Antiarthritic effects of Ajuga bracteosa Wall ex Benth.in acute and chronic models of arthritis in albino rats

Objective:To evaluate the antiarthritic activity of Ajuga bracteosa using albino rats.Methods: The antiarthritic activity of 70%ethanolic extract of Ajuga bracteosa(EEAB) was evaluated against turpentine oil- and formaldehyde- induced acute non immunological and complete freund's adjuvant(CFA)-induced chronic immunological arthritis in albino rats.Results:EEAB showed a significant(P<0.05) and dose dependent inhibitory effect against acute and chronic models of arthritis.EEAB exhibited better antiarthritic activity than the standard aspirin.Conclusions: EEAB exhibits a significant and promising antiarthritic activity against acute and chronic arthritis and supports the traditional use of Ajuga bracteosa for rheumatism and other inflammatory diseases.

The distribution of drinking water-to-cattle ratios in the summer across four feedlots in the Texas High Plains

In this short communication, we report the findings of a cross-sectional pilot study of the amount of water available per head of cattle (water-to-cattle ratio) and the associated feedlot and environmental factors across 26 pens in four Texas feedlots. The water-to-cattle ratio varied greatly among pens within and between feedlots. Mixed-effect linear regression modeling with feedlot as a random effect indicated that water in troughs with a higher water-to-cattle ratio was generally warmer when compared with water in troughs with a lower water-to-cattle ratio. This may have implications in the transmission and persistence of pathogens in feedlot cattle, such as Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and Salmonella, because warmer water has been reported to favor the growth of these pathogens. Therefore, future field studies in feedlot cattle are warranted to assess whether the water-to-cattle ratio affects the prevalence of these pathogens in the water itself or in feces shed by the animals.