Journal of Animal Research
Year:2019 | Volume:31 | Issue:4|Papers Count:7

Urmia bleak (Alburnus atropatenae) is endemic to rivers of the Lake Urmia basin. In this research 274 specimens of this fish from seven rivers of Lake Urmia basin including Aaghdarreh, Nazloochai, Barandooz, Sarough, Zarrinehrud, Senteh and Talkhehrud were studied. In order to study the biometry, 17 traditional morphometric and 17 meristic traits were used. For statistical analyses, the nonparametric test, the analysis of variance and the discriminate function analysis were applied. The results from the analysis of Kruskal-Wallis showed significant differences among the 17 morphometric traits, (P<0. 05), indicating high variations among the studied populations. In analyses of PCA for morphometrics, six principal components with an eigenvalue of more than 1 was selected and these trait accounted for 84. 16% of the variations. Plotting factors 1 and 2 of the PCA for traditional morphometric traits showed that Talkhehrud River population, to some extent, has been separated from other populations. In the analysis of meristic traits, six principal components with eigenvalue of more than 1 were selected and they accounted for 59. 49% of the variations. Also plotting factors 1 and 2 for the meristic traits showed that Aaghdarreh River and Nazloochai River populations were overlapped, but were separated from other populations. Also, Talkhehrud population was, to some extent, separated from Zarrinehrud population, and was completely separated from Saroogh population.

Marine ecosystems are contaminated with heavy metals through industrial discharge, agricultural and urban runoff, and municipal waste. Aquatic organisms in such waters, so, are presumably to be contaminated with heavy metals and unsafe for consumption. This research was done in the coastal regions of Bushehr in 2016 to determine the heavy metal (Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Ni) concentrations in white shrimp (Metapenaeus Affinis) and their consumption risk. Shrimp samples were collected from several stations of Bushehr coastal regions randomly using the boat and fishing net. The Preparation and analysis of the shrimp samples were done based on the standard methodology and the concentrations of the heavy metals were determined using the flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Estimation the daily intake and potential risk of heavy metals resulted from shrimp consumption were performed according to the program of the EPA. The concentrations of Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn, and Ni in shrimp muscle were 130. 02, 65. 61, 35. 81, 10. 2 and 10. 66 mg/kg dry weight respectively. Based on the results, the concentration of Fe, Zn, and Cu were lower than world standards. The Ni concentration was significantly higher than the FDA but lower than other standards. The estimated daily and weekly intakes were observed lower than the reference dose presented by EPA. In the present situation, this shrimp species were found to be safe for consumption and continuous consumption (70 years) causes not non-carcinogenic effect.

The experiment was carried out under natural condition to assess potential impacts of thiamine nutrition on development of hypopharyngeal glands (HPGs), amount of royal jelly thiamine and jelly production in honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera M. ). This trial was carried out at Honey Bee Department of Animal Science Research Institute of Iran. Twenty honey bee colonies, divided into 5 experimental groups, were used in the study. Control groups were fed sugar syrup (1: 1). The experimental colonies were fed in the same manner but with syrup supplemented with different levels of thiamine (100, 200, 300 and 400 ppm). The experiment was conducted for 60 days in spring season. To investigate the development of HPGs, length and width of ten acini for each worker bee at 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 days were measured using a stereomicroscope, optical microscope and micrometer. A single extraction process was employed and thiamine was determined by HPLC using C18 column and detected by UV. The results showed that the acinal surface of HPGs was significantly different under feeding with different diets. Colonies fed with high level of thiamine had a larger acini surface (P<0. 05). Thiamin content of royal jelly samples analyzed by HPLC showed that the amount of royal Jelly thiamine in colonies fed 400 ppm B1 (2. 7 mg/100 g) was higher than any other colony (P<0. 05). Thiamine content of royal jelly in the control group (0. 67 mg/100 g) had the lowest amount (P<0. 05). In general, the nutrition of different levels of thiamine in spring season showed that the HPGs had more growth at 6 and 9 days of age. Also with increasing thiamine consumption in the colony, the thiamine content in royal jelly was also increased. In this experiment,   feeding 400 ppm of thiamine improved the surface of HPGs growth and increased the amount of royal jelly thiamine.

Winter denning is a major event in the life cycle of brown bears, making den sites important components of bear habitat. In the present study, we investigated the structural characteristics of brown bear dens in Kouhkhom region, located north of Bakhtegan National Park. Structural characteristics, including entrance height, entrance width, chamber width, chamber height, tunnel length, tunnel width, den length, and bed dimensions, were measured for 20 dens (presence locations) and 20 caves where signs of bear were not found (absence locations). For each location, landscape variables including elevation, slope, aspect, distance to roads, distance to human settlements, and distance to water were also determined. Our results indicate that brown bears in this region occupy natural caves, rock crevices, and excavated holes under boulders as winter dens. We recorded eight active dens with bedding made with plant material, with an average dimension of 7×70×78 cm3. The profiles of winter dens in the region were outlined. A comparison of presence and absence locations using two independent samples t test showed significant differences in entrance height and entrance width at the micro scale, and distance to roads, distance to human settlements, distance to water, slope, and elevation at the landscape level. It is very likely that these variables are important determinants of den site selection by brown bears.

Artemia is One of types of crustacean that can withstand in very high salinity. Due to the climate changes and increasing the salinity of inland waters and importance of Artemia as a main food sources for crustacean and marine fish larvae as well, it is necessary to understand the molecular mechanisms of biological processes in different populations of Artemia. The current study, investigates the effects of salinity stress on Na + / K ATPase gene expression in exon 7 of two Artemia population with using of RT-RCR-DGGE. Two different populations of Artemia franciscana and Parthenogenetic Artemia were reared at salinities 60, 120 and 180 mg/l. At the end of the experiment the mRNA of Na + / K ATPase was provided and converted to cDNA. Subsequent DGGE and sequencing analyses revealed that the products of these genes in A. franciscana is homozygous while in Parthenogenetic Artemia is heterozygous which is produced by two alleles. Also it was found that in the Parthenogenetic Artemia protein translation and the production of two different alleles is obtained. Interestingly, no difference was observed in the samples studied and apparently the only difference can be related to genomic variation among these populations.

Considering the development of nanotechnology and extensive use of nanoparticles in different fields of industry, there are concerns about their toxic effects on the environment and human health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxicity of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2-NP) on the hematological and serum parameters of mice. In the present study, 28 adult male mice BALB/c, were divided into four groups; includes a control group and three experimental groups. TiO2 nanoparticles (in concentrations of 50, 100 and 300 mg/Kg) were administered orally to mice for 14 days. Hematological and serum parameters were studied in the collected blood samples. The results showed that all doses of TiO2 nanoparticles increased significantly white blood cells level compared with the control group but the number of red blood cells decreased. Hemoglobin, MCV and neutrophils at concentration of 300 mg/kg showed significant increase but platelets, hematocrit, lymphocytes, glucose and creatinine significantly decreased (p<0. 05). Findings showed that TiO2 nanoparticles cause harmful effects on the hematological and serum parameters in mice in a dose-dependent manner.

Today insects are referred to as the vast resources of modern medicines. In recent years, biotechnologists and entomologists have emphasized the bioengineering of insect proteins and the applied of their products in the treatment of diseases and modern medicine. Considered drugs in this field include powerful antimicrobials against Grampositive and Gram-negative bacteria and HIV. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-bacterial and hemolytic activity of E. ceratoniae larvae. To stimulate carob moth larvae immune system, standard strains isolate B. bassiana, Gram-positive B. thuringiensis and Gram-negative bacteria E. coli were injected. The hemolytic activity of the extracted induced and non-induced hemolymph after 24 hours of injection, to two methods of optical absorption (A) and radial diffusion (RD) on fresh blood of human, sheep and hen; and the antimicrobial effect to radial diffusion method on E. coli was assayed. The results showed that the induction extract had antimicrobial activity in comparison with non-induced extracts. The highest antimicrobial activity was observed in E. coli-induced extract (sub filter extract at a concentration of 2 mg / ml) with an average of 22. 7 ± 0. 34 mm diameter of non-growth holes. The highest hemolytic activity was in hen blood with total mean (6/39 ± 1/24 in A method and 5/64 ± 1/25 in RD method), human blood cells with total mean (2/15 ± 0/27 in A method and 1. 56± 0. 23 RD method) and sheep with a mean total (0/91 ± 0/04% in the A method and 0/28 ± 0/03 in RD method), at the one percent level were significant differences. The results of this study showed that the extract of the carob moth larvae had a very low hemolytic effect on red blood cells, and the antimicrobial activity of the extract on E. coli was different according to the type of induction pathogen. According to the results of this study, this insect can be a good candidate for further study in complementary studies of antimicrobial activity.