Alexis Teguia - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Alexis Teguia

Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 2022

Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2021

Antimicrobial use in livestock is faced with various challenges including emergence of antimicrob... more Antimicrobial use in livestock is faced with various challenges including emergence of antimicrobial resistance and presence of drug residues in meat products, hence the need for alternatives. The aim of this work was to assess the effect a plant (Zehneria scabra) extract on Salmonella infected quails, as an alternative to antibiotic therapy. Quails were randomly assigned into six groups each containing twelve birds. The neutral control (T0) group was not infected and received tap water whereas other groups were infected. The negative control (T-) received tap water. The positive control (T+) received a single dose of oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg). T1, T2 andT3 orally received the plant extract at the following respective doses: 9, 18 and 37 mg/kg. Quails were infected by oral administration of a single dose of Salmonella Enteritidis (10 5 CFU). Haematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated. From day 2 to day 9 to day 16, the bacterial load of all treatment groups (T+, T1, T2, T3) decreased. The infection resulted in a significant (p < 0.05) increase in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, total cholesterol and white blood cells, and a significant decrease in the liver and kidney protein content. The treatment resulted in the correction of the aforementioned effects. The plant extract (18 mg/kg) is as effective as oxytetracycline, and can be safely used in phytomedicine for the treatment of Salmonella Enteritidis infection without kidney and liver damage.

This study aimed at evaluating the influence of processed rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed meal (... more This study aimed at evaluating the influence of processed rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed meal (RSM) on the chemical composition of feed, feed intake and nutrients digestibility in rabbits. For the purpose, 30 female (local breed) rabbits with an average weight of 2.7 ± 0.12 kg were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments (6 rabbits in 1 treatment). The feeding trial lasted for four weeks and the various rations were: negative control ration, not containing rubber seeds (R0-) and 4 different rations each containing 20% of the rubber seed meal (raw, toasted, soaked, and boiled respectively for R0+, R1, R2, and R3 rations). The rubber seed meal, faeces and feed sample were sun dried to constant weight, urine was also collected and a sample was used for chemical analysis. The results showed that the boiled seeds RSM exhibited the highest crude protein content (20.61% DM) and the low concentration of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) (21.83 mg/kg HCn; 30.53%; 21.26% and 3.67% respec...

International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2018

Parrots are considered a globally threatened group but, despite that, little is known about the e... more Parrots are considered a globally threatened group but, despite that, little is known about the ecology and biology of many species in the wild, this is the case for African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). The aim of this work was to study the reproductive biology of the wild grey parrot and its involvement in the conservation of the species. In fact, a follow-up of 40 nests equally distributed in 4 vegetation types (primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantation and annual crop plantation) has been done between 2011 and 2013. The length of nesting period per breeding pair in our study was situated between 4 to 5 months from April to early November. The beginning of the nesting in grey parrots coincides with the arrival of the short rainy season and an increase in the availability of food resources. The average egg per pair was 2.5 ± 0.70, the mean number of chicks at hatching was 2.26 ± 0.98, and only 1.51 ± 1.16 nestlings fledged. Nesting success was high (68.89%) and varied depending on the nesting phase, year and type of vegetation but without any significant difference. Predation (47.37%) was the most important cause of nest failure. Nesting success of grey parrots appears to be very high in different habitats, but human predation and deforestation remain the main threats to the parrot population. Additional studies on breeding biology based on large sample and the immediate implementation of conservation actions are essential to avoid future extinction of grey parrots population.

Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 2021

Archives of Veterinary Science and Medicine, 2020

International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2018

International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2020

Background: The study was conducted to assess the effects of the digestible dietary energy level ... more Background: The study was conducted to assess the effects of the digestible dietary energy level on some reproductive characteristics in African giant rat.Methods: Sixteen young males were randomly distributed into 4 groups of 4 animals each. To each group was attributed randomly one of the 4 dietary energy levels (3600 Kcal/kg, 3800 Kcal/kg, 4000 Kcal/kg or 4200 Kcal/kg). The daily distribution of experimental diets last six months, ie ended when cricetoma were 8 months old. At the end of that period, all animals were sacrificed.Results: Results showed an increase in testes weight with the augmentation of dietary digestible energy level (0.79±0.13, 0.88±0.17, 1.02±0.28 and 1.02±0.16 respectively for 3600 Kcal/kg, 3800 Kcal/kg, 4000 Kcal/kg and 4200 Kcal/kg). The serum testosterone level, the sperm mobility (76.67, 62, 63 and 57%) and count per cauda epididymis (18.25±3.75, 16.38±4.19, 10.83±2.02 and 10.13±2.9) and per gram cauda epididymis (39.09±11.82, 27.01±4.23, 15.41±3.31 and 1...

Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2018

The recent outbreak of avian influenza in the poultry sector of Cameroon has raised a concern abo... more The recent outbreak of avian influenza in the poultry sector of Cameroon has raised a concern about the level of implementation of biosecurity measures (BM) on poultry farms. Therefore, a study using a questionnaire on 102 randomly selected poultry farms was undertaken. Some measures with high adoption levels (> 90%) included “protection of airing openings of poultry barns by a wire mesh,” “no external animal allowed to enter the farm,” “respect of all-in all-out principle,” “functional footbath,” “rodent control,” and “feedstuff protection from access to rodents.” The least implemented measures (less than 20%) were “wearing of dedicated clothing (clean coveralls and boots) by workers,” “disinfection of visitors,” and “presence of storage room for dead animals.” Only for “isolation” component of biosecurity, compliance with biosecurity measures was good, with more than 50% of farms having an adoption rate greater than 75%. The mean biosecurity score for the assessed farms was 19.29 ± 1.89 for a maximum score of 38 points. The score was significantly and positively correlated (p < 0.05) with the number of chicken and the geographic location of farms. The other results showed that the mean number of broiler per cycle was 550.82 ± 76 for a stocking density of 27.20 ± 6.64 birds per m2. In conclusion, broiler production in the Western highland is dominated by small-scale units with low level of biosecurity practices positively and significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by some production characteristics. To improve biosecurity practices in the area, efforts must focus on measures concerning “sanitation” and “traffic control” components of biosecurity.

Food Control, 2018

Abstract Egg and poultry industry products are affected by the bacteriological quality of eggs. C... more Abstract Egg and poultry industry products are affected by the bacteriological quality of eggs. Contamination of edible contents of eggs with Salmonella may either lead to disease outbreaks in human or to weak/diseased hatched chicks. In order to obtain a baseline data on the occurrence of these bacteria in hen eggs in Cameroon, eggs were collected from layer farms in the West Region of Cameroon and examined for Salmonella contamination using standard bacteriological methods. A total of 140 table eggs from 20 flocks belonging to 19 layer farms were sampled. The mean age of the sampled farms and layers were 11.35 ± 10.30 years and 50.44 ± 23.07 weeks respectively. The flock size varied between 500 and 7000 layers. All the 19 sampled farms were positive for at least one Salmonella isolate. Three serovars were recorded in the flocks: S. Enteritidis present in nearly all the sampled flocks (19 out of 20) and on all the farms (19/19), S. Paratyphi present in 35% of sampled flocks (7 out of 20), and S. Typhimurium present in 30% of sampled flocks (6 out of 20). Over all, the prevalence of Salmonella in the sampled eggs was 88.6% (124 out of 140). The highest prevalence was obtained with S. Enteritidis (75.7%), followed by S. Paratyphi (8.6%) and finally S. Typhimurium (4.3%). S. Enteritidis was found to be the most widespread isolate, recorded in all the sampled localities. The occurrence of these zoonotic Salmonella serovars constitutes a big challenge for poultry and egg industry, and for public health.

Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 2018

Objective : this study was conducted in order to assess the effects of dietary Jumbo Cube as sour... more Objective : this study was conducted in order to assess the effects of dietary Jumbo Cube as source of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) on production performances of broiler chickens. Materials and methods : 320 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into five groups of 64 chicks each. Negative and positive control groups were fed on basal diet with no supplement (R0-) and 1 gm of antibiotic (R0+) respectively and the 3 others groups were fed on diets supplemented with the quantities of Jumbo cube containing 1 mg, 2 mg and 4 mg of MSG/Kg of feed. Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), weight gain (WG), blood parameters and intestinal microbial counts were evaluated. Results: Results revealed that feeding broilers with Jumbo Cube as MSG source significantly ( P <0.05) decreased FI at the starter phase with no significant effect at the finisher phase. Diet supplemented with 2 mg of MSG/Kg significantly ( P <0.05) increased LBW and WG, and decreased FCR. Dietary MSG significantly ( P <0.05) has no significant effect on bacteria counts during starter phase. At the finisher phase, GMS induced a significant increase in lactic bacteria and E. coli counts as compared to the control ration without any supplement. White blood cells (WBC) significantly decreased with inclusion of 1mg and 2 mg of MSG/Kg. Dietary MSG markedly decreased albumin/globulin ratio, LDL-cholesterol and creatinine. Conclusion : It was concluded that Jumbo Cube can be used as source of MSG (2 mg/Kg) to improve growth performance in broiler chickens. http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2018.e258

Journal of Thermal Biology, 2017

Climate changes, particularly the increase of temperature are among the main causes behind the de... more Climate changes, particularly the increase of temperature are among the main causes behind the decline of fertility in humans as well as animals. In this study, the effects of heat stress on some reproductive parameters of male cavies and mitigation strategies using guava leaves essential oil (GLEO) were studied. For this purpose, 40 male cavies aged 2.5-3 months and weighing between 348 and 446g were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each and subjected to the following temperatures: Ambient temperature (20-25°C) for the control group, 35°C for group 1, 45°C for group 2 and 45°C+100µl GLEO/kg body weight, administered by gavage to animals for group 3. Exposure time of heat was 7h per day for 60 days. Results reveal that the relative weights of testes, epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicles were hardly affected by the temperature levels considered (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;0.05). The mass and individual sperm motility was significantly lower (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in cavies exposed to the temperature of 35 and 45°C as compared with those which received GLEO and controls. The percentages of abnormal sperm and altered sperm DNA were higher in animals exposed to temperature of 35 and 45°C as compared with the controls. The activity of superoxide dismutase significantly increased (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in animals exposed to temperature of 45°C and in those of 45°C and orally treated with GLEO, compared with cavies exposed to temperature of 45°C without receiving GLEO. The level of malondialdehyde was significantly increased (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in animals exposed to temperature of 35 and 45°C, whereas the level of nitric oxide was significantly lower (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in exposed animals as compared with controls. It was concluded that the exposure of male cavies at 35 and 45°C for 60 days induce heat stress that causes deterioration of sperm characteristics. These effects that can be mitigated by the administration of guava leaves essential oil.

Entre août et octobre 1999, un essai de production d'asticots dans les fientes de poule et dans l... more Entre août et octobre 1999, un essai de production d'asticots dans les fientes de poule et dans la bouse de vache a été réalisé à Dschang, dans l'ouest du Cameroun. Un dispositif complètement randomisé à 2 traitements (substrats) et 5 répétitions a été utilisé. Les fientes de poules se sont révélées plus productives que la bouse de vache. La biomasse journalière moyenne d'asticots a été de 0,12 g/kg de substrat dans les fientes de poule et 0,037 g/kg dans la bouse de vache. L'élevage n'était plus productif à partir du 19 e jour aussi bien dans la bouse de vache que dans les fientes de poule. Les asticots appartenaient à 2 sous-familles de muscidés: les Anthomyinées et les Muscinées Summary Comparative Trials on Maggot Production in Chicken Droppings and Cow Dung Between the months of August and October 1999, trials on maggot production in fowl droppings, and in cow dung were conducted in Dschang, in western Cameroon. A completely randomised design comprising 2 treatments (substrate types) with 5 replicates each was used. Chicken droppings performed better than cow dung. The mean daily biomass was 0.12 g of maggots/kg of substrate in chicken droppings as compared to 0.037 g/kg in cow dung. The substrates were no longer productive after the 19 th day. The maggots belonged to two sub-families of Muscidae: the Anthomyinae and Muscinae.

Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa. Bulletin des santé et production animales en Afrique

Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences

Samples of two grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Trypsacum laxum) and four Multipurpose tree l... more Samples of two grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Trypsacum laxum) and four Multipurpose tree leaves (Leucaena leucocephala, Calliandra calothyrsus, Sesbania sesban, Gliricidia sepium) from the Western Highland of Cameroon were tested using nylon bag and in vitro gas production techniques. The two grasses were of similar chemical composition and degradation characteristics. Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania sesban had the highest potential in sacco degradability and Calliandra calothyrsus the lowest. Although the in vitro fermentation failed to rank the browse species in the same order, there was a high positive correlation (r²=0.74) between the 48h nylon bag degradation and the 48h gas production. The in vitro degradation of Calliandra calothyrsus was unexpectedly low as compared to the in sacco potential degradability of the plant.

Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa. Bulletin des santé et production animales en Afrique

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary charcoal from Canarium schweinfurthi... more This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary charcoal from Canarium schweinfurthii seeds or maize cob supplementation on egg yield performances in 62 weeks old laying hens. A total of 200 SHAVER 579 laying hens were weighed and randomly allotted to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, each group containing 40 hens. Five experimental diets including a control and other containing either 0.2 or 0.4% charcoal from Canarium seeds (C0.2 and C0.4) or from maize cob (R0.2 and R0.4) supplements were used. Results indicate that both charcoal from Canarium and maize cob significantly (P<0.05) improved feed conversion ratio, egg production and persistence of laying as compared to the control group. Vegetable charcoal had no effect on egg weight. From the data obtained it can be concluding that charcoal from Canarium seeds or maize cob could be used to improve feed efficiency and persistence of egg production.

Advances in Animal Biosciences, 2010

Alexandria Journal of Veterinary Sciences, 2022

Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, 2021

Antimicrobial use in livestock is faced with various challenges including emergence of antimicrob... more Antimicrobial use in livestock is faced with various challenges including emergence of antimicrobial resistance and presence of drug residues in meat products, hence the need for alternatives. The aim of this work was to assess the effect a plant (Zehneria scabra) extract on Salmonella infected quails, as an alternative to antibiotic therapy. Quails were randomly assigned into six groups each containing twelve birds. The neutral control (T0) group was not infected and received tap water whereas other groups were infected. The negative control (T-) received tap water. The positive control (T+) received a single dose of oxytetracycline (20 mg/kg). T1, T2 andT3 orally received the plant extract at the following respective doses: 9, 18 and 37 mg/kg. Quails were infected by oral administration of a single dose of Salmonella Enteritidis (10 5 CFU). Haematological and biochemical parameters were evaluated. From day 2 to day 9 to day 16, the bacterial load of all treatment groups (T+, T1, T2, T3) decreased. The infection resulted in a significant (p &lt; 0.05) increase in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase, triglycerides, total cholesterol and white blood cells, and a significant decrease in the liver and kidney protein content. The treatment resulted in the correction of the aforementioned effects. The plant extract (18 mg/kg) is as effective as oxytetracycline, and can be safely used in phytomedicine for the treatment of Salmonella Enteritidis infection without kidney and liver damage.

This study aimed at evaluating the influence of processed rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed meal (... more This study aimed at evaluating the influence of processed rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) seed meal (RSM) on the chemical composition of feed, feed intake and nutrients digestibility in rabbits. For the purpose, 30 female (local breed) rabbits with an average weight of 2.7 ± 0.12 kg were randomly allotted to five dietary treatments (6 rabbits in 1 treatment). The feeding trial lasted for four weeks and the various rations were: negative control ration, not containing rubber seeds (R0-) and 4 different rations each containing 20% of the rubber seed meal (raw, toasted, soaked, and boiled respectively for R0+, R1, R2, and R3 rations). The rubber seed meal, faeces and feed sample were sun dried to constant weight, urine was also collected and a sample was used for chemical analysis. The results showed that the boiled seeds RSM exhibited the highest crude protein content (20.61% DM) and the low concentration of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) (21.83 mg/kg HCn; 30.53%; 21.26% and 3.67% respec...

International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2018

Parrots are considered a globally threatened group but, despite that, little is known about the e... more Parrots are considered a globally threatened group but, despite that, little is known about the ecology and biology of many species in the wild, this is the case for African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). The aim of this work was to study the reproductive biology of the wild grey parrot and its involvement in the conservation of the species. In fact, a follow-up of 40 nests equally distributed in 4 vegetation types (primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantation and annual crop plantation) has been done between 2011 and 2013. The length of nesting period per breeding pair in our study was situated between 4 to 5 months from April to early November. The beginning of the nesting in grey parrots coincides with the arrival of the short rainy season and an increase in the availability of food resources. The average egg per pair was 2.5 ± 0.70, the mean number of chicks at hatching was 2.26 ± 0.98, and only 1.51 ± 1.16 nestlings fledged. Nesting success was high (68.89%) and varied depending on the nesting phase, year and type of vegetation but without any significant difference. Predation (47.37%) was the most important cause of nest failure. Nesting success of grey parrots appears to be very high in different habitats, but human predation and deforestation remain the main threats to the parrot population. Additional studies on breeding biology based on large sample and the immediate implementation of conservation actions are essential to avoid future extinction of grey parrots population.

Open Journal of Animal Sciences, 2021

Archives of Veterinary Science and Medicine, 2020

International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2018

International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2020

Background: The study was conducted to assess the effects of the digestible dietary energy level ... more Background: The study was conducted to assess the effects of the digestible dietary energy level on some reproductive characteristics in African giant rat.Methods: Sixteen young males were randomly distributed into 4 groups of 4 animals each. To each group was attributed randomly one of the 4 dietary energy levels (3600 Kcal/kg, 3800 Kcal/kg, 4000 Kcal/kg or 4200 Kcal/kg). The daily distribution of experimental diets last six months, ie ended when cricetoma were 8 months old. At the end of that period, all animals were sacrificed.Results: Results showed an increase in testes weight with the augmentation of dietary digestible energy level (0.79±0.13, 0.88±0.17, 1.02±0.28 and 1.02±0.16 respectively for 3600 Kcal/kg, 3800 Kcal/kg, 4000 Kcal/kg and 4200 Kcal/kg). The serum testosterone level, the sperm mobility (76.67, 62, 63 and 57%) and count per cauda epididymis (18.25±3.75, 16.38±4.19, 10.83±2.02 and 10.13±2.9) and per gram cauda epididymis (39.09±11.82, 27.01±4.23, 15.41±3.31 and 1...

Tropical Animal Health and Production, 2018

The recent outbreak of avian influenza in the poultry sector of Cameroon has raised a concern abo... more The recent outbreak of avian influenza in the poultry sector of Cameroon has raised a concern about the level of implementation of biosecurity measures (BM) on poultry farms. Therefore, a study using a questionnaire on 102 randomly selected poultry farms was undertaken. Some measures with high adoption levels (> 90%) included “protection of airing openings of poultry barns by a wire mesh,” “no external animal allowed to enter the farm,” “respect of all-in all-out principle,” “functional footbath,” “rodent control,” and “feedstuff protection from access to rodents.” The least implemented measures (less than 20%) were “wearing of dedicated clothing (clean coveralls and boots) by workers,” “disinfection of visitors,” and “presence of storage room for dead animals.” Only for “isolation” component of biosecurity, compliance with biosecurity measures was good, with more than 50% of farms having an adoption rate greater than 75%. The mean biosecurity score for the assessed farms was 19.29 ± 1.89 for a maximum score of 38 points. The score was significantly and positively correlated (p < 0.05) with the number of chicken and the geographic location of farms. The other results showed that the mean number of broiler per cycle was 550.82 ± 76 for a stocking density of 27.20 ± 6.64 birds per m2. In conclusion, broiler production in the Western highland is dominated by small-scale units with low level of biosecurity practices positively and significantly (p < 0.05) influenced by some production characteristics. To improve biosecurity practices in the area, efforts must focus on measures concerning “sanitation” and “traffic control” components of biosecurity.

Food Control, 2018

Abstract Egg and poultry industry products are affected by the bacteriological quality of eggs. C... more Abstract Egg and poultry industry products are affected by the bacteriological quality of eggs. Contamination of edible contents of eggs with Salmonella may either lead to disease outbreaks in human or to weak/diseased hatched chicks. In order to obtain a baseline data on the occurrence of these bacteria in hen eggs in Cameroon, eggs were collected from layer farms in the West Region of Cameroon and examined for Salmonella contamination using standard bacteriological methods. A total of 140 table eggs from 20 flocks belonging to 19 layer farms were sampled. The mean age of the sampled farms and layers were 11.35 ± 10.30 years and 50.44 ± 23.07 weeks respectively. The flock size varied between 500 and 7000 layers. All the 19 sampled farms were positive for at least one Salmonella isolate. Three serovars were recorded in the flocks: S. Enteritidis present in nearly all the sampled flocks (19 out of 20) and on all the farms (19/19), S. Paratyphi present in 35% of sampled flocks (7 out of 20), and S. Typhimurium present in 30% of sampled flocks (6 out of 20). Over all, the prevalence of Salmonella in the sampled eggs was 88.6% (124 out of 140). The highest prevalence was obtained with S. Enteritidis (75.7%), followed by S. Paratyphi (8.6%) and finally S. Typhimurium (4.3%). S. Enteritidis was found to be the most widespread isolate, recorded in all the sampled localities. The occurrence of these zoonotic Salmonella serovars constitutes a big challenge for poultry and egg industry, and for public health.

Journal of Advanced Veterinary and Animal Research, 2018

Objective : this study was conducted in order to assess the effects of dietary Jumbo Cube as sour... more Objective : this study was conducted in order to assess the effects of dietary Jumbo Cube as source of Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) on production performances of broiler chickens. Materials and methods : 320 day-old Ross 308 broiler chicks were randomly divided into five groups of 64 chicks each. Negative and positive control groups were fed on basal diet with no supplement (R0-) and 1 gm of antibiotic (R0+) respectively and the 3 others groups were fed on diets supplemented with the quantities of Jumbo cube containing 1 mg, 2 mg and 4 mg of MSG/Kg of feed. Feed intake (FI), feed conversion ratio (FCR), weight gain (WG), blood parameters and intestinal microbial counts were evaluated. Results: Results revealed that feeding broilers with Jumbo Cube as MSG source significantly ( P <0.05) decreased FI at the starter phase with no significant effect at the finisher phase. Diet supplemented with 2 mg of MSG/Kg significantly ( P <0.05) increased LBW and WG, and decreased FCR. Dietary MSG significantly ( P <0.05) has no significant effect on bacteria counts during starter phase. At the finisher phase, GMS induced a significant increase in lactic bacteria and E. coli counts as compared to the control ration without any supplement. White blood cells (WBC) significantly decreased with inclusion of 1mg and 2 mg of MSG/Kg. Dietary MSG markedly decreased albumin/globulin ratio, LDL-cholesterol and creatinine. Conclusion : It was concluded that Jumbo Cube can be used as source of MSG (2 mg/Kg) to improve growth performance in broiler chickens. http://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2018.e258

Journal of Thermal Biology, 2017

Climate changes, particularly the increase of temperature are among the main causes behind the de... more Climate changes, particularly the increase of temperature are among the main causes behind the decline of fertility in humans as well as animals. In this study, the effects of heat stress on some reproductive parameters of male cavies and mitigation strategies using guava leaves essential oil (GLEO) were studied. For this purpose, 40 male cavies aged 2.5-3 months and weighing between 348 and 446g were divided into 4 groups of 10 animals each and subjected to the following temperatures: Ambient temperature (20-25°C) for the control group, 35°C for group 1, 45°C for group 2 and 45°C+100µl GLEO/kg body weight, administered by gavage to animals for group 3. Exposure time of heat was 7h per day for 60 days. Results reveal that the relative weights of testes, epididymis, vas deferens and seminal vesicles were hardly affected by the temperature levels considered (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;0.05). The mass and individual sperm motility was significantly lower (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in cavies exposed to the temperature of 35 and 45°C as compared with those which received GLEO and controls. The percentages of abnormal sperm and altered sperm DNA were higher in animals exposed to temperature of 35 and 45°C as compared with the controls. The activity of superoxide dismutase significantly increased (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in animals exposed to temperature of 45°C and in those of 45°C and orally treated with GLEO, compared with cavies exposed to temperature of 45°C without receiving GLEO. The level of malondialdehyde was significantly increased (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in animals exposed to temperature of 35 and 45°C, whereas the level of nitric oxide was significantly lower (P&amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;0.05) in exposed animals as compared with controls. It was concluded that the exposure of male cavies at 35 and 45°C for 60 days induce heat stress that causes deterioration of sperm characteristics. These effects that can be mitigated by the administration of guava leaves essential oil.

Entre août et octobre 1999, un essai de production d'asticots dans les fientes de poule et dans l... more Entre août et octobre 1999, un essai de production d'asticots dans les fientes de poule et dans la bouse de vache a été réalisé à Dschang, dans l'ouest du Cameroun. Un dispositif complètement randomisé à 2 traitements (substrats) et 5 répétitions a été utilisé. Les fientes de poules se sont révélées plus productives que la bouse de vache. La biomasse journalière moyenne d'asticots a été de 0,12 g/kg de substrat dans les fientes de poule et 0,037 g/kg dans la bouse de vache. L'élevage n'était plus productif à partir du 19 e jour aussi bien dans la bouse de vache que dans les fientes de poule. Les asticots appartenaient à 2 sous-familles de muscidés: les Anthomyinées et les Muscinées Summary Comparative Trials on Maggot Production in Chicken Droppings and Cow Dung Between the months of August and October 1999, trials on maggot production in fowl droppings, and in cow dung were conducted in Dschang, in western Cameroon. A completely randomised design comprising 2 treatments (substrate types) with 5 replicates each was used. Chicken droppings performed better than cow dung. The mean daily biomass was 0.12 g of maggots/kg of substrate in chicken droppings as compared to 0.037 g/kg in cow dung. The substrates were no longer productive after the 19 th day. The maggots belonged to two sub-families of Muscidae: the Anthomyinae and Muscinae.

Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa. Bulletin des santé et production animales en Afrique

Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences

Samples of two grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Trypsacum laxum) and four Multipurpose tree l... more Samples of two grass species (Pennisetum purpureum, Trypsacum laxum) and four Multipurpose tree leaves (Leucaena leucocephala, Calliandra calothyrsus, Sesbania sesban, Gliricidia sepium) from the Western Highland of Cameroon were tested using nylon bag and in vitro gas production techniques. The two grasses were of similar chemical composition and degradation characteristics. Leucaena leucocephala and Sesbania sesban had the highest potential in sacco degradability and Calliandra calothyrsus the lowest. Although the in vitro fermentation failed to rank the browse species in the same order, there was a high positive correlation (r²=0.74) between the 48h nylon bag degradation and the 48h gas production. The in vitro degradation of Calliandra calothyrsus was unexpectedly low as compared to the in sacco potential degradability of the plant.

Bulletin of animal health and production in Africa. Bulletin des santé et production animales en Afrique

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary charcoal from Canarium schweinfurthi... more This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary charcoal from Canarium schweinfurthii seeds or maize cob supplementation on egg yield performances in 62 weeks old laying hens. A total of 200 SHAVER 579 laying hens were weighed and randomly allotted to five dietary treatments in a completely randomized design, each group containing 40 hens. Five experimental diets including a control and other containing either 0.2 or 0.4% charcoal from Canarium seeds (C0.2 and C0.4) or from maize cob (R0.2 and R0.4) supplements were used. Results indicate that both charcoal from Canarium and maize cob significantly (P<0.05) improved feed conversion ratio, egg production and persistence of laying as compared to the control group. Vegetable charcoal had no effect on egg weight. From the data obtained it can be concluding that charcoal from Canarium seeds or maize cob could be used to improve feed efficiency and persistence of egg production.

Advances in Animal Biosciences, 2010