Effect of the Dietary Royal Jelly Supplementation in Ewes of Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population on the Body Weight of the Lambs and the Milk Composition

The aim of the experiment was to assess the effect of the royal jelly supplementation in the diet of ewes from Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population on the body weight of the lambs and the milk composition. The trial was carried out with 20 ewes and their lambs, reared in the experimental sheep farm of the Institute of Animal Science- Kostinbrod, Bulgaria and lasted 30 days during the suckling period. The animals had the same date of lambing and lambs body weight, and were divided into two groups, each containing 10 ewes. The feeding was according to the standards for this category of ruminants with ad libitum access to water, as each ewe from the supplemented group received twice a week 300 mg freeze dried royal jelly. The body weight of the lambs was controlled at the beginning and at the end of the trial period, and the weight gain was calculated. The chemical and the fatty acid composition of the milk was measured in individual samples. The fatty acid composition was used to calculate the atherogenic (AI) and thrombogenic (TI) indices. The live weight (LW) and the average daily gain (ADG) differed between the groups of lambs according to the dietary royal jelly supplementation. The lambs of the ewes that had received the supplement displayed higher LW (P%253D0.0138) and ADG (P%253D0.0062). The physicochemical composition of the milk showed lower fat content (P%253D0.0142) and higher density (P%253D0.0200) in the ewes receiving royal jelly. Significant increase of C18%253A0 and decrease of C17%253A1 proportion was observed. Additionally, the contents of the polyunsaturated С20%253A4n-6, С22%253A5n-3 and C22%253A6n-3 was considerably diminished in the milk of the group that received royal jelly. The results so far demonstrated the potential of the royal jelly to manipulate the fatty acid profile of the ewes milk

Comparative Study of the Performance in Ewes of Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population and Their Crosses with Lacaune

The aim of the study was to compare the milk yield in ewes from Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population and their crosses with Lacaune. Blood introduction of Lacaune breed with F1 cross ram was carried out on 40 purebreed ewes of Bulgarian Dairy Synthetic Population (BDSP). The ewes were equal in the sequence of lactation, genealogic line and milk yield. The object of the present study were 32 ewes on first lactation ndash%253B purebred BDSP (n%253D16) and crosses of the breed with Lacaune (n%253D16). The ewes were reared in the experimental farm of the Institute of Animal Science- Kostinbrod, Bulgaria. The milk yield for the control day was determined after the AC method of ICAR as the standard 120 d milking milk yield was determined. The fertility was determined as a ratio of the number of the lambs born alive to the number of the experimental ewes. The content of fat, total protein, dry fat-free residue and dry matter were measured in each control of 20 ml of individual sample for each of the animals, using milk analyser Ecomilk, Bultech. The data were evaluated through the Data Analysis statistical package of Excel 2016, Microsoft. The effect of the crossbreeding on the examined traits was assessed through one way ANOVA. No effect of the blood introduction from Lacaune was observed on the milk yield and fertility of the ewes. No significant difference between the mean milk yield for a standard 120 period of first lactation was found (79.47 l and 81.83 l, respectively for the purebred ewes and the crosses). The percentage of the fat and the dry matter of the first control in the Lacaune crosses (5.27%25 and 16.64%25) was significantly lower (Plt%253B0.01%253B Plt%253B0.05) when compared to the purebred BDSP ewes (6.21%25 and 17.32%25)

Cardiovascular response to postural perturbations of different intensities in healthy young adults

The ability to regain control of balance is vital in limiting falls and injuries. Little is known regarding how the autonomic nervous system responds during recovery from balance perturbations of different intensities. The purpose of this study was to examine the cardiovascular response following a standing balance perturbation of varying intensities, quantify cardiac baroreflex sensitivity (cBRS) during standing perturbations, and to establish the stability of the cardiac baroreflex during quiet standing before and after balance disturbances. Twenty healthy participants experienced three different perturbation intensity conditions that each included 25 brief posteriorly-directed perturbations, 8–10 s apart. Three perturbation intensity conditions (low, medium, high) were given in random order. Physiological data were collected in quiet stance for 5 min before testing (Baseline) and again after the perturbation conditions (Recovery) to examine baroreflex stability. Beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) and systolic blood pressure (SBP) analysis post-perturbation indicated an immediate acceleration of the HR for 1–2 s, with elevated SBP 4–5 s post-perturbation. Heart rate changes were greatest in the medium (p = 0.035) and high (p = 0.012) intensities compared to low, while there were no intensity-dependent changes in SBP. The cBRS was not intensity-dependent (p = 0.402) but when perturbation conditions were combined, cBRS was elevated compared to Baseline (p = 0.046). The stability of baseline cBRS was excellent (ICC = 0.896) between quiet standing conditions. In summary, HR, but not SBP or cBRS were intensity-specific during postural perturbations. This was the first study to examine cardiovascular response and cBRS to postural perturbations

Differential behaviour of distinct motoneuron pools that innervate the triceps surae

It has been shown that when humans lean in various directions, the central nervous system (CNS) recruits different motoneuron pools for task completion; common units that are active during different leaning directions, and unique units that are active in only one leaning direction. We used high-density surface electromyography (HD-sEMG) to examine if motor unit (MU) firing behaviour was dependent on leaning direction, muscle (medial and lateral gastrocnemius; soleus), limits of stability, or whether a MU is considered common or unique. Fourteen healthy participants stood on a force platform and maintained their center of pressure in five different leaning directions. HD-sEMG recordings were decomposed into MU action potentials and the average firing rate (AFR), coefficient of variation (CoVISI) and firing intermittency were calculated on the MU spike trains. During the 30-90º leaning directions both unique units and common units had higher firing rates (F = 31.31, p \u3c 0.0001). However, the unique units achieved higher firing rates compared to the common units (mean estimate difference = 3.48 Hz, p \u3c 0.0001). The CoVISI increased across directions for the unique units but not for the common units (F = 23.65. p \u3c 0.0001). Finally, intermittent activation of MUs was dependent on the leaning direction (F = 11.15, p \u3c 0.0001), with less intermittent activity occurring during diagonal and forward-leaning directions. These results provide evidence that the CNS can preferentially control separate motoneuron pools within the ankle plantarflexors during voluntary leaning tasks for the maintenance of standing balance

Regional activation within the vastus medialis in stimulated and voluntary contractions

This study examined the contribution of muscle fiber orientation at different knee angles to regional activation identified with high-density surface electromyography (HDsEMG). Monopolar HDsEMG signals were collected using a grid of 13 × 5 electrodes placed over the vastus medialis (VM). Intramuscular electrical stimulation was used to selectively activate two regions within VM. The distribution of EMG responses to stimulation was obtained by calculating the amplitude of the compound action potential for each channel; the position of the peak amplitude was tracked across knee angles to describe shifts of the active muscle regions under the electrodes. In a separate experiment, regional activation was investigated in 10 knee flexion-extension movements against a fixed resistance. Intramuscular stimulation of different VM regions resulted in clear differences in amplitude distribution along the columns of the electrode grid (P < 0.001); changes in knee angle resulted in consistent shifts along the rows (P < 0.01) and negligible shifts along the columns of the electrode grid. Regional VM activation was identified in dynamic movement, with distal shifts of the EMG distribution in the eccentric phase of the movement (P < 0.05) and at more flexed knee angles (P < 0.05). HDsEMG was used to describe regional activation across the VM that was not attributable to anatomic factors. Changes in muscle fiber orientation associated with knee joint angle mainly influence the amplitude distribution along the fiber direction. Future studies are needed to understand possible functional roles for regional activation within the VM in dynamic tasks

Phytochemical analysis of leaves and stems of Physalis alkekengi L. (Solanaceae)

Physalis alkekengi L. (Solanaceae) is encountered in different regions of Bulgaria as a wild growing or ornamental plant. The objective of this work was to characterize the phytochemical composition (macro and micro components) of the leaves and stems of two local phenotypes (PA-SB and PA-NB), with the view of revealing their use potential. The dry leaves contained (DW) protein (16.25 and 19.27%), cellulose (25.16 and 25.31%), and ash (18.28 and 16.16%) and the stems contained protein (6.83 and 7.35%), cellulose (39.34 and 38.25%), and ash (15.01 and 7.48%) for PA-SB and PA-NB, respectively. The dominant amino acids (by HPLC) in the leaves of both phenotypes were arginine (21.3-22.3 mg/g) and aspartic acid (8.8-18.4 mg/g), and those in the stems were proline and aspartic acid for PA-SB (8.8, 7.7 mg/g); isoleucine and tyrosine for PA-NB (12.8, 6.6 mg/g). Mineral elements, determined by AAS (K, Ca, Mg, Na, Cu, Fe, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cr), also varied between phenotypes and plant parts. The leaves alone were further processed by extraction with n-hexane, for the identification of leaf volatiles (by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). The analysis identified 28 components (97.99%) in the leaf extract of PA-SB and 32 components (97.50%) in that of PA-NB. The volatile profile of PA-SB leaves was dominated by diterpenes (49.96%) and oxygenated sesquiterpenes (35.61%), while that of PA-NB was dominated by oxygenated aliphatics (40.01%) and diterpenes (35.19%). To the best of our knowledge, the study provides the first data about the phytochemical composition of the leaves and stems of P. alkekengi from Bulgaria, in a direct comparison of phenotypes from two distinct wild populations, which could be of further scientific interest.AlMaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; [2021-29]The authors deeply acknowledge the Researchers Supporting Program (TUMA Project-2021-29), AlMaarefa University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for supporting steps of this work

Unbiased Gene Expression Analysis Implicates the huntingtin Polyglutamine Tract in Extra-mitochondrial Energy Metabolism

The Huntington's disease (HD) CAG repeat, encoding a polymorphic glutamine tract in huntingtin, is inversely correlated with cellular energy level, with alleles over ∼37 repeats leading to the loss of striatal neurons. This early HD neuronal specificity can be modeled by respiratory chain inhibitor 3-nitropropionic acid (3-NP) and, like 3-NP, mutant huntingtin has been proposed to directly influence the mitochondrion, via interaction or decreased PGC-1α expression. We have tested this hypothesis by comparing the gene expression changes due to mutant huntingtin accurately expressed in STHdhQ111/Q111 cells with the changes produced by 3-NP treatment of wild-type striatal cells. In general, the HD mutation did not mimic 3-NP, although both produced a state of energy collapse that was mildly alleviated by the PGC-1α-coregulated nuclear respiratory factor 1 (Nrf-1). Moreover, unlike 3-NP, the HD CAG repeat did not significantly alter mitochondrial pathways in STHdhQ111/Q111 cells, despite decreased Ppargc1a expression. Instead, the HD mutation enriched for processes linked to huntingtin normal function and Nf-κB signaling. Thus, rather than a direct impact on the mitochondrion, the polyglutamine tract may modulate some aspect of huntingtin's activity in extra-mitochondrial energy metabolism. Elucidation of this HD CAG-dependent pathway would spur efforts to achieve energy-based therapeutics in HD

Carotenoid-related volatile compounds of tobacco (N. tabacum L.) essential oils

Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) aroma is an important quality attribute of tobacco and consists of a variety of minor components, among which carotenoid degradation products. The transformation of tobacco carotenoids (mainly lutein and β-carotene) occurs both in fresh green leaves and during curing, thus producing nearly 100 different short-chained metabolites. The three major tobacco types traditionally produced in Bulgaria and used as blends in the manufacture of cigarettes, include oriental (OR), flue-cured Virginia (FCV), and Burley (BU). High-quality Bulgarian oriental tobacco is also processed to obtain concrete and absolute, which are used in fine perfumery. Therefore, the objective of this work was to determine the content of the most important fragrance-shaping carotenoid degradation products in the essential oils (EOs) of the three types of Bulgarian tobacco, and to compare them with other aroma products from tobacco.                The content of total carotenoids and β-carotene was highest in the air-cured BU tobacco (22.23 and 20.34 mg/100 g, respectively), followed by the sun-cured OR (13.60 and 12.09 mg/100 g in variety “Plovdiv 7” (Pd7); 6.27 and 5.45 mg/100 g in “Krumovgrad” (Kr), and FCV (5.93 and 3.73 mg/100 g). Tobacco EOs were obtained by hydrodistillation in an acidified medium, and the yields were: FCV - 0.23%; BU - 0.26%, OR - 0.44% (Kr) and 0.30% (Pd 7). All EOs were light yellow and had a sharp odor: FCV – very intense, balsamic, woody with earthy undertones; BU – mild woody with balsamic and floral-like undertones, and OR – very green with slightly smoky and mossy-like and honey-like undertones. The main aroma-impact compounds from carotenoid degradation identified in the EOs (by GC-MS) were as follows: FCV - a-ionone (1.4%), dihydro-β-ionone (2.2%); β-damascenone (2.9%); BU - a-ionone (1.9%), dihydro-β-ionone (3.1%); β-damascenone (3.5%); OR(Kr) - a-ionone (0.9%), β-ionone (2.8%), dihydro-β-ionone (5.9%); β-damascenone (1.6%); OR (Pd7) - a-ionone (4.3%), dihydro-β-ionone (5.2%); β-damascenone (3.7%). Compared to published data for other tobacco EOs, these results reveal some differences in damascone derivatives, explainable by plant material origin and processing conditions. Ionone and its derivatives were not identified in the aroma extraction products concrete and resinoid from the same tobaccos, neither in the absolute from the Bulgarian tobaccos. The results agree with previous findings about the effect of thermal degradation, pH of the medium and other factors on carotenoid transformations in plant materials. The study provides an insight into the composition of EOs from the tobaccos produced in Bulgaria, and may be of interest to the fragrance industry

Resinoid from cape gooseberry fruit (Physalis peruviana L.) - volatile composition and application as an active ingredient in a cosmetic formulation

Cape gooseberry (Physalis peruviana L.), an exotic fruit gaining popularity in Bulgaria, has been recognized as a highly functional food, but has also the potential to be a resource for the fragrance and cosmetic industries. The main objective of this study was to assess the potential of the resinoid (a type of traditional aromatic products) obtained from locally-produced fruit (variety “Plovdiv”) for use in cosmetics, by revealing its volatile composition and characterizing the properties of an author-developed resinoid- enriched cosmetic cream. The resinoid (yield 58.78% DW) was a dark-orange viscous mass, with fruity, caramel notes and smoke accords odor. The GC-MS analysis identified 44 volatiles (98.69%), representing carbohydrates, alcohols, acids, along with minor miscellaneous compounds. A cosmetic cream (O/W emulsion) was developed, incorporating fruit resinoid (1.00%) as an active ingredient, compared to a control sample. Resinoid inclusion affected positively the sensory and physico-chemical properties of the cosmetic cream (color, odor, pH, stability). The studied emulsions had the rheological behavior of pseudoplastic non-Newtonian fluids, and resinoid presence reduced cream viscosity. It could be concluded that Cape gooseberry fruit resinoid had the potential to be a reasonable ingredient in cosmetic preparations; of course, further research is needed to assess its complex effects