Effect of magnetic treatment of water on chemical properties of water and sodium adsorption ratio

This study assessed effect of magnetic treatment of water on chemical properties of water, sodium adsorption ratio, electrical conductivity (EC) of the water and the lifespan of the magnetic effect on water. Magnetic flux densities used for treating the water were 124, 319, 443 and 719 gauss. All the cations (Calcium, Sodium, Magnesium, Potassium, Cadmium and Lead) were determined using the Standard Methods for Examination of Water and Wastewater by American Public Health Association (APHA, 2005). The mean values of concentration of calcium for magnetically treated water (MTW) for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th days after the treatment were 3.197, 3.166, 3.136 and 3.104 mg/L while for non–magnetically treated water (NMTW) were 3.130, 3.095, 3.055 and 3.020 mg/L, respectively. The mean values of nitrate from MTW were 43.07, 43.04. 42.71 and 42.56 mg/L while for NMTW were 42.73, 42.57, 42.00 41.81 mg/L, respectively. The mean value of sulphate from MTW on the first day was 50.06 mg/L while that of NMTW was 47.80 mg/L. The mean values of SAR with MTW for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th days after the treatment were 9.715, 0.710, 9.769 and 9.717 dS/m while the corresponding values of SAR for NMTW were 9.877, 9.806, 9.94 and 9.976 dS/m. All the values of SAR for NMTW were higher than the values of SAR for MTW. The values of EC were also higher for NMTW than that of MTW. MTW is better for irrigating soil than NMTW that could cause soil salinity.Keywords: Irrigation water quality, magnetic treatment of water, sodium adsorption rati

A nutritional and economic evaluation of Moringa oleifera leaf meal as a dietary supplement in West African Dwarf goats

Moringa oleifera leaves may have the potential to enhance nutritional status, growth performance, and health of ruminant animals when used as part of their diets. However, the nutritional value of the leaves for goats is largely unknown and needs to be investigated. Consequently, eighteen West African Dwarf (WAD) bucks weighing 7.0 ± 0.33 kg were used in a completely randomized design to evaluate the effects of diluting a conventional supplement with three levels of M. oleifera leaf meal (MOLM) on growth performance, haematology, and blood biochemical constituents. The MOLM was included in the commercial supplement at a rate of 0, 50, and 100 g/kg dry matter (DM). Including MOLM in the supplement did not significantly affect weight gain, dry matter intake, and metabolic weight gain of bucks. Packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin concentration (hb), and total protein were not significantly influenced by MOLM inclusion, either. However, blood urea concentration was significantly increased in bucks that were offered MOLM-based diets. All blood parameters, as well as alanine transaminase (ALT) and urea, were within the normal reference ranges for clinically healthy goats. The MOLM-based supplements had significantly lower feed cost per kilogram of weight gain and higher profit per kilogram of gain. It was concluded that diluting the commercial supplement with MOLM up to 100 g/kg DM does not impair the nutritional status, growth performance and health status of the goats while reducing the feed cost per gain.Keywords: Cost, feed, growth, health, nutritio

Effects of fertilized maize leaf concentrate diets on the growth, haematology and carcass characteristics of West African dwarf sheep

The effects of fertilized maize leaf concentrate (MLC) diets as feed supplements on the performance of the West African Dwarf (WAD) breed of sheep were evaluated. The 90-day experiment involving twenty-five (25) WAD sheep with average body weight of 11.14 ± 0.88kg in a completely randomized design were fed five diets containing concentrate from maize leaves fertilized with manure of poultry, swine, sheep for treatments 1 to 3 while NPK and the control made up treatments 4 and 5, respectively. Data were obtained on feed intake, weight gain, haematological and serum parameters as well as carcass characteristics and meat sensory evaluation. Results showed that manure fertilized MLC had a positive effect (p<0.05) on dry matter (DM) intake and weight gain of sheep. Among treatments, animals supplemented with sheep manure MLC showed better DM intake (466.79g/day), weight gain (46.44g/day) and feed conversion ratio (10.06). Results on the blood indices showed variation (p<0.05) in values observed in white blood cells (7.05-8.4 x109/L) and serum glucose (82.90-97.55mg/dl) while other parameters were similar among the treatment groups. Carcass traits of sheep varied (p < 0.05) across treatments with sheep fed manure MLC having better values. Dressing percentage varied (p < 0.05) from 50.58 to 58.86% in sheep fed sheep manure MLC and the control treatment, respectively. Following sensory assessment, panelists rated eating quality traits similar (p > 0.05) across treatments with variation (p < 0.05) observed in the ratings for flavour. It was concluded that sheep offered manure fertilized MLC improved performance with animals fed sheep manure MLC having better plane of nutrition, thereby supporting higher growth rates and carcass traits. Keywords: Carcass, dry season, haematology, maize leaves, manure, performance, sensory, shee

Effects of magnetically treated water on germination and growth of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum: Variety uc82b) under poor soil fertility and deficit irrigation

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of magnetically treated water on the survival of tomato plant after germination and growth of the tomato plant under deficit irrigation and poor soil fertility. The soil used in this study was sieved through 2 mm sieve to have a uniform soil particle sizes and to remove some organic matter that was yet to decompose. Water from the University of Ilorin dam was used for irrigating the tomato (Lycopersicon Esculentum: variety UC82B) plant. The water was allowed to pass through magnetic treatment pipe for duration of 113 s. The mean magnetic flux density used was 719 gauss (G) measured inside the pipe. The treatments (T1 to T5) were 100 %, 80 %, 60 %, 50 % and 40 % of the water requirement by tomato and each treatment was replicated 5 times. Experimental layout used in this study was a completely randomized design (CRD) with a control experiment set up adjacent to it in the same transparent garden shed. The results showed that tomato plant irrigated with magnetically-treated water exhibited resistance to water stress, poor soil fertility and fungal attack with 52 % surviving after germination while only 24 % of tomato plants survived after irrigation with non–magnetically treated water. The heights of tomato plants using the treated water with T1 to T5 were 548 mm, 381 mm, 342 mm, 301 mm and 286 mm, respectively while those of untreated water were 512 mm, 365 mm, 326 mm, 298 mm and 264 mm, respectively.Keywords: irrigation, magnetically treated water, magnetic water, tomat

Seasonal variation in some physiological parameters of calves on communal rangeland of North West Province, South Africa

Mineral deficiency of roughages has been widely proven in research to affect productivity in ruminants. Accurate determination of grass minerals and biochemical profile of blood will provide valuable information to assist in diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of nutritional diseases of veterinary importance. This study, therefore, aimed to document the variations in levels of some selected micro and macro mineral concentrations of both grass and blood and blood chemistry as influenced by season of the year (winter, spring, summer and autumn) in selected communal farming locations of the North West Province of South Africa. Blood and Grass samples were collected from herds and areas distributed throughout the North West Province. Areas selected were the Southern region (5 herds, n=48), Bophirima region (8 herds, n=62), Central region (9 herds, n=70) and Bojanala region (6 herds, n=45). The phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) concentrations of grass (3.65 and 15.22 mg/g) were increased (P<0.05) during the spring and summer, respectively, compared to other seasons while lower P, Ca and magnesium (Mg) concentrations (0.89, 6.45 and 0.97 mg/g) were obtained during the winter. Serum P, Ca, Mg, Iron (Fe), potassium (K) and copper (Cu) concentration were significantly (P <0.05) influenced by change in season. Higher (P <0.05) serum P, Mg, potassium (K) and copper (Cu) concentration were obtained during the summer compared to other seasons. However, Ca and Iron (Fe) were significantly (P <0.05) increased during the summer, autumn and spring than winter period. Albumin, alanine transaminase (ALT), total bilirubin (TBIL), cholesterol (CHOL), creatinine kinase (CK), glucose (GLU) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) concentrations were significantly (P<0.05) reduced in summer compared to other season. Seasonal variations across the year have a great influence on mineral concentration of the grass and subsequently on blood serum concentrations. Therefore, proper documentation and timely evaluation of nutritional quality of available forages is required

Assessment of nutritive values of some waterweeds

The potentials of water weeds as a feed resource material in livestock production industry in Nigeria is yet to be fully exploited.  The nutritive values of ten identified water weeds (Polygonum lanigerum, Nymphaea lotus, Paspalum scrobiculatum, Ascroceras zizanioides, Ipomea aquatica, Panicum sulbabidum, Sacciolepis africana, Leersia hexandra, Heteranthera callifolia and Dicksonia antartica) were therefore evaluated by determining their chemical composition and antinutritional components. The crude protein content ranged from 13.67% to 32.67% in Paspalum scrobiculatum and Heteranthera callifolia respectively while the crude fibre composition ranged between 4.00 % and 26.00 % in Ipomea aquatica and Acroceras zizanioides respectively. The neutral detergent fibre was generally high and it is between 37.33% in Nymphaea lotus and 64.00 % in Panicum sulbabidum. The antinutritional factor result showed that only four of the weeds contain saponin where only Nymphaea lotus and Acroceras zizanioides do not contain phenols or tannin. Steroids were present in all except Nymphaea lotus which contains the saturated steroids or triterperoids. The study showed that the water weeds had low antinutritional values and adequate amounts of nutrients which could be utilized by animals. Thus, the plants could be fed to livestock especially during the dry season as a source of plant protein. Keywords: Water weeds, Saponins, Tannins, Steroids

Dietary nano-dicalcium phosphate improves immune response and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens

Various levels of substitution of nano-dicalcium phosphate (nCaHPO4) for the calcium and phosphorus supplied by limestone and monocalcium phosphate were evaluated, based on weight change, serum constituents, immune response and intestinal morphology of broiler chickens. The birds were assigned to five dietary treatments containing 0% (control), 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% substitution levels of nCaHPO4 from days 0 to 42. Data were collected for blood measurement and intestinal morphology and analysed with one-way analysis of variance. Feeds substituted with 40% nCaHPO4 showed a higher mean value of final weight and better feed conversion. The results revealed similar haematological parameters across the treatment groups. At the same time, nCaHPO4 influenced most of the serum biochemical constituents, such as calcium, phosphorus, glucose, albumin, and total protein. High concentrations of total protein were observed for birds fed 60% nCaHPO4 compared with other treatments. The highest comparable means for albumin were observed in birds fed 40% and 60% nCaHPO4. Cholesterol levels were increased when birds were fed 0% and 40% of diets. Elevated serum phosphorus concentration was observed when 0%, 40%, 60% and 100% substitution levels were fed, whereas 80% presented the least mean value. The results also showed that birds fed 40% nano-dicalcium phosphate had the highest villi length, which signified improved absorption of minerals. In conclusion, 40% and 60% levels of nCaHPO4 could be used to boost immune response and functional intestinal morphology of broiler chicken with no negative effect on haematological parameters

Profile of limb amputations in UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, South- Western, Nigeria

No Abstract

Oxidative stress biomarkers in West African Dwarf goats reared under intensive and semi-intensive production systems

This study explored the variation in physiological oxidative status of West African Dwarf (WAD) goats as the rainy season progressed in a humid climate in south-west Nigeria. A total of 24 growing WAD bucks, averaging 10.5 kg + 0.78 liveweight, were reared under intensive and semi-intensive management systems during the rainy season. Twelve (12) bucks were used for each management system. Animals raised intensively were fed Megathyrsus maximus hay ad libitum, while those reared semi-intensively were allowed to graze freely in a fenced paddock. Their diets were supplemented with a maize grain-based concentrate. Blood samples were collected at the onset of the experiment and fortnightly throughout the 16-week experimental period. Oxidative stress biomarkers in blood were measured and analysed separately for each rearing system using repeated measures analysis. Means of oxidative stress biomarkers measured at the beginning and end of the rainy season were compared using a T-test. Results showed that intensively managed goats had significantly higher levels of bilirubin and uric acid in the early season than in the late rainy season. In semi-intensively managed goats, bilirubin, uric acid, and glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly higher at the start compared with the end of the rainy season. It could be concluded that the antioxidant capacity of WAD goats was greater early in the rainy season compared with the late rainy season under both management systems. Thus, during the early raining season WAD goats tend to have higher antioxidant capacity and, consequently, better immune responses, while the opposite is true during the late rainy season.Keywords: bucks, immune response, seaso

Conversion of Vernonia galamensis oil to pyridinyl-vernolamides and their antimicrobial activities

Vernonia oil obtained by Soxhlet extraction from the seeds of Vernonia galamensis ssp. nairobensis was reacted with 2-aminopyridine, 2-(aminomethyl)pyridine and 2-(aminoethyl)pyridine using a 1:3 mole ratio of vernonia oil to amine at varied temperatures to give the corresponding vernolamides. The expected vernolamide from the reaction of 2-aminopyridine and the oil was not formed. N-(2-pyridinylmethyl)vernolamide and N-(2-pyridinylethyl)vernolamide exhibited antibacterial activity that was shown to be higher against gram-positive (Bacillus subtilis) than gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria. The vernolamides did not show any antifungal activity. KEY WORDS: Vernonia galamensis, 2-Aminopyridine, N-(2-pyridinylmethyl)vernolamide,     N-(2-pyridinylethyl)vernolamide, Antimicrobial activity  Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2007, 21(1), 103-110.