In vitro Anticoccidial Study of Oregano and Garlic Essential Oils and Effects on Growth Performance, Fecal Oocyst Output, and Intestinal Microbiota in vivo

This study investigated the in vitro effects of Greek oregano and garlic essential oils on inhibition of Eimeria parasites and their in vivo effects on production performance, intestinal bacteria counts, and oocyst output. An inhibition assay was performed in vitro using Eimeria tenella Wisconsin strain sporozoites and Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cells. Intracellular sporozoite invasion was quantified by detection of E. tenella DNA using qPCR from cell monolayers harvested at 2 and 24 h post-infection. Parasite invasion was inhibited by the oregano essential oil at the concentration of 100 μg/ml by 83 or 93% after 2 or 24 h, respectively. Garlic essential oil reached a maximum inhibition of 70% after 24 h with the 50 μg/ml concentration. Normal morphology was observed in MDBK cells exposed to concentrations of 100 μl/ml of garlic or oregano for over 24 h. In the in vivo trial, 180 male broiler chicks (45.3 ± 0.7 g) were allocated into two treatments (6 pens of 15 chicks per treatment). Control treatment was fed commercial diets without antibiotics or anticoccidials. The ORE–GAR treatment was fed the same control diets, further supplemented with a premix (1 g/kg feed) containing the oregano (50 g/kg premix) and garlic (5 g/kg premix) essential oils. At day 37, all birds were slaughtered under commercial conditions, and intestinal samples were collected. ORE-GAR treatment had improved final body weight (1833.9 vs. 1.685.9 g; p < 0.01), improved feed conversion ratio (1.489 vs. 1.569; p < 0.01), and reduced fecal oocyst excretion (day 28: 3.672 vs. 3.989 log oocysts/g, p < 0.01; day 37: 3.475 vs. 4.007 log oocysts/g, p < 0.001). In the caecal digesta, ORE-GAR treatment had lower total anaerobe counts (8.216 vs. 8.824 CFU/g; p < 0.01), whereas in the jejunum digesta the ORE-GAR treatment had higher counts of E. coli (5.030 vs. 3.530 CFU/g; p = 0.01) and Enterobacteriaceae (5.341 vs. 3.829 CFU/g; p < 0.01), and lower counts of Clostridium perfringens (2.555 vs. 2.882 CFU/g; p < 0.01). In conclusion, the combined supplementation of oregano and garlic essential oils had a potent anticoccidial effect in vitro and a growth-promoting effect in broilers reared in the absence of anticoccidial drugs

Integrated olfactory receptor and microarray gene expression databases

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gene expression patterns of olfactory receptors (ORs) are an important component of the signal encoding mechanism in the olfactory system since they determine the interactions between odorant ligands and sensory neurons. We have developed the Olfactory Receptor Microarray Database (ORMD) to house OR gene expression data. ORMD is integrated with the Olfactory Receptor Database (ORDB), which is a key repository of OR gene information. Both databases aim to aid experimental research related to olfaction.</p> <p>Description</p> <p>ORMD is a Web-accessible database that provides a secure data repository for OR microarray experiments. It contains both publicly available and private data; accessing the latter requires authenticated login. The ORMD is designed to allow users to not only deposit gene expression data but also manage their projects/experiments. For example, contributors can choose whether to make their datasets public. For each experiment, users can download the raw data files and view and export the gene expression data. For each OR gene being probed in a microarray experiment, a hyperlink to that gene in ORDB provides access to genomic and proteomic information related to the corresponding olfactory receptor. Individual ORs archived in ORDB are also linked to ORMD, allowing users access to the related microarray gene expression data.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ORMD serves as a data repository and project management system. It facilitates the study of microarray experiments of gene expression in the olfactory system. In conjunction with ORDB, ORMD integrates gene expression data with the genomic and functional data of ORs, and is thus a useful resource for both olfactory researchers and the public.</p

Analysis of genome-wide DNA arrays reveals the genomic population structure and diversity in autochthonous Greek goat breeds

Goats play an important role in the livestock sector in Greece. The national herd consists mainly of two indigenous breeds, the Eghoria and Skopelos. Here, we report the population structure and genomic profiles of these two native goat breeds using Illumina's Goat SNP50 BeadChip. Moreover, we present a panel of candidate markers acquired using different genetic models for breed discrimination. Quality control on the initial dataset resulted in 48,841 SNPs kept for downstream analysis. Principal component and admixture analyses were applied to assess population structure. The rate of inbreeding within breed was evaluated based on the distribution of runs of homozygosity in the genome and respective coefficients, the genomic relationship matrix, the patterns of linkage disequilibrium, and the historic effective population size. Results showed that both breeds exhibit high levels of genetic diversity. Level of inbreeding between the two breeds estimated by the Wright's fixation index FST was low (Fst = 0.04362), indicating the existence of a weak genetic differentiation between them. In addition, grouping of farms according to their geographical locations was observed. This study presents for the first time a genome-based analysis on the genetic structure of the two indigenous Greek goat breeds and identifies markers that can be potentially exploited in future selective breeding programs for traceability purposes, targeted genetic improvement schemes and conservation strategies

Effect of an Herbal Mixture of Oregano, Garlic, Sage and Rock Samphire Extracts in Combination with Tributyrin on Growth Performance, Intestinal Microbiota and Morphology, and Meat Quality in Broilers

The present study investigated the effects of two feed additives, the first containing an herbal mixture of oregano, garlic, sage, and rock samphire extracts and the second containing tributyrin (glyceryl tributyrate) when fed to broiler chickens. A total of 360 one-day-old chicks were randomly allocated to four treatments (6 replicate pens of 15 chicks). One treatment served as the unsupplemented control, whereas the feeds of the other three treatments were supplemented either with the herbal additive (3 g/kg), the tributyrin additive (1 g/kg), or both additives. The duration of the trial was 37 days. Data were collected on growth performance, intestinal microbiota and morphology, and some meat quality parameters. The combined supplementation improved (p < 0.05) weigh gain, feed conversion ratio, and the European Efficiency Factor. In the cecum, the combined supplementation lowered (p < 0.05) the microbial populations of aerobes, anaerobes, Escherichia coli, total Enterobacteriaceae, and Clostridium spp. compared to the other treatments. Fecal coccidial oocyst counts were also reduced (p < 0.01) by the combined supplementation. The herbal mixture supplementation improved (p < 0.05) breast and thigh meat resistance to oxidation. In conclusion, the combined dietary supplementation with the examined feed additives could be utilized to improve the performance and intestinal health of broiler chickens. © 2022 by the authors

Comparative study of the effects of heavy metals on embryonic development of zebrafish

This study aimed to investigate the effects of heavy metals, such as copper, zinc, iron, cobalt, chromium, aluminium, manganese and molybdenum, on zebrafish egg hatching rate and the subsequent survival rate of the larvae. Each metal was used in the various concentrations of0.05 mg/L, 50 mg/L and 500 mg/L to detect the threshold limit of tolerance. The study's results showed significant differences in the hatching and survival rate of larvae between the control group and most of the experimental groups when adding heavy metals in various concentrations. The highest concentration (500 mg/L) of the induced heavy metals tested in this study resulted in total egg or larval mortality within 96 hr and significantly lower egg or larval life expectancy. Among the tested metals, zinc and molybdenum had the most significant impact on hatching time, in contrast to iron that did not differentiate the results from the control group. Copper, cobalt, chromium, aluminium and manganese did affect zebrafish eggs depending on their exposure concentrations, which differentiated the results from the control group. Also, the study's findings demonstrate a significant dependence of the hatched egg heart rate on the metal concentration, and in particular, higher concentrations of metals correspond to higher heart rate. Zinc, Molybdenum and copper was proved to be the most toxic heavy metals causing increased hazard rate to mortality up to 96 hr and shorter life expectancy. Finally, skeletal deformities that occasionally observed did not significantly affect the total life expectancy of the hatched eggs. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Lt

Safety and reproductive safety of moxidectin in goats

Various aspects of the safety of moxidectin for goats were tested in six experiments, where two pharmaceutical forms (1% injectable solution and 0.1% oral drench) of the drug were used. In experiments I and II, the drug was administered to adult goats or to kids in the following doses: 300, 600, 900 and 2 x 300 mug kg(-1). In experiments III and IV, the drug was administered to goats before and during pregnancy in the dose of 300 mug kg(-1). In experiments V and VI, the drug was administered to goats concurrently with an enterotoxaemia vaccine or with a flukicide in the dose of 300 mug kg(-1). An increased (P < 0.05) prevalence of animals with adverse reactions was recorded among adult goats, which received 900 mug kg(-1) of moxidectin 1% injectable solution and among kids which received 600 or 900 mug kg(-1) of moxidectin 1% injectable solution or 900 mug kg(-1) moxidectin 0.1% oral drench. The salient reactions of the animals were: indifference to the environment, drowsiness, somnolence, salivation, ataxia and refusal of kids to suck their dams; they were observed 4-8 h after administration of the drug and regressed within 36 h after it. No other statistically significant adverse reactions were observed among experimental animals; no adverse reproductive effects were recorded; no effects were observed during simultaneous administration of the enterotoxaemia vaccine or the flukicide. It is concluded that although the drug appears to be safe for use to goats of all ages and reproductive stages, care should be taken to avoid inadverted overdosing. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Transcriptional Profiling of Leishmania infantum Infected Dendritic Cells: Insights into the Role of Immunometabolism in Host-Parasite Interaction

Leishmania parasites are capable of effectively invading dendritic cells (DCs), a cell popu-lation orchestrating immune responses against several diseases, including leishmaniasis, by bridg-ing innate and adaptive immunity. Leishmania on the other hand has evolved various mechanisms to subvert DCs activation and establish infection. Thus, the transcriptional profile of DCs derived from bone marrow (BMDCs) that have been infected with Leishmania infantum parasite or of DCs exposed to chemically inactivated parasites was investigated via RNA sequencing, aiming to better understand the host–pathogen interplay. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that L. infantum actively inhibits maturation of not only infected but also bystander BMDCs. Analysis of double‐sorted L. infantum infected BMDCs revealed significantly increased expression of genes mainly associated with metabolism and particularly glycolysis. Moreover, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to DC‐T cell interactions were also found to be upregulated exclusively in infected BMDCs. On the contrary, transcriptome analysis of fixed parasites containing BMDCs indicated that energy production was mediated through TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation. In addition, DEGs related to differentiation of DCs leading to activation and differentiation of Th17 subpopulations were detected. These findings suggest an important role of metabolism on DCs‐Leishmania interplay and eventually disease establishment. © 2022 by the authors. Li-censee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland