Animal Research International

363 – 365

Authors: ORJI, Raphael Christopher Agamadodaigwe

Twelve pairs of male and female African catfish, Clarias gariepinus broodfish were monthly treated with graded doses of crude homoplastic pituitary injection. Different sets o pairs were used for each month, after certifying their gonadal maturity fitness for induced breeding. The first two pairs of spawners received one pituitary gland (3.8 – 5.7 mg) each from donors having equivalent bodyweight. The second two pairs received two glands (7.2 –113 g), the third two pairs received threegands(10.1 – 16.2 mg) the fourth two pars received four glands (13.5 – 22.2 mg) and the fifth two pairs received five glands (177 – 27.5 mg) the sixth two pairs (control) were not injected Each spawning pair was kept in concrete spawning tank for 24 hours for natural spawning to take place. Administration of one pituitary injection failed to induce spawning, two and three glands yielded optimum results. Four and five yielded good spawning but all the hatchlings died after hatching. Death may be attributed to over secretion of thyroxin, thus leading to faculty vitellogenesis.

369 – 371

Authors: OKAYI, Gabriel., FAGADE, Solomon. and OGBE, Friday

The concentration of five metals and minerals, Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Lead (Pb), Cadmium (Cd), Sodium (Na), Potassium (K), Ammonia (NH3), phosphate(P04) were determined in three species, of fish from the Benue River (Oreochromis niloticus, Clarias gariepinus and Chrysichthys furcatus), at four different sampling stations. The levels of metals and minerals were assayed from the muscle, liver, kidney and intestine and gills of the three species. Differences in all means concentration of metals and minerals were analyzed using F-LSD and comparisons were made between stations and the fish species, significant differences were shown between values of iron and ammonia nitrogen amongst the species and between upstream stations and downstream stations respectively.

377 – 381

Authors: UDE, Emmanuel Fame, UGWU, Lawrence Linus Chukwuma and MGBENKA, Bernard Obialo

Thirty (30), eighteen months old gravid females (458.20 ± 2.256) of the African catfish, Clarias gariepinus were injected intramuscularly with different doses (0.00, 10.00, 30.00, 50.00 and 70.00 μg Kg-1) of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) at a water temperature of 25 ± 1.000C. Fifteen (15) mature males (453.97 ± 2.13g) received half the dose given to the females and they provided the milt (spermatozoa) used in the artificial fertilization of ovulated eggs from females. The hatched fry was randomly allotted to 15 indoor concrete tanks (0.70 x 1.50 x 0.50m), arranged in 5 rows with 3 replicates per row (5 x 3) and allowed to stay for 10 days. Twelve (12) concrete tanks (8.00 x 4.00 x 1.00m) were used outdoor for the feeding of the advanced fry on formulated ration (CP = 38%) at 5% body weight per day for 7 days. The results of the artificial inducement of the catfish with different doses of LHRHa (10-70 μg Kg-1) indicate that there were significant variations in the percent ovulation (P < 0.01), spawn weight (P < 0.01), percent fertilization and survival (P < 0.05) of the fish. The mean body weight, head diameter, standard and total body lengths of the fry also varied significantly among the different hormonal doses (P < 0.05). These results signified that different doses of LHRHa affected the growth and morphometric indices of C. gariepinus fry.

388 – 392

Authors: OLAJIDE, Joseph Eniola, AKANJI, Adewumi Musbau, SANNI, Momoh and OMALE, James

The effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) as membrane stabilizers was investigated on the kidney of experimental rats treated with sodium metabisulphite. Administration of sodium metabisulphite has been shown to labilize the plasma membrane of some rat tissues. Sodium metabisulphite (10 mg/kg b.wt) acetylsalicylic while both chemical substances of the same dose were both chemicals were concurrently administered to three groups o rats for two weeks (14 days) while the fourth (4th) group of rats served as control and were given physiological saline alone. Two ‘marker’ enzymes alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and acid phosphatase (ACP) activities were spectrophotometrically determined to monitor the efficacy of acetylsalicylic acid in membrane stabilization. Following the initial administration of metabisulphite alone, immediate significant decreases (p < 0.05) in ALP activities were observed. The activity later recovered towards control value by the tenth day. For ACP, the loss in activities was sustained throughout the experimental period. However, the difference showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). In acetylsalicylic acid administered rats the activities of ALP were higher than for the control group while the activities of ACP were not appreciably affected. The combined treatment gave values that were not significantly different from the control values (p < 0.05).