The Use of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil as an Additive to Drinking Water for Broiler Chickens and Its In Vitro Reaction with Enrofloxacin.

Biological activity of lavender essential oil is a property that can potentially find an application in poultry nutrition. Nowadays, the use of bioactive compounds is encouraged in many areas of industry and agriculture, since these substances have similar properties as withdrawn antibiotic growth promoters. Additionally, antibiotic resistance bacteria are one of the most important current threats to animal health. The purpose of the study was to determine the influence of lavender essential oil on the production parameters and blood parameters in broiler chickens and to assess the lavender oil's in vitro reaction in a combination with enrofloxacin towards Escherichia coli. One-day-old non-sexed chicks (Ross 308) were divided into three experimental groups, each consisting of 100 individuals (five replicate of 20 boiler chicken each). The chickens in the control group received drinking water with no addition of lavender essential oil. In the experimental groups, lavender oil was added to the drinking water at a concentration of 0.4 mL/L, in the LEO1-42 from 1 to 42 days of age and the LEO22-42 group from the 22 to 42 days of age. The chickens' body weight, feed consumption, water consumption, deaths and elimination due to health reasons were determined in the experiment. On day 42 of the chickens' lives, blood samples were collected based on which selected parameters were identified. An in vitro experiment of lavender oil in combination with enrofloxacin was investigated with a checkerboard method. The results of the experiment showed the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of lavender essential oil and its positive effect on the production results of broiler chickens. The study results proved that the addition of lavender oil positively impacted the chickens' final body weight and feed conversion ratio (p < 0.01). No differences were observed between the groups for water consumption, death rate and the examined biochemical and immunological blood serum indices. Lavender essential oil was demonstrated to increase the blood serum's total antioxidant status. A synergistic reaction in vitro was observed for lavender oil combined with enrofloxacin against resistant strains of Escherichia coli. Based on our study, a health-promoting effect of adding LEO to water for broiler chickens was found. Moreover, in vitro studies indicate a significant effect of lavender essential oil on the inhibition of the resistant strains of Escherichia coli growth and synergistic reaction with enrofloxacin.

Association of two SNPs in the coding region of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) gene with growth-related traits in Angus cattle.

The insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is considered to be a factor that mainly regulates growth, differentiation, and the maintenance of various function in numerous tissues through binding to a family of transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptors, signaling primarily through the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R) encoded by the IGF1R gene. The objectives of the present study were to estimate the allele and genotype frequencies of the IGF1R/MspI (silent mutation within exon 12) and the IGF1R/TaqI (within the 3' untranslated region, 3'UTR) gene polymorphisms in beef cattle and to determine associations between these polymorphisms and growth traits. In a preliminary study on 310 Angus calves, association analyses with three production traits (birth weight, BWT; weaning weight adjusted to 210 days, WWT210; and average daily gain, ADG) were conducted. The GG genotype of the IGF1R/e12/MspI polymorphism was significantly associated (P ≤ 0.05) with a higher WWT210 (+5.06 kg) compared to the AG genotype. Polymorphism within the 3'UTR had no significant effect on growth traits. The effect of combined genotypes was also examined. At WWT(210), calves with the GG/AA and GG/AG combinations were heavier than calves with the AG/AA and AG/AG combined genotypes (P ≤ 0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first report of a polymorphism within the coding region of the Bos taurus IGF1R gene.

Comparison of low-power YAG laser and BICAP tumor probe for palliation of esophageal cancer strictures.

The purposes of this study were (a) to determine the applicability of endoscopic palliation for patients with esophagogastric cancer strictures in a referral center, and (b) to compare the efficacy and safety of the BICAP tumor probe with the neodymiumyttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser for such palliation. Forty-two consecutive patients with weight loss and obstructive symptoms from an unresectable, malignant esophageal stricture were referred for endoscopic palliation. Fourteen patients did not meet the criteria for YAG laser or BICAP tumor probe treatment and other therapies were recommended. Twenty-eight patients were treated, the first 14 with low-power YAG laser and the last 14 with BICAP tumor probe. All patients had coagulation of malignant strictures in one session. Treated patients were similar in background variables and stricture lengths but twice as much thermal energy was needed for the YAG laser as the BICAP tumor probe treatment. Treatment results were not statistically different during the median follow-up and survival of 16 wk. As minor complications, either pain or edema requiring dilatation was more common in the YAG laser-treated group than the BICAP tumor probe group. Treatment-related esophageal strictures developed in 21% of patients treated with YAG laser. A fistula developed in 1 patient with noncircumferential cancer in the BICAP tumor probe group. Compared with only the intake of liquids before treatment, 86% of patients could eat a soft or solid diet after initial treatment with BICAP tumor probe or YAG laser. Our conclusions were that for BICAP tumor probe and YAG laser, endoscopic palliation efficacy and safety for circumferential esophageal cancer strictures were similar. The advantages of using the BICAP tumor probe were portability, lower equipment costs, and the ability to treat submucosal, long, or high esophageal cancer strictures in one session. Treatment with YAG laser was safer than BICAP tumor probe for exophytic, noncircumferential cancers because the laser could be directed endoscopically. Use of the BICAP tumor probe is not recommended for noncircumferential esophagogastric cancer strictures.