The testing of antibodies raised against poultry red mite antigens in an in vitro feeding assay; preliminary screen for vaccine candidates.

Dermanyssus gallinae (De Geer), the poultry red mite, is a blood-feeding ectoparasite that infests many bird species. We have used an in vitro feeding assay to allow the identification of protective D. gallinae antigens that may have potential as vaccine candidates.

Lipid-soluble and water-soluble antioxidant activities of the avian intestinal mucosa at different sites along the intestinal tract.

The antioxidant capacity of the avian intestinal mucosa is potentially important in protecting the gut wall from the harmful actions of reactive oxygen species originating from the diet, mucosal metabolism and the inflammatory response to enteric microbes. To assess this capacity, we determined the total lipid-soluble and water-soluble antioxidant activities of mucosal extracts, using tissue from different parts of the intestinal tract of the chicken. The lipid-soluble antioxidants, vitamin E and carotenoids, were also measured in the same samples.