A nutraceutical diet based onLespedeza spp.,Vaccinium macrocarponandTaraxacum officinaleimproves spontaneous feline chronic kidney disease

Abstract

Chronic kidney disease is characterized by structural and/or functional impairment of one or both kidneys persisting for more than 3 months. In cats, chronic kidney disease can frequently occur in animals aged over 9 years with an incidence of approximately 10%. Thirty‐four client‐owned, neutered cats, suffering from stage II‐III chronic kidney disease and diagnosed according to the International Renal Interest Society guidelines were randomly assigned to receive either a control diet (n = 17) or a nutraceutical diet (ND; n = 17) for 90 days. Both diets were commercialized for management of CKD symptoms. The diets were identical except that the ND contained tablets that consisted of 60–80% hydrolysed proteins, 20–40% minerals and active substances, that are, Lespedeza spp. 0.0588%, Vaccinium macrocarpom 0.0371%, and Taraxacum officinale 0.0231%. No adverse effects were reported during this study. Both diets resulted in an improvement in CKD symptoms. After a 90‐day evaluation, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, total proteins, and aspartate aminotransferase significantly decreased in cats that received the ND. A significant decrease was also observed in urine turbidity score, color score, and total proteins in cats that received the ND. We have found that a ND based on Lespedeza spp., Vaccinium macrocarpon, and Taraxacum officinale improves key indicators of renal failure in cats affected by chronic kidney disease.

A possible correlation between diet, serum oxytetracycline concentration, and onset of reproductive disturbances in bitches: clinical observations and preliminary results

“…A similar trend was also observed for OTC serum concentration. We hypothesized that the alteration of reproductive functions, both in males and bitches, may be due to a state of chronic inflammation caused by the presence of harmful substances and contaminants (including OTC) within the body, which can be introduced by ordinary commercial pet food consumption [33][34][35]37]. Moreover, several studies showed the effects of antibiotics (tetracyclines, sulfa drugs, penicillins, aminoglycosides, and nitrofurans) and also heavy metals (cadmium, lead, and mercury) on the reproductive system, inducing estrous cycle disruption, impaired embryo implantation, impendent follicular development, breast and endometrial cancer, endometriosis, spontaneous abortions, sperm motility, and viability reduction [41][42][43][44][45][46].…”

“…Moreover, literature reports evidenced an increased excretion of conjugated estrogens in the feces of men and women treated with several antibiotics, including OTC, thus reducing the hormone concentrations in circulation. Therefore, besides a decreased hydrolysis of estrogen conjugates by β-glucuronidase, we hypothesized that the alteration of reproductive functions of bitches might also be due to a state of chronic inflammation caused by the presence of harmful substances and contaminants (including OTC) within the body, introduced by routine commercial pet food consumption [33][34][35]38].…”

“…Real infertility is difficult to diagnose in veterinary clinical practice and therefore most bitches are classified as generally subfertile or hypofertile subjects [32]. The present clinical evaluation was based on standardized protocols used in canine reproduction and its aim was to evaluate the effect of a specific nutraceutical diet on the reproductive performance of 36 bitches presenting evident reproductive disturbances and possibly correlate them with serum concentration of a contaminant, oxytetracycline (OTC), frequently detected in pet food [33][34][35][36]. We previously observed the usefulness of a nutraceutical diet enriched with Lepidium meyenii, Tribulus terrestris, L-carnitine, zinc, beta-carotene, vitamin E, folic acid, and an omega-6:omega-3 ratio of 4:1 in improving motility percentage, semen volume and concentration, and total number of sperm per ejaculation in 28 male dogs suffering from infertility associated with hypospermia [37].…”

Vaccinium as Potential Therapy for Diabetes and Microvascular Complications

“…DIAVIT, particularly delphinidin, changes vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) splicing and rescues the diabetic nephropathy (DN) phenotype [144]. One study showed that key indicators of renal failure, such as urine color, turbidity, and total protein, were considerably reduced in cats with chronic kidney disease receiving a nutritious diet containing 0.0371% cranberries [145]. The chemical components of Vaccinium include ANT, flavonoids, ellagitannins, and phenolic acids.…”

A review on bioactive metabolites and great biological effects of Cranberry

“…Raffaella, et al [27] showed that ALT and AST serum levels began to be higher during the elementary stages (2 and…”