Effect of Feed Supplemented with Selenium-Enriched Olive Leaves on Plasma Oxidative Status, Mineral Profile, and Leukocyte DNA Damage in Growing Rabbits

The effect of brown seaweed and polyphenol supplementation in male rabbits on the blood profile and antioxidant markers

Currently, in animal nutrition, the replacement of synthetic substances with natural ones was expected to improve animal health. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a dietary brown seaweed and plant polyphenol mixture in adult male rabbits on the haematological profile and antioxidant markers. Twenty-four adult male rabbits were divided into three experimental groups receiving a control diet (C) or diets supplemented with 0.3% (T1) and 0.6% (T2) of a feed additive containing brown seaweed (Laminaria spp.) and plant extracts of seaweed origin. The trial lasted for 90 days. A lower potassium concentration was observed at 30 days in the T2 group, compared with the T1 and C groups. An increase in the antioxidant status was observed (P < 0.05) from day 60 of the trial in the rabbits fed diets with an algae-polyphenolic supplement (T1 and T2 groups). Concluding, the diet supplementation of brown seaweed and polyphenol stimulates the antioxidant status of the blood, however, it does not affect the haematological profile.

Prophylaxis of microelementosis in rabbits using a mixture of glauconite, succinic, humic and fulvic acids and minerals

Impaired metabolism of mineral substances in the conditions of industrial rabbit breeding may cause decrease in increment of live mass, reduction of immunity, mass morbidity and death of animals. In our experiment, we studied the efficiency of using a mineral mixture to prevent the disorders in the metabolism of rabbits according to changes in morphologic, biochemical parameters and antioxidant status of blood, chemical composition of blood plasma and increments in body weight compared to the control group of animals. For the studies, we formed four groups of white New Zealand rabbits, each comprising six individuals aged 70 days with mean body weight equaling 1.99 kg. In group I, the rabbits received an aqueous form of a mixture of glauconite, succinic acid, humic and fulvic acids and lactates of zinc, manganese, cuprum, cobalt and iron with water, rabbits of group II were given a dry form of a mixture of glauconite, succinic acid, humic and fulvic acids and lactates of zinc, manganese, cuprum, cobalt and iron with fodder, and the rabbits of group III were intramuscularly injected with butanol fraction of humic acids. The experiment lasted for 21 days. The results of the experiment indicate that the most effective prophylaxis of malfunctions of mineral metabolism in white New Zealand rabbits aged 70–95 was dry mixture of glauconite, succinic acid, humic and fulvic acids and lactates of zinc, manganese, cuprum, cobalt and iron with fodder (group II), which was given once a day for 21-day period. We determined a positive effect of biologically active supplement on the parameters of hematopoiesis(1.25 times significantly higher level of hemoglobin and 1.14 times higher number of erythrocytes), metabolism of proteins (1.54 times significantly higher content of albumins), mineral substances (significantly higher content of inorganic phosphorus – by 1.17 times, calcium by 2.18 times, manganese by 1.39 times, zinc by 1.50 times, iron by 1.39 times and cuprum by 1.49 times), functional condition of the liver (2.04 times lower activity of gamma-glutamyltransferase), the state of the antioxidant system (lowest catalase activity) and energy of rabbits’ growth (1.20-fold increment in body weight). The results of our study indicate that using a dry form of the mixture of glauconite, succinic acid, humic and fulvic acids and lactates of zinc, manganese, cuprum, cobalt and iron with fodder is an efficient method of preventing malfunctioning of mineral metabolism in rabbits.

Olive leaf extract supplementation improves the vascular and metabolic alterations associated with aging in Wistar rats

Olive leaves are rich in bioactive substances which exert anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, insulin-sensitizing and antihypertensive effects. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible beneficial effects of an olive leaf extract (OLE) rich in secoiridoids and phenolic compounds on the aging-induced metabolic and vascular alterations. Three experimental groups of rats were used: 3-month-old rats, 24-month-old rats and 24-month-old rats supplemented 21 days with OLE (100 mg/kg). Administration of OLE to aged rats decreased the weight of adrenal glands and prevented the aging-induced loss of body weight and muscle mass. In the serum, OLE reduced the circulating levels of LDL-cholesterol and IL-6 and increased the concentrations of leptin and adiponectin. In the liver OLE attenuated the decreased gene expression of SOD-1, GSR, GCK and GSK-3β and reduced the aging-induced overexpression of NOX-4, Alox-5, iNOS and TNF-α. In aorta segments, OLE prevented endothelial dysfunction and vascular insulin resistance and improved vasoconstriction in response to KCl and NA. Improvement in vascular function was associated with the attenuation of the alterations in the gene expression of COX-2, IL-6, GPx, NOX-1 and IL-10. In conclusion, OLE exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in aged rats and attenuates the alterations in vascular function associated with aging.

Determination of Selenium Species in Muscle, Heart, and Liver Tissues of Lambs Using Mass Spectrometry Methods

Simple Summary

The objective of the project was to evaluate speciation of selenium (Se) in various tissues (the liver, heart, or muscles) obtained from lambs fed with a diet enriched with an inorganic and organic chemical form of Se (i.e., selenite and Se-enriched yeast, respectively).

Abstract

Identification and quantification of the selenium species in biological tissues is imperative, considering the need to properly understand its metabolism and its importance in various field of sciences, especially nutrition science. Although a number of studies deals with the speciation of selenium, speciation analysis is still far from being a routine task, and so far strongly depends on the type of the samples. We present a study aimed to examine speciation analysis of Se in tissues of livers, muscles, and hearts obtained from lambs, namely in liver, muscle, and heart. The studied lambs were fed with the diet enriched with an inorganic (as sodium selenate) and organic chemical form of Se (as Se-enriched yeast) compounds with simultaneous addition of fish oil (FO) and carnosic acid (CA). The first part of the work was focused on the optimization of the extraction procedure of selenium compounds from tissues. Next, hyphenated high performance liquid chromatography and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (HPLC–ICP–MS) was used for the identification of five seleno-compounds—Se-methionine (SeMet), Se-cystine (SeCys2), Se-methyl-Se-cysteine (SeMetSeCys), and Se(IV) and Se(VI). Verification of the identified seleno-compounds was achieved using triple-quadrupole mass spectrometer coupled to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC–ESI–MS/MS). The applied procedure allowed for quantitative analysis of SeMet, SeCys2, and SeMetSeCys, in biological tissues. The developed analytical protocol is feasible for speciation analysis of small molecular seleno-compounds in animals samples.