If in several countries of the world, artificial insemination is a common practice in the management of animal herds, it is not the same for many of the nations of the Sahelian African zone such as Niger where several factors complicate its development. One of the annoying situations would be the very high cost of the technique for the breeder. Thus, to reduce this cost related to the cost of heat-inducing hormones, this study aims to search for an alternative solution to the use of the artificial insemination technique which is very inaccessible to African breeders. This study involves first listing all plant species that induce heat in sheep-goats, and then testing their effectiveness in vivo in the Red goat of Maradi. The administration of a semi-closed questionnaire to a sample of 63 nomadic breeders from North Maradi made it possible to identify 81 plant species. These plant species are used either alone, in association or in a mixture with other non-plant products. Thus, the survey made it possible to list 71 heat-inducing recipes, 77% of which consist exclusively of plant extracts. The preselected goats were randomly divided into four comparable and different groups of 6 to 7 individuals receiving recipe R1 (group 1, n=7), recipe R2 (group 2, n=7), recipe R3 (group 3, n=7) and recipe R4 (control group, n=6). Two of these recipes, tested on two groups of goats, had allowed ≈ 42.85 and ≈ 57.14% to give birth against only ≈ 33.33% in the control group and 0% in the goats treated with pigeon droppings. Thus, this study has made it possible to highlight a good knowledge of heat-inducing plants in goats by the nomadic population of North Maradi. It also revealed a trend in the effectiveness of the in vivo use of two of these plants in fertility in the Red goat of Maradi. This practice could constitute an alternative way to small ruminants’ artificial insemination for breeders in sub-Saharan Africa.
The dromedary is one of the few domestic animal species that multiply at a very slow rate. Several factors among others; very long gestation, simple and induced ovulation, contribute to the reduction of the reproductive efficiency of the camel. To help understand camel reproduction in Niger, this study aims to morphologically characterize the reproductive system of dromedary females slaughtered at the slaughterhouse. For this, a total of 132 genital tracts and 264 ovaries belonging to dromedaries were collected and categorized at the slaughterhouse between August and October 2019. Afterwards, these organs were weighed and measured. The average values of the weight of the genital tract were estimated at 211.57±90.68 g; 596.50±38.15 g and 2357.38±296.10 g, respectively for young, not pregnant adult and pregnant adult females. However, the mean values of the length of the right and left uterine horn were 3.95±0.003 cm vs 5.13±0.23 cm; 5.61±0.03 cm vs 8.78±0.24 cm and 18.40±5.86 cm vs 27.90±2.64 cm, respectively for the young, not pregnant adult and pregnant dromedary. The mean weight values of the right and left ovaries were 1.96±0.4 g vs 2.67±0.43 g; 4.37±0.38 g vs 4.79±0.38 g and 6.56±0.67 g vs 5.46±0.51 g, respectively for the young, not pregnant adult and pregnant dromedary. For the average number of follicles per ovary, it was found 17.77±1.75 for the right side against 20.07±1.92 for the left side in young female while it was 27.80±1, 73 vs 28.44±1.71 for the not pregnant adult female and 29.61±2.97vs 29.67±2.95 for the pregnant female. On the other hand, the mean number of corpora lutea per ovary was 0.69±0.16 vs 0.56±0.15; 2.45±0.22 vs 2.56±0.21 and 2.86±0.52 vs 1.94±0.30, respectively for the right and left ovaries of the young, not pregnant adult and pregnant dromedary female. Statically, all these differences are significant (p˂0.05) for the factors considered, particularly the reproductive status of the female and the side of the ovary. The results obtained confirm that the anatomical and structural characteristics of the genital tract of the female dromedary depend on the reproductive status of the animal and the ovary side.
Plants are important sources of food; at the same time, they present medicinal virtues for the man and the animal. Thus, the present ethnobotanical study was aimed to identify ethnobotanical formulas for the treatment of diseases affecting dromedaries. The study was carried out through individual interviews with 41 breeders using pre-established ethno-veterinary survey sheets. A total of 188 formulas, 130 of which are of plant origin, have been designated for the treatment of 28 camel diseases and symptoms identified in the study area. The results of this study showed that: Stereospermum kunthianum, Water + Camellia sinensis, Water + Lepidium sativum, Water + Acacia nilotica and Water + Salvadora persica are the most reputable formulas. Stereospermum kunthianum and Camellia sinensis are the most requested species in the constitution of these formulas. General tiredness and Diarrhea are the most common diseases with a citation rate of 18.09% and 16.49%, respectively. The leaves are the parts of the plant most used in the formulation of ethnobotanical recipes with a rate of use of 54,1%. On the other hand, pounding and maceration are the most frequent methods of preparing recipes with respective rates of 52,7% and 26,4%. And the oral route is the best choice for the administration of products to camels. This study revealed important endogenous information on the ethnomedicine held by the cameleer and which can be valued by modern medicine for the management of camel health.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.