The effect of 2 different blends of essential oils on Clostridium perfringens (Cp) in the intestine and feces of broiler chickens was tested in 6 field trials for each blend. One hundred parts per million of the blends were mixed in a commercial corn-based diet throughout the entire growing period for experimental flocks. Samples from the jejunum, cecum, cloaca, and feces were taken on d 14, 21, and 30 from experimental and control flocks and tested quantitatively for Cp via blood agar plate, litmus milk medium, and ELISA. Blend A reduced (P < or = 0.05) the average Cp concentration in the feces on all sampling days, in the jejunum and cecum on d 14 and 21, and in the cloaca on d 14. Blend B effected a significant reduction of Cp concentration in the jejunum on d 14 and 30 and in the cloaca on d 14. The percentages of specimens from the control group that tested positive for Cp were 83.3% for feces, 88.0% for jejunum and cloaca, and 82.6% for cecum. Specimens from the feces and 3 sections of the intestine were Cp positive in groups treated with blend A (60.8, 64.6, 47.9, and 70.8%) and with blend B (65.9, 63.6, 63.6, and 72.7%). Our results indicate that specific blends of essential oil components can control Cp colonization and proliferation in the gut of broilers and therefore may be of help to prevent problems with Cp and necrotic enteritis.

The effect of root colonization by Glomus mosseae on the qualitative and quantitative pattern of essential oils (EO) was determined in three oregano genotypes (Origanum sp.). To exclude a simple P-mediated effect through mycorrhization the effect of P application to plants on the EO accumulation was also tested. In two genotypes the leaf biomass was increased through mycorrhization. Root colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF) did not have any significant effect on the EO composition in oregano; however, in two genotypes the EO concentration significantly increased. As EO levels in P-treated plants were not enhanced, we conclude that the EO increase observed in mycorrhizal oregano plants is not due to an improved P status in mycorrhizal plants, but depends directly on the AMF-oregano plant association.

No abstract

The essential oils of five different cultivars of Cannabis sativa contained as main compounds -pinene, myrcene, trans-ˇ-ocimene,˛-terpinolene, trans-caryophyllene and˛-humulene. The content of˛-terpinolene divided the cultivars in two distinct groups, an Eastern European group of cultivars of approximately 8% and a French group of cultivars of around 16%. Therefore, this compound might be suitable as a genetic marker for the two breeding centres for the fibre types of Cannabis sativa. The content of trans-caryophyllene was up to 19%. However, the content of caryophyllene oxide did not exceed 2%. The antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Cannabis sativa can be regarded as modest. Nevertheless, cultivar differences were visible. -9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) could not be detected in any of the essential oils and the amount of other cannabinoids was very poor.

Neuropsychological testing provides increasing evidence that certain memory deficits might play an essential role in the emergence of doubts and, as a result, in perpetuating checkers’ rituals. Another account of doubting implicates metacognitive factors, such as confidence in memory. The present study examined mnestic functioning and self-perception of memory ability in a group of 27 nondepressed patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and 27 normal controls. All patients met DSM-IV and ICD-10 criteria for OCD, displayed prominent behavioral checking rituals and had to show a score on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) of at least 16. Significant deficits in intermediate (Lern- und Gedächtnistest; LGT-3) and immediate (Corsi Block-Tapping Test) nonverbal memory were identified in the patients with OCD compared to normal controls. Contrary to predictions, OCD patients also showed a significant deficit in general memory and verbal memory (LGT-3). With respect to metacognition, OCD patients reported less confidence in their memories than controls. These findings suggest that obsessional doubt reflects a deficit in memory as well as a deficit in memory confidence. Depending on which dysfunction predominates, different therapeutic procedures seem to be required.