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<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica;">Rapid Rural Appraisal methods were used to collate and code the indigenous knowledge on animal healthcare of Tsonga speaking people of South Africa. There was a rapport between local disease names as described by their clinical signs by the farmers and the local veterinary services important disease list. The perceived causes of diseases were physico-biological elements and no reference to ancestral guidance was recorded. Males and old people were more knowledgeable but females and young people did show a certain degree of confidence during general discussions. Plants were more frequently used than other non-conventional remedies with cattle being the most treated animals. Farmers reported using 19 plant species belonging to 12 families. Plants were collected from the wild when needed and no specific storage system was used. They were administered as decoctions or infusions of single plants. These remedies were used not only as alternatives to expensive pharmaceutical products but also because in certain diseases or chronic cases, they were thought to be more efficacious.</span>

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An improvement in avian semen cryopreservation is essential and has the potential to improve the cryo-gene banking efficiency. This study compared two cryopreservation methods (slow freezing and vitrification) and the effect of different thawing/warming temperatures (5˚C, 25˚C and 41˚C) on Venda cockerel's spermatozoa. Semen samples from Venda cockerels were diluted with modified Kobidil + extender supplemented with 8% dimethyl sulfoxide. Semen from each ejaculate was stained with nigrosin/eosin for viability examination. The cryopreserved samples were either slow cooled in 0.25 mL straw or vitrified in a solid surface vitrification (SSV) device. Semen straw or cryovial was stored in liquid nitrogen container. The straw or cryovial with sperm was thawed or warmed at 5˚C, 25˚C and 41˚C and analysed by a Computer-Aided Sperm Analysis (CASA). There was a significant difference in live/normal sperm between the semen donors. Cockerels spermatozoa cryopreserved by slow freezing (43%) and thawed at 5˚C had a significantly higher survival and motility rate compared to vitrification (2.5%) method. In conclusion, there was higher rate of live/ normal morphology sperm. Cryopreservation process reduces sperm motility and velocity rate regardless of cryoprevervation method and thawing or warming temperatures. However, slow freezing was a better method to maintain motility of spermatozoa following cryopreservation.

Background Rotheca glabrum (formerly known as Clerodendrum glabrum [Verbenaceae]) is used by local communities in the Limpopo Province of South Africa to control ticks on livestock and was selected from the database of the ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute. Its leaves were extracted using organic solvents ranging from polar to non-polar solvents (methanol, acetone and dichloromethane (DCM)). In addition, the traditional soap-water (infusion) and water-based (decoction) methods were used. The tick repelling activity was determined against the adult stage of the livestock tick Rhipicephalus appendiculatus . Results In the tick-climbing repellency bioassay a 30% acetone extract had a significant ( p ≤ 0.05) repellent effect against adults of R. appendiculatus . The extract was still active at a lower concentration of 10%. The hexane fraction from the R. glabrum acetone extract had a higher tick repellency activity than the positive controls Amitix and Bayticol at the same concentrations. Unfortunately, the activity decreased after 2.5 h, probably due to volatility of the biologically active compound(s) within the extract. Conclusion Attempts were made to isolate the repellent compound from the acetone extract of R. glabrum. The process produced very good results up to a late stage in the bioassay-guided fractionation process. At that point, the repellent activity was lost. When two fractions were combined, the repellent activity was regained. These results provide strong evidence for the existence of a synergisticactivity of different compounds. It may be better to concentrate on extracts that would kill ticks rather than on extracts that would repel ticks.

Garlic has secondary metabolites that possess antimicrobial properties that can alter nutrient digestibility and rumen fermentation similar to known antimicrobial products. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the effects of garlic powder and garlic juice on in vitro nutrient digestibility, rumen fermentation and gas production. The treatments were control no additives, garlic powder and garlic juice of 0.5 ml and 1 ml. The digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and neutral detergent fibre were determined after 48h incubation. Rumen ammonia nitrogen and volatile fatty acids were determined at 12h and 24h incubation. The cumulative gas production was recorded periodically over 48h. The in vitro dry matter disappearance decreased with 1 ml of garlic juice compared to control. The crude protein degradability in garlic powder and garlic juice was lower than in control. The volatile fatty acids increased in all the treatments. Individual volatile fatty acids were significantly different, especially propionate, while the acetate:propionate ratio was reduced by garlic juice, and ammonia nitrogen was reduced by garlic powder and 0.5 ml of garlic juice. The cumulative gas production increased significantly with both levels of garlic juice. The addition of garlic juice at 0.5 mL/100 mL could enhance the production of propionate, and reduce the acetate:propionate ratio implying that the supply of hydrogen for methanogens is limited.

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