Japanese Journal of Veterinary Research最新文献

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous contaminants produced from incomplete combustion of fuel or vegetation fires. Their presence in air deserves attention because they can produce carcinogenic and mutagenic effects. As an industrialized and economically significant city in Ghana, Kumasi has been subject to heavy anthropogenic influences due to rapid economic development and urbanization leading to a greater fuel combustion rate. Airborne particulate samples were collected on filters using a Sibata air sampler and analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Our results indicated that air from the city center can be classified as highly polluted with benzo[a] pyrene (B[a]P). The diagnostic ratios of the results showed that PAHs in the air samples were mainly from fuel combustion.

All heavy metals are potentially harmful to most organisms at some level of exposure and absorption. Concentrations of Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Hg, Cd, As, and Pb were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) in three fish species (C. gariepinus, C. nigrodigitatus, and H. bidorsalis) from the Offin River in Dunkwa township, Ghana. In the fish species, gills, livers, and muscles were analyzed. The metal that recorded the highest concentration was Zn, which was highly accumulated in the liver of C. gariepinus, but had the lowest concentration in the muscles of C. nigrodigitatus.

Antibiotics are substances either produced naturally by living organisms or synthetically in the laboratory, and they are able to kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Antibiotics are also used as feed additives for the purpose of livestock health maintenance. Antibiotic residues in feedstuffs are currently a problem of some magnitude in different parts of the world, particularly due to associated public health concerns that include hypersensitivity reactions, antibiotic resistance, toxicity, teratogenicity, and carcinogenicity. In Africa, as in other parts of the world, antibiotic residues in animal-derived foods have been extensively recorded in many African countries; these residues have exceeded the WHO maximum residue levels in many cases. It has been reported that tetracyclines are the most predominantly prescribed antibiotics in Africa, and of all antibiotic-associated residues they represent 41% of cases, followed by beta-lactams at 18%. Great care should be taken to monitor antibiotic cessation periods before the release of animal-derived foods for human consumption. In addition, strict legislation should be implemented in order to minimize the abuse of antibiotics.

Oxytetracycline residues were examined in 600 samples (200 each of muscles, livers and kidneys) collected randomly from bovine carcasses slaughtered at Mansoura abattoir in Dakahlia Province, Egypt. A microbial inhibition test using Bacillus subtilis ATCC- 6633 was employed to screen the obtained samples for antibiotic residues in meat. The results showed that 2% of samples were positive. Oxytetracycline residues exceeded the maximum residue limits (MRLs) in 1.33% of the examined samples. Thus, regulatory authorities should insure proper withdrawal period before slaughtering of the animals (28 days for oxytetracycline). Public health importance was discussed.

For the first time in Cameroon, this paper reports on multiple mycotoxins occurrences in poultry feeds. Twenty feed samples collected from different poultry farms were analyzed for 320 fungal metabolites by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Results showed feeds contamination by 68 metabolites including 18 mycotoxins/metabolites currently regulated in the European Union such as fumonisins B1 (FB1), B2, and B3; deoxynevalenol (DON); and beta-zearalenol recovered in all samples. FB1 reported highest FB mean level of 468 (range 16-1930) microg kg(-1). Levels of DON and ZEN were mostly concentrated in feeds from western-highlands conversely for FBs and aflatoxins concentrations in Yaounde. Aflatoxin B1 mean level of 40 microg kg(-1) exceeded the worldwide permitted limit for aflatoxins in feed and generally inversely proportional to weight gain in chicken.

The lethal and sublethal toxicity of Endosulfan on the African toad, Bufo regularis were evaluated to assess changes in behaviour and energy reserves. 96 hours LC50 was 0.730 mg/l while the estimated safe concentration was 0.07 mg/L indicating the high toxicity of the insecticide. Toads exposed to lethal concentrations of endosulfan showed dose-dependent behavioural abnormalities with more pronounced poisoning symptoms occurring at higher concentrations. The pesticide caused differential increase in serum glucose levels with a concomitant reduction in liver glycogen indicating disorders in carbohydrate metabolism due to pesticide induced stress and hence can serve as suitable biomarkers in pesticide toxicity studies.

There is little information about drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics in horses. Therefore, it is necessary to characterize the profiles of drug metabolites for the safe use of drugs. In this study, we focused on cytochrome P450 enzymes (CYPs), which represent an important enzyme group to determine pharmacological effects of drugs. We chose diazepam as the drug of choice for this study. The aim of this study was to elucidate the metabolic pathway of diazepam in horses in comparison with rats, and to clarify CYP subfamilies responsible for diazepam metabolism in horses. Our results showed temazepam was the major diazepam metabolite produced from microsomal reactions in horse liver, but horses produced drastically less p-hydroxydiazepam as compared with rats. Furthermore, CYP3A was a major contributor from the CYP subfamily of temazepam production.

A total of 75 random canned fish samples, 25 each of canned (canned tuna, sardine and mackerel) during 2009, were collected from Zagazig Markets for determination of lead, cadmium, zinc, copper and tin residues using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The obtained results revealed that the mean values of the lead residues in the examined canned tuna, sardine and mackerel were 0.127 +/- 0.02, 0.013 +/- 0.004 and 0.023 +/- 0.01 (ppm) respectively. The mean concentrations of cadmium residues were 0.022 +/- 0.001, 0.048 +/- 0.003 and 0.027 +/- 0.003 ppm, respectively. While in case of zinc, the residual levels were 1.97 +/- 0.12, 2.369 +/- 0.32 and 1.126 +/- 0.24 ppm, respectively. Copper residual levels in the examined samples were 0.293 +/- 0.08, 0.221 +/- 0.03 and 0.08 +/- 0.02 ppm, respectively. In case of tin, the residual levels were 1.496 +/- 0.30, 1.209 +/- 0.26 and 0.379 +/- 0.11 ppm respectively.

Acute sickness involving dairy cattle (n = 5) with a morbidity of 100% occurred in a farm in Nakuru, Kenya. A case study was undertaken with the objective of establishing the cause of the sickness. Samples of blood, soil and industrial waste contained high levels of lead. The symptoms, results of postmortem and history of the case were used to establish the diagnosis of acute lead poisoning. This is a forensic case in court between the owner of the animals and a lead recycling company that dumped the industrial waste that was associated with the poisoning. There could be many unreported cases of lead poisoning in Kenya areas with heavy industrial activities since data on of lead poisoning in Kenya is scanty.