Did Rev-1 small ruminants vaccination helped improve cattle brucellosis prevalence status in Algeria?

Tropical Animal Health and Production - In 2006, the Algerian authorities started the Rev-1 vaccination of sheep and goats; consequently, there was a significant improvement of small ruminant...     

Effect of lowered N,P, K or FE levels on the growth of regenerable maize and soybean callus cultures

Regenerable callus cultures of Zea mays L. (maize) and organogenic callus cultures of Giycine max (L.) Merr. (soybean) were grown on media with decreased levels of N, P, K or Fe for three successive transfers on the same concentration. The soybean callus was generally more sensitive than maize to decreased levels of the elements. After three transfers soybean callus growth was completely inhibited with 1/3 of the normal Fe level and was reduced to 6 to 19% of the control growth with 1/30 of the normal medium levels of N, P or K. The maize callus growth was most sensitive to decreases in N with complete growth inhibition with 1/30 of the normal N concentration. When the P, K or Fe concentrations were 1/30 of normal, the maize callus growth was from 18 to 36% of the control. In most cases the growth decreased progressively from the first to the third transfer on the deficient media.

These studies define the N, P, K and Fe concentrations which can be used for screening the maize and soybean callus systems for genotypic differences and for mutants which might show more efficient element usage or uptake. The studies also show that the levels of these elements in the normal culture media cannot be lowered to one‐third the normal level and still maintain optimal growth.     

Downregulation of male-specific cytochrome P450 by profenofos

The health hazards of individual organophosphorus insecticides have been characterized by their acute toxicity, mainly by investigating their cholinesterase inhibition. However, the chronic effects of most of these toxicants on the drug-metabolizing enzymes have not been investigated. Profenofos (O-4-bromo-2-chlorophenyl O-ethyl S-propyl phosphorothioate) is an organophosphorus pesticide widely used in cotton cultivation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of profenofos on male-specific cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in adult Wistar rats. We orally administered 17.8 mg/kg body weight, twice weekly for 65 days. Profenofos downregulated levels of hepatic and testicular CYP2C11 and CYP3A2 mRNA and protein expression. Testicular aromatase (CYP19A) mRNA was decreased in the profenofos-treated rats compared to controls. Overall, the present study suggests that profenofos acts as an endocrine disruptor of male-specific CYP enzymes and affects testosterone concentration, which implicates its deleterious effects on animal or human males chronically exposed to organophosphorus pesticide.     

Utilization of blue panic (Panicum antidotale) as an alternative feed resource for feeding Barky sheep in arid regions

Tropical Animal Health and Production - This study aimed at elucidating effects of replacing sorghum with blue panic (BP) on total dry matter intake (TDMI), average daily gain (ADG), feed...     

Comparative therapeutic effect of toltrazuril, sulphadimidine and amprolium on Eimeria bovis and Eimeria zuernii given at different times following infection in buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis)

We compared the therapeutic effect of three anticoccidial drugs (toltrazuril, sulphadimidine and amprolium) in buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) calves experimentally infected with Eimeria bovis (E. bovis) and E. zuernii oocysts (3 x 104oocyst/calf). Buffalo calves (1.5-4 month old, 70-kg body weight) were randomly allocated into 3 groups (9 calves each). Group T was experimentally infected with oocysts and treated with toltrazuril (20 mg/kg BW twice orally at a 1-week interval). Group S was experimentally infected with oocysts and treated with sulphadimidine (125 mg/kg injected IM followed by half dose for 4 successive days). Group A was experimentally infected with oocysts and treated with amprolium (50 mg/kg orally for 7 successive days). Each group had three subgroups (three calves/subgroup) to represent timing of the drug administration: 1st day of coccidia infection (FD), onset of clinical signs of coccidiosis (CC), and onset of oocyst shedding into the faeces (OS). Clinical signs, body-weight gain (BWG) and number of oocysts per gram feces (OPG) were monitored daily for 35 days post-infection (DPI). The OPG were reduced (but the BWG was not different) in the T calves compared to S and A calves. Within the same group, treatment from the 1st day of infection reduced the OPG and increased the BWG compared to the later treatment timings.     

Use of plastic formulations of chlorpyrifos and sumithion as mosquito larvicides and their delayed effects on the basal follicle numbers developed by female survivors

Tests were conducted to evaluate the larvicidal effectiveness of three controlled-release plastic formulations of both chlorpyrifos and sumithion against mosquito larvae ofCulex pipiens. Excellent control with 90–100% larval mortality was achieved for 85, 77, 73, and 64, 54, 48 days posttreatment by using the non-expanded, expanded and foamed formulations of chlorpyrifos and sumithion, respectively. Apart from lethal action, larval treatments with the above formulations led to an increase in the mean number of basal follicles developed by mosquito females which survived from these treatments. The increase in this mean per female was in respect 23.4, 30.0, 18.7% in case of chlorpyrifos formulations, and 21.8, 17.2, 26.8% in case of sumithion formulations.     

Effects of feeding regimen of dietary Aspergillus oryzae on the growth performance,intestinal morphometry and blood profile of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The current study was conducted to evaluate the feeding regimen of Aspergillus oryzae (ASP) on the growth, intestinal histomorphology and blood profile of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Four different ASP‐feeding regimens were evaluated, including feeding the basal diet continuously (control), feeding ASP (1 g/kg) continuously (ASPC), feeding ASP for 1 day and the next day without (ASPF1) or feeding ASP for 1 day and the two next days without (ASPF2). After 60 days, the final weight, weight gain, SGR, feed intake, protein efficiency, protein gain, body protein content, haematocrit, haemoglobin, and RBC and WBC values were increased significantly (p < 0.05) with lower glutamic‐pyruvate transaminase in ASPC group compared to the control without no difference (p > 0.05) with ASPF1‐feeding regimen. Interestingly, glutamyl oxaloacetic transaminase was significantly reduced in all feeding regimens compared to the control (p < 0.05). Protease, lipase and villi length were significantly (p < 0.05) improved in all feeding regimens compared to the control, while amylase activity increased only in ASPC group. Thus, the obtained results indicated that all ASP‐feeding regimens resulted in quite similar outcomes with respect to growth, digestive enzyme activity and intestinal histomorphology.     

Development of resistance and cross-resistance in fenvalerate and deltamethrin selected strains of Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.)

Resistances of 33- and 27-fold to the pyrethroids fenvalerate and deltamethrin, respectively, have been induced in larvae of the Egyptian cotton leafworm Spodoptera littoralis (Boisd.) by selection of two subcolonies of a field population in the laboratory. Selected strains showed relatively high levels of resistance (11- to 36-fold) to all the tested pyrethroids, moderate levels of cross-resistance (3- to 13-fold) to DDT and the carbamate aminocarb, and a slight increase in tolerance levels to endrin and lindane. The pyrethroid-resistant strains, by contrast, manifested no cross-resistance to the organophosphorus compounds that were tested. Moreover, a negative crossresistance was observed in the pyrethroid-resistant strains to dicrotophos, methamidophos and the carbamate methomyl.     

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for wheat powders: measurement of surface chemical composition

The functional properties of wheat powders depend largely on the surface characteristics of their particles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been considered to investigate the surface composition of wheat powders. The objective of the present study is to evaluate the ability of XPS to discriminate wheat components and to calculate the surface composition of wheat powders. First, XPS surveys for the main wheat isolated components (starch, proteins, arabinoxylans, and lipids) were determined. XPS results demonstrate that it is able to distinguish wheat proteins, polysaccharides, and lipids, but it is not able to distinguish starch and arabinoxylan because of their similarity in chemical structure. The XPS analyses of simple reconstituted wheat flours based on two components (starch and protein) or three components (by adding arabinoxylan) demonstrated the ability of XPS to measure the surface composition of the wheat flours. The surface composition of native wheat flour demonstrated an overrepresentation of protein (54%) and lipids (44%) and an underrepresentation of starch (2%) compared to the bulk composition. Results are discussed with regard to difficulties in discriminating arabinoxylans and starch components.