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This paper reports the results of a mercury (Hg) and selenium (Se) metallomic study in the liver tissues of Psectrogaster amazonica and Raphiodon vulpinus from the Brazilian Amazon. Two-dimensional electrophoresis, graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry, and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry were performed. Hg and Se determinations allowed the calculation of Hg:Se and Se:Hg molar ratio and Se values for health benefits (Se HBVs). The Se:Hg values were >1 for both fish species, whereas the Se HBVs were >5 for P. amazonica and >10 for R. vulpinus, indicating that both possess Se reserves to control Hg toxicity. The metallomic data allowed the identification of 11 Hg/Se-associated protein spots in the two fish species, with concentrations in the range of 9.70 ± 0.14 and 28.44 ± 0.31 mg kg−1 of Hg and 16.15 ± 0.21 and 43.12 ± 0.51 mg kg−1 of Se. Five metal binding proteins (MBP) in the Hg/Se-associated protein spots in the liver proteome of P. amazonica and eight in R. vulpinus were identified, indicating the possible formation of Hg/Se complexes on the MBP structures. The activities analysis of catalase, superoxide dismutase, GPx enzymes, and lipoperoxide concentrations demonstrated that Hg-induced oxidative stress did not occur, possibly because both fish species possess Se reserves necessary to inhibit the Hg's deleterious effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heat stress can disrupt the balance between the heat poultry release into the environment and the heat they generate. Pequi oil has antioxidant properties, which may mitigate the heat stress effects. This study aimed to investigate the response of laying hens to pequi oil supplementation under heat stress using a proteomic approach. A total of 96 Lohmann White laying hens with 26 weeks old were housed in a completely randomized design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. They were housed in two climate chambers, thermal comfort temperature ± 24.04 °C with the relative humidity ± 66.35 and heat stress (HS) ± 31.26 °C with the relative humidity ± 60.62. They were fed two diets: a control diet (CON), basal diet (BD) without additives, and with Pequi oil (PO), BD + 0.6% PO. After 84 days, plasma samples were analyzed using Shotgun and LC-MS/MS. Proteins related to anti-inflammation, transport, and the immune system were differentially expressed in hens fed PO and CON under heat stress compared to those in thermoneutral environments. This helps protect against oxidative stress and may support the body's ability to manage heat-induced damage, stabilizing protein expression under stress conditions. The ovotransferrin proteins, fibrinogen isoforms, apolipoprotein A-I, Proteasome activator subunit 4, Transthyretin, and the enzyme serine Peptidase Inhibitor_Kazal Type 5, which presented Upregulated (Up) equal to 1, present characteristics that may be crucial for enhancing the adaptive responses of hens to thermal stress, thereby increasing their tolerance and minimizing the negative effects of heat on egg production. The data presented in this manuscript provides new insights into the plasma proteome alterations of laying hens fed a diet supplemented with pequi oil during heat stress challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Eggs are a complete, versatile, and low-cost food, justifying the growing worldwide consumption of this protein. The use of additives in the diet of laying hens seeks to improve productivity and egg quality. Passion fruit seeds have vegetable oil rich in antioxidant components, such as tocopherol, carotenoids, phenolic compounds, and unsaturated fatty acids, which can improve the quality of the eggs produced and allow the use of agro-industrial residues, adding value to the passion fruit seed. Objective: Evaluate the effect of passion fruit seed oil in the diet of Lohmann White laying hens on egg quality. Methods: A total of 192 25-week-old laying hens were housed, distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments (0.00%, 0.45% and 0.90% passion fruit seed oil) and eight replicates. At the end of 28 days, two eggs per replicate were analyzed. The data were evaluated for normality and analyzed by the REG procedure for linear and quadratic regression, with a significance of 5%. Results and Discussion: The results showed that egg, albumen, yolk and eggshell weight, yolk color, yolk index, Haugh unit, albumen diameter, eggshell strength and eggshell thickness were not influenced (P>0.05) by the inclusion of passion fruit seed oil in the diet. The nondifference between treatments may be a consequence of the insufficient amount of bioactive compounds in passion fruit seed oil or the short period of the product supply. Considering that this cycle represents the beginning of the productive period of these layers, the monitoring of egg quality according to the aging of the hens would allow a better evaluation of the mitigation of the age negative effects. Conclusion: The use of up to 0.90% passion fruit seed oil in the diet of light commercial laying hens between 25 and 29 weeks of age does not affect the egg quality. However, these bioactive compounds have the potential to improve hens' health, increase nutrient absorption, reduce tissue oxidation, and increase albumen secretion and yolk stability, and it is necessary to deepen this research line. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]