Acute and subacute (28 days) toxicity of green coffee oil enriched with diterpenes cafestol and kahweol in rats.

Green coffee oil enriched with cafestol and kahweol was obtained by supercritical fluid extraction using carbon dioxide while its safety and possible effects from acute and subacute treatment were evaluated in rats. For acute toxicity study, single dose of green coffee oil (2000 mg/kg) was administered by gavage in female rats. For subacute study (28 days), 32 male rats received different doses of green coffee oil extract (25, 50, and 75 mg/kg/day). In the acute toxicity study, main findings of this treatment indicated no mortality, body weight decrease, no changes in hematological and biochemical parameters, and relative weight increase in heart and thymus, without histopathological alterations in all assessed organs. All these findings suggest that LD50 is higher than aforesaid dose. In the subacute toxicity, main findings showed body weight decrease mainly at the highest dose without food consumption change, serum glucose and tryglicerides levels decrease, and relative weight increase in liver. As evidenced in histopathological pictures, no changes were observed at all treated doses. Our study suggest that green coffee oil can be explored to clinically develop new hypocholesteromic and hypoglycemic agents. However, further studies evaluating long-term effects are needed in order to have sufficient safety evidence for its use in humans.

Sodium Salicylate as Feed Additive in Broilers: Absence of Toxicopathological Findings.

Antimicrobial growth promoters (AGPs) in animal production have been related to the increase in multidrug-resistant bacteria. The AGP ban in many countries has highlighted the growing need for alternatives for feed additives. Considering the non-antibiotic anti-inflammatory theory of AGPs, chicks received three different doses of sodium salicylate (SS) in feed (10, 30, 90 mg/kg), basal diet (BD) was used as a negative control, and zinc bacitracin (ZB) was used as a positive control. Chicks were individually housed to increase the accuracy of the dose of SS ingested. Performance parameters and footpad dermatitis were evaluated weekly, while haematology, serum biochemistry, histopathology, and tibial dyschondroplasia were determined on Days 21 and 42. A linear dose-dependent decrease in haemoglobin concentration was observed, but the values were within the normal reference range. Among all the other evaluated parameters, no relevant differences between treatments were observed; however, not even the AGP group performed better than the control group. It is possible that the conditions in which the birds were raised were not stressful enough to allow for anti-inflammatories to demonstrate their beneficial effects on performance. Studies should be conducted where the animals are exposed to commercial conditions, as the presence of natural stressors could allow a better evaluation of the efficacy of the anti-inflammatory agent as a growth promoter.

Diferentes fontes e níveis de selênio sobre a imunidade humoral de frangos de corte / Different sources and levels of selenium on humoral immunity of broiler chickens

O presente trabalho teve o objetivo de investigar os efeitos da variação de níveis e fontes de selênio (Se) sobre a imunidade humoral de frangos de corte. Foram utilizados 1440 pintos de um dia, machos, criados até os 42 dias. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado com seis dietas experimentais (A: 0,15mg kg-1 Se inorgânico (inorg.); B: 0,15mg kg-1 Se orgânico; C: 0,15mg kg-1 Se inorg.+orgânico; D: 0,45mg kg-1 Se inorgânico; E: 0,45mg kg-1 Se orgânico; F: 0,45mg kg-1 Se inorg.+orgânico) calculadas para fornecerem a quantidade de Se descritas, e seis repetições com 40 aves cada. Foi utilizado um arranjo fatorial 3x2 e os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, com nível de significância a 5 por cento. A imunidade foi avaliada por meio da resposta à vacina contra a Doença de Newcastle e resposta à sensibilização prévia com eritrócitos de carneiro (SRBC). Não foi observada diferença estatística ao nível de significância de 5 por cento, para os títulos de anticorpos contra a vacina da Doença de Newcastle (P>0,05). Entretanto aos 14 dias o fator fonte obteve probabilidade (P=0,0580), resultado que mostra uma tendência de influência da fonte inorgânica na manutenção da imunidade materna, pois nesta idade as aves ainda não haviam sido vacinadas contra a Doença de Newcastle. Não foi observado nenhum efeito para variável de resposta a sensibilização prévia com SRBC (P>0,05). Os resultados mostram que as aves responderam imunologicamente ao estímulo, porém a variação da fonte e do nível de Se não foi capaz de induzir uma diferença significativa na resposta imunológica das aves. Os níveis e fontes de Se não têm efeito sobre a resposta imunológica aos eritrócitos de carneiro (SRBC) e, resposta imunológica a vacina contra a Doença de Newcastle.

The use of organic trace minerals is getting strength and is an alternative to increase production and improve other characteristics such as humoral immunity. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels and sources of selenium (Se) on humoral immunity of broilers. A six-week research was conducted using 1440 one-day-old males broiler chickens. The experimental design was randomized with six experimental diets (A: 0.15mg kg-1 inorganic (inorg.); B: 0.15mg kg-1 organic; C: 0.15mg kg-1 inorg.+organic; D: 0.45mg kg-1 inorganic; E: 0.45mg kg-1 organic; F: 0.45mg kg-1 inorg.+organic) calculated to provide the described amount of Se. Each diet was replicated in six box with 40 birds. A 3x2 factorial arrangement was used and the data were analyzed by ANOVA. The immunity was evaluated by means of the reaction against vaccine of Newcastle disease, and a reaction against sheep red blood cells (SRBC). No significant effects were observed at 5 percent significance level in NewCastle antibody (P>0.05). However at 14 day-old the source factor had p value at 0.0580, that show a trend of inorganic source in prolong the maternal immunity. No effect was observed in the immune response against SRBC (P>0.05). The results showed a immunologic response against Newcastle vaccine and SRBC, but the treatments was not able to induce a significant difference. The source and the level of Se showed no effect on the response against Newcastle vaccine and SRBC.