Prevalence of antimicrobial residues in raw table eggs from farms and retail outlets in Enugu State,Nigeria

The use of antimicrobial agents in poultry production results in their accumulation in the body tissues and products such as milk and egg. The subsequent accumulation of these drugs and their metabolites in body cells is known as drug residue. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of antimicrobial residues in eggs from poultry farms and retail outlets in Enugu State, Nigeria. Eggs from 25 selected commercial farms and ten retail outlets were screened for the prevalence of antimicrobial residue. Also, structured questionnaires were administered to 25 commercial farms in the state to determine the management practices and the most widely used antimicrobial drugs in farms and possible association between the management practices and the occurrence of antimicrobial residues in eggs from these farms. All the 25 farms surveyed use oxytetracycline. Eggs from nine of the surveyed farms tested positive for antimicrobial residue and three of the ten surveyed farms also tested positive for antimicrobial residue. No association was observed (p 0.05; Fisher’s exact test) between the occurrence of antibiotic residues in eggs and farm size, feed source and housing systems. This study was able to demonstrate the presence of antimicrobial residues in eggs destined for human consumption. Drugs like nitrofurans which has been banned for use in food animals are still very much in use in Enugu State, Nigeria. Antibiotics given as feed additives may give rise to drug residues in food animals.     

Food sources,digestive efficiency and resource allocation in the sea cucumber Holothuria forskali (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea): Insights from pigments and fatty acids

Various research projects in Europe and North Africa have recently intended to breed temperate holothurians to alleviate fishing pressure on natural populations. However, to date little is known about the nutritional requirements of East Atlantic and Mediterranean species. In this study, we propose a “natural population”‐oriented approach to characterize food sources, digestive efficiency and resources allocation based on the composition of pigments and fatty acids (FA) in gut contents and tissues (muscles, gonads and digestive tract walls) of wild individuals of the species Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali (Delle Chiaje, 1823) sampled in Brittany (France). Our study reveals that neither green nor red algae enter the diet of H. forskali in spring and that the only fresh vegetal material found in gut contents is brown algae (very likely diatoms). The high nutritional quality of gut contents however contrasts with the detrital nature of the ingested food sources, suggesting that a trophic upgrading of organic matter occurs before digestion. In addition, unusual FA (i.e. only present in a few groups of living species) such as long‐chain monounsaturated FA (especially the FA 23:1ω9) were found in large proportions in muscles and gonad and their effect on sea cucumber fitness needs further investigation.     

Effects of some nonionic polyoxyethylene surfactants on uptake of ethirimol and diclobutrazol from suspension formulations applied to wheat leaves

The influence of a number of commercial nonionic polyoxyethylene surfactants on the foliar penetration and movement of two systemic fungicides, ethirimol and diclobutrazol, was studied in outdoor-grown wheat plants at different growth stages and post-treatment temperatures in two consecutive growing seasons. Both fungicides were applied as ca 0·2 μl droplets of aqueous suspension formulations containing 0·5 g litre^?1 of ¹⁴C-labelled active ingredient; surfactants were added to these suspensions at concentrations ranging from 0·2-10 g litre^?1. To achieve optimum uptake of each fungicide the use of surfactants with different physicochemical properties was required. For diclobutrazol, a lipophilic compound, uptake of radiolabel was best with surfactants of low mean molar ethylene oxide (E) content (5-6) but it was necessary to use concentrations of ca 5 g litre^?1 to attain this. The surfactant threshold concentration for uptake enhancement of radiolabel from ethirimol formulations (< 2 g litre^?1) was much lower than that for diclobutrazol but surfactants with E contents > 10 induced the greatest amount of uptake. For both fungicides, surfactants with an aliphatic alcohol hydrophobe were generally more efficient in promoting their uptake than those with a nonylphenol moiety. The sorbitan-based surfactant ‘Tween 20’ proved to be an effective adjuvant only for the ethirimol formulation; the uptake enhancing properties of the block copolymer ‘Synperonic PE/F68’ were weak. Uptake performance could not be related to the spreading properties of the respective formulations on the wheat leaf surface or to differences in solubilisation of the two fungicides by the surfactants. Although surfactants could substantially increase the amount of acropetal transport of radiolabel from both fungicides, none of those tested specifically promoted it; a constant proportion of the radioactive dose absorbed by a treated leaf was usually exported away from the site of application. The results are discussed in the light of current theories about the mode of action of surfactants as spray adjuvants.     

Cobalt reduces nitrate inhibition of nodulation in mungbean (Vigna radiata)

 A cobalt-mediated decrease in ethylene production reduced the inhibition of nodulation by nitrate in Vigna radiata (mungbean). Nitrate increased the ethylene production in 5-day-old seedlings, while it caused a reduction in the nodulation status (nodule number and nodule weight) and nodule efficiency (acetylene reduction activity) in mungbean plants. The application of cobalt chloride inhibited nitrate-affected ethylene production and also decreased the inhibitory effect of nitrate on nodulation. The effect of cobalt was most marked on nodule number. Received: 6 August 1999     

A putative RNA silencing component protein FoQde-2 is involved in virulence of the tomato wilt fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">lycopersici</Emphasis>

RNA silencing pathways in filamentous fungi are composed of multiple component proteins and known to be involved in vegetative growth, virulence or sexual reproduction. We found that the tomato wilt fungus, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol), carries four homologues genes of Qde-2, an argonaute protein gene and one of the main component protein genes in Neurospora crassa. Gene targeting revealed that FoQde-2, one of the Qde-2 homologues in Fol, is involved in virulence to tomato but not in vegetative growth.     

Protein requirements of collared peccary (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pecari tajacu</Emphasis>)

A nitrogen (N) balance digestion trial was conducted to determine the protein requirement of collared peccaries (Pecari tajacu). In a 4 × 4 Latin square design, four captive adult male peccaries were fed four isoenergy diets containing four different levels of N (11.7, 16.3, 22.8, and 26.7 g N/kg of dry matter—DM). After 15 days of adaptation, a total collection of feces and urine was carried out for five consecutive days. Regression analyses between N intake and N in feces and urine allowed to calculate the metabolic fecal nitrogen (MFN = 2.3 g N/kg of dry matter intake—DMI) and daily endogenous urinary N (EUN = 185 mg N/kg^0.75). Likewise, by regression analyses between consumption of nitrogen and the nitrogen balance (NB = N ingested ? N excreted, mg N/kg^0.75), a daily requirement of 514 mg N/kg^0.75 was calculated. Therefore, if food intake is unrestricted, collared peccaries require a minimum in their diet of about 5.4% crude protein on DM basis. These values are almost as low as those found for browsing and frugivorous wild ruminants, which reinforce the proposition that peccaries’ digestive physiology is nearer to that of domestic and wild ruminants than domestic pigs. This relatively low protein requirement of collared peccary and its great ability to digest protein reveal the relevance of the forestomach for the species on nitrogen/protein metabolism and allow the use of diets with lower crude protein levels than the commercial ones used for the domestic pig, which reduces feed costs.     

Seasonal habitat requirements of Lemon Dove (Aplopelia larvata) in coastal forest: camera-trap surveys of a reclusive species

The modification of natural habitats requires behavioural plasticity, which may be challenging for ‘specialist’ species. Quantifying habitat requirements and behavioural responses of specialists to landscape transformation is thus a priority for baseline data to inform conservation practices. Using camera-trap surveys of the forest-dependent Lemon Dove Aplopelia larvata in conjunction with detailed microhabitat-scale covariates, we assessed habitat use during two periods in the year: autumn–winter and spring–summer (which largely encompassed peak breeding). We used occupancy modelling of forest-structural covariates to produce models of the probability of occupancy and detection of Lemon Doves in patches of the Indian Ocean Coastal Belt Forest of South Africa. The average occupancy and detection probability as indicated by the top-performing models was 0.39 ± 0.08 and 0.26 ± 0.05, respectively, during autumn–winter, and 0.37 ± 0.08 and 0.25 ± 0.04, respectively, during spring–summer. Although occupancy and probability of detection remained relatively constant between seasons, there was seasonal variation in the influence of individual covariates for both measures. The overall trend of positive influences on Lemon Dove occupancy was that of complex and diverse habitat structures and high plant species richness. The specific covariates that influenced occupancy positively during spring–summer may reflect the ecological requirements for nestling provisioning for both dietary needs and an avoidance of potential disturbance. Thus, while Lemon Doves may be less habitat-specific during autumn–winter, conservation management plans for safeguarding the breeding success of the species are advised to ensure adequate protection of large forest patches with complex and diverse interior structures and minimal disturbance.     

Review and analysis of the potential for glyphosate to interact with the estrogen,androgen and thyroid pathways

Glyphosate was recently evaluated for its potential to interact with the estrogen, androgen and thyroid (EAT) hormone pathways, including steroidogenesis, under the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP), then by Germany, the rapporteur Member State who led the European Annex 1 renewal for glyphosate, and then by the European Food Protection Agency (EFSA) also as part of the Annex 1 renewal for glyphosate. Under the EDSP, 11 Tier 1 assays were run following the USEPA's validated 890‐series test guidelines and included five in vitro and six in vivo assays to evaluate the EAT pathways. Steroidogenesis was evaluated as part of the estrogen and androgen pathways. An up‐to‐date critical review has been conducted that considered results from the EDSP Tier 1 battery, guideline regulatory studies and an in‐depth analysis of the literature studies that informed an endocrine assessment. A strength of this evaluation was that it included data across multiple levels of biological organization, and mammalian and nonmammalian test systems. There was strong agreement across the in vitro and in vivo Tier 1 battery, guideline studies and relevant literature studies, demonstrating that glyphosate does not interact with EAT pathways including steroidogenesis. Based on an analysis of the comprehensive toxicology database for glyphosate and the literature, this review has concluded that glyphosate does not have endocrine‐disrupting properties through estrogen, androgen, thyroid and steroidogenic modes of action. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry     

Retrospective study of cecocolic intussusception (cecal inversion) in nine horses (1982–1998)

We retrospectively evaluated the medical records and obtained follow-up information for nine horses which had been treated for cecocolic intussusception (CCI) between January 1982 and April 1998. During the 16-year study period, CCI was diagnosed in nine of 748 horses in which exploratory celiotomy was undertaken for abdominal pain, representing an incidence of 1.2%. Most affected horses (78%) were less than four years of age (median age was 12 months, age range was five months to 15 years). Cecocolic intussusception affected male horses (78%) more commonly than female horses. The most common clinical presentation was abdominal pain of a severe, acute nature or milder but recurrent signs of abdominal pain persisting in spite of conservative treatment for several days. Correction of CCI by either simple reduction or reduction followed by partial typhlectomy was successful if compromise of the intestine by devitalization and adhesion formation was not found at surgery. Definitive diagnosis of CCI necessitates exploratory celiotomy, although an ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen may confirm the diagnosis in some cases. When recognized early during the course of disease, surgical correction of CCI is associated with a favorable outcome; of the eight horses which underwent surgery in our series, five horses (63%) survived surgical correction of CCI. Handling of compromised gut during reduction of CCI necessitates extreme caution because the risk of intestinal tearing is quite high.