Background Coccidiosis represents a serious threat to the poultry industry, affecting production and causing high morbidity, mortality and significant costs resulting from treatment and prophylaxis. In-feed anticoccidials have been used for decades for managing avian coccidiosis and were very effective until drug resistance emerged. The use of natural remedies has become a promising alternative in combating coccidiosis in chickens. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to assess the efficiency of a commercial herbal formula (H), as oral liquid preparations, in experimental chicken coccidiosis. Methods Two independent controlled battery experiments (BE1 and BE2) were designed and the product was tested in 3 different formulas (H1, H2 and H3): H1 contained a propylene glycol extract of Allium sativum and Thymus serpyllum ; H2 contained Origanum vulgare , Satureja hortensis and Chelidonium majus ; and H3 contained Allium sativum , Urtica dioica , Inula helenium , Glycyrrhiza glabra , Rosmarinus officinalis , Chelidonium majus , Thymus serpyllum , Tanacetum vulgare and Coriandrum sativum . Chickens were divided into five groups for each BE as follows: (i) uninfected untreated control (UU1, UU2); (ii) infected untreated control (IU1, IU2); (iii) infected treated with amprolium (ITA1, ITA2); and (iv, v) two experimental groups infected treated with H1 (ITH1) and H2 (ITH2) formulas in the BE1 and with H3 (ITH3-5 and ITH3-10) formula in the BE2. The chickens from infected groups were challenged with 5000 (BE1) and 50,000 (BE2) sporulated oocysts of Eimeria spp. ( E. acervulina , E. tenella and E. maxima ), respectively. The anticoccidial efficacy was assessed by recording the following: oocysts output (OPG), lesion score (LS), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and anticoccidial index (ACI). Additionally, polyphenolics and flavonoids (caffeic-chlorogenic acid, apigenin, kaempferol, luteolin, quercitin, quercitrin) from herb extracts found in H3 formula were determined by the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method. Results H1 and H2 reduced the WG, and increased the FCR and OPG compared with controls. H1 reduced the duodenal lesions, whilst H2 reduced the caecal lesions, compared with control. H3 decreased the OPG of Eimeria spp., reduced the total lesion score and improved the zootechnical performance (weight gain and feed conversion ratio). According to ACI value, H1 and H2 had no efficacy on ...
The bark resulted after the industrial processing of wood represents a byproduct of the forestry industry, used in many suboptimal ways, being considered a natural waste. Currently, it has been highlighted that the bark of different woody plants may be an important source of several bioactive compounds, with various beneficial biological functions. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the chemical composition and biological activities of two different pine species (Pinus nigra and Pinus sylvestris) bark extracts. Ultrasound (UAE) and microwave (MAE) assisted extractions were performed in order to obtain the extracts. The total polyphenol (TPC) and total tannin (TTC) contents of the extracts were assessed via the Folin–Ciocâlteu method. The volatile and polyphenolic compounds were identified and quantified via a GC/MS analysis and an UPLC-PDA analysis, respectively. The antioxidant activity (AOA) was evaluated using the DPPH and ABTS assays, while the antibacterial activity was assessed using the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) protocol. The results showed that the Pinus sylvestris bark extracts obtained by UAE had a higher TPC, TTC and AOA, while the Pinus nigra bark extracts obtained by MAE had higher volatile compounds content (mainly α-pinene and β-pinene). Moreover, the inhibition of the bacterial growth was more efficient in the case of Pinus sylvestris extracts, Gram-positive bacteria being the most affected, while Gram-negative strains presented a relative resistance to the tested extract concentrations. These results may indicate the potential use of the pine bark extracts as antioxidant or antibacterial agents.
Orodispersible tablets (ODTs) are pharmaceutical formulations used to obtain fast therapeutic effects, usually recommended for geriatric and pediatric patients due to their improved compliance, bioavailability, ease of administration, and good palatability. This study aimed to develop ODTs with cannabidiol (CBD) phytocannabinoid extracted from Cannabis sativa used in the treatment of Lennox–Gastaut and Dravet syndromes. The tablets were obtained using an eccentric tableting machine and 9 mm punches. To develop CBD ODTs, the following parameters were varied: the Poloxamer 407 concentration (0 and 10%), the type of co-processed excipient (Prosolv® ODT G2—PODTG2 and Prosolv® EasyTab sp—PETsp), and the type of superdisintegrant (Croscarmellose—CCS, and Soy Polysaccharides—Emcosoy®—EMCS), resulting in eleven formulations (O1–O11). The following dependent parameters were evaluated: friability, disintegration time, crushing strength, and the CBD dissolution at 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, and 30 min. The dependent parameters were verified according to European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) requirements. All the tablets obtained were in accordance with quality requirements in terms of friability (less than 1%), and disintegration time (less than 180 s). The crushing strength was between 19 N and 80 N. Regarding the dissolution test, only four formulations exhibited an amount of CBD released higher than 80% at 30 min. Taking into consideration the results obtained and using the Modde 13.1 software, an optimal formulation was developed (O12), which respected the quality criteria chosen (friability 0.23%, crushing strength of 37 N, a disintegration time of 27 s, and the target amount of CBD released in 30 min of 99.3 ± 6%).
The bark of various tree species is a byproduct of the forestry industry that is not used at its full potential, considering the wide range of phytochemicals that are contained in these vegetal matrices and the health benefits that these compounds could provide for society. Our goal was to assess and compare the phytochemical composition of some hydroalcoholic spruce (Picea abies) bark extracts attained by ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and their antioxidant and antibacterial effects. The levels of total phenolics and tannins in the bark extracts were determined using methods based on the Folin–Ciocâlteu reagent, while specific phenolic and volatile compounds were identified and quantified using an UPLC-PDA method and a GC-FID method, respectively. After the chemical composition assessment, the antioxidant capacity (AC) was evaluated by measuring the scavenging ability against two free radicals (DPPH and ABTS). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was determined to assess the antibacterial activity of the extracts. The results indicated that the extracts produced by UAE had higher contents of polyphenols and tannins and also a higher content of the main phenolic compounds identified, catechin and epicatechin, compared to the MAE extracts. In contrast the highest content of volatile terpenoids (mainly α- and β-pinene) was found in the MAE extracts. All of the tested extracts exhibited relatively high antioxidant activities (especially the UAE extracts) and low MICs against Gram-positive bacteria but were mildly efficient against Gram-negative bacteria. These findings show that the spruce bark might be an important source of bioactive compounds that can be easily extracted from these industrial secondary products. Various uses of this vegetal material may emerge, due to its antioxidant and antibacterial effects.
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