Vitamin E and aspirin depress prostaglandins in protection of chickens against Escherichia coli infection.

The hypothesis was tested that vitamin E protects chickens from a lethal Escherichia coli infection by inhibiting the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, thereby activating humoral immunity and phagocytosis. When chickens were fed supplement vitamin E at the level of 300 mg/kg diet, which is six times the presently used dietary level, endogenous PGE1, PGE2, and PGF2 alpha levels decreased in the immunopoietic organs, bursa, and spleen. Antibody titers to E. coli lipopolysaccharide and phagocytosis increased at the same time. Infection slightly increased prostaglandin levels and vitamin E appeared to compensate for this increase. Aspirin, a known prostaglandin inhibitor acted synergistically with vitamin E in depressing endogenous PG levels in bursa and decreasing mortality from E. coli infection.

Vitamin E, immune response, and disease resistance.

Vitamin E as a dietary supplement or as part of an adjuvant vaccine formulation increases humoral and cell-mediated immunity and disease resistance in laboratory animals, farm animals, and humans. Adjuvant administration has far greater effect than dietary supplementation. Vitamin E as an antioxidant protects the cells of the immune response from peroxidative damage; possibly through a modulation of lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid, vitamin E alters cell membrane functions and cell-cell interactions. The most pronounced effect of vitamin E is on immune phagocytosis. Dietary supplementation is beneficial to animals, especially under stress, in decreasing susceptibility to infections. Vitamin E adjuvant vaccines have provided greater immunoprotection against enterotoxemia and epididymitis in sheep than conventional vaccines.

The role of vitamin E in immune response and disease resistance.

Vitamin E supplementation enhances humoral and cell-mediated immunity, and augments the efficiency of phagocytosis in laboratory animals, farm animals, and humans. In its disease protection effect vitamin E interacts with other antioxidant nutrients and with other nutrients in the diet. Other antioxidant nutrients, such as vitamin A and beta carotene, also enhance disease resistance. Beta carotene is effective in combination with vitamin E. The optimal dose of vitamin E for maximum protection depends on many factors; thus it has to be established case by case. The delivery system of vitamin E greatly influences its effectiveness. A targeted delivery to localized immunocompetent cells in adjuvant formulations is far more effective than a general dispersed delivery in a diet. Vitamin E adjuvants provided greater immunoprotection against enterotoxemia and epididymitis in sheep than conventional vaccines.

Perspectives in agrobiotechnology.

This review surveys the most important and promising contributions of agricultural biotechnology to the development of sustainable, environment-friendly agriculture. It deals with the recent achievements of genetic technology for the development of new transgenic microbial, plant and animal products. It also deals with the newest developments and perspectives of microbial intervention in agricultural practices, such as biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, and various microbiological products used in modern agriculture. The review surveys the outlook for a waste-free, environment-friendly sustainable agricultural practice, including waste management, recycling and bioremediation technologies. The review lists the most important marketable agrobiotechnological products, and their present and projected sales volume.

Protection of rams against epididymitis by a Brucella ovis-vitamin E adjuvant vaccine.

Rams vaccinated at 7 and 8 months of age with a B. ovis-vitamin E adjuvant vaccine had increased antibody titers compared with Freund's incomplete adjuvant or commercial bacterin vaccinated rams. The percent overall infectivity in an experimental infection of B. ovis-vitamin E adjuvant vaccinated rams was 22% compared to 44% for B. ovis-Freund's incomplete adjuvant or bacterin vaccinated rams and 67% for control.

Effect of beta carotene on disease protection and humoral immunity in chickens.

The effect of beta carotene on disease protection and humoral immunity in chickens was investigated in comparison with the effect of other lipid-soluble antioxidant vitamins, vitamin E and A, which are both proven immunoenhancers and contributors to disease protection. Beta carotene alone was not as effective as either vitamin in protecting chickens from Escherichia coli infection, nor did it significantly enhance humoral immunity. In combination with vitamin E, however, beta carotene significantly increased disease protection and reduced hepatomegaly caused by E. coli infection.

Enzyme assisted ensiling of alfalfa with enzymes by solid substrate fermentation.

A crude enzyme preparation, obtained by solid substrate fermentation (SSF) with a Gliocladium spp. and added at the 5% level to wilted or non-wilted alfalfa, improved the fermentation characteristics and stability of alfalfa silages as effectively as commercial preparations, Novo-Nordisk Celluclast 1.5 L and Viscozyme 120 L, applied at the 0.025% level. The effective dose of the crude enzyme costs about one-fourth of the cost of the commercial enzymes.

Immune response in rams experimentally infected with Brucella ovis.

Cellular as well as humoral immune responses were detected in six rams experimentally infected with Brucella ovis. Specific antibodies were detectable by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by day 11 after infection in all the rams. The levels of IgM antibodies and total antibodies in the serum rose until 33 and 41 days after infection respectively, then levelled off. Antigen-induced blastogenic responses by lymphocytes developed as early as five days after infection in all rams but had decreased to low levels by day 63 in most. Blastogenesis induced by phytohaemagglutinin and concanavalin A varied among infected rams and did not differ significantly (P greater than 0.05) from control rams. All rams had developed delayed-type skin hypersensitivity by day 63 after infection. One ram which did not become infected as a result of exposure had low levels of B ovis serum antibodies and a detectable antigen-induced lymphocyte blastogenic response before infection, suggesting the involvement of cell-mediated immunity in protection against B ovis.

Bioprocessing of sweet sorghum with in situ-produced enzymes.

Enzyme-assisted ensiling (ENLAC), using in situ-produced enzymes from Gliocladium sp. TUB-F-498, preserved 80% of the sugar content of sweet sorghum, and facilitated its extraction by countercurrent diffusion. The in situ enzyme was produced on the extracted sweet sorghum pulp by an 8-d solid substrate fermentation (SSF) with a yield of 4.6 cellulase and 400 IU/g dry wt xylanase. Two percent of the fermented substrate had cellulase and xylanase levels equivalent or superior to levels found in the commercial enzymes Celluclast and Viscozyme Novo at the 0.025% application level in ENLAC. The in situ-production of enzymes on recyclable substrates may reduce bioprocessing costs significantly. In this ENLAC process, the cost of the in situ enzymes is estimated to be about $0.12/MT substrate, compared to $9.5/metric ton (MT) for the commercial enzymes, a cost reduction of nearly 80-fold.

Denitrification and removal of heavy metals from waste water by immobilized microorganisms.

Pseudomonas fluorescens, immobilized on soft polyvinyl chloride granules containing up to 35% softeners as carbon source, was used for simultaneous removal of nitrate and heavy metals. In typical continuous column operation, a 100 mg/L nitrate input solution was reduced to a 20 mg/L output at a feeding rate of 1500 mL/h, with a capacity of 14 kg/day/m(3), and with an efficiency of 79%. In the same column, Pb(NO3)2 concentration was reduced from 1.0 to 0.05-0.1 mg/L and ZnSO4 concentration was reduced from 10 to 5 mg/L.Pseudomonas aeruginosa immobilized on an O2 plasma-treated melt blown polypropylene web was used for removing 95% of a 1.7 nCi PuCl4 activity from a nuclear plant waste water in a batch operation.

Production of alpha-amylase with Aspergillus oryzae on spent brewing grain by solid substrate fermentation.

Ten Aspergillus oryzae strains were screened in solid substrate fermentation for alpha-amylase production on spent brewing grain (SBG) and on corn fiber. SBG proved to be a better substrate for enzyme production than corn fiber. A Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to optimize the medium composition for the best strain. Solid substrate fermentation on optimized medium with A. oryzae NRRL 1808 (=ATCC 12892) strain in stationary 500-mL Erlenmeyer flask culture yielded 4519 U of alpha-amylase/g of dry matter substrate in 3 d. The whole solid substrate fermentation material (crude enzyme, in situ enzyme) may be considered a cheap biocatalytic material for animal feed rations and for bioalcohol production from starchy materials.

Vitamin E or vitamin A protects chickens against E. coli infection.

The supplementation of either vitamin E (300 mg./kg. diet) or vitamin A (60,000 I.U./kg. diet) to a standard chick ration increased the protection of six week old immunized chickens against E coli infection, decreasing mortality from about 40% to 5%. The combination of the two vitamins, however, did not give as much protection as either vitamin alone. Vitamin E or A did not protect chicks from weight loss and severe morbidity due to infection, but slightly increased the rate of recovery.

Effect of vitamin E and A on humoral immunity and phagocytosis in E. coli infected chicken.

Dietary supplementation of either vitamin E (300 mg./kg. diet) or vitamin A (60,000 I.U./kg. diet) significantly reduced E. coli caused mortality, but the combination of the two vitamins did not. Protection was attributed to increased antibody production and increased phagocytosis, although neither factor alone gave a significant correlation with mortality. Vitamin E level significantly increased especially in the spleen of supplemented chicks, but vitamin A suppressed this increase, partially explaining the lack of protection in vitamin E and A supplemented chicks.