Structural Features of the Cardia Gastric Region in Domestic Rabbits

The knowledge of normal microscopical peculiarities of the digestive system in mammals is essential, but information regarding certain structures is still scarce in numerous species. Our study aims to highlight the normal morphological features of the cardia region in domestic rabbits, as regards the overall appearance, structure, and dimensions of the gastric pits, including a description of the cells located in gastric glands. The cardia region of five domestic rabbits underwent tissue sampling, followed by fixation in 10% buffered formalin, paraffin embedding, and later sectioned at 5 µm in thickness. Eventually, the samples were stained by Goldner’s trichrome method. The microscopical examination has revealed the presence of gastric pits and glands in the entire cardia region of the rabbit, with a different morphological appearance from one zone to another. Gastric pits have the smallest depth immediately after the oesophagogastric junction, which gradually increases and decreases afterwards as it approaches the fundic zone. The gastric glands contain basically four cell types in various proportions, including serous cells, mucous cells, parietal cells, and chief cells. Other peculiarities of the gastric mucosa in the cardia region in rabbits include a thick mucosa with a loose and prominent lamina propria, and an ill-defined muscularis mucosae that is not organized in distinct layers as in other species. The detailed microanatomical structure of the cardia region of the stomach is necessary for understanding the digestion processes in rabbits, species used as a model in diverse fields of research including the pathology of the digestive system

Obtaining Capons from Hybrid Autosexed Chickens and Assessment of Their Meat Colour

We realised an experimental model for observing the effects of caponisation from autosexed chicken hybrids between red Rhode Island males with barred Plymouth Rock females, thereby the one-day old chicks obtained through artificial incubation presented distinctive morphological characteristics between their gender. Male autosexed chicken hybrids were grown in a traditional (extensive) husbandry system, thus is was observed a good development pattern through manifesting the heterosis phenomenon. At the age of fourteen weeks, before sexual maturity the cockerels have undergone caponisation. The unilateral gonadectomy method was performed using a human tonsillectomy instrument and, in some individuals, gonadectomy was perfomed by squeezing the testes with the fingers, to test if there is any difference between intervention and recovery time. The individuals had a 100% surviving rate. After gonadectomy the caponised and theintact group were raised in the same environment and feeding conditions and monitored for morphological and weight differences. At the age of thirty weeksthe cockerels from the two groups, nine chickens each, were slaughtered in order to assess the quantitative and qualitative differences of the carcass. Weight determination revealed a higher mean weight before slaughtering in the caponised cockereles than of the intact group (i.e. 3.3 kg vs. 3.0 kg) and after in carcass (i.e. 2.5 kg vs. 2.2 kg). Visual examination of the carcasses revealed that the skin is of a more intense yellow in the capons and upon section the drumstick muscles had a lighter colour than the drumstick muscles from the intact cockerels (i.e. light red vs. dark red). There is also a difference regarding consistency of the meat in the control group is much harder than of the capons

Macroscopic comparative aspects among two species of birds of prey: Falco tunninculus (Common kestrel) and Tyto alba (Barn owl)

Birds of prey are at the top of the food chain and play an essential role in controlling populations of birds and rodents that are harmful to habitat. This study was conducted on 11 bird carcasses, 5 Falco tunniculus carcasses and 6 Tyto alba carcasses, donated by the UBB Zoological Museum of Academic Cultural Heritage, in order to examine the gross anatomical structures of the digestive system and to highlight the anatomical differences in both carnivorous species. Dissections were conducted at the Department of Comparative Anatomy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, according to an established protocol. The beak is short and slightly curved in both species studied, the tomial tooth being highlighted in Falco tunniculus. Conical papillae and salivary duct openings are more numerous in both species. The oropharyngeal cavity has lateral longitudinal folds of the tongue and glottis, with a distensible esophagus along its whole length in Tyto alba. Falco tunniculus, however, has ingluvium and a less distensible oesophagus. The stomach is undeveloped in both species, with the appearance of an elongated pear, and the small intestine varies in length, shorter in Falco tunniculus than in Tyto alba, but in both species it is arranged in several loops with the help of the mesenterium. The cecum is different, poorly developed, vestigial type in Falco tunniculus, and well developed, with two elongated caecal protrusions in Tyto alba. The digestive system is characteristic of carnivorous species and is a reflection of how it has adapted to feeding behavior

Macroscopic comparative aspects among two species of birds of prey: Falco tunninculus (Common kestrel) and Tyto alba (Barn owl)

Birds of prey are at the top of the food chain and play an essential role in controlling populations of birds and rodents that are harmful to habitat. This study was conducted on 11 bird carcasses, 5 Falco tunniculus carcasses and 6 Tyto alba carcasses, donated by the UBB Zoological Museum of Academic Cultural Heritage, in order to examine the gross anatomical structures of the digestive system and to highlight the anatomical differences in both carnivorous species. Dissections were conducted at the Department of Comparative Anatomy at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Cluj-Napoca, according to an established protocol. The beak is short and slightly curved in both species studied, the tomial tooth being highlighted in Falco tunniculus. Conical papillae and salivary duct openings are more numerous in both species. The oropharyngeal cavity has lateral longitudinal folds of the tongue and glottis, with a distensible esophagus along its whole length in Tyto alba. Falco tunniculus, however, has ingluvium and a less distensible oesophagus. The stomach is undeveloped in both species, with the appearance of an elongated pear, and the small intestine varies in length, shorter in Falco tunniculus than in Tyto alba, but in both species it is arranged in several loops with the help of the mesenterium. The cecum is different, poorly developed, vestigial type in Falco tunniculus, and well developed, with two elongated caecal protrusions in Tyto alba. The digestive system is characteristic of carnivorous species and is a reflection of how it has adapted to feeding behavior