BACKGROUND: Aflatoxins are natural fungal toxins that weaken the immune system and damage the liver. OBJECTIVES: The effects of seeds and whole plant powder and extract of Milk thistle (MT) plant in reducing the negative effects of feeding aflatoxin (AF) on broiler chickens blood parameters and immune response were examined. METHODS: 192 one-day old chicks (Ross 308) for 35 days in a completely randomized design with six treatments, four replicates and eight birds per repetition were used. The experimental treatments included: 1) control, 2) contaminated control (CC), 3) CC + 0.5 percent of MT seed powder, 4) CC + 1 percent MT plant powder, 5) CC + 600mg/kg MT plant extract, 6) CC + 1000mg/kg MT plant extract. RESULTS: The treatments had no significant effect on plasma concentrations CHOL, HDL, LDL, ALP, LDH, AST, ImG and ImM. Feeding contaminated diet increased alanine aminotransferase enzyme compared with healthy control (P≤0.05). The addition of 0.5 percent MT seed powder, 1 percent MT plant powder and 1000mg/kg MT plant extract to the contaminated diets decreased alanine aminotransferase enzyme compared to the contaminated control (P≤0.05). Inclusion of 1 percent MT plant powder to AF infected diet significantly increased the antibody titer compared with healthy control and contaminated control (P≤0.05). CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that compared to other treatments, 1 percent MT plant powder was more effective in reducing the negative effects of feeding AF in broiler chickens.

BACKGROUND: Extracts rich in phenolic compounds have an important role in antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, and pistachio green hull extract is rich in polyphenolic compounds. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of green peel of Kalleqouchi and Fandoghi pistachio extract on performance, relative weight of carcass components, blood indices and intestinal microbial population of broiler chickens challenged with Staphylococcus aureus. METHODS: A total 168 one-day-old broiler chicks were randomly divided into six treatments, four replications and seven chicks. Experimental treatments included unchallenged groups (negative control) and chickens challenged with Staphylococcus aureus and fed 0, 200 and 400 mg / kg of aqueous extract of Kalleqouchi pistachio and 200 and 400 mg/ kg of pistachio Fandoghi green extract. All infected chicks were inoculated with oral solution containing 3 x 109 CFU of Staphylococcus aureus. Performance characteristics, immunity, blood indices and microbial population of the intestine were determined. RESULTS: The aqueous extract of green pistachio inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus but the ethanolic extract inhibited the growth of lactobacilli. Growth performance of chicks was not affected by the experimental treatments except at day 24, when aqueous extract of 200 mg / kg led to higher body weight gain as compared to control (0.049). Kalleqouchi extract at 400 mg/kg level increased abdominal fat (P = 0.0005) and had no effect on relative weight of other carcass components. The 400 mg/kg Fandoghi green extract and 200 mg/kg kalleqouchi extract increased enzyme activity of alanine aminotransferase activity and decreased the concentration of blood total protein (P <0.01). The pistachios extracts at all levels increased total antibody titer compared to control (P <0.02). Pistachio extract reduced total bacterial population of jejunal area compared to negative control (P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Application of aqueous extract of pistachio extract improves immune response, decreases blood lipids and intestinal microbial population of broiler chickens challenged with Staphylococcus aureus.

This report describes atypical chronic trypanosomosis in a three year male Spitz dog. Fever, lethargy and anorexia were the early presenting signs without any hemato-biochemical abnormality. Peripheral blood smear examination was non-diagnostic on three consecutive times. Trypanosma evansi was confirmed in the Leishman stained thin blood smears (moderate parasetemia) on fourth parasitological examination. Biochemical profile showed a remarkable elevation in total serum bilirubin (6.7 mg%) and activities of alanine amino transferase (ALT) (950 IU/L) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) (1050 IU/L) after a month. Anemia, leucopenia, neutropenia, lymphopenia and thrombocytopenia suggestive of bone marrow depression appeared by about 73 days of presentation of case. A rapid complete clinical recovery occurred within a week after treatment with quinapiramine sulphate and chloride combination @ 3.5mg/kg bwt. Hemoglobin, leucocyte and thrombocyte count improved within six days, however, liver enzyme activity normalized slowly over three months.

Accurate measurements of serum aminotransferase (ALT) activity in dogs relies on the endogenous pro-enzyme pyridoxal 5-phosphate (P5P). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the exclusion of P5P from the analytical method causes an underestimation of serum ALT activity in dogs suffering from babesiosis and in those manifesting evidence of hepatocellular damage, and to determine if anorexia causes sufficient P5P depletion to affect in vitro serum ALT activity. One-hundred-and-twenty healthy control dogs and 105 Babesia-infected dogs were included in the study. Two methods for ALT measurement were used: Method 1 included P5P, and Method 2 excluded P5P from the reaction mixture. Higher serum ALT activity was measured with Method 1 in the Babesia-infected dogs (P < 0.001), as well as in 14 dogs with suspected hepatocellular damage (P = 0.03). Duration of anorexia had no effect, irrespective of the method used. Although inclusion of P5P to the reaction mixture consistently resulted in higher measured serum ALT activity, the differences were too small to have led to incorrect diagnoses in the Babesia-infected dogs suspected of liver disease.