Search Results (5)

Background: Due to their versatility, goats are becoming popular as livestock on commercial farms. To obtain a high productivity, the maintenance of homeostasis in these organisms is needed. Some supplements that could help improve their health state have been tested recently. The study examines the effects of a turmeric–rosemary extract mixture on the antioxidant status of the blood of young castrated bucks. Results: Supplementation lowered lipoperoxidation and increased TAC, probably due to the improved neutralization of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by enhanced antioxidant pathways. Despite lowering lipid peroxidation, these products can increase protein oxidation. Thus, while enhancing lipid defense mechanisms may reduce lipid peroxidation, it may also increase the level of OMP, probably due to the accumulation of lipid peroxidation metabolites. The activities of SOD, GPx, and GR remained unchanged, whereas CAT activity decreased. CP, ALT, and AST remained stable, suggesting no adverse effects on key markers of liver function. Conclusions: The high antioxidant potential observed after supplementation indicates that the turmeric–rosemary extract mixture elicited a favorable biochemical response; the supplemented compounds effectively enhanced antioxidant defenses (by improving the neutralization of ROS) without negatively affecting liver enzyme activities. Turmeric–rosemary dry extract supplementation can help with homeostasis maintenance in goat organisms and, consequently, improve their productivity. Full article

The study aims to determine the effect of supplementation with a mixture of Curcuma longa and Rosmarinus officinalis extracts (896:19 ratio) on the expression of 15 cytokine genes in the livers of 20 castrated goat bucks. Two equal groups were created: treated and control groups. The treated group was provided a mixture (1.6 g/day/buck) for 124 days. Liver tissue samples were collected after slaughter. The gene expression was analyzed using RT-qPCR with two reference genes. Variance analysis was conducted using a model with the group fixed effect. IL-2 and IL-8 expression was below the detection level. No differences were found for IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-16, IFN-α, IFN-β, TNF-α, and CCL4 expressions, suggesting that supplementation does not activate cytokine production in the healthy hepatocytes. The treated group demonstrated lower IL-12 expression (p < 0.05) and a tendency for higher IL-18 and INF-γ (0.05 < p < 0.10) expressions, which may indicate a hypersensitivity resulting from excessive supplement dose. The increased IFN-γ expression could be caused by the increased IL-18 expression. If a small dose of extract can induce an allergic reaction in young goat bucks, it is also possible that humans may be susceptible to an overdose of curcumin and/or turmeric extracts. Full article

Goats are an excellent animal model for research on some physiological and pathophysiological processes in humans. The search for supplements that prevent homeostasis disorders and strengthen the immune system is necessary to reduce the risk of many diseases in both humans and animals. The aim of the study was to analyze the effect of supplementation with a mixture of dried extracts of Curcuma longa and Rosmarinus officinalis on the expression of acute-phase protein (SAA, HP, CRP, LALBA, AGP, CP, FGA, FGB, and FGG), cathelicidin (BAC5, BAC7.5, BAC3.4, MAP28, MAP34, and HEPC), beta-defensin-1 (GBD1, DEFB1), and beta-defensin-2, and cytolytic protein (LIZ and LF) genes in the livers of young castrated bucks of the Polish White Improved breed. The higher expression of LF in the control group suggests that it is important for the first line of hepatic immune defense and its expression is downregulated by the mixture of turmeric and rosemary extracts; thus, the spice–herb mixture mutes its activity. The lower expression of FGB and the higher expression of BAC5 genes in the livers of healthy, young castrated bucks who were administered the supplement suggest the silencing effects of the mixture on the acute-phase response and the stimulating effect on the antimicrobial activity of the immune system. Full article

The present study investigated the interaction effects (additive, synergistic, and antagonistic) of different groups of spices, their constituent phenolic compounds, and synthetic antioxidants on the total phenol (TP) content and antioxidant activity, as measured by the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the mixtures. The results showed that there was an additive effect in all the groups studied, except for the group containing turmeric or curcumin. The groups containing turmeric or curcumin showed a moderate synergistic effect. Among the groups of spices, the highest summated TP (50.6 mg GAE/mL) and FRAP (106.2 mg Trolox/mL) values were observed in the group containing clove, cinnamon, pimento, rosemary, oregano, and cardamom. In the case of the groups of pure phenolics, the highest summated TP (364.96 mg GAE/mL) and FRAP (1124.25 mg Trolox/mL) values were observed in the group containing eugenol, acetyl eugenol, caffeic acid, and protocatechuic acid. The summated and combined TP and FRAP values of the samples correlated highly with the correlation coefficients (r²) of 0.976 and 0.988, respectively, inferring an additive nature of the interaction effect in most of the groups studied. The interactions of phenolics in mixtures are very complex, being affected by a number of factors, and requires more investigations. The current study will add considerable knowledge to the existing literature to understand the diversity and mechanisms of interactions. Full article

The present study examines the effects of diet supplementation with an organic selenium or herb-spice mixture on beta-defensin1 (GBD-1) and beta-defensin2 (GBD-2) concentrations in goat milk. Herd-I, consisting of Polish White (PWI) and Fawn Improved (PFI) goats, received supplementation with organic or inorganic selenium (controls). All goats were free from parasites, mastitis, and small ruminant lentivirus infection. Herd-II, consisting of PWI goats, either received a turmeric-rosemary mixture (experimental) or not (controls). The Herd I control group demonstrated higher fat, free fatty acid, and somatic cell levels and lower protein and lactose contents than Herd II controls. The GBD-1 concentration was below the detection limit in both herds. Herd I controls demonstrated higher GBD-2 concentrations in milk than Herd II controls. In addition, lower GBD-2 concentrations were noted in PWI goat milk. Organic selenium or rosemary-turmeric mixture supplementation had no effect on the GBD-2 content in the milk of healthy goats. The higher GBD-2 concentration observed in Herd Ic than in Herd IIc may suggest that the type of basal diet affects defensin secretion. Full article