Encapsulation of cinnamon essential oil in whey protein enhances the protective effect against single or combined sub-chronic toxicity of fumonisin B1 and/or aflatoxin B1 in rats.

Fumonisin B1 (FB1) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are fungal metabolites that frequently co-occur in foodstuffs and are responsible for mycotoxicosis and several primary cancers. Cinnamon essential oil (CEO) has a spacious range of benefit effects but also has some limitations owing to its strong taste or its interaction with some drugs. This study aimed to use the cinnamon oil emulsion droplets (COED) for the protection against oxidative stress, cytotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity in male Sprague-Dawley rats sub-chronically exposed to FB1 and/or AFB1. The composition of CEO was identified using GC-MS then was encapsulated using whey protein as wall material. Male rats were divided into eight groups and treated orally for 8 weeks as follows: control group, AFB1-trreated group (80 µg/kg b.w), FB1-treated group (100 mg/kg b.w), FB1 plus AFB1-treated group, and the groups treated with COED plus FB1 and/or AFB1. Blood and samples of the kidney, liver, and testis were collected for different analysis and histopathological examination. The GC-MS analysis revealed that cinnamaldehyde, α-copaene, trans-cinnamaldehyde, caryophyllene, and delta-cadinene were the main compounds in COE. The average size of COED was 235 ± 1.4 nm and the zeta potential was - 6.24 ± 0.56. Treatment with FB1 and/or AFB1 induced significant disturbances in the serum biochemical analysis, oxidative stress parameters, DNA fragmentation, gene expression, and testosterone and severe pathological changes in the tested organs. Moreover, treatment with both mycotoxins induced synergistic toxic effects. COED did not induce toxic effects and could normalize the majority of the tested parameters and improve the histological picture in rats treated with FB1 and/or AFB1. It could be concluded that COED induce potential protective effects against the single or combined exposure to FB1 and AFB1.

Evaluation of food products fortified with oyster shell for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

Production and evaluation of different diet formulas fortified with oyster shell for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Eighty-eight female albino rats were recruited and divided into 11 groups (8 rats each). Group 1 represented negative control while the remaining groups were ovariectomized. Group 2 acted as positive control. Groups 3-5 were fed on basal diet. Groups 6-8 were fed on lentil soup while groups 9-11 were fed on vegetable soup. Group 4, 7, 10 were fed on diets fortified with oyster shell. Groups 5, 8 and 11 were fed on diet formulas fortified with calcium citrate. All calcium fortified diet formulas, especially lentil soup, have minimized risk factors associated with osteoporosis as indicated from the significant increase in tibial weight, total protein, total calcium and phosphorus with noticeable reduction in ALP activity compared to positive group. Maximum recovery was observed for diet fortified with oyster shell. These data suggest that food products fortified with oyster shell as natural and inexpensive source could be beneficial for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis.

The p.Arg86Gln change in GARP2 (glutamic acid-rich protein-2) is a common West African-related polymorphism.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of the present study is to probe the potential association between previously-reported GARP2 mutations and retinitis pigmentosa (RP) using Scottish RP patients and controls. METHODS: Exons 4, 5 and 8 in DNA from blood or buccal samples (130 autosomal recessive and simplex RP patients, 31 controls) were amplified and analysed for single-strand conformational polymorphism by capillary electrophoresis (CE-SSCP) and confirmed by sequencing. RESULTS: The p.Arg86Gln mutation in exon 4 was found in just one patient (out of 130), and in 10 of the 31 unaffected subjects. All of these occurrences were in people of West African origin (patient and controls). Two polymorphisms in exon 5, p.His100Arg and p.Gly109Gly, and a c.534+20A>G change in the intronic region flanking the 3' end of exon 8 were also found not to be associated with RP. CONCLUSIONS: The Scottish population examined here had no mutations in the GARP2 exons surveyed that could be associated with RP. The p.Arg86Gln mutation actually appears to be a polymorphism common in ethnic West Africans and not associated with RP. This change may provide a useful marker for West African ancestry.

Options available for labelling nucleic acid samples in DNA microarray-based detection methods.

DNA microarrays are considered by many researchers to be the platform of choice for the high-throughput analysis of nucleic acids. Since the past two decades, they have been used constantly as powerful tools in differential gene expression, SNP genotyping, DNA sequencing, gene discovery, disease diagnostic and pathways reconstruction. Several methods have been developed to enable samples of limited amounts of RNA to be quantified. Here we evaluate classical and up-to-date assays made available for labelling those samples. This review also sheds light on the recently developed strategies that ensure high sensitivity such as sample and signal amplification, quantum dot, surface plasmom resonance, nanoparticles and cationinc polythiophenes.

Sexual performance of rams sequentially exposed to short-tailed and fat-tailed ewes.

The objective of the study was to compare sexual performance of pure and crossbred rams, and to evaluate whether prior exposure of rams to short-tailed females would enhance their mating ability when later exposed to fat-tailed females. Twenty-two virgin, yearling Awassi (A; n = 7), F(1) Charollais x Awassi (CA; n = 7) and F(1) Romanov x Awassi (RA; n = 8) rams were subjected to sexual performance tests on six 20-min occasions. Each ram was individually exposed to two short-tailed oestrous ewes for three 20-min occasions on three consecutive days. Following 1 day of rest, the same 3-day procedure was repeated for each ram with fat-tailed ewes. Leg kicking bout frequency increased in CA and RA rams and decreased in A rams, when they were exposed to fat-tailed compared with short-tailed ewes. No differences in anogenital sniffing were observed among rams exposed to either short-tailed or fat-tailed ewes. However, greater (p < 0.001) anogenital sniffing bouts were recorded, when rams were exposed to short-tailed females. Upon exposure to fat-tailed ewes, CA and RA rams experienced a marked increase in mounting frequency compared with a slight increase in mounting of A rams (p < 0.001). The ability of Awassi rams to raise the fat tail of Awassi ewes was greater (p < 0.001) than CA and RA rams. Mating was improved in A while declining in CA and RA, when they were exposed to fat-tailed compared with short-tailed ewes (p < 0.001). Based on the results of the current study, it seems that all yearling rams were capable of mating with short-tailed ewes, whereas only Awassi rams managed to mate with fat-tailed ewes. It appears that brief exposures of yearling crossbred rams to short-tailed ewes do not improve their mating ability when later exposed to fat-tailed ewes.

Sexual behaviour of yearling Awassi, Charollais x Awassi and Romanov x Awassi rams exposed to oestrous Awassi ewes.

This study was conducted to evaluate the sexual performance of 10-month-old, ram lambs of different breed groups. Eight ram lambs each of Awassi (A), F1 CharollaisxAwassi (CA) and F1 RomanovxAwassi (RA) breed types were subjected to sexual performance tests by being individually exposed to two oestrous Awassi ewe lambs for four 20-min periods. Bouts of leg kicking and anogenital sniffing were similar among breed groups. Mounting frequency was greater (p<0.05) in RA than in A and CA ram lambs. Tail-raising was greater (p<0.05) and mating rate tended to be greater (p<0.10) in A than in RA and CA ram lambs. The number of mounts per tail-raising (efficiency) was influenced by breed group and test day (p<0.05). Awassi ram lambs maintained the best efficiency throughout the experiment. Efficiency in RA and CA ram lambs improved with each test day. Results of the present study indicate that RA ram lambs have greater mounting frequency than A and CA, while Awassi are more capable of mating with fat-tailed females than the CA and RA ram lambs.

An objective measure of muscularity: Changes with animal growth and differences between Genetic lines of southdown sheep.

A measure of muscularity, based on objective measurements, and expressed in terms of muscle depth relative to skeletal dimensions, is proposed and investigated using a simulation model. Average muscle depth is assessed as the square root of the muscle weight per unit length of a bone adjacent to the muscle. Muscularity is then defined as average muscle depth divided by bone length. Evidence based on a theoretical model, results from the literature and data from backfat selection lines of Southdown sheep is used to illustrate how muscularity defined in this way changes with growth, and the extent to which it parallels changes in muscle to bone ratio. It is concluded that although these two characteristics often change together there are situations where differences in muscularity are not accompanied by differences in muscle to bone ratio and vice versa.