Effects Of Keratin-Gelatin And Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-Gelatin Composite Film On Open Wound Healing In Dogs And Cats

Wound is a disruption of the normal continuity of the skin surface. A prolonged wound healing time is distressing and expensive. Immediate wound coverage is a cornerstone of wound management. Extensive wounds in the skin can be treated using dressing materials and skin grafts. A full-thickness mesh graft can be applied to cover large skin defects. To accelerate wound healing, the use of biomaterials such as keratin, gelatin and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) has increased in recent years. Feathers contain beta keratin as a major component. Keratin as a structural protein that can be processed from poultry feathers and made into value added products, which benefit wounds healing. Gelatin and bFGF are well known for their wound healing properties. Dermal substitutes are very expensive and used routinely in human. However such materials are not available at reasonable cost to treat extensive wounds in animals.Keratin hydrolysates from poultry feathers were prepared by controlled alkaline hydrolysis. Following hydrolysis the supernatant solution was decanted and brought to pH 7.0 using sulfuric acid, then 10% solution of pharmaceutical grade gelatin solution was mixed followed by addition of 1% ethylene glycol and 0.35% glutaraldehyde to the solution and finally cast in polythene trays and dried at 50 0C. bFGF-gelatin composite film was prepared by adding pharmaceutical grade gelatin solution 10 %, 1% ethylene glycol and 0.35% glutaraldehyde to basic fibroblast growth factor (0.015μg/cm2) and casted in polythene trays and dried at 50 0C. The film was soaked for 2 minutes in gentamycin (Dutch farm Veterinary pharmaceuticals, Netherlands) and then applied on wound. This study was conducted with hypothesis that keratin-gelatin and bFGF-gelatin composite films are effective wound healing stimulants causing early re-epithelialization and an uncomplicated wound healing favoring early acceptance of the full thickness skin mesh. The objectives of this study was to identify and evaluate wound healing properties of keratin-gelatin and bFGF-gelatin composite films on open wound and as a feeder layer for early acceptance of full-thickness skin mesh graft in dogs. Following the identification of the better of the two biomaterials, it was used in clinical cases involving 10 cats and two dogs with extensive skin wounds presented to the University Veterinary Hospital University Putra Malaysia. The application of keratin and bFGF on wound healing in experimental dogs and clinical cases in this research was a pilot study undertaken. Thirty six healthy dogs were used in the study. Under general anaesthesia and aseptic condition, a full-thickness skin wound (approximately 5x 5cm) was created lateral to the right loin region. Eighteen animals were used for open wound groups divided into 3 groups (n = 6) namely Group I (control group), Group II (treated with keratin-gelatin composite film) and Group III (treated with bFGF-gelatin composite film). Another 18 animals were treated with full-thickness skin mesh graft were also divided into 3 Groups (n = 6) namely Group I (control group), Group II (treated with feeder layer of keratin-gelatin composite film), Group III (treated with feeder layer of bFGF-gelatin composite film). Evaluation of the effect of biomaterials on open wound and the full-thickness skin mesh graft was done based on clinical observation, haematological, bacteriological, biochemical and histopathological examinations on Days 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 post-operation. Biochemical and histopathological evaluations on the full-thickness skin mesh graft were done on Days 12, 16 and 20 post-operation. The keratin-gelatin and bFGF-gelatin composite films could easily be applied on wounds. The composite films were well accepted and tolerated by animals and did not show any adverse reactions. Open wounds treated with keratin-gelatin (Group II) showed a bright red granulation tissue, without malodour and exudates on Day 20 post-operation, when compared to other groups. The percentage of wound epithelialization, wound contraction and total wound healing was significantly higher (P<0.05) in keratin-gelatin (Group II) throughout the trail. The full-thickness skin mesh graft treated with keratin-gelatin (Group II) as a feeder layer showed an early vascularization of the graft, with epithelialization of the interstices. Acceptance of the graft by Day 12 post-operation was complete with hair growth and normal colour of the skin without any evidence of rejection. The graft acceptance was 90-100% on Day 20 post-operation. In bFGF-gelatin (Group III), all animals showed a dark discolouration of epidermis of the graft without rejection on Days 16 and 20 post-operation. No adverse effects were observed on the hematological values obtained in the treated groups. On bacteriological examination, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were isolated in all animals in open wound groups. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from one animal each in Groups I and II and Proteus spp. from one animal in Group III treated with the full-thickness skin mesh graft. The keratin-gelatin composite film (Group II) favoured tissue DNA, protein and collagen formation, which was essential for wound healing and early acceptance of the full-thickness skin mesh graft. The efficiency of fibroblast formation and angiogenesis was good in the animals treated with keratin-gelatin composite film (Group II) which favoured an early wound healing. In the full-thickness skin mesh graft group, the animals treated with feeder layer of keratin-gelatin composite films, showed normal epidermis thickness on Day 20 post-operation. Keratin-gelatin composite film was effective in clinical cases involving 10 cats and 2 dogs presented at the University Teaching Hospital of Universiti Putra Malaysia. As per the hypothesis, Keratin-gelatin composite film was an effective wound healing stimulant causing early re-epithelialization and uncomplicated wound healing favoring an early acceptance of the full thickness skin mesh graft. The objective of this study was fulfilled when the use of keratin-gelatin composite film was found to be a better biomaterial when compared to bFGF-gelatin composite film. Keratin-gelatin was effective for wound healing in clinical cases presented at the University Teaching Hospital of Universiti Putra Malaysia. The above findings have a commercial application because keratin from poultry feathers an inexpensive as a skin substitute to stimulate wound healing in animals where the cost of treatment is a major consideration by clients. Further research is needed at different concentrations of keratin-gelatin and bFGF-gelatin incorporated composite film for wound healing in experimental and clinical cases. vi

Immunomodulatory effects of seagrass Halophila ovalis polysaccharide mixed feed in adult black tiger shrimp Penaeus monodon and its protective efficacy against white spot syndrome virus infection

As white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) can be highly pathogenic in penaeid shrimp, various feed supplements have been tested to help to protect farmed shrimp against WSSV disease. Here a polysaccharide extract from Halophila ovalis (HO) seagrass was added to feeds at concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 g/kg to assess its ability to protect Black Tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) against WSSV challenge. Following feeding on these diets for 25 days, P. monodon were challenged by muscle injection and monitored for 21 days. On Day 0 and on Days 7 and 21 post-injection (pi), total haemocyte counts (THC), total protein concentrations, prophenoloxidase activity and respiratory burst activity were compared using haemolymph collected from 10 shrimp. All shrimp fed the basal diet died by Day 7 pi but survival times were extended among shrimp fed diets containing HO polysaccharide (HOP), and significantly at concentrations of 0.5 or 1 gkg^-1. Concomitantly with improved survival, all haemolymph immune parameters examined were enhanced significantly (p<0.05) among shrimp fed diets containing higher amounts of HOP. WSSV infection loads determined by real-time PCR were also lowered. The data suggest that if shrimp growth performance is not affected, inclusion of 0.5-1 gkg-1 HOP in commercial feeds might increase resilience of pond stocks of P. monodon against WSSV disease and when disease occurs, provide farmers with a longer management window to minimize economic losses

Evaluation of Collagen, Calcium Alginate Protectants on Healing of External Wound on Teat in Cows

A total number of 36 cross bred jersey cows with external teat injury without involving the teat cistern and with exposed teat sinus were subjected for the present study. Clinical examination of teat for its shape, length, distance from the ground and etiology of the teat wounds were recorded. Following preoperative evaluation, the animals were divided into Group I with 12 animals and treatment group with 24 animals each. Group I were treated with Povidone iodine solution. In treatment (Group II), after suturing the wound was protected with sheets of collagen and calcium alginate as protectants. The application of collagen based teat protectant is an effective methodology for favoring healing process of external injuries when compared to the conventional antiseptic drugs using Povidone iodine

Testing statistical bounds on entanglement using quantum chaos

Previous results indicate that while chaos can lead to substantial entropy production, thereby maximizing dynamical entanglement, this still falls short of maximality. Random Matrix Theory (RMT) modeling of composite quantum systems, investigated recently, entails an universal distribution of the eigenvalues of the reduced density matrices. We demonstrate that these distributions are realized in quantized chaotic systems by using a model of two coupled and kicked tops. We derive an explicit statistical universal bound on entanglement, that is also valid for the case of unequal dimensionality of the Hilbert spaces involved, and show that this describes well the bounds observed using composite quantized chaotic systems such as coupled tops.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, to appear in PRL. New title. Revised abstract and some changes in the body of the pape

The Role of Smart Personal Assistant for improving personal Healthcare

Machine learning is a subfield of computer science that evolved from the study of pattern recognition and computational learning theory in artificial intelligence. The focus of this paper is to improve personal healthcare using smart personal assistant which make use of the combination of machine learning and cloud. Making a doctor appointment through phone call is a tedious process and it may take more time. People who did not made the prior appointment have to wait on the queue which sometimes leads to dissatisfactions to the patients. To overcome this gap, smart personal assistant application is proposed using which users can get appointment of various doctors according to the current availability and at anytime and anywhere. This will improve time saving from patients' side as well as they will be satisfied by timely service