• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-5
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• 2008

To analyze genetic effects on milk production traits, 164 unrelated Italian Jersey cows reared in 15 farms located in Southern Italy were characterized at the growth hormone locus. Using a Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism protocol all three possible genotypes for the Leucine/Valine polymorphism were identified even if in the considered population the number of homozygous animals (Leucine/Leucine = 36; Valine/Valine = 28) was smaller than Leucine/Valine (n = 100) cows; the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium was verified. Statistical analysis showed that daily milk yield in the Leucine/Leucine genotype was higher (p<0.01) than in Leucine/Valine (22.76 kg vs. 16.96 kg ); cows with Leucine/Valine genotype differed significantly from Leucine/Leucine and Valine/Valine genotypes particularly in fat (4.95% vs. 4.13% and 4.82%, respectively) and protein content (4.00% vs. 3.47% and 3.79%, respectively). No significant effect on lactation length was observed.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.360-378
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• 1992

This study was performed to investigate effect of dietary protein and calcium levels on cad-mium intoxication in rats. Adult Sprague-Dawley male rate(245$\pm$21g) were blocked into 18 groups of 7 animals according to body weight Nine experimental diets different with protein(40%, 15%, 7%) and calcium (1.3%, 0.6%, 0.1%) levels were prepared. Nine groups of animals were fed each diet with 50ppm cadmium in drinking water and the other 9 groups without cadmium for 30days. Results were summarized as follows: 1) Body weight gain F. E. R(Food Efficiency Ratio) and weights of liver kidney and femur were higher in high protein groups among cadmium exposed groups. 2) Cadmium contents in liver and intestine were higher in rats fed high protein diet or low calcium diet among cadmium exposed groups. Fecal cadmium excretion was highest in high protein-high calcium diet group among cadmium exposed animals. Metallothionein contents in liver kidney and intestine were higher in animals exposed to cadmium and fed high protein diets. 3) Gel filtration chromatography of cytosolic solution showed that the higher dietary protein and calcium levels were the more cadmium was found in metallothionein fractions. 4) No gross histopathological change was seen in liver kidney and intestine of cadmium exposed rats. However a significant increase of smooth endoplasmic reticulum which was alleveated by high protein-high calcium diet was observed. Results obtained indicated that not only high protein diet but also high calcium diet showed preventive effect on cadmium intoxication by increasing the induction of metallothionein syn-thesis and decreasing the cadmium absorption.

• The Korea Journal of Herbology
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.33-44
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• 2019

Objectives : This study aims to record and conserve oral traditional knowledge of medicinal animals from the indigenous people living in the local communities of Songnisan National Park, Korea. Methods : Data was collected by participatory observations and in-depth interviews with semi-structured questionnaires. Quantitative comparative analyses were accomplished through data received from the following three methods: informant consensus factor (ICF), fidelity level (FL), and network analysis. Results : The investigation reveals that the indigenous people have used 49 species of medicinal animals distributed within 45 genera, belonging to 39 families with 336 different usages. According to the distribution of recorded families, the most representative families were Scolpendridae and Phasianidae, which were utilized 36 times each (10.71 % each). The category with the highest degree of consensus from informants was disorders related to the nervous system (0.97). 16 species were classified with a fidelity level of 100 %. The network analysis revealed that a lack of vigor was related to 23 species, including Agkistrodon blomhoffii, Gallus domesticus, and Canis familiaris, among the total 49 species investigated. Conclusions : This documentation can help preserve the traditional knowledge and local health traditions of Korea that are disappearing due to rapid industrialization, urbanization, and death of the elderly with traditional knowledge. Additionally, the animals investigated in this study can be developed into medicinal food and drug for treating specific health conditions through further research.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.65 no.3
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• pp.490-510
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• 2023

Feed safety is needed to produce and provide safe animal feeds for consumers, animals, and the environment. Although feed safety regulations have been set for each country, there is a lack of clear feed safety regulations for each livestock. Feed safety regulations are mainly focused on heavy metals, mycotoxins, and pesticides. Each country has different safe levels of hazardous materials in diets. Safe levels of hazardous materials in diets are mostly set for mixed diets of general livestock. Although there is a difference in the metabolism of toxic materials among animals, the safe level of feed is not specific for individual animals. Therefore, standardized animal testing methods and toxicity studies for each animal are needed to determine the correct safe and toxic levels of hazardous materials in diets. If this goal is achieved, it will be possible to improve livestock productivity, health, and product safety by establishing appropriate feed safety regulations. It will also provide an opportunity to secure consumer confidence in feed and livestock products. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a scientific feed safety evaluation system suitable for each country's environment. The chance of outbreaks of new hazardous materials is increasing. Thus, to set up appropriate toxic levels or safe levels in feed, various toxicity methods have been used to determine toxic levels of hazardous materials for humans and animals. Appropriate toxic testing methods should be developed and used to accurately set up and identify toxicity and safe levels in food and feed.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.177-181
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• 2008

Mycotoxins produced by molds isolated from discolored sun-dried red pepper fruits were determined and the toxicity to animals was also tested by feeding mold-grown unpolished rice to rats. Among the mold species tested, only Alternaria alternata was toxic to experimental animals, while other mold species belonging to the genera of Colletotrichum, Diaporthe, Diaporthopsis, Botryosphereia, Aspergillus and Fusarium were not. Rats fed Alternaria-grown rice lost weight and died within two weeks of feeding period. Succumbed rats during the process of feeding study showed extreme cases of enlargements of stomach, small intestine and liver. Among the 17 Alternaria isolates, 8 species produced considerable amount of tenuazonic acid along with small amounts of other toxins including alternariol and monomethyl ether derivative of alternariol in both red pepper homogenate and unpolished rice. It is therefore advised that red pepper fruits infested by molds during the sun-drying process be discarded to avoid unnoticeable health hazards.

• Molecular & Cellular Toxicology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.137-141
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• 2005

The critical role of folate in the remethylation pathway for methionine synthesis from homocysteine has been well documented. Hyperhomocysteinemia resulting from inadequate folate nutrition has been implicated in increased incidence of macrovascular diseases, colorectal cancer, neural tube defects, etc. Chronic exposure to ethanol impairs folate nutrition and one-carbon metabolism in the liver, which often results in fatty liver due to a defective remetylation process. This study was carried out to investigate the chronic effects of moderate levels of alcohol and dietary folate on plasma homocysteine levels, and on histopathology and biochemical functions of the liver. Rats were raised on experimental diets with three levels of folate (0, 2, 8 mg/kg diet), and 50% ethanol (1.8 ml/kg body weight) was administered intragastically by intubation tubes three times a week for 10 weeks. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were found to be significantly influenced by dietary folate intake and alcohol administration. Among all treatment groups, plasma homocysteine levels were the highest in the animals receiving a combined treatment of folate deficient diet and alcohol administration. Plasma homocysteine concentrations were negatively correlated with folate concentration in the plasma (p<0.01) and liver (p<0.05). Among alcohol treated rats, increase in plasma homocysteine values due to macrovascular and microvascular fatty changes and spotted necrosis were observed more frequently in folate-deficient animals diet than those on folate-adequate and folate supplemented diets in alcohol-treated rats. These results indicate that folate supplementation above the recommended level might be beneficial in the prevention of alcohol-related hyperhomocysteinemia and abnormal histologic changes in the liver.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.13.1-13.6
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• 2023

Animals imported from abroad are a cause of rabies outbreaks in many countries. Therefore, rabies serology testing for dogs and cats traveling abroad is an important measure to reduce the incidence of rabies. Rabies virus antibodies were measured in sera collected from 2,367 dogs and 894 cats between 2017 and 2021. A serum sample with a value of 0.5 IU/mL or higher was considered a pass. The overall pass rates for rabies virus were 96.4% in dogs and 98.4% in cats. The mean rabies virus neutralization assay titers were higher in cats than in dogs and in female than in male animals. According to age, 6-year-old dogs and 9-year-old cats had the highest virus neutralization assay titers. Of the failure cases, 53.0% (53/100) were dogs or cats less than 1 year old. Although the average failure rates in dogs and cats were low at 3.5% and 1.6%, respectively, the factors influencing failure were age and vaccine manufacturer. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the vaccination interval and timing of blood collection after boosting.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.287-294
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• 2008

Protective effects of cheonggukjang fermented with 20% red ginseng (RC) were observed in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats by measuring levels of blood glucose, serum lipid profiles, and hepatic reactive oxygen species generating and scavenging enzymc activities. RC diet was prepared by mixing with AIN-76 diet at the final concentration 2%, and it was fed to STZ-induced diabetic rats for 3 weeks. The RC dict was significantly improved body weight, feed efficiency ratio, levels of serum glucose, and serum and hepatic lipids in diabetes. The significantly elevated O type activity of xanthine oxidase in diabetes was also greatly decreased by the RC diet. The treatment of RC showed the improved hepatic glutathione s-transferase activities in the diabetic animals. The present study indicates that cheonggukjang fermented with red ginseng could ameliorate STZ-induccd diabetic symptoms such as aggravated blood glucose levels, serum lipid profiles, and even the conditions of oxidative stress.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.759-767
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• 2018

The concern about the possibility of food can be a vehicle for the transmission of Clostridium difficile to humans has been raised recently due to the similarities among the strains isolated from patients, foods and food animals. In this study, therefore, the prevalence of C. difficile was investigated in beef and chicken meat products collected from 57 different butcher shops, markets and fast food restaurants in Sakarya province of Turkey. Two out of 101 samples (1.98%) was positive for C. difficile indicating a very low prevalence. The pathogen was isolated from an uncooked meatball sample and a cooked meat $d{\ddot{o}}ner$ sample, whereas not detected in chicken meat samples. The meatball isolate was resistant to vancomycin and tetracycline, while the cooked meat $d{\ddot{o}}ner$ isolate was resistant to vancomycin and metronidazole. Both isolates were sensitive to moxifloxacin and clindamycin. Toxins A and B were not detected. This study reveals the presence of C. difficile in further processed beef products in Turkey.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.597-603
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• 2015

Synthetic cannabinoids JWH-018 and JWH-250 in 'herbal incense' also called 'spice' were first introduced in many countries. Numerous synthetic cannabinoids with similar chemical structures emerged simultaneously and suddenly. Currently there are not sufficient data on their adverse effects including neurotoxicity. There are only anecdotal reports that suggest their toxicity. In the present study, we evaluated the neurotoxicity of two synthetic cannabinoids (JWH-081 and JWH-210) through observation of various behavioral changes and analysis of histopathological changes using experimental mice with various doses (0.1, 1, 5 mg/kg). In functional observation battery (FOB) test, animals treated with 5 mg/kg of JWH-081 or JWH-210 showed traction and tremor. Their locomotor activities and rotarod retention time were significantly (p<0.05) decreased. However, no significant change was observed in learning or memory function. In histopathological analysis, neural cells of the animals treated with the high dose (5 mg/kg) of JWH-081 or JWH-210 showed distorted nuclei and nucleus membranes in the core shell of nucleus accumbens, suggesting neurotoxicity. Our results suggest that JWH-081 and JWH-210 may be neurotoxic substances through changing neuronal cell damages, especially in the core shell part of nucleus accumbens. To confirm our findings, further studies are needed in the future.