Effect of supplementing essential oils on the in vitro methane production and digestibility of wheat straw

Mitigation of enteric methane emission and decreasing the carbon footprints of ruminants is one of the pressing challenges faced in the ruminant production sector. Not withstanding, because of the intricate relationships existing between theefficiency of feed fermentation in the rumen and methanogenesis, mitigation options have to be evaluated not just in terms of their effect on methane or total green house gases emissions but also on other rumen functional parameters and on their final consequences on animal production.

The efficiency of energy and protein utilization in the rumen is relatively low and can be improved by the modulation of several metabolic pathways, including the inhibition of methane production and deamination in the rumen. This low efficiency not only reduces production performance, but also contributes to the release ofpollutants to the environment. The efficiency can be improved by modulating the activity of specific rumen microbial populations involved in the metabolic pathways. In recent years, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal nutrition has been banned in the European Union because of its relation to the increase in the number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria to drugs which are used by humans.

Comparative Ecology of Backwater

Physico-chemical characteristics soil and water basically determines the potentiality of anaquatic habitat in terms of aquaculture production. Proper understanding of these characteristics is the prime requisite to achieve success in aquaculture programmes. 

Considering the biological and economic importance of estuarine habitats and the mangrove dependant or associated fisheries and aquaculture the present investigation depicts a comprehensive account on water quality, soil condition, plankton and benthic faunal components of Kayamkulam Lake and the Ayirumthengu mangrove habitat.

Bauhinia tomentosa L. And Bauhinia malabarica Roxb. (Caesalpiniaceae) Phytochemical Screening

In Indian traditional system of medicine, importance of Bauhinia species is well evidenced from earlier literature. Tender leaves, flowers and young pods of B. tomentosa and B. malabarica are consumed by various ethnic groups in India. In the present study, edible and therapeutically important plant parts of both the species were extracted with different solvents systems. The species Bauhinia tomentosa L. is a small scrambling shrub that grows throughout southern India, Assam and Bihar. It has been valued in Ayurveda and Unani system of medication for possessing variety of therapeutic properties.

The mineral content of the leaves shows that they are a prominent source of calcium and iron. Young shoots are also edible and are used to treat worm infestations, leprosy, wounds, menorrhagia, gout, scrofula, wasting diseases, cough, haemorrhage, urinary disorders, glandular swellings and goiter. Despite this interesting health virtue and being a well known natural source of food, meager information is available regarding the phytochemical investigations of these plants. Therefore, the present study was carried out to elucidate the total phenolics, tannin, total flavonoid, condensed tannin and vitamin C content in various parts of B. tomentosa and B. malabarica in order to explain the multifaceted role of these medicinal plants.

Recent Advances in Reproductive Biotechnologies in Sheep and Goat

The recent advances in reproductive biotechnologies in sheep and goat were focused on this review. Some of these technologies are already widely used in the cattle industry, and some are new to the goat and sheep industry. There are some aspects that were discussed which are related to veterinary and biomedical field importance in artificial insemination using the copulated semen, in vitro or in vivo fertilization, interspecies in vitro fertilization, multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET), somatic cell nuclear transfer and transgenic animal production in sheep and goat.

The world sheep and goat populations in 2006 were recorded as 416 and 489 million, respectively. Reproductive biotechnologies are playing an increasingly important role in the production and management of these species. Animal biotechnology encompasses the application of science and engineering principles to the processing or production of materials to provide services or goods for human use.

Berberine content in Coscinium fenestratum grown in Sri Lanka

Coscinium fenestratum or yellow vine, as it is sometimes referred to in English, is a flowering woody climber, native to South Asia and Mainland Southeast Asia. It is rare and critically endangered in many of its habitats.Coscinium fenestratum is a member of the family Menispermaceae and the genus Coscinium. The plant is known by many different names, such as:Tree turmeric, False calumba, Colombo weed, Weniwel, Daru Haridra (in Sanskrit), Mara Manjal (in Tamil and Malayalam),Haem herb (in Thai),Voer Romiet (in Khmer) etc.. Its natural habitat spans South Asia and parts of Southeast Asia, from India to Indonesia. It can only thrive in a tropical climate and prefers mixed and dense evergreen forest, with fertile soil and high moisture. 

 

The plant has a long history as a medicinal plant in the various traditional medicines of the region where it grows.  This includes Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha medicine in India, Sinhalamedicine in Sri Lanka, the Kru Khmer healing traditions in Cambodia, traditional Vietnamese medicine of Thuoc Nam, etc.. There is speculation that it might also have found a modern use in the illegal drug market industry.The primary active ingredient in Coscinium fenestratum is berberine. Because of the growing populations and industrialization of Asia, the demand for Coscinium fenestratum has increased manifold in the last decades, decimating the natural distribution of the plant dramatically. It is therefore now listed as rare and critically endangered in many of its habitats.

White Root Rot in Fruit Seedlings

This currently investigation aimed to evaluate the synergistic effect of the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Gigaspora margarita, and the bacteria Paenibacillus rhizospherae on the alleviation of white root rot of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume) seedlings. Threeexperiments were carried out to evaluate that. In the first one, J.apricot“Nanko” seedlings were inoculated with (5, 10 and 20 %)inoculums containing the pathogen Rosellinia necatrix (NRBC 5954). 

In the second experiment the same kind of seedlings were submitted to four treatments: Control (C), AMF (A), Bacteria (B), AMF+Bacteria (A+B). Disease severity, root infection and AMF colonization were evaluated in this experiment.

Influence of captivity and domestication in animals

Domestication has been associated with paedomorphosis and alterations of sudden appearancesthat includes facial simplification and hypodermal fat accumulation. A protected environment reduces the need for skills and behaviour related to predator recognition, response anddefensive actions. Moreover, the captivity is also associated with increased life expectancy. Thus, the reason forosteoarthritis and sudden problems in animal’s musculoskeletal system occurs due to captivity and improper domestication of animals.

Do domestication and captivity have different implications or are they simply parts of a spectrum related to extraction from natural habitats? While the former is traditionally associated with “directed” character development through selected breeding, such approaches have permeated much of captive animal husbandry.