Chronic Intestinal Disorders in Humans and Pets: Current Management and the Potential of Nutraceutical Antioxidants as Alternatives

Chronic intestinal disorders (CID) are characterized by persistent, or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) signs present for at least three weeks. In human medicine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic GI diseases and includes Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). On the other hand, the general term chronic enteropathies (CE) is preferred in veterinary medicine. Different therapeutic approaches to these diseases are used in both humans and pets. This review is focused on the use of traditional therapies and nutraceuticals with specific antioxidant properties, for the treatment of CID in humans and animal patients. There is strong evidence of the antioxidant properties of the nutraceuticals included in this review, but few studies report their use for treating CID in humans and none in animals. Despite this fact, the majority of the nutraceuticals described in the present article could be considered as promising alternatives for the regular treatment of CID in human and veterinary medicine

Effects of Saccharomyces boulardii Supplementation on Nutritional Status, Fecal Parameters, Microbiota, and Mycobiota in Breeding Adult Dogs

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the administration of Saccharomyces boulardii on the nutritional, immunological, inflammatory, stress status, and the gut composition in 25 healthy adult American Staffordshire Terrier dogs. Supplementation with S. boulardii significantly improved the intestinal status and induced a reduction of stress, a common condition affecting animals managed in a breeding environment. ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the administration of Saccharomyces boulardii on the nutritional, immunological, inflammatory, and stress status and on the composition of the gut microbiota and mycobiota in healthy adult dogs. A total of 25 American Staffordshire Terrier dogs were selected and randomly assigned to two groups: control (CTR, n = 12) and treated (TRT, n = 13) groups. No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding body weight, body condition score, and fecal score. No significant differences in microbiota/mycobiota, short chain fatty acids, indole/skatole, histamine, zonulin, or lactoferrin were detected. Indeed, supplementation with S. boulardii significantly decreased fecal calprotectin Immunoglobulin A, indicating an improvement in the gut well-being. Interestingly, fecal cortisol significantly decreased in dogs belonging to the TRT group compared to the CTR, suggesting both an improvement of the intestinal status and a reduction of stress, a common condition affecting animals managed in a breeding environment

Customer Interaction and Innovation in Hybrid Offerings:Investigating Moderation and Mediation Effects for Goods and Services Innovation

Hybrid offerings are bundles of goods and services offerings provided by the same firm. Bundling value offerings affects how firms innovate, interact with customers, and customize their goods and services. However, it remains unclear how customer interaction might drive the innovation performance of various bundled components. Therefore, this study investigates the effects of customer interactions and service customization on both goods and services innovations in a hybrid offering context, using a unique data set of 146 information technology and manufacturing firms. Customer interaction appears beneficial to both goods and services innovation in a hybrid offerings context, but service customization has different direct effects on goods versus services innovation. As a potential mediator, customer knowledge mobilization resources exert different effects on the goods and services elements of hybrid offerings. Furthermore, for high-interaction customers, medium levels of technical modularity lead to most favorable innovation outcomes for services innovation. The results thus suggest that providers of hybrid offerings should foster customer interactions, to drive the innovation performance of the good and service components, while still making sure to implement service customization strategies. These findings have notable implications for service innovation research

Supplementation with <i>Silybum marianum</i> Extract, Synbiotics, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, Vitamins, and Minerals: Impact on Biochemical Markers and Fecal Microbiome in Overweight Dogs

Overweight and obese dogs can develop metabolic dysfunction, characterized by an inflammatory response and involvement of liver functions. If a modulation of the gut microbiome and its interaction with the gut–liver axis is implicated in the development of metabolic dysfunction, exploration becomes necessary. Over the past decade, diverse therapeutic approaches have emerged to target pathogenic factors involved in metabolic dysfunction. This study investigated the impact of a supplement with hepatoprotective activity, containing extracts of Silybum marianum, prebiotics, probiotics, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals on hematological markers of liver functions and inflammation, as well as on the intestinal microbiota of 10 overweight adult dogs over a 35-day time span. Animals underwent clinical and laboratory evaluations every 7 days, both before the administration of the supplement (T0) and after 7, 14, 21, 28, and 35 days (T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5). In comparison to T0, a significant (p p p < 0.05) compared to the other times of sampling. The beta diversity of the fecal microbiota failed to show a clear pattern in relation to the sampling times. These results of blood parameters in overweight dogs show a reduction of the inflammation and an improvement of metabolic status during the study period, but the effective contribution of the supplement in this clinical outcome deserves further investigation. Furthermore, the considerable individual variability observed in the microbiome hinders the confident detection of supplement effects

The Canine Gut Health: The Impact of a New Feed Supplement on Microbiota Composition

This study aimed to determine the impact of a novel formulation of a supplement composed of the natural ingredients, bromelain, quercetin, and Lentinula edodes, on the gut microbiota of healthy adult dogs. Adult healthy female dogs were administered either a placebo (CTR, n = 15) or the supplement (TRT, n = 15) over 28 days. Stool samples were collected for 16S rRNA sequencing before supplement administration (T0), at completion of supplement administration (T28), and one week after the end of supplement administration (T35) to characterize changes in the gut microbial communities. QIIME was used to determine both alpha- and beta-diversity, and ANCOM-BC was used to identify differences in taxonomic abundances before and after supplementation. We found a significant decrease in overall diversity in the CTR group but no significant differences in overall diversity in the TRT group over time. Furthermore, we found differences in the abundance of several taxa in both the CTR and TRT groups, but differences in the abundance of beneficial bacteria were more pronounced in the TRT group. Specifically, we found increases in the abundance of sequences belonging to the genera Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, and Pediococcus at T28 in the TRT group with significant increases in Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus persisting at T35 when compared to T0. Importantly, members of these genera are considered important for their anti-inflammatory properties, vital for fostering a balanced and robust gut microbiota in dogs. The results of our study show the potential of our supplement to selectively enhance specific beneficial bacterial taxa, offering a targeted approach to modulating the gut microbiome without causing disruptions to the overall equilibrium

Chronic Intestinal Disorders in Humans and Pets: Current Management and the Potential of Nutraceutical Antioxidants as Alternatives

Chronic intestinal disorders (CID) are characterized by persistent, or recurrent gastrointestinal (GI) signs present for at least three weeks. In human medicine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a group of chronic GI diseases and includes Crohn&rsquo;s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). On the other hand, the general term chronic enteropathies (CE) is preferred in veterinary medicine. Different therapeutic approaches to these diseases are used in both humans and pets. This review is focused on the use of traditional therapies and nutraceuticals with specific antioxidant properties, for the treatment of CID in humans and animal patients. There is strong evidence of the antioxidant properties of the nutraceuticals included in this review, but few studies report their use for treating CID in humans and none in animals. Despite this fact, the majority of the nutraceuticals described in the present article could be considered as promising alternatives for the regular treatment of CID in human and veterinary medicine

A Supplement with Bromelain, <i>Lentinula edodes</i>, and Quercetin: Antioxidant Capacity and Effects on Morphofunctional and Fecal Parameters (Calprotectin, Cortisol, and Intestinal Fermentation Products) in Kennel Dogs

Oxidative stress causes several pathological conditions in humans and animals, including gastrointestinal disorders. The aim of this study was to analyze the antioxidant capacity of three natural powdered raw materials containing quercetin, bromelain, and Lentinula edodes and develop a new feed supplement for dogs using a combination of them. The total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), and ABTS (2,2′-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt) of the extracts, either individually or in combination, were evaluated colorimetrically. The effects of this supplement on healthy adult dogs’ nutritional, inflammatory, and stress status were evaluated. American Staffordshire Terrier adult female dogs (n = 30) were randomly assigned to a control (n = 15) or a treated (n = 15) group. The supplement was added as powder to the food of the treated dogs once daily for 28 days. There was no significant difference in the body weight and body condition scores between the initial and final phases of the experiment. At the end of our study, a significant decrease in fecal calprotectin, cortisol, indole/skatole, and N-methylhistamine and a significant increase in short-chain fatty acids were observed as compared to the control group. In conclusion, this natural feed supplement can be used to improve gastrointestinal health and psycho-physical conditions in dogs

Market Knowledge Dimensions and Cross-Functional Collaboration: Examining the Different Routes to Product Innovation Performance

There is consensus in the marketing literature that market knowledge and cross-functional collaboration are two fundamental resources for successful product innovation. However, few studies examine the dimensions or characteristics of market knowledge and how and why these resources influence product innovation performance. Drawing on contingency theory and the knowledge-based view of the firm, the authors argue that knowledge integration mechanisms may account for the effects of market knowledge dimensions (i.e., breadth, depth, tacitness, and specificity) and cross-functional collaboration on product innovation performance. They find that market knowledge specificity and cross-functional collaboration affect product innovation performance through knowledge integration mechanisms. In contrast, whereas the effect of market knowledge depth is partially mediated, market knowledge breadth has a direct, unmediated effect on product innovation performance. A test of an alternative moderating perspective shows that the effects of market knowledge depth and cross-functional collaboration on product innovation are negatively moderated by knowledge integration mechanisms. By showing the differential effects of market knowledge dimensions on product innovation performance, the authors provide a more refined understanding of the interplay among market knowledge, its integration, and the firm's performance in product innovation. The authors also conclude that by overlooking the role of knowledge integration mechanisms, previous research may have provided an overly optimistic view of the value of cross-functional collaboration in product innovation