Background: Bio potency of trace elements is very important in animal growth and reproduction. Among the trace minerals, zinc is very important as it is required for many normal physiological functions. It also plays an essential role in testicular steroidogenesis androgen metabolism and interaction with steroid receptors. Testes have a strict zinc requirement and severe zinc deficiency compromises spermatogenesis, sperm viability, motility and fertility in human beings. Zinc depletion studies in mice resulted in oligospermia with poor Leydig cell function and lowered testosterone concentration and was reversed by zinc supplementation. But, relatively few studies have been conducted on male animal responses to supplementation of important mineral like zinc at their critical phase of growth and reproduction. The present investigation was taken up to study the effect of zinc supplementation in two different doses with a view to assess its implication in testicular and epididymal sperm morphology during growth period in Wistar rats. Methods: The study was conducted in 72 weaned Wistar male rats for a period of 8 weeks from 4 to 12 weeks of age, which were procured from Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, CSIR Laboratory, Jammu. The experimental rats were divided in to three groups as control: rats fed diet without zinc supplementation, T1 (treatment 1): rats fed diet containing zinc sulphate @ 50 mg/kg body weight/day and T2 (treatment 2): rats fed diet containing zinc sulphate @ 100 mg/kg body weight/day. They were provided standard pelleted ration and clean drinking water ad libitum and maintained under standard managemental conditions. On 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of experiment, the rats were sacrificed after induction of proper anaesthesia. The reproductive organs (testes and epididymidis) were collected from each rat and tissue pieces from testes and three parts of the epididymis viz. caput, corpus and cauda, were fixed separately in 10 per cent Neutral Buffered Formalin solution and processed for paraffin sections by alcohol- xylene method. Sections 5 μ thickness was stained by Haematoxylin and Eosin (Luna, 1968) for histological studies. Result: Elongated spermatids were seen in the seminiferous epithelium only in treatment (T1 and T2) groups at 6 weeks of age, not in the control rats. At 8 weeks of age, maximum number of spermatozoa were seen in the seminiferous tubular lumen in the T1 group as compared to T2 treatment group. At 10 weeks, spermatozoa were seen in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules in all the rats under study. The epididymis revealed no sperm pack in cauda epididymis in all group rats at 6 weeks of age. However, at 8 weeks of age, the sperm pack was seen in the lumen of the epididymal tubules of the cauda epididymis of T1 and T2 groups. The significant finding was that in T1 rats the sperm pack was very compact at 10 weeks in cauda epididymis as compared to T2 and control group rats.

In this study, a total 240 Vencobb strain broiler chicks were randomly divided into 3 groups. The broilers fed with basal diet were kept as control group (C), while T1 and T2 groups broilers were fed with zinc oxide nanoparticles @45 mg/kg and @90 mg/kg of basal diet, respectively. Eight chicks out of each group were sacrificed at an interval of 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 days and tissue samples from different parts of small intestine (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) from each bird were collected, processed, stained and studied for various micrometrical parameters. Histomorphometrical parameters of small intestines showed significantly increasing trend with the advancing age in control, T1 and T2 groups. Significantly higher histomorphometrical parameters of small intestines were recorded in zinc oxide nano-particle supplemented groups when compared to control. Zinc oxide nanoparticle supplementation @90 mg/kg diet in feed of broilers significantly improved histomorphometric characteristics, viz. villus height of duodenum, jejunum and ileum; villus width of ileum, width of muscularis laminae in duodenum and ileum and height of epithelial cells in all three segments of small intestine. Therefore, it is concluded that zinc oxide nanoparticle can be used as a diet supplement for increasing the overall performance in broiler chicks during their growth period, however, supplementation of zinc oxide nanoparticle @90 mg/kg gave better result in broilers for overall better performance.

The present study was conducted on the intestine of six adult Bakerwali and non-descript goats from the Jammu region with the goal to locate the position of the Gut Associated Lymphoid Tissue (GALT).The gross distribution and structure of the lymphoid tissue varied between intestinal segments in both the breeds.The location of the lymphoid nodules was ante-mesenteric in both the breeds.Duodenum of both the breeds had small nodule like lymphoid tissue (Peyer's patches).The jejunum had the lymphoid tissue that was the most developed out of all the gut segments.Lymphoid tissues were oval-shaped and orientated with their long axis parallel to the long axis of the gut.The maximum width recorded as 1.32 cm, while the length was 4.42 cm.Like non-descript goats, the lymphoid tissues of Bakerwali goat were also elongated but shorter and thinner.Maximum width was found to be 0.98 cm, and length was 1.78 cm.Ileum of both Bakerwali and non-descript goats displayed prominent nodule-like lymphoid tissue.Large intestine of Bakerwali goat was devoid of any lymphoid tissue.The lymphoid tissues of nondescript goats resembled nodules, and some of the lymphoid tissues in the cecum took the shape of rounded tubercles with a depression in the centre.

Comparative studies on some histoenzymic entities wereconducted on the trachea and lung tissues of adult Pashmina,Bakerwali and non-descript goats (n=10 each) inhabitingat different altitudes and geo-climatic conditions of Ladakhand Jammu and Kashmir. The study was conducted inDivision of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of VeterinaryScience and Animal Husbandry, R S. Pura, Jammu in 2019.A part of the same was also conducted in the Departmentof Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, GADVASU,Ludhiana. Tissues from these organs were subjected forlocalizing certain tissue enzymes, viz. Alkaline phosphatase(AKPase), Glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH), Lactic acid dehydrogenase (LDH), Succinic aciddehydrogenase (SDH) and NADPH. The epithelial liningof trachea showed strong reaction to G-6-Pase and LDH inBakerwali goat, while SDH showed strong reaction inPashmina goats. Again, in regard to lung tissues, AKPaseand LDH showed moderate to strong reactions in Pashminagoat, but SDH exhibited strong reactions. In Bakerwaligoats, AKPase and LDH showed moderate to strongreactions, while in non-descript goats, LDH exhibitedmoderate to strong reactions and G6PDH showed intensereactions. This revealed that not much variations wereobserved in regard to localization of certain histoenzymicentities in trachea and lung tissues of three breeds of goatswhich are the inhabitants of different altitudes and geoclimatic conditions.

The aim of this present study was to localize alveolar macrophages, Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Smooth muscle actin (SMA), Vimentin and Vasculo-endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the tracheal epithelium and lung alveoli in three important breeds of goats namely, Pashmina, Bakerwali and non-descript goats by standard immunohistochemical methods. Large pulmonary macrophages were observed in the lung sections of all the three breeds of goat. Macrophages were observed in the alveolar septa and airway epithelium. The mean macrophage count for Pashmina, Bakerwali and non-descript goat were recorded as 23.4 +/- 1.47, 27.8 +/- 0.68 and 21.4 +/- 0.70, respectively. The PCNA activity was intense in the alveolar epithelial cells of lungs in Pashmina and Bakerwali goats and very high in the lung tissue of nondescript goat. The PCNA activity was intense in the bronchial epithelial cells of lungs in Bakerwali goat. Strong reaction of SMA was observed in the submucosa of bronchioles of Pashmina and Bakerwali goats. The submucosa of the tracheal tissue showed a strong reaction of SMA in the non-descript goat and moderate in the submucosa of trachea in the Bakerwali goat. A number of vimentin-positive cells were found in the lung parenchyma in both Pashmina and Bakerwali goats. Also, there was a strong reaction of vimentin mainly in submucosal area in non-descript goat. The VEGF activity was found to be intense in the lung alveoli of Bakerwali goat and strong in Pashmina and non-descript goats. The tracheal epithelium was moderately reactive to VGEF in all the three goats.

The present study was conducted on the kidneys of 18 goat foetii which were divided into three groups based on their estimated ages containing 6 foetii in each group. At 45 days of gestation (Crown Rump Length, CRL=5.3 cm), the differentiating mesenchymal cells near the capsule were observed having a cord like arrangement. At 50 days of gestation (CRL=7.6 cm), the formation of the nephrogenic vesicles and their elongation into S-shaped structures increased in all the three zones of the cortex i.e. subcapsular, intermediate and juxta medullary zones. At 59 days (CRL=8.10 cm) of gestation, the renal corpuscles of the juxta medullary region of the kidney resembled those of the mature kidney in shape and structure. At 62 days (CRL=10.10 cm) of foetal age, true juxta glomerular cells were noticed. Majority of the histochemicals exhibited increased reactions in the kidney with advancing gestational age of the goat foetii. It could be concluded that the microscopic structures of the goat kidney showed development with the advancement of foetal age.

This study was conducted on the kidneys of 18 goat foetii divided into three age groups with six number of foetii in each group.At 45 days of gestation (CRL=5.3cm), cord like differentiating mesenchymal cells near the capsule were observed and at few places, they were arranged in clusters.The mesenchymal cells in some areas of the cortex, aggregated as nephrogenic vesicles.A vesicle at one of the end of a dividing ampulla grew into a double walled S-shaped body.At 48 days of gestation (CRL=7.5 cm), the kidney (metanephros) showed differentiating nephrogenic vesicles.At 50 days of gestation (CRL=7.6 cm), formation of the nephrogenic vesicles and their elongation into S-shaped structures increased in all the three zones of the cortex.The Bowman's capsule was nearly spheroidal in shape and numerous angioblasts were identified at this age.In the foetus of 50 days gestational age (CRL=7.6 cm), the afferent arterioles were lined by differentiating elongated mesenchymal cells, which would be future juxtaglomerular cells.At 50 days of gestation (CRL=7.60cm), some cells which were the forerunners of the macula densa were noticed.At 62 days (CRL=10.10cm) of foetal age, true juxta glomerular cells were noticed.

A comparative study was carried out on the histochemical features of the trachea of adult Pashmina, Bakerwali and non-descript goats (ten each). It was observed that the tracheal epithelial cells of all the breeds of goat showed moderate to weak reactions to glycogen indicating the presence of little or moderate amount of glycogen in various cell types of the tracheal epithelium in the goats under study. It was also found that the ciliated columnar epithelial cells of the tracheal epithelium in all the breeds of goat showed moderate to strong reactions to acidic sulfated mucosubstances. The cilia showed an intense reaction. However, the goblet cells exhibited moderate reactions to neutral mucosubstances. Also, the tall columnar ciliated epithelial cells of the tracheal epithelium of all the breeds of goat showed moderate to strong reactions for basic proteins. Different cell types of the tracheal epithelium of all the breeds showed negative reactions for fats with Sudan Black B stain.

The study was conducted on 72 weaned Wistar male rats for 8 weeks from 4 to 12 weeks of age and they were divided into 3 groups as control: rats fed diet without zinc supplementation, T1 and T2: rats fed diet containing zinc sulphate @ 50mg and 100mg/kg body weight/day, respectively. Blood samples were collected on 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of zinc supplementation and zinc concentration in plasma was estimated. In both the treatment groups, T1 and T2 showed an increasing trend of plasma zinc levels with advancing age and the values were differ significantly (P<0.01). Plasma zinc concentration showed no particular trend in control group with advancement of age.Significantly higher (P<0.01) T1 values recorded as compared to control values from 8 to 12 weeks of age. In T2 group, the values found significantly higher (P<0.01) from 6 to 12 weeks of age. Comparing between treatment groups, T2 levels were found significantly higher (P<0.01) than those of T1 from 8 to 12 weeks. Present study revealed that plasma zinc concentration during growth period of male wister rat was affected by zinc supplementation and zinc @ 50 mg/kg had better result than zinc supplementation @100 mg/kg body weight/day.

The present investigation was aimed to study the effect of vitamin C on electrolyte concentrations in blood and urine in water deprived goats during summer and winter seasons. Eighteen adult male goats were selected for the experiment during both seasons.In each season, there were two treatment groups: T1 and T2 group. In T1 group, water was restricted and subdivided into three experimental periods: in period 1 (day 1 to 7), goats were adapted to the water restriction regime by limiting access to water gradually from 15 to 3 hour per day. During the second period of the experiment (day 8 to 14), animals had access to water for 3 hours/day. In the final period of the experiment (day 15 to 22), animals had access to water only every second day for 6 hours. In T2 group, the same protocol as mentioned above was followed with addition of vitamin C supplementation (180 mg/kg body weight/animal/day). In the control group (both season), water was offered ad libitum (24 hours) throughout the experimental period. Blood and urine samples were collected and concentrations of different electrolytes were estimated. In T1 group, serum and urine sodium, potassium and chloride levels showed increasing trend (P<0.05) in both seasons.Urine sodium and chloride concentrations showed increasing trend up to day 22 in both seasons in T2 group; whereas, potassium concentration showed similar trend from day 7 during winter season, but during summer concentration increased up to 7 day, then decreased. Significantly lower (P<0.05) serum and urine electrolyte values were observed in vitamin C supplemented group as compared to water deprived group in last days (14 and 22 day) of experiment.The overall summer value of serum sodium and chloride were higher as compared to overall winter values in all the groups; whereas, overall summer value of potassium was higher only in control group as compared to winter season.Overall summer value of urine sodium was higher in all groups, significant variation found in T2 group. Overall potassium concentrations in urine was significantly higher (P<0.05) in T1 in summer. Summer chloride concentrations in urine were higher in treatment groups; whereas, lower in control.Water deprivation had negative impact on electrolyte balance, which can be ameoliorated by supplementation of ascorbic acid at the rate of @180mg/kg b.wt./day. K e y w o r d s Goats, Vitamin C, Electrolytes, Water restriction, Summer, Winter Accepted: 20 November 2019 Available Online: 10 December 2019 Article Info International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 12 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(12): 2689-2697

The present study was undertaken to describe and compare the micrometrical features of the trachea of adult Pashmina, Bakerwali and non-descript goats (ten each). The mean values for the height of tracheal epithelium were recorded as 98.65±1.33µm, 92.45±1.84µm and 84.55±2.0µm for Pashmina, Bakerwali and non-descript goats, respectively. The tracheal mucosal thickness was found to be significantly (P>0.05) high in Pashmina goat. It was also observed that the mean value in regard to the population of Clara cells in trachea was the highest in Pashmina (10.64±0.17), followed by Bakerwali (8.6±0.16) and non-descript (7.14±0.20) goats, respectively.

The work was aimed to study the effect of chromium propionate supplementation on physiological parameters in buffaloes during summer, autumn & winter seasons.Eighteen numbers of lactating buffaloes were selected and divided into three groups viz., Control, Treatment -1 (T-1) & Treatment-2 (T-2).Treatment-1 and Treatment-2 were supplemented with 9mg & 18mg Chromium propionate/head/day respectively in each season; whereas, control group was not given chromium supplementation.Physiological parameters like rectal temperature, pulse rate and respiration rate were assessed weekly.It was observed that chromium propionate supplementation significantly lowered (P<0.05)pulse rate and respiration rate in treatment groups during summer and winter season; whereas, rectal temperature did not vary significantly between control and chromium supplemented groups.Among different seasons significantly lower winter values were observed in comparison to summer and autumn seasons in control and T2 group.Season had significant effect (P<0.05) on respiration rate in all the group, where the summer value was significantly higher (P<0.05) in comparison to autumn which were significantly higher (P<0.05) to winter values.Pulse rate too was significantly higher (P<0.05) in summer in comparison to winter and autumn season in all groups.The rectal temperature did not show any significant variation among different groups during different seasons.Based on the study, it can be concluded that chromium supplementation has ameliorative effect on physiological parameters during heat and cold environmental stress conditions in lactating buffaloes.

The effect of vitamin C on physio-biochemical and hormonal parameters in water deprived goats was studied. Total 18 numbers of adult male goats were selected for the experiment during summer and winter seasons. In control group (n=6, for each season), water was offered ad lib throughout the experimental period; 2 treatment groups (T1 and T2) consisting of 6 animals each. In T1 group, water was restricted and subdivided into 3 experimental periods: in period one (day 1 to 7), animals were adapted to the water restriction regime by limiting access to water gradually from 15 to 3 hrs/day. In period two (day 8 to 14), animals of the treatment groups had access to water for 3 hrs/day. In period three (day 15 to 22), animals had access to water only every second day for 6 hours. In T2 group, the same protocol as mentioned above was followed with addition of vitamin C supplementation at a dose rate of 180 mg/kg b. wt./animal/day. Blood and urine was collected on 1, 7, 14 and 22 day for the estimation of different parameters. In T1 group, increasing trend (P<0.05) was seen in SOD, GPx, GST, catalase and LPO in blood. In T2 group, SOD, GPx, catalase and LPO levels increased upto day 14 and then decreased on day 22. T1 value of oxidative enzymes (SOD, GPx, GST, catalase and LPO) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than T2. Overall summer value of SOD, GPx and LPO were higher as compared to overall winter values.Water deprivation had negative impact on oxidative parameters, which can be ameoliorated by supplementation of ascorbic acid at the rate of @180mg/kg b.wt./day.

The experiment was planned to study the influence of different seasons on physiological parameters of crossbred dairy cattle. Physiological variables like pulse rate (PR), rectal temperature (RT) and respiration rate (RR) of individual animals were measured and recorded at a week interval to observe the seasonal variation during different season which were divided into dry hot summer (DHS), humid hot summer (HHS) and winter (W). Data were analyzed by suitable statistical methods. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that seasons had highly significant (P