Trace element distribution mapping in pharmaceutical and biological samples using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has numerous advantages like determination of ppb-ppm level concentrations, microdestructivity, the ability of making high resolution laterally (µm) or depth-resolved (100 nm) analysis, sensitive measurement of heavy and light elements and direct analysis of solid samples with minimal sample preparation. The aim of the present work was to demonstrate that LIBS is a suitable analytical technique to assess the trace element distribution of pharmaceutical and biological samples. As test samples, we used specimens of chickpea milkvetch (Astragalus cicer), a perennial plant with excellent nutritional value and a commercially available dietary supplement pill (Supradyn)

Intestinal carbohydrase activity and sodium-glucose transporter expression in layers fed diets containing wheat and rice brans supplemented with phytase

The effect of diets containing wheat and rice brans with or without phytase supplementation on performance, intestinal carbohydrase activities and mRNA expression of sodium-glucose transporter-1 (SGLT-1) in layers was studied. A total of 96 23-wk-old Hy-line W-36 were allocated in a completely randomized experimental design at random with 6 treatments and 4 replicate cages of 4 birds each. A control diet was used in this experiment and then it was formulated to contain 10% wheat bran and 15% rice bran. Then phytase (2 g kg-1; 1000 FTU kg-1) was added to each diet. Feed intake, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, shell weight, shell thickness and Haugh units were not influenced by brans or phytase supplementation (p > 0.05). But egg production decreased in rice bran treatments (p < 0.05). In the jejunum, adding of phytase to control and diet containing wheat bran increased the concentration of sucrase (p ≤ 0.01). Also, addition of phytase to control diet increased (p ≤ 0.001) the mRNA expression of SGLT-1 in the duodenum. It was concluded that feeding layers with diets containing 10% wheat bran were practically feasible without compromising production performance, egg shell quality, and endogenous carbohydrase activity.