Oxidative stress is considered the main etiologic factor involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Integration of nanocarriers for natural therapeutic agents with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential is a novel promising candidate for curing IBD. Herein, the colonic antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of different concentrations of quercetin nanoparticles (QT-NPs) were evaluated using a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model. Following colitis induction, the efficacy and mechanistic actions of QT-NPs were evaluated by assessing lesion severity, molecular aids controlling oxidative stress and inflammatory response, and histopathological and immunohistochemistry examination of colonic tissues. Administration of QT-NPs, especially at higher concentrations, significantly reduced the disease activity index and values of fecal calprotectin marker compared to the colitic group. Colonic oxidant/antioxidant status (ROS, H₂O₂, MDA, SOD, CAT, GPX and TAC) was restored after treatment with higher concentrations of QT-NPs. Moreover, QT-NPs at levels of 20 mg/kg and, to a lesser extent, 15 mg/kg reduced Nrf2 and HO-1 gene expression, which was in line with decreasing the expression of iNOS and COX2 in colonic tissues. Higher concentrations of QT-NPs greatly downregulated pro-inflammatory cytokines; upregulated genes encoding occludin, MUC-2 and JAM; and restored the healthy architectures of colonic tissues. Taken together, these data suggest that QT-NPs could be a promising alternative to current IBD treatments.

Optimal combinations of essential oils (EOs) can enhance performance and maintain poultry productivity. The effects of EOs with black pepper oil (BPO) or radish seed oil (RSO) on performance and the expression of digestive enzymes, lipogenesis, immunity, and autophagy-related genes in broiler chickens were explored. Six dietary treatments for 300 one-day-old chicks were allocated as follows: controls were fed a basal diet, one group was fed an EO-supplemented diet (1.5 g/kg diet of parsley, mint, and carrot seed oils (1:1:1)), and other groups received Eos + BPO0.25, Eos + BPO0.5, Eos + RSO0.25, and Eos + RSO0.5 treatments, with a basal diet containing EOs plus BPO or RSO at the level of 0.25 or 0.5 g/kg, respectively. Supplementation with 0.5 g/kg of EOs plus BPO or RSO resulted in the most improved maximum BWG and FCR in broiler chickens. The lactobacilli population was increased in Eos + BPO0.5, followed by EOs + RSO0.5, unlike in the control. The highest expression of the CCK and PNLIP genes was identified in the Eos + BPO group. The FAS and ACC genes were upregulated, while the IgA and IL-10 genes were downregulated, with EOs plus RSO or BPO. The group that received Eos + BPO0.5, followed by Eos + RSO0.5, displayed patterns of higher expression for atg5, atg7, and atg12, with lower expression of mTOR. In summary, a new combination of EOs with 0.5 g/kg BPO had potential growth-promoting and immune-boosting effects in broiler chickens.

This study aims to explore the relationships between categorical variables using Correspondence Analysis (CA), a statistical technique designed to visualize and interpret associations in contingency tables. By applying CA, we seek to uncover underlying patterns in the structure of count data. The variables under study were structural chromosomal aberrations and some diseases related to infertility in Egyptian buffalo. Structural chromosomal aberrations were divided into 6 categories (gap, break, deletion, fragment, ring chromosome and centromeric attenuation). Groups of animal diseases were 9 categories (control, repeat breeder, anestrum, retained placenta, free-martin, vaginal prolapse, uterine prolapse, uterine torsion and habitual abortion). The Chi-square test of independence revealed a statistically significant association, indicating a relationship between chromosomal aberrations and infertility groups. CA further supported this association, with a total inertia of 0.178, suggesting that approximately 17.8% of the variation in the data is explained by the relationship between these two variables. Dimensions 1 and 2 captured most of the data structure, explaining 53.5% and 27.2% of the variance, respectively. Uterine torsion and abortion were highly contributed to explaining data variance in dimension 1. For dimension-2, uterine prolapse, uterine torsion, and control were also highly contributed to explaining variance. For the second variable, centromeric attenuation was highly significant for dimension-1 and fragment and centromeric attenuation were highly contributed to variance explaining than other structural chromosomal aberrations. Animal breeders can use CA techniques in their farms to facilitate understanding the pattern of their data and graphical representation of large data set.