Author Archives: sohel

An experiment was conducted at the Department of Agricultural Chemistry, BAU to assess the heavy metal status in different feed and fertilizer samples collected from Sadar and Trisal upazilas of Mymensingh district. The feed samples included poultry and fish feeds, whereas, fertilizer samples included DAP, TSP, MOP, gypsum and zinc sulphate (ZnSO₄). AAS analysis of Cd, Cr and Pb showed variable levels of contamination in the fertilizer and feed samples. In case of feed samples, Cd, and Pb contents in fish feed collected from Sadar upazila was 0.159 and 3.581 mg kg^-1, respectively and that of Trisal upazila was 0.441 and 153.824 mg kg^-1, respectively. The content of Cd was 0.008 mg kg^-1 in poultry feed but in fish feed it was 0.441 mg kg^-1. The Cr content in both poultry and fish feeds collected from Sadar and Trisal upazilas were below the detection level. In general, heavy metals contaminations were higher in different fish feed samples compared to that of poultry feed samples, especially in samples from Trisal upazila.The Cd contents in DAP, TSP, MoP, gypsum and ZnSO₄ collected from Sadar upazila were 1.560, 14.749, 0.137, 0.906 and 10.312 mg kg^-1, respectively, and that of Trisal upazila were 1.780, 15.662, 3.988, 1.180 and 3.165 mg kg^-1, respectively. The Cr contents in DAP, TSP, MoP, gypsum and ZnSO₄ collected from Sadar upazila were 60.392, 206.667, 15.882, 24.314 and 11.373 mg kg^-1, respectively. Whereas, mean Cr concentrations DAP, TSP, MoP and gypsum from Trisal upazila were 54.118, 168.431, 16.078 and 26.863 mgkg^-1, respectively. However, in ZnSO₄Cr was below the detection limit. Again, Pb contents in DAP, TSP, MoP, Gypsum and ZnSO₄ collected from Sadar upazila were 12.633,  45.729, 33.586, 13.319 and 30.014 mg kg^-1, respectively, and that of Trisal upazila were 4.062, 46.919, 101.205, 21.681  and 6.676 mg kg^-1, respectively. In general, heavy metal contamination levels in different fertilizer samples collected from Mymensingh Sadar were higher compared to that of Trisal upazila. The results showed that despite the close proximity of the market locations, heavy metal contents may vary in fertilizer and feed samples indicating various supply chains of these essential inputs are in place and calls for greater degree of quality monitoring from the government point of view.

This study was undertaken to assess the effects of gamma irradiation (0, 1.5, 2, 4 kGy) on shelf life and meat quality of Black Bengal goat. About 3 kg of fresh Black Bengal goat meat samples were taken and divided into four groups like T₁ (non-irradiated, control), T₂ (irradiated, 1.5 KGy), T₃ (irradiated, 2.0 KGy) and T₄ (irradiated, 4.0 KGy). Irradiated and non-irradiated meat samples were stored at refrigeration temperature to elucidate the storage effect. One way ANOVA was performed to investigate the effects of gamma irradiation on different groups. Significant differences were found in color and overall acceptability compared to non-irradiated group and only overall acceptability significantly decreased with increasing storage. No significant differences were observed in flavor, tenderness and juiciness between non-irradiated and irradiated groups. Irradiation influenced color and overall acceptability of chevon. Dry matter content was found higher in 4 KGy irradiated group and increased gradually in day intervals. Cooking loss, free fatty acid, peroxide value and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances indicated 1.5 KGy irradiation rated best. Microbial findings revealed that 2 KGy irradiated group is better due to safe level of microbial loads which increase shelf life of Black Bengal goat meat. Finally, it may be concluded that 1.5 and 2 KGy doses gamma irradiation in Bengal goat meat enhances sensory attributes, physico-chemical and microbial levels found satisfactory.

This investigation was carried out to evaluate the microbiological quality of the processed dairy products including borhani, matha/labang, sweet & sour yoghurt. Dairy products are consumed as desert and popular enough among the people. 50 of the different dairy samples were collected from street vendor and also from some branded shop in Dhaka city. The microbiological quality of the samples were analyzed and monitored according to criteria in European Commission Recommendations 2004/24/EC and 2005/175/EC, BSTI and USPHS. All the dairy products had high microbial load ranged  5.90×10⁵cfu/ml to 8.97×10⁹ cfu/ml. Coliforms were found up to 10⁹ dilutions in milk based drink products Borhani and Labang considered a serious threat to the public health. The mold contamination was much lower in Borhani and Labang compared to yoghurt 7.86×10⁸cfu/ml. Approximately 17% dairy products were contaminated by Salmonella spp. Majority of the dairy products (25.537%,) such as Yogurt, Borhani and Labang were contaminated by Staphylococcus spp. The presence of Listeria monocytogenes found in Yogurt, 7 out of 21 (21.515%) samples were contaminated. A minor number of milk based products were corrupted by Shigella spp. These results emphasize applying and maintaining good hygiene practices throughout the processing chain to prevent contamination and bacterial growth. It was concluded that the presence of some pathogens in milk based products with toxigenicity of some strains pose a health hazard to consumers. Thus, good hygienic practices, good manufacturing practices, HACCP with all other hygienic practices should be applied during processing and distribution for public health safety.

A feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effect of Probiotic (Biofast) on the growth performance and meat quality of broiler chicken. Ninety six 1-d-old mix sexed Cobb 500 broiler chicks were obtained from a local commercial hatchery. Chicks were randomly allocated in 2 experimental treatments for 5 wk. The experimental treatments received a 1) control, 2) control with probiotic Biofast 0.055% (bacillus subtilis-100%) in the diet. Both treatments had 48 broilers arranged in 4 replicates of 12 broilers each. Eight birds from 2 different groups (one/replication) were sacrificed on termination of the feeding trial of breast, thigh to investigate the meat quality. Feed intake in treatment T1 was significantly (P > 0.05) greater than control in 0 to 3 weeks of age. Though in starter phase treatments failed to induce any marked effects on body weight, weight gain and FCR but numerically increased in T1 than control. In finisher period (4-5 wks), there were no significant differences on body weight, weight gain, feed intake and FCR between the treatments. The organ weight like liver, heart, kidney, spleen, gizzard, abdominal fat and intestine weight also did not show any significant differences between the dietary treatments of control and Biofast. In addition, though the dressing % was not significantly different but numerically higher percentage was found by using Biofast. Similarly, no significant differences (p>0.05) were found in pH, cooking loss, meat color and TBA values between the treatments. In conclusion, supplementation of Biofast in diet has no significant effect on the growth performance of broiler chicks though it has got some positive effects on other parameters that indirectly revealed to enhance meat quality of broiler chicken as well as food safety issues.

The present study was carried out to evaluate the comparative capability of producing infections and causing mortality of the experimental Magur (Clarias batrachus) with motile Aeromonas species. A total of 200 apparently healthy C. batrachus were acclimatized to the laboratory conditions for experimental study. Nine different groups (each group consisting of 20 fish) of healthy C. batrachus was injected with nine motile Aeromonas isolates (A. hydrophila-3, A. sobria-3 and A. caviae-3). Experimental C. batrachus were infected with motile A. hydrophila, A. sobria and A. caviae to groups 1-3, 4-6 and 7-9, respectively while group 10 was injected with sterile physiological saline (0.85% NaCl) and served as the control. The selected motile bacterial species via intramuscularly were injected at the rate of 4.5 × 10⁵ cfu/fish for pathogenicity study on C. batrachus and monitored up to two weeks. The highest clinical infections were noticed 90% in group-3 whereas only 35% in group-8 within the experimental period.  After two weeks of the experiment, the cumulative mortality rate was also found highest (60%) in group-3 but lowest (15%) in group-9 while no infection or mortality showed in group-10 (control group). The development of infection and mortality to the injected C. batrachus was associated more severely by Aeromonas hydrophila than A. sobria and A. caviae used in this study. However, the isolates motile Aeromonas species could serve as the primary cause of skin lesions as well as mortality in cultured C. batrachus.