Milk progesterone enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay as a tool to investigate ovarian cyclicity of water buffaloes in relation to body condition score and milk production     

Turgish A Banu  Mohammed Shamsuddin  Jayonta Bhattacharjee  Mohammad F Islam  Saiful I Khan  Jalal U Ahmed 《Acta veterinaria Scandinavica》2012,54(1):30

Background

Application of assisted reproductive technologies in buffaloes is limited to some extent by farmers’ inability to detect oestrus because of its poor expression. The present study aimed at investigating reliability of a milk progesterone enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to assess the ovarian cyclicity during post partum, oestrus and post-breeding periods in water buffaloes.

Methods

Progesterone concentrations were measured by an ELISA in milk of 23 postpartum buffaloes in relation to oestrus, pregnancy, body condition score (BCS) and milk production. Two milk samples were taken at 10 days intervals, every month starting from day 30 and continued to day 150 post partum. BCS and milk production were recorded during sample collection. Milk samples from bred buffaloes were collected at Day 0 (day of breeding), Days 10–12 and Days 22–24. Defatted milk was preserved at −80°C until analysis. Pregnancy was confirmed by palpation per rectum on Days 70–90.

Results

Seventeen buffaloes had 47 ovulatory cycles, one to four in each, 13 were detected in oestrus once (28 % oestrus detection rate). Progesterone concentration ≥1 ng/ml in one of the two 10-day-interval milk samples reflected ovulation and corpus luteum formation. The intervals between calving to first luteal activity and to first detected oestrus varied from 41 to 123 days (n = 17) and 83 to 135 (n = 13) days, respectively. Eight buffaloes were bred in the course of the study and seven were found pregnant. These buffaloes had a progesterone profile of low (<1 ng/ml), high (≥ 1 ng/ml) and high (≥ 1 ng/ml) on Day 0, Days 10–12 and Days 22–24, respectively. Buffaloes cycling later in the postpartum period had fewer missed oestruses (P < 0.05). Buffaloes with a superior BCS had a shorter calving to oestrus interval and produced more milk (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Milk progesterone ELISA is a reliable tool for monitoring ovarian cyclicity and good BCS may be an indicator of resuming cyclicity in water buffalo.  相似文献   

The nutritional effect of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Moringa oleifera</Emphasis> fresh leaves as feed supplement on Rhode Island Red hen egg production and quality     

Abou-Elezz Fouad Mohammed K  Sarmiento-Franco L  Santos-Ricalde R  Solorio-Sanchez JF 《Tropical animal health and production》2012,44(5):1035-1040

This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Moringa oleifera fresh leaves (MOL) as feed supplement on the performance and egg quality of Rhode Island Red (RIR) hens under the tropical conditions of Yucatan, Mexico. Forty-eight RIR hens were allocated in 12 floor pen replicates each with four birds. Thereafter, the replicates were divided into three groups which were corresponded to ad libitum feed (control), ad libitum feed supplemented with MOL T1 (AL + MOL) and restricted feed amount (20% lower than control) with MOL T2 (RCD + MOL), respectively. T1 (AL + MOL) had higher egg laying rate (71.4% versus 66.6%), higher daily egg mass production (45.4 versus 41.9 g/day), lower feed intake (121.3 versus 127.5 g/day) and better feed conversion ratio (2.8 versus 3.2 g feed:g egg) versus control. T2 / (RCD + MOL) had lower values of body weight, egg laying rate, egg weight and egg mass, and recorded better feed conversion ratio than the control group. The control group recorded a higher percentage of pecked eggs versus T1 and T2 (6.5% versus 1.2% and 2.0 %). Similar intake of MOL (3.1 and 3.4 g DM/day) was recorded in T1 (AL + MOL) and T2 (RCD + MOL). Yolk color was improved significantly in T1 (AL + MOL) than both control and T2 (RCD + MOL), while T2 (RCD + MOL) had eggs with lower yolk and higher albumen percentages than the other two ad libitum groups. The results suggest that MOL could be used successfully as sustainable tropical feed resource for RIR hens.  相似文献   

Differential expression of TAR DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) in the central nervous system of horses afflicted with equine motor neuron disease (EMND): a preliminary study of a potential pathologic marker     

Iqbal El-Assaad  Jeremy A. Di Bari  Koji Yasuda  Thomas J. Divers  Brian A. Summers  Alexander de Lahunta  Hussni Mohammed 《Veterinary research communications》2012,36(4):221-226

Equine motor neuron disease (EMND) is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology affecting horses worldwide. Trans-Active Response DNA Binding Protein of 43?kDa (TDP-43) has been reported in the central nervous system (CNS) of several neurodegenerative conditions in humans including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and assumed to play role in the disease. We examined whether horses afflicted with EMND express the TDP-43 in CNS. Ten horses with EMND and 6 controls of different ages and breed we enrolled. Detection of presence of TDP-43 protein in the CNS was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining using rabbit anti-human TARDBP (TDP-43) polyclonal antibody. Formalin fixed neuronal tissues from medulla, cervical, and lumbar spinal cord were harvested from EMND and from control horses. Sections were assigned randomly to TDP-43 treated or rabbit anti-IgG as control. Nuclear staining of TDP-43 was detected in one of the neural tissues of 75?% of EMND-positive and 0 of 0?% of control horses in the central nervous system (medulla, and/or cervical spinal cord and/or lumbar spinal cord). TDP-43 antibody was detected in the nucleus of EMND horses and no cytoplasmic staining was noted. As in ALS, there was no pattern of age clustering associated with the detection of TDP-43. This is the first report on the staining of TDP-43 in neuronal tissues of horses and suggests that TDP-43 may play a role in the pathogenesis of EMND. Further studies are needed to elucidate the etiologic role of this protein in the diseases.  相似文献   

Are composts from shredded leafy branches of fast-growing forest species suitable as nursery growing media in arid regions?     

Mustapha Bakry  Mohammed S. Lamhamedi  Jean Caron  Hank Margolis  Abdenbi Zine El Abidine  M’Hammed Bellaka  Debra C. Stowe 《New Forests》2012,43(3):267-286

The morpho-physiological quality of seedlings is negatively affected by the wide scale use of forest soils as substrates in developing countries. With the objective of finding long-term sustainable supply of growing media, compost was produced from shredded branches of three fast growing species (Acacia cyanophylla (AA), Acacia cyclops (AS) and Eucalyptus gomphocephala (EG). The composting process covered three different periods over the course of a year. Pile temperatures were monitored daily and the composts were routinely sampled and analyzed for 19 chemical variables. Although composting is feasible year-round in arid climates, compost produced in the humid cool conditions of autumn, winter and early spring reaches the maturation phase more quickly than compost produced under hot, dry summer conditions. It also requires less turning and water. The evolution of the composting process and quality of the final product can be assessed using three chemical variables (C/N, pH, EC). Seed germination rates in the three types of compost were similar to that in a peat:vermiculite substrate and vigorous high quality seedlings were produced in the two acacia composts. However, compost-grown seedlings had significantly smaller shoots and root systems than those produced in peat substrate. Principal components analyses showed that the quality of a compost-based substrate is reproducible and that its final chemical composition can be predicted from its raw organic materials. The EG composts had higher pH than the acacia composts, whereas the AA and EG composts were higher in mineral salts than the AS.  相似文献   

Serological survey of Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis, Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) and Feline Leukemia Virus (FeLV) infections in pet cats in Bangkok and vicinities, Thailand     

Sukhumavasi W  Bellosa ML  Lucio-Forster A  Liotta JL  Lee AC  Pornmingmas P  Chungpivat S  Mohammed HO  Lorentzen L  Dubey JP  Bowman DD 《Veterinary parasitology》2012,188(1-2):25-30

The seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii, Dirofilaria immitis (heartworm), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) infections was examined using serum or plasma samples from 746 pet cats collected between May and July 2009 from clinics and hospitals located in and around Bangkok, Thailand. The samples were tested for heartworm, FIV, and FeLV using a commercial ELISA. Of the 746 samples, 4.6% (34/746) were positive for heartworm antigen, 24.5% (183/746) had circulating FeLV antigen, and 20.1% (150/746) had antibodies against FIV. In addition, the first 348 submitted samples were tested for T. gondii antibodies using a modified agglutination test (MAT, cut off 1:25); 10.1% (35/348) were seropositive. Of the 348 cats sampled for all four pathogens, 11, 10, and 1 were positive for T. gondii antibodies and FIV antibodies, FeLV antigen, or D. immitis antigen, respectively. Of the 35 T. gondii-seropositive cats, 42.9% (15/35) were co-infected with at least one of the other three pathogens. The presence of antibodies to FIV was significantly associated with both age and gender, while FeLV antigen presence was only associated with age. In the case of FIV, males were twice as likely to be infected as females, and cats over 10 years of age were 13.5 times more likely to be infected than cats less than 1 year of age. FeLV antigen was more common in younger cats, with cats over 10 years of age being 10 times less likely to be FeLV positive than cats under 1 year of age. This is the first survey for these four pathogens affecting feline health in Thailand.  相似文献   

Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis assemblages among dairy herds in the New York City Watershed     

Mark-Carew MP  Wade SE  Chang YF  Schaaf S  Mohammed HO 《Veterinary parasitology》2012,185(2-4):151-157

A longitudinal herd-level study was carried out to determine the cumulative incidence of Giardia duodenalis infections in dairy cattle in the New York City Watershed. We also sought to assess the changes in infection pattern of animals diagnosed as shedding Giardia over time, determine risk factors that may be associated with G. duodenalis infections, and identify potentially zoonotic infections. A total of 2109 fecal samples were randomly collected from dairy cattle at 34 farms in the New York City Watershed on a seasonal basis. A total of 504 Giardia-positive samples were identified by zinc sulfate flotation. The overall cumulative incidence of G. duodenalis based on flotation results was 23.9% with 73.8% of all infections occurring in animals under 180 days of age (372/504). The intensity of infection ranged from 2 to 563,200 cysts/gram of feces. Cattle shedding Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were twice as likely to shed G. duodenalis cysts in comparison to the animals that did not shed oocysts (1.81 95% CI 1.26-2.60 p=0.0012). In the multivariate analysis, only the age of the animal and the presence of dogs on the farm were significantly associated with the likelihood of shedding G. duodenalis. DNA was extracted from positive samples and analyzed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of the beta-giardin and triosephosphate isomerase genes of Giardia spp. 304 samples were analyzed by PCR of which 131 were sequenced. 22.1% of sequenced samples were identified as assemblage A and 77.9% were identified as assemblage E. Interestingly, 100% of specimens identified as assemblage A were from calves under 84 days of age indicating that younger cattle are important reservoirs for potentially zoonotic assemblages of G. duodenalis.  相似文献   

Production, Economics, Employment Generation and Marketing Pattern of Rattan-Based Cottage Enterprises: A Case Study from an Urban Area of North-Eastern Bangladesh     

Md. Habibur Rahman  Most. Jannatul Fardusi  Bishwajit Roy  Md. Mostafa Kamal  Md. Jasim Uddin  Mohammed Abu Sayed Arfin Khan 《Small-Scale Forestry》2012,11(2):207-221

Rattan, an important non-timber forest product, is a flexible palm used in weaving baskets or furniture. Rattan is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for furniture that can be moved often. Bangladesh has a large number of rattan-based enterprises. This paper reports a case study carried out in Sylhet City Corporation of north-eastern Bangladesh, exploring the production, financial profitability and marketing of rattan-based products, and the problems and priorities of rattan-based enterprises as well as their potential contribution to employment opportunity. A sample survey was conducted of 58 randomly selected rattan-based enterprises with entrepreneurs personally interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Based on the total investment, the enterprises were divided into large, medium and small categories. Three origins of rattan (Local, Myanmar and Indonesia) and five species were used by the enterprises to produce 29 rattan-based product types. Rattan products were divided into three basic categories, viz. domestic utensils, domestic decorative articles and others for which uses are not specific. Among the three rattan origins, processing cost of local and Myanmar rattan species products was less and more articles were sold than for Indonesia rattan species. Financial analysis indicated that rattan-based enterprises are a profitable and attractive option for local socio-economic development. Entrepreneurs’ views on major problems and issues in rattan-based product trading and suggested measures to improve the condition of rattan-based enterprises also collected. Rattan-based enterprises will generate more domestic revenue, foreign exchange and employment if policies are adopted to provide the enterprises with a reliable source of raw materials and technical and financial assistance from Government to NGOs to sell the products, and expand market facilities in both local and international markets.  相似文献   

Assessment of adrenocortical activity by non-invasive measurement of faecal cortisol metabolites in dromedary camels (Camelus dromedarius)     

Omer-Elfaroug Sid-Ahmed  Ahmed Sanhouri  Badr-Eldin Elwaseela  Imad Fadllalah  Galal-Eldin Elazhari Mohammed  Erich Möstl 《Tropical animal health and production》2013,45(6):1453-1458

The aim of this study was to determine whether glucocorticoid production could be monitored non-invasively in dromedary camels by measuring faecal cortisol metabolites (FCMs). Five Sudanese dromedaries, two males and three females, were injected with a synthetic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) analogue. Blood samples were collected pre- and post-ACTH injection. Faeces were sampled after spontaneous defecation for five consecutive days (2 days before and 3 days after ACTH injection). Baseline plasma cortisol values ranged from 0.6 to 10.8 ng/ml in males and from 1.1 to 16.6 ng/ml in females, while peak values after ACTH injection were 10.9–41.9 in males and 10–42.2 ng/ml in females. Peak blood cortisol values were reached between 1.5 and 2.0 h after ACTH injection. The concentration of FCMs increased after ACTH injection in the faeces of both sexes, although steroid levels peaked earlier in males [24 h; (286.7–2,559.7 ng/g faeces)] than in females [36–48 h; (1,182.6–5,169.1 ng/g faeces)], reflecting increases of 3.1–8.3- and 4.3–8-fold above baseline levels. To detect chromatographic patterns of immunoreactive FCMs, faecal samples with high FCM concentrations from both sexes were pooled and subjected to reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). RP-HPLC analysis revealed sex differences in the polarity of FCMs, with females showing more polar FCMs than males. We concluded that stimulation of adrenocortical activity by ACTH injection resulted in a measurable increase in blood cortisol that was reliably paralleled by increases in FCM levels. Thus, measurement of FCMs is a powerful tool for monitoring the adrenocortical responses of dromedaries to stressors in field conditions.  相似文献   

Development and Characterization of Calcium-Alginate Beads of Apigenin: In Vitro Antitumor,Antibacterial, and Antioxidant Activities     

Mohammed F. Aldawsari  Mohammed Muqtader Ahmed  Farhat Fatima  Md. Khalid Anwer  Prakash Katakam  Abdullah Khan 《Marine drugs》2021,19(8)

The objective of this work was to develop sustained-release Ca-alginate beads of apigenin using sodium alginate, a natural polysaccharide. Six batches were prepared by applying the ionotropic gelation technique, wherein calcium chloride was used as a crosslinking agent. The beads were evaluated for particle size, drug loading, percentage yield, and in vitro drug release. Particle size was found to decrease, and drug entrapment efficiency was enhanced with an increase in the polymer concentration. The dissolution study showed sustained drug release from the apigenin-loaded alginate beads with an increase in the polymer proportion. Based on the dissolution profiles, BD6 formulation was optimized and characterized for FTIR, DSC, XRD, and SEM, results of which indicated successful development of apigenin-loaded Ca alginate beads. MTT assay demonstrated a potential anticancer effect against the breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines. The antimicrobial activity exhibited effective inhibition in the bacterial and fungal growth rate. The DPPH measurement revealed that the formulation had substantial antioxidant activity, with EC50 value slightly lowered compared to pure apigenin. A stability study demonstrated that the BD6 was stable with similar (f2) drug release profiles in harsh condition. In conclusion, alginate-based beads could be used for sustaining the drug release of poorly water-soluble apigenin while also improving in vitro antitumor, antimicrobial, and antioxidant activity.  相似文献   

Role of nitrogen supplementation in alleviating drought‐associated growth and metabolic impairments in Phoebe zhennan seedlings     

Akash Tariq  Kaiwen Pan  Olusanya Abiodun Olatunji  Corina Graciano  Ningning Li  Zilong Li  Dagang Song  Feng Sun  Meta Francis Justine  Dan Huang  Shanxing Gong  Bikram Pandey  Muhammad Idrees  Mohammed A. Dakhil 《植物养料与土壤学杂志》2019,182(4):586-596

Drought is one of the major environmental stresses altering forest productivity. However, nutrient availability can modulate drought resistance. Phoebe zhennan (gold Phoebe) is a high‐quality timber‐producing but threatened tree species in China, facing serious anthropogenic disturbances and abiotic constraints that restrict its growth and development. However, little attention has been given to designing adaptive strategies for its management by evaluating the possible role of major nutrients, particularly nitrogen (N), on its morphological and physio‐biochemical responses under water stress. To evaluate these responses, a complete randomized design was followed to investigate the effects of two irrigation levels (well‐watered and drought‐stressed conditions) and N fertilization treatments (with and without N). Drought stress significantly affected the growth of seedlings, as indicated by impaired photosynthesis, pigment degradation, disrupted N metabolism, over‐production of reactive oxygen species and enhanced lipid peroxidation. Nitrogen supplementation under drought stress had remarkable positive effects on the growth through physio‐biochemical adjustments as shown by higher level of nitrogenous compounds and up‐regulation of N‐associated metabolic enzymes activities which might be due to N‐mediated improved leaf relative water contents and photosynthetic efficiency. In addition, N application reduced oxidative stress and membrane damage, and maintained a high accumulation of osmolytes. However, in well‐watered seedlings N fertilization significantly improved root biomass and net CO₂ assimilation rate suggesting high N‐use efficiency of the seedlings. These findings reveal that drought significantly affects the growth of P. zhennan, while N fertilization plays a crucial role in alleviating water stress damage by improving its drought tolerance potential at low metabolic costs. Therefore, N fertilization could be considered as an effective strategy for the conservation and management of P. zhennan in the face of future climate change.  相似文献