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Applications of clinoptilolite in veterinary medicine and animal husbandry
Get PDFZeolites are compounds of either natural or synthetic origin and have been employed successfully in a
number of industries, including veterinary medicine and animal husbandry. Clinoptilolite is the form of naturally
occurring zeolite that has undergone the most scientific study out of the 140 various varieties and is also used the most
as a component in animal feed. Natural clay minerals and zeolites are administered with encouraging results due to their
detoxifying, antioxidant, hemostatic, anti-diarrheal, and immunostimulant properties. In this paper, the characteristics
and possible applications of clinoptilolite as an animal feed additive in order to prevent and/or treat particular diseases
in dairy cows will be discussed. Natural and manufactured zeolites have been used as feed additives in cow nutrition,
primarily to reduce the absorption of mycotoxins through the gastrointestinal tract, improve general health status, and
increase overall animal performance. Clinoptilolite is marketed as a feed additive that helps maintain and improve the
fertility, well-being, and productivity of cattle
Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of Ammi visnaga L. essential oil
Get PDFThe present study evaluated the chemical composition and the in vitro and in vivo antioxidant
potential of Ammi visnaga L. essential oil to provide a scientific basis for the use of this
plant in the traditional pharmacopoeia. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was used to identify
the volatile constituents present of the oil. The in vitro antioxidant capacity was evaluated
by the DPPH and the reducing power assays. For the in vivo tests, oral administration of Ammi
visnaga L. oil (600 and 1200 mg/kg body weight) was performed in Swiss albino mice treated with
acetaminophen (400 mg/kg). The toxic effect of acetaminophen and the action of the essential oil
were measured by determining the levels of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in liver and
kidneys homogenates. The major components identified were butanoic acid, 2-methyl-, pentyl ester,
(Z)- -ocimene, D-limonene, linalool, pulegone and lavandulyl-butyrate. The in vitro DPPH and
reducing power assays showed moderate to low free radical scavenging activity and the antioxidant
power was positively correlated with the polyphenols’ concentration. In vivo, the Ammi visnaga
L. essential oil showed a high antioxidant capacity at both concentrations (600 and 1200 mg/kg),
effectively increasing the levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, and catalase and
significantly reducing the lipid peroxidation. The results obtained from this study suggest that Ammi
visnaga L. could represent a source of molecules with antioxidant potential in the prevention of free
radical-related diseases
Tunable Properties via Composition Modulations of Poly(vinyl alcohol)/Xanthan Gum/Oxalic Acid Hydrogels
No full textThe design of hydrogel networks with tuned properties is essential for new innovative biomedical materials. Herein, poly(vinyl alcohol) and xanthan gum were used to develop hydrogels by the freeze/thaw cycles method in the presence of oxalic acid as a crosslinker. The structure and morphology of the obtained hydrogels were investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and swelling behavior. The SEM analysis revealed that the surface morphology was mostly affected by the blending ratio between the two components, namely, poly(vinyl alcohol) and xanthan gum. From the swelling study, it was observed that the presence of oxalic acid influenced the hydrophilicity of blends. The hydrogels based on poly(vinyl alcohol) without xanthan gum led to structures with a smaller pore diameter, a lower swelling degree in pH 7.4 buffer solution, and a higher elastic modulus. The antimicrobial activity of the prepared hydrogels was tested and the results showed that the hydrogels conferred antibacterial activity against Gram positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus 25923 ATCC) and Gram negative bacteria (Escherichia coli 25922 ATCC)
Candida Genus Maximum Incidence in Boar Semen Even after Preservation, Is It Not a Risk for AI though?
No full textThere is little information in the literature about the fungal contamination of boar semen and its persistence during storage. The challenge of this study was to perform a mycological screening to identify the yeast in the raw semen at 12/24 h after dilution. The research was done in pig farms in the N-E area of Romania, with maximum biosecurity and state-of-the-art technology. All the examined ejaculates (101) were considered to be normal for each spermogram parameter, with microbiological determinations in T0 at the time of ejaculate collection, T1 at the time of dilution, and T2 at 24 h of storage. Microbiological determinations (mycological spermogram) were performed for quantitative (LogCFU/mL) and qualitative (typification of fungal genera) identification. Bacterial burden (×103 LogCFU/mL) after dilution (T1) decreased drastically (p 0.05). The predominant genera persisted after dilution during a 12 h storage at 17 °C, where yeasts, such as Candida parapsilosis and C. sake were identified in more than 92% of AI doses
Forage mixtures with alfalfa cultivars, perennial grasses and Anethum graveolens
No full textFodder crops consisting of several species are a way to obtain very good quality feed. They have been used more and
more recently in Europe because, in addition to the superiority of feed production and quality, sowing mixtures of
several species can lead to a significant reduction in the need for nitrogen fertilizer, an increase in performance and
animal health. In Romania, there are few studies on the use of multi-species feed mixtures to reduce dependence on
expensive inputs in order to increase the profitability and quality of feed, in organic agriculture production system. The
objective was to compare forage yield, degree of coverage and weed infestation of alfalfa single crop and perennial
grasses mixtures, which include 10 synthetic alfalfa cultivars and 5 varieties, grasses (a cultivar of Dactylis glomerata,
Festuca arundinacea, Phleum pratense), mixed with herb Anethum graveolens. A field experiment was established in
2022 in the experimental field of the Center for Organic Agriculture at NARDI Fundulea. The results showed that
mixtures of alfalfa with dill and festuca had a higher yield than alfalfa in pure crop. Anethum graveolens seeded with
forage mixtures proved the efficacy as a natural repellent of Hypera variabilis in the first year of crop. In general,
alfalfa-grass mixtures had beside higher feed yields and lower weed and pests infestations than alfalfa monocultures or
mixtures of two species
Study of phenotypic variability using the varietal diversity of cultivated forms of naked and hulled oats in the intercropping system
No full textThe research carried out at the
Gene Bank in Suceava, Northern Romania,
aimed to highlight the phenotypic variability
of the germplasm of Avena spp. For this
purpose, the morpho-productive traits and
resistance to diseases, pests and weeds were
analysed. Productivity, diseases and pests,
days to heading and days to maturity
descriptors of 46 Avena spp. genotypes
(naked and hulled oat) with different
biological statuses (36 local populations,
10 cultivars), were evaluated by testing in
intercropping experiments with small grain
cereals and grain legumes. The unidirectional
ANOVA analysis generated values that
allowed the elaboration of a hierarchy of
heterogeneity in the hulled local populations,
for some of the analysed characters (one
thousand seeds weight/genotype, degree of
attack by Puccinia coronata and Oulema
melanopa and days to maturity) and these
were less in naked forms. There was a high
competition of Avena species, regarding
weeds in small grain cereal variants and
potentially beneficial for nitrogen symbiotic
fixation by increasing naked and hulled local
oat population productivity in intercropping
with fava bean. The Euclidean distance
classification of the oat genotypes
investigated in the dendrogram distinguished
the generated groups, indicating the
maximum distance in cluster IV. With high
heterogeneity of productivity traits, better
resistance to disease and pests, and shorter
maturity, members of this cluster could be
used to develop genetic mixture programs
Assessment in education. What actions need to be addressed? The perception of students in social sciences and humanities
No full textGiven the importance of the digitalization of education, especially in the context of the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19, this paper focuses on the main directions for action necessary in developing and implementing a digital strategy in education. To achieve this goal, we collected data from March to August 2021 and gathered a total of N=282 participants enrolled at four faculties from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania, in the fields of social sciences and humanities. Our results support the importance of digital skills, digital training assessment, digital infrastructure, education institutions incentives, digital education instruments design, open access resources, public-private partnerships, best-practices exchanges, security and protection and strategic forecasting, in assessing a digital strategy in education from the perspective of both social sciences and humanities students
Amphiphilic Chitosan Porous Membranes as Potential Therapeutic Systems with Analgesic Effect for Burn Care
No full textEliminating or at least lessening the pain is a crucial aspect of burns management, as pain can negatively affect mental health and quality of life, and it can also induce a delay on wound healing. In this context, new amphiphilic chitosan 3D porous membranes were developed and investigated as burns therapeutic systems with analgesic effect for delivery of lidocaine as local anesthetic. The highly porous morphology of the membranes and the structural modifications were evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Improved compression mechanical properties, long-term hydrolytic degradation (28 days) evaluation and high swelling capacities (ranging from 8 to 22.6 g/g) indicate an increased capacity of the prepared membranes to absorb physiological fluids (burns exudate). Lidocaine in vitro release efficiency was favored by the decreased content of cross-linking agent (reaching maximum value of 95.24%) and the kinetic data modeling, indicating that lidocaine release occurs by quasi-Fickian diffusion. In addition to the in vitro evaluation of analgesic effect, lidocaine-loaded chitosan membranes were successfully investigated and proved antibacterial activity against most common pathogens in burns infections: Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureu
Studies on the physical changes of vegetables subjected to drying
No full textVegetables are of significant importance in human nutrition, containing beneficial micro and macro elements for the
daily diet. Vegetables are important sources of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates and mineral salts. However, due to
their seasonal growth and short shelf life, they can be consumed at certain times of the year, depending on their nature.
For this reason, the vegetable sector requires additional knowledge to manage the quantities obtained seasonally,
throughout the year. Although these efforts are made, large quantities of vegetables are wasted annually, which lead, on
the one hand, to large losses for processors and, on the other hand, to the waste of food beneficial to the human body. In
order to reduce the amounts lost annually, storage and preservation methods are studied and developed, in order to
extend the shelf life, aiming to preserve the benefits of the vegetables. One of these conservation methods is drying, this
has been practiced since ancient times, using the sun as a heat source. Over time, modern drying techniques have been
developed in such a way as to obtain a product of high quality, to be microbiologically stable, to have the appearance
and properties as close as possible to the fresh product and to have production costs as low as possible. Drying is the
operation that not only extends the shelf life considerably, but also reduces transport prices for dried vegetables, as they
reduce their volume by 52-80%. Although the dehydration of vegetables has a number of benefits, for its realization it is
important to take into account a lot of factors, because not observing them favors the loss of micro and macro elements
in the product and can lead to the destruction of their appearance
Results regarding the ecophysiological development of some sweet cherry cultivars under the impact of climate change
No full textThe research of this study presents some aspects regarding the influence of ecologic conditions of agricultural year 2022
on the development and fruiting of three sweet cherry cultivars (‘Van’, ‘Andreiaș’ and ‘Margonia’) located at the
Research Station for Fruit Growing Iasi (N-E of Romania). Phenological stages, fruit quality traits and the dynamic of
pigment content of shoot leaves during growth and fructification processes were studied. Observations and
determinations were performed in regards the unfolding of the phenophases: the active thermal balance (°C) and rainfall
quantity (mm) on period between bud swelling (51 BBCH) to fruit ripening (89 BBCH), physical and chemical traits of
the fruit (the equatorial diameter, the thickness, the length, weight and soluble dry solids SDS%) and the photosynthetic
pigments content which was appeciated spectrophotometrically, by light absorption of the acetone pigment extract. All
three cultivars presented productivity, fruit quality and a good adaptability to the pedoclimatic conditions in the area of
Romania