Effect of a dental chew on dental substrates and gingivitis in cats.

The use of special diets or dietary adjuncts, although not eliminating the need for regular professional therapy, may serve to improve gingival health during the interval between professional oral health assessments and intervention. This study was performed to determine the effect of a dental chew on dental hygiene and gingival health in cats. The accumulation of dental substrates and the development of gingivitis were assessed in cats fed either a dry diet only or a dry diet supplemented with dental chews. A two-period, crossover design was used with the test phase lasting 4-weeks. Results indicated that the daily addition of dental chews to a dry diet was effective in reducing plaque and calculus accumulation on tooth surfaces in cats, as well as reducing the severity of gingivitis.

Effect of a new dental hygiene chew on periodontal health in dogs.

A study was undertaken to determine the effect of a new dental hygiene chew on periodontal health in the dog. The textural properties of this chew are different from previously tested dental hygiene products. The accumulation of dental deposits, development of oral malodor, and development of gingivitis were assessed in two groups of dogs; one fed a dry diet only, and the other fed the same dry diet supplemented by the daily addition of the new dental hygiene chew. Daily addition of the chew to the dry diet was effective in reducing plaque and calculus accumulation on the tooth surfaces, and also reduced the severity of gingivitis and oral malodor as compared to feeding the dry diet only.

Long-term effects of a dental hygiene chew on the periodontal health of dogs.

The objective of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of feeding a dental hygiene chew that has been shown to be effective in promoting periodontal health in dogs in short-term studies. Oral malodor, calculus, and plaque scores were still significantly lower after 21 months in the group that was receiving the dental hygiene chew, although gingivitis scores no longer differed significantly. There were no reports of any adverse reactions during the study. The results of the study support that feeding of the dental hygiene chew six days per week reduces accumulation of dental deposits, helps maintain periodontal health, and increases the time interval between professional periodontal intervention.

Comparative absorption and transport of five common carotenoids in preruminant calves.

Preruminant calves, maintained in a monogastric state by feeding an all-liquid diet, were used to compare the serum appearance and lipoprotein transport of five different carotenoids over 144 h. Thirty newborn calves were fed milk replacer for 1 wk and then randomly assigned to six groups (n = 5), with each group receiving a single 20-mg oral dose of beta-carotene in water-soluble beadlets, canthaxanthin in water-soluble beadlets, lutein in oil, lycopene in oil, crystalline alpha-carotene in oil or crystalline beta-carotene in oil as part of a morning meal. Serial blood samples were taken by jugular puncture for up to 1 wk post-dosing. Lipoprotein separation and analysis were completed with selected animals. All carotenoids were absorbed, but in variable amounts. At peak serum carotenoids levels, HDL contained 70-90% of the carotenoids. Canthaxanthin and lutein peaked earlier in serum (8 and 12 h) than did the less polar lycopene, alpha-carotene, and beta-carotene (16, 24 and 24 h). Canthaxanthin and lutein were also cleared more quickly from the serum. Serum concentrations of alpha-carotene and lycopene displayed slower disappearance rates than did beta-carotene. The peak serum level (nmol/L +/- SEM) of canthaxanthin (392 +/- 136) was lower than that of beta-carotene (1245 +/- 425), and carotenoids levels of calves receiving these commercial beadlet sources were higher than the serum levels of calves receiving beta-carotene (45 +/- 17.5), alpha-carotene (42 +/- 18.0), lutein (51 +/- 9.5) and lycopene (18 +/- 4.6), which were fed in oil.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Interactions of oral beta-carotene and canthaxanthin in ferrets.

Interactive effects of an oral dose of equal quantities of beta-carotene and either canthaxanthin or lycopene on serum and tissue beta-carotene accumulations were investigated in domestic ferrets. Like humans, ferrets absorb a substantial portion of ingested beta-carotene intact and accumulate it in tissues. After the ferrets ingested a low carotenoid purified diet for 13 d, they were randomly assigned to one of two groups of six animals. One group was dosed with beta-carotene (10 mg/kg body weight) and the other with beta-carotene and either canthaxanthin (Experiment 1) or lycopene (Experiment 2) (10 mg/kg body weight for each). In Experiment 1, ferrets that received a combined dose of beta-carotene and canthaxanthin had serum beta-carotene concentrations that were significantly lower at 8, 12 and 24 h post-dosing (P < 0.05), compared with those that received an individual dose of beta-carotene; liver, adrenal and kidney beta-carotene concentrations were also significantly reduced. In Experiment 2, ferrets that received a combined dose of lycopene and beta-carotene had lower serum and tissue beta-carotene concentrations than in those that received beta-carotene alone; the differences were not statistically significant with the exception of serum beta-carotene concentrations at 24 h post-dosing. The results suggest that, at the doses given, a concurrent oral canthaxanthin dose has a specific antagonistic effect on the bioavailability of a beta-carotene dose in ferrets.

The accumulation of alpha- and beta-carotene in serum and tissues of preruminant calves fed raw and steamed carrot slurries.

The preruminant calf model was used to evaluate the effects of mild heat treatment on the serum and tissue accumulation of alpha- and beta-carotene from carrots. Twenty-four 1-wk-old Holstein male calves were assigned to one of four groups and fed a milk replacer diet. Negative control animals received no additional supplement. The three remaining groups received an additional 20 mg beta-carotene/d from either water-soluble beadlets, homogenized raw carrots or homogenized steamed carrots. Serum samples were obtained daily, and calves were killed after 7 d and samples of serum, liver and adrenal collected. Tissue and serum alpha- and beta-carotene concentrations were not significantly higher in steamed carrot-fed animals than in raw carrot-fed animals. The molar ratios of beta-carotene to alpha-carotene in both raw carrot-fed and steamed carrot-fed groups were highest in adrenal tissues, intermediate in serum and lowest in the diets. None of these differences were statistically significant. When the serum, liver and adrenal beta-carotene data were pooled, the mean relative accumulation of beta-carotene, expressed as a percentage of the mean response of calves receiving water-soluble beadlets, was 46.8% for calves fed raw carrots and 74.0% for calves fed steamed carrots. These results suggest a small enhancing effect of mild heat treatment of carrots on the serum and tissue accumulation of carotenoids.

Evaluation of the preruminant calf as a model for the study of human carotenoid metabolism.

This study evaluated the preruminant calf as an animal model for the study of human carotenoid metabolism. Fifteen newborn male Holstein calves were fed a carotenoid-free milk replacer diet to maintain them in the preruminant state. After a 7-d adjustment period, three calves were killed and 12 calves received a single oral dose (20 mg) of beta-carotene in the form of water-soluble beadlets. Blood samples were collected periodically and samples of various tissues were collected when the calves were killed. Three animals each were killed by exsanguination at 1, 3, 6 and 11 d post-dosing. Serum beta-carotene concentrations peaked between 12 and 30 h post-dosing and declined slowly afterwards. Serum data were fitted to a two-compartment model and yielded an elimination constant (k2) that was similar to reported human values. Adrenal tissue showed significant concentrations of beta-carotene by 24 h post-dosing, and levels were still elevated at 264 h. Liver, spleen and lung beta-carotene concentrations were significantly elevated by 24 h and rapidly declined thereafter. Adipose and kidney peak beta-carotene concentrations were observed at 72 and 144 h, respectively. Heart and muscle did not display significant changes in beta-carotene concentrations. The preruminant calf shows promise as an animal model for the study of absorption and metabolism of carotenoids by humans.

Beta-carotene uptake and tissue distribution in ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).

Ferrets accumulate beta-carotene in liver and adipose tissue after chronic feeding. This study was designed to further evaluate the time course of uptake and depletion of beta-carotene in ferret serum and tissues. Male ferrets (n = 15; 1000-1200 g) were given a single dose of beta-carotene (10 mg/kg body wt) with a meal. Animals were killed at various time points over an 11-d period. Blood and tissue samples were extracted and analyzed for beta-carotene by HPLC. Peak serum beta-carotene levels (0.68 +/- 0.18 mumol/L) were observed 8 h after the test meal. beta-Carotene was essentially cleared from the blood by 76 h. Peak beta-carotene concentrations (nmol/g) were observed between 8 and 16 h after ingestion for liver (1.20 +/- 0.04), lung (0.042 +/- 0.012), kidney (0.090 +/- 0.015) and spleen (0.076 +/- 0.012). Ferret liver also seemed to contain a variety of other polar and nonpolar carotenoids. Ferrets were shown to absorb beta-carotene from a meal and have a consistent serum response pattern. Absorbed beta-carotene is differentially distributed in a variety of tissues. The ferret seems to be a useful model for the study of beta-carotene absorption and metabolism.