In this study, the efficacy of heat-killed Gordonia bronchialis on growth performance, immune system and gastrointestinal structure in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was evaluated. Fish (mean weight 30 g) were fed basal diet (control), or treatment diets containing 2.48 9 10 8 (low dose) or 1.24 9 10 9 (high dose) cells kg À1 feed of heat-killed G. bronchialis on a pulse basis (5 days on treatment diet; 10 days on basal diet) for 95 days. On days 95 and 105, some of the fish were sampled for analysis of mentioned parameters. On days 110 and 120, the remaining fish were injected intraperitoneally with a 20 mL L À1 suspension of chicken red blood cells. Results showed that growth performance was significantly enhanced in both treatment groups compared with the control group. Serum complement and lysozyme activities and hemagglutination antibody titre were higher in both treatment groups compared with the control group. The length of the intestinal and pyloric caeca folds was increased in the high-dose group. Meanwhile, the number of goblet cells was increased in both treatment groups. This study suggests that heat-killed G. bronchialis has the potential to enhance growth, immunological parameters and the gastrointestinal structure in rainbow trout.

Background: Vitex agnus-castus is a deciduous shrub that is native to the Mediterranean region. It has traditionally been used in Iranian medicine. In the current study, Vitex agnus-castus Essential Oil (EO) leaves were analyzed for their chemical component as well as antioxidant and antifungal activity. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the biological properties (phytochemical component, and antioxidant and antifungal activity) of Vitex agnus-castus EO from an Iranian origin. Materials and Methods: Chemical composition of the EO was determined by using Gas Chromatography (GC) and Gas Chromatography/ Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Antioxidant activity of the Vitex agnus-castus EO was examined by the 1, 1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, while the total phenolic content was also determined. Antifungal activity (against Candida albicans, Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, Candida dubliniensis, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium species and Alternaria species) was performed by a broth microdilution method according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) protocols M27-A and M38-A for yeasts and filamentous species. Results: Thirty-two components were identified in Vitex agnus-castus EO. The main compound was alpha-Pinene (19.48%). The total phenolic content of EO was determined as 82.26 ± 5.94 mg Gallic Acid Equivalent (GAE)/g EO. The EO exhibited significant radical scavenging activity with IC50 value of 27.16 µg/mL. The obtained EO showed significant antifungal activity. Aspergillus niger was more susceptible than other fungi (MIC: 0.78 µL/mL). Conclusions: Potent antifungal activity, make this plant an effective replacement treatment for fungal infections or fungal strains that are resistance to synthetic antifungals.

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Tsukamurella inchonensis (T. inchonensis)is an aerobic species of Actinomycetales which has immunomodulatory activities when used as a suspension of killed bacilli. Here, the effects of T. inchonensis on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in mouse peritoneal macrophages have been examined. Peritoneal macrophages were harvested by lavaging with ice cold phosphate-buffered saline. Macrophages acquired from mice treated with different doses of T. inchonensis for seven days were cultured with 20 U/ml interferon-γ and 10 µg/ml lipopolysaccharide for in vivo assays. Nitrite levels were measured by using the diazotization method based on the Griess reaction, an indirect technique to determine nitric oxide (NO) production. T. inchonensis inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated NO production in mouse peritoneal macrophages from mice previously exposed to concentrations of 108 and 5 × 10 7 CFU per flask. Also, T. inchonensis decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Thus, it can be concluded that T. inchonensis is a powerful inhibitor of lipopolysaccharide-induced NO production in activated murine macrophages, and T. inchonensis may be useful as a novel agent for chemoprevention in inflammatory diseases.