Comparative efficacy of a spot-on formulation containing emodepside and praziquantel (Profender®, Bayer) and praziquantel and pyrantel oral tablets (Drontal® for Cats) against experimental Ancylostoma ceylanicum infections in cats

Ancylostoma ceylanicum is a common zoonotic hookworm of dogs and cats throughout Asia and has also been reported to occur within the Australasian region. The aim of this study to was to determine the efficacy of a spot-on formulation containing emodepside and praziquantel (Profender^®, Bayer) and praziquantel and pyrantel oral tablets (Drontal^® for Cats, Bayer) against experimental A. ceylanicum infections in cats.Twenty-four kittens were each subcutaneously injected with 100 infective third-stage larvae of A. ceylanicum. Kittens were stratified by egg count and randomly allocated equally into control and two treatment groups. The first group were treated with emodepside 2.1%/praziquantel 8.6% (Profender®, Bayer) at the recommended label dose. The second group was treated with 80 mg pyrantel and 20 mg praziquantel (Drontal^® for Cats, Bayer) at the recommended label dose. The kittens in the control group were not treated. Egg counts were performed daily until the end of the study period and compared for the treated and control groups. No eggs were detected in the treated group of kittens within 4 days of treatment and faecal samples from this group remained negative throughout the rest of the study, resulting in a treatment efficacy (egg reduction) of 100% (P < 0.0001). The egg counts remained high (993 ± 666 epg) in the untreated control group for the rest of the study period. This study demonstrated that both combination products containing topical emodepside/praziquantel (Profender^®, Bayer) and praziquantel/pyrantel oral tablets (Drontal^® for Cats, Bayer) given at the recommended dose is highly effective against infection with A. ceylanicum in cats.     

Application of infrared thermography to assess cassava physiology under water deficit condition

ABSTRACT

Water deficit stress is a major factor that inhibits the overall growth and development in cassava (Manihot esculenta), leading to decreased storage root yield. We conducted a study to investigate whether thermal sensing could be used to indicate water deficit stress and the health and yield of cassava crops in field. The objective of the study was to use thermal imaging to determine relationship between crop water stress index (CWSI) and physiological changes, and to identify the critical CWSI point in fields of cassava cv. Rayong 9 under well-irrigated and water-deficit conditions. At the time of storage root initiation (85 DAP [day after planting]), thermal imagery was collected and the physiological changes and growth characters were measured prior to storage root harvesting (162 DAP). Thermal infrared imager was used to measure the canopy temperature and CWSI of cassava plants. Net photosynthetic rate (P_n), stomatal conductance (g_s) and transpiration rates (T_r) of cassava plants under water deficit conditions for 29 d (114 DAP) were significantly decreased, leading to delayed plant growth as compared to those under well-irrigated conditions. In contrast, air vapor pressure deficit (VPD_air) and CWSI in drought-stressed plants were higher than well irrigated plants. High correlations between T_r/g_s/P_n and CWSI were observed. The study concludes that CWSI is a sensitive indicator of water deficit stress caused due to stomatal function.

Abbreviations: CWSI: crop water stress index; DAP: day after planting; Pn: net photosynthetic rate; gs: stomatal conductance; Tr: transpiration rate; VPDair: air vapor pressure; RMSE: root mean square error