Influence of Lactobacillus brevis 15 and Lactobacillus plantarum 13 on blood glucose and body weight in rats after high-fructose diet.

In recent years, many authors have investigated the possible antidiabetic effect of lactic acid bacteria. Lactobacillus species constitute a major part of the lactic acid bacteria group and have been found to exhibit beneficial effects on the development of diabetes and its complications. In the current study, we investigated the effects of newly characterised Bulgarian Lactobacillus strains, Lactobacillus brevis 15 and Lactobacillus plantarum 13, on blood glucose levels and body weight of rats fed a fructose-enriched diet. An experiment was conducted over a period of 8 weeks with 24 2-month-old Wistar rats randomly assigned to receive a standard diet (Con, control group), fructose-enriched diet (Fr group), standard diet with probiotics given twice a week (Pro group), and fructose-enriched diet with probiotics given twice a week (Pro+Fr group). At the end of the experimental period, a statistically significant increase in body weight was observed in all experimental groups (P<0.0001). The highest rise was seen in the fructose group (Fr, 169±19 g), followed by the Pro+Fr group (153±15 g), Pro group (149±13 g), and Con group (141±5 g). Moreover, the final blood glucose levels had risen significantly in the groups receiving fructose either without (Fr; P<0.0001) or with lactobacilli (Pro+Fr; P=0.002), while the rise was insignificant in the group of rats given probiotic supplementation only (Pro, P=0.071) and inexistent in the Con group (P=0.999). The highest elevation of blood glucose levels was observed in the Fr group (3.18 mmol/l), followed by the Pro+Fr group (2.00 mmol/l) whereas the Pro group showed the lowest levels (0.60 mmol/l). The results of our study suggest that the newly characterised Bulgarian Lactobacillus strains, L. brevis 15 and L. plantarum 13, could be considered as possible probiotics and might be able to prevent some metabolic disturbances.

[Experimentally induced aflatoxicosis in broilers]. / Eksperimentalno vuzproizvedena aflatoksikoza pri broileri.

Aflatoxicosis was induced under experimental conditions in two groups of broiler birds fed in the course of the entire fattening period upon feed, containing 0,250 and 0,600 ppm aflatoxin. Dependable changes were established in the investigated haematological and biochemical indices. There was a drop of the body weight and an increase in the feed to gain ratio. Pathologic changes were recorded in the liver.

[Paraclinical research on broiler chickens treated with aflatoxin B1 and microbiological studies of the meat and liver obtained from them]. / Paraklinichni izsledvaniia pri pileta broileri, tretirani s aflatoksin B1, i niakoi mikrobiologichni prouchvaniia na meso i cheren drob, dobiti ot tiakh.

Studied were some paraclinical indices of the blood of 50 broiler birds treated with aflatoxin B1. It was found that the effect of the mycotoxin used in concentrations of 25.0 and 37.5 micrograms in the course of thirty days and in conc. of 50.0 micrograms in the course of five days with three test groups of birds (as compared to a group of controls) consisted in the drop of total protein and the rise of the activity of GOT, GPT, and total bilirubin. It was demonstrated that the use of feeds containing aflatoxin B1 had a bearing on the microbiologic status of the meat and liver. There was no increase in the total count of aerobic mesophile organisms.

[Clinical, morphological and biochemical changes in lambs caused by Fusarium toxins]. / Klinichni, morfologichni i biokhimichni promeni pri shileta, predizvikani ot toksini na Fusarium.

Studied was the effect of toxic trichotecenes and the F-2 toxin on the health status and the morphologic and biochemical changes in the blood on weaned lambs. It was shown that there was a drop of the hemoglobin content, rise of the leucocyte count, and decrease in the amount of the total proteins along with an increase in the activity of glutamate-oxalacetate and glutamate-pyruvate transaminases, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate-dehydrogenase. The morphologic changes appeared confined to the rumen, lymph nodes of the forestomach, duodenal mucosa, liver, and kidneys.

[Clinical, morphological and biochemical changes in pigs caused by the toxic metabolites of Fusarium tricinctum]. / Klinichni, morfologichni i biokhimichni promeni pri praseta, predizvikani ot toksichni metaboliti na Fusarium trichinatum.

Experiments were carried out with pigs in the course of 30 days with the use of dietary mixtures containing 10 and 20 per cent cultures of Fusarium tricinctum in rice. The treated animals showed higher sensitivity to trichotecenes. These moulds metabolites raised the activity of the serum glutamate oxaloacetate and glutamate-pyruvate transaminases, aldolase, lactate dehydrogenases, alkaline phosphatase, lipid level, and leukocyte count but lowered the amount of total protein and that of hemoglobin. The morphologic lesions seemed confined mainly to the stomach, intestines, and kidneys.