Welfare issues of donkey (Equus asinus): a checklist based on the five freedoms

Studies on the welfare of donkey (Equus asinus) have developed slowly, because considered very rustic animals, reared prevalently under extensive production systems and widespread mainly in marginal areas. The diffusion of extensive breeding of this species has led to the belief that donkey did not need any welfare assessment. More recently, the scenario has changed, due to a gradual diffusion of intensive and semi-intensive production systems, especially in highly productive dairy breeds, to the growing concern of consumers about the life conditions of farmed animals, and to the issuing of a number of national and European rules / laws on the safety of animal products and well-being of farmed livestock. Relating with the importance of this species on food farming industry, the Author underlines the missing of specific recommendations concerning the welfare of farmed donkey. In absence of common criteria and guidelines, it is possible to make reference to the well-known “five freedoms”. This paper will review the main welfare issues of donkeys and the following aspects will be considered: nutrition, housing and management, clinical problems, behaviour problems.     

Evaluation of ��-amylase inhibitory activities of selected antidiabetic medicinal plants

Inhibitors of carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes such as ??-amylase play an important role for the control of diabetes mellitus especially in patients with type 2 diabetes. In this study we selected ten antidiabetic medicinal plants, because they have been recommended to treat diabetes in traditional Iranian medicine, and screened them for ??-amylase inhibitory activities. Among the tested samples, Camellia sinensis (Theaceae) leaf (IC₅₀?=?1.54?mg/mL), Trigonella foenum-graecum (Leguminosae) seed (IC₅₀?=?1.87?mg/mL) and leaf (IC₅₀?=?1.92?mg/mL), and Urtica dioica (Urticaceae) leaf (IC₅₀?=?1.89?mg/mL) revealed appreciable ??-amylase inhibitory activities in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, the most active sample, Camellia sinensis leaf, was partitioned by stepwise solvent?Csolvent extraction process and the inhibitory effect of each fraction on the ??-amylase was tested. According to the results, the ethyl acetate fraction (IC₅₀?=?0.53?mg/mL) and the residue (IC₅₀?=?0.52?mg/mL) had the highest ??-amylase inhibitory activities.     

Identification of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) fillets by DNA- and protein-analytical methods

Fish and fillet of barramundi (Lates calcarifer) and tilapia (Oreochromis species) obtained from wholesale and retail trade were assigned to species by sequencing of PCR products. Two segments (358 and 464?bp) of the cytochrome b gene (cytb) were amplified using universal primers. The amplicons gave characteristic patterns in SSCP-analysis (single strand conformation polymorphism) suitable for differentiation of Lates calcarifer from Lates niloticus and Lateolabrax japonicus. Intra-specific variation of sequences and SSCP patterns were observed for barramundi. In case of tilapia species, it was found to be difficult to identify samples by BLAST due to the high similarity of cytb sequences of O. niloticus, O. mossambicus, O. aureus and Sarotherodon galileus. Four different patterns of single strand DNA (ssDNA) were obtained by SSCP analysis of the 464?bp amplicon of tilapia. Different patterns of ssDNA matched to variations in sequences. Protein profiles obtained by IEF (isoelectric focusing) of water-soluble proteins from raw fillet were found to be suitable for rapid differentiation of Lates calcarifer from Lateolabrax japonicus, but the three different Oreochromis species expressed only minor differences in protein patterns. The patterns of the tilapia and barramundi species showed a number of acidic, heat-stable proteins, presumably representing parvalbumin.