Compactação ruminal e obstrução intestinal em bovinos, associadas ao consumo de Agave sisalana Perrine (Agavaceae) / Ruminal indigestion and intestinal obstruction in cattle associated with consumption of Agave sisalana Perrine

A compactação dos pré-estômagos é um transtorno digestivo resultante da ingestão de forragem de baixa qualidade, rico em lignina e com baixos níveis de energia e proteína digerível, associada ou não a restrição hídrica. O acúmulo de vegetais ricos em fibras indigeríveis pode levar também a formação de fitobezoares, causando transtornos digestivos e obstruções intestinais. Objetivou-se com este trabalho descrever os aspectos epidemiológicos e as alterações clínico-patológicas de um surto de alterações digestórias em bovinos alimentados com Agave sisalana. O rebanho acometido era formado por 22 animais adultos, criados de forma semiextensiva, que, devido a escassez de forragem, receberam no cocho, quase que exclusivamente, durante dois meses, o caule do A. sisalana cortado manualmente. Seis vacas apresentaram diminuição do apetite, distensão abdominal, redução dos períodos de ruminação e da produção de fezes. Um animal foi encaminhado ao Hospital Veterinário da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande. O diagnóstico presuntivo de compactação ruminal e obstrução intestinal foi dado pela epidemiologia, sinais clínicos e análise de fluido ruminal. Na necropsia observou-se rúmen, retículo e omaso repletos, com conteúdo fibroso e ressecado constituído por fibras de A. sisalana. No abomaso observou-se a presença de conteúdo pastoso e esverdeado a acastanhado. Em todos os pré-estômagos e no abomaso havia fitobezoares, que mediam entre 4 e 12 cm de diâmetro. No duodeno um fitobezoar obstruía parcialmente a luz do órgão, com a porção anterior repleta de conteúdo e a posterior vazia. Conclui-se que a alimentação com caules de A. sisalana por longos períodos causa compactação de pre-estômagos e formação de fitobezoares.(AU)

Indigestion due to compaction of the ruminal content is a digestive disorder resulting from low-quality forage intake, rich in lignin and with low levels of energy and digestible protein, with or without water restriction. The accumulation of plant residues rich in indigestible fibers can also lead to formation of phytobezoars, causing digestive disorders and intestinal obstructions. The objective of this paper was to describe the epidemiology and the clinical and pathological changes of an outbreak of indigestion and other digestive disorders in cattle fed Agave sisalana. The affected herd consisted of 22 adult cattle reared in a semi-extensive system, which ingested almost exclusively stalks of A. sisalana manually cut for two months. Six cows showed decreased appetite and rumination, abdominal distension, and reduced production of dried feces. One animal was referred to the Veterinary Hospital. The presumptive diagnosis of indigestion was made by the epidemiologic data, clinical signs, and laboratory evaluation. At necropsy, the rumen, reticulum and omasum were filled with fibrous and dried A. sisalana content. A viscous, greenish brownish content was present in the abomasum. Numerous phytobezoars were found in the pre-stomachs and abomasum measuring 4-12cm in diameter. One phytobezoar was partially obstructing the duodenum, with the cranial part of the organ filled with intestinal content, and the caudal portion was empty. It is concluded that the administration of A. sisalana stalks for long periods may cause indigestion due to ruminal compaction and formation of phytobezoars.(AU)

Sincronía reproductiva interpoblacional de Agave cocui (Agavaceae) en Venezuela

Interpopulation reproductive synchrony of Agave cocui (Agavaceae) in Venezuela. Agave cocui (Agavaceae) is a species with broad distribution in arid and semiarid areas of Venezuela and Colombia. Despite of its ecological importance as a source of food for wildlife, and its economic value for production of a spirit drink, studies on the reproductive ecology of the species are relatively rare. In this study, we conducted a oneyear evaluation of the flowering and fruiting phenology of A. cocui in the eight representative localities of the species’ distribution in Venezuela. Within each study site, we chose an area with a minimum of 50 reproductive individuals and followed their reproductive phenophases with the help of binoculars, using six qualitative cathegories (emerging reproductive stalk, flowers, inmature fruits, mature fruits, bulbils and dry stalk) every two months. Emergence of the reproductive stalk in most of the examined populations began in September (rainy season), although this event delayed two months in a few populations. We detected significant negative correlations between precipitation and the percentage of flowering occurrence in four of the eight populations. Floral resources are available for flower visitors during approximately five months of the year (January-May). In most populations production of flowers initiated in January (dry season), and for Western Venezuela and Andean regions, the flowering main peak occurred in January. Localities from the Central and Eastern Coast exhibited the flowering peak in March, showing a delay of approximately two months with respect to other populations. Beginning of fruit set varied among localities from January to May; however, peak production of mature fruits concentrated in May, and fruit occurrence varied broadly between 5.2 and 85%. Bulbil production was detected in all populations and varied greatly among them (maximum percentage per population: 26.19-92.10%). High flowering synchronicity (Phenophase Overlapping Index: 0.756 and 0.999) was observed among all populations monitored in Western Venezuela, including the Andean localities. This condition might facilitate the existence of a nectar corridor from the Western Coast and nearby islands, to the Andean arid patches, which could be potentially used by nectar-feeding bats and birds dependent on agave flowers during part of the year. Rev. Biol. Trop. 59 (3): 1359-1370. Epub 2011 September 01.

cocui (Agavaceae) es una especie de amplia distribución en zonas áridas y semiáridas de Venezuela y Colombia. A pesar de su importancia ecológica como fuente de recursos para la fauna silvestre y de su potencial valor económico como materia prima para la producción del licor “Cocuy de Penca”, los estudios sobre su ecología reproductiva son muy escasos. En este estudio se evaluó la fenología de floración y fructificación de A. cocui en ocho localidades de Venezuela. La fase reproductiva se inició al finalizar el periodo de lluvias. Las flores se producen durante cinco meses. Para la Región Noroccidental del país y los Andes los máximos de floración ocurrieron en enero, mientras que las localidades en la costa central y oriental exhibieron un desface de cerca de dos meses, a principios de marzo. La mayor sincronía floral ocurrió entre todas las poblaciones censadas en el occidente del país, incluyendo las localidades andinas. Dicha sincronía reproductiva potenciaría la conformación de un corredor de néctar para aves y murciélagos, que se extendería desde el Norte de Falcón, en la Costa Occidental, hasta los bolsones andinos, en el Suroeste del país.

Effect of Chlorophytum Borivilianum Santapau and Fernandes on sexual dysfunction in hyperglycemic male rats / 中国结合医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of Chlorophytum borivilianum (CB) on sexual dysfunction, loss of body weight, and lack of libido in hyperglycemic rats induced with streptozotocin or alloxan.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Wistar strain male albino rats were divided into five groups of six animals each: the control group (2% polyvinylpyrollidone solution), the streptozotocin control group (50 mg/kg), the alloxan control group (100 mg/kg), the streptozotocin + CB treated group (200 mg/kg), and the alloxan + CB treated group (200 mg/kg). Only after confirming the induction of diabetes, the animals of test groups were treated with CB. The sexual behavior of male rats of in presence of female rat in a special cage was recorded. The effects of induced diabetes in control groups and on simultaneous extract treatment in CB treated groups were tested for sexual parameters. The parameters evaluated included mount, ejaculation, and intromission latencies/frequencies, hesitation time, and penile erection index. Parallel to this, using a separate set of similarly treated animals, the influence of diabetes and CB treatment on anabolism and weight of secondary sexual organs were determined on day 0 and day 28 of the treatment.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>CB extract treatment ameliorated the diabetes-induced dysfunction at 200 mg/kg dose. There was very low weight loss (P<0.05) in CB-treated animals as compared to the diabetic control. There was a very high latency time (P<0.05) in the diabetic animals, whereas the latency time was very low in CB-treated animals. Mount, intromission, and ejaculation frequencies were very high (P<0.01) in CB-treated animals, while streptozotocin and alloxan groups animals had a very significantly lower sexual behavior (P<0.05) compared to the normo-glycemic control group animals.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>CB can significantly ameliorate diabetes-induced sexual dysfunction. Polysaccharide and saponin-rich aqueous extract appears to have the most suitable effects on diabetes and its associated effects on sexual functionality.</p>

Effect of ethanol extracts from the plants, anagallis arvensis and zingiber officinale and their mixtures against lymnaea natalensis, the snail vector of fasciola gigantica

Ethanol extracts of Anagallis arvensis and Zingiber officinale and their mixtures were tested against Lymnaea natalensis snails and their eggs. In addition, the effect of prolonged exposure [4 weeks] of these snails to the tested extracts and their mixtures on snail's survival, fecundity and tissues of their hermaphrodite gland was evaluated. It was observed that A. arvensis extract was more toxic to the snails and their eggs, after 24 hours exposure, with LC90 of 10.57 ppm and 133.1ppm, respectively. Prolonged exposure of snails to the sublethal concentrations [LC25 and LC50] from each plant extract caused a considerably high cumulative death rate, being 83.3% and 90% by the 4[th] week in the case of LC50 from A. arvensis and Z. officinale, respectively. On the other hand, simultaneous mixing of these concentrations reduced the cumulative death rate of snails to be 46.7% in LC25 mixture and approximately diminished it in LC50 mixture [10% death only]. The snails' fecundity post prolonged exposure to the tested extracts and their mixtures was significantly less than that of control group. This was supported by histological sections of snail's hermaphrodite gland that suffered from degeneration in gametogenic stages and low number of oogonia. For binary combinations of A. arvensis and Z. officinale [LC25 or LC50 mixtures], it was noticed that 24 hours of snails' exposure to Z. officinale pre-exposure to A. arvensis highly improved their molluscicidal potency, but vice versa approximately diminished it

Anti-stress and anti-oxidant effects of roots of Chlorophytum borivilianum (Santa Pau & Fernandes).

The aqueous extract of C. borivilianum (250 mg/kg for 7 days) significantly reverted the elevated levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and serum corticosterone and also reduced the ulcer index, adrenal gland weight more as effectively as the standard drug (diazepam) in rats. At 125 mg/kg po, it showed a mild anti-stress activity. Under in vitro 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH*) free radical scavenging assay and lipid peroxidation assay the extract considerably inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, the levels of DPPH* free radicals and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, respectively thus showing significant antioxidant property. The results suggested that it could be used for the treatment of oxidative stress-induced disorders.

Cytomixis impairs meiosis and influences reproductive success in Chlorophytum comosum (Thunb) Jacq. - an additional strategy and possible implications.

Spontaneous intercellular chromatin migration/cytomixis was observed to occur in the pollen mother cells (PMCs) of the Chlorophytum comosum for the first time. The migration through cytomictic channels was more pronounced in meiosis-I and very rare in meiosis-II. The process was associated with erratic meiosis, which was characterized by defects in chromosome organization and segregation. Cytomixis was more intense in the month of April than in July and consequently the frequency of meiotic irregularities was much more pronounced during the month of April. As a consequence of abnormal meiosis, fertility was drastically reduced resulting in meager seed efficiency of 17% only. Recombination system also does not guarantee the release of sufficient variability. We view the phenomenon of cytomixis as genetically controlled mechanism involving meiotic genes and operating through signal transduction pathway triggered by the environmental stimuli. The evolutionary significance and tenable hypothesis in the backdrop of existing literature is also proposed.

Steroidal glycosides of furcraea selloea and their biological properties against diffrent schistosoma mansoni stages

Furcraea selloea C. Koch dry powder [Family Agavaceae] was subjected to a bioassayguided fractionation technique to isolate the active constituents responsible for the potency of this plant. The antischistosomal impact of different extracts of the leaves of F. selloea was screened against adult Schistosoma mansoni warms in vitro using a well established culture media. The methanol extract of the plant showed the highest activity as S. mansoni warms recorded 100% mortality at 50 micro g/ ml after 24 hours. Owing to the high potency of the crude saponins obtained from the methanolic extract [100% mortality at 20 micro g/ml], it was submitted to chromatographic separation using silica gel and Sephadex columns as well as preparative thin layer chromatography. Three steroidal saponins [I-III] were isolated and their structures were elucidated using some spectroscopic and chemical methods as follows: 6-O-Beta-D- glucopyranosyl [1-4]-Beta-D-glucopyranoside chlorogenin [I], 3-O-Beta-D-glucopyranosyl-[1-4]- Beta-D-glucopyranoside crestagenin [II] and 3-O-Beta-D-glucopyranosyl-[1-3]-Beta-D- glucopyranosyl-[1-3]-Beta-D-xylopyranoside gloriogenin [III]. Bioassay screening of the isolated saponins [I-III] were carried out against certain Schistosoma mansoni stages. Compound III only proved to possess antischistosomal activity against S. mansoni worms at concentration as low as 5 micro g/ ml, while compounds I and II were inactive. Also, test against B. alexandrina snails revealed that only saponin III has high molluscicidal activity [LC [90] = 6 ppm] whereas the other two saponins did not show any activity up to 50 ppm after 24 hours exposure. Different concentrations of the crude and the isolated saponins were evaluated against S. mansoni free larval stages [cercariae and miracidia]. Hatchability of S. mansoni ova was markedly depressed when exposed to 6 ppm of compound III. The infection rate of B. alexandrina snails was significantly reduced when snails were exposed to three sublethal concentrations of the dry plant powder. Determination of the acute oral toxicity of F. seiloea methanol extract against mice was carried out. When three groups of mice infected with S. marisoni were treated orally with a single dose of 2500 mg/kg of F. selloea methanol extract either at 2, 4 or 7 weeks post infection, the reduction rate in worm load was significantly lower when compared to infected untreated control