EVALUATION OF SUPPLEMENTING HERBAL PRODUCT TO SOWS FOR IMPROVING LITTER WEIGHT AND REDUCING PIGLET MORTALITY

Objective: To examine the impact of the herbal product in improving litter weight, reducing piglet mortality and increasing milk production in sows.Methods: 20 sows which were in their late gestation period were randomly divided into two groups (n=10). Group T0 sows served as no treatment control group, and T1 group sows were supplemented with herbal galactagogue premix, Payapro (M/S Ayurvet Ltd., Baddi) administered for 5 d prior to farrowing and & 10 d post farrowing.Results: The analyses of result revealed that the postpartum milk yield (Approximately for 2 mo) was found to be increased in Payapro supplemented group (166 liters) in comparison to control group (103.5 liters). A significant reduction in mortality in Payapro supplemented group was evident at the time of weaning. Mean piglet weight was improved in the treatment group by 38.8%. Average litter size was also more in Payapro supplemented group (8.6) than the control group (7.7).Conclusion: Payapro premix can enhance the sow productivity in terms of milk production and number of. pigs produced per litter.Keywords: Galactogogue, Mean piglet weight, Average mortalityÂ

PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT IN LAYER BIRDS SUPPLEMENTED WITH HERBAL LIVER TONIC AND ANTISTRESSOR PRODUCT DURING SUMMER STRESS

Objective: The present study was designed to study the efficacy of herbal liver tonic product Superliv liquid (M/S Ayurvet Limited) on overall performance in layer birds during summer stress.Methods: Seventy-two commercial layer strain BV300 were randomly divided into three groups. Each group was subdivided into three replicates (n=8). Group T0, the control group, supplemented with commercial layer mash only. In Group T1 commercial layer mash supplemented with synthetic vitamin C at 100 gm/tonne of feed and group T2 commercial layer supplemented with herbal liver tonic-Superliv Liquid at 10 ml/100birds/day (M/S Ayurvet Limited). The layer performance parameters like feed consumption, feed efficiency, egg weight, egg production and egg quality were studied.Results: Feed efficiency was also found to be improved in Superliv liquid supplemented group T2. Significant (p<0.05) improvement in egg weight and egg production in Superliv liquid supplemented group T2. Serum cortisol level was also significantly reduced in group T2 birds after Superliv liquid supplementation.Conclusion: From the overall study, it was concluded that the supplementation synthetic vitamin C as well as herbal liver tonic Superliv liquid at the levels studied in the experiment found to be beneficial to improve the performance parameters like feed efficiency, egg weight, egg production in laying hens during summer stress.Keywords: Herbal liver tonic, Synthetic vitamin C, Layer performance, Summer stres

Genetic structure of the rattan Calamus thwaitesii in core, buffer and peripheral regions of three protected areas in central Western Ghats, India: do protected areas serve as refugia for genetic resources of economically important plants?

Given the increasing anthropogenic pressures on forests, the various protected areas-national parks, sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves-serve as the last footholds for conserving biological diversity. However, because protected areas are often targeted for the conservation of selected species, particularly charismatic animals, concerns have been raised about their effectiveness in conserving nontarget taxa and their genetic resources. In this paper, we evaluate whether protected areas can serve as refugia for genetic resources of economically important plants that are threatened due to extraction pressures. We examine the population structure and genetic diversity of an economically important rattan, Calamus thwaitesii, in the core, buffer and peripheral regions of three protected areas in the central Western Ghats, southern India. Our results indicate that in all the three protected areas, the core and buffer regions maintain a better population structure, as well as higher genetic diversity, than the peripheral regions of the protected area. Thus, despite the escalating pressures of extraction, the protected areas are effective in conserving the genetic resources of rattan. These results underscore the importance of protected areas in conservation of nontarget species and emphasize the need to further strengthen the protected-area network to offer refugia for economically important plant species

AN ORAL FEED STRATEGY IN SHEEP FOR IMPROVED DIGESTIBILITY, NUTRIENT UTILIZATION AND METHANE MITIGATION

Objective: A trial was conducted to study the efficacy of herbal formulation Ruchamax (M/S Ayurvet Limited, India) on digestibility and nutrient utilization in Deccani sheep.Methods: 12 growing healthy Deccani sheep (5-6 months) were randomly divided into 2 groups. Control Group I (T0) was not given any treatment. Group II (T­1) supplemented with Ruchamax (appetite stimulant and digestive tonic). The test herbal formulation was mixed in the concentrate feed as per the recommendations. Parameters like body weight, plasma cortisol level, blood enzyme estimation, feed analysis, nitrogen balance, methane estimation and carcass quality traits were studied.Results: Statistically (P<0.05) Ruchamax supplemented group had significantly superior average daily gain (g) than that of control. DMI, Dry matter digestibility and FCR of Ruchamax supplemented group were significantly (P<0.05) improved. The maximum nitrogen balance was obtained in Ruchamax supplemented group T1. Significantly (P<0.05) lower level of cortisol in Ruchamax supplemented animals confirmed the increased resilience of animal towards stress. The Ruchamax supplemented group T1 emitted significantly less methane as compared to control group T0. Animals belonging to Ruchamax supplemented group T1 had significantly higher dressing % as compared to control group T0. The enzymatic values in both groups were under normal physiological level.Conclusion: The herbal appetite stimulant and digestive tonic Ruchamax was found to be safe for usage and efficient to improve digestibility, nutrient utility, performance traits in sheep alongwith added benefit of its methane mitigating potential.Â

Do Ecological Niche Model Predictions Reflect the Adaptive Landscape of Species?: A Test Using Myristica malabarica Lam., an Endemic Tree in the Western Ghats, India

Ecological niche models (ENM) have become a popular tool to define and predict the “ecological niche” of a species. An implicit assumption of the ENMs is that the predicted ecological niche of a species actually reflects the adaptive landscape of the species. Thus in sites predicted to be highly suitable, species would have maximum fitness compared to in sites predicted to be poorly suitable. As yet there are very few attempts to address this assumption. Here we evaluate this assumption. We used Bioclim (DIVA GIS version 7.3) and Maxent (version 3.3.2) to predict the habitat suitability of Myristica malabarica Lam., an economically important tree occurring in the Western Ghats, India. We located populations of the trees naturally occurring in different habitat suitability regimes (from highly suitable to poorly suitable) and evaluated them for their regeneration ability and genetic diversity. We also evaluated them for two plant functional traits, fluctuating asymmetry – an index of genetic homeostasis, and specific leaf weight – an index of primary productivity, often assumed to be good surrogates of fitness. We show a significant positive correlation between the predicted habitat quality and plant functional traits, regeneration index and genetic diversity of populations. Populations at sites predicted to be highly suitable had a higher regeneration and gene diversity compared to populations in sites predicted to be poor or unsuitable. Further, individuals in the highly suitable sites exhibited significantly less fluctuating asymmetry and significantly higher specific leaf weight compared to individuals in the poorly suitable habitats. These results for the first time provide an explicit test of the ENM with respect to the plant functional traits, regeneration ability and genetic diversity of populations along a habitat suitability gradient. We discuss the implication of these resultsfor designing viable species conservation and restoration programs.This study was supported with grants to JG and USR from the North-South Center, ETH Zurich, Switzerland and a grant awarded to RG and USR from the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), New Delhi

Ecological niche modeling for conservation planning of an endemic snail in the verge of becoming a pest in cardamom plantations in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot

Conservation managers and policy makers are often confronted with a challenging dilemma of devising suitable strategies to maintain agricultural productivity while conserving endemic species that at the early stages of becoming pests of agricultural crops. Identification of environmental factors conducive to species range expansion for forecasting species distribution patterns will play a central role in devising management strategies to minimize the conflict between the agricultural productivity and biodiversity conservation. Here, we present results of a study that predicts the distribution of Indrella ampulla, a snail endemic to the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, which is becoming a pest in cardamom (Ellettaria cardamomum) plantations. We determined the distribution patterns and niche overlap between I. ampulla and Ellettaria cardamomum using maximum entropy (MaxEnt) niche modeling techniques under current and future (2020–2080) climatic scenarios. The results showed that climatic (precipitation of coldest quarter and isothermality) and soil (cation exchange capacity of soil [CEC]) parameters are major factors that determine the distribution of I. ampulla in Western Ghats. The model predicted cardamom cultivation areas in southern Western Ghats are highly sensitive to invasion of I. ampulla under both present and future climatic conditions. While the land area in the central Western Ghats is predicted to become unsuitable for I. ampulla and Ellettaria cardamomum in future, we found 71% of the Western Ghats land area is suitable for Ellettaria cardamomum cultivation and 45% suitable for I. ampulla, with an overlap of 35% between two species. The resulting distribution maps are invaluable for policy makers and conservation managers to design and implement management strategies minimizing the conflicts to sustain agricultural productivity while maintaining biodiversity in the region

Large-scale whole-genome resequencing unravels the domestication history of Cannabis sativa.

Cannabis sativa has long been an important source of fiber extracted from hemp and both medicinal and recreational drugs based on cannabinoid compounds. Here, we investigated its poorly known domestication history using whole-genome resequencing of 110 accessions from worldwide origins. We show that C. sativa was first domesticated in early Neolithic times in East Asia and that all current hemp and drug cultivars diverged from an ancestral gene pool currently represented by feral plants and landraces in China. We identified candidate genes associated with traits differentiating hemp and drug cultivars, including branching pattern and cellulose/lignin biosynthesis. We also found evidence for loss of function of genes involved in the synthesis of the two major biochemically competing cannabinoids during selection for increased fiber production or psychoactive properties. Our results provide a unique global view of the domestication of C. sativa and offer valuable genomic resources for ongoing functional and molecular breeding research

Genetic Structure, Diversity and Long Term Viability of a Medicinal Plant, Nothapodytes nimmoniana Graham. (Icacinaceae), in Protected and Non-Protected Areas in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot

Background and Question The harvesting of medicinal plants from wild sources is escalating in many parts of the world, compromising the long-term survival of natural populations of medicinally important plants and sustainability of sources of raw material to meet pharmaceutical industry needs. Although protected areas are considered to play a central role in conservation of plant genetic resources, the effectiveness of protected areas for maintaining medicinal plant populations subject to intense harvesting pressure remain largely unknown. We conducted genetic and demographic studies of Nothapodytes nimmoniana Graham, one of the extensively harvested medicinal plant species in the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, India to assess the effectiveness of protected areas in long-term maintenance of economically important plant species. Methodology/Principal Findings The analysis of adults and seedlings of N. nimmoniana in four protected and four non-protected areas using 7 nuclear microsatellite loci revealed that populations that are distributed within protected areas are subject to lower levels of harvesting and maintain higher genetic diversity (He = 0.816, Ho = 0.607, A = 18.857) than populations in adjoining non-protected areas (He = 0.781, Ho = 0.511, A = 15.571). Furthermore, seedlings in protected areas had significantly higher observed heterozygosity (Ho = 0.630) and private alleles as compared to seedlings in adjoining non-protected areas (Ho = 0.426). Most populations revealed signatures of recent genetic bottleneck. The prediction of long-term maintenance of genetic diversity using BOTTLESIM indicated that current population sizes of the species are not sufficient to maintain 90% of present genetic diversity for next 100 years. Conclusions/Significance Overall, these results highlight the need for establishing more protected areas encompassing a large number of adult plants in the Western Ghats to conserve genetic diversity of economically and medicinally important plant species

Phosphoproteomics of retinoblastoma:A pilot study identifies aberrant kinases

Retinoblastoma is a malignant tumour of the retina which most often occurs in children. Earlier studies on retinoblastoma have concentrated on the identification of key players in the disease and have not provided information on activated/inhibited signalling pathways. The dysregulation of protein phosphorylation in cancer provides clues about the affected signalling cascades in cancer. Phosphoproteomics is an ideal tool for the study of phosphorylation changes in proteins. Hence, global phosphoproteomics of retinoblastoma (RB) was carried out to identify signalling events associated with this cancer. Over 350 proteins showed differential phosphorylation in RB compared to control retina. Our study identified stress response proteins to be hyperphosphorylated in RB which included H2A histone family member X (H2AFX) and sirtuin 1. In particular, Ser140 of H2AFX also known as gamma-H2AX was found to be hyperphosphorylated in retinoblastoma, which indicated the activation of DNA damage response pathways. We also observed the activation of anti-apoptosis in retinoblastoma compared to control. These observations showed the activation of survival pathways in retinoblastoma. The identification of hyperphosphorylated protein kinases including Bromodomain containing 4 (BRD4), Lysine deficient protein kinase 1 (WNK1), and Cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1) in RB opens new avenues for the treatment of RB. These kinases can be considered as probable therapeutic targets for RB, as small-molecule inhibitors for some of these kinases are already in clinical trials for the treatment other cancers