In tritrophic interactions, host plants could influence not only the population of insect pests but also that of their natural enemies. This study examined the effect of three wheat cultivars on demographic parameters of Schizaphis graminum Rondani (Hemiptera: Aphididae) and its predator, Hippodamia variegata (Goeze) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae). Furthermore, the secondary metabolites, photosynthetic pigments, and defence enzymes of wheat cultivars were evaluated at different times. According to the results, the highest and lowest developmental times of S. graminum were found on cultivar (cv.) Morvarid and cv. Ehsan, respectively. However, it was vice versa for the predator, being highest on cv. Ehsan and lowest on cv. Morvarid. Adults of S. graminum lived shorter on cv. Morvarid, while males and females of H. variegata lived longer on this cultivar. The intrinsic rate of natural increase (r) of S. graminum ranged from 0.347 to 0.456 day-1, and that of H. variegata from 0.118 to 0.176 day-1 on different cultivars. The value of this parameter was lowest for aphids but highest for their predator on cv. Morvarid. Based on the results, cv. Morvarid at 120 hours post-infestation by S. graminum contained the greatest concentrations of secondary metabolites and enzyme activities. The time-dependent loss of photosynthetic pigments occurred in each tested cultivar. The results revealed that cv. Morvarid had a suitable potential for reducing the population of S. graminum and enhancing the performance of H. variegata. However, further studies are needed to evaluate the complementary interactions of cv. Morvarid and H. variegata in controlling S. graminum population under natural conditions.
ObjectivesChronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with accumulation of uremic tox-ins such as indoxyl sulfate (IS) in blood and tubular epithelial cells which contributes to progression of CKD. Aim of this prospective, randomized, two-center clinical pilot study was to evaluate the effect of oral spherical carbonaceous adsorbent renaltec (PorusOne, Porus) on IS plasma concentration, progression of CKD, parameters of calcium/phosphate homeostasis (tCa, phosphorus, FGF-23), urine protein:creatinine ratio (UPC) and fecal dysbiosis index (FDI) in cats with stable CKD IRIS stage 2 and 3 over a 6 months period.MethodsNineteen cats with CKD were randomly assigned to the renaltec group (n = 10, 8 stage 2, 2 stage 3) or control group (n = 9, 8 stage 2, 1 stage 3). All cats received standard of care treatment according to IRIS Guidelines. Cats of the renaltec group received in addi-tion 500 mg renaltec administered mixed with food or a liquid cat treat q24h. All cats were examined on day 0 (t0), after 3 months (t1) and after 6 months (t2). Statistical analysis was performed using generalized linear mixed models.ResultsOn t0, renaltec group cats had significantly lower tCa (P = 0.026) than control group cats. On t1, there were no differences between groups, while on t2, renaltec group cats had significantly lower IS (P = 0.045) and UPC (P = 0.001) than cats of the control group. Progression of CKD was noted in 2 cats of each group. Renaltec group cats had a significantly lower FDI on t2 compared to t1 (P = 0.023) and t0 (P = 0.009).Conclusion and relevanceAdministration of renaltec over 6 months mitigated parame-ters associated with CKD progression. Given the pilot nature of the study, the results should be interpreted cautiously and explored further in subsequent research.

