Background: Vaccination and deworming are routine programs in cattle health management. However, the anthelmintic&rsquo;s effectiveness on the immune response in vaccinated cattle is limited. Therefore, this study investigated whether anthelmintic administration affects the oxidative stress and immunity induced by vaccination against lumpy skin disease (LSD) in cattle.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Thirty-seven Thai beef cattle were divided into two groups. Group 1) 19 cattle were vaccinated against LSD with a Neethling LSD virus (LSDV) vaccine as the control group and Group 2) 18 cattle were vaccinated against LSD with a Neethling LSDV vaccine and received albendazole treatment. Then, the intensity of gastrointestinal parasite infestation, level of malondialdehyde, inflammatory cytokines and antibody titer to LSDV were investigated in both groups on day 30 of the experimental period.&nbsp; 
 
Result: The results showed that the types and intensity of gastrointestinal parasites were decreased in the anthelmintic-treated group. There were no significant differences in the levels of malondialdehyde, IFN-&gamma;, TNF-&alpha; and LSD-specific antibody titers between the control and the anthelmintic treatment group (P&gt;0.05), while the expression level of IL-4 in the anthelmintic treatment group was significantly lower than in the control group (P&lt;0.05). Our study indicated that albendazole treatment did not affect oxidative stress and innate and adaptive immunity against LSDV. Moreover, single-dose albendazole therapy led to a reduction in the expression level of IL-4, which is involved in defense against parasites.

Influence of Anthelmintic Treatment on Immune Response and Oxidative Stress in Cattle Vaccinated against Lumpy Skin Disease

Background: Anthelmintic efficacy field surveys in dogs are extremely sparse as compared to ruminants. Therefore the present study was planned with the objective to know the status of anthelmintic resistance against Ancylostoma spp. in naturally infected dogs. 
&nbsp; 
Methods: A total of 754 faecal samples of dogs were collected to know the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites. Saturated salt floatation technique was applied for the detection of nematode eggs. Out of which forty dogs, having egg per gram of faeces (epg) more than 300 for Ancylostoma spp., were selected and randomly divided into four study groups of 10 dogs per group. Group I served as untreated control. Dogs of Group II, III and IV were given fenbandazole @ 50 mg/kg BW, pyrantel @ 15 mg/kg BW and Ivermectin @ 0.6 mg/kg BW once orally respectively. Faecal samples were collected pre-treatment on day 0 and post-treatment on days 10 and 14 from naturally infected dogs in field-trial conditions and efficacy was calculated as per standard protocol of WAAVP. 
&nbsp; 
Result: The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites was 22.41% which was comparatively higher in stray dogs, female dogs and in monsoon season. Among different parasites Ancylostoma spp. had highest prevalence (12.33%). Efficacy of fenbendazole at day 10 post infection was 96% with lower 95% confidence interval of 88%. Efficacy of pyrantel at day 10 post infection was 97% with lower 95% confidence interval of 88%. Efficacy of Ivermectin at day 10 post infection was 99% with lower 95% confidence interval of 93%. As per WAAVP guidelines, both fenbendazole and pyrantel showed suspected resistance while Ancylostoma worms were susceptible for Ivermection. All the three anthelmintic were 100% effective at day 14 post treatment.

Status of Anthelmintic Resistance against Ancylostoma spp. in Naturally Infected Dogs

<div style="text-align: justify;">Today, the ecosystem is being rapidly destroyed due to habitat loss, animal hunting, road construction, raising of transmission lines, general pollution, and agricultural activities, in addition to many other factors, all of which directly and indirectly affect wildlife. By necessity, rehabilitation units are available for the care and treatment of wild birds and mammals in need of life support. This paper discusses data collected regarding the treatment and rehabilitation of wild mammals and birds brought to the Center for Wildlife Conservation and Rehabilitation at Van Y&uuml;z&uuml;nc&uuml; Y&yacute;l University from 2009-2016. During the course of the present study, total 145 wild animals including 117 birds and 28 mammals. Out of the total treated, 96 wild birds and 21 wild mammals recovered, 12 birds and 4 mammals died without responding to treatments, whereas 9 birds and 3 mammals were euthanized. Additionally, of the 96 birds and 21 mammals that recovered, 15 birds and 6 mammals were determined to be unable to survive in their natural habitats, and were sent to zoo gardens or wildlife conservation and rehabilitation centers. The remaining 96 animals that fully recovered were released back into their natural habitats.</div>

Treatment and Rehabilitation of Wild Birds and Mammals

The study was aimed at to investigate the anthelmintic efficacy of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Cucurbita pepo against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep by scientifically validated in vitro and in vivo tests. In vitro anthelmintic activity was determined by egg hatch assay, larval migration inhibition assay and larval development assay against eggs and larvae of mixed gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep. The extracts which were found to be effective in in vitro assays were further evaluated by in vivo faecal egg count reduction test against mixed species of sheep gastrointestinal nematodes with 3 different doses (125, 250 and 500 mg kg-1). Haematological and serum parameters were estimated before and after treatment to determine the impact of plant extracts on health of the animal. Aqueous extract of C. pepo demonstrated significant inhibition of egg hatch at 40 and 80 mg/ml. The ED50 value of egg hatch inhibition was 3.51mg/ml. In larval migration inhibition assay, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of C. pepo demonstrated inhibition of larval migration and the LM50 was 1.75 and 0.32 mg/ml respectively. However, in larval development assay, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts showed only marginal inhibition of larval development at all concentrations tested. In faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT), aqueous extracts of C. pepo at 500 mg/kg caused significant reduction in eggs per gram (96.61 per cent) the reduction being higher than the result obtained with albendazole, the positive control (93.25 per cent). There was a significant difference in EPG reduction between sheep treated with albendazole and C. pepo. Haematological and serum parameters were not affected in both the treated and untreated sheep indicating that the extracts did not cause toxic effects. Based on the results obtained in this study, the aqueous extract of C. pepo possesses anthelmintic activity and could offer an alternative source for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep.

Anthelmintic evaluation of Cucurbita pepo against&nbsp;gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep

<div>Background: Gastro-intestinal parasitism is an important worldwide animal ailment causing heavy production losses in grazing animals and it is more prevalent in developing countries like India, mainly due to warm temperature in association with poor management practices and inadequate control measures. It can affect production through weight loss, diarrhoea, anaemia, reduction in milk and wool production, reproduction changes and mortality in case of heavy infestations. The current study was planned to evaluate the in vivo anthelmintic activity of extracts of Carica papaya seeds in naturally-infested goats.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Twenty-four helminth-infested goats of either sex were randomly divided into four treatment groups (T1-T4); each having six goats and T1 served as untreated control while T2 received a single dose of albendazole @ 7.5 mg/kg body weight on day zero. Group T3 and T4 were respectively treated with aqueous and alcoholic extracts of Carica papaya seeds @ 100 mg/kg body weight orally daily for 30 days. Faecal egg count, haematological estimations and biochemical estimations were conducted on the zero, 10th, 20th and 30th day of the experiment. 
 
Result: Group T2, T3 and T4, showed a significant reduction in EPG count following treatment. All treated animals showed a significant increase in Hb, TEC, PCV and lymphocytes and a significant decrease in TLC, neutrophil and eosinophil levels on the 20th and 30th days of the experiment. The results indicated possession of good anthelmintic activity by both extracts with better results from the alcoholic extract of Carica papaya seeds. These herbal extracts can be a safe and therapeutically efficacious alternative to standard chemical drugs.&nbsp;</div>

Anthelmintic Activity of Aqueous and Alcoholic Extracts of Carica papaya Seeds in Naturally Infested Goats

<div style="text-align: justify;">Paramphistomosis is a chronic, debilitating parasitic disease of livestock prevalent in the tropical and sub-tropical countries. Globally there is a heavy reliance on anthelmintics but concerns over drug resistance encourage the search for new leads. Metalloproteinases play a significant role in the biology and life cycle of parasitic helminths. The efficacy of metalloproteinase inhibitor, 1,10-Phenanthroline (1,10-phe) which is commonly used as a specific enzyme inhibitor in biochemical assays, was tested in vitro on Gigantocotyle explanatum tegument as a marker of anthelmintic action. The scanning electron microscopy revealed that the tegumental surface exhibited considerable changes in the worms treated with the metalloenzyme inhibitor, 1,10-phe. The untreated control worms appeared normal showing smooth tegumental surface with abundant dome shaped papillae in the anterior to mid region, while their density was less around the acetabulum which serves as a hold-fast organ helping the worms to remain attached in biliary passage. The 1,10-phe produced significant tegumental damage when the liver amphistomes were in vitro exposed to this compound at 12.5 &micro;M concentration. The surface changes appeared in the form of edematous ridges with prominent furrows and erosion of the dome shaped papillae with rosette shaped deep lesions as a result of which deep parenchymatous tissues were exposed. The collapse of sensory bulbs as well as sloughing of tegument, particularly in the anterior-mid region was observed. The nature of damage could be comparable to various anthelmintics used in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of direct exposure of amphistome worms to zinc metallo-enzyme inhibitor, however, further in vivo studies are required to ascertain the anthelmintic efficacy of 1,10-phe.</div>

The anthelmintic activity of 1,10-phenanthroline, a metalloenzyme inhibitor

<div>Background: The anthelmintic activity of Butea frondosa seed extract as an alternative to the synthetic anthelmintic against GIPs in goats was undertaken by studying EPG, body weight and hemato-biochemical parameters in the infested goats.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: Goats (n=18) found positive for parasitic infection by screening at Goat Research Station (GRS), AAU, Byrnihat were selected for the study. Two doses of ethanolic extract of Butea frondosa seed @ 100 mg/kg (Group A, n=6), @ 200 mg/kg (Group B, n=6) and Fentasplus @ 5 mg/kg body weight p. o. (Group C, n= 6) were given on 0th day and 14th day. Faecal and blood samples were collected at weekly intervals for a period of 42 days. 
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Result: A significant decrease in the EPG count was noticed on 14th day post treatment. A significant increase in body weight and Hb, PCV, TEC, total serum protein, albumin, sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, phosphorus and significant decrease in ESR, TLC, neutrophil, eosinophil count, AST, ALT and ALP were noticed post treatment. On the basis of reduction in EPG count and improvement in body weight and haemato-biochemical parameters, it is concluded that the ethanolic extracts of Butea frondosa seed @ 200 mg/kg body weight showed better result as anthelmintic in this study.&nbsp;</div>

Evaluation of in vivo Anthelmintic Efficacy of Ethanolic Extract of Butea frondosa Seed against GI Parasites in Goats

<div>Plasma also called as &lsquo;fourth state of matter&rsquo; encompasses ionized gas, atoms, free molecules, radicals and free electrons. Considering its discovery in late 19th century plasma is extensively used as low pressure or high pressure plasmas in many applications commercially such as microelectronic technology, textile industry, organic waste management etc. When a gas is passed through an electric field in a plasma chamber, three types of collisions are known to take place in it particularly, excitation, ionization and deposition that provide plasma its characteristic glow, ion-electron pair, reactive species respectively. Plasma treatment of different object can change their chemical and physical properties. In Seed Science and Research, many seed quality enhancement techniques are used to improve seed quality in crop plants such as, seed priming, fortification, solid matrix priming, chemical treatment, hardening etc. Plasma treatment of seeds is a unique tool that utilizes an ionized gas to modify the physical and chemical properties seed viz., wettability, porosity, water absorption, activity of antioxidant enzymes. It can also decontaminate the seed surface off micro flora and convert hydrophobic seeds to hydrophilic. It also enhances soluble sugar content, protein content and causes a reduction in lipid peroxidation. Thus plasma treatment in turn improves seed germination rate, seedling characteristics, seed physical quality and seed health.</div>

<div>Plasma Treatment and Seed Quality Advancement: A Review</div>

<div>Background: Micronutrient formulation is a liquid mixture of micronutrients which can be used as a fertilizer. It is a mixture of two solutions viz., solution A and solution B. Solution A is a mixture of zinc sulphate (50 gL-1), boric acid (10 gL-1), copper sulphate (20 gL-1), manganous sulphate (0.5 gL-1), ferrous sulphate (10 gL-1) and ammonium molybdate (0.5 gL-1) whereas solution B is an organic acid which act as a chelate. The mixture can be diluted to specific concentrations for application. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of micronutrient formulation as seed treatment and foliar nutrition.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The study was conducted at College of Agriculture, Padannakkad, Kerala Agricultural University and Regional Agricultural Research Station, Pilicode during 2018&ndash;19. The investigation was carried out in three parts: (i) standardization of micronutrient formulation for cowpea (ii) seed treatment study (iii) field experiment. The proportion of mixing micronutrient formulation and the duration for seed treatment was standardized in experiment I. In experiment II, a seed treatment study was carried out in a completely randomised design with seven treatments and three replications which included seed treatment with micronutrient formulation @ 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1, 1.5 and 2 percent as T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 respectively. T7 (seed treatment with water) was the control. Three, a field experiment was carried out in randomized block design (factorial) with twelve treatments and three replications. The treatment consisting of combination of four levels of seed treatment - factor A [no seed treatment (S1), seed treatment with rhizobium (S2), seed treatment with best concentration from experiment 1 (S3) and second best seed treatment from experiment 1 (S4)]&nbsp;and three levels of foliar application of micronutrient - factor B [no foliar application (F1), one foliar application at 15 DAS (F2) and two foliar applications at 15 and 30 DAS (F3)]. 
 
Result: Through lab experiments, solution B was standardized and the formulation was developed by mixing solution A and solution B in the ratio 1:2. Duration for seed treatment was also standardized as 6 hours. Thus micronutrient formulation was standardized. In seed treatment study, seeds treated with 2% micronutrient formulation (T6) showed highest plant height at three leaf stage (24.23 cm) and seedling vigour index (2423). In the field experiment seed treatment with 2% micronutrient formulation (S3), foliar spray at 15 and 30 days after sowing (F3) and their interaction (S3F3) was found to be highly effective to the crop in terms of plant height, stem diameter, number of pods per plant, pod weight per plant, grain yield and nutrient content in grain. These results clearly indicate the role of micronutrient formulation in enhancing the growth, yield and nutrient content of cowpea.</div>

Evaluation of Micronutrient Mixture as Seed Treatment and Foliar Nutrition in Grain Cowpea

Background: The safety of laboratory mice plays an important role in the success of laboratory experiments for correct and accurate results. Parasites are one of the most common diseases that affect most organisms. The worm Aspiculuris tetraptera is a common intestinal parasite of Mus musculus and rats, it is spread around the world. Aspiculuris tetraptera infection remains a problem for modern research groups; They should be excluded and monitored in rat populations due to their effects on animal health. 
 
Methods: The present study was conducted to assess the anthelmintic activity of Laurus nobilis extract in mice naturally infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera. Used was Thirty-six adult male and female (C57BL/6) mice, naturally infected with Aspiculuris tetraptera, were divided into six groups, each comprising six mice: Group 1, was the negative control (infected, untreated) and Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were treated with 50, 100, 200 and 400 &micro;g/ml of L. nobilis for 5 days respectively. Group 6 was treated with 10 mg/mL Albendazole for 3 days as a positive control. Different six treatments were used to test Aspiculuris tetraptera worms in vitro, Containing 4 concentrations (50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/ml) of L. nobilis extract. Ten actively moving adult worms were then placed in each petri dish at room temperature. A saline solution and 10 mg/ml of Albendazole were prepared and used as negative and positive controls. After treatment, observations were made by recording the death time for worms at 20, 40, 80, 120 and 180 minutes. Worms are considered dead if they do not move for 30 seconds after touching their body parts using a surgical needle and the petri dish is shaken. 
 
Result: The analysis of phytochemicals by FT-IR for alcoholic extracts of L. nobilis extracts revealed the presence of 15% effective chemical ingredients responsible for killing worms&rsquo; activity. In vitro, worms died in 20, 40, 80, 120 and 180 minutes. Attained 96% and 100% after 180 minutes at the highest concentrations (200 and 400 mg/ml). At the same time, the untreated group lasted for long hours. The effects of the plant extract (Laurus nobilis) on Aspiculuris tetraptera worms were studied in vivo at therapeutic doses of 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/mL. and the concentration of 400 ml/kg showed the most lethal effects for worms, infected mice that did not receive drugs were compared with the highest concentration of the extract and the reference treatment. The attention showed significant differences P&le;0.05. The results showed that the mortality rate of worms taken from the intestines of the treated mice that were slaughtered three and six sdays after giving the treatment reached 96% and 100% in the concentration of 400 ml/kg of the extract and 89% and 97%for the mice that treated in 10 ml/kg of met Albendazole respectively. This research showed that herbal remedies could lead to new parasitic disease drugs, and their derivatives can be used for medication production and bioactivity improvement.