In vitro efficacy of Elephantorrhiza elephantina root extracts against adult Paramphistomum cervi in goats.

Elephantorrhiza elephantina is a medicinally important plant whose roots are used to control gastrointestinal parasites in goats. The use of plant-based anthelmintics as potential alternatives to synthetic anthelmintics in controlling gastrointestinal worms in ruminants is a promising area of research. The study was carried out to ascertain the efficacy of E. elephantina in controlling goat trematodes. Standard procedures were used to quantify the phytochemicals in the water, ethanol and methanol root extracts of E. elephantina. The quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed that alkaloids (93.24 ± 1.68%), condensed tannins (450.52 ± 0.15 mg CE/g), flavonoids (803.93 ± 0.13 mg QE/g), phenols (476.11 ± 0.37 mg GAE/g) and saponins (83.28 ± 1.72%) were present in E. elephantina root extracts. Paramphistomum cervi adult worms recovered from the rumen of freshly slaughtered goats were used. In vitro screening of ethanol, methanol and water extracts of E. elephantina for potential anthelmintic activity against adult P. cervi worm motility showed time and dose-dependent significant effects. Ethanol extracts showed a highly significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of motility (86.67 and 96.67%) at concentrations 7.5 and 15 mg/mL respectively, after 12 h of treatment, while methanol and water extracts exhibited a significant (P < 0.05) inhibition of motility (96.67 and 66.67% respectively) at concentration of 15 mg/mL 16 h post-exposure. Our findings confirm the efficacy of E. elephantina in controlling goat trematodes.

Influence of drying technique on chemical composition and ruminal degradability of subtropical Cajanus cajan L.

The experiment investigated the influence of forage drying methods on the dry-matter digestibility of foliage from Cajanus cajan varieties (ICEAP 00557, ICEAP 01514 and CIMMYT100/01). These leaves were harvested at week 20 of growth and either oven- or shade-dried and analysed for chemical components and rumen degradability. Three rumen fistulated lactating Holstein cows (430 ± 18 kg live weight) were used to evaluate ruminal degradation kinetics using in vitro and in sacco procedures. Samples were incubated for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 30 and 48 h in vitro (IV DaisyII) procedure. In the in sacco procedure, samples were incubated for 0, 4, 8, 12, 24, 30 and 48 h in the rumen of cows. Dry matter disappearance (DMD) data for both measures were fitted to the equation Y = a + b (1 - e -ct ), where b is the slowly degradable fraction and c is the degradation rate constant, to approximate rumen degradability characteristics of varieties. Shade dried leaves contained higher crude protein (CP) (P < 0.05) than oven dried leaves. Oven drying method increased (P < 0.05) neutral detergent insoluble nitrogen (NDIN) and acid detergent insoluble nitrogen (ADIN) content of varieties. However, shade drying method gave the higher concentration of NDIN and ADIN. Drying technique had no effect (P > 0.05) on ash, neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) of varieties. Drying method did not affect (P > 0.05) calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) concentration in the forage dry matter. Drying method had no effect (P > 0.05) on b and c of all varieties during in vitro procedure. However, shade-drying method increased (P < 0.05) b and c of all varieties during in sacco procedure. It was concluded that shade-drying, in contrast to oven-drying, would be the most suitable method as it improves the nutritive value of the forage for ruminants.

Biochemical indices and heamtological parameters of goats fed lablab purpureus and vigna unguiculata as supplements to a chloris gayana basal diet.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of forage legume diets on haematological and biochemical indices of Xhosa goats. Eighteen animals, one-year-old, of average live weight 14.13 ±â€¯0.24 kg were assigned, in a completely randomized design, to three treatment diets. Animals were housed individually and sex was equally represented among treatments with 6 animals per treatment. Weights and blood samples were taken every fortnight. A pair of blood samples (5 ml each) were collected from each goat, via jugular vein puncture and were subjected to either haematological or biochemical analysis. The results show that treatment diets and sex significantly (P < 0.05) affected DMI, total gain, ADG, and feed conversion ratio. Treatment diets and sex had no effects (P > 0.05) on serum total proteins, globulins, urea, creatinine, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and gamma- glutamyl transferase concentrations. The diet influenced albumin was (P < 0.05) while sex influenced ALP concentration (P < 0.05). Measured over time, the plasma concentration of urea and ALP significantly increased (P < 0.05) while creatinine and cholesterol concentration decreased (P < 0.05). Although the overall blood biochemical properties remain unchanged among the treatments and between sexes; treatment by sex, treatment by day and sex by day interactions were significant (P < 0.05). The white blood cells, red blood cell, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, haemoglobin, haematocrit, and platelet and mean platelet volume levels were similar among treatments and between sexes (P > 0.05). The mean cell volume and red cell distribution width were different among treatments (P < 0.05). Treatment diets significantly (P < 0.05) influenced neutrophil (%) content while sex influenced basophile (%) content. In conclusion forage legumes did not cause toxicity in goats or any pathological condition.

Changes in biochemical proxy indicators for nutritional stress resilience from Boran and Nguni cows reared in dry arid rangeland.

The objective of this study was to determine the changes in biochemical indicators for nutritional stress from a herd of Boran and Nguni cows. A total of 40 cows (20 from each herd) were randomly selected for the study. The animals were identified according to their parities as follows: parity 1 (n = 8), parity 2 (n = 16), parity 3 (n = 8) and parity 4 (n = 8). Serum chemistry levels of glucose, total cholesterol, urea, creatinine, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma glutylaminotransferase (GGT), leukocytes, erythrocytes, haemoglobin, packed cell volume (PCV) and platelet counts were determined for 12 consecutive months spanning across the wet and dry seasons. The Boran cows had different creatinine concentration levels at different parities. The Boran cows in parity 1 had the highest (P < 0.05) concentration of creatinine 87.2 ± 5.17 µmol/L than other cows in different parities within the herd. There were significant differences in enzymes such as AST, ALP and ALT among the herd and parities. Boran cows in parity 3 had the lowest (P < 0.05) AST concentration levels of 52.6 ± 3.48 U/L, Nguni cows in parity 4 had the highest concentration of ALP of 161.3 ± 8.10 U/L while Nguni cows in parity 1 had the highest concentration level of ALT 55.1 ± 1.56 U/L than all the cows within the same herd. The Nguni herd had significantly higher (P < 0.05) levels of creatinine in both the wet (97.8 ± 3.27 µmol/L) and dry seasons (108.7 ± 3.29 µmol/L) compared with the Boran herd. Cows from the Nguni herd maintained significantly higher amount of urea, creatinine, albumin and total protein in both the wet and dry seasons as compared with cows from the Boran herd. Cows from the Nguni herd maintained significantly higher amount of urea, creatinine, albumin and total protein in both the wet and dry seasons as compared with those from the Boran herd.