Effect of human interferon on vesicular stomatitis virus released from bovine embryonic kidney cells

Human lymphoblastoid interferon (IFN) had an antiviral activity in bovine embryonic kidney cells that resulted in the release of vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) particles with decreased infectivity. The inhibition was dose dependent and the cells were highly sensitive to human IFN. Examination of the proteins of VSV released from bovine cells after IFN treatment showed a reduction in the glycoprotein. Electron microscopic studies revealed a large number of VSV particles with characteristic spike-like surface projections released from nontreated cells. There was a reduction in the number of mature virions produced in IFN-treated cells and the virions lacked the characteristic surface projections.     

Experimental studies on Marek's disease in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

Day-old quails experimentally infected with Marek's disease (MD) virus of quail origin developed lymphoid tumors. The severity of the disease increased considerably with serial passage. Tumor transplants could be made with cells derived from gross tumors in skeletal muscles, spleen cells, and blood from MD-affected quails. After five to six serial transplants, the tumor could not be transplanted further. Marek's disease tumor-associated surface antigen (MATSA) was demonstrated in lymphoid cells of spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes of MD-affected quails. The MATSA of quail differed from the MATSA of chicken. Chickens were susceptible to MD virus isolated and propagated in quails.     

Characterization of smallholder pig production system: productive and reproductive performances of local and crossbred pigs in Sikkim Himalayan region

The present study was conducted to know the smallholder pig production system in tribal areas of Sikkim State, India. Two hundred tribal farmers were selected randomly from the North and East District of the state. Information on socio-economic characteristics of farmers (gender, occupation, educational status, and farming experience), management practices, disease prevalence, and economics in pig production was collected. The study recorded the mean land holding as 1.2?±?0.8 ha, and the number of pigs per farm was 5.0?±?0.28. Pigs were mainly kept as a source of income, and 70 % of farmers reared crossbreed pigs. Ninety percent (90 %) of respondents practiced the intensive system of management whereby kitchen wastes along with cooked mixture comprising maize bhusa, mustard oil cake, pseudostem of banana, tuber, stem, and plant leaves were used to feed their animals. About 40.5 % of farmers procured their breeding stock from government farms that had good records and utilized veterinary services like timely vaccination and deworming. The diseases prevalent in the study area were swine fever, diarrhea, helminthoses, sarcoptic mange, pneumonia, etc. The litter sizes at birth (local, 4.3?±?0.45; crossbreed, 7.2?±?0.33), at weaning (local, 2.79?±?0.24; crossbreed, 6.1?±?0.21), and age at first farrowing (local, 365.39?±?7.96 days; crossbreed, 337.24?±?8.79 days) were recorded. Production costs of meat extracted from local and crossbred pigs were 1.08 $/kg and 0.86 $/kg, respectively.     

Phenotypic and genetic parameters for body traits in the giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) in India

Phenotypic and genetic parameters were estimated for three body traits (harvest weight, carapace length and standard length) and for adult male morphotypes of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii in a fully pedigreed synthetic population in India. The data set included 9,173 progeny produced over four generations from 162 sires and 234 dams. Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated fitting an animal model using the residual maximum‐likelihood methodology. The heritabilities for harvest body weight (HW), carapace length (CL) and standard length (SL) were moderate (0.22 ± 0.056, 0.22 ± 0.055 and 0.25 ± 0.059 respectively). The common environmental effects for HW, CL and SL were 0.10 ± 0.020, 0.08 ± 0.018 and 0.10 ± 0.021 respectively. As M. rosenbergii is sexually dimorphic, we estimated heritabilities within each sex. Heritability of HW in females (0.27 ± 0.068) was greater than that in males (0.15 ± 0.057). CL and SL followed the same pattern. The occurrence of male morphotypes is a unique characteristic of adult populations of M. rosenbergii. Populations from culture ponds exhibit a wide range of sizes. To examine whether there was a heritable component in male morphotype frequencies, we treated male morphotypes as traits. The additive genetic variance (and hence the heritability) was zero for male morphotype, indicating that selective breeding to increase the proportion of desirable male morphotypes would not be effective. The genetic correlations among body traits were all positive, high and approaching unity. The results are discussed in relation to selection plans for the giant freshwater prawn.     

Effect of cattle-specific estrus molecules on libido and semen production of zebu bulls under tropical climate

Zebu bulls are a shy breeder and they exhibit optimum libido in the presence of females with estrus phase. Continuous semen collection with the use of male dummy leads to lack of adequate sexual stimulation. Therefore, the present study was designed to test the effect of estrus-specific molecule(s) for effective sexual preparation of donor bulls. The bulls were divided into normal and poor libido group, five bulls in each group by taking 1-month control study data after collecting the information of individual bull’s sexual behaviour during semen collection by regular semen collector. The bulls were never being exposed to female animals and semen was collected by an artificial vagina. The ten animals were exposed to a glycerol-water solution (50/50 v:v) as control and then exposed to estrus-specific molecules one by one. The estrus-specific molecules like squalene, 1-iodoundecane, acetic acid, coumarin, propionic acid, oleic acid, and 2-butanone were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Company, USA, and the molecules were solubilised individually in a non-pressurised aerosol dispenser as 1.0% concentration in glycerol-water solution (50/50, v:v). Identical bulls were used as the control and exposed to each molecule one by one by giving a refractory period of 14 days. A nasal spray of acetic acid or 2-butanone significantly (p < 0.05) reduced reaction time (RT) and total time taken to ejaculate (TTTE) in normal libido bull group. Semen volume, sperm concentration, and the total number of sperm per ejaculation obtained did not show significant improvement in the normal libido group of bulls after the application of estrus-specific molecules as compared to the control. In poor libido group, acetic acid, oleic acid, and 2-butanone application showed significant (p < 0.01) improvement in RT and TTTE as compared to the control group, whereas semen production variables like sperm concentration and total sperm output per ejaculation increased significantly (p < 0.05) except semen volume. There was significant (p < 0.01) reduction in RT (%) and TTTE (%) after the application of acetic acid followed by 2-butanone and oleic acid. The sperm concentration and total sperm output per ejaculation were more after the application of each molecule but significant increase (p < 0.05) in sperm concentration was observed with 2-butanone (11.42%), acetic acid (11.42%), and oleic acid (10.13%), whereas total sperm output per ejaculation increased significantly (p < 0.05) only after the application of acetic acid and 2-butanone (24.75% and 26.84%). Hence, it can be concluded that acetic acid, 2-butanone, and oleic acid are effective for better sexual preparation of Sahiwal bulls and total sperm output per ejaculation.