BackgroundColostrum has many beneficial effects on newborns due to its main compounds (proteins, fats, lactose, essential fatty acids, amino acids) as well as protective antibodies that confer to the body. The buffaloes are the second important species for milk production in the world after cows. The importance of the species is also conferred by a longer longevity, high dry content of milk and a strong organic resistance when compared with cows. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of buffalo colostrum compounds such as fatty acids, cholesterol and physicochemical parameters during the first seven days postpartum and under the impact of the season, summer on pasture and winter on dry diet (hay based).ResultsFat from colostrum differs depending on the postpartum day showing mean values of 11.31-7.56% (summer season) and 11.22-7.51% (winter season). These values gradually decreased starting with first day postpartum until day seven. Dry substance and protein presented a similar evolution to fat reaching the lowest values at the end of the colostral period. Lactose, ash and pH showed a gradually increase reaching the maximum on day seven postpartum. The highest titres of fatty acids from colostrum are: butyric acid (C4:0), myristic acid (C14:0), palmitic acid (C16:0), oleic acid (C18:1) and the lowest values showed up in myristoleic acid (C14:1), cis-10-pentadecanoic acid (C15:1), pentadecylic acid (C15:0) and margaric acid (C17:0) for both seasons. Higher concentrations have been recorded for the summer season in general. Cholesterol concentration decreased from 12.93 and 12.68 mg/100 mL (summer and winter season) to 9.02 and 7.88 mg/100 mL in the end of the colostral period.ConclusionsPhysicochemical compounds of buffalo colostrum were influenced by season and postpartum day of milking. Excepting lactose all other parameters gradually decreased during colostral period. Fatty acids and cholesterol showed the same evolution, presenting higher values for the summer season. Specific feeding in the summer season (on pasture) did lead in more concentrated colostrum in dry substance, fatty acids and cholesterol.

The health status of cows is evaluated and depending on haematological and biochemical profile of blood. Nutrition is the main technological factor that can produce profound changes in the metabolic profile in animals (Dhiman et al., 1991;Khaled et al., 1999;Ingvartsen, 2006). Blood parameters analyze can lead to identify if there are errors in nutrition of lactating cows (Payne et al., 1970). The aim of this study was the evaluation of metabolic and biochemical changes that occur during colostrum period and in terms of number of lactations in cows. The biological material was represented by a total of 60 heads of dairy cows from a family farm from Sălaj County, Romania. The cows are all from Holstein breed and presented no clinical signs of any specific pathology. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein of each cow and analyzed. 10 individuals from each of the six lactations have been randomly selected. Haematological and biochemical parameters showed variations depending on factors analyzed here. In lactation 1 Hb was 7.55±3.05 (g/dl), while in lactation 6 the value was 12.5±2.10 (g/dl). RBC ranged as follows: in lactation 1 -28.50±2.05 and in lactation 6 -30.02±2.05. Lymphocytes varied within very wide limits under the influence of lactation: in lactation 1 -2.8±1.56 and in lactation 6 -7.55±1.80. The number of lactations and lactation rank have influenced blood biochemical and hematological parameters in dairy cows. Biochemical parameters are influenced by post-partum day, showing the lowest values in the early days of colostral period and the highest in the last few days of the same period.

Background Tartrazine (Yellow 5 or E102) is a synthetic food dye able to modify perception and behavior, causing agitation, confusion, rhinitis and can produce hyperactivity syndrome in children when is combined with benzoates. Additionally, it can trigger oxidative stress which consequently generates metabolic disorders. Therefore, the study was designed to evaluate the harmful effects of the food additive tartrazine and to observe beneficial properties of blackthorn fruits ( Prunus spinosa ) on the blood and organs of albino Wistar rats. Materials and methods This study was carried out on 20 mature Wistar rats, randomly divided into four groups of five animals. Over the course of the experiment, the control group received only food and drinking water, group I received 75 mg of tartrazine dissolved in (250 ml) water group II was given 75 mg of tartrazine and 200 mg of dried blackthorn fruit powder 200 mg dissolved simultaneously in (250 ml) of tartrazine-water mixture (aiming to reduce the tartrazine toxicity) and group III received a higher dose of tartrazine (100 mg) in (250 ml) of water. Results At the end of the experiment, values regarding kidney and liver weight were significantly increased, while the weight of the spleen was slightly decreased compared with the weight of the control group. Biochemical and hematological assays, of the blood samples show that the addition of tartrazine in the diet of rats caused significant changes in all biochemical and hematological parameters of the blood. In the group II, which received ( P. spinosa ) powder combined with tartrazine, the biochemical and hematological parameters had average values similar to the control group. Conclusions Histopathological assay showed that the application of tartrazine in the group I, II and III produced lesions of the kidneys, spleen and the liver for all rodents. Tartrazine was able to generate histopathological changes, which caused significantly tissue lesions of the liver and significant changes in blood parameters. Blackthorn powder showed a promising protective role for the blood parameters but demonstrated no significant benefits for the organs.

Abstract:Colostrum is a natural product, issued by both mammals and humans in the first week of lactation. Among different species, donkey colostrum is considered to have, in addition to a valuable composition in nutrients and immune factors, an outstanding similitude with human colostrum. In this context, and taking into account the scarcity of available data concerning the interaction between climate factors and colostrum quality, a trial was conducted aiming to identify the possible influence of environmental factors on donkey colostrum nutritional traits. A stock of 175 jennies from 7 farms located in Cluj and Sălaj Counties was analyzed over a 7-day postpartum period. During the experimental period, the daily temperature, humidity, and wind velocity data were collected. Strong positive correlations are reported between the studied colostrum nutritional traits (fat, protein and lactose). Testing the impact of some environmental parameters upon nutritional content of donkey colostrum indicated three factors that have an influence on the nutritional quality of donkey milk colostrum, labelled as: colostrum nutritional traits, environmental air traits and some colostrum nutritional traits, and climatic traits and some colostrum nutritional traits.

The Raman spectra of polycrystalline anhydrous orotic acid have been also recorded and compared to the SERS data. These form are found to chemisorb on Ag colloidal nanoparticles exhibiting different SERS spectral pattern. SERS of orotic acid analysis suggested a titled geometry orientation with respect to the surface. Different adsorption behavior of these molecular species is discussed in the present study based on the Raman and SERS vibrational analysis of the related species.