SUMMARY Detection of Toxoplasma gondii infection by the direct demonstration of parasites is difficult due to the intracellular development of the organism, whilst the tissue culture technique is cumbersome and slow. Several workers have, therefore, relied on the demonstration of specific anti-f. gondii antibodies in serum and body fluids of both human and animal populations to obtain epidemiological data on toxoplasmosis. The applicability of this approach is based on the ability to differen...
ABSTRACT This study was carried out to investigate the effect of different marinades on the quality characteristics of chevon jerky. Chevon (Hindquarter muscle) was treated with marinades containing different levels of vinegar (0, 2.5% or 5% v/v) and papain (0, 0.004g/0.04gw/v). A 3x3 factorial design which composed of nine treatments with three replicates was used. Chevon was cut into 1.5cm x 1.5cm cubes and samples were marinated for 12h and dried in an oven for 10h at a temperature of 65o...
ABSTRACT The excessive use of artificial additives and preservatives in meat products is receiving a lot of mixed feelings from consumers for health reasons. This study was conducted with the aim of finding out the effects of basil leaf and fermented dawadawa seed powders on the sensory, nutritional and microbial qualities of beef and frankfurter sausages. The experiment involved the use of dawadawa and basil leave powders at 4, 6 and 8g/kg meat in place of adobo® a commercial spice in both...
ABSTRACT This study aimed at characterizing the phenotypic, morphology and production performance of the domestic pigeon resources of the Northern region and also, looking at the socio-economic characteristics of pigeon production systems in Northern region of Ghana. Ninety (90) pigeon farmers were sampled from nine (9) districts, ten (10) farmers from each of the districts using snowball sampling method. Pigeon farmers were interviewed using a semi-structured interview and questionnaire on ...
ABSTRACT This study was conducted to determine the nutritional composition of “niri” (Citrullus vulgaris) seeds and its effect as an extender in beef sausages. The nutritional composition of whole “niri” seed, its purees (raw and roasted) and Chaffs (raw and chaffs) were determined using standard procedures. The purees and chaffs were used as extenders at 0, 5, 15 and 25 % inclusion levels in beef sausages. Sensory analyses were conducted using the British Standard procedures on days...
ABSTRACT The high cost of sausage production coupled with the need to impede rancidity without the use of artificial ingredients is a major concern. Of all the various processed meats, sausage is the most appetizing and widely consumed. This study investigated the effects of three varieties of sweet potatoe: orange, purple and white-fleshed sweet potato purees on the sensory, nutritional and oxidation rate of beef and frankfurter sausages. A complete randomized design was used for the experi...
ABSTRACT African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious viral disease that affect domestic pigs and it is characterized by fever, blotching of skin, and haemorrhage of the lymph nodes, internal organs and the gastrointestinal tract. The prevention and cure of ASF will depend on management practices by farmers, observance of biosecurity measures, the immune system of the pig, and the control of secondary infections. This study was therefore, carried out to determine the knowledge and manage...
ABSTRACT The potential benefits of local chickens to the rural economy is compromised annually by regular outbreaks of Newcastle Disease (ND). Every year over 80% of the local chicken population is lost to ND, depriving the rural people of the much needed protein and income from chicken. In an effort to reduce the effect of Newcastle Disease on local chicken production, this study was conducted to determine if there is variation in the genetic resistance to NDV in three local chicken ecotype...
ABSTRACT Relative performance of breed groups, additive and heterotic effects on milk production, reproduction and calf growth traits in Jersey x West African Shorthorn (WAS) and Jersey x Sokoto Gudali (GUD) crossbred cattle were studied using sixteen years field records kept at the Agricultural Research Station, Legon. The genotypes consisted of WAS; 1/2 Jersey, 1/2 WAS (WAS Fj); 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 WAS (WAS Be); GUD; 1/2 Jersey, 1/2 GUD (GUD Fj) ; 3/4 Jersey, 1/4 GUD (GUD Be). Milk production t...
ABSTRACT An experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of plasma concentrations of the metabolic hormones [Growth hormone (GH), insulin and insulin-like growth factor –I (IGFI)] and nutritional metabolites (glucose, cholesterol, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea and creatinine) on the resumption of postpartum ovarian activity in sixteen Friesian-Sanga crossbred cows at the Animal Research Institute’s Frafraha station. Also, correlation among the metabolic hormones and the nut...
ABSTRACT In Ghana, the local chicken and commercial cohorts are managed under different production systems that appear to expose local chicken usually raised under the extensive system, to higher risk of infectious diseases as compared to the exotic cohorts that are raised in confinement. The key question is, will raising these birds under identical conditions result in corresponding reduction in the prevalence of Salmonella infection in the local chicken to levels prevailing in the exotic ch...
ABSTRACT The intestinal microbiota is known to affect their host either beneficially or harmfully. Efforts have, therefore, been put into identifying and studying the microbial community in the gastrointestinal tract of livestock. Grasscutter is a promising micro livestock species with a short history of domestication, whose intestinal microflora is yet to be explored. Among the intestinal microflora, lactic acid bacteria confer probiotic benefits and are thus of special interest. This study ...
ABSTRACT The Hipposideros caffer complex consists of several taxa whose taxonomic relationships are not fully resolved. Genetic diversity and skull morphology of Ghanaian populations of the Noack’s leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros aff. ruber (Noack, 1893) attributed to mitochondrial D lineages were investigated using nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and geometric morphometrics. Cytb sequences of H. aff. ruber populations from Ghana were compared to other available West Af...
ABSTRACT Acaricides in tick control, had been thought to be in Africa the panacea for over a century. Environmental and economic constraints, development of acaricide-resistant strains due to acaricide misuse, have brought about the need for an alternative tick control strategy. The use of tick resistant cattle has then been advocated and echoed in the USA and Australia where it got its full expansion. In Africa, few works have been undertaken on tick resistance despite the fact that many tic...
ABSTRACT OF THE STUDY Dairying is a young and developing industry in G hana, and one o f the m ajor problem s it faces is the low dem and o f the m ilk produced. This is partly due to public concerns over the safety and quality o f the m ilk produced, and also the hygienic practices o f informal agents. However, the extent o f risks posed to hum an health by consum ption o f m ilk and dairy products in the country is not well docum ented. This project w as therefore carried out to study the ...