Non-Invasive Physiological Indicators of Heat Stress in Cattle

Cattle are susceptible to heat stress, especially those kept on high levels of nutrition for the purpose of maximising growth rates, which leads to a significant heat increment in their bodies. Consequences include compromised health and productivity and mortalities during extreme events, as well as serious economic loss. Some measures of heat stress, such as plasma cortisol and temperature in the rectum, vagina, or rumen, are invasive and therefore unlikely to be used on farms. These may cause additional stress to the animal due to handling, and that stress in itself can confound the measure. Consequently, it is desirable to find non-invasive alternatives. Panting score (PS), cortisol metabolites in faeces, milk, or hair, and the infrared temperature of external body surfaces are all potentially useful. Respiratory indicators are difficult and time consuming to record accurately, and cortisol metabolites are expensive and technically difficult to analyse. Infrared temperature appears to offer the best solution but requires further research to determine the thresholds that define when corrective actions are required to ensure optimal health and productivity. Research in this area has the potential to ultimately improve the welfare and profitability of cattle farming

Dynamics of endocrine markers and liver enzymes in laying hens after protein and probiotics supplementation in the post-moult phase

Serum lipid profile, hormones and liver enzymes were studied to determine the health status in moulted layers supplemented with protein, probiotics and symbiotics. Four equal groups (n=50 each) as control (CONT; CP16% diet), high protein (HP; CP18% diet), symbiotic (SYM; CP16% diet, symbiotic @ 85mg/L orally) and probiotic (PRO; CP16% diet, probiotic @ 85mg/L orally) were studied. Fifteen birds were slaughtered at 5%, peak and end of post-moult production periods from each group to collect blood. A two-factorial completely randomized design along with the DMR test was applied. The serum was analysed to determine various parameters by commercially available kits. The LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C; mg/dL) and cortisol (mu g/dL) concentration in HP, SYM and PRO and thyroxin (T4; mu g/dL) in PRO and SYM were significantly reduced as compared to CONT. Triiodothyronine (T3; ng/mL) concentration in HP, SYM, PRO; HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C; mg/dL) in HP and AST (U/L) concentration in PRO were significantly increased (P.05) as compared to CONT. The decrease (P.01) in LDL-C and cortisol levels and increase in HDL-C level indicate the reducing effect of these supplementations on stress, whereas an increase in T3 in supplemented birds (HP and PRO) signifies its metabolic boosting impact in post-moult laying hens

Infrared Thermography as a Potential Non-Invasive Tool for Estrus Detection in Cattle and Buffaloes

The productivity of dairy animals has significantly increased over the past few decades due to intense genetic selection. However, the enhanced yield performance of milk animals caused a proportional increase in stress and compromised reproductive efficiency. Optimal reproductive performance is mandatory for the sustainable production of dairy animals. Reproductive efficiency is marked by proper estrus detection and precise breeding to achieve maximum pregnancies. The existing conventional methods of estrus detection are somewhat labor intensive and less efficient. Similarly, the modern automated methods that rely on detecting physical activity are expensive, and their efficiency is affected by factors such as type of housing (tie stall), flooring, and environment. Infrared thermography has recently emerged as a technique that does not depend on monitoring physical activity. Furthermore, infrared thermography is a non-invasive, user-friendly, and stress-free option that aids in the detection of estrus in dairy animals. Infrared thermography has the potential to be considered a useful non-invasive tool for detecting temperature fluctuations to generate estrus alerts without physical contact in cattle and buffaloes. This manuscript highlights the potential use of infrared thermography to understand reproductive physiology and practical implementation of this technique through discussing its advantages, limitations, and possible precautions

An approach towards measurement of sexual behavior in Cholistani service bulls and its association with serum testosterone levels

The present work was conducted with an aim to analyze various sexual behavior attributes for Cholistani service bulls (n = 10) being reared for AI at Semen Production Unit, Karaniwala, Bahawalpur, Pakistan and their relationship with serum testosterone levels.Bulls were divided into two equal groups (n=5 per group) viz. young(2-3 years of age) and adult (4-8 years of age).The exposure tests for assessment of sexual behavior and scoring were performed during semen collection. A total of 40 blood samples, (04 samples per animal;were 20 samples per group)were aseptically collected and used for assessment of serum testosterone concentration through automated immunoanalyser.Amongst the studied behavioral attributes,‘reaction during approach’, ‘sexual interest’ and ‘ejaculate response’ were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher in adults as compared to their young counterparts.Adults had a significantly (P ≤ 0.05) higher testosterone concentration (6.59 ± 0.3ng/mL) as compared to their youngcounterparts (5.34 ± 0.3ng/mL).A positive correlation between serum testosterone concentration and sexual behavior score was noticed both for young and adult bulls, though statistically non-significant (P ≥ 0.05). It is concluded thatthere is a significant difference in sexual behavior attributes and serum testosterone levels of young and adult Cholistani service bulls. This is a first attempt to analyze sexual behavioral attributes of young and adult Cholistani breeding bulls. A time-lined study need to be devised for this breed in future in order to ascertain age of puberty and allied endocrine patterns

Immobilization of fungal cellulase on calcium alginate and xerogel matrix

We conducted a study for immobilization of cellulase produced by Aspergillus tubingensis-IMMIS2 through pre-optimized solid-state fermentation of corn stover. Incredible increment in stability and catalytic activity of the immobilized cellulase was observed. Thermostability of the immobilized cellulase was increased to 82% at 75\ua0°C as compared to that of free cellulase after 26\ua0h of incubation. The cellulase activity was decreased after the 20th day of incubation of the both immobilized and free enzymes. Maximum cellulase activity was achieved at pH 4.5 (174 ± 0.4 U mL min ) and temperature 45\ua0°C (179 ± 0.4 U mL min ) for xerogel matrix. The lowest K value was found for the enzyme immobilized on xerogel as compared to those of\ua0immobilized on calcium alginate and free enzyme. Immobilization of cellulase on calcium alginate and xerogel matrix increased tolerance capacity of the enzyme to 75–82% against different activators and/or inhibitors like EDTA, SDS, Co , Ca and Hg . The immobilized cellulase also revealed good fruit saccharification and yielded increased juice volume and hence proved to be a suitable candidate for biotechnological and industrial applications