Role of Dietary Inclusion of Phytobiotics and Mineral Adsorbent Combination on Dairy Cows' Milk Production, Nutrient Digestibility, Nitrogen Utilization, and Biochemical Parameters.

Our research purpose was to study the effect of the inclusion of a combination of phytobiotics in the form of dry Fucus vesiculosus grits (FG) and a mineral adsorbent from the heat-treated mineral shungite (TMS) on milk productivity, nutrient digestibility, and biochemical parameters of the Suksun dairy cows. A total of 80 dry-hardy cows of the Suksun breed were divided into four groups (20 heads each), balanced primarily by breed, age, body weight, body condition score, and indicators of milk yield for the previous lactation. The selected cows were with an average live body weight of 512.0 ± 1.28 kg, BCS 3.0-3.5, and parities of 6250 kg milk. The control group (CON) were fed the basic ration only; the second (TMS), third (FG), and fourth (TMS + FG) groups were fed the basic ration provided by 50 g of the mineral adsorbent from heat-treated shungite, 100 g of Fucus grits (Fucus vesiculosus), 50 g of the mineral adsorbent from heat-treated shungite, and 100 g of dry grits from Fucus vesiculosus, respectively. The total protein content in milk was significantly higher in the group receiving Fucus vesiculosus by 0.05% and the group receiving a combination of mineral adsorbent and Fucus vesiculosus by 0.03%. The percentage of milk fat content recorded the highest significant value in (TMS) group when compared to the control and represented (4.37 vs. 3.95). The group of cows that received (TMS + FG) revealed a significant difference in the digestibility of both ether extract and crude fiber when compared to the control group and represented (54.74 vs. 51.71 and 60.68 vs. 55.15%), respectively. The cows supplemented with a mineral adsorbent or a combination of mineral adsorbent and Fucus vesiculosus revealed a significant difference in the digestibility of ether extract and crude fiber in the group receiving TMS + FG by 3.0% (p < 0.05) and 5.5% (p < 0.05), respectively. The intake of nitrogen with the diet increased in (FG) and (TMS + FG) groups by 11.3 g (p < 0.05) and 13.4 g (p < 0.05) of nitrogen. There was an increase (p < 0.05) in the concentration of rumen ammonia in the control group compared to the other groups. The glucose content of those cows that received FG and TMS + FG combination increased (p < 0.05) by 0.76 mmol/L and 0.90 mmol/l in relation to the control group. The globulin, albumin/globulin ratio, and the level of triglycerides revealed a significant difference between the different experimental groups. In brief, the inclusion of a combination of phytobiotics in the form of dry Fucus vesiculosus grits and a mineral adsorbent from the heat-treated mineral shungite in Suksun dairy cows' diets improved milk composition, digestibility of nutrients, utilization of nitrogen, and did not cause deleterious effects on blood biochemical indicators.

Synthesis and study of C-substituted methylthio derivatives of cobalt bis(dicarbollide).

The C-methylthio derivatives of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) were synthesized by reaction of anhydrous CoCl2 with nido-carborane [7-MeS-7,8-C2B9H11]- and isolated as a mixture of rac-[1,1'-(MeS)2-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)2]- and meso-[1,2'-(MeS)2-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)2]- isomers. The structures of both isomers were studied using DFT quantum chemical calculations. The most preferable geometry of rotamers and the stabilization energy of C-methylthio derivatives of cobalt bis(dicarbolide) were calculated. The (BEDT-TTF)[1,1'-(MeS)2-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)2] salt was prepared and its structure was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The cisoid conformation of the rac-[1,1'-(MeS)2-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)2]- anion is stabilized by short intramolecular CH⋯S hydrogen and BH⋯S chalcogen bonds between the dicarbollide ligands, that is in good agreement with the data of quantum chemical calculations.

Crystal structure of bis-(ethyl-enedi-thio)-tetra-thia-fulvalenium µ2-acetato-bis-[tri-bromido-rhenate(III)] 1,1,2-tri-chloro-ethane hemisolvate.

The asymmetric unit of the title salt, (C10H8S8)[Re2Br6(CH3COO)]·0.5C2H3Cl3, contains one bis-(ethyl-enedi-thio)-tetra-thia-fulvalene (ET) radical cation, one µ2-acetato-bis-[tri-bromido-rhenate(III)] anion and a 1,1,2-tri-chloro-ethane mol-ecule with half-occupancy disordered about a twofold rotation axis. The tetra-thia-fulvalene fragment adopts an almost planar configuration typical of the ET radical cation. The C atoms of both ethyl-enedi-thio fragments in the cation are disordered over two orientations with occupancy factors 0.65:0.35 and 0.77:0.23. In the anion, six Br atoms and a µ2-acetate ligand form a strongly distorted cubic O2Br6 coordination polyhedron around the Re2 dinuclear centre. In the crystal, centrosymmetrically related ET cations and Re2O2Br6 anions are linked into dimers by π-π stacking inter-actions [centroid-to-centroid distance = 3.826 (8) Å] and by pairs of additional Re⋯Br contacts [3.131 (3) Å], respectively. The dimers are further packed into a three-dimensional network by non-directional inter-ionic electrostatic forces and by C-H⋯Br and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonds. The disordered 1,1,2-tri-chloro-ethane mol-ecules occupy solvent-accessible channels along the b axis.

Molecular conductors with a 8-hydroxy cobalt bis(dicarbollide) anion.

Molecular conductors based on the 8-hydroxy cobalt bis(dicarbollide) anion, (TMTTF)[8-HO-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] (1), (BMDT-TTF)[8-HO-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10) (1',2'-C2B9H11)] (2), and (BEDT-TTF)[8-HO-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)] (3), were synthesized, and their crystal structures and electrical conductivities were determined. Compounds 2 and 3 are isostructural to the corresponding radical-cation salts of the parent cobalt bis(dicarbollide). All of the radical-cation salts prepared were found to be semiconductors. The relative stability of the rotation conformers of the [8-HO-3,3'-Co(1,2-C2B9H10)(1',2'-C2B9H11)](-) anion was estimated using DFT/BP86 quantum chemical calculations.