Reproductive Performance of Imported Jersey Cows in Malaysia

Several criteria of reproductive efficiency for 102 imported pregnant Jersey heifers were analysed from April 1978 to December 1980 at the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Serdang. Significant differences in the reproductive efficiency was observed among the three reproductive periods (RP). An outbreak of babesiosis was a major cause of mortality in the pregnant heifers within a month of importation. Abortions (33.3 %), the major reproductive disorder in RP 1, was associated with either heat stress and/or babesiosis. Calving to oestrus,calving to conception and calving interval for RP 2 was 75.1 ± 3.1; 228.3 ± 12.1 and 507.9 ± 12.1 days respectively while for RP 3 , it was 38.8 ± 3.5; 94.6 ± 8.4; and 352.3 ± 5.8 days respectively. Mean services per conception was 4002 ± 0.3 and 1.93 ± 0.2 for RP 2 and RP 3 respectively. Conception rates (CR) for all services were correlated (p< 0.01) with minimum temperature, (r = -0.89). maximum temperature, (r = -0.95) and humidity, (r = -0.94). At the average temperature-humidity index (THI) below 76.5 on the day of insemination, the CR for 89 cows waS 64% compared to 14% for 325 cows bred at THI above 76.5. The THI for the day of insemination was found to be most critical to conception. The influence of environmental temperature and relative humidity on CR was studied in 27 Jersey cows calving normally. Cows after insemination were assigned to one of three environment conditions: (a) in paddock, (b) in shed, (c) in shed with water sprinkling. Highest environmental temperature and rectal temperature was recorded in cows in the paddocks and lowest in animals kept in Shed with water sprinkling. Relative humidity was highest in the shed with water sprinkling. Conception rate was 0% (paddock); 56% (shed) and 78% (in shed with water sprinkling). Oestrous cycle lengths were shorter (16.5 ± 0.4 days) for cows in the paddock compared to those in the sheds (20. 5 + 0.3 days) . The present study indicated that high environmental temperature and humidity was associated with the reduced fertility in Jersey cows. However, the reproductive performance of Jersey cows improved as they adapted to the tropical climate. Protecting cows from any factor causing an elevated rectal temperature around the time of insemination improved conception rates

Phytochemical, Pharmacological And Pharmacokinetic Studies Of Phyllanthus Niruri Linn Lignans As Potential Antihyperuricemic Agents [QK861. V694 2008 f rb].

Ekstrak metanol dari daun Phyllanthus niruri L. menunjukkan aktiviti antihiperurisemik oral yang bergantungan dos di dalam tikus hiperurisemia yang diaruh dengan kalium oksonat dan asid urik. The methanol extract from the leaves of Phyllanthus niruri L. showed dose-dependent oral antihyperuricemic activity in potassium oxonate- and uric acid-induced hyperuricemic rats. Fractionation of the extract by resin chromatography gave a less polar fraction which exhibited the highest reduction of plasma uric acid

Lactational Failure in Sahiwal Friesian Cows

Sahiwa1 Friesian cows have been bred specifica1ly for dairying in Malaysia for the past 20 years but there still exist a proportion of these cows having a lactation period less than 60 days of milk production. The aim of this project was to determine the physiologica1 incidence and characteristics of lactation persistency and to identify factors that might be responsible for cessation of milk secretion in lactational failure cows (LF). The study on the milking characteristics exhibited a high residua1 milk volume in early lactation, which increased with stage of lactation in the LF cows. Milk storage studies in the udder indicated there was no significant difference in the characteristics of milk distribution between a1veolar lumina and gland cistern with time after milking between the norma1 and LF cows. This indicated that retention of residual milking after milking was more likely to be a consequence of a defective neuroendocrine letdown reflex, perhaps involving insufficient systemic oxytocin or mammary insensitivity to oxytocin. Analysis of the metabolic activity of the mammary epithelial (milk secreting) cells and estimation of mammary cell numbers suggested that the lactational failure in the Sahiwal Friesian cows was due, at a cellular level, to loss of a proportion of the secretory epithelial cell population. This finding indicates premature involution of the mammary gland in the LF cows. Prolactin measurements during the early lactation showed that there was no evidence of differences between normal and LF cows. It was only after the fourth week onwards of lactation, that there was a steady decrease in prolactin levels in the lactational failure cows. Therefore, it appears unlikely that an inherent deficiency in prolactin secretion in LF cows, apparent from the first weeks post partum, had compromised mammary development and so precipitated lactational failure. In conclusion, the results obtained in this project suggest that a principal cause of lactation failure in Sahiwal Friesian cows is a progressive increase in the proportion of milk left in the gland after milking. Oxytocin treatment may alleviate the problem if residual milk is primarily a consequence of restricted oxytocin release at milking. The roles of other galactopoietic hormones remain to be established

Body weight and body conformation of Cyprus Shami and Boer goats in Malaysia

Thirty Boer and 30 Cyprus Shami goats were measured for their body weights, height at withers, body length and heart girth. Each breed was divided into three age groups: group 1 (6-12 months old), group 2 (12-18 months old) and group 3 (more than 18 months old). Means for linear body measurements according to age groups were compared between Shami and Boer goats. There was a highly significant differences (p<0.005) between Boer and Cyprus Shami goats in term of each body measurement and body weight. In the present study, to predict the body weight of Cyprus Shami goat, the combination of three parameters of linear body conformation can be used

Haematological and histopathological evaluation of dried kacangma (Leonurus sibiricus) in New Zealand White rabbits

Kacangma (Leonurus sibiricus L.) is a popular traditional herb that has been consumed for decades by the people of Sarawak as herbal medicine and culinary ingredient. This study was conducted to evaluate the toxicity of kacangma herb on New Zealand White male and female rabbits through subchronic studies. Effects of kacangma herb intake at the level of 0.5, 5.0 and 25.0 g/kg body weight was evaluated for 90 days with focus on hematological and histopathological studies. The haematological study revealed no significant changes in all parameters studied i.e. heamoglobin, red blood cell value, white blood cell value, packed cell volume, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin and mean cell haemoglobin concentration. Vice versa, in the histophatological study, administration of dried kacangma herb at medium and high dose was found to cause adverse effects on histopathological structure in liver and kidney of both male and female rabbits. However, since low dose group showed no significant differences to the control group, therefore it is considered safe and less chance of developing toxicity if the herb is consumed at the low dose of 0.5 g/kg body weight as observed throughout the 90 days period of subchronic study

Development, validation, and application of HPLC method for quantification of antihyperuricemic compounds from Lippia nodiflora in rat plasma

AbstractAn HPLC method for simultaneous determination of arenarioside (1 ), verbascoside (2), 6-hydroxyluteolin (3), 6-hydroxyluteolin-7-O-glycoside (4), and nodifloretin (5) from Lippia nodiflora in rat plasma was developed and validated. The optimal chromatographic separation was achieved with a gradient mobile phase comprising 0.1% aqueous acetic acid and acetonitrile. The limit of detection was 78.1 ng/mL for 3 and 39.1 ng/mL for the other compounds (signal-to-noise ratio=3), whereas the limit of quantification was 312.5 ng/mL for 3 and 156.3 ng/mL for the other compounds (signal-to-noise ratio=12). The recovery values of compounds 1–5 ranged from 89.37–100.92%. Their accuracy values were between 96.48 and 105.81%, while their corresponding precision values were in the range of 0.75–9.06% for both intraday and inter-day analysis. The method was then applied in the first pharmacokinetic study of 1–5. Following intravenous administration, 1–5 were eliminated slowly from the body with a mean clearance value of 0.11, 0.13, 0.30, 0.09, and 0.23 L/kg h, respectively. Meanwhile, their peak plasma concentration upon oral administration was 8.97, 1.07, 1.06, 0.65, and 0.38 µg/mL, respectively. Compound 3 (5.97%) exhibited the highest absolute oral bioavailability value, followed by 1 (5.22%), 4 (3.13%), 2 (2.10%), and 5 (0.93%)

Relationship between body weight and linear body measurements in boer goats.

Fifty-five Boer goats from a private farm located at Kg Pulau Meranti, Mukim Dengkil, Puchong, Selangor was sampled to examine the relationship between body weight and linear body measurements (body length, height at withers and heart girth). The goats were of four age groups: Group 1 (4-12 mo), Group 2 (13-18 mo), Group 3 (19-24 mo) and Group 4 (25-36 mo). Body weight and linear body measurements (body length, height at withers and heart girth) were taken during a 7-d period in December 2010. The body weight and linear body measurements were not significantly (p>0.05) different between male and female goats but were significantly(p<0.05) different among age groups. Male goats were heavier in weight, longer in body length, taller in height at withers and larger in heart girth compared to the female goats. Pearson’s coefficient of correlation showed positive, high and significant correlation between body weight and linear body measurements and also among the body measurements.A simple linear regression equation with a high coefficient of determination (R² = 0.948) using heart girth to predict body weight of Boer goats was also derive

Comparative Analysis of Lycorine in Wild Plant and Callus Culture Samples of Hymenocallis littoralis by HPLC-UV Method

The Hymenocallis littoralis, an ornamental and medicinal plant, had been traditionally used for wound healing. In the present study, an analytical method using HPLC with ultraviolet detection was developed for the quantification of lycorine in the extracts of different parts of wild plant and tissue culture samples of H. littoralis.The separationwas achieved using a reversed-phase column. The method was found to be accurate, repeatable, and sensitive for the quantification of minute amount of lycorine present in the samples. The highest lycorine content was found in the bulb extract (2.54 ± 0.0

Occurrence of Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter spp. in goats

Arcobacter spp. and Campylobacter spp. belong to the family Campylobacteraceae but they differ in that Arcobacter can grow at temperature below 30°C and aerotolerance. Campylobacter is a zoonotic foodborne pathogen and can be divided into thermophilic and non-thermophilc Campylobacter. Thermophilic Campylobacter has become a major cause of bacterial gastroenteritis. Arcobacter is an emerging group of zoonotic foodborne and waterborne pathogens in which there are about 13 recognised species. To date, limited studies have been done in Malaysia to determine the occurrence of these bacteria in goats. Twenty goats each from 3 different goat farms in Selangor, Malaysia were randomly selected. Two sets of rectal swabs were collected from each goat. One set of the rectal swab was placed in Cary Blair transport medium and the other set agitated in Arcobacter broth. Isolation and identification were done in order to isolate Campylobacter and Arcobacter spp. from the samples. For Campylobacter spp., the samples were cultured via direct plating to the CCDA. Out of the 60 goats, 9 (15%) goats were positive for Campylobacter spp. of which 5 (8.33%) were C. jejuni and 4 (6.67%) were C. coli. For Arcobacter spp., enrichment in Arcobacter broth followed by culture on the blood agar was done. Nine (15%) goats were found positive for Arcobacter spp. This study showed that the occurrence of Campylobacter spp. and Arcobacter spp. in goats were low, but prevention and control measures are still needed to be taken into consideration because both bacteria have zoonotic importance

Prevalence of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida in goats from selected farms in Selangor, Malaysia

Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida are natural inhabitants of the upper respiratory tract of healthy animals and can cause pneumonic pasteurellosis in stressed animals. Healthy animals are able to control the multiplication of these bacteria and the inhaled bacteria, if they migrate to the lungs, will be cleared by the host defense mechanisms. Stress and other infections will cause the breakdown of the host defense mechanisms. These will lead to multiplication of the bacteria and colonisation of the lungs. Outbreaks of pneumonia occur in 10 to 14 days post-stress exposure. These bacteria are gram-negative, facultative anaerobes and have rod-shaped morphology. The special characteristic of these bacteria is that they show bipolar staining characteristic under Giemsa and Wright’s stains. Mannheimia haemolytica is haemolytic on blood agar and O-nitrophenyl-β, D-galactopyranoside (ONPG) positive while Pasteurella multocida is non-haemolytic on blood agar and ONPG negative. Ninety six (96) nasopharyngeal swab samples were taken from 4 goat farms in Selangor, Malaysia and bacterial isolation and identification were carried out. Presumptive isolates were identified by biochemical tests. Out of the 96 samples, 3 were positive for Mannheimia haemolytica and 11 positive for Pasteurella multocida. This gives a 3.13% and 11.46% prevalence rate for Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella mutocida, respectively. The antibiotic sensitivity tests done on both isolates showed 29% were resistant to streptomycin and 21% resistant to compound sulfonamide. All isolates were sensitive to ampicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid whilst 93% was sensitive to oxytetracycline and enrofloxacin. Even with low prevalence of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida, it is important to control and prevent their infections and also to prevent further development of antimicrobial resistance as the disease is associated with these bacteria and have high economic impact