Phytobiotics in world practice: plant species and active substances, efficiency and limitations, perspectives (review)

In the review the historical preconditions for implementation and the state of use (for 2021) of phytogenic substances as growth and productivity stimulators of farm animals are considered. The main aspects of phytobiotics use have been analyzed in detail: 1) mechanisms of action; 2) distinction between phytobiotics and veterinary medicines; 3) species range of the plants used and their active substances; 4) productive efficiency. The following limitations and disadvantages in the use of existing phytobiotics are considered: they do not have a direct anabolic effect and are useless under severe stress, and by the combination of bad factors the negative effect cannot be overcome. In addition, there are problems with their safety. Other limitations - the composition of phytobiotics varies widely, there is no standardization for active substances, and attempts to do this reveal cytoxicity in very small dosages of these compounds (essential oils, saponins, isoquinoline alkaloids). In the prospect of further studies, unique plant sources from Russia are proposed, which are absent abroad and contain ecdysteroids as biologically active components, not available in the phytogenic substances widely used now. Distinctive properties of phytoecdysteroids and ecdysterone as their main representative are as follows: feed additives containing them relieve severe stress, conventional phytobiotics do not have such an effect; have direct anabolic effect; have pleiotropic (multiple) effect. Their use in livestock breeding does not cause fears, as they are safe substances. It is possible to combine such substances with other antimicrobial agents in order to improve bioavailability and prolong the action of the active ingredient of ecdysterone

SCIENCE-BASED PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST INFECTIOUS ANIMAL DISEASESIN THE ALTAI REGION

More accessible international movement of people, goods and freights has complicated the problem of protect-ing our country against highly dangerous and exotic animal diseases. At the same time, long-term epizootological and experimental studies made it possible to conclude that in cattle herds, a problem regarding three groups of parasitic and infectious diseases was found: chronic, highly danger-ous and transboundary animal diseases. To obtain reliable data on veterinary welfare in the animal industry of the Altai Region, the technological scheme for carryingout preven-tive measures was developed and successfully used for more than 20 years. The scheme is used in all areas of animal husbandry in the Region. A large number of preven-tive treatments are carried out in poultry farming –311,946,605 units, in cattle breeding (5,384,337), sheep and goat breeding (367,552), pig breeding (2,664,972), horse breeding (93,289), maral breeding (34,440) and bee-farming (33,808). Infectious diseases pose a threat to the animal farming of the Region, and some of them affect humans. The chronic infections under annual diagnostic monitoring as leukemia, tuberculosis and brucellosis are registered in the Altai Region in agricultural enterprises of all forms of ownership. Anthrax, leptospirosis, rabies and other infections that are dangerous to humans and animals are prevented by immunizing susceptible animals. The threat of bringing into the country is posed by highly conta-gious infections as foot and mouth disease, African swine fever, avian influenza, infectious nodular dermatitis, and equine breeding paralysis. The natural foci of trichinosis in the Altai Region pose a threat to pigs being affected by this dangerous infectious disease. The introduction of the sci-ence-based scheme of preventive measures in livestock breeding of the Altai Region may reduce the costs of their implementation.

Effect of ultrasonic exposure on the sowing quality of seeds

The research aims to study the process of stimulation and the selecting of optimal modes of seed treatment with ultrasonic exposure. Increasing the yield of grain crops will provide the population with high-quality agricultural products and providing livestock breeding with a full-fledged feed base. Previous studies related to the pre-sowing stimulation of barley seeds with ultrasonic exposure to improve the sowing quality made it possible to assert an increase in the increase in seed weight by 10 to 12%. The optimal modes of their processing were the ultrasound frequency f =48 kHz, the oscillations intensity S=42 W/cm², and the exposure time t=480 sec. Ultrasonic vibrations change the Physico-chemical properties of seeds, the permeability of the cell membranes significantly increases, leading to accelerated swelling of the seeds, breathing intensifies, the metabolic process is activated; some enzymatic processes are activated while simultaneously inhibiting other enzyme systems and the sowing qualities of seeds change.

Results of ultrasonic effects studied in pre-sowing barley seed stimulation

This research aims to study the process of stimulation and the choice of optimal modes of seed treatment by ultrasonic exposure. Agricultural production faces providing the population with high-quality and affordable agricultural products, raw materials, and food. It is also an important task to provide livestock breeding with a full-fledged feed base. Barley is one of the high-protein cereals with 8-15% protein content in the grain. According to several scientists, field germination of barley seeds averages 65.8% [1]. In most cases, this is due to insufficient moisture during the growing season in difficult soil and climatic conditions. In most cases, this is due to insufficient moisture during the growing season in difficult soil and climatic conditions.It is necessary to conduct exploratory studies to determine the intensity of ultrasonic radiation and its duration, to determine the influence of the selected ultrasonic effect on the process of swelling and oxygen penetration into the seeds.

How to make noncoherent problems more productive: Towards an AMR management plan for low resource livestock sectors

Global policy for managing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is underpinned by a standardised and coherent global framework for reducing antibiotic use in clinical health, veterinary health, and food production sectors. Within the framework, problematic antibiotic use (a significant driver of AMR) is treated as a knowledge deficit on the part of users and prescribers, which can be remedied by educating them to make better informed treatment decisions. This narrow approach to AMR management conceals the socioeconomic and material drivers of antibiotic decision-making, creating challenges for low resource regions that rely on antibiotic therapies to manage uncertainty and precarity. Thus, there is a need for a global AMR policy that acknowledges the diversity of sociomaterial arrangements and practices that antibiotics form part of, if their use is to be reduced without undermining productivity or the attainment of poverty reduction indicators. Drawing upon research of antibiotic use in West Africa’s livestock sector, this article analyses the interrelation of antibiotics, AMR action plans, and production management strategies in ecologies of livestock breeding practices. We apply the STS-influenced perspective of noncoherence to analyse how seemingly contradictory practices and institutional logics productively coalesce. We argue that observing noncoherent practices increases our understanding of antibiotic use in relation to local breeding conditions that are frequently not of the producers’ making, whilst drawing attention to context-specific possibilities for improving livestock management capacities and reducing reliance on antibiotic therapies in low-resource settings. The article concludes by calling for an AMR global policy that is more responsive to local specificity rather than enforcing universal standardisation.

Perceptive Factors That Affect Household Food Consumption Among Different Grassland Areas: A Case Study Based on Fuzzy Cognitive Map

Food consumption acts as an intermediary between ecosystems and human systems in grassland areas. In this study, we generated a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) to obtain a semi-quantitative assessment of impact factors on food consumption in the Xilin Gol Grassland, China, from the perception of local rural households. Based on it, the food consumption impact factors networks of households in Xilin Gol Grassland were created. Results showed that household recognition of food consumption impact factors differed among grassland transects in both amount and category, and the results of principal component analysis (PCA) ascertain such differences and transitions. Livestock breeding, income, local economic development, consumption habit, age, food price, and cost were the most important impact factors mentioned by both farmers and herdsmen. From south to north in the grassland transects, households' cognition of ecological and economic factors increased, and the cognition of personal and social factors decreased. Differences in supply, culture, customs, and socioeconomic characteristics affected the cognition of households and their livelihoods, which influenced impact factors as well as associated connections. The role of livestock breeding also validated the connection between human actives and the grassland ecosystem. Results from this study can be used as a reference for policymakers during decision-making processes respective of regional sustainable development.

Bioinformatic analysis of genomes of commercial breeds of domestic pigs for identification of breed-specific SNPs

Determining the purebredity of farm animals in a breeding system is of key importance for the entire livestock industry. Purebred breeding of plant breeds is designed to ensure the production of high-value improving breeding material for commercial livestock breeding. Determination of purebredity of pigs can be carried out using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP). The multiplexing technology today has reached a level that makes it possible to characterize tens and hundreds of thousands of polymorphic variants simultaneously for hundreds of animals in one run of the device. For the first time, using bioinformatics methods, an analysis of genome-wide projects was carried out for 264 individuals of the species Sus scrofa located in the Sequence Read Archive (NCBI-SRA). The in silico genotype was determined for 692 SNPs, of which 59 SNPs showed a significant potential for differentiation of four commercial breeds: large white (the most significant SNPs are Chr. 6: g.85845403T> G and Chr.16: g.74053569T> C), duroc (Chr. 4: g.55661608A> G, Chr. 14: g.107689091T> C and Chr. 14: g.107939105T> C), landrace (Chr. 5: g.99925204A> G, Chr. 18: g .40100481A> G and Chr. 18: g.7664624A> G) and pietrain (Chr. 13: g.136017764T> C and Chr.17: g.47595840A> G). For breeds of duroc and pietrain pigs, the accuracy of differentiation was at least 99%, for breeds of large white and landrace pigs - over 80%, however, the sensitivity indicator characterizing the percentage of false positive results of classification was slightly over 65%. Creation of models for molecularand-genetic studies of these breeds will allow for a genetic examination of their purebredity, which will contribute to an increase in their breeding value and preservation of the national gene pool.

VARIABILITY ANALYSIS OF REGIONAL INDICATORS OF KAZAKHSTAN’S REAL SECTOR OF ECONOMY

The study’s main purpose is to analyze the variability of regional indicators of Kazakhstan’s real sector of economy by leveraging Factor Analysis. Processed indicators encompass 1999–2019, i.e. 21 years. The number of regions is 14. Input information was compressed as follows: mean values of indicators of each region in 21 years were calculated and then one final table was created. Results of Factor Analysis. All industries of real sector of economy may be lined up in four groups according to common interregional variability criterion: 1) mining industry; 2) manufacturing industry; 3) agriculture (crop and livestock breeding); 4) transport and communication. According to Factor Analysis methodology, it is considered that there is a certain factor behind the indicators of each selected group, i.e. there is an objective reason. The factors are independent, therefore, the indicators of different groups do not have statistical relations among each other. The indicators of mining and manufacturing industries have certain regional orientations, i.e. few areas have either mining or manufacturing sectors developed. Agriculture is also a region-dependent sector of the real economy. Significant part of regional variability of livestock sector and almost total interregional variability of population have common factor behind (total variances 0.57 and 0.94). In other words, livestock breeding is predominantly developed in regions with a denser population. Transport and communication sectors are not bound to certain regions, they flourish in heavily populated areas (total variances 0.69; 0.85; 0.61). Interregional fluctuations of resource indicator, i.e. capital investments, almost totally match with similar fluctuations in mining and construction (total variances 0.94; 0.70; 0.97). As for capital investments directed to other sectors, their interregional variability is negligible. What is this talking about? Capital investments, except for mining and construction, are pinpoint investments, i.e. allocated to certain regions only.

Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Toxoplasma gondii Infection Among High-Risk Populations in Jiangsu Province, Eastern China

Toxoplasma gondii, an opportunistic protozoan, infects one-third of people worldwide and could lead to serious outcomes in immunodeficient or immunocompromised populations. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors for T. gondii infection among high-risk populations in Jiangsu Province, eastern China. We conducted a cross-sectional survey among 4 categories of populations in 13 prefectures including HIV/AIDS patients, livestock breeding/processing (B/P) staff, pregnant women, and cancer patients. We detected specific immunoglobulin G and M (IgG and IgM) levels for each participant using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and asked to complete a questionnaire for each participant that covered sociodemographic information as well as the basic knowledge of attitudes toward and the practices for the prevention of toxoplasmosis. A total of 5231 participants distributed across 13 prefecture-level cities was surveyed, including 2455 males and 2776 females. Total seropositivity rate in each population category was as follows: 9.08% (HIV/AIDS patients), 11.65% (livestock B/P staff), 5.50% (pregnant women), and 12.89% (cancer patients). We detected IgM positivity in HIV/AIDS patients (0.47%, 6/1289), livestock B/P staff (0.08%, 1/1330), and cancer patients (0.46%, 6/1303) but not in pregnant women. Further, we detected IgM+IgG positivity only in cancer patients (0.31%, 4/1303). The seropositivity rate for pregnant women was significantly lower, while cancer patients were significantly higher. Higher educational levels were associated with lower seropositivity rates for T. gondii infection. High seropositivity rates were associated with long period of HIV infection among HIV/AIDS patients, frequent contact with livestock among livestock breeding/processing staff and male older patients among cancer patients, respectively. Analysis of practices across all participants showed that frequent contact with pets in everyday life or using the same cutting board for both raw and cooked foods leads to higher seropositivity rates. Therefore, we obtained the seroprevalence and risk factors of toxoplasmosis among high-risk populations in Jiangsu Province which could provide evidence for the implementation of control measures in the near future.

Adjusting to precarity: how and why the Roslin Institute forged a leading role for itself in international networks of pig genomics research

From the 1980s onwards, the Roslin Institute and its predecessor organizations faced budget cuts, organizational upheaval and considerable insecurity. Over the next few decades, it was transformed by the introduction of molecular biology and transgenic research, but remained a hub of animal geneticists conducting research aimed at the livestock-breeding industry. This paper explores how these animal geneticists embraced genomics in response to the many-faceted precarity that the Roslin Institute faced, establishing it as a global centre for pig genomics research through forging and leading the Pig Gene Mapping Project (PiGMaP); developing and hosting resources, such as a database for genetic linkage data; and producing associated statistical and software tools to analyse the data. The Roslin Institute leveraged these resources to play a key role in further international collaborations as a hedge against precarity. This adoption of genomics was strategically useful, as it took advantage of policy shifts at the national and European levels towards funding research with biotechnological potential. As genomics constitutes a set of infrastructures and resources with manifold uses, the development of capabilities in this domain also helped Roslin to diversify as a response to precarity.