Optimization of the preparation process of Soft-shelled turtle blood lyophilized powder using Box-Behnken response surface methodology / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE To optimize the preparation process of Soft-shelled turtle blood lyophilized powder （STBLP）， and to provide a reference for improving the availability and quality stability of soft-shelled turtle blood （STB）. METHODS STBLP was prepared with vacuum freeze-drying. Taking the solubility as the index， the preparation process parameters of STBLP were optimized by single factor experiment and Box-Behnken response surface method. RESULTS The optimal freeze-drying process for STBLP was obtained： pre-freezing time of 4 h， total drying time of 13 h （before at 0 ℃）， and resolution drying temperature of 25 ℃. The average solubility of 3 batches of STBLP prepared according to the optimal process was 95.72% （RSD＝0.68%， n＝3）， the relative error of which was －0.97% to the theoretical solubility （96.66%）. CONCLUSIONS Optimized lyophilization process in this study are stable and feasible， the solubility of the prepared sample is high.

Supplementation with turmeric residue increased survival of the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) under high ambient temperatures / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Turmeric residue (TR), containing residual levels of curcumin, is a solid by-product waste generated after the extraction and separation of curcumin from turmeric root. A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of TR on the survival of Chinese soft-shelled turtles (SSTs), Pelodiscus sinensis, under a high ambient temperature. A total of 320 female SSTs were assigned randomly to two diets: basal diet (the control group, n=160) and an interventional diet supplemented with 10% TR (the TR group, n=160). Our results demonstrated that supplementation of TR increased the SST survival rate by 135.5%, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of SST liver by 112.8%, and decreased the malondialdehyde (MDA) content of SST liver by 36.4%, compared to the control group. The skin of the SST fed TR showed a golden color. High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis indicated that the concentrations of curcumin in TR and the skin of the SST fed TR were (1.69±0.30) and (0.14±0.03) μg/g, respectively. Our observation suggests that supplementation of TR increased the survival rate of SST under high ambient temperatures. We speculated that the increased survival rate and tolerance at the high ambient temperature were associated with the anti-oxidation activity of curcumin from TR. Moreover, curcumin in TR could be deposited in SST skin, which made it more favored in the market of China. Our findings provide new knowledge and evidence to effectively reuse TR as a feed additive in animal and aquatic farming.

Comparison of colonization ability of O1 and O139 Vibrio cholerae strains on soft-shelled turtle's surface / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective@#To study the preferred colonization sites of O1 Vibrio cholerae (V.cholerae) and the colonization ability difference for O1 and O139 V. cholerae on soft-shelled turtle's surface.@*Methods@#8 O1 and O139 V. cholerae strains were obtained from branch of diarrheal diseases, Chinese center for disease control and prevention. 63 soft-shelled turtles weighing 150 g and 9 cm in length (diameter of calipash) were selected for use in the study. The preferred colonization sites and proliferation trend were studied by using bioluminescent imaging method. The colonization factors for O1 V. cholerae strains were studied by constructing colonization gene mutant strains (VC1897dmshA, VC1897dgbpA and VC1897dtcpA), performing competition colonization assays and analyzing the competitive indexes. After pairing off O1 and O139 strains respectively to perform 16 competition groups, the colonization difference of these two strains were studied by competition colonization assays.@*Results@#The colonization sites by V. cholerae on soft-shelled turtles surfaces was clustered. More V. cholerae strains colonized on turtle's calipash and carapace on dorsal side and less strain colonized on ventral side. The competition colonization assays showed that colonization ability of O1 serogroup mshA mutant strains were 7.26 times lower than VC1897dlacZ. Besides, the CI value (O139/O1) of 11 out of the 16 competition groups were greater than 2 (between 2.07 and 59.84). Two groups showed values of 1.43 and 0.93 respectively and 3 groups lower than 0.7.@*Conclusion@#The preferred colonization sites for O1 V. cholerae strains on body surface were observed.MSHA was one of the main colonization factors for its colonization. Our study suggested that in general, O139 V. cholerae strains have stronger colonization ability than O1 strains. Besides, strains isolated from soft-shelled turtles tend to have stronger colonization ability than strains isolated from patients.

Isolation, purification of collagen from soft-shelled turtle calipash for application in biomaterial / 生物工程学报

Recently, research on collagen attracts more interests due to its good biological compatibility. The present study attempted to establish a fast and efficient method to purify collagen from soft-shelled turtle and to explore its application in biological materials. The structure and type of collagen fiber in calipash were determined by van Gieson staining and Picrosirius red staining, which could contribute to the isolation of collagen from soft-shelled turtle Calipash (STCC). Collagen fibers were in high content and the main collagen fiber was type I in STCC. The crude STCC solution was purified by dialysis with different cut-off molecular weight. SDS-PAGE demonstrated that the best purification was in applying 100 kDa dialysis bags after 48 h. The water absorbing capacity and holding capacity of STCC were up to 12.06 g/g and 98.21%, respectively. STCC can be degraded by collagenase in vitro entirely after 72 h. The hemolysis, skin sensitization, hemostatic and wound healing of STCC were determined by using SD rat model, and the collagen cross-linked by glutaric dialdehyde was set as a comparison. STCC and STCC cross-linked did not result in destructed red blood cell, inflamed and sensitized skin. Both materials exhibited good hemostatic effect. Thus, STCC improved the wound healing efficiently. This study implies a potential of STCC in the field of biomaterial.

An Outbreak of Trichinellosis by Consumption of Raw Soft-Shelled Turtle Meat in Korea

Trichinellosis transmission to humans via the consumption of reptile meat is rare worldwide. In Korea, however, 2 such outbreaks, possibly via consumption of soft-shelled turtle meat, have occurred in 2 successive years. In 17 August 2014, 6 patients were admitted to Wonju Severance Christian Hospital complaining of myalgia, fever, and headache. Eosinophilia was the indication of the initial laboratory results, and they were eventually diagnosed as trichinellosis by ELISA. All of the patients worked at the same company and had eaten raw soft-shelled turtle meat at a company dinner 10 days prior to their admission. They were treated with albendazole for 2 weeks, upon which all of their symptoms disappeared. This is the 8th report on human trichinellosis in Korea, and the second implicating raw soft-shelled turtle meat.

Trichinosis Caused by Ingestion of Raw Soft-Shelled Turtle Meat in Korea

Reptiles, unlike mammals, have been considered to be unsuitable hosts of Trichinella spp., though larvae have been detected in their muscles and human outbreaks related to their consumption have, in fact, occurred. Herein we report 2 Korean cases of trichinosis, possibly transmitted via consumption of reptile meat. Both patients suffered from myalgia, headache, and facial edema. Laboratory examinations revealed leukocytosis with eosinophilia (54% and 39%, respectively) and elevated creatinine phosphokinase. ELISA was performed under the suspicion of trichinosis, showing positivity at the 29th and 60th day post-infection. Since they had consumed raw soft-shelled turtle meat, turtle was strongly suggested to be an infection source of trichinosis in Korea next to the wild boar and badger.

EXAMINE ON THE SEPTICAEMIA INFECTION AND ITS PATHOGENIC BACTERIA IN SOFT－ SHELLED TURTLE / 中国人兽共患病学报

A lot of single species of bacteria was seperated from the pathological changes position of the liver in sick (or dead) soft-shelled turtle which was infected by septicae-uia. By identifying and the characteristic of physics and chemistry the six single culture strains of bacteria, preliminary showed that it was A. caviae in Aeromonas. Through examination ablut causing illness, it was proved that the A. caviae seperated and appraised was pathogenic bacteria of this infection septcaemia of soft-shelled turtle.