Učinak dobi odbijanja od sise na klaonička i fizikalnokemijska svojstva kunićjega mesa.

The effect of the weaning age of rabbits on slaughter traits and physicochemical properties of meat was investigated. Sixteen New Zealand White rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) were used, divided in two groups: group А (n = 8) - weaned at the age of 21 days (early weaned) and group В (n = 8) - weaned at the age of 35 days (normally weaned). The animals were fed with two categories of pelleted feed: for weaned rabbits up to 50 days of age and for growing rabbits older than 50 days of age. It was established that the early weaning of rabbits resulted in a statistically significantly lower body mass, dressed carcass weight and dressing percentage as compared to normally weaned animals. Also, the pH of meat by the 24th hour after slaughtering and the dry matter of m. longissimus lumborum (LL) were signififi cantly lower in group A. Simultaneously, a statistically significantly higher water-holding capacity, water content and lightness were established in the meat of early weaned compared to normally weaned rabbits. The protein and fat contents of LL and m. semimembranosus (SМ) in rabbits from group A correlated negatively and significantly with water content, and positively with the dry matter. In group B, water content also correlated significantly and negatively with protein content. Fat and ash in SM meat was in a positive statistically significant relationship for both experimental groups. The results from the present study showed that the weaning age influenced both the slaughter traits and physicochemical properties of rabbit meat.Istražen je učinak dobi odbijanja od sise kunića na klaonička i fizikalnokemijska svojstva njihova mesa. Šesnaest novozelandskih bijelih kunića (Oryctolagus cuniculus) bilo je podijeljeno na dvije skupine: skupinu A (n = 8) - odbijenu u dobi od 21 dan (rano odbijanje) i skupinu В (n = 8) - odbijenu u dobi od 35 dana (normalno odbijanje). Kunići su bili hranjeni dvjema kategorijama peletirane hrane: za odbijene kuniće do dobi od 50 dana te za tovljene kuniće starije od 50 dana. Ustanovljeno je da rano odbijanje dovodi do statistički značajno manje tjelesne mase, manje mase obrađenog mesa i manjeg postotka obrađivanja u usporedbi s normalno odbijenim kunićima. Vrijednosti pH mesa 24 sata nakon klanja i suhe tvari najdužeg leđnog mišića bile su značajno manje u skupini A. Istodobno je statistički značajno veći kapacitet zadržavanja vode i veći sadržaj vode bio ustanovljen u mesu rano odbijenih kunića u odnosu na normalno odbijene. Sadržaj bjelančevina i masti u m. longissimus dorsi i m. semimembranosus (SM) u kunića skupine A bio je u negativnoj i značajno većoj korelaciji sa sadržajem vode i pozitivnoj sa suhom tvari. Sadržaj vode u skupini B također je bio u značajno većoj i negativnoj korelaciji sa sadržajem bjelančevina. Sadržaj masti i pepela u mesu semimembranoznog mišića bio je u pozitivnom statistički značajnom odnosu u obje pokusne skupine. Rezultati istraživanja pokazuju da dob odbijanja od sise utječe na klaoničku obradu i fizikalnokemijska svojstva kunićjeg mesa

Ultrasound imaging, biochemical blood analyses, and weight investigations of dissectible fat depots in New Zealand white rabbits

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate changes in real-time ultrasound imaging traits and weight of dissectible fat depots (inguinal, interscapular, and perirenal) in rabbits with different body weights and to monitor the changes in blood glucose and constituents of lipid profiles. In this study, 18 clinically healthy male New Zealand white rabbits were used. The rabbits were fed with standard diet and were divided into 3 groups according to their body weight: group 1 at 1.06 +/- 0.03 kg, group 2 at 2.1 +/- 0.05 kg, and group 3 at 3.06 +/- 0.03 kg. Examined by ultrasonography, the inguinal and interscapular fat depots appeared as bands with weak to moderate echogenicity, whereas perirenal fat was moderate to hyperechoic. The thickness of subcutaneous fat depots measured by ultrasound increased along with body weight and differences between the groups were found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001). The differences in perirenal fat thickness between rabbits from group 1 and group 2 were not found to be statistically significant. Perirenal fat thickness in the rabbits from group 3 was higher (P < 0.001) than that of the other groups. Perirenal fat weight in group 3 correlated positively (r = 0.82; P < 0.05) to body weight. Blood biochemical analysis showed that blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were in the reference range for all groups regardless of the fact that TG and HDL-C in groups 2 and 3 were significantly higher than those in rabbits from group 1. The in vivo ultrasound screening of adipose tissue, together with blood lipid profile, is an indicator of good health and proper energy balance in rabbits bred for meat or as companion animals.Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria - 08/09Trakya Üniversites

Horse serum potentiates cellular viability and improves indomethacin-induced adipogenesis in equine subcutaneous adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs)

ABSTRACTSubcutaneous fat tissue is an accessible and abundant source of multipotent stem cells for cell therapy in regenerative medicine. Successful trilineage differentiation is required to define the stemness features of the obtained mesenchymal cells, and adipogenesis is a part of it. Since indomethacin is bound to serum albumin, replacing foetal bovine serum (FBS) with horse serum (HS) in adipogenic induction protocols would suppress its cytotoxic effect and reveal a better adipogenic potential in equine MSCs. The equine subcutaneous adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) were separately induced in adipogenesis by three different concentrations of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine, IBMX (0.5 mM; 0.25 mM and 0.1 mM) and indomethacin (0.1 mM; 0.05 mM and 0.02 mM) for 48 h. In contrast to the IBMX, indomethacin in all concentrations caused dramatic cellular detachment. Further, the same induction concentrations were used in FBS and HS conditions for adipogenic induction. The MTT assay revealed that the culture media supplemented with HS raised cellular vitality by about 35% compared to those cultured in FBS. Based on those results, an adipogenic cocktail containing indomethacin (0.05 mM) and IBMX (0.5 mM), supplemented with HS and FBS, respectively, was applied for 18 days. The adiponectin gene expression was significantly up-regulated in HS-supplemented media since established changes in PPAR-gamma were insignificant. The tri-lineage differentiation was successful, and a cross-sectional area of adipocytes was performed. The albumin concentration was higher in HS than in FBS. In conclusion, our study revealed that HS is an appropriate supplement in induced adipogenesis since it probably suppresses the indomethacin-related cytotoxic effect and increases adipogenic ability in equine subcutaneous ASCs

Identification of the Reference Genes for Relative qRT-PCR Assay in Two Experimental Models of Rabbit and Horse Subcutaneous ASCs

Obtaining accurate and reliable gene expression results in real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) data analysis requires appropriate normalization by carefully selected reference genes, either a single or a combination of multiple housekeeping genes (HKGs). The optimal reference gene/s for normalization should demonstrate stable expression across varying conditions to diminish potential influences on the results. Despite the extensive database available, research data are lacking regarding the most appropriate HKGs for qRT-PCR data analysis in rabbit and horse adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs). Therefore, in our study, we comprehensively assessed and compared the suitability of some widely used HKGs, employing RefFinder and NormFinder, two extensively acknowledged algorithms for robust data interpretation. The rabbit and horse ASCs were obtained from subcutaneous stromal vascular fraction. ASCs were induced into tri-lineage differentiation, followed by the eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) treatment of the adipose-differentiated rabbit ASCs, while horse experimental groups were formed based on adipogenic, osteogenic, and chondrogenic differentiation. At the end of the experiment, the total mRNA was obtained and used for the gene expression evaluation of the observed factors. According to our findings, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase was identified as the most appropriate endogenous control gene for rabbit ASCs, while hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase was deemed most suitable for horse ASCs. The obtained results underscore that these housekeeping genes exhibit robust stability across diverse experimental conditions, remaining unaltered by the treatments. In conclusion, the current research can serve as a valuable baseline reference for experiments evaluating gene expression in rabbit and horse ASCs. It highlights the critical consideration of housekeeping gene abundance and stability in qPCR experiments, emphasizing the need for an individualized approach tailored to the specific requirements of the study

n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids provoke a specific transcriptional profile in rabbit adipose-derived stem cells in vitro

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) possess multipotent properties, and their proper functionality is essential for further development of metabolic disorders. In the current study, we explored the impact of two n-3 LC-PUFAs (long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, DHA-docosahexaenoic; C22:6, and EPA-eicosapentaenoic; C20:5) on a specific profile of lipolytic-related gene expressions in the in vitro-differentiated subcutaneous and visceral ADSCs from rabbits. The subcutaneous and visceral ADSCs were obtained from 28-day-old New Zealand rabbits. The primary cells were cultured up to passage 4 and were induced for adipogenic differentiation. Thereafter, the differentiated cells were treated with 100 µg EPA or DHA for 48 hr. The total mRNA was isolated and target genes expression evaluated by real-time RCR. The results demonstrated that treatment of rabbit ADSCs with n-3 PUFAs significantly enhanced mRNA expression of Perilipin A, while the upregulation of leptin and Rab18 genes was seen mainly in ADSCs from visceral adipose tissue. Moreover, the EPA significantly enhanced PEDF (Pigment Derived Epithelium Factor) mRNA expression only in visceral cells. Collectively, the results suggest activation of an additional lipolysis pathway most evident in visceral cells. The data obtained in our study indicate that in vitro EPA up-regulates the mRNA expression of the studied lipolysis-associated genes stronger than DHA mainly in visceral rabbit ADSCs. Eкaterina Vackova1| Darko Bosnakovski2| Bodil Bjørndal3| Penka Yonkova4|Natalia Grigorova1| Zhenya Ivanova1| Georgi Penchev4| Galina Simeonova5|Lyuba Miteva6| Anelya Milanova1| Tatyana Vachkova7| Spaska Stanilova6|Ivan Penchev Georgie

Evaluation of the Anticancer and Probiotic Potential of Autochthonous (Wild) <i>Lacticaseibacillus paracasei</i> Strains from New Ecological Niches as a Possible Additive for Functional Dairy Foods

Probiotics such as Lactobacillus spp. could modulate the intestinal microbiota composition, supporting gastrointestinal tract barrier function and benefiting human health. To evaluate the anticancer and probiotic properties of potentially active autochthonous Lacticaseibacillus paracasei strains on proliferating and differentiated enterocytes, human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT29 was used as a model. The lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from new ecological niches—mountain anthills populated by redwood ants (Formica rufa L.). Human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HT29, ATCC, HTB-38™) were treated for twenty-four hours with supernatants (SNs) derived from four strains of Lacticaseibacillus paracasei: P4, C8, C15 and M2.1. An MTT assay, alkaline phosphatase activity, IAP, Bax and Bcl-2 gene expression analysis (RT-qPCR) and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio were evaluated. The MTT assay revealed that the observed effects varied among groups. However, 10% neutralized supernatants from P4, C8, C15 and M2.1 strains did not show cytotoxic effects. In contrast to non-differentiated cells, a significant (p p p p p p L. paracasei strains possess anticancer and probiotic properties and could be used as additives for functional dairy foods and thus benefit human health

Effects of castration-induced visceral obesity and antioxidant treatment on lipid profile and insulin sensitivity in New Zealand white rabbits

Molecular mechanisms, responsible for the impaired insulin-sensitivity state due to the obesity are not fully understood in both humans and animals. The purpose of this study was to i