This study examined the effects of vitamin E on the prevention of aspirin-induced gastric lesions. The study was divided into two phases. Phase 1 determined the effects of various doses of palm vitamin E on the factors affecting mucosal integrity. Thirty-two male rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain (200-250 g) were randomly divided into four groups. Group I was fed a normal diet (control), Groups II, III and IV were fed a diet supplemented with palm vitamin E in a dose of 60 mg/kg food, 100 mg/kg food and 150 mg/kg food, respectively. The rats were killed after 4 weeks of feeding for the determination of gastric malondialdehyde (MDA), acid and mucus content. There was a significant decrease in gastric MDA and gastric acid in all the palm vitamin E supplemented groups compared to control. However, these doses of palm vitamin E had no significant effect on gastric mucus. The phase 2 study determined the effect of multiple doses of palm vitamin E and tocopherol on the prevention of aspirin-induced gastric lesions. Fifty rats of the same weight and strain were randomized into seven groups. Group I was fed a normal diet; groups II to IV were fed with a palm vitamin E enriched diet in doses of 60 mg, 100 mg and 150 mg/kg food, respectively; groups V to VII were fed with a tocopherol-enriched diet in doses of 20 mg, 30 mg and 50 mg/kg food, respectively. After 4 weeks of feeding with the respective diets the rats were challenged with a single intra-gastric dose of 400 mg/kg body weight aspirin suspended in propylene glycol. The rats were killed 6 h post-aspirin exposure for the determination of gastric lesion index and gastric parameters as mentioned in the phase I study. The gastric lesions index was significantly lower in all the vitamin E groups compared to control. The lowest ulcer index was observed in the groups that received 100 mg of palm vitamin E and 30 mg tocopherol in the diet. However, there was no significant difference in ulcer indices between palm vitamin E and tocopherol-treated groups. The lower ulcer index was only accompanied by lower gastric MDA content. We conclude that both palm vitamin E in doses of 60 mg, 100 mg and 150 mg/kg food as well as tocopherol in doses of 20 mg, 30 mg and 50 mg/kg food are equally effective in preventing aspirin-induced gastric lesions. The most probable mechanism is through their ability in limiting the lipid peroxidation that is involved in aspirin-induced gastric lesions.
In this study the effects of vitamin E deficiency and supplementation on bone calcification were determined using 4-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats. The rats weighed between 180 and 200 g. The study was divided in three parts. In experiment I the rats were given normal rat chow (RC, control group), a vitamin E deficient (VED) diet or a 50% vitamin E deficient (50%VED) diet. In experiment 2 the rats were given VED supplemented with 30 mg/kg palm vitamin E (PVE30), 60 mg/kg palm vitamin E (PVE60) or 30 mg/kg pure alpha-tocopherol (ATF). In experiment 3 the rats were fed RC and given the same supplements as in experiment 2. The treatment lasted 8 months. Vitamin E derived from palm oil contained a mixture of ATF and tocotrienols. Rats on the VED and 50%VED diets had lower bone calcium content in the left femur compared to the RC group (91.6 +/- 13.3 mg and 118.3 +/- 26.0 mg cf 165.7 +/- 15.2 mg; P < 0.05) and L5 vertebra (28.3 +/- 4.0 mg and 39.5 +/- 6.2 mg compared with 51.4 +/- 5.8 mg; P < 0.05). Supplementing the VED group with PVE60 improved bone calcification in the left femur (133.6 +/- 5.0 mg compared with 91.6 +/- 13.3 mg; P < 0.05) and L5 vertebra (41.3 +/- 3.3 mg compared with 28.3 +/- 4.0 mg; P < 0.05) while supplementation with PVE30 improved bone calcium content in the L5 vertebra (35.6 +/- 3.1 mg compared with 28.3 +/- 4.0 mg; P < 0.05). However, supplementation with ATF did not change the lumbar and femoral bone calcium content compared to the VED group. Supplementing the RC group with PVE30, PVE60 or ATF did not cause any significant changes in bone calcium content. In conclusion, vitamin E deficiency impaired bone calcification. Supplementation with the higher dose of palm vitamin E improved bone calcium content, but supplementation with pure ATF alone did not. This effect may be attributed to the tocotrienol content of palm vitamin E. Therefore, tocotrienols play an important role in bone calcification.
Nine cynomolgus monkeys were rotated randomly through four dietary treatments with each treatment lasting 6 weeks. A wash-out period of 4 weeks was maintained between each dietary rotation. The animals were fed diets containing 32% energy fat derived from palm olein (POL), lauric-myristic-rich oil blend (LM), American Heart Association (AHA) rich oil blend and hydrogenated soybean oil blend (trans). Diets were fed with (phase 1) or without (phase 2) the addition of dietary cholesterol (0.1%). In phase 1, when animals were fed without dietary cholesterol, plasma total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) was significantly raised and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) was significantly depressed by the trans diets relative to all other dietary treatments. The resulting LDL-C/HDL-C ratio was also significantly increased. The LM diet increased TC significantly relative to the AHA diet while LDL-C was significantly increased compared to both POL and AHA. Apolipoprotein (apo) B was not affected significantly by these dietary treatments. Apo A1 was significantly increased by POL relative to all other dietary treatments. The trans diet reduced apo A1 and the resulting apo B/A1 ratio was increased significantly by trans relative to all other dietary treatments. Addition of 0.1% dietary cholesterol to these diets almost doubled the plasma TC and LDL-C in all dietary treatments. However, HDL-C was only marginally higher with the addition of dietary cholesterol. The LM + C (cholesterol added) diet resulted in the highest TC and LDL-C that was significant compared to all other dietary treatments. Trans + C increased TC compared to POL + C and AHA + C diets while increases in the LDL-C did not attain significance. The addition of dietary cholesterol did not affect HDL-C between treatments whereas plasma triglycerides were significantly increased by the trans + C diet relative to all other treatments. Both the trans + C and LM + C diets increased apo B and decreased apo A1 relative to the POL + C and AHA + C diets. The resulting apo B/A1 ratio was similarly altered. These results affirm that the lauric + myristic acid combination, along with trans fatty acids, increased lipoprotein-associated coronary heart disease risk factors compared to either POL or AHA.
This study examined the effects of a tocotrienol-rich fraction (TRF) obtained from palm oil on the healing of aspirin-induced gastric mucosal lesions. Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were randomly divided into three groups. Group I was fed a vitamin E-deficient diet (control), Group II was fed a vitamin E-deficient diet supplemented with tocopherol (300 mg/kg food) and Group III was fed a vitamin E-deficient diet supplemented with TRF (300 mg/kg food). After eight weeks, the control and treated groups received a single intragastric dose of 400 mg/kg body weight aspirin. The rats were killed 24 h after exposure to aspirin. Assessment of gastric lesions showed a lower gastric lesion index in the TRF (P = 0.0005) and tocopherol groups (P = 0.0008) compared to the control. The gastric malondialdehyde (MDA) content was also lower in the TRF (P = 0.025) and tocopherol groups (P = 0.025) compared to control. There were, however, no significant differences in the gastric lesion index and gastric MDA content between the TRF and tocopherol-fed groups. There were no significant differences in the adherent gastric mucous concentration and gastric acid concentration among all groups. We conclude that the TRF and tocopherol are equally effective in preventing aspirin-induced gastric lesions. The most probable mechanism is through their ability to limit lipid peroxidation, which is involved in aspirin-induced gastric lesions.
Vitamin E is composed of various subfamilies that include tocopherols and tocotrienols. These compounds have antioxidant properties but differ in structure, dietary source and potency. In this study we evaluated the efficacy of alpha-tocopherol as an antioxidant and its role in wound closure in normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. The healing of 6 cm linear incisions created on the back of each male Sprague-Dawley rat (250-300 g) was monitored by measuring the length of the wounds daily. The rats were divided into two categories; normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. For each category, the animals were further divided into two groups; those untreated and those receiving 200 mg/kg bodyweight alpha-tocopherols daily by oral gavage. All rats were fed standard food and water ad libitum. Blood samples were taken at 0, 5 and 10 days after the wounds were created for the determination of malondialdehyde levels and red cell superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities. The results showed that alpha-tocopherol reduced plasma malondialdehyde levels, increased glutathione peroxidase activity and accelerated the rate of wound closure in treated rats.
Control of nematode parasites of small ruminants in a wet, tropical environment using the nematophagous fungus, Duddingtonia flagrans, was assessed in this study. Two methods of fungal delivery were tested, namely as a daily feed supplement, or incorporated into feed blocks. Initially, pen trials were conducted with individually penned groups of sheep and goats at dose rates of 125,000 spores and 250,000 spores/kg live weight per day. At the lower dose rate this reduction was between 80 and 90% compared with the pre-treatment levels. At the higher dose rate, there was virtually complete suppression (>99% reduction) of larval recovery. Trials using the fungal feed blocks, showed that when animals were individually penned, they consumed only small amounts of the block (particularly goats), hence little effect on larval recovery in faecal cultures was observed. Grouping animals according to species and dose rate induced satisfactory block consumption and subsequent high levels of larval reduction in faecal cultures. These larval reductions were mirrored by the presence of fungus in faecal cultures. This work was followed by a small paddock trial, whereby three groups of sheep were fed either a feed supplement without fungal spores, supplement with spores, or offered fungal blocks. The dose rate of spores in the latter two groups was 500,000 spores/kg live weight per day. Egg counts were significantly reduced in the two fungal groups, compared with the control group and the latter required two salvage anthelmintic treatments to prevent mortality due to haemonchosis. Pasture larval numbers on the two fungal group plots were also much lower than on the control plot.
Parasitic nematodes are among the most common and economically important infectious diseases of grazing livestock, especially in small ruminants in the tropics and subtropics in Kenya the control of gastrointestinal nematode infections in sheep and goats is usually made with synthetic anthelmintics but substantial levels of anthelmintic resistance have been recorded. A number of medicinal plants, that may provide possible alternatives, and are used by pastoralists and smallholder farmers in Kenya as deworming agents for their livestock and equines, namely Aframomum sanguineum, Dodonea angustifolia, Hildebrandtia sepalosa, Myrsine africana, Rapanea melanophloeos from Kenya, and Azadirachta indica from Kenya and Malaysia, together with the chemicals embelin and santonin that occur in some of these plants, were evaluated against Heligmosomoides polygyrus in mice. Commercial anthelmintics, namely ivermectin, pyrantel and piperazine, were also investigated, both to validate the mouse model system and to assess efficacy of these drugs against H. polygyrus. Pyrantel and ivermectin were highly effective in reducing the numbers of H. polygyrus worms as well as eggs in faeces of the mice, but piperazine had a lower activity. Application of santonin and M. africana significantly reduced the number of total worm counts (TWC) but not faecal egg counts (FEC). The use of embelin, R. melanophloeos and A. indica reduced FEC but not TWC. In all cases, however, reductions were well below the a priori level of 70% required for biological significance. A. sanguineum, D. angustifolia and H. sepalosa had no effect on either TWC or FEC. In conclusion, none of the plant preparations had any biologically significant anthelmintic effect in this monogastric host-parasite model system.
Long-term field studies were conducted on two government managed small ruminant research farms, located in different geo-climatic regions and approximately 300 km separate from each other, on Peninsula Malaysia. The Infoternak trial (48 weeks) and the Chalok trial (43 weeks) each compared nematode parasite control in separately managed groups of young sheep, either short-term rotationally grazed around a suite of 10 paddocks in addition to receiving a daily supplement of Duddingtonia flagrans spores (Fungus Group); or similar groups of sheep being rotationally grazed alone (Control Group). The prevailing weather conditions at Infoternak farm were of below average rainfall conditions for the most of the trial. As a consequence, only very low worm infections (almost exclusively Haemonchus contortus) were acquired by the 17 sets of tracer lambs that grazed sequentially with the experimental lambs. However on all except 2 occasions in the early part of the trial, the mean tracer worm burdens were significantly lower (P < 0.05) and the experimental lambs grew significantly better (P = 0.054) in the Fungus Group. Rainfall at Chalok farm during the course of the trial was also below average. As a consequence infectivity of pastures was assumed to be relatively low based on faecal egg counts (epg) of the experimental sheep, which following an anthelmintic treatment prior to allocation, remained very low in both treatment groups. Faecal egg counts of undosed replacement lambs in the latter half of the Chalok study, showed a progressive increase in the Control Group to levels exceeding 3000 epg, whereas the Fungus Group remained static at approximately 500 epg. These results show that the deployment of the nematophagous fungus, D. flagrans, can improve the level of parasite control of sheep in the tropics above that which can be achieved by the short-term rotational grazing strategy alone.
Long-term glucocorticoid treatment is associated with severe side effects, such as obesity and osteoporosis. A palm oil-derived vitamin E mixture had been shown previously to be protective against osteoporosis in rats given 120 microg/kg dexamethasone daily for 12 weeks. In this study we determined the effects of two isomers of vitamin E (i.e., palm oil-derived gamma-tocotrienol and the commercially available alpha-tocopherol, 60 mg/kg of body weight/day) on body composition and bone calcium content in adrenalectomized rats replaced with two doses of dexamethasone, 120 microg/kg and 240 microg/kg daily. Treatment period was 8 weeks. gamma-Tocotrienol (60 mg/kg of body weight/day) was found to reduce body fat mass and increase the fourth lumbar vertebra bone calcium content in these rats, while alpha-tocopherol (60 mg/kg of body weight/day) was ineffective. Therefore, in conclusion, palm oil-derived gamma-tocotrienol has the potential to be utilized as a prophylactic agent in prevention of the side effects of long-term glucocorticoid use.
This study investigated the effect of cacao liquor extract (CLE) on tumor marker enzymes--alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR) activities--in plasma and/or liver of hepatocarcinogenic rats, which were induced with diethylnitrosamine and 2-acetylaminofluorene. Twenty-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 150-330 g) were divided into four groups (n = 6-8): normal control group (N), normal group + CLE (NE), cancer group (C), and cancer group + CLE (CE). Analysis of variance showed significant differences (P
Rats exposed to stress developed various changes in the gastrointestinal tract and hormones. The present study was designed to compare the impact of tocopherol and tocotrienol on changes that influence gastric and hormonal parameters important in maintaining gastric mucosal integrity in rats exposed to restrain stress. These include gastric acidity, gastric tissue content of parameters such as malondialdehyde, prostaglandin (PGE(2)), serum levels of gastrin and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Sixty male Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were randomly divided into three equal sized groups, a control group which received a normal rat diet (RC) and two treatment groups each receiving a vitamin deficient diet with oral supplementation of either tocopherol (TF) or tocotrienol (TT) at 60 mg/kg body weight. Blood samples were taken from half the number of rats (non-stressed group) after a treatment period of 28 days before they were killed. The remaining half was subjected to experimental restraint-stress, at 2 hours daily for 4 consecutive days (stressed groups), on the fourth day, blood samples were taken and the rats killed. The findings showed that the gastric acid concentration and serum gastrin level in stressed rats were significantly (P<0.05) reduced compared to the non-stressed rats in the control and TF groups. However, the gastric acidity and gastrin levels in the TT group were comparable in stressed and non-stressed rats. These findings suggest that tocotrienol is able to preserve the gastric acidity and serum gastrin level which are usually altered in stressed conditions. The PGE(2) content and the plasma GLP-1 level were, however, comparable in all stressed and non-stressed groups indicating that these parameters were not altered in stress and that supplementation with TF or TT had no effect on the gastric PGE2 content or the GLP-1 level. The malondialdehyde, an indicator of lipid peroxidation was higher from gastric tissues in the stressed groups compared to the non-stressed groups. These findings implicated that free radicals may play a role in the development of gastric injury in stress and supplementation with either TF or TT was able to reduce the lipid peroxidation levels compared to the control rats. We conclude that both tocopherol and tocotrienol are comparable in their gastro-protective ability against damage by free radicals generated in stress conditions, but only tocotrienol has the ability to block the stress-induced changes in the gastric acidity and gastrin level.
Strobilanthes crispus (Acanthaceae) has been used traditionally as antidiabetic, diuretic, antilytic, and laxative and has been proven scientifically to possess high antioxidant activity, anti-AIDS, and anticancer properties. It is commonly consumed in the form of herbal tea. The ethnopharmacological value of this plant, such as the development of nutraceutical S. crispus herbal tea (fermented and unfermented) and assessment of their antihyperglycemic properties were investigated. The antidiabetic properties of S. crispus fermented and unfermented tea was carried out in normal and streptozotocin-induced hyperglycaemic rats for 21 days. Glucose and lipid profile (total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol) were determined at day 0 (baseline), day 7, and day 21. The results showed that the hot water extract of both fermented and unfermented S. crispus tea reduced blood glucose in hyperglycaemic rats. S. crispus unfermented tea also reduced glucose level in normal rat. Both fermented and unfermented S. crispus tea also showed to improve lipid profile. Antioxidant and polyphenol content that present in the extracts might contribute to the antihyperglycemic and antilipidemic properties. Further study is needed to be carried out in pre-clinical and clinical environment to prove its efficacy in human.
This study aimed to determine the effect of intranasal exposure to low doses of Pasteurella multocida B:2 on survival of goats challenged with high doses of the same organism. Eighteen goats were selected and divided into three groups. Goats of group 1 were exposed intranasally twice, with a two-week interval, to 7 x 10(6) cfu/ml of live P. multocida B:2. Goats of group 2 were not exposed to P. multocida B:2 but were kept together with the exposed group 1. Goats of group 3 remained as unexposed controls and were kept separated from the other two groups. Serum samples were collected at weekly intervals to determine the antibody levels. At week 5 post exposure, all goats were challenged subcutaneously with 3.7 x 10(10) cfu/ml of live P. multocida B:2. Following challenge exposure, 8 (67%) goats (4 goats from each of groups 1 and 2) were killed owing to haemorrhagic septicaemia. Four goats were killed peracutely within 48 h post challenge, while the other four goats were killed acutely between 2 and 4 days post challenge. None of the goats of group 3 were killed for haemorrhagic septicaemia. Goats of groups 1 and 2 showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher antibody levels following the first intranasal exposure to P. multocida B:2. However, only group 1 retained the significantly (p < 0.05) high antibody levels following a second intranasal exposure, and remained significantly (p < 0.05) higher than groups 2 and 3 at the time of challenge. P. multocida B:2 was successfully isolated from various organs of goats that were killed between 1 and 4 days post challenge.
Haemorrhagic septicaemia (HS) is an acute disease of cattle and buffaloes caused by Pasteurella multocida 6:B. Outbreaks of the disease have been closely associated with carrier animals that transmit the organism to susceptible animals during stressful condition. This study was conducted to determine whether goats exposed intranasally to P. multocida 6:B can transmit the organism to contact goats. Thirty-six healthy local Katjang goats were divided into four groups and goats of groups 1 and 3 were each inoculated intranasally with a 1-ml inoculum that contained 1 x 10(9) CFU/ml of live P. multocida 6:B. Following the exposure, all goats of groups 3 and 4 were injected with dexamethasone at the rate of 1 mg/kg for three consecutive days. At the end of the dexamethasone treatment, goats of groups 1 and 2 were commingled but kept separate from goats of groups 3 and 4, which were commingled in another pen. Three surviving goats from each group were killed on days 7, 14 and 21 post-exposure for postmortem examination. Naso-pharyngeal mucus and heart blood were collected on swabs. Tissues from lungs, lymph nodes and tonsils were collected for bacteriological isolation and identification. Only one goat of group 3 died 6 days post-exposure showing clinical signs and lesions typical of HS. Other goats showed mild signs of upper respiratory tract infection. Goats of all groups developed acute mild pneumonic lesions, however, those treated with dexamethasone had significantly (P < 0.05) more extensive lesion scoring based on the lesion scoring system. P. multocida 6:B was isolated from the nasal mucosa and lung lesions of exposed and contact goats not treated with dexamethasone. Exposed and contact goats treated with dexamethasone carried the organism for 21 days. P. multocida isolation from heart blood was made only from exposed and contact goats treated with dexamethasone. P. multocida was isolated from the lymph node of the goat that died during the experiment.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a synbiotic containing Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4962, fructooligosaccharide, inulin and mannitol on plasma lipid profiles and erythrocyte membrane properties in hypercholesterolaemic pigs on high- and low-fat diets. Twenty-four white male Landrace pigs were randomly allocated to four treatment groups for 8 weeks (n 6). Treatment factors were the supplementation of synbiotic (with and without) and dietary fat (5 and 15 %). The supplementation of synbiotic reduced plasma total cholesterol (P = 0.001), TAG (P = 0.002) and LDL-cholesterol (P = 0.045) for both dietary fats. A higher concentration of esterified-cholesterol in HDL of pigs supplemented with synbiotic than the control regardless of dietary fat (P = 0.036) indicated that cholesterol was reduced in the form of cholesteryl esters. Reduced concentration of cholesteryl esters (P < 0.001) and increased concentration of TAG (P = 0.042) in LDL of pigs on synbiotic suggested that LDL-cholesterol was reduced via the hydrolysis of smaller and denser LDL particles. The erythrocytes of pigs without any synbiotic showed more prevalence of spur cells than those given the synbiotic, as supported by the higher cholesterol: phospholipid ratio in erythrocytes (P = 0.001). Also, membrane fluidity and rigidity were improved as supported by the decreased fluorescence anisotropies in the Hb-free erythrocyte membrane of pigs given synbiotic (P < 0.001). The administration of the synbiotic reduced plasma TAG, total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol in hypercholesterolaemic pigs, possibly in the form of cholesteryl esters, via the interrelated pathways of lipid transporters (VLDL, LDL and HDL). The synbiotic also reduced deformation of erythrocytes via improved membrane fluidity and permeability.
This study investigates the effect of preservation methods on the performance of bovine parietal pericardium grafts in a rat model. Mid-ventral full thickness abdominal wall defects of 3 x 2.5 cm in size were created in 90 male Sprague-Dawley rats (300-400 g), which were divided into three groups of 30 rats each. The abdominal defects of group one and two were repaired with lyophilized and glycerolized bovine pericardium grafts, while the defects of group three were repaired with expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) Mycro Mesh as a positive control. Another group of 30 rats underwent sham operation and was used for comparison as negative control. Each group of rats (n = 30) was divided into five subgroups (n = 6) and killed at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 18 weeks post-surgery for gross and morphological evaluations. The rats tolerated the surgical procedure well with a total mortality of 0.05%. No serious post-operative clinical complications or signs of rejection were encountered. Adhesions between the grafts and the underlying visceral organs observed in the study were mostly results of post-surgical complications. Glycerol preservation delayed degradation and replacement of the grafts, whereas lyophilization caused early resorption and replacement of the grafts. The glycerolized grafts were replaced with thick dense fibrous tissue, and the lyophilized grafts were replaced with thin loose fibrous tissue. The healing characteristic of the bovine pericardium grafts was similar to those of the sham-operated group, and quite different from those of the ePTFE Mycro Mesh. The outcome of the present study confirmed the superiority of glycerolized bovine pericardium grafts over its lyophilized counter part.
Palm oil is shown to have antioxidant, anticancer and cholesterol lowering effects. It is resistant to oxidation when heated compared to other frying oils such as soy oil. When a frying oil is heated repeatedly, it forms toxic degradation products, such as aldehydes which when consumed, may be absorbed into the systemic circulation. We have studied the effects of taking soy or palm oil that were mixed with rat chow on the bone histomorphometric parameters of ovariectomised rats. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into eight groups: (1) normal control group; (2) ovariectomised-control group; (3) ovariectomised and fresh soy oil; (4) ovariectomised and soy oil heated once; (5) ovariectomised and soy oil heated five times; (6) ovariectomised and fresh palm oil; (7) ovariectomised and palm oil heated once; (8) ovariectomised and palm oil heated five times. These oils were mixed with rat chow at weight ratio of 15:100 and were given to the rats daily for six months. Ovariectomy had caused negative effects on the bone histomorphometric parameters. Ingestion of both fresh and once-heated oils, were able to offer protections against the negative effects of ovariectomy, but these protections were lost when the oils were heated five times. Soy oil that was heated five times actually worsens the histomorphometric parameters of ovariectomised rats. Therefore, it may be better for postmenopausal who are at risk of osteoporosis to use palm oil as frying oil especially if they practice recycling of frying oils.
To assess the safety of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 in BALB/c mice that involves examination of bacterial translocation, changes in the internal organs and histology of the intestinal lining.
Nipah virus (NiV; Paramyxoviridae) caused fatal encephalitis in humans during an outbreak in Malaysia in 1998/1999 after transmission from infected pigs. Our previous study demonstrated that the respiratory, lymphatic and central nervous systems are targets for virus replication in experimentally infected pigs. To continue the studies on pathogenesis of NiV in swine, six piglets were inoculated oronasally with 2.5 x 10(5) PFU per animal. Four pigs developed mild clinical signs, one exudative epidermitis, and one neurologic signs due to suppurative meningoencephalitis, and was euthanized at 11 days post-inoculation (dpi). Neutralizing antibodies reached in surviving animals titers around 1280 at 16 dpi. Nasal and oro-pharyngeal shedding of the NiV was detected between 2 and 17 dpi. Virus appeared to be cleared from the tissues of the infected animals by 23 dpi, with low amount of RNA detected in submandibular and bronchial lymph nodes of three pigs, and olfactory bulb of one animal. Despite the presence of neutralizing antibodies, virus was isolated from serum at 24 dpi, and the viral RNA was still detected in serum at 29 dpi. Our results indicate slower clearance of NiV from some of the infected pigs. Bacteria were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid of five NiV inoculated animals, with isolation of Streptococcus suis and Enterococcus faecalis. Staphylococcus hyicus was isolated from the skin lesions of the animal with exudative epidermitis. Along with the observed lymphoid depletion in the lymph nodes of all NiV-infected animals, and the demonstrated ability of NiV to infect porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro, this finding warrants further investigation into a possible NiV-induced immunosuppression of the swine host.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of vitamin E on the levels of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in rat bones. Fifty-six normal male Sprague-Dawley rats, aged 3 months, were randomly divided into seven groups with eight rats in each group. The age-matched control group was given the vehicle olive oil, by oral gavage daily. Six of the treatment groups received either palm tocotrienol or pure alpha-tocopherol at the dose of 30, 60 or 100 mg/kg body weight, by oral gavage daily, 6 days a week for 4 months. Thiobarbituric acid-reactive substance (TBARS) that is an index to measure the level of lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant enzymes, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase levels were measured in the femur at the end of the study. Palm tocotrienol at the dose of 100 mg/kg body weight significantly reduced the TBARS level in the femur with a significant increase in glutathione peroxidase activity compared to the age-matched control group. These were not observed in the alpha-tocopherol groups. Palm tocotrienol was more effective than pure alpha-tocopherol acetate in suppressing lipid peroxidation in bone. Palm tocotrienol showed better protective effect against free radical damage in the femur compared to alpha-tocopherol. This study suggests that palm tocotrienol plays an important role in preventing imbalance in bone metabolism due to free radicals.