Season modulates endocrinological profiles and sex behavioural characteristics in indigenous male goats under tropical humid island ecosystem

Objective:To measure the seasonal effect on endocrinological profiles and sex behavioural profiles during rainy and dry summer seasons in male Andaman local goat in Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India.Methods:Ten adult male Andaman local goats were selected from the goat breeding farm,ICAR-Central Island Agricultural Research Institute,Port Blair,Andaman and Nicobar Islands,India.Endocrinological profiles such as follicle stimulating hormone(FSH),luteinizing hormone(LH),testosterone,thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH),triiodothyronine(T3),thyroxine(T4),cortisol and prolactin were analysed with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits.Sex behavioural profiles such as libido score,mating ability score and sex behavioural score were measured during rainy and dry summer seasons in male Andaman local goat.Results:Endocrinological profiles as well as sex behavioural profiles differed significantly between rainy season and dry summer season(P<0.05).The levels of FSH,LH,testosterone,TSH,T3,and T4 were significantly higher in rainy season than in dry summer season whereas cortisol and prolactin were significantly higher in dry summer season than in rainy season(P<0.05).The ratio of T3:T4 was significantly higher in rainy season than in dry summer season.Similarly,libido score,mating ability score and sex behavioural score were significantly higher in rainy season than in dry summer season(P<0.05).Conclusions:Rainy season has significantly higher beneficial effects than summer season on reproduction and artificial breeding programmes in semi-intensive management of goat under the tropical humid island ecosystem in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Molecular differentiation of cryptic stage of Echinococcus granulosus and Taenia species from faecal and environmental samples

Objective:To differentiate cryptic stage of Echinococcus granulosus(E.granulosus) and Taenia by PCR-RFLP and sequence information of amplicon.Methods:DNA were isolated from metacestodes stage of Taenia and E.granulosus using DNA isolation kit(Q-BIOgene kit,USA), the amplified and purified DNA product was then cloned and sent for sequencing.The generating sequence information was used for amplicons identification.Results:Out of 112 faecal and environmental samples,16 exhibited positive result.The product size of amplicon positive for E.granulosus was 310 bp;whereas,for Taenia spp.sizes varied from 379 to 388 bp.Restriction pr of ile of actinⅡwith Csp61 also differed Taenia spp.and E.granulosus.Conclusions:The result of the study indicated that,the primers were useful to differentiate cryptic stage of the two genera which is yet to be reported earlier.

Intra-species sequence variability in 28s rRNA gene of Oesophagostomum venulosum isolated from goats of West Bengal,India.

Objective:To identify genotypes of Oesophagostmum venulosum(O.venulosum) prevailing in West Bengal,India by comparing variation of nucleotide sequences among 28S rRNA.Methods: PCR amplification of partial segment of 28 S rRNA sequence and analysis of sequence amplified product by single strand conformation polymorphism(SSCP).Results:Two distinct conformers among male and female parasites were identified by PCR-SSCP analysis.Sequence analysis among conformers revealed the presence of five single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNP) in codon 64,66,86,125 and 146.Secondary RNA prediction structure showed that out of 5 SNPs,4 occurred at interior loop of RNA which confirmed evolutionary changes among isolates prevailing in this region.Conclusions:SNPs occured in different isolates of 0.venulosum might influence critical changes in rRNA folding pattern which influence evolutionary changes among isolates.