Antifertility effect of bait containing Carica papaya L. seed powder in male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis (Gray and Hardwicke)

448-457In rodent control exercise, after successful control with rodenticides, the surviving population often rebuild up themselves rapidly due to reduced competition and high rate of reproduction. In this context, here, we investigated the potential of papaya (Carica papaya L.) seed powder as a natural reproduction inhibitor for male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis (Gray and Hardwicke) in reducing the post control population rebuild up rate. Exposure of male B.bengalensis to cereal based bait containing 2, 3 and 5% papaya seed powder for 15 and 30 days durations in bi-choicelaboratory feeding tests resulted in the ingestion of total 7.14-18.15 and 13.74-41.25 g/kg body wt. of the active ingredient,respectively. Breeding performance of treated rats was 33.33 and 16.67% after treatment with 5% papaya seed powder for15 and 30 days, respectively. Autopsy of rats immediately after treatment withdrawal revealed a significant decrease inweights of testis, cauda epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate gland. Sperm motility, sperm viability and sperm countwere found reduced and sperm abnormality increased significantly in the cauda epididymal fluid of treated rats as comparedto untreated rats. The total proteins, 17β-HSD, 3β-HSD and testosterone levels were also found decreased in treated rats ascompared to untreated rats. All the changes observed in treated rats showed partial or no recovery after 30 days of treatmentwithdrawal. The study suggests the potential of papaya seed powder in regulating fertility of male B. bengalensis which maybe exploited as a component of integrated rodent pest management

Reproductive Toxicity of Triptolide in Male House Rat, Rattus rattus

The aim of study was to investigate the toxic effect of triptolide fed in bait on reproduction of male house rat, Rattus rattus. Feeding of cereal based bait containing 0.2% triptolide to male R. rattus for 5 days in no-choice feeding test, leading to mean daily ingestion of 20.45 mg/kg bw of triptolide, was found effective in significantly (P≤0.05) reducing sperm motility and viability in cauda epididymal fluid by 80.65 and 75.14%, respectively, from that of untreated rats. Pregnancy rates were decreased by 100% in untreated cyclic female rats paired with male rats treated with 0.2% triptolide. Present studies suggest the potential of 0.2% triptolide bait in regulating reproductive output of R. rattus

Antifertility effect of bait containing Carica papaya L. seed powder in male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis (Gray and Hardwicke)

In rodent control exercise, after successful control with rodenticides, the surviving population often rebuild up themselves rapidly due to reduced competition and high rate of reproduction. In this context, here, we investigated the potential of papaya (Carica papaya L.) seed powder as a natural reproduction inhibitor for male lesser bandicoot rat, Bandicota bengalensis (Gray and Hardwicke) in reducing the post control population rebuild up rate. Exposure of male B. bengalensis to cereal based bait containing 2, 3 and 5% papaya seed powder for 15 and 30 days durations in bi-choice laboratory feeding tests resulted in the ingestion of total 7.14-18.15 and 13.74-41.25 g/kg body wt. of the active ingredient, respectively. Breeding performance of treated rats was 33.33 and 16.67% after treatment with 5% papaya seed powder for 15 and 30 days, respectively. Autopsy of rats immediately after treatment withdrawal revealed a significant decrease in weights of testis, cauda epididymis, seminal vesicles and prostate gland. Sperm motility, sperm viability and sperm count were found reduced and sperm abnormality increased significantly in the cauda epididymal fluid of treated rats as compared to untreated rats. The total proteins, 17β-HSD, 3β-HSD and testosterone levels were also found decreased in treated rats as compared to untreated rats. All the changes observed in treated rats showed partial or no recovery after 30 days of treatment withdrawal. The study suggests the potential of papaya seed powder in regulating fertility of male B. bengalensis which may be exploited as a component of integrated rodent pest management

Impact of village level education and training on adoption of control strategies, their sustainability and reduction in crop losses

The present study was conducted to assess the impact of village level education and training on adoption of control strategies, their sustainability and reduction in crop losses in Kapurthala and Jalandhar districts of Punjab, India. Three villages selected in each district were categorized as (i) Maintenance area (ii) Neglected area, and (iii) Survey area. In maintenance area, proper education and training was imparted to farmers along with free distribution of rodenticide baits. Similar activities were done in neglected area but rodenticide baits were not distributed among the farmers. The survey area was kept as reference area where neither education was provided nor were the rodenticide baits distributed. KAP survey of farmers before imparting education in Rabi season (wheat crop period) revealed that the rodent control practices being used by the farmers were quite similar across villages. Farmers were often found adopting incorrect methods of poison bait preparation and application. Survey of farmers during subsequent Kharif season (rice crop period) revealed the sustainability of knowledge already imparted during wheat crop period. Impact assessment revealed higher reduction in rodent infestation, damage and yield loss due to rodents in maintenance and neglected villages compared to survey areas indicating timely education and training of farmers to be the important key factors responsible for the success of a rodent control programme. . Copy Right, IJAR, 2014,. All rights reserved

Potential of Eucalyptus Oil as Repellent against House Rat, Rattus rattus

Rodent repellents are chemicals which by taste or odour or possibly by both will prevent animal from feeding or gnawing. Such substances may be used in protecting an area from rodent infestation or in protecting packaged food, packing materials, electric cables, and other important vulnerable materials. Mature and healthy house rat, Rattus rattus of both sexes, was exposed to 5, 10, and 20% eucalyptus oil applied as spray in laboratory pens in bichoice tests. Each concentration was applied through three different modes of application, that is, daily, once, and alternatively in a week. Repellent effect of the oil was assessed based on food consumption from treated and untreated sides for four days. In overall, food consumption was significantly (P<0.0001) low from treatment side compared to the untreated side indicating significant repellent effect of the oil at all the three concentrations tested. Repellent effect of the oil was, however, not found to differ significantly between the two sexes. Percent repellency in both male and female rats was apparently more with daily application of 5 and 10% eucalyptus oil. Present studies reveal the potential of eucalyptus oil in repelling away R. rattus; however, further studies may be conducted to enhance the persistence of repellent effect for longer period of time

Poultry egg components as cereal bait additives for enhancing rodenticide based control success and trap index of house rat, Rattus rattus

Objective: To compare the acceptance and efficacy of cereal bait containing different concentrations of poultry egg components in laboratory and poultry farms to control house rat, Rattus rattus (R. rattus). Methods: Acceptance of cereal bait containing different concentrations (2%, 5% and 10%) of poultry egg components such as egg shell powder (ESP), egg albumin (EA) and crushed egg shell as bait additives were studied after exposing them to different groups of rats in bi-choice with bait without additive. Behaviour of rats towards cereal bait containing 2% concentration of different egg components was recorded in no-choice conditions through Food Scale Consumption Monitor. In poultry farm predominantly infested with R. rattus, acceptance and efficacy of 2% zinc phosphide bait containing 2% EA and ESP was evaluated. Trap success of single rat traps containing chapatti pieces smeared with 2% EA and 2% ESP was also evaluated in poultry farm. Results: In bi-choice tests, significantly (P<0.05) higher preference was observed for baits containing 2% and 5% ESP and all the three concentrations of EA compared to plain bait by female rats and that of baits containing 5% and 10% EA by male rats. In no-choice test, non-significantly higher consumption, number of bouts made and time spent towards bait containing 2% EA was found by rats of both sexes. In poultry farm, acceptance and efficacy of 2% zinc phosphide bait containing 2% EA and ESP was significantly (P<0.05) more than 2% zinc phosphide bait without additive. No significant difference was, however, found in trap success of single rat traps containing chapatti pieces smeared with 2% concentration of EA and ESP placed in the poultry farm. Conclusions: Present data support the use of 2% egg albumin and egg shell powder in cereal bait to enhance acceptance and efficacy of 2% zinc phosphide bait against R. rattus. This may further help in checking the spread of rodent borne diseases to animals and humans

Evaluation of the direct agglutination test as an immunodiagnostic tool for kala-azar in India

The direct agglutination test (DAT) has been assessed as a diagnostic procedure for visceral leishmaniasis. Fifty-six of 58 sera (96·5%) from confirmed cases of visceral leishmaniasis, whose bone marrow aspirates contained Leishmania donovani amastigotes, had agglutinating antibodies above the cut-off titre of 1:800. None of the sera from healthy control subjects from non-endemic or endemic areas had anti-leishmanial antibodies. Similarly, none of the sera obtained from cases of malaria or tuberculosis had agglutinating antibodies above the cut-off titre. A significant decline in agglutinating antibody titre in 3 cases following anti-leishmanial chemotherapy appeared to correlate with regression of clinical symptoms and the absence of amastigotes from bone marrow aspirates. One of 3 cases developed post-kala-azar dermal lesions and sera from this subject had an elevated agglutinating antibody titre. It is concluded that the DAT is a sensitive and specific test to confirm visceral leishmaniasis. As the formalin-fixed promastigotes, stained with Coomassie blue, which are used as antigen could be stored at 4 °C for 6 months without any loss of ability to detect anti-leishmanial antibodies, the DAT is recommended for use under field conditions