Farm ruminants are responsible for about 15 percent of total global methane emission due to enteric fermentation of feeds. Additives are being used to modify rumen fermentation towards reduced methanogenesis, however, hazards associated with feeding of antibiotics and other chemical compounds to livestock for improving animal performance and methane mitigation are growing public awareness and encourage the research towards exploiting natural products as feed additives. Therefore, an experiment was carried out to examine the potential of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora) leaves essential oils in modulating rumen fermentation for reduced methane production in water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Essential oils were extracted both from dried and fresh eucalyptus leaves, separately in Soxhlet's apparatus by organic solvent, hexane [15 g leaves extracted in 100 ml n-hexane (mol. wt. 86.18, assay 99.0 percent and density 0.658)] for 72 h and tested at three dose levels (0, 0.5 and 2.0 ml) in buffered rumen fluid (BRF). Oats hay (200+-5 mg) was used as substrate and incubated with 30 ml BRF in 100 ml calibrated glass syringes at 39 deg C for 24 h following standard in vitro gas production protocol. Gas production was recorded by displacement of piston in the syringe. Methane in the gas phase and volatile fatty acids in the fermentation medium were estimated by Gas Chromatograph (GC). The total gas production and dry matter digestibility was increased (P LT 0.05) at low dose (0.5 ml) of eucalyptus leaves extract, irrespective of nature of leaves however, these were reduced (P LT 0.05) at higher dose (2.0 ml). Methane production was reduced (P LT 0.05), irrespective of doses. Volatile fatty acids (VFA) production were increased (P LT 0.05) at low dose but higher dose detrimentally reduced it. Rumen ammonia - N was not affected at low dose however, it was reduced at high dose of extract. Extracts from both dried and fresh leaves behaved similarly in modulating all the rumen fermentation parameters at corresponding dose levels. Results of this study revealed reduced methane production with increased feed digestibility and volatile fatty acids production by dosing extract of eucalyptus leaves. Therefore, it suggests using of either extract of eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora) leaves (0.5 ml/30 ml rumen fluid) or its corresponding dose of leaves as feed additive in buffaloes.

The present study was undertaken to elucidate the alkaline indigestion syndrome in riverine buffaloes caused by inadvertent colostrum feeding, clinical pattern and its therapeutic management. Fifteen recently parturited buffaloes with history of feeding average 2.96 kg (1 to 5 kg) of colostrum immediately after parturition followed by sudden onset of anorexia, decrease in milk yield and nervous signs were investigated. Clinical examination showed normal body temperature (100.26+-0.42 vs 100.62+-0.18), respiration (23.73+-3.53 vs 24.13+-0.66) and heart rate (57.26+-3.30 vs 53.20+-1.79) compared to healthy buffaloes. Examination of rumen revealed impaction with highly significant (P LT 0.01) reduction in rumen motility (0.80+-0.24 vs 3.80+-0.17 per five minutes). Similarly, highly significant (P LT 0.01) increase in rumen pH (8.10+-0.16 vs 6.25+-0.07) and decrease in protozoal density (5.00+-0.88 vs 32.93+-1.72) with sluggish (+) to no (-) protozoal motility was observed in ailing buffaloes. Haematological analysis showed normal blood profile with significant (P LT 0.05) increase only in neutrophil count (51.60+-5.1 vs 42.06+-3.4). Prominent clinical signs of anorexia, congested conjunctival mucosae, decreased milk yield and varied nervous signs like restlessness, head pressing, staggering gait, incoordination, circling, convulsions, dummy syndrome, apparent blindness and coma were observed in affected buffaloes. Postural abnormalities like sternal / lateral recumbency and lateral deviation of neck were also observed in two buffaloes. All the ailing buffaloes were treated with Dextrose Normal Saline, single dose of preparation containing calcium, phosphorus and magnesium, vitamin B complex, antihistaminic, sedatives, laxatives, pre, probiotics, and oral antibiotics. All the treated buffaloes showed satisfactory improvement from 1st to 3rd day with complete clinical recovery by 4.93 (3 to 9) days of treatment. Buffalo owners should be made aware of unscientific practice of colostrum feeding in adult animals and accidentally intoxicated buffaloes could be successfully treated with the standardized treatment protocol.

Milk fatty acid composition of Murrah buffaloes was determined in present study. Samples were collected from 10 lactating buffaloes and were analysed for fatty acid profile using AOCS official method. Murrah milk fat was having 71.6 percent saturated fatty acids (SFA), 27.97 percent unsaturated fatty acids. C16:0, C18:1c, C18:0, C14:0 and C12:0 were the five most abundant fatty acid (82.5 percent of total fatty acids) in the Murrah milk. Palmitic acid, myristic acid (14:0) and stearic acid (18:0) together constituted approximately 85.8 percent of saturated fatty acids by weight. Short chain fatty acids (C4:0, C6:0), medium chain fatty acids (C8:0, C10:0, C12:0), and long chain fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0, C16:1, C18:2) were 1.82, 4.56 and 49.96 g/100 g respectively. Mono-unsaturated fatty acid were 26.79 percent of the fatty acids in milk, mostly oleic acid (18:1). Poly-unsaturated fatty acids constitute about 1.18 percent by weight of the total fatty acids. Linoleic acid (18:2) and alpha-linolenic acid (18:3) accounted for 0.88 and 0.30 percent by weight of the total fatty acids.

In this research, Data of milk yield, fat and protein percentage of Khuzestani buffalo were used. The daily records of milk yield were collected in the south-west of Iran where buffalo experienced a hot climate. The data set was constructed with 8,123 records of 1,430 first lactation buffalo. A univariate random regression model (RR/CF) was applied to data. Regression of additive genetic effect based on Legendre polynomials from the day of lactation was considered in the model. The results showed that maximum residual variance for the milk and fat production was estimated at the beginning of the lactation period. The minimum amount of additive genetic variation of milk and fat traits was seen in the early lactation period and the maximum amount of the component was estimated at the end of the lactation period. The lowest heritability of the mentioned traits was at the beginning of the lactation period. The level of this parameter increased to mid-lactation and was at its maximum during the late months of lactation, then decreased to the end of lactation. The estimated additive genetic correlations between close test-days were higher than faraway test-day records for each milk yield and milk fat content. Based on the results of this study, a random regression model with fitting orders 3 and 4, seems to be suitable for additive covariance functions in order to analyze the milk test-day records of buffaloes.

Murrah is a predominant milch breed of buffalo in India with superior genetic potential for milk production. Estimation of genetic parameters for production and reproduction traits is prerequisite for making breeding plan and efficient management decisions. This work was undertaken to understand the influence on performance traits by various factors (genetic and non-genetic) along with assessment of genetic parameters in Murrah buffaloes. The genetic parameters were figured using mixed model least-squares analysis. The results revealed that season and period in which animals calved, affects the performance of Murrah breed and may be considered during its evaluation. The heritability estimates for first lactation 305 days/less milk yield (305FLMY), first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY), first Lactation Length (FLL1), Wet average (WA), Herd average (HA), Age at first calving (AFC1) and Age at first service (AFS1) were 0.39+-0.10, 0.29+-0.09, 0.14+-0.09, 0.29+-0.09, 0.3+-0.11, 0.27+-0.09 and 0.22+-0.09, respectively. The phenotypic and genetic correlation amid 305FLMY and majority of another production trait were positive and significant. Thus, it may be concluded that appropriate estimation of genetic parameters leads to robust selection for performance traits for genetic improvement in Murrah buffalo.