Sixteen dietary treatments applied to a total of 960 hens were used to determine the influence of zeolite A on shell quality and egg size. In Experiment 1, sodium zeolite A (SZA) was fed at three levels (0, .75, and 1.50%) in diets containing 4.0 and 2.75% calcium (Ca) for 8 weeks to old hens. In Experiment 2, the same levels of SZA were fed in diets containing two total sulfur amino acid levels (TSAA, .61 and .51%) to young hens for 12 weeks. Calcium zeolite A (CZA) was also fed at .68% in Experiment 1 in the 4.0% Ca diets and in Experiment 2 in the .51 and .61% TSAA diets. These diets were adjusted for sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl). SZA (.75% unadjusted for Na and Cl) was fed to old hens receiving the 2.75% Ca diet in Experiment 1. All diets were isocaloric and isonitrogenous within diets having the same Ca or TSAA level within an experiment. Response criteria were egg production, feed consumption, egg specific gravity, serum Ca, and body weight. A significant linear response in egg specific gravity occurred within 2 or 3 weeks, when diets supplemented with SZA were fed to old (Experiment 1) and young (Experiment 2) hens. Average Ca intake for control hens (Experiment 1) fed the 2.75 and 4.0% Ca diets was 2.93 and 4.54 g, respectively. Average Ca intake for control hens (Experiment 2) fed the .51 and .61% TSAA diet was 4.38 and 4.00 g, respectively. The CAZ (Experiments 1 and 2) and SZA (unadjusted for Na and Cl, Experiment 1) also gave significant increases in egg specific gravity. Zeolite A had little or no influence on egg weight, feed consumption, or egg production in Experiments 1 or 2. When Na and Cl were not adjusted in the SZA treatments (Experiment 1) a significant reduction in production occurred. It was concluded that zeolite A will significantly increase egg specific gravity and we hypothesize that the mechanism responsible for the significant improvement is related to the high ion-exchange capability of zeolite A.

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The extracts of some propolis samples were analysed by GC-MS and then purified by column chromatography. The latter led to the isolation of a new mono-ether of glycerol, 1'-O-eicosanyl glycerol and a new triterpene, methyl-3β,27-dihydroxycycloart-24-en-26-oate together with known triterpenoids namely betulin, 3β-hydroxylanostan-9,24-dien-21-oic acid, mangiferonic acid, a mixture of ambolic acid and β-sitosterol, 3β-hydroxycycloartan-12,24(25)-diene and 27-hydroxymangiferonic acid. The DPPH radical scavenging potential of some extracts and compounds were measured. The radical scavenging activity varied from Hexane extract of Foumban propolis (IC = 5.6 mg/mL) to Methanol extract of Foumban propolis (IC = 1.07 mg/mL) for the extracts and from 3β-hydroxylanostan-9,24-dien-21-oic acid (IC = 1.22 mg/mL) to 1'-O-eicosanyl glycerol (IC = 0.93 mg/mL) for the compounds. Activities of samples were moderate as they remained closer to those of the standard antioxidants Gallic acid (IC = 0.30 mg/mL) and vitamin C (IC = 0.80 mg/mL), especially 1'-O-eicosanyl glycerol, the most active compound.

Despite significant advances in cancer therapy over the years, its complex pathological process still represents a major health challenge when seeking effective treatment and improved healthcare. With the advent of nanotechnologies, nanomedicine-based cancer therapy has been widely explored as a promising technology able to handle the requirements of the clinical sector. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) have been at the forefront of nanotechnology development since the mid-1990s, thanks to their former role as contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. Though their use as MRI probes has been discontinued due to an unfavorable cost/benefit ratio, several innovative applications as therapeutic tools have prompted a renewal of interest. The unique characteristics of SPION, i.e., their magnetic properties enabling specific response when submitted to high frequency (magnetic hyperthermia) or low frequency (magneto-mechanical therapy) alternating magnetic field, and their ability to generate reactive oxygen species (either intrinsically or when activated using various stimuli), make them particularly adapted for cancer therapy. This review provides a comprehensive description of the fundamental aspects of SPION formulation and highlights various recent approaches regarding in vivo applications in the field of cancer therapy.