La Sota vaccination may not protect against virus shedding and the lesions of velogenic Newcastle disease in commercial turkeys

The aim of this project is to study the clinical signs and lesion of velogenic Newcastle disease (vND) in commercial turkeys, and also to find out if La Sota vaccination offered protection against these signs and lesions. The cockerels were included as positive controls. One hundred and twenty turkey poults and cockerels were divided into eight groups as follows: unvaccinated unchallenged turkeys (UUT), unvaccinated challenged turkeys (UCT), vaccinated unchallenged turkeys (VUT), vaccinated challenged turkeys (VCT), and along the same lines, the cockerel groups were UUC, UCC, VUC and vaccinated challenged cockerels (VCC). Vaccination was at 3 weeks of age while challenge was at 6 weeks of age. The unvaccinated turkeys and cockerels (UCT and UCC) showed different degrees of depression, diarrhoea and later paralysis at challenge. Total mortality was 100% in cockerels within 6 days, but 60% in turkeys. Similar but milder clinical signs were found in the VCC with a total mortality of 13.3%. The VCT showed mild drop in feed and water consumption, and no mortality. All the challenged groups had significant (p < 0.05) loss of weight when compared with their controls. Necropsy showed that while the UCC had severe proventricular haemorrhages, intestinal and caecal tonsil ulcers, the UCT had no digestive tract lesion. There was severe atrophy of the lymphoid organs in all the challenged groups. Histopathological sections of the bursa, spleen and thymus in all the challenged groups with special emphasis on the vaccinated and unvaccinated turkeys with mortalities of 0 and 60%, respectively, had very severe necrosis and depletion of the lymphoid tissue. Virus was isolated from the cloacal swabs. The haemagglutination inhibition antibodies were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the challenged groups than the unchallenged. The above observations in the intestinal tracts of UCT are of diagnostic significance while the gross and microscopic lesions in the UCT and VCT show that La Sota vaccination may not protect turkeys against the destruction of the lymphoid organs by vND as earlier reported in chickens. This may lead to immunosuppression and production problems in areas where vND is enzootic.     

Host Plant-Based Artificial Diets Enhance Development,Survival and Fecundity of the Edible Long-Horned Grasshopper Ruspolia differens (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Wild swarms of the long-horned grasshoppers Ruspolia differens (Serville) which are widely harvested for consumption and sale in Africa are seasonal and unsustainable, hence the need for innovative ways of artificially producing the insects. We investigated the development, survival, and reproduction of R. differens in the laboratory on diets mixed with host plants [Digitaria gayana Kunth, Cynodon dactylon (L.) and Megathyrsus maximus Jacq (Poales: Poaceae); Ageratum conyzoides L. (Asterales: Asteraceae)] identified from guts of their wild conspecifics with a view to developing a suitable diet for artificial mass rearing of the edible insect. A standard diet comprising ground black soldier fly, Hermetia illucens L. (Diptera: Startiomyidae) larvae, soybean flour, maize flour, vitamin premix, and ground bones was tested for rearing R. differens as a control against the same ingredients incorporated with individual powders of the different host plants. Whereas R. differens developed more slowly in the diet mixed with D. gayana than in the control diet; its development was faster in the diet mixed with C. dactylon. Mortalities of R. differens in host plant-based diets were 42.5–52.5%, far lower than in the control diet with 71% mortality. The insects raised on the diet mixed with M. maximus laid approximately twice more eggs compared to R. differens fecundities from the rest of the diets. However, inclusion of host plants in the diets had no detectable influence on R. differens adult weight and longevity. These findings support inclusion of specific host plants in artificial diets used for mass rearing of R. differens to enhance its survival, development, and fecundity.     

Root architecture of sorghum genotypes differing in root angles under different water regimes

Plant root architecture offers the potential for increasing soil water accessibility, particularly under water-limited conditions. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the root architecture in two genotypes of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) differing in root angles and to assess the influence of different deficit irrigation regimes on root architecture. The response of two sorghum genotypes, ‘Early Hegari-Sart’ (EH; steep root angle) and ‘Bk7’ (shallow root angle) to four irrigation treatments was investigated in two replicated outdoor studies using large pots. The results indicated that EH possessed steeper brace and crown root angles, fewer brace roots, greater root biomass, and root length density than Bk7 at deeper soil depths (i.e., 15–30 and 30–45 cm) compared with a shallower depth (i.e., 0–15 cm). Across the soil profile, EH had greater root length density and length of roots of small diameter (<1 mm) than Bk7. Accordingly, EH showed more rapid soil-water capture than Bk7. Different levels of irrigation input greatly affected root architecture. Severe deficit irrigation (25% of full crop transpiration throughout the season) increased the angle and number of crown roots, root biomass, and root length density compared with 75 and 100% of full crop transpiration treatments. Consequently, root system architecture can be effectively manipulated through both genotypic selection and irrigation management to ensure optimal performance under different levels of soil available water.     

Direct determination of p-nitrophenyl substituent organophosphorus nerve agents using a recombinant Pseudomonas putida JS444-modified Clark oxygen electrode

A microbial biosensor for rapid, sensitive, selective, and cost-effective determination of the total content of organophosphorus nerve agents with p-nitrophenyl substituent is reported. The biosensor consisted of genetically engineered PNP-degrader Pseudomonas putida JS444 expressing organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) on its cell surface immobilized on a dissolved oxygen electrode. Surface-expressed OPH catalyzed the hydrolysis of organophosphorus pesticides with p-nitrophenyl substituent such as paraoxon, methyl parathion, and parathion to release p-nitrophenol that was oxidized by the enzymatic machinery of Pseudomonas putida JS444 to carbon dioxide while consuming oxygen. The oxygen consumption was measured and correlated to the concentration of organophosphates. The sensor signal and response time were optimized with 0.086 mg dry weight of cell and operating in 50 mM pH 7.5 citrate-phosphate buffer with 50 microM CoCl(2) at room temperature. When operated at optimized conditions, the biosensor measured as low as 55 ppb of paraoxon, 53 ppb of methyl parathion, and 58 ppb of parathion without interference from most phenolic compounds and other commonly used pesticides, such as atrazine, coumaphos, sutan, sevin, and diazinon. The operational life of the microbial biosensor was approximately 5 days when stored in the operating buffer at 4 degrees C.     

The effect of different HUFA enrichment emulsions on the nutritional value of rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) fed to larval haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus).

A feeding study was conducted in the winter 2001 to determine the effects of feeding rotifers (Brachionus plicatilis) enriched with various levels of essential fatty acids on the growth and survival of haddock larvae (Melanogrammus aeglefinus). Rotifer enrichment treatments were: 1) mixed algae, 2) high DHA (docosahexaenoic acid, 22:6n-3), 3) high DHA and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n-3), and 4) DHA, EPA, and AA (arachidonic acid, 20:4n-6). Larvae were fed rotifers enriched with the different treatments from days 1 to 16 post-hatch. From day 17 until 25 all treatment groups were fed rotifers reared on mixed algae and then weaned onto the International Council for Exploration of the SEA (ICES) Standard Reference Weaning diet (http://allserv.rug.ac.t/aquaculture/rend/rend.htm) over a five day period. The experiment was terminated on day 41 post-hatch. The enrichment treatments affected the fatty acid composition of the rotifers and correlated with the accumulation of these fatty acids in the haddock larvae. However, no significant differences in larval growth or survival to 40 days post hatch were detected, suggesting that all treatments provided the minimal essential fatty acid requirements for haddock.     

Traders' preference for goat characteristics in selected markets of Pangasinan, Philippines

Preference for goat characteristics was determined from 42 traders in six markets in Pangasinan, an important trading center for goats in Luzon, the Philippines, and analyzed using a hedonic price model to determine whether these characteristics are important price determinants of goats. This information is important to goat raisers to respond to the needs of the local market, and thus to achieve a better price and higher income in goat raising. Meatiness, size, breed, sex and age (in descending order) were the dominant goat characteristics preferred by traders. Meatiness had the largest positive influence on price, with a price premium of US$6.24 (US$1.00 = PhP 53), whereas the age of the animal had the smallest influence at US$3.72. However, size and meatiness are manifestations of good breeds. Therefore, continued efforts to improve breeds in order to produce good quality goats are imperative to cater to market needs. Different characteristics implied different price premiums. Traders offered a higher price premium for better goat characteristics; thus, the improvement of these characteristics could result in higher returns for goat raisers.     

Content of polyphenolic compounds in the Nigerian stimulants Cola nitida ssp. alba, Cola nitida ssp. rubra A. Chev, and Cola acuminata Schott & Endl and their antioxidant capacity

Varieties of kola nuts (Cola nitida alba, Cola nitida rubra A. Chev, and Cola acuminata Schott & Endl), a group of popular Nigerian and West African stimulants, were analyzed for their content of secondary plant metabolites. The three varieties of the kola nuts contained appreciable levels of (+)-catechin (27-37 g/kg), caffeine (18-24 g/kg), (-)-epicatechin (20-21 g/kg), procyanidin B 1 [epicatechin-(4beta-->8)-catechin] (15-19 g/kg), and procyanidin B2 [epicatechin-(4beta-->8)-epicatechin] (7-10 g/kg). Antioxidant capacity of the extracts and purified metabolites was assessed by two HPLC-based and two colorimetric in vitro assays. Extracts of all varieties exhibited antioxidant capacity with IC 50 values in the range 1.70-2.83 and 2.74-4.08 mg/mL in the hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase and 2-deoxyguanosine HPLC-based assays, respectively. Utilization of HPLC-based assays designed to reflect in situ generation of free radicals (e.g., HO(*)), as opposed to general assays (DPPH, FRAP) in common use which do not, indicate that, of the major secondary plant metabolites present in kola nut extracts, caffeine is potentially the more effective cancer chemopreventive metabolite in terms of its antioxidant capacity.     

Flow cytometric analysis of nuclear DNA content,mitotic chromosome number and protein separation by SDS-PAGE in three accessions of African locust bean (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Parkia biglobosa</Emphasis> Benth.)

Nuclear DNA of three accessions of Parkia biglobosa collected from three locations in northern Cross River State was investigated using a Patec PA II flow cytometer equipped with an argon ion laser (488 nm), and pictures of mitotic chromosomes were taken using a digital micro-camera (Canon) placed on the eye piece of a binocular microscope at 100X oil immersion. Metaphase chromosome counts of 2n = 22 for accessions A and C and 2n = 24 for accession B, were obtained and through flow cytometry, the three accessions were confirmed to be diploids. The nuclear DNA content and genome size for the accessions were 1.5085, 1.489, and 1.5266 pg (737.7054, 728.121, and 746.5074 Mbp) for accessions A, B, and C, respectively. In another experiment, leaf samples from greenhouse-germinated seeds were analyzed for variation in the banding pattern of the protein by SDS-PAGE in the three accessions. Protein was resolved into three banding groups according to their electrophoretic mobility: slow, medium, and fast, clustering between 100–200, 40–70, and 10–25 kDa, respectively. There was 76% similarity in the banding pattern between the accessions.