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This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of increasing dietary doses of fennel seed powder (FSP) on growth performance and health status in calves. Holstein calves (n = 48; 3 d of age; 36.3 ± 1.06 kg BW; mean ± SE) were allocated randomly to diets containing 0 (FSP0), 1.5 (FSP1.5), or 3 g/d (FSP3) FSP in milk (morning feeding; during the first month) and then in the starter feed (top-dressed; from d 31 until weaning on d 71). The calves remained in the trial until d 81. Weight gain and final BW were greater in FSP-supplemented calves compared with control calves. Heart girth and hip width gained more in FSP-supplemented calves compared with control calves. Body weight gain and frame growth were not affected by calf sex. The calves receiving FSP had a lower chance of having elevated rectal temperature (≥39.4°C) and a lower probability of suffering from diarrhea or pneumonia. The chance of having diarrhea, but not pneumonia, was greater in female calves. The chance of medication occurrence for diarrhea and pneumonia was not affected by FSP and calf sex. The FSP3 calves had shorter days with elevated rectal temperature (≥39.4°C) compared with the FSP1.5 (1.2 d; SEM = 0.10) and FSP0 (2.9 d; SEM = 0.10) calves. Days with diarrhea but not its frequency and medication days was shorter (4 d; SEM = 0.10) in the FSP-supplemented calves. Control calves experienced more days with pneumonia compared with calves fed FSP1.5 (3.1 d; SEM = 0.08) and FSP3 (5.4 d; SEM = 0.08). Calves fed FSP3 experienced shorter days (2.3 d; SEM = 0.08) with pneumonia compared with calves fed FSP1.5. Feeding FSP tended to decrease (1.6 d; SEM = 0.10) medication days for pneumonia compared with control group. The duration (2.2 d; SEM = 0.10) and medication days (1.3 d; SEM = 0.15) for diarrhea were higher in female calves compared with the male calves. Compared with the control calves, feeding 3 g/d of FSP may be more beneficial in improving the weight gain and skeletal growth (heart girth and hip width) and in reducing the susceptibility to and duration of diarrhea and pneumonia in dairy calves.

Objectives Synthesizing and characterization of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) by Ferula persica gum essential oil and investigating in vitro anti-cancer effects. Methods Characterization of NPs was performed. Cytotoxicity and apoptosis were determined on cancerous CT26 and non-cancerous Vero cells using MTT assay and acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EB) staining, respectively. Clonogenic assay was also performed. Key findings The absorption peak in UV-visible spectroscopy was at 530 nm. In TEM image, Au NPs were spherical in shape with average size of 37.05 nm (78.6 nm in DLS analysis). Comparison of the FTIR spectrum of the Au NPs with the essential oil revealed the presence of compounds responsible for reducing and capping the gold ions. XRD pattern showed metal crystal structure. Au NPs exerted dose-dependent cytotoxicity with IC50 values of 0.0024 and 0.0307 mg/ml against CT26 and Vero cell lines, respectively. Au NPs induced apoptosis on both cell lines with statistically more intense effect on CT26 cells (P < 0.0001). Colony formation of CT26 and Vero cells was also inhibited in comparison to untreated cells (P < 0.05). Conclusions Ferula persica gum can be successfully used for green production of Au NPs. Au NPs show in vitro anti-cancer activity including cytotoxic, apoptotic and antiproliferative effects.