Objective: This study aimed to assess the effect of adding flavoring agents to fermented cassava pulp (FCPU) on nutrient utilization, ruminal fermentation characteristics, and blood metabolites in growing cattle. Materials and Methods: A duplicated 3 × 3 Latin square design was randomly assigned to six growing beef cattle. Treatments were: 1) untreated FCPU (control), 2) 0.05% w/v vanilla-flavored FCPU, and 3) 0.05% w/v amyl acetate-flavored FCPU. Results: The results showed that flavoring agents did not affect dry matter intake (DMI) or digestibility of nutrients. Rumen pH and ammonia nitrogen concentrations did not change all treat¬ments postfeeding. Flavoring added to FCPU after feeding did not affect total volatile fatty acid (VFA) or VFA percentage. However, propionic acid levels tended to be lower in the vanilla-flavored FCPU group than those in the unflavored FCPU group at 0 h postfeeding (p < 0.01). Growing bulls fed vanilla-flavored FCPU tended to have greater fungal zoospores in the rumen than those fed amyl acetate-flavored FCPU (p < 0.1) at 2 h after feeding. Dietary treatments did not affect blood glucose and urea nitrogen concentrations (p > 0.05). However, blood triglyceride concentration was greater for cattle fed a control diet than other treatments at 0 h postfeeding (p < 0.05) and tended to be higher than those fed vanilla-flavored FCPU at 2 h afterfeeding (p < 0.1). Conclusion: It was suggested that adding vanilla or amyl acetate flavor to the FCPU showed no adverse effects on ruminal fermentation, blood metabolites, or nutritional digestibility; however, it did not increase DMI.

Objective: The objectives were to determine the appropriate level of dried cassava top (DCT) in total mixed ration (TMR) based on production performance and carcass characteristics of fattening Charolais crossbred steers. Materials and Methods: Fifteen fattening Charolais crossbred steers were randomly assigned to a randomized complete block design with initial body weight to receive three treatments, including without DCT, 15% DCT, and 30% DCT in TMR, on a dry matter (DM) basis. The production trial lasted 120 days; then, the fattened steers were slaughtered to study the carcass characteristics. Results: The in vitro gas production from the immediately soluble fraction of TMR containing 30% DCT was higher than the others (p < 0.05). However, in vitro DM and organic matter degradability were not significantly different among treatments. Feed intake, final weight, feed cost per gain, and carcass characteristics such as warm carcass percentage, marbling score, and loin eye area of feedlot steers were not affected by the inclusion of DCT in TMR. Although steers fed TMR containing 15% DCT had body weight gain, average daily gain, and feed conversion ratio lower than the control (p < 0.05); however, the use of DCT at 30% DM in TMR reduced the feed cost of feedlot beef production (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Using local ingredients such as cassava tops can increase profit margins for farmers without sacrificing product quality, but they must closely look at growth performance.

Objectives: The use of dried star gooseberry leaf extract (DSGLE) in rations and its effects on the egg internal quality of local ducks were examined. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 9-month-old local ducks weighing 1,406.25 ± 211.32 gm were randomly allocated into 5 treatments and 5 replicates in a completely randomized design. The birds were reared in 25 battery cages (4 birds each) and fed rations containing 0, 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, and 2.0% DSGLE. Results: Eggs of ducks fed DSGLE had significantly lower saturated fatty acid (SFA) (30.66%–32.53%) than those of control ducks (36.23%). Egg polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased from 2.29% (control) to 2.61% (2.0% DSGLE) and 2.76% (1.5% DSGLE), while egg monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) contents were not significantly different. The fatty acids of the whole edible part of eggs (albumen + yolk) were composed mainly of MUFA (40.19%–44.34%), followed by SFA (30.66%–36.22%), and PUFA (2.29%–2.76%). Malondialdehyde contents were reduced from 6.07 to 4.92 μg/gm (19%) in egg yolk and from 1.50 to 0.62 μg/gm (59%) in egg white, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values of the eggs were reduced from 0.93 to 1.65 (77%). The egg cholesterol level of ducks fed 2% DSGLE (21.94 mg/gm) was about 28.5% lower than that of eggs from control ducks (30.67 mg/gm) of eggs of control ducks. The egg white and egg yolk protein contents (12.31% and 16.35%) of treated ducks were lower than those in the control group (13.58% and 17.47%). Conclusion: The inclusion of SGLE in rations could be used to produce healthy duck eggs with no oxidative damage.

Objectives: This study aimed to measure the production potential of selected Pitalah and Bayang male ducks and their first generation. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 Pitalah and 100 Bayang 1-day-old ducks (40 males, 60 females) were obtained from local farmers and reared for 32–34 weeks. Twenty male ducks were selected as parental ducks based on their body weight (BW) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) at weeks 8 and 12. Forty female layer ducks were selected as parental ducks based on their blood cholesterol levels. Selected parental ducks were allowed to reproduce, and the ducklings were reared for 8 weeks before their BW, BW gain (BWG), feed intake, FCR, carcass weight percentage, abdominal fat percentage, and income over feed and duck cost (IOFC) ratio were measured. The data were subjected to a t-test. Results: Pitalah parental and first-generation ducks had better production performance and blood lipid profiles than Bayang ducks (p < 0.05). Based on the IOFC ratio, rearing Pitalah ducks for 8 weeks for meat production was more profitable and beneficial as a community economic resource. Conclusion: The selection of Pitalah and Bayang ducks was worth pursuing, as the G1 of both Pitalah and Bayang ducks had better production performance in terms of their BW, BWG, and FCR. Based on the IOFC values, raising Pitalah ducks for 8 weeks for meat production would be more economically beneficial.

Objective: This study was conducted to analyze the matrilineal structure of Gallus sp. in Southeast Asia, especially in the D-loop region. Materials and Method: A total of 563 sequences from eight countries (Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Thailand) in Southeast Asia are used in this study. Data collected from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) regarding the genus Gallus sp. in a Southeast Asian country. Data analysis was performed using MEGA 7.2 and DnaSP v6. Results: In the haplotype found in Gallus sp. in Southeast Asia, there are 89 haplotypes. Using a neighbor-joining (Nj) analysis, 89 haplotypes found three haplogroups for Gallus sp. in Southeast Asia. In Southeast Asia, the genetic diversity of the d-loop is exceptionally high, with a haplotype diversity value of 0.524 to 1. Conclusion: D-loop cannot be used as a specific marker for breeds or country-specifics. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 817-819]

Objective: The aim of this study is to detect the prevalence and diagnosis of molecular characteristics of Cryptosporidium infection in handlers of domestic pigeons in Baghdad City. Traditional and molecular diagnostic methods were employed to detect and identify Cryptosporidium species. Materials and methods: Sixty stool samples were collected from the handlers of domestic pigeons, and various techniques, including direct smear, flotation concentration, staining methods, and DNA extraction coupled with nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), were utilized. Results: The results obtained from traditional methods indicated an overall infection rate of 55% in handlers of domestic pigeons, while significant variations were noted between male and female handlers. Age group 21–40 years were found to have higher infection rates were found to have higher infection rates. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium also displayed temporal variability throughout the study period. Molecular analysis using nested PCR revealed higher infection rates of 86% in handlers of domestic pigeon samples. Genotyping and phylogenetic analysis identified the presence of Cryptosporidium parvam species in handlers of domestic pigeons, indicating zoonotic transmission potential. Conclusion: These findings underscore the high prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection among handlers of domestic pigeons in Baghdad City. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 744-750]

Objective: Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) is an environmentally toxic pollutant that can cause reprotoxicity. Cyperus esculentus and Euterpe oleracea are potent antioxidant plants currently used to counteract the action of harmful pollutants. The present experiment was intended to evaluate and comp are the role of C. esculentus hydroethanolic extract (CHE) and E. oleracea in treating the reprotoxicity induced by CdCl2 in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty adult male rats (160–210 gm) were allocated into five groups equally. Control group: received 5 ml of normal saline (NS); the other treatment groups were injected with CdCl2 as a single dose for two weeks to induce testicular toxicity. After 14 days, the four groups were treated orally daily for two months as follows: The cadmium group (Cd) received NS, the third group (TC) was administered 800 mg/kg BW of CHE, the fourth group (TO) received 500 mg/kg BW of E. oleracea, and the fifth group (TCO) received CHE with E. oleracea. Results: The live sperm and motility, serum testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, and 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) were significantly increased in the TCO, TC, and TO groups compared with the Cd group. Testicular nitric oxide and malondialdehyde were elevated significantly in the Cd group compared to the TC, TO, TCO, and control groups. The fold changes of Fshβ, Lhβ, and Gnrh genes were upregulated in the TCO group compared to the Cd and control groups. Conclusion: The combination of CHE with E. oleracea showed improvements in rat testicles affected by cadmium toxicity via upregulated reproductive gene expression and its antioxidant effects. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 685-695]

Objective: The aim of the study was to use a meta-analysis to identify the correlation between linear body measurements, including body length (BL), wither height (WH), heart girth (HG), and body volume (BV), and body weight in beef cattle by breed, sex, and age as categories. Materials and Methods: These results can be used as a method for predicting beef cattle body weight. This study used systematic review and meta-analysis guidelines to create a checklist. The first stage was searching for papers relevant to the study objectives. The second stage was searching using the keywords beef cattle, body weight, body measurement, and correlation. The third stage was reviewing the title and abstract. The fourth stage was abstracting information from selected papers, and the last stage was tabulating data. Results: The results from this study were obtained, and 32 papers were eligible for the meta-analysis stage. The correlation between linear body measurement and body weight of beef cattle showed that HG (r = 0.88) and BV (r = 0.97) were significantly (p < 0.05) different compared to BL (r = 0.74) and WH (r = 0.72). The correlation between HG and body weight, and the categorization of cattle breeds showed significantly (p < 0.05) different results. The correlation between BV and body weight of cattle according to breed categories showed results that were not significantly (p > 0.05) different, while age was significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, to predict beef cattle body weight, it is necessary to use HG or BV, with breed, sex, and age of cattle as categories. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 630-638]

Objective: Equine herpes viruses (EHVs) are considered one of the most important respiratory pathogens in equids, resulting in serious outcomes for equine health worldwide. The objectives of the current research were the detection, molecular characterization, and isolation of EHV-1 and EHV-4 circulating within different equine populations in Egypt, either clinically or in apparently healthy horses. Material and Methods: A total of 120 field samples were collected, and DNA was extracted. Screening and typing of extracted DNA were done by consensus and conventional PCR assays for detection of EHV-1 and EHV-4, followed by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to confirm the virus identity. Selected positive samples for both EHV-1 and EHV-4 were subjected to Madin-Darby bovine kidney (MDBK) cell lines for virus isolation. Results: The obtained results revealed that 58/120 (48%) samples were positive for EHVs. Typing of positive samples showed that EHV-1 was detected in (48/120) 40% of samples and EHV-4 was detected in (15/120) 12% of samples, while dual infection by both EHV-1 and 4 was detected in five samples. Conclusion: The current study revealed new data on the continuous circulation of EHV-1 and EHV-4 within equine populations in Egypt, and individual horses could be infected by multiple EHVs. In addition, latently infected horses are acting as potential reservoirs for frequent virus reactivation. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 639-646]

Objective: The principal objective of this research was to examine the influence of zinc-methionine (Zn-Met) addition on feed on the in vitro ruminal enzyme activities, fermentation characteristics, methane production, and digestibilities of feed nutrients. Materials and Methods: The dosage of Zn-Met as a source of organic Zn was added to feed based on dry matter (DM) as follows: 0-without Zn addition (CON), 30 Zn mg/kg-low (LZM), 60 Zn mg/kg-medium (MZM), and 90 Zn mg/kg-high (HZM). Results: The results indicated significant impacts of Zn-Met addition on various parameters. Compared to the CON group, all Zn-Met treatments resulted in increased total volatile fatty acids (VFA) (linear; p < 0.001), carboxymethyl-cellulase activity (linear; p < 0.001), and gas production at 48-h of incubation (linear; p < 0.001, quadratic; p < 0.001). Additionally, the MZM and HZM groups exhibited higher levels of amylase activity (linear; p < 0.001), protease activity (linear; p = 0.006), microbial protein (linear; p = 0.009), DM digestibility (linear; p < 0.001), organic matter (OM) digestibility (linear; p < 0.001), crude protein (CP) digestibility (linear; p = 0.004), and crude fiber (CF) digestibility (linear; p = 0.003) than CON treatment. However, the treatments did not have any noteworthy effects on pH, the individual VFA (acetate, propionate, and butyrate) proportions, NH3-N concentration, and methane production (p > 0.05). Conclusion: It could be summarized that supplementing 60 and 90 Zn mg/kg DM as Zn-Met could improve the in vitro ruminal enzyme activities, fermentation characteristics, and nutrient digestibility without affecting methane production. [J Adv Vet Anim Res 2023; 10(4.000): 696-703]