Exploring potential risk factors of antimicrobial use in beef cattle.

Livestock species are major contributors to the increase of antimicrobial (AM) resistance which is a worldwide concern for both human and animal health. The over-use of AM is widely acknowledged, however, unlike pigs, poultry and dairy cattle, knowledge on potential risk factors affecting AM usage (AMU) in beef industry is limited. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the impact of farm, breed, sex and season of arrival of purchased beef cattle on AMU in Italian beef cattle. Data on 1063 batches were collected from January 2016 to April 2019 from specialised beef fattening farms located in the north of Italy. Information on breed, sex, date of arrival, performance traits and AM agents used on farm was collected, and the treatment incidence 100 (TI100) indexes per batch were calculated using the defined daily dose animal estimated according to Italian summaries of product characteristics. Factors affecting TI100 indexes were investigated using a cross-classified multilevel model. Farms largely differed in terms of AMU. Males had greater AMU than females (P < 0.001), likely due to their higher susceptibility to disease. Statistically significant differences were observed between seasons of arrival with summer and spring having lower TI100 indexes than winter and autumn (P < 0.001). Indeed, winter is commonly linked to an increase in respiratory diseases in beef cattle. Finally, the TI100it indexes tended to be different among breeds with Blonde d'Aquitaine and Limousine having greater AMU compared to the other breeds. Results of this study provided valuable information on potential risk factors of AMU in beef production which may be useful to address its reduction. For instance, the development of tailored management strategies for specific breeds, targeted approaches to improve the health of males as well as greater care towards batches purchased in winter are possible advice to implement on-farm for a more responsible AM stewardship

Congettura

La voce sintetizza l'uso che \ue8 stato fatto della nozione "congettura" da alcuni fra i principali filosofi contemporanei

Grape Seeds Proanthocyanidins: Advanced Technological Preparation and Analytical Characterization

A “green” solvent-free industrial process (patent pending) is here described for a grape seed extract (GSE) preparation (Ecovitis™) obtained from selected seeds of Veneto region wineries, in the northeast of Italy, by water and selective tangential flow filtration at different porosity. Since a comprehensive, non-ambiguous characterization of GSE is still a difficult task, we resorted to using an integrated combination of gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS). By calibration of retention time and spectroscopic quantification of catechin as chromophore, we succeeded in quantifying GPC polymers up to traces at n = 30. The MS analysis carried out by the ESI-HRMS method by direct-infusion allows the detection of more than 70 species, at different polymerization and galloylation, up to n = 13. This sensitivity took advantage of the nanoscale shotgun approach, although paying the limit of missed separation of stereoisomers. GPC and MS approaches were remarkably well cross-validated by overlapping results. This simple integrated analytical approach has been used for quality control of the production of Ecovitis™. The emerging feature of Ecovitis™ vs. a popular benchmark in the market, produced by a different technology, is the much lower content of species at low n and the corresponding increase of species at high n

Promoting Judicious Antimicrobial Use in Beef Production: The Role of Quarantine

Judicious antimicrobial stewardship in livestock industry is needed to reduce the use of antimicrobials (AMU) and the associated risk of antimicrobial resistance. Biosecurity measures are acknowledged for their role against the spread of diseases and the importance in reducing AMU in different species. However, their effectiveness in beef production has been scarcely considered. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the quarantine strategy on AMU in beef cattle. A total of 1206 Charolaise animals in five farms were included in the trial. Roughly half of the animals followed the standard procedure of the fattening cycle (no-quarantine; NO-QUA group) and half followed a 30-day period of quarantine (QUA group) since their arrival. Performance and antimicrobial data were recorded and a treatment incidence 100 (TI100it) per animal was calculated. Penicillins was the most used class of antimicrobials. Differences between groups were significant for males only, with NO-QUA group having greater TI100it (3.76 vs. 3.24; p &lt; 0.05) and lower body weight at slaughter (713.4 vs. 723.7 kg; p &lt; 0.05) than QUA group. Results suggest that quarantine strategy can reduce AMU in males without compromising their performance, whereas further investigation is needed for females

Low vitamin K1 intake in haemodialysis patients

Background &amp; aims: Vitamin K acts as a coenzyme in the g-carboxylation of vitamin K-dependent proteins,including coagulation factors, osteocalcin, matrix Gla protein (MGP), and the growth arrest-specific6 (GAS6) protein. Osteocalcin is a key factor for bone matrix formation. MGP is a local inhibitor of softtissue calcification. GAS6 activity prevents the apoptosis of vascular smooth muscle cells. Few data onvitamin K intake in chronic kidney disease patients and no data in patients on a Mediterranean diet areavailable. In the present study, we evaluate the dietary intake of vitamin K1 in a cohort of patientsundergoing haemodialysis.Methods: In this multi-centre controlled observational study, data were collected from 91 patients aged&gt;18 years on dialysis treatment for at least 12 months and from 85 age-matched control subjects withnormal renal function. Participants completed a food journal of seven consecutive days for the estimationof dietary intakes of macro- and micro-nutrients (minerals and vitamins).Results: Compared to controls, dialysis patients had a significant lower total energy intake, along with alower dietary intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, fibres, and of all the examined minerals (Ca, P, Fe,Na, K, Zn, Cu, and Mg). With the exception of vitamin B12, vitamins intake followed a similar pattern,with a lower intake in vitamin A, B1, B2, C, D, E, folates, K1 and PP. These finding were confirmed alsowhen normalized for total energy intake or for body weight.In respect to the adequate intakes recommended in the literature, the prevalence of a deficient vitamin Kintake was very high (70e90%) and roughly double than in controls. Multivariate logistic model identifiedvitamin A and iron intake as predictors of vitamin K deficiency