Resistance to a triple-combination anthelmintic in Trichostrongylus spp. on a commercial sheep farm in New Zealand

Abstract

AIM: To evaluate resistance to anthelmintics containing abamectin, levamisole, and oxfendazole (AB-LEV-OX), derquantal and abamectin (DEQ-AB), moxidectin, and monepantel in naturally acquired gastrointestinal nematodes present on a sheep farm.

METHODS: Faecal nematode egg count reduction tests (FECRT) were carried out on lambs that were approximately 7 months-old and infected with naturally acquired nematodes. Lambs were randomly allocated to one of five groups (n=15 per group): treatment with 2?mg/kg derquantel and 0.2?mg/kg abamectin; 0.2?mg/kg abamectin, 8?mg/kg levamisole HCl and 4.5?mg/kg oxfendazole; 2.5?mg/kg monepantel; 0.2?mg/kg moxidectin, or no treatment. Post-treatment samples were collected 12 days later. Abomasa and small intestines were collected from two slaughtered lambs from each of the DEQ-AB, AB-LEV-OX, moxidectin and control groups 15 days after treatment, for nematode counting.

RESULTS: The FECRT demonstrated that efficacy was 90.3 (95% CI=84.2–94.1)% for AB-LEV-OX, 54.5 (95% CI=28.4–71.1)% for moxidectin, 99.2 (95% CI=97.4–99.8)% for DEQ-AB and 100% for monepantel, across all genera. For Trichostrongylus spp. efficacy was 85.5% for AB-LEV-OX and 46.7% for moxidectin. Haemonchus spp. were fully susceptible to all treatments. Post-treatment nematode counts indicated that the resistant Trichostrongylus spp. were from the small intestine.

CONCLUSIONS: Anthelmintic resistance to both AB-LEV-OX and moxidectin was present in the Trichostrongylus genus on a commercial sheep farm. Monepantel and DEQ-AB were both effective against Trichostrongylus spp. based on FECRT results.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This finding of resistance to an AB-LEV-OX triple-combination anthelmintic in the Trichostrongylus genus in sheep in New Zealand further limits anthelmintic treatment options available, and calls into question whether this combination is suitable for use as a quarantine treatment.     

Effects of low temperature on sprout growth of several potato varieties

Summary Two experiments are reported which compared the effects of a period of low temperature (3 C). before placing to sprout at ambient temperature, with continuous storage at ambient temperature, on sprout growth in thirteen potato varieties. In four varieties. Désirée, Majestic, Pentland Meteor and Vanessa, the period of low temperature induced an earlier onset of sprout growth and increased total and individual sprout length per tuber. In the varieties Civa, Craig’s Alliance, Dunluce. Home Guard. Arran Comet and Ulster Sceptre, the period of cold did not hasten the onset of sprout growth but markedly increased the numbers of growing sprouts and total sprout length, although individual sprout length was reduced. In the remaining varieties the period of low temperature had no effects on onset of sprout growth or sprout lengths at the end of storage.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird über zwei Versuche berichtet, die den Einfluss einer Periode niedriger Temperatur (3 C) vor dem Beginn normaler Keimungsbedingungen mit fortw?hrender normaler Lagerung auf das Keimwachstum vergleichen. In vier Sorten, Désirée (mittelfrüh). Majestic (mittelfrüh). Pentland Meteor (früh) und Vanessa (früh), induzierte die Periode niedriger Temperatur einen früheren Beginn des Keimwachstums als fortw?hrende Lagerung unter normalen Bedingungen (Abb. 1). Bei diesen Sorten waren die Gesamtl?nge und die individuelle Keiml?nge am Ende der Keimung gesteigert (Tabellen 1 und 2). Bei Civa, Craig’s Alliance. Dunluce. Home Guard. Arran Comet und Ulster Sceptre (alles frühe Sorten) führte die K?lteperiode nicht zu einem früheren Keimungsbeginn, aber die Zahl der wachsenden Keime stieg an und dadurch die Gesamtkeiml?nge pro Knolle. In diesen Sorten wurde die L?nge des l?ngsten keims pro Knolle durch eine K?lteperiode verringert (Tabellen 1 und 2). Bei den übrigen Sorten hatte die K?lteperiode weder einen Einfluss auf den Keimungsbeginn noch auf die Keiml?ngen am Ende der Lagerung.

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Résumé Dans deux essais sont comparés les effets d’un entreposage à basse température (3 C) suivi d’une mise en germoir, d’une part, et les effets d’une conservation uniquement en germoir, d’autre part, sur la croissance des germes de 13 variétés de pomme de terre. Pour quatre variétés. Désirée, Majestic (demitardives). Pentland Meteor et Vanessa (hatives) le passage au froid induit un départ de germination plus précoce qu’un stockage continu dans les conditions ambiantes (fig. 1). Pour ces variétés, la longueur des germes, totale et individuelle, est augmentée en fin de germination (tableaux 1 et 2). Pour Civa, Craig’s Alliance, Dunluce, Home Guard, Arran Comet et Ulster Sceptre (variétés hatives) le passage au froid ne hate pas le départ de la germination mais augmente de fa?on marquée le nombre de germes et donc la longuer totale de germe par tubercule. Dans ces variétés, la longueur du plus long germe par tubercule est réduite par le passage à basse température (tableaux 1 et 2). Pour les variétés restantes, le froid n’a pas d’effet ni sur le départ de germination, ni sur la longueur des germes à la fin du stockage.

     

Effects of Growing Location and Irrigation on Attributes and Ethanol Yields of Selected Grain Sorghums

Nine sorghum cultivars (five inbred lines and four hybrids) were grown in 2006 in three locations (Mount Hope, KS, Halstead, KS, and Plainview, TX) under different irrigation conditions and were evaluated for composition and ethanol fermentation efficiency. The objective was to study, in one growing season, the effects of genotype, growing location, and irrigation on the physical and chemical properties and fermentation efficiencies of grain sorghum. Genotype had a significant effect on chemical composition, physical properties, and ethanol yield. The cultivars showed a large variation in starch (61.0–74.8%), protein (7.56–16.35%), crude fat (2.79–4.77%), crude fiber (0.58–2.57%), ash (1.25–2.26%), kernel weight (20.0–35.9 mg), kernel hardness (49.6–97.5), and kernel size (1.9–2.7 mm) and were the most important factors affecting ethanol fermentation efficiency (87.5–93.9%). Starch and protein contents were significantly affected by growing location but not by irrigation. Environment had a significant effect on ethanol yields. Unexpectedly, irrigation somewhat reduced fermentation efficiency.     

Inflorescence and seed production in festuca pratensis var. apennina (2n\t=28)

Summary Plants of tetraploid Festuca pratensis var. apennina (2n=28) collected from Switserland and Northern Italy produced few inflorescences when grown in the field and under glasshouse conditions. The effects of winter and spring treatments upon reproductive growth were investigated and it was concluded that exposure to low winter temperatures and the control of tiller density in the spring were two important factors controlling the production of inflorescences. A procedure for the production of seed is suggested which will allow breeders to obtain efficient multiplication of collected plant material.     

Interaction Between Sorghum Protein Extraction and Precipitation Conditions on Yield,Purity, and Composition of Purified Protein Fractions

Sorghum proteins have the potential to be used as a bio‐industrial renewable resource for applications such as biodegradable films and packaging. This project was designed to evaluate the effect of interactions between sorghum protein extraction and precipitation conditions on the yield, purity, and composition of sorghum protein fractions. Proteins were extracted with 70% ethanol under nonreducing conditions, with ultrasound, or under reducing conditions using either sodium metabisulfite or glutathione as the reducing agent. Several conditions were used to isolate the extracted proteins through precipitation, including lowering ethanol concentrations alone or in combination with lowering to pH 2.5, or by adding 1M NaCl to the extract. Combinations of these conditions were also tested. All precipitation conditions effectively precipitated proteins and lowering the pH and adding 1M NaCl to the extracts enhanced precipitation in some cases. However, the conditions that precipitated the maxium amount of protein or highest purity of protein varied according to how the proteins were initially extracted. Precipitated proteins were characterized by RP‐HPLC, SEC, HPCE, and SDS‐PAGE to compare the protein fractions composition. Nonreduced and sonicated samples had a much wider M_w distribution than reduced extracts. Thus, extraction and precipitation conditions influenced the isolated proteins yield, purity, and composition. Because the extraction and purification processes influenced the composition, purity, and biochemical properties, it may be possible to prepare protein fractions with unique functionalities for specific end‐uses.     

Allelic losses and gains during translocations of a high conservation value fish,Coregonus lavaretus

1. The use of translocations to establish new or ‘refuge’ populations for species with high conservation value is controversial but widely used in conservation management. One of the risks of this approach is that an establishing population does not adequately capture the genetic diversity of the donor gene pool. This effect, rarely examined, is tested here.
2. In this study the genetic consequences of two conservation translocations after five generations (16 years) of the European whitefish, Coregonus lavaretus, were quantified. Both translocations were made using almost the same genetic groups and thus represent a partly replicated natural study.
3. Analysis of 12 informative microsatellites showed that expected heterozygosity, the mean number of alleles per locus and allelic richness did not differ between donor and translocated populations. There was also no loss of heterozygosity in the translocated populations, nor deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium expectations, nor signs of linkage disequilibrium.
4. All populations were genetically differentiated but pairwise F_ST values were low, indicating that the magnitude of divergence was small.
5. There was no evidence of inbreeding but there were significant differences in private allelic richness between donor and translocated populations. Of 50 alleles found in the donor population, 16% of the rarer alleles were lost in one translocated population and 8% in the other.
6. Allele loss without a reduction in heterozygosity strongly points to stochastic drift effects having occurred following translocation. The evidence indicates that alleles that were not detected in the donor population have arisen de novo in the translocated populations.
7. It is concluded that conservation translocations comprising even a modest number of propagules can successfully capture a high proportion of genetic variation of the host population, and that reduced genetic variation in the translocated population may be mitigated by the emergence of new variation over short time periods.

     

Improved viscoelastic zein–starch doughs for leavened gluten-free breads: Their rheology and microstructure

Gluten-free bread was prepared from commercial zein (20 g), maize starch (80 g), water (75 g), saccharose, NaCl and dry yeast by mixing above zein's glass transition temperature (T_g) at 40°C. Addition of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC, 2 g) significantly improved quality, and the resulting bread resembled wheat bread having a regular, fine crumb grain, a round top and good aeration (specific volume 3.2 ml/g). In model studies, HPMC stabilized gas bubbles well. Additionally, laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) revealed finer zein strands in the dough when HPMC was present, while dynamic oscillatory tests showed that HPMC rendered gluten-like hydrated zein above its T_g softer (i.e. |G*| was significantly lower). LSCM revealed that cooling below T_g alone did not destroy the zein strands; however, upon mechanical impact below T_g, they shattered into small pieces. When such dough was heated above T_g and then remixed, zein strands did not reform, and this dough lacked resistance in uniaxial extension tests. When within the breadmaking process, dough was cooled below T_g and subsequently reheated, breads had large void spaces under the crust. Likely, expanding gas bubbles broke zein strands below T_g resulting in structural weakness.