Inula helenium: A literature review on ethnomedical uses, bioactive compounds and pharmacological activities

Dynamic growth of antimicrobial and anthelmintic resistance throughout the years has caused increased interest in natural alternatives to synthetic drugs. Elecampane (Inula helenium L.), a widely distributed herbaceous plant, is one of the most researched and well-known member of the genus Inula, family Compositae. I. helenium has been included in the Chinese Pharmacopeia, Russian Pharmacopeia and Pharmacopeias of some European countries. This review is an up-to-date summary of the existing knowledge on Inula helenium’s ethnomedicinal uses, secondary metabolites and pharmacological activities. Initially used in the treatment of respiratory and digestive diseases in both humans and animals, the roots of elecampane have been also proven to possess a cytotoxic and antiproliferative effect on cancer cell lines, as well as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal and anthelmintic activities. The main bioactive compounds isolated from elecampane roots known to be responsible for their pharmacological activities are inulin, sesquiterpene lactones such as alantolactone and isoalantolactone, thymol derivatives, phenolic acids and flavonoids. This review suggests that I. helenium’s secondary metabolites have a strong therapeutic potential. However, further in vitro and in vivo studies of isolated I. helenium bioactive compounds are required in order to understand their mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and potential adverse effects

Hematopoiesis: a Brief Overview

Hematopoiesis represents the continuous process of formation of all the blood cells, that occurs throughout life, starting from the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).  Multiple studies have proved that this process is structured in two stages, the primitive wave and the definitive one, resulting in the production of all blood cell types: erythrocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes, lymphocytes and platelets. The objective of this Review is to present the general aspects of this process for a better understanding, including the molecules that influence lineage-specific differentiation, hematopoiesis being one of the most important elements in maintaining one’s body homeostasis. This Review describes hematopoiesis, from the beginning, starting with HSCs, throughout fetal development and adult life, including the niches of formation and maturation of hematopoietic stem cells and the factors that influence all the proliferation and differentiation processes. The niches of formation represent local microenvironments of bone marrow tissue which participate in the maintenance, functioning and quiescence of hematopoietic stem cells. The factors that control all the processes of proliferation and differentiation are represented by transcription factors, physical cell-cell interactions and cytokines; they are either produced locally, in the bone marrow, or they can be transported to this, through the blood, being produced elsewhere.  The study of hematopoiesis, stem cell plasticity and control mechanisms, offers the opening for interesting approaches for the investigation and treatment of various malignant, inflammatory, and degenerative pathological processes

Assessment of digestibility and fecal score of raw meatbased diet (B.A.R.F.) in dog feeding

The aim of this study was to determine digestibility in the B.A.R.F (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food) diet. The study was performed on a number of 5 dogs, from which fecal samples and a sample of their ration were collected over a period of 5 days. Some of the reasons for owners to choose this diet were: longer and healthier life, lack of dental tartar, no smell of the oral cavity, the appearance of fur, solving dermatological problems, lower fecal volume and lower defecation frequency, more energy and less expensive. One of the benefits of the BARF diet is the reduced volume of feces, due to optimal digestion and high absorption. Once one makes the switch to the BARF diet one will notice that their pet will defecate less and its consistency will be compact, dark in color. Exceptions occur when the diet is not properly balanced. Following the determination of the digestibility of the BARF diet in dogs, we obtained high values especially for protein (96.55%) and fat (99%). The value obtained for mineral substances of organic origin was also high (54%). We consider that the high digestibility is due to a very good adaptation of the digestive tract to the natural ingredients used in the diet

A Screening of Mucin-Producing Cells and Structures, from Digestive System, in Rats

A screening and a morphological analysis of mucin-producing cells and structures, from the digestive tract, in rats, will further allow to quantify their local and systemic response. 10 Wistar rats were selected for this study. Sections of the sublingual gland, Weber's gland, stomach, jejunum and colon were taken. The samples were stained by the Trichrome Goldner technique. Based on the histological examination, both morphometric and statistical analysis were performed using specific software’s (ToupView Soft and GraphPad Prism Software). The histological examination showed normal characteristics for the analyzed cells and structures. The test for the normal distribution of the data revealed that they are normally distributed and statistical comparison between cell surfaces suggested a significant difference between means with p˂0.0001. Moreover, statistically significant differences were observed between the areas of Weber gland acini and those of sublingual gland acini (p<0.05). Based on our results we can conclude that the observed differences, regarding the cellular surfaces, are in accordance with the physiological characteristics of each analyzed structure

Comparative ionogram assessment before and after probiotic treatment for healthy dogs and dogs with apparent dysbiosis

Probiotics are considered live formulas composed by microorganisms that, when administered in appropriate amounts, produce a beneficial effect to the host. The effect of probiotics is present both in the gastrointestinal tract and systemically. For this reason, a noteworthy aspect is the impact that these formulas have on commonly systemic investigated parameters. Of these, the main ions are dosed in order to clarify various aspects, being used as a marker in various pathologies. The aim of the present study was to make a comparison between the values of the main ions (calcium, phosphorus, potassium and sodium) obtained before and after a 30-day probiotic treatment. The study population was represented by two groups of dogs: group 1- healthy dogs (n = 5) and group 2- dogs with apparent dysbiosis (n = 6). The treatment was performed with a probiotic product consisting of Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus licheniformis and Pediococcus acidilactici, for 30 days. The analyzed samples were blood serum samples obtained by centrifugation and separation from blood samples collected on anticoagulant on day 0 and day 31 of the study, respectively. Analyzes were performed by dry biochemistry methods using the VetScan biochemistry analyzer. The results obtained by ionograms suggest that probiotic treatment does not have a direct influence on the values of the main ions, neither in the group of healthy dogs nor in the group of dogs with apparent dysbiosis. Variations in ion values were considered physiological, and could not be directly attributed to the treatment performed. In conclusion, the probiotic composed of B. subtilis, B. licheniformis and P. acidilactici does not directly influence the values of the main ions, and can be considered safe for administration in both healthy dogs and dogs with gastrointestinal manifestations

The influence of a probiotic product with Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici on some hematological and clinical parameters of healthy dogs

The study was conducted at the University of Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca (Romania) in the animal physiology department, between May 2018 and June 2019. The aim of the study was to assess the influence of a probiotic product with Bacillus subtilis and Pediococcus acidilactici on healthy dogs. The probiotic was administered orally once a day to six healthy adult dogs from 1 year to 7 years old for a period of 30 days. The dogs entering the study were submitted to a general clinical examination. At day 1 and day 31/36 of the study, blood samples was collected and haematological parameters were evaluated. The objectives of the research were multiple. First of all, we observed whether the probiotic influenced the general health of the dogs and changes in clinical parameters. Then, the dynamics of the haematological parameters was identified. The in vivo study showed the safety of the probiotic product on healthy dogs and the minimal impact on hematologic parameters. In fact, no adverse reactions were observed