International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health

International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 5 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2014. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Therapeutic effects of Tephrosia vogelii ointment in the treatment of bovine dermatophilosis

Makoshi M. S.* and Arowolo R. O. A.

¹Drug Development Section, Biochemistry Division, National Veterinary Institute, P. M. B. 01, Vom, Plateau State, Nigeria.

²Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 21 July, 2012

Abstract

The therapeutic effect of a cream ointment prepared from the leaves of Tephrosia vogelii Hook F., was tested for the treatment of bovine dermatophilosis in four local cows of the Sokoto Gudali breed and two 50% Holstein Friesian crosses in Jos, Plateau State Nigeria. All the selected animals used in this study were naturally infected by the Dermatophilus congolensis organism. The selected animals all showed established, oozing, and hard crusty lesions on their skins, typical of dermatophilus lesions. All the animals had various degrees of infections ranging from mild to severe, with the lesions located on different parts of the skin. Six of the animals were selected for the experimental treatment with the prepared ointment made from the leaves of T. vogelii, while the rest of the infected animals in the herd were kept untreated as the control. A cream ointment was prepared from the leaves of T. vogelii for topical application on the skin lesions of the affected animals. The ointment was applied liberally on the lesions every other day. The crusts on the skins of the affected animals were observed to start falling off from the third day in the local animals, and on the sixth day in the crosses, following the first application of the ointment. Complete healing and new hair growth was observed within the period of 4 to 8 weeks. The affected areas of the skins became completely healed and normal without any problem in all the affected animals. No healing or improvement was observed in the control group that was left untreated.

Key words: Tephrosia vogelii, bovine dermatophilosis, cream ointment.

International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 4 (3), pp. 001-005, March, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in farm animals (camels, cattle, and sheep) in Sudan

Khalil M. Khalil¹* and Intisar E. Elrayah²

¹Commission for Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, P. O. Box 2404 – Khartoum 11111, Sudan.

²Tropical Medicine Research Institute, P. O. Box 1304, Sudan.

Accepted 11 August, 2012

Abstract

Infection with Toxoplasma gondii in human was increased in last years in Sudan particularly, in pregnant women. The infection may lead to devastating consequences to newborns therefore, the present study, designed to study the role of domestic animals in transmission of the disease to human. Serum samples from 200 cattle, sheep, and lactating camels from Khartoum State, Sudan were researched for T. gondii antibodies by latex agglutination test (LAT). Out of them, 76/200 (38%) resulted positive, being 14/70 (20%) camels, 16/50 (32%) cattle and 46/80 (57.5%) sheep serum samples. The test titration results obtained as followed: 53 (26.5%), 20 (10%), and 3 (1.5%) were 1:8, 1:16, and 1:32, respectively. From the 70 sera samples collected from camels, 14 (20%) were found positive with intensity of 12 (17.1%), 2 (2.9%), and 0 (0%) by dilution of 1:8, 1:16, and 1:32 respectively. In the 50 sera samples from cattle, 16 (32%) were positive with intensity of 10 (20%), 4(8%), and 2 (4%) by dilution of 1:8, 1:16, and 1:32, respectively. Significant among these target groups were found to be highest in sheep (p < 0.05). This is the first serological report regarding T. gondii in cattle and sheep from Sudan.

Key words: Toxoplasma, animals, latex agglutination test (LAT), seroprevalence, Sudan.

International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 4 (4), pp. 001-006, April, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Hepatoprotective activity of Solanum nigrum extracts on chemically induced liver damage in rats

R. A. M. Elhag¹, S. M. A. El Badwi², A. O. Bakhiet³* and M. Galal¹

¹Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Institute, National Centre for Research, Khartoum, Sudan.

²Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Khartoum, P. O. Box 32, Khartoum-North, Sudan.

³Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sudan University of Science and Technology P. O. Box 204 Khartoum-North, Sudan.

Accepted 17 June, 2012

Abstract

The hepatoprotective effects of Solanum nigrum water and methanolic extracts were studied in rats injected with 0.2 ml/kg carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄) for 10 consecutive days. S. nigrum water extract (250 to 500 mg/kg) was administered to rats injected with CCl₄ for 10 days. The water extracts showed a hepatoprotective effect against CCl₄- induced liver damage, which was evident by the decrease in serum aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphates (ALP) activities bilirubin concentration and by mild histopathological lesions when compared with the group of rats injected with CCl₄ alone. The methanolic extracts of S. nigrum (250 to 500 mg/kg) also had hepatoprotective effects with levels of serum AST, ALT, ALP and bilirubin decreasing significantly in animals treated with S. nigrum methanolic extract compared to an untreated group.

Key words: Solanum nigrum, hepatoprotective, rats, carbon tetrachloride.

International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 4 (1), pp. 001-005, January, 2013. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The effects of diabetes mellitus on the pathogenicity of trypanosomosis in rats

Ukwueze Stanley Chigozie and Anene Boniface Maduka*

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria.

Accepted 17 November, 2012

Abstract

Alloxan monohydrate was used to induce diabetes in rats, and then followed post infection with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei to determine the impact of diabetes on the course of trypanosome infection. Significant (P<0.05) hyperglycaemia occurred in the alloxan treated rats starting on day seven to the end of the experiment. Trypanosome infection did not affect the glycaemic status of either the normal or the hyperglycaemic rats. The mean prepatent period (MPP) was significantly (P<0.05) longer in the diabetic T. brucei- infected rats (5.6±0.23 days) than the non-diabetics (3.8±0.34 days) whereas in the T. congolense it was similar in both the diabetic (13.1±0.73days) and the non -diabetic (13.3±0.67 days). The levels of parasitaemia which were comparable in the diabetic and non-diabetic groups increased progressively until death of the rats. The mean survival time (MST) for the diabetic T. brucei- infected rats (17.2±0.86 days) was not significantly (P=0.49) different from that of the non-diabetics (19.5±1.15 days) while that of the diabetic T. congolense (34.8±4.15 days) was significantly (P<0.001) longer than that of the non-diabetics (25.7±2.1 days). T. brucei infection in the diabetics was significantly (P<0.001) more acute than T. congolense (MST, 17.2±0.86 versus 34.8±4.15 days) unlike in the non-diabetic (MST, 19.5±1.15 versus 25.67±2.11 days, P=0.08). The red blood cell parameters (PCV, HB and RBC) were significantly (P<0.05) decreased by trypanosome infections, unaffected by the diabetic status but was trypanosome species dependent, being significantly lower in the T. brucei than T. congolense-infected rats. A significant (P<0.05) decrease in the percentage body weight gains between the diabetic and the non-diabetic controls occurred as a result of the weight decreasing effect of diabetes mellitus. It was thus concluded that the course of T. brucei and T. congolense infections was not significantly altered in alloxan-induced diabetic rats, and trypanosome infection may not confound the results of blood glucose monitoring for the diagnosis of diabetes.

Key words: Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma congolense, rat, diabetes mellitus.

International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 3 (3), pp. 001-007, March, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Haematology and prevalence of blood parasites of the common frog (Rana temporaria) in the tropical environment

Omonona A. O.* and Ekpenko V.

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Accepted 19 November, 2011

Abstract

A total of 116 adult frogs were captured from Moniya area of Ibadan and University of Ibadan fish farm, Oyo State of Nigeria between 31^st March and 8^th June 2009 and investigated for blood parasites by microscopic examination of stained blood films. Some haematological parameters were estimated. The mean packed cell volume, haemoglobin, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet count, mean cell volume, mean cell haemoglobin concentration and mean cell haemoglobin of the samples from the low rain forest area of the south Western Nigeria were 26.90 and 29.67%, 8.85 and 9.83 g/dl, 2.71 and 2.73 × 10⁶ µl^-1, 15618.97 and 16704.31 × 10³ µl^-1, 173344.83 and 163124.14 ×10⁹ µl^-1, 102.83 and 117.67 fl, 32.95 and 33.80 g/dl, and 33.87 and 38.77 pg. Only haemoflagellate from the genus Trypanosoma was identified with different morphological forms which are attributed to Trypanosoma rotatorium complex. Prevalence of infection in the two study sites were estimated as 32.8 and 29.3%, respectively. The infected frogs had double nucleated red blood cells.

Key words: Haematology, common frog, Rana temporaria, blood parasites, Ibadan.

International Journal of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health Vol. 3 (2), pp. 001-005, February, 2012. © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Detection of serum antibodies to parainfluenza type 3 virus, respiratory syncytial virus, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and herpes virus type 1 in sheep in the Region of Botucatu, São Paulo - Brazil

Roberto Calderon Gonçalves¹, Andreza Amaral da Silva¹*, Danilo Otávio Laurenti Ferreira¹, Júlio Simões Marcondes¹, Edviges Maristela Pituco² and Adriano Dias³

¹Department of Clinical Veterinary Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of Botucatu - FMVZ, universe as we know Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Brazil.

²Bovine Virus Laboratory, Biological Institute of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

³Support Group Research, Faculty of Medicine of Botucatu - FMB, Universidade Estadual Paulista - UNESP, Brazil.

Accepted 15 November, 2011

Abstract

Viral respiratory infections are common in sheep, and losses related to the introduction and spread of viral agents in flocks are inevitable. In spite of the growth of sheep production in the State of Sao Paulo, little is known about the frequency and dissemination of these agents in this State. The objective of this study was to investigate the occurrence of antibodies to bovine virus parainfluenza type 3 virus (BPI3), respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), and herpes virus type 1 (BoHV-1) in sheep flocks in Botucatu Region, São Paulo, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 194 clinically healthy dams, one to three years of age and analyzed for neutralizing antibodies against the target viruses. Frequencies of antibodies were 82% (159/194) for BPI3; 58.8% (114/194) for BRSV; 0.5% (1/194) for BVDV, and no detection of BoHV-1. Titer of reactor samples ranged from 2 to 2048 for BPI3, from 2 to 64 for BRSV, and was 10 for the single reactor for BVDV. Results indicate that BPI3, BRSV, and BVDV occurr in sheep flocks of the Region of Botucatu, São Paulo, and that BPI3 is probably the main agent involved in viral pneumonia cases in the region.

Key words: Sheep, viral respiratory infections, serum, antibody titration.