Prevalence of bovine fasciolosis based on faecal examination and abattoir survey in Karnataka
The prevalence of fasciolosis was evaluated in bovines based on coprological examination and postmortem liver examination of slaughtered cattle and buffaloes. The faecal examination of 130 cattle and 135 buffaloes revealed a prevalence of 9.9 % in cattle and 13.3 % in buffaloes respectively. The examination of livers from cattle and buffaloes (155 each) slaughtered at the KMPMCL abattoir revealed the prevalence of fasciolosis was 20.6 % in cattle and 22.5 % in buffaloes. The results were statistically significant in faecal examination and not significant in liver examination from cattle and buffaloes respectively.
Haemato-biochemical characterization of fasciolosis in Gir cattle and Jaffrabadi buffaloes
A total of 438 faecal samples of Gir cattle & Jaffrabadi buffaloes were examined by sedimentation technique and out of these, only 10 (2.28%) samples were found positive for Fasciola infection. Overall, the highest incidence of Fasciola infection was noticed in Jaffrabadi buffaloes (2.65%) than Gir cattle (1.72%) without significant difference (p > 0.05) between two species of animals. Haematological changes of Fasciola infected indigenous bovines showed the significant (p < 0.05) reductions in the mean values of haemoglobin (Hb), total erythrocytes count, packed cell volume, lymphocytes, and monocytes while total leucocytes count (TLC), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, neutrophils, and eosinophils were increased significantly (p < 0.05). Biochemical analysis revealed hypoproteinemia, hypoalbuminemia as well as a significant increase in total bilirubin, Gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT). The data presented here will not only help the epidemiologist but also help the field veterinarians in prognosis, diagnosis and planning the treatment and control strategies against Fasciola infection in bovines.
Assessment of some agro-technological parameters of cactus pear fruit ( Opuntia ficus-indica Mill . ) in Morocco cultivars
Cactaceae had always attracted attention by their strange shapes and important adaptability supporting extreme conditions. For this reasons, Fruit traits were measured on 13 cultivars growing in different locations in Morocco. Results show significant differences between the cultivars. The source of this variation was probably genetic without excluding the geographic effects. The Tamri, Berkan, Ait Baha cultivars showed small fruit dimensions and weight. In contrast, Sidi-Ifni M, Nador, Mohammedia and Ben Guerir were greater than 100 g by fruit. Sidi-Ifni M, Hoceima, Mohammedia and Nador, although larger, contained few seeds, about 200 seeds per fruit; while Tamri, Ait Baha, Safi, Meknes and Tafraout contained over than 230 seeds per fruit. High levels of juice about 62 ml/100 g pulp were obtained with Sidi-Ifni M, Nador, Mohammedia and Ben Guerir cultivars. Total sugars of the 13 cultivars were quite similar and pH was low in Tamri and close to neutrality in the rest of cultivars. Therefore, oil extracted from Opuntia ficus-indica seeds constituted 13.6% of the whole seed. Thin-layer chromatography in conjunction with gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry revealed a relatively high degree of unsaturation, 83.32% and 16% for saturated fatty acid, with a linoleic acid content of 63.66% followed by oleic 18.34%, palmitic 12.84% and stearic acid 2.81%. Based on these results, O. ficus-indica seed oil appears to be a good potential source of edible oil for human and (or) animal consumption. Our investigation describes that Tamri and Tafraout cultivars are not really a commercial viable fruit due to low total soluble solids value and highest seeds number per fruit. Against Mohammedia, Sidi Ifni M and Nador cultivars proved to have the highest fruit weight, very good total soluble solids value and low number of seeds, these cultivars can therefore be planted for both fruit production and for harvesting of cladodes for animal feed.