Comparison of ozone,hydrogen peroxide and removal of infected eggs for prevention of fungal infection in sturgeon hatchery

ABSTRACT:   The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of ozone, hydrogen peroxide and removal of infected eggs (five times per day) on prevention of fungal infection on Iranian sturgeon Acipenser persicus . The effects of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.15 p.p.m. of ozone, and 500 and 1000 p.p.m. of hydrogen peroxide in two different egg disinfection procedures (with and without removal of infected eggs) were examined on hatching ratio. Egg disinfection by 1000 p.p.m. hydrogen peroxide (with removal of infected eggs) resulted in the greatest hatching ratio (78%) among all treatments. Among ozone treatments, 0.15 p.p.m. (with removal of infected eggs) showed the highest hatching ratio (76.4%). The hatching ratio of the control group (without disinfectant and removal of infected eggs) was 34.4%. Removal of infected eggs increased the hatching ratio by 16.1% compared to treatments without infected egg removal, and there was a significant difference ( P  < 0.01). Ozone is preferred to hydrogen peroxide because a lower concentration of ozone is required to disinfect the culture medium; consequently, environmental pollution will be decreased. A low correlation ( r  = −0.35) was observed between hatchery water temperature and fungal infection percentage in the control.     

Association of increased rate of condemnation of broiler carcasses due to hepatic abnormalities with immunosuppressive diseases in the broiler chicken industry in Saskatchewan

The objective of this study was to identify the causative agents of hepatitis observed in broiler chickens at processing. Livers of chickens from 16 broiler farms in Saskatchewan with gross lesions of hepatitis were collected at processing. In addition to routine bacterial isolation and histopathological examination, serologic studies for infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) and Chicken anaemia virus (CAV), calculation of the ratio of the weight of the bursa of Fabricius (BF) to body weight (BBW), and histopathological examination of the BF were done. Of the 264 livers with gross lesions, 83% had multifocal to coalescing necrotizing hepatitis, 16% had perihepatitis, and 1% had hemorrhages. No definitive causative microorganisms were isolated from the hepatic lesions; however, no significant bacterial isolations were made. Bursal atrophy, low BBW ratio, and high titer of antibody against IBDV each correlated with the rate of total condemnations (P = 0.0188, P = 0.0001, and P = 0.0073, respectively). Nucleotide sequencing of IBDV isolated from the BF identified the variant strains Delaware-E and 586. Condemnation because of hepatic lesions was correlated with titer of antibody against IBDV and BBW (P = 0.016 and P = 0.027). The results of this study demonstrate that hepatic lesions in Saskatchewan chickens are not currently caused by a primary bacterial pathogen but are associated with indicators of immunosuppression that is likely due to variant IBDV.     

The role of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems on serotonin- induced feeding behavior in chicken

It has been reported that serotonin can modulate glutamate and GABA release in central nervous system (CNS). The present study was designed to examine the role of glutamatergic and GABAergic systems on serotonin- induced feeding behavior in chickens. In Experiment 1 intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of MK- 801(NMDA receptor antagonist, 15 nmol) performed followed by serotonin (10 μg). In experiments 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 prior to serotonin injection, chickens received CNQX (AMPA/kainate receptor antagonist, 390 nmol), AIDA (mGluR1 antagonist, 2 nmol), LY341495 (mGluR2 antagonist, 150 nmol), UBP1112 (mGluR3 antagonist, 2 nmol), picrotoxin (GABA A receptor antagonist, 0.5 μg), CGP54626 (GABAB receptor antagonist, 20 ng) respectively. Cumulative food intake was determined at 3 h post injection. The results of this study showed that the hypophagic effect of serotonin was significantly attenuated by pretreatment with MK- 801 and CNQX (p?<?0.05) but AIDA, LY341495 and UBP1112 had no effect (p?>?0.05). Also, the inhibitory effect of serotonin on food intake was amplified by picrotoxin (p?<?0.05) while CGP54626 had no effect (p?>?0.05). These results suggest that serotonin as a modulator probably interacts with glutamatergic (via NMDA and AMPA/Kainate receptors) and GABAergic (via GABAA receptor) systems on feeding behavior in chicken.     

The effect of three tropical medicinal plants and superzist probiotic on growth performance,carcass characteristics,blood constitutes,immune response,and gut microflora of broiler

The pivotal aim of the present context was to determine the effect of probiotic (superzist) and medicinal plants (R. coriaria, H. persicum, and M. piperita) powder on growth performance, carcass characteristics, blood parameters, immunity response, and microflora counts of broilers over a 42-day feeding period. One hundred and fifty one-day-old chickens were randomly allocated to the following five treatments: (1) Control diets; (2) control diets?+?0.03% w/v superzist; (3) control diets?+?0.5% w/v R. coriaria; (4) control diets?+?0.5% w/v H. persicum; and (5) control diets?+?0.5% w/v M. piperita. No significant differences among treatments on broiler performance during 29th to 35th days of age, whereas a gradual reduction (P?<?0.05) in the feed efficiency and economic index values between 36th to 42nd days of age, across the treatments versus control diet. Supplementations were increased (P?<?0.05), the colon weight, colon length, and right cecum weight versus control. However, the superzist and phytogenic supplementation slightly increased the jejunum length, ileum length, and left cecum length. The supplementation showed reduced heterophils, increased lymphocytes and monocytes percentage, and decreased heterophils/lymphocytes ratio. Additions of superzist and medicinal plants reduced (P?<?0.05) the total counts of E. coli and improved (P?<?0.05) the cecal lactobacilli. In conclusion, under the appropriate conditions of this investigation, the superzist and tested medicinal plants could undoubtedly be ideal alternatives to the use of existing antibiotics as growth promoters in poultry industry.

     

Paratuberculosis in Holstein-Friesian cattle farms in Central Iran

Paratuberculosis is an important disease of ruminants with a worldwide distribution. In developing countries where funding constraints challenge establishment of control schemes, large losses are incurred on cattle farmers due to paratuberculosis. In this study, faecal specimens from Holstein-Friesian cows with progressed and moderate clinical paratuberculosis (N = 223) from 13 dairy farms in Isfahan, Central Iran, were subjected to bacterial culture. Culture growth diagnostic for M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis was found in cattle from nine of the 13 farms and in 71 of the cattle studied. These results illustrate the emergence of PTb in this region, and they imply that PTb should be given a higher priority for veterinary measures.