Search Results (1,004)

The Amazon represents the world’s greatest biodiversity and covers different countries in South America, including Brazil with the largest area. The interaction between the resident population of this area and its ecosystem is responsible for an intense exposure to venomous animals, which are considered an important health issue in the region. Therefore, the 1st International Symposium on Research in Venomous Animals, held from 2 May to 5 May 2023 in the city of Manaus in the state of Amazonas in Brazil, aimed to address animal envenomation aspects in the Brazilian Amazon and the exchange of ideas and knowledge between research groups from around the world. The event was attended by graduate students as well as renowned researchers from the Americas, Europe, and Asia. The event presented a multidisciplinary and translational approach in the area of toxinology, including themes such as clinical envenomation (clinical management, pathophysiology, and public policy strategies), preclinical studies, biological aspects of venomous animals’ venoms (venom composition/variation and geographical distribution), interdisciplinary studies on health anthropology and economics, and bioprospecting aspects (toxins with therapeutic and/or technological potential). Full article

The growing interest in herbal and alternative medicines demands information on the toxicity risk assessment of the various plant extracts used in traditional medicines. The rich presence of sesquiterpene lactone, a potentially toxic phytochemical, in Tithonia diversifolia necessitates the toxicological evaluation of its biologically active constituents. This study evaluated the in vivo sub-chronic toxicity of the moderately polar fractions of T. diversifolia in a rat model. The ethyl acetate soluble portion from the methanol extract was separated using the vacuum liquid chromatographic method. Three dose levels—an observed adverse effect level (OAEL) of 2000 mg/kg, a no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of 80 mg/kg, and an intermediate dose of 500 mg per kg body weight of rats per day—were selected for a 28-day period of repeated dosing for the sub-chronic toxicological evaluation. The LC-MS dereplication of the active fractions showed the presence of sesquiterpene lactones such as diversifolin, diversifolin methylether, tagitinin A, tagitinin C–F, woodhousin, and orizatin, as well as many unidentified peaks. There was a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in the weights of the rats dosed with OAEL and their food consumption of the fraction during week 1, which normalized during the subsequent weeks of the study. The histopathological examination showed mild necrosis and degeneration of hepatocytes in the centrilobular areas of the rats treated with OAEL of the active VLC fraction. There were no T. diversifolia-related adverse toxicological events in rats receiving 2000 mg/kg/day when dosed orally for 28 days. Full article

Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an aggressive cancer, with over half of patients presenting with metastatic PDAC at diagnosis. Most patients receive conventional chemotherapy which invariably faces resistance, and a key facilitator in this is the PDAC stroma which acts as a functional mediator of disease progression through bilateral crosstalk between stromal cells and cancer cells. ‘Migrastatics’ are a new drug class which target cell migration pathway effector proteins to attenuate cancer cell invasion. Improvement in PDAC treatment strategy is well-overdue and migrastatics as adjuvant therapy is one avenue gaining traction. The p21-activated kinase (PAK) family is frequently overexpressed and/or amplified in PDAC where it regulates cytoskeletal actin contractility as well as transcription. Pre-clinical PAK inhibitors have shown reduced PDAC cell invasion in vitro, yet it is unknown how the PDAC stromal cells would respond to a PAK inhibitor and how this could consequently affect PDAC invasion. My PhD project investigates the Pancreatic stellate cell response to PAK inhibition. Full article

This work aims to determine the main histological changes in the endometrium of female camels during the postpartum period (recovered from the uterine epithelium). For this, successive samples of uterine mucosa were taken from the left uterine horn of females from the 3rd, 5th, 7th, 11th, 15th, 18th, and 21st postpartum day. The samples of the uterine biopsies were carried out on 10 camels. In this study, it appears that the recovery of the epithelium of the uterine endometrium is short (3 weeks) and comparable to that of mares. In conclusion, this study verified the hypothesis of short uterine involution in camels and the rapid resumption of ovarian activity. Full article

In many countries around the world, camel milk is a healthy food used to treat many health issues including diabetes. Thus, it has been demonstrated from several studies in vivo that the consumption of camel milk either fresh or fermented could have a positive effect on certain diseases and metabolic disorders such as hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Furthermore, lactic cultures from camel milk have also been tested for the action of some active proteins or probiotic and have shown encouraging results. The objective of this work is to synthesize the data related to the benefits of camel milk and its effect on the regulation of glycemia. More in-depth studies should be carried out on humans, in order to confirm the effect of camel milk on glycemia. Full article

The camel is a highly valuable animal which contributes effectively to the welfare of people in difficult environments such as the Algerian Sahara. Reproduction in the camel is not as well understood as in more common species of domestic animals. Reproductive problems in the camel are not researched as, for example, in the bovine and small ruminants. Our study demonstrates a clinical case in the Ghardaïa district: cesarean section in female’s camels. The incidence of camel dystocia does not differ from that of bovines. The etiologies of dystocia include uterine torsion, carpal flexion, lateral deviation of the head and hock and hip flexion of the fetus. However, the camel fetus survives dystocia better than the equine fetus, and the camel is a good subject for cesarean section. Cesarean section could be performed on the left flank using xylazine sedation and local regional or infiltration anesthesia. A camel, 17 h in dystocia, delivered a live fetus via cesarean section. The camel placenta is diffuse epitheliochorial type, and placental retention subsequent to parturition is rare. The camel placenta is expelled within 49 min to 6 h of calving. Full article

This study aims to evaluate the prevalence and identification of gastrointestinal parasites in fecal samples of dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius) in Algeria based on microscopic examination. A total of 46 fresh fecal samples were collected in the southern Algerian towns of Adrar, Tindouf, Ourgla, and Ain Salah, and nine samples from camel farms in Constantine. Samples were examined with the flotation technique. Results showed an infestation rate of dromedaries of 32.6% (15/46), with seven different gastrointestinal species: 25.4% protozoa (Balantidium coli, Eimeria dromederi), 16.3% nematodes (Nematodirus spp., Trichuris spp., others strongles), and 3.6% cestodes (Moniezia spp.). Dromedaries are more infested with protozoa than with nematodes or cestodes (p < 0.05). The type of sex has no significant influence on the rate of parasitic infestation. The Sahraoui breed (70%) appears more infested compared to the Tergui breed (31.42%) (p < 0.05). Dromedaries originating from the Ouargla region (73.68%) are the most infested compared to those originating from Adrar (18.18%), Ain Salah (10%), and Tindouf (33.33%) (p < 0.05). Full article

The effect of static drying on the physicochemical quality of camel (Camelus dromedarius) meat slices as driedin an oven at 65 °C, with the aim of contributing to food safety. During the experiments, meat was cutinto. 8 ± 0.2 cm thick slices, soaked in a saline solution for 30 min, and then dried. Moisture content wasmeasured during the drying phase, and physicochemical parameters, such as protein, ash, sodium, pH, and mineral content, such as calcium (Ca), phosphor (P), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and manganese (Mn), were monitored before and after drying. The colorimetric parametersof the dried samples are also measured. The results show that the physicochemical quality of the dried camelmeat meets the requirements of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Indeed, the moisture content decreased from 73.94 ± 0.51% to 13.33 ± 0.44%, and the dried food samples were characterized by increases (i) from 19.72 ± 0.30% to 50.97 ± 0.65% in protein content; (ii) from 1.115 ± 0.012% to 4.781 ± 0.047%, in ash content; (iii) from 260 ± 11.7 mg to 1690 ± 32 mg, in the sodium content (for 100 g of dry matter), and (iv) from 5.956 ± 0.087 to 6.203 ± 0.091 in pH value. However, the variation is not significant for all mineral content parameters. Finally, themean values of the colorimetric parameters of brightness (L*), redness (a*), and yellowness (b*) are 37.13 ± 1.64, 22.02 ± 0.72, and 7.73 ± 0.69, respectively (before drying) and they are 25.57 ± 1.56, 9.43 ± 0.78, and 3.74 ± 0.21, respectively (after drying). Full article

Subclinical intra-mammary infection is a very current disease in dairy females; several early tests exist for their detection: California Mastitis Test (CMT), Electrical Conductimetry of milk (CE), pH indicator papers. In this study, the milk of 104 cows (416 quarters) was tested using CMT (Raidex^®) to first estimate the prevalence of the disease and to identify the effect of age, stage of lactation and position of neighborhoods on its prevalence; second, we looked for data related to camels from another study carried out on 57 camels (in Algiers (ENVH), starting with the hypothesis that the camel is more resistant. The prevalence rate (CMT > 1) is around 45% for cows and 15% for quarters. The study conducted in Algiers yielded a rate of 67% (for camels and 35% for quarters, i.e., an increase of 130% for quarters and 50% for animals. Our study emphasizes the impact of the last stage of lactation compared to the first (35% vs. 15%), which is in agreement with the other study; on the other hand, the effect of the posterior position of the teats and age was contradictory. The differences between the rates were not significant at p < 0.05 between neither the animals or quarters (Chi 2: 53.24 and 71.41). Full article

The aim of this work is to provide some anatomical data using a non-invasive method. Nine entire diaphragms of adult dromedaries were collected randomly at the slaughterhouse, and the bones prepared at the anatomy laboratory of Ouargla (Algeria). The CT examinations were performed on a 16-section CT device made by Siemens (Sensation 16, dedicated to the environment and the veterinary industry by Image-ET (Mordelles, France)). This bone is flat on one side and protruding on the other. The central part of the bone has an average HU value of −176 (−684 to 88), which clearly corresponds to the cancellous bone, and the external surface of the bone has an average HU value of 2320 (1979 to 2664), which corresponds to the compact bone. This study allows us to have a better understanding of the variability and structure of the dromedary diaphragm bone. Full article

The process of desertification affects about 46% of Africa. Hence, the dromedary appears by far to be the most appropriate strategic investment. It is obvious that in view of global events, the number of areas that will be affected by desertification will increase considerably, which will make this animal a key element in maintaining food security for a considerable number of people. The objective of this review is to describe what is currently being carried out in the study of the phenotypic and molecular diversity of camels and to highlight the prospects for the exploitation and use of these products in sustainable farming systems. Due to the increasing demand for camels around the world, there is a need for knowledge about their phenotypic and genetic diversity. This is fundamental to the sustainable management and use of herds. It appears through this review that the morphological and genetic diversity of African camels and the scientific advance can be used for genetic improvement and conservation. Full article

The goal of this study was to determine the seasonal and age effects on male camels’ intake. Over the two seasons (wet and dry season), follow-ups were conducted at El Alia Rangelands (southeast of Algeria). Eight males were selected to measure bite counts and dry matter intake (DMI) per season; they were distributed into two groups, adult males (AM) and young males (YM). The results showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) in the number of bites according to the season and the age categories, with a maximum average of 80.33 ± 18.206 for AM in the dry season and a minimum average of 15.50 ± 9.955 for YM in the wet season. During the wet season, Traganum nudatum had the highest dry matter intake (DMI), with 2.01 kg DM for AM and 0.28 kg DM for YM, while Salsola longifolia and Salsola tetragona had the lowest, with 0.38 and 0.39 kg DM, respectively, during the dry season in YM. Limoniastrum guyonianum exhibited high amounts of dry matter intake (DMI) in the dry season, with 1.10 and 0.22 kg DM in AM and YM, respectively, but significantly decreased in AM and YM during the wet season (0.03 and 0.02 kg DM respectively). The season influences the feed intake of male camels, of course. Full article