Effect of Humulus scandens for Traditional Fiber Sources on Digestion,Diarrhea,and Performance of Growing Rabbits

This work was to determine which concentration of a mixture of fresh Humulus scandens （HS） and fresh alfalfa could be included in diets for rabbits. The fresh forage of three experimental diets is composed of 100% alfalfa, 50% alfalfa ＋ 50% HS, 100% HS, respectively. 30 rabbits [（1.42 ± 0.056） kg] were used to determine nutrient digestibility. A feeding trial was carried out using 90 weaning rabbits [35 d of age; （512±6.5） g]. Increasing content of HS in the diet did not affect digestibility of DM （dry matter）, CF （crude fiber）, CP （crude protein）, GE （gross energy）, and EE （ether extract）. But diarrhea decreased markedly （P〈0.01） compared with the diets that had no HS. ADF1 （average daily feed intake） increased by 4.3% （P 〈 0.05） and 3.6% （P 〈 0.05） when rabbits fed the diet with 100% HS of fresh forage compared with the diets containing 0 and 50% HS, respectively. Feed efficiency improved significantly （P 〈 0.05） by 2.07 and 5.30% when rabbits fed 0 and 50% HS of fresh forage, respectively, compared with 100% HS. There was no effect on ADG （average daily weight gain）. In conclusion, the mixture （50：50） of HS and alfalfa constitutes an alternative source of fiber for fattening rabbits and prevents diarrhea effectively.

Prevalence of sensitization to weed pollens of Humulus scandens,Artemisia vulgaris,and Ambrosia artemisiifolia in northern China

Objective:Weed pollens are common sources of allergens worldwide.The prevalence of weed pollen sensitization is not yet fully known in China.The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of sensitization to weed allergens from Artemisia,Ambrosia,and Humulus in northern China.Methods:A total of 1144 subjects(aged from 5 to 68 years) visiting our clinic from June to October 2011 underwent intradermal testing using a panel of 25 allergen sources.Subjects with positive skin responses to any pollen were further tested for their serum concentrations of IgE antibodies against Artemisia vulgaris,Ambrosia artemisiifolia,and Humulus scandens,and against the purified allergens,Art v 1 and Amb a 1.Results:Of 1144 subjects,170 had positive intradermal reactions to pollen and 144 donated serum for IgE testing.The prevalence of positive intradermal responses to pollens of Artemisia sieversiana,Artemisia annua,A.artemisiifolia,and H.scandens was 11.0%,10.2%,3.7%,and 6.6%,respectively.Among the intradermal positive subjects,the prevalence of specific IgE antigens to A.vulgaris was 58.3%,to A.artemisiifolia 14.7%,and to H.scandens 41.0%.The prevalence of specific IgE antigens to the allergen Art v 1 was 46.9%,and to Amb a 1 was 11.2%.The correlation between the presence of IgE antibodies specific to A.vulgaris and to the Art v 1 antigen was very high.Subjects with A.artemisiifolia specific IgE also had A.vulgaris specific IgE,but with relatively high levels of A.vulgaris IgE antibodies.There were no correlations between the presence of IgE antibodies to H.scandens and A.vulgaris or to H.scandens and A.artemisiifolia.Conclusions:The intradermal prevalence of weed pollen sensitization among allergic subjects in northern China is about 13.5%.Correlations of specific IgE antibodies suggest that pollen allergens from Artemisia and Humulus are independent sources for primary sensitization.

Analysis of total proteins in pollen of Humulus scandens Lour in Wuhan Region of China by two-dimensional electrophoresis

Total proteins in the pollen of Humulus scandens Lour,one of the most popular aeroallergens in China,were analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis in the current study.The proteins were extracted by Trichloracetic acid(TCA)method,and then separated by isoelectric focusing as the first dimension and SDS-PAGE as the second dimension.The spots of proteins were visualized by staining with Coomassie Brilliant Blue.After analysis with software(ImageMaster 2D),122 different proteins were detected;isoelectric point(pI),Molecular weight(MW)and relative volume of each protein in the pollen were also discovered.This is the first high-resolution,two-dimensional protein map of the pollen of Humulus scandens Lour in China.Our finding has built a solid foundation for identification,characteriza-tion,gene cloning and standardization of allergenic proteins in the pollen of Humulus scandens Lour for further studies.