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ThesisItem Open Access Organisational behaviour of farm workers as antecedent to the performance of pigs in organized farms(Department of Extension, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 2003) Uma, V; KAU; Jiji, R SThe objective of the investigation was to study the relationship between organizational behaviour factors of farm workers and production performance parameters of pigs. The nine organized pig farms; seven under Kerala Animal Husbandry Department and the farms of Kerala Livestock Development Board and Kerala Agricultural University were the locale of the study. A total of 61 farm workers who actually involved with the animals on a daily basis and having a working experience of at least six months were the respondents. The data regarding the organizational behaviour factors viz. attitude towards the job, knowledge of pig keeping, skill in pig keeping and job satisfaction were collected from the respondents using structured interview schedule. Job performance and absenteeism were assessed through supervisory rating. The data on production parameters were collected from farm records. About two-third of the respondents were in the medium category for all the organizational behaviour factors. The respondents were satisfied the most with the job aspect 'opportunity for team work' and dissatisfied the most with 'scope to prove merit and excellence'. Intercorrelations of organizational behaviour factors were worked out using Kendall's tau-b rank order correlation. Significant positive correlations were observed between knowledge and skill; astitude and job satisfaction; knowledge and job satisfaction; knowledge and job performance and skill and job performance. Absenteeism had significant negative correlations with both job satisfaction and job performance. The relationship of organizational behaviour factors with production parameters was worked out using Spearman's rank order correlation. A significant negative correlation was found between attitude towards job and stillbirth per litter. Farm workers' knowledge and skill had significant negative correlations with preweaning mortality. Skill had significant positive correlation with conception rate. Job satisfaction had significant negative correlations with weaning weight and weight gain of piglets. Absenteeism had significant positive correlations with preweaning mortality and mortality.ThesisItem Open Access Anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of Withania somnifera and Catharanthus roseus in rats(Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1997) Arivuchelvan, A; KAU; Joy, A DThe present study was undertaken with the objective of determining the anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive effects of withania somnifera and Catharanthus roseus. Alcoholic extract of both the plants were used for the study and the effect produced by the above plants were compared with that of the known non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug namely, diclofenac sodium which served as the positive control drug. To assess the anti-inflammatory effect two methods namely, cotton pellet and carrageenin induced paw oedema were adopted. In cotton pellet method five groups of eight rats each were used per plant. First group was kept as a control, which received five per cent gum acacia only. IInd, IIIrd and IVth group received 200, 400, 600 mg/kg alcoholic extract of C. roseus Vth group served as the positive control which received diclofenac sodium 3 mg/kg dose level. All the drugs were administered orally. C. roseus produced significant anti granuloma activity when compared to control group. Higher activity was produced by 600 mg/kg body weight extract (35.88 per cent anti-inflammatory activity). For W. somnifera also same experimental design was adopted with dose rates of 750, 1000, 1500 mg/kg body weight. W. somnifera produced dose dependent antigranuloma activity. Higher dose (1500 mg/kg body weight) produced more antigranuloma activity (53.92 per cent) which was comparable to the antigranuloma activity of diclofenac sodium. Haematological parameters before and after treatment showed no significant changes for both the plants. In carrageenin induced paw oedema method al so five groups of eight rats each were used per plant. All the three doses of extract and reference drug were given thirty minutes prior to the carrageenin injection and the paw thickness was recorded three hour after injection. c. roseus produced significant antioedema activity in this model. Higher dose (600 mg/kg) produced equipotent effect compared to diclofenac sodium 3 mg/kg. W. somnifera also produced dose dependent anti oedema activity. Extract at the dose rate of 750, 1000, 1500 mg/kg produced 19.4, 35.23, 44.62 per cent antioedema activity respectively. But the reference drug diclofenac sodium produced higher antioedema activity. For evaluating antinociceptive effect of C. roseus and W. somnifera, seven groups of eight animal each were used. All the dose rates of both the plant extracts were compared with diclofenac sodium for a period of two hours showed no significant analgesic effect.ThesisItem Open Access Effect of lactose hydrolysed condensed whey and bifidobacterium bifidum in yogurt(Department of Dairy Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy, 1995) Beena, A K; KAU; Prasad, VAn experiment was conducted to assess the possibilities of utilizing whey solids in the form of condensed whey or lactose hydrolysed condensed whey as a substitute for NDM. Their effect was also studied in conjunction with B. bifidum as a dietary adjunct. A detailed review of literature has been presented on the issues of lactose intolerance, hypercholesteraemia, beneficial effects of lactic acid bacteria in alleviating these conditions and also on acid tolerance and bile tolerance of cultures used in the present study. Methodology for the condensation of cheese whey, estimation of lactose in whey, B-galactosidase specific activity in the products, total cholesterol, HDL-cholesetrol and triglycerides in serum, assessment of acid tolerance and bile tolerance of lactic cultures used here have been detailed. The experiment comprised of preparation of yogurt and bifidus yogurt using three methods of fortification viz. skim milk powder, condensed whey and lactose hydrolysed condensed whey. The products prepared were then analysed for B-galacosidase specific activity. Hypocholesteraemic and growth promoting effects of these products were assessed in a biological study using rats. Hypocholesteraemic and growth promoting effects of whole milk was also assessed in the biological study. Acid tolerance and bile tolerance of lactic cultures used in this study were also determined, in vitro. From the above study, following conclusions were made. 1. B-galactosidase specific activity was noticed in substantial amount, in yogurt under different treatments. Bifidus yogurt showed a reduction in B-galactosidase specific activity, however, the activity was found to be enhanced when fortification was done with lactose hydrolysed condensed whey indicating that bifidus yogurt fortified with lactose hydrolysed condensed whey is superior. 2. No significant hypocholesteraemic effect was noticed in rats due to consumption of milk. All the rats fed with yogurt and bifidus yogurt except that given yogurt A1 showed a substantial reduction in serum LDL-cholesterol level and cardiac risk factor. However, bifidus yogurt supplemented with whey proteins showed maximum hypocholesteraemic effect and lowest cardiac risk factor showing the superiority of bifidus yogurt with whey proteins. 3. All rats given yogurt and bifidus yogurt showed a better daily weight gain when compared to the group fed whole milk along with feed and cholesterol. 4. Evaluation of acid tolerance of lactic cultures showed that, among the three cultures tested, B. bifidum exhibited maximum acid tolerance followed by S. salivarius ssp. Thermophilius. L. delbrueckii spp. Bulgaricus was found to be acid sensitive. 5. Bile tolerance study of pure and active cultures revealed that none of the tested cultures were completely inhibited by bile indicating theses cultures were bile tolerant to some extent.