Estimation of Total Saponins and Evaluate Their Effect on in vitro Methanogenesis and Rumen Fermentation Pattern in Wheat Straw Based Diet

The present experiment was carried out to estimate the total saponins and evaluate their effect on methanogenesis and rumen fermentation by in vitro gas production techniques. Three plant material, rough chaff tree seed (Achyranthus aspara, T1), gokhru seed (Tribulus terrestris, T2) and Siris seed (Albizia lebbeck, T3) were selected for present study. The total saponins content in T1, T2 and T3 were 45.75, 25.65 and 48.26% (w/w), respectively. Three levels of each saponins (3, 6 and 9% on DM basis) and wheat straw based (50R:50C) medium fiber diet (200±10 mg) were used for the evaluation of their effect on methanogenesis and rumen fermentation pattern. Results showed the maximum methane reduction (49.66% in term of mM/gDDM) and acetate propionate ration (35.08%) were found in T1 at 6 and 3% levels. Result show that propionate production (mM/ml) was increased; protozoa population decreased (75%) significantly on addition with T3 at 6% level. No significant variation was found in dry matter digestibility in all cases. The present results demonstrate that total saponins extracted from different herbal plants are a promising rumen modifying agent. They have the potential to modulate the methane production, dry matter digestibility and microbial biomass synthesis

Knowledge and factors affecting initiation of breast feeding in post-natal mothers in a tertiary care center

Background: The study was planned to evaluate awareness of breast feeding among mother, institutional quality indicators of early breast feeding. The objective was to know factors causing delay in breast feeding initiation, to assess knowledge, cultural practices, and quality indicators of hospital regarding breast feeding initiative.Methods: The observational study was conducted over a period of 3months from July 2017-Sept 2017 in a tertiary care centre of India. 118 postnatal mothers were interviewed for time of first breast feeding (dependent variable or outcome), and independent variables age, education , religion, parity, occupation of mother, antenatal visits, prelacteal feeds, customs of not breast feeding, duration of labour, mode of delivery, sedation, pain after delivery, baby over mother abdomen after birth, institutional quality indicators-knowledge of breast feeding given by doctor /nurses, relatives, self reading, mothers with correct attachment and position of baby during breast feeding and separation of mother and baby post delivery.Results: Mean time of initiation of breast feeding was 1340.262min after birth. Prelacteal feeds, lack of education, cesarean deliveries, parity of mother, sedation, anesthesia during cesarean and lack of counselling by staff nurses were found to have early increased time of initiation of breast feeding.Conclusions: Great lacuna in knowledge, attitude and practice of early breast feeding of mother

New aspects and strategies for methane mitigation from ruminants

The growing demand for sustainable animal production is compelling researchers to explore the potential approaches to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases from livestock that are mainly produced by enteric fermentation. Some potential solutions, for instance, the use of chemical inhibitors to reduce methanogenesis, are not feasible in routine use due to their toxicity to ruminants, inhibition of efficient rumen function or other transitory effects. Strategies, such as use of plant secondary metabolites and dietary manipulations have emerged to reduce the methane emission, but these still require extensive research before these can be recommended and deployed in the livestock industry sector. Furthermore, immunization vaccines for methanogens and phages are also under investigation for mitigation of enteric methanogenesis. The increasing knowledge of methanogenic diversity in rumen, DNA sequencing technologies and bioinformatics have paved the way for chemogenomic strategies by targeting methane producers. Chemogenomics will help in finding target enzymes and proteins, which will further assist in the screening of natural as well chemical inhibitors. The construction of a methanogenic gene catalogue through these approaches is an attainable objective. This will lead to understand the microbiome function, its relation with the host and feeds, and therefore, will form the basis of practically viable and eco-friendly methane mitigation approaches, while improving the ruminant productivity

Effect of isolate of ruminal fibrolytic bacterial culture supplementation on fibrolytic bacterial population and survivability of inoculated bacterial strain in lactating Murrah buffaloes

Aim: The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of bacterial culture supplementation on ruminal fibrolytic bacterial population as well as on survivability of inoculated bacterial strain in lactating Murrah buffaloes kept on high fibre diet. Materials and Methods: Fibrolytic bacterial strains were isolated from rumen liquor of fistulated Murrah buffaloes and live bacterial culture were supplemented orally in treatment group of lactating Murrah buffaloes fed on high fibre diet to see it's effect on ruminal fibrolytic bacterial population as well as to see the effect of survivability of the inoculated bacterial strain at three different time interval in comparison to control group. Results: It has been shown by real time quantification study that supplementation of bacterial culture orally increases the population of major fibre degrading bacteria i.e. Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Ruminococcus albus as well as Fibrobacter succinogenes whereas there was decrease in secondary fibre degrading bacterial population i.e. Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens over the different time periods. However, the inoculated strain of Ruminococcus flavefaciens survived significantly over the period of time, which was shown in stability of increased inoculated bacterial population. Conclusion: The isolates of fibrolytic bacterial strains are found to be useful in increasing the number of major ruminal fibre degrading bacteria in lactating buffaloes and may act as probiotic in large ruminants on fibre-based diets. [Vet World 2013; 6(1.000): 14-17

Maturational alterations in constitutive activity of medial prefrontal cortex kappa-opioid receptors in Wistar rats

Opioid receptors can display spontaneous agonist-independent G-protein signaling (basal signaling/constitutive activity). While constitutive κ-opioid receptor (KOR) activity has been documented in vitro, it remains unknown if KORs are constitutively active in native systems. Using [(35) S] guanosine 5'-O-[gamma-thio] triphosphate coupling assay that measures receptor functional state, we identified the presence of medial prefrontal cortex KOR constitutive activity in young rats that declined with age. Furthermore, basal signaling showed an age-related decline and was insensitive to neutral opioid antagonist challenge. Collectively, the present data are first to demonstrate age-dependent alterations in the medial prefrontal cortex KOR constitutive activity in rats and changes in the constitutive activity of KORs can differentially impact KOR ligand efficacy. These data provide novel insights into the functional properties of the KOR system and warrant further consideration of KOR constitutive activity in normal and pathophysiological behavior. Opioid receptors exhibit agonist-independent constitutive activity; however, kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) constitutive activity has not been demonstrated in native systems. Our results confirm KOR constitutive activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) that declines with age. With the ability to presynaptically inhibit multiple neurotransmitter systems in the mPFC, maturational or patho-logical alterations in constitutive activity could disrupt corticofugal glutamatergic pyramidal projection neurons mediating executive function. Regulation of KOR constitutive activity could serve as a therapeutic target to treat compromised executive function

Uticaj parametara konstrukcije na mehaničko ubiranje šargarepe

The effect of design parameters on mechanical harvesting of carrot were studied by conducting experiments on a test set-up having provision to vary design variables. The test set-up consists of digging unit and soil separation unit. Design parameters - Rake angle, soil separator length and angle of soil separator were evaluated at an optimum soil moisture content of 12%. Performance parameters like percentage of carrots harvested, carrots damaged, soil separation index and power requirement were measured at different levels of design parameters and design values of different components were determined. The maximum percentage of carrots harvesting of 97.4% at 60 cm length of soil separator, rake angle of 25° and 20° angle of soil separator. Minimum percentage of carrots damage of 4.87% was obtained at 40 cm length of soil separator and 20° soil separator angle. Carrots damaged obtained in the range of 4.63 to 4.97% between 25° and 35° rake angle. The soil separation index was most affected by length and angle of soil separator. A minimum soil separation index of 0.23 can be obtained at 80 cm and 20° of length and angle of soil separator, respectively. An average power requirement for the operation of carrot harvester at a speed of 2.3 km•h-1 was 4.44, 5.3 and 5.75 kW at 15°, 25° and 35° of rake angle.Uticaj parametara konstrukcije na mehaničko ubiranje šargarepe proučavan je izvođenjem ogleda na test modelu uz promene vrednosti promenljivih veličina. Model za testiranje se sasoji od kopača i jedinice za izdvajanje zemlje. Parametri konstrukcije – ugao grablji, dužina separatora zemlje i njegov ugao su ocenjivani pri optimalnoj vlažnosti zemljišta od 12%. Parametri kao što su procenat ubranih šargarepa, oštećene šargarepe, indeks odvajanja zemlje i porebna snaga su mereni na različitim nivoima i određene su vrednosti različitih komponenti. Maksimalni procenat ubranih šargarepa od od 97.4% sa dužinom separatora od 60 cm, uglom grablji od 25° i uglom separatora od 20°. Minimalni procenat oštećenja šargarepa od 4.87% bio je postignut sa dužinom separatora od 40 cm i uglom separatora od 20°. Oštećenja šargarepa nalazila su se u opsegu od 4.63 do 4.97%, sa uglom grablji od 25° do 35°. Na indeks izdvajanja zemlje najviše su uticali dužina i ugao separatora zemlje. Minimalni indeks separacije od 0.23 se može ostvariti dužinom i uglom separatora od 80 cm i 20°, redom. Prosečna potrebna snaga za rad kombajna za šargarepu, pri radnoj brzini od 2.3 km•h-1, bio je 4.44, 5.3 i 5.75 kW za uglove grablji od 15°, 25° i 35°