Hasil untuk "Animal biochemistry"

Anna Byström, Agneta Egenvall, Marie Eisersiö et al.

Riding relies on embodied and practical knowledge and is predominantly taught during practical lessons. Effective teaching is dependent on relevant instructions and evaluation from the riding teacher or trainer. The aim was to investigate how riding instructions affect horse and rider motion and rein tension during transitions between walk and trot.Two Swedish (S1, S2) and two Norwegian (N1, N2) riding teachers, and five riders per location participated. Each rider rode two horses, 40 lessons total. Videos, horse and rider kinematics and rein tension were recorded. The teachers were interviewed, teacher-student interactions were analysed using conversation analysis. Biomechanical data were analysed in mixed models.S1 and N2 spent about a third of their lessons preparing the students while S2 and N1 began with straight-line walk-trot transitions early on. With S1 and N2, maximum rein tension before and during down-transitions was lower than with S2 or N1. S2 and N2 focused relatively more on the walk, asking the riders to count each walk stride or focus on the rhythm. With S2, the timing between up-down movements of the withers and croup in walk was closest to the ideal 25 % (16–17 % vs. 8–14 % for the others, p < 0.05). With N2, horses showed the best walk hind limb protraction consistency (stride-to-stride difference 1.2–1.3° vs. 1.5–1.7°, p < 0.05).The results show that experienced riding teachers can have a consistent influence on a group of students and indicate that lesson design impacts rein tension. Experiences from this study can be used to inform teaching of riding, for the benefit of both riders and horse welfare.

Cissy B. Namuleme, Charles D. Kato, Dennis M. Kasozi

Abstract Background Sickle cell disease (SCD) is characterised by chronic oxidative stress. However, there is limited information on how polymorphisms in cytokine genes influence oxidative stress in SCD patients. The study aimed to determine the effect of Interleukin gene (IL-10) and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF αβ ) polymorphisms on oxidative stress and cytokine levels in SCD patients from Mulago hospital. Methods A case control study with cross-sectional sample size of 163 SCD patients and 189 healthy controls was carried out. The extent of oxidative stress was quantified using Malondialdehyde (MDA) by spectrophotometry. Levels of IL-10 and TNF-α were measured using the Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA). The Amplification Refractory Mutation System polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) assay was used to genotype IL10-1082 A > G, (rs1800896), IL10-819 C > T (rs1800871) and TNF-α-308G > A (rs1800629) and TNF-β + 252 A > G (rs909253) gene polymorphisms. Results Samples showed significantly (P = 0.0063) higher median plasma levels of MDA in SCD patients (2.756µM) than healthy controls (2.364µM). A similar trend was observed with significantly (P < 0.0001) higher median plasma levels of IL-10 in SCD patients (20.37pg/ml) than healthy controls (7.5pg/ml). The most frequent genotype for IL-10 (-1082, rs1800896) gene polymorphism was heterozygous GA (62.6%). No significant association between IL10 (-1082G > A, rs1800896) gene polymorphisms and SCD was observed (OR = 1.08, 95% CI = 0.54–2.14, P = 0.87). Yet, IL10 homozygous GG (-1082, rs1800896) (22.12pg/ml) that was found to be significantly associated (P = 0.0234) with increased plasma levels of IL-10 as compared to heterozygous genotype (GA) (13.94pg/ml) in SCD patients. Similarly, higher levels of MDA were found to be significantly (P < 0.0001) associated with homozygous GG at IL-10 (-1082, rs1800896). The most frequent and only reported genotype for TNF-α/β gene polymorphisms were heterozygous GA, thus no associations were described. Conclusion In conclusion, our results suggest that the IL10 (-1082 G > A, rs1800896) gene polymorphism is associated with increased oxidative stress and IL-10 cytokine level in Ugandan SCD patients.

Yauheni Shastak, Wolf Pelletier

Abstract This review provides an in‐depth analysis of vitamin E's multifaceted role in swine nutrition, incorporating both traditional insights and contemporary research. It begins with an exploration of vitamin E from an evolutionary perspective, followed by a detailed examination of its absorption, metabolism, and excretion in swine. The review emphasizes the micronutrient's critical functions in swine physiology, particularly its antioxidant properties and its emerging links to epigenetics, which include deoxyribonucleic acid methylation, histone modification, and noncoding ribonucleic acid regulation. The interactions of vitamin E with other dietary components are discussed, along with established nutritional requirements and current recommendations for supplementation. Additionally, the health benefits and performance improvements associated with vitamin E are presented, emphasizing its importance in immune function, growth, and meat quality. Despite extensive research, the review identifies gaps in understanding the bioavailability and long‐term impacts of different vitamin E isoforms and supra‐nutritional supplementation levels. It concludes with a discussion of research gaps and future directions, particularly the need for studies on the long‐term effects of high‐dose vitamin E supplementation and the influence of environmental factors on its metabolism. Through this comprehensive synthesis, this study aims to provide a holistic understanding of vitamin E's essential contributions to swine health and nutrition, with the goal of informing better dietary practices and enhancing swine productivity.

Xiaoxiong Shen

The fecundity of women decreases significantly beginning approximately at age 35 and decreases more rapidly after age 40. Age affects not only the size of the oocyte pool but also the quality of germ cells. Despite the continuous advancement of assisted reproductive technology, infertility remains a challenge for women of advanced maternal age. Here, we present a case of a woman in her forties who had two successful live births after treatment with Traditional Chinese Medicine. At her initial visit (at age 43), the patient presented with a short menstrual cycle and signs of a diminished ovarian reserve (FSH: 26.2 mIU/mL; AMH: 0.23 ng/mL). Three years after her first delivery (at age 47), the patient showed signs of further diminished ovarian reserve (FSH: 27.1 mIU/mL; AMH: 0.07 ng/mL). Notably, after five months of Chinese herbal medicine treatment, she achieved another successful pregnancy, and resulted in a live birth. This case demonstrates that Chinese herbal medicine can have a positive clinical impact on improving hormonal balance and fecundity. Further research is needed to investigate the pharmacokinetics of Chinese herbal medicine in improving fecundity for women of advanced maternal age.

Yusuf Temel, H. Turan Akkoyun, Mahire Bayramoğlu Akkoyun et al.

Anh Duc Truong, Ha Thi Thanh Tran, Nhu Thi Chu et al.

Abstract Background Heat shock proteins (HSPs) function as molecular chaperones with critical roles in chicken embryogenesis, immune response to infectious diseases, and response to various environmental stresses. However, little is known on HSP genes in chicken. In this study, to understand the roles of chicken HSPs, we performed genome-wide identification, expression, and functional analyses of the HSP family genes in chicken. Results A total of 76 HSP genes were identified in the chicken genome, which were further classified into eight distinct groups (I-VIII) based on phylogenetic tree analysis. The gene-structure analysis revealed that the members of each clade had the same or similar exon-intron structures. Chromosome mapping suggested that HSP genes were widely dispersed across the chicken genome, except in chromosomes 16, 18, 22, 25, 26, and 28–32, which lacked chicken HSP genes. On the other hand, the interactions among chicken HSPs were limited, indicating that the remaining functions of HSPs could be investigated in chicken. Moreover, KEGG pathway analysis showed that the HSP gene family was involved in the regulation of heat stress, apoptotic, intracellular signaling, and immune response pathways. Finally, RNA sequencing data revealed that, of the 76 chicken HSP genes, 46 were differentially expressed at 21 different growth stages in chicken embryos, and 72 were differentially expressed on post-infection day 3 in two indigenous Ri chicken lines infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza. Conclusions This study provides significant insights into the potential functions of HSPs in chicken, including the regulation of apoptosis, heat stress, chaperone activity, intracellular signaling, and immune response to infectious diseases.

Farah Elgudayem, Abdullah Aldiyab, Marzough Aziz Albalawi et al.

PurposeThe Polygonum equisetifome is a prospective plant source of high protein, unsaturated fatty acids, and useful safe bioactive molecules. Therefore, the aim of this study was to optimize the ultrasonic aqueous extraction of phenols from P. equisetifome roots using Box-Behnken design based statistical modeling, and to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial efficiencies of P. equisetifome root extracts against pathogenic bacteria.MethodsIn this study, the box-behnken design was used to optimize the extraction of phenols. The extraction temperature (30–70°C), ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) time (1–9 min), and liquid-solid ratio (35–45 mL/g) were investigated as the factors that influence the phenolic yield (Y1) and their DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) scavenging activity (Y2).ResultsThe optimal conditions for both responses were 50°C, 5 min, and 40 mL/g. At these conditions, Y1 reached its maximum to be 45.321 mg GAE/g dry weight and Y2 to be 120.354 μmol Trolox/g dry weight. The P. equisetifome roots contained water soluble phenol, high anthocyanin, and condensed tannins. Interestingly, the P. equisetifome extracts showed a relation to its antioxidant and antibacterial activities, FRAP (Ferric-reducing/antioxidant power), and ABTS scavenging activity were determined. The morphological and physico-chemical features of the extract were analyzed using SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was analyzed against several pathogenic bacteria. The antibacterial activity of the extract showed that the extract is more efficient against Staphylococcus aureus, while the P. equisetifome extracts showed efficient MIC against S. aureus, followed by Bacillus cereus.SuggestionsThe relation of P. equisetifome extracts to its antioxidant, and antibacterial efficiencies open a new avenue of their potential uses in the food and pharmaceutical industries.

Richard P. Bishop, Naftaly W. Githaka, Thomas Bazarusanga et al.

Abstract A meeting, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and organised by Clinglobal, was held at The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Nairobi, Kenya, from 19th – to 21st October 2022. The meeting assembled a unique group of experts on tick control in Africa. Academia, international agencies (FAO and ILRI), the private Animal Health sector and government veterinary services were represented. The significant outcomes included: (i) a shared commitment to standardisation and improvement of acaricide resistance bioassay protocols, particularly the widely used larval packet test (LPT); (ii) development of novel molecular assays for detecting acaricide resistance; (3) creation of platforms for disseminating acaricide resistance data to farmers, veterinary service providers and veterinary authorities to enable more rational evidence-based control of livestock ticks. Implementation of enhanced control will be facilitated by several recently established networks focused on control of parasites in Africa and globally, whose activities were presented at the meeting. These include a newly launched community of practice on management of livestock ticks, coordinated by FAO, an African module of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP-AN) and the MAHABA (Managing Animal Health and Acaricides for a Better Africa) initiative of Elanco Animal Health. Graphical Abstract

Rogelio Salas, Nallely Acosta, Aurora de Jesús Garza et al.

The present study aimed to determine the presence of the aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in breast milk samples from 123 nursing women and the degree of exposure of infants to this toxin, in the metropolitan area of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon state (northeast Mexico). Upon analysis, 100% of the samples were found to be contaminated with the toxin at an average concentration of 17.04 ng/L, with a range of 5.00 to 66.23 ng/L. A total of 13.01% of the breast milk samples exceeded the regulatory limit of 25 ng/L for AFM1 concentration, set by the European Union. The estimated daily intake for AFM1 and the carcinogenic risk index were also determined in the 0- to 6-, 7- to 12-, 13- to 24-, and 25- to 36-month-old age groups. The AFM1 intake through breast milk ranged from 1.09 to 20.17 ng/kg weight/day, and was higher than the tolerable daily intake, indicating a carcinogenic risk for infants in the age groups of 0- to 24-months old. This evidence demonstrates a susceptibility of breast milk to AFM1 contamination that may suggest a carcinogenic risk for the breastfed infants in Monterrey city, Nuevo Leon state, and the need to control the presence of aflatoxins in foods eaten by nursing mothers.

Thaisa M. Cantu-Jungles, Nuseybe Bulut, Eponine Chambry et al.

In the face of interindividual variability and complexity of gut microbial communities, prediction of outcomes from a given fiber utilized by many microbes would require a sophisticated comprehension of all competitive interactions that occur in the gut. Results presented here suggest that high-specificity fibers potentially circumvent the competitive scope in the gut for fiber utilization, providing a promising path to targeted and predictable microbial shifts in different individuals.

Walaa S. Shabana, Abeer Abd EL-Sadek

This work was designed to provide high protective, long-lasting immunity against FMD by enhancing the immunogenicity of the trivalent FMD vaccine using carbomer as adjuvant using G. pigs as an alternative cheapest animal model for quality control testing of the prepared FMD vaccines formulae. Guinea pigs were chosen as experimental models to develop concepts and techniques to study the PD50 of FMD vaccines because of the similarities of clinical symptoms in these animals to those of swine and cattle to saving cost, three different formulae of inactivated trivalent FMD vaccine including serotypes O Pan Asia2, A Iran O5 and SAT2/EGY/2012 were prepared as formula 1- (50% carbomer to 50% antigen); formula 2 (50% Montanide ISA 206 to 50%antigen) and formula 3- (25% Montanide ISA 206 and 25% carbomer with 50 % antigen). All of such formulae were found to be free from foreign contaminants, safe and potent, showing no postvaccinal reactions and high protective levels of specific FMD antibodies in Guinea pigs. Each vaccine formula's immunogenicity was determined by estimation of 50% Guinea pig protective dose (GPPD50) and monitoring of the humeral antibody response of vaccinated G. Pig groups. It was found that Montanide oils 206 with carbomer is the best vaccine formula, followed by Montanide oils 206 and finally carbomer which give early short-lasting immunity.

Eneko Aspillaga, Robert Arlinghaus, Martina Martorell-Barceló et al.

Abstract Recent advances in tracking systems have revolutionized our ability to study animal movement in the wild. In aquatic environments, high-resolution acoustic telemetry systems make it technically possible to simultaneously monitor large amounts of individuals at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions, providing a unique opportunity to study the behaviour and social interactions using a reality mining approach. Despite the potential, high-resolution telemetry systems have had very limited use in coastal marine areas due to the limitations that these environments pose to the transmission of acoustic signals. This study aims at designing and testing a high-resolution acoustic telemetry system to monitor, for the first time, a natural fish population in an open marine area. First, we conducted preliminary range tests and a computer simulation study to identify the optimal design of the telemetry system. Then, we performed a series of stationary and moving tests to characterize the performance of the system in terms of positioning efficiency and precision. Finally, we obtained a dataset corresponding to the movements of 170 concurrently tagged individuals to demonstrate the overall functioning of the system with a real study case of the behaviour of a small-bodied coastal species. Our results show that high-resolution acoustic telemetry systems efficiently generate positional data in marine systems, providing a precision of few meters, a temporal resolution of few seconds, and the possibility of tracking hundreds of individuals simultaneously. Data post-processing using a trajectory filter and movement models proved to be key to achieve a sub-meter positioning precision. The main limitation detected for our system was the restricted detection range, which was negatively affected by the stratification of the water column. Our work demonstrates that high-resolution acoustic telemetry systems are an effective method to monitor the movements of free-ranging individuals at the population level in coastal sites. By providing highly precise positioning estimates of large amounts of individuals, these systems represent a powerful tool to study key ecological processes regarding the social interactions of individuals, including social dynamics, collective movements, or responses to environmental perturbations, and to extend the studies to poorly studied small-sized species or life-stages.

David E. Cade, William T. Gough, Max F. Czapanskiy et al.

Abstract Bio-logging devices equipped with inertial measurement units—particularly accelerometers, magnetometers, and pressure sensors—have revolutionized our ability to study animals as necessary electronics have gotten smaller and more affordable over the last two decades. These animal-attached tags allow for fine scale determination of behavior in the absence of direct observation, particularly useful in the marine realm, where direct observation is often impossible, and recent devices can integrate more power hungry and sensitive instruments, such as hydrophones, cameras, and physiological sensors. To convert the raw voltages recorded by bio-logging sensors into biologically meaningful metrics of orientation (e.g., pitch, roll and heading), motion (e.g., speed, specific acceleration) and position (e.g., depth and spatial coordinates), we developed a series of MATLAB tools and online instructional tutorials. Our tools are adaptable for a variety of devices, though we focus specifically on the integration of video, audio, 3-axis accelerometers, 3-axis magnetometers, 3-axis gyroscopes, pressure, temperature, light and GPS data that are the standard outputs from Customized Animal Tracking Solutions (CATS) video tags. Our tools were developed and tested on cetacean data but are designed to be modular and adaptable for a variety of marine and terrestrial species. In this text, we describe how to use these tools, the theories and ideas behind their development, and ideas and additional tools for applying the outputs of the process to biological research. We additionally explore and address common errors that can occur during processing and discuss future applications. All code is provided open source and is designed to be useful to both novice and experienced programmers.

Onkar Bedi, P. Krishan

Shereen A Murugayah, M. Gerth

Quorum sensing is a key contributor to the virulence of many important plant, animal and human pathogens. The disruption of this signalling—a process referred to as ‘quorum quenching’—is a promising new approach for controlling microbial pathogens. In this mini-review, we have focused on efforts to engineer enzymes that disrupt quorum sensing by inactivating acyl-homoserine lactone signalling molecules. We review different approaches for protein engineering and provide examples of how these engineering approaches have been used to tailor the stability, specificity and activities of quorum quenching enzymes. Finally, we grapple with some of the issues around these approaches—including the disconnect between in vitro biochemistry and potential in vivo applications.

Junjie Mao, Kai Xu, Jiabao Han et al.

Darío C. Colautti, Javier Ricardo Garcia de Souza, Leandro Miranda

En los últimos años, el cultivo de pejerrey se ha desarrollado de forma intensiva utilizando tanques circulares. Empleado este sistema es posible obtener peces de tamaño comercial, pero los costos de producción son altos, lo que hace que esta actividad no sea rentable. Una alternativa para reducir los costos es criar a pejerrey utilizando un sistema mixto que usa jaulas en lagunas naturales y un cultivo posterior en tanques hasta un tamaño comercial (250 g). En un primer paso, los pejerreyes eclosionados y criados durante 25 días en las instalaciones de acuicultura IIB-INTECH se transfirieron a jaulas flotantes de 16 m3 (50 peces/m3) ubicadas en la Laguna Lacombe (Chascomús). Después de 11 meses, y solo comiendo alimentos naturales, estos peces tenían una longitud total (TL) de 15 ± 0.19 cm y un peso de (W) 25.27 ± 1.5 g. Durante este período la supervivencia media fue del 18%. Luego, 400 peces se transportaron al IIB-INTECH y se colocaron en un tanque exterior de 20,000 litros con un sistema de flujo de agua abierto y una salinidad de 15 g /L. Fueron alimentados dos veces al día a saciedad con dietas artificiales diseñadas para pejerrey. Después de 26 meses, el pescado tenía un TL de 30.66 ± 0.65 cm y un peso de 254.79 ± 9.72 g. Durante este período, la temperatura media del agua fue de 18°C y la supervivencia fue de alrededor del 95%. Tomando en conjunto estos resultados, llegamos a la conclusión de que es posible criar a pejerrey en un sistema mixto hasta el tamaño comercial en 26 meses, lo que reduce los costos del primer año. Este método también brinda la posibilidad de producir juveniles de una manera barata o que el pejerrey alcance un tamaño comercial como actividades independientes.

Gunasekaran Mohanapriya, Gunasekaran Mohanapriya, Revuru Bharadwaj et al.

Somatic embryogenesis (SE) is the most striking and prominent example of plant plasticity upon severe stress. Inducing immature carrot seeds perform SE as substitute to germination by auxin treatment can be seen as switch between stress levels associated to morphophysiological plasticity. This experimental system is highly powerful to explore stress response factors that mediate the metabolic switch between cell and tissue identities. Developmental plasticity per se is an emerging trait for in vitro systems and crop improvement. It is supposed to underlie multi-stress tolerance. High plasticity can protect plants throughout life cycles against variable abiotic and biotic conditions. We provide proof of concepts for the existing hypothesis that alternative oxidase (AOX) can be relevant for developmental plasticity and be associated to yield stability. Our perspective on AOX as relevant coordinator of cell reprogramming is supported by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses and gross metabolism data from calorespirometry complemented by SHAM-inhibitor studies on primed, elevated partial pressure of oxygen (EPPO)–stressed, and endophyte-treated seeds. In silico studies on public experimental data from diverse species strengthen generality of our insights. Finally, we highlight ready-to-use concepts for plant selection and optimizing in vivo and in vitro propagation that do not require further details on molecular physiology and metabolism. This is demonstrated by applying our research &amp; technology concepts to pea genotypes with differential yield performance in multilocation fields and chickpea types known for differential robustness in the field. By using these concepts and tools appropriately, also other marker candidates than AOX and complex genomics data can be efficiently validated for prebreeding and seed vigor prediction.

Qingwei Deng, Maojie Wang, Xing Zeng et al.

Background: Currently, there is a global attempt to identify potential anti-cancer agents with low toxicity. Previous studies have found that glycyrrhizin exerts anti-cancer action with low toxicity through suppressing thromboxane A2 (TxA2) in lung cancer cell lines. However, these effects have not yet been determined in animal models of lung cancer. Methods: Human lung adenocarcinoma xenografts were established in nude mice by the introduction of A549 cells with stable transfection of the TxA2 receptor (TPα). The animal model was confirmed by the hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) method. Tumor-bearing mice were then administered graded concentrations of glycyrrhizin, cisplatin or both. After the treatments, body weights of all animals were recorded, and immunohistochemistry staining of lung tissues and serum biochemistry detection of aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), urea and creatinine were carried out. Results: Treatment with glycyrrhizin alone or the combination of cisplatin and glycyrrhizin profoundly reduced expression of thromboxane synthase (TxAS) as well as proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), recovered the body weight, and rescued damage of liver and kidney in tumor-bearing mice. Although it inhibited PCNA expression, cisplatin could not significantly suppress TxAS expression. Because of a positive feedback loop between TPα and TxAS, the effects of glycyrrhizin are possibly attributable to the suppression of the TxA2 pathway. Conclusions: This study provides in vivo evidence to support glycyrrhizin as a potential candidate for developing new regimens to overcome tumor progression and the resistance and toxicity of cisplatin.

C. de Vos, M. Swanenburg

A large share of genetically modified (GM) crops grown worldwide is processed into livestock feed. Feed safety of GM crops is primarily based on compositional equivalence with near-isogenic cultivars and experimental trials in rodents. However, feeding studies in target animals add to the evaluation of GM crops with respect to animal health. This review aimed to evaluate the possible health effects of feeding GM crops to livestock by reviewing scientific publications on experimental studies in ruminants, pigs, and poultry in which at least one of the following health parameters was investigated: body condition score, organ weight, haematology, serum biochemistry, histopathology, clinical examination, immune response, or gastrointestinal microbiota. In most experiments, either Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis) maize, Roundup Ready (RR) soybean, or both were fed to livestock animals. Significant differences (P<0.05) in health parameters were most often observed when animals were fed Bt maize, although most effects measured were unlikely to be of biological significance and were within normal biological ranges. Health effects of RR soybean were only observed in one experimental study with broilers. Based on this literature review, we conclude that there is no clear evidence that feed composed of first generation GM crops has adverse effects on animal health.