Effects of dietary supplementation of synbiotics on growth performance, intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant capacities of broilers.

Today, several strategies are being used to decrease the serious effects of antibiotics abuse on broilers industry and public health, among which synbiotics are one of the most promising antibiotic alternative. This study was undertaken to assess the effects of synbiotics, which composed of probiotics (Bacillus subtilis) and prebiotics (xylooligosaccharide and mannanoligosaccharide), on growth performance, intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant parameters of broilers. Four hundred and fifty one-day-old commercial Cobb48 broilers were assigned to five treatments consisting of six replicates of 15 birds each pen. Five dietary treatments include basal diets (control), basal diets plus antibiotics (4 mg/kg Xanthomycin), basal diets plus 1 g of probiotics B. subtilis product/kg of diets (4 × 108  cfu/kg), basal diets plus 150 mg/kg xylooligosaccharide (35%) and 1 g/kg mannanoligosaccharide (75%), and basal diets plus synbiotics (1 g of probiotics B. subtilis product/kg of diets (4 × 108  cfu/kg), 150 mg/kg xylooligosaccharide (35%) and 1 g/kg mannanoligosaccharide (75%). The results demonstrated that on 21 and 42 days, dietary supplementation of the synbiotics significantly increased daily weight gain (p < 0.05), feed efficiency (p < 0.05), the villus height and villus:crypt ratio in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum (p < 0.05), as well as intestinal mucosa sIgA content (p < 0.05), serum T-SOD activity (p < 0.05) and lysozyme content (p < 0.05), comparing with control group. In conclusion, synbiotics (B. subtilis and xylooligosaccharide and mannanoligosaccharide) is one of the safe and ideal dietary supplementations to increase broilers' growth performance by improving small intestinal morphology, sIgA content and antioxidant capabilities.

Changes in expression of AVT and AVT receptor (VT1) gene in hypothalamus and shell gland in relation to egg laying in white leghorn hen.

Oviposition is a complex phenomenon involving various regulatory mechanisms at the neuroendocrine levels. Present study was designed to access the changes in arginine vasotocin (AVT) and its receptor (VT1) gene expression in relation to the time of egg laying of white leghorn hen. The expression of AVT gene (Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization) in the hypothalamus and localization of ir-AVT in the magnocellular neurons of paraventricular nuclei was studied 2 h before (-2 h), immediately after (0 h) and 2 h after (+2 h) egg laying. Simultaneous changes in the AVT and VT1 receptor gene in the shell gland, which finally responds to AVT for smooth muscle contraction and expulsion of egg, were also determined by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. The findings indicated increased hypothalamic AVT gene expression immediately after egg laying (0 h) when compared to 2 h before and 2 h after egg laying. AVT receptor gene expression in the shell gland also followed the same pattern. However, AVT gene expression in the shell gland, unlike that of hypothalamus was higher at -2 h compared to 0 and +2 h of oviposition. While highly significant increase was noted in plasma AVT concentration at the time of egg laying, other parameters such as plasma osmolality and ionic concentration (Na(+), K(+), Ca(2+), and Cl(-)) did not show any change. It is suggested that in addition to increased hypothalamic AVT transcript and peripheral release, local synthesis of AVT in the shell gland (paracrine release) may contribute to the contraction of shell gland smooth muscles during egg laying. Moreover, these findings clearly indicate temporal correlation of AVT and its receptor gene expression in different tissues during oviposition.

Three new saponins from Tribulus terrestris.

Three new steroidal saponins 1-3, together with five known steroidal saponins, L-mannitol and an inorganic salt were isolated from Tribulus terrestris L. (Zygophyllaceae). The structures of the new steroidal saponins were elucidated as hecogenin 3-O-beta-xylopyranosyl(1-->3)-beta-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-beta-galactopyr anoside (1), hecogenin 3-O-beta-glucopyranosyl(1-->2)-beta-glucopyranosyl(1-->4)- beta-galactopyranoside (2) and 3-O-[beta-xylopyranosyl(1-->2)-[beta-xylopyranosyl(1-->3)]-beta- glucopyranosyl(1-->4)-[alpha-rhamnopyranosyl(1-->2)]-beta-galactopyranos yl]- 26-O-beta-glucopyranosyl-22-methoxy-(3 beta,5 alpha,25R)-furostan-3,26-diol (3). Structure elucidation was accomplished by 1D and 2D NMR spectra (13C-1H COSY, HMQC, HMBC, 1H-1H COSY, TOCSY, and NOESY), mass spectrometry (FABMS, ESIMS) and chemical methods.

Effects of Phytolacca acinosa polysaccharides I combined with interleukin-2 on the cytotoxicity of murine splenocytes against tumor cells.

Phytolacca acinosa polysaccharides I (PAP-I), a kind of purified polysaccharides, isolated from Phytolacca acinosa Roxb was found to significantly augment the cytotoxicity of murine splenocytes and interleukin-2 (IL-2) activated splenocytes against P815 tumor cells in vitro. The optimal concentration of PAP-I was 1 microgram.ml-1 and the peak level of the cytotoxicity against P815 tumor cells was reached on d 3-5. The supernatants collected from splenocytes cultured with PAP-I alone or in combination with IL-2 showed no effect on the cytotoxicity against P815 tumor cells. Splenocytes from mice injected ip with PAP-I, 5, 10 and 50 mg.kg-1, thrice a week produced more cytotoxicity against P815 and L929 tumor cells compared with the control group. PAP-I ip was shown to significantly increase IL-2 activated killer cell activity (LAK) against P815 tumor cells. The higher the dosage of PAP-I, the more potent the LAK activity was observed. These results confirmed that PAP-I can augment the cytotoxicity of murine splenocyte against tumor cells and LAK activity and warranted further evaluation of its clinical usefulness.