Budreckienė, Rūta

The development of functional food products enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids is an essential strategy for cardiovascular disease prevention, as these conditions remain the leading cause of death worldwide. This study aimed to develop recipes for chicken liver pâtés enriched with omega-3 fatty acid sources (flaxseed and rapeseed oils) combined with various antioxidant additives: walnuts, dried cranberries, dried plums, and orange peel. The study objective was to evaluate the sensory properties and functionality of the developed products, specifically focusing on the omega-6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio and the atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) indices. Original recipes for both baked and spreadable chicken liver pâtés were developed. Fatty acid (FA) profiles and omega-6/omega-3 ratios were determined using gas chromatography GC-MS methode, and AI and TI indices were calculated. While all additives positively influenced the fatty acid profile and functionality, the most significant improvements were observed in samples containing walnuts and flaxseed oil. These products showed increased levels of polyunsaturated FAs, reduced saturated FAs, and enhanced overall nutritional value, compared with the control. Furthermore, the addition of walnuts and flaxseed oil improved the intensity of taste and aroma, reduced sourness, and increased general consumer acceptance.

Background: Feline hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disease in middle – aged and geriatric cats and results from excessive thyroid hormone production caused by thyroid adenoma (1). The disease is characterized by clinical signs such as weight loss, polyphagia, hyperactivity, and polydipsia/polyuria (2). Haematological and biochemical abnormalities are also frequently observed and may support the diagnosis (3). Aim(s): Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate clinical signs together with selected haematological and biochemical parameters and their relationship with disease severity and treatment response in cats with hyperthyroidism. Methods: Data from 40 cats diagnosed with hyperthyroidism were analysed. Diagnosis was confirmed based on elevated total thyroxine concentrations (TT4 > 60 nmol/l) together with compatible clinical signs. Haematological (RBC, HCT, MCV) and biochemical parameters (ALT, ALP, CREA, UREA) were evaluated. TT4 concentration was reassessed 2 – 3 weeks after the initiation of thiamazole therapy to evaluate treatment response. Cats were classified into response groups (TT4≤60 nmol/l and TT4>60 nmol/l) and disease severity groups based on TT4 concentration (mild 60-124.9 nmol/l, moderate 125-250 nmol/l, and severe ≥251 nmol/l). Results: Weight loss (80.00%) and vomiting (60.00%) were the most observed clinical signs. Clinical sign severity was positively correlated with ALT and ALP activity (p<0.001). Microcytosis was detected in 12,5 % of cats, which contrasts with macrocytosis, more commonly reported in hyperthyroid cats. Significant differences in liver enzyme activity were observed between disease severity groups, with ALT and ALP values increasing with higher TT4 concentrations (p<0.001). Significant differences in biochemical parameters were also observed between treatment response groups, with higher ALP activity detected in cats whose TT4 concentrations remained above the reference range after treatment (p<0.05). TT4 concentrations decreased significantly following treatment with antithyroid medication (p<0.001), however, only 50% of patients achieved TT4 values within the reference range after 2 – 3 weeks of treatment. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the severity of clinical signs and liver enzyme activity is associated with the degree of thyroid hormone excess and may help predict early treatment response. The detection of microcytosis in a subset of patients and the observation that only half of the cats achieved biochemical control after short – term therapy highlights the clinical variability of feline hyperthyroidism and emphasizes the importance of individualized monitoring during treatment.

Quail farming is gaining global importance due to the species’ rapid growth, early maturity, high productivity, and disease resistance. Quail meat is valued for its nutritional and medical properties, competing favorably with broiler and turkey meat. This study aimed to evaluate age- and sex-related differences in the chemical composition of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) meat and blood parameters to determine optimal slaughter timing. A total of 72 Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (aged 5-8 weeks, both sexes), raised under identical conditions, were studied. Hematological and biochemical blood parameters, as well as meat chemical composition, were analyzed. Results showed that male quails had significantly higher hematocrit (HCT), red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin (Hgb) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, but lower total protein (TP), triglycerides (TGL), calcium (Ca), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) compared to females (p<0.05 for most parameters). With increasing age, HCT, RBC, and Hgb increased in both sexes, while aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity declined. In females, blood Ca levels raise significantly with age. Regarding meat composition, male quails exhibited 28.5% higher salt content (p>0.05) than females, with no significant sex-based differences in moisture, fat, or protein levels. Meat moisture decreased (p<0.05) and fat content tended to increase with age. These findings demonstrate that both age and sex significantly influence blood parameters and meat composition (in a lesser extent) in quails. Such data may inform breeding and slaughter strategies to maximize meat quality and animal health.

Quail farming is gaining global importance due to the species’ rapid growth, early maturity, high productivity, and disease resistance. Quail meat is valued for its nutritional and medical properties, competing favorably with broiler and turkey meat. This study aimed to evaluate age- and genderrelated differences in the chemical composition of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) meat and blood parameters to determine optimal slaughter timing. A total of 72 Japanese quails (Coturnix japonica) (aged 5-8 weeks, both genders), raised under identical conditions, were studied. Hematological and biochemical blood parameters, as well as meat chemical composition, were analyzed. Results showed that male quails had significantly higher hematocrit (HCT), red blood cell count (RBC), haemoglobin (Hgb) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, but lower total protein (TP), triglycerides (TGL), calcium (Ca), and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) compared to females (p<0.05 for most parameters). With increasing age, HCT, RBC, and Hgb increased in both genders, while aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity declined. In females, blood Ca levels raise significantly with age. Regarding meat composition, male quails exhibited 28.5% higher salt content (p>0.05) than females, with no significant gender-based differences in moisture, fat, or protein levels. Meat moisture decreased (p<0.05) and fat content tended to increase with age. These findings demonstrate that both age and gender significantly influence blood parameters and meat composition (in a lesser extent) in quails. Such data may inform breeding and slaughter strategies to maximize meat quality and animal health.

Hyperthyroidism is the most common endocrine disease of middle-aged and older cats, caused by excessive thyroid hormone production (1,2), but occurs in approximately 10% of older cats too, and is usually diagnosed when owners notice clinical signs (2,3). In cats with hyperthyroidism changes in serum biochemical parameters are often observed (4). After treatment, serum biochemical parameters change, and may help diagnose comorbidities (5). Therefore, it was important to monitor and analyse blood biochemical parameters in cats of different age with hyperthyroidism before and after treatment. For each of 55 cat with hyperthyroidism medical history was taken, and the diagnosis was confirmed by elevated TT4 levels (TT4 > 60 nmol/L) and the presence of clinical signs. The following blood biochemical parameters were assessed: ALT, ALP, CREA, UREA. Measurements were taken prior to treatment and again 3 to 6 weeks after thiamazole therapy, once euthyroidism was achieved (TT4 < 30 nmol/L). All cats were divided into three age groups: group I – under 11 years old, group II – aged 11 to 15 years, group III – over 15 years old. The most common clinical signs in hyperthyroid cats were weight loss (85.45 %), vomiting (50.91 %), and increased appetite (30.91 %). Higher CREA values were linked to weight loss and poor coat condition, while lower CREA values were associated with increased appetite (p < 0.05). Group II had the highest prevalence of hyperthyroidism (49.09 %). Blood UREA levels increased with age (p < 0.01), with older cats showing significantly higher levels. Elevated ALT levels were observed in most cats, exceeding the upper reference limit (p < 0.05). Posttreatment, ALT and ALP values decreased, while CREA and UREA concentrations increased (p < 0.001). The study highlights the importance of monitoring these parameters to diagnose and manage hyperthyroidism effectively, considering the biological characteristics of the cats.

Background: The liver is one of the most important glands in animals, as it is responsible for many vital functions: detoxification, metabolism, storage of vitamins and minerals, bile production, and synthesis of blood clotting factors (1). It also performs an important immunological function – contains the highest concentration of Kupffer cells in the body, whose function is phagocytosis and liver protection from bacteria, endotoxemia, and viral infections (2). Despite the large dog population and the ever-growing supply of veterinary diagnostic options, there are not enough detailed studies that analyse how liver function indicators vary depending on the biological characteristics of the dog - age and sex. That's why it was important to evaluate the biochemical blood parameters and their changes in dogs of different ages and sexes with impaired liver function. Methods: In total 50 dogs with suspected or confirmed liver function disorders were examined: information regarding age, sex, medical history was collected. Clinical examination, biochemical blood tests and, in some cases, abdominal ultrasound were performed. The dogs were categorized by age (young, adult, senior) and sex (male, female). The data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics software, results were considered statistically significant at p < 0.05. Results: The most reported symptoms of liver function disorders in dogs were lethargy, polydipsia, polyuria and decreased appetite. Elevated ALT and AST levels were observed in dogs between all age groups. ALP and GGT values (p < 0.01, p = 0.001, respectively) increased significantly with age, especially in senior dogs. A strong correlation was found between ALT and AST (r = 0.837), as well as between GGT and bilirubin (r = 0.758). No statistically significant differences in enzyme activity were found between male and female dogs. Conclusion: The obtained results highlight the importance of liver enzyme activity values for early diagnosis and prognosis in dogs with clinical signs of liver disease. It is particularly important to interpret enzyme dynamics in conjunction with age, clinical signs and other laboratory and imaging findings.

The synthesis and properties of two derivatives of 1-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole with differing numbers of tert-butylcarbazole electron-donating moieties are reported. The compounds exhibit high thermal stability, with 5% weight loss temperatures exceeding 341 °C and glass transition temperatures of over 149 °C. They display moderate triplet energies of 2.63 and 2.66 eV. The synthesized compounds were employed as host materials in phosphorescence and TADF-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). An investigation of the angle-dependent emission intensity of light-emitting layers containing the phosphorescent emitter Ir(ppy)2(acac) doped into the examined compounds revealed a notably high internal outcoupling efficiency in OLEDs, exceeding 30%. This efficiency is attributed to the significant horizontal molecular orientation factor, reaching up to 87%. Based on the characterization of the hosting properties of 1-phenyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives, the most significant influence on device performance is attributed to their charge-transporting properties. An OLED with the phosphorescent emitter Ir(ppy)2(acac) and a host material exhibiting bipolar charge transport demonstrated an external quantum efficiency of 13%. Additionally, the picric acid sensitivity of one of the compounds was examined. Triplet-facilitated emission was completely quenched upon the addition of a nitroaromatic explosive as a guest in a film.

Food safety control is a key factor not only for the public needs but also for their health. Therefore, when assessing pig carcasses during ante-mortem as well as post-mortem examination, it is important to highlight aspects such as the technological and sanitary quality of pig carcasses, and to consider the sensory, physicochemical and microbiological parameters of pig meat to assess the safety of the product. In addition, the situation regarding the diagnosis of non-infectious animal’s diseases in slaughterhouses is unclear. The identification of this situation is of particular importance, since any disorder of the health of an animal not only causes damage to certain organs, but also directly affects the health status and quality of the carcasses of slaughtered animals. This is a crucial part of the food control chain, ensuring food safety and, consequently, public health. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence of pneumonia in slaughter pigs during post-mortem examination and to assess the health status of slaughter pigs. To assess the pathologies of slaughtered cattle at the time of slaughter, a post-mortem analysis was carried out and a detailed analysis of the lung diseases found in pigs was performed. Samples of the diaphragm of pigs slaughtered during post-mortem analysis were collected. A 3.0 x 1.0 x 1.0 cm piece of the diaphragm was placed in a sterile plastic tube and frozen at +20o C until the test was performed. One day before the study, the meat juice samples were transferred to a refrigerator at +4o C and stored for 24 hours. Salmonella antibodies in pig meat juice were determined by a screening immuno-enzyme analysis method using the IDEXX HerdChek Swine Salmonella Test Kit (IDEXX Laboratories, Switzerland). The samples were evaluated according to the optical density ratio of the test sample and the positive control sample. During this study, it was found that among the changes attributed to non-infectious diseases, lung pathologies predominated, i.e., 70.4% of clinically healthy slaughtered pigs were affected, followed by liver pathologies (32.5%). Kidney pathologies accounted for 8.9%, heart pathologies for 6.2%, gastrointestinal pathologies for 5.4%, reproductive organ pathologies for 1.2%, and carcass pathologies for 19.84%. The study observed a trend that allows the conclusion that changes in the characteristics of non-infectious diseases are consistently diagnosed and increasing, while infectious diseases are less frequently diagnosed in this case. Salmonellosis can cause not only economic losses but also a significant harm to human health, necessitating very rapid, accurate, and sensitive methods for detecting Salmonella. Salmonella is the most common pathogenic microorganism found throughout the environment and a common source of bacterial foodborne-related illness. A practical tool for detecting Salmonella infection in slaughtered pigs is the serological examination of meat juice. Salmonella was determined in meat juices from healthy and pneumonia diseased pigs. The study found that among pigs with moderate lung damage, 22.90% of meat juice samples were serologically positive for Salmonella, while in pigs with severe lung damage, the percentage was 28.70%. In control pigs, serologically positive meat juice samples for Salmonella accounted for 0.39%. Evaluating the results of the conducted studies, various organ and carcass damages of differing severity are identified during post-mortem examination of pigs, which may pose a threat to public health. Therefore, continuous monitoring and studies of this nature are conducted to ensure the delivery of safe food to the market.

Salmonella is the most common pathogenic microorganism found throughout the environment and common source of bacterial foodborne-related illness. A practical tool for detecting Salmonella infection in slaughtered pigs is the serological examination of meat juice. Salmonella was determined in meat juices from healthy and pneumonia diseased pigs. Salmonella antibodies in pig meat juice were determined by a screening immunoenzymatic analysis method using the IDEXX HerdChek Swine Salmonella Test Kit (IDEXX Laboratories, Switzerland). The samples were evaluated according to the optical density ratio of the test sample and the positive control sample. Meat samples from diaphragm pillars were taken from 277 pigs at slaughter house. A total of 63 samples were serologically positive from all tested pig meat juice samples (22.74 %) (CI95 % 18.2 – 28.0 %). One positive sample was found in the meat juice of healthy pigs, while 25 and 37 samples were found to be seropositive in the diseased pig groups, with S/P of 0.76 (p < 0.001) and 0.91 (p < 0.001) respectively. In pigs with pathological lung changes 35.23 % seropositive samples of all diseased pigs were found. S/P ratio in control group was 0.08 while in pig with different lung lesions meat juice samples S/P ration reached 0.25 and 0.32 respectively (p < 0.001). The lowest S/P value in meat juice samples were found in pigs with moderate lung lesions and were found in 56.88 % meat juice samples, while in pigs with intensive lung lesions meat juice samples S/P ratio was 58.13 % (p < 0.001). The highest S/P value was found in pigs with intensive lung lesions and reached 0.77 % of all tested samples.

Cattle, like all other animals, need five main components in their diet: carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and water (although the water is not a nutrient material, any diet or vitality is impossible without it) [1, 2]. Sometimes, it is difficult to ensure a proper diet and to match the ration exactly as required by the animals. In this case, feed additives are used to ensure a proper diet that fully meets the needs of the animal. Feeds may also be fortified with supplements if clinical symptoms appear to be present due to a lack of some materials in the diet. Proper selection of the supplement and its dose is very important, because too much of it can be harmful to animals: decreased productivity, impaired metabolism, the onset of pathological processes may occur [3]. The main tasks of this investigation were determination of the effect of dietary changes on the hepatic activity of the liver enzyme; analysis of the most important biochemical parameters of the blood, which are the most sensitive indicators for changes in the diet and how they relate to changes in liver enzymes; and calculation of the interactions and relationships between the obtained biochemical parameters. A particularly pronounced change was observed in GGT and ALP enzymes. The mean GGT concentration at the beginning of the study was 19.07 U/L, and at the end of the study (90 days), it reached 22.41 U/L (norm: 6–17.4 U/L), while the ALP at the beginning of the study was 160.07 U/L, and at the end, it was 224.31 U/L (norm: 0–488 U/L). The correlation coefficient of these enzymes is very strong – 0.97. Hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia, which occurred throughout the study irrespective of changes in the diet, were investigated for other biochemical parameters, determining the cause and relationship between changes in liver enzymes. The calcium concentration on day 0 of the experiment was 5.61 mg/dL and on day 90, it was 6.2 mg/dL doses (norm: 8–11.4 mg/dL), magnesium concentration 0.98 mg/dL and 1.1 mg/dL, respectively (norm: 1.5–2.9 mg/dL). However, a significant increase in phosphorus concentration was observed throughout the study, hypophosphataemia was found to be 5.36 mg/dL on day 0 and increased to 8.22 mg/dL on day 90 (rate: 5.6–8.0 mg/dL). A positive correlation was found between the increase in protein concentrations and the increase in urea and protein uptake and creatinine change, respectively, by a factor of 0.97 and 0.64. It is also likely that due to the increased protein content and the resulting ammonia in the liver, GGT serum levels were also increased due to liver toxicity of ammonia, as the GGT and urea correlation coefficient is very strong and equal to 0.97.