Background and Aim:Flaxseeds are known to have varying antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherogenic activity due to its lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside, alpha-linolenic acid, and omega-3 fatty acids. The beneficial effect of whole grain dietary flaxseed was evaluated experimentally in high cholesterol diet (HCD)-fed Wistar albino rats.Materials and Methods:Male Wistar albino rats (200 g) were divided into four groups of 12 rats each. Group I rats kept as control and given basal rat chew diet, Group II as positive control for induction of hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis by addition of 1% cholesterol and 15% saturated edible oil to the 1000 g of standard rat chew diet (HCD), Group III rats fed with whole grain flaxseed powder at 7.5 g/kg of rat/day in the standard rat chew diet and kept as flaxseed control, and Group IV rats supplemented with flaxseed at 7.5 g/kg of rat/day along with HCD and maintained for 90 days.Results:Group II rats revealed significantly (p<0.05) higher total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and very LDL-C and significantly (p<0.05) reduced levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), whereas tissue antioxidants such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S transferase (GST) were significantly (p<0.05) reduced, and lipid peroxidation products of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) level were nonsignificantly (p<0.05) increased in the heart and liver tissues. Flaxseeds supplementation along with HCD significantly ameliorated the serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and HDL-C along with cellular antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, SOD, GPx, GR, GST, and non-significant amelioration of TBARS in the heart and liver tissues compared to Group II rats. Majority of the histopathologically initiated atherosclerotic changes in the aorta and fatty change in the liver of Group II were not observed in the flaxseed supplemented Group IV; however, interestingly proliferation of endothelial cells with new vascular channel formation in the liver and in between cardiac muscle fibers was observed in Group I and Group IV rats.Conclusion:The present study established the hypercholesterolemia with initiated atherosclerotic lesion in the aorta but unable to establish the atheromatous plaque in the aorta. Flaxseed supplementation along with HCD showed significant antihypercholesterolemic effect and ameliorated the changes of initiated atherosclerosis in the aorta. It needs further studies to explore all the possible beneficial effects and angiogenic properties of flaxseeds in the laboratory animals and human trials.

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Marek's disease (MD) is one of the most important neoplastic diseases of poultry caused by Marek's disease virus (MDV), an oncogenic avian herpes virus, which is responsible for great economic losses to the poultry industry worldwide. Inspite of the usage of HVT and bivalent vaccines in the poultry flocks, MD continues to be a major threat to the poultry industry in India. In the present study, MD outbreaks were reported in poultry farms from different regions of Andhra Pradesh, India. The postmortem examination of dead birds showed presence of lymphomas in different visceral organs suggestive of virulent oncogenic MDVs. Histopathological examination revealed infiltration of pleomorphic lymphoblastoid cells typical of MD. The blood and tissue samples were collected and PCR was standardized targeting a 132 bp tandem repeat region specific for serotype-1 MD viruses. Further, the characterization of the oncogenes i.e. Meq and viral interleukin 8 (vIL-8) was carried out by PCR and nucleotide sequencing. The sequence analysis of Meq gene of different clinical cases from India revealed >99 % homology with RB1B (very virulent) and GA (virulent) strains and that of vIL-8 gene showed >99 % identity with virulent strains LS and LMS. Phylogenetic analysis of oncogenes was carried out with other available sequences in the GenBank. Finally, we conclude that MDV strains obtained in the present outbreaks in India could be designated as virulent or very virulent pathotypes based on nucleotide, amino acid and phylogenetic analysis of the viruses.

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Background:Phytoestrogens are increasingly becoming popular as alternatives for hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal condition.Objective:In this study, the antihyperlipidemic effect of chickpea (Cicer arientum) sprouts was evaluated in ovariectomy-induced dyslipidemia in rat model in comparison with standard antihyperlipidemic agent atorvastatin.Materials and Methods:A total of 24 female adult Wistar rats were divided into four groups that is, Group I - Control; Group II - Ovariectomized (OVX) rats; Group III - OVX + germinated chickpea sprouts (20% in diet) and Group IV OVX + atorvastatin (1.2 mg/kg b.wt, p.o.). Body and organ weights, serum, and liver lipid profile were assessed at the end of 8 weeks.Results:The results indicated that ovariectomy significantly (P < 0.05) increased total cholesterol, nonhigh-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides (TGs) in serum and liver. The total lipid and phospholipid content in liver were also significantly (P < 0.05) increased. The weights of uterus and heart were significantly (P < 0.05) decreased. Dietary supplementation with germinated chickpea normalized the lipid profile in serum and liver. Further, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, body weight, uterine, heart, and spleen weights were significantly (P < 0.05) increased. Atorvastatin administration showed similarly normalized lipid profile, but showed no improvement on decreased uterus and heart weights. Histopathological examination revealed fatty changes in liver, uterine atrophy, and subintimal fat accumulation in aorta in OVX group. The changes were mild in chickpea group with no improvement in statin group.Conclusions:Germinated seeds of chickpea showed significant antihyperlipidemic activity, which was comparable to atorvastatin. Further, germinated chickpea improved organ weights and helped in the reversal of histopathological changes suggesting its usefulness in postmenopausal condition.

The safety profile of alcoholic extract of stem-bark of B. ovalifoliolata was investigated in male Wistar albino rats as per OECD guidelines 407. A total of 24 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of six rats each. Group 1 served as control and was given 0.3% carboxymethylcellulose, groups 2, 3 and 4 were given alcoholic extract of B. ovalifoliolata @ 100, 500 and 1000 mg/kg respectively in 0.3% carboxymethylcellulose orally for 28 days. The animals were observed daily for clinical signs, mortality, physiological and behavioral changes. Body weights were measured at weekly intervals and various hematological parameters like Hb, PCV, TEC, TLC and serum biochemical profile which included AST, ALT, creatine phosphokinase, creatinine, total protein and antioxidant parameters like TBARS and GSH in liver were estimated at the end of experimental period. There were no clinical signs of abnormality. The weekly body weights, organ weights and hematological parameters did not vary significantly amongst the groups. The mean activity of AST, ALT and CPK, and the concentration of serum creatinine, total protein, TBARS and GSH did not differ significantly among the groups. Histological abnormalities of toxicological significance were not detected in groups 2 and 3. However, mild histopathological alterations were observed in higher dose group 4. In conclusion, the present study revealed that the alcoholic extract of stem-bark of B. ovalifoliolata is safe at lower doses of 100 and 500 mg/kg. Hence, alcoholic extract of stem bark of B. ovalifoliolata is safe and no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) is found to be 500 mg/kg following repeated oral administration for 28 days in rats.

Efficacy of the three conventional flotation techniques in recovering the parasitic forms from soil samples was compared after screening both naturally contaminated and experimentally seeded soil samples. and oocysts of Eimeria spp. and were processed by these techniques. Irrespective of parasitic species or concentration, the mean recovery rate of parasitic stages obtained was above 50 ± 4.32, above 33.67 ± 5.084 and below 22.33 ± 2.37 percent by O'Lorcain (1994), Kazakos (1983) and Santarém et al. (2009) methods, respectively. O'Lorcain (1994 method was found better than the other methods for the isolation of soil borne parasitic stages but none of these methods were found to be cent per cent sensitive.

A total of 937 dogs were screened for Trypanosoma evansi infection by wet blood film, blood smear staining techniques and micro haematocrit centrifugation technique (MHCT). In the present study, 2.28 % of male dogs and 2.40 % of female dogs were found positive by MHCT method. The findings indicated that there was no effect of T. evansi infection on sex of dogs. Higher prevalence of T. evansi infection was observed in Mongrel than in Pomeranian, Cross breeds, German Shepherd, Doberman and Labrador breeds. Age wise prevalence of T. evansi infection in dogs revealed that younger ones, below the 2 years age group recorded the highest prevalence than the above the 2 years age group dogs.