Histopathological evaluation of latex of Bellaco-Caspi, Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson on wound healing effect in BALB/C mice

Research (Published online: 10-06-2020)

5. Histopathological evaluation of latex of Bellaco-Caspi, Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson on wound healing effect in BALB/C mice

Lisbeth Lucia Calero-Armijos, Oscar Herrera-Calderon, Jorge Luis Arroyo-Acevedo, Juan Pedro Rojas-Armas, Renán Dilton Hañari-Quispe and Linder Figueroa-Salvador

Veterinary World, 13(6): 1045-1049

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) Woodson (Apocynaceae) is a medicinal plant known as "Bellaco- Caspi" widely distributed in Loreto, Peru. In the Peruvian traditional medicine, the latex of the plant is used for the treatment of wounds, inflammation, ulcers, and other ailments. This study aims to evaluate the wound healing effect of the latex of H. sucuuba in BALB/C albino mice.

Materials and Methods: Thirty BALB/C male mice were used for wound healing study. In the experimental procedures, wound skin incision was performed at 2.0 cm in length until subcutaneous on the paravertebral of each animal. Under locally anesthetized with procaine cream, the treatment was conducted. All the mice were divided into three groups, the control group (A), zinc oxide cream (B), and H. sucuuba latex (C). The entire surface of the wound was treated for all the groups, and the treatments were performed daily for 15 days. The experiments were stopped on days 1, 7, and 15, respectively.

Results: The histopathological study of tissues revealed significant changes in wound healing effect in H. sucuuba latex compared to the control and B groups. Consequently, the mice treated with latex showed a significant reduction in epithelialization time and collagen formation. Furthermore, the latex showed a dose-dependent significant reduction of inflammation in the first 24 h of treatment.

Conclusion: BALB/C mice treated with the latex of H. sucuuba possess a wound healing effect that can scientifically prove the traditional use of the plant as a wound healing agent.

Keywords: Apocynaceae, BALB/C mice, latex, pathology, regeneration, wound healing.

Antibiotic resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase in Escherichia coli isolates from imported 1-day-old chicks, ducklings, and turkey poults

Research (Published online: 10-06-2020)

4. Antibiotic resistance and extended-spectrum β-lactamase in Escherichia coli isolates from imported 1-day-old chicks, ducklings, and turkey poults

Mona A. A. AbdelRahman, Heba Roshdy, Abdelhafez H. Samir and Engy A. Hamed

Veterinary World, 13(6): 1037-1044

ABSTRACT

Aim: Antimicrobial resistance is a global health threat. This study investigated the prevalence of Escherichia coli in imported 1-day-old chicks, ducklings, and turkey poults.

Materials and Methods: The liver, heart, lungs, and yolk sacs of 148 imported batches of 1-day-old flocks (chicks, 45; ducklings, 63; and turkey poults, 40) were bacteriologically examined for the presence of E. coli.

Results: We isolated 38 E. coli strains from 13.5%, 6.7%, and 5.4% of imported batches of 1-day-old chicks, ducklings, and turkey poults, respectively. They were serotyped as O91, O125, O145, O78, O44, O36, O169, O124, O15, O26, and untyped in the imported chicks; O91, O119, O145, O15, O169, and untyped in the imported ducklings; and O78, O28, O29, O168, O125, O158, and O115 in the imported turkey poults. The E. coli isolates were investigated for antibiotic resistance against 16 antibiotics using the disk diffusion method and were found resistant to cefotaxime (60.5%), nalidixic acid (44.7%), tetracycline (44.7%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (42.1%). The distribution of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and ampC β-lactamase genes was blaTEM (52.6%), blaSHV (28.9%), blaCTX-M (39.5%), blaOXA-1 (13.1%), and ampC (28.9%).

Conclusion: Imported 1-day-old poultry flocks may be a potential source for the dissemination of antibiotic-resistant E. coli and the ESBL genes in poultry production.

Keywords: Escherichia coli, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, imported, multidrug resistance, poultry.

Teaching One Health: Animal husbandry in a post-graduate interdisciplinary curriculum

Research (Published online: 09-06-2020)

12. Teaching One Health: Animal husbandry in a post-graduate interdisciplinary curriculum

Djibo Idrissa Sidikou, Yannick Caron, Catherine Delguste, Abdoulkarim Issa Ibrahim, Maman Laminou Ibrahim, Hassane Adakal, Jean-Luc Hornick and Nicolas Antoine-Moussiaux

International Journal of One Health, 6(1): 69-75

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: This work presents the implementation of a course on animal husbandry in an interdisciplinary curriculum based on the One Health concept. The study describes learners' viewpoints about the course and its insertion in the curriculum. The study aimed at identifying avenues for improvement.

Materials and Methods: Fourteen learners (health professionals) participated to individual semi-structured interviews lasting for 25-35 min each. Learners' opinions were extracted from the transcribed interviews and analysis themes were identified from recurrent narratives.

Results: The learners perceived animal husbandry as relevant for One Health and potentially useful for their future practice. More precisely, learners were considering a future use of the newly acquired knowledge and skills in the advising of communities facing malnutrition and for the strategic planning at wider levels. Teaching methods were appreciated thanks to the active learning style. Unmet expectations concerned the coverage of impacts and relationships to other disciplines, the inclusion of viewpoints from other disciplines into the teaching, and the degree of contextualization of contents, e.g. through case studies. Accordingly, the main avenues for improvement, as identified by learners, were to give a prior focus on impacts (especially on human health) for all contents and to increase the number of case studies, but also to better address the questions of the usefulness of animal products in the management of malnutrition.

Conclusion: The analysis of learners' expectations (met and unmet) and their recommendations regarding the future of the course helped identifying both successes and important challenges for teachers. Two main challenges are highlighted. First, increased interdisciplinarity is needed within the course to better cover the notion of impact of animal husbandry on health, society and environment. Second, the complexity of the domain under consideration will call for important efforts of clarification of the course structure and objectives in terms of skills acquisition.

Keywords: animal husbandry, curriculum, interdisciplinarity, one health.

Evaluation of some food additives and heavy metals in Egyptian meat products

Research (Published online: 09-06-2020)

11. Evaluation of some food additives and heavy metals in Egyptian meat products

Mohamed Abdelfattah Maky, Mohamed A. A. Abd-ElRasoul and Mohammed Salah

International Journal of One Health, 6(1): 61-68

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Contamination of processed meat by chemicals, either by their addition for enhancing the product quality or as a result of contamination during the manufacturing process, is a crucial food safety issue that threatens human health. This research was conducted to estimate the contamination levels by harmful chemical contaminants, including nitrite, lead, cadmium, and phosphate in the Egyptian processed meats.

Materials and Methods: In our study, 20 samples of each frozen sausage, pastirma, and luncheon were collected and prepared for the detection of chemical contaminants, including nitrite, lead, cadmium, phosphorus, and phosphate.

Results: Pastirma showed the highest nitrite and lead levels (163.65±22.633 and 0.805±0.173 ppm) and the lowest levels in phosphorus and phosphate (2.294±0.19 and 9.084±0.755 g/kg) whereas sausage recorded the highest concentration of cadmium (0.073±0.008 ppm), phosphorus and phosphate (13.268±1.129 and 52.54±4.472 g/kg, respectively). However, the estimation of nitrite, lead, cadmium, and phosphate levels in sausage, pastirma, and luncheon was considered within the acceptable daily intake. Moreover, target hazard quotient and hazard index of all analyzed chemical contaminants in different processed meat were below one, indicating the safety of these meat products without any danger to human health. The probability of developing cancer was measured using carcinogenic risk (CR) where pastirma and luncheon recorded satisfactory levels away from developing cancer because of lead (4.59E-04 and 1.87E-04, respectively) and cadmium (7.60E-04 and 3.80E-04, respectively) contamination. Surprisingly, the cadmium level in sausage samples represented a relevant CR for consumers (1.90E-03).

Conclusion: Periodical surveillance of meat chemical contaminants is a vital issue for human health maintenance.

Keywords: carcinogenic risk, chemical contaminants, hazard index, meat products, target hazard quotient.

Effects of farnesol and lyticase on the formation of Candida albicans biofilm

Research (Published online: 08-06-2020)

3. Effects of farnesol and lyticase on the formation of Candida albicans biofilm

Nadezhda Sachivkina, Ekaterina Lenchenko, Dmitri Blumenkrants, Alfia Ibragimova and Olga Bazarkina

Veterinary World, 13(6): 1030-1036

ABSTRACT

Background and Aim: Candida albicans is a dimorphic fungus that has both yeast and filamentous forms. It is part of the normal flora in the oral and genital areas of mammals. One factor for the pathogenicity of C. albicans is its ability to switch from yeast to hyphae. The hyphal form adheres and penetrates tissues more readily than the yeast form and produces biofilms that are associated with chronic infection. Biofilms are protective niches that enable microorganisms to be more resistant to antibiotic treatment, thus allowing for persistent infection. The first stage in the transition from yeast to hyphae involves the formation of a germ tube, and this transition is triggered by interactions with host cells. Germ tube formation is dependent on serum, pH, temperature, and quorum-sensing molecules (QSMs). Farnesol, which is a QSM in C. albicans, can prevent yeast to hyphae conversion and inhibits the growth of fungal biofilm. Lyticase is a synergistic enzyme complex that catalyzes yeast cell lysis by β-1,3-glucanase and is a highly specific alkaline protease that produces protoplasts or spheroplasts. This study investigated the effect of farnesol and lyticase on the formation of C. albicans biofilms.

Materials and Methods: C. albicans ATCC 2091 was cultivated on liquid and solid Sabouraud media. The presence of C. albicans was confirmed using HiCrome Candida Agar chromogenic medium. Enzyme activities were assayed using a HiCandida Identification Kit. The morphology and densitometry parameters of C. albicans biofilms were considered in the presence of farnesol (Sigma-Aldrich, Germany), lyticase (from Arthrobacter luteus; Sigma-Aldrich, Germany), and farnesol–lyticase.

Results: This study shows that both farnesol and lyticase possess antifungal activity against C. albicans biofilms. A significant difference among treatment groups (p<0.05) was observed from strong biofilm production to medium and weak.

Conclusion: Many studies have been devoted to the antimicrobial action of farnesol. Bacterial enzyme lyticase is also used to degrade fungal cell walls. Both molecules show substantial antifungal properties that are similar to the properties of modern antimycotics. The current study demonstrates that farnesol and lyticase can disrupt biofilm formation in C. albicans ATCC 2091, which is an effective biofilm producer.

Keywords: antimycotic activity, biofilms, Candida albicans, enzyme activities, farnesol, hemolytic activity, HiCrome Candida Agar, lyticase, optical density, quorum sensing.

Changes in plasma biochemical parameters and hormones during transition period in Beetal goats carrying single and twin fetus

Research (Published online: 05-06-2020)

2. Changes in plasma biochemical parameters and hormones during transition period in Beetal goats carrying single and twin fetus

Jyotsana Madan, Sonia Sindhu and Manoj Kumar Rose

Veterinary World, 13(6): 1025-1029

ABSTRACT

Aim: The study was undertaken to find out the changes in biochemical and hormonal profile during transition period in single- and twin-bearing Beetal goats.

Materials and Methods: Beetal goats are reared in North India for milk and meat purposes, popularly called poor man's cow, serving as a source of livelihood. The present study was conducted on Beetal goats, maintained at a goat farm, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar, for characterization of plasma biochemical and hormonal changes during transitional phase in pregnant goats carrying single and twin fetus. The animals selected were expected to have parturition at the same time, to avoid environmental variation effects, and divided into two groups: Group 1 (carrying single fetus, n=14) and Group 2 (twin fetus, n=6). Blood samples were collected from goats prepartum (–30 days and –15 days), 0 day, and postpartum +15 days and +30 days, and plasma was separated for the analysis of biochemical metabolites and hormones by commercially available kits.

Results: Analysis of data revealed a significant decrease in triglyceride and cholesterol concentration during postpartum days. A significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT) concentration was observed at the day of parturition. Furthermore, there was a significant (p≤0.05) decrease in ALT and aspartate aminotransferase concentration in goats at the 15th day and 30th day after parturition in both groups. A significant (p≤0.05) lower concentration of total protein and globulins was observed during late pregnancy and on the day of parturition, with a subsequent elevation during postpartum period (15 days and 30 days). Progesterone concentration was highest at –30 days prepartum and decreased sharply at parturition and thereafter postpartum, both in single- and twin-bearing goats. Progesterone level was lower in twin-bearing goats as compared to single-bearing goats at 0 day and postpartum days. No significant changes were observed in sodium, potassium, and chloride concentration during transitional period in goats.

Conclusion: Transition period blood metabolite profile changes due to physiological need of mother and fetus were more prominent in metabolites regulating energy requirements and in goats bearing twin fetus.

Keywords: biochemical, enzymes, goats, hormones, transitional period.

Impact of inulin and yeast containing synbiotic on calves' productivity and greenhouse gas production

Research (Published online: 02-06-2020)

1. Impact of inulin and yeast containing synbiotic on calves' productivity and greenhouse gas production

S. Jonova, A. Ilgaza, M. Zolovs and A. Balins

Veterinary World, 13(6): 1017-1024

ABSTRACT

Aim: The research aimed to determine the impact of synbiotic: 6 g of prebiotic inulin and 5 g of probiotic Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain 1026 on calves' productivity and greenhouse gas (GHG) production.

Materials and Methods: The research was conducted with 10 Holstein Friesian and Red Holstein (Bos taurus L.) crossbreed calves of mean age 33±6 days and initial body weight 73.4±12.75 kg. We added the synbiotic into the diet of five dairy crossbreed calves (SynG) and five calves in control group (CoG) received non-supplemented diet. The duration of the experiment was 56 days. The weight of calves and amount of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the rumen were determined on day 1, 28, and 56. On day 56, three calves from each group were slaughtered. Meat samples were assessed for some indicators of meat quality. The main methanogens were detected in the rumen fluid and feces.

Results: The weight gain during the whole experiment period of 56 days was higher in the SynG (62.6±13.75 kg) compared to CoG (36.8±7.98 kg) calves (p<0.01). There were no significant differences in the levels of protein (%), fat (unsaturated and saturated – %), and cholesterol (mg/100 g) in meat samples from both groups. At the end of the experiment, the amount of CH4 in calves' rumen in CoG was higher (Me=792.06 mg/m3, interquartile range [IQR] 755.06-873.59) compared to SynG (Me=675.41 mg/m3, IQR 653.46-700.50) group (p<0.01). The values for CO2 were also increased in CoG (Me=4251.28 mg/m3, IQR 4045.58-4426.25) compared to SynG (Me=3266.06 mg/m3, IQR 1358.98-4584.91) group (p=0.001). There were no significant differences in the calves' weight and certain methanogen species in rumen liquid and feces on the 56th day of the experiment. Significantly higher results in the parameter total prokaryotes (V3) (bacteria+archaea) in rumen fluid were in SynG, whereas significantly higher results in the parameter total methanogens Met630/803 in rumen fluid were in CoG, p<0.05.

Conclusion: The main results showed that the synbiotic can increase the daily weight gain in calves and decrease the amount of GHG in rumen but does not impact different methanogen species in rumen liquid and feces and meat protein, fat, and cholesterol levels.

Keywords: calves, greenhouse gases, inulin, productivity, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, symbiotic.