The quality and safety attributes of poultry products have attracted increasing widespread attention and interest from scholarly groups and the general population. As natural and safe alternatives to synthetic and artificial chemical drugs (e.g., antibiotics), botanical products are recently being used in poultry farms more than 60% of the time for producing organic products. Medicinal plants, and honeybee products, are natural substances, and they were added to poultry diets in a small amount (between 1% and 3%) as a source of nutrition and to provide health benefits for poultry. In addition, they have several biological functions in the poultry body and may help to enhance their welfare. These supplements can increase the bodyweight of broilers and the egg production of laying hens by approximately 7% and 10% and enhance meat and egg quality by more than 25%. Moreover, they can improve rooster semen quality by an average of 20%. Previous research on the main biological activities performed by biotics has shown that most research only concentrated on the notion of using botanical products as growth promoters, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial agents. In the current review, the critical effects and functions of bee products and botanicals are explored as natural and safe alternative feed additives in poultry production, such as antioxidants, sexual-stimulants, immuno-stimulants, and for producing healthy products.

The study was aimed at evaluating the presence of antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in retailed raw chicken meat from retail stores intended for human consumption. The presence, characterization, and antibiotic susceptibility of S. aureus from 38 retail raw chicken meat samples was performed using a standard microbiological method involving mannitol salt agar (MSA) and Mueller-Hinton agar (MHA). All the samples were positive for Staphylococcus species, of which 34 (89.5%) were positive for S. aureus. The S. aureus isolates were most resistant to tetracycline (88.24%), erythromycin (82.35%), and chloramphenicol (61.77%). Nevertheless, decreased resistance towards gentamycin (23.53%) and cotrimoxazole (38.24%) were recorded. All the S. aureus isolates in this study were resistant to cloxacillin, amoxicillin, and augmentin (amoxicillin + clavulanic acid). The present findings show how the raw chicken meat samples could be a potential source of multidrug-resistant S. aureus strains dissemination. Therefore, this study suggests high-level contamination of meat with multidrug-resistant S. aureus and highlights the public health consequences of consuming such products. Undoubtedly, uncontrolled drugs in food animal production as growth stimulators or medicinal treatment present a possible consequence to people’s health. Having the aforementioned in mind, there is a necessity to control the use of drugs and monitor any residues left in the food intended for human consumption.

This study presents the first comprehensive molecular characterization of Escherichia coli producing extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBL-Ec) in surface waters in Albania, focusing on the Shkumbini river. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in aquatic ecosystems poses a significant threat to public health, yet data from Albania remain scarce. Thirty water samples were collected from six locations near Elbasan between September 2022 and February 2024. Following the WHO Tricycle protocol, 52 ESBL-Ec isolates were recovered and characterized for antimicrobial susceptibility, biofilm formation, resistance genotypes and clonal relatedness via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). ESBL-Ec was detected in 80% of the samples analyzed, with 94.2% of the isolates classified as multidrug-resistant (MDR). High resistance frequencies were observed for ampicillin (98.1%) and cefotaxime (86.5%), while 7.7% of the isolates displayed colistin resistance associated with the mcr-3 gene. The bla_CTX-M-1 genotype was the most prevalent (57.7%), and almost half of the isolates harbored multiple ESBL genes. Phylogroup A (46.2%) predominated, followed by the high-risk extraintestinal lineages B2 (23.1%) and D (11.5%). PFGE revealed high genetic heterogeneity, with 51 distinct pulsotypes indicating multiple sources of contamination, such as untreated municipal, agricultural and industrial waste. Additionally, 55.8% of the isolates were capable of forming biofilms. These results highlight the critical role of the Shkumbini river as a reservoir for highly resistant pathogens and emphasize the urgent need for integrated environmental surveillance and improved wastewater management in Albania.

Osteochondral defects, involving both articular cartilage and subchondral bone, pose significant challenges to joint function and health due to the lack of spontaneous healing and the risk of long-term degenerative diseases like osteoarthritis. Biomaterials have emerged as important components in the development of scaffolds, providing structural support that facilitates tissue growth, integration, and regeneration. This study aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of a tomographic assessment method for optimizing the evaluation of osteochondral regeneration, particularly using Hounsfield units, to enable the evaluation of scaffold integration and tissue regeneration. The sheep model was selected as a model study. Two distinct configurations of biomaterials were utilized in this study: Honey (HMG—Mg doped hydroxyapatite; HWS—wollastonite–hydroxyapatite) and Bi-layer (BWS—wollastonite–hydroxyapatite). The HMG scaffold demonstrated superior integration, reparative tissue quality, and regeneration potential compared to the HWS, BWS, and CTRL groups. The findings underscore the significance of CT assessment as a preliminary method for evaluating hard tissue, such as bone, employing Hounsfield units. Statistical evaluations validated the significant differences in performance, particularly favoring the HMG group. The results of this study underscore the importance of tomographic assessment in evaluation of osteochondral regeneration.

The journal retracts the article titled “Honeybee and Plant Products as Natural Antimicrobials in Enhancement of Poultry Health and Production”

Physicochemical and microbiological parameters are important indicators of drinking water quality. This study assessed the quality of groundwater used for drinking in four regions of Kosovo at 16 locations using an integrated assessment framework that combined physicochemical, microbiological, and Water Quality Index (WQI) approaches. The results reveal substantial spatial variability in water quality. While most physicochemical parameters remained within recommended limits, elevated values of total dissolved solids (up to 2792.5 mg/L), electrical conductivity (up to 2768.5 µS/cm), nitrate (up to 60.75 mg/L), and phosphate (up to 0.875 mg/L) were observed at several locations, indicating localized hydrogeochemical and anthropogenic influences. Dissolved oxygen levels were generally low (0.68–5.49 mg/L), reflecting limited aeration conditions in groundwater systems. Microbiological analysis revealed critical contamination, with Escherichia coli concentrations up to 299.9 CFU/100 mL, and all sampling sites exceeded permissible limits, indicating widespread fecal pollution and rendering the groundwater unsafe for direct consumption. WQI assessment further confirmed this condition, where 93.75% of locations were classified as medium quality using the NSF-WQI method, whereas the WA-WQI method categorized 68.75% of samples as poor and 6.25% as very poor. The novelty of this study lies in the integrated evaluation of hydrogeochemical processes and microbiological contamination using dual WQI methods and multivariate statistical analysis, providing a comprehensive understanding of groundwater degradation pathways. The findings are significant for policymakers, environmental managers, and public health authorities, highlighting the urgent need for groundwater treatment, improved sanitation infrastructure, and sustainable water resource management strategies in vulnerable regions.