Indigenous Village Chickens (IVCs) obtain most of their feed from a scavenging feed resource base. Free roaming makes IVCs express their instincts at will, which could enhance their welfare. Free-ranging has also endowed IVCs with excellent explorative behavior. However, predators might have also co-evolved, which necessitates special interference from smallholder farmers to reduce the adverse impact of predators. This study identified the main predators of IVCs and the evading strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. This cross-sectional study involved a general interview with 119 smallholder farmers. The prevalence of enset, Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, around the farmer's backyard can impose a significant threat because it shelters terrestrial predators. Smallholder farmers evade predators through patrolling, guarding dogs, fencing, confinement, and, in rare cases, killing. An unplanned conversation made with an informant revealed that men with some clerical ability but no priesthood title incantate on whole grains of black wheat. When the chicken is fed this grain, reportedly, the aerial predator becomes weak and cannot catch the chicken. The agroecological zone has a statistically significant impact on the proportions of predators encountered and the types of evading strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. This association entails the need for developing agroecology-based predator-evading methods. Predators' evading methods, however, need to be refined further to reduce the recurrent losses of chickens. The threats associated with predators' challenges must be thoroughly investigated to advance their evading strategies. Another problem that leads to the significant loss of family poultry is theft. In addition to the strategies used to avoid predators, which may also apply to controlling theft, the legal system must be well-organized to punish such misdeeds.
{"title":"Predation and theft: the standing threats of the scavenging chicken production system","authors":"Takele Taye Desta, Oli Wakeyo","doi":"10.4081/jbr.2023.11619","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2023.11619","url":null,"abstract":"Indigenous Village Chickens (IVCs) obtain most of their feed from a scavenging feed resource base. Free roaming makes IVCs express their instincts at will, which could enhance their welfare. Free-ranging has also endowed IVCs with excellent explorative behavior. However, predators might have also co-evolved, which necessitates special interference from smallholder farmers to reduce the adverse impact of predators. This study identified the main predators of IVCs and the evading strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. This cross-sectional study involved a general interview with 119 smallholder farmers. The prevalence of enset, Ensete ventricosum (Welw.) Cheesman, around the farmer's backyard can impose a significant threat because it shelters terrestrial predators. Smallholder farmers evade predators through patrolling, guarding dogs, fencing, confinement, and, in rare cases, killing. An unplanned conversation made with an informant revealed that men with some clerical ability but no priesthood title incantate on whole grains of black wheat. When the chicken is fed this grain, reportedly, the aerial predator becomes weak and cannot catch the chicken. The agroecological zone has a statistically significant impact on the proportions of predators encountered and the types of evading strategies adopted by smallholder farmers. This association entails the need for developing agroecology-based predator-evading methods. Predators' evading methods, however, need to be refined further to reduce the recurrent losses of chickens. The threats associated with predators' challenges must be thoroughly investigated to advance their evading strategies. Another problem that leads to the significant loss of family poultry is theft. In addition to the strategies used to avoid predators, which may also apply to controlling theft, the legal system must be well-organized to punish such misdeeds.","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":"33 4","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134954635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Biotechnological research is currently focused on obtaining preparations based on natural pigments due to their properties and positive impact on human and animal health. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of the preparation based on pigments obtained from the remaining biomass of Arthrospira platensis. The obtained results established that the preparation is characterized by a high content of β-carotene, lutein, chlorophyll pigments, and sulfated polysaccharides. Due to its composition, the preparation also possesses high antioxidant activity and the catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes. These findings highlight the high biological value of the new preparation and the enormous potential for implementation in medicine, the animal husbandry sector, and the food and cosmetic industry.
{"title":"Evaluation of the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of preparation based on pigments extracted from the remaining biomass of <i>Arthrospira platensis</i>","authors":"Alina Beșliu, Oleg Chiselița, Natalia Chiselița, Nadejda Efremova, Tatiana Chiriac","doi":"10.4081/jbr.2023.11425","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2023.11425","url":null,"abstract":"Biotechnological research is currently focused on obtaining preparations based on natural pigments due to their properties and positive impact on human and animal health. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the biochemical composition and antioxidant activity of the preparation based on pigments obtained from the remaining biomass of Arthrospira platensis. The obtained results established that the preparation is characterized by a high content of β-carotene, lutein, chlorophyll pigments, and sulfated polysaccharides. Due to its composition, the preparation also possesses high antioxidant activity and the catalase and superoxide dismutase enzymes. These findings highlight the high biological value of the new preparation and the enormous potential for implementation in medicine, the animal husbandry sector, and the food and cosmetic industry.","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135827195","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Acute diarrhea and cholera (AWD/C) result in more than 21000 to 143000 global mortality annually and are associated with Vibrio cholerae. The pathogen has shown increasing evolutionary/emerging dynamics linked with mobilome or ubiquitous nature of mobile integrative genetic and conjugative elements (MIGCE), however, such dynamics are rarely reported amongst somatic-antigen non-agglutinating Type-1/-139 V. cholerae (SA-NAG-T-1/139Vc). The study reports the genetic detection of mobilome-associated indices in SA-NAG-T-1/139Vc as a potential strategy for differentiating/discriminating emerging environmental bacteria. Presumptive V. cholerae isolates were retrieved from five water sources, while strains were characterized/serogrouped and confirmed using simplex and comparative-genomic-multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Genomic island (GI-12det, GI-14det, GI-15det); Phages (TLC-phagedet, Kappa-phagedet) and ICEs of the SXT/R391 family genes (SXT/R391-ICEs integrase, SXT-Hotspot-IV, ICEVchInd5Hotspot-IV, ICEVchMoz10Hotspot-IV) were detected. Other rare ICE members such as the ICEVcBan8att gene and Vibrio Seventh Pandemic island detection (VSP-II Integrase, Prototypical VSP-II) were also detected. Results revealed that the 8.22% (61/742) SA-NAG-T-1/139Vc serogroup observed harbors the Vibrio Seventh Pandemic island integrase (34/61; 55.7%) and other rare genetic traits including; attB/attP (29/61; 47.5%, 14/61; 23%), integrative genetic elements (4/61; 6.56%), phage types (TLC-phagedet: 2/61; 3.28% and Kappa-phagedet: 7/61; 11.48%) as well as the integrase genes (INT1, Sul1, Sul2) (29/61: 47.5%; 21/61: 34.4%; 25/61: 41%). Such genetic detection of mobilome determinants/MIGCE suggests potential discriminatory tendencies amongst SA-NAG-T-1/139Vcwhich may be applied in mobilome typing of evolving/emerging environmental bacteria. The need to encourage the application of such mobilome typing indices and continuous study of these strains is suggestive of interest in controlling future potential emerging environmental strains.
{"title":"Genetic characterization of non-O1/non-O139 <i>Vibrio cholerae</i> mobilome: a strategy for understanding and discriminating emerging environmental bacterial strains","authors":"Bright E. Igere, Uchechukwu U. Nwodo","doi":"10.4081/jbr.2023.11202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.2023.11202","url":null,"abstract":"Acute diarrhea and cholera (AWD/C) result in more than 21000 to 143000 global mortality annually and are associated with Vibrio cholerae. The pathogen has shown increasing evolutionary/emerging dynamics linked with mobilome or ubiquitous nature of mobile integrative genetic and conjugative elements (MIGCE), however, such dynamics are rarely reported amongst somatic-antigen non-agglutinating Type-1/-139 V. cholerae (SA-NAG-T-1/139Vc). The study reports the genetic detection of mobilome-associated indices in SA-NAG-T-1/139Vc as a potential strategy for differentiating/discriminating emerging environmental bacteria. Presumptive V. cholerae isolates were retrieved from five water sources, while strains were characterized/serogrouped and confirmed using simplex and comparative-genomic-multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Genomic island (GI-12det, GI-14det, GI-15det); Phages (TLC-phagedet, Kappa-phagedet) and ICEs of the SXT/R391 family genes (SXT/R391-ICEs integrase, SXT-Hotspot-IV, ICEVchInd5Hotspot-IV, ICEVchMoz10Hotspot-IV) were detected. Other rare ICE members such as the ICEVcBan8att gene and Vibrio Seventh Pandemic island detection (VSP-II Integrase, Prototypical VSP-II) were also detected. Results revealed that the 8.22% (61/742) SA-NAG-T-1/139Vc serogroup observed harbors the Vibrio Seventh Pandemic island integrase (34/61; 55.7%) and other rare genetic traits including; attB/attP (29/61; 47.5%, 14/61; 23%), integrative genetic elements (4/61; 6.56%), phage types (TLC-phagedet: 2/61; 3.28% and Kappa-phagedet: 7/61; 11.48%) as well as the integrase genes (INT1, Sul1, Sul2) (29/61: 47.5%; 21/61: 34.4%; 25/61: 41%). Such genetic detection of mobilome determinants/MIGCE suggests potential discriminatory tendencies amongst SA-NAG-T-1/139Vcwhich may be applied in mobilome typing of evolving/emerging environmental bacteria. The need to encourage the application of such mobilome typing indices and continuous study of these strains is suggestive of interest in controlling future potential emerging environmental strains.","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":"34 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135878089","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ami Febriza, R. Natzir, M. Hatta, C. Uiterwaal, S. As'ad, Budu Budu, G. Alam, V. Kasim, H. Idrus
Efforts to combine various herbal compounds are made in the wake of numerous cases of antibiotic resistance. Curcumin is an active compound found in herbal plants. It has an antimicrobial effect that can induce the expression of the mRNA Cathelidicin Antimicrobial Peptide (CAMP) gene and eradicate bacteria. Twenty-five adult BALB/c mice, aged 8–12 weeks and weighing 30–40 grams, were induced with Salmonella typhi at the intraperitoneal cavities. They were randomly allocated in equal blocks to receive CM200 (200 mg/kg of curcumin), CM400 (400 mg/kg of curcumin), CM200+vit D (200 mg/kg of curcumin with vitamin D), and positive control or negative control for 5 days. Mice were then maintained for 3 weeks to count the colonies in the post-intervention period and the level of the mRNA CAMP gene. Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of the CAMP gene. The level of the mRNA CAMP gene expression significantly increased in CM200 (2.01±0.75) and CM400 (4.06±0.68), pdifference <0.0001. The highest increase of the CAMP gene expression was observed in CM200+vit D (5.47±0.53), pdifference <0.0001. Curcumin increased the expression of the mRNA CAMP gene.
{"title":"Curcumin Effects in Inducing mRNA Gene Cathelidicin Antimicrobial Peptide (CAMP) in Balb/c Mice Infected with Salmonella Typhi","authors":"Ami Febriza, R. Natzir, M. Hatta, C. Uiterwaal, S. As'ad, Budu Budu, G. Alam, V. Kasim, H. Idrus","doi":"10.4081/jbr.0.8942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.4081/jbr.0.8942","url":null,"abstract":"Efforts to combine various herbal compounds are made in the wake of numerous cases of antibiotic resistance. Curcumin is an active compound found in herbal plants. It has an antimicrobial effect that can induce the expression of the mRNA Cathelidicin Antimicrobial Peptide (CAMP) gene and eradicate bacteria. Twenty-five adult BALB/c mice, aged 8–12 weeks and weighing 30–40 grams, were induced with Salmonella typhi at the intraperitoneal cavities. They were randomly allocated in equal blocks to receive CM200 (200 mg/kg of curcumin), CM400 (400 mg/kg of curcumin), CM200+vit D (200 mg/kg of curcumin with vitamin D), and positive control or negative control for 5 days. Mice were then maintained for 3 weeks to count the colonies in the post-intervention period and the level of the mRNA CAMP gene. Real-time PCR was used to measure the expression of the CAMP gene. The level of the mRNA CAMP gene expression significantly increased in CM200 (2.01±0.75) and CM400 (4.06±0.68), pdifference <0.0001. The highest increase of the CAMP gene expression was observed in CM200+vit D (5.47±0.53), pdifference <0.0001. Curcumin increased the expression of the mRNA CAMP gene.","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2020-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45391741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-27DOI: 10.1186/s40709-019-0108-8
J. Willson, Bradley S. Bork, C. A. Muir, S. Damjanovski
{"title":"Modulation of RECK levels in Xenopus A6 cells: effects on MT1-MMP, MMP-2 and pERK levels","authors":"J. Willson, Bradley S. Bork, C. A. Muir, S. Damjanovski","doi":"10.1186/s40709-019-0108-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-019-0108-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40709-019-0108-8","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49093787","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-12DOI: 10.1186/s40709-019-0102-1
Lijiao Geng, Wei Liu, Yong Chen
{"title":"Tanshinone IIA attenuates Aβ-induced neurotoxicity by down-regulating COX-2 expression and PGE2 synthesis via inactivation of NF-κB pathway in SH-SY5Y cells","authors":"Lijiao Geng, Wei Liu, Yong Chen","doi":"10.1186/s40709-019-0102-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-019-0102-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40709-019-0102-1","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46590884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-08DOI: 10.1186/s40709-019-0107-9
M. Mylonas, K. Vardinoyannis, N. Poulakakis
{"title":"A contribution to knowledge on the terrestrial malacofauna of the Kastellorizo (Megisti) island group (SE Greece)","authors":"M. Mylonas, K. Vardinoyannis, N. Poulakakis","doi":"10.1186/s40709-019-0107-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-019-0107-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40709-019-0107-9","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43492953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-08DOI: 10.1186/s40709-019-0103-0
G. Gkafas, M. Hatziioannou, E. Malandrakis, C. Tsigenopoulos, I. Karapanagiotidis, E. Mente, D. Vafidis, Athanasios Exadactylos
{"title":"Heterozygosity fitness correlations and generation interval of the Norway lobster in the Aegean Sea, eastern Mediterranean","authors":"G. Gkafas, M. Hatziioannou, E. Malandrakis, C. Tsigenopoulos, I. Karapanagiotidis, E. Mente, D. Vafidis, Athanasios Exadactylos","doi":"10.1186/s40709-019-0103-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-019-0103-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40709-019-0103-0","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48091043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-05DOI: 10.1186/s40709-019-0106-x
M. Lazarina, A. Kallimanis, P. Dimopoulos, Maria Psaralexi, Danai-Eleni Michailidou, S. Sgardelis
{"title":"Patterns and drivers of species richness and turnover of neo-endemic and palaeo-endemic vascular plants in a Mediterranean hotspot: the case of Crete, Greece","authors":"M. Lazarina, A. Kallimanis, P. Dimopoulos, Maria Psaralexi, Danai-Eleni Michailidou, S. Sgardelis","doi":"10.1186/s40709-019-0106-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-019-0106-x","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40709-019-0106-x","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43548303","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-10-30DOI: 10.1186/s40709-019-0105-y
U. Lortou, S. Gkelis
{"title":"Polyphasic taxonomy of green algae strains isolated from Mediterranean freshwaters","authors":"U. Lortou, S. Gkelis","doi":"10.1186/s40709-019-0105-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s40709-019-0105-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":42615,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Biological Research-Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.5,"publicationDate":"2019-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1186/s40709-019-0105-y","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41470163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}