Acaricide resistance in Rhipicephalus microplus collected from selected districts of Madhya Pradesh,Uttar Pradesh and Punjab states of India

Tropical Animal Health and Production - The isolates of Rhipicephalus microplus collected from Madhya Pradesh (MP), Punjab (PJB) and Uttar Pradesh (UP) states of India were characterized using...     

Trace elemental characterization of some food crustacean tissue samples by EDXRF technique

The trace elemental analysis of two species of mud crab and three species of prawn samples from Chilika lagoon, Orissa, India has been carried out by using Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) technique available at Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar. Elements namely K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se, Br, Sr and Pb have been measured in the present investigation. The study indicates the effectiveness of the technique in analyzing biological materials like tissue samples and opens a door for easy analysis of seafood items with a easy, fast, sensitive, simultaneous multi-elemental technique with a simple sample preparation procedure without any chemical treatment. Though all the specimens were collected from the same environment of the lagoon the elemental variation might be due to the differential migration pattern and metabolism or other biological factors.     

Effect of dietary supplementation of oregano essential oils to sows on colostrum and milk composition, growth pattern and immune status of suckling pigs

This study evaluated the effects of supplementing sow diets with oregano essential oils (OEO) during gestation and lactation on sow colostrum and milk composition and on the growth pattern and immune status of suckling pigs. A total of 70 second-parity sows were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 gestation dietary treatments within 24 h after service: control (CON) or CON + 250 mg/kg of OEO (OREG). In lactation, sows were again assigned to either the CON or OREG dietary treatment. Thus, the lactation treatments were CON-CON, CON-OREG, OREG-CON, and OREG-OREG. Colostrum and blood samples were collected from 6 sows per lactation dietary treatment. Thymus lymphocyte (T lymphocyte) subpopulations (γδ, cluster of differentiation 8, and 32 cluster of differentiation 4) were enumerated in blood and mammary secretions along with IGF-1, IgG, and IgA concentrations. Piglet growth rate were determined from 18, 17, 17, and 18 litters from the CON-CON, CON-OREG, OREG-CON, and OREG-OREG lactation dietary treatments, respectively. Growth rates were determined in 630 piglets, and piglets were individually identified and weighed on 1, 5, 9, 12, 16, and 19 d of age. Oregano essential oil supplementation during gestation or lactation had no effect (P > 0.05) on GE, CP, GE:CP, GE:fat, and IGF-1 in sow milk. Reductions of the fat percentage in milk on d 7 (P < 0.05) and d 14 (P = 0.07) were found in sows supplemented with OEO during lactation compared with those in the CON treatment. Milk from sows supplemented with OEO during lactation had the greatest number of T lymphocytes compared with those in the lactation CON treatment on d 14 of lactation (P < 0.01). The number of T lymphocytes in milk was greater for sows in the CON-OREG treatment compared with those other treatments on d 14 of lactation (P < 0.05). Energy intake was greater on d 1 to 5 in piglets from sows fed OEO during gestation than those from sows in the CON treatment (P < 0.05). A trend (P = 0.10) for greater milk intake was observed in piglets from sows supplemented with OEO during gestation compared with those from sows in the CON treatment. Similarly, a tendency for an increase in ADG on d 1 to 5 was found in piglets from sows supplemented with OEO during gestation compared with those from sows in the CON treatment (P = 0.10). Insulin-like growth factor-1 at birth and on d 7 and 14 of lactation did not differ among piglets from sows assigned to the different dietary treatments. Oregano essential oil supplementation of sow diets did not affect (P > 0.05) immunoglobulin concentrations in piglets after suckling. Supplementing sow diets with OEO during gestation or lactation did not affect (P > 0.05) the T lymphocytes, percentage of T-lymphocyte subpopulations, and natural killer cell activity of piglets during lactation. Supplementing sow diets with 250 mg/kg of OEO during gestation and lactation did not affect the growth potential of and immune responses in suckling piglets.     

Microbial communities in rice rhizosphere altered by intermittent and continuous flooding in fields with long-term arsenic application

Rice cultivated on arsenic (As)-contaminated soils can, under some conditions, accumulate high concentrations of As in grain, mostly as a result of the continuous flooding practices commonly used for rice cultivation. Intermittent flooding, as opposed to continuous flooding, might reduce soluble As concentrations in the rice rhizosphere, but it might also alter soil microbial populations that may impact As chemistry. A field-scale study was conducted to analyze As concentrations and microbial populations in the rice rhizosphere, in response to intermittent and continuous flooding in plots that were historically amended with “As-containing” pesticide and unamended soil. Rhizosphere, pore-water and grain As concentrations were quantified, and microbial populations in the rhizosphere were characterized using community quantitative-PCR and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Pore-water As concentrations decreased by 41-81% and grain As by 31-48% in the intermittently flooded plots relative to the continuously flooded plots. The relative abundance of bacteria increased over the course of the growing season, while archaeal and fungal gene abundances decreased. Bacterial community structure and composition were significantly different between As amended and unamended plots, as well as between the flooding treatments. Proteobacteria was the predominant phylum detected in most treatments with relative abundance of 24-29%. The relative abundance of iron-reducing bacteria was higher with the continuous flood compared to the intermittent-flood treatment, implying greater relative iron reduction and possibly As release from the iron oxides under the continuously flooded conditions. These differences in rhizosphere-microbial communities may have contributed to the lower pore-water arsenic concentrations in the intermittently flooded conditions.     

Microsatellite marker based analysis of genetic diversity in short day tropical Indian onion and cross amplification in related <Emphasis Type="Italic">Allium</Emphasis> spp.

This paper deals with the diversity assessment of tropical Indian onion and cross amplification of genomic and EST-SSR markers in distantly related native wild species. Out of 60 SSRs, 10% genomic SSRs were able to amplify as compared to EST-SSR where 53.3% primers were able to reveal amplicons. Clustering revealed five groups and indigenous short day onion formed separate cluster from the exotic short day and long day onions. A. roylei accessions exhibited a dissimilarity index of 35.5% between themselves whereas ‘Pran’ and A. × proliferum grouped together at a genetic distance of 0.4. A. fistulosum accessions formed a tight cluster and distantly related wild species A. carolinianum, A. chinense and A. hookeri formed neutral nodes. Present results are important to aid in analyzing the diversity present in short day onion and its utilization in breeding programs. Further, this is the first time that three accessions of A. roylei Stearn were used and rare alleles amplified in wild species will aid in detecting population structure and molecular marker aided selection for interspecific hybrid development.     

Time in lairage needed by pigs to recover from the stress of transport.

Two experiments were carried out in which a total of 602 pigs were slaughtered after being held in lairage for periods ranging from less than one hour to 21 hours. In the first experiment the pigs were handled under ideal conditions and slaughtered at the University of Bristol slaughterhouse; in the second the pigs were killed at a commercial plant. Blood samples collected at exsanguination were analysed for indices of stress. There were no consistent effects of time in lairage on the levels of lactate and creatine phosphokinase. Plasma cortisol and beta-endorphin levels were reduced by lairage for three hours or more in the first experiment and cortisol was reduced by lairage for two hours or more in the second; beta-endorphin was not measured in the second experiment. A period of rest in lairage allowed the pigs to recover from transport and the associated handling and the recovery appeared to be complete within two to three hours.     

Use of selamectin for the treatment of psoroptic and sarcoptic mite infestation in rabbits

Selamectin, a novel avermectin compound, was evaluated for its efficacy against naturally occurring infestations of Psoroptes cuniculi and Sarcoptes scabiei. A total of 42 New Zealand rabbits with psoroptic mange and 37 Angora rabbits with sarcoptic mange were used in the present study. On day 0, infested rabbits were treated topically with either selamectin at minimum dose of 6 mg kg(-1) (6-18 mg kg(-1) for New Zealand rabbits, n = 31 and 10-12 mg kg(-1) for Angora rabbits, n = 23) or vehicle only (control groups, n = 11 for New Zealand rabbits, n = 14 for Angora rabbits). The efficacy of selamectin was assessed both clinically and parasitologically by the presence or absence of viable mites. Rabbits were scraped for sarcoptic mites on days 7, 14, 28, 42 and 56 and had otoscopeic and/or microscopic examination for the detection of Psoroptes mites on days 7, 14, 42 and 56. Fisher's exact test was used to assess differences between the vehicle and selamectin treatment in the number of rabbits without mites (cure rates) on each assessment date. It was found that significantly fewer selamectin-treated rabbits had mites detected on skin scrapings (for S. scabiei) or otoscopeic and/or microscopic examination (for P. cuniculi) (P < 0.01) than the vehicle group. Results of the present study suggest that selamectin is effective against naturally infestations of P. cuniculi and S. scabiei in rabbits.     

Response of rice genotypes to rice root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne graminicola) infection under varying temperature regimes

The rice root-knot nematode (RRKN), Meloidogyne graminicola, is one of the major pests of the rice–wheat cropping system. Resistance against M. graminicola in rice could be most valuable in alleviating this problem. The host response of 75 Oryza genotypes was examined at three day/night temperature regimes, 29/26°C, 34/31°C and 38/35°C, in Pluronic gel as well as in soil. Out of the 75 selected rice genotypes, only Zhenshan 97 B exhibited high resistance to this set of temperature regimes, with the least number of galls/root system. At 34/31°C, more second-stage juveniles (J2s) were hatched and J2 population densities in roots of the susceptible rice genotypes increased significantly compared with those of plants grown at the 29/26°C. In resistant genotypes, only a few J2s penetrated roots and developed into mature females. The histopathological studies revealed that in susceptible rice genotypes at high-temperature regimes, the multinucleate giant cells were well developed. The results presented in this study revealed that an increase in temperature had a significant effect on the resistance of rice genotypes and resistance appeared more pronounced in genotype Zhenshan 97 B. This resistant genotype can be used in marker-assisted selection to develop resistant elite cultivars.     

Anthocyanin transformation in Cabernet Sauvignon wine during aging

Anthocyanins in Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and wines were elucidated by HPLC-MS/MS. Major anthocyanins in Cabernet Sauvignon grape extract are malvidin 3-O-glucoside and malvidin 3-O-acetylglucoside. In matured wine, anthocyanins are transformed to anthocyanin-vinyl derivatives, ethyl bridged anthocyanin-flavanol adducts, and anthocyanin-flavanol adducts. The major anthocyanin pigments are malvidin 3-O-glucoside-pyruvate, malvidin 3-O-acetylglucoside-pyruvate, malvidin 3-O-coumaroylglucoside-pyruvate, malvidin 3-O-glucoside-4-vinylphenol, malvidin 3-O-acetylglucoside-4-vinylphenol, and malvidin 3-O-coumaroylglucoside-4-vinylphenol. The presence of syringetin 3-O-glucoside and syringetin 3-O-acetylglucoside has been established for the first time in grape and wine.