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Saudi Journal of Biological Sciences Feb 2022Fifty broiler chicks were divided into five groups to study the antiviral and immune-stimulant effect of essential oils (ACEO). The effect of essential oils...
Fifty broiler chicks were divided into five groups to study the antiviral and immune-stimulant effect of essential oils (ACEO). The effect of essential oils administration single or combined with NVD vaccine in broilers, more than one parameter was studied in this study i.e., the clinical symptoms that appeared on the chicks after the experimental infection with velogenic Newcastle disease virus, postmortem lesions, pathological lesions scoring, mortality rate (MR), and viral shedding, birds immunity was assessed by HI test and protection percent post-challenge with vNDV. Our result showed that mild clinical signs, lesion scoring, decreased viral shedding in ACEO treated groups 3 (G 3) more than control groups post-challenge with vNDV. Delayed onset of mild clinical signs in G3 followed by complete recovery 7th-day post-challenge (DPC). Low MR (40 and 0%) and high protection percent (100 and 60%) in ACEO treated G3 and G5, respectively. spleen, thymus, cecal tonsil, proventriculus, and cerebrum lesions scoring in G3 and G5 were significantly ((p ≤ 0.05).) lower than the control group, proving a decrease in NDV replication and effective antiviral activity of ACEO. HI titer significantly increased ( ≤ 0.05) In G3, G4 and G5 compared with control groups. There is no significant difference in HI titer in ACEO treated groups and vaccinated groups. In conclusion, oral administration of ACEO combined with NDV vaccines significantly reduces or eliminates lethal clinical signs, lesions, viral shedding, and enhances immune response and protection percent after vNDV challenge proving the natural antiviral and immune stimulant effect of ACEO onion extract. Implementing such a regime might aid NDV control in broiler flocks in endemic areas and reduce the epidemiological load of NDV in the environment.
PubMed: 35197791
DOI: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2021.09.033 -
Journal of Hazardous Materials Jan 2023Plastic pollution in the world's oceans is ubiquitous and increasing. The environment is inundated with microplastics (< 1 mm), and the health effects of these less...
Plastic pollution in the world's oceans is ubiquitous and increasing. The environment is inundated with microplastics (< 1 mm), and the health effects of these less conspicuous pollutants is poorly known. In addition, there is now evidence that macroplastics can release microplastics in the form of shedding or digestive fragmentation, meaning there is potential for macroplastic exposure to induce direct and indirect pathology through microplastics. Therefore, there is an urgent need for data from wild populations on the relationship between macro- and microplastic exposure and the potential compounding pathological effects of these forms of plastics. We investigated the presence and impact of microplastics in multiple tissues from Flesh-footed Shearwaters Ardenna carneipes, a species that ingests considerable quantities of plastics, and used histopathological techniques to measure physiological responses and inflammation from the plastics. All organs examined (kidney, spleen, proventriculus) had embedded microplastic particles and this correlated with macroplastic exposure. Considerable tissue damage was recorded, including a significant reduction in tubular glands and rugae in the proventriculus, and evidence of inflammation, fibrosis, and loss of organ structures in the kidney and spleen. This indicates macroplastics can induce damage directly at the site of exposure, while microplastics can be mobilised throughout the body causing widespread pathology. Collectively, these results indicate the scope and severity of the health impacts of plastic pollution may be grossly underestimated.
Topics: Animals; Plastics; Microplastics; Environmental Monitoring; Waste Products; Water Pollutants, Chemical; Birds; Inflammation
PubMed: 36303350
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130117 -
Microbial Pathogenesis Aug 2022Biofilms formed by Yersinia pestis are able to attach to and block flea's proventriculus, which stimulates the transmission of this pathogen from fleas to mammals. In...
Biofilms formed by Yersinia pestis are able to attach to and block flea's proventriculus, which stimulates the transmission of this pathogen from fleas to mammals. In this study, we found that Nlp (YP1143) enhanced biofilm formation by Y. pestis and had regulatory effects on biofilm-associated genes at the transcriptional level. Phenotypic assays, including colony morphology assay, crystal violet staining, and Caenorhabditis elegans biofilm assay, disclosed that Nlp strongly promoted biofilm formation by Y. pestis. Further gene regulation assays showed that Nlp stimulated the expression of hmsHFRS, hmsCDE and hmsB, while had no regulatory effect on the expression of hmsT and hmsP at the transcriptional level. These findings promoted us to gain more understanding of the complex regulatory circuits controlling biofilm formation by Y. pestis.
Topics: Animals; Arvicolinae; Bacterial Proteins; Biofilms; Gene Expression Regulation, Bacterial; Plague; Yersinia pestis
PubMed: 35760284
DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105659 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Jul 2020Pigeons have been the subject of research in the past, but the knowledge gained is incomplete and must be extended. The aim of the study was to provide information about...
Pigeons have been the subject of research in the past, but the knowledge gained is incomplete and must be extended. The aim of the study was to provide information about differences in carcass weight and measurements, carcass composition, proximate chemical composition, acidity, electrical conductivity, color attributes, the texture, rheological properties and microstructure of the meat, and some biometric characteristics of the digestive system in carrier and King pigeons, and also to determine if the two compared breeds meet the expectations of pigeon meat consumers to the same extent. The study involved 40 carcasses from carrier pigeons and King pigeons after three reproductive seasons. The chemical composition was determined by near-infrared transmission (NIT) spectroscopy, color coordinates according to CIELab, the texture according to Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) and Warner-Bratzler (WB) tests, and the rheological properties of meat according to the relaxation test. The compared pigeon groups differed significantly ( < 0.05) in carcass weight and measurements, carcass composition (except breast muscle percentage), chemical composition (except leg muscle collagen content) and electrical conductivity, lightness (L*), yellowness (b*), chroma (C*) and hue angle (h*), textural characteristics (except cohesiveness and Warner‒Bratzler shear force), rheological properties, microstructure of the pectoralis major muscle, as well as the total length of intestine and its segments, duodenal diameter, weight of proventriculus, gizzard, liver, heart, and spleen. The sex of the birds had a significant ( 0.05) effect on the carcass weight, chest circumference, carcass neck percentage, breast muscle collagen content, and caeca length. The genotype by sex interaction was significant ( < 0.05) for fat content, collagen content, hardness, sum of elastic moduli and sum of viscous moduli of the pectoralis major muscle, protein and collagen content of leg muscles, duodenal and caecal length, jejunal and ileal diameter, and spleen weight. The obtained results show a significant effect of genetic origin and sex on the nutritive and technological value of the meat, and on the digestive system development of the pigeons.
PubMed: 32751657
DOI: 10.3390/ani10081315 -
Poultry Science Dec 2019Work was done to modify a limestone solubility assay to improve predictions of in vivo apparent ileal digestibility of Ca (AID Ca) in broilers and impacts on AID P....
Work was done to modify a limestone solubility assay to improve predictions of in vivo apparent ileal digestibility of Ca (AID Ca) in broilers and impacts on AID P. Limestones (LIME) were obtained from 3 commercial sources. LIME-1 (0.633 mm mean diameter, GMD); LIME-2 (ground sub-sample of LIME-1, GMD = 0.063 mm); LIME-3 (GMD = 0.326 mm), and LIME-4 (GMD = 0.831 mm). Solubility was determined at 5, 15, and 30 min of incubation using either a 0.2 N HCl (S1) or a pH 3 HCl (pH = 0.26) solution buffered with 3 M glycine (S2) to mimic gizzard and proventriculus pH. An AID trial was conducted with 320 Ross 708 male broilers. Treatments (Trt) were no added LIME, or added LIME-1, 2, 3, and 4 to achieve 0.67% Ca, to a basal diet (no added inorganic P, 0.07% Ca) with or without 1,000 U phytase/kg (36 h, 23 to 24 D of age, n = 8, 4 birds/n). Distal ileal digesta was collected from all birds and pooled by pen. Irrespective of interaction, LIME solubilized quicker and more completely with S1 vs. S2 at all time points (P < 0.05). LIME-2 solubilized the quickest, while LIME-3 had the lowest solubility through all incubation times (P < 0.05). The AID Ca was 66.30, 47.46, 19.93, and 66.33% for LIME-1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (0 U/kg, P < 0.05). Phytase inclusion increased AID Ca by 15% on average (P < 0.05). The AID P dig was highest in no LIME added diet (74.91%) and adding LIME reduced (P < 0.05) AID P to 23.14, 12.78, 65.47, and 37.40%, for LIME-1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively in the absence of phytase. Regression showed that GMD, 15- and 30-min solubility were critical for AID Ca (R2 between 0.978 and 0.988). In conclusion, the solubility dynamics including speed and extend of solubilization, rather than a single timepoint, yield better predictions for in vivo Ca digestibility of LIME.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animal Husbandry; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Calcium Carbonate; Calcium, Dietary; Chickens; Diet; Digestion; Male; Models, Biological; Phosphorus, Dietary; Random Allocation; Solubility
PubMed: 31392342
DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez423 -
British Poultry Science Feb 20211. As the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in many regions, there has been an on-going search for possible alternative compounds, such as...
1. As the use of antibiotics as growth promoters has been banned in many regions, there has been an on-going search for possible alternative compounds, such as prebiotics and organic acids. 2. This study was conducted to investigate the influence of liquid whey (LW) and organic acid (ACIDAL® ML) supplementation on performance, eggs characteristics, gut pH and health status in laying hens. 3. Seven hundred and fifty, Isa Brown chicks were randomly assigned to five treatments groups (n = 150) and each treatment had five replicates of 30 birds each. The birds were reared for 48 weeks. The treatments were administered in the drinking water at doses of: 250 ml/l of LW (Lacto25), 500 ml/l of LW (Lacto50) or 1 ml/l of ACIDAL® ML (Aci). A positive control group (T+) was treated with 500 mg/l of Tetracolivit (an antibiotic). The negative control group (T-) did not receive any treatment in the drinking water. 4. Administration of LW or ACIDAL® ML in the drinking water reduced (P < 0.05) the pH in the crop, proventriculus, ileum and caeca, as well as total coliform bacteria and , but increased . in the ileum and caecum, compared to the negative control. 5. Oviposition was earlier in the birds in both the Lacto50 and Aci groups. The weight of birds at first lay and point of lay in the four treated groups was higher than those in negative control group. Furthermore, egg production was increased by 10.44% in birds receiving Lacto25, but the weight and quality traits were unaffected, while the egg shell ratio was higher in the Aci group compared to the other treatments. 6. The data indicated that addition of LW or ACIDAL® ML improved hens' performance by modifying gut pH and microflora.
Topics: Animal Feed; Animals; Chickens; Diet; Dietary Supplements; Drinking Water; Eggs; Escherichia coli; Female; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Oviposition; Ovum; Whey
PubMed: 32972211
DOI: 10.1080/00071668.2020.1824291 -
Comparative Immunology, Microbiology... May 2024Avian Alpha-influenza-virus (AIV) massively affects poultry, targeting mainly the respiratory tract for virus replication. Recently, two major H5N8 and H5N1 outbreaks...
Avian Alpha-influenza-virus (AIV) massively affects poultry, targeting mainly the respiratory tract for virus replication. Recently, two major H5N8 and H5N1 outbreaks caused tremendous losses in Algerian poultry. The clinical symptoms that had not been seen in the past didn't prompt a rapid reaction to control the epidemics. We report here the characteristics of these outbreaks and the epidemiological status of AIV in Algeria. Following autopsy observation samples from target organs were taken and analyzed by the classical real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RRT-PCR). Specific PCR HA and NA identification was used for subtyping H5 and N1/N8 genes. Systemic damage was observed in the upper-respiratory tracts with hemorrhagic and congestive tracheas, lungs, proventriculus, gut, and cecal tonsils were bloody. Out of 77 positive cases 13 were H5N8, 8 H5N1, and 10 H5Nx strains. These findings raise questions about the strain's pathotype considering severe organ damage and high mortality.
PubMed: 38852439
DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2024.102202 -
Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery Apr 2021is an ascomycete yeast often found at the isthmus of the ventriculus and proventriculus of infected birds. Antemortem diagnosis has traditionally involved direct...
is an ascomycete yeast often found at the isthmus of the ventriculus and proventriculus of infected birds. Antemortem diagnosis has traditionally involved direct visualization of organisms on wet-mount or gram-stained fecal preparations, cloacal and crop swabs, or by both methods; however, different in-clinic diagnostic techniques have never been compared to establish an optimum test for the identification of in an avian patient. We compared 5 microscopically evaluated diagnostic testing methods: fecal Gram's stain, direct fecal wet preparation, macro suspension technique, macro suspension with Gram's stain, and macro suspension stained with new methylene blue. Each technique was performed on 96 fecal samples collected during the treatment of -infected budgerigars with water-soluble amphotericin B. The macro suspension technique produced statistically higher organism counts than the other 4 techniques and was always estimated to have the largest detection probability. We recommend that the macro suspension technique be implemented as the most efficacious diagnostic test for in-clinic assessment of avian patients possibly infected with .
Topics: Animals; Bird Diseases; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Melopsittacus; Mycoses; Saccharomycetales
PubMed: 33892587
DOI: 10.1647/1082-6742-35.1.37 -
Anatomia, Histologia, Embryologia Nov 2021Baseline data for wall thickness in healthy toucans can be used to diagnose disease in sick individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the use of ultrasonography for the...
Baseline data for wall thickness in healthy toucans can be used to diagnose disease in sick individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the use of ultrasonography for the examination of the gastrointestinal tract of healthy toco toucans (Ramphastos toco). Ten non-anaesthetized healthy adult toco toucans were evaluated. Food was withheld for 3 h prior to the ultrasound examination. Longitudinal and transverse images of the gastrointestinal tract were obtained using ventromedian cranial and ventromedian caudal approaches to evaluate the morphology and stratification. The wall thickness of the sections was measured: proventriculus and ventriculus, duodenum, jejunum/ileum, and cloaca. Additionally, the thickness of the mucosal layer of the duodenum and jejunum/ileum was also measured. Subsequently, the ratios of the duodenal wall thickness to the duodenal mucosa layer and the total wall thickness of the jejunum/ileum to the jejunum/ileum layer mucosa were stablished. The wall thickness of the proventriculus was significantly higher than the wall thickness of ventriculus. The wall thickness of the duodenum was significantly higher than the wall thickness of jejunum/ileum. The mean ratios of the duodenal wall thickness to the duodenal mucosa layer and the wall thickness of the jejunum/ileum to the jejunum/ileum layer were 83.15% and 80.07%, respectively. In conclusion, it was possible to assess the stomach and intestines using ultrasound examination in healthy toco toucans, due to their medium body size and no interference by surrounding air sacs.
Topics: Animals; Duodenum; Gastrointestinal Tract; Ileum; Intestines; Jejunum; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 34533230
DOI: 10.1111/ahe.12737 -
Transboundary and Emerging Diseases Mar 2020Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes respiratory diseases in chickens and poses an economic threat to the poultry industry worldwide. Despite vaccine use, there have...
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes respiratory diseases in chickens and poses an economic threat to the poultry industry worldwide. Despite vaccine use, there have been field outbreaks of IBV in Taiwan. This study aimed to characterize the emerging IBV variants circulating in Taiwan. The analysis of the structural protein genes showed that these variants emerged through frequent recombination events among Taiwan strains, China strains, Japan strains and vaccine strains. Cross-neutralization tests revealed that two of the variants exhibited novel serotypes. Clinicopathological assessment showed that two of the variants caused high fatality rates of 67% and 20% in one-day-old SPF chicks, and all the variants possessed multiorgan tropisms, including trachea, proventriculus and urogenital tissues. Furthermore, the commercial live-attenuated Mass-type vaccine conferred poor protection against these variants. This study identified novel genotypes, serotypes and pathotypes of emerging IBV variants circulating in Taiwan. There is an urgent need for effective countermeasures against these variant strains.
Topics: Animals; Bronchitis; Chickens; Coronavirus Infections; Disease Outbreaks; Female; Genetic Variation; Infectious bronchitis virus; Poultry Diseases; Proventriculus; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Taiwan; Trachea; Viral Tropism
PubMed: 31682070
DOI: 10.1111/tbed.13412