Animal Research International

3285 – 3294

Authors: EFFIONG, Okokon Okon and OCHAGU, Simeon Iyai

The study was designed to compare the chemical composition of Piper guineense leaf and seed meals, and their effect on the performance of broilers at starter phase. The P. guineense leaves and seeds were processed and their chemical composition determined. Seven (7) broiler starter diets were formulated, with the control without the test samples, while diets 2, 3 and 4 were formulated to include 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 % of P. guineense seed meal, respectively. P. guineense leaf meal was included at 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 % respectively in diets 4, 5 and 6. Two hundred and ten day-old broiler chicks were divided into seven groups and each group assigned to one of the experimental diets in a randomized complete block design and data generated were analyzed using SPSS 17.0. P. guineense leaf meal was superior (p<0.05) in crude protein (15.87 %) and ether extract (2.52 %), relative to the seed meal with higher crude fibre (6.30 %) and ash (3.60 %) contents. P. guineense seed meal contained lower phytochemical compounds compared to the leaf meal. Broiler chicks fed P. guineense seed and leaf meals supplemented diets were superior (p<0.05) to those fed on control diet in their mean daily weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Within the treatment groups, birds on 0.4 % P. guineense seed meal diet recorded the best performance. It was concluded that broiler diets could be supplemented with P. guineense seed meal at 0.4% during the starter phase.

3308 – 3318

Authors: ERIEGHA, Ochuko Joshua, OMITOYIN, Bamidele Oluwarotimi and AJANI, Emmanuel Kolawole

In this study, the water quality changes after the introduction of water soluble fractions of crude oil were monitored along-side the accompanying effects on histopathological changes in selected organs of juvenile Clarias gariepinus. After a preliminary short-term (96 hours) static toxicity tests, fish were exposed to four sub-lethal concentrations (30, 45, 60 and 75 % of the LC50 corresponding to 67, 101, 135 and 169 mg/l respectively) and a control group containing clean water using a semi-static renewal method for 90 days. Water quality parameters, heavy metals and total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) were determined using standard methods. After the exposure period, liver, brain and gill were harvested, labeled and prepared for photomicrography. Chloride, conductivity, salinity, magnesium, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, total dissolve solids, turbidity and nitrate levels increased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing concentration of water soluble fractions (WSF) of the crude oil. Temperature readings and phosphate levels were however not affected (p>0.05). Values of TPH increased (p<0.05) with increasing concentrations of the crude oil. All analysed heavy metals followed a direct proportional trend as their values increased (p<0.05) alongside concentrations. Several histopathological alterations were found in the liver (sinusoidal congestion, atrophy of hepatocytes, hepatocellular degeneration and diffuse coagulation necrosis of hepatocytes), brain (vascular congestion and atrophy of neurons, neuronal necrosis, gliosis and loss of neurons) and gill (moderate loss of the secondary gill lamellae, moderate lamellae atrophy and moderate diffuse lamellae hyperplasia). The intensity of these lesions increased with increase in exposure dose.

3327 – 3333

Authors: NWANKWO, Ogonna Daniel, EWUIM, Sylvanus Chima and OKOYE, Ebele Linda

The use of different sampling protocols has been found to give a more reliable detail of the faunal composition of spider fauna of any given community. In the present study, pitfall trapping, sweep netting and jarring methods were used to sample spiders from three different sites within Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. Sampling was done once every month for twelve months (April 2017 to March 2018). Out of the 680 individuals in 17 families caught, 63 % was by pitfall trap, 20 % and 17 % were respectively from sweep net and jarring method. At p<0.05, the sampling effort of pitfall trap was significantly better than the other two methods. Pitfall trap also recorded all taxonomic groups found in the study except Sparassidae and Uloboridae that were exclusively caught by sweep net and jarring methods respectively. Zodariidae, Ctenidae, Pisauridae, Pholcidae and Nesticidae were exclusively recorded by pitfall trap. There was a record of catch for all the three sampling techniques in all the twelve sampling attempts. Based on our finding, several sampling methods should be used in community survey for more reliable information on species richness, distribution and abundance.

3343 – 3348

Authors: OPOKU-AGYEMANG, Tony, ASARE, Forjour Anthony, FOLITSE, Raphael Deladem, OLA, Olawale Olawumi, JARIKRE, Theophilus Aghogho and EMIKPE, Benjamin Obukowho

Livestock are expectedly at one point or the other transported from one place to another for breeding, sale or slaughter. Conditions of handling, loading and transportation, stress encountered during the journey and when off-loading are a major factor of recumbency and/ bruising. A survey on recumbency in cattle was conducted at the animal market of the Kumasi Abattoir Company Limited (KACL) in Kaase, in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area of Ghana. The study involved 7960 cattle transported to the slaughterhouse from local towns in Ghana as well as from neighbouring countries. Recumbent and moribund cattle were identified and information was compiled based on the regions (sources) they were transported from, as well as the varying conditions of their handling and transportation. A total of 109 cases of recumbent and moribund cattle were recorded, with an average of 5 recumbent cases per day. Study results showed that cases of recumbency involved 1.4% of the total number of cattle (7960) counted in the animal market and 5.3% of the number of cattle (2069) transported from sources with registered cases of recumbency. The study also revealed higher frequency of recumbency where animals were transported over long distances of >500km (68%); or in relatively larger batch loads of >20 animals (76%). Calculating at an assumed loss of 50% value for each case of affliction, the financial implication of cattle recumbency at the animal market of the KACL is estimated at a loss of GH₵ 54500 per month or GH₵ 654000 (approx. USD 163500) per annum.

3361 – 3366

Authors: PANDIT, Dina Nath, SINGH, Saumya, SINHA, Uday Shnaker and SINGH, Raja Ram

It was aimed at to evaluate the activity of Carica papaya fruit juice on induced diabetic rats (Rattus norvegicus) with a view of proposing a management scheme. Animals were sacrificed after treatment with unripe and ripe papaya juice. The plasma glucose, cholesterol, protein and tissue glycogen concentrations were estimated. Feeding of papaya juice raised the levels of these parameters more than the controlled value throughout the work. The results showed that the concentrations of these parameters were significantly increased (p<0.05). The rise was more with unripe papaya when compared to ripe papaya. However, papaya intake must be with caution since its consumption increases blood glucose concentration.

3393 – 3400

Authors: JUBRIL, Afusat Jagun, KADRI, Zaharat Olamide and ADEKUNLE, Latifat Ajoke

Copper and zinc are two micro-minerals important for maintenance of health and optimal production. This research sought to establish the levels of copper and zinc in goats to provide data for further studies on micronutrients, their interaction and deficiency states. Health status of sampled goats were clinically evaluated. Blood samples were collected through jugular venu-puncture. One (1) ml of each blood sample was acid digested with concentrated nitric acid, assayed for zinc and copper using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Haematology was also done using whole blood as a health index. Most of the goats looked apparently healthy, while few goats showed emaciation, crusty skin lesions, varying degrees of achromotrichia (change in coat colour) and rough hair coats. 89.9 % had hypocupraemia, while none of the sampled goats showed zinc deficiency. However, zinc toxicity occurred in 84.4 % of the sampled goats when compared to reference values. Haematology showed varying result, ranging from monocytic hypochromic anaemia to polycytaemia. All anaemic animals were found to be deficient in copper. The study has highlighted the presence of copper deficiency and or zinc toxicity in goats and forms a preliminary data to the study of the fate of small ruminant health in the face of micronutrient imbalance.

3412 – 3417

Authors: UZONNAH, Nwamaka Mary-Immaculata, IHEAGWAM, Chijioke Nwabueze, IDIKA, Idika Kalu, NNAJI, Favour Nnenna and IYOKE, Abel Okoye

Clinostomid metacercariae are common parasites of fish in many natural and artificial aquatic systems. In aquaculture, infection by clinostomid metacercariae reduces fish quality and causes production losses resulting from the discard of infected fish. Also, clinostomid metacercariae are of zoonotic importance because man can become the final host following consumption of raw or undercooked infected fish. This study investigated the prevalence of Clinostomum tilapiae metacercariae in Oreochromis niloticus sampled from Dugudu Lake, Enugu State, Nigeria. 120 individuals were examined from February to May 2018. Sex, total length (TL) and weight of fish, as well as number of parasites were recorded. A prevalence of 64.17 % was observed with mean intensity and mean abundance values of 18.22 ± 21.92 parasites/fish and 11.69 ± 19.59 parasites/fish respectively. Abundance of parasites increased as total length of fish increased. Sites of infection include intestines, gills, skin, eyes, body cavity and heart. Findings of the present study contribute to existing knowledge on the distribution of clinostomid metacercariae in O. niloticus in Nigerian water systems. This is the first documentation of this parasite from O. niloticus in Dugudu Lake, Enugu State, Nigeria.