Background: Cytarabine is considered a cornerstone of treating acute leukemia. Xerostomia is among the adverse effects that can dictate treatment cessation or the use of some agents that decrease its cytotoxic effects.Objectives: This study aims to identify the histological effects of cytarabine on the rabbits’ parotid gland and to assess the ameliorating α–tocopherol impact on these effects.Methods: The study rabbits were separated into 4 groups. Group A (control) was given 1 mL of intraperitoneal (IP) injection of normal saline/day for 10 days. Group B received α-tocopherol (800 IU) by gavage for 10 days. Group C received cytarabine (60 mg/kg/d) IP for 10 days. Group D received α-tocopherol (800 IU) by gavage before injection of cytarabine (60 mg/kg) at the same time for 10 days. The rabbits were euthanized, and tissue preparation for analyzing microscopically and immunohistochemically for B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and tumor-necrosis-factor (TNF)-α was achieved. Results: Microscopically, group B’s parotid salivary gland sections revealed increased thickness of connective tissue of the trabeculae, degeneration, and necrosis of serous acini cells with aggregation of inflammatory cells. In contrast to the histopathological alteration of the glands in group C, which is characterized by intact serous acini, intercalated duct, and normal thickness of trabeculae, in the cytarabine group, TNF-α immunohistochemical expression was of grade 3 and in the cytarabine with α-tocopherol group was of grade 1. The Bcl-2 immunohistochemical expression in the cytarabine group was of grade 0, and in the cytarabine with α-tocopherol group was of grade 1. Conclusion: α-Tocopherol decreases cytarabine toxicity in the rabbits’ parotid salivary glands.

Background: Sedative agents are utilized to mitigate stress and improve fish welfare during and after transportation. Objectives: We aimed to assess the effects of myrcene addition to the transportation water on the plasma biochemical profile of common carp, Cyprinus carpio. Methods: For this purpose, common carp (mean weight of 45.3±1.65 g) were transported in plastic bags containing myrcene at concentrations of 0 (CTL), 10 (10 M), 20 (20 M), 30 (30 M), and 50 (50 M) µL/L for 6 h. Then, their plasma parameters were compared to those values before transportation (BT). Results: Transportation significantly (P<0.05) decreased plasma total protein, albumin, alternative complement, lysozyme, sodium, and chloride, while increasing potassium, calcium, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase in the CTL treatment, as compared to BT. Adding 50 µL/L myrcene to water prevented total plasma protein and albumin loss. Supplementing 20 µL/L myrcene to water prevented or reduced the changes in plasma ions, alanine aminotransferase, and alkaline phosphatase. Addition of 10-50 µL/L myrcene to water decreased the changes in plasma aspartate aminotransferase. Adding 20 and 30 µL/L myrcene to water mitigated the changes in plasma alternative complement, as 30 µL/L myrcene increased plasma lysozyme activity. Transportation and myrcene addition had no significant effects on plasma immunoglobulin (P>0.05). However, a significant increase was observed in plasma globulin in the 20 M treatment (P<0.05). Conclusion: In summary, adding 20 µL/L myrcene to the transport water of common carp reduced hepatic enzyme levels and improved immune parameters, and therefore, the use of myrcene improves fish welfare during transportation.

Background: The Rembi sheep breed is renowned for its exceptional meat quality and significant economic profit. Nevertheless, there is a gap in research on the hepatic parameters of this breed in Algeria despite the considerable value of the liver in the Algerian population’s diet.   Objectives: The research aimed to determine the impact of physiological factors (age, physiological stage, and body condition score) on biochemical sheep liver parameters. Methods: Sixty clinically healthy female Rembi breed sheep, aged between 3 months and 7 years, raised at the Technical Institute of Livestock (ITELV) Ksar Chellala Farm in Tiaret Province, Algeria, were selected for biochemical analysis and assessing aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), total bilirubin (TBIL), direct bilirubin (DBIL), albumin (ALB), and total protein (TP).Results: The concentrations of AST, ALP, and GGT increased significantly (P≤0.001) in young sheep, while ALT and TP levels decreased (P≤0.05). However, a high level of GGT (P<0.001) was also observed in lactating ewes, and during pregnancy, females have a low level of ALP (P<0.001). Furthermore, the body condition score does not affect any of the measurements.Conclusion: Considering the animal’s age and physiological stage is critical before interpreting the results.

Background: Fertility in male animals is an important issue in veterinary medicine. Exposure to severe crowding and fattening may affect the fertility of these animals. Objectives: This study compares the effect of oxidative stress caused by overcrowding or obesity on testicular tissue in male albino mice. Methods: A total of 30 male mice were divided into 3 groups. The first was a control group. The second group was subjected to crowding by cramming 20 mice in a small cage. The third group was fattened by eating a high-fat diet. Morphometric cells and histological measurements of the seminiferous tubule diameter, epithelium thickness, and Sertoli and Leydig cell counts were taken. Results: The crowding group testes showed the presence of necrosis and degeneration of spermatocytes, Sertoli, and Leydig cells. The obese group’s spermatocytes, Sertoli, and Leydig cells had shown severe necrosis, degeneration, and giant cell invasion. Histomorphometric measurements of seminiferous tubule diameter, epithelium-thickness, and Sertoli and Leydig cell counts revealed a considerable reduction in the obese group compared to the other groups. Furthermore, in the crowding and fattening groups, measurements of oxidative stress indicators revealed a decrease in glutathione value in the obese group compared to the control, whereas malondialdehyde rose in the overcrowded and obese groups compared to the control. The results of the immunohistochemical expressions for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the testes of mice revealed weak TNF-α positive expression in the control group, moderate expression in the crowding group, and strong expression in the obesity group. Conclusion: The study suggests that both obesity and crowding can impair testicular function, with obesity having the most significant impact. More research into the mechanisms underlying these effects, as well as potential interventions to improve testicular function in obese or overcrowded animals, is required.

Background: In cats, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) stands out as a prevailing heart disease. The mutations in the gene that encodes cardiac myosin-binding protein C (MYBPC3) have been detected in the Ragdoll and Maine Coon breeds. Objectives: HCM is believed to be hereditary in other breeds, too. Methods: Blood samples were collected for DNA extraction from 2 unaffected and 7 affected Persian breed cats with HCM. Besides accomplishing conventional polymerase chain reaction, DNA sequencing was performed. The sequence changes were utilized to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms in the MYBPC3 gene and predict amino acid substitutions based on the Acc. No. XM_019812396.1 and comparisons with the literature on identified breed variants and control samples.Results: Although many single nucleotide polymorphisms were found in the affected and unaffected Persian cats, no causative mutation for HCM was observed.Conclusion: In this breed, HCM does not seem to be caused solely by mutations in this cardiac gene. Potential cardiac genes should be investigated to uncover other genetic reasons for this cardiac disease in the Persian cat breed.

Background: Aflatoxins are harmful mycotoxins that can contaminate animal and human food products. To prevent toxigenic fungi growth and aflatoxin production, researchers have long investigated plant compounds as potential inhibitory agents.Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro effect of berberine sulfate and berberine chloride on the growth and aflatoxin production of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus.Methods: The antifungal activity of berberine salts was determined according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) document M38-A3. The aflatoxin levels were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method.Results: The berberine sulfate and berberine chloride showed inhibitory effects against both Aspergillus species, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 125 to 500 µg/mL. Berberine sulfate at 2000 μg/mL and berberine chloride at 1000 μg/mL completely inhibited the mycelial growth of A. flavus, while berberine chloride at 1000 μg/mL also completely inhibited the mycelial growth of A. parasiticus. Berberine sulfate at 2000 µg/mL reduced the mycelial growth of A. parasiticus by 96.7%. Conclusion: Berberine salts significantly decreased the total aflatoxin production of Aspergillus species at MIC/2 and MIC/4 concentrations (P˂0.05). The results suggest that berberine salts could be used as potential antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic agents against toxigenic Aspergillus isolates.

Background: Honey, a naturally sweet food product, exhibits several health beneficial effects. The quality of honey differs by its microbiological, physicochemical, and antioxidant properties, which can significantly vary from brand to brand and country to country. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of honey brands distributed in Tehran City, Iran, and compare these parameters with national and international standards. Methods: Five brands (Shakelli, Khansar, Golagin, Shafi, and Kral) of honey in Tehran were selected, and 5 samples of each brand were collected from supermarkets and analyzed by standard methods for physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 20. Results: The results depicted significant differences among studied honey brands in all physicochemical properties (except for ash, total reducing sugars, and sucrose content) and antioxidant activity (P<0.05). The moisture, ash, pH, free acidity, total reducing sugars, sucrose, diastase, and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) contents of honey brands ranged within 16.30%-15.34%, 0.24%-0.40%, 4.27-4.39 units, 9.15-10.68 meq/kg, 77.84%-79.74%, 3.66%-4.57%, 2.28-3.28 DN (diastase number), and 6.67-11.84 mg/kg, respectively. Thus, the physicochemical properties of studied honey brands, except for diastase activity, were within national and international legal ranges. Moreover, total phenolic contents (TPC) and radical scavenging activity (RSA) of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) of honey brands ranged within 28.72-39.36 mg GAE/100 g and 63.83%-73.91%, respectively. In addition, a highly significant positive correlation was observed between TPC and RSA of DPPH of honey samples (r=0.798, P<0.01). Conclusion: The studied honey brands were of good quality and met national and international standards.

Green synthesis of nanoparticles is an environmentally friendly method to produce nanoparticles with unique biological, physical, and chemical properties. Today, biological synthesis methods have drawn significant attention because of the drawbacks of physical and chemical synthesis, such as poisonous side effects, time and power usage, and heavy price. Among different microorganisms, cyanobacteria are suitable candidates as regenerating and stabilizing agents because of their capability to collect heavy metals from the environment and produce various bioactive compounds such as colorants and enzymes. The green synthesis of nanoparticles by cyanobacteria has captivated extensive consideration as a secure, easy, stable, economical, and environmentally friendly resolution for biomedical and veterinary applications. Meanwhile, the secondary metabolites synthesized by cyanobacteria with the ability of extracellular and extracellular metals reduction and oxidation are very noteworthy and have antibacterial, antifungal, anti-algae, anticancer, and photocatalytic activities. This study considers the properties, as well as biomedical and veterinary applications of nanoparticles generated by cyanobacteria.

Background: Salmonella is known as one of the most important bacterial agents infecting both humans and animals. Salmonella Infantis has been reported as one of the 15 most prevalent serovars worldwide. Despite its clinical importance, there is little information on the molecular characteristics of S. Infantis in Iran. Objectives: This study was conducted to characterize S. Infantis isolates collected from poultry sources in the last decade. The isolates were typified by plasmid profile and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC-PCR). Methods: Forty S. Infantis isolates from poultry sources were subjected to plasmid profile and ERIC-PCR characterization. We used a commercial plasmid extraction kit to extract and purify plasmid DNA which then was separated by gel electrophoresis and viewed under a UV transilluminator. For ERIC-PCR, a commercial bacterial chromosomal DNA extraction kit was used. In this study, we chose ERIC2 primer for the ERIC-PCR test. Results: The plasmid profile revealed that 35% of isolates did not contain any plasmids, but the rest (65%) carried a variable number of plasmids with different molecular weights. Six plasmid profiles were found among 40 S. Infantis isolates. Using ERIC2 primer, 7 profiles were found among 40 S. Infantis isolates in ERIC-PCR. Bands with molecular weights ranging from 400 to 3000 bp were observed.Conclusion: This study provided some genetic data on S. Infantis isolates recovered from poultry sources, and these data can be used for a broader epidemiological study nationwide. These findings showed that although plasmid and ERIC profiles are valuable in epidemiological studies, they have some limitations, too.

Background: Nanoparticles are increasingly exposed to ecosystems and people due to their large-scale manufacture and usage. The use of nanomaterials has increased their discharge into the aquatic environment.Objectives: This research evaluated the protective effect of Spirulina platensis against liver damage and oxidative stress in grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) after exposure to Iron oxide nanoparticles.Methods: Juvenile grey mullets were randomly classified into 12 equal groups: Group 0, 96h control group; Group 1, 60 days control group; Group 2, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) at 15mg/kg for 96h; Group 3, IONPs at 15mg/kg for 60 days; Group 4, S. platensis at 300mg/kg for 96h; Group 5, S. platensis at 300mg/kg for 60 days, Group 6, IONPs at 15mg/kg+S. platensis at 300mg/kg for 96h; Group 7, IONPs at 15mg/kg+S. platensis at 300mg/kg for 60 days; Group 8, IONPs at 15mg/kg (for 2 weeks) followed by S. platensis at 300mg/kg for 96h; Group 9, IONPs at 15mg/kg (for 2 weeks) followed by S. platensis at 300mg/kg for 60 days; Group 10, S. platensis at 300mg/kg (for 2 weeks) followed by IONPs at 15mg/kg for 96h; Group 11, S. platensis at 300mg/kg (for 2 weeks) followed by IONPs at 15mg/kg for 60 days. At the end of the experiment, samples of the liver were extracted and subjected to analyses to measure reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and malondialdehyde (MDA)Results: MDA levels in the liver were shown to have dramatically risen in the current investigation, but antioxidant SOD and GSH activity in the IONPs-treated group had significantly reduced compared to the controls. When compared to fish solely treated with IONPs, S. platensis treatment dramatically reduced liver MDA and CAT activity and raised SOD and GSH.Conclusion: All prior metrics significantly improved when IONPs-induced liver damage in fish was prevented by spirulina. By scavenging free radicals, reducing inflammation, and restoring endogenous antioxidant defense systems, S. platensis therapy has a protective effect in the liver of grey mullet against damage and oxidative stress in the IONPs.