BACKGROUND: Barley cultivars contain different anti-nutritional factors that have negative effects on the intestinal ecosystem and reduce blood cholesterol concentration. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of processing barley cultivars on the intestinal morphology, enzyme activity and volatile fatty acids of the small intestine and serum lipid levels of broiler chickens. Methods: The experiment was carried out using a factorial experiment with a completely randomized design. Factors were barley cultivars (Fajr, Reyhaneh, and Yosef), diet form (mash or pellet) and enzyme level (0 and 0.05 g/kg dry matter). Around 927 one day of old Ross 308 broiler chickens were assigned into 12 treatments, 3 replicates and 27 chickens in each replicate. Results: Pancreatic amylase, lipase enzyme activity and digesta pH are affected by main (except for cultivar) and interaction effects (P< 0.05). Feed Processing (pelleting, adding enzyme or combination of pelleting and enzyme) of barley cultivars, especially diets containing Ryhaneh barley cultivar reduced digesta viscosity and increased the concentration of volatile fatty acids and relative percentage of acetic acid and butyric acid (P<0.05). Diets containing Fajr barley cultivars, enzyme or pelleted diets significantly decreased blood glucose, cholesterol and HDL concentration (P<0.05). Conclusions: Due to lower amount of soluble NSP compared with the other barley cultivars, Ryhaneh cultivar resulted in a better response to processing as well as enzyme addition, and improved the morphological characteristics of the small intestine

BACKGROUND: Honey is an excellent food product with health-giving characteristics. On the other hand, the honey quality can change based on various factors. OBJECTIVES: Physicochemical experiments intend to investigate the honey quality in four geographic directions of Kurdistan province shelf-life and the containers the honey is placed in. METHODS: In this research, totally 96 samples from 4 apiaries in various parts of the province were prepared and maintained in various dishes/containers and various (time) periods at 25.5±3.5 °C. After preparing the samples, some factors including moisture, reducing sugars, sucrose, pH, acidity, the ratio of fructose to glucose, ash, diastase, hydroxyl methyl furfural were evaluated. RESULTS: The result showed the moisture total average, reducing sugars, sucrose, pH, acidity, the ratio of fructose to glucose, and ash were 13.79%, 77.67%, 2.22%, 3.86, and 21.39 of meq/kg, 1.09% and 0.13%, respectively. Qualitative examinations showed, there was the distance in all samples but no HME. With the increase in shelf-life time, metabolites in the ratio of fructose to glucose and acidity increased significantly, but the factors, moisture, pH were reduced significantly (P<0.05). Various containers had no significant impact on physicochemical characteristics of honey. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, one can say that the comparison between the obtained amounts with the current standards, quality of the honey samples were standard and favorable. According to the results of this study, honey can remain at room temperature in different containers for 9 months and maintain anacceptable quality.

BACKGROUND: Ascites is a metabolic disease that has negative effects on broiler chickens. OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to investigate the effect of cold induced ascites on performance, meat quality and quantity indices and some blood indices of broiler chickens with cold induced ascites. METHODS: Three hundred one-day-old female chicks (Ross 308) were used in a completely randomized design with two treatments of control (under normal temperature) and ascitic (under cold stress) with five replicates and 30 birds per each replicate. RESULTS: The results showed that cold-induced ascites caused the lower performance, carcass weight and thigh and breast meat (P<0.05). Furthermore, ascites caused the increased anus temperature and thigh lightness (L) and redness (a) at day 42 of age (P<0.05). Cold induced ascites decreased the enzymes of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, uric acid, albumen and malondihaldehyde in blood at day 42 of age (P<0.05). The higher blood hematocrit and hemoglobin were observed in ascetic birds (P<0.05). CONLUSIONS: In conclusion, cold induced ascites increase the meat lightness through the increased peroxidation and decreased antioxidants of the body. Moreover, ascites cause the higher anus temperature by increasing the body basal metabolism.

BACKGROUND: Leptin as a cytokine-like hormone is derived from ob gene (one of the major effect genes on birth weight and growth traits) and is secreted by adipose tissue. This hormone with binding to its receptors in the hypothalamus, inhibits food intake and increases energy consumption. OBJECTIVES: There is not any report about expression of leptin gene in response to oral administration of selenium in livestock. In the present study, the effects of selenium nanoparticle and sodium selenite on the transcription of leptin gene in placenta were studied. METHODS: Twenty, four-month pregnant ewes within the same age were selected randomly. During the 21 days leading up to birth, oral administration of selenium nanoparticles (Se NPs) with dosages of 0.05 and 0.10 mg/kg B.W. and sodium selenite with dosage of 0.1 mg/kg B.W. was carried out. At the same time the control group was fed distilled water in equal volume. With sampling of the placenta during childbirth, transcription amount of leptin gene was determined by RT PCR Real Time based on a comparison assay of 2-ΔΔCt. Results: The results of this study showed that leptin gene is expressed in placental tissue. The oral administration of selenium nanoparticle and sodium selenite caused a significant increment in terms of expression of mentioned gene in comparison to the control treatment. Also, there was a significant difference between the supplements, so that the highest leptin gene expression in placenta was observed in selenium nanoparticle treatment with dose of 0.1 mg and then supplement with selenium nanoparticles with dose of 0.05 mg. CONCLUSIONS: Selenium causes an increment of leptin gene expression in placental tissue.

BACKGROUND: Reproductive diseases are among the most important life threatening problems in captive female iguanas. Egg binding is a reproductive disorder in which female iguana cannot lay one or more of its eggs, mainly caused by improper husbandry. Physiological and pathological process of egg production such as egg binding in iguanas has to be assessed more. Objectives: In this study, diagnostic value of two modalities, radiography and ultrasonography, have been compared for evaluation of egg binding in green iguana. Methods: In this study ultrasonography and digital radiography were used as non-invasive methods to evaluate and describe dystocia in captive female green iguanas. Ultrasonography was performed in ventral aspect of abdomen in two sagittal and transverse planes. While radiographic images were taken in both dorso-ventral (DV) and lateral projections. Results: Ultrasonography provided more accurate and informative results than digital radiology. Radiography can be used to detect gravidity and presence of large eggs or follicles. Heterogeneous echogenic eggs or follicles, with different egg size, irregularity in egg borders and echogenic free fluid in celomic cavity were detected in egg-bound green iguanas. Among these ultrasongraphic evidences, the strongest sign was presence of echogenic free fluid in celomic cavity. However digital radiography is unable to delineate fluids in celomic cavity following egg binding in green female iguanas. Among two radiographic positioning, dorso-ventral view provides more information than lateral images. Conclusions: In conclusion, when we encounter a female green iguana with clinical signs of egg binding, ultrasonography has more advantages than radiography, however both modalities can be informative

BACKGROUND: Escherichia coli is a particularly complex species that is grouped into pathotypes of partly zoonotic intestinal pathogenic E. coli and extraintestinal pathogenic E. coli (ExPEC). Strains belonging to ExPEC are able to cause various clinical signs in hosts and due to similar genetic determinants, these hosts may act as a source of infection for each other. OBJECTIVES: Recent reports of outbreaks of human urinary tract infections (UTIs) have stimulated interest in the potential that E. coli from animals has to cause human UTIs via the food supply especially poultry meat, so we aimed to assess the genetic relationships between strains from these two hosts. METHODS: A total  of  260  E. coli  isolates  were  obtained  from human  UTI’s (160 strains) and  poultry colibacillosis cases (100 strains)  and  phylogenetic  grouping  was  done  based  on  the Triplex-PCR  method and virulence genotyping was carried out using a modified Tetraplex-PCR detecting hly, iucD, papEF and sfa/focDE genes. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of results demonstrated that prevalence of B2 &amp; D phylogroups in human UTI’s (77%) and D &amp; A groups in poultry strains (66%) are higher than others, considerably. Statistical analysis showed that distribution of A phylogroup within poultry isolates versus human and B2 phylogroup within human isolates versus poultry ones were higher, significantly. It was shown that iucD is noticeablymore prevalent in poultry strains rather than human isolates,. Also, sfa/focDE gene was significantly more distributed in human strains than poultry isolates. CONCLUSIONS: In sum, despite the minor genetic differences between isolates from both hosts, our results showed that there are major genetic similarities in E. coli isolates from human UTI and poultry colibacillosis cases in the region and these two hosts can play an important role as infection source for the other one.   ________________________________________________________________

Dicrocoeliasis caused by the small liver fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum which live in the bile ducts and gall bladder of wild and domesticated mammals, particularly ruminant. Immunodiagnostic methods are useful for early diagnosis. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was evaluation of agglutination latex (LAT) and indirect haemagglutination (IHA) tests for diagnosis of Dicrocoelium dendriticum infection in sheep. Methods: Adult worms were collected from infected livers of sheep at a local abattoir. The excretory-secretory and somatic antigens were prepared through homogenization and sonication. Infected sheep with Dicrocoelium dendriticum and non-infected lambs were bleeded to providing positive and negative serum. Somatic and excretory-secretory antigens were added and blended to latex particles. All samples of positive and negative serum were added to latex and considered according to agglutination reaction. In IHA, the sensitive RBC and somatic and ES antigens were added and blended and haemagglutination was evaluated . Results: The sensitivity and specificity of LAT by excretory secretory antigen were 84% and 97/6% and by somatic antigen were 96% and 97/6%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of IHA by excretory secretory antigen were 60% and 92/9%, and bysomatic antigen were 92% and 66/7%, respectively. Conclusions: According to present study, the LAT test by excretory secretory antigen and somatic has high sensitivity and specificity, and it is a quick test and without need to special tools for diagnosis of dicrocoeliosis.

Background: Haemoproteus is a parasitic protozoa that over 120 species of it has been reported from wild aquatic birds, sparrows and other birds orders. So far, no study has been performed to determine the species of this protozoa in the north of Iran.Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular and structural properties of Heamoproteus protozoa in the blood of infected pigeons in Mazandaran province.Methods: In the present study molecular investigation of Haemoproteus infection was carried out in domestic pigeons of Mazandaran province. For this purpose, samples obtained randomly from 150 pigeons in different regions of Mazandaran. At first, blood samples were stained with Gimsa stain and examined for presence of Haemoproteus gametocytes. Then, positive samples were used for PCR by Cytochrome b genes.. Results: Obtained results after morphological survey showed that 17 samples were positive indicating infection rate of 11.33%. Molecular investigation and analysis of PCR products showed that all of the samples belonged to Haemoproteus columbae species.Conclusion: So, being precisely familiar with this kind of protozoan and its species can limit many mistakes and be helpful in differential diagnosis of different species. This study has revealed that the most common species of Haemoproteus in Mazanadran province is Haemoproteus columbae.

Background: Linguatula serrata is a zoonotic parasite causing Halazoun syndrome in humans. Consumption of raw or semi-cooked infected edible offal induces the infection in human. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to investigate the outbreak and molecular characterization of Linguatula serrata in sheep and goat of Yazd slaughterhouse. Methods: To determine the prevalence and severity of Linguatula serrata, mesenteric lymph nodes of 200 slaughtered sheep and 200 slaughtered goats in the Yazd industrial slaughterhouse were examined. DNA extraction was performed using commercially DNA extraction kit as manufacturers’ protocol. In order to genetic evaluation, the partially 18srRNA gene as a target was amplified using the specific primer pair which was designed by Primer3 software.The PCR product sent for sequencing and the sequence was BLAST. Data were then analyzed using SPSS version 16.0 and by the Pearson correlation test and χ2 at a significance level of 0.01.Results: In the present study, prevalence of the infection of slaughtered goats and sheep was 25.5% and 22.5%, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed between the prevalence of this parasite in different ages and sexes groups (goats and sheep). The results of genetic evaluation showed no variation between this isolate in comparison with the ones in GenBank. Conclusions: This study was the first report of molecular identification of Linguatula serrate in Iran. Considering high prevalence of infection in domestic animal and lack of knowledge and hygienic practice of the people about consumption of animal offal infection of the people to Linguatula serrata is probable. Therefore, in this context, using appropriate and reliable diagnostic methods for detection of infection in abattoirs as well as educating people on the proper use of animal offal is effective steps to prevent this disease.

BACKGROUND: The application of medicinal herbs with high anti-oxidant properties could reduce the detrimental effects of oxidative stress and free radicals under heat stress and improve the performance of broilers. OBJECTIVES: The effects of rosemary powder and extract on growth performance, carcass characteristics and blood parameters of broilers were evaluated under heat stress. METHODS: For studying the effect of experimental treatments including control, different levels of rosemary powder (5, 10 and 15 g/kg), rosemary extract (3.5,7 and 10.5 g/kg) and Vit-Asp (1 g/L) on growth performance (feed intake, body weight and feed conversion ratio), carcass characteristics and blood parameters (cholesterol, triglyceride, hematocrit, glucose and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio), 160 one-day old chicks (Ross male-308) were used applying a randomized complete block design with 8 treatments, 4 replicates and 5 chicks per replicate during a 42-day period. Heat stress schedule was 32±2ºC as cyclic from 10.00 AM to 6.00 PM. RESULTS: Rosemary had significant effects on feed intake and final live weight of chicks (p<0.05) but not on feed conversion ratio (p>0.05). Significant effects from rosemary on glucose and heterophil to lymphocyte ratio were found (p<0.05). The effects of rosemary on carcass characteristics, cholesterol, triglyceride and hematocrit were not significant (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In general, inclusion of rosemary in broilers diet under heat stress improved the performance because of anti-oxidant effects.Keyword: Rosemary, performance, blood parameters, heat stress, broilers