No abstract

Backgropund: Parkinson's Disease (PD) is considered a second most common neurodegenerative disease with slow and irreversible nigrostriatal degeneration with subsequent motor and behavioral deficits. Oxidative stress plays a key role in the pathogenesis of PD. Rotenone is a common pesticide inducing PD by the generation of oxidative stress. Aim of Study:The aim of this study was to investigate the possible neuroprotective effects of crocin (saffron active compound) on rotenone induced Parkinson-like behaviors.Material and Methods: 70 male Wister Albino rats were divided into 7 groups (10) per each. (1) Control group (normal saline); (2) Crocin 40mg/Kg; (3) Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) group (vehicle of Levodopa); (4) Rotenone group; (5) Rotenone + crocin 20mg/Kg; (6) Rotenone + crocin 40mg/Kg; (7) Rotenone + Levodopa 10mg/Kg. All agents were injected intraperitoneally once a day for 4 weeks. The neurobehavioral tests include open field, descent latency time in the bar test (seconds), forepaw stride length (cm) and locomotor activity.In serum, the level of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine 8-OHdG was estimated. The level of Malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione (GSH), tumor necrosis factor alpha TNF-a , dopamine and nitrite/nitrate levels were measured in the brain tissue.Results: Rotenone induced neurobehavioral deficits with elevation of brain MDA, brain TNF-a , Nitrite/nitrate level and serum 8-OHdG and reduction of GSH, brain tissue dopamine. Crocin (20 or 40) improved these neurobehavioral deficits. Crocin (20 or 40) and L-DOPA decreased MDA, serum 8-OHdG, TNF-a and Nitrite/nitrate level and increased GSH and dopamine level. Crocin 40 had achieved potent effect compared with crocin 20.Conclusion: Rotenone induced Parkinson-like behavior in rats. Crocin achieved a protective effect through reducing lipid peroxidation, anti-inflammatory and reducing DNA damage together with improvement of neurobehavioral deficits.

This experiment included 240 one-day old growing Japanese quail, divided randomly into 6 groups, which were subdivided into two replicates with 20 chicks each. Chicks were fed from one day to six weeks of age diets contained 20 % crude protein for the first three groups and 24% for the other ( 4 -6 ) groups. Each diet was supplemented with 0 , 1.0 or 1.50 g N-FAC 1000 / Kg diet in a 2x3 factorial design to evaluate their influences on the performance, digestibility, carcass and some blood constituents of growing Japanese quail. Results obtained revealed that increasing protein level from 20 to 24 % significantly improved the growth performance, carcass weights and economic efficiency. N-FAC 1000 supplementation improved the above parameters as well as the crude protein digestibility, total blood protein and albumin. Significant improvement was also recorded due to the interaction between dietary protein and N-FAC supplementation. However the better improvement was obtained by using the lower level of dietary crude protein.

n experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of xylanase supplemented diet by its role to remove anti-nutritive effect of non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) is well established and optimizing the ME utilization. A total of 315, one-day-old unsexed Cobb broiler chicks, were randomly assigned into seven experimental groups of 3 replicates each with 15 birds in each replicate. The chicks were offered corn-soybean meal basal mash diets that was prepared to contain 3000 kcal ME/kg and 23% crud protein during starter period till 21 days of age, followed by 3100 kcal ME/kg and 21% crud protein during grower period till 35 days of age, and 3200 kcal ME/kg and 19% crud protein during grower period till 42 days of age. One of the seven experimental groups was fed this diet as such to serve as control while, the remaining six groups were fed the lowered ME levels by 150 or 300 kcal compared basal diet and supplemented with 0,100 and 200 mg xylanase/kg diet during starter, grower, and finisher periods, respectively. The obtained results revealed that the highest (P<0.05) body weight and weight gain recorded of birds fed dietary T3 compared to control group. Birds fed dietary T3 and control group consumed approximately similar amounts of feed and recorded a significantly better feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the control. Relative carcass weight yielded of broilers fed dietary treatment and control basal diet were statically (P< 0.05) similar, expect those fed dietary T4 recorded a significant lower value of carcass yield compared with either control or other treatment groups. Total edible parts were significantly heavier of birds fed xylanase-supplemented diets (T3, and T6) compared with that of the control and other groups. Birds fed dietary T3 recorded the highest (P< 0.05) value of relative thymus and spleen weight compared others. While, insignificant differences were observed of bursa among other treatments. The hematological parameters (Hb, PCV, RBCs and WBCs) were significantly (p≤ 0.01) improved of birds fed dietary T3 compared with counterparty of control. Total protein, albumin and globulin were significantly increased while, the concentration of triglycerides and cholesterol were significantly decreased of birds fed dietary T3 and T2 compared with the control group.