<div style="text-align: justify;">Prevalence and molecular characterisation of Cryptosporidium species was done in kids belonging to organised and non-organised goat farms at Jabalpur. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium was 14.63%. The prevalence was non-significantly higher in male kids (16.16%) as compared to that of female kids (13.21%). Age wise prevalence was higher in kids up to one month age (16.13%) than that of kids upto 3 months age (13.99%). No significant difference was found in prevalence among different breeds and in kids kept in farm or field conditions. The prevalence was non-significantly higher in non-diarrhoeic kids than diarrhoeic kids. Most of the infections were of one score (76.6%). Molecular characterisation by PCR-RFLP of 18S SSU rRNA gene revealed presence of Cryptosporidium parvum species in positive faecal samples.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div>

Prevalence and molecular characterisation of Cryptosporidium spp. in goat kids&nbsp; &nbsp;

<div>Background: Nattukuttai is a small-sized cattle population, native to north-eastern districts of Tamil Nadu. In light of the ongoing research on genetic characterisation of cattle genetic resources of India, the present study was undertaken with the objective of cytogenetic characterisation of Nattukuttai cattle, which is imperative for its conservation and genetic implications to breeding programs. 
 
Methods: Blood samples from ten Nattukuttai cattle (five males and five females) were utilized to study the chromosome profile through short-term lymphocyte culture method. Good metaphase spreads were selected for estimation of the relative length, arm ratio, centromeric index and morphological index. 
 
Result: The diploid number was 60. All the 29 pairs of autosomes and Y-chromosome were acrocentric while X-chromosome was sub-metacentric. The mean relative length of autosomes ranged from 5.24 &plusmn;0.08 to 1.90&plusmn;0.06. X-chromosome was the largest in the karyotype (5.64&plusmn;0.12), while the Y-chromosome was the smallest (1.85&plusmn;0.03). The arm ratio, centromeric index and morphological index were 1.98&plusmn;0.02, 0.33&plusmn;0.03 and 4.06&plusmn;0.4 respectively. The study revealed that the chromosome architecture of Nattukuttai cattle was similar to that of other breeds of Zebu cattle.</div>

Cytogenetic Characterisation of Nattukuttai - A Non-descript Cattle Population of Tamil Nadu

<div style="text-align: justify;">Physico-chemical characterisation and fertility rating of surface soils (0-15 cm) was studied in 130 representative samples of different locations from maize growing areas from hilly zone of Shivamoga district of Karnataka.The soils were sandy loam to sandy clay loam in texture with bulk density varying from 1.43 to 1.49 Mg m-3. The study revealed that the majority of the soils were medium to highly acidic with non-saline nature and high in organic carbon status. The available nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium were low in fertility status. The exchangeable calcium and magnesium contents were marginal to adequate and varied from 2.10 to 6.90 cmol (p+) kg-1 and 0.50 to 3.30 cmol (p+) kg-1, respectively. The available sulphur ranged from 6.25 to 24.86 ppm. The soils were comparatively low to high in iron and manganese contents and were low in copper,zinc and boron contents. Hence, the nutrient management of maize growing soils plays an important role in maintaining the soil fertility and high productivity in hilly zone of Karnataka.</div>

Physico-chemical characterisation and fertility rating of maize growing soils from hilly zone of Shivamogga district, Karnataka

<div style="text-align: justify;">In the present study an attempt has been made to assess the phenotypic variability and know the management of indigenous cattle in the Meghalaya state. A total of 76 farmers from 17 villages of three districts (Ri-Bhoi, East-Khasi Hills and West-Garo Hills) were interviewed to record information on various management practices and 217 animals of different age and sex were recorded for morphometric and physical traits. &nbsp;It was observed that cattle were reared mainly for meat, milk, bullock power and manure. Animals were reared on extensive system of management i.e. grazing from morning to evening, free range during December to March. During April to December fields have crops so controlled grazing was there. Cattle were of small size, well built, hardy and in cylindrical shape. The body colour varies in different colours brown (53%), grey (38%) and black (9%). &nbsp;Bulls were darker in colour and have medium size hump. Horns were smaller in length (9-12 cm). The average body length, height at wither, heart girth, paunch girth, horn length, ear length, face length and tail length without switch in cows (95) &nbsp;were &nbsp;97.64&plusmn;1.08 cm, 100.90&plusmn;0.95 cm, 128.90&plusmn;1.53 cm, 128.60&plusmn;1.77 cm, 9.94&plusmn;0.63 cm, 18.91&plusmn;0.22 cm, 38.08&plusmn;0.47 cm and 68.61&plusmn;0.97 cm, respectively. Males and females did not differ significantly at all stages of age for all the mophometric traits. The average daily milk yield and lactation length were 2.38+0.18 kg (1.50 to 4.0kg) and 138 days (120-180 days), respectively. It may be concluded that indigenous cattle of Meghalaya showed uniformity in physical and morphometric traits and differ in their proportion (type traits) with others cattle of the region. &nbsp;</div>

<div>Phenotypic characterisation of indigenous cattle of Meghalaya State</div>

<div>Background: Cryptosporidium parvum is major protozoan parasite of both animals and humans with zoonotic significance. There is a paucity of information on its occurrence and associated risk factors in North Eastern states, India. The present study aimed at the molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium from cattle and cattle handlers in West district of Tripura and risk associates analysis. 
 
Methods: Faecal samples were randomly collected from cattle and cattle handlers (100 each), of West district, Tripura. The samples were subjected to sheather&rsquo;s sucrose flotation, modified Zeihl Neelsen (mZN) staining and PCR assay targeting the 18S SSUr-RNA gene for detection of Cryptosporidium. The polemerised chain reaction- Restriction length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was done to detect Cryptosporidium spp. and C. parvum genotypes. Association of the epidemiological variables in relation to host and environment were studied for comparative analysis. 
 
Result: The incidence of Cryptosporidium was 16 per cent and 7 per cent in cattle and cattle handlers, respectively. The molecular characterisation based on PCR-RFLP analysis revealed 14 C. parvum and two C. andersoni and three C. parvum in cattle handlers. All the 14 C. parvum from cattle and one C. parvum from cattle handlers belonged to bovine genotype (genotype II) and other two C. parvum from cattle handlers belonged to the human genotype (genotype I). Cryptosporidiosis in both cattle and cattle handlers were strongly associated with younger age group and diarrhoeic faecal consistency with significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher occurrence. However, significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher predominance of monsoon season in occurrence of the disease was observed in cattle and sex predominance was not observed in both cattle and cattle handlers.</div>

Molecular Characterisation of Cryptosporidium parvum among Cattle and Cattle Handlers from Tripura (India) and the Associated Risk Factors

<div>Background: Antibiotic resistance is an emerging concern in the therapy of clinical infections worldwide. Previous studies conducted in our laboratory have confirmed an increase in the prevalence of extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) among the Gram-negative bacterial pathogens associated with dogs, which could act as a potential source for the transfer of these resistant pathogens or their genetic determinants to human. Since carbapenems are the last resort drugs against these resistant pathogens, the study was aimed to isolate and characterise carbapenem resistance among Escherichia coli (E. coli), Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) associated with common clinical infections in dogs. 
 
Methods: A total of 100 samples were collected from lesional skin, urine and anterior vagina of dogs presented to the Veterinary Hospitals of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University at Mannuthy and Thrissur. The samples were cultured onto Brain Heart Infusion Agar (BHIA), Eosin Methylene Blue (EMB) and Mac Conkey (MAC) for isolation of bacteria. Identification of the isolates was performed based on cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics. The isolates were subjected to antimicrobial susceptibility test (ABST) against the 12 commonly used beta-lactam and non&ndash;beta-lactam group of antibiotics by disc diffusion method and further subjected to screening for ESBL double disc diffusion method. Carbapenem-resistant isolates were subjected to phenotypic confirmatory test for carbapenemase production employing Imipenem-EDTA and Ertapenem-boronic acid minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) strip method. 
 
Result: Forty four Gram-negative bacterial isolates obtained were viz., E. coli (30), K. pneumonia (11) and P. aeruginosa (3) from the 100 samples. Apart from these, other isolates obtained were Staphylococcus spp. (53) and Bacillus spp. (2). All the Gram-negative isolates were subjected to ABST employing 12 common antibiotics belonging to beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam groups. Multidrug resistance (MDR) could be observed in 28 E. coli, 11 K. pneumoniae and three P. aeruginosa isolates. All the 42 MDR isolates showed positive results for ESBL production. A total of 14 isolates out of the 44 Gram-negative bacilli were found to be resistant to carbapenem either to imipenem, meropenem or ertapenem. Among the 14 Gram-negative isolates, nine turned out to be positive for metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL) and none for K. penumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) on phenotypic confirmatory test for detecting major carbapenemase enzymes. The present study documented that Gram- negative bacteria like E. coli, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa isolated from dogs are showing an increase rate of resistance against carbapenems which are the last resort drugs against ESBL producers. Hence, there is an urgent need to curb the irrational and excessive use of antibiotics in veterinary sector.</div>

<div>Phenotypic Characterisation of Klebseilla pneumoniae Carbapenemase and Metallo Beta-lactamase in Carbapenem Resistant Gram-negative Bacteria</div>

<div>Background: The Alternaria blight of pigeonpea is considered as an important foliar disease and poses threat to the pigeonpea cultivation due to change in the climatic condition, cultivation practices and variation in pathogenic character. Though the disease is noticed in an alarming proportion after the post rainy season and causing economic yield, little is known about the severity of disease and its impact on crop production. The current study is aimed to study the disease severity and variability of the pathogen and which would helps us to understand the biology of the pathogen to develop suitable management strategies. 
 
Methods: In the field and laboratory investigations during 2015 and 2017, different localities of Northern Karnataka were surveyed. Twenty sampling localities were selected based on geographical situation. In the laboratory, collected diseased samples were isolated and determined morphologically and culturally based on taxonomic and molecular characters. 
 
Result: Our investigations revealed the varied disease severity in surveyed districts, Vijayapura district recorded the maximum disease severity with a range of 38.67 to 49.33 and this might be due to variation in pathogenic character, rainfall pattern and climatic conditions and also disease severity varied with varieties indicating the source of resistance. The present study contributed for identification of geographical distribution of the disease and its severity in different varieties and places of Northern Karnataka and their genetic and morphological variations.</div>

Investigation on the Severity of Alternaria Blight of Pigeonpea and its Characterisation in Northern Karnataka

<div>Camelina sativa- an oil seed flowering plant that originated in North Europe and Central Asia is known by many names: gold-of-pleasure, false flax, wild flax and German sesame. Belongs to the Family Cruciferae, genus Camelina and it includes several species. Camelina has several favorable agronomic characteristics, it can be cultivated both in winter and spring season, having a remarkable capacity to adapt and resist to difficult climate conditions and pests. Camelina sativa contains 30-48% oil and 33-47% protein and adequate micronutrients with unique properties for industrial and nutritional applications. In addition, Camelina is a promising oilseed crop for production of edible oil, seed meal for animal feed rations and/or biodiesel feedstock. The high amounts of unsaturated fatty acids (about 90%) make camelina oil fast-drying which can be used for making polymers, varnishes, paints, cosmetics and dermatological products. Camelina sativa seed meal consisting of up to 50% crude protein- can be sold asan ingredient for cattle and chicken feed, adding further value to producing camelina. Overall, Camelina oil, due to its composition, has multiple uses in various industries: feed technology, biodiesel production, biopolymer industry, cosmetic industry (skin-conditioning agent), in food products due to its high omega-3 fatty acid content and low erucic acid content and as milk fat substitution.</div>

Agro-biochemical Characterisation of Camelina sativa: A Review

Background: Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is recognized for its high nutritional value and potential as a staple food source across various regions. However, its widespread adoption is limited due to the presence of antinutritional factors which inhibits nutrient absorption.&nbsp; This study investigates the effect of sonication as an innovative processing technique on the finger millet malt&rsquo;s nutritional profile, antioxidant components and micronutrient bioaccessibility.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Methods: During the hydration process, finger millet grains were subjected to different sonication treatments and optimized with the help of central composite design in design expert software. Parameters like Angle of Repose, water activity, water holding capacity, moisture content, color, calcium, iron and % of bioaccessibility of calcium and iron were analyzed using standard protocols. 
&nbsp; 
Result: Sonication treatment significantly improved the physical, nutritional and functional properties of finger millet malt. The angle of repose increased from 27.45&plusmn;0.95 to 35.52&plusmn;0.82, while water activity, water holding capacity (%) and moisture content (%) enhanced from 0.544&plusmn;0.00 to 0.596&plusmn;0.00, 201.36&plusmn;0.95 to 218.36&plusmn;1.96 and 7.27&plusmn;0.56 to 7.88&plusmn;0.48, respectively. Nutrient content showed remarkable enhancement, like calcium (mg/100 g) and iron (mg/100 g) from 323&plusmn;0.13 to 341&plusmn;0.45 and 3.73&plusmn;0.54 to 7.12&plusmn;0.22. Concurrently, antinutritional factors such as phenols (mg/100 g) and tannins (mg/100 g) decreased from 126.22 to 50.11 and 107.91 to 50.64, respectively, boosting mineral bioaccessibility. Calcium and iron bioaccessibility (%) improved from 0.51 to 36.54 and 1.92 to 58.26. Optimal conditions were observed at 18 min, 30&deg;C and 100% amplitude, making finger millet malt a superior and palatable food ingredient. 
&nbsp;

Physico-chemical Characterisation of Ultrasound Processed Finger Millet Malt&nbsp;

Vachellia karroo is an important pasture legume which fixes nitrogen through its symbiotic relationship with rhizobia. Thirty two indigenous rhizobia were isolated from four different morphotypes of V. karroo obtained from four agro-ecologically diverse areas of South Africa. Phenotypic characterization of isolates revealed that they have the same colony morphology. Numeric analysis of the isolates&rsquo; phenotypic characteristics produced six clusters at 83% level of relative similarity. High variation of the isolates growth in different temperatures, salt concentration, pH, antibiotic resistance and heavy metal resistance was also noted. Carbon source utilization was generally the same for all isolates. Isolates that tolerated a wide range of test conditions are recommended as potentially highly competitive V. karroo inoculants for use in various climatic and soil conditions.