F. Tendonkeng

Evaluation of In Vivo Acaricidal Effect of Soap Containing Essential Oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides Leaves on Rhipicephalus lunulatus in the Western Highland of Cameroon

A study on the acaricidal properties of foam soap containing the essential oil of Chenopodium ambrosioides leaves was carried out on Rhipicephalus lunulatus. Four doses (0.03, 0.06, 0.09, and 0.12 µL of essential oil per gram of soap) and a control (soap without essential oil) with four replications for each treatment were used for in vitro trial. Each replication consisted of 10 ticks in a Petri dish with filter paper impregnated with the foam soap on the bottom. Following in vitro trials, three doses (0.06, 0.09, and 0.12 µL/g) and the control in two replications were selected for in vivo test based on mortality rate recorded from the in vitro trial. Each replication was made up of 10 goats naturally infested with ticks. Results show that soap containing essential oil is toxic to R. lunulatus. The in vivo mortality rate in the control on day 8 was 22.69% whereas the highest dose (0.12 µL/g) killed 96.29% of the ticks on day 8. The LD50 of the foam soap containing essential oil was 0.037 and 0.059 µL/g on day 2 in the laboratory and on the farm, respectively. This indicates the potentially high efficiency of this medicated soap on this parasite.

Performances de production des cobayes ( Cavia porcellus L.) en fonction du niveau de protéines alimentaires

Au Cameroun, l’elevage des cobayes se pratique encore dans les cuisines et a meme le sol et leur alimentation est essentiellement a base des dechets de cuisine. Le souci d’intensifier la production necessite la determination des besoins reels du cobaye afin d’asseoir de facon rationnelle sa table de rationnement. L’objectif de ce travail est donc de determiner les taux optimums de proteines dans son alimentation en fonction de son etat physiologique. Pour cet essai, 75 femelles ont ete prealablement mises en croisement avec 12 mâles pendant une periode de 31 jours selon un dispositif factoriel de trois lots comptant 25 femelles chacun. Chaque lot recevait une ration contenant 18%, 20% ou 22% de proteine brute (PB). Apres le sevrage, 54 jeunes cobayes ont ete constitues en 3 lots homogenes de 18 animaux (9 mâles et 9 femelles) chacun. Chaque lot recevait une ration contenant 14%, 16% ou 18% de PB. Aucune difference significative (P > 0,05) n’a ete observee entre la taille de la portee et les poids des femelles allaitantes de la mise-bas au sevrage. Le poids a la naissance des cochonnets des femelles recevant la ration contenant 22% de PB (RG22) a ete significativement (p < 0,05) plus eleve que ceux issus des femelles des autres lots. Par ailleurs, les taux de fertilite (96%), de fecondite (184%), de fecondite nette (184%), de viabilite a la naissance (100%) et de viabilite au sevrage (97,83%) les plus eleves ont ete egalement enregistres chez ces femelles soumises a la ration contenant 22% de PB (RG22). Le gain total, le gain moyen quotidien (GMQ) et l’indice de consommation (IC), respectivement 60,20 g ; 2,15 g/j et 1,67 chez les mâles et 52,72 g ; 1,88 g/j et 2,63 chez les femelles, ont ete meilleurs chez les animaux nourris a la ration contenant 16% de PB (RC16). Tous ces parametres ont ete significativement (P < 0,05) meilleurs chez les mâles compares a ceux des femelles. Il en ressort que les rations contenant 22% (RG22) et 16% (RC16) de PB, conviennent respectivement aux cobayes en gestation et en croissance a l’Ouest Cameroun. Mots cles : Cobayes, proteines alimentaires, performances de reproduction, performances de croissance, Ouest-Cameroun.

Potential for using multinutrient block for supplementing feeding of growing goats

The study of the potential for using multinutrient block for supplementing feeding of growing West African dwarf goats during dry season were carried in the Experimental Farm of the University of Dschang. Twenty young West African dwarf goats were divided in two groups of ten animals each 6-7 month old and averagely weighing 9.07±1.17 kg were used. The animals of the supplemented group (group 2) received 100 g of multinutrient block per animal per day whereas those of the control group (group 1) did not receive any supplement. The animals were weight every 14 days for the evaluation of growth. The body condition score (BCS) was take at the beginning and at the end of the study. A sample of 100 g of multinutrient block was taken for the chemical composition analysis. The results showed that the multinutrient block had a high percentage of crude proteins (37.43%DM) and ash (29.03%DM). The organic matter (OM) content, the cells wall constituent (NDF), hemicellulose and cellulose were 70.97; 25.03; 12.40 and 5.70 %DM respectively. At the end of the study, the average BCS (3.9 ± 0.10) and average weight of the supplemented goats (16.90 ± 2.94 kg) was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of the control group (2.9 ± 0.1; 12.42 ± 2.50 kg). The total weight gain was 3.30 kg and 7.89 kg corresponding to a daily average weight gain of 23.57 g/d and 56.35 g/d respectively for the animals of group 1 and group 2. It can be conclude that the multinutrient block significantly improves the growth of the young West African dwarf goats and can be widely used under climate change.