Blood parameters and immune responses during haemonchosis

Article Details: Received: 2020-10-06 | Accepted: 2020-11-27 | Available online: 2021-01-31https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2021.24.mi-prap.29-32 The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of medicinal plants (Artemisia absinthium and Malva sylvestris) as feed supplements on blood parameters, and local immune responses in the abomasum of Haemonchus contortus infected lambs. Twenty-four lambs were infected orally with 5000 L3 larvae of H. contortus and subsequently randomly divided into four groups: unsupplemented animals (UNS), animals with A. absinthium (ART), animals with M. sylvestris (MAL), and animals with a mix of two plants (ARTMAL). During the experiment, samples of blood were taken for evaluation of hemoglobin and albumin levels. All animals were humanely killed after 75 days of the experiment, and abomasum tissue samples were taken for histopathology. The hemoglobin concentration in the blood was influenced by time (p< 0.001) and in all groups decreased until day 45. The serum albumin levels were influenced by treatment (p< 0.05) and time (p< 0.001) and in all groups occurred reduction until the end of the experiment compared to day 15. The number of plasma cells was higher in ARTMAL compared to MAL (p< 0.05). UNS and ART had significantly higher numbers of mast cells compared to MAL (p< 0.01 and 0.05, respectively). The regeneration of abomasal tissue was most frequent in ARTMAL. The results showed that dietary supplementation by A. absinthium and M. sylvestris did not positively affected blood parameters but influenced local immune response in the abomasum of H. contortus infected sheep.Keywords: Haemonchus contortus, sheep, hemoglobin, abomasum, local immune responseReferencesBesier, R. et al. (2016). The Pathophysiology, Ecology and Epidemiology of Haemonchus contortus. In Gasser, RB and Samson-Himmelstjerna, G. Haemonchus contortus- Past, present and future trends. (1. ed.). London: Elsevier Ltd (pp. 95-143).Hoste, H. et al. (2016). Interactions between nutrition and infections with Haemonchus contortus and related gastrointestinal nematodes in small ruminants. Advances in Parasitology, 93, 239–351. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.apar.2016.02.025 McRae, KM. et al. (2015). The host immune response to gastrointestinal nematode infection in sheep. Parasite Immunology, 37(12), 605-613. https://doi.org/10.1111/pim.12290.Mravčáková, D. et al. (2019). Natural chemotherapeutic alternatives for controlling of haemonchosis in sheep. BMC Veterinary Research, 15, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-019-2050-2Rouatbi, M. et al. (2016). Effect of the infection with the nematode Haemonchus contortus (Strongylida: Trichostrongylidae) on the haematological, biochemical, clinical and reproductive traits in rams. The Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 83(1), 1-8. http://dx.doi.org/10.4102/ojvr.v83i1.1129Váradyová, Z. et al. (2018). Effects of herbal nutraceuticals and/or zinc against Haemonchus contortus in lambs experimentally infected. BMC Veterinary Research, 14(1), 78. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1405-4Villalba, JJ. Et al. (2017). Phytochemicals in animal health: Diet selection and trade-offs between costs and benefits. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 76(2), 113-121. https://doi.org/10.1017/S002966511600071

Dendrimers as Antimicrobial Agents in the Central Nervous System Infections. A Review

Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection of the central nervous system that affects people all over the world. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the most common pathogens causing meningeal inflammation in Europe. Treatment with standard antibiotics is becoming ineffective, not only due to their inability to cross the blood-brain barrier, but also due to rising antibiotic resistance. As a result, novel therapeutics to combat the infection are required. A promising solution could be therapeutic nanomolecules, such as dendrimers, some of which have antimicrobial properties due to their chemical structure. Additionally, they may be decorated with a suitable therapeutic and central nervous system homing peptides to construct nano-drug delivery systems, which can effectively cross the blood-brain barrier. To synthesize safe dendrimeric nano-drug delivery system it is necessary to select the best dendrimer candidates with antimicrobial activity and to understand pharmacosafety, pharmacokinetics and dynamics. This review provides a brief overview of dendrimers and their antimicrobial properties as they have been studied in relation to the blood-brain barrier and existing antibiotics

Does Herbal and/or Zinc Dietary Supplementation Improve the Antioxidant and Mineral Status of Lambs with Parasite Infection?

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of feed supplementation with a medicinal herbs mixture (Hmix) and organic zinc (Zn), alone or in combination, on the antioxidant responses and mineral status of lambs infected with the gastrointestinal nematode parasite Haemonchus contortus. A total of 24 experimentally infected lambs were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (n = 6). The diets included an unsupplemented control diet (CON) and the CON further supplemented with Hmix, Zn, or both Hmix + Zn. Antioxidant enzymes activities, lipid peroxidation, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and microelement (Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn) concentrations were analyzed in serum, liver, kidney, and intestinal mucosa. Zinc treatment elevated the superoxide dismutase activities in the duodenal mucosa and ileal TAC. Intake of Hmix resulted in higher kidney and ileal catalase activity and also influenced the TAC of the liver and intestinal mucosa. The inclusion of Hmix or Zn alone into the diet increased glutathione peroxidase activity in the blood, liver and duodenal mucosa. Tissue mineral uptake was not affected by herbal supplementation. Organic Zn intake increased the serum and liver Zn levels and influenced the Cu concentration in duodenal mucosa. Dietary supplementation with Hmix and/or Zn might promote the antioxidant status of lambs infected with Haemonchus spp

Effects of Dietary Zinc and/or an Herbal Mixture on Intestinal Microbiota and Barrier Integrity in Lambs

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the impact of feed supplementation with organic zinc and/or a medicinal plants mixture on the composition and enzymatic activity of intestinal microflora as well as on the duodenal and jejunal barrier integrity in lambs. A total of 28 lambs were randomly allocated into 4 dietary treatments (n = 7) and were fed an unsupplemented basal diet (BD), or the BD enriched with organic Zn (Zn, 70 mg/kg diet), an herbal mixture (Herbmix, 100 g/day) or a combination of both additives (Zn+Herbmix). The Herbmix contained 33% each of Fumaria officinalis, Malva sylvestris, Matricaria chamomilla and 1% Artemisia absinthium. No significant effect on the fecal microbiota composition was observed due to the 35-day or 70-day dietary treatment. The intake of Zn alone resulted in decreased bacterial enzyme activities, such as β-glucuronidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, β-galactosidase and β-glucosidase. The transepithelial electrical resistance of the small intestinal mucosa was not influenced by the dietary treatment, whereas simultaneous feeding of Zn and Herbmix exhibited higher claudin-1 and occludin levels in the jejunal mucosa. These results indicate that dietary intake of organic zinc and/or medicinal plants in the mentioned dosage did not alter the diversity of intestinal bacteria in growing lambs but did significantly influence bacterial enzyme activity. Supplementing the zinc and herbs combination showed the potential to regulate intestinal permeability by increasing the level of tight junction proteins in the jejunal mucosa

Effect of <i>Artemisia absinthium</i> and <i>Malva sylvestris</i> on Antioxidant Parameters and Abomasal Histopathology in Lambs Experimentally Infected with <i>Haemonchus contortus</i>

This study evaluated the effect of Artemisia absinthium and Malva sylvestris on antioxidant response and histopathological changes in the abomasa of the Haemonchus contortus infected lambs. Twenty-four lambs were divided into four groups: unsupplemented lambs (UNS), lambs supplemented with A. absinthium (ART), lambs supplemented with M. sylvestris (MAL), and lambs supplemented with both plants (ARTMAL). Lambs were infected orally with approximately 5000 third-stage (L3) larvae of H. contortus. The experiment was conducted for 75 d (days), all animals were then slaughtered, and the abomasal tissues were examined for antioxidant parameters and histopathology. The concentration of malondialdehyde in the abomasal mucosa was lower in ARTMAL (p p p p p A. absinthium and M. sylvestris on antioxidant parameters and local immune responses of abomasal mucosa of lambs infected with a GIN parasite

Impact of Sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) Pellets on Parasitological Status, Antibody Responses, and Antioxidant Parameters in Lambs Infected with Haemonchus contortus

Our study analyzed the parasitological status, antibody responses, and antioxidant parameters of lambs experimentally infected with a gastrointestinal nematode during the consumption of sainfoin pellets (SFPs) for 14 d. Twenty-four lambs infected with Haemonchus contortus were separated into two groups: untreated animals (control) and animals treated with SFPs (600 g dry matter/d). SFP treatment began on day (D) 30 post-infection. The number of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces was quantified on D18, D23, D26, D30, D33, D37, D40, and D44. The mean reductions in EPG on D40 and D44 were 33.6 and 36.7%, respectively. The number of abomasal worms was lower for the SFP than the control group (p &lt; 0.05). SFP treatment did not significantly affect either the total or the local antibody response (p &gt; 0.05). The blood activity of glutathione peroxidase was affected by the treatment (p &lt; 0.022). Adult worms were selected for scanning electron microscopy after necropsy, but surface structures of adult H. contortus females did not differ between the groups. The treatment of lambs with SFPs directly affected the dynamics of infection, probably indirectly by mobilizing the antioxidant defensive system and antibody response thus improving animal resistance

Effects of Medicinal Plants and Organic Selenium against Ovine Haemonchosis

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of traditional medicinal plants typical to Central Europe as well as organic selenium on increasing the resistance of lambs to gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection with Haemonchus contortus. 21 female lambs were infected with third-stage larvae of H. contortus on the day (D) 0 and re-infected on D49 and D77. The animals were divided into three groups based on a treatment diet: a basal diet (control), a diet enriched with dry plants (Herbmix), and a diet enriched with selenized yeast (Selplex). The number of eggs per gram (EPG) of feces was quantified on D21, D28, D35, D42, D49, D56, D63, D70, D77, D84, D91, D98, D105, D112, and D119. The mean reductions in EPG on D28 were 43.4 and 28.6% for Selplex and Herbmix, respectively. The reduction in egg output was nearly uniform throughout the experiment for Selplex. However, for Herbmix the mean reduction was only 19.8% up to D91 and 46.1% after D91. Glutathione peroxidase activity in the blood from D35 to D98 was two to three-fold higher for Selplex than the other groups. Both supplements slowed the dynamics of GIN infection and gradually increased the resistance of lambs against ovine haemonchosis