PJB-2018-286
DETERMINATION OF TRACE ELEMENT LEVEL OF FORAGES AND SERA AND CORRELATE WITH GASTROINTESTINAL PARASITES OF GRAZING SHEEP
SAOOD AHMAD
Abstract
Nature has blessed Pakistan with a variety of forages to fulfill the requirements of animals. In animals gastrointestinal (GI) parasitism is among the major threats of production system which may be due to low level of nutrients. In this study, trace element Zinc (Zn), Copper (Cu), Manganese (Mn) and Cobalt (Co) level of forages and sera was determined and association of serum trace element level was determined with the GI parasitic burden in grazing sheep flocks of Multan district, Punjab, Pakistan. The blood and faecal samples were collected from randomly selected sheep of Multan district. Plant samples from the respective grazing sites were also collected for mineral profile. After pre-treatment, i.e. wet digestion of sera and plants, concentration of selected minerals (Cu, Co, Zn and Mn) were measured using spectrophotometry. Faecal samples (n=384) were subjected to quantitative analysis in terms of egg per gram (EPG) using McMaster technique which revealed an overall 42.44% prevalence of GI parasites. Comparative mineral profile of sera were significantly different while that of forages was non-significant among the four tehsils of the study district. It was found that Zn and Cu in serum were inversely proportional to the EPG of sheep (P<0.05), whereas, Co and Mn showed variable results. Ziziphus muritiana and Dactyloctenium aegyptium forages were showed higher level of Cu and Zn which found effective against GI parasitism and should be recommended for further evaluation for their efficacy and possible use as a preventive management of GI parasitism in grazing sheep.
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