2019

The study was executed in Noakhali sadar (urban) and Subarnachar upazil (rural) to determine the drinking water quality and sanitation facilities. The baseline data was collected based on questionnaire survey. And the physicochemical and ionic constituents of drinking water were determined by analyzing water samples. The result showed that in rural areas about 87.5% families utilized tube-well water and the rest used polluted pond water, while in the urban areas, 91% families utilized supplied water by paying monthly. The sanitation situation in the rural area was not at satisfactory level. The mean values of several critical parameters from the two areas (rural and urban) were found to be the following. pH values were 7.10 and 7.63, respectively. Electric conductivity was found to be 530.17 and 768.76 µS/cm, respectively. Salinity value was 0.23 and 0.35 ppt, respectively. Total dissolved solid (TDS) was found to be 264.91 and 372.82 ppm, respectively. Elemental composition of the sampled water from the two areas were also obtained. Mean values of the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) from the two areas were found to be 7.24 and 7.52 mg/l, respectively. Among the other elements, amount of phosphorus was 0.55 and 0.46 ppm, potassium was 43.82 and 35.82 mg/l, sulfate was 10.03 and 1.00 mg/l, chloride was 42.15 and 149.95 mg/l, and iron was 5.57 and 1.30 mg/l, respectively. It is clear that the drinking water quality for both areas was not good for direct consumption. The situation in the rural areas is worse than that in the urban areas.

This study was carried out to evaluate the microbial quality of raw milk and water samples taken at four different local shops in Maijdee area (Noakhali District), Bangladesh. Milk is a valuable food-stuff consumed on daily basis and is highly prone to bacterial contamination. Contamination with pathogenic microorganisms is most alarming for potable water and hence it is needed to detect the bacterial contamination in local drinking water. Microbiological quality of milk samples was analyzed using Total Viable Bacterial Count (TVBC), Total Coliform Count (TCC) and Yeast-mold Count techniques. Critical hygienic indicator for food and foodstuffs is total microbial load. Compare to four stores, store 3 shows the high contamination value in milk samples (TVC 12.48×10⁵ cfu/ml, TCC 6.4×10⁵ cfu/ml, yeast- mold count 3.48×10² cfu/ml and 4.85×10² cfu/ml) whereas store 1 is liable to water samples (TVC 12.09×10⁵ cfu/ml, TCC 4.81×10⁵ cfu/ml, yeast- mold count 2.7×10² cfu/ml and 2.24×10² cfu/ml). These outcomes accentuate applying and sustaining proper hygiene practice throughout the manufacturing and distribution to prevent health risks of the rural people.

The experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementing different levels of molasses and concentrates mix with a basal diet of cultivated pasture hay on intake, body weight and carcass quality of Afar sheep. Twenty four yearling Afar sheep, grouped in to four groups of six animals each in a randomized complete block design. The experiment consisted of four months feeding trial each group will receive the experimental feeds. Treatments were mixed concentrate + 20% inclusion molasses (T₁), mixed concentrate + 15% inclusion molasses (T₂), mixed concentrate + 10% inclusion molasses (T₃) and 0% inclusion (T₄). In this experiment with mean initial weight of 15.9±0.39 kg (mean ± SD), 16.2 ±0.41 kg, 16.3±0.42k.g and 16.1kg±0.42 respectively, were used in each treatment group. The experiment was consisted of 90 days of feeding trial followed by carcass evaluation. The concentrate mix were 2:1 (wheat bran and cotton seed cake) The CP content of the panicum antidotale hay, concentrate mix and molasses were 95g/kg DM, 252g/kg DM, and 38.4g/kg, respectively. Hay DM intake was did not differ (P<0.05) among all treatments.  Average daily weight gain (ADG) was higher (P<0.05) for T₂ (69.59g/kg) compared to other treatments. Hot carcass weight also higher (P<0.05) for T₂ (14.41kg). Weight gains 12.31kg, 13.83kg, 11.25kg and 10.26kg for Tx₁, Tx₂, Tx₃ and Tx₄, respectively). All Carcass parameters gave advantage (P<0.01) to Tx2. From the present study, it can be concluded that Tx₂ sheep performed better than Tx_1, Tx_3, and Tx₄ in terms of body weight gain, Feed intake, and carcass parameters.

The study evaluated the effects of two selected chemicals; methylene blue and saline on bacterial load in transport-water containing monosex tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fry. Fish fry was collected from a private hatchery located in Trishal upazilla, Mymensingh. A total of approximately 550 fry were added in each polyethylene bag containing water and transported to the Fish Disease Laboratory of the Department of Aquaculture, Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) for analysis. Two different concentrations of chemicals like 1 and 2 ppm methylene blue, 1 and 2 ppt saline and combination of the both were used. Samplings were done at 0, 4, 8 hours interval to determine the bacterial load in transport-water. Both methylene blue and saline were found effective in reducing bacterial load in water during transportation. The combined use of saline and methylene blue showed better result than the chemicals used individually in terms of final bacterial load. A gradual increase in bacterial load with time was found in control water having no chemicals (T₀). In T₁ (1 ppm methylene blue used) and T₂ (2 ppm methylene blue used) the mean bacterial loads were 1.03±0.5×10⁷ cfu/ml and 5.00±2×10⁷ cfu/ml respectively. Similarly mean bacterial loads of 4.48±1.5×10⁶ cfu/ml and 3.43±2.7×10⁶ cfu/ml were obtained with 1 and 2 ppt saline (T₃ and T₄) respectively. Whereas combined use of 1 ppm methylene blue and 1 ppt saline (T₅) end up with the mean bacterial load of 2.94±2.5×10⁶ cfu/ml after 8 hours of exposure. It was 2.95±2.7×10⁶ cfu/ml when the dose was doubled (T₆). The highest percentage of mortality was found in control water in every sampling period. Water quality parameters like temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen decreased after 8 hours of transportation. The experiment revealed that the combined low dose of methylene blue and saline can be recommended for transportation of tilapia fry.

Ginger is commonly used herb across the world either in a meal or in herbal products. The chemical constituents of ginger possess antioxidants, can modulate apoptosis, inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor and inhibit inflammatory reactions. The main aim of this study is to assess the antimicrobial activity of the ginger extracts. For this purpose, ginger rhizome (R), packaged ginger powder (P) and ginger leaves (L) were collected from Urlabari, Morang and Kathmandu, Nepal. The plant materials were first minced (except P) and then extracted using cold extraction technique. For assessing the antimicrobial activity of the extracts against the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains, cup well method was preferred. The percentage yield of extracts R, P, L and ginger rhizome’s juice (J) was 10.79 ± 0.03 %, 9.76 ± 0.16 %, 8.17 ± 0.07 % and 16.8 ± 1.98 % respectively. The extract R were found to susceptible against the pathogens Streptococcus pneumoniae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The extract P were found to susceptible against the pathogens E. coli, S. aureus and MRSA. The methanol extract of L was found to be susceptible to S. aureus, K. pneumoniae and MRSA. All the extracts (R, P, L) were reistant against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All 6 bacterial isolates were resistant against the extract J. The extract shows antimicrobial property only when the extract is concentrated. The ginger leaves also have antimicrobial property.

Herbs orchestrate resurgence and vegetal awakening is supervened everywhere in the world. Medicinal plants always played an important role in the health development of mankind. Piper longum provides us new lead molecules for the development of drugs against various pharmacological targets. Plants included in this family are annual and persistent herbs or shrubs, indigenous to northern moderate stretch of the world. Piper longum is well known for its medicinal and pharmaceutical importance.  In this review studies we will want to explore the various pharmacological properties of Piper longum in Unani system of medicine. Evidence suggests that various listed of Unani Medicine formulated with the Piper longum among these few are tablet, capsule, syrup and semi-solid etc. The primary constituents isolated from various parts of P. longum are piperine, piperlongumine, sylvatin, sesamin, diaeudesmin piperlonguminine, pipermonaline, and piperundecalidine. It is most commonly used to treat chronic bronchitis, asthma, constipation, gonorrhea, paralysis of the tongue, diarrhea, cholera, chronic malaria, viral hepatitis, respiratory infections, stomachache, bronchitis, diseases of the spleen, cough, and tumors. This study provides detailed information about the P. longum fruit, including phytochemistry, pharmacological profile and safety profile.