Survey on parasites of Rutilus frisii Kutum in South west of Caspian Sea with the emphasis of pathology of Dactylogyrus frisii and morphological identification of Paradiplozoon sp and Anisakis sp

Rutilus frisii Kutum is one of the most precious fish in the Caspian Sea. Investigation of the various aspects of its biocharactristics. Including its parasite fauna and ecological aspects are of prime importance. In this study the farmed kutum fry were on the focus of investigation in various seasons of the year and prior to their being released in the sea. This included also the study on the kutum spawners caught both from liver and the sea. The results were that 17 external and internal parasite species were distinct within different organs which were further identified down to genus and species. The single celled parasites identified included Ichthyophthirius multifilils, Chilodonella hexastica, Chilodonella pisicola, Trichodina sp Along with the monogene parasites that included Paradiplozoon chazaricum, D. rarissimus, D. turaliensis, D. nybelini, Dactylogyrus frisii. Meanwhile Diplostomum spathaceum constituted the single eyed parasites and the intestinal termatode were Aspidogaster limacoides, Asymphyoldora kubanicum as well as Bothriocephalus gowkongeniss as the sestads. The nematodes defrentiated were Raphidascaris acus, Dioctophyma renale, and Eustrongylides excisus followed by Lernaea cyprinacea as a crustacean. In this study, infestations by single celled parasites, crustaceans and sestod were found to be present only among the farmed kutum fry which varied in terms of percentage and intensity of infection as well as the parasite species and season of the year. The highest percentage of infection among kutum fry and spawners in both fresh water and in the sea during all seasons belonged to monogene parasites (33%). This was up to 100% among spawners. Infection caused by nematodes was exclusively detected among riverine spawners (7.5-5%) and the infection by Asymphyoldora kubanicum and Aspidogaster limacoides among Spawners caught at Sea and rivers varied within different seasons of the year. The infestation of Metacercer diplostomum spathaceum among kutum fry was 12% which compared to spawners was in slightly higher level. The study could identify Dioctophyma renale for the first time in the country and Eustrongylidis excisu was also detected among Rutilus frisii kutum.

The possible identification and introduction of metallothionein in Persian Sturgeon (Acipenser persicus)

Due to anthropogenic activities, toxic metals still represent a threat for various marine organisms. Metallothionein (MT) and cadmium concentration in gills, liver, and kidney tissues and cadmium partitioning in soluble (cytosol) and insoluble fractions of mentioned tissues of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) were determined following exposure to sub-lethal levels of waterborne cadmium (Cd) (50, 400 and 1000 μg L-1) after 1, 2, 4 and 14 days. The increases of MT from background levels in comparison to controls were 4.6-, 3-, and 2.8-fold for kidney, liver, and gills, respectively after 14 days. The matallothionein concentration in liver was in the range of 56.89-168.44 μgL-1 and for kidney and gills, 39.78-189.30 and 28.15-91.20 μgL-1, respectively. The results showed that MT level change in the kidney is time and concentration dependent. Also, cortisol measurement revealed elevation at the day 1 of exposure and that followed by MT increase in the liver. Cd concentrations in the cytosol of experimental tissues were measured and the results indicated that Cd levels in the cytosol of liver, kidney, and gills increased 240.71-, 32.05-, and 40.16-fold, respectively 14 days after exposure to 1000 μgL-1 Cd. The accumulation of Cd in cytosol of tissues is in the order of liver > gills > kidney. Spearman correlation coefficients showed the MT content in kidney is correlated with Cd concentration, the value of which is more than in liver and gills. Thus, kidney can be considered as a tissue indicator in Acipenser persicus for waterborne Cd contamination. Also, tissue metal accumulations (gills, liver, kidney and muscle) in Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) were compared following exposure to sublethal levels of waterborne Cd (50, 400 and 1000 μg L-1) after periods of 1, 2, 4 and 14 days. Meanwhile, the trends of Cd concentration increase in different tissues during the exposure periods and concentrations were modelled as equations. The obtained results indicate that at the end of 4 and 14 days of exposure, total tissue cadmium concentration followed the pattern: liver> gill> kidney> muscle. Calculation of bioconcentration factor (BCF) after 14 days exposure showed that at low and high concentrations, highest BCFs were found in kidney and liver, respectively. According to the results, the accumulation capacity of muscle was the lowest at all exposure concentrations. The hematological parameters including osmolarity, total protein, cortisol and glucose of plasma were measured, too. Total protein of plasma was in the range of 416.90-1068.10 mg dl-1 plasma.Total protein decreased not significantly (P≥0.05) after exposure to Cd. Cortisol increased after 1 day exposure that followed by significant (P≤0.05) elevation of glucose. The range of cortisol was very vast and it was determined between 0.03 to 16.21 ng mL-1. The content of plasma osmolarity was in the range of 282.33-294.20 mOsmol L-1.Osmolarity of treated fish plasma showed no significant decrease (P≥0.05). Total protein in gills, liver, and kidney showed that at high concentrations of metal, protein content decreased significantly (P≤0.05) in the liver after 4 and 14 days exposure. Thus, total protein of liver and glucose of plasma can be used as general biomarkers of exposure to Cd. Also, the metallothionein and cadmium were measured in gills, kidney and liver of 8 wild Persian sturgeon caught in coast of Guilan Province. According to the results, the concentration of metallothionein was in the range of 45.87-154.66 microgram per liter with the maximum and minimum concentrations in liver and gills, respectively. The trend of cadmium concentration in cytosol of tissues was: liver> kidney> gills. The results of Spearman correlation test showed that there was a significant positive correlation between metallothionein and cadmium in cytosol of liver (r2= 0.850, p≤ 0.01). In the kidney, the correlation between cadmium and metallothionein was significantly positive (r2= 0.731, p≥ 0.05). But there was not such significant correlation in the gills (p≥ 0.05).

Ultrasound and microwave assisted extraction of ergosterol from Agaricus bisporus L.: optimization through response surface methodology

There is scientific evidence demonstrating the benefits of mushrooms ingestion due to their richness in bioactive compounds such as mycosterols, in particular ergosterol [I]. Agaricus bisporus L. is the most consumed mushroom worldwide presenting 90% of ergosterol in its sterol fraction [2]. Thus, it is an interesting matrix to obtain ergosterol, a molecule with a high commercial value. According to literature, ergosterol concentration can vary between 3 to 9 mg per g of dried mushroom. Nowadays, traditional methods such as maceration and Soxhlet extraction are being replaced by emerging methodologies such as ultrasound (UAE) and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) in order to decrease the used solvent amount, extraction time and, of course, increasing the extraction yield [2]. In the present work, A. bisporus was extracted varying several parameters relevant to UAE and MAE: UAE: solvent type (hexane and ethanol), ultrasound amplitude (50 - 100 %) and sonication time (5 min-15 min); MAE: solvent was fixed as ethanol, time (0-20 min), temperature (60-210 •c) and solid-liquid ratio (1-20 g!L). Moreover, in order to decrease the process complexity, the pertinence to apply a saponification step was evaluated. Response surface methodology was applied to generate mathematical models which allow maximizing and optimizing the response variables that influence the extraction of ergosterol. Concerning the UAE, ethanol proved to be the best solvent to achieve higher levels of ergosterol (671.5 ± 0.5 mg/100 g dw, at 75% amplitude for 15 min), once hexane was only able to extract 152.2 ± 0.2 mg/100 g dw, in the same conditions. Nevertheless, the hexane extract showed higher purity (11%) when compared with the ethanol counterpart ( 4% ). Furthermore, in the case of the ethanolic extract, the saponification step increased its purity to 21%, while for the hexane extract the purity was similar; in fact, hexane presents higher selectivity for the lipophilic compounds comparatively with ethanol. Regarding the MAE technique, the results showed that the optimal conditions (19 ± 3 min, 133 ± 12 •c and 1.6 ± 0.5 g!L) allowed higher ergosterol extraction levels (556 ± 26 mg/100 g dw). The values obtained with MAE are close to the ones obtained with conventional Soxhlet extraction (676 ± 3 mg/100 g dw) and UAE. Overall, UAE and MAE proved to he efficient technologies to maximize ergosterol extraction yields.

Extraction, identification, fractionation and isolation of phenolic compounds in plants with hepatoprotective effects

The liver is one of the most important organs of human body, being involved in several vital functions and regulation of physiological processes. Given its pivotal role in the excretion of waste metabolites and drugs detoxification, the liver is often subjected to oxidative stress that leads to lipid peroxidation and severe cellular damage. The conventional treatments of liver diseases such as cirrhosis, fatty liver and chronic hepatitis are frequently inadequate due to side effects caused by hepatotoxic chemical drugs. To overcome this problematic paradox, medicinal plants, owing to their natural richness in phenolic compounds, have been intensively exploited concerning their extracts and fraction composition in order to find bioactive compounds that could be isolated and applied in the treatment of liver ailments. The present review aimed to collect the main results of recent studies carried out in this field and systematize the information for a better understanding of the hepatoprotective capacity of medicinal plants in in vitro and in vivo systems. Generally, the assessed plant extracts revealed good hepatoprotective properties, justifying the fractionation and further isolation of phenolic compounds from different parts of the plant. Twenty-five phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, lignan compounds, phenolic acids and other phenolic compounds, have been isolated and identified, and proved to be effective in the prevention and/or treatment of chemically induced liver damage. In this perspective, the use of medicinal plant extracts, fractions and phenolic compounds seems to be a promising strategy to avoid side effects caused by hepatotoxic chemicals.

Species-specific kinetics and zonation of hepatic DNA synthesis induced by ligands of PPARα

PPARα ligands evoke a profound mitogenic response in rodent liver, and the aim of this study was to characterise the kinetics of induction of DNA synthesis. The CAR ligand, 1,4-bis[2-(3,5- dichoropyridyloxy)]benzene, caused induction of hepatocyte DNA synthesis within 48 hours in 129S4/SvJae mice, but the potent PPARα ligand, ciprofibrate, induced hepatocyte DNA synthesis only after 3 or 4 days dosing; higher or lower doses did not hasten the DNA synthesis response. This contrasted with the rapid induction (24 hours) reported by Styles et al. (Carcinogenesis 9:1647-1655). C57BL/6 and DBA/2J mice showed significant induction of DNA synthesis after 4, but not 2, days ciprofibrate treatment. Alderley Park and 129S4/SvJae mice dosed with methylclofenapate induced hepatocyte DNA synthesis at 4, but not 2, days after dosing, and proved that inconsistency with prior work was not due to a difference in mouse strain or PPARα ligand. Ciprofibrate-induced liver DNA synthesis and growth was absent in PPARα- null mice, and are PPARα-dependent. In the Fisher344 rat, hepatocyte DNA synthesis was induced at 24 hours after dosing, with a second peak at 48 hours. Lobular localisation of hepatocyte DNA synthesis showed preferential periportal induction of DNA synthesis in rat, but panlobular zonation of hepatocyte DNA synthesis in mouse. These results characterise a markedly later hepatic induction of panlobular DNA synthesis by PPARα ligands in mouse, compared to rapid induction of periportal DNA synthesis in rat.

Leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activity of extracts and saponins from Ilex laurina (Aquifoliaceae)

Purpose: To evaluate the leishmanicidal and cytotoxic activity of alcohol and non-alcohol extracts and saponins from Ilex laurina . Methods: Extracts were obtained by percolation with solvents of different polarities: hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and ethanol. The ethyl acetate extract was subjected to silica gel column chromatography eluting with a step gradient of dichloromethane-methanol. All products were evaluated in vitro for leishmanicidal activity against amastigotes of leishmania panamensis and cytotoxicity on U- 937 cells. Results: Two saponins were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract. The ethyl acetate extract showed high leishmanicidal activity against intracellular amastigotes of L. panamensis (EC50, 7.5 ± 1.5 μg/mL) and low activity against axenic amastigotes (EC50, 52.8 ±1.6 μg/mL); this extract showed also high cytotoxicity (LC50, 57.7 ± 12.1 μg/mL). Saponin 2 exhibited high activity against intracellular amastigotes (EC50, 5.9 ± 0.5 μg/mL) but also showed high cytotoxicity on U-937 cells (EC50, 25.7 ± 6.1 μg/mL). This compound showed similar leishmanicidal activity and cytotoxicity to meglumine antimoniate and amphotericin B, respectively, drugs currently used for the treatment of leishmaniasis. Conclusions: Based on these results, Ilex laurina is a potential source of compounds that can lead to the development of new therapeutic alternatives against leishmaniasis.

Biomarker evaluation and toxicological study of essential oils of Foeniculum vulgare and Calamintha nepeta

The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicological properties of EOs of F. vulgare and C. nepeta, widespread in Mediterranean agrosilvopastoral systems and often used as food condiments in Alentejo. EOs were obtained from aerial part of plants by hydrodistillation and chemical composition was evaluated by GC-FID. Toxicity of essential oils was evaluated by the estimation of LC50 in brine shrimp and LD50 in mice. Oral toxicity assays were performed in mice. Histological analyses and quantification of biomarkers aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutamyltransferase (γ-GT), bilirubin, creatinine and urea were performed for monitoring liver and kidney functions. the EOs of C. nepeta and F. vulgare showed very low toxicity suggesting their potential use as food supplement. Additionally, our studies point out the importance of the integration of C. nepeta and F. vugare in silvopastoral agroforestry systems, contributing to the animal health and profitability of livestock.

Bioaccumulation and elimination of Endosulfan in zebra fish (Brachydanio rerio).

The bioaccumulation and elimination of endosulfan in zebra fish (Brachydanio rerio) were investigated in a semi-static bioassay. The pesticide mean concentration in water was 03ug litre(-1) and the level of endosulfan residues (x(alfa)+B(beta)-isomers+endosulfan sulfate) in the exposed fish at day 21 was 0.81 (+-0.12)ug g(-1) body weight. The estimated value of the bioconcentration factor (BCF) was 2650 (+-441), the total endosulfan residues being eliminated with a biological half-life of four days. Histopathological studies showed predominantly lipid accumulation in the liver and necrotic focus in the gills of exposed fish.

Machine Learning methods for hepatocellular malignancies segmentation and MVI prediction

The aim of this thesis project is to automatically localize HCC tumors in the human liver and subsequently predict if the tumor will undergo microvascular infiltration (MVI), the initial stage of metastasis development. The input data for the work have been partially supplied by Sant'Orsola Hospital and partially downloaded from online medical databases. Two Unet models have been implemented for the automatic segmentation of the livers and the HCC malignancies within it. The segmentation models have been evaluated with the Intersection-over-Union and the Dice Coefficient metrics. The outcomes obtained for the liver automatic segmentation are quite good (IOU = 0.82; DC = 0.35); the outcomes obtained for the tumor automatic segmentation (IOU = 0.35; DC = 0.46) are, instead, affected by some limitations: it can be state that the algorithm is almost always able to detect the location of the tumor, but it tends to underestimate its dimensions. The purpose is to achieve the CT images of the HCC tumors, necessary for features extraction. The 14 Haralick features calculated from the 3D-GLCM, the 120 Radiomic features and the patients' clinical information are collected to build a dataset of 153 features. Now, the goal is to build a model able to discriminate, based on the features given, the tumors that will undergo MVI and those that will not. This task can be seen as a classification problem: each tumor needs to be classified either as “MVI positive” or “MVI negative”. Techniques for features selection are implemented to identify the most descriptive features for the problem at hand and then, a set of classification models are trained and compared. Among all, the models with the best performances (around 80-84% ± 8-15%) result to be the XGBoost Classifier, the SDG Classifier and the Logist Regression models (without penalization and with Lasso, Ridge or Elastic Net penalization).

Evaluation of clinical implications correlate to genetic polymorphisms and pharmacokinetic of transdermal fentanyl

ABSTRACT Background:Strong opioids are the treatment of choice for moderate to severe cancer-related pain. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid with high affinity for the μ-opioid receptor and is 75–100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is metabolised rapidly, particularly in the liver and only 10% is excreted as intact substance. The use of CYP3A4 inhibitors and inducers, impaired liver function, and heating of the patch potentially influence fentanyl pharmacokinetics in a clinically relevant way. The influence of BMI and gender on fentanyl pharmacokinetics is questionable. Pharmacogenetic, may influence fentanyl pharmacokinetic and other factors have been studied but did not show significant and clinically relevant effects on fentanyl pharmacokinetic. Method: This is a biological interventional prospective, single-center study in 49 patients with solid or haematological neoplasm treated with transdermal fentanyl undergoing 5-step pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic withdrawals from administration of the fentanyl patch. Objective:to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacogenetic of transdermal fentanyl in relation to the patient's clinical response on pain Results: Sex was the only parameter with evidence of different distribution between responders and non-responders , showing a major chance for male to be responders than females. We found some correlation with pharmacokinetic parameters and sex, regarding adverse events and NRS correlation with BPI. NAT2 and UGT2B7 polymorphisms are associated with AUC and Cmax kinetics parameters, NAT2 and CYP4F2 showed some evidence of association with the fentanyl dosage and CYP2B6 polymorphism seemed to be correlate with side effects. Conclusion: Small sample size of study population make difficult do find some significant correlation between pharmacogenetic, pharmacokinetic and clinical response. Larger studies are needed to increase knowledge about response to opioid treatment in cancer patients to better individualized pain treatment.

Determinação direta de molibdênio em comprimidos polivitamínicos por voltametria em meio não aquoso

Adsorptive stripping voltammetry carried out in a homogeneous ternary solvent composed of N,N-dimethylformamide, water and ethanol, with alpha-benzoinoxime (alphaBO) as the complexing agent for Mo(VI) and a 0.5 mol L-1 acetic acid - sodium acetate buffer as supporting electrolyte was successfully used for the determination of molybdenum in polyvitamin-polymineral tablets. Tablet samples were analyzed and the results were compared with those obtained both by graphite furnace atomic absorption and by recovery tests, with good correlations, indicating that this may be considered as an alternative procedure for routine determination of Mo(VI) in pharmaceutical samples.

Análise morfológica e fisiológica dos fígados e rins de ratas prenhes e seus fetos tratados pela associação zidovudina, lamivudina e ritonavir durante toda a prenhez

OBJETIVO: avaliar os efeitos da administração da associação zidovudina-lamivudina-ritonavir nos fígados e rins de ratas prenhes e seus conceptos do ponto de vista morfológico e fisiológico. MÉTODOS: 40 ratas albinas prenhes foram aleatoriamente divididas em 4 grupos: 1 controle (Ctrl: controle de veículo) e 3 experimentais (Exp1x, Exp3x e Exp9x). Estes últimos foram tratados por solução oral de zidovudina/lamivudina/ritonavir (Exp1x: 10/5/20 mg/kg; Exp3x: 30/15/60 mg/kg; Exp9x: 90/45/180 mg/kg). As drogas e o veículo foram administrados por gavagem, desde o 1º até o 20º dia de prenhez. No último dia do experimento, todos os animais foram anestesiados e sangue foi retirado da cavidade cardíaca para avaliação sérica das enzimas aspartato aminotransferase (AST) e alanina aminotransferase (ALT), por método calorimétrico, bem como da ureia, determinada por método cinético-enzimático, e creatinina, por método cinético-colorimétrico. Em seguida, fragmentos dos fígados e rins maternos e fetais foram coletados, fixados em formol a 10% e processados segundo os métodos histológicos para inclusão em parafina. Cortes com 5 µm de espessura foram corados pela hematoxilina-eosina (HE) e analisados por microscopia de luz. Na leitura das lâminas, considerou-se o padrão de normalidade para fígado e rins, tais como: hepatócitos, espaço porta íntegros e veias hepáticas bem definidas. Nos rins, a presença de corpúsculos renais, túbulos contorcidos e alças de Henle típicos. Nos fígados fetais considerou-se, ainda, a morfologia das células da linhagem eritrocitária nas diferentes fases do desenvolvimento, bem como os megacariócitos. Quando houve alteração da coloração padrão estabelecida para as estruturas hepáticas e renais, alteração na morfologia de núcleos, rompimento de limites de alguma organela citoplasmática, presença de congestão vascular, tudo isso foi entendido como provavelmente provocado pelas drogas em sua(s) dose(s) de aplicação. A avaliação estatística foi realizada por análise de variância (ANOVA), completada pelo teste de Tukey-Kramer (p<0,05). RESULTADOS: os fígados maternos dos grupos Ctrl, Exp1x e Exp3x mostraram hepatócitos típicos, espaço porta íntegros e veias hepáticas com aspecto normal. No fígado materno do grupo Exp9x, foram encontrados hepatócitos com sinais de atrofia e apoptose (eosinofilia citoplasmática e núcleos picnóticos). Além disso, identificou-se vasodilatação dos capilares sinusoides (congestão). Os rins maternos dos grupos Ctrl e Exp1x apresentaram-se normais, com corpúsculos renais, túbulos contorcidos e alças de Henle típicos. Já nos grupos Exp3x e Exp9x, foram encontrados congestão vascular, glomérulos pequenos ricos em células contendo núcleos hipercromáticos, sendo mais intensos no Exp9x. Com relação aos fígados e rins fetais, não foram observadas alterações morfológicas ou fisiológicas nos grupos estudados. Encontrou-se aumento significante nos níveis da AST (305,70±55,80; p<0,05) e da creatinina (0,50±0,09; p<0,05) no grupo Exp9x. CONCLUSÕES: nossos resultados evidenciam que a administração da associação zidovudina/lamivudina/ritonavir a ratas prenhes em altas doses causa alterações morfológicas e funcionais nos fígados e rins maternos. Não houve alterações nem morfológicas nem fisiológicas nos fígados e rins fetais.

Avaliação morfológica das membranas fetais e da placenta de Mazama gouazoubira (veado-catingueiro) de vida livre no terço inicial da gestação

Mazama gouazoubira, o veado-catingueiro, é uma espécie de cervídeo de porte pequeno, que pode ser encontrado na América do Sul, desde o sul do Uruguai até o norte de Mato Grosso, no Brasil. Este estudo teve como objetivo descrever as membranas fetais e a placenta de M. gouazoubira no terço inicial de gestação. As amostras coletadas foram analisadas macroscopicamente e microscopicamente. O exame do útero demonstrou uma gestação univitelina e um embrião com crown-rump de 13mm. Na análise do embrião pode ser observado o olho pigmentado, as saliências auriculares, o mesonefro e e metanefro em desenvolvimento, o fígado e sua proeminência externa, o estômago, os membros torácicos e os brotos dos membros pélvicos. A placenta apresentou-se oligocotiledonária e no útero puderam ser observadas nove carúnculas. O saco gestacional mediu 15cm de comprimento e, como observado no início da gestação dos ruminantes domésticos, os cotilédones não puderam ser identificados macroscopicamente. Uma fraca adesão foi observada entre as carúnculas e a membrana corioalantóica (cotilédones) que formavam os placentônios. A membrana corioalantóica demonstrou um alantóide bem vascularizado composto por uma fina camada de células de núcleos e citoplasmas alongados. Na outra face da membrana, o cório foi composto por células cúbicas, de citoplasmas escassos e núcleos grandes e arredondados, características de células trofoblásticas. Envolvendo o embrião visualizou-se o saco amniótico constituído de duas camadas passíveis de separação mecânica, que apresentaram morfologia similar, sendo formadas por um epitélio pavimentoso avascular. Não foi observado saco vitelino no estágio gestacional do espécime estudado. Conclui-se que a placenta de M. gouazoubira é oligocotiledonária, como observado em outros cervídeos, e que as membranas fetais apresentam semelhanças com a de outros ruminantes, incluindo as características citológicas. Estudos adicionais são necessários para determinar a presença do saco vitelino e quando ocorre sua regressão.

Biópsia hepática por laparotomia paracostal em bovinos e búfalos

A técnica de biópsia hepática em ruminantes tem importante valor no diagnóstico clínico de doenças tóxicas e metabólicas, em especial nos desequilíbrios minerais. As técnicas mais comumente utilizadas restringem análises devido ao limitado volume de tecido obtido. No presente trabalho, avaliou-se o uso de uma técnica de biópsia hepática por laparotomia paracostal em bovinos e búfalos. Foram utilizados 10 bovinos e 10 búfalos hígidos. Os animais foram mantidos em estação, sedados com xilazina e infiltrados localmente com lidocaína e epinefrina. O acesso à cavidade abdominal foi realizado por meio de uma incisão dorso-ventral de 15cm no flanco direito, iniciada ventralmente (cerca de 4-5cm) ao processo transverso da 2a ou 3a vértebra lombar e situada caudalmente (cerca de 4cm) e paralelamente à 13a costela, obtendo-se visualização do fígado. Foi então realizado pinçamento do bordo caudal do órgão com pinça Doyen para remoção de fragmento hepático (2 a 4g). Procedeu-se o fechamento da cavidade abdominal como de rotina. Foram analisados os parâmetros bioquímicos e hematológicos antes do procedimento (tempo zero) e após 24 horas, 48 horas, 5 dias e 10 dias após a biópsia. Todas as variáveis bioquímicas estudadas retornaram aos valores basais 5 e 10 dias após o procedimento nos bovinos e búfalos, respectivamente. O tempo médio de cirurgia por animal foi de 25 minutos. A biópsia hepática por laparotomia paracostal demonstrou ser uma técnica eficaz e de baixo risco à saúde dos animais, permitindo a coleta de suficiente quantidade de tecido hepática para realização de múltiplas análises.

Efeitos do teor de carboidratos solúveis sobre as características da silagem de cana-de-açúcar

Objetivou-se quantificar na cana-de-açúcar o teor de carboidratos solúveis (CHOs) que anula a produção de etanol e avaliar os efeitos desses carboidratos sobre o valor nutritivo e outras características fermentativas da silagem de cana-de-açúcar. Utilizou-se o delineamento inteiramente casualizado com três tratamentos, cada um com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos consistiram da retirada total do caldo da cana-de-açúcar, por meio de prensagem, e de sua reconstituição (0, 50 ou 100%) à cana. No nível de 50% de reconstituição, o caldo foi adicionado à cana juntamente com 50% de água e, no nível 0%, adicionou-se 100% de água à cana. A restituição resultou em concentrações de 41,6; 34,0 e 23,0% de carboidratos solúveis na matéria seca (MS). O material foi ensilado em 12 silos experimentais confeccionados a partir de baldes plásticos. A abertura dos silos foi realizada 85 dias após a ensilagem, quando foram determinados os teores dos ácidos orgânicos e a composição química das silagens. A retirada de carboidratos solúveis da cana-de-açúcar teve efeito linear decrescente sobre os teores de matéria seca, o teor de carboidratos solúveis e a digestibilidade in vitro da matéria seca (DIVMS) das silagens, no entanto, ocasionou aumento dos teores de fibra detergente ácido (FDA), fibra detergente neutro (FDN) e lignina. Observou-se efeito linear decrescente da retirada dos carboidratos solúveis sobre os teores de etanol e ácidos lático e butírico e as perdas de matéria seca das silagens. Não se observaram efeitos de tratamentos sobre os dados de estabilidade aeróbia. A produção de etanol seria nula se a cana-de-açúcar contivesse apenas 12,4% de CHOs com base na matéria seca (MS).