The Madras Veterinary College, the college affiliated with Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, is a veterinary college situated in Vepery, Chennai, India. The college was established on 1 October 1903 in a small building known as Doblin Hall.The college became affiliated with the University of Madras in 1936 and became the first college to offer the bachelor's degree in Veterinary Medicine in India. In 1989, the first veterinary university in India, Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (TANUVAS), was formed, and the college became affiliated with it.
Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM), once regarded as environmental pathogen, are now recognized as opportunistic pathogens capable of infecting humans and animals, interfering with the diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis and posing significant therapeutic challenges in humans. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of NTM in bovines and to characterize circulating species using genetic and protein mass profiling methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a total of 409 bovine samples, including nasal swabs (154), faecal samples (157), milk (50) and lung tissues (48) collected from farms and slaughterhouses across Tamil Nadu. Samples were processed using standard bacteriological protocols and acid-fast isolates were confirmed by PCR targeting the hsp65 gene, followed by partial gene sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS for species identification. The overall prevalence of NTM was 2.2% (9/409). Identified species included Mycobacterium kansasii, Mycobacterium asiaticum, Mycobacterium kyorinense, Mycolicibacterium fortuitum and Mycolicibacterium smegmatis. All species identified in this study, except M. kansasii, are reported for the first time from animals in India, and M. kyorinense is reported for the first time from animals globally. Sequencing and MALDI-TOF MS showed good concordance for species identification. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method against selected first and second line antimycobacterial drugs, revealing diverse resistance patterns, with several isolates exhibiting resistance to first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs. This study provides novel data on NTM prevalence and species diversity in bovines, highlighting their zoonotic potential and emphasizing the need for improved surveillance, accurate diagnostics and antimicrobial stewardship in livestock-public health interfaces.
Ovarian inflammatory challenges can impair buffalo fertility by altering granulosa cell (GC) function and oocyte competence. Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1/YKL-40) has been linked to inflammatory processes in several species, and quercetin is a flavonoid with reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant actions. This study evaluated whether CHI3L1 is responsive to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in buffalo granulosa cells and whether quercetin modulates LPS-induced expression of inflammatory markers. Primary buffalo granulosa cells were cultured in vitro and challenged with LPS with or without quercetin co-treatment. CHI3L1 and pro-inflammatory cytokine transcripts (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) were quantified by real-time PCR; secreted CHI3L1 in culture supernatants was assessed by ELISA; intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured by DCFDA fluorescence; and oocyte maturation was assessed using a granulosa cell–cumulus–oocyte complex co-culture system. LPS increased cytokine transcript abundance and ROS production and was accompanied by a modest reduction in oocyte maturation. CHI3L1 mRNA was upregulated following LPS challenge, whereas secreted CHI3L1 protein did not show a significant increase under the conditions tested. Quercetin attenuated LPS-induced cytokine expression and ROS accumulation and partially improved oocyte maturation outcomes. Collectively, these findings identify CHI3L1 as an LPS-responsive transcript in buffalo granulosa cells and support a protective role for quercetin against LPS-induced inflammatory and oxidative responses in vitro. Further work is required to define the functional role of CHI3L1 and the in vivo relevance of quercetin.
Background: In India, grazing based livestock husbandry continues to play an important role in rural economy of the country as around 50 per cent animals depend on grazing in forests and other grazing areas. In Tamil Nadu, grasslands/ rangelands are a major source of feed and fodder for the livestock. Silvipastoral systems give farmers access to fuel, fodder and timber, they can help decrease the strain on existing natural forests and play a significant part in carbon mitigation programs through carbon sequestration. Therefore, this study was carried out to estimate biomass and carbon allocation in different components of legume based Silvipastoral System in Degraded Wastelands of Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: The present study was carried out in the existing fourteen year old silvipastoral system consisting of legume tree fodder Gliricidia sepium with an understorey of Stylosanthes scabra. All qualitative and quantitative traits of plants and soils were recorded at regular intervals using standard analytical procedures and methods. To assess biomass and carbon allocation in the existing silvipastoral system, a sample plot of 0.25 ha was allocated and within this sample plot, diameter of all trees at breast height was measured and recorded. The total system carbon sequestration potential (Mg C ha-1) was computed using tree carbon, crop carbon and soil carbon. Result: Studies on the allocation of biomass and carbon in Gliricidia sepium based silvipastoral system in Degraded wastelands of Tamil Nadu, India have revealed that the total carbon in fourteen year old Gliricidia sepium was calculated as 46.74 t C ha-1. From the study, it was visible that average annual increase in carbon sequestration potential of silvipasture in degraded lands was 3.94 t ha-1. Gliricidia sepium with an understorey of Stylosanthes scabra based silvipastoral system exhibited significant carbon accumulation, which serves as an extra carbon sink in the area.
This study evaluates the efficacy of Sargassum cristaefolium against eight strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial species. Different solvents including ethanol, methanol, n-hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, benzene and aqueous were used to isolate crude extracts containing bioactive compounds. The effectiveness of crude extract was determined by phytochemical qualitative, phytochemical quantitative (GC-MS), antimicrobial sensitivity test, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), antioxidant activity (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl assay, Fe2+ chelating assay and phenol estimation), in vivo studies followed by hematological parameters. Each extract exhibited distinct inhibitory effects, with the ethanolic extract showing the highest antibacterial activity (17.7 ± 0.13) against Aeromonas hydrophila. The MIC for each extract ranged from 2 mg/L to 10 mg/L against different pathogenic bacterial strains. The qualitative analysis suggests that compounds like alkaloids, terpenoids, tannins, phenols, steroids, quinones, coumarins, and saponins are mainly responsible for antibacterial activity. Quantitative analysis using GC-MS showed that the ethanolic extract contained highest amount of diethyl phthalate (94.82
Gastrointestinal parasitism severely impacts small ruminant production in tropical regions. This study investigated prevalence, risk factors, infection intensity, and co-infection patterns in 1013 goats across five districts in Southern India, while evaluating the field applicability of FAMACHA© scoring as a practical clinical indicator. Overall parasite prevalence was 80.4
