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The objective of the study was to establish baseline thermographic information on body and udder skin surface temperature (USST) of lactating cows in different stages of lactation, milk yield, parity, breed and season. Holstein Friesian crossbred (n = 19 cows) and Deoni lactating cows (n = 14 cows) were monitored for body (i.e. eye) and USST prior to milking using a forward looking infra-red (FLIR) camera. It was observed that the mean body and USST of both crossbred and Deoni cows did not differ significantly. The body and USST of both the breeds were significantly higher by 0.9–1.0°C during evening than morning milking. There was no difference in body and USST between days and between udder quarters. Similarly, stage of lactation, milk yield and parity did not show any influence over body and USST. The body and USST were higher in summer (1.1°C) than in spring and winter seasons. Deoni cows had 1.0°C lesser body and USST than crossbred cows. It is concluded that baseline thermographic information on body and USST would be useful in developing breed-specific thermographic signature for individual animal.

The current study aimed to validate the safety of electrohydrodynamically encapsulated Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CRD7 and Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus CRD11 in accordance with guidelines of FAO/WHO and ICMR/DBT. In vitro assays such as mucin degradation, hemolysis of blood cells, antimicrobial susceptibility pattern, possession of virulence factors, biogenic amine, and ammonia production were assessed. In results, the cross-streak and co-culture techniques revealed that CRD7 and CRD11 were compatible in vitro. Upon visual inspection through scanning electron and fluorescence microscopy, the integrity of bacterial cell membrane was confirmed even after the encapsulation process. CRD7 and CRD11 were non-hemolytic and showed negative responses to gelatinase, urease, and DNase activities. Non-mucinolytic activity of CRD7 and CRD11 was verified by measuring cell growth rate (p 0.05) changes in the cell viability of Caco-2 cells as estimated by MTT (98.94–99.50%) and NR uptake (95.42–97.03%) assays and showed sensitivity to human serum. According to the results of these evaluated attributes, it is concluded that L. plantarum CRD7 and L. rhamnosus CRD11 are safe, non-toxic to human epithelial cells, and thus may be potentially suitable for various food/feed applications.

Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of infrared thermography (IRT) technique and its interrelationship with conventional mastitis indicators for the early detection of mastitis in Holstein Friesian (HF) crossbred cows. Materials and Methods: A total of 76 quarters of lactating HF crossbred (Bos indicus × Bos taurus) cows (n=19) were monitored for body temperature (i.e., eye temperature) and udder skin surface temperature (USST) before milking using forward-looking infrared (FLIR) i5 camera. Milk samples were collected from each quarter and screened for mastitis using Somatic Cell Count (SCC), Electrical Conductivity (EC), and California mastitis test. Thermographic images were analyzed using FLIR Quick Report 1.2 image analysis software. Data on body and USST were compiled and analyzed statistically using SPSS 16.0 and Sigmaplot 11. Results: The mean±standard deviation (SD) body (37.23±0.08°C) and USST (37.22±0.04°C) of non-mastitic cow did not differ significantly; however, the mean USST of the mastitis-affected quarters were significantly higher than the body temperature and USST of unaffected quarters (p37.61°C. Conclusion: It is concluded that infrared thermal imaging technique could be used as a potential noninvasive, quick cowside diagnostic technique for screening and early detection of SCM and clinical mastitis in crossbred cows.

The animal husbandry and livestock sectors play a major role in the rural economy, especially for the small and marginal farmers. India has the largest livestock population in the world and ranks first in the milk production. Mastitis is the most common and expensive infectious disease in dairy cattle. The global economic losses per year due to mastitis amounts to USD 35 billion and for Indian dairy industry INR 6000 crores per year. Early detection of mastitis is very important to reduce the economic loss to the dairy farmers and dairy industry. Automated methods for early and reliable detection of mastitis are currently in focus under precision dairying. Skin surface temperature is an important indicator for the diagnosis of cow’s illnesses and for the estimation of their physiological status. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a simple, effective, on-site, and noninvasive method that detects surface heat, which is emitted as infrared radiation and generates pictorial images without causing radiation exposure. In human and bovine medicine, IRT is used as a diagnostic tool for assessment of normal and physiological status.

Aging of normal corn starch films processed by extrusion and stored at 20−22 °C and 50−56% RH was investigated over a period of 120 d. The changes in the structural, thermal, tensile, and water vapor permeability (WVP) properties of the films during aging were studied. The thermoplastic starch (TPS) just after extrusion processing (≈4 h) was nearly amorphous in character. However, aging above the Tgproduced both B- and V-type crystalline structures in the TPS within 3 d of drying. The relative crystalline content of the TPS increased from 2.6 to 17.7%, depending on the glycerol content. Post-processing, the tensile strengths of the films increased by 39.3−134.1% while the tensile strains decreased by 48−81.1%. The rates of change in tensile strength and strain were faster during the first 30 d but stabilized thereafter. The biphasic transitions in the DSC thermograms suggested phase separation in the TPS. The Tgof glycerol-rich domains decreased while those of the starch-rich regions increased during storage. The band-narrowing and changes in peak styles and intensities in the 1400−800 cm−1region of the Fourier transform infrared spectra suggested increases in the crystalline content of the TPS during aging. The WVP values tended to decrease with time as the crystallinity of starch increased and the free volume in the film network decreased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starch and polystyrene (PS) were mixed at 70:30, 80:20, and 85:15 ratios with 0.5 and 1% talc and extruded into loose-fill packaging foams. Azodicarbonamide (ADC), at 0, 0.2, and 0.4 wt %, and citric acid, at 0, 0.25, and 0.5%, were added as blowing agents to enhance the radial expansion and functional properties of foams. As the concentration of ADC in the starch−PS mixtures was increased from 0 to 0.2%, the expansion ratios increased, and consequently the bulk densities decreased. However, with a further increase in the concentration of ADC to 0.4%, the expansion ratios dropped considerably. The effects of citric acid on radial expansion and other properties were similar to those of ADC. Compared to ADC, citric acid produced foams with higher radial expansion and correspondingly lower densities. Extrudates containing citric acid had large-sized cells, but the cell walls were structurally damaged due to degradation of starch. The spring indices of foams treated with various additives were not significantly different, indicating that spring index may not be a reliable measure of the elasticity. On the other hand, compressibility and modulus of elasticity varied depending on the starch, talc, and blowing agents. Foams extruded with ADC were superior in terms of their cushioning ability and other functional properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the effect of a phytogenic feed additive (PFA) formulated with Aerva lanata, Piper betle, Cynodon dactylon and Piper nigrum on the haematological and serum biochemical profiles in broiler chicken, and its efficacy to improve quality and oxidative stability of chicken meat. In a six-week experiment, a total of 192 day-old broiler chicks were subjected to four dietary treatments that included, basal diet+ chlortetracycline; only basal diet without chlortetracycline and PFA; and basal diet + 1 or 2% PFA. Each treatment group included six replicates of eight birds per replicate. The results showed improved albumin and cholesterol in serum of birds fed 1% PFA. The meat of birds supplemented 1% PFA showed a significant reduction in drip loss after 1 and 4 days of storage. The lipid peroxidation of breast meat measured as malondialydehyde concentration was not altered by dietary treatments at different periods of storage. Feeding 1% PFA did not induce any toxic effects on liver, kidney and spleen histology. It was concluded that the PFA when used as a feed additive improved serum biochemistry and meat quality in broiler chickens.