Ukrainian Journal of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences
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Evaluation of the effectiveness of Devivit Carnitine in the treatment of lactating cows with myocardosis
Get PDFThe article presents the results of a study evaluating the effectiveness of pathogenetic therapy in lactating cows with myocardosis using the drugs Devivit Carnitine and Carnivet-L. Devivit Carnitine is a complex remedy containing carnitine hydrochloride, vitamins E and B₁₂, methionine, selenium, and zinc. The application of pathogenetic therapy with Devivit Carnitine and Carnivet-L contributed to improving the clinical condition of lactating cows suffering from myocardosis. By the 7th day of treatment, pain in the heart area was reduced, the force of the heartbeat normalized, and the mucous membranes regained a pale pink color. Clinical recovery was observed in 80.0 % of the animals in the first experimental group (Devivit Carnitine) and in 70.0 % of the animals in the second group (Carnivet-L) after completing a 21-day course of treatment. Despite the positive dynamics, persistent disorders of myocardial conductivity remained in some cows (20.0 % and 30.0 %, respectively). Clinical and biochemical blood parameters (erythrocyte count, hemoglobin concentration, total protein and albumin levels) in the experimental groups began to normalize by day 14 of treatment, with full stabilization achieved by day 28. Administration of Devivit Carnitine led to a more significant increase in erythrocytes, hemoglobin, total protein, and albumins (by 12.5; 19.7; 13.9; and 22.2 %, respectively; P < 0.05), and a more effective reduction in leukocytes, urea, LDH, ALT, and AST (by 20.4; 29.9; 30.9; 33.9; and 55.1 %, respectively; P < 0.05), indicating higher biochemical efficacy compared to Carnivet-L. The results support the feasibility of using Devivit Carnitine as an effective agent in the pathogenetic therapy of myocardosis in lactating cows, due to its positive impact on clinical condition and normalization of key biochemical blood parameters
Establishing the safety and quality of fish and fish products using unique methods
Get PDFFood business operators involved in the farming, storage, and sale of fish and the production of fish products must implement traceability systems and food safety assurance systems to enable risk-based control throughout the entire production cycle – from fish harvesting and processing to storage and retail. For the effective work of state veterinary inspectors during risk-based control at fish production and distribution facilities, it is recommended to implement the developed unique express and optimized methods for monitoring fish and fish products. These methods help establish quality and safety indicators and ensure compliance with shelf-life requirements through adherence to sanitary and hygienic standards at fish production and distribution sites. The recommended methods include: the peroxidase reaction, a photometric method for assessing fish freshness, bacterioscopic determination of the freshness of fish and fish products, measurement of the moisture-holding capacity of fish meat and fish products, and determination of histamine and sodium chloride content in fish products. These methods demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy of 99.3 %–99.9 % in testing. Research enabled the differentiation of chilled and frozen fish by assessing freshness using the peroxidase reaction: Fresh fish showed a blue-green color; Fish of doubtful freshness showed a light blue color; Spoiled fish showed an absence of blue-green coloration. Optimal optical density values of meat-water extracts with Nessler’s reagent were identified: Up to 0.245 units (B) – fresh fish and fish products (light yellow color), From 0.246 to 0.545 B – fish and fish products of doubtful freshness (intense yellow color), From 0.546 to 0.845 B – spoiled fish and fish products (orange color). Using the unique express bacterioscopic method, the degree of freshness of fish and fish products was determined by counting the number of microorganisms in five visual fields on a single impression smear from the fish or fish product: Fresh – up to 10 microorganisms, Doubtful freshness – 11 to 30 microorganisms, Spoiled – more than 30 microorganisms. It was found that frozen fish had reduced moisture-holding capacity (MHC). For example: Frozen horse mackerel – 58.91 ± 0.06 %, Frozen catfish – 55.89 ± 0.04 %, Frozen mullet – 53.45 ± 0.08 %, Frozen mackerel – 51.32 ± 0.09 %. The highest MHC among fish products was recorded in: Medium-salted cold-smoked tuna – 64.6 ± 0.05 %, Medium-salted smoked silver carp – 60.32 ± 0.09%, Lightly salted salmon – 59.81 ± 0.07 %–all in accordance with regulatory standards. The histamine content in chilled, frozen fish and fish products did not exceed the regulatory limit of 100 mg/kg, except for hot-smoked horse mackerel, where histamine exceeded the limit by 2.31 %. The sodium chloride content in the tested fish product samples was within acceptable levels: Lightly salted: 6.0–9.0 %, Medium-salted: 9.0–13.0 %, Heavily salted: 13.0–19.0 %. The development and implementation of these unique, express, and optimized methods into the practice of veterinary professionals is highly relevant for advancing the methodology of assessing the safety and quality of fish and fish products
Glycerides blend supplementation modulates the composition and diver-sity of gut microbiota in broiler-chickens
No full textThe gut microbiome plays a central role in nutrient utilization, barrier integrity, and immune homeostasis, making it a key target for nutritional modulation as an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. This study evaluated the effects of a fatty acid glyceride blend (FAG-B) on the diversity and taxonomic structure of the intestinal microbiome in broiler chickens. The investigation was conducted using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The aim of the study was to assess alpha diversity, beta diversity, and to perform a comparative analysis of relative taxonomic abundance between the control group and the FAG-B–supplemented group. The effect of FAG-B significantly increased alpha diversity, as evidenced by higher Shannon index values and reduced inter-individual variability. Beta diversity analysis based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarity revealed a clear separation between groups, confirming a pronounced restructuring of microbial communities in response to supplementation. The results demonstrated that FAG-B supplementation markedly reduced the abundance of opportunistic and potentially pathogenic taxa, including Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Helicobacter pullorum. Moreover, FAG-B significantly enriched obligate anaerobic saccharolytic bacteria associated with short-chain fatty acid production, including Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Butyricicoccus pullicaecorum, Fusicatenibacter saccharivorans, and Blautia spp. Shifts within the Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae families further supported a transition toward microbial consortia associated with carbohydrate fermentation and intestinal homeostasis. In contrast, several commensal taxa remained relatively stable, likely due to the selective effect of FAG-B. Overall, the findings indicate that FAG-B supplementation modulates microbiome composition, suppresses pathogenic taxa, enhances microbial diversity, and improves fermentative and metabolic profiles. The obtained results suggest that the microbiome-modulating potential of FAG-B represents a promising strategy for the development of novel nutritional approaches in poultry production. The application of microbiome-targeted additives warrants further investigation into gut barrier function, including interactions among mucosal, epithelial, and immune barriers and the microbial community
Clinical, physiological and morphological determinants of the optimal time for insemination of bitches
No full textBitches have a reproductive cycle that differs from other species in a long luteal phase and pronounced anestrus. Therefore, it is important to study the state of the female reproductive system for effective artificial insemination based on the assessment of the dynamics of gonadotropic and sex hormones, as well as morphological and histological changes during the reproductive cycle. The aim of the study was to develop a method for monitoring the sexual cycle by assessing the dynamics of progesterone after ovulation depending on the number of corpora lutea in bitches. An increase in the number of superficial cells of the vaginal epithelium, which proliferate under the influence of an increase in the content of estradiol-17β, has been established. In this case, parabasal cells die with the formation of intermediate cells, which after apoptosis become spherical cells devoid of nuclei. During the beginning of the estrus, erythrocytes are present in vaginal smears, which disappear by the end of estrus. However, neutrophils appear in vaginal smears 5.2 days after ovulation, which coincides with an increase in the content of progesterone in the blood to 61.86 ± 21.18 ng/ml. A progesterone level of more than 25 ng/ml is a sign of the end of the fertile period and the beginning of the luteal phase during pregnancy or anestrus. The ovulation process lasts 12 hours and is characterized by local proteolima with destruction of the follicle wall, bleeding, formation of a thrombus and corpus luteum. Therefore, 1 full-fledged oocyte is formed from one follicle. The onset of lutealization of follicles was established 1–2 days before ovulation. Prognostic tests of progesterone content, the presence of eosinophils or neutrophils in vaginal smears, the presence of rounded follicles during ultrasound allow determining the ideal time for mating or artificial insemination
Biochemical indicators of adaptation and stress across seasons in Brown Swiss dairy cows
No full textInvestigation of the seasonal dynamics of blood biochemical indicators in dairy cows is a key prerequisite for effective herd management, prevention of metabolic disorders and improvement of animals’ adaptive resilience under various housing conditions. This article presents the results of a comprehensive study on the seasonal changes of blood biochemical parameters in Brown Swiss cows at 130–140 days of the second lactation under year-round tie-stall housing in the central region of Ukraine. It was found that the seasonal factor has a significant impact on several metabolic and adaptive biomarkers. In summer compared to spring, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity increased by 19.1 % (up to 103.9 ± 22.3 U/L; p = 0.0457), while in autumn the increase was 24.3 % (up to 108.5 ± 22.5 U/L; p = 0.0106). Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in summer increased by 27.1 % (up to 47.4 ± 10.8 U/L; p = 0.0325). In autumn, the concentration of total calcium decreased by 16.2% compared to spring (2.07 ± 0.07 mmol/L versus 2.47 ± 0.08 mmol/l; p = 0.00001), and the Ca/P ratio fell by 25 % (1.11 ± 0.11 versus 1.48 ± 0.18; p = 0.00005). Autumn glucose levels increased by 52.9 % (up to 3.44 ± 0.14 mmol/L; p = 0.00003), while β-hydroxybutyrate decreased by 50.5 % in summer (to 0.32 ± 0.10 mmol/L; p = 0.0001). Total lipoproteins in autumn decreased by 19.3 % compared to spring (to 1054.8 ± 189.4 mg%; p = 0.0002). In summer, β-globulins were 37.8 % lower than in spring (15.8 ± 4.9 % versus 25.4 ± 8.9 %; p = 0.0051). High cortisol concentrations in summer and autumn (up to 37.2 ± 27.1 nmol/L; p = 0.0001–0.0008) confirm the activation of the stress axis under adverse conditions. The results of this study may be used for the implementation of metabolic status monitoring systems, the development of adaptive feeding and veterinary strategies, and for the improvement of heat stress prevention programmes, as well as increased productivity of cows during different seasons
The dynamics of changes in the productivity of maternal breeds of pigs of English breeding and the heritability of their reproductive traits in the conditions of Ukraine
Get PDFThe article investigated the dynamics of reproductive qualities of sows of the main maternal breeds, Great White and Landrace of English origin, in the conditions of a breeding breeder of an industrial pig complex from 2018 to 2023. Annual trends of the leading indicators of reproductive capacity, coefficients of phenotypic inheritance of these traits, and the strength and direction of correlations between indicators of reproductive qualities of sows were studied. In sows of the large white breed during the research period, an increase in the total number of piglets born by 7.0 %, multiple fertility by 10.6 %, nest weight of piglets at birth by 8.1 %, preservation of piglets until weaning by 5.2 %, their number in the nest at weaning by 17.7 %, and the mass of the nest by 13.1 %, their increase by 11.2–12.8 %, the growth of the indices of RQI by 11.3 %, SIVYAS by 11.2 % and SZFTV – 12.8. At the same time, there was a decrease in the proportion of stillborn piglets by 2.9 %, high fertility by 2.3 %, and average daily, absolute, and relative growth of piglets in the post-weaning period by 5.6 %, 5.3 %, and 2.3 %, respectively, and the weight of one piglet at weaning by 4.0 %. During the same period, Landrace sows showed an increase in the total number of piglets born by 4.4 %, multiple fertility by 5.5 %, high fertility by 3.1 %, litter weight of piglets at birth by 9.4 %, survival of piglets until weaning by 7.4 %, their number in the nest at weaning by 9.3 %, and the mass of their nest at this time by 11.2 %, increase in the indices of RQI by 8.8 %, by SIVYAS by 7.1 % and SZFTV – 9.8 %. At the same time, the share of stillborn piglets decreased by –1.3 %. The average daily gains of piglets in the post-weaning period were 5.5 %, an absolute gain of 5.4 %, and a relative gain of 2.6 %. The weight of one piglet at weaning was 4.0 %
Hematotoxicity of zinc carbonate nanoparticles in the Wistar rat model
Get PDFNanomicroelementology is the modern science of trace elements obtained using nanotechnology. Over the past 20 years, its achievements have led to the emergence of many food additives and medicines containing metal nanoparticles (NPs). The leading role here belongs to the discovery of zinc oxide NPs. They are widely used in the cosmetic and food industries and biomedical research, and their annual synthesis has the highest values among all nanomaterials. However, zinc-based NPs exhibit toxic effects, especially with prolonged administration. This occurs due to the action of high doses but does not depend on the route of administration of NPs (oral, intratracheal, intraperitoneal). To obtain low-toxic, safe NPs, the authors of this article developed zinc carbonate NPs (ZnCN) obtained by coprecipitation and stabilized with polyvinylpyrrolidone. Therefore, this work aimed to determine the ZnCN hematotoxic effect. For this purpose, a chronic toxicological experiment was conducted on male Wistar rats (n = 25), which were administered from 25 to 200 mg/kg b. w. for 30 days. On the 15th, 30th and 45th days of the experiment, blood samples were taken for evaluation on an automatic hemanalizer. Hematological parameters (hemoglobin level, number of erythrocytes, leukocytes, platelets, and hematocrit and thrombocrit) examined during the 45 days of the experiment did not reveal pronounced signs of toxicity of the studied compound. When high doses (100–200 mg/kg b. w.) of ZnCN were administered to animals of experimental groups 3 and 4, leukocytopenia was observed. At the same time, in experimental group 3, on the 30th day of the study, the leukocyte content was lower than the control by 18.3% (P < 0.05), and in experimental group 4 – by 25.7 % (P < 0.01). At the end of the experiment on the 45th day, the leukocyte content in rats of experimental group 4 remained significantly lower by 17.9% (P < 0.05). In contrast, in experimental group 3, this indicator only tended to decrease. It is worth noting that some indicators (hemoglobin, erythrocytes) after administering 25–50 mg/kg b. w. ZnCN showed positive dynamics in the changes, which indicates an improvement in the metabolic profiles of experimental groups 1 and 2 rats. Therefore, the ZnCN studied in this experiment did not show pronounced signs of hematotoxicity
Cytopathological Comparison of Well and Poorly Differentiated Canine Soft Tissue Sarcomas (Fibrosarcomas): Diagnostic Challenges in a Resource-Limited Setting
Get PDFCanine fibrosarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm arising from fibroblasts, with behavior ranging from slowly growing, well-differentiated masses to highly aggressive, poorly differentiated lesions. In resource-limited veterinary practices, diagnosis often hinges on fine‑needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and basic radiography, while histopathology and immunohistochemistry remain inaccessible luxuries. We present two cases: a 7-year-old bitch with an 8 cm ulcerated tail‑base mass (2 cm ulcer opening) and a 1.2 cm × 1.0 cm adjacent nodule, and a 4-year-old Boerboel with a 6 cm × 5 cm × 4 cm mediastinal mass exhibiting coagulative necrosis and local invasion. FNAC of the tail lesion yielded moderately cellular smears with spindle-shaped cells, mild anisokaryosis, and occasional mitoses in an inflammatory background, prompting a presumptive fibrosarcoma diagnosis. In contrast, aspirates from the mediastinal mass were hypocellular, showing pleomorphic spindle cells with elevated mitotic figures, leading initially to misclassification as a benign process. Subsequent histopathology confirmed a high-grade fibrosarcoma, highlighting FNAC's limitations when cellular yield is poor. Definitive diagnosis via biopsy and histopathology remains the gold standard for assessing tumor architecture and mitotic index, but is frequently constrained by cost, logistics, and lack of specialized laboratories. To improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes, we advocate for optimized sampling techniques—targeting firm tumor regions and avoiding necrotic centers—developing subsidized regional pathology support, integrating basic imaging modalities, and emphasizing humane pain management consistent with animal welfare principles
Kerosene-contaminated feed: insights on haematology and organ histopathology of broiler chickens
Get PDFThe study involved feeding kerosene-contaminated feed to 132 Ross strain day-old broiler chickens and assessing their hematology and organ histology. The birds were divided into four treatments, each with three replicates and 11 birds per replication in a completely randomized experiment design. The chickens were fed a kerosene-contaminated diet per kg of feed at 0 ml, 3 ml, 6 ml, and 9 ml. After an 8-week feeding trial, 10 chickens per treatment were sampled for blood collection and histological analysis of organs. Data were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SPSS, and mean separation was performed using Duncan's Multiple Range Test. From the results, haemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) were affected (P < 0.05). However, there was no effect among treatment groups in packed cell volume, white blood cells, red blood cells, and mean corpuscular volume (P > 0.05). With an increase in kerosene levels, the Hb, MCHC, and MCH values appeared to increase significantly compared to the control. Histopathological examination of the organs (liver, spleen, lungs, oesophagus, proventriculus, and small intestine) revealed no observable effects resulting from the kerosene-contaminated feed. There was neither a degree of inflammation, lesions, nor any visible distortion in the cells. In conclusion, kerosene could be termed an environmental stressor with degrees of effect on the broiler chickens' haematology, even though we reported no histological effect on the studied organs
The effect of Devivit Carnitine on the functional state of the liver in rats under experimental carbon tetrachloride intoxication
No full textThe liver is a key organ responsible for maintaining homeostasis, detoxification, and metabolic balance. Among the models of experimental liver pathology, carbon tetrachloride intoxication is widely used, as it is associated with the intensive generation of free radicals, damage to hepatocyte membranes, and the development of dystrophic–necrotic processes. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the drug Devivit Carnitine on the functional state of the liver in rats under conditions of experimental carbon tetrachloride intoxication. The experiment was conducted on laboratory animals divided into a control group and two experimental groups: the first received carbon tetrachloride, while the second received carbon tetrachloride in combination with Devivit Carnitine. The functional state of the liver was assessed by measuring alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity in blood serum. It was established that carbon tetrachloride caused a marked increase in serum ALT and AST activity, reflecting the development of pronounced cytolytic syndrome. The highest values were recorded on day 5 of the experiment, after which their levels remained elevated until the end of the study. In animals of the second experimental group, the administration of the drug contributed to a gradual decrease in transaminase activity. By day 14, ALT activity had nearly normalized, reaching values close to those of the control group, while AST activity remained slightly elevated but was significantly lower than in untreated animals. The obtained results indicate that Devivit Carnitine exhibits a pronounced hepatoprotective effect, manifested by a reduction in the intensity of cytolytic processes and partial restoration of liver functional activity. This allows it to be considered a promising agent for correcting liver pathologies induced by toxic agents