Tropical animal health and production最新文献

Ticks and tick borne diseases are on the rise. This is leading to diseases of economic importance in animals such that farmer`s budgetary allocation is constrained. Recently, interventions involving the use of plant based anti-tick products has shown promising results. Hence, in the present study, a tick grease was developed and evaluated utilising terpenes and terpenoids from Cissus quadrangularis as principal active components. Terpene and terpenoid rich extracts were isolated using a normal phase silica gel packed column and active fraction determined using repellence and knockdown effect. Ethyl acetate was used to extract the terpenes and terpenoids from dried Cissus quadrangularis stems. The chemical composition of the active fraction was evaluated using GC-MS. The formulated tick grease was evaluated under both laboratory and field studies. Out of the six column isolated fractions only 2, eluted with hexane: ethyl acetate ratio: 8:2 (100 mL), and 7:3 (100 mL), showed significant acaricidal activity with a percentage knockdown effect of 100 and 75% respectively. The GC-MS analysis of the combine two fractions showed that, they consisted of various monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Copaene (14.56%), α-ocimene (42.23%), murolene (16.98%) and caryophyllene oxide (11.89%) were found to be the major occurring compounds in the fraction. The tick grease formulated with the monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes rich fraction showed significant acaricidal activity when compared to commercial acaricide, armitraz purchased from local veterinary shops. The tick grease showed percent repellence of 100% as compared to 75% for the commercial acaricide. Under field studies, by topical application on cows the tick grease knocked down all ticks including Rhipicephalus appendiculatus and Amblyomma variegatum species which were resistant to the commercial acaricide. It also showed good protective effect over the 5 day period selected for the study on non-tick infested cows. Thus our study prove the potential of using terpenes and terpenoids from Cissus quadrangularis as active compounds in formulating a tick grease.

This study evaluated the interactive effect of mineral levels and creep feed provision (CF) on reproductive performance, stress level, and immune status of lactating sows during heat stress (HS). 2 × 2 factorial arrangement was assessed, involving two mineral levels (STD, the diet contains 20, 100, 80, 25, and 0.15 ppm of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Se, respectively; ADV, the diet contains 25, 150, 160, 50, and 0.30 ppm of Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn, and Se, respectively) with or without CF during HS. The CF group showed lower (P < 0.05) respiratory rate on days 8, 10, 11, and 14. ADV and CF groups showed lower (P < 0.05) body weight loss during lactation. A tendency for decreased (P = 0.063) loss of back fat thickness in the CF group. ADV group shows higher (P < 0.05) weaned piglet weight and survivability. CF group showed lower hair cortisol concentration (P < 0.05) with higher (P < 0.05) piglet survivability. ADV and CF groups showed lower (P < 0.05) serum TNF-α level, also increased (P < 0.05) superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde levels. In milk, the level of Fe, Mn, and Se increased (P < 0.05) in the ADV group. Also, feces excreted higher (P < 0.05) Zn, Fe, Mn, and Se. In conclusion, while both ADV and CF had beneficial effects, ADV posed a risk of increased mineral excretion. Given stricter regulations on dietary trace minerals, CF could be an effective strategy to enhance the performance of sows and piglets under HS.

The recent outbreaks of zoonotic nature have resulted in a rigours impact on the economies of many countries. The livestock sector is one of the major sub-sector in Indian agriculture. As a by-product of the lockdown imposed by the government due to the emergence of recent zoonosis (COVID- 19), dairy farmers have faced many issues with the sales of milk, availability of fodder etc. A cross-sectional study was carried out using a well-structured questionnaire circulated among the participants (n = 382) to understand the socioeconomic conditions and the costs and expenses incurred by the farmers using the Total Cost (TC) - Total Revenue (TR) approach to estimate economic loss incurred by dairy farmers in Wayanad District, Kerala. Economic loss was subsequently determined by comparing the total costs incurred by the farmers with their total revenue. Most of the farmers were female and every respondent belonged to socio-economic group of INR.8763 and above per month. A total loss of USD 109.6 was estimated per farmer, with TC accounting for USD 390.39 and TR accounting for USD 280.79, indicating that farmers are affected during the pandemic-imposed lockdown, similarly the pandemic-induced loss and farming experiences explained very less variation (R² = 0.02) and these variables were not associated (p = 0.349) with one another in the study area. This study provides an empirical outlook on loss of dairy farmers, advocates need for educating farmers on fodder management and disease preparedness in the district and pave further research to understand more dimensions and loss using the same framework.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ruminal infusion of unsaturated fatty acids on digestive parameters, milk fatty acids, and ruminal kinetics in Jersey cows supplemented (CHI) or not supplements (CON) with chitosan. Four multiparous Jersey cows cannulated in the rumen were used (DIM 150 ± 45, daily milk production 22.2 ± 4.5 kg). A crossover design was used, with two experimental periods of 17 days, seven days of adaptation, and 10 days of data collection. With a washout (buffer period) of five days between periods. Cows in the CHI group received 0.2% chitosan in the DM total of diet or 4g/kg of DMI. On day 17, 300 g of soybean oil were infused to evaluate the effect of chitosan's interaction on linoleic acid's biohydrogenation. No differences in dry matter intake and digestibility of nutrients, milk production, and composition were observed with the inclusion of 0.2% of CHI in the DM total of diet. CHI did not alter the fatty acid profile of milk, except for C18:1 cis-11 (P=0.02), which decreased with CHI supplementation. Diets did not influence any variables of energy balance, rumen characterization, omasal flow of nutrients, and rumen kinetics. Including chitosan in diets for lactating Jersey cows did not promote production and composition changes. Likewise, chitosan at the evaluated level does not influence rumen kinetics, omasal flow of nutrients, and energy balance.

Understanding the relationship between physiological parameters of livestock and temperature humidity index (THI) is essential for developing effective management strategies aimed at mitigating heat stress, especially during periods of elevated temperatures. The present study examined the physiological parameters of rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR), and pulse rate (PR) in Munjal sheep reared in a subtropical climate, focusing on their association with THI. Data were collected from 29 female Munjal sheep at 15-day intervals, during morning (8:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m.) and afternoon (2:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.) over one year. Results showed that RT was significantly higher in the afternoon compared to the morning for both lambs and adults. Likewise, RR and PR were elevated in the afternoon across both groups. In young lambs, RT (r = 0.86) and RR (r = 0.71), and in adults, RR (r = 0.89) and PR (r = 0.91) demonstrated a significant positive correlation (P < 0.05) with THI. These findings indicate that higher physiological parameters during hotter periods necessitate additional care for young lambs. In conclusions, this study highlighted the critical need for targeted management practices to support the physiological well-being of Munjal sheep in subtropical climates, particularly during periods of high temperature humidity index, ensuring optimal health and productivity.

Hemp seed is a potential candidate to replace soybean meal dependency due to its rich protein and balanced amino acid profile content despite containing anti-nutrients. This study purposed to evaluate dietary heated hemp seed cake (HSC) and the addition of phytase as a substitution for soybean meal on broiler productive performances, carcass characteristics, visceral organ weight, serum biochemical and intestinal health of broiler chickens. A total of 210 unsexed Ross broiler chicks were randomly divided into 7 treatments and 6 replicates using a completely randomized design and reared for 42 days. The treatments were T1: Corn-soybean-based ration; T2: Ration containing 15% unheated HSC; T3:T2 + 1000 FTU of phytase; T4: Ration containing 15% autoclaved HSC (120 °C,10 min); T5: T4 + 1000 FTU of phytase; T6: Ration containing 15% oven-heated HSC (120 °C,20 min); T7: T6 + 1000 FTU of phytase. On day 42, the body weight and body weight gain of the T4 group were higher (P < 0.01) compared to the T2, T3, T6, and T7 groups. The relative length of the jejunum, ileum, and cecum in all HSC diets was higher than that of the T1 group (P < 0.01). Dietary T4 lowered total bacteria and E. coli and enhanced L. acidophilus population in the cecum (P < 0.01). The villus height and surface area in all HSC diets were lower than those in the T1 group (P < 0.01). Glucose and calcium levels in the T4 and T5 groups were higher than those in the T1, T2, and T3 groups (P < 0.01). It concluded that dietary autoclaved HSC has positive effects on the gut health and growth of broiler chickens compared to dietary oven-heated HSC and unheated HSC. However, the positive effects cannot match those of soybean meal and corn-based diets.

In Uruguay and other countries of southern South America, listeriosis in cattle has been described, often relying solely on histological lesions for diagnosis. This study aimed to: i) analyze a case-series of bovine listeriosis in Uruguay diagnosed through combined pathological and bacteriological methods and, ii) characterize the isolated Listeria strains. From 2014 to 2022, twelve cases were diagnosed. Eleven presented as neurolisteriosis, while one involved a third-trimester abortion. These events primarily occurred in spring (9 cases) and winter (3), affecting individual adult cattle (> 2 years old) on both beef and dairy farms. Interestingly, 5/12 cases (42%) had no prior history of silage feeding. Histopathological examination of neurolisteriosis cases revealed suppurative meningoencephalitis with brainstem microabscesses. The aborted fetus had hepatitis and necrosuppurative nephritis. Listeria was isolated from 11/12 cases: 8 L. monocytogenes and 3 non-hemolytic L. innocua. The identified L. monocytogenes serotypes were 4b (n = 6) and 1/2a (n = 2), which are commonly reported in humans and animals worldwide. Importantly, all L. monocytogenes isolates possessed the inlA gene, a key virulence factor, while none of the L. innocua isolates did. This study highlights the importance of Listeria isolation for characterizing circulating strains and gaining deeper insights into the agent and epidemiology of listeriosis in ruminants of South America.

This research aimed to evaluate the detrimental impacts of heat stress and Bio-C Plus, an innovative technique to mitigate summertime heat stress, on the production and reproduction of pregnant rabbits and the growth of their offspring from birth to weaning. In two tests, a total of sixty adult, virgin New Zealand rabbits were employed in the current investigation. The first experiment was completed on twenty female pregnant rabbits in the winter season. Another experiment was conducted on forty rabbits, which was approved during the sweltering heat. The animals were split into two groups for the summer trial, with twenty individuals each. The first was kept in an additive-free environment, and the second added 1 g of Bio-C plus to every liter of drinking water for the doe rabbits. The findings demonstrated that pregnant rabbits subjected to extreme heat stress during the hot summer months experienced a considerable loss in body weight and feed intake and a considerable drop in conception rate. The summer heat stress has a detrimental effect on the litter weight and size of pregnant rabbits both at birth and at weaning. When Bio-C is added to drinking water, the effects of this stress are lessened.

Information on genetic diversity and population structure among sheep breeds is essential for genetic improvement, understanding environmental adaptation, as well as the utilization and conservation of sheep breeds. This research aims to analyze the genomic population structure of Santa Inês sheep managed on different properties in northeastern Brazil. A total of 390 individuals were genotyped for 52,744 SNPs. The six flocks evaluated showed population differentiation indices (pairwise Fst) ranging from 0.0342 to 0.0938. Estimates of gene flow showed high values, ranging from 0.89 to 1 (Nm) between flocks 2 and 3, which are from the same town. The average value for inbreeding (Fis) and the overall genetic differentiation index (Fst) were -0.05 and 0.06 respectively, observed in the F statistic for each of the loci analyzed in the six flocks. These results indicate that diversity is concentrated within populations. After the simulations using the Bayesian clustering method, the most probable number of genetic groups (K) detected was 5, where flock 4 and 6 form a single group. It can be concluded that the samples from the six flocks form five genetic populations with a level of diversity that has been conserved. The results of this study can contribute with important genetic information and can adequately help diversity within the breed, which provides a good opportunity for the sustainable use and maintenance of improvements in genetic resources in Santa Inês sheep populations in Brazil.