Institute of Animal Physiology

Canine skin is often a source of bacterial strains that are characterized by the presence of important virulence factors and a high antimicrobial resistance. These bacteria are involved in the pathogenesis of infectious skin diseases, which are very frequent in dogs. Moreover, canine skin isolates are easily spread to other animals and humans. The aim of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory and bactericidal activity of eight organic acids (L-lactic, acetic, propionic, butyric, citric, succinic, glycolic, L-ascorbic acid) against 14 canine skin isolates (11 Gram-positive and three Gram-negative species). The advantages of the tested organic acids are their gentleness to the skin and their affordability. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were determined by the broth microdilution method. All tested acids showed a bactericidal effect against the selected bacteria, with the exception of their bacteriostatic effect against the Bacillus cereus strain. The lowest MIC showed acetic acid (MIC between 0.5 and 2.0mg/mL) and propionic acid (MIC 0.8 - 3.3mg/mL), whereas L-ascorbic acid (MIC 4.0 - 16.0mg/mL) seems to be weaker among the tested acids. Two Staphylococcus aureus strains and a strain of Escherichia coli were observed to be more resistant compared to coagulase-negative staphylococci.

Young rabbits are susceptible to gastrointestinal diseases caused by bacteria. Enterococcus hirae can be associated with diseases. But enterocins produced by some enterococcal species can prevent/reduce this problem. Therefore, the interaction of enterocin M with a biofilm-forming, autochthonous E. hirae Kr8+ strain was tested in rabbits to assess enterocin potential in vivo. Rabbits (96), aged 35days, both sexes, meat line M91 breed were divided into four groups, control C and three experimental groups. The rabbits in C received the standard diet, rabbits in experimental group 1 (E1) received 108CFU/mL of Kr8+, a dose 500 µL/animal/day, E2 received Ent M (50 µL/animal/day), and E3 received both Kr8+ and Ent M in their drinking water over 21days. The experiment lasted 42days. Feces and blood were sampled at day 0/1 (at the start of the experiment, fecal mixture of 96 animals, n = 10), at day 21 (five fecal mixtures per group, n = 5), and at day 42 (21days after additives cessation, the same). At days 21 and 42, four rabbits from each group were slaughtered, and cecum and appendix were sampled for standard microbial analysis. Ent M showed decreased tendency of Kr8+. Using next-generation sequencing, the phyla detected with the highest abundance were Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia, Bacteroidetes, Tenericutes, Proteobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Saccharibacteria, and Actinobacteria. Interaction of Ent M with some phyla resulted in reduced abundance percentage. At day 21, significantly increased phagocytic activity (PA) was found in E1 and E2 (p < 0.001). Kr8+ did not attack PA and did not stimulate oxidative stress. But Ent M supported PA. The prospective importance of this study lies in beneficial interaction of enterocin in host body.

As the bioactivity of thymol, a major constituent of Thymus vulgaris L. in animal organism is still not clear, present study provides new insights for understanding the processes of absorption and deposition of thymol in the rabbit organism in connection with ist protective role against oxidative deterioration in muscle tissue. After weaning at 35 days of age, 48 rabbits were randomly divided into two experimental groups (control and with thymol addition 250 mg/kg feed). Thymol was administered for 21 days (TA) and withdrawn for seven days (TW). Significant correlation (rs=-1.000, p<0.01) between thymol content in intestinal wall and plasma pointed on intensive absorption of thymol from intestine. During period of TA we detected decreased level of lactate dehydrogenase in muscle, which points to the sparing effect of thymol on cellular metabolism. Rabbits need adequate amounts of essential fatty acids (FA), which are primarily represented by

Abstract The starch content of triticale and oat grains provides much of their readily available energy. Synchronizing energy and nitrogen in the rumen is important in optimizing profitability; for this reason, ammonia processing of these grains was evaluated for its potential to modify ruminal fermentation and to improve milk production performance. A mixture of ground triticale and oats (CONG, at a ratio of 60:40 on a dry matter basis) was treated with urea (5 kg/1000 kg) and urease additive (20 kg/1000 kg) containing 200 g/kg of moisture, for 2 wk (UREG). The urea treatment enhanced the pH and CP content of grains by 34% and 52%, respectively. In a batch culture study, CONG or UREG as the only substrate was incubated in a buffered ruminal fluid. Compared to CONG, UREG increased pH, total VFA concentration, total gas, and disappearance of DM, while reducing CH4 production, whereas NH3 concentration increased and entodiniomorph counts tended to increase. In the in vivo study, cows were randomly allocated to two dietary groups (n = 24) and were offered TMR based on maize and grass silage, containing either 155 g/kg of CONG and 80 g/ kg of soybean meal (CONT) or 155 g/kg of UREG and 59 g/kg of soybean meal (URET) for 31 d. Ruminal fluid was collected (n = 10) using rumenocentesis. The relative abundances of Streptococcus bovis decreased, but Megasphaera elsdenii, methanogens, and ammonia-producing bacteria increased by URET. Entodiniomorph and holotrich counts were decreased by URET. Feeding with URET increased ruminal pH and concentrations of total VFA, acetate, branched-chain VFA, and NH3. Feeding with URET also increased milk yield. These results demonstrate that replacing untreated triticale and oat grains with urea-treated grains can beneficially modulate ruminal microbiota and fermentation, consequently improving production performance and profitability.

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dry medicinal plants (wormwood, chamomile, fumitory and mallow) and dietary substrates containing a mix of the plants on the end products of in vitro ruminal and intestinal fermentation, rumen protozoan population and ruminal antioxidant capacity of sheep. The experiment consisted of fermentations with the four plants used individually as the sole substrate and fermentation of a mix of medicinal plants (Plants): meadow hay:barley grain (MH:B), 700/300 w/w and Plants:MH:B, 100/600/300 w/w/w. The experiment was conducted using the in vitro gas production technique (IVGPT) with 35ml of buffered inocula and approximately 250mg (DM basis) of substrate incubated for 24hr at 39°C in anaerobic conditions. Quantitative analyses of the bioactive compounds by ultra-high-resolution mass spectrometry in Plants identified three main groups: flavonoids (22mg/g DM), phenolic acids (15mg/g DM) and alkaloids (3mg/g DM). The total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the plant extracts and rumen fluid was analysed using a ferric reducing antioxidant power assay. The values of total and individual short-chain fatty acids, acetate:propionate ratio, pH and total gas production were significantly affected by the single plant substrates and inocula (p<.001). Apart from these parameters, the values of ammonia N, methane production and total gas produced were decreased in Plants:MH:B in comparison with MH:B (p<.001). A positive correlation was recorded between total polyphenols content and TAC of plant extracts (R2 =.778, p<.001). The counts of the total ciliate protozoan population in rumen fluid after 24hr of fermentation were not significantly different (p>.05). Results suggest that the dietary substrate containing the medicinal plant mix possessed strong ruminal antioxidant capacity, had the potential to reduce methane emission and ammonia concentration and caused desirable changes in the gastrointestinal ecosystem.

Rhus tripartita (Ucria) Grande, is an Anacardiaceae autochthonous shrub of the Algerian Sahara. Its ecological, pastoral and therapeutics interests prompted us to carry out an eco-physiological and biochemical behavior in relation to aridity. Therefore, relative water content of shrub leaves were found on average 81.55% and the maximum of electrolyte leakage recorded was 14.29. The biochemical determination of proteins and sugars shows that leaves are a true source of protein (33.76 mg/g FM) and sugars (938.93 μg/g FM) while the proline assay gave a value of 824.40 μg/g. The quantitative study of flavonoids in the leaves gave a result of 36.53 mg/g. The analysis of photosynthetic pigments content showed respectively results of 28.1 μg/g, 31.24 μg/g, 56.47 μg/g and 11.23 μg/g for chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, total chlorophyll and carotenoids. The total antioxidant capacity was evaluated and gave result of 95.5 mg GAE/g. Therefore, Rhus tripartita was found to accumulate high proportions of primary and secondary metabolites which showed a good adaptation to its arid environment. In conclusion, the plant can be considered as a xeromorphic plant, that is, a desert-adapted plant that is not limited by the water availability.

1. Amdi C., Krogh U., Flummer C., Oksbjerg N., Hansen C.F., Theil P.K., 2013. Intrauterine growth restricted piglets defined by their head shape ingest insufficient amounts of colostrum. J. Anim. Sci. 91, 5605–5613, https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.20.... CrossRef Google Scholar

In the present work, we investigated the synchronization of electrical activity in cultured cardiac cells of different origin put in direct contact. In the first set of experiments synchronization was studied in the primary culture cells of neonatal rats taken at different developmental ages, and in the second - in the neonatal rat cardiomyocytes and HL-1 cells. The electrical excitation of cells was recorded using the calcium transient marker Fluor-4. In the confluent cell layers created with the aid of a specially devised mask, the excitation waves and their propagation between areas occupied by cells of different origin were observed. On the level of individual cells, their contact and synchronization was monitored with the aid of scanning fluorescence microscopy. It was found that populations of cultured cells of different origin are able to synchronize, suggesting the formation of electrical coupling between them. The results obtained may be considered as a proof of concept that implanted alien grafted cells are able to create electrical coupling with the host cardiac tissue.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of total hydroalcohol root extract of Plumeria alba (Apocynaceae) and its active fraction on diabetes in rats.Methods: The effect of total hydroalcohol extract at 250 mg/kg and different fractions was evaluated on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in mice. The effect of the active fractions on OGTT was measured on a model of diabetic rats (fructose-enriched fat diet and streptozotocin-induced).Results: The results show that the total extract (250 mg/kg), ethyl acetate fraction and supernatant fraction (obtained after centrifugation of total extract) at a dose of 100 mg/kg significantly (p < 0.01) reduced hyperglycemia induced by glucose overload in mice. Fructose-enriched fat diet increased blood cholesterol, triglycerides and high density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in hyperlipidemic untreated rats compared to normal control rats. Administration of total extract (250 mg/kg/day) and supernatant fraction of P. alba (100 mg/kg/day) during 14 days significantly reduced lipid parameters (total cholesterol, p < 0.001; triglycerides, p < 0.01; HDL, p < 0.05). Analysis of oxidative stress markers shows that the supernatant fraction and total extract significantly increased serum glutathione level (p < 0.01) but significantly lowered malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in liver (p < 0.05).Conclusion: These results suggest that the total extract and fractions of P. alba exhibit significant antidiabetic and hypolipidemic properties in streptozotocin induced diabetic animals. The supernatant fraction (which is free of organic solvent) was the most biologically activeKeywords: Diabetes, Hyperlipidermia, Plumeria alba, Fructose-enriched fat diet, Oxidative stress markers, Streptozotocin

The influence of short term (7-day) exposure of male rats to the brominated flame retardant hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) was studied by investigation of the liver proteome, both in euthyroid and hypothyroid rats and by comparing results with general data on animal physiology and thyroid hormone, leptin, insulin and gonadotropin concentrations determined in parallel. Proteome analysis of liver tissue by two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2D-DIGE) revealed that only small protein pattern changes were induced by exposure in males, on just a few proteins with different functions and not involved in pathways in common. This is in contrast to previous findings in similarly exposed eu- and hypothyroid female rats, where general metabolic pathways had been shown to be affected. The largest gender-dependent effects concerned basal concentrations of liver proteins already in control and hypothyroid animals, involving mainly the pathways which were also differently affected by HBCD exposure. Among them were differences in lipid metabolism, which - upon exposure to HBCD - may also be the reason for the considerably higher ratio of γ-HBCD accumulated in white adipose tissue of exposed female rats compared to males. The results further elucidate the already suggested different sensitivity of genders towards HBCD exposure on the protein level, and confirm the need for undertaking toxicological animal experiments in both genders.