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Thirty-six male growing Rahmani lambs aged 6 months with an average weight 19.07 ± 0.21 kg were used to determine the effects of inclusion biologically treated corn stalks (BTCS) treated with Trichoderma ressi (T. ressi) on growth performance. Animals were divided into four equal groups and assigned for control ration contained 30% clover hay (CH) and another three experimental rations replaced CH in control ration (TMR 1 ) with BTCT at 33%, 66% and complete replacement 100% of CH for (TMR 2 , TMR 3 and TMR 4 ), respectively. The results showed that treatment of BTCS decreased DM, OM, CF, EE contents, while CP and ash contents were increased in comparison with untreated corn stalks (UTCS). Also, it reduced all cell wall constituents (NDF, ADF, ADL, cellulose and hemicelluloses) compared to UTCS. biologically treated corn stalks containing diets significantly improved (P<0.05) all nutrient digestibility coefficients and cell wall constituent digestibilities compared to the control diet. Total digestible nutrient (TDN) was significantly improvement (P<0.05), while digestible crude protein (DCP) insignificantly (P>0.05) improved. Ruminal pH, ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N) and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA's) concentrations were increased. Sampling time had no significant effect on ruminal pH while, it significantly (P<0.05) increased NH 3 -N and TVFA's concentrations at 3 hours post feeding compared to before feeding. There were significant (P<0.05) interaction between dietary treatments and sampling time (TxS) on ruminal pH, NH 3 -N and TVFA's concentrations. All blood plasma parameters were within the normal range. Blood plasma hemoglobin, glucose, total protein, albumin and albumin: globulin ratio were significantly increased (P<0.05). However, blood plasma urea, creatinine, triglycerides and cholesterol were significantly (P<0.05) decreased. Blood plasma GOT and GPT were insignificant (P>0.05) decreased. Final weight, total body weight gain, average daily gain (ADG) and relative gain were significantly (P<0.05) improved. ADG was improved by 10.53%, 18.42%, 27.89% for TMR 2 , TMR 3 and TMR 4 , respectively compared to the control ration (TMR 1 ). Daily feed intakes of DM, TDN, CP and DCP (g/h/day) were increased. Feed conversion (kg intake /kg gain) of DM, TDN, CP and DCP were significantly (P<0.05) improved. Feed cost (LE per kilogram gain) was improved by 9.59%, 14.82% and 22.46% for TMR 2 , TMR 3 and TMR 4 , respectively compared to the control diet TMR 1 .It could be concluded that biologically treated corn stalks can be successfully fed to lambs without any adverse effect on digestibility coefficients, ruminal fermentation, blood plasma constituents and performance. Also, BTCS can be used economically in formulation of sheep rations as a good alternative source of clover hay.

Acetochlor is persistently used in the agroproduction sector to control broadleaf weeds. Due to frequent and continuous applications, this herbicide can reach nearby water bodies and may induce deleterious changes in aquatic life. Therefore, investigation of harmful impacts of different environmental pollutants, including herbicides, is vital to knowing the mechanisms of toxicity and devising control strategies. The current experiment included bighead carp ( n = 80 ) to estimate adverse impacts. Fish were randomly placed in 4 different experimental groups (T0-T3) and were treated for 36 days with acetochlor at 0, 300, 400, and 500 μg/L. Fresh blood without any anticoagulant was obtained and processed for nuclear and morphological changes in erythrocytes. At the same time, various visceral organs, including the gills, liver, brain, and kidneys, were removed and processed on days 12, 24, and 36 to determine oxidative stress and various antioxidant biomarkers. Comet assays revealed significantly increased DNA damage in isolated cells of the liver, kidneys, brain, and gills of treated fish. We recorded increased morphological and nuclear changes ( P ≤ 0.05 ) in the erythrocyte of treated fish. The results on oxidative stress showed a higher quantity of oxidative biomarkers and a significantly ( P ≤ 0.05 ) low concentration of cellular proteins in the gills, liver, brain, and kidneys of treated fish compared to unexposed fish. Our research findings concluded that acetochlor renders oxidative stress in bighead carp.

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Heat shock proteins (HSP) are highly conserved in their structure and released in case of stress. Increased metallothionein (MT) synthesis is associated with increased capacity for binding heavy metals. Healthy juveniles of grass carp were exposed to sublethal dose (1.495 mg L-1) of cadmium for 28 days. Simultaneously, a control group was also run to compare difference of total RNA expression levels in cadmium-treated and control groups. The cadmium levels in the tissues of treated fish recorded were 1.78 ± 0.10   mg   L − 1 , 1.60 ± 0.04   mg   L − 1 , and 2.00 ± 0.05   mg   L − 1 , respectively. Several histological alterations including edema, hemorrhage, dilated sinusoids, hypertrophy, hyperplasia, congestion of central vein, and nuclear alterations were observed in cadmium-exposed fish. Stress gene (metallothionein and heat shock proteins) mRNA transcription levels were studied by mRNA extraction and cDNA preparation by using PCR. The expression level of heat shock protein gene was higher as compared to metallothionein and beta-2-microglobulin gene after cadmium exposure. This study reports various stress-related immune-responsive changes of immune proteins, heat shock proteins, metallothionein, and histopathological changes in fish due to cadmium toxicity that make the fish immunocompromised which may be considered as the biomarkers of cadmium toxicity in other experimental species.

The objective of current study was to assess the trend in various luteal characteristics viz luteal size (LS), plasma progesterone (P4) concentration, and luteal blood flow (LBF) using color Doppler imaging (CDI) and power Doppler imaging (PDI) modes in pregnant and nonpregnant Nili-Ravi buffaloes. Lactating, cyclic, and healthy Nili-Ravi buffaloes ( n = 09 ) without any reproductive abnormality were selected in present study. Buffaloes were synchronized using Ov-Synch, and fixed-time artificially insemination was performed ( day = 0 ). Pregnancy was diagnosed on 30-day post-AI using B-mode ultrasonography based on presence or absence of embryonic heartbeat. Ovaries of all animals were scanned from day 5 till 21 post-AI using both B-mode and Doppler ultrasonography to measure LS and LBF. After each ovarian ultrasound examination, blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture to determine plasma P4 concentration. According to results, LBF using CDI and PDI was significantly higher ( P ≤ 0.05 ) in pregnant buffaloes on days 13 and 15 post-AI, respectively. The mean LS and plasma P4 concentration did not differ ( P ≥ 0.05 ) between pregnant and nonpregnant animals until day 15 post-AI. However, a significant difference ( P ≤ 0.05 ) was noticed for both on day 17 and onwards. It is concluded that LBF is a more sensitive luteal character as compared to LS and P4 for earlier pregnancy diagnosis in Nili-Ravi buffaloes when ascertained through CDI.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of tocopherol and selenium on the performance of buserelin (GnRH analogue) for estrus induction in anestrus mares. A total of 18 seasonally anestrus mares were divided into three equal groups (n=6 in each) after ovarian scanning. Mares in group A (treatment group) were treated with tocopherol and selenium intramuscularly along with daily dose of buserelin. Mares which came into heat within ten-day buserelin protocol, further injections of buserelin for those mares were stopped. Mares in group B were treated with buserelin intramuscularly only for ten days. Mares which came into heat within ten-day buserelin protocol, further injections of buserelin were stopped. Blood/serum was collected from each experimental mare kept in different groups (A-C) at days 1, 11, 12, 13 and 14. Onset of estrus signs was 83.3, 33.3 and 0% in group A, B and C, respectively, that was significant (P<0.05) among groups. Follicular dynamics were 20.24±3.00, 14.59±2.24 and 10.35±0.63mm in groups A, B and C, respectively with significant (P˂0.05) difference. Change in serum E2 contents was significantly (P˂0.05) different among groups A, B and C whereas progesterone concentration showed non-significant difference among groups.