Pabitra Hriday Patra

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) – a re-emerging concern in livestock: a revisit to its biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and prophylaxis

Bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1) is known to cause several diseases worldwide. It is a double-stranded DNA virus consisting of 33 structural proteins out of which 13 are associated with the envelope. Based on genomic analysis and viral peptide patterns, BHV-1 virus can be divided into several subtypes like BHV-1.1, BHV-1.2, and BHV-1.3. However, all subtypes are antigenically similar. The symptoms of the related diseases are mainly non-life-threatening but have a rather wide host range that limits animal trade. The different modes of transmission as unique feature of this virus and the tendency to cause infection in the early age with latency development in trigeminal and sacral ganglion cause huge economic losses around the world. The virus also affects endangered bovine species like mithun (Bos frontalis) and yak (Poephagus grunniens). The disease can be diagnosed by using conventional procedures (like cell culture, immune-histopathology, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)) as well as highly sensitive modern techniques (like nested PCR and southern hybridization) with the virus neutralization test regarded as gold standard. With the currently available diagnostic tests it is not possible to identify animals which have a latent BHV-1 infection. Different types of modern and conventional vaccines are available for immunoprophylaxis. Inactivated vaccines are not as efficacious as modified live virus (MLV) vaccines. Marker vaccines allow the distinction between vaccinated and naturally infected animals. In this review the present status of BHV-1 around the world will be addressed besides the current knowledge with regard to its biology, epidemiology, diagnosis, and prophylaxis.

Potential antibacterial activity of berberine against multi drug resistant enterovirulent Escherichia coli isolated from yaks (Poephagus grunniens) with haemorrhagic diarrhoea

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the antimicrobial efficacy of berberine, a plant alkaloid. METHODS Five multi-drug resistant (MDR) STEC/EPEC and five MDR ETEC isolates from yaks with haemorrhagic diarrhoea were selected for the study. Antibacterial activity of berberine was evaluated by broth dilution and disc diffusion methods. The binding kinetics of berberine to DNA and protein was also enumerated. RESULTS For both categories of enterovirulent Escherichia coli (E. coli) isolates, berberine displayed the antibacterial effect in a dose dependent manner. The MIC(50) of berberine chloride for STEC/EPEC isolates varied from 2.07 μM to 3.6 μM with a mean of (2.95 ± 0.33) μM where as for ETEC strains it varied from 1.75 to 1.96 μM with a mean of (1.87 ± 0.03) μM. Berberine bind more tightly with double helix DNA with Bmax and Kd of (24.68±2.62) and (357.8±57.8), respectively. Berberine reacted with protein in comparatively loose manner with Bmax and Kd of (18.9±3.83) and (286.2±113.6), respectively. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate clearly that berberine may serve as a good antibacterial against multi drug resistant E. coli.

Quantitative imaging of arsenic and its species in goat following long term oral exposure

Severity of arsenic toxicity was reported to vary depending on its species. The present study reflects the status of different species of arsenic in goat following long-term exposure of arsenic leading to hepatic damage. The experiment was conducted with six black Bengal goats, which were administered with sodium arsenite orally at a dose rate of 2 mgkg(-1) daily for 84 days. Faeces, urine, hair and blood samples were collected from those animals at 14 days interval. Excretion of total arsenic was reduced from 56 days onwards through both faeces and urine indicating higher accumulation of arsenic in body. The speciation study revealed that urinary arsenic was mainly of organic type, whereas hair accumulated almost equal proportion of arsenite, arsenate and organo arsenicals. Goats excreted high proportion of organo arsenicals through faeces possibly due to hepatobiliary secretion of organo arsenic into the gut. Significantly elevated serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities (p<0.05) along with histopathological changes in liver indicated hepatotoxicity. The arsenite fraction increased and organic proportion decreased in urine as the time progressed, which indicates that arsenite gets methylated in liver of goat. The study thus alluded that the toxicity of arsenic would aggravate if the animals were exposed for long time as the hepatotoxicity progressed resulting in decreased methylation and formation of organo arsenicals and decreased excretions through urine.

Effect of environmental exposure of arsenic on cattle and poultry in Nadia district, West Bengal, India

A study was undertaken to evaluate an alternative source of arsenicosis in human food chain through livestock. Thirty milch cattle and 20 poultry birds along with their eggs were selected randomly from two endemic villages of Nadia district and one nonendemic villages of Hooghly district in West Bengal, India. Milk, feces, urine, and hair samples of cattle and feed materials, such as water and straw, were collected to analyze arsenic status. Arsenic concentration in egg yolk and albumen from poultry eggs and different poultry organs after culling was estimated. Distribution of arsenic in animal body indicates that major portion of arsenic was eliminated through feces, urine, and milk. Poultry egg yolk, albumen, and poultry products retain arsenic in all organs. Cows and poultry birds reared in endemic zone retain significantly higher concentration of arsenic. Consumption of egg, agricultural produces grown in contaminated soil, and milk might have produced arsenicosis and may be considered as alternative source of arsenic contamination.

Immunotoxic and genotoxic potential of arsenic and its chemical species in goats.

The study investigated the immunotoxic and genotoxic effect of arsenic and its different species on goats. It was found that arsenic causes haematological crisis. Histopathological changes in spleen and reduced serum immunoglobulin G level without any changes in formazan production in arsenic-treated animals indicated that arsenic is toxic to the humoral immune system. Increased caspase-3 production and higher number of TUNEL (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling)-positive bone marrow cells along with oligonucleosomal DNA fragmentation on agarose gel suggested apoptosis induction by arsenic in the bone marrow cells of goat. Total arsenic concentration in the plasma, bone marrow, and spleen of the exposed group was, respectively, 1.22 ± 0.11, 2.20 ± 0.21, and 3.39 ± 0.14 ppm. Speciation study revealed that arsenite and organoarsenic were the major arsenic species in these samples, suggesting their role in immunotoxic and genotoxic potential in goats.

Pharmacokinetic interaction of intramammary ceftriaxone and oral polyherbal drug (Fibrosin®) in goats

Abstract Background: The aim of the present study was to determine pharmacokinetic interaction of ceftriaxone and polyherbal drug (Fibrosin®) in lactating goats following single dose intramammary administration of ceftriaxone with 1 h pre-single dose oral administration of Fibrosin®. Methods: Pharmacokinetic interaction of ceftriaxone and Fibrosin® was evaluated in lactating goats following single dose intramammary administration of ceftriaxone at 50 mg/kg with 1 h pre-single dose oral administration of Fibrosin® (1.9 g). Estimation of ceftriaxone and its metabolite, ceftizoxime, was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Results: Fibrosin® treated goats showed a typical absorption-reabsorption phase of ceftriaxone in plasma following intramammary administration. Neither ceftriaxone nor ceftizoxime was detected in the plasma and urine of goats without Fibrosin® treatment, however, ceftriaxone persisted for 36 h and ceftizoxime was present from 48 h to 72 h in the plasma of Fibrosin® treated goats. Ceftizoxime was also available from 72 h to 360 h post-dosing in milk in the presence of Fibrosin® following intramammary administration of ceftriaxone suggesting the polyherbal drug played a major role in the penetration of ceftriaxone from milk to systemic circulation. Furthermore, the polyherbal drug increased the bioavailability of ceftizoxime in milk following the metabolism of ceftriaxone. Conclusions: Polyherbal drug (Fibrosin®) plays a major role in the penetration of ceftriaxone from milk to systemic circulation and may be responsible for increased bioavailability of its metabolite in the mammary gland resulting in higher concentration and longer persistence of the drug in milk.

Ameliorative Effect of Tephrosia Purpurea in Arsenic-induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats.

Objectives: The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the nephroprotective activity of Tephrosia purpurea (TPE) against arsenic-induced toxicity. Materials and Methods: Twenty four number of wistar rats were equally divided into three groups. Sodium arsenite (10 mg/kg) was orally given to group I for 28 days, additionally group II was orally treated with TPE (500 mg/kg), while the control group was kept untreated with neither arsenic nor TPE. Serum biomarker levels, oxidative stress indices and arsenic concentration in kidney were estimated. Histopathology of kidney was also conducted. Results: Group II animals show significantly reduced blood urea nitrogen and plasma creatinine, and increased serum albumin level compared to group I. The higher lipid peroxidation with exhausted superoxide dismutase activity and reduced glutathione level were noticed in group I compared to group II. There was no significant difference in arsenic accumulation in kidneys between the two arsenic treated groups, but the histopathology of kidney of group II rats revealed reduced necrosis and intact tubular architecture as compared to group I. Conclusions: Tephrosia Purpurea extract has a significant role in protecting the animals from arsenic-induced nephrotoxicity.

Assemblages of Total Mercury in the Tropical Macrotidal Bidyadhari Estuarine Stretches of Indian Sundarban Mangrove Eco-Region

The study was conducted to estimate total mercury in water and sediment of Bidyadhari river of Indian Sundarban delta in pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon period. Bidyadhari river presently serves as a sewage and excess rainwater outlet from the Kolkata metropolitan and adjacent area which ultimately empties at the Bay of Bengal in the course of the Indian Sundarban delta. Four different study sites situated around the course of the river were selected from the outfall of sewage canals at Kulti-Ghushighata (S1) where metropolitan sewages discharged and mixed up into water of Bidyadhari river which ultimately carried through this river via stations Malancha (S2), Kanmari (S3) to Dhamakhali (S4), just before the river confluences with the larger Raimangal river at northern Sundarban delta. Mean mercury concentration in collected water ranged BDL to 0.014 ± 0.001 μg ml-1 and sediment samples ranged BDL to 0.260 ± 0.014 μg g-1. Highest mercury accumulations in river water both high tide and low tide was found at S4 followed by S3 with pronounced seasonal variation. Mercury present in the sediment (0-5 cm) showed a remarkable site and season specific differences with highest concentration in S4. Box whisker plot revealed that one extreme value was found at the S4 along with one outlier was at S3 and five outliers were at S4 during monsoon period. Regarding total mercury assemblages, PCA analysis showed all the sites except S4 are significantly associated. Based on Effective Range Low (ERL) value it is considered that sediment is still low mercury enrichment with less ecotoxicological risk while level often above the requirement desirable limit of drinking water recommended by WHO.

Hematobiochemical, immunological, antioxidant status, and residues of flumethrin following weekly dermal application in goats

Flumethrin is used extensively in livestock periodically, which may cause adverse effect in goats and subsequently to human being through food chain. Flumethrin at 1.0% solution was applied weekly dermally for 84 days and hematobiochemical as well as immunological parameters, anti-oxidant status, liver enzymes, and tissue residues in goats were estimated. Flumethrin did not produce changes in hemogram except decreased total leukocyte count. Serum protein level was decreased, but serum AST and ALT activities were increased at the end of the study period. IgG level was decreased from the last 2 weeks. But flumethrin did not produce any effect on antioxidant status, as evident from nonsignificant changes in catalase, lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase, and reduced glutathione level in liver. Liver AST and ALT activities increased and cytochrome P450 content decreased on day 85. Histopathological study revealed mild changes in liver. Low level of residues of flumethrin was detected in vital tissues following high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis. Flumethrin could not be detected in tissues after 21 days withdrawal period. It may be concluded that flumethrin produces mild changes in various biochemical and immunological parameters from the last 2 weeks of study period and did not have a tendency to accumulate in the different tissues following weekly dermal application for 3 months.