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1.
Poult Sci ; 100(2): 675-684, 2021 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33518121

ABSTRACT

In the present study, 200 Brown commercial egg-type layers (60 wk old) were used to study the effects of different levels of ecofriendly synthesis of calcium (Ca) nanoparticles (0.0, 0.50, 1.0, and 1.5 g/kg diet) with biocompatible Sargassum latifolium algae extract (SL-CaNps) on exterior egg quality traits, electronic microscopic view of eggshells, Ca and phosphorus (P) retention, serum Ca and P concentrations, and the histology of the uterus. Hens fed with dietary SL-CaNps powder had higher egg weight and shell weight % values than those of the control group. All SL-CaNps treatment groups had the greatest values of shell weight per unit surface area and shell thickness. Dietary supplementation of SL-CaNps at graded levels up to 1.5 g/kg diet had higher serum Ca and inorganic P levels than that of the control. Laying hens fed with SL-CaNps-added diets had beneficial effects on shell ultrastructure in terms of well-developed palisade and mammillary layers. The numbers of apical cells along the branched tubular gland were greater in SL-CaNps-treated groups than those of control. Conclusively, supplementing SL-CaNps powder up to 1.5 g/kg to the diet of laying hens improved eggshell thickness, shell weight% and shell weight per unit surface and has no adverse effect on their eggshell quality or electronic microscopic view of their eggshell.


Subject(s)
Calcium/administration & dosage , Chickens/physiology , Egg Shell/ultrastructure , Eggs/standards , Nanoparticles , Sargassum/chemistry , Age Factors , Animal Feed/analysis , Animals , Chickens/anatomy & histology , Diet/veterinary , Dietary Supplements , Female , Microscopy, Electron, Scanning/veterinary , Microscopy, Electron, Transmission/veterinary , Random Allocation , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methods , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
2.
J Zoo Wildl Med ; 49(4): 952-958, 2018 12 13.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30592916

ABSTRACT

Iodine is an essential micronutrient for elasmobranchs in order to prevent goiter. Preventing goiter requires bioavailable iodide: either oral iodide or maintaining adequate aquarium water iodide concentrations. The objective of this study was to determine how oral and water supplementation affected iodine (I2) and iodide (I-) concentrations in artificial seawater aquaria housing captive white-spotted bamboo sharks ( Chiloscyllium plagiosum). Daily water samples were collected and free iodine (I2) was determined using ultraviolet-absorbance spectrophotometry (a relatively simple in-house assay) and total iodide (I-) via liquid chromatography (a more time- and expertise-intense quantification method) to learn the effects of supplementation. One water system received iodine and iodide supplementation in the form of 5% Lugol's iodine solution added directly to the water, while a second water system received no supplementation. In addition, one tank of sharks in each water system received oral iodide supplementation. Results indicated that oral supplementation provides greater increases in water concentrations of bioavailable iodide (I-) than direct water supplementation. In addition, the chromatographic results suggested that iodide is present in higher concentrations in the systems not receiving water supplementation. Increased iodide concentrations were detected in water samples after water changes and after oral iodide supplementation was administered, but total iodine (I2) concentration changes were not detectable within the same time frame.


Subject(s)
Chromatography, Liquid/veterinary , Iodine/analysis , Seawater/analysis , Sharks/metabolism , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Trace Elements/analysis , Animals , Animals, Zoo/metabolism , Chromatography, Liquid/methods , Colorado , Female , Iodides/analysis , Male , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methods
3.
Poult Sci ; 96(9): 3375-3381, 2017 Sep 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28444375

ABSTRACT

In order to evaluate the efficiency of the pasteurization process in liquid whole eggs, an UV/visible spectrophotometric method was developed and validated for the assessment of alpha-amylase activity. Samples were collected from 30 lots of raw eggs (n = 30) and divided into three groups: one was reserved for analysis of the raw eggs, the second group was pasteurized at 61.1°C for 3.5 minutes (n = 30), and the third group was pasteurized at 64.4°C for 2.5 minutes (n = 30). In addition to assessing alpha-amylase activity, the microbiological quality of the samples was also evaluated by counting total and thermotolerant coliforms, mesophilic aerobic microorganisms, Staphylococcus spp., and Salmonella spp. The validated spectrophotometric method demonstrated linearity, with a coefficient of determination (R2) greater than 0.99, limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of 0.48 mg kg-1 and 1.16 mg kg-1, respectively, and acceptable precision and accuracy with relative standard deviation (RSD) values of less than 10% and recovery rates between 98.81% and 105.40%. The results for alpha-amylase activity in the raw egg samples showed high enzyme activity due to near-complete hydrolysis of the starch, while in the eggs pasteurized at 61.1°C, partial inactivation of the enzyme was observed. In the samples of whole eggs pasteurized at 64.4°C, starch hydrolysis did not occur due to enzyme inactivation. The results of the microbiological analyses showed a decrease (P < 0.0001) in the counts for all the studied microorganisms and in the frequency of Salmonella spp. in the pasteurized egg samples according to the two binomials under investigation, compared to the raw egg samples, which showed high rates of contamination (P < 0.0001). After pasteurization, only one sample (3.33%) was positive for Salmonella spp., indicating failure in the pasteurization process, which was confirmed by the alpha-amylase test. It was concluded that the validated methodology for testing alpha-amylase activity is adequate for assessing the efficiency of the pasteurization process, and that the time-temperature binomial used in this study is suitable to produce pasteurized eggs with high microbiological quality.


Subject(s)
Eggs/microbiology , Food Microbiology/methods , Pasteurization , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , alpha-Amylases/analysis , Animals , Bacteria, Aerobic/isolation & purification , Chickens , Enterobacteriaceae/isolation & purification , Salmonella/isolation & purification , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methods , Staphylococcus/isolation & purification
4.
J Vet Emerg Crit Care (San Antonio) ; 27(3): 307-314, 2017 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28295988

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To determine if cell-free DNA (cfDNA) was identifiable in canine plasma, to evaluate 3 techniques for the measurement of plasma cfDNA concentrations in dogs presented to an emergency service, and to compare the plasma cfDNA concentrations of healthy dogs to those with sepsis, trauma, and neoplasia. DESIGN: Retrospective study of banked canine plasma samples collected between May 2014 and December 2014. SETTING: Dogs presented to the emergency service of a university veterinary teaching hospital. ANIMALS: Plasma cfDNA was measured on residual plasma samples obtained from 15 dogs with sepsis, 15 dogs with moderate-severe trauma, 15 dogs diagnosed with a sarcoma. Plasma cfDNA was also measured in 15 healthy dogs. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Assay linearity, repeatability, and reproducibility were evaluated. Quantification of cfDNA was performed in duplicate on diluted citrated plasma and following DNA purification using 2 fluorescence assays (SYBR-Gold; Quant-iT) and by ultraviolet absorbance spectroscopy. Fluorescence intensities (FIs) were converted to cfDNA concentrations using standard curves. Median FI values and cfDNA concentrations were compared to healthy controls using the Kruskal-Wallis test, with adjustment for multiple comparisons. Alpha was set at 0.05. Both assays had excellent linearity, and acceptable repeatability and reproducibility. Compared to controls, plasma cfDNA concentrations were significantly increased in dogs with sepsis or moderate-severe trauma with both assays (P ≤ 0.003). Dogs with neoplasia had significantly increased cfDNA concentrations with the Quant-iT assay only (P = 0.003). When measurements were performed on purified DNA, only dogs with moderate-severe trauma had significantly increased cfDNA concentrations (P < 0.001; SYBR-Gold assay). CONCLUSIONS: cfDNA can be readily identified in canine plasma using 2 fluorescence assays. DNA extraction offers no advantage over direct measurement. Compared to healthy controls, dogs with sepsis or moderate-severe trauma have significantly increased plasma cfDNA concentrations.


Subject(s)
DNA/blood , Dog Diseases/blood , Plasma/chemistry , Sepsis/veterinary , Animals , Dogs , Emergencies/veterinary , Fluorometry/veterinary , Multiple Trauma/blood , Multiple Trauma/veterinary , Neoplasms/blood , Neoplasms/veterinary , Reproducibility of Results , Retrospective Studies , Sepsis/blood , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
5.
Exp Parasitol ; 170: 116-124, 2016 Nov.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27693220

ABSTRACT

Avian coccidiosis is a widespread and economically significant disease of poultry. It is an enteric disease caused by several protozoan Eimeria species. Eimeria belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa, which exhibits an unusual mechanism of host cell invasion. During invasion of host cells, the protein apical membrane antigen 1 (AMA1) is essential for invasion of Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium. Contrary to the roles of AMA1 during host cell invasion in T. gondii and Plasmodium, the precise functions of Eimeria AMA1 (EtAMA1) are unclear. In order to study the functions of EtAMA1, a yeast two-hybrid cDNA library was constructed from E. tenella sporozoites. The EtAMA1 ectodomain was cloned into the pGBKT7 vector to construct the bait plasmid pGBKT7- EtAMA1. Autoactivation and toxicity of the bait protein in yeast cells were tested by comparison with the pGBKT7 empty vector. Expression of the bait protein was detected by western blots. The bait plasmid pGBKT7-EtAMA1 was used to screen yeast two-hybrid cDNA library from E. tenella sporozoites. After multiple screenings with high-screening-rate medium and exclusion of false-positive plasmids, positive preys were sequenced and analyzed using BLAST. We obtained 14 putative EtAMA1-interacting proteins including E. tenella acidic microneme protein2 (EtMIC2), E. tenella putative cystathionine beta-synthase, E. tenella Eimeria-specific protein, four E. tenella conserved hypothetical proteins (one in the serine/threonine protein kinase family) and seven unknown proteins. Gene Ontology analysis indicated that two known proteins were associated with metabolic process, pyridoxal phosphate binding and protein phosphorylation. Functional analysis indicated EtMIC2 was implicated in parasite motility, migration, recognition and invasion of host cells. The data suggested that EtAMA1 may be important during host cell invasion, but also involved in other biological processes.


Subject(s)
Antigens, Protozoan/metabolism , Eimeria tenella/immunology , Protozoan Proteins/metabolism , Animals , Antigens, Protozoan/chemistry , Antigens, Protozoan/genetics , Antigens, Protozoan/immunology , Blotting, Western/veterinary , Chickens , Eimeria tenella/chemistry , Eimeria tenella/genetics , Gene Library , Plasmids , Protozoan Proteins/chemistry , Protozoan Proteins/genetics , Protozoan Proteins/immunology , RNA, Messenger/analysis , RNA, Messenger/isolation & purification , RNA, Protozoan/analysis , RNA, Protozoan/isolation & purification , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/immunology , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , Serial Passage/veterinary , Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Sporozoites/chemistry , Sporozoites/immunology , Two-Hybrid System Techniques/veterinary
6.
Poult Sci ; 93(5): 1202-10, 2014 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24795313

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on the growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and fatty acid composition of broilers fed corn dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS). Four hundred eighty 1-d-old broilers were randomly assigned to 4 groups, consisting of 6 replicates with 20 broilers each. Broilers were allocated 1 of 4 diets and fed for 49 d in a 2 × 2 factorial design. The dietary treatments consisted of 2 levels of DDGS (0 or 15%) and 2 levels of CLA (0 or 1%). The results of growth performance analyses showed that dietary supplementation with 1% CLA, 15% DDGS, or both in broilers had no significant effects on ADG, ADFI, and feed/gain (P > 0.05). Dietary supplementation with 15% DDGS did not significantly affect meat color values, drip loss percentage, pH value at 15 min, crude fat content, or shear force value (P > 0.05). Diets supplemented with 15% DDGS decreased the proportions of saturated fatty acids (P < 0.05) and monounsaturated fatty acids but increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids of the thigh meat (P < 0.05). Diets supplemented with 1% CLA significantly decreased the abdominal fat percentage (P < 0.05). Supplementation with 1% CLA increased the crude fat content and decreased the color (b*) value and shear force value of the breast meat (P < 0.05). Diets supplemented with 1% CLA increased the total superoxide dismutase activity of the serum, breast meat, and liver, and decreased the malondialdehyde content of the serum and breast meat (P < 0.05). Supplementation with 1% CLA decreased the proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids and increased the proportion of saturated fatty acids (P < 0.05). Accumulation of CLA in the thigh meat was significantly increased (P < 0.05) with increasing CLA level in the diet. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 1% CLA had positive effects on meat quality, antioxidant capacity, and fatty acid composition of broilers, although it had no significant effect on growth performance.


Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Chickens/physiology , Digestion/drug effects , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Linoleic Acids, Conjugated/pharmacology , Meat/analysis , Animal Feed/analysis , Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena/drug effects , Animals , Body Composition/drug effects , Chickens/growth & development , Diet/veterinary , Dietary Supplements/analysis , Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry/veterinary , Linoleic Acids, Conjugated/administration & dosage , Random Allocation , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Zea mays/chemistry
7.
J Vet Med Sci ; 76(1): 93-5, 2014 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23978940

ABSTRACT

Differences in the ultraviolet (UV) cutoff of ocular media between birds and mammals have been revealed by spectrophotometric measurements of the transmission of light wavelengths by the cornea, lens and vitreous body in chickens, crows, quails, rats, rabbits and pigs. The light transmission values of the cornea were shown to be above 50% for wavelengths of 330-800 nm in birds, 300-800 nm in rat and 310-800 nm in mammals except for rat. For the lens, the light transmission values were shown to be above 50% for wavelengths of 320-800 nm in birds and rat and 390-800 nm in mammals except for rat. Thus, among the ocular media, the cornea in birds and the lens in mammals except for rat may play a role as a major UV cutoff filter.


Subject(s)
Birds/anatomy & histology , Cornea/anatomy & histology , Lens, Crystalline/anatomy & histology , Mammals/anatomy & histology , Ultraviolet Rays , Vitreous Body/anatomy & histology , Animals , Female , Male , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
8.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23998963

ABSTRACT

In this work a spectrophotometric flow injection analysis system for streptomycin determination in veterinary samples, is being proposed. The method is based on streptomycin alkaline hydrolysis that forms guanidine, followed by the reaction with Fe(II). The colored product has absorption peak at 520 nm. To evaluate and optimize the system parameters, chemometrics tools, such as factorial design, Pareto chart and Doelhert design, were used. The veterinary samples are diluted in water and introduced in the FIA system, therefore no sample preparation is required. The optimized system presented: linear range of 60 up to 1000 mg L(-1), limit of detection of 18 mg L(-1) and sampling rate of 36 readings per hour. The precision was checked and the CV for veterinary sample readings were always less than 6.5%. The accuracy was studied by comparison with chromatographic method, thus, five samples of pharmaceutical veterinary were determined by HPLC and by the proposed method, and the results are in agreement (t-test, p=0.05).


Subject(s)
Flow Injection Analysis/veterinary , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Streptomycin/analysis , Animals , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Ferrous Compounds/chemistry , Flow Injection Analysis/instrumentation , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/instrumentation
9.
Animal ; 7(8): 1374-8, 2013 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23510791

ABSTRACT

Oxidative stress (OS) plays a key role in the initiation or progression of numerous diseases, and dairy cows undergo OS at the transition period. However, discrepancies between methodologies make it difficult to make comparisons between studies, and therefore research on this topic may not be implemented in farms. This study aims to test under field conditions the use of an oxidative stress index (OSi) as a combined measurement through a ratio between pro-oxidants and antioxidants throughout the transition period in dairy farms. Serum samples of high-yielding dairy cows were taken, and markers of oxidative damage and antioxidant capacity were measured in four different production stages: (i) late lactation (LL; -2 to -1 months); (ii) prepartum (PrP; -1 month until parturition); (iii) postpartum (PsP; delivery to +1 month); and (iv) peak of lactation (PkL; +1 to +2.5 months). Values were compared between production stages and against a metabolic baseline status (CTR, 4th to 5th month of gestation). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report in the literature that discusses the values of these oxidative stress biomarkers (and the OS index) for cows with low metabolic demands, as to date most research in this area has focused on the transition period. With the joint evaluation through the OSi, differences were found that were not present with the separate evaluation of pro-oxidants or antioxidants, thus supporting our hypothesis that the OSi indicates more accurately the oxidative status of the animals. It was also confirmed that dairy cows undergo OS after parturition, and that antioxidant supplementation from 1 month before parturition until the peak of lactation may be needed to reduce the risk of OS.


Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Cattle/metabolism , Dairying/methods , Oxidative Stress , Reactive Oxygen Species/blood , Animals , Biomarkers/blood , Female , Lactation , Oxidation-Reduction , Parturition , Spain , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
10.
Fish Physiol Biochem ; 39(5): 1205-14, 2013 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23440384

ABSTRACT

In cytosol from liver of pacu, Piaractus mesopotamicus, a hypoxia-tolerant fish that dwells in Pantanal, we found an enzyme activity capable of modulating the alkenal 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (HNE) by conjugating it with glutathione (GST-HNE activity). HNE is a downstream metabolite from the oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids by reactive oxygen species arisen from mitochondria of animal cells. HNE production may increase more intensively under oxidative stress. Harmful effects to cell survival may occur when HNE increases over 10(-4) M. Pacus submitted to hypoxia in July (cold season in Pantanal) showed 40% less of this GST-HNE conjugating activity in their liver cytosol. Injecting pacus subjected to hypoxia during the cold season with a summer physiological dose of melatonin caused their liver cytosolic GST-HNE activity to increase up to the levels found in the warm season. From October to March (warm season in Pantanal), pacus are prone to oxidative stress particularly during potamodromous active oxygen-demanding swimming, when they migrate up rivers to spawn. Thus, our findings point out that the higher levels of melatonin in circulation during the summer are important to avoid the increase of 4-HNE inside liver cells of this fish species.


Subject(s)
Aldehydes/metabolism , Characidae , Fish Diseases/metabolism , Glutathione/metabolism , Hypoxia/veterinary , Liver/metabolism , Melatonin/metabolism , Analysis of Variance , Animals , Brazil , Cytosol/enzymology , Hypoxia/metabolism , Melatonin/blood , Oxygen/blood , Seasons , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
11.
Trop Anim Health Prod ; 45(1): 239-45, 2013 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22700285

ABSTRACT

The study was conducted to investigating the effect of α-tocopherol acetate on heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), oxidative stress, and antioxidant status during periparturient period in medium body condition score crossbred cows. Twenty crossbred Karan Fries cows with confirmed pregnancy were selected 2 months before expected date of calving. The cows were randomly distributed in to two groups: 10 cows were kept as control and 10 were supplemented with α-tocopherol acetate during dry period for 2 months. Blood samples were collected at -20, -10, -5, 0, 5, 10, and 20 days in relation to the expected date of calving. Superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total immunoglobulin were significantly higher (P < 0.01) in treatment as compared to control cows. Heat shock protein 70 and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels were significantly lower (P < 0.01) in the treatment cows than their counterpart. Treatment with α-tocopherol acetate during dry period resulted in reduced oxidative stress, heat shock protein Hsp70 levels, improved antioxidant, and improved immunity status indicating beneficial effect of α-tocopherol acetate treatment.


Subject(s)
Antioxidants/metabolism , Cattle/metabolism , HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins/blood , Oxidative Stress/physiology , Peripartum Period/physiology , alpha-Tocopherol/pharmacology , Age Factors , Animals , Catalase/blood , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid/veterinary , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay/veterinary , Female , Immunoglobulins/blood , India , Oxidative Stress/drug effects , Pregnancy , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Superoxide Dismutase/blood , Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances/metabolism
12.
Trop Anim Health Prod ; 45(2): 417-21, 2013 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22836485

ABSTRACT

Trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma evansi commonly produces wasting disease with signs of emaciation and cachexia mainly at the end stage. The present study was conducted to explore the possible hyperlipaemia or hyperlipidaemia and its association with cachexia-anorexia in equine trypanosomiasis. Out of the fifteen confirmed animals, none of the plasma sample was opaque. There was a significant increase in plasma triglyceride, total cholesterol and blood urea nitrogen and a highly significant increase in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels. A mild increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and very low-density lipoprotein levels were observed, while the relative percentage of HDL and LDL was altered with high significance. A moderate increase in triglyceride and highly significant increase in LDL might be the reasons for retention of appetite and lipolysis. Possible protein breakdown and presence of lipolysis might be the reasons for cachexia in equine trypanosomiasis.


Subject(s)
Anorexia/veterinary , Blood Urea Nitrogen , Cachexia/veterinary , Horse Diseases/physiopathology , Hyperlipidemias/veterinary , Lipids/blood , Trypanosomiasis/veterinary , Animals , Anorexia/parasitology , Anorexia/physiopathology , Appetite , Cachexia/parasitology , Cachexia/physiopathology , Horse Diseases/parasitology , Horses , Hyperlipidemias/parasitology , Hyperlipidemias/physiopathology , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Trypanosoma/physiology , Trypanosomiasis/complications , Trypanosomiasis/parasitology
13.
Dev Comp Immunol ; 36(2): 418-32, 2012 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21911003

ABSTRACT

Pangasianodon hypophthalmus serum was fractionated by affinity chromatography on 12 different Sepharose-carbohydrate columns and proteins eluted by the corresponding sugar. Binding to the affinity matrices is dependent on Ca(2+) ions. Upon gel filtration using Superose-12, essentially one fraction was obtained, eluting as a protein with a molecular mass of about 900 kDa. SDS-PAGE in reducing conditions revealed the presence of large (72 kDa) subunits (H-chains) and one up to three small (24, 26 and/or 28-29 kDa) subunits (L-chains). The isolated proteins were shown to be IgM since they bind monoclonal anti-P. hypophthalmus IgM antibodies. Rabbit polyclonal anti-galactose-binding IgM only cross-react with some sugar-binding IgM. The H-chains of the anti-carbohydrate IgM are glycosylated. Circular dichroism studies revealed that the IgMs have an "all-ß" type of structure, and that Ca(2+) ions, though essential for carbohydrate-binding activity, are not required for the structural integrity of the molecules. In non-reducing SDS-PAGE, only monomers and halfmers were obtained, showing that there are no disulfide bonds linking the monomers, and that a disulfide bond connecting both H-chains within one monomer is only present in 45% of the molecules. Both the monomers and the halfmers display molecular mass heterogeneity which is indicative for redox forms at the level of the intradomain disulfide bonds. The native carbohydrate-binding IgMs agglutinate erythrocytes from different animals, as well as fish pathogenic bacteria. Similar proteins could not be isolated from another catfish, Clarias gariepinus.


Subject(s)
Catfishes/immunology , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/isolation & purification , Immunoglobulin M/isolation & purification , Lectins/isolation & purification , Agglutination Tests/veterinary , Animals , Blotting, Western/veterinary , Calcium/immunology , Catfishes/blood , Chromatography, Affinity/veterinary , Chromatography, Gel/veterinary , Circular Dichroism/veterinary , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel/veterinary , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/immunology , Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains/ultrastructure , Immunoglobulin M/immunology , Immunoglobulin M/ultrastructure , Lectins/immunology , Lectins/ultrastructure , Protein Structure, Secondary , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
14.
Vet Res ; 42: 102, 2011 Sep 21.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21936946

ABSTRACT

Mycoplasma haemofelis is a mycoplasmal pathogen (hemoplasma) that attaches to the host's erythrocytes. Distributed worldwide, it has a significant impact on the health of cats causing acute disease and, despite treatment, establishing chronic infection. It might also have a role as a zoonotic agent, especially in immunocompromised patients. Whole genome sequencing and analyses of M. haemofelis strain Ohio2 was undertaken as a step toward understanding its survival and persistence. Metabolic pathways are reduced, relying on the host to supply many of the nutrients and metabolites needed for survival. M. haemofelis must import glucose for ATP generation and ribose derivates for RNA/DNA synthesis. Hypoxanthine, adenine, guanine, uracil and CMP are scavenged from the environment to support purine and pyrimidine synthesis. In addition, nicotinamide, amino acids and any vitamins needed for growth, must be acquired from its environment. The core proteome of M. haemofelis contains an abundance of paralogous gene families, corresponding to 70.6% of all the CDSs. This "paralog pool" is a rich source of different antigenic epitopes that can be varied to elude the host's immune system and establish chronic infection. M. haemofelis also appears to be capable of phase variation, which is particularly relevant to the cyclic bacteremia and persistence, characteristics of the infection in the cat. The data generated herein should be of great use for understanding the mechanisms of M. haemofelis infection. Further, it will provide new insights into its pathogenicity and clues needed to formulate media to support the in vitro cultivation of M. haemofelis.


Subject(s)
Cat Diseases/microbiology , Genome, Bacterial , Mycoplasma Infections/microbiology , Mycoplasma/genetics , Proteome , Adaptation, Biological , Animals , Cats , Chromosome Mapping/veterinary , Electrophoresis, Agar Gel/veterinary , Erythrocytes/microbiology , Molecular Sequence Annotation , Molecular Sequence Data , Mycoplasma/physiology , Sequence Analysis, DNA/veterinary , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
15.
J Vet Diagn Invest ; 23(2): 282-7, 2011 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21398448

ABSTRACT

The aim of the current study was to validate an automated spectrophotometric method for salivary alpha-amylase measurement in pigs and evaluate its possible application as a noninvasive stress biomarker. The analytical validation included intra- and interassay precision, linearity under dilution, and limit of detection. In addition, to study the possible use of salivary alpha-amylase as a possible stress marker, 12 crossbred growing pigs of 3-4 months of age were subjected to restraint stress by a nasal snare for at least 1 min, and saliva samples were obtained at different time points. The results of analytical validation indicated that the method was precise and able to measure alpha-amylase in a linear manner. The results obtained in the stress test showed a significant increase in salivary alpha-amylase activity. Although other factors influencing this enzyme activity should be studied, these preliminary results indicate that salivary alpha-amylase could be a reliable biomarker of stress in pigs.


Subject(s)
Salivary alpha-Amylases/analysis , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Stress, Physiological/physiology , Swine/metabolism , Animals , Biomarkers/analysis , Limit of Detection , Reproducibility of Results , Statistics, Nonparametric
16.
Can J Vet Res ; 73(2): 144-50, 2009 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19436584

ABSTRACT

The aims of this study were to validate a colorimetric method to measure total sialic acid (TSA) in feline serum and to investigate the serum concentration of TSA in clinically healthy cats seronegative (n = 9) and seropositive (n = 48) for feline coronavirus (FCoV), and in cats affected by feline infectious peritonitis (FIP, n = 28), tumors (n = 20), or inflammation (n = 16). The correlation between TSA and alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein (AGP) was also investigated. The method employed in this study is precise and accurate at TSA levels (in mg/L) commonly encountered in feline serum. No significant differences between seropositive (385.6 +/- 192.2 mg/L) and seronegative (433.5 +/- 179.0 mg/L) cats were detectable, suggesting that the simple infection by FCoVs does not influence TSA levels. Compared with seropositive controls, the concentration of TSA was higher in cats with FIP (556.7 +/- 268.3 mg/L, P = 0.003), tumors (522.5 +/- 294.4 mg/L, P = 0.028), and inflammation (546.8 +/- 208.3 mg/L, P = 0.018). The discriminating power of TSA for FIP is moderate (area under the ROC curve = 0.65) and the likelihood ratio is higher than 3.0 only at high TSA levels. Consequently, TSA could support a diagnosis of FIP only at extremely high serum concentration (> 800 mg/L) or when the pre-test probability of FIP is high. No correlations were found between the TSA and AGP concentrations in cats with FIP, suggesting that sialylated proteins other than AGP are present. Both the antibody titre and the degree of AGP sialylation were negatively correlated with TSA levels, suggesting that increased TSA may contribute to reduce the burden of FCoVs.


Subject(s)
Coronavirus, Feline/immunology , Feline Infectious Peritonitis/blood , N-Acetylneuraminic Acid/blood , Orosomucoid/immunology , Animals , Cats , Coronavirus, Feline/genetics , Feces/virology , Feline Infectious Peritonitis/immunology , Feline Infectious Peritonitis/virology , Female , Male , N-Acetylneuraminic Acid/immunology , RNA, Viral/metabolism , Reproducibility of Results , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methods , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Statistics, Nonparametric
17.
Pol J Vet Sci ; 12(4): 563-5, 2009.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20169934

ABSTRACT

The measurement of D-3-hydroxybutyrate (D-BHBA) in milk samples is an important tool for diagnosis of subclinical/clinical ketosis in dairy cows. We describe a simple UV spectrophotometric method for measuring the concentration of D-BHBA in milk of dairy cows. From two herds, 119 milk samples were taken from dairy cows. The standard-curve equation was y = 0.2582x + 0.0269 (R2 = 0.9967). The assay was highly specific with a minimum detection limit of 0.01 mmol/L and measuring range of up to 5 mmol/L. The recovery was between 99.35% and 100.22% and repeatability was 99.8%. The comparison between the spectrophotometric method and the fluorometric method revealed a close correlation (r = 0.9939). These results show that the spectrophotometric method can be successfully used as an alternative method to measure D-BHBA content in milk.


Subject(s)
3-Hydroxybutyric Acid/analysis , Milk/chemistry , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Animals , Cattle , Female , Sensitivity and Specificity , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methods
18.
Trop Anim Health Prod ; 41(7): 1219-24, 2009 Oct.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19105041

ABSTRACT

Browsing camels have access to different plant species in relation to the kind of pasture they can reach. A study was conducted in an arid region of Southern Tunisia to determine the dietary preference and forage quality of free ranging camels. Foliage consisting of leaves from Limonium pruinosum, Retama raetam and Stipa tenacissima, was collected during the dry season to evaluate the chemical characteristics and nutritional value of these browse fodder species. The dietary preference was studied using 15 adult camels which were selected from a herd of 50 animals appropriately marked for identification. There was a significant difference in the chemical composition and nutritional value of plant species collected. Based on crude protein (CP) content and nutritional value, the three fodder species browsed can be recommended as good-quality food source for camels under pastoral management.


Subject(s)
Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena , Camelus/physiology , Diet/veterinary , Fabaceae/chemistry , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Plumbaginaceae/chemistry , Poaceae/chemistry , Animals , Lignin/analysis , Observation , Plant Extracts/analysis , Proteins/analysis , Species Specificity , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary , Tunisia
20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17320471

ABSTRACT

Comparative simultaneous determination of chlortetracycline and benzocaine in the commercial veterinary powder product was carried out by continuous wavelet transform (CWT) and classical derivative transform (or classical derivative spectrophotometry). In this quantitative spectral analysis, two proposed analytical methods do not require any chemical separation process. In the first step, several wavelet families were tested to find an optimal CWT for the overlapping signal processing of the analyzed compounds. Subsequently, we observed that the coiflets (COIF-CWT) method with dilation parameter, a=400, gives suitable results for this analytical application. For a comparison, the classical derivative spectrophotometry (CDS) approach was also applied to the simultaneous quantitative resolution of the same analytical problem. Calibration functions were obtained by measuring the transform amplitudes corresponding to zero-crossing points for both CWT and CDS methods. The utility of these two analytical approaches were verified by analyzing various synthetic mixtures consisting of chlortetracycline and benzocaine and they were applied to the real samples consisting of veterinary powder formulation. The experimental results obtained from the COIF-CWT approach were statistically compared with those obtained by classical derivative spectrophotometry and successful results were reported.


Subject(s)
Spectrophotometry/veterinary , Veterinary Drugs/analysis , Benzocaine/analysis , Chemistry Techniques, Analytical/methods , Chemistry Techniques, Analytical/statistics & numerical data , Chlortetracycline/analysis , Powders/analysis , Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted , Spectrophotometry/methods , Spectrophotometry/statistics & numerical data , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/methods , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/statistics & numerical data , Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet/veterinary
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