Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is a highly contagious transboundary disease of cattle with major economic losses. This study was undertaken to address the emergence and epidemiological features of LSD in four north-western provinces of Iran. These provinces have extensive borders with others country including Iraq, Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia. A population of 683 cattle from 91 farms were examined during LSD outbreak in Iran during 2014-2016. The information of the farms including the population size, gender, age, vaccination status, clinical signs and the number of death because of LSD were recorded in the designed questionnaires. A number of 234 blood samples were collected randomly from animals with and without clinical signs of LSD. DNA was extracted from blood samples, and they were used for amplifying a fragment of 434 bp in size coupled with restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) for molecular detection of lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV). The estimated prevalence, cumulative mortality and case fatality were 17.9%, 3.5% and 19.7%, respectively. There was no significant difference in occurrence of the disease between male and female cattle. LSD occurrence in age groups above 5 years old and below 6 months old showed highest and lowest relative frequencies, respectively. Vaccination was significantly decreased the occurrence of clinical disease. The developed PCR-RFLP technique was able to differentiate between LSDV, sheep pox virus (ShPV) and goat pox virus (GPV). It was concluded that LSD was entered into Iran probably from Iraq via uncontrolled animal movements along common land borders between two countries. Developed PCR-RFLP could be used as a rapid and inexpensive method for differentiating Capripoxviruses (CaPVs).

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This study demonstrated antispasmodic and antisecretory activities of 1,8-cineole and rationalized the traditional use of the plant containing various levels of this terpene in the treatment of gastrointestinal complains such as diarrhea.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence of Babesia ovis infection in adult Rhipicephalus bursa and small ruminants in West Azerbaijan province, Iran. Blood samples were collected from 280 sheep and 122 goats of forty randomly selected flocks. Specific B. ovis fragment was detected in 67 animals (16.7%), of which 52 animals (18.6%) were sheep and 15 animals (12.2%) goats (P < 0.05). Of the 848 R. bursa collected from naturally infested small ruminants and farm dogs, Babesia ovis was detected by PCR in salivary glands of 94 adult ticks. The frequency of B. ovis infection was higher in flocks with tick in comparison with animals without tick (P < 0.05). Positive amplification from blood of ruminants, ticks, oviposition ticks, eggs, and larvae was subjected to restriction digestion with HphI. One RFLP profile was produced. The PCR-RFLP results indicated that one strain of B. ovis exists in this area. The results showed that the PCR was useful method to investigate the epidemiology of small ruminants' babesiosis. Furthermore, R. Bursa, which can transovarially transmit B. ovis and as well as being widely distributed in West Azerbaijan province, Iran, might play an important role in the field as a natural vector of B. ovis.

In this study, 300 raw buffalo, cow and ewe milk samples from five townships in west Azerbaijan, Iran, were analysed. Lead and cadmium were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean concentration of lead and cadmium in buffalo milk samples was 0.018 ± 0.001 and 0.003 ± 0.001 mg/kg, respectively. Mean concentration of lead and cadmium in cow milk samples was 0.007 ± 0.001 and 0.001 ± 0.001 mg/kg, respectively, and in ewe milk, these mean values were 0.010 ± 0.001 and 0.002 ± 0.001 mg/kg, respectively. Statistical analyses showed that lead and cadmium concentrations in buffalo milk were significantly higher than those in cow and ewe milk. Moreover, the concentration of these heavy metals in ewe milk was significantly higher than that in cow milk. It was also found that concentration of these selected toxic metals in milk increased with increasing age of the animals.

The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial interactions of pulegone and 1,8‐cineole with monolaurin ornisin against Staphylococcus aureus . The individual and combined antibacterial activities of the compounds were evaluated using minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), fractional inhibitory concentration index (FICi), and time‐kill methods. Furthermore, the mechanism of the antibacterial action of the compounds was tested by measuring the release of cell constituents. The MIC values of pulegone, 1,8‐cineole, nisin, and monolaurin were 5.85 µl/ml, 23.43 µl/ml, 6.25 µg/ml, and 0.031 mg/ml, respectively. A synergistic antibacterial activity (FICi = 0.5) was found between 1,8‐cineole and nisin. The time‐kill assay showed that the populations of S. aureus exposed to 1,8‐cineole, nisin, and their combination were decreased by 5.9, 5.3, and 7.1 log CFU (colony‐forming units)/mL, respectively. The combination of 1,8‐cineole and nisin also induced the highest release of cell constituents. It was concluded that the combination of 1,8‐cineole and nisin could be considered as a novel and promising combination which may reduce the required dose of each antibacterial compound.

This study reported the peripheral and central antinociceptive activity of the EOAD and rationalized the traditional use of the plant in the treatment of different painful conditions.

Mentha longifolia is grown commercially for production of oils and leaves. For centuries, this plant has widely been used traditionally as a folk remedy for treatment of human and ruminant gastrointestinal complaints in the Northwest of Iran. The essential oil of the plant was extracted using hydrodistillation. In the present study a total of 12 constituents, representing 96.6% of the oil were identified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The main compounds were 1,8-cineole (19.8%), pulegone (17.3%), caryophyllene oxide (14.8%) and isomenthone (12.4%). The effects of 0.1 to 1000 g/mL essence of Mentha longofolia (EOML) on ruminal and abomasal smooth muscle of 24 healthy sheep were assessed in vitro. In the isolated ruminal and abomasal preparations, EOML (0.1-100 g/mL) exhibited a weak spasmogenic effect followed by relaxation and complete (p < 0.05) abolition of the spontaneous contraction at the highest dose (1000 g/mL). In contrast rat ileum only showed a dose-dependent relaxation effect, and tissues preincubated with EOML decreased the acetylcholine (ACh) induced contraction. EOML (1000 g/mL) significantly inhibited the effect of ACh suggesting that the effect may be mediated via cholinergic receptors on smooth muscle. These primary data indicated that the plant contained spasmogenic and spasmolitic constituents. Moreover the results showed that the EOML profoundly alters gastrointestinal smooth muscle contraction in a dosedependent and tissue-specific manner. The results suggested that EOML has the potential for development as a prokinetic and relaxant agent that may prevent or alleviate dysfunctions of gastrointestinal motility.