Using Different Cage Enrichments to Improve Rabbits' Performance, Behavior, and Welfare.

Environmental enrichment is about improving the surroundings in which your animal lives by providing opportunities to express behavioral activity normally, which in turn has a great impact on the animal's welfare and productivity. The aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of using different enrichment cage tools (a rubber floor, plastic-colored balls, and a mirror) on rabbits' physiology, productivity, carcass quality, behavior, and welfare. A total of 84 weaned rabbits (V-line) were randomly and equally assigned to 4 groups, each with 7 replicates (3 rabbits/replicate). The 1st rabbit group (T1) served as a control, while the 2nd group (T2) was enriched with rubber floors. The 3rd group (T3) was enriched with plastic-colored balls, and the 4th group (T4) was enriched with mirrors. Productive traits, including the weekly body weight and feed intake, as well as the carcass characteristics, were measured. Hematological parameters and biochemical constituents were determined according to the reference's description. Furthermore, behavioral activities, such as walking, resting, feeding, and drinking, were observed. According to the results, enriching the rabbit cages with plastic-colored balls and mirrors improved the marketing body weight and feed conversion rate. It also improved carcass quality characteristics, such as the carcass weight and dressing percentage. The T3 and T4 rabbits had higher RBCS, Hb, and hematocrit levels as well as lower WBCS levels. They also had significantly higher total protein, globulin, glucose, AST, and IgG values than other treatments. In addition, they had significantly lower corticosterone levels and fear responses. Therefore, it is recommended to use plastic-colored balls and mirrors for rabbit farming for better productivity, behavior, and welfare.

Exogenously applied melatonin alleviates the damage in cucumber plants caused by Aphis goosypii through altering the insect behavior and inducing host plant resistance.

BACKGROUND: Aphis gossypii Glover is the main pest found in most cucumber-producing areas. Melatonin (MT) has been widely studied in protecting plants from environmental stresses and pathogens. However, little knowledge is available on the impact of MT on insect resistance. RESULTS: The fecundity of aphids on MT-treated cucumber leaves was inhibited. Interestingly, MT-treated plants were more attractive to aphids, which would prevent the large-scale transmission of viruses caused by the random movement of aphids. Meanwhile, MT caused varying degrees of change in enzyme activities related to methylesterified HG degradation, antioxidants, defense systems and membrane lipid peroxidation. Furthermore, transcriptomic analysis showed that MT induced 2360 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) compared with the control before aphid infection. These DEGs mainly were enriched in hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, and plant-pathogen interaction, revealing that MT can help plants acquire inducible resistance and enhance plant immunity. Subsequently, 2397 DEGs were identified after aphid infection. Further analysis showed that MT-treated plants possessed stronger JA signal, reactive oxygen species stability, and the ability of flavonoid synthesis under aphid infection, while mediating plant growth and sucrose metabolism. CONCLUSION: In summary, MT as an environmentally friendly substance mitigated aphid damage to cucumbers by affecting the aphids themselves and enhancing plant resistance. This will facilitate exploring sustainable MT-based strategies for cucumber aphid control. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Catha Edulis Active Principle, Cathinone, Suppresses Motor Coordination, Accelerates Anxiety and Alters the Levels of Dopamine and its Metabolites in the Limbic Areas of Male Swiss Albino Mice.

Cathinone, the active principle of khat (Catha edulis), stimulates, excites and produces euphoric feelings in khat users. Locomotor and rearing activities, either individual or in groups, of male Swiss albino mice were decreased significantly compared to the control. Motor coordination tests (rotarod, rope climb and grip tests) have shown decreased motor performance in the mice treated with cathinone compared to the control. The elevated plus maze test has shown significant anxiety in the mice compared to the control. Contents of dopamine and its metabolite, homovanillic acid, were increased in the limbic areas compared to the control group. In contrast, contents of 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl acetic acid were depleted significantly and dose dependently compared to the control group in the limbic areas of mice. In conclusion, natural cathinone has depleted motor coordination, accelerated anxiety in mice and altered the contents of dopamine and its metabolites.

Comportamento ingestivo e respostas fisiológicas de novilhos submetidos a dietas com torta de amendoim / Intake behavior and physiological responses of steer fed with peanut cake diets

Objetivou-se avaliar a substituição do farelo de soja por torta de amendoim no concentrado da dieta de novilhos, por meio do comportamento ingestivo e respostas fisiológicas. Foram utilizados cinco novilhos, dispostos em um quadrado latino 5 x 5. As dietas foram compostas de feno de tifton, milho moído, farelo de soja e torta de amendoim, constituídas de zero (100 por centode farelo de soja), 25, 50, 75 e 100 por cento de substituição por torta de amendoim no concentrado. Os níveis de torta de amendoim não influenciaram (P>0,05) as eficiências de ingestão e ruminação da matéria seca e da fibra em detergente neutro. Em relação às atividades comportamentais, o único parâmetro em que se observou efeito da substituição foi o número de períodos de ócio no turno da manhã (P<0,05), no qual se constatou efeito linear crescente. A taxa de secreção salivar e a quebra de partículas foram semelhantes, pois não houve efeito (P>0,05) das dietas sobre as características de mastigação. Como não houve efeito (P>0,05) das dietas sobre as frequências respiratória, cardíaca e a temperatura retal, o calor endógeno produzido pela fermentação ruminal foi equivalente. A torta de amendoim, por conter aflatoxinas, quando fornecida em alta relação volumoso x concentrado, pode substituir o farelo de soja na dieta de novilhos, pois ocasiona comportamento ingestivo e respostas fisiológicas semelhantes...

This study aimed to evaluate the replacement of soybean meal with peanut cake in the concentrate of steer diets through intake behavior and physiological responses. Five steers, arranged in a 5 x 5 latin square design were used. The diets were composed of Tifton hay, ground corn, soybean meal and peanut cake, made from zero (100 percent soybean meal), 25, 50, 75 and 100 percent replacement for peanut cake in the concentrate. The levels of peanut cake did not influence (P>0.05) the intake and rumination efficiencies of dry matter and fiber in neutral detergent. Regarding the behavioral activities, the only parameter that observed a substitution effect was the number of idle periods in the morning shift (P<0.05) which had an increasing linear effect. The rate of salivary secretion and the particle breakdown were similar, because there was no effect (P>0.05) of the diets on the chewing characteristics. As there was no effect (P>0.05) of the diets on the respiratory rate, heart rate and rectal temperature, the endogenous heat produced by rumen fermentation was equivalent. The peanut cake, by containing aflatoxin, when provided in high roughage x concentrate rate, can replace soybean meal in the steers' diet because it causes similar intake behavior and physiological responses...