Transfer of aflatoxin from feed to milk and curd in Sarda ewes with different milk production level

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is a toxin produced by some strains of Aspergillus growing in feedstuffs. Dairy animals fed with diet containing AFB1 excrete aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) into the milk. The carry over ratio (AFM1 excreted in milk/ AFB1 ingested) has been found lower in sheep (Battacone et al., 2002a) than in cattle (Veldman et al., 1992). Being AFM1 linked to milk proteins, its concentration in curd is higher than in milk. The AFM1 concentration in milk resulted not influenced by milk production level in cattle, therefore the total amount of AFM1 excreted in milk and, consequently, the carry-over ratio increased with milk yield (Munksgaard et al., 1987; Veldman et al., 1992). A previous study carried out on isoproductive dairy ewes showed an increase of the AFM1 concentration both in milk and in curd as the amount of AFB1 ingested increased (Battacone et al., 2002b). Aim of the present work is to study the influence of AFB1 dose and milk production level on the transfer of AFB1 from feeds to milk and curd as AFM1 in dairy ewes

Amides and formamidines with antinociceptive activity: note II

Forty amides, formamidines and trifluoromethylsulfonylamides bearing on the nitrogen a cyclohexyl residue, eventually 2-substituted, were prepared and tested for analgesic activity against a chemical stimulus. Good activity was exhibited by amides 9, 11 and 28, by formamidine 34, as well as by triflyamide 40. Eleven additional compounds exhibited a moderate activity

Fungicidal activity of some o-nitrophenyl-hydrazones

The antimycotic activity of 16 o-nitrophenylhydrazones against strains of Hansenula anomala, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida parapsyliosis, and Cryptococcus albidus was tested. All 16 compounds inhibited growth of the yeast strains. The inhibitory activity of the 4 methyl-derivatives substituted on the aromatic nucleus was particularly significant

[1,2,3]triazolo[4,5-<i>H</i>]chinoloni: una nuova classe di promettenti chemioterapici antitubercolari

Alcuni acidi triazolo[4,5-h] e [4,5-f]chinoloncarbossilici angolari, sintetizzati in precedenza come antiinfettivi del tratto urinario, hanno mostrato interessanti valori di MIC90 nei confronti di M. tuberculosis H37Rv. Allo scopo di approfondire le nostre conoscenze sui rapporti struttura-attività di questa classe, abbiamo pertanto preparato una nuove serie di derivati

Chemical, mineralogical and ceramic properties of kaolinitic materials from the Tresnuraghes mining district (Western Sardinia, Italy)

Kaolinitic materials crop out in the Tresnuraghes mining district (Western Sardinia, Italy). Three main kaolinitic deposits, located in the Patalza, Salamura and Su Fongarazzu areas, respectively, were investigated in order to assess their potential in the ceramic industry. The parent rock-types of this raw material are the Oligocene-Miocene rhyolitic-rhyodacitic ignimbrites. Chemical and mineralogical analyses were performed on representative samples of each deposit, by XRD and XRF methodologies. The chemical analyses generally show high silica and low alumina contents in all samples, typical of weakly kaolinized materials. The main mineralogical association consists of kaolinite and cristobalite with quartz and smectite as the minor components. Alunite may be present as a main mineral in the Salamura and Su Fongarazzu deposits, making these clay materials unsuitable for ceramic applications. The Patalza deposit exhibits low iron and sulphur contents, but low plasticity and excessive refractoriness. The Patalza materials can be used as unconventional raw materials to replace both kaolin and silica in white-firing bodies. Results show that the introduction of the Patalza "kaolins" was well tolerated in bodies for tableware, wall and floor tiles, without significant changes in porosity, bulk density, pore size distribution and coefficient of thermal expansion. The main drawback of using the Patalza material is the slight increase of firing shrinkage, while the main advantage is a systematic increase in mechanical resistance

The transfer of aflatoxin M1 in milk of ewes fed diet naturally contaminated by aflatoxins and effect of inclusion of dried yeast culture in the diet.

An experiment was carried out to investigate 1) the transfer of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) into the milk of dairy ewes fed diets naturally contaminated with aflatoxin B1 (AFB1); 2) the effect of the addition of dried yeast culture in the diet on this transfer; and 3) the alteration of enzymatic activities in the liver of ewes fed diets contaminated with AFB1. Twenty-four Sarda dairy ewes were divided in 4 groups and fed a concentrate mix containing 4 amounts of wheat meal naturally contaminated with aflatoxins. The diet of the control group had no wheat meal, whereas that of treated groups had low, medium, or high amounts of contaminated wheat, which corresponded to 1.13, 2.30, and 5.03 microg of AFB1/kg of feed, respectively. The experiment lasted 14 d. On d 8 to 14 from the beginning of the trial, 12 g/d of a commercial dried yeast product (DYP) of Kluyveromyces lactis was added to the diet of each ewe. The AFM1 concentration in individual milk samples and the blood serum metabolites were measured periodically. The presence of AFM1 was first detected in milk on d 1 of administration, and then its concentration increased and approached a steady-state condition on d 3 simultaneously in all treated groups. The AFM1 in milk at the steady-state condition, which was linearly related to the AFB1 intake, was 39.72, 50.38, and 79.29 ng/L in the low-aflatoxin, medium-aflatoxin, and high-aflatoxin groups, respectively. The AFM1 concentration in milk of the high-aflatoxin group was approximately 1.5-fold greater than the European Commission maximum tolerance level (50 ng/kg). The addition of DYP to the diet did not affect the AFM1 concentration in milk. After the withdrawal of the contaminated concentrate mix, the AFM1 mean concentrations decreased quickly and were no longer detected after 3 d in all treated groups. Daily milk yield and composition did not differ because of aflatoxin treatment. Blood serum parameters (creatinine, glutamic oxalacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, gamma glutamyl transferase, alkaline phosphatase, lactate dehydrogenase, cholesterol, protein, urea, calcium, and phosphorus) were not influenced by AFB1 intake. Therefore, the effect of DYP on certain blood parameters (gamma glutamyl transferase, urea, creatinine, and calcium) could not be attributed to amelioration of the aflatoxin-contaminated diet. In conclusion, diet contamination by AFB1 near the European Union tolerance level (0.005 mg/kg) in complete feed for dairy animals (e.g., high-aflatoxin group) can result in an AFM1 milk concentration higher than the European Commission maximum tolerance level. Transfer of aflatoxin from feed to milk was not affected by dietary addition of a commercial DYP

Sostanze indesiderate negli alimenti zootecnici: effetti sugli ovini e riflessi nel latte e derivati

Negli ovini da latte l’ingestione di alimenti contaminati da sostanza indesiderate rappresenta un rischio sia per animali al pascolo che per quelli confinati. L’assunzione di composti tossici negli ovini da latte comporta effetti negativi a carico dell’animale oltre che costituire un potenziale elemento di rischio per il consumatore finale nel caso in cui il composto tossico permanga nel latte o nelle carni. I metalli pesanti, le diossine e le micotossine rappresentano le sostanze indesiderate negli alimenti per animali di maggiore interesse per la filiera di produzione degli ovini da latte. La presenza di residui di contaminanti nel latte ovino e nei derivati caseari costituisce un importante indicatore della igienicità della filiera produttiva e allo stesso tempo è ritenuto un marcatore indiretto della salubrità dell’ambiente di produzione. Questo lavoro riassume gli aspetti di maggiore rilievo circa gli effetti dei metalli pesanti, delle diossine e di alcune micotossine sugli ovini, con particolare riferimento al loro trasferimento nel latte e nei derivati

Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy with a Mixed Approach in a Patient with Kartagener Syndrome: Technical Report and Review of Literature

Kartagener syndrome (KS) is a rare autosomal recessive disease. The disease is characterized by three typical symptoms: chronic sinusitis, situs viscerum inversus (SVI), and bronchiectasis. The laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is the standard procedure in most cases of cholelithiasis, but in SVI patients it can be difficult, especially for right-handed surgeons. We report the case of a 24-year-old female affected by KS, presenting with a history of symptomatic cholelithiasis. Ultrasound and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography confirmed SVI totalis and cholelithiasis. The patient underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy by a right-handed surgeon performed with a mixed approach without complications. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in SVI patients can be a safe and reliable technique especially for a left-handed surgeon. The described technique is also easy for a right-handed surgeon. However, it is considered a technically challenging procedure and often requires technical modification