The aim of the study was to compare the serum protein profile of Bernese Mountain Dogs (BMDs) reacting positive for Bb in snap testing with the serum protein profile of dogs of other breeds (healthy and with clinical borreliosis) using the MALDI time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) technique. The observations included five groups of dogs. BMDs reacting positively to Bb in snap serological testing and showing symptoms of borreliosis (group 1), BMDs for which no borreliosis symptoms were determined but with seropositivity for Bb determined with snap serological tests (group 2), clinically healthy BMDs with no antibodies for Bb found in the serum (group 3), five dogs of different breeds, reacting positively in serological testing, in which borreliosis symptoms were observed (group 4), clinically healthy dogs of different breeds with negative reaction in tests towards Bb (group 5). A proteomic analysis demonstrated the presence of five identical protein fractions among all five groups. An additional two protein fractions of approximately 7.630 and 15.260 kDa were found in all the serum samples obtained from the dogs positive for borrelia in a snap test, both in those exhibiting symptoms of borreliosis, and seropositive BMDs not presenting symptoms of the disease. These two additional protein fractions may be used to differentiate between seropositive and seronegative B. burgdorferi dogs and may be considered a seropositivity marker, however, it cannot be used to differentiate between animals with the clinical form of the disease and those that are only seropositive.

Root-knot nematodes, genus Meloidogyne, are among the most plant damaging pathogens worldwide. The action of natural products against plant pathogens has been investigated to assess their effectiveness in the control of diseases. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the phytochemistry potential of the Ficus species for the control of Meloidogyne javanica. In vitro inhibitory activity assays were performed with crude ethanolic extracts of leaves and branches from 10 Ficus species. Among these, Ficus carica extracts exhibited strong paralysis activity against second stage juveniles (J2) (EC50 = 134.90 μg ∙ ml–1), after 72 hours. In addition, high efficacy was observed in egg-hatching inhibition at different embryonic stages. Microscopy analysis revealed severe morphological alterations in the nematode tissues at the J2 stage, as well as immotility of juveniles released from eggs in the presence of F. carica extracts. The efficacy of the treatments for the other species was very low. These differences were supported by the variation in the compound classes, mainly for alkaloids and metabolite profiles by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) when F. carica was compared with the other species. The results indicated that F. carica is a promising source for the isolation and identification of molecules capable of acting in the control of M. javanica.

Faecal Enterococcus hirae from domestic ducks were studied for their bioactivity to select bioactive strain for more detailed study with its probable use in poultry and also to bring novelty in basic research. After defecation, faeces (n=23, faecal mixture of 40 ducks) were sampled from domestic ducks in eastern Slovakia; birds were aged from eight to 14 weeks. E. hirae strains were identified using Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of flight mass spectrometry with a highly probable species identification score (2.300-3.000) or a secure genus identification/ /probable species identification score (2.000-2.299), confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and phenotypization in accordance with the properties for the type strain E. hirae ATCC 9790. Strains were hemolysis negative (γ-hemolysis), and did not have active enzyme stimulating disorders. Enterocin genes were detected in three strains out of seven. Three out of four Enterocin genes were detected in Kč1/b (Ent A, P, L50A); the most frequently detected was the Ent P gene. The strains inhibited indicator strains E. faecalis, listeriae, but also Escherichia coli and Buttiauxiella strains. Lactic-acid producing E. hirae were mostly susceptible to antibiotics. Based on parameter evaluation, E. hirae Kč1/b, Kč6 can be additionally studied to select the type of bioactive substance.

Many species of Trichoderma produce secondary metabolites such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that reduce plant diseases and promote their growth. In this work we evaluated the antagonistic effects of VOCs released by eight strains of two Trichoderma species against Pyrenophora teres Drechsler, the causal agent of barley net blotch. Antagonism was estimated based on the percentage of mycelial growth inhibition according to the confronted cultures method. VOCs extraction and identification were performed by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, through different methodologies for VOCs emitted by antagonists and pathogens alone or when confronted. VOCs produced by all Trichoderma strains inhibited mycelial growth of the pathogen in a range of 3 to 32%, showing weak and unpigmented mycelia with vacuolization. In addition, P. teres stimulated the release of VOCs by both Trichoderma species. The major groups of VOCs detected were sesquiterpenes, followed by diterpenes, terpenoids and eight-carbon compounds. This is the first report about characterization of volatiles emitted by Trichoderma in the presence of P. teres.

SDS-PAGE electrophoresis was used to study the effect of NaCl on protein expression in two cultivars of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.): Edkawi (salt-tolerant) and Castle rock (salt-sensitive). Five-day-old seedlings were grown on MS agar media supplemented with 0, 50, 100, 150, 200 and 300 mM NaCl. Two days after treatment the seedlings were examined to determine the effect of salt on their growth and to relate that to protein banding variations. Gel analysis showed differences in at least 4 protein bands with molecular weights at 20, 25, 45 and 65 kDa. These proteins were induced in the 50 mM NaCl treatment in the salt-sensitive cultivar, then decreasing to undetectability at higher concentrations. In the salt-tolerant cultivar, most of the proteins exhibited a more or less steady expression pattern and maintained expression through the 200 mM NaCl treatment. All proteins gave weak or no expression signals at 300 mM NaCl, the treatment that proved lethal. Differentially expressed bands were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The putative function of each identified protein in relation to salt stress is discussed.

Anestrus is essential to an unsuccessful pregnancy in dairy cows. One of the many factors that influences anestrus is the inactive ovary. To characterize in detail the plasma metabolic pro- file, anestrus cows suffering from inactive ovaries were compared with those with natural estrus. The Holstein cows 60 to 90 day postpartum in an intensive dairy farm were assigned into inactive ovaries groups (IO, n=20) and natural estrus group (CON, n=22) according to estrus signs and rectal palpation of ovaries. Plasma samples from two groups of cows were collected from the tail vein to screen differential metabolites using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) techniques and multivariate statistical analysis and pathways. The results showed that 106 compounds were screened by GC/MS and 14 compounds in the IO group were decreased by analyzing important variables in the projection values and p values of MSA.Through pathway analysis, 14 compounds, mainly associated with carbohydrate metabolism and amino acid meta- bolism, were identified to results in IO, which may seriously affect follicular growth. Metabolo- mics profiling, together with MSA and pathway analysis, showed that follicular growth and development in dairy cows is related to carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism by a single or multiple pathway(s).

In this article, we present the results of the first application of 2–benzoylpyridine (2–BP) as a carrier in adsorptive polymeric materials dedicated for the removal of Ag(I) and Cu(II) ions from model acidic solutions. In the first stage of the research, the classical solvent extraction, in which 2–BP was used as an extractant, allowed to determine the proper conditions for conducting adsorptive processes. The stability constants of 2–BP complexes with analyzed metal ions were determined using the spectrophotometric method. The electrospray ionization (ESI) high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) method was applied for the confirmation of the ability of 2–BP molecules to form complexes with Cu ²⁺¸ metal ions in a solution and to determine the elemental composition of generated complexes (to identify the ratio of the number of metal ions to the number of molecules of 2–BP). The obtained results indicate that both the adsorptive processes and solvent extraction strongly depend on the properties of metal ions and that the use of 2–BP as a carrier/extractant allows for efficient removal of silver(I) ions and much less effective removal of copper(II) ions. The utilization of adsorptive polymeric materials is in line with the contemporary research trends that focus on eco-friendly and cost-effective methods.

The chemical composition of commercial thyme oils, freshly hydrodistilled EO (essetntial oil) from dried thyme herb and thymol, the main thyme oil constituent, were analyzed in the aspect of possible cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 breast cancer and normal L929 mouse fibroblast cell lines. Based on the GC-MS analysis, it was found that the commercial essential oils revealed similarities in their chemical composition. The content of main components such as thymol, linalool and α-pinene was almost equal. Interestingly, the EO obtained by hydrodistillation from Thymi herba showed considerable differences in the percentage content of some main constituents. The reason for the differences may be caused by the intraspecific chemical variability of T. vulgaris L. Four types of tested EOs can be classified as a ‘thymol’ chemotype, with thymol as the predominant compound. The thymol alone and the freshly hydrodistilled EO demonstrated the highest cytotoxic effect against used cell lines. The difference in IC50 values suggests more sensitive L929 cells are more sensitive in both the CCK-8 assay (except EOs Kawon) and the NRU assay.