Napier grass is widely used across the tropics and subtropics as a feed for dairy and beef cattle, but its quality is poor under current management with resultant poor animal productivity. Current management is focused on achieving high yields and, as such, is harvested at ground level with longer harvest interval when grass reaches 200 cm or higher, which reduces quality. The opportunity to improve the nutritive value of this grass is largely unexplored alongside the opportunity to increase livestock productivity and food security in the tropics and subtropics. Here we determined the impact of leaf number (total) or stage (LS; 6, 9 and 14) at harvest, and harvest severity height (SH; cutting or harvest height from the ground; 5, 10 and 20 cm), on the nutritive value of Napier grass (cv. Pakchong) across one year. Napier grass was sown (from cutting) at a density of 50 cm × 50 cm with three replicates per treatment. Increasing LS from 6 to 14 decreased crude protein (CP) content from 184 g/kg DM to 118 g/kg DM and metabolizable energy (ME) content from 10.4 to 7.3 MJ/kg DM. These results suggest that Napier grass should be harvested at a lower LS to increase plant nutritive value but there was a trade-off between yield and quality as yield decreased by half to improve such quality. The impact of offering Napier grass harvested at 6, 9 or 14 LS on cattle growth was then determined across 113 days in a second experiment. Red Chittagong bulls were enrolled at a weight of a 181.9 ± 2.30 (Mean ± SE) Kg with an age of between 18 and 22 months. The 6 LS treatment cattle had a greater growth rate and higher feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the 14 LS treatment (610 versus 270g/day and 6.4 versus 16.2, respectively) indicating a trade-off of yield with quality. Our results demonstrate that Napier grass should be harvested at 6 LS with 10 cm SH for feed nutritive value, cattle growth and FCR. Further research is required to ameliorate yield loss associated with this recommended management strategy with a focus on increasing plant density.

This experiment aimed to evaluate the biomass yield, nutritional composition, preservation techniques of Moringa oleifera, and the effect of M. oleifera silage on the milk production and quality of local Red Chittagong cattle (RCC). Four varieties of M. oleifera were planted, cultivated, and harvested on the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) research farm. The findings revealed the highest biomass yield in Paraynal varieties (11.24 ± 0.41 tons/ha/year) compared to others. The maximum DM percentage was found in PKM-2 (21.85 ± 1.65) followed by the PKM-1 (21.38 ± 1.98), Paraynal (20.17 ± 2.35), and Black (17.81 ± 1.28) varieties. The study observed greater crude protein (CP) percentage in Black varieties (18.07 ± 0.18) compared to other varieties. A feeding trial was conducted on 10 RCC native dairy cows. Two groups were considered: one was the control (T0) group fed the German grass and concentrate mixture, and the other was the treatment (T1) group fed the moringa silage and concentrate mixture. Each group consisted of five lactating RCC. Moringa oleifera was collected from the BLRI research farm and chopped for silage preparation. The pH of moringa silage was 4.07 ± 0.02, which ensured good quality. There was no significant difference in total DM intake, but the total CP intake (0.55 kg/day) was significantly higher in the control group and the total ME intake was significantly higher in the treatment group compared to the other group. The T1 group increased milk yield by approximately 14.2%. Milk composition was not significantly (P > 0.05) different between the two groups, whereas milk fat significantly differed. Milk fat was slightly higher in the T1 group and the difference between the groups was 0.46%. Moringa silage increased PUFA, linoleic acid (C18:2), linolenic acid (C18:3), arachidonic acid (C20:0), and eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:1) and decreased SFA and MUFA in milk. It was concluded that moringa silage feeding will be a good source of nutrients for livestock to maintain their good health and productivity.

Objective:The current study evaluated the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of dairy cattle through the Global Livestock Environmental Assessment Model (GLEAM) model and illustrated potential mitigation strategies by modifying nutrition interventions. Materials and Methods:A semi-structural questionnaire was developed to calculate dairy animal GHG emissions. This study comprised 40 farmers from four districts: river basin (Pabna), drought-prone (Chapainobabganj), floodplain (Nilphamari), and saline-prone (Sathkhira) areas. Ten lactating cows (two cows from each farmer) were also selected to collect information on feeding practices, feed resources, feed intake (roughages and concentrate), water intake, and productive and reproductive parameters for 7 days at each site during two seasons: dry (November-February) and wet (June-October). Results:The GHG emissions from the river basin area were significantly (p < 0.05) higher due to low-quality roughages (75%), whereas CH4/kg of milk production was the lowest (77.0 gm). In contrast, the area that frequently experiences drought showed a different pattern. For instance, the generation of CH4 from enteric fermentation was 1187.4 tons/year, while the production of CH4 and N2O from manure management was 323.1 tons/year and 4.86 tons/year, respectively. In comparison to other climatic areas, these values were the lowest because the supply of green grass was twice as abundant as in the other climatic areas (40%). The quantity of CH4/kg of milk produced in an area susceptible to drought did not vary. Conclusion:Implementing feeding systems in drought-prone areas is a successful approach to reducing GHG emissions in the dairy industry in Bangladesh. Consequently, implementing feed-balancing techniques can enhance productivity and foster environmentally sustainable animal production.

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach) supports a significant proportion of animal production in subtropical and tropical regions, but its quality is low and when offered alone, results in low ruminant production. Shifting the management of Napier grass towards a higher-quality feed increased milk yield and liveweight gain for small, mature cattle without supplementation. This review highlights the opportunity for further increases in milk and meat production for differing classes of livestock in the tropics and subtropics by improving the nutritive value of Napier grass using new best management practice flowing on to improve food security for the millions of people in these regions.

Objective: This research aimed to evaluate in vitro ruminal fermentation, methane (CH4) emissions, and the relationship between the nutritional content and CH4 emissions of tropical feedstuffs to formulate low CH4-emitting feeds for ruminants. Materials and Methods: Eighteen feedstuffs, including roughages (3 crop residues, 2 silages, 3 common grasses, and 4 leguminous fodder) and 6 concentrates, were evaluated using the Hohenheim Gas Test. Approximately 200 mg of feed were incubated with a rumen fluid-buffer solution for 72 h to test gas production (GP) and 120 mg for 24 h to determine the CH4 concentration in the gas. Digestibility of organic matter (dOM) and metabolizable energy (ME) were calculated using GP data. Results: Leguminous fodder contained the highest crude protein (CP) concentration (166-314 gm/kg dry matter (DM)), followed by common grasses (52-147 gm/kg DM) and silages (94-106 gm/kg DM), but the lowest concentration of detergent fiber fractions. Crushed wheat and maize had higher dOM and ME (87.8% and 90.9%, and 14.4 MJ/kg DM and 13.8 MJ/kg DM, respectively), and their CH4 concentration (% of GP) and CH4 emissions (L CH4/kg dOM) followed a similar trend as the other feedstuffs. The dOM and ME of German grass and Ipil-ipil were higher, whereas the CH4 concentration and CH4 emissions were lower compared to crop residues and other common grasses. The CH4 emissions originating from the feedstuffs were positively correlated with the concentration of neutral detergent fiber and GP and negatively correlated with CP. Conclusion: Our result provides an opportunity to select feed ingredients with higher digestibility and concurrently less CH4 emissions in formulating diets for ruminants when using commonly available feed resources in many tropical countries. This may enhance animal productive performances while reducing the impact of animal production on the environment.

A randomized prospective single blind trial was conducted in the Department of Anaesthesia, Analgesia, Palliative and Intensive Care Medicine, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh, between July 2021 and February 2022, to compare the effects of intravenous pethidine and nalbuphine hydrochloride combating epigastric pain and discomfort during mopping of intraperitoneal blood in lower uterine caesarean section (LUCS) operation. A total of 120 women participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups: group A (n=60) received intravenous diluted (with normal saline) 20-25 mg of pethidine, while group B (n=60) received intravenous diluted 10-20 mg of nalbuphine hydrochloride. There were no differences observed in mean age, weight, height, and duration of operation between two groups (P>0.05). However, participants of group B reported less or no epigastric pain and discomfort during mopping of intraperitoneal blood than that of group A (P<0.05), i.e., episode and intensity of pain measured by using visual analogue scales indicated that nalbuphine hydrochloride has a longer duration of action than pethidine. Our study revealed that intravenous diluted nalbuphine hydrochloride works better than pethidine to minimize epigastric pain and discomfort during mopping of intraperitoneal blood in lower uterine caesarean section (LUCS) operation. CBMJ 2023 January: Vol. 12 No. 01 P: 81-86

Background: Early postoperative pain remains the most prevalent complaint after any surgery. Besides conventional analgesic medications, subcutaneous infiltration has been established as a reliable pain relief technique. The addition of dexamethasone to local anesthetic (example: bupivacaine, lidocaine) can also be used as it has some beneficial effects compared to the use of bupivacaine only. Aim of the study: The objective of this study was to evaluate the duration of analgesic effects of dexamethasone with local anesthetic as compared to local anesthetic in the post-operative patient. Methods: This randomized controlled trial study was conducted in among 60 patients who underwent Laparoscopic cholecystectomy. This study was conducted from January 2019 to June 2019. All patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy surgery were selected by purposive sampling. Data were compiled, edited, analyzed. The SPSS version 23 was used for data analysis. Results: Most of the patients in Group 2 have a long analgesia effect (NRS score more than 5), delay requirement of first rescue analgesia. NRS (Numerical Rating Scale) scores in Group 2 were persistently lower than that of Group 1. This revealed that the combination of Bupivacaine and Dexamethasone is quite effective in reducing port site pain in comparison to Bupivacaine (P=<0.001).

Introduction: Hypotension and bradycardia following the administration of spinal anesthesia for cesarean section are very common and bear profound detrimental effects both on mother and baby. In our country, a significant proportion of patients undergo cesarean section delivery. Considering the workload and the socio-economic condition it is often a bad headache for our anesthesiologists to combat post-spinal hypotension. Vasopressor drugs have been widely used to prevent and treat maternal hypotension during cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. A combination of preloading and using vasopressor has maximum efficacy in preventing spinal-induced hypotension but with compromising with some detrimental adverse effects of vasopressor. Amongst vasopressors, ephedrine is widely used but studies found that a higher bolus dose is often required to prevent hypotension and bradycardia. Aim of the study: To find out the efficacy of ondansetron to prevent haemodynamic derrangement in cesarean section under spinal anaesthesia. Methods: This Prospective Randomized Double-Blind Comparative study was conducted at the Department of Anesthesiology and ICU, Dhaka Medical College Hospital, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The study duration was ten months, from March 2015 to January 2016. A total of 120 participants were randomly included in this study.Each participant was included either into “Group A (n=60)” or “Group B (n=60)” by using fixed number card sampling as mentioned earlier. Group B had been considered as control group in the study, Participants of group A received intravenous ondansetron (0.1 mg/kg body weight) and group B received ephedrine (0.5 mg/kg body weight). Result: The majority of the participants (58.33%) from both groups were from the age group of 26-30 years. Parity distribution revealed that 59.17% (n=71) patients were multigravida while 40.33% (n=49) were primi. In total, 80.33% of the participants had ASA I physical status, and 19.17% had ASA II. All patients .......

OBJECTIVE:This experiment was designed to assess the quality and to evaluate the feeding impact of moringa feed on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation, methane (CH4) production, and milk yield. MATERIALS AND METHODS:According to body weight and exit-entry average daily milk production, fifteen BLRI cattle breed-1 lactating cows of 3rd or 4th stage of parturition with wk 3 and 4 of calving were selected and were equally and randomly distributed into three dietary groups. One group of cows was fed a control diet (T0) consisting of 1:1 dry matter (DM) of Napier silage and conventionally mixed concentrate. The other two groups were fed a control diet by randomly replacing i) 50% (T1) or ii) 100% (T2) of its concentrate with moringa feed. The three dietary groups were balanced nutritionally based on energy and protein following the Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) standard. RESULTS:The concentrate mixture was replaced with moringa feed to increase the feed efficiency and to reduce the DM or crude protein intake (p < 0.05) per 100 kg of metabolic body weight. The T2 group flourished with the highest (p < 0.05) amount of raw milk and also 4% fat-corrected milk (4.39 and 4.59 kg/day, respectively) compared to the T0 group (3.30 and 3.49 kg/day, respectively). However, it increased (p < 0.05) the concentration of total volatile fatty acid and decreased (p < 0.05) the blood and milk cholesterol, and ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) was reputed by adding moringa feed into the T0 group, without showing any significant (p > 0.05) change in CH4 production, fat, solid not fat, lactose or protein content of milk. CONCLUSION:Therefore, moringa feed increased the productivity in dairy cows, replacing the whole concentrate diet.

An experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of feeding graded level of moringa feed on intake, digestibility, rumen fermentation, methane (CH4) production, milk yield and its quality. Fifteen BLRI Cattle Breed (BCB) dairy cows of third or fourth parity after wk 3 and 4 of calving were selected and divided into three dietary groups having five animals in each considering their live weight and ex-entry daily milk yield. A group of cows fed a control diet (T0) consisting 1:1 dry matter (DM) of napier silage and conventionally mixed concentrate. The other two groups were fed the control diet randomly replacing i) 50 % (T1) or ii) 100 % (T2) of its concentrate by moringa feed. All the three diets were isonitrogenous and formulated to supply daily energy and crude protein (CP) requirement of the cows according to BSTI standard. The replacement of concentrate mixture by moringa feed to increase the feed efficiency and to reduce the DM or CP intake (p < 0.05) per 100 kg or metabolic body weight. The fresh milk and 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) yield were significantly higher (p<0.05) in T2 group (4.39 kg d-1 and 4.59 kg d-1) compared to T0 group (3.30 kg d-1 and 3.49 kg d-1), respectively. It also revealed that the total volatile fatty acid (VFA’s) concentration was increased (p < 0.05) and decreased the blood and milk cholesterol and ammonianitrogen (NH3-N) when moringa feed was added in the control diet; without showing any significant(p > 0.05) change in CH4 production, fat, solid not fat (SNF), lactose or protein content of milk. Therefore, moringa feed increased the productivity of dairy cow, replacing the whole concentrate diet.

The research work was carried out to evaluate the food-feed competitive efficiency of Moringa fodder in the Active Brahmaputra-Jamuna Floodplain Agro-Ecological Zone (ABJF-AEZ) of Bangladesh. For determining the competitive land use efficiency of Mornga feed (Mf) production, the Moringa fodder was cultivated in Gaibandha district at ABJF-AEZ with four replications. The annual dry matter (DM) yield of Moringa at on-farm condition was the height (26.67 ton/ha) and it was varied significantly (P<0.05) with on-station condition. Comparing the Moringa fodder with available cash crop, the cost of production of Moringa was higher than that of other two cropping system like Boro-fellow-Jute (BFJ) and Boro-Fellow-Matikalai (BFM) but the gross return of Moringa cultivation was Tk.186.3 thousand, it was about five times higher income than existing cash crop. For determining the impacts of Mf on milk production and their quality, twelve local cows of third or fourth parity after 1 to 2 weeks of calving in Gaibandha Sadar Upazila were selected and divided into three dietary groups having four animals in each considering their live weight and ante-diet daily milk yield. During 50 days feeding period all experimental cows were fed freshly threshed rice straw and keeping randomly a group under on farm practice that received supplementation of conventionally mixed concentrates (CMC), the other two groups of cows were either received a commercial cattle feed available at the market or Mf replacing conventional concentrate supplements. Mf produced significant amount of milk (1.64 kg/day) and meat (441.3 g/day) followed by commercial cattle feed (1.1 kg/day and 128.2 g/day) and CMC (0.73 kg/day and 48.4 g/day), respectively. It was also indicated that Mf is better than market feed for the increase of milk yield and live weight gain. So, Mf is an unbeatable animal feed to increase the productivities of cows. Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2019. 48 (1): 36-41

An agronomical trial was carried out to evaluate the biomass yield, chemical composition and In-sacco dry matter (DM) degradability of different harvesting height of Moringa under on station condition. Twenty eight (28) plots each of 1x1 sq meter area having seven (7) replications for each harvesting height were assigned in a Randomized Block Design (RBD). Four different harvesting heights like 20cm, 40 cm, 60 cm and 80 cm above the ground level were imposed to fodder research field of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) having October, 2014 to December, 2015. The annual yield of biomass and its quality in term of chemical composition and In-sacco dry matter degradability of the four different harvesting height produced on a common dose of cow dung (2700Kg/hectare), chemical fertilizers (Urea, Tipple Super Phosphate (TSP) and Murat of Potash (MP) of 90:30:15 kg per hectare, respectively), and other agronomical practices (irrigation, weeding) were determined. The study revealed that, the survivability and the no. of prunes per plant did not differ significantly (p<0.5) on different harvesting heights of Moringa. The relative growth rate of 20 cm harvesting height was the highest (15.2 mg/day) followed that of 40 cm (10.9 mg/day), 60 cm (8.9 mg/day) and 80 cm (0.69 mg/day) and their differences were significant (p<0.09). The annual highest biomass yield in fresh and dry matter (DM) basis was obtained under 40 cm harvesting height compared to other harvesting height. The average leaf to stem ratio was significantly (p<0.000) increased with the increase of harvesting height of Moringa and varied from 0.5 to 0.74. Further, it was observed that, increasing harvesting height had a significant (p<0.001) effect on NDF content of all fractions but the ADF content was decreased with the increased of harvesting height. Their average value of EE was the highest in leaf (51.2 g kg; p<0.001) associated to tops (37.4 g kg) and stem (7.7 g kg), respectively. It was shown that, hot & dry and hot & humid having Heat Index ranges of 25 to 35F and monthly total rainfall of 130 mm to 332 mm was suitable for 40 cm harvesting height of Moringa. It may be concluded that, 40 cm harvesting height of Moringa was suitable for higher biomass yield with the range of CP: ADF ratio 1.75 to 2.0 and effective DM degradability

Types of plant cultivars and seasons often affect production and productivity of fodder biomass and nutritional quality to animals.Selection of suitable cultivars and better understanding of year round biomass production are indispensable for improving quality feed supply to animals.Black Seed Moringa (BSM-L) and White Seed Moringa (WSM), the two local cultivars and Black Seed Moringa (BSM-T) cultivar of Thailand origin of Moringa oleifera were cultivated in the fodder research field of the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI) during the period of 19 August 2014 to 23 December 2015.An agronomical trial was conducted to determine the biomass yield of the three cultivars in different seasons of a year under common agronomical practices.The effect of the cultivars on the daily relative growth rate (RGR), chemical composition and in-sacco dry matter (DM) degradability were also evaluated.The cultivar response to biomass production performances, chemical composition and nutritional values were analyzed in an ANOVA of a Randomized Block Design (RBD), while the differences in the rate and extent of the DM degradability in-sacco determined using three rumen cannulated bulls were analyzed in an ANOVA of 3x3 Latin Square Design.The annual biomass yield of BSM-L tops (114.5 t/ha fresh; 22.7 t/ha DM) was significantly higher than that of WSM (29.0 t/ha fresh; 5.80 t/ha DM) or BSM-T (83.5 t/ha fresh; 16.0 t/ha DM).No significant difference in chemical composition (224.9, 222.4 & 223.8 g.kg -1 DM of crude protein (CP), respectively, and 450.9, 455.3 & 435.4 g.kg -1 DM of neutral detergent fiber, respectively) or nutritional value (47.4,46.7 & 45.3% of potential, and 62.8, 64.2 and 63.6% of effective degradability of dry matter) was found for the cultivars.BSM-L had a significantly higher survivability (97.2%), prune number per plant (3.50) and RGR (15.6 mg DM/day) than WSM (25.0%, 2.30 & 4.20 mg DM/day) or 3.10 & 10.8 mg DM/day) respectively.The hot and dry, and hot and humid climate having a Heat Index (HI) range of 25 o to 35 o F and monthly total rainfall of 130 mm to 332 mm were suitable for cultivation of all the Moringa cultivars.It was concluded that considering biomass production and its quality in terms of chemical composition and nutritional values, Black Seed Moringa (Moringa oleifera) may be cultivated as a plant fodder crop for the production of feed for ruminant animals.

The present study was undertaken to assess feeding effect on productive and reproductive performances of pre-natal and post-natal Red Chittagong Cattle (RCC) cows under on-station condition.A total of 16 pregnant RCC cows having pregnancy 6-7 months and between 1-3 parities was selected for the study and was allocated randomly into four dietary treatment groups.There are four type diets, i.e., T 0 (standard diet according to National Research Council (NRC), 1995), T 1 (5% below standard diet), T 2 (5% above standard diet), T 3 (10% above standard diet) and a control treatment T 4 (maintained as farm practice).The energy and protein requirements of experimental cows were determined as per standard developed by NRC.The results revealed that crude protein (CP) and metabolizable energy (ME, MJ/day) requirements among cows of different dietary groups were not significantly different, although CP requirements between T 1 and T 3 differed significantly.Total dry mater (DM) and ME intake differed significantly (P < 0.001) among cows of different dietary groups, but DM intake was significantly lower for cows in farm practice group T 4 compared to the cows of other dietary groups.The total CP intake had no significant variation (P > 0.05) among cows of all dietary groups, but CP intake from roughage varied significantly (P < 0.001).Final live weight and total live weight gain had no significant variation for cows of all groups, but there were significant (P < 0.05) variation for daily weight gain.Daily weight gain of cows for first four dietary groups were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than cows of farm practice groups T 4 .Weight of calf from birth to 90 days and daily weight gain calves under different dietary groups showed that there were no significant (P > 0.05) variation of calf birth weights for all dietary groups, although lower birth weight was found in farm practice groups T 4 .Gestation length and postpartum heat period of cows of different dietary treatment groups revealed that there was no significant (P > 0.05) variation for those traits among cows of different dietary treatment groups, although there seems to be shorter postpartum heat for cows in dietary group T 2 and longer period in farm practice group T 4 .Total and daily milk yield up to 30 days and 90 days of cows had no significant (P > 0.05) effect for different dietary treatment groups, although there seems to be slightly better milk production performance for dietary T 2 and T 0 , respectively for 30 days and 90 days total and daily milk yield.There were no significant (P > 0.05) changes of total and daily weight gain of cows for all dietary groups, however cows of standard dietary group T 0 performed slightly better than those of cows of other dietary groups.Milk composition of cows of different dietary treatment groups showed that there was no significant (P > 0.05) variation on milk composition for cows of different dietary groups.Post-natal body condition score (BCS) for the 1st, 3rd and 4th months differed significantly (P < 0.05) among different dietary groups, while not found significant difference on the 2nd month.Therefore, it may be concluded that pre-natal feeding has significant effect on body weight gain, birth weight of calves and milk production of dairy cows.Hence, it is suggested that better nutrition may be provided during pre-natal period to harvest good quality of calves and higher milk yield from post-natal period.

A survey was carried out among 50 cattle fattening farmers covering 11 Upazillas' under 7 districts of Bangladesh and a total of 14 growth promoters (GP) from 9 pharmaceutical companies engaged with marketing GP were collected for the compositional verification of the constituents from their specification. For cattle fattening, about 78% respondents used their own labors, 16% dependent on hired labor and only 6% used both the sources. Majority of the farmers (48%) used a diet of straw, green grass and concentrate, 40% of them used straw and concentrate and the rest 4.0% used green grass and concentrate. Most of the (60%) farmers used only straw for fattening cattle and rest of them (40%) used urea-molasses-straw (UMS) and urea treated straw (UTS), of them 28% used UMS and 12% used UTS. In all the locations, 90% farmers used GP for fattening their cattle, of them 78% used vitamin-mineral premixes, 8% used vitamin-mineral and enzyme premixes and the rest 4% used antibiotic, vitamin-mineral and enzyme premixes. Only 10% farmers don’t have any experience to use GP for cattle fattening. The presence of Ca and P in GP were found all most similar in all the companies but in some cases the values were found higher or lower than the specification. Availability of amino acids, Methionene and lysine were found very close to their product specification but one company failed to maintain their product quality according to their specification. Farmers are still using traditional feeding system but they are concerned to use GP for fattening cattle. Although, companies have maintained product quality but quality control of GP marketed and used by the farmers should be strictly followed on routine basis.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i2.20716 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (2): 142-146