This animal experiment aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the extract of pre-germinated brown rice (EP) and γ-oryzanol on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and the cardiac complications associated with it. WKY rats were fed high-fructose water (HFW) and high-fat diet (HFD) for 4 wk to induce NAFLD. The other two groups were fed HFW and HFD, while oral administration of EP 200 μL/kg or γ-oryzanol 2 mg/kg every day for 4 wk. NAFLD was successfully induced in as evidenced by clear increases in body, hepatic and cardiac weight as well as by increases in blood pressure and heart rate, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, higher liver function index: glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT), higher levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in the blood and higher levels TG in the liver. NAFLD rats also had adverse changes the protein expressions of lipid synthesis, inflammation, cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. However, when the NAFLD rats were simultaneously fed EP or γ-oryzanol, the development of adverse diet-induced effects, including glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT), were clearly ameliorated. Specifically, EP could reduce uric acid levels, while γ-oryzanol did not. EP, as well as γ-oryzanol, reversed the increases in levels of lipid synthesis, inflammation, cardiac fibrosis and hypertrophy. We concluded that EP effectively prevented HFW/HFD-induced NAFLD and its associated cardiac complications, which it likely achieved through an improvement of lipid homeostasis and inhibition of inflammation. We believe that EP, like γ-oryzanol, can be developed as a beneficial agent for the prevention and control of NAFLD and associated cardiac dysfunction.

This study investigated common diagnoses from surgical biopsies of domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculi) in Taiwan and examined the role of leporipoxvirus in tumor pathogenesis. Biopsy specimens from 70 rabbits collected between 2014 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed, yielding 85 diagnoses. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect leporipoxvirus in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues diagnosed with fibroma, fibrosarcoma, or myxosarcoma. The most commonly affected systems were the integumentary (n = 41) and reproductive (n = 36) systems. Common integumentary tumors included fibrosarcomas (n = 12), trichoblastomas (n = 8), mammary gland tumors (n = 5), and fibromas (n = 4). In the reproductive system, the most common lesions were uterine adenocarcinomas (n = 16), uterine endometrial cystic hyperplasia and hypertrophy (n = 5), and uterine adenomyosis (n = 4). The 15 cases of fibroma, fibrosarcoma, and myxosarcoma were tested for leporipoxvirus using PCR. No viral sequences were detected in these tumors. This study identified the common diagnoses from rabbit biopsy specimens and found no leporipoxvirus infection in samples of fibrosarcoma and fibroma. This is the first study on tumors in pet rabbit biopsies and the first in Taiwan to investigate leporipoxvirus infection, providing valuable insights for future diagnosis and management.

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Lonicera japonica Flos (LJF) as an alternative agent against Eimeria tenella (E. tenella) in chickens and to conduct phytochemical analysis to obtain compositional insights. Seventy-two one-day-old chickens were allocated to six groups and fed diets supplemented with LJF powder (LJFp) at three concentrations (LJFp-L, LJFp-M, and LJFp-H) or maduramicin (MDM) or two non-supplemented control diets, namely, an infected unmedicated control (IUC) and an uninfected unmedicated control (UUC). Dietary treatments were initiated at chick arrival (Day 0) and continued for 28 days. At 21 days of age, all groups except the UUC group were orally challenged with a field isolate of E. tenella (PT-Te003; 2.0 × 10⁴ oocysts/bird). Anticoccidial efficacy was assessed using the lesion score (LS), oocysts per gram of feces (OPG), relative body weight gain (rBWG), and anticoccidial index (ACI). The results demonstrated that all LJFp treatment groups had significantly reduced cecal OPG and LS (all LJFp treatments: p < 0.05 vs. IUC), indicating the effective suppression of E. tenella replication and intestinal damage. Regarding growth performance, the rBWG values of the LJFp-L and LJFp-M groups were the highest and comparable to those of the UUC group, showing no significant differences. In contrast, the LJFp-H and MDM groups exhibited significantly lower values (p < 0.05). Based on ACI evaluation, all LJFp-treated groups exhibited moderate to partial efficacy (LJFp-L > LJFp-M > LJFp-H), while MDM showed limited effectiveness. A gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of the LJFp ethanol extract revealed 15 essential oils, 10 organic acids, and three other compound classes, several of which have been associated with anticoccidial activity. Overall, the in vivo results suggest that LJF may exert potential anticoccidial effects against a field isolate of E. tenella. Phytochemical analysis provided preliminary compositional insights, and further studies are warranted to optimize extraction methods and evaluate efficacy at lower concentrations under additional in vitro and in vivo conditions. However, the current evidence remains insufficient to determine whether the field isolate exhibits reduced sensitivity to commercially available anticoccidial drugs, and additional studies are needed to clarify this issue.