Improvement of lipid profile by probiotic/protective cultures: study in a non-carcinogenic small intestinal cell model.

Plasma lipid levels are important risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease. Previous findings have shown that probiotic bacteria exert positive effects on hypercholesterolemia by lowering serum cholesterol and improving lipid profile that, in turn, leads to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Most of these studies were carried out with tumoral cell lines that have a metabolism quite different from that of normal cells and may thus respond differently to various stimuli. Here, we demonstrate the beneficial effects of some probiotics on cholesterol levels and pathways in normal small intestinal foetal epithelial tissue cells. The results show that Lactobacillus plantarum strain PCS 26 efficiently removes cholesterol from media, exhibits bile salt hydrolase activity, and up-regulates several genes involved in cholesterol metabolism. This study suggests that Lactobacillus plantarum PCS 26 might act as a liver X receptor agonist and help to improve lipid profiles in hypercholesterolemic patients or even dislipidemias in complex diseases such as the metabolic syndrome

Dominance of Nosema ceranae in honey bees in the Balkan countries in the absence of symptoms of colony collapse disorder

International audienceNosema species were determined in honey bees from Balkan countries. A total of 273 Nosema-positive samples were analysed. Duplex PCR and PCR-RFLP with newly designed primers, nos-16S-fw/rv, were used to differentiate between N. apis and N. ceranae. N. apis was detected in only one sample (collected in 2008 in Serbia) and N. ceranae in all the others (N = 272) including 35 older samples from Serbia collected between 2000 and 2005. No co-infection was detected. The results suggest (1) the dominance of N. ceranae infection in all Balkan countries monitored throughout the last three years; (2) the presence of N. ceranae in Serbia at least since 2000, which means that N. ceranae has not recently displaced N. apis; (3) the higher efficacy of PCR-RFLP with newly designed primers, nos-16S-fw/rv, in comparison with duplex PCR (100%:82%, respectively). The prevalence of N. ceranae in Balkan countries was not associated with an increase in nosemosis or colony losses resembling Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD)

Analiza mitohondrijalne DNK kod medonosnih pčela (Apis mellifera) iz Srbije

In this study mitochondrial DNA of the indigenous honey bee populations from Serbia was analysed. Three ecotypes were comprised in the investigation: Banat (B), Syenichko-Peshterski (S) and Timok (T). The results show that all investigated samples of honey bees from Serbia belong to one mtDNA haplotype of the C phylogenetic lineage, previously designated as C2D haplotype, though with three additional polymorphic sites. For the novel mtDNA haplotype, the designation C2E is proposed. The novel C2E haplotype differs from C2D in two A-T transversions and in one insertion. Moreover, within the T honey bee ecotype, two additional polymorphic sites were observed; a deletion of a T nucleotide and a T-C transition. Our results suggest that the Carniolan honey bee populations from Serbia may represent an indigenous gene pool within A. m. carnica. The mtDNA haplotype (C2D), previously found in A. m. macedonica, was found in all samples of Serbian A. m. carnica. This suggests that the C2D haplotype may be found within both subspecies. This study represents the first effort to characterize the indigenous honey bee populations in Serbia using molecular techniques with the objective of improving our understanding of the phylogeography of Apis mellifera.U ovom radu su prikazani rezultati analize mitohondrijalne DNK autohtonih populacija medonosne pčele iz Srbije. Istraživanje je obuhvatilo tri ekotipa: Banatski (B), Sjeničko-Pešterski (S) i Timočki (T). Rezultati ukazuju da svi ispitivani uzorci medonosne pčele iz Srbije pripadaju jednom mtDNK haplotipu C filogenetske linije, ranije označenom kao C2D haplotip, mada sa tri polimorfna mesta više. Za novi mtDNK haplotip predložena je oznaka C2E. Novi C2E haplotip razlikuje se od C2D haplotipa u dve A-T transverzije i jednoj inserciji. Osim toga, u okviru T ekotipa medonosne pčele uočena su još dva polimorfna mesta, delecija nukleotida T i T-C tranzicija. Ovi rezultati ukazuju da populacije kranjske medonosne pčele iz Srbije mogu pretstavljati autohtoni genski pul u okviru podvrste A. m. carnica. Mitohondrijalni DNK haplotip C2D, koji je prethodno opisan kod A. m. macedonica, utvrđen je u svim uzorcima A. m. carnica iz Srbije. Ovakav nalaz sugerise da C2D haplotip može postojati kod obe podvrste. Ovaj rad predstavlja prvi pokušaj da se obavi karakterizacija autohtonih populacija medonosne pčele u Srbiji primenom molekularnih tehnika, a u cilju boljeg razumevanja filogeografije vrste Apis mellifera

Good farming practices in apiculture

Modern European beekeeping is facing numerous challenges due to a variety of factors, mainly related to globalisation, agrochemical pollution and environmental changes. In addition to this, new pathogens threaten the health of European honey bees. In that context, correct colony management should encompass a wider vision, where productivity aspects are linked to a One Health approach in order to protect honey bees, humans and the environment. This paper describes a novel tool to be applied in beekeeping operations: good beekeeping practices (GBPs). The authors ranked a list of GBPs scored against their importance and validated by an international team, including researchers, national animal health authorities and international beekeepers' associations. These activities were carried out in the project 'BPRACTICES', approved within the transnational call of the European Research Area Network on Sustainable Animal Production (ERA-NET SusAn) in the Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme of the European Union. This study, created through an international collaboration, aims to present an innovative and implementable approach, similar to applications already adopted in other livestock production systems.European UnionEuropean Commission [696231, 83]This work was supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No. 696231 [SusAn] ID 83