The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplemented selenium (Se) on plasma cortisol, red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity (RBC GSH-PX-1), concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and body weight in pneumonic suckling calves. Ten Holstein suckling male calves were randomly allocated to two groups and fed either unsupplemented milk (control) or with milk supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg DM Se (Sel-Plex) for two months. Sel-Plex had no significant effect on cortisol plasma concentration. A significant increase in red blood cell GSH-PX-1, body weight and serum concentration of IgG was observed in the treated group, along with a non-significant increase in body weight. The results indicate that Sel-Plex supplementation of suckling calves with a marginal selenium status increases GSH-PX-1, serum concentration of IgG and body weight of calves.The objective of this study was to determine the effects of supplemented selenium (Se) on plasma cortisol, red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity (RBC GSH-PX-1), concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and body weight in pneumonic suckling calves. Ten Holstein suckling male calves were randomly allocated to two groups and fed either unsupplemented milk (control) or with milk supplemented with 0.3 mg/kg DM Se (Sel-Plex) for two months. Sel-Plex had no significant effect on cortisol plasma concentration. A significant increase in red blood cell GSH-PX-1, body weight and serum concentration of IgG was observed in the treated group, along with a non-significant increase in body weight. The results indicate that Sel-Plex supplementation of suckling calves with a marginal selenium status increases GSH-PX-1, serum concentration of IgG and body weight of calves.

Chronic ethanol consumption leads to oxidative stress in the heart and erythrocytes of rats. As Ziziphus jujuba fruit has been shown to have potent antioxidants, such as flavonoids, we conducted this study to evaluate the effects of aqueous fruit extracts from Z. jujuba on rat hearts and erythrocytes following chronic ethanol consumption. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the following groups: control, Z. jujuba fruit extract treated (200 mg/kg, p.o.), ethanol (4 g/kg, p.o.) and Z. jujuba plus ethanol. The animals were treated orally for consecutive 8 weeks. At the end of experiment, catalase (CAT) activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) concentration (an indicator of lipid peroxidation) were measured in the heart and erythrocytes of rats. The results showed that the concentration of TBARS was significantly lower, and CAT activity higher in erythrocyte homogenates of ethanol-treated rats that were pretreated with fruit extract, compared with rats treated with ethanol alone. However, the fruit extract had no effect on TBARS concentration or CAT activity in rat heart tissue. This finding indicates that the antioxidant properties of Z. jujuba fruit extract protect erythrocytes against ethanol-induced oxidative stress, but are not sufficient to protect the heart.

The aim of the present study was to assess the immunogenicity of under 30kDa molecular weight proteins of hydatid cyst fluid and protoscoleces in dogs experimentaly Infected with Echinococcus granulosus. Isolation of under 30 kDa proteins performed using Millipore filter. Six dogs were used in three groups: 2 dogs with under 30 kDa proteins of hydatid cyst fluid (Group I); 2 dogs with proteins of protoscoleces (Group II); and, 2 dogs were used as control groups (Group III). Two weeks later approximately 8,000 protoscoleces, with the viability of 80%, were given to each dog. On day 35 post infection adult worms were recovered from the intestines and the rate of infection determined by counting the total worms. The recovered worms in Group I were 197; in Group II were 207; and, in Group III were 382. The minimum number of adult worms (197) belonged to the dogs exposed to under 30 kDa molecular weight proteins of hydatid cysts fluid. This demonstrated significantly higher immunogenicity effects(p

Numerous species of insects have been recorded from various types of manure in commercially reared birds from different parts of the world. This study was carried out to determine parasitic beetle populations in commercial rearing house litter from different regions of the West Azerbaijan province in Iran. Atotal of 60 samples of litter were collected from June 2008 to November 2009 from 20 poultry farms. The samples were examined parasitologically to detect and identify species of beetles (Coleoptera). Collected beetles belonged to three different species, of which Alphitobius diaperinus was the dominant species, with larvae and adults collected from 27 of the litter samples (45.0%). Dermestes maculatus larvae were found in 10 of the samples (16.6%), while Carcinops pumilio was collected from two samples (3.3%). Significant differences (p