Preliminary study on Se-enriched Lentinula edodes mycelium as a proposal of new feed additive in selenium deficiency

The presence of selenium in European soil is low and this causes its deficiency in livestock and, in consequence, in humans. This study aimed to obtain Lentinula (L.) edodes mycelium with the maximum content of selenium. This species was used for experiment based on its documented medicinal properties. Calves were fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium, and serum selenium concentration, average daily weight gains and selected immune parameters were estimated. The selenium-enriched mushroom was found to be safe based on cytotoxicity tests (MTT and LDH tests) and for this reason it was used for further experiments. The mean quantity of selenium in the serum of calves fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium was significantly higher than that of control calves. Additionally, the calves fed with selenium-enriched L. edodes mycelium had higher body weight gains than those of control calves. White blood cell counts and subpopulations of lymphocytes in the experimental and control calves were within the reference range. The administration of L. edodes enriched with selenium had a beneficial effect on state of health of the calves

The use of different expression systems for the production of recombinant antibacterial proteins

Liczne przesłanki, poparte obserwacjami naukowców, dowodzą, że oporność bakterii na antybiotyki, w najbliższych dekadach stanie się jedną z przyczyn pogłębienia się światowego kryzysu zdrowotnego. W erze post-antybiotykowej, proste infekcje bakteryjne coraz częściej bywają przyczyną śmierć pacjentów. Między innymi z uwagi na ten fakt, stworzenie alternatywnych rozwiązań wobec terapii antybiotykowych, staje się potrzebą chwili. Niezwykle ważnym zadaniem jest więc kwestia poszukiwań nowych substancji działających przeciwko istniejącym szczepom opornym na leki obecnie stosowane w terapii zakażeń. Jednymi z najszerzej opisywanych w literaturze alternatywnych wobec antybiotyków, przeciwbakteryjnych substancji są peptydy tworzące grupę bakteriocyn. Są to związki białkowe naturalnego pochodzenia, służące bakteriom do obrony przed innymi blisko spokrewnionymi szczepami. Za względu na swoje liczne zalety, do których można zaliczyć: stosunkowo wąskie spektrum działania, wysoką aktywność oraz łatwą degradację w środowisku, są one coraz częściej traktowane jako nowoczesne substancje przeciwbakteryjne. Problem antybiotykoodporności jest szczególnie istotny w odniesieniu do grupy patogennych bakterii pochodzenia odzwierzęcego jak na przykład Salmonella i Escherichia coli. Szczepy te, narażone na stałą presję selekcyjną w postaci antybiotyków używanych na wielką skalę w hodowli zwierząt gospodarskich, wykształcają coraz szersze spektrum nieznanych wcześniej oporności. Z uwagi na to, szczególnym zainteresowaniem w pracy objęta została kolicyna M pochodząca z Escherichia coli oraz jej homolog pochodzący z Salmonella enterica. Stworzenie efektywnych alternatyw dla antybiotyków, obok oczywistej skuteczności nowych substancji, wymaga również opracowania metod zapewniających wysoką efektywność ich produkcji. Kierując się powyższymi czynnikami, w niniejszym opracowaniu, podjęto się otrzymywania rekombinowanych bakteriocyn w dwóch typach komórek, stosowanych do jako rodzaj platform ekspresyjnych dla białek. Pierwszy model otrzymywania baketeriocyn, tworzyły rekombinowane komórki bakteryjne, a obok nich do wyprodukowania rekombinowanych białek wykorzystano komórki roślinne gatunku Nicotiana tabacum. Te drugie, w świetle licznych zalet i wcześniejszych pozytywnych doświadczeń, uznawane są za wartościowy obiekt do produkcji i pozyskiwania białek rekombinowanych. Bakteriocyny uzyskane w wymienionych organizmach, zostały następnie oczyszczone i poddane badaniom ich aktywności, ze zwróceniem szczególnej uwagi na szczepy kliniczne, wykazujące oporność na antybiotyki

Effect of supplementation with the combination of se-enriched Lentinula edodes mycelium, exogenous enzymes, acidifiers, sodium butyrate and silicon dioxide nanoparticle feed additives on selected parameters in calves

During the initial months of calves’ lives, the young animals are exposed to bacterial and viral infections, and during this period, crucial physiological changes take place in their organisms. Offering calves feed additives that will have a beneficial influence on their organisms and improve their growth while reducing the morbidity rate is the optimal task of feeding. This is the first study to investigate the effect of experimental supplementation for calves with the combination of two feed additives—one containing Lentinula edodes enriched with selenium (Se), and the second containing pancreatic-like enzymes, fat-coated organic acids, sodium butyrate, and silicon dioxide nanoparticles—on the serum Se concentration, selected immune parameters, and the average daily gains in the calves. During the study, the serum Se concentration was examined by means of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, and the immunoglobulin and cytokine concentrations with ELISA assays. The white blood cell (WBC) count with leukocyte differentiation was examined with the use of a hematological analyzer, and the percentages of subpopulations of T lymphocytes and monocytes, phagocytic activity, and oxidative burst of monocytes and granulocytes with the use of a flow cytometer. The average daily gains of the calves were also evaluated. In summary, the supplementation of the experimental calves with the combination of two feed additives resulted in significantly higher serum Se concentrations, and the immune systems of the calves were not suppressed while the examined feed additives were being delivered. Although not statistically significant, some positive effects on the calves were seen: a tendency towards the improvement of some of the immune parameters evaluated, and a tendency for higher average daily gains in the calves

Effect of two feed additives - one multicomponent based on nanosilica and the second containing mycelium of lentinula edodes fortified with selenium - on production parameters and histological analysis of calves' duodenum and abdominal rumen

SIMPLE SUMMARY: In the current study, we investigated the effects of two different additives on calves’ production parameters (body weight, average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio), hematological and biochemical results; serum selenium level, and histology of duodenum and rumen. A total of 18 1-day-old male calves were randomly assigned to control and two experimental treatments for 70 days. The first additive contained nanosilica with pancreatic enzymes, a mixture of fat-coated organic acids (fumaric, malic, citric, and sorbic acids), and sodium butyrate, whereas the second was based on the mycelium of L. edodes enriched in selenium. At the end of the experiment, three animals from each group were sacrificed for histological analysis of the digestive tract (abdominal rumen and small intestine). The findings of this study indicate that supplementation had no influence on growth performance, nor hematological or biochemical parameters. The additives did not increase duodenal crypt depth, villi height or width, or rumen papillae height or width. In the study, we observed higher levels of serum selenium and lower average daily milk replacer intake at 35–42 d but higher levels from 42 to 70 d in the animals receiving the inclusion of modified L. edodes mycelium. ABSTRACT: With this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of two multicomponent feed additives given to animals from 10 to 70 d with milk replacer on the production parameters of reared calves: serum selenium level and histology of duodenum and rumen. The first additive was based on nanosilica (3000 mg) containing pancreatic enzymes (protease (18 mg), lipase (45 mg)), a mixture of fat-coated organic acids (2000 mg) (fumaric, malic, citric, and sorbic acids), and sodium butyrate (10,000 mg) (nanosilica/E/OA/SB), whereas the second was based on the mycelium of L. edodes (7 g) enriched in selenium (0.058 mg/g d.w.) (L. edodes/Se). The study was conducted on 18 male crossbred Holstein dairy calves from birth to 70 days of age, which were randomly assigned to control and experimental groups (six animals in each). From each group, three animals were sacrificed at 70 days of age, and histological analysis of the digestive tract (abdominal rumen and small intestine) was performed. It was observed that the additives used did not have any effect on growth performance and hematological or biochemical parameters. However, higher levels of selenium were found in serum in the calves fed with modified L. edodes mycelium on days 35 and 70 (44.33 and 51.33 µg/L in the control group and 132 and 93 µg/L in the L. edodes/Se group, respectively; p < 0.001). Moreover, we noticed lower average daily milk replacer intake at 35–42 d, which increased significantly from 42 to 70 d in the animals receiving L. edodes/Se