Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences
J. Anim. Plant Sci. [ISSN 2071 - 7024]
Volume 11(3): 1474 -1480. Published October 31, 2011.
Comparative assessment of erythrocyte osmotic fragility of apparently healthy goat and cattle during the hot-dry and harmattan season in Makurdi, Nigeria
Adenkola, A.Y., Agbendeh, J., Okpe, J.
1 Department of Physiology Pharmacology and Biochemistry, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria.
Corresponding author address E-mail: aadenkola@yahoo.com Tel +2348054977696
Key words: Erythrocyte osmotic fragility, Cattle, Goat, Harmattan Season, Hot-dry Season
SUMMARY
The experiments were conducted with the aim of determining which of the two seasons, hot-dry or harmattan, is more stressful to goat and cattle in the Southern Guinea Savanna zone of Nigeria, using Erythrocyte Osmotic Fragility (EOF) as an index. A total of two hundred and twenty animals of both sexes were used for the study, comprising of 110110 goats and 110 cattle. One hundred and ten animals during the hot-dry season and 110 animals during harmattan. Approximately 5 mls of blood was collected from each animal during slaughtering into a sample bottle containing 2 mg/ml of sodium salt of ethylene diaminetetra acetic acid (NaEDTA) as an anticoagulant. After collection the samples were transferred in an ice pack immediately to Physiology Laboratory department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Biochemistry, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, where erythrocyte osmotic fragility test was carried out on the blood using the standard method. The meteorological data recorded during the study period were collected and collated from the Nigeria Meteorological Centre (NIMET) Makurdi. The maximum ambient temperature recorded during the hot-dry season was 38.06 ± 0.390 C which was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than 34.53 ± 0.350 C obtained during the harmattan season, while the maximum relative humidity obtained during the hot-dry season was 61.00 ± 3.05 % and was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the value of 46.00 ± 0.320 C obtained during the harmattan season. The results indicated a higher value which was significantly (P < 0.05) different, was obtained in goat at percent sodium chloride concentration of 0.4 %, 0.5 %, 0.6 %, 0.7 % during harmattan season which now shifted the fragiligram towards left. In conclusion harmattan season characterized by high ambient temperature (AT) and dusty-wind affects the erythrocyte osmotic fragility of cattle and goat. However goat’ erythrocytes were more susceptible to osmotic lysis than those of cattle indicating that goats were more stressed during the harmattan season than cattle. This study therefore showed that harmattan season was more stressful, hence the animal should be subjected to minimal environmental stress during this period, in order to improve their health and productivity.
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