Comparative plasma and interstitial fluid pharmacokinetics of flunixin meglumine and ceftiofur hydrochloride following individual and co-administration in dairy cows

Item does not contain fulltextCeftiofur (CEF) and flunixin meglumine (FLU) are two drugs approved for use in beef and dairy cattle that are frequently used in combination for many diseases. These two drugs are the most commonly used drugs in dairy cattle in their respective drug classes. Two research groups have recently published manuscripts demonstrating altered pharmacokinetics of FLU and CEF in cows affected with naturally occurring mastitis. The objective of this study was to determine whether pharmacokinetics of flunixin meglumine administered intravenously or intramuscularly administered ceftiofur hydrochloride would be altered when co-administered versus individual administration to healthy dairy cattle. Ten cows were utilized in a three-period, three-treatment crossover design, with all cows receiving each treatment one time with a 10-day washout period between treatments. Following treatment, plasma and interstitial fluid samples were collected and stored for later analysis. Additionally, plasma ultrafiltrate was collected using microcentrifugation to determine plasma protein binding of each drug. Drug concentrations in plasma, plasma ultrafiltrate, and interstitial fluid were determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The results of this trial indicate that drug interactions between FLU and CEF do not occur when the two drugs are administered simultaneously in healthy cattle. Further work is needed to determine whether this relationship is maintained in the presence of severe disease

Occurrence of anthocyanin pigments in berries of the white cultivar Muscat Gordo Blanco (Vitis vinifera L.)

Rose coloration of skin was observed to sometimes develop late during ripening on the normally white grape berries of cv. Muscat Gordo Blanco. The nature of the pigment was investigated by HPLC analysis of skin extracts of single berries. The predominant anthocyanin was identified as cyanidin-3-glucoside with minor amounts of delphinidin- and peonidin-3-glucosides. This composition resembles the skin composition of coloured, small-seeded muscat cultivars which it also resembles by the monoterpene composition of the juice. The pigments occurred only in berries with levels of total soluble solids in excess of 24°Brix in the juice and such berries tended to have smaller fresh weight. Berry pigmentation occurred on vines with various root systems. The specific conditions under which pigment developed in Muscat Gordo berries may offer a useful tool in the study of anthocyanin biosynthesis

Anthocyanin composition and anthocyanin pathway gene expression in grapevine sports differing in berry skin colour

The synthesis of anthocyanins was investigated in six grapevine sports with altered skin colour. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz grapes contained anthocyanin monoglucosides as well as acetylated and coumarylated derivatives, predominantly of malvidin, whereas Pinot Noir grapes contained only anthocyanin monoglucosides. Fruit of some sports arising from varieties with black berries either lacked anthocyanins or had much lower levels than their progenitors. A bud sport of Cabernet Sauvignon (Bronze Cabernet) exhibited a 90% reduction in anthocyanin levels, but an anthocyanin composition similar to that of the normal Cabernet Sauvignon fruit. The fruit of a white-coloured bud sport of Bronze Cabernet did not contain anthocyanins. Coloured berries of sports originating on varieties with whiteskinned berries also had lower levels of anthocyanins than black grapes, but like Pinot Noir contained very low levels of acylated anthocyanins. The berries of these sports also varied in the proportions of the different types of 3-monoglucosides they contained. The results suggest that control of 3-monoglucoside synthesis and modification vary in the sports. The expression of six genes from the flavonoid biosynthetic pathway was determined. Some genes were expressed in all grapes, even where little or no anthocyanins accumulated, but expression of the gene encoding a UDP glucose-flavonoid 3-o-glucosyl transferase (UFGT) was only detected in coloured grapes that synthesised anthocyanins. Southern and northern analysis of the white grapes indicated that the UFGT gene was present but was not expressed. Thus the lack of anthocyanins in white-skinned varieties or sports correlates with a lack of expression of the UFGT gene, although the expression of some other flavonoid pathway genes was also decreased.P.K. Boss, C. Davies and S.P. Robinso