Background and Aim: Blood proteins in birds serve as an important indicator in the evaluation of health status and represent a basis in general biochemistry allowing the identification of metabolic alterations. The objective of this study was to evaluate the protein profile in broiler chickens extended by the concentrations of serum protein fractions at different periods of fattening. Materials and Methods: Into the evaluation, we included 24 clinically healthy Ross 308 line meat-type chickens at the age of 2 days. Blood samples were taken on day 4, 18, 32, and 46 of fattening always from six randomly selected chickens. Chickens were fed with a commercial starter, grower, and finisher feeds. The concentrations of total serum protein and protein fractions were evaluated. Results: Various significant changes in the proportion of the individual protein fractions were found during the observed period except for the beta-globulins in all protein fractions and the albumin/globulin (A/G) ratio. At the beginning of the fattening period, the relative concentrations of albumin, α1-globulins, and A/G ratio were significantly lower and the values of α2- and γ-globulins significantly higher (p<0.05). The values of pre-albumin fraction were found as a small band preceding the albumin fraction differed significantly between the different age groups of chickens (p<0.05). The total serum protein concentrations showed higher values in older broilers; the significantly highest mean value was recorded on day 32 of fattening. Conclusion: The results suggest that fattening and age of broilers influences not only the production patterns, metabolic processes, and lipid and mineral profile but also the parameters of protein profile. However, seeing that some contradictory data exist regarding the number and size of globulin fractions in chickens, further analyses are needed.

Babesia gibsoni is one of the small Babesia species and the infection this pathogen causes is usually asymptomatic, which complicates the capture of potential parasite carriers. In endemic areas, especially in Asia, B. gibsoni occurs quite often due to direct transmission by way of a tick vector. Due to the absence of vectors, its occurrence is described only sporadically in Europe; but, it is increasingly occurring in predisposed, so-called fighting breeds, especially the American pit bull terrier. This review describes the etiology, incidence, clinical signs, pathogenesis, diagnostics, and treatment of B. gibsoni infection, with an emphasis on the clinical and laboratory peculiarities of the disease. As the treated dogs do not eliminate the parasite from the body—only reducing parasitemia and improving clinical signs—the treatment of B. gibsoni infection is a challenge in many cases, and its study therefore deserves great attention.

The objective of this study was to describe the physiological changes in serum protein profile in calves during the first month of life. Seven clinically healthy calves were used in this study. Calves received colostrum and whole milk from their dams by voluntary sucking. The first blood sampling was performed within one hour after birth before colostrum intake (day 0) and then at 1, 2, 7, 14 and 30 days of age. Serum was analysed for total protein concentrations, and for the relative and absolute values of serum protein fractions – albumin, alpha₁-(α₁), alpha₂-(α₂), beta₁-(β₁), beta₂-(β₂) and gamma-(γ) globulins. The results showed a significant effect of age on total protein concentrations and for all the analysed protein fractions. The concentrations of total proteins, β₂- and γ-globulins increased significantly one day after colostrum intake (P < 0.001) and then significantly decreased gradually till the end of the first month of age. An opposite trend was observed in the relative concentrations of albumin (P < 0.001). Significant decrease of values was found for relative concentrations of α₁-globulins (P < 0.001) and increase of the relative values of α₂- and β₁-globulins from birth till the end of the monitored period (P < 0.001). The above mentioned changes are also reflected in changes of albumin/globulin ratio (P < 0.001). The results suggest that the serum protein profile in calves is significantly influenced by colostrum intake and the age of calves. This should be taken into consideration when interpreting the serum protein profile in young animals.

Although hundreds of proteins exist in blood serum, little is known about the precise composition and entire set of serum proteins in different ruminant species. Under physiological conditions, the production of serum proteins is closely regulated, but alterations in the serum protein pattern may occur in a wide range of diseases and health disorders. During the last several years, substantial progress was seen in the application of serum protein analyses for diagnostic purposes. The serum protein profile is mostly evaluated by serum protein electrophoresis, which allows the identification of protein fractions, each being composed of several individual proteins with similar electrophoretic mobility. Many disease processes can cause changes in the concentrations of serum proteins. Therefore, the determination of their concentrations and the evaluation of changes in their concentrations during the disease process may provide important diagnostic information for assessing the health state. Despite this usefulness, the evaluation of serum protein pattern is still relatively a less frequently used laboratory diagnostic technique in ruminant medicine. Thus, the usefulness of serum proteins in the diagnosis of health disorders and the possible clinical application of the results of the electrophoretic separation of serum proteins in ruminants will be reviewed in this chapter.

Alterations in the composition of the intestinal microbiome, also known as dysbiosis, are the result of many factors such as diet, antibiotics, stress, diseases, etc. There are currently several ways to modulate intestinal microbiome such as dietary modulation, the use of antimicrobials, prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics, and synbiotics. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) represents one new method of gut microbiota modulation in humans with the aim of reconstructing the intestinal microbiome of the recipient. In human medicine, this form of bacteriotherapy is successfully used in cases of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). FMT has been known in large animal medicine for several years. In small animal medicine, the use of FMT is not part of normal practice.

This study was aimed at the evaluation of changes in the concentrations of serum protein fractions in 10 clinically healthy dairy cows in the period from 1 week before to 6 weeks after calving. Serum was analysed for total protein concentrations, and the relative and absolute values of protein fractions – albumin, alpha₁- (α₁), alpha₂- (α₂), beta₁- (β₁), beta₂- (β₂), and gamma- (γ) globulins. The concentrations of total proteins increased significantly from week 1 before parturition till the end of the sixth week of lactation (P < .001). In the concentrations of albumin, a slight decrease was observed 1 week after parturition, with a further decrease till the end of the study. The concentrations of α₁- and α₂-globulins increased significantly during the early stages of postpartal period (P < .01 and P < .001). The concentrations of β₂-globulins showed an increasing trend after calving (P < .001). The concentrations of γ-globulins increased 3 and 6 weeks after calving (P < .001). These results showed dynamic changes in the serum protein electrophoretic pattern during peripartum period which reflect the physiological response of the organism to the variation of metabolic and immune functions occurring from gestational non-lactating to a non-gestational lactating state in periparturient dairy cows.