Application of Polymeric Nano-Materials in Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is an umbrella term used to describe disorders that involve Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) and pouchitis. The disease occurrence is more prevalent in the working group population which not only hampers the well being of an individual but also has negative economical impact on society. The current drug regime used therapy is very costly owing to the chronic nature of the disease leading to several side effects. The condition gets more aggravated due to the lower concentration of drug at the desired site. Therefore, in the present scenario, a therapy is needed which can maximize efficacy, adhere to quality of life, minimize toxicity and doses, be helpful in maintaining and stimulating physical growth of mucosa with minimum disease complications. In this aspect, nanotechnology intervention is one promising field as it can act as a carrier to reduce toxicity, doses and frequency which in turn help in faster recovery. Moreover, nanomedicine and nanodiagnostic techniques will further open a new window for treatment in understanding pathogenesis along with better diagnosis which is poorly understood till now. Therefore the present review is more focused on recent advancements in IBD in the application of nanotechnology.

Effect of betaine supplementation on growth performance, nutrient intake and expression of IGF-1 in Karan Fries heifers during thermal stress.

Heat stress hampers nutrient utilisation and production of animals, and dietary betaine supplementation can mitigate the adverse effects of heat stress on animals and improve their productivity. The present study was conducted to explore the effects of betaine supplementation on the growth performance of eighteen growing Karan Fries (KF) heifers having similar age and body conditions. The experiment was carried out on three groups (n = 6) of KF heifers viz. control, treatment I (betaine supplemented at 25  g/d/animal), and treatment II (betaine supplemented at 50  g/d/animal). The experiment lasted for eight months covering the three major seasons of Indian tropical conditions viz. hot-dry (temperature humidity index, THI = 83), hot-humid (THI = 85) and thermoneutral season (THI = 73). Blood samples were collected at fortnightly intervals and analysed for plasma growth hormone (GH; competitive ELISA) and total insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1; Sandwich ELISA), as well as expression of IGF-I in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Betaine supplementation resulted in significant (p < 0.05) increase in dry matter intake, feed conversion efficiency, body weight gain, plasma GH and IGF-1 levels during all seasons. The concentrations of plasma IGF-1 and the mRNA expression of IGF-1 were higher (p < 0.01) in treatment I as compared to other groups during all seasons. Betaine supplementation at 25  g/d/animal was more cost-effective in improving growth performance of heat-stressed heifers as compared to 50  g/d/animal. The study suggests that the betaine protects intestinal integrity, enhances nutrient utilisation during heat stress and improves growth performance of growing heifers.

Immune status and haemato-biochemical profile of buffalo calves supplemented with phytogenic feed additives rich in tannins, saponins and essential oils.

The present study was performed to ascertain the synergistic effects of phytogenic feed additives (PFA-7) supplementation on immune status and haemato-biochemical profile of buffalo calves. The PFA-7 is a mixture of neem seed cake (Azadirachta indica), mahua seed cake (Madhuca longifolia), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), harad (Terminalia chebula), fruit pulp of bahera (Terminalia bellirica), fruit pulp of amla (Phyllanthus emblica) and ajwain seed (Trachyspermum ammi) mixed in 2:2:2:1:1:1:1 proportion. Male buffalo calves (n = 21) having similar age and body weight were allotted to three groups in a completely randomised design. The dietary treatments were viz. T1: control (without PFA-7) and T2 and T3: provided with PFA-7 at 2 and 4% of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively, plus sodium sulphate at 0.06% of DMI. The feeding trial was carried out for 4 months, and serum isolation was done on days 0, 60 and 120 post-feeding. The concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase increased, whereas cortisol and glucose decreased in the supplemented groups as compared to the control. The levels of triglycerides, urea, albumin/globulin ratio, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were not affected by the supplementation of PFA-7. Both cell-mediated and humoral immune response increased in the supplemented groups. The results revealed that PFA-7 positively impacted haemato-biochemical profile and both cellular and humoral immunity of the growing calves. The PFA-7 can be used as an alternative for chemical feed additives in the diet of growing calves.