1. The present study was designed to evaluate purified bee venom (BV) as an alternative to antibiotics in broiler chickens. The experimental treatment diets were formulated by adding BV into a maize-soybean meal-based diet to give 0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μg BV per kg of diet. 2. Dietary BV quadratically improved (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio and increased body weight gain at 1-21 d as level in diet increased. Higher BV levels lowered relative weight of spleen (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05), bursa of Fabricius (quadratic, P < 0.05), and liver (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05) at 21 d of age. Relative breast meat yields were increased quadratically at 21 d and linearly at 35 d with supplementation levels. Dietary BV increased (linear and quadratic, P < 0.05) lightness (L*) value for meat at 21 d, decreased (linear, P < 0.05) ileal villus height and narrowed (quadratic, P < 0.05) width. 3. Dietary BV inclusion linearly increased the concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) on ileal mucosa at 21 d and decreased (quadratic, P < 0.05) nitric oxide contents in serum samples at 21 d and 35 d. Total short-chain fatty acids (SCFA) in caecal digesta were reduced with increasing venom in diets at 21 d of age. None of the serum parameters except for creatinine was affected by dietary BV. 4. It was concluded that dietary BV exhibited wide range of in vivo biological properties in broiler chickens and could be incorporated into feed to promote growth and animal health.

This study investigated the effects of onion (Allium cepa, L.) extract on the antioxidant activity of lipids in low-and high-fat-fed mouse brain lipids and its structural change during in vitro human digestion. The onion extracts were passed through an in vitro human digestion model that simulated the composition of the mouth, stomach, and small intestine juice. The brain lipids were collected from low- and high-fat-fed mouse brain and then incubated with the in vitro-digested onion extracts to determine the lipid oxidation. The results confirmed that the main phenolics of onion extract were kaempferol, myricetin, quercetin, and quercitrin. The quercetin content increased with digestion of the onion extract. Antioxidant activity was strongly influenced by in vitro human digestion of both onion extract and quercetin standard. After digestion by the small intestine, the antioxidant activity values were dramatically increased, whereas the antioxidant activity was less influenced by digestion in the stomach for both onion extract and quercetin standard. The inhibitory effect of lipid oxidation of onion extract in mouse brain lipids increased after digestion in the stomach. The inhibitory effect of lipid oxidation of onion extract was higher in the high-fat-fed mouse brain lipids than that in the low-fat-fed mouse brain lipids. The major study finding is that the antioxidative effect of onion extract may be higher in high-fat-fed mouse brain lipids than that in low-fat-fed mouse brain lipids. Thus, dietary onion may have important applications as a natural antioxidant agent in a high-fat diet.

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Catecholamines regulate a variety of cellular functions in the mammalian kidney. The present study was aimed to investigate the differential sensitivity of Madin-Darby Kidney Cells (MDCK cells) to epinephrine in a dose-dependent manner. The loss of adhesion and altered cell shape were observed in MDCK cells. The presence of apoptosis and necrosis were studied by the fluorescence microscope and Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope (CLSM). Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) analysis showed several surface microvilli, and cells were rounded having ruffled and crenated surface. Agarose gel electrophoresis study showed the presence of smearing, which further confirms the occurrence of necrosis. The fluorescence staining study showed the increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) level. Up-regulation of p53, bax, and caspase 3 mRNA expressions was evidenced by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Caspase 3 activity was also increased in epinephrine treated cells. Our experimental results do not imply that the epinephrine should not be used in the clinical treatments. However, our results add a research note of caution on the possible cytotoxic effect of maximal doses of epinephrine over a prolonged time.

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