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Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat

Assam Agricultural University is the first institution of its kind in the whole of North-Eastern Region of India. The main goal of this institution is to produce globally competitive human resources in farm sectorand to carry out research in both conventional and frontier areas for production optimization as well as to disseminate the generated technologies as public good for benefitting the food growers/produces and traders involved in the sector while emphasizing on sustainability, equity and overall food security at household level. Genesis of AAU - The embryo of the agricultural research in the state of Assam was formed as early as 1897 with the establishment of the Upper Shillong Experimental Farm (now in Meghalaya) just after about a decade of creation of the agricultural department in 1882. However, the seeds of agricultural research in today’s Assam were sown in the dawn of the twentieth century with the establishment of two Rice Experimental Stations, one at Karimganj in Barak valley in 1913 and the other at Titabor in Brahmaputra valley in 1923. Subsequent to these research stations, a number of research stations were established to conduct research on important crops, more specifically, jute, pulses, oilseeds etc. The Assam Agricultural University was established on April 1, 1969 under The Assam Agricultural University Act, 1968’ with the mandate of imparting farm education, conduct research in agriculture and allied sciences and to effectively disseminate technologies so generated. Before establishment of the University, there were altogether 17 research schemes/projects in the state under the Department of Agriculture. By July 1973, all the research projects and 10 experimental farms were transferred by the Government of Assam to the AAU which already inherited the College of Agriculture and its farm at Barbheta, Jorhat and College of Veterinary Sciences at Khanapara, Guwahati. Subsequently, College of Community Science at Jorhat (1969), College of Fisheries at Raha (1988), Biswanath College of Agriculture at Biswanath Chariali (1988) and Lakhimpur College of Veterinary Science at Joyhing, North Lakhimpur (1988) were established. Presently, the University has three more colleges under its jurisdiction, viz., Sarat Chandra Singha College of Agriculture, Chapar, College of Horticulture, Nalbari & College of Sericulture, Titabar. Similarly, few more regional research stations at Shillongani, Diphu, Gossaigaon, Lakhimpur; and commodity research stations at Kahikuchi, Buralikson, Tinsukia, Kharua, Burnihat and Mandira were added to generate location and crop specific agricultural production packages.

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2021 - 20233
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Subject: Animal Biochemistry × Start date: 2021 × Type: Thesis × Thesis Type: Ph.D ×
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Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development of mucosal vaccine against riemerella anatipestifer based on membrane antigen conjugated with nanoparticle
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus, 2023-02) Deka, Naba Jyoti; Kalita, Dhrubajyoti
    Duck plays a significant role to mitigate the poverty by upgrading the socio-economic condition of farmers. Riemerella anatipestifer infection is a contagious bacterial disease of ducks and causes a significant economic loss to duck rearers. The present study was carried out to develop a mucosal vaccine against Riemerella anatipestifer based on membrane antigen which was conjugated calcium phosphate nanoparticle. The outer membrane vesicle (OMVs) was extracted and conjugated with calcium phosphate nanoparticle. The average OMVs yield in terms of protein concentration was found to be 122.33 ± 3.48 mg per litre of BHI broth. In SDS-PAGE analysis, isolated OMVs exhibited presence of 16 distinct protein bands with molecular weight ranging from 142.1 to 12.1 kDa in SDS-PAGE. Among them, seven protein bands of 74.1, 69.3, 55.5, 50.6, 45.6, 25.1 and 13.1 kDa were found relatively more distinct. The major bands detected in our findings were 42 kDa, 37 kDa and 16 kDa that corresponds to OmpA, OmpH, P6 respectively. The mean size (± SD) of nanoparticle was found to be 246.20 ± 0.53 nm and the mean zeta potential (± SD) was found to be -25.60 ± 5.97. The mean size of the nanoparticles was found to be 129.80 ± 11.10 nm in size and spherical morphologies in transmission electron microscopy analysis. The optimum conditions for conjugation of OMV and calcium phosphate nanoparticles were found to be pH=6.00, amount of OMV=1.5 mg, conjugation temperature=10°C and period of conjugation=1 hour. The PD50 or the median protective dose of CAP-OMV nanoparticle was found to be 1881.10 μg of protein. For the bacterin vaccine, the concentration of the vaccine dose was taken as 2 × 109 cfu/ml. The immunization trial was carried out in ducks. Group I birds received 3762 μg of protein (entrapped protein in CAP-OMV nanoparticle) preparation via intra nasal route and it showed the highest serum IgG and secretory IgA level than the other immunized group. Group V which was administered 0.5 ml of inactivated bacterin vaccine by subcutaneous (s/c) route elicited strong immune response after Group I. All the experimental birds were challenged with 10× LD50 (~2 .1×1010 CFU per bird) on 35 days of post primary immunization. Group I and group V showed 100 % survivability, while other vaccine groups showed 0 % survivability. From the present study it can be concluded that CAP-OMV nanoparticle can act as suitable mucosal vaccine delivery system for Riemerella anatipestifer.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    Development of a chitosan based packaging film incorporated with zinc oxide nanoparticles and green tea extract : its effect on shelf life of meat and meat product (chicken)
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara Campus, 2022-09) Upadhyay, Santosh; Nath, Rita
    The present work was aimed at developing an active biopolymeric packaging film based on chitosan with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity and to assess its effect on shelf life of meat and meat product. Zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO NP) at a concentration of 2%w/w of chitosan and green tea extract (GTE) at 0.2% w/w of chitosan film was used after determining the antimicrobial activity of ZnO nanoparticles using agar well diffusion assay and antioxidant activity of GTE using DPPH inhibition assay. Four different combinations of films were prepared- F1 (Chitosan alone), F2 (Chitosan+ZnONPs), F3 (Chitosan+GTE) and F4 (Chitosan+ZnONPs+GTE) and compared with commonly used LDPE (control) packaging film for their physicochemical, mechanical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. The SEM of the films at resolution of 5000x revealed uniformity of the film in all four different types of combinations confirming the proper dissolution of the added zinc oxide nanoparticles and green tea extract in the film. All the four combinations of films were transparent and of desired thickness. The films F2 and F4 were found to have tensile strength but low elongation at break % as compared to LDPE. The films F2 and F4 showed potent antimicrobial property as compared to other films while F3 and F4 showed potent antioxidant activity. The film F4 possesses both strong antioxidant and antimicrobial activity with good tensile strength and was found to be the best among all the four film combinations. The developed films were then used for wrapping of fresh meat and meat loaf (chicken) and to assess their effect on shelf life at both ambient and refrigeration temperature. Samples without film were used as negative control. The fresh meat wrapped with F4 could maintaining the quality attributes in terms of physicochemical properties like TBARS, pH, colour and microbiological qualities like standard plate count and coliform count below the threshold level up to 12 hours at ambient temperature and up to 9 days of storage at refrigeration temperature. The meat loaf wrapped with F4 could be kept up to 15 hours of storage at ambient temperature and up to 15 days of storage at refrigeration temperature maintaining the quality attributes in terms of pH, TBARS, SPC, colour and textural properties. Sensory panel evaluation also suggested that the meat loaf wrapped with F4 remained acceptable up to 15 days at refrigeration temperature with good sensory scores. A significant difference (p<.01) in crude protein and ether extract contents were observed in the fresh meat and meat loaf without film and those wrapped with F1, F2 and F3. However, minimum decline was observed in samples wrapped with F4. Migration studies on zinc oxide nanoparticles revealed no significant migration of zinc oxide nanoparticles from the film to the food matrix.
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    ThesisItemOpen Access
    TOXICOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF NANOPARTICLES AND MICROPARTICLES USED AS ORAL VACCINE DELIVERY SYSTEMS FOR POULTRY
    (College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati, 2021-08) HAZARIKA, DIPANKAR; Tamuly, Shantanu
    Nanoparticles and microparticles offer great applications in the field of biological sciences in terms of oral drug and vaccine delivery systems. The present study was carried out to evaluate in-vitro and in-vivo toxicity associated with chitosan nanoparticles, Gantrez® nanoparticles and poly-lactide co-glycolide (PLG) microparticle in Vero cell line and poultry bird model. The Gantrez® nanoparticles, PLG microparticles and chitosan nanoparticles were administered orally to the week old poultry birds at the limit dose of 2 g per kg body weight for assessment of oral acute toxicity and were found to be safe as the birds did not show any mortality in 24 hours post administration and the birds did not show any clinical signs till 14 days post administration. For assessment of subacute toxicity, the chitosan nanoparticles, PLG microparticles and Gantrez® nanoparticles were administered at the dose rate used in vaccine delivery that is 3 mg/kg, 15 mg/kg and 1.5 mg/kg respectively and in the dose rate 10 times of the former. The second dose was administered after 14 days. No significant elevation of serum AST, ALT, ALP, BUN and creatinine were observed in the treated groups. In addition, the significant influence of the chitosan nanoparticles, PLG microparticles, and Gantrez® nanoparticles on elevation of blood SOD, GPx and catalase were not observed. The significant upregulation of HSP70 gene expression was observed in the spleen of the group treated with PLG microparticle at the dose rate of 150 mg/kg and in the liver of the group treated with Gantrez® nanoparticle at the dose rate of 15 mg/kg. On histopathological investigation, mild changes of congestion and haemorrhage was observed in kidney of the group treated with PLG microparticles at the dose rate of 150 mg/kg body wt. while in case of liver focal aggregation of mononuclear cell was observed in Gantrez® nanoparticles at the dose rate of 15 mg/kg body weight treated group. The congested capillaries in spleen were observed in the group treated PLG microparticles at the dose rate of 150 mg/kg body weight. The groups treated with vaccine dose of chitosan nanoparticles, Gantrez® nanoparticles and PLG microparticles have shown normal cellular architecture. In in vitro study in Vero cell line, the concentration of chitosan nanoparticles and Gantrez® nanoparticles up to 1000 μg/ml did not have any influence in cellular metabolic activities and viability. However, a reduction in the cellular viability and metabolic activities were observed when PLG microparticles were used at 1000 μg/ml. At lower concentrations, all the nanoparticles/microparticles were found to be safe in terms of cytotoxicity.