Marappan Gopi

Bacteriophages: effective alternative to antibiotics.

Division of Bacteriology and Mycology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar; Division of Virology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar; Division of Parasitology, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar; Division of Animal Nutrition, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar; Immunology Section, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar,High Security Animal Diseases Labortary, Indian Veterinary Research Institute,Bhopal, India *Corresponding author: karthik_2bvsc@yahoo.co.in

Beneficial health applications and medicinal values of Pedicularis plants: A review

Pedicularis plants (Orobanchaceae), popularly known as lousewort, are found in Asia, Europe, and North America, and have been used in Sowa-Rigpa, the Himalayan art of healing and a traditional system of medicine for treating various ailments in humans. A comprehensive compilation on this valuable medicinal plant is not available, however. The present extensive review provides insight into the salient medicinal properties of Pedicularis plants with respect to various health issues and diseases. Our previous studies on Pedicularis plants from the Changthang region of Ladakh (India) and research advances leading to new developments in this field have prompted this review. The information presented here has been compiled and analyzed from authenticated published resources available on Medline, Pubmed, Pubmed Central, Science Direct, and other scientific databases. The Pedicularis genus consists of approximately 600 species (83 of which are found in India), with commonly reported species being Pedicularis longiflora Rudolph, P. bicornuta Klotzsch, P. oederi Vahl, P. cheilanthifolia, and P. pectinata. The major phytoconstituents of the Pedicularis sp. are phenols, phenylethanoids, phenylpropanoids, flavonoids, iridoids, lignans, and alkaloids, among others. The existing literature highlights that these compounds possess antioxidant, immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, antibacterial, antifungal, analgesic, antitumor, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, muscle-relaxing, antifatigue, diuretic, antipyretic, antithrombus, antihemolysis, and DNA-repairing properties. This medicinal herb is used in the treatment of leucorrhoea, fevers, sterility, rheumatism, general debility, collapse, and urinary problems, and for revitalizing the blood circulation, improving digestion, and maintaining vitality. This review emphasizes the various medicinal aspects of Pedicularis sp. plants containing a variety of phytoconstituents. Besides phenols, terpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, tannins, iridoid, and phenylpropanoid glycosides are among the active constituents responsible for multiple health effects. However, further extensive research is required to characterize the various phytoconstituents of Pedicularis to explore their modes of action at a molecular level and identify other beneficial applications that can exploit the tremendous medicinal potential of this important herb.

Exploring alternatives to antibiotics as health promoting agents in poultry- a review

Poultry industry has undergone rapid growth during last three decades. For which even higher usage of antibiotics, both as growth promoters as well as therapeutic agents, has been adopted. However, due to the fear of resistance development in bacterial populations to antibiotics, presence of antibiotic residues in poultry products and increasing consumer demand for products free from antibiotic residues, search for alternatives that could replace antibiotics without causing loss to productivity or product quality has accelerated. Such alternatives in poultry include the use of organic acids, probiotic microorganisms, prebiotic substrates that benefit proliferation of beneficial bacterial populations or synbiotic (combinations of prebiotics and probiotics) ensuring better production and maintaining health of the birds. Others include vitamins and minerals, herbal drugs, plant extracts, phytobiotics and antimicrobial peptides. Probiotic organisms provides competition to pathogenic organisms for intestinal colonizing sites, reduce the diversion of nutrients for harmful microbes and the toxins produced by them and stimulates the immune systems. Similarly, prebiotic offers an alternative, as it alters the intestinal microbes and immune system to reduce colonization by pathogens and allows proliferation of beneficial microflora in the gut. Even using synbiotic is a better strategy for enhancing poultry production, however, more research is needed for selection of probiotic, prebiotics or synbiotics either alone or in combination that can result in the selection of strains capable of performing effectively in the gastrointestinal tract. The contents of this review will be useful for researchers to enrich their knowledge on alternatives of antibiotics in poultry birds without compromising performance of birds and bird welfare. Ajit Singh Yadav 1, *, Gautham Kolluri 1 , Marappan Gopi 1 , Kumaragurubaran Karthik 2 , Yashpal Singh Malik 2 and Kuldeep Dhama 2

Effect of seasonal variation on respiration rate and core body temperature in Aseel and Kadaknath breed of chicken

Native birds are more tolerant to adverse climatic conditions than the improved/cross-breeds of chicken. The present study was conducted to record the physiological responses such as respiration rate and body temperatures in Aseel and Kadaknath birds up to 6 weeks of age under standard managemental conditions during hot-humid and winter season. The dry-bulb temperature and wet-bulb temperature was recorded daily and temperature humidity index (THI) was calculated. The THI ranged from 73.33±1.61 to 85.70±0.33. Above 80 THI was observed during hot-humid season. The season, sex and breed interaction had highly significant (P<0.01) effect on body temperature (core and surface) and respiratory rate for all age groups. Season effect (P<0.05) was highly significant on studied parameters. It may be concluded that enhanced THI caused the elevation in surface and core body temperature along with increased respiration rate during hot-humid season, thereby indicating stressful conditions in native birds.

Effect of Aloe vera Gel Extract on the Haematological Parameters in White Leghorn Chicks Vaccinated Against Infectious Bursal Disease Virus

1Immunology Section, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, 2Avian Diseases Section, Division of Pathology, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute, 3Division of Biological Standardization, ICAR-Indian Veterinary Research Institute 4Division of Physiology and Reproduction, ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute 5Division of Animal Reproduction, ICARIndian Veterinary Research Institute 6Division of Veterinary Biotechnology, ICARIndian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Uttar Pradesh 243 122, India.