vol. 10 núm. 21 (2014)

Cholangiocarcinoma or cgc is a intrahepatic primary tumor characterized by its generating of nonspecific signs that are difficult to diagnose. Ultrasound-guided cytology or exploratory laparotomy help analyze it, with the drawback being that in most cases the growth of the tumor is compromising approximately 60% of the liver tissue. Histopathological diagnosis allows the identification and prognosis of the disease’s progress. Clinical findings did not indicate liver failure, but in this case they did show hypoproteinemia and abnormalities in liver silhouette ultrasounds.

In today’s world, food production is facing major challenges: a consumer market that is growing relentlessly, diversifying consumer tastes, and an increase in areas of biofuel production, which competes with food production. This is combined with an accelerating rate of deforestation in sensitive zones and an indiscriminate increase in methane emissions (both direct and indirect) into the atmosphere, water and soil, from agriculture in general. And finally, there is an increasingly greater gap between those who can afford quality food those who can barely manage one meal a day with low nutritional content. In this global situation, there is a trade off between animal production and welfare and the challenge of mass-producing food by means of intensification and the use of grain-rich diets, partial or total confinement, and specialized genetics to increase production. This, however, translates into ruminal acidosis, high incidence of lameness, and problems with behavior and adaptation. The aim of this article is to conduct a general review of the agricultural production panorama, especially that of cattle in Ecuador, from economic, social, environmental and animal welfare perspectives, bearing in mind that the changes in any production system take place in response to the consumer; ultimately, it is the consumer who should be addressed to achieve an ethical food supply that is socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and consistent with animal welfare.

Currently, technological pig production systems include various management practices that are painful for animals and are carried out from early ages, which could have repercussions throughout the animals’ productive lives. Many of these practices have a negative impact on aspects of animal welfare, even when they are justified from a production perspective. Within a farm, these situations occur frequently, and this study presents the case of fattening pigs that suffer serious problems such as tail, snout and teeth wounds, identifying critical points in different stages of production. In line with the case under consideration, this study analyzes the possible causes of these issues and in turn proposes solutions including elements that mitigate the negative impact the issues have had on animal welfare at the farm in question. This paper therefore uses one underlying question as a starting point: Are management practices such as inadequate tail docking and teeth clipping, as well as the lack of a suitable environment, generating problems of tail-biting and teeth and incisor lesions in fattening pigs?

In Colombia, livestock systems or production systems are focused on species with the greatest export potential or highest national consumption. These are poultry (meat, eggs, genetics), cattle (milk, meat, genetics), pigs (meat, genetics) and fish. There is also smaller scale production of buffalos, sheep/goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. National standards related to primary production have centered on good practices for cattle, poultry and pigs, and there are currently norms for the slaughter of these animals. The industry for these species is generally well developed, albeit with some gaps in the areas of animal welfare, traceability, and disease control and surveillance systems, food-safety systems and compliance with international standards for exportation. Data from 2012 shows that Colombian livestock production primarily consists of 27 million head of cattle, 25 million birds (chickens/hens), 2.5 million horses, 1.6 million pigs, 1.3 million goats, and 1.1 million sheep, among other animals. This shows an imbalance in the agricultural sector, where there is a clear tendency towards traditional production species. Today, there are approximately 2.5 million head of sheep and goats when the two species are taken together.

Introduction: many authors have regarded probiotics as microorganisms that are beneficial for gut flora, working through various mechanisms and with effects reported not only in the gastro-intestinal tract but also in the respiratory and urogenital tracts. The aim of this study was to evaluate productive parameters (growth and weigh gain) and nutritional parameters (fecal content of nitrogen, fat, ash and moisture) against the supply of a commercially used probiotic cocktail containing Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus bifidus in the golden hamster. Materials and methods: we selected 20 experimental animals with an average age between 8 and 15 days. These were then divided into two experimental groups: control (GCJ) and experimental (GMS). Each week for 3 weeks we measured weight (grams) and length (centimeters) variables, and conducted a proximate analysis of feces to determine the nitrogen, fat, ash and moisture content. Data were expressed in ± SD averages for the variables of growth and weight gain. Results: the results obtained showed that administering the probiotic significantly affected weight gain and growth, reduced fecal excretion of nitrogen (interpreted as better digestion and absorption of proteins), reduced ash elimination, and increased fecal excretion of fat, which was largely attributed to an excess of this nutrient in the diet provided. Conclusions: the use of probiotics is an extremely useful tool that can be used in production systems to replace other products that may generate public health risks.

Introduction: balb/c//bioula mice are used in experiments studying parasites of the Mexican Leishmania species, determining IgG concentrations. Previous studies have shown that mice parasitized with Syphacia obvelata present high titers of IgG. The aim of this study was to determine if there is synergism in the immunological response of balb/c//bioula mice with combined parasitism. Materials and methods: The animals were divided into four groups: Group a, without parasites; Group b, parasitized with Syphacia obvelata; Group c, with Mexican Leishmania; and Group d, with combined parasitism. Over two months, the mice were monitored using growth curves, coproparasitological diagnosis, and hematological and antibody titer evaluation through elisa. Results: The growth curves indicated that mice with combined parasitism gained less weight and size, and possessed the highest quantity of Syphacia obvelata eggs and adult parasites. Statistically significant differences were found in the values of hematological parameters, and measurement of IgG concentration also showed that the highest quantity of IgG units occurred for sera of mice with combined parasitism. Conclusions: the results of the growth curves, the hematological tests and the IgG titers confirmed that there is a synergism in the response of rats parasitized with Syphacia obvelata and Mexican Leishmania. This may lead to false positive results when researchers conduct experiments with Mexican Leishmania on mice that are parasitized with Syphacia obvelata.

Introduction: The poultry industry provides the cheapest animal protein for human consumption, producing meat with high nutritional value, but the presence of chemical antibiotic residues in this meat has caused it to be rejected. Currently, efforts are being made to guarantee food safety by using natural antibiotics that protect the chickens, the environment, and consumers. One such antibiotic is propolis, a material obtained from bees that has high flavonoid content, and also promotes broiler development. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of propolis to the broilers’ water increased their productivity and improved their immunological development. Materials and methods: The starting point for this study was a chemical characterization by high performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (hplc/dad). The selected propolis was administered to the broilers and its impact on zootechnical parameters was measured. Its antimicrobial effect against reference strain Echerichia coli and the immune response against the vaccines given to the broilers was also evaluated. Results: There were improvements in weight gain and feed conversion, and the sensitivity of antibiotics to the E. colireference strain increased. There were higher titers for Gumboro and Newcastle diseases, but the opposite effect occurred with infectious bronchitis. Conclusions: Propolis is a cost-effective and technological alternative for reducing the use of chemical antibiotics in combating diseases in the poultry industry.