Effect of L-carnitine supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and nitrogen balance of broilers fed with animal fat

Research (Published online: 12-04-2015)

9. Effect of L-carnitine supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and nitrogen balance of broilers fed with animal fat -P. Murali, S. K. George, K. Ally and M. T. Dipu

Veterinary World, 8(4): 482-486

   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2015.482-486

Abstract

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Aim: This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of L-carnitine supplementation on growth performance, nutrient utilization and nitrogen balance in broilers fed with animal fat.

Materials and Methods: 80 day-old Cobb commercial broiler chicks were randomly assigned into two dietary treatment groups with four replicates of ten chicks each. The diets were isonitrogenous and isocaloric. The birds in both the control (T1) and treatment group (T2) were fed with a diet having 5% animal fat, while the treatment group (T2) was supplemented with 900 mg of L-carnitine. The birds were fed with standard broiler starter ration up to 4 weeks of age and finisher ration up to 6 weeks of age.

Results: The average body weight (g), cumulative feed intake (g) and cumulative feed conversion ratio belonging to groups T1 and T2 at 6th week of age were 2091.25 and 2151.11, 3976.49 and 4171.68, 1.97 and 1.96 respectively. The percentage availability of the nutrients of two experimental rations T1 and T2 was 68.23 and 68.00 for dry matter, 58.72 and 55.98 for crude protein, 73.85 and 71.35 for ether extract, 34.19 and 33.86 for crude fiber, 79.18 and 79.59 for nitrogen free extract, 70.24 and 70.03 for energy efficiency and nitrogen balance (g/day) were 2.35 and 2.39, respectively.

Conclusion: This study suggests that the supplementation of 900 mg L-carnitine in diet with added animal fat had no effect on growth performance, nutrient utilization, and nitrogen balance of broilers.

Keywords: animal fat, broilers, performance and nutrient utilization, l-carnitine.

Prevalence of antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus from raw milk samples collected from the local vendors in the region of Tirupathi, India

Research (Published online: 12-04-2015)

8. Prevalence of antibiotic resistant Staphylococcus aureus from raw milk samples collected from the local vendors in the region of Tirupathi, India - Sudhanthirakodi Sudhanthiramani, Chinta Siva Swetha and Sukumar Bharathy

Veterinary World, 8(4): 478-481

   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2015.478-481

Abstract

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Aim: The study was carried out with the aim to identify the suitability of the milk for consumer use with special reference toStaphylococcus aureus from milk samples collected from various local vendors and determine the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of those positive isolates.

Materials and Methods: A total of 110 milk samples were collected from the local milk vendors in and around Tirupathi region of India. All the samples were enriched with buffered peptone water in 9:1 ratio and the then inoculated on baird parker agar medium with added 2% egg yolk tellurite emulsion as selective medium for S.aureus and confirmed with mannitol salt agar, Gram’s staining and biochemical tests. The typical cultural characters with coagulase-positive samples were taken as positive samples the positive samples were tested for antibiotic susceptibility with 10 different antibiotics by employing disc diffusion method.

Results: Prevalence of coagulase-positive S. aureus was 39.09% (43/110) from the milk samples. The antibiotic susceptibility test of positive isolates showed high resistant toward penicillin G 37/43 (86.04%) and ampicillin 32/43 (74.42%), and also showed resistant to methicillin 6/43 (13.95%), cephalothin 6/43 (13.95%), tetracycline 6/43 (13.95%), ciprofloxacin 4/43 (9.30%), enrofloxacin 3/43 (6.97%), cefoxitin 2/43 (4.65%), gentamicin 2/43 (4.65%), and co-trimoxazole 2/43 (4.65%). Many individual isolates showed resistant against two or more antibiotics in our study.

Conclusion: The above study results show that the milk samples collected from local vendor having S. aureus, which can induce disease condition as well as antibiotic resistant to the humans particularly young children and old age peoples by means of consumption of raw milk and its products. This is the public health issue, which needs to be solved by educating the local vendors regarding health problems related to unhygienic milk supply and make the awareness among the consumers about this hazards and preventive measures.

Keywords: antibiotic resistant, local milk vendor, milk, Staphylococcus aureus.

Effect of climatic variables on production and reproduction traits of colored broiler breeder poultry

Research (Published online: 12-04-2015)

7. Effect of climatic variables on production and reproduction traits of colored broiler breeder poultry - G. D. Nayak, N. C. Behura, K. K. Sardar and P. K. Mishra

Veterinary World, 8(4): 472-477

http://www.veterinaryworld.org/Vol.8/April-2015/7.html

Abstract

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Aim: The present study was conducted to investigate the important climatic variables affecting production and reproduction in a broiler breeder flock.

Materials and Methods: The experiment was conducted for a period of 1 year on colored synthetic female line male and female poultry birds. 630 female progeny and 194 male progenies from 69 sires and 552 dams produced in four consecutive hatches at an interval of 10 days were used for the present study. Each of the seven, body weight and reproduction traits were regressed with nine environmental variables. Initially, the data were subjected to hatch effect and sire effect corrections through best linear unbiased estimator (BLUE) method and, then, multiple linear regressions of environmental variables on each trait were applied.

Result: The overall regression was significant (p<0.01) in all traits except 20 week age body weight of females. The R2 value ranged from 0.12 to 0.90 for the traits. Regression coefficient values (b values) for maximum temperature and minimum temperature were significant (p<0.05) on 5th week age body weight of males. Similarly, evaporation and morning relative humidity (RH) was significant (p<0.05) for 5th week age body weight of females. Almost all b values were significant (p<0.05) for egg production up to 40 week age. The b values representing rainfall, morning RH, afternoon RH, sunshine hours, and rainy days were significant (p<0.05) on bodyweight at 20 week age. All environmental variables except maximum temperature and minimum temperature were significant (p<0.05) on body weight of females at 20 weeks of age. Age at sexual maturity was regressed significantly (p<0.05) with evaporation, afternoon RH whereas, egg shape index was regressed significantly (p<0.05) with a maximum temperature, evaporation and afternoon RH.

Conclusion: The result indicated that various environmental variables play a significant role in production and reproduction of breeder broiler poultry. Controlling these variables in adverse weathers may increase production.

Keywords: Best linear unbiased estimator, climatic variables, colored breeder, multiple regressions, production, reproduction.

International Journal of One Health launched

International Journal of One Health (www.onehealthjournal.org)

Publisher- Veterinary World

Call for papers 

Topic includes agro-bioterrorism, animal science, antimicrobial resistance, bacteriology, biosecurity, bioterrorism, climate change, comparative medicine, disaster management, ecology, entomology, environmental health, epidemiology, food science, food security, global trade and commerce, health communication, human health, immunology, infectious disease, nutrition, occupational health, parasitology, pathology, physiology, public health and public policy, toxicology, veterinary science, virology, wildlife protection, zoonoses etc.
Please send pre-submission queries to editoronehealth@gmail.com
Submit your manuscript online at http://my.ejmanager.com/ijoh/

Body condition score and its correlation with ultrasonographic back fat thickness in transition crossbred cows

Research (Published online: 07-03-2015)

7. Body condition score and its correlation with ultrasonographic back fat thickness in transition crossbred cows - Randhir Singh, S. N. S. Randhawa and C. S. Randhawa

Veterinary World, 8(3): 290-294

   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2015.290-294

Abstract

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Aim: The aim was to study the effect of the transition to body condition score (BCS) and ultrasonographic back fat thickness (USG BFT) in crossbred cows.

Materials and Methods: A total of 101 multiparous crossbred cows in advanced pregnancy from organized dairy farm were taken up for study. The cows were grouped according to transition stage, i.e. far off dry (FOD), close up dry (CUD) and fresh (F). BCS was estimated by using the five point visual BCS technique with 0.5 increments. The USG BFT was measured by real-time ultrasound using a portable Sonosite instrument.

Results: In cows with BCS 2-2.5, the BFT of F period was significantly lower than FOD period. In cows with BCS 3-3.5, the mean BFT at F period was significantly reduced as compared to FOD and CUD period. The overall correlation coefficient between BCS and BFT for different transition stages was 84%, 79% and 75% for FOD, CUD and F period, respectively.

Conclusion: The USG BFT gives an accurate measure of fat reserves in cows. The cows with BCS of ≥3.5 entering the transition period are more prone to lose body condition and hence require better and robust management during the transition period.

Keywords: body condition score, back fat thickness, cow, transition period.

Release of β-endorphin, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol in response to machine milking of dairy cows

Research (Published online: 07-03-2015)

6. Release of β-endorphin, adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol in response to machine milking of dairy cows - E. Fazio, P. Medica, C. Cravana and A. Ferlazzo

Veterinary World, 8(3): 284-289

   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2015.284-289

Abstract

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Aim: The present study was undertaken with the objective to obtain insight into the dynamics of the release of β-endorphin, adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol in response to machine milking in dairy cows.

Materials and Methods: A total of 10 healthy multiparous lactating Italian Friesian dairy cows were used in the study. Animals were at the 4th-5th month of pregnancy and were submitted to machine milking 2 times daily. Blood samples were collected in the morning: In baseline conditions, immediately before milking and after milking; and in the early afternoon: In baseline conditions, before milking and after milking, for 2 consecutive days. Endocrine variables were measured in duplicate, using a commercial radioimmunoassay for circulating β-endorphin and ACTH concentrations and a competitive enzyme-linked immunoassay for cortisol concentration.

Results: Data obtained showed a similar biphasic cortisol secretion of lactating dairy cows, with a significant increase of cortisol concentration after morning machine milking, at both the 1st and the 2nd day (p<0.05), and a decrease after afternoon machine milking at the 2nd day (p<0.01). One-way RM ANOVA showed significant effects of the machine milking on the cortisol changes, at both morning (f=22.96; p<0.001) and afternoon (f=15.10; p<0.01) milking, respectively. Two-way RM ANOVA showed a significant interaction between cortisol changes at the 1st and the 2nd day (f=7.94; p<0.0002), and between the sampling times (f=6.09; p<0.001). Conversely, no significant effects of the machine milking were observed on β-endorphin and ACTH changes, but only a moderate positive correlation (r=0.94; p<0.06) after milking stimuli.

Conclusions: A wide range of cortisol concentrations reported in this study showed the complex dynamic patterns of the homeostatic mechanisms involved during machine milking in dairy cows, suggesting that β-endorphin and ACTH were not the main factors that caused the adrenocortical response to milking stimuli.

Keywords: adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, dairy cows, machine milking, β-endorphin.

The effect of gabapentin and pregabalin on intestinal incision wound healing in rabbits

Research (Published online: 07-03-2015)

5. The effect of gabapentin and pregabalin on intestinal incision wound healing in rabbits - M. Korkmaz, T. B. Saritas, A. Sevimli, Z. K. Saritas and B. Elitok

Veterinary World, 8(3): 279-283

   doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2015.279-283

Abstract

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Aim: To evaluate the macroscopic and histologic effects of pregabalin (PG) gabapentin (GB) on longitudinal intestinal wound healing in New Zealand rabbits.

Materials and Methods: The animals were divided into three groups randomly; the control group (n=6), PG group (n=6) and GB group (n=6). All animals were premedicated with xylazine HCI, 5 mg/kg i.m. and general anaesthesia was performed by ketamine HCI 50 mg/kg i.m injection. A 4 cm incision in the caecum through median laparotomy was achieved under aseptic surgery. Intestinal wound was closed with double-sutured. All animals were received parenteral antibiotic treatment for 5 days. PG and GB groups were treated by PG (30 mg/kg, oral, daily) and GB (30 mg/kg, oral, daily) for 10 days respectively. Control group did not receive any treatment. The animals were euthanized on day 10 and the caecum was examined by laparotomy. Adhesion formation was observed, and tissue samples were taken from suture lines for histologic examination. Cellular infiltration (polymorphonuclear white blood cells and mononuclear cells), accumulation of connective tissue, vascularization and extent of necrosis were evaluated and scored separately for each of mucosal, submucosal, muscular and serosal layers of caecum.

Results: Adhesions were more severe in the GB group compared to other groups. No statistically significant differences were detected among the three groups about the wound healing.

Conclusion: It was suggested that the use of gabapentinoids had no significant effect on wound healing in patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgery and further studies with treatment periods longer than 10 days are needed.

Keywords: gabapentin, intestinal incisional wound, pregabalin, rabbit.