Helminthic parasites in indigenous chickens in Penang Island, Malaysia

@#Indigenous chicken (Gallus domesticus) is reared for both its meat and eggs. Most consumers prefer the meat probably due to its specific texture and taste. The study was conducted to determine the presence of helminth parasites of 240 indigenous chickens (Gallus domesticus) obtained randomly from 12 divisions in Penang Island, Malaysia. Necropsy findings revealed 14 endoparasite species which parasitized these chickens namely, Acuaria hamulosa, Acuaria spiralis, Amoebotaenia sphenoides, Ascaridia galli, Brachylaima sp., Capillaria spp., Gongylonema ingluvicola, Heterakis gallinarum, Hymenolepis sp., Oxyspirura mansoni, Raillietina echinobothrida, Raillietina tetragona, Syngamus trachea and Tetrameres americana. The high abundance of helminth species observed in this study may be attributed to the free-range scavenging production system, where these indigenous chickens were exposed to intermediate or paratenic hosts of helminths which infect poultry. Besides, sustainable methods of helminthic control measure are necessary in order to enhance indigenous chicken production and eventually improve the economy of the rural farmers.

Biochemical and histopathological assessment of atorvastatin-loaded nanoemulsion effectiveness in Rats

Background: Atorvastatin (ATV), a lipid lowering agent, has low solubility and poor dissolution affects its oral bioavailability. Nanoemulsion (NE) has been developed to improve the delivery of therapeutic agents. This study was aimed to assess the ability of the NE in enhancing ATV bioavailability and minimizing its side effects in hyperlipidemic rats.Methods: Thirty-five rats divided into seven groups were utilized in this study. Hyperlipidemia was induced by feeding rats high fat diet (HFD) for 3 months. The antihyperlipidemic activity of 10 and 20 mg/kg of ATV loaded in two different delivery systems; nanoemulsion (10% and 20% ATV-LNE) or in water (10% and 20% ATV-sol), were investigated. At the end of the experiment, body weight, serum and plasma biochemical parameters (lipid profile, glucose, insulin, liver and kidney functions, oxidative stress markers were assessed. Liver and kidney were histopathologically examined. The physical characteristics of NE were determined by the Zetasizer (the z-average diameter and zeta potential).Results: 20% ATV-LNE had the smallest nanoparticles (38.12±6.71nm) whereas it had the largest zeta negative potential of -26.8±4.16mV. The serum biochemical results and the histopathological examination revealed that treatment with 20% ATV-LNE improved the lipid profile by significantly increasing HDL and decreasing cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein. Both 10 and 20% ATV-LNE reduced serum glucose level compared to other used formulas.Conclusions: NE formulas have the potential to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of ATV and reduce its side effects.

Nematode control failure due to anthelmintic resistance in a sheep farm in Malaysia: First identification of the F200Y mutation in the isotype 1 β-tubulin gene

@#This paper reports total nematode anthelmintic resistance towards albendazole, fenbendazole, levamisole and ivermectin in a commercial sheep farm located in Terengganu, Malaysia. Faecal Egg Count Reduction Test (FECRT) was conducted on 25 sheep, where five sheep in each group were treated with the respective four anthelmintics based on live bodyweight. The balance of five sheep placed in the control group were not treated with any anthelmintics. At day 13 post-treatment, faecal egg count was conducted and nematode worm egg count reduction percentage was calculated to determine the resistance status towards the respective anthelmintics tested. Results showed that nematodes were resistant to all the anthelmintics tested, namely albendazole, fenbendazole, levamisole and ivermectin with reduction percentage of 87%, 46%, 94% and 68%, respectively. Subsequently, the third stage larvae of Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis recovered from post-treatment faecal cultures were subjected to allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR) assay to determine the presence of the benzimidazole resistance gene. This study reports the occurrence of the classical F200Y mutation in the isotype 1 β- tubulin gene, for the first time in Malaysia.

Nematode infection in small ruminants and the management of the farms in Terengganu, Peninsular

Abstract. This study was conducted to determine the current prevalence of nematode infections in small ruminants and the management of farms in Terengganu, Malaysia. A total of 267 faecal samples from sheep and goats were collected and examined by the Modified McMaster method, larval culture and third stage larva identification. Results revealed that the worm egg count (WEC) for nematode infections ranged between 0–26,800 e.p.g. and the distribution of the WEC was different between farms (χ2 (15) = 165.72, p<0.05). Haemonchus contortus was the dominant species observed (75.0%), followed by Trichostrongylus sp. (24.0%) and Oesophagostomum sp. (1.0%) (χ2(2, N=100)=86.06, p<0.05). The schedule for grazing management, limited grazing area and extensive usage of anthelminthic could have been the main influences of nematode infections to be severe in small ruminants. The results obtained from this study will update the status of nematode infection in small ruminants in Terengganu. This information will help the farmers and the Department of Veterinary Services to plan on treatment and management to improve the animals’ health.

Development and Validation of a Food Frequency Question¬naire for Vitamin D intake among Urban Pregnant Women in Malaysia

Introduction: A culturally valid tool is lacking in order to assess vitamin D intake among Malaysians. This study aimed to develop and determine the validity and reliability of a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) for assessment of vitamin D intake among pregnant women living in urban areas of Malaysia. Method: A total of 79 volunteer mothers (aged 18 to 40 years) in their first trimester of pregnancy participated in this study voluntarily. They completed both the 3-day 24-hour dietary recalls (3DR) and semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQ1). The FFQ1 was validated against vitamin D intake calculated from the 3DR. After one week, 41 (51.89%) subjects completed the same FFQ1 (now called FFQ2) for reliability assessment. Results: The median vitamin D intake from 3DR was 117.6 IU/ day with an interquartile range (IQR) of 54.8 to 193.7 IU/ day. The median and IQR values from FFQ1 were 147.7 and 103.7 to 233.9 IU/ day, respectively. The Spearman correlation coefficient was strong and positive, r=0.810 (p=0.01); cross-classification analyses revealed no misclassification and the Bland-Altman plot showed good agreement between the two dietary methods. The intra-class correlation (ICC) for reliability of vitamin D intake was 0.98; the cross-classification analysis showed 95.12% and was classified into the same quartile which supported a consistent habitual eating pattern. Conclusion: The new FFQ developed to assess vitamin D intake showed high correlation and high agreement with the majority of the sample population classified into the same quartile. It is concluded that the new FFQ is a valid and reliable screening tool for vitamin D intake for pregnant women in the urban areas of Malaysia.