus

The graft-versus-host reaction (GVHR) was demonstrated in a salmonid model system of clonal diploid and triploid amago salmon. Triploid operculum grafts on clonal diploid evoked an acute rejection within 12 days. Grafts exchanged among triploid amago salmon exhibited prolonged survival for 18 days. In contrast, diploid grafts on triploid, and allografts among clonal diploid amago salmon were accepted. A typical GVHR was induced in triploid recipients by intraperitonal injection of head kidney cells from sensitised diploid donors. The clinical signs of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) were observed in the recipients after 1 week of cell injection as a loss of appetite and appearance of solid faeces, followed by haemorrhage, local swelling of ventral skin and an enlarged spleen. Three of six fish died within 1 month. Water temperature and frequency of sensitisation are critical to induce GVHR. Diploid donors had to be sensitised three times at 20 degrees C to induce the typical GVHR. GVHR was most effectively induced by head kidney cells, followed by peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) and spleen cells. Ploidy analysis by flow cytometry revealed that the donor head kidney cells greatly increased in the recipient liver, head kidney and spleen, and reached the peak after 9 days of donor cell injection. The results in the present study are quite similar to the findings in ginbuna and ginbuna-gold fish hybrid system, suggesting the presence of T cells in salmonid as well as cyprinid fish.     

Uterine disorders diagnosed by ventrotomy in 47 rabbits

The type, ages of occurrence, primary complaints, clinical signs and mortality in forty-seven cases of uterine disorders diagnosed by ventrotomy in rabbits were analyzed retrospectively. Endometrial hyperplasia (29.8%) was most frequently observed, followed by uterine adenocarcinoma (21.3%). Tumorous lesions were seen in 46.8% of the cases. The age of occurrence ranged from two years and two months to seven years and six months, with a peak at four to five years of age. The most common primary complaint was bleeding (62.2%), followed by mammary gland abnormality (12.8%) and increased abdominal circumference (10.6%). Physical examinations revealed mammary gland disorders such as mammary cysts in 31.9% of the cases. Uterine disorders were detected by palpation in 15 out of 32 cases with a primary complaint of bleeding. Ultrasonography showed uterine disorders in 21 out of 24 cases, suggesting that ultrasonography could be useful in the diagnosis of uterine disorders. The outcome seemed to be influenced by physical status rather than malignancy of lesions. The mortality was higher in cases with symptoms such as anorexia, emaciation, severe anemia, and dehydration.     

A new method for counting of quail leukocytes by flow cytometry

An automatic counting method was developed for fish blood cells using a fluorescent dye, 3, 3-dihexyloxacarbocyanine (DiOC (6)(3)), that selectively stain lipid bilayers in living cells. In the present study, the DiOC(6)(3) method was applied to quail (Cotumix cotumix japonica) blood cells. After quail blood cells were stained with DiOC(6)(3), absolute counts and relative proportions of erythrocytes, granulocytes, monocytes, and lymphocytes plus thrombocytes in whole blood were obtained by means of flow cytometry (FC). The number of each cell types by the FC was in good agreement with those counted microscopically. This method will offer new possibilities for routine blood cell counting for avian medicine.     

Effect of Garcinia cambogia extract on serum leptin and insulin in mice

In this study we examined the effects of 3.3% Garcinia cambogia extract on 10% sucrose loading in mice for 4 weeks. Treatment was found to have no effect on body weight, fat pad weight or serum glucose level. On the other hand, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, NEFA were observed. Levels of serum insulin and leptin, as well as the leptin/WAT ratio, were lower in the treated mice than in the control. These findings suggested that G. cambogia extract efficiently improved glucose metabolism and displayed leptin-like activity.     

Parathyroid hormone‐related protein‐induced hypercalcemia due to osteosarcoma in a cat

A 15‐year‐old castrated male mixed‐breed cat was presented with a history of sarcoma of the distal right hind limb. Biochemical analysis revealed increased concentrations of blood urea, creatinine, total calcium, ionized calcium, and parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP). The mass was removed surgically by amputation of the hind limb. Osteosarcoma was diagnosed based on histopathologic examination. All abnormal serum analyte concentrations improved immediately after surgery, including azotemia, total calcium, ionized calcium, and PTHrP. The biochemical results were attributed to osteosarcoma causing PTHrP‐induced hypercalcemia.