The silymarin complex extracted from milk thistle provides significant health benefits, particularly due to its antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties. However, plant substances can be contaminated by a number of fungi types and their secondary metabolites-mycotoxins. This work deals with the determination of aflatoxins and zearalenone and its metabolites in 39 different samples grown in 2020 and 2021. Analysis of mycotoxins was performed by UHPLC-MS/MS after immunoaffinity column AFLAPREP® and EASI-EXTRACT® ZEARALENONE clean-up. The presence of aflatoxins was not confirmed in the monitored samples, but 1/3 of the samples were contaminated with zearalenone in the range of 2.8-378.9 µg/kg. Metabolites of zearalenone such as α-zearalenol, α-zearalanol, and β-zearalanol were not detected in any of the samples. β-Zearalenol was found in two samples (2.6 µg/kg and 29.8 µg/kg).

• Keywords
• Aflatoxins, Food safety, Milk thistle, UHPLC-MS/MS, Zearalenone,
• MeSH
• Aflatoxins analysis   MeSH
• Food Contamination * analysis   legislation & jurisprudence   MeSH
• Mycotoxins * analysis   MeSH
• Silybum marianum * chemistry   microbiology   MeSH
• Tandem Mass Spectrometry MeSH
• Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid MeSH
• Zearalenone analysis   MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Aflatoxins MeSH
• Mycotoxins * MeSH
• Zearalenone MeSH

Incorporating of agro-industrial co-products into animal nutrition could represent an opportunity to lessen the environmental impact of the food production chain. One such co-product is a hempseed cake originating from cold pressing hemp seeds to extract oil for human consumption. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the action of hempseed cake in the diet on male rabbit reproductive and some non-reproductive indexes. Male rabbits were fed either a standard diet (control group; C; n = 10) or a diet enriched with hempseed cake (experimental group E5 with 5% of a hempseed cake; n = 10, and experimental group E10 with 10% of a hempseed cake; n = 10) in 100 kg of the milled complete feed mixture. Rabbit weight gain, sperm concentration, motility, progressive motility, and sperm quality were evaluated using CASA and flow cytometry. Feeding with a hempseed cake, given at both tested concentrations, had no effect on weight gain per week and the total average weight gain compared to the control group (p > 0.05). Hempseed cake addition had no effect on sperm concentration in ejaculate, sperm motility, and progressive motility (p > 0.05). Selected haematological and biochemical indexes were examined. The E5 group showed positive tendencies in hepatic profile parameters, while in the E10 group the tendencies were opposite, though within the reference values. Based on our results, no negative effects of hempseed cake feeding on rabbit reproduction and health status were found, and we can recommend the use of hempseed cake at doses up to 10% in the nutrition and feeding of rabbits. Therefore, agro-industrial co-products can decrease the feeding cost.

• Keywords
• Oryctolagus cuniculus, health status, hempseed cake, nutrition, performance, semen quality,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The aim of this study was to evaluate the addition of caraway (1%) in fast-growing and slow-growing broiler chickens' diet and its effect on performance parameters, blood biochemical profile, and relative organ sizes and ileum morphology in slow-growing broilers. Two separated experiments were performed. On the first day of age, the broilers were divided into 2 equal groups (Control and Caraway) with 6 replicates per treatment in both experiments. Experiment I: The total of 276 male fast-growing Ross 308 broiler chickens were used. The trial lasted from the first day to 35th day of chickens' age. Experiment II: The total of 216 male slow-growing (Hubbard JA 57) broilers were used. The trial lasted from the first to 50th day of chickens' age. Mean liveweight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, blood biochemical parameters, and relative organ sizes were not significantly different in these trials. The group of slow-growing broilers supplemented with 1% of caraway in the diet showed longer villi and deeper crypt in the ileum after 50 d of life. Based on our results, it can be stated that the proportion of 1% caraway in fast-growing and slow-growing broiler chickens' diet did not influence performance parameters, blood biochemical profile and relative organ sizes. In case of the experiment with the slow-growing broilers supplemented with caraway, a significant difference in the height of the villi and the depth of the crypts was found. Caraway can be included in the broiler chickens' diets without negative effects, but further study of the effect on the intestinal morphology is necessary.

• Keywords
• carvone, ileum histomorphometry, limonene, phytogenic feed, villus,
• MeSH
• Diet veterinary   MeSH
• Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena MeSH
• Gastrointestinal Tract MeSH
• Carum * MeSH
• Animal Feed analysis   MeSH
• Chickens * MeSH
• Dietary Supplements MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Randomized Controlled Trial, Veterinary MeSH

Veterinarians can recommend milk thistle for the treatment of equine liver disease and laminitis. Milk thistle seed cakes were fed in the range of normal feed doses in this study. The milk thistle seed cakes were fed (twice a day) to the experimental group of the horses (n = 5) and biochemical blood markers (TP, Albumin, ALT (alanine transaminase), AST (aspartate transaminase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), GGT (gamma-glutamyltransferase), Bilirubin, Cholesterol, HDL (high-density lipoprotein), LDL (low-density lipoprotein), TAG (triacylglycerol), BHB (beta-hydroxybutyric acid), NEFA (non-esterified fatty acids), creatine kinase, creatinine, Urea, GSH-Px (glutathione peroxidase), TAS (total antioxidant status), lactate, glucose, cortisol, Ca, Pi) were monitored. The control group of horses (n = 5), bred and trained in the same conditions, was used for comparison. The control group received the entire feed dose as accepted by the horses in the experimental group before the beginning of the experiment. The aim was to find out whether the preparation of milk thistle seed cakes could have positive effects on the health of the horses. All ten horses received one feeding form before the beginning of the experimental monitoring. All horses were exposed to heavy physical exercise (regular combined driving training) after 56 days of milk thistle seed cakes feeding (up to 400 g/day). Three blood samples were taken (before physical exercise; about 15 min and 60 min after physical exercise). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were detected in the values of AST, NEFA, cortisol and Pi in the experimental group. The exercise effect was detected in the values of albumin, lactate, cortisol, NEFA, and calcium. Our results suggest that the feeding of milk thistle seed cakes could have a positive effect on the health of the horses.

• Keywords
• biochemical parameters, horse nutrition, physical exercise, phytogenics, silymarin,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH