Acetic Research Articles

An enhanced electrokinetic system for remediation of Cu-polluted clay soils by integrating purging solutions and intermittent power

This study investigated the effectiveness and underlying mechanisms of purging solutions enhanced by intermittent power in improving electrokinetic (EK) restoration of clay soils even under high levels of heavy metals (HM). In so doing, the artificially contaminated specimens containing a wide range of copper (Cu) were prepared and then subjected to a series of EK tests with various electrolytes and electric regimes. Macro and micro scale examinations revealed that under the unenhanced EK condition (i.e., continuous current without agents), the formation of non-conducting solid phases and/or the clogged fabric in the samples with the high dosages (> 250 mg/kg) of HM could dramatically impede the metal separation from the soil. Hence, increasing the remediation time would not be very effective in facilitating the decontamination process. It was observed that the EDTA-ameliorated treatment accompanied by pentetic acid and acetic acid can mitigate the metal precipitation/encapsulation effects induced by EK actions, resulting in improved rate of HM removal. In this case; however, a high portion of these enhancers would be required to ensure the stable mobility of ions and to achieve successful recovery. Such a limitation has been shown to be overcome by incorporating pulsed power (PP) at an optimal frequency. In fact, as evidenced by SEM-EDX and XRD analyses, the integration of chemical agents with PP could simultaneously retain the solubilized Cu species in the soil mass and modify the matrix tortuosity (i.e., the establishment of well-linked pores), two features that have been found to play essential roles in providing for favorable activity of HM ions during the EK operation. The corresponding refinements in the binary system would cause an almost 8 folds increase in the removal efficiency and a shorter (up to 30 %) time of treatment compared to conventional EK.

Effects of filling substrates on remediation performance and sulfur transformation of sulfate reducing packed-bed bioreactors treating acid mine drainage

The filling substrate is one of key factors influencing effectiveness of sulfate reducing packed-bed bioreactor (SRPB) treating acid mine drainage (AMD). The effects of four substrates (i.e. quartz sand, steel residue, biochar, and peanut shell) on remediation performance and sulfur transformation of SRPB treating AMD was studied. The results showed that steel residue and biochar improved sulfate reduction efficiency (61% and 49%) compared to quartz sand (32%), whereas peanut shell inhibited sulfate reduction efficiency (19%), attributed to its decomposition process leading to a severe accumulation of acetic acid. More amounts of sulfides generated in steel residue bioreactor were converted into acid volatile sulfide and elemental sulfur, resulting in a significant decrease in dissolved sulfide in the effluent. Metals (Fe, Al, Zn, Cd and Cr) except for Mn were effectively immobilized in the bioreactors, particularly for Al and Cd. Sulfate reducing bacteria and sulfide oxidizing bacteria lived symbiotically in all bioreactors which exhibited similar heterogeneity in microbial distribution and function, i.e. bacterial sulfate reduction mainly occurring in bottom-middle layers and photoautotrophic sulfide oxidation in upper layer close to outlet. The microbial response mechanism to various substrate environments was revealed through co-occurrence networks analysis. This study suggests that attention should be paid to the inhibitory effect of acetic acid accumulation on sulfate reduction when using sole lignocellulosic waste (peanut shell), and steel residue and biochar could be utilized as filling substances to promote sulfate reduction.

Effects of guanidine acetic acid supplementation from gestation to lactation on reproductive performance, colostrum quality, blood biochemistry, and intestinal microflora diversity of sows.

This experiment aimed to study the effects of guanidine acetic acid (GAA) on reproductive performance, lactation performance and blood biochemical indices of sows, as well as the performance of offspring piglets. A total of 20 sows (Landrace × Yorkshire, parity 4) were used. Half of the sows in each parity were fed a control diet (CG; basic diet, n = 10) or GAA diet (basic diet +1 g/kg GAA, n = 10) from the 85th day of gestation until weaning. The study results are presented as follows: Supplementation of GAA from late gestation to lactation did not adversely affect sow feed intake, backfat thickness, or blood routine indexes (p > 0.05). GAA supplementation showed a tendency to increase the number of healthy piglets and their birth activity (p = 0.06; p = 0.08), while significantly increasing the IUGR score of piglets (p < 0.05). GAA supplementation significantly increased colostrum protein content (p < 0.05) and tended to increase daily milk yield in sows (p = 0.07). GAA supplementation increased the level of immunoglobulin A in sow colostrum (p < 0.05) and showed a tendency to increase proline content (p = 0.10). GAA supplementation significantly decreased triglyceride content in sow cord blood (p < 0.05), with no significant effects observed on HDL-C, LDL-C, TC, and GLU (p > 0.05). GAA supplementation significantly increased eNOS levels in sow cord blood (p < 0.05), while showing no significant effects on IL-6 and IL-10 (p > 0.05). GAA supplementation did not significantly affect the α diversity of sow intestinal flora (ACE, Shannon, Chao1, Simpson, observed_otus, pielou_e, and good_cover), but PCoA analysis revealed differences in intestinal flora structure between groups. Additionally, GAA decreased the relative abundance of Sarciha and unidentified_ruminococcaceae and increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus, Parabacteroides, and Pedobacter in the gut. GAA boosts nitric oxide synthase in sows' umbilical cord blood, enhancing placental blood vessel development. This improves piglet health and vitality, increases beneficial gut bacteria (Lactobacillus, Parabacteroides, Pedobacter), and raises colostrum protein levels and lactation volume, leading to better piglet growth and performance.

High‐Throughput Experimentation (HTE) Applied to the Synthesis of API Impurities: A Case Study in Oxidative Decarboxylation of Aryl Acetic Acids

AbstractHigh‐throughput experimentation (HTE) has dramatically impacted experimental reaction development by enabling the rapid exploration of a diverse set of reaction conditions. During the past few decades, HTE has evolved as a tool to expedite reaction discovery and optimization. This work details the application of HTE to synthesize impurities of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) with ketone/aldehyde functionality, specially focusing on ibuprofen impurity E. Initial experiments using K2S2O8 as oxidant yielded moderate results. Subsequent HTE screens identified cerium ammonium nitrate (CAN) and RuCl3‐NaIO4 as new effective decarboxylative oxidants, with RuCl3‐NaIO4 in the presence of tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) achieving the highest yield of 65 %. This optimized method was successfully applied to synthesize ibuprofen impurity E on a gram scale. Additionally, the applicability of these methods to obtain other API related substances, such as naproxen impurity L and ketoprofen impurity A, was demonstrated. This research highlights the potential of HTE to streamline the synthesis of API impurities, making them widely accessible for pharmaceutical development purposes.

Ionotropic Receptor 8a (Ir8a) Plays an Important Role in Acetic Acid Perception in the Oriental Fruit Fly, Bactrocera dorsalis.

Bactrocera dorsalis is one of the major invasive pests worldwide. The acetic acid-enriched sweet bait trapping is an important method for monitoring and controlling this fly. Several studies showed that acetic acid is perceived by ionotropic receptors (IRs). Thus, we annotated 65 IR genes in the B. dorsalis genome. We also investigated the IRs involved in acetic acid perception in this fly by behavioral, electrophysiological, and molecular methods. As the results indicated, the antennae are the main olfactory organs to sense acetic acid. Among the antennal IRs showed acetic acid-induced expression profiles, IR8a was proven to perceive acetic acid by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated mutagenesis. Additionally, calcium imaging showed that IR64a and IR75a are potential acetic acid receptors respectively co-expressed with IR76b and IR8a. This study represents the first comprehensive characterization of IRs in B. dorsalis at the whole-genome level, revealing the significant role of IRs in acetic acid perception.

Differences in microbial communities among different types of zaopei and their effects on quality and flavor of baijiu

Three types of zaopei (fermented grain) of xiaoqu light-flavor baijiu (XQZP), daqu light-flavor baijiu (DQZP), and strong-flavor baijiu (SFZP) at the end of fermentation and their dominant lactic acid bacteria were systematically compared and analyzed in this study. The results showed that these three types of zaopei differed significantly in acidity, reducing sugar content, and ethanol content, and that the main factors influencing their microbial community were acidity and lactic acid. The diversity and contents of flavor substances were significantly higher in SFZP than in DQZP and XQZP. Additionally, there was a strong correlation between dominant lactic acid bacteria and flavor substances in all three zaopei, but the correlation between fungi and flavor substances was higher than that between bacteria and flavor substances. Differential gene analysis revealed that the microbial activities followed the order of SFZP > DQZP > XQZP. The KEGG enrichment analysis indicated that the differential genes from different zaopei were enriched in different metabolic pathways. Furthermore, various microorganisms in 3 types of zaopei contained different functional genes, of which fungi mainly contained genes responsible for the synthesis of ethanol and acetic acid, while lactic acid bacteria mainly contained genes responsible for the synthesis of lactic acid. In XQZP, L. helveticus was dominant lactic acid bacteria prominent in acetic acid tolerance and lactic acid production; in DQZP, L. acetotolerans was remarkable in its tolerance to lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol and lactic acid production; and in SFZP, A. jinshanensis was superior in acetic acid tolerance and production. Taken together, this study reveals the mechanism underlying flavor differences among three types of baijiu and provides valuable references for the development and utilization of baijiu microbial resources.

Shelf Stable Chicken Pickle Incorporated with Poultry by Products Using Different Acidulants: A Review

The present study was aimed to develop an acceptable quality chicken pickle with incorporation of poultry by products viz. Heart &amp; gizzard (1:1) and different acidulants. Different level of heart and gizzard (5, 10 &amp; 15%) were incorporated in chicken pickle formulations. Meat chunks prepared from broiler meat with inclusion of spices, acidulants and poultry by-products were used for preparation of chicken pickle. It was observed that incorporation of 10% heart and gizzard exhibited higher sensory and physico-chemical scores which were comparable to the control. These results revealed that 10% heart and gizzard can be used as poultry by-products in chicken pickle without any adverse effect on the quality and sensory properties of chicken pickle. Chicken pickle prepared by using above selected levels of heart and gizzard were further incorporated with different acidulants viz. Citric acid, acetic acid &amp; lactic acid for sensory and physico-chemical properties and evaluated at ambient temperature on every 15th day interval for 90 days. During storage chicken pickle incorporated with acetic acid maintained sensory and physico-chemical attributes for longer time as compared to the products incorporated with citric acid and lactic acid. During storage of chicken pickle the sensory scores for all the attributes declined significantly with the progress of storage period. Similarly, pH, TBA values and microbial count increased considerably at the later part of storage but were within spoilage limit. It is concluded that chicken pickle prepared with incorporation of 10% heart &amp; gizzard and acetic acid packed in PET bottles could be stored safely for 90 days at ambient temperature.

Putative Nociceptive Responses in a Decapod Crustacean: The Shore Crab (Carcinus maenas)

Nociceptors are receptors that detect injurious stimuli and are necessary to convey such information from the periphery to the central nervous system. While nociception has been extensively studied in various taxa, there is relatively little electrophysiological evidence for the existence of nociceptors in decapod crustaceans. This study investigated putative nociceptive responses in the shore crabs, specifically their response to mechanical and noxious chemical stimuli. Extracellular multi-unit electrophysiological recordings were conducted from the anterior ganglion and the circumesophageal connective ganglia to assess nociceptive responses. Soft tissues at the joints of the chelae, antennae, and walking legs were stimulated using acetic acid (noxious stimulus) and von Frey hairs (mechanical stimulus), while nearby ganglion activity was recorded. The results indicate the existence of nociceptors in the tested areas, with mechanical stimuli eliciting shorter, more intense neural activity compared with acetic acid. Although acetic acid triggered responses in all areas, the antennae and antennules did not respond to mechanical stimuli. Though we acknowledge the challenges of conducting in vivo electrophysiological recordings, future research should focus on further characterizing nociceptor activity because the results suggest the presence of nociceptors.

Construction and Properties of Ultralow Thermal Conductivity and High Strength Zirconia Aerogel Composites by Freeze-Drying.

Zirconia aerogels possess significant applications, including their use catalyst carriers, thermal insulation materials, and thermal barrier coatings. This is due to their ultrahigh temperature resistance, high porosity, and low thermal conductivity. Nonetheless, the inherent challenges associated with ZrO2 aerogels, such as high brittleness, low compressive strength, and inadequate formability, restrict their potential applications. In this paper, with ultralow thermal conductivity and high strength zirconia aerogel composites with inorganic zirconium salt zirconium carbonate as the raw material, acetic acid as the solvent, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the viscosity builder to stabilize the structure of the aerogel during the freeze-drying process. Additionally, yttrium nitrate hexahydrate (Y(NO3)3·6H2O) is employed as a phase stabilizer. The sol-gel method, in conjunction with the freeze-drying process, is utilized to fabricate ZrO2 aerogel composites with an optimized microstructure. The findings indicate that optimal process parameters are achieved with a PVP solution concentration of 2.0 wt % and a zirconium carbonate concentration of 20 wt %. The mechanical properties of the resulting composites reach up to 550 kPa, while the thermal insulation performance exhibits a temperature difference of 207 °C/cm and a thermal conductivity of 0.0504 W/(m·K). This advancement addresses the mechanical stability issues commonly associated with traditional ceramic aerogels and widely used elastic insulating materials, thereby enhancing their applicability as thermal insulation and heat preservation materials.

Landfill leachate detoxification and decoloration for energy reclamation via microalgae-bacteria synergy

Upcycling of hidden energy and resources from landfill leachate (LL) into short-chains fatty acids (SCFAs) represents a substantially unexploited opportunity to handle environmental issue and achieve a circular economy. Due to high biotoxicity and poor biodegradability, efficient conversion of LL into SCFAs remains a great challenge. Herein, a hybrid electro-biosystem that coupling spatially separate LL electrochlorination, photo-remediation and dark fermentation was constructed to realize LL toxicity alleviation, resource recovery and SCFAs production in cascade. During LL electrochlorination, macromolecular organics evolution and LL toxicity alleviation mechanisms were revealed, in which available Cl- concentration played key role on LL properties amendment. During microalgae photo-remediation, resources recovery efficiency demonstrates that suitable LL electrochlorination can enhance microalgal photosynthesis and stimulate intracellular energy accumulation. Finally, SCFAs were produced from microalgae biomass via dark fermentation with butyric acid and acetic acid as major products, outputting total energy of 4.38 kJ/L. The work provides a paradigm shift of low-cost LL disposal with extra benefit of SCFAs production.

Long-term performance and mechanism of in-situ biogenetic sulfidated zero-valent iron for enhanced nitrate reduction

The biogenetic sulfidation of zero-valent iron (BS-ZVI) by sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) has been demonstrated to enhance the reactivity of ZVI. However, long-term performance of BS-ZVI and related mechanism were still unknown. Therefore, columns containing sponge iron and SRB are built to prepare BS-ZVI in-situ and study its long-term performance. Over 80 % of NO3‾ was reduced to NH4+ by in-situ BS-ZVI within 140 days, which was higher than the sole ZVI treatment (40 %-60 %). The bonding of ZVI and FeSx was in-situ firstly and finally loaded on ZVI. The reduction of Fe(III) by S(−II) and SRB contributed to the formation of FeSx, which improved the electrons transfer. Moreover, BS-ZVI enhanced the enzymes activity of SRB, thus accelerating the metabolic transformation of lactic acid to acetic acid. The accumulation of acetic acid enhanced the removal efficiency of NO3‾ through the dissolution of passivation layer. Overall, this study demonstrated a reactivity enhancement of ZVI through biogenetic sulfidation, which provided a new alternative method for the remediation of groundwater.

Effect of solutions acidity on Haacke’s Figure of Merit of ZnO and ZnO:F thin films deposited by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis

Fluorine-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:F) thin films are valued for their potential as transparent conductive materials, particularly in optoelectronic applications. In this work, the deposition of highly conductive and transparent fluorine-doped ZnO thin films, deposited by chemical spray on glass substrates is reported. The effect of acetic (AcAc) in the initial fresh solution on Haacke’s Figure of Merit (Φ) of both zinc oxide (ZnO) and fluorine-doped zinc oxide (ZnO:F) thin films was studied. The substrate temperature was fixed to 450°C, and two deposition times (8 and 14 min) were tested. Accordingly, the optical and transport properties, as well as the structural and morphological characteristics of the films were measured. The results indicate that the samples are polycrystalline in all cases and exhibit a wurtzite-type structure of ZnO. The variation of AcAc in the starting solution causes a switch in preferential growth from (002) to (001). As the AcAc content increases, the surface morphology of the films reveals the formation of well-defined hexagonal grains, and the grain size increases. Conversely, the transmittance decreases as the acetic acid increases, which can attributed to carbon incorporation into the film. In addition, the band gap values of the films varied from 3.2 to 3.4 eV. Also, as the acetic acid concentration increased, a drop in the electrical resistivity of ZnO thin films on the order of 0.016 Ω⋅ cm was found for the ZnO:F films deposited with fresh solution for 14 min. This can be ascribed to a dense acetic cloud formed during the synthesis process, trapping volatile F species that incorporate into the ZnO lattice. This enhances Haacke’s Figure of Merit of ZnO:F films deposited with a fresh solution, demonstrating their potential use for application as transparent conductive films. This contrasts with other synthesis methods that require longer aging time in the precursor solution, making these findings useful for large-scale and more efficient production of transparent conductive films.

Fabrication of Robust Forward Osmosis Membrane by Assembling FeOxCly Nanoparticles

AbstractOwing to its inherent advantages like low‐energy consumption, low‐fouling propensity, and high recovering ability over high‐pressure‐driven membrane processes, the future of membrane technology is shifting toward forward osmosis (FO). However, the utility of FO in challenging areas is hindered by the lack of suitable FO membranes. Here, the development of innovative FO membranes by depositing weakly magnetic and positively charged FeOxCly nanoparticles on a negatively charged nylon membrane (FeOx‐Nyl) is reported. Remarkably, the FeOx‐Nyl membrane possesses outstanding stability in an aqueous medium and survived in both acidic (pH = 3.3) and basic (pH = 12.2) solutions. Upon varying the loading amount of FeOxCly, the water flux of the FeOx‐Nyl membrane varies from 27.8 to 61.3 LMH (from 5 to 30 mg). Due to its hydrophilic nature, the FeOx‐Nyl membrane exhibits excellent flux recovery rates (FRR), up to ≈70%. The outstanding robustness and high flux of FeOx‐Nyl are exploited in challenging applications like recovering reactive chemical wastes and dehydration of acetic acid.

Cleaning Method Validation for Determination of Residues in Anti-Cancer Drug product for Injection by Using RP-HPLC Technique

Cleaning method validation is a part of good practices in pharmaceutical sector and need to seek the contamination present in production area. OBJECTIVE: An RP-HPLC method for the cleaning samples analysis for Anti-Cancer Drug product Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection was develop and validated. The method was developed and validated for quantitation of Cleaning of residue left in the vessels of the production equipment’s. The analytical method used to determine the complete cleaning for Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection by HPLC method. METHOD: The Cleaning validation was performed on Inertsil ODS,C18,(150mm×4.6mm,5μm) chromatographic column temperature at 40°C, and the detection wavelength was set at 260nm. Mobile Phase-A:10mL ammonium acetate, 88mL Purified water, 10mL acetic acid, 2mL Triethylamine, and Mobile Phase-B: 1mL Buffer, 10mL acetonitrile,190mL Purified water, and at a flow rate of 1.5 mL/min, and the injection volume was 10μL. RESULTS: The validation results of Melphalan Hydrochloride were linear over the concentration from 0.10 µg/mL to 0.75µg/mL (r = 1.00) and the recoveries from LOQ to 150% and precision ranged from 50% to 76% (RSD &lt; 30%, n =9). CONCLUSION: This method has been validated successfully and all the results met the acceptance criteria. Hence method of Cleaning Validation is suitable for testing of residue sample of Melphalan Hydrochloride for Injection.

Dynamics of hydride anion and acetyloxyl radical production by electron attachment to acetic acid.

We investigate the dynamics and site-selectivity in the dissociation of transient anions formed upon attachment of low energy electrons to acetic acid by anion fragment momentum imaging experiments. The resonances at 6.7 and 7.7eV are confirmed to dissociate exclusively by the O-H bond, while a third resonance at 9.1eV dissociates primarily by both C-H break and O-H break. A fourth resonance near 10eV is found to dissociate by O-H break. For each resonance, the measured kinetic energy release indicates two-body dissociation produces a neutral radical in the ground electronic state, for all four resonances. The measured angular distributions are consistent with all four resonances having A' symmetry.

Isolation and characterization of salt-stress-tolerant rhizosphere soil bacteria and their effects on plant growth-promoting properties

PGPR has a higher potential impact on agricultural crops. It enhances plant growth and development in a variety of adverse environmental conditions, including biotic and abiotic stresses. The PGPR is commercially vital since it is more efficient, safe for the environment, and beneficial to the economy. Nowadays, salt stress has an impact on the agricultural ecosystem. Salt-tolerant PGPR can directly stimulate plant growth and development by producing a variety of metabolites and phytohormones. The current study looked at the isolation of salt-tolerant bacterial species and their ability to stimulate plant development. Four bacterial species were chosen for their better salt stress tolerance (0–5%). They were identified by 16S rRNA sequencing: Solibacillus silvestris BR1, Peribacillus frigoritolerans BR2, Paenibacillus taichungensis CR1, and Solibacillus isronensis CR2. These strains were positive production of indole acetic acid with varying incubation periods (19.66 ± 1.528 to 646.111 ± 8.058 µg/mL), salt stress (ranging from 29.556 ± 1.171 to 147.8111 ± 2.086 µg/mL), phosphate solubilization (0.145 ± 0.011 to 0.921 ± 0.007 µg/mL), ammonium production (0.299 ± 0.047 to 1.202 ± 0.142 µg/mL), HCN production (0.308 ± 0.051 to 4.269 ± 0.069 µg/mL), and siderophore production (0.190 ± 0.064 to 1.543 ± 0.108 µg/mL) for control strains were used without salt stress. The production level was expressed using a standard curve containing various standards.

The Influence of Conditions of Polycondensation in Acid Medium on the Structure of Oligosilsesquioxanes with a Novel Eugenol-Containing Substituent.

Eugenol-containing oligoorganosilsesquioxanes were synthesized by the method of hydrolytic polycondensation in an active medium under various reaction conditions. The obtained products were characterized by 29Si NMR spectroscopy and MALDI-TOF spectrometry. It was shown that factors such as the reaction temperature, polycondensation duration, and molar ratio between the initial alkoxysilane monomer and acetic acid may affect the molecular weight characteristics and molecular structure of the formed oligomer, like the content of stressed cyclic units (T3, DTT, TDT) and unstressed silsesquioxane units TnDm. In particular, an increase in the ratio of the initial reagents led to an increase in the content of silsesquioxane Tn fragments from 28.2%mol to 41.7%mol, while the number of strained cyclic structures decreased by more than two times. An increase in the synthesis time is of no particular practical value since it was found that the composition of the oligomers synthesized for 6 h and 12 h was practically identical, as was that of the oligomers synthesized for 24 h and 48 h. A noticeable transition in the oligomer composition was observed only when the synthesis time was changed from 12 h to 24 h. Finally, it was shown that the choice of synthesis temperature had the strongest effect on the oligomer composition. The oligomer synthesized at 95 °C contained the highest amount of silsesquioxane Tn fragments, >77%mol, while a Tn fragment content of ~42%mol was observed during the synthesis at 117 °C. It was shown that silsesquioxanes are devitrified at room temperature (Tg from -6.4 to -10.6 °C), and their thermal stability in an inert atmosphere is 300 °C. The synthesized oligomers, due to the presence of hydroxyl-containing eugenol units, may be promising binders and additives for functional epoxy-silicone paints and coating materials.

Changes in Microbial Ecosystems and Serum Metabolomics by Diet Supplementation With Enramycin in Weaning Piglets.

Antibiotics are used in swine production for growth promotion and disease prevention, raising concerns about environmental contamination and antibiotic resistance. In this study, we investigated the effects of enramycin supplementation on piglet growth, gut microbiota and blood metabolites. Enramycin promotes piglet growth and temporarily reduces diarrhoea. Gut microbiota analysis revealed changes in microbial composition, including an increase in the abundance of Limosilactobacillus reuteri. Metabolomic analysis has identified elevated levels of dimethylglycine, a known growth-promoting factor, in the enramycin group. Liver gene expression analysis revealed increased mRNA levels of ALDH and dimethylglycine dehydrogenase, which are enzymes involved in dimethylglycine metabolism. The enramycin-treated group had a higher concentration of acetic acid in caecal contents, and their caecal acetic acid concentrations were positively correlated with the abundance of L. reuteri and the content of serum dimethylglycine, respectively. These findings suggest that the promotion effect of enramycin on piglet growth is related to the gut microbiota, blood metabolites and liver gene expression, which provide insights into antibiotic alternatives for swine production.

Metabolomics Approach to Identify Biomarkers of Acute and Subacute Mastitis in Milk Samples: A Pilot Case-Control Study.

Background and aims: Mastitis is one of the main complications during breastfeeding and contributes to the cessation of breastfeeding. However, the etiopathogenesis and diagnosis of mastitis are complex and not yet well defined. We aimed to identify metabolic and lipidic changes in human milk during acute and subacute mastitis in order to detect potential biomarkers of mastitis. Methods: We conducted a pilot case-control study including 14 breastfeeding women with acute mastitis, 32 with subacute mastitis symptoms, and 19 without any mastitis symptoms (control). Milk samples were collected and analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (H-NMR) for metabolomics analysis. To assess the association between the significant metabolites and lipids and the development of acute and subacute mastitis, multi-adjusted logistic regression models were developed. Results: The NMR-based metabolomics approach was able to identify and quantify a total of 40 metabolites in breast milk samples. After adjusting for confounding variables, acute mastitis was significantly associated with acetate (OR 3.9 IC 1.4-10.8), total cholesterol (OR 14 CI 3.2-62), esterified cholesterol (OR 3.3 CI 1.9-5.8), and sphingomyelin (OR 2.6 CI 1.2-5.8). The other metabolites presented weak association (OR < 2.5). Subacute mastitis was significantly associated with glutamine, lysophosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine, plasmalogen, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids, but only cholesterol showed a strong association (OR > 2.5) with an OR of 2.6 (IC 1.1-6.6). Conclusions: Metabolic alteration in breast milk occurs during a process of both acute and subacute mastitis. Acetate, esterified cholesterol, lysophostidylcholine, and polyunsaturated fatty acids increased in both acute and subacute mastitis. However, according to the multi-adjusted regression logistic models, the candidate biomarkers for acute and subacute mastitis are cholesterol, lysophosphatidylcoholine, phosphatidylcholine, plasmalogen, and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Effects of Oregano on Lactation Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Ruminal Fermentation Parameters, and Methane Emissions in Dairy Cows: A Meta-Analysis

Growing concerns regarding antibiotic use in livestock, due to antibiotic resistance and potential human transmission, have led to increased interest in herbs and their derivatives, including essential oils, which possess antimicrobial properties that may enhance overall productivity and serve as a strategy for methane mitigation. The objective of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of adding oregano to the diet in different forms (essential oils, plant materials, or leaves) on the dry matter intake (DMI), milk yield (MY), milk components, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation parameters, and methane (CH4) emissions of dairy cows. A literature search was conducted to identify papers published from 2000 to 2023. Effect size for all outcomes was reported as a standardized means difference (SMD) and raw means difference with 95% confidence intervals. Heterogeneity was determined using the Q test and I2 statistic. The results of the meta-analysis indicated that adding oregano had no effect on DMI (SMD = 0.081; p = 0.507) and MY (SMD = 0.060; p = 0.665). Milk fat percentage, milk protein percentage, and milk lactose percentage were not affected by oregano. The addition of oregano to the diet significantly decreased dry matter digestibility (SMD = −0.502; p = 0.013), crude protein digestibility (SMD = −0.374; p = 0.040), and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (SMD = −0.505; p = 0.014). Ruminal pH (SMD = −0.122; p = 0.411), total volatile fatty acids concentration (SMD = −0.038; p = 0.798), acetate (SMD = −0.046; p = 0.757), propionate (SMD = 0.007; p = 0.960), and butyrate (SMD = 0.037; p = 0.801) proportion were not affected by oregano. The addition of oregano to the diet tended to decrease CH4/DMI (SMD = −0.275; p = 0.095) but did not affect CH4 production (SMD = −0.156; p = 0.282). Heterogeneity (Q and I2) was non-significant for all parameters. We conclude that the inclusion of oregano in various forms (essential oils, plant materials, or leaves) in the diet of dairy cows reduces nutrient digestibility but does not significantly affect DMI, MY, milk components, ruminal fermentation parameters, or CH4 production. Future research should focus on optimizing the dosage of oregano (both EOs and plant materials) and exploring the impact of its form on lactation, nutrient digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and CH4 emissions in dairy cows.