Antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-adhesion activities of Piper betle leaf extract against Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli

Piper betle leaves have traditionally been used to treat many diseases, including bacterial infections. The present studyaimed to investigate the antibacterial, antibiofilm, and anti-adhesion activities of P. betle extract against avian pathogenicEscherichia coli (APEC). The ethanol extract of P. betle leaves demonstrated strong antibacterial activity against clinicalisolates of APEC with MIC and MBC values ranging from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/mL as compared with 1% DMSO, a negative control.Disruption and breakdown of the bacterial cells were detected when the cells were challenged with the extract at 2 × MIC.Bacterial cells treated with the extract demonstrated longer cells without a septum, compared to the control. The extract at1/8, 1/4, and 1/2× MIC significantly inhibited the formation of the bacterial biofilm of all the tested isolates except the iso-late CH10 (P < 0.05) without inhibiting growth. At 1/2 × MIC, 55% of the biofilm inhibition was detected in APEC CH09,a strong biofilm producer. At 32 × MIC, 88% of the inhibition of viable cells embedded in the mature biofilm was detectedin APEC CH09. Reduction in the bacterial adhesion to surfaces was shown when APEC were treated with sub-MICs of theextract as observed by SEM. Hydroxychavicol was found to be the major compound presented in the leaf extract as detectedby GC–MS analysis. The information suggested potential medicinal benefits of P. betle extract to inhibit the growth, biofilm,and adhesion of avian pathogenic E. coli.publishe

Dexmedetomidine Effectively Sedates Asian Elephants (Elephas maximus)

This study investigated the sedative effects of dexmedetomidine in Asian elephants. We hypothesized that 2 &micro;g/kg dexmedetomidine would provide sufficient standing sedation. A crossover design study was performed in three Asian elephants. Each elephant was assigned to 1 of 3 treatment groups&mdash;1 (D1), 1.5 (D1.5) or 2 (D2) &micro;g/kg dexmedetomidine (intramuscular injection, IM) with a two-week &lsquo;washout period&rsquo; between doses. Elephants were monitored for 120 min. At 120 min (Ta), atipamezole was administered IM. Sedation and responsiveness scores were evaluated. Physiological parameters (pulse rate, respiratory rate, and %SpO2) and clinical observations were monitored during the study and for 3 days post drug administration. D2 provided the longest sedation (approximately 70 min), compared to D1 and D1.5. After Ta, each elephant&rsquo;s sedative stage lessened within 10&ndash;15 min without complications. No significant abnormal clinical observations were noted throughout and during the 3-days post study period. These data suggest that a single 2 &micro;g/kg IM dexmedetomidine injection provides sufficient standing sedation for approximately 70 min in Asian elephants