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A survey was carried out on ethnoveterinary practices used by Fulani agropastoralists for maintaining the health and treating of livestock diseases in Ido agrarian community of Oyo State, Nigeria. Information was collected from fifty cattle herders using interview method with the help of Hausa interpreter and with the aid of questionnaires. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (cross tabulations) to generate frequencies and percentages. Plants used for various ethnoveterinary and ethnomedicinal purposes were revealed. Information on the type of animals kept and management practices used by the respondents show that 48% kept cattle, goat and sheep. 14% kept cattle and goat, 36% kept cattle and sheep, while 2% kept cattle only. All the respondents agreed to stomach and intestinal worms as the prevalent ruminant diseases in the area. However, 86% of respondents reported seasonal appearance of worm infestations during wet season, while 14% both seasons. Higher percentage of respondents (80%) adopted the use of traditional medicine and conventional drugs in treating animals. 88% showcased the effectiveness of such combination of traditional and conventional drugs as being very effective. 20% of the respondents used the whole plant in formulating herbal preparations. Urbanization, seasonal variations and unquantifiable dosage have been highlighted as challenges encountered in the use of ethnoveterinary medicine in Ido agrarian community. 12% used decoction method of preparation, 50% used infusion, while 30% mixed plant with non-plant to formulate herbal preparations in solving the problem of helminthiasis and other diseases. The respondents who used local remedies claimed the knowledge of ethnoveterinary was passed from the parents to the children, and this keeps going from generation to generation. The results obtained from this study show that the awareness and the availability of ethnoveterinary plants among Fulani agropastoralists in Ido agrarian community of Oyo state is high, and this is responsible for the high patronage and usage of ethnoveterinary plants in this community. Intestinal worm infestations are the prevalent livestock disease encountered by the Fulani agropastoralists in the study area.

Helminth infections remain a major constraint to livestock productivity in the tropical and subtropical areas across the world, especially in the areas where extensive grazing is practiced. The development of resistance to anthelmintic drugs, scarcity and high cost of purchase especially to farmers of low income in developing countries led to the need of alternative helminth control methods. However, there is an urgent need to discover novel drugs that can cure helminthiasis. A survey was carried out among agropastoralists to elicit information on the use of Ethnoveterinary Plants (EvPs) as alternative medicine for helminthiasis. The plants used by the agropastoralists were collected and identified at the Department of Botany Herbarium, University of Ibadan. The plant part was pulverized and cold macerated successively with n-hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol and aqueous methanol to obtain crude extracts. The methanolic extract was assayed against Haemonchus contortus at test concentrations (6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 µg/mL) and Albendazole at 25µg/mL were tested for the egg hatch inhibition assay. Eggs hatched and unhatched were counted under the microscope at 48, 96 and 144 hours (h). Among the EvPs identified, Terminalia glaucescens was the least utilized plant by the agropastoralists, and thus, selected for evaluation. The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed presence of tannin, alkaloid, saponin, flavonoid, phenolic, steroids, glycosides, triterpenes and reducing sugars. At 96 h, there were significant difference (P 0.05) differences observed in EHI values of methanolic extract of the leaf at 100ug/mL (89.69), 50ug/mL (87.06), 25ug/mL (85.53) and 12.5µg/mL (82.89) at IC50 value 1.08 compared to 25ug/mL (100) for the Albendazol. T. glaucescens leaf is a potential source of novel anthelmintics and further investigation should be carried out on its in vivo anthelmintic activity.

Effective utilization of wild cocoyam corm in livestock feed is limited by the presence of anti-nutrient components which requires some forms of processing. The effect of soaking, cooking and fermentation on proximate composition, caloric values and contents of Anti-Nutritio nal Factors (ANFs) of wild cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta (L.)) Schott corm were determined with the aim of investigating its suitability as a feed ingredient. Raw, Cooked, Soaked and Fermented Wild Cocoyam Corm (i.e. RWCC, CWCC, SWCC and FWCC respectively) were sun dried and their proximate composition, Gross Energy (GE), Metabolizable Energy (ME) and contents of ANFs were determined. Crude protein was significantly (p

In Nigeria, pasture is routinely available such that it is abundant in the rainy season and very scare in the dry season. Browse trees are not seasonal and a number of the browse trees are acceptable by cattle, sheep and goats as supplements to the scanty pasture in the off-season. It is against this background that the present study was carried out to assess the nutritive value of some relatively unexploited browse plants including neem (Azadirachta indica), almond (Terminalia catappa), mango (Mangifera indica) and bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina). Chemical composition of the forages was determined for CP, NDF, ADF and ADL. Presence of secondary metabolites including tannin, saponin and steroids was determined qualitatively. Residue obtained from qualitatively determined secondary metabolites (extracted) and that of whole samples (unextracted) were further subjected to in vitro gas production at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 h incubation periods to elicit extent of degradability. Results indicate that CP, NDF, ADF and ADL ranged from 10.5-21.8, 34.5-38.5, 21.0-26.3 and 6.5-15.5% respectively. Saponin was present in mango tree while all samples showed presence of condensed tannin and steroids. Extracted residue enhanced degradability as total gas production, metabolizable energy, organic matter digestibility and methane production were more than those of the whole browse samples. It is concluded that browse trees have nutritive value and the presence of secondary metabolites in them are assets for the reduction of methane capable of increasing environmental pollution.

Eight tropical seeds from browse, shrubs and pulses plants were assessed for their nutritive value using in vitro gas production technique. Dry Matter (DM), Crude Protein (CP), crude fibre, ash, ether extract and Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) were analyzed. Milled seeds were incubated using 200 mg/30 ml inoculum for 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 h. At post incubation, the total gas volume was measured for methane using 4 ml of 10 M NaOH. Dynamics of gas production characteristics over time were described by equation Vt = Vf x [1 + exp {2-4 x S x (t-L)}] 1. Metabolizable Energy (ME; MJ/kg DM), Organic Matter Digestibility (OMD; %) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA; μmol/200 mg DM)) were estimated. DM was lowest (88.1%) in Leucaena leucocephala and was the best (95.6%) in Tephrosia bracteolata seeds. CP ranged from 25-38.9% being the least (25.0%) for Lablab purpureus and the highest (38.9%) for Tehprosia candida. NDF of the seeds varied from 27.1% in Tephrosia bracteolata to 49.1% in Leucaena leucocephala. The volume of gas produced by the seeds consistently increased (p

Nutrient composition and qualitative analysis of saponin, tannin and steroids were determined. In vitro gas production of the tea leaf (TL) and STL were carried out in 24 h incubation. Metabolizable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD) and short chain fatty acids (SCFA) were also predicted. NaOH (10 M) was introduced into the inoculums after 24 h, from which methane (CH ) production was measured. TL 4 and STL had CP, CF, EE, ash and NDF 16.4 and 18.6%, 14 and 23%, 3.8 and 2.5%, 6.0 and 2.0%, 39.0 and 46.0% respectively. Qualitative evaluation of secondary metabolites showed the two stuffs contained condensed tannins and steroids. Saponin was found and enhanced methanogenesis in STL than TL. The cumulative gas produced at 24 h was 14 and 7 ml/200 mg DM for STL and TL respectively. The ME was similar but varied significantly (P < 0.05) in OMD, SCFA and CH productions. The result showed that spent 4 tea leaf had potential to be used as protein and energy supplements for ruminants in the tropics.

The nutritive value of Ficus vogelli (FV) in mixtures with Panicum maximum (PM) at four different treatment levels were assessed through the determination of the proximate composition and in vitro fermentation of diets in two seasons (dry and wet). Nutrient composition and qualitative analysis of secondary metabolites (saponin and tannins) of FV were determined. In vitro gas production (IVGP, ml/200 mg DM), Organic matter digestibility (OMD %), Metabolizable energy (ME, MJkg-1 DM), Short chain fatty acids (SCFA, ml), and Methane production (ml/200 mg DM) were also estimated. Crude Protein (CP), Crude Fibre (CF), Ether Extract (EE), Ash, and Neutral Detergent Fibre (NDF) for FV in the dry and wet seasons were: 16.66 and 12.11, 30.25 and 35.00, 18.90 and 20.50, 11.00 and 12.95, 74.50 and 63.50 g/100g DM respectively. FV contained saponin and tannins in both dry and wet seasons. ME, OMD and SCFA for diets of FV were not significantly (P>0.05) affected by levels of inclusion of Ficus in the wet season. However, in the dry season, OMD (69.83) was highest (P Key words: Ficus vogelli, Panicum maximum , dry season, in vitro gas production.

M oringa oleifera (M) and Oxytenanthera abyssinica (bamboo; B) leaves were evaluated as follows; 100%M, 75%M:25%B, 50%M:50%B, 25%M:75%B and 100%B, as feed supplements for ruminants. In-vitro gas production volumes (+/-polyethylene glycol, PEG) were measured to evaluate the effects of probable condensed tannins. OMD (%), ME (MJ/kg DM) and SCFA (mmol/40ml) were predicted. All the fodder combinations contained more than 8%CP; the minimum necessary to provide the minimum NH3 levels required by rumen microorganisms. Moringa inclusion at all levels resulted in ADF and NDF values that could promote voluntary dry matter intake and its digestibility. Significant (P 0.05) effects were observed. 75%M:25%B and 50%M:50%B fodder combinations show promise as protein supplements, particularly during the dry season in the tropics, when available feedstuffs for ruminants are usually devoid of most essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen. Key words : Moringa oleifera, Oxytenanthera abyssinica , feed supplements, rumen fluid, polyethylene glycol, ruminants

The suitability of five species of Ficus, F. mucoso, F. thonningii, F. polita, F. religiosa and F. benjamina, for feeding ruminant livestock was studied. The nutritive and antinutritive components were determined and the acceptability of the forages to livestock was assessed using a cafeteria method in 8 adult small ruminants. Also, the degradation potential of the dry matter of the five Ficus species was investigated using 3 fistulated sheep. The crude protein (CP) content of the Ficus species varied significantly (p0.05), ranging from 130 to 180 g/kg DM. The content of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) also varied significantly (p0.05), ranging from 650 to 710 g/kg DM. The organic matter (OM) contents did not differ significantly (p0.05), having a mean value of 916 g/kg DM. The concentrations of tannin, saponin, phytic acid and oxalic acid were low. The acceptability of the forage was similar for four of the species but poor for F. polita. The extent of DM degradation varied significant among the Ficus species, the ranking order being F. benjaminaF. thonningiiF. mucosoF. religiosaF. polita.