Anethole supplementation during in vitro maturation increases in vitro goat embryo production in a concentration-dependent manner.

During in vitro maturation (IVM) cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) are exposed to conditions that can trigger oxidative stress, thus, reducing oocyte maturation and viability. Aiming to mitigate these detrimental conditions, the effects of IVM medium supplementation with anethole have been tested. Anethole, also known as trans-anethole (1-methoxy-4 [1-propenyl]-benzene), is a naturally occurring phenylpropanoid with various pharmacological properties, including antioxidant effects. However, no study has examined anethole effect on goat COCs during IVM. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different anethole concentrations on oocyte maturation, oxidative stress, and in vitro development of caprine embryos after parthenogenetic activation. Goat COCs were selected and randomly distributed into the following treatments: TCM-199+ medium (control), or TCM-199+ medium supplemented with 30 µg/mL (AN30); 300 µg/mL (AN300) or 2000 µg/mL (AN2000) of anethole. After IVM, part of the COCs was chosen for oocyte viability and chromatin configuration, intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and mitochondrial membrane potential assessment. Another part of COCs was parthenogenetically activated, and presumptive zygotes were cultured for 7 days. Results demonstrated that anethole at 30 µg/mL increased oocyte maturation and cleavage rates when compared to the other treatments (P < 0.05), as well as oocyte viability and in vitro embryo production when compared to the control treatment (P < 0.05). Additionally, treatment with anethole at 2000 µg/mL decreased oocyte nuclear maturation and cleavage rates when compared to other treatments (P < 0.05) and embryo production if compared to control and AN30 treatments (P < 0.05). Moreover, anethole at 2000 µg/mL increased mitochondrial membrane potential when compared to the other treatments (P < 0.05). In conclusion, anethole exerts a concentration-dependent effect during goat COCs IVM. For a more desirable outcome of oocyte viability and maturation, and in vitro embryo production, the use of anethole at 30 µg/mL is recommended.

Triheptanoin, an odd-medium-chain triglyceride, impacts brain cognitive function in young and aged mice.

ABSTRACTThe brain aging process triggers cognitive function impairment, such as memory loss and compromised quality of life. Cognitive impairment is based on bioenergetic status, with reduced glucose uptake and metabolism in aged brains. Anaplerotic substrates are reported to promote mitochondrial ATP generation, having been tested in clinical trials for the treatment of neurological disorders and metabolic diseases.Objectives and Methods: To assess whether the improvement in oxidative capacity ameliorates cognitive function in adults (12 weeks), and aged (22-month-old) C57/6BJ mice, they received (1) a ketogenic diet, (2) a ketogenic diet supplemented with the anaplerotic substance, triheptanoin, or (3) a control diet for 12 weeks. Spontaneous alternation and time spent in a previously closed arm in the Y-maze test and time interacting with an unknown object in the novel object recognition test (NORT) were used to evaluate working memory. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in the prefrontal lobe, brain left hemisphere, and cerebellum was also evaluated. Glucose transporter 3 (GLUT3) expression in the prefrontal lobe was analyzed by western blotting.Results: The ketogenic diet (KD) reduced spontaneous alternation in aged mice, leading to lower AChE activity in the aged prefrontal lobe and cerebellum, and in the parieto-temporal-occipital lobe of adult mice. Furthermore, KD decreased GLUT3 protein expression in the frontal lobe of the adults.Discussion: Supplementation of KD with triheptanoin prevented memory impairment and showed similar values of AChE activity and GLUT3 expression compared to the controls. Our data suggest that triheptanoin has a potential role in the bioenergetic capacity of the brain, improving cognitive function.

Irrigation with saline water in the cultivation of mini watermelon under phosphate fertilization.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the water status, photosynthetic pigments, and photochemical efficiency of mini watermelon plants under salt stress and phosphate fertilization. The experiment was conducted in pots under greenhouse conditions in Pombal, PB, Brazil. The experimental design used was randomized blocks in a 5 × 4 factorial scheme, with five levels of electrical conductivity of irrigation water - ECw (0.3, 1.3, 2.3, 3.3, and 4.3 dS m-1) and four doses of phosphorus (60, 80, 100, and 120% of the recommendation), with three replicates. The relative water content in the tissues decreased with the increase in ECw levels in all phosphorus doses, with decreases of 7.05, 7.81 and 8.83% per unit increase in ECw, in plants fertilized with 80, 100 and 120% P2O5. On the other hand, ECw levels increased electrolyte leakage, regardless of phosphorus doses of the recommendation. The synthesis of photosynthetic pigments and the quantum efficiency of photosystem II were inhibited by increasing water salinity from 0.3 dS m-1 in plants grown under phosphorus doses above 60% of the recommendation. Water salinity from 0.3 dS m-1 reduced chlorophyll b contents, initial, maximum, and variable fluorescence of mini watermelon plants, with a decrease of 11.86, 4.51, 4.53, and 4.54% per unit increment of ECw, respectively.

Effect of glycoelectrolytic supplement on post-weaning piglet performance and intestinal integrity.

This study evaluated the effects of glycoelectrolytic supplements on the performance, blood parameters, and intestinal morphology of piglets during the post-weaning period. In the study, a total of 240 piglets weaned aged 17 22.60 + 1.10 days were used. The control group (n = 120) received only water, and the treatment group (n = 120) received an oral glycoelectrolytic supplement diluted in water (0.75%) during the first three days after weaning. Feed intake, daily weight gain, final weight, feed conversion ratio, and post-weaning mortality were evaluated. On the third day after weaning, the blood glucose levels of all piglets were analyzed. Blood was collected from 12 piglets from each treatment group on day 3 after weaning for blood count analysis, and intestinal fragments were collected for anatomopathological and morphometric evaluation. Better feed conversion ratio (1.29) and higher consumption of liquids (0.639 L/day) were observed in the piglet group supplemented with glycoelectrolytes on day 3 after weaning (P < 0.05). The supplemented group presented a higher glycemic index (80.78 mg/dL), average corpuscular volume (67.35 fL), and average corpuscular hemoglobin (20.46 pg) than the control group (P < 0.05). The evaluation of intestinal integrity and the probability of diarrhea occurrence were similar between the groups (P > 0.05). Oral glycoelectrolytic supplementation can be an option for piglets immediately after weaning as it improves feed conversion and consumption of liquids, in addition to increasing blood glucose without the occurrence of diarrhea, thus reducing dehydration and energy deficit.

Cell therapy with adipose tissue-derived human stem cells in the urinary bladder improves detrusor contractility and reduces voiding residue.

Detrusor hypocontractility (DH) is a disease without a gold standard treatment in traditional medicine. Therefore, there is a need to develop innovative therapies. The present report presents the case of a patient with DH who was transplanted with 2 x 106 adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells twice and achieved significant improvements in their quality of life. The results showed that cell therapy reduced the voiding residue from 1,800 mL to 800 mL, the maximum cystometric capacity from 800 to 550 mL, and bladder compliance from 77 to 36.6 mL/cmH2O. Cell therapy also increased the maximum flow from 3 to 11 mL/s, the detrusor pressure from 08 to 35 cmH2O, the urine volume from 267 to 524 mL and the bladder contractility index (BCI) value from 23 to 90. The International Continence on Incontinence Questionnaire - Short Form score decreased from 17 to 8. Given the above, it is inferred that the transplantation of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells is an innovative and efficient therapeutic strategy for DH treatment and improves the quality of life of patients affected by this disease.

Influence of essential oils on the quality of Vigna unguiculata L. (Walp.) seeds compared by traditional method, image and multivariate analysis.

The extracts of medicinal plants are used for the treatment of seeds in order to reduce the action of phytopathogens and increase the vigor of the seeds. Currently, computerized image analysis has been used to assess the physiological quality of seed lots. The objective was to evaluate the efficiency of the Vigor-S® software in the evaluation of the physiological quality of cowpea seeds treated with essential oils, comparing with a traditional test and the principal component analysis. Two cowpea cultivars were analyzed, BRS Tumucumaque and BRS Guariba, treated with doses of natural extracts of Alfavaca, garlic, horsetail, citronella and pyroligneous acid. The traditional method consisted of evaluations for germination, first germination count, seedling emergence, emergence speed index, accelerated aging, fresh matter and dry matter of seedling and the image analysis for: seedling length, growth index, uniformity index, vigor index, and germination. A Principal component analysis was applied to reduce the number of variables. Horsetail, Alfavaca and citronella extracts were efficient in increasing the physiological quality of the seeds of at least one cultivar. The Vigor-S® software proved to be efficient compared to traditional tests to assess the physiological quality of seeds. Principal Component Analysis is an ally to identify the best extracts and doses to be used. The image analysis method proved to be effective when compared to the traditional method and can therefore be used.

Effects of the juçara fruit (Euterpe edulis Martius) pulp and lyophilized extract on NRF2, KEAP1, SOD1, and GPX2 expression in human colorectal cancer cell lines.

We investigated the effects of the juçara fruit (Euterpe edulis Martius) pulp and lyophilized extract on the expression of cytoprotective genes nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (NRF2), kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (KEAP1), superoxide dismutase (SOD1), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX2) in human colorectal cancer cell lines (HT-29 and Caco-2). Cells were cultured for 24 h in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium containing juçara fruit pulp (5, 10, or 50 mg/mL) or lyophilized extract (0.05, 0.1, or 0.5 mg/mL), and gene expression was quantified using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. All studied genes showed significant variation in gene expression among different concentrations of pulp or lyophilized extract. Overall, the expression of the selected genes decreased in both cell lines following exposure to the pulp or lyophilized extract in a dose-dependent manner for most of the concentrations studied. In summary, our study showed that the compounds in juçara fruit inhibited the expression of cytoprotective genes associated with the antioxidant response and that, although not cytotoxic at the concentrations studied, they could potentially block the activation of the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway.

Hypoglycemic effect of Coffea arabica leaf extracts and major bioactive constituents.

The present study focused on investigating the antioxidant, antiglycation activity, digestive enzymes inhibition, bioaccessibility and hypoglycemic effect of C. arabica leaves extracts. The extracts deactivated the O2•-, ROO•, H2O2, HOCl reactive oxygen species. Coffee leaves showed strong inhibition of α-glucosidase (IC50 = 40.30 µg mL-1) greater than the isolated metabolites and acarbose. There was also inhibition of pancreatic lipase (IC50 = 56.43 µg mL-1) in addition to a hypoglycemic effect in zebrafish similar to acarbose and metformin. With the exception of rutin, all biocompounds were detected at all stages of in vitro digestion. Finally, these results suggest that C. arabica leaf extracts possess antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties that can be attributed to the main metabolites and the synergistic action between them.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Effect of prepartum source and amount of vitamin D supplementation on lactation performance of dairy cows.

The objectives of this experiment were to determine the effects of supplementing 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (calcidiol, CAL) compared with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol, CHOL) at 1 or 3 mg/d in late gestation on production outcomes of dairy cows. One hundred thirty-three parous and 44 nulliparous pregnant Holstein cows were enrolled in the experiment. Cows were blocked by parity and previous lactation milk yield (parous) or genetic merit (nulliparous) and assigned randomly to receive 1 or 3 mg/d of CAL or CHOL in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments (CAL1, CAL3, CHOL1, and CHOL3). Treatments were provided to individual cows as a top-dress to the prepartum diet from 250 d in gestation until parturition. The prepartum diet had a dietary cation-anion difference of -128 mEq/kg of dry matter. Production and disease were evaluated for the first 42 d in milk, and reproduction was evaluated to 300 d in milk. Incidence of postpartum diseases did not differ among treatments. Feeding CAL compared with CHOL increased yields of colostrum and colostrum fat, protein, and total solids, resulting in an increased amount of net energy for lactation secreted as colostrum (CHOL = 7.0 vs. CAL = 9.0 ± 0.7 Mcal). An interaction between source and amount was observed for milk yield: CAL3 increased milk yield compared with CHOL3 (CHOL3 = 34.1 vs. CAL3 = 38.7 ± 1.4 kg/d) but milk yield did not differ between CAL1 and CHOL1 (CHOL1 = 36.9 vs. CAL1 = 36.4 ± 1.4 kg/d). Concentrations of serum calcidiol on day of calving and average serum Ca from d 2 to 11 postpartum were positively associated with milk yield in the first 42 d in milk. Interactions between source and amount of vitamin D were also observed for pregnancy after first AI: the percentage of cows receiving CHOL1 and CAL3 that became pregnant was smaller than that of cows receiving CHOL3 and CAL1. However, pregnancy per AI and pregnancy by 300 d in milk did not differ among treatments. Overall, CAL3 increased milk yield compared with CHOL3, whereas in cows fed 1 mg/d (CAL1 and CHOL1), the source of vitamin D generally had no effect. The effect of CAL3 may be explained in part by serum CAL concentrations and postpartum serum Ca, which were associated with milk yield.

Effect of source and amount of vitamin D on serum concentrations and retention of calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in dairy cows.

The objectives of the experiment were to determine the effects of supplementing 2 amounts of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (calcidiol; CAL) compared with equal amounts of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol; CHOL) on serum concentrations, absorptions, and retentions of Ca, Mg, and P in periparturient dairy cows. One hundred seventy-seven (133 parous and 44 nulliparous) pregnant Holstein cows were enrolled in the experiment. Cows were blocked by parity and previous lactation milk yield (parous) or genetic merit for energy-corrected milk yield (nulliparous) and assigned randomly to receive 1 or 3 mg/d of CAL or CHOL in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Treatments were provided to individual cows as a top-dress to the prepartum diet from 250 d gestation until parturition. The prepartum diet had a dietary cation-anion difference of -128 mEq/kg of dry matter. All cows were fed a common postpartum diet containing 46 µg of vitamin D3/kg of dry matter without further supplementation of treatments. Concentrations of vitamin D metabolites, Ca, Mg, and P in serum were measured pre- and postpartum, in addition to total-tract digestibility and urinary excretion of Ca, Mg, and P in the prepartum period. Feeding 3 mg compared with 1 mg of CAL increased serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 (CAL1 = 94 vs. CAL3 = 173 ± 3 ng/mL). In comparison, the increment in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 from feeding 3 mg compared with 1 mg of CHOL was small (CHOL1 = 58 vs. CHOL3 = 64 ± 3 ng/mL). Feeding CAL increased prepartum concentration of P in serum compared with CHOL (CHOL = 1.87 vs. CAL = 2.01 ± 0.02 mM), regardless of the amount fed, but neither source nor amount affected prepartum Ca or Mg in serum. Feeding CAL increased serum Ca and P for the first 11 d postpartum compared with CHOL (CHOL = 2.12 vs. CAL = 2.16 ± 0.01 mM serum Ca; CHOL = 1.70 vs. CAL = 1.78 ± 0.02 mM serum P) but the amount of vitamin D did not affect postpartum concentrations of Ca, Mg, and P in serum. Feeding CAL increased prepartum apparent digestibility of Ca compared with CHOL (CHOL = 26.6 vs. CAL = 33.5 ± 2.8%) but treatments did not affect Ca retention prepartum. Neither source nor amount of vitamin D affected Mg and P apparent digestibility, but CAL decreased the concentration of P excreted in urine during the prepartum period (CHOL = 1.8 vs. CAL = 0.8 ± 0.3 g/d). Calcidiol tended to increase the amount of Ca secreted in colostrum (CHOL = 9.1 vs. CAL = 11.2 ± 0.9 g/d) and Ca excreted in urine postpartum (CHOL = 0.4 vs. CAL = 0.6 ± 0.1 g/d) compared with CHOL. Collectively, feeding CAL at 1 or 3 mg/d compared with CHOL in the last 24 d of gestation is an effective way to increase periparturient serum P concentration and postpartum serum Ca of dairy cows fed a prepartum diet with negative DCAD.

Effect of supplementation with algae ß-glucans on performance, health, and blood metabolites of Holstein dairy calves.

Studies have shown that ß-glucans extracted from the cell wall of cereals, algae, and yeasts have been associated with improved immune function. However, it is unknown whether algae ß-glucan supplementation affects the performance, blood metabolites, or cell counts of immune cells in dairy calves. The objective of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate whether supplementation of ß-glucans to milk replacer in dairy calves fed 6 L/d improved growth performance and fecal status and altered the blood metabolite profile. In this trial, we enrolled Holstein calves (n = 34) at birth (body weight 36.38 ± 1.33 kg; mean ± standard deviation) to receive, from 1 d of age, either 2 g/d algae ß-glucans mixed into 6 L/d of milk replacer (22.4% crude protein and 16.2% fat) or an unsupplemented milk replacer (control). The calves were blocked in pairs according to birth weight, sex, and date of birth (up to 5 d difference). Calves were housed individually, and calf starter (24.7% crude protein and 13.9% neutral detergent fiber) was offered ad libitum based on orts of the previous day until 56 d of age (end of the trial). Body weight was measured weekly, and health checks and daily fecal consistency were evaluated daily in every calf by the same observer. Calves with 2 consecutive days of loose feces that sifted through bedding were considered diarrhea positive. We used a linear mixed effects model to evaluate the effects of ß-glucan supplementation fed during the preweaning period on performance (average daily gain), final weight, feed efficiency (FE), white blood cell count, and selected blood metabolites, repeated by time. A generalized linear mixed effects model was also run to evaluate the likelihood of a diarrhea bout in the first 28 d of life, controlling for the calf as the subject with a logistic distribution. We included age, serum total protein at 48 h, and birth weight as covariates. At 56 d, ß-glucan-supplemented calves weighed more than control calves (56.3 vs. 51.5 kg). Treatment had no effect on total starter intake, but there was a treatment by age interaction for FE, with greater FE for ß-glucan-supplemented calves in wk 3 and 5 of age. There was only a tendency for average daily gain to be greater in supplemented calves than in control calves for the duration of the study. Furthermore, control calves had 14.66 [95% confidence interval (95% CI): 9.87-21.77] times greater odds of having a diarrheal bout than ß-glucan-supplemented calves. Control calves had 12.70 (95% CI: 8.82-18.28) times greater odds of having an additional day with an abnormal fecal score compared with ß-glucan-supplemented calves, suggesting that supplementation ameliorated diarrhea severity. We found no association of treatment with concentrations of serum total protein, albumin, creatinine, or glucose during the preweaning period. Our findings suggest that dietary supplementation of 2 g/d of algae ß-glucans to milk replacer improved fecal status and may affect growth, as evidenced by a higher weaning weight, compared with control calves. Future studies should explore the effect of algae ß-glucans on lower-gut physiology and digestibility in dairy calves.

Oocyte in vitro maturation with eugenol improves the medium antioxidant capacity and total cell number per blastocyst.

This study investigates the impact of eugenol (EU) supplementation on bovine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) and antioxidant capacity, as well as in vitro embryo production and quality after conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF). A total of 1077 cumulus oocyte complexes were cultured in TCM-199+ without EU supplementation (control treatment) or supplemented with EU at the concentrations of 10 µM (EU-10), 20 µM (EU-20), or 40 µM (EU-40). After IVM, the oocytes were subjected to IVF and embryo culture. The addition of EU at 40 µM to the IVM medium improved (P < 0.05) the antioxidant capacity and cleavage rate when compared to the control treatment. Moreover, a positive correlation (r = 0.61, P < 0.03) was observed between cleavage rate and EU concentration. The addition of EU at concentrations of 10 and 20 µM decreased (P < 0.05) the calreticulin (CALR) levels in expanded blastocysts when compared to the control treatment and EU-40 treatment. However, the EU-10 and EU-20 treatments had a greater (P < 0.05) mean total cell number (TCN) per expanded blastocyst when compared to the control treatment and EU-40 treatment. In conclusion, the addition of EU to the enriched culture medium during IVM of bovine oocytes improved the antioxidant capacity of the spent medium, as well as the cleavage rate and embryonic quality (i.e., TCN/expanded blastocyst), and reduced the endoplasmic reticulum stress (i.e., CALR levels) in the embryos. Thus, we recommend enriching the IVM medium with 10 µM EU for in vitro bovine embryo production.

Immunolocalization of melatonin receptors in bovine ovarian follicles and in vitro effects of melatonin on growth, viability and gene expression in secondary follicles.

This study aims to investigate the (1) expression of melatonin receptors types 1A/B (MTNR1A/B) in bovine ovaries and (2) the in vitro effects of melatonin on secondary follicle development, antrum formation, viability, and expression of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) for superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase-1 (GPX1) and peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6). The expression of MTNR1A/B in bovine ovarian follicles was demonstrated by immunohistochemistry. To choose the most effective concentration of melatonin on follicular growth and viability, isolated secondary follicles were cultured individually at 38.5°C, with 5% CO2 in air, for 18 d in TCM-199+ alone or supplemented with 10-11, 10-9, 10-7 or 10-5 M melatonin. Then, melatonin receptor antagonist, luzindole, was tested to further evaluate the mechanisms of actions of melatonin, that is, the follicles were cultured in control medium alone or supplemented with 10-7 M melatonin, 10 µM luzindole and both 10-7 M melatonin and 10 µM luzindole. Follicular growth, morphology and antrum formation were evaluated at days 6, 12 and 18. At the end of culture, viability of secondary follicles was analyzed by calcein-AM and ethidium homodimer-1, and the relative levels of mRNA for SOD, CAT, GPX1 and PRDX6 were evaluated by real time polymerase chain reaction. Immunohistochemistry results showed expression of MTNR1A/B in oocyte and granulosa cells of primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicles. Secondary follicles cultured in medium supplemented with melatonin at different concentrations had well preserved follicles after 18 d of culture. Furthermore, follicles cultured in presence of 10-7 M melatonin presented significantly higher diameters than those cultured in other treatments. The presence of melatonin receptor antagonist, luzindole, blocked the effects of melatonin on follicular growth and viability. In addition, follicles cultured in medium containing only melatonin had significantly higher rates of antrum formation. Follicles cultured in medium containing only melatonin had higher relative levels of mRNA for CAT, SOD and PRDX-6 than those cultured with both melatonin and luzindole. Follicles cultured with luzindole only or both melatonin and luzindole had lower relative levels of mRNA for PRDX6 and GPX1 than those cultured control medium. In conclusion, melatonin promotes growth of bovine secondary follicles through its membrane-coupled receptors, while luzindole blocks the effects of melatonin on follicle growth and reduces the expression of antioxidant enzymes in cultured follicles.

Eugenol Improves Follicular Survival and Development During in vitro Culture of Goat Ovarian Tissue.

This study evaluated the effects of different concentrations (10, 20, or 40 µM) of eugenol (EUG 10, EUG 20, or EUG 40), ascorbic acid (50 µg/mL; AA) or anethole (300 µg/mL; ANE 300) on the in-vitro survival and development of goat preantral follicles and oxidative stress in the cultured ovarian tissue. Ovarian fragments from five goats were cultured for 1 or 7 days in Alpha Minimum Essential Medium (α-MEM+) supplemented or not with AA, ANE 300, EUG 10, EUG 20 or EUG 40. On day 7 of culture, when compared to MEM, the addition of EUG 40 had increased the rate of follicular development, as observed by a decrease in the proportion of primordial follicles alongside with an increase in the rate of normally developing follicles. Furthermore, EUG 40 significantly increased both follicular and oocyte diameters. Subsequently, ovarian fragments from three goats were cultured for 1 or 7 days in α-MEM+ supplemented or not with AA, ANE 300 or EUG 40. All tested antioxidants, except ANE 300, were able to significantly decrease the levels of reactive oxygen species in the ovarian tissue, but EUG 40 could most efficiently neutralize free radicals. All ovarian tissues cultured in the presence of antioxidants, especially EUG 40, presented a significant decrease in H3K4me3 labeling, indicating a silencing of genes that play a role in the inhibition of follicular activation and apoptosis induction. When compared to cultured control tissues, both EUG 40 and ANE 300 significantly increased the intensity of calreticulin labeling in growing follicles. The mRNA relative expression of ERP29 and KDM3A was significantly increased when the culture medium was supplemented with EUG 40, indicating a response to ER stress experienced during culture. In conclusion, EUG 40 improved in-vitro follicle survival, activation and development and decreased ROS production, ER stress and histone lysine methylation in goat ovarian tissue.

Effects of feeding 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 with an acidogenic diet during the prepartum period in dairy cows: Mineral metabolism, energy balance, and lactation performance of Holstein dairy cows.

Our objective was to determine the effects of feeding 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3], or vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) on plasma, mineral, and metabolite concentrations, mineral balance, mineral excretion, rumination, energy balance, and milk production of dairy cows. We hypothesized that supplementing 3 mg/d of 25(OH)D3 during the prepartum period would be more effective than supplementing vitamin D3 at the National Research Council (2001) levels to minimize calcium imbalance during the transition period and improve milk production of dairy cows. Forty multiparous, pregnant nonlactating-Holstein cows were enrolled in this study. Body weight, body condition score, parity, and milk yield in the previous lactation (mean ± standard deviation) were 661 ± 59.2, 3.46 ± 0.35, 1.79 ± 0.87, and 33.2 ± 6.43 kg/d, respectively. Cows were enrolled into the blocks (n = 20 for each treatment) at 30 d of the expected day of calving to receive an acidogenic diet (373 g/kg of neutral detergent fiber and 136 g/kg of crude protein, dry matter basis; -110 mEq/kg) associated with the treatments: (1) control (CTRL), vitamin D3 at 0.625 mg/d (equivalent to 25,000 IU of vitamin D3/d) or (2) 25(OH)D3 at 3 mg/d (equivalent to 120,000 IU of vitamin D3/d). All cows were fed with the base ration for 49 d after calving. Blood samples were taken on d 7, 0, 1, 2, 21, and 42, relative to calving. No effect of treatment was observed for prepartum dry matter intake or body condition score. A trend for increase of ionized Ca was observed for the cows fed 25(OH)D3, compared with the CTRL, but no effect of treatment was detected for total Ca or total P. Feeding 25(OH)D3 increased colostrum yield. The plasmatic concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 was increased with 25(OH)D3 supplementation. 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 supplementation increased plasma glucose concentration at parturition. The postpartum dry matter intake was not influenced by treatments. Feeding 25(OH)D3 increases milk yield, 3.5% fat-corrected milk, and energy-corrected milk and improves milk yield components in early lactation. Overall, these findings suggest that 25(OH)D3 at 3 mg/d can improve the energy metabolism and lactation performance, compared with the current-feeding practice of supplementing vitamin D3 at 0.625 mg/d.

Use of gamma radiation and artificial neural network techniques to monitor characteristics of polyduct transport of petroleum by-products.

This study presents a methodology based on the dual-mode gamma densitometry technique in combination with artificial neural networks to simultaneously determine type and quantity of four different fluids (Gasoline, Glycerol, Kerosene and Fuel Oil) to assist operators of a fluid transport system in pipelines commonly found in the petrochemical industry, as it is necessary to continuously monitor information about the fluids being transferred. The detection system is composed of a 661.657 keV (137Cs) gamma-ray emitting source and two NaI(Tl) scintillation detectors to record transmitted and scattered photons. The information recorded in both detectors was directly applied as input data for the artificial neural networks. The proposed intelligent system consists of three artificial neural networks capable of predicting the fluid volume percentages (purity level) with 94.6% of all data with errors less than 5% and MRE of 1.12%, as well as identifying the pair of fluids moving in the pipeline with 95.9% accuracy.

Effects of lipid and starch supplementation as water intake mitigation techniques on performance and efficiency of nursing Holstein calves.

Exploring alternative supplementation sources capable of maximizing feed and water efficiency in nursing Holstein calves is often ignored. The goals herein involve investigating the effects of two isoenergetic supplements on a nonmedicated milk replacer diet on total water intake, milk water intake, fresh water intake, feed intake parameters, and performance of Holstein nursing bull calves. Twenty-three animals (body weight [BW] = 94.67 ± 12.07 kg, age = 67 days old) were randomly assigned to one of three treatments for 68 days: control (CON; ad libitum milk replacer, n = 7), carbohydrate supplement (CHO; corn starch on top of ad libitum milk replacer-based diet, n = 8), or lipid supplement (FAT; menhaden fish oil on top of ad libitum milk replacer-based diet, n = 8). The isoenergetic supplementation consisted of 3% menhaden fish oil addition on DM basis for FAT. This was matched energetically with corn starch for the CHO group resulting in a 7% composition in DM basis. All animals were provided free access to mineral mix and 120 g daily dried microbrewer's spent grains (BG). Data were analyzed with the GLMMIX procedure of SAS in a completely randomized design with the diets as a fixed effect. Dry matter intake (DMI) adjusted by average daily gain (ADG; DMI/ADG) resulted in significantly lower values for supplemented groups with CON = 2.48, CHO = 2.38, and FAT = 2.27 kg/kg (ADG) (P = 0.033). Energy intake values were lower for CON when analyzing metabolizable energy intake (P < 0.0001), net energy intake for maintenance (P < 0.0001), and net energy intake for gain (P < 0.0001), followed by CHO, and then FAT. Total water intake (P < 0.0001), milk water intake (P < 0.0001), and fresh water intake (P < 0.0001) all resulted in CHO consuming 0.5 L or less water than the other two treatments. Energy requirements as digestible energy (P < 0.0001), metabolizable energy (P < 0.0001), net energy for maintenance (P < 0.0001), and net energy for gain (P < 0.0001) were lower for CHO, followed by CON, and then FAT having the highest requirements. Similar results were observed for residual feed (RFI; P = 0.006) and residual water intakes (RTWI; P = 0.902). Ultimately, no performance differences were detected with regards to BW (CON = 146.71, CHO = 146.25, and FAT = 150.48 kg; P > 0.1). These results indicate that lipid-based and starch-based supplementation can potentially increase feed efficiency and decrease voluntary water intake without adversely affecting performance.

Effect of source and amount of vitamin D on function and mRNA expression in immune cells in dairy cows.

Objectives were to determine the effect of supplementing 2 sources of vitamin D, cholecalciferol (CH) or calcidiol (CA), at 1 (1mg) or 3 mg/d (3mg) prepartum on concentrations of vitamin D metabolites in plasma, measures of innate immune function, and leukocyte mRNA expression. Parous Holstein cows (n = 99) were assigned to a daily treatment administered as top-dress containing either 1 or 3 mg of CH (CH1 or CH3) or of CA (CA1 or CA3) from 250 d of gestation until calving. Plasma concentrations of vitamin D, immune cell population in blood, cell adhesion markers, and granulocyte phagocytosis and oxidative burst were evaluated pre- and postpartum. The mRNA expression in leukocytes was determined at 270 d of gestation and 3 d postpartum for genes involved in cell migration, pathogen recognition receptors, cell signaling, cytokines, antimicrobial mechanisms, oxidative burst, and Ca and vitamin D metabolism. Concentrations of vitamin D3 increased in cows fed CH, whereas those of 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 increased in cows fed CA. Percentage of granulocytes from total leukocytes differed with amount of vitamin D pre- (1mg = 24.5 vs. 3mg = 37.9%) and postpartum (1mg = 22.0 vs. 3mg = 31.0%), thus shifting mononuclear cells in the opposite direction pre- (1mg = 75.5 vs. 3mg = 62.1%) and postpartum (1mg = 78.0 vs. 3mg = 69.0%). Granulocytes displaying phagocytosis (1mg = 69.0 vs. 3mg = 62.9%) and intensity of phagocytosis prepartum (1mg = 7.46 vs. 3mg = 7.28) tended to be less in cows fed 3mg compared with 1mg. During prepartum, CA increased mRNA expression of genes related to cell adhesion and migration (CD44, ICAM1, ITGAL, ITGB1, LGALS8, SELL), pathogen recognition receptor (NOD2, TLR2, TLR6), cell signaling (FOS, JUN, NFKB2), cytokine signaling (IL1B, IL1R1, IL1RN), antimicrobial mechanisms (CTSB, LYZ), and Ca metabolism (ATP2B1, STIM1, TRPV5) compared with CH. Similarly, postpartum, CA increased mRNA expression of genes related to cell adhesion and migration (CXCR2, SELL, TLN1), cell signaling (AKT2), cytokines (CCL2, IL1R1, ILRN), antimicrobial mechanisms (DEFB3), oxidative burst (RAC2), and calcium metabolism (CALM3) compared with CH. Feeding additional vitamin D in the last 3 wk of gestation changed the profile of blood leukocytes and attenuated granulocyte phagocytosis during the transition period, whereas supplementing CA prepartum increased mRNA expression of genes involved in immune cell function, including genes related to pathogen recognition and antimicrobial effects of leukocytes.

Bioactivity of Chitosan-Based Particles Loaded with Plant-Derived Extracts for Biomedical Applications: Emphasis on Antimicrobial Fiber-Based Systems.

Marine-derived chitosan (CS) is a cationic polysaccharide widely studied for its bioactivity, which is mostly attached to its primary amine groups. CS is able to neutralize reactive oxygen species (ROS) from the microenvironments in which it is integrated, consequently reducing cell-induced oxidative stress. It also acts as a bacterial peripheral layer hindering nutrient intake and interacting with negatively charged outer cellular components, which lead to an increase in the cell permeability or to its lysis. Its biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of processability (particularly in mild conditions), and chemical versatility has fueled CS study as a valuable matrix component of bioactive small-scaled organic drug-delivery systems, with current research also showcasing CS's potential within tridimensional sponges, hydrogels and sutures, blended films, nanofiber sheets and fabric coatings. On the other hand, renewable plant-derived extracts are here emphasized, given their potential as eco-friendly radical scavengers, microbicidal agents, or alternatives to antibiotics, considering that most of the latter have induced bacterial resistance because of excessive and/or inappropriate use. Loading them into small-scaled particles potentiates a strong and sustained bioactivity, and a controlled release, using lower doses of bioactive compounds. A pH-triggered release, dependent on CS's protonation/deprotonation of its amine groups, has been the most explored stimulus for that control. However, the use of CS derivatives, crosslinking agents, and/or additional stabilization processes is enabling slower release rates, following extract diffusion from the particle matrix, which can find major applicability in fiber-based systems within ROS-enriched microenvironments and/or spiked with microbes. Research on this is still in its infancy. Yet, the few published studies have already revealed that the composition, along with an adequate drug release rate, has an important role in controlling an existing infection, forming new tissue, and successfully closing a wound. A bioactive finishing of textiles has also been promoting high particle infiltration, superior washing durability, and biological response.