Ceftizoxime is the third generation cephalosporin, extensively used in veterinary medicine. It has larger volume of distribution, good penetration into tissues, and useful for the treatment of mastitis which is resistant to other antibiotics. Keeping in view of generating pharmacokinetic data of ceftizoxime in different domestic animals, the present study was planned to investigate pharmacokinetics of ceftizoxime in goats (n = 6) at the dose rate of 10mg kg-1 body weight following single dose intravenous administration. Drug concentration in plasma was determined using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detector. The values of Cmax, AUC and MRT were 44.40 ± 2.09 µg ml-1, 121.22 ± 15.40µg.h.ml-1 and 11.44 ± 1.30 h, respectively. The longer elimination half-life (8.92 ± 1.11h) along with smaller ClB (0.09 ± 0.01 Lh-1 kg-1) showed slower excretion of the drug from animal body. 

The present study was conducted to study the white blood corpuscles of Emu. The blood samples were collected from eight apparently healthy adult Emu birds and blood smears were stained with modified Wright stain for cyto-morphological studies of various white blood corpuscles. The Heterophils were round cells with lobed nucleus which was placed eccentrically. The Eosinophils often had a bi-lobed nucleus with abundant small, round, red - to - pink granules and light blue cytoplasm. The basophils cytoplasm had densely packed metachromatically stained granules. The small lymphocytes were irregularly round with round nucleus and a lacy chromatin pattern. The large lymphocytes had a homogeneous and an abundant cytoplasm which was more basophilic. The Monocytes were large cells with moderate amounts of blue - gray cytoplasm that occasionally had small discrete vacuoles. Their nuclei were pleomorphic with a lacy chromatin pattern. Deviation from the normal morphology of White Blood Corpuscles indicates disease and pathological conditions in Emu.

The prime objective of the study was to analyze the ecological features and to identify the fish species present along the upstream region of Pechipparai reservoir. Seventeen species of freshwater fishes belonging to 11 genera and 8 families have been recorded. Cyprinidae was the dominant family (6 species) in the study area. Of the 17 species, Dawkinsia arulius belong to the endangered category, Hyporhamphus xanthopterus and Dawkinsia rohani to vulnerable and Ompok bimaculatus to near threatened category. All the 17 fish species are found to be endemic to India and ornamentally appreciated.

Milk marketing agencies (Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Marketing (TNCMM) co-operatives and private agency) and Department of Animal Husbandry (DAH) of the Government of Tamil Nadu were providing different services viz., breeding, therapeutic, preventive, input and extension services related to dairy farming. Availability and accessibility of the above services to the dairy farmers need to be judged from the perspective of the dairy farmers, so as to streamline the services in a more efficient manner. This study was conducted following exploratory research design to understand the perceptions of the milk producers on the availability and accessibility of these services in Salem district. Multistage random sampling was adopted for selection of 150 respondents (75 milk pourers of TNCMM co-operatives and 75 milk pourers of private agencies) from the blocks of Salem district. Randomly selected respondents were interviewed personally for collection of primary data. Majority of the respondents (80 %) of both the groups perceived that AI services were accessible to them both at institution as well as at doorstep. The study also reveals that none of the agencies were able to deliver the dairy husbandry services to the farmers in a comprehensive manner. The dairy farmers preferred to have services delivered at their doorsteps for the obvious reason of the difficulty of taking the animal to the established centres. 

A study was carried out to check the prevalence of Salmonella spp. in ice cream marketed in Thrissur city, Kerala. Altogether 80 ice cream samples belonging to 10 different brands were randomly collected from different retail outlets of the city and were analysed for total viable count, coliform count and for the presence of Salmonella spp. The mean total viable count and coliform count in ice cream samples were 11.90±0.06 and 3.72±0.17 log cfu/g respectively. Thirty per cent of the ice cream samples exceeded the standards prescribed for coliform count by Food Safety and Standards Act (2006). Salmonella spp. was isolated from one of the ice cream samples. The presence of potential pathogen such as Salmonella in ice cream samples reveals the importance of strengthening the quality control measures to be followed during manufacture as well as storage and distribution of ice cream in order to reduce public health risk.

The morphology of the abducent nucleus of the buffalo has been described by materials collected from eight buffalos. Nissl and myelin stained serial and semi serial sections of brain stem were used for the study. The abducent nucleus in the buffalo extended from the cranial pole of the rostral cochlear nucleus to the caudal pole of the motor nucleus of the trigeminal nerve. An accessory abducent nucleus which is present in amphibians, reptiles, birds and some mammals could not be identified in the buffalo. The nucleus appeared as a rounded body in its caudal pole and was roughly triangular at rostral pole in transverse sections. The average length of motor nucleus of abducent nerve in the buffalo was 2.4 mm. The average maximum width and height of the nucleus was 1.48mm and 1.75 mm respectively.

Repeat breeding due to sub clinical endometritis (SCE) is often diagnosed by cytological examination and the effect of endocervical inflammation (ECI) on increased hazards ofpregnancy is inadequately investigated. In this study, endocervical cytology was compared with the golden standard test `endometrial cytology' to detect SCE as a cause of repeat breeding in cows. Influx of Neutrophils and endocervical inflammation will reflect the status of endometrium and may indirectly reflects the ongoing sub clinical form of endometrial inflammation. Hence, this study was aimed at fixing threshold for PMN in endocervical cytology and comparing the same with golden standard technique. Repeat breeding cows associated with endocervical inflammation with >8% of neutrophils during standing estrus in endocervical cytology will have increased hazards of pregnancy. Our study suggested that a moderate concordance/association between ECI and endometrial inflammation (EDI) in repeat breeding cows, these findings were based on the endocervical and endometrial cytology. Based on the endocervical cytology examination 85% of repeat breeding cow posses EDI (SCE) with a diagnostic sensitivity of 86% and showing moderate clinical acceptability for application of endocervical cytology as diagnostic aid to detect SCE in repeat breeding cows.

The present study was undertaken to analyze the factors determining the participation of farmers in contract Japanese quail farming. The primary data for the study was collected through a pre-tested interview schedule. The determinant factors for farmers participation in contract Japanese quail farming were assessed by the logit model and the results of the analysis revealed that the farm size and profitability were found to be the positive determinant factors and investment was found to be a negative determinant factor for the participation of farmers in contract Japanese quail farming.

Composite cattle feed samples and raw materials like maize, wheat, sorghum, broken rice, pearl millet, groundnut cake, cotton seed cake, mustard cake, soyabean meal, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal, guar meal, safflower meal, deoiled rice bran and wheat bran were collected from various parts of India for a period 5 years and evaluated for aflatoxin B1 level by screening through ELISA and confirmation through HPLC. Among the 482 composite cattle feed samples, only 68.5per cent were having aflatoxin Bilevel below the permissible level (below 20 ppb). Higher incidence of aflatoxin B1 was recorded in west zone than east, north and south zones during monsoon period. However, it was observed that incidence of aflatoxin B1 at concentration beyond 100ppb was relatively higher in eastern zone both during monsoon and non-monsoon period than the west, north and south zones. Among the energy source, maize had the highest (7.8 per cent, 15 out of 193 samples tested) prevalence of alarming levels of aflatoxin (>100ppb) and 41.5 per cent (80 samples) in the range of 21 to 100 ppb of aflatoxin B1. Only 50.8 per cent (98 samples) were within permissible level (<20 ppb). It was observed that the presence of aflatoxin Biwas more in maize during monsoon in south zone. Only 47.2 per cent of groundnut cake (118 samples) were within permissible level of <20 ppb of aflatoxin B1. In west zone, highest sample profile (15.18per cent) and zone-wise distribution of 45.45per cent was recorded in the samples of groundnut cake having aflatoxin B1 at alarmingly high level of more than 100 ppb. Overall data reveals that monsoon favours development of aflatoxin B1 more during monsoon.

A study was conducted to optimize the level of finger millet (Eleusine coracana) powder as a thickening agent in the chicken soup prepared with no added oil. Whole finger millet (FM) was powdered finely and used as thickening agent in chicken soup at 0 (control) 5(FM5), 10(FM10) and 15(FM15) parts levels. The pH significantly decreased with increase in the finger millet level where it was highest in control and lowest in FM15. In the sensory evaluation, appearance, flavour and mouth feel scores significantly decreased with increase in finger millet level. The consistency scores were significantly higher for the treatments with finger millet compared to control. The overall acceptability scores were comparable among the control, FM5 and FM10 treatments and significantly lower for FM15. Hence, from this study, it can be concluded that finger millet might be efficiently utilized as a thickening agent in chicken soup up to 10 parts level, which would fortify the nutritive value.