No abstract

The present results indicate that FO and KO supplementation decreases fasting blood glucose and improves glucose tolerance in obese New Zealand white rabbits. This could be ascribed to the ameliorated insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion and modified gene expressions of some key enzymes involved in β-oxidation and lipogenesis in liver and skeletal muscle.

The experiment was carried out with dual-purpose fowls developed for rural backyard farming -indigenous Katunitsa chicken (line "AN"), in a free range management system from hatching to 52 weeks of age. The purpose of the investigation was to establish the influence of a blend of herbs as a dietary supplement on some serum biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total cholesterol, gamma-glutamyl transferase, triglycerides and creatinine), growth performance, egg production, egg fatty acid composition, and health status. The composition of this blend of herbs included: 0.05% garlic powder (Allium sativum), 0.3% cinnamon powder (Cinnamomum verum) and 0.03% of each of the following dried herbs: yarrow (Achillea millefolium), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), thyme (Thymus serpyllum), basil (Ocimum basilicum) and oregano (Origanum vulgare). The birds were divided into two groups -control (n=60) without supplemental mixture to the diet and experimental (n=700) with supplemental mixture to the diet from the first day of age to the end of the experiment. The results showed that the herbal mixture supplement decreased significantly the blood serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels -at 7 (P<0.001) and at 52 weeks (P<0.05) of age. The content of phospholipids, triglycerides and linoleic acid in the egg yolk was higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (Р<0.05). There was no significant difference in the egg yolk cholesterol levels between both groups (P>0.05). Over the entire investigation period the chickens from the experimental group had a better feed conversion ratio (with 3.37%) and a higher egg laying capacity (with 1.79%). At the end of experiment (52 weeks of age), hens from the control group exhibited generalised fatty degeneration of liver parenchyma, while these in experimental group, the major part of hepatocytes had no fat droplets in their cytoplasm. The death rate from 0 to 7, from 8 to 21 and from 22 to 52 weeks of age was 18.33%, 0% and 8.57% in the control group and 1.00%, 0.26% and 2.62% in the experimental group, respectively. Therefore in conclusion, it can be affirmed that the use of this blend of herbs had a beneficial effect in the treated fowls and improved their egg productivity, vitality and health condition.Keywords: blood biochemical parameters, chickens, dried herbs, egg production, garlic, growth performance, mortality РезюмеПроучването е проведено с кокошки от общоползувателно направление, предназначени за свободно отглеждане във фамилни ферми -Катунска кокошка, (линия "AN") от излюпване на пилетата до 52-седмична възраст. Целта е да се установи влиянието на билкова смес използувана като добавка в комбинирания фураж върху някои серумни биохимични показатели (аланин аминотрансфераза, аспартат аминотрансфераза, общ холестерол, гамаглутамилтрансфераза, триглицериди и креатинин), растежа, носливостта, мастнокиселинния състав на яйчния жълтък и здравния статус. Съставът на билкова смес е: 0,05% чесън на прах, 0.3% канела (Cin...

The testes of three birds were examined at each age period. The testicular morphometry at the respective age included the following parameters-weight, length and width, diameter of seminiferous tubules (ST), ratio between ST volume and interstitial connective tissue volume. Immediately after hatching, there were two cell types in seminiferous tubular wall-Sertoli cells (Еpitheliocytus sustentans) and spermatogonia. At 2 months of age, spermatogonia formed one row in ST with lumen and the spermatogenesis has started. At 5 months of age, all generations of germ cells were present in ST. After that age, the histological picture is the typical one for the testis of a sexually mature bird. Morphometric findings were as followed: after the 2 nd month of age, the increase in testes weight and ST diameter became more pronounced at each subsequent age period. During the breeding period (at 8-12 months of age and at 2 years of age), the weight and size of testes were the greatest. From hatch to 1 month of age, the interstitial tissue (IT) prevailed over ST, whereas at age periods that followed, the opposite relationship was observed. During the non-breeding period (18 months of age) the testicular parenchyma regressed resulting in lower testes weight, lower ST diameter and volume and presence of spermatogonia only in ST lumen. The weight and size of testes was identical to that of birds at 4 months of age.

Rabbits are considered as appropriate animal models to study some obesity-associated abnormalities because of the similarity of their blood lipid profile and metabolism to humans. The current study was focused on comparison of adipose differentiation ability in rabbit adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) in vitro. Subcutaneous and visceral stromal vascular fractions (SVF) were isolated from three 28-d-old New Zealand rabbits by collagenase digestion. Supernatants from both isolates were collected 24 h after the initial plating. On the fourth passage, all isolated cell types undergo triplicate adipogenic induction. The adipose induction potential was calculated as percentage of increasing optical density (OD) values. The data revealed that with increasing the number of induction cycles, the induction tendency in visceral ADSC decreased in contrast to the subcutaneous ones. Although the supernatants did not reach induction levels of their relevant precursors, they follow the same pattern in both subcutaneous and visceral ADSC. All cell types successfully passed osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation. In conclusion, the best adipose induction ability was observed in directly plated subcutaneous cell population. The increase of induction numbers depressed adipose induction ability in cell populations derived from visceral fat depots.