Nutrient content and in vitro degradation study of some unconventional feed resources of Bangladesh.

This study aimed to evaluate six unconventional feed resources of Bangladesh, including water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes), banana leaves (Musa paradisiaca), roadside grass (Stenotaphrum secundatum), bamboo leaves (Bambusa vulgaris Scrad), Seaweed (Hypnea sp.) and sugarcane bagasse (Saccharum griffithii). Evaluations were based on dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), ether extract (EE), ash content, DM and OM digestibilities and fractional rate of degradation. Two conventional feeds, i.e., rice bran and german grass, were used as the positive control. Samples (400 mg) were incubated with rumen liquor in an in vitro fermentation chamber at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h for the degradation kinetic studies. The CP contents of 10.13, 10.63, 10.21, and 8.49 % were found in seaweed, banana leaf, water hyacinth, and bamboo leaf, respectively. The NDF values ranged between 16.5 and 75.6% and ADF varied from 9.7 to 58.8% in this study. The highest value of NDF (75.6%) and ADF (58.8%) were found in sugar cane bagasse and the lowest value of NDF (16.5%) and ADF (9.7%) were as observed in seaweed. However, higher DM degradation (33.5-42.8%) was found in seaweed during the incubation periods of 24-96 h. A significant (P < 0.05) increased of OM degradation (44.9%) compared to other feed resources was also observed in seaweed at 96 h of in vitro incubation. Water hyacinth, banana leaves, german grass, and sugarcane bagasse had greater DM digestibility (32.9-36.3%) compared to roadside grass, bamboo leaves, and rice bran (24.8-29.1%). The higher total OM digestibility of seaweed found (>44.9%) can be associated with the presence of large quantities of fraction b (>39.2 %), resulting in moderate amounts of undegradable fraction (U) (57.2 %). This study provides a comparative estimate of ruminal DM and OM degradation characteristics for seaweed and some other unconventional feed resources, which might be helpful for their inclusion in the diet according to the ruminally undegraded to degraded DM and OM intake ratio.

Occurrence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis among captive mammals in the Bangladesh National Zoo.

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoan parasites capable of causing gastrointestinal illness in humans and animals. The purpose of this research was to determine the occurrence, genetic characteristics, and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in captive mammals at the Bangladesh National Zoo. A total of 200 fresh fecal samples from 32 mammalian species were collected and examined for Cryptosporidium spp. using nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene and G. duodenalis targeting the ß-giardin (bg), glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) genes. The overall infection rates of Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis among captive mammals in the zoo were 3.5% (7/200) and 5.5% (11/200), respectively. Five species/genotypes of Cryptosporidium (C. hominis, C. andersoni, C. muris, C. felis, and Cryptosporidium deer genotype) were identified. C. hominis was subtyped as IbA12G3 by sequence analysis of the glycoprotein 60 (gp60) gene. Multilocus genotyping of G. duodenalis revealed assemblages A, B, and D. Mixed infections of assemblages B and D and A and B were found in an Asiatic jackal and a Nilgiri langur, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the occurrence and genetic identity of the two parasites among zoo animals in Bangladesh. The results suggest that zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis are maintained in and transmitted between captive mammals. Therefore, washing, cleaning, and disinfection measures should be implemented to reduce the spread of Cryptosporidium and G. duodenalis infections.

Development and assessment of a real-time pcr assay for rapid and sensitive detection of a novel thermotolerant bacterium, Lactobacillus thermotolerans, in chicken feces.

A new real-time PCR assay was successfully developed using a TaqMan fluorescence probe for specific detection and enumeration of a novel bacterium, Lactobacillus thermotolerans, in chicken feces. The specific primers and probe were designed based on the L. thermotolerans 16S rRNA gene sequences, and these sequences were compared to those of all available 16S rRNA genes in the GenBank database. The assay, targeting 16S rRNA gene, was evaluated using DNA from a pure culture of L. thermotolerans, DNA from the closely related bacteria Lactobacillus mucosae DSM 13345(T) and Lactobacillus fermentum JCM 1173(T), and DNA from other lactic acid bacteria in quantitative experiments. Serial dilutions of L. thermotolerans DNA were used as external standards for calibration. The minimum detection limit of this technique was 1.84 x 10(3) cells/ml of an L. thermotolerans pure culture. The assay was then applied to chicken feces in two different trials. In the first trial, the cell population was 10(4) cells/g feces on day 4 and 10(5) cells/g feces on days 11 to 18. However, cell populations of 10(6) to 10(7) cells/g feces were detected in the second trial. The total bacterial count, measured by 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining, was approximately 10(11) cells/g feces. These results suggest that in general, L. thermotolerans is a normal member of the chicken gut microbiota, although it is present at relatively low levels in the feces.