In vitro and in vivo anthelmintic activity of Euphorbia helioscopia L

The anthelmintic potentials of the aqueous and methanol extracts of Euphorbia helioscopia were investigated. In folklore medicine, E. helioscopia (Euphorbiaceae) is used in the treatment of various gastrointestinal ailments and diseases. A worm motility inhibition (WMI) assay and egg hatch assay (EHA) were used for in vitro assessment, and a faecal egg count reduction (FECR) assay was used for an in vivo study. The in vitro study revealed anthelmintic effects of crude methanolic extracts of E. helioscopia on live Haemonchus contortus worms as evident from their paralysis and/or death at 8h after exposure, different concentrations (12.5mgml(-1), 25mgml(-1) and 50mgml(-1)) of aqueous and methanolic extracts were used against H. contortus which exhibited dose-dependent anthelmintic effects on H. contortus. Aqueous and methanolic extracts of aerial parts (stem, leaves and flowers) of E. helioscopia were found to have very low percent inhibitory egg hatching as compared to levamisole. It is concluded that the entire plant of E. helioscopia possesses significant anthelmintic activity and could be a potential alternative for treating cases of helminth infections in ruminants.     

Potential for using Datura alba leaf extracts against two major stored grain pests, the khapra beetle Trogoderma granarium and the rice weevil Sitophillus oryzae

Various plants are well known for their insecticidal activity and their use was maintained for millennia throughout all the agricultural regions of the world. In a current context, the use of Botanical insecticides represents one of the best alternatives to chemicals for the development of environmental-friendly strategies for stored grain pest control. Datura alba Nees is a plant found extensively in the warmer regions of the world and it is used as a medicinal plant. This study aims to assess the contact toxicity and the trans-generational effect of D.?alba leaf extract (DLE) against two important insect pests on stored rice, Trogoderma granarium and Sitophilus oryzae, under laboratory conditions. Filter papers were soaked in three DLE concentration solutions and in two control treatments: water and acetone. The survivor specimens (F₀) were transferred to a new untreated feeding substrate and the population build up of the two following generations (F₁ and F₂) were counted after 30 and 60?days, respectively. The highest DLE concentration (2.5?%) induced the significantly highest mortality with 33.5 and 45?% mortality in T.?granarium and S.?oryzae after 7?days of exposure, respectively. The DLE long-term effect toward both tested species was also proved by the high demographic decrease in the F₂ generations, when compared to control groups. This study is the first step toward establishing a scientific basis for the effective application of D.?alba plant materials as biorational tools to control stored grain pests.     

On the Current Situation of Glanders in Various Districts of the Pakistani Punjab

Glanders is a highly infectious and zoonotic disease of solipeds caused by Burkholderia mallei. Progressive loss of efficiency and fatal outcome resulted in massive economic losses, which forced veterinary authorities throughout the world to implement disease control measures; these measures included mass testing using the complement fixation test and/or malleinization, and the culling of positives. This led to the eradication of glanders from Western Europe and North America in the 1950s. However, in the last decade, the number of outbreaks in Asia and South America increased steadily, and glanders regained the status of a re-emerging transboundary disease. Pakistan has been an endemic country for the past 120 years, but concise data on the presence of disease are not available. A total of 533 serum samples were collected from draught equines, a suspected risk group for glanders, from various districts of Punjab in Pakistan. The complement fixation test and the highly sensitive Western blot technique were used for serodiagnosis. No animal (horse, mule, and donkey) was found to be positive for infection. Glanders seems to be restricted to remote, sporadic pockets of endemicity and may cause outbreaks after being introduced into naive populations by (asymptomatic) shedders.     

保护性耕作下西南旱三熟农田土壤水分动态及产量效应

以西南地区麦/玉/薯三熟制种植模式为研究对象,研究了不同保护性耕作模式下旱地土壤水分动态变化、水分利用效率、作物产量和经济效应。结果表明,不同保护性耕作对整个农田生态系统产量和水分利用效率具有显著影响。秸秆覆盖(TS)、地膜覆盖(TM)、秸秆覆盖+地膜覆盖(TSM)和垄作+秸秆覆盖+地膜覆盖(RSM)能改善7,10月份0—60cm土层土壤含水量及贮水量,而垄作(R)、垄作+秸秆覆盖(RS)和垄作+地膜覆盖(RM)的作用不明显。与平作(CK)相比,RSM,RM,RS,TSM,TM,TS和R分别使系统增产10.52%,6.11%,6.77%,4.59%,5.12%,3.15%,1.24%。这些处理对水分利用效率和降水利用效率的增幅分别为1.26%～11.08%,1.27%～10.57%。研究结果说明,从WUE、降水利用效率、产量效应、经济效益这4个方面来看,垄作+秸秆覆盖+地膜覆盖耕作模式综合效益最佳。     

Effect of temperature on lutein esterification and lutein stability in wheat grain

The creamy colour of many wheat-based end-products is conferred by endogenous lutein. During post-harvest storage of grain, free lutein may be converted in part to potentially more stable lutein mono- and di-fatty acid esters. This study investigates the synthesis of lutein esters and stability of free lutein and lutein esters over a wide range of temperatures in grain of a high lutein bread wheat, Triticum aestivum L. line DM5685*B12 and a durum, Triticum durum L cv Kamilaroi. Disappearance of free lutein and lutein esterification followed first order reaction rates. The maximum rate of lutein esterification was at ≈80 °C, however, the optimum temperature for maximum synthesis with minimum degradation was between 30 °C and 60 °C. No ester synthesis was observed at temperatures higher than 120 °C. The data are consistent with an enzyme participating in the esterification reaction. Lutein esters were found to be more stable than free lutein with a longer shelf life at 60 °C whilst at temperatures ≤40 °C, lutein degradation was minimal. This study provides new information on lutein ester formation and lutein stability that should be useful to grain handlers and food manufacturers seeking to optimise retention of lutein for the benefit of consumers.     

Evaluation of bone healing in canine tibial defects filled with cortical autograft,commercial-DBM,calf fetal DBM,omentum and omentum-calf fetal DBM

The present study was conducted to compare the effects of xenogenic bovine fetal demineralized bone matrix (DBM), commercial DBM, omentum, omentum-calf fetal DBM, cortical autograft and xenogenic cartilage powder on the healing of tibial defects in a dog model to determine the best material for bone healing. Seven male adult mongrel dogs, weighing 26.2 ± 2.5 kg, were used in this study. Seven holes with a diameter of 4-mm were created and then filled with several biomaterials. Radiographs were taken postoperatively on day 1 and weeks 2, 4, 6, 8. The operated tibias were removed on the 56th postoperative day and histopathologically evaluated. On postoperative days 14, 42 and 56, the lesions of the control group were significantly inferior to those in the other group (p < 0.05). On the 28th postoperative day, the autograft group was significantly superior to the control and omentum groups (p < 0.05). Moreover, calf fetal DBM was significantly superior to the control group. There was no significant difference between the histopathological sections of all groups. Overall, the omentum and omentum-DBM groups were superior to the control group, but inferior to the autograft, commercial-DBM, calf fetal DBM and calf fetal cartilage groups.     

Bacteriological and Molecular Detection of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi and Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus in Equines of Northern India

Present study was undertaken to study the prevalence of β-haemolytic streptococci in equine of northern temperate region of Jammu and Kashmir, India. One hundred and forty one samples were collected in duplicate from nasopharyngeal tract of diseased (53) and apparently healthy equine (88) for isolation and direct PCR. A total of 77 isolates of streptococci were recovered from 141 samples with an overall prevalence rate of 54.60%. Out of these 77 isolates, 52 were from diseased and 25 from apparently healthy animals. Of the 77 isolates, 4 were identified as Streptococcus equi subsp. equi, 56 as S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus and 17 as S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis. Thus the overall prevalence of S. equi subsp. equi, S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus and S. dysgalactiae subsp. equisimilis was 2.83, 39.71 and 12.05% respectively. The sensitivity of the PCR for the detection of S. equi species was found higher when attempted from direct swab samples.     

A comparative study on behavioral,physiological, and adrenal changes in buffaloes during the first stage of labor with normal and difficult parturition

The present study was primarily carried out to trace the behavioral, physiological, and adrenal changes during the first stage of labor in cases of dystocia, either in parturient buffalo heifers or cows, and their clinical significance. Of the 118 investigated buffalo herds, 40 cows (dystocia = 20 and eutocia = 20) and 40 heifers (dystocia = 20 and eutocia = 20) were used in this study. Cows approaching actual birth were transferred to a calving box with straw bedding. Behavior of the studied animals was recorded from the time that the animal was moved to the calving box until the emergence of the fetal limbs in the vulval lips. If no progress in parturition was observed within two hours after the rupture of fetal sacs (end of the first stage), these cases were considered as suffering dystocia. As the fetal limbs emerged from the birth canal, animals were examined clinically to determine their average pulse and respiratory rates as well as body temperature. Blood samples were collected to determine the cow/heifers cortisol level. Results of the present study indicated that dystocia was accompanied by disturbed physiological status and cortisol levels. Practical monitoring system of parturient animals, through observing behavioral, physiological, and adrenal aspects during calving, should be regarded to expect dystocia and provide help for the animal in the appropriate time.     

Comparative field performance of some agricultural crops under a canopy of Populus deltoides and Ulmus wallichiana

The performance of maize, beans and sunflower was evalu-ated under a canopy of Populus deltoides and Ulmus wallichiana at Fac-ulty of Agriculture, Wadura. The germination, growth and yield of the three...     

Incidence of dieback disease following fungal inoculations of sexually and asexually propagated shisham (Dalbergia sissoo)

Shisham (Dalbergia sissoo) is an important multipurpose tree with great economic importance, but this tree has been devastated by dieback disease. Seedlings and asexually propagated (cuttings) plants were artificially inoculated with four fungi (Fusarium solani, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Curvularia lunata and Ganoderma lucidum) to evaluate the potential role of these fungi in shisham dieback disease. Results at 2 years revealed that highest disease was caused by inoculation of F. solani (31.39%), followed by B. theobromae (19.042%) and C. lunata (12.22%), but no dieback disease was caused by G. lucidum. During both years, seedlings exhibited greater susceptibility to disease (17.24%) compared to cuttings (7.83%). In particular, F. solani caused more disease in seedlings (46.18%) compared to cuttings (16.61%). With the F. solani inoculations, maximum disease rate was observed at 8 weeks post‐inoculation both in seedlings (77%) and in cuttings (31%), but the maximum disease increase was observed at 4–5 weeks post‐inoculation. Analysis of variance showed significant differences among the different fungi and also between seedlings and cuttings. F. solani can be considered as a major fungal pathogen contributing to dieback disease of shisham, and asexual propagation can reduce the severity of dieback.