Safety evaluation and effects of dietary phlorotannins on the growth, health, and intestinal microbiota of Litopenaeus vannamei.

Phlorotannins are phenolic compounds with diverse biological activities, yet their efficacy in aquatic animals currently remains unclear. This investigation scrutinized the influence of phlorotannins on the growth, immunity, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal microbiota in Litopenaeus vannamei, concurrently evaluating the potential adverse effects of phlorotannins on L. vannamei. A base diet without phlorotannins supplementation was used as a control, and 4 groups of diets with different concentrations (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 g kg-1) of phlorotannins were formulated and fed to juvenile shrimp (0.25 ± 0.01 g) for 60 days followed by a 24-h challenge with Vibrio parahaemolyticus with triplicate in each group. Compared with the control, dietary 2.0 g kg-1 phlorotannins significantly improved the growth of the shrimp. The activities of enzymes related to cellular immunity, humoral immunity, and antioxidants, along with a notable upregulation in the expression of related genes, significantly increased. After V. parahaemolyticus challenge, the cumulative survival rates of the shrimp demonstrated a positive correlation with elevated concentrations of phlorotannins. In addition, the abundance of Bacteroidetes and functional genes associated with metabolism increased in phlorotannins supplementation groups. Phlorotannins did not elicit any detrimental effects on the biological macromolecules or histological integrity of the hepatopancreas or intestines. Simultaneously, it led to a significant reduction in malondialdehyde content. All results indicated that phlorotannins at concentrations of 2.0 g kg-1 can be used as safe feed additives to promote the growth, stimulate the immune response, improve the antioxidant capacity and intestinal health of L. vannamei, and an protect shrimp from damage caused by oxidative stress.

Feeding tannins to dairy cows in different seasons improves the oxidative status of blood plasma and the antioxidant capacity of cheese.

The aim of the present study was to assess the dietary supplementation of tannins to grazing dairy cows in 2 seasons characterized by a good quality pasture (spring) or a poor-quality pasture (summer). The effects of dietary tannins were assessed on plasma antioxidant status and cytokines profile and on the antioxidant properties of cheese and cheese in vitro digestates. Fourteen lactating dairy cows were divided into 2 homogeneous groups (n = 7): a control group (CON), and an experimental group (TAN) receiving 150 g/head per day of tannins supplementation. The experiment was performed twice, in spring and in summer. The animals were free to graze on spontaneous pasture (spring) or on dry stubble (summer). Blood was sampled at the beginning (d 0), at the midpoint (d 11), and at the end (d 22) of the trial. Individual cheese was produced before the beginning (d -1) and at the end (d 22) of the trial from the milk collected from each cow. On blood plasma, the reactive oxygen metabolites (ROM), biological antioxidant potential (BAP), nonesterified fatty acids quantification, and cytokines profile in terms of IL-10, IL-8, IL-1ß, and IFN-γ were determined. Data on ROM demonstrated that tannins supplementation lowered oxidative stress both in spring and in summer. Accordingly, TAN diet increased BAP levels compared with the CON during summer trial. Thus, feeding tannins resulted in lower ratio between ROM and BAP (oxidative stress index) in both spring and summer. Cytokines' profile showed lower IL-1ß values in TAN group at d 22 during spring season, with a concomitant higher IL-10 level, during summer season. Moreover, TAN group had a lower level of IFN-γ in plasma than CON group, both in spring and in summer. On cheese samples, the in vitro digestion was performed and on cheese and cheese digestates (gastric and intestinal digestate) the free radical scavenging antioxidant activity was evaluated. The intestinal digestate fraction registered the highest antioxidant activity compared with cheese and gastric digestate, in both spring and summer seasons. Furthermore, an improvement of the antioxidant property of cheese and cheese digestates was found. Present data demonstrated that tannins supplementation contributed to reduce the oxidative stress of lactating dairy cows and showed an increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines ratio.

Extraction and Nano-Sized Delivery Systems for Phlorotannins to Improve Its Bioavailability and Bioactivity.

This review aims to provide an informative summary of studies on extraction and nanoencapsulation of phlorotannins to improve their bioavailability and bioactivity. The origin, structure, and different types of phlorotannins were briefly discussed, and the extraction/purification/characterization methods for phlorotannins were reviewed, with a focus on techniques to improve the bioactivities and bioavailability of phlorotannins via nano-sized delivery systems. Phlorotannins are promising natural polyphenol compounds that have displayed high bioactivities in several areas: anticancer, anti-inflammation, anti-HIV, antidiabetic, and antioxidant. This review aims to provide a useful reference for researchers working on developing better utilization strategies for phlorotannins as pharmaceuticals, therapeuticals, and functional food supplements.

Mixture of Phlorotannin and Fucoidan from Ecklonia cava Prevents the Aß-Induced Cognitive Decline with Mitochondrial and Cholinergic Activation.

The anti-amnesic effect of a mixture (4:6 = phlorotannin:fucoidan from Ecklonia cava, P4F6) was evaluated on amyloid-beta peptide (Aß)-induced cognitive deficit mice. The cognitive function was examined by Y-maze, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze tests, and the intake of the mixture (P4F6) showed an ameliorating effect on Aß-induced learning and memory impairment. After the behavioral tests, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) contents were confirmed in brain tissue, and in the results, the mixture (P4F6) attenuated Aß-induced oxidative stress. In addition, mitochondrial activity was evaluated by mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) content, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content, and mitochondria-mediated apoptotic signaling pathway, and the mixture (P4F6) enhanced mitochondrial function. Furthermore, the mixture (P4F6) effectively regulated tau hyperphosphorylation by regulating the protein kinase B (Akt) pathway, and promoted brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in brain tissue. Moreover, in the cholinergic system, the mixture (P4F6) ameliorated acetylcholine (ACh) content by regulating acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) expression in brain tissue. Based on these results, we suggest that this mixture of phlorotannin and fucoidan (P4F6) might be a substance for improving cognitive function by effectively regulating cognition-related molecules.

Prevention of the rise in plasma cholesterol and glucose levels by kaki-tannin and characterization of its bile acid binding capacity.

BACKGROUND: Bile acid-binding agents, such as cholestyramine and colesevelam, improve both cholesterol and glucose metabolism. Kaki-tannin, a polymerized condensed tannin derived from persimmon (Diospyros kaki), has been shown to have bile acid-binding capacity and a hypocholesterolemic effect. However, its effects on glucose metabolism have not been well studied, and the binding selectivity of kaki-tannin to bile acid molecules has not been reported. RESULTS: In vivo experiments using mice with high-fat diet-induced obesity showed that kaki-tannin intake (20 g kg-1 of the diet) increased fecal bile acid excretion by 2.3-fold and prevented a rise in plasma cholesterol levels and fasting plasma glucose levels. Kaki-tannin also suppressed the development of impaired glucose tolerance. To characterize the bile acid-binding capacity of kaki-tannin, we investigated its capacity to bind to eight types of bile acid and cholesterol in vitro. Kaki-tannin showed strong capacity to bind to lithocholic acid (85.5%), which has one hydroxy group. It also showed moderate capacity to bind to bile acids with two hydroxy groups (53.3%), followed by those with three hydroxy groups (39.0%), but kaki-tannin did not show binding capacity to cholesterol. These results suggest that the binding capacity of kaki-tannin to bile acids tends to decrease as the number of hydroxy groups increases. Interestingly, the binding capacity of kaki-tannin correlated with that of cholestyramine (correlation coefficient: r = 0.900). CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that kaki-tannin binds preferentially to bile acids with fewer hydroxy groups and has beneficial effects on glucose metabolism as well as cholesterol metabolism. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Topical Application of Phlorotannins from Brown Seaweed Mitigates Radiation Dermatitis in a Mouse Model.

Radiation dermatitis (RD) is one of the most common side effects of radiotherapy; its symptoms progress from erythema to dry and moist desquamation, leading to the deterioration of the patients' quality of life. Active metabolites in brown seaweed, including phlorotannins (PTNs), show anti-inflammatory activities; however, their medical use is limited. Here, we investigated the effects of PTNs in a mouse model of RD in vivo. X-rays (36 Gy) were delivered in three fractions to the hind legs of BALB/c mice. Macroscopic RD scoring revealed that PTNs significantly mitigated RD compared with the vehicle control. Histopathological analyses of skin tissues revealed that PTNs decreased epidermal and dermal thickness compared with the vehicle control. Western blotting indicated that PTNs augmented nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathway activation but attenuated radiation-induced NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells) and inflammasome activation, suggesting the mitigation of acute inflammation in irradiated mouse skin. PTNs also facilitated fast recovery, as indicated by increased aquaporin 3 expression and decreased γH2AX (histone family member X) expression. Our results indicate that topical PTN application may alleviate RD symptoms by suppressing oxidative stress and inflammatory signaling and by promoting the healing process. Therefore, PTNs may show great potential as cosmeceuticals for patients with cancer suffering from radiation-induced inflammatory side effects such as RD.

Effects of feeding a quebracho-chestnut tannin extract on lactating cow performance and nitrogen utilization efficiency.

The effects of feeding a quebracho-chestnut tannin extract mixture on performance and nitrogen (N) utilization were assessed with 36 multiparous lactating Holstein cows (mean ± standard deviation; 706 ± 59 kg of body weight; 126 ± 20 d in milk) randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments in a randomized complete block design. Following a 2-wk covariate adjustment period, cows were fed their assigned treatment diets for 13 wk. Rice hulls were removed from a total mixed ration with a 54:46 forage:concentrate ratio (% of dry matter; DM), and a tannin extract mixture from quebracho and chestnut trees (2:1 ratio) was included at 0, 0.45, and 1.80% of dietary DM. There was no interaction between dietary treatments and experimental week for the reported measurements except milk lactose percentage. Overall, treatments did not affect milk yield (48.6 ± 7.8 kg/d), fat- and protein-corrected milk (46.1 ± 7.6 kg/d), milk fat content (3.88 ± 0.65%) and yield (1.85 ± 0.38 kg/d), and true protein yield (1.45 ± 0.21 kg/d). However, incremental levels of tannin extracts in the diet produced a linear increase in DM intake (29.2 to 30.9 kg/d) and a linear decrease in kilograms of milk per kilogram of DM intake (1.67 to 1.57 kg/kg) and MUN (12.2 to 10.8 mg/dL). Furthermore, there was a quadratic effect of tannin extracts on milk true protein content (2.96, 3.13, and 3.00% for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin extract, respectively) and a tendency for linear and quadratic response for body weight gain (0.31, 0.16, and 0.44 kg/d for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin, respectively). Intake of N increased linearly (782, 795, and 820 g/d) and N utilization efficiency (milk N/intake N) decreased linearly (0.300, 0.301, and 0.275 for 0, 0.45, and 1.80% tannin, respectively). Relative to the 0% diet, 1.80% tannin extract reduced estimated urinary N excretion by 11%. In this study, adding 0.45% tannin extract to the diet reduced feed efficiency but had a positive effect on milk protein content. Feeding a tannin extract mixture from quebracho and chestnut may reduce environmental labile urinary N excretion without affecting milk yield but at the expense of a lower feed utilization efficiency.

Supplementation of diets with tannins from Chestnut wood or an extract from Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni and effects on in vitro rumen fermentation, protozoa count and methane production.

The aim of the trial was to evaluate the effect of dietary additions of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni extract (SB) and Chestnut wood tannin (CWT) on the in vitro rumen fermentability, protozoal population and methane yield. Both plant products were tested at 3 different levels of inclusion (0.75, 1.50 and 3.00% of incubated dry matter, DM) in a total mixed ration (TMR) for ruminants by using rumen batch culture systems and a rumen inoculum collected from sheep. Total volatile fatty acid concentration, their proportions and gas production were not modified by the plant extracts inclusion, except a significant linear increment of gas production at 24 hr for SB (p = .049). Ammonia concentration decreased (p < .05) of about 17% when 1.50 or 3.00% of CWT were included into TMR. Rumen protozoa population was depressed by the SB inclusion (p = .002) with a maximum reduction of 40% at the highest SB dosage, whereas CWT negatively affected total protozoa counts (-19%) only at the dose of 3.00%. In vitro DM and NDF degradability were not affected by the supplementation of SB and CWT, as well as the methane yield. Thus, the addition of SB and CWT decreases the in vitro protozoa population of the rumen with different intensity and without effects on fermentation parameters, apart from a reduction of nitrogen degradability caused by CWT. Despite the effect on protozoa, no decreasing effect on methane production was detected.

Influence of elevated protein and tannin-rich peanut skin supplementation on growth performance, blood metabolites, carcass traits and immune-related gene expression of grazing meat goats.

The aim of the present study was to define whether elevated rumen-undegradable protein (RUP) and tannin-rich peanut skin (PS) supplementation would affect animal growth performance, average daily gain (ADG), blood metabolites, carcass traits associated with lipogenic and immune-related gene expressions in meat goats grazing winter wheat (WW). Thirty-six Kiko-crossbreed male goats at approximately 6 months of age were blocked by body weight (BW; 25.6 ± 1.1 kg) and randomly assigned to one of the four treatments with two replicates based on a 2 × 2 factorial design. Diets contained PS replacing alfalfa meal (ALM), without or with RUP supplementation. Both PS and ALM were incorporated into grain mix portion of the diet and pelletized, with remaining diets fed ad libitum of WW forage for a period of 51 days. Lipogenic genes examined included SCD, ACLY, YWHAZ, PPIA and FABP4, while immune-related genes examined included ACTB (as a control gene), H3F3A, PPIA, IRF3, STAT2, HERC3 and IFIT3 antibody genes. The meat goats on PS-pellet-supplemented group with or without RUP supplementation grew 38.5% faster ADG (p < .001) when compared to control-supplemented group. When goats received PS diet, empty body weight, hot carcass, cold carcass, shoulder, hind shank, rack, loin and fat thickness were greater (p < .05) than control diet. Animals on PS-pellet had higher ACLY, YWHAZ, PPIA and FABP4 gene expression (p < .05) when compared to ALM-pellet control, with RUP by PS-pellet interactions (p < .01). Goats receiving additional RUP supplementation had increased (p < .05) STAT2 gene expression, whereas goats receiving PS-pellet supplementation showed increased STAT2 (p < .05) and a tendency to increase IRF3 (p = .07) gene expressions. In conclusion, the addition of PS-pellet or RUP supplementation has the potential to improve ADG and altered selected lipogenic and immune-related gene expressions.

Effects of Acacia mearnsii supplementation on nutrition, parasitological, blood parameters and methane emissions in Santa Inês sheep infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Haemonchus contortus.

Gastrointestinal nematodes are a main problem for ruminant production, reducing animal performance and increasing environmental impact per unit of animal product generated. Tannin supplementation may lead to positive results regarding aspects such as parasitic infections and methane (CH4) emissions. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of the condensed tannins (CT) extract made of powdered Acacia mearnsii bark (PAB) on nutrition, parasitic status and CH4 emissions in sheep artificially infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Haemonchus contortus. Twenty 10-month old Santa Inês lambs (24.7 ± 3.14 kg of initial body weight) were used in a 50-day trial. Animals were divided in four treatment groups according to parasitic infection and PAB supplementation: two control groups without infections, one without PAB (C-) (n = 4) and one with PAB (C+) (n = 4); two infected groups, one without PAB (I-) (n = 6) and another receiving PAB (I+) (n = 6). Initially, animals were kept in individual pens where they were fed ad libitum chopped tifton 85 hay (Cynodon spp.) and 210 g/animal/day of concentrate. On the first day of experiment, animals of I- and I+ groups were artificially infected with infective larvae (L3) of T. colubriformis and H. contortus. Lambs were weighed fortnightly to calculate average daily body weight gain (ADG). Blood and faeces samples were also collected in the same moment of weighing for the evaluation of blood parameters and faecal egg count (FEC) respectively. After 40 days of experiment, measurements of CH4 emissions in small chamber system started and following that, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) assay was carried out in metabolic cages. In the end of experimental period (50 days), lambs were slaughtered and samples of abomasum and small intestine content were collected for worm count, identification, and eggs/female count. No significant (p > 0.05) treatment effects were verified for ADG, ATTD and worm count. Blood parameters were affected in both infected groups (p < 0.05) from the 28th experimental day onwards, when these animals started to show reduced red blood cells, haemoglobin and packed cell volume when compared to C- and C+. Decreased FEC was verified in I+ when compared to I- and also, H. contortus eggs/female worm for I+ was lower than for I- (p < 0.05). Both infected groups showed higher CH4 emissions than the control groups (p < 0.05). Results highlighted the anthelmintic potential of PAB and indicated methanogenic effect of parasitic nematode infections.

Altering salivary protein profile can increase acceptance of a novel bitter diet.

Bitter taste is often associated with toxins, but accepting some bitter foods, such as green vegetables, can be an important part of maintaining a healthy diet. In rats and humans, repeated exposure to a bitter stimulus increases acceptance. Repeated exposure allows an individual the opportunity to learn about the food's orosensory and postingestive effects. It also alters the salivary protein (SP) profile, which in turn alters taste signaling. We have hypothesized that altering the salivary proteome plays a role in the increased acceptance after repeated exposure. Here we test this and attempt to disentangle the contribution of learning during dietary exposure from the contribution of SPs in increased acceptance of bitter diet. Dietary exposure to quinine or tannic acid and injection of isoproterenol (IPR) result in similar salivary protein profiles. Here we used either the bitter stimulus tannic acid or IPR injection to upregulate a subset of SPs before exposing animals to a novel diet containing quinine (0.375%). Control animals received either a control diet before being exposed to quinine, or a diet containing sucrose octaacetate, a compound that the animals avoid but does not alter SP profiles. The treatments that alter SP expression increased rate of feeding on the quinine diet compared to the control treatments. Additionally, tannic acid exposure altered intake and meal size of the quinine diet. These data suggest that SPs, not just learning about bitter food, increase acceptance of the bitter diet.

Invited review: Plant polyphenols and rumen microbiota responsible for fatty acid biohydrogenation, fiber digestion, and methane emission: Experimental evidence and methodological approaches.

The interest of the scientific community in the effects of plant polyphenols on animal nutrition is increasing. These compounds, in fact, are ubiquitous in the plant kingdom, especially in some spontaneous plants exploited as feeding resources alternative to cultivated crops and in several agro-industry by-products. Polyphenols interact with rumen microbiota, affecting carbohydrate fermentation, protein degradation, and lipid metabolism. Some of these aspects have been largely reviewed, especially for tannins; however, less information is available about the direct effect of polyphenols on the composition of rumen microbiota. In the present paper, we review the most recent literature about the effect of plant polyphenols on rumen microbiota responsible for unsaturated fatty acid biohydrogenation, fiber digestion, and methane production, taking into consideration the advances in microbiota analysis achieved in the last 10 yr. Key aspects, such as sample collection, sample storage, DNA extraction, and the main phylogenetic markers used in the reconstruction of microbial community structure, are examined. Furthermore, a summary of the new high-throughput methods based on next generation sequencing is reviewed. Several effects can be associated with dietary polyphenols. Polyphenols are able to depress or modulate the biohydrogenation of unsaturated fatty acids by a perturbation of ruminal microbiota composition. In particular, condensed tannins have an inhibitory effect on biohydrogenation, whereas hydrolyzable tannins seem to have a modulatory effect on biohydrogenation. With regard to fiber digestion, data from literature are quite consistent about a general depressive effect of polyphenols on gram-positive fibrolytic bacteria and ciliate protozoa, resulting in a reduction of volatile fatty acid production (mostly acetate molar production). Methane production is also usually reduced when tannins are included in the diet of ruminants, probably as a consequence of the inhibition of fiber digestion. However, some evidence suggests that hydrolyzable tannins may reduce methane emission by directly interacting with rumen microbiota without affecting fiber digestion.

The effect of oak tannin (Quercus robur) and hops (Humulus lupulus) on dietary nitrogen efficiency, methane emission, and milk fatty acid composition of dairy cows fed a low-protein diet including linseed.

The objective of this study was to test the effects of inclusion of hop pellets (HP) and oak tannin extracts (OT) alone or in combination on N efficiency, methane (CH4) emission, and milk production and composition in 2 experiments with dairy cows fed low-N rations supplemented with linseed. In both experiments, 6 lactating Holstein cows were assigned to 3 dietary treatments in a 3 × 3 duplicated Latin square design (21-d periods). Cows were fed a total mixed ration at a restricted level to meet their nutrient requirements. In experiment 1, 169 g dry matter (DM) of OT or 56 g DM of HP was included separately in the control diet (C1). In experiment 2, the additives were included together (OT-HP) in the control diet (C2) similar to C1. Diet C2 was compared with a control without linseed (C0). In experiment 1, the supplementation of the control diet with OT decreased urinary N excretion by 12%. In experiment 2, the combination of OT and HP decreased urinary N by 7%. Oak tannin extracts and HP alone or in combination did not influence the daily enteric CH4 production of cows. Cows fed diet C0 produced 17% more enteric CH4 daily than those fed diet C2. Intake of diet C2, which contained 6.7% extruded linseed on a DM basis (experiment 2), decreased the sum of 6:0 to 14:0 fatty acids (-16%) and palmitic acid (-26%) and increased the stearic acid (+50%), oleic acid (+36%), vaccenic acid (trans-11 18:1; +285%), rumenic acid (cis-9,trans-11 18:2; +235%), and α-linolenic acid (+100%) in milk fat. The supplementation of diet C2 with the OT-HP mixture further improved the milk's fatty acid composition. Intake of the OT alone increased α-linolenic acid by 17.7% (experiment 1). The results of this study show that at the economically acceptable dose we tested, hops had no effect on urinary N excretion, CH4 emission, milk production, and milk composition. By contrast, supplementation of diets with oak tannin extract can be considered for reducing urinary N excretion. The combination of oak tannin and hops had no more effect than oak tannin alone except on the milk fatty acid profile, which was favorably influenced from a nutritional point of view.

Effects of dietary crude protein and tannic acid on rumen fermentation, rumen microbiota and nutrient digestion in beef cattle.

The objectives of the trial were to study the effects of dietary crude protein (CP) and tannic acid (TA) on rumen fermentation, microbiota and nutrient digestion in beef cattle. Eight growing beef cattle (live weight 350 ± 25 kg) were allocated in a 2 × 2 crossover design using two levels of dietary CP [111 g/kg dry matter (DM) and 136 g/kg DM] and two levels of TA (0 and 16.9 g/kg DM) as experimental treatments. Each experimental period lasted 19 d, consisting of 14-d adaptation and 5-d sampling. The impacts of dietary CP and TA on ruminal microbiota were analysed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Results indicated that no interactions between dietary CP and TA were found on rumen fermentation and nutrient digestibility. Increasing dietary CP level from 111 to 136 g/kg DM increased the ruminal concentrations of ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) (p < 0.01) and improved the CP digestibility (p < 0.001). Adding TA at 16.9 g/kg DM inhibited rumen fermentation and decreased the digestibility of dietary CP (p < 0.001), DM (p < 0.05) and organic matter (p < 0.01). Increasing the dietary CP level or adding TA did not affect the relative abundances of the major bacteria Firmicutes and Proteobacteria at the phylum level and Prevotella_1 and Christensenellaceae_R-7_group at the genus level, even though adding TA increased the Shannon index of the ruminal bacterial community. TA was partly hydrolysed to pyrogallol, gallic acid and resorcinol in rumen fluid and the inhibitory effects of TA on rumen fermentation and nutrient digestibility could have been resulted from the TA metabolites including pyrogallol, gallic acid and resorcinol as well as the protein-binding effect.

Immune status and haemato-biochemical profile of buffalo calves supplemented with phytogenic feed additives rich in tannins, saponins and essential oils.

The present study was performed to ascertain the synergistic effects of phytogenic feed additives (PFA-7) supplementation on immune status and haemato-biochemical profile of buffalo calves. The PFA-7 is a mixture of neem seed cake (Azadirachta indica), mahua seed cake (Madhuca longifolia), fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), harad (Terminalia chebula), fruit pulp of bahera (Terminalia bellirica), fruit pulp of amla (Phyllanthus emblica) and ajwain seed (Trachyspermum ammi) mixed in 2:2:2:1:1:1:1 proportion. Male buffalo calves (n = 21) having similar age and body weight were allotted to three groups in a completely randomised design. The dietary treatments were viz. T1: control (without PFA-7) and T2 and T3: provided with PFA-7 at 2 and 4% of dry matter intake (DMI), respectively, plus sodium sulphate at 0.06% of DMI. The feeding trial was carried out for 4 months, and serum isolation was done on days 0, 60 and 120 post-feeding. The concentrations of total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate transaminase and alanine transaminase increased, whereas cortisol and glucose decreased in the supplemented groups as compared to the control. The levels of triglycerides, urea, albumin/globulin ratio, calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase were not affected by the supplementation of PFA-7. Both cell-mediated and humoral immune response increased in the supplemented groups. The results revealed that PFA-7 positively impacted haemato-biochemical profile and both cellular and humoral immunity of the growing calves. The PFA-7 can be used as an alternative for chemical feed additives in the diet of growing calves.

Antibacterial activities of tannic acid against isolated ruminal bacteria from sheep.

This present study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial effects of tannic acid (TA) against isolated ruminal bacteria from adult sheep. Rumen samples were collected from two (2) adults sheep, and a total of nine (9) ruminal bacteria were isolated from the sample. The sensitivity of the ruminal bacteria isolates to 0.63, 1.25, 2.50, 5.00 and 10.00 mg TA/mL of growth medium was determined using clearance zone (CZ) of Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion susceptibility test. There was observable increase in the sensitivity of all bacterial isolates as the level of TA increases. Not all bacterial isolates have the capacity to tolerate more than 1.25 mg TA/mL. The result shows that only 20% of the bacterial isolates had the capacity to tolerate 0.63 and 1.25 mg of tannic acid per liter. This concentration of tannic acid would be equivalent to 2% tannin in the diet of ruminant. Our findings shows that increase in concentration of tannic acid completely inhibited the ruminal bacteria from the sheep rumen.

Self-Assembled Tea Tannin Graft Copolymer as Nanocarriers for Antimicrobial Drug Delivery and Wound Healing Activity.

Green chemistry polymers from renewable resources have recently received much more attention from pharmaceutical researchers. However, the appropriate application of a polymer depends on its chemical nature, biocompatibility and microstructure. Here, tannin polyphenols from the common beverage, tea, are used to develop a novel self-assembled porous capsule as a microstructure of hydrogel for versatile biological applications, such as drug delivery, antioxidant and wound healing activity. Hydrogel has been successfully used for the delivery of both anticancer and antimicrobial drugs. The developed material shows excellent biocompatibility and antioxidant activity in vitro. The scratch assay for in vitro wound healing activity reveals their higher potential to repair the damaged cells in comparison to control.

Repeated oral dose toxicity study on hydrolysable tannin rich fraction isolated from fruit pericarps of Terminalia chebula Retz in Wistar albino rats.

Terminalia chebula fruits are one of the richest sources of hydrolysable tannins and it is well known medicinal agent in traditional systems of medicine for treatment of various chronic ailments. In the present study, hydrolysable tannin rich fraction (HTF) was isolated from 80% hydroalcoholic extract of Terminalia chebula fruit pericarps and it was studied for acute and repeated dose oral toxicity in Wistar albino rats. HTF did not show any toxic symptoms or mortality at single dose administration of 5000 mg/kg/p.o followed by observation for 14 days. On repeated dose 28 days oral toxicity study, administration of HTF at 1000 mg/kg showed marked reduction in body weight, food intake and water intake when compared with vehicle control. It was also observed that HTF could increase serum urea, glucose and AST level significantly when compared with vehicle control indicating mild disturbances in liver and kidney functions. On histopathological screening, HTF treatment showed a mild granulomatous inflammation in the liver and all other organs remained normal. It was concluded that following 28 days repeated dose oral administration, HTF caused mild disturbances in liver and kidney function which was indicated by reduced body weight, food and water intake, serum parameters and histological observations.

Orally Administered Phlorotannins from Eisenia arborea Suppress Chemical Mediator Release and Cyclooxygenase-2 Signaling to Alleviate Mouse Ear Swelling.

Phlorotannin is the collective term for polyphenols derived from brown algae belonging to the genera Ascopyllum, Ecklonia, Eisenia, Fucus and Sargassum etc. Since the incidence of allergies is currently increasing in the world, there is a focus on phlorotannins having anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. In this study, six purified phlorotannins (eckol; 6,6'-bieckol; 6,8'-bieckol; 8,8'-bieckol; phlorofucofuroeckol (PFF)-A and PFF-B) from Eisenia arborea, orally administered to mice, were examined for their suppression effects on ear swelling. In considering the suppression, we also examined whether the phlorotannins suppressed release of chemical mediators (histamine, leukotriene B4 and prostaglandin E2), and mRNA expression and/or the activity of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), using RBL-2H3 cells, a cultured mast cell model. Results showed that the phlorotnannins exhibited suppression effects in all experiments, with 6,8'-bieckol, 8,8'-bieckol and PFF-A showing the strongest of these effects. In conclusion, orally administered phlorotannins suppress mouse ear swelling, and this mechanism apparently involves suppression of chemical mediator release and COX-2 mRNA expression or activity. This is the first report of the anti-allergic effects of the orally administered purified phlorotannins in vivo. Phlorotannins show potential for use in functional foods or drugs.

Changes in anorectal physiology following injection sclerotherapy using aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid versus transanal repair in patients with symptomatic rectocele; a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Following injection sclerotherapy using ALTA (aluminum potassium sulfate and tannic acid) (ALTAS) and transanal rectocele repair (TAR), changes in anorectal physiology were analyzed to compare the significance of the two treatments. METHODS: ALTAS was administered to 23 patients and 18 patients were treated using TAR. Efficacy measures included changes in defecography, anorectal manometry and constipation scoring system value. RESULTS: This was a retrospective cohort analysis conducted on prospectively collected data. Comparing anorectal physiology pre- and post- ALTAS, a statistically significant difference in push was observed with pre-ALTAS treatment (pre-A) at 104.33 ± 4.91° compared with post-ALTAS treatment (post-A) at 113.95 ± 4.74° (p < 0.001). With a pre-A value of 1.55 ± 0.18 cm and a post-A value of 2.46 ± 0.34 cm, perineal descent also showed an increase as well (p < 0.001). The rectocele size decreased post-A from a pre-A value of 7.74 ± 0.86 cm compared with a post-A value of 2.91 ± 0.52 cm (p < 0.001). The rectal sensation improved post-A compared with pre-A. Comparing anorectal physiology results of ALTAS and TAR treatments, no differences in defecography and rectal sensation were detected pre- and post-treatment. However, in terms of anorectal manometry, the mean resting pressure and maximal squeezing pressure showed statistical difference with two treatments. CONCLUSIONS: ALTAS treatment is a feasible option resulting in rapid and effortless long-term outcome, with low rates of complications. Therefore, this treatment may be an effective alternative for patients with symptomatic rectocele.