Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of lipoprotein fraction isolated from ostrich egg yolk (LPFo) on the metabolic activity of boar spermatozoa following liquid semen storage in different extenders and temperatures. Material and Methods: Boar ejaculates were extended in Androhep, Beltsville thawing solution (BTS), and Martín-Rillo and Alias (MR-A) without (control) or with the addition of LPFo and stored for three days at either 5°C or 16°C. The analysed sperm parameters included total motility (TMOT), plasma membrane integrity (PMI), mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), oxygen consumption, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. Results: The sperm metabolic activity seemed to be higher in the LPFo-based extenders following storage for three days, irrespective of the storage temperature. Compared with the LPFo-free extenders, significantly higher (P < 0.05) sperm PMI and MMP were observed in BTS and MR-A extenders supplemented with LPFo during storage for three days at 5°C. Spermatozoa stored in the BTS-LPFo extender exhibited higher (P < 0.05) TMOT and oxygen consumption, whereas higher (P < 0.05) PMI was observed in spermatozoa stored in Androhep-LPFo and MR-A-LPFo for three days at 16°C. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in ATP content were observed between the LPFo-free and LPFo-based extenders during storage. Conclusions: Supplementation of LPFo to semen extenders had varying effects on the metabolic activity of boar spermatozoa stored at different temperatures. It can be suggested that the interactions of various components of the extenders and seminal plasma with LPFo exert beneficial effects on the sperm metabolic activity during liquid storage of boar semen.

OBJECTIVE To determine the pharmacokinetics of meloxicam in domestic hens and duration and quantity of drug residues in their eggs following PO administration of a single dose (1 mg of meloxicam/kg). ANIMALS 8 healthy adult White Leghorn hens. PROCEDURES Hens were administered 1 mg of meloxicam/kg PO once. A blood sample was collected immediately before and at intervals up to 48 hours after drug administration. The hens' eggs were collected for 3 weeks after drug administration. Samples of the hens' plasma, egg whites (albumen), and egg yolks were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS The half-life, maximum concentration, and time to maximum concentration of meloxicam in plasma samples were 2.8 hours, 7.21 μg/mL, and 2 hours, respectively. Following meloxicam administration, the drug was not detected after 4 days in egg whites and after 8 days in egg yolks. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results indicated that meloxicam administered at a dose of 1 mg/kg PO in chickens appears to maintain plasma concentrations equivalent to those reported to be therapeutic for humans for 12 hours. The egg residue data may be used to aid establishment of appropriate drug withdrawal time recommendations.

Immunoprophylatic effect of IgY against B. bronchispetica was proven with 100% preventive rate in mice administrated with IgY with antibody titer 1:640~1:2,560. Intramuscular administration was more efficient than oral administration. This phenomenon was also observed in the therapeutic effects of IgY after challenge with B. bronchseptica in mice. In the field trials with the egg yolk antibodies from hens immunized with combined antigens with B. bronchiseptica and parvovirus, curing rates in dogs with severe clnical signs such as bloody diarrhea were 81.6% and 86.7% by intramuscular or subcutaneous administration of IgY, respectively.

This study compared a new live attenuated Salmonella Enteritidis vaccine candidate secreting Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (SE-LTB) with a commercial Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) vaccine for efficacy of protection against SE infection in laying hens. Chickens were divided into 3 groups of 20 each. Group A chickens were inoculated orally with phosphate-buffered saline and served as controls, group B chickens were inoculated orally with the vaccine candidate, and group C chickens were inoculated intramuscularly with a commercial vaccine, the primary inoculation in groups B and C being at 10 wk of age and the booster at 16 wk. Groups B and C showed significantly higher titers of plasma immunoglobulin G, intestinal secretory immunoglobulin A, and egg yolk immunoglobulin Y antibodies compared with the control group, and both vaccinated groups showed a significantly elevated cellular immune response. After virulent challenge, group B had significantly lower production of thin-shelled and/or malformed eggs and a significantly lower rate of SE contamination of eggs compared with the control group. Furthermore, the challenge strain was detected significantly less in all of the examined organs of group B compared with the control group. Group C had lower gross lesion scores only in the spleen and had lower bacterial counts only in the spleen, ceca, and ovary. These findings indicate that vaccination with the SE-LTB vaccine candidate can efficiently reduce internal egg and internal organ contamination by Salmonella and has advantages over the commercial vaccine.

Chicken egg yolk IgG can be absorbed and transferred as efficiently as colostral antibodies in the blood of neonatal pigs. Egg yolk IgG has a half-life of 1.85 days in newborn pig serum. This is shorter than the reported half-life (12 to 14 days) of homologous IgG in serum of pigs. Similar to colostral antibodies, egg yolk IgG absorption from intestine ceased at about 34 hours of age, after a logarithmic decrease in absorption rate from birth. Egg yolk IgG absorption inhibition time in the gastrointestinal tract took 1.73 hours to decrease by half. Egg yolk IgG was protective against experimentally induced diarrhea in pigs when it was administered at high dose, and multiple dosing was instituted. Adverse effects were not observed when chicken egg yolk IgG was administered orally to pigs.

The protective effects of egg yolk powder prepared from hens vaccinated with heat-extracted antigens from K99-piliated enterotoxigenic Escherichia Coli (ETEC) strain 431 were evaluated in a colostrum-fed calf model of ETEC-induced diarrhea caused by a heterologous strain (B44). The antibody powder was obtained by spray-drying the water-soluble protein fraction of egg yolks after removing the lipid and fatty components by precipitation with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose phthalate. A total of 16 colostrum-fed calves were studied to determine whether the orally administered antibody powder would prevent fatal bovine colibacillosis caused by a virulent ETEC strain. Clinical response of individual calves was monitored and evaluated in the context of these variables: fecal consistency score, intestinal colonization, weight loss, and mortality. Control calves that were treated with vehicle (milk with egg yolk powder from nonimmunized hens) had severe diarrhea and dehydration and died within 72 hours after infection was manifested. In contrast, calves fed milk containing egg yolk powder with antipili agglutinin titers of 1:800 and 1:1,600 had transient diarrhea, 100% survival, and good body weight gain during the course of the study. Results indicate that the orally administered egg yolk powder protected against ETEC-induced diarrhea in neonatal calves and that the protective components may have been the antibodies raised by vaccination of chickens against ETEC.

This study was carried out to produce IgY against B. bronchiseptica, parvovirus and distemper virus that are major pathogens in alimentary and/or respiratory diseases of dogs. In the comparison of adjuvants, ISA70 was the best in the rapid induction and maintence of antibody titers. Agglutination antibody titers against B. bronchiseptica were 1:1,280~1:10,240 in sera and 1:160~1:1,280 in egg yolk. Hemagglutination inhibition(HI) titers against parvovirus in sera and egg yolk were 1:80~1:320 and 1:64~1:256, respectively. Virus neutralization titers against canine distemper was 1:8~1:64 in sera and egg yolk.