This study reports the synthesis of a hybrid sol-gel material, based on organically modified silanes (ORMOSILs) with epoxy functional groups, and its application in the stabilization of lipase type B from Candida antarctica (CalB) through sol-gel entrapment. The key immobilization parameters in the sol-gel entrapment of lipase using epoxysilanes were optimized by the design of numerous experiments, demonstrating that glycidoxypropyl-trimethoxysilane can allow the formation of a matrix with excellent properties in view of the biocatalytic esterifications catalyzed by this lipase, at an enzyme loading of 25 g/mol of silane. The characterization of the immobilized biocatalyst and the correlation of its catalytic efficiency with the morphological and physicochemical properties of the sol-gel matrix was accomplished through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence microscopy (FM), as well as thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TGA/DTA). The operational and thermal stability of lipase were increased as a result of immobilization, with the entrapped lipase retaining 99% activity after 10 successive reaction cycles in the batch solventless synthesis of n-amyl caproate. A possible correlation of optimal productivity and yield was attempted for this immobilized lipase via the continuous flow synthesis of n-amyl caproate in a solventless system. The robustness and excellent biocatalytic efficiency of the optimized biocatalyst provide a promising solution for the synthesis of food-grade flavor esters, even at larger scales.

The objective of this project was to report the effects of season and age on conception rate amongst Italian Mediterranean Buffalo subjected to an Ovsynch/Resynch (O/R) reproductive management protocol. The study utilized nulliparous (heifers), primiparous buffalo cows (PBC) and multiparous buffalo cows (MBC). The primiparous and multiparous groups were subjected to the synchronization protocol throughout the entire year, but heifers were synchronized and inseminated only during the spring/summer seasons. The conception rate obtained following the OvSynch oestrus synchronization protocol, applied during spring, was 68.4% for heifers, 83.3% for PBC and 67.7% for MBC. The overall total conception rates following the complete O/R protocol were 84.27%, 94.4% and 79%. Conception rates achieved during summer were heifers 52%, PBC 47.2% and MBC 49%, whilst overall conception rates following the full O/R protocol were 72%, 69.8% and 58.2% respectively. In the autumn seasons, PBC conceived 58.9% and MBC 52.1% following initial Ovsynch, which improved to total overall conception rates of 87.5% and 78.7% following the full O/R protocol. Similarly, in the winter season, PBC experienced a conception rate of 47.5% following Ovsynch and 72.5% after a follow‐up Resynch. MBC experienced 60.0% and 74.4% conception following Ovsynch and full O/R, respectively, during winter. Total conception rates during all seasons were quite acceptable following the O/R protocol. There was a significant decrease from spring to summer in conception rate for all parity groups, but heifers were not a severely affected as older buffalo cows. This finding agrees with that of other investigators indicating that heifer fertility is not as negatively impacted by long photoperiod and higher ambient temperature as that of older animals. The O/R protocol as utilized in this study is an effective means of reproductive management for dairy buffalo cows and is effective for improving fertility during out‐of‐season breeding.

Lipase from Pseudomonas fluorescens (Amano AK) was immobilized using the sol-gel entrapment technique and sol-gel entrapment combined with adsorption on a solid support (Celite 545). The sol-gel matrices were obtained using as precursors ternary mixtures of tetramethoxysilane and trimethoxysilanes substituted with phenyl or vinyl groups, at different molar ratios, and l-octyl-3-methyl-immidazolium tetrafluoroborate as additive. The obtained enzymatic preparates were efficient biocatalysts in the acylation reaction of racemic secondary alcohols. Several methods were employed for the characterization of the resulting bioactive materials, in order to correlate the catalytic performance with the morphological and physico-chemical properties of the matrix: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), BET-analysis of specific surface and porosity, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). An extensive study attested the excellent temperature stability and reusability of the immobilized lipases, thus indicating their possible utilization in industrial applications.

The objective of our study was to determine the effects of clinoptilolite supplemented in colostrum on the blood serum protein electrophoretic pattern of new-born calves. Methods: Romanian Black and White new-born calves involved in the study were divided into 3 groups: the control group (C) that received colostrum without clinoptilolite, and experimental groups I (E1) and II (E2) that received colostrum supplemented with 0.5% and 2% clinoptilolite, respectively. The concentration of total protein and protein fractions (albumin, α1-globulin, α2-globulin, β-globulin and γ-globulin) were analyzed by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate. Results: At hour 30 after birth, concentrations of γ-globulins, β-globulin and total protein in E1 group of calves were higher than in control group by 42.11% (p < 0.05), 28.48% (p > 0.05) and 18.52% (p > 0.05), respectively, and were higher, but not significantly, in group E2 compared to the control group. This was in accordance with a significant lower albumin/globulin ratio in groups E1 and E2 (29.35%, p < 0.05 and 35.87%, p < 0.05, respectively) than in control group at 30 h postpartum, which indicates an obvious increase of the globulins fraction in experimental groups. The conclusion: Clinoptilolite was effective in improving passive transfer in new-born calves, but it was more effective if added in colostrum with a dose of 0.5% than with a dose of 2%.

The beneficial effect of antioxidant supplementation in maturation culture media of sow oocytes was evaluated by the expression quantification of apoptotic genes and the genes that ensure stability of germ cells during fertilization. The oocytes were cultivated for 44 h in conventional medium (C) or in medium supplemented with 105 µM rosmarinic acid (R) and 0.5 mM ascorbic acid (A) and classified into three quality classes by morphological observation from which the total RNA was isolated. The gene expression of Ptx3 and the apoptotic regulator p53, Bax and BCL-2 were evaluated by quantitative PCR technique. The decreased expression of the Bax gene in the A and R groups, compared to the control, indicates a protective role of antioxidants in the cells. Cell homeostasis was maintained, as reflected in the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 in class I COCs (cumulus-oocyte complex) regardless of the experimental group, indicating minimum cellular stress. The expression of p53 genes was higher in all class III COC, but in A1 and R1 the expression was lower than in C1, and a similar Ptx-3 gene decreased significantly in groups A1, A2, A3 and R1 compared with control groups. Antioxidant supplementation showed beneficial effects on all morphological classes of pig COCs.

Commercial cellulase Cellic CTec2 was immobilized by the entrapment technique in sol–gel matrices, and sol–gel entrapment with deposition onto magnetic nanoparticles, using binary or ternary systems of silane precursors with alkyl- or aryl-trimethoxysilanes, at different molar ratios. Appropriate tailoring of the sol–gel matrix allowed for the enhancement of the catalytic efficiency of the cellulase biocatalyst, which was then evaluated in the hydrolysis reaction of Avicel microcrystalline cellulose. A correlation between the catalytic activity with the properties of the sol–gel matrix of the nanobiocatalysts was observed using several characterization methods: scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fluorescence microscopy (FM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA). The homogeneous distribution of the enzymes in the sol–gel matrix and the mass loss profile as a function of temperature were highlighted. The influence of temperature and pH of the reaction medium on the catalytic performance of the nanobiocatalysts as well as the operational stability under optimized reaction conditions were also investigated; the immobilized biocatalysts proved their superiority in comparison to the native cellulase. The magnetic cellulase biocatalyst with the highest efficiency was reused in seven successive batch hydrolysis cycles of microcrystalline cellulose with remanent activity values that were over 40%, thus we obtained promising results for scaling-up the process.