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Item Open Access Molecular Diagnosis of Subclinical African Trypanosoma vivax Infection and Association with Physiological Indices and Serum Metabolites in Extensively Managed Goats in the Tropics(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2013-06-27) Sanni, Timothy M; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Adefenwa, Mufliat A; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Adebambo, O.A; Talabi, Adewale O.; Ozoje, M.O; Wheto, M.; Takeet, Michael I.; Peters, S.O; Donato, Marcos De; Thomas, Bolaji N.; Imumorin, I.GTrypanosomosis remains a major challenge to livestock production in much of tropical Sub-Saharan Africa, while diagnosis and treatment still depend on inefficient parasitological techniques. Endemic infections depend on animal reservoirs with subclinical parasitemia. We report molecular diagnosis of subclinical Trypanosoma vivax (T. vivax) infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the first time in Nigerian goats and associate parasite presence with gross physiological traits and serum metabolites in extensively managed Nigerian goats. PCR was used to amplify a 400 bp DNA fragment of the parasite genome in 205 goats across three geographical zones of the country. Results showed a high subclinical infection rate (SCIR) of 71.7% in the total goats examined. Overall SCIRs of 71%, 75.9% and 55.6% were recorded in West African Dwarf, Red Sokoto and Sahel goats respectively, while geographical SCIRs were 71.2% (Southwest), 75% (Northwest) and 70% (Northeast). T. vivax presence had significant (P < 0.05) effect on respiratory rate and is associated with higher creatinine levels in sera. Logistic regression analyses with Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness- of-fit showed that respiratory rate is the most important predictive trait for the presence of T. vivax infection (P < 0.05). Goats appear to be a viable reservoir for T. vivax infection of other livestock. Molecular diagnosis of subclinical trypanosomosis using PCR could be useful for large scale epidemiological studies, early diagnosis of subclinical infection and treatment of the disease in extensively managed tropical goats.Item Open Access Study of racial profile of the native Guajolote (Meleagris gallopavo gallopavo) in two regions of Mexico: morphometric characterization(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2022-09-30) Herrera‑Haro, Jose G.; Portillo‑Salgado, Rodrigo; Bautista‑Ortega, Jaime; Sánchez‑Villarreal, Alfredo; Cigarroa‑Vázquez, Francisco A.; Chay‑Canul, Alfonso J.; Yakubu, AbdulmojeedAbstract The present study aimed at the morphometric characterization of the native Guajolote reared in two regions of Mexico using multivariate analysis techniques. Data from a total of 362 unrelated native Guajolotes (257 males and 105 females) were used: of these, 160 were from the Central region and 202 were from the Southeast region. The birds were also grouped according to age, as youngs (≤ 8 months; n = 150) and adults (≥ 9 months; n = 212). The body weight (BW) and nine morphometric measurements—chest circumference (CC), body length (BL), body height (BH), neck length (NL), peak length (PL), shank length (SL), shank diameter (SD), wing length (WL) and wing width (WW)—were measured. There were significant differences (p < 0.05) due to the effect of region, sex and age for most of the morphometric measurements evaluated. There was a high percentage of positive and significant correlations (p < 0.001; p < 0.01) between the variables. In each region, three principal components were extracted that represented more than 75% of the accumulated variation among the variables. The most discriminating morphometric measurements between populations were WW, PL and NL. The Mahalanobis distance between the males and females of the two populations was 37.457 and 29.310 (p < 0.001), respectively. This differentiation can contribute to the definition of the phenotypic standard of this poultry genetic resource for its official recognition as a breed, as well as in the orientation of its genetic improvement programs in the future.Item Open Access Evolutionary Pattern of Interferon Alpha Genes in Bovidae and Genetic Diversity of IFNAA in the Bovine Genome(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-02-12) Peters, S.O; Hussain, Tanveer; Adenaike, Adeyemi S.; Hazzard, Jordan; Morenikeji, Olanrewaju B.; Donato, Marcos De; Paul, Sujay; Babar, Masroor; Imumorin, I.G; Yakubu, AbdulmojeedInterferons are secretory proteins induced in response to specific extracellular stimuli which stimulate intra- and intercellular networks for regulating innate and acquired immunity, resistance to viral infections, and normal and tumor cell survival and death. Type 1 interferons plays a major role in the CD8 T-cell response to viral infection. The genomic analysis carried out here for type I interferons within Bovidae family shows that cattle, bison, water buffalo, goat, and sheep (all Bovidae), have different number of genes of the different subtypes, with a large increase in the numbers, compared to human and mouse genomes. A phylogenetic analysis of the interferon alpha (IFNA) proteins in this group shows that the genes do not follow the evolutionary pattern of the species, but rather a cycle of duplications and deletions in the different species. In this study we also studied the genetic diversity of the bovine interferon alpha A (IFNAA), as an example of the IFNA genes in cattle, sequencing a fragment of the coding sequence in 18 breeds of cattle from Pakistan, Nigeria and USA. Similarity analysis allowed the allocation of sequences into 22 haplotypes. Bhagnari, Brangus, Sokoto Gudali, andWhite Fulani, had the highest number of haplotypes, while Angus, Hereford and Nari Master had the least. However, when analyzed by the average haplotype count, Angus, Bhagnari, Hereford, Holstein, Muturu showed the highest values, while Cholistani, Lohani, and Nari Master showed the lowest values. Haplotype 4 was found in the highest number of individuals (74), and in 15 breeds. Sequences for yak, bison, and water buffalo, were included within the bovine haplotypes. Medium Joining network showed that the sequences could be divided into 4 groups: one with highly similar haplotypes containing mostly Asian and African breeds, one with almost all of the Bos taurus American breeds, one mid-diverse group with mostly Asian and African sequences, and one group with highly divergent haplotypes with five N’Dama sequences and one from each of White Fulani, Dhanni, Tharparkar, and Bhagnari. The large genetic diversity found in IFNAA could be a very good indication of the genetic variation among the different genes of IFNA and could be an adaptation for these species in response to viral challenges they face.Item Open Access Heterozygous Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotypes at Heat Shock Protein 70 Gene Potentially Influence Thermo-Tolerance Among Four Zebu Breeds of Nigeria(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2021-12-15) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Msalya, George M.; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Fafiolu, A.O; Adeleke, M.A; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Okpeku, M.Genetic variants at heat shock protein 70 gene and their influence on heat stress (HS) tolerance were studied among selected Nigeria zebu, namely, 25 White Fulani (WF), 21 Sokoto Gudali (SG), 21 Red Bororo (RB), and 23 Ambala (AM). Detection of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) followed by determination of genotype and genotypic frequency was made among the selected breeds. The heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) was determined from thermo-related parameters including body temperature, rectal temperature, and respiratory rate. Thermo-Tolerance was evaluated through the SNP– thermo-parameter relationship. Statistical analyses were done using the GLM procedure in SAS. A quantitative real-time/high-resolution melting-based assay detected twelve genetic variants. Five of these were common and shared across all breeds of cattle. Of the remaining seven variants, three were specifically identified in AM, two in SG, and two in RB. Also, SNPs were evaluated and four unique SNPs (C151T, C146T, G90A, and C219A) were identified. Heterozygous animals had lower HTC suggesting their potential to withstand HS than homozygous counterparts. The WF and RB animals had significantly lower values for all parameters (BT, RT, RR, and HTC) compared to AM and SG breeds. Thermo-related parameters were significantly different (P < 0.001), and it is recommended that screening of SNPs in zebu is needed to enable selection for improved thermo-tolerance.Item Open Access Single nucleotide polymorphisms at heat shock protein 90 gene and their association with thermo-tolerance potential in selected indigenous Nigerian cattle(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-06-28) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Msalya, G.M; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Okpeku, M.; Sanni, Timothy M; Decampos, J.S; Amusan, S.A; Olowofeso, Oladeji; Fafiolu, A.O; Ikeobi, C.O.NHeat shock protein (HSP) 90 gene provides protection and adaptation to thermal assault and certain polymorphisms have been associated to heat tolerance in humans and animals. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of HSP 90 gene were used to evaluate the scientific basis of heat tolerance in four zebu breeds of Nigeria. The DNA was extracted from skin tissue of 90 adult bulls representing White Fulani (WF), Sokoto Gudali (SG), Red Bororo (RB), and Ambala (AM). The SNPs were determined in DNAs using PCR, sequencing, and visualization and bio-editing by chromatogram in SeqMan Ngen tool. Subsequently, respective genotypes were constructed and genotypic and allelic frequencies were computed. Also, body parameters related to heat stress (HS) including body temperature (BT), rectal temperature (RT), and respiratory rates (RR) were taken for each animal before biological sampling and heat tolerance coefficient (HTC) was calculated. We detected four SNPs distinct/specific for each breed as follows: change from thymine (T) to guanine (G) at position 116 (T116G) in RB, G to cytosine (C) at 220 (G220C) in SG, G to adenine (A) at two positions, 346 (G346A) and 390 (G390A) in AM and WF, respectively. Heterozygous SNPs showed significantly lower values (P < 0.0001) for BT, RT, RR, and HTC than homozygous genotypes at all positions.We hypothesize that animals with heterozygous SNPs in exon 3 of HSP 90 may be tolerant to HS. These SNPs can be used as bio-markers for screening large populations of cattle for tolerance to hot tropical conditions in Nigeria and other sub-humid places.Item Open Access Evaluation of Polymorphisms at Heat Shock Protein 90 Gene by High Resolution Melting Assays for Potential Heat Tolerance among Nigerian Zebu Cattle Breeds(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2020-03-14) Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Msalya, G.M; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, C.; Tirumurugaan, G.K; Sanni, M.; Decampos, J.S; Amusan, A. S; Fafiolu, A.O; Olowofeso, Oladeji; Okpeku, M.; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, C.O.NHeat Shock Protein (HSP) 90 gene is a member of HSPs subfamily that act as molecular chaperons whenever animals come under thermal stress. The genes fulfill essential roles of providing cellular protection, immune response, protein synthesis, protein folding and unfolding, protection from cellular stress, inhibitory apoptosis and adaptation. This study was designed to analyze polymorphisms of HSP 90 and to evaluate their influence on heat tolerance among selected Nigerian zebu. The polymorphisms were also used to determine genetic relationship among the animals. About 450 bp of bovine HSP 90 including part of coding region in exon 3 was sequenced in 90 DNA samples representing four Nigerian zebu namely White Fulani (WF), Sokoto Gudali (SG), Red Bororo (RB) and Ambala (AM). Sequencing was done using an automated ABI-DNA Sequencer. Editing was accomplished using chromatogram analyses on SeqMan Ngen Tool. Rooted phylogenetic tree was constructed using MEGA 5.2 software. In total, 11 genetic variants were determined. Five of these (PRP, RED, ORG, LMN and YLO) were major variants detected in over 70% of the samples. Six (6) were classified as minor variants detected in two breeds or less and in 29.1% of the samples. The GRN and NBL were only detected in RB and SG breeds respectively. We found a shared homology and common ancestral lineage among the breeds. Furthermore, the genetic structure of Nigerian zebu has a common clade architecture to those of goats, sheep, yak, buffalo, camel, horse and other taurines. The gene is conserved among wide range of animals and as such it can serve as one of bio-markers for selection and breeding programmes for thermotolerance in wide range of livestock animals under thermal stress. The variant groups could be further interrogated for possible specific effects on thermotolerance performance of zebu in hot tropical environments.Item Open Access SINGLE NUCLEOTIDE POLYMORPHISM-BASE CHARACTERIZATION OF HSP 90A1A GENE IN SOME NIGERIAN CATTLE BREEDS.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2019-10-21) Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Thiruvenkadan, A.K; Sreekumar, C.; Tirumurugaan, G.K; Msalya, G.M; Sanni, Timothy M; Decampos, J.S; Amusan, A. S; Olowofeso, Oladeji; Fafiolu, A.O; Okpeku, M.; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, C.O.NHeat shock protein (HSP) 90 gene is a member of HSPs that act as molecular chaperons whenever animals come under thermal assault, they fulfill essential roles of providing cellular protection, immune response, protein synthesis, protein folding and unfolding, protection proteins from cellular stress, inhibitory apoptosis and adaptation during thermal assault. A total of ninety (90) adult bulls from across four extant breeds of Nigerian Zebu cattle comprising of White Fulani (25), Sokoto Gudali (21), Red Bororo (21) and Ambala (23) sampled from northern parts of Nigeria. Genomic DNA was extracted from 90 animal skin tissue samples and was subjected to polymerase chain analyses followed by sequencing of the PCR products for detection SNPs of HSP 90 gene in four Nigerian breeds of cattle. Single Nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the nucleotide sequences of four Nigerian bovine HSP90 gene of were visualised detected and bio-edited by chromatogram analyses using SeqMan Ngen Tool (DNASTAR®, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, U.S.A). We pioneered a preliminary single nucleotide polymorphism study of HSP 90 gene for the first time in Nigerian zebu cattle. Sequence data detected 6 SNP loci within the coding region of exon 1 of HSP 90 gene which includes: 2 Indels (White Fulani: Del384C i.e. insertion of C at 384th base position and Red Bororo: Del355G i.e. insertion of G at 355th base position), 1 transversion (Sokoto Gudali: C112A) and 3 transitions (White Fulani: G390A, Red Bororo: T55C and C190T).We therefore, hypothesize that the detected SNPs should further be associated thermo-tolerance traits to unravel their possible effect on thermal-tolerance performance, adaptability and susceptibility of different Nigerian cattle breeds to environmental stress load and thermal assaults of tropical conditionsItem Open Access Molecular-based detection of sub-clinical African Trypanosoma vivax infection and its association with some selected serum biochemical references and blood electrolytes in four traditionally bred Nigerian native Sheep.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2018-09-12) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Sanni, Timothy M; Amusan, A. S; Decampos, J.S; Talabi, Adewale O.; Ozoje, M.O; Balogun, Joshua Babalola; Wheto, M.; Ikeobi, C.O.NTrypanosomosis remains a major challenge to livestock production in much of tropical Sub- Saharan Africa, while diagnosis and treatment still depends on inefficient parasitological techniques. Endemic infections of trypanosomosis depend on animal reservoirs with sub-clinical parasitemia. We report molecular diagnosis of sub-clinical Trypanosoma vivax (T. vivax) infection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the first time in Nigerian sheep and associate parasite presence with gross physiological traits and biochemical references in extensively managed tropical sheep. PCR was used to amplify a 400 bp DNA fragment of the parasite genome in 161 sheep of both sexes across four geographical zones of Nigeria. Results showed a high sub-clinical infection rate (SCIR) of 73.9% in the total sheep investigated. Overall, SCIRs of 85.4%, 75%, 62.5% and 72.5% were recorded in Balami, West African Dwarf, Uda and Yankassa sheep, respectively; while geographical SCIRs were 73.5 % (South-West), 71.7 % (North-West), 73.5 % (North-East) and 88.0 % (North-Central). SCIRs of 73.5 % were found in ewes and 76.3 % in rams. T. vivax infection presence had a significant (p<0.05) effect on blood urea nitrogen (BUN), Alanine transaminase or Alanine aminotransferase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) where infected sheep had a higher ALP levels of 242.24 +21.72 IU/dl than non-infected sheep (189.86 +10.77 IU/dl). Also T. vivax infected sheep had higher AST (185.92+13.90 IU/L) than non-infected counterparts (167.31+15.58 IU/L). Tropical sheep appear to be a fertile reservoir for T. vivax infection of other livestock. Molecular diagnosis of sub-clinical trypanosomosis using PCR-based assay is suitable for large scale epidemiological studies of trypanosomosis, early diagnosis of sub-clinical infection and treatment of the disease in extensively managed tropical sheepItem Open Access Evolutionary study of HSP 90AA1gene among Nigerian zeb breeds of cattle revealed shared ancestry(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2019-10-22) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Thiruvenkadan, Aranganoor K; Sreekumar, Chirukandoth; Tirumurugaan, Gopalan K.; Msalya, George M.; Muyideen, Sanni T.; Okpeku, M.; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Fafiolu, Adeboye O.; Olowofeso, OlajideHeat shock protein (HSP) 90AA1 gene is a member of HSPs sub-family that act as molecular chaperons whenever animals come under the assaults of thermal stress, they fulfill essential roles of providing cellular protection, immune response, inhibitory apoptosis and adaptation to thermal assault. A total of ninety (90) adult bulls from Nigerian Zebu cattle breeds comprising of White Fulani (25), Sokoto Gudali (21), Red Bororo (21) and Ambala (23) sampled from northern parts of Nigeria. We reported that rooted evolutionary study based on Neighbour-joining dendrogram of HSP 90AA1 sequences of White Fulani, Ambala, Sokoto Gudali and Red Bororo Nigerian Zebu breeds of cattle revealed that HSP 90AA1 sequences of four Nigerian cattle breed showed shared homology which is suggestive of common ancestral lineage. Similarly, nucleotide sequences of HSP 90AA1 gene in four Nigerian B. Indicus and those of goat, sheep, yak, buffalo, camel, horse and taurine were also constructed. Our results showed that sequences of Nigerian cattle breeds and those of goat, sheep, yak, buffalo, camel, horse and taurine at HSP 90AA1 gene locus suggested that these animals had shared ancestry and common evolution. Therefore, the extent of relatedness detected among Nigerian breeds of cattle and those of selected mammalian species indicated that HSP 90AA1 gene is conserved among wide range of animals and as such it can be used as potential bio-marker for thermo-tolerance in wide range of livestock animals under assaults of thermal stress. Keywords: HSP 90AA1 gene, thermal stress, phylogenetic analyses, cattleItem Open Access DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES OF NIGERIAN NATIVE SHEEP BREEDS TO ASSAULTS OF SUBACUTE Trypanosoma vivax INFECTION IN THE TROPICS: POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION-BASED ASSAY EVIDENCES(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2018-04-03) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Onasanya, Gbolabo O; Sanni, Timothy M; Ozoje, M.O; Amusan, S.A; Decampos, J.S; Ofori, J.A; Ibrahim, A.AMolecular-based assay is reported to efficiently detect higher levels of subacute infection of the African Animal Trypanosomosis (AAT). Based on our previous research data, this study reports the detection of subacute Trypanosoma vivax (T. vivax) infection, sequel to polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assay diagnosis in four extant Nigerian sheep breeds namely, Balami, Yankassa, Uda and West African Dwarf (WAD) sampled from four geographical locations in Nigeria, the detected T.vivax infection was associated with thermo-tolerance traits of our animals. The study approach involved the use of the PCR-based assay to amplify a DNA fragment size of 400 bp within the genome of the pathogenic parasite in 161 sheep of both sexes. Our findings showed that T. vivax pathogen caused significant assault (P<0.05) on infected Nigerian native sheep compared with non-infected counterparts as depicted by the elevated thermo-tolerance traits. The WAD breed was found to have improved thermo-tolerance performance especially in body temperature when exposed to the assault of T. vivax infection compared with the Uda, Balami and Yankassa sheep breeds (P<0.05). The sheep breed showed very significant effect (P<0.01) on thermo-tolerance traits. Balami sheep was the most thermalvulnerable breed while WAD was least affected by the assault of thermal stress. Pathogenic T. vivax is culpable in the alteration of body thermo-tolerance of local sheep populations in Nigeria with the attendant health implications. Current research noted that WAD breed performed better under stressful assaults of T. vivax infection.Item Open Access COMPARATIVE PERFORMANCE OF BROILER CHICKENS FED COMMERCIAL AND ON-FARM FORMULATED DIETS(department of Animal Sciencce,Nasarawa., 2011-03-10) Oyewole, B.O.; Aribido, S.O.; Abdurahman, H.An Sform;/ (Al) and two commercial (A2 and A3) feeds marketed in Anyigba, Kogi State. Ninety (90) one-day-old chick' v procured and raised for one week on the on-farm starter diets. Thereafter, the birds were assigned to the thru' experimental diets (Al, A2 and A3) in a Completely Randomized Design arrangement for 3 weeks. Each treatment group comprised of 30 birds and 3 replicates. After 3 weeks, the birds were pooled together and fed formulated finisher diet for one week before being assigned to broiler finisher diets (Al A2 and A3) in similar arrangement as during the starter phase. For starter phase, body weight and weight gain were significantly (P<0.01) higher with commercial feeds (A2 and A3) and so was feed intake (P<0.05). On-farm feed (Al) provided comparable feed/gain ratio with A3 but better (P<0.01) than A2. Feed cost/kg gain was significantly (P<0.01) better with on-farm feed. For finishers, body weight, weight gain and feed/gain ratio of birds were similar (P>0.01). However, on-farm feed resulted in numerically better feed/gain ratio and significantly (P<0.01) better feed cost/kg gain. Feed consumption of birds on A2 and A3 were higher (P<0.05) than Al. Gross margin was similar but birds on Al had numerically higher gross margin. On-farm feed was relatively cheaper and resulted in a more profitable enterprise. It is recommended that poultry fanners should consult expens in feed formulation so as to benefit from these advantages.Item Open Access APPLICATION OF MULTIVARIATE PRINCIPAL COMPONENT ANALYSIS TO MORPHOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF INDIGENOUS GOATS IN SOUTHERN NIGERIA.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2011-05-20) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Okpeku, M.; Peters, S.O; Ozoje, M.O; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Adebambo, O.A; Imumorin, I.GPhenotypic variation present in a population arises due to genotypic and environmental effects, and the magnitude of phenotypic variability differs under different environmental conditions, therefore, the purpose of this study was to objectively describe the linear type traits of extensively managed mature indigenous goats of Southern Nigeria and to predict body weight from their orthogonal shape characters using principal component analysis. Body weight and four body measurements namely, height at withers, neck length, body length and heart girth were measured in 265 randomly selected West African Dwarf (WAD) and Red Sokoto (RS) goats of both sexes. RS goats had significantly (P < 0.05) higher morphological traits compared to their WAD counterparts. Sexual dimorphism was observed in all the traits with higher values recorded for males. Phenotypic correlations among body weight and biometric traits were positive and highly significant (r = 0.76–0.91 versus 0.82–0.97 and 0.66–0.94 versus 0.83–0.91 for WAD and RS female and male goats, respectively). In the varimax rotated principal component factor analysis, two factors were extracted for each sex of the two breeds, although with varying degrees of factor loadings. The principal component based regression models, which are preferable for selecting animals for optimal balance, accounted for 89.00 and 96.00% as well as 81.00 and 91.00% of the variation in body weight of female and male WAD and RS goats, respectively. The information obtained could be useful in designing appropriate management, selection and breeding programmes for utilization of goat genetic resourceItem Open Access EFFECTS OF HIBISCUS CALYX EXTRACTS ON THE BLOOD CHEMISTRY OF BROILER CHICKENS(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2013-03-25) Musa Azara, S.I; Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Ari, Maikano Mohammed; Ogah, D.M; Hassan, D.IThe study was conducted to determine the effects of Hibiscus calyx extracts on the blood chemistry of broiler chickens. One hundred and twenty birds were used for the study. The birds were randomly assigned into 2 equal groups (n=60). Animals in group 1 serve as control and were given clean drinking water, birds in group 2 were administered Hibiscus calyx extracts in drinking water. The experiment lasted for 30 days. Mean values for Hemoglobin, packed cell volume, red blood cell and white blood cells were similar for both groups. There was no significant difference in the mean values of urea, total protein, albumin, Alkaline phosphatase, SGOT, SGPT and globulin (P>0.05). However, significant difference in the mean values of cholesterol was recorded (P<0.05). Findings of this research indicate that administration of Hibiscus calyx extracts result in lower blood cholesterol levelsItem Open Access In-silico molecular analysis of rabies virus across regions(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2014-04-03) Yakubu, Abdulmojeed; Musa Azara, S.IRabies is a preventable viral disease of mammals most often transmitted through the bite of a rabid animal. Almost all human deaths caused by rabies occur in Asia and Africa. There are approximately 55000 human deaths annually from rabies worldwide. The disease affects domestic and wild animals and is spread to people through close contact with infected materials usually saliva via bites and scratches. The objective of this study wasi to determine the phylogenic structure of rabies viruses across species and geographical locations. A total of 22 Rabies virus sequences from 5 species (Dog, Cat, Cow, Wolf and Fox) across 8 locations (Nigeria, India, Ghana, Pakistan, Niger, Brazil, Argentina and Texas) were obtained from the GenBank. A Neighbor-joining tree on the basis of genetic distances depicting phylogenetic relationship among Rabies viruses was constructed using the complete deletion and p-distance option using the MEGA VERSION 5 SOFTWARE. The phylogenic analysis revealeds a strong subdivision of rabies viruses by geographical location. The phylogenic groups also formed clusters associated with species from which the virus is isolated.Item Open Access IN SILICO ANALYSIS OF BETA-LACTOGLOBULIN GENE IN SOME SELECTED MAMMALIAN SPECIES(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2015-05-17) Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Momoh, O.M; Vincent, S.TThis study investigated in silico, the genetic diversity of Beta- Lactoglobulin (β-Lg) and their evolutionary and differentiation within and among selected mammalian species; and also examined the attendant effects of polymorphism on the functionality of the gene. A total of 21 β-Lg gene sequences with corresponding amino acids belonging to 6 species [cattle (4), buffalo (4), sheep (3), goat (3), pig (3) and horse (4)] were retrieved from GenBank (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov). All sequences were trimmed to equal length (500bp) corresponding to the same region. Sequences’ alignment, translation and comparison were done with ClustalW using IUB substitution matrix, gap open penalty of 15 and gap extension penalty of 6.66. The alignment revealed high polymorphism of sequences among extant species. The Dxy inferred using pdistance revealed that sheep and goat had the lowest distance of 0.05 with a maximum distance of 0.65 between goat and horse. The hypothesis of strict neutrality (dN = dS) was rejected for all extant species as allelic sequence evolution was driven by both purifying and positive selection. Only those of pig and buffalo were driven by positive selection. In-silico functional analysis of non-synonymous mutations using PANTHER revealed that, all the 12 amino acid substitutions (10 in cattle and 2 in sheep) did not impair protein function. The Neighbour-Joining phylogeny revealed trans-species evolution, but a species-wise phylogeny was obtained for UPGMA with consensus sequences. Thus, all probed SNPs from this study have no deleterious effect and can be tolerated by breeders when selecting stocks for milk improvement.Item Open Access Haematological and Serum Biochemical Indices of Naked Neck and Normally Feathered Nigerian Indigenous Chickens in a Sub Humid Tropical Environment.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2009-04-21) Ladokun, A.O; Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Otite, J.R; Omeje, J.N; Sokunbi, O.A; Onyeji, E.Haematological and serum biochemical indices of Nigerian indigenous chickens of two genetic groups were evaluated. One hundred and twenty (120) cocks with average weight of 1.10kg, corresponding to sixty (60) naked neck (NaNa) and sixty (60) normally feathered (nana) were utilized in the study. On the basis of feather colour, the normal plumage cocks were subdivided into two equal phenotypic groups. Each genetic group was divided into four replicates of fifteen birds each in a completely randomized design. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences between the genotypes in the mean values of white blood cells(WBC), mean corpuscular volume(MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration(MCHC). However, naked neck cocks were significantly superior in packed cell volume (PCV) haemoglobin (Hb) and red blood cells(RBC) compared with their normally feathered counterparts(41.00 vs 35.90%; 13.68 vs 11.60 g/dl; 4.84 vs 4.21x106/ml; p>0.05). With the exception of PCV which was significantly (p>0.05) higher in brown cocks than white coloured cocks (38.30 vs 33.50%), plumage colour had no significant effect on the variables estimated. No significant differences were observed in total protein, albumin, urea, glucose, cholesterol, serum alanine amino transaminase (SALT) and serum aspartate amino transferase (SAST) of the genetic groups. The normally feathered cocks, however had significantly (P<0.05) higher globulin content (1.53 vs 1.15 g/dl) and lower creatinine value (0.88 vs 0.95 mg/dl) compared to the naked neck cocks. Plumage colour did not significantly (P>0.05) affect serum biochemical parameters suggesting that the two colour variants might not be true representation of genetically distinct subpopulations. The present result on blood parameters of both naked neck and normally feathered cocks could serve as a baseline data, which could be exploited in the improvement of local stock.Item Open Access Physiological adaptation of local, exotic and crossbred turkeys to the hot and humid tropical environment of Nigeria.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2012-05-20) Ilori, B.M; Peters, S.O; Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Imumorin, I.G; Adeleke, M.A; Ozoje, M.O; Ikeobi, C.O.N; Adebambo, O.AA total of 300 birds consisting of 120 local, 120 crossbred and 60 exotic turkeys were used to compare physiological adaptation of birds raised under the high-heat stress environment of Nigerian tropical humid climate. Genotype significantly (PB0.05) affected heat tolerance traits with the highest mean values for rectal temperature, pulse-rate and heat stress index observed in exotic turkeys. Genotype also had significant (PB0.05) effect on serum biochemical parameters such as glucose (GLU), potassium (K ) and Chloride (Cl ). The haematological indices of the birds such as haemoglobin, white blood cell count and heterophyl/lymphocyte ratio (H/L) were equally affected by the different genetic groups (PB0.05). The significantly higher (PB0.05) H/L ratio of the exotic turkeys was an indication of heat stress. The better performance exhibited by local and crossbred turkeys could be exploited in management, conservation and selection decisions of animal genetic resources under tropical conditions.Item Open Access Qualitative Traits Characterization of Yoruba and Fulani Ecotype Indigenous Chickens in Derived Savannah Zone of Nigeria.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2012-03-12) Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Ige, A.O; Salako, A.E; Adeyemi, S.AItem Open Access Effect of whole sweet potatoes to tuber flour inclusion in cockerel diet on performance, organs and haematological indices.(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2016-02-14) Idahor, K.O; Jibrin, M.; Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Umbugadu, N.S; Tijani, I.M; Ibrahim, U.I; Amin, S.HItem Open Access Morphometric traits, spermatozoa microscopy and stripped eggs fertilization with milt collected from live African Mudfish (Clarias gariepinus)(Department of Animal Science, Nasarawa State University, Keffi., 2014-06-21) Idahor, K.O; Yakubu, Abdulmojeeb; Umar, A.F; Musa, L.A; Yahaya, F.The African Mudfish (C. gariepinus) has been reared in Africa for many decades yet with poor performance record, attributable to unreliable practical farming conditions with particular emphasis on artificial reproduction strategies. This has resulted in killing the male as the last resort for sustainable expansion in aquacultural productivity. Undoubtedly, this will lead to time, economic and genetic resource wastages. Hence, the need for alternative technique aimed at using syringe to collect milt from live African Mudfish. To achieve this, 120 males and 6 females were used in three separate investigations and information were gathered on morphometric parameters of the fish, microscopic observation of milt and fertilization of stripped eggs. The results showed that the papilla length varied between 1.31±0.15 and 1.55±0.06cm, pectoral fin length (6.26±0.24 and 7.07±0.86cm), testicular depth (2.60±0.17 and 3.04±0.35cm) and the testicular length ranged from 4.03±1.05 to 5.08±1.01cm. Also, matured and motile spermatozoa were microscopically observed in the milt collected from 3 (representing 10.0%) of the fish investigated. More significantly, fertilization (13.3%) of the stripped eggs with the milt collected occurred across the treatment groups, irrespective of the syringe insertion point and the testes (left or right). Based on these findings, it may be possible to collect milt with syringe for breeding in African Mudfish which will certainly end the killing of male fish. Nevertheless, the fish restriction technique, syringe insertion angle, possibility of spermatozoa deformation, short needle with small hollow centre and slanted end could be what led to the little or no milt harvested cases recorded. These without doubt posed some confines to the present search for alternative artificial reproduction technique. Hence, more detailed studies would be needed to elucidate the adoption or otherwise of this propounded novel artificial reproduction strategy in African Mudfish