Effect of dietary Rhodobacter capsulatus on lipid fractions and egg-yolk fatty acid composition in laying hens.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dietary Rhodobacter capsulatus on lipid fractions and egg-yolk fatty acid composition in laying hens. Thirty-six laying hens (30 weeks old) were randomly assigned into two dietary groups fed diets with (0.04%) or without (control) R. capsulatus for a 60-day feeding trial. Dietary R. capsulatus decreased (p < 0.05) serum and hepatic cholesterol and increased (p < 0.05) the excreta cholesterol, and resultant lower (p < 0.05) cholesterol contents in egg yolk. The concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and ratio to saturated fatty acids in egg yolk was improved (p < 0.05) by dietary R. capsulatus. The concentration of hepatic bile acid was increased (p < 0.05) and excreta bile acid was decreased (p < 0.01) in the laying hens fed R. capsulatus diet. The incorporation of 1-(14) C-palmitic acid into hepatic lipids and lipid fractions was increased (p < 0.05) in laying hens fed R. capsulatus diet. Moreover, dietary R. capsulatus did not appear to cause any adverse effects on laying hen performances. Therefore, dietary supplementation of R. capsulatus in layer diets may be a feasible means of producing eggs with lower cholesterol and higher PUFA contents for health conscious consumers.

Intracellular signaling cascades induced by relaxin in the stimulation of capacitation and acrosome reaction in fresh and frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa.

Relaxin is one of the 6-kDa peptide hormones, which acts as a pleiotropic endocrine and paracrine factor. Our previous studies revealed that sperm capacitating medium containing relaxin induced capacitation and acrosome reaction (AR) in fresh and frozen-thawed porcine or bovine spermatozoa. However, the intracellular signaling cascades involved with capacitation or AR induced by relaxin was unknown. Therefore, the present study was designed to investigate the intracellular signaling cascades involved with capacitation and AR induced by relaxin in fresh and frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa. Spermatozoa were incubated in sperm Tyrode's albumin lactate pyruvate (Sp-TALP) medium supplemented with (40 ng ml(-1)) or without relaxin, and subjected to evaluation of chlortetracycline staining pattern, cholesterol efflux, Ca(2+)-influx, intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and protein tyrosine phosphorylation. Capacitation and AR were increased (P<0.05) in both fresh and frozen-thawed spermatozoa incubated with relaxin. Cholesterol effluxes were greater in the fresh (P<0.01) and frozen-thawed (P<0.05) spermatozoa incubated with relaxin than the spermatozoa incubated without relaxin. Ca(2+)-influxes were also significantly stimulated by relaxin in the fresh (P<0.01) and frozen-thawed (P<0.05) spermatozoa. The Sp-TALP medium containing relaxin influenced the generation of intracellular cAMP in the fresh (P<0.01) and frozen-thawed (P<0.05) spermatozoa, and exhibited higher exposure of protein tyrosine phosphorylation in both sperm types than the medium devoid of relaxin. Therefore, the results postulate that relaxin exerts the intracellular signaling cascades involved with capacitation and AR through accelerating the cholesterol efflux, Ca(2+)-influx, intracellular cAMP and protein tyrosine phosphorylation in fresh and frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa.

Hypocholesterolemic effect of karaya saponin in Japanese laying quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica).

The effect of karaya saponin supplementation on the serum and egg yolk cholesterol and fatty acid composition in egg yolk were investigated in Japanese quails. A total of 80 Japanese quails aged 5 weeks were equally divided into four groups of 20. Four levels (0, 25, 50 and 75 mg/kg feed) of karaya saponin were included in the basal diet and experiment was lasted for 6 weeks. The cholesterol fractions in the egg yolk and serum were measured by enzymatic assay, and the fatty acid composition in egg yolk was determined by gas chromatography. The results revealed that the supplementation of 75 mg/kg karaya saponin significantly reduced (p < 0.05) cholesterol and triglycerides concentration in serum and egg yolk. High-density lipoprotein-cholesterol was increased, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and the atherogenic index were decreased (p < 0.05) by the dietary supplementations. Hepatic cholesterol was reduced (p < 0.05) by the 25 mg/kg karaya saponin. A higher degree of yolk colour was improved (p < 0.05) when 75 mg/kg saponin was supplemented in the diet. The concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in egg yolk was increased (p < 0.05) in a dose-dependent manner in quails fed the supplemented diet than the control diet. The ratio of PUFA to saturated fatty acids in egg yolk was improved (p < 0.05) by 75 mg/kg feed karaya saponin-supplemented diet. Therefore, the dietary supplementation of 75 mg/kg karaya saponin may be a feasible means of producing quail eggs with lower cholesterol and higher PUFA content for health conscious consumers.

Effect of dietary karaya saponin on serum and egg yolk cholesterol in laying hens.

1. The objective of the study was to investigate the effect of dietary karaya saponin on cholesterol deposition in laying hens. 2. A total of 40 Boris Brown hens were randomly assigned at 20 weeks of age to 4 treatment groups and fed on diets supplemented with 0 (control), 25, 50 or 75 mg/kg karaya saponin for an 8-week experimental period. 3. After 8 weeks of dietary supplementation, karaya-saponin-treated groups had significantly lower serum cholesterol (23·0%) and triglycerides but increased high density lipoproteins cholesterol concentration than controls, irrespective of karaya saponin content in the diet. Egg yolk cholesterol and triglycerides were also significantly reduced by dietary karaya saponin. Hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides were significantly reduced by karaya saponin but bile acids concentration in the faeces and liver were significantly increased by karaya saponin. The concentrations of oleic, linoleic and linolenic acids in the yolk were greater in hens receiving karaya saponin than in controls. Karaya saponin significantly increased egg production, feed efficiency and yolk colour compared with controls. Karaya saponin tended to increase egg weight, feed consumption, Haugh units, albumen weight and yolk index. 4. In conclusion, karaya saponin is a potential agent for reducing yolk cholesterol concentration together with an overall increase of production performance and improvement in egg quality.

Effect of dietary Rhodobacter capsulatus on cholesterol concentration and fatty acid composition in broiler meat.

The study was designed to investigate the effects of dietary Rhodobacter capsulatus on cholesterol concentration and fatty acid composition in broiler meat. A total of 45 two-week-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned into 3 treatment groups and fed ad libitum diets supplemented with 0 (control), 0.02, and 0.04% R. capsulatus for a 6-wk feeding period. The results of this study revealed that the supplementation of 0.04% R. capsulatus in diet reduced (P < 0.05) cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations in broiler meat. The concentrations (expressed as a percentage of total fatty acids) of oleic acid (18:1), linoleic acid (18:2), and linolenic (18:3) acid in thigh muscle and breast muscle were higher (P < 0.05) in the broilers fed the 0.04% R. capsulatus supplemented diet than in the broilers fed the control diet. The ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids was greater (P < 0.05) in both muscles of broilers fed the 0.04% R. capsulatus supplemented diet than the control diet. In addition, the concentrations of serum cholesterol and triglyceride, and hepatic cholesterol and triglyceride were also reduced (P < 0.05) by dietary R. capsulatus. Compared with the control diet, the 0.04% R. capsulatus supplemented diet reduced (P < 0.05) the ratio of low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol. Moreover, the supplementation of R. capsulatus in broiler diets did not show any adverse effect on production performance. Therefore, these results conclude that the application of R. capsulatus into diet may be feasible to reduce cholesterol concentration and improve the ratio of unsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids in broiler meat.

Effect of dietary Rhodobacter capsulatus on egg-yolk cholesterol and laying hen performance.

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary Rhodobacter capsulatus on the laying hen. A total of forty 23-wk-old Hy-Line Brown laying hens were randomly assigned into 4 treatment groups (10 laying hens/group) and fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 0.01, 0.02, and 0.04% R. capsulatus during the 60-d feeding period. Dietary supplementation of R. capsulatus (0.04%) reduced (P < 0.05) cholesterol and triglycerides concentration in serum (15 and 11%), as well as in egg-yolk (13 and 16%) over a 60-d feeding period. Cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations in serum as well as egg-yolk were changed linearly in accordance with increasing levels of dietary R. capsulatus. Supplementation of R. capsulatus in diets increased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level and decreased (P < 0.05) atherogenic index in serum. Yolk color was improved (P < 0.05) in the group fed the 0.04% R. capsulatus supplemented diet compared with the control group. Hepatic cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced (P < 0.05) by 0.04% R. capsulatus. Moreover, the supplementation of R. capsulatus in layer diets did not appear to cause any adverse effects on egg production, shell weight, shell thickness, Haugh unit, yolk index, and feed conversion efficiency compared with the same parameters for the control laying hens. It is postulated that known and unknown factors are present in R. capsulatus presumably responsible for the hypocholesterolemic effect on laying hens. Therefore, the dietary supplementation of R. capsulatus may lead to the development of low-cholesterol chicken eggs as demanded by health-conscious consumers.

High-energy proton beam radiation therapy for gynecologic malignancies. Potential of proton beam as an alternative to brachytherapy.

Fifteen patients with advanced gynecologic malignancies were treated with high-energy proton beam radiation therapy (RT) at the Particle Radiation Medical Science Center (PARMS), Tsukuba University, Japan, from 1983 to 1987. The potential of proton beam RT as an alternative to conventional brachytherapy was evaluated. Except for one local recurrence, 14 of 15 patients were locoregionally controlled for 15 to 57 months. Two-year local control rate and 2-year survival rate were 92.3% and 93.3%, respectively. Two cases of transient, radiation-induced proctitis (neither of which required surgical treatment) were the only complications despite a target dose that exceeded 8000 cGy in most cases. The results suggest that sharply localized, high-dose proton beam RT can produce an antitumor effect equivalent to that of conventional brachytherapy.