Sonchus species (Asteraceae) is a class of edible wild plant, with 50 known species widely distributed in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In recent years, researchers worldwide have studied the potential of this species as a crop for humans and animals. Sonchus species also has many pharmacological activities. Studies have been conducted to understand the applications of the genus, and their results indicated the potential utilization of Sonchus species. This review aimed to compile the scientific information in the literature on Sonchus species, including its potential nutrient, medicinal and feed uses, and to identify possible future applications of this plant.
ARTICLE HISTORY
This study was conducted to investigate the effects of increasing stocking density under suitable environmental conditions on the performance and ileal microbiota of broilers. A total of 108 Arbor Acres male broilers (28 days old) were allocated to a normal stocking density (NSD, normal stocking density; 31 kg/m
2
) and a maximum allowed stocking density group (MSD, maximum stocking density; 39 kg/m
2
). All birds were reared at a constant temperature of 21°C. At 42 days of age, bacterial DNA was extracted from ileal content, and the V3–4 hypervariable region of 16S rRNA was amplified. Increasing stocking density had no significant effect on average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (
P
>0.05). The alpha and beta diversities of the ileal microbiomes did not differ significantly between the NSD and MSD groups; however, increasing stocking density altered the composition of ileal microbiota. The relative abundance of Lactobacillales, including
Lactobacillus, Enterococcus
, and
Streptococcus
, significantly decreased in MSD broilers, compared with NSD broilers. The present results suggest that even under suitable environmental conditions, an increase in stocking density to a level of 39 kg/m
2
may disturb the composition of ileal microbiota in broilers. Further studies are needed to determine the reasons and the potential consequences for animal health and physiology.
Summary
Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerases (PARPs), which transfer either monomer or polymer of ADP‐ribose from nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) onto target proteins, are required for multiple processes in DNA damage repair, cell cycle, development, and abiotic stress in animals and plants. Here, the uncharacterized rice (Oryza sativa) OsPARP1, which has been predicted to have two alternative OsPARP1 mRNA splicing variants, OsPARP1.1 and OsPARP1.2, was investigated. However, bimolecular fluorescence complementation showed that only OsPARP1.1 interacted with OsPARP3 paralog, suggesting that OsPARP1.1 is a functional protein in rice. OsPARP1 was preferentially expressed in the stamen primordial and pollen grain of mature stamen during flower development. The osparp1 mutant and CRISPR plants were delayed in germination, indicating that defective DNA repair machinery impairs early seed germination. The mutant displayed a normal phenotype during vegetative growth but had a lower seed‐setting rate than wild‐type plants under normal conditions. Chromosome bridges and DNA fragmentations were detected in male meiocytes at anaphase I to prophase II. After meiosis II, malformed tetrads or tetrads with micronuclei were formed. Meanwhile, the abnormality was also found in embryo sac development. Collectively, these results suggest that OsPARP1 plays an important role in mediating response to DNA damage and gametophyte development, crucial for rice yield in the natural environment.
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