European Journal of Animal Health

Histopathological and Pathological Features of Bacterial Infection in Agama Lizards Found Around Poultry Houses

2023-12-20T11:17:06+03:00

Purpose: Histopathological examination of the liver of the lizard (Agama Agama) is useful for assessing propensity for ecological and environmental disease.
Materials and Methods: 100 free-roaming lizards were captured around poultry houses and histopathological examination of liver lesions after bacterial infection. Culture of liver samples revealed the presence of Staphylococcus aureus and Corynebacterium species. Macroscopically, the liver appears pale. Liver tissue blocks were fixed, stained with hematoxylin and eosin stains, and viewed on a BH2 Olympus® microscope at 200x and 400x magnification. Photomicrographs were then taken.
Findings: Microscopically, the liver parenchyma consists of normal hepatocytes arranged in chains around blood vessels and separated by narrow, clear subendothelial spaces. Histopathological examination of selected liver tissues showed that melanin-loaded melano-macrophages were distributed within the tissue. Other histopathologic features observed include in the liver tissues include; hepatocyte necrosis, severe hepatocyte vacuolization and associated melano-macrophage hypertrophy, congested blood vessels, mononuclear cell infiltration and melano-macrophage hyperplasia.
Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The results of this study provide insight into the histopathological picture of bacteria-infected lizards in Zaria, Nigeria, and serve as a guide for clinical manifestations and knowledge about future research on lizard livers.

A Study on the Chemical and Phytochemical Composition of Gongronema Latifolia (Utasi) Leaf Meal, Using Performance and Organ Histopathology of Grower Rabbits as Indices of Its Nutritional Significance

2023-06-21T10:25:12+03:00

Studies were carried out to determine the chemical composition of the leaf meal of Gongronema latifolia (Utasi), using organ histopathology of mixed breed grower rabbits as an in-vivo confirmatory reflector of its nutritional significance after a feeding trial. The proximate analysis of the leaf meal yielded 8.04%; 14.25%, 60.39%, 6.26%, 2.84% and 2.84% of moisture; crude protein, NFE, ash, ether extract and crude fibre respectively on dry matter bases and 2903.41Kcal/kg. In the mineral analysis, minerals detected were: Calcium (10.80mg/ 100g), Magnesium (45.00mg/ 100g), Potassium (486.00mg/ 100g), Sodium (3.86mg/ 100g), and Phosphorus (395.30mg/ 100g). The phytochemical screening of the leaf meal yielded 1.03, 0.37, 0.47, and 0.55g/100g of Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Saponins and Tannin, respectively. Other phytochemicals found were Phenols (0.17mg/100g), Phytates (0.12mg/100g), and cyanogenic glycosides (7.07mg/100g). Analysis of the leaf meal protein detected 17 (seventeen) amino acids, comprising of both essential and non-essential amino acids, almost in the ratio of 1:1. In the feeding trial with rabbits, 4 experimental diets were formulated such that diet 1 (control) contained 0% Gongronema latifolia leaf meal (GLLM) while diets 2, 3 and 4 contained 10%, 20% and 30% GLLM, respectively. Each diet was fed to a group of 9 grower rabbits for 49 days. All performance parameters (average initial body weight, average final body weight, average body weight gain, average daily feed intake, average daily body weight gain, and feed-to-gain ratio), were not significantly (P<0.05) affected by dietary treatments. There were no lesions of pathologic significance in the tissues (liver, kidney and pancreas) examined. The results of the in-vivo and in vivo investigations suggest that GLLM is not toxic, and is sufficiently nutritious to support rabbit production.

Serum Cortisol and Glucose Indices Following Rumenotomy in West African Dwarf Goats Premedicated with Xylazine or Diazepam and Inducted with Propofol

2023-11-15T15:01:38+03:00

Purpose: Anaesthesia was induced in West African Dwarf (WAD) goats using Propofol and a combination of different sedatives, propofol (P), xylazine (X), Propofol (P), and Diazepam (D) and control Propofol (P) and the effects of rumenotomy on cortisol and glucose of West African dwarf goats were determined.

Methodology: Twelve (WAD) goats were randomly assigned to three treatment groups tagged A, B, and C. Rumenotomy was carried out on these animals, premedicated with Xylazine or Diazepam and anaesthetized with Propofol, and data was presented in charts and as (Mean ± SEM).

Findings: Cortisol concentration showed no statistical (P > 0.05) difference in group C pre-surgery (14.55 ± 1.34 mg/dL) and up to 96 hours post-rumenotomy (13.45 ± 0.68 mg/dL). In groups A and B, cortisol concentration significantly (P < 0.05) increased from pre-surgical value (14.40 ± 1.27; 13.68 ± 1.22 mg/dL) reaching a peak at 24 hours post-rumenotomy (68.85 ± 3.41; 46.63 ± 5.86mg/dL) followed by a significant (P < 0.05) decrease at 96 hours post-rumenotomy (33.46 ± 3.58; 13.80 ± 2.65 mg/dL), but these were statistically (P < 0.05) higher in group A compared to group B. The glucose concentration was statistically (P < 0.05) increased in group A (72.50 ± 3.30; 75.25 ± 5.02 g/dL) compared to groups B (65.50 ± 4.50; 65.50 ± 1.71 g/dL) and C (55.50 ± 2.87; 62.25 ± 8.84 g/dL) at intra-surgery and immediate post-surgery. From 24 and up to 96 hours post-rumenotomy, no statistical difference existed for the glucose concentration in all groups of goats.

Conclusion: The Cortisol and glucose indices increased across the groups which showed that the animals experienced stress during the procedure.

Recommendations: The Cortisol and Glucose indices following rumenotomy showed that the Diazepam-Propofol combination (group B) is preferred because it caused less stress and gave a good plane of anaesthesia in West African Dwarf goats.