Newcastle Disease (ND) is a highly infectious disease of poultry causing huge economic loss to the poultry farmers. Newcastle Disease is controlled by vaccination of commercial or backyard poultry using inactivated or live ND vaccines. In the present study, safety and humoral antibody response in birds vaccinated with Newcastle disease virus oral pellet vaccine (NDV OPV) was studied in field conditions. A total of 300 backyard poultry (n=100/ farm) from three different farms were vaccinated with NDV OPV. The vaccinated birds were monitored for any adverse reactions or mortality up to 28 days post vaccination (dpv). There were no untoward reactions or mortality in the vaccinated birds in all the three farms up to 28 dpv. Blood samples (n=8/farm) were collected randomly from vaccinated birds on 0 and 28 dpv in each farm and were subjected to heamagglutination inhibition (HI) test. The mean HI titre was 66, 56 and 25 in farm 1, farm 2 and farm 3 respectively at 28 dpv. All the vaccinated birds had protective HI titre of ≥16 at 28 days post vaccination. In conclusion, Newcastle disease virus oral pellet vaccine (NDV OPV) is safe and induces good protective humoral antibody response and can be used to control ND in backyard poultry.

Vibrio is a major sea food pathogen which needs to be monitored regularly for devising appropriate control strategy to ensure food safety among sea food consumers and handlers. The present study aims to ascertain the occurrence of Vibrio spp. in seafood viz fishes, prawn/shrimps, crabs and water samples collected from various fish markets in and around Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, India. A total of 175 samples were screened, of which 106 (60.57%) samples were found positive by PCR targeting the 16s rRNA of Vibrio genus and all the positive isolates were subjected to toxR gene identification by Multiplex PCR for species level identification. At the species level 28(26.41%) were positive for Vibrio parahemolyticus (Vp), 6 (5.67%) positive for Vibrio Cholerae (Vc), 2 (1.89%) positive for Vibrio vulnificus (Vv). The presence of mixed vibrio species were also observed of which 56 samples (43.40%) revealed the presence of Vp and Vc, 7 (6.60%) with Vp and Vv, 3 (2.84%) with Vv and Vc and 14 samples with (13.20%) Vp, Vv and Vv. The present study identified the presence along with mixed Vibrio spp. in most of the samples tested from the study area.

Factors influencing the consumption of ready-to-eat snack foods were analysed through principal component analysis. The data for the study was collected through a well- designed pre-tested interview schedule from 90 respondents in south zone of Chennai. Ten variables were considered as emphasizing factors. The results indicated that the economic factors such as cost saving, quantity and taste are the major influential factors for the consumption of ready-to-eat snack foods in first dimension. In second dimension, habitual factors such as habit, lack of cooking skill and hectic life style are the major influential factors. Convenience factors such as convenience and affordability are the influential factors in third dimension. In fourth dimension, marketing factors such as advertisement and influence of children are the major influential factors among ten variables. The Transparent Market Research (TMR) and the high convenience quotient of ready-to-eat snacks fuels a strong growth for the Ready-to-eat snacks in the market.

           Curcumin derived from curcuma longa has been reported for its anti-cancer activity, but low bioavailability limits the therapeutic potential of curcumin. In this study curcumin and solid lipid nanocurcumin were tested for its therapeutic use and methotrexate was used as the standard drug. Methotrexate at a dose rate of 3.5mg/kg bodyweight and curcumin and nanocurcumin at a dose rate of 100 and 50 mg/kg bodyweight were evaluated in Dalton’s Ascites Lymphoma-bearing mice by assessing various hematobiochemical parameters. Hematological parameters were estimated using auto hematology analyzer and biochemical parameters with automatic serum biochemical analyzer.   Dalton’s Ascites Lymphoma-bearing mice showed reduction in RBC count and amount of Hb and increased leukocyte count with neutrophilia in comparison with normal control group. The tumor control group also showed elevated levels of ALT, AST and ALP while albumin and total protein levels decreased in serum. Treatment with curcumin and nanocurcumin showed significant increase in RBC and Hb count as well as decrease in WBC count. There was a significant decrease ALT, AST and ALP and increase in albumin and total protein levels. Precisely curcumin and nanocurcumin showed significant influence in the restoration of various hematobiochemical parameters.

An experiment was conducted to assess the growth performance of Madras Red sheep on hydroponic maize fodder replacing Bajra Napier grass Co(CN)-4 at 50 and 100 per cent level. Madras Red ram lambs of about 4 months of age (33 Nos.) were randomly divided into three groups. All the lambs of three groups were fed with concentrate feed @ 100 g/ day. In addition, Group-1 lambs were fed with 100 % Co(CN)-4; group-2 lambs were fed with 50 % Co(CN)-4 and 50 % hydroponic maize fodder and group – 3 lambs were fed with 100 % hydroponic maize fodder to meet out their dry matter and nutrient requirement. The trial was conducted for three months. During the trial period the data collected were initial body weight, monthly body weight, final body weight, feed intake, and cost of feeding. No significant differences were observed in the average weight gain, dry matter intake and feed conversion ratio among the treatment groups. Cost of feeding per kg live weight gain was found higher as the inclusion level of hydroponic fodder included increased in the ration. Hence, hydroponic fodder can be recommended when acute fodder deficiency occurred especially during summer.

An in vitro experiment was conducted to study the in vitro cellulose disappearance of the following seven experimental feeds such as 1) Control feed; 2) Experimental feed (75%) + Fresh brewery waste (25%) (EFFBW); 3) Experimental feed (75%) + Dried brewery waste (25%) (EFDBW); 4) Fresh brewery waste (FBW); 5) Dried brewery waste (DBW); 6) Paddy straw (PS) and 7) Brewery waste incorporated paddy straw (BWIPS) incubated for 2, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 hours in Rumen Simulation Technique (RUSITEC). During initial incubation periods (2, 6, 12 and 24 hours), control feed, EFFBW, EFDBW and FBW showed higher in vitro cellulose disappearance than other experimental feeds, whereas, during later incubation periods (48 and 72 hours), the DBW, paddy straw and BWIPS showed higher in vitro cellulose disappearance than other experimental feeds incubated in RUSITEC. Among the feeds experimented in RUSITEC, disappearance of cellulose was more in the control feed, EFFBW and EFDBW when compared to other experimental feeds. Similarly, the cellulose disappearance was more in BWIPS compared to paddy straw. The in vitro cellulose disappearance rates at all incubation periods were higher for FBW than those for DBW.

         An experiment was conducted to assess the effect of application of cattle urine at a rate of 0.7 l/m2 area on carbon dioxide (CO) emissions under low, medium and high pasture cover blocks of the grazing area during rainy season at Hyderabad. CO2 emissions was significantly (P<0.05) higher in experimental plots which received cattle urine than without cattle urine. Mean CO2 concentration increased linearly with the time i.e., from 0 to 60 minutes of sample collection under different pasture cover blocks and the differences were significantly (P<0.01) different. The CO2 emissions flux (mg/m /h) ranged from 9.10 to 28.80, 12.30 to 27.80 and 10.40 to 32.50 with a mean of 16.50 ± 1.24, 17.50 ± 1.00 and 21.30 ± 1.58 mg/m2/h under low, medium and high vegetation covered chambers, respectively and no trend was observed in CO2 flux among different vegetative cover blocks. The differences in mean CO2 emissions flux among different vegetation cover plots were significantly (P<0.05) different with highest under high vegetation and lowest under low vegetation cover. It is concluded that, pasture growth would influence the CO2 emissions from the grazing lands when applied urine of grazing animals hence, appropriate pasture management combined with rotational livestock grazing helps in containing global warming.

A biological trial was conducted with “TANUVAS Namakkal gold Japanese quail” to determine the optimum level of energy and lysine requirement on the production performance during the chick and grower phase. Seven hundred and twenty, straight-run, day-old chicks were randomly grouped in nine treatments with four replicates of twenty chicks each. Three levels of energy (2800, 2900 and 3000 kcal/kg) and three levels of lysine (1.2, 1.3 and 1.4%) were used in a 3 x 3 factorial design. Low energy (2800 kcal/kg) had significant (P<0.01) influence on the body weight, body weight gain, feed consumption and feed conversion ratio in the chick and grower phase. High (1.4%) lysine had significant (P<0.01) influence on the body weight, body weight gain in the chick phase. Low and medium lysine (1.2 and 1.3%) groups had significantly (P<0.05) better weight gain and feed conversion ratio. Low and high (1.2 and 1.4%) lysine levels recorded significantly (P<0.01) higher feed consumption during the grower phase.

A Jersey crossbred heifer was presented to the Gynaecology Unit of Veterinary Clinical Complex, Veterinary College and Research Institute, Orathanadu for pregnancy diagnosis. Rectal examination revealed rigid cervix and flaccid uterine horns. Further examination revealed that left uterine horn was adhering with the adnexa like a firm mass and unable to retract. However, the right uterine horn and both the ovaries were free of adhesions and were easily movable. Ultrasonographic examination revealed left uterine horn was curled and there was synechiae as evidenced by dense hyperechoic bands around the contours of left uterine horn which confirm the unilateral left uterine horn adhesion.

Mixed infections with four gastrointestinal parasites were recorded in a desi fowl presented for post mortem in Chennai. The morphological characters of the worms found in the lumen of the gizzard, duodenum and caecum of a desi fowl were studied and the worms were identified as Ascaridia galli and Heterakis gallinarum. The caecum of a bird showed pathological changes including congestion and haemorrhages. Examination of the intestinal contents revealed the presence of eggs of A. galli and Capillaria spp along with oocyst of Eimeria spp.