Modulatory effect of thymol on the immune response and susceptibility to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in Nile tilapia fish exposed to zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) have many exciting properties that make their use in a continuous increase in various biomedical, industrial, and agricultural applications. This is associated with accumulation in the aquatic ecosystems and fish exposure with consequent deleterious effects. To determine the potential of thymol to counteract the immunotoxic effects of ZnO-NPs, Oreochromis niloticus was exposed to ZnO-NPs (⅕ LC50 =1.14 mg/L, for 28 days) with or without feeding a thymol-incorporated diet (1 or 2 g/kg diet). Our data demonstrated a reduction of aquaria water quality, leukopenia, and lymphopenia with a decrease in serum total protein, albumin, and globulin levels in exposed fish. At the same time, the stress indices (cortisol and glucose) were elevated in response to ZnO-NPs exposure. The exposed fish also revealed a decline in serum immunoglobulins, nitric oxide, and the activities of lysozyme and myeloperoxidase, in addition to reduced resistance to the Aeromonas hydrophila challenge. The RT-PCR analysis showed downregulation of antioxidant (SOD) superoxide dismutase and (CAT) catalase gene expression in the liver tissue with overexpression of the immune-related genes (TNF-α and IL-1ß). Importantly, we found that thymol markedly protected against ZnO-NPs-induced immunotoxicity in fish co-supplemented with thymol (1 or 2 g/kg diet) in a dose-dependent manner. Our data confirm the immunoprotective and antibacterial effects of thymol in ZnO-NPs exposed fish, supporting the potential utility of thymol as a possible immunostimulant agent.

Growing and laying performance of two different-plumage color Japanese quail varieties supplemented with corn silk in their diet.

The current study aimed to investigate the dietary supplementation effect of corn silk (CS) on performance and blood chemistry of brown and white-feathered quails during the grower and layer periods. Japanese quails of brown and white-feathered color (180 birds/variety at 2 wks old) were randomly allotted into three groups with 3 replicates each (n = 20 birds/replicate). Corn silk powder (CS) was supplemented to the basal diet at 0, 1, and 2% of the diet for each quail variety for 1-month growing period, then continued for another 6-wk laying period to assess the egg production and egg quality characteristics. CS supplementation at 1% and 2% for brown and white-feathered quails respectively improved their growth performance (body weight and weight gain), carcass yield, and intestinal villi length with increasing feed consumption but without changes in feed conversion ratio. In both quail varieties, CS addition had a hypolipidemic effect, confirmed by lowering serum triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), and low density lipoprotein (LDL) while increased high density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations (P < 0.05) with a clear response observed in white quails than the brown ones. Besides, CS supplementation increased (P = 0.002) hen day egg production in brown feathered quails, while reducing it in the white-feathered quails compared with the CS-free diet. The increased egg production was not significantly (P > 0.05) correlated with lower content of TG and CHO, while significantly increased the antioxidant content in both quail varieties (P < 0.05). Moreover, CS dietary supplementation significantly enhanced (P = 0.003) the yolk color, especially in brown-feathered quail. In conclusion, CS can be safely supplemented to the Japanese quail diet (1% and 2% for brown-feathered and white-feathered quails respectively) to improve growth performance, and egg quality characteristics.

Antibiotic treatments in zootechnology and effects induced on the food chain of domestic species and, comparatively, the human specie / Tratamientos antibióticos en zootecnología y los efectos inducidos sobre la cadena alimenticia de las especies domésticas y comparativamente sobre la especie humana

Introduction: Antibiotics are largely employed in zootechnical feed to preserve human and animal species from zoonosis due pathogenic infective agents. Aim: Due to the increasing number of pathologies related to diet (e.g. food intolerances), we investigated the toxic effects induced by antibiotics residues, oxytetracyclines, present within the industrial food on both human and domestic animals’ health. Zootechnical products obtained from animal bones industrial transformation, and their related toxic effects have been pointed out. Methods: Comparative analysis of published papers has been conducted from 1910 up to 2014. Results: The comparative analysis revealed the presence of oxytetracycline residues and other antibiotics in food intended for human and animal consumption, which resulted in multisystemic toxic effects. Discussion: Either metabolism and possible measures to prevent exposure to oxytetracycline have also been examined, however a more detailed understanding of biochemical effects of such class of antibiotics is required (AU)

Introducción: los antibióticos se emplean ampliamente en la alimentación zootécnica para proteger a las especies humana y animal de las zoonosis por agentes infecciosos patogénicos. Objetivo: dado el creciente número de enfermedades relacionadas con la dieta (p. ej., intolerancias alimentarias), investigamos los efectos tóxicos inducidos por los residuos antibióticos, oxitetraciclinas, presentes en los alimentos industriales tanto sobre la salud humana como animal. Se destacan los productos zootécnicos obtenidos de la transformación industrial de los huesos animales y sus efectos tóxicos relacionados. Métodos: análisis comparativo de las publicaciones realizadas desde 1910 hasta 2014. Resultados: el análisis comparativo reveló la presencia de residuos de oxitetraciclina y otros antibióticos en alimentos pensados para el consumo humano y animal, lo que produjo efectos tóxicos multisistémicos. Discusión: el metabolismo y las posibles medidas para evitar la exposición a la oxitetraciclina también se han examinado, sin embargo, se precisa de un conocimiento más detallado de los efectos bioquímicos de tal clase de antibióticos (AU)