The aim of present study was to determine the changes of sodium, potassium, chloride, copper, and zinc in serum of Nili-Ravi buffalo during pregnancy and lactation. The study was carried out on 25 Nili-Ravi buffaloes during March 2008 to February 2009 at Buffalo Research Institute, Pattoki, District Kasur. Blood samples were taken from each buffalo during early pregnancy (Phase EP), i.e., between 1 and 3 months gestation, mid pregnancy (Phase MP), i.e., between 4 and 6 months gestation, late pregnancy (Phase LP), i.e., between 7 and 10 months gestation, and during lactation (Phase LT). Serum sodium, potassium, and chloride were determined on a clinical chemistry analyzer whereas copper and zinc were determined on an atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The mean serum sodium, potassium, and chloride concentrations varied non-significantly (P > 0.05) during pregnancy and lactation. With advancing pregnancy, copper increased and was significantly high (P < 0.05) during late pregnancy whereas during lactation copper concentrations dropped significantly (P < 0.05). The zinc concentrations increased non-significantly during early and mid pregnancy. There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in zinc concentrations during lactation compared with late pregnancy. This study demonstrates that concentrations of serum sodium, potassium, and chloride remain unchanged during pregnancy and lactation whereas serum copper concentrations increased and zinc concentrations decreased with advancing pregnancy because of the demand of the fetus at different periods of pregnancy.

The study was carried out to produce and improve the quality of soft unripened cheese made from buffalo milk as compared to cheese made from camel milk using conventional cheese-making technique. Before making cheese all the milk samples were skimmed and analyzed for their physico-chemical composition. Mean values for pH, acidity, specific gravity, total solids, SNF, fat percentages of raw and skimmed camel milk samples, respectively were 6.87±0.03 and 6.87±0.04, 0.17±0.01 and 0.18±0.01, 1.015±0.001 and 1.023±0.001, 11.69±0.33 and 7.93±0.27, 7.59±0.26 and 7.64±0.26, 4.09±0.36 and 0.29±0.08, and total protein, casein, lactose, ash and chlorides percentages of raw and skimmed milk samples respectively were 3.16±0.20 and 3.56±0.41, 2.21 ±0.23 and 1.67±0.11, 3.48±0.27 and 3.14±0.29, 0.94±0.03 and 0.93±0.07, and 0.26±0.01 and 0.25±0.01, whereas the mean values of buffalo raw milk were 6.53, 0.17%, 1.032, 15.78%, 9.23%, 6.55%, 5.35%, 4.01%, 3.24%, 0.64%, 0.07%, and skimmed milk were 6.55, 0.18%,1.035, 10.27%, 10.12%,0.15%, 4.80%, 3.38%, 4.74%, 0.49% and 0.078% respectively. The cheese samples were analyzed for their physico-chemical properties. The mean values for pH was (5.23± 0.13), acidity in terms of lactic acid (1.01± 0.23%), total solids (29.54±0.39%), solids not fat (28.66± 0.33%), fat (0.88±0.19%), total proteins(23.14±0.42%), casein(17.57±0.68%), ash(2.15±0.14%) and chloride contents(0.67± 0.08%) whereas the values of physico-chemical quality of soft unripened cheese made from buffalo milk for pH, acidity, total solids, SNF, fat, total protein, casein, ash and chlorides percentages were respectively 5.47, 0.45, 30.79, 30.49, 0.3, 23.44, 17.41, 1.65,0.355. Trial 1 yielded the highest percentage (7.68) of cheese followed by Trial 2 (7.38), Trial 3 (7.22) and Trial 5 (5.68). While Trial 4 yielded the lowest percentage (5.49). Whereas cheese yielded from buffalo milk was 12.22 %. Samples from each trial were presented to the panel of five judges for sensory evaluation. Trial 4 rated highest score for physical appearance, body and texture and taste/ flavor followed by Trial 3, Trial 2, Trial 1 and Trial 5. In contrast to camel milk cheese, buffalo milk cheese significantly showed the highest score in all aspects

Parasitism is the major problem affecting livestock in many parts of the world. Amongst these parasitic problems, the warble fly infestation (hypodermosis) is a notorious and common malady of cattle, buffalo, sheep and goat in Pakistan. The disease is endemic in cattle, buffalo, sheep and goats in semi-hilly and mountainous areas of Pakistan. Keeping in view the importance of buffaloes an epidemiological survey was conducted to find the prevalence of hypodermosis in district Chakwal, Punjab, Pakistan, during the year 2005- 2006. Buffaloes are mainly kept for milk purpose in the study area. Out of 2000 buffaloes examined clinically, for grub infestation in the study area 125 (6.25%) and 37 (5.20%) found to be positive for the warble fly infestation in slaughter house as well as in the field. A prevalence variation among the male and female animals was also observed during the study. The factors of climatic conditions that favor the fly activity and contribute in the onset of disease

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease that is transmitted by a variety of routes, including the ingestion of raw or undercooked meat. It infects roughly one-third of the world's population and is caused by Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular parasite. The goal of this research is to detect the existence and genotypes of T. gondii in beef and mutton, two of the most widely consumed red meats in Gaza, Palestine, using both ELISA and PCR techniques. For this purpose, 60 red meat samples were collected from butcheries in Gaza city, during the period from January to March 2021. These samples were divided evenly between beef and mutton. This study found that beef is devoid of T. gondii, whether tested using ELISA or PCR. On the contrary, both approaches detected T. gondii in mutton; however, the percentage of positive samples reported differed. For example, whereas T. gondii was detected in 14 (46.66 %) of 30 samples using ELISA, only 5 (16.66 %) of positive samples were detected using PCR. The genotyping results of the current investigation showed that the three DNA isolates were T. gondii type II. A Chisquare test was also implemented to evaluate the prevalence of T. gondii and the type of red meat samples (mutton and beef) examined using PCR and ELISA. Similarly, in the detection of T. gondii, a comparison of the PCR approach and ELISA was conducted, and all of these relationships were shown to be statistically significant, with p values < 0.05. Meanwhile, this investigation found that beef samples were devoid of T. gondii infection. Regardless of whether it was examined with an ELISA or a PCR, this study revealed the occurrence of T. gondii in mutton. The current study also concluded that eating raw or undercooked mutton is a potential risk factor for the transmission of T. gondii infection to humans. Besides, the occurrence of T. gondii type II in the three genotyped ADNA isolates.

The present study was conducted with the objective to determine the effect of bull exposure on postpartum resumption of ovarian activity, first behavioural oestrus and conception rate in Cholistani cows. A total of 24 Cholistani cows kept at Shadabad Cooperative Livestock Farms Cholistan, Pakistan during September-2012 to January-2013, were divided into two groups. Bull exposed (BE) cows (n=18) were exposed to mature bull throughout the study period whereas bull not exposed (BNE) cows (n=6) were not. Both groups were kept under similar feeding and management conditions. The mean interval from the calving to resumption of ovarian activity was 39.75±3.19 days in the BE and 49.75±2.75 days in BNE animals (P<0.05). The mean interval from the calving to the first behavioural oestrus was 46.93±0.48 days in BE and 57.5±1.29 days in BNE animals (P<0.05). During the study period, more (P<0.05) cows from the BE group (16/18 = 88.88%) showed behavioural oestrus as compared to the BNE group ones (4/6=66.66%). The conception rate in BE and BNE cows were 66.66% and 33.33%, respectively (P<0.05). It was concluded that, cows exposed to the presence of bulls at early postpartum periods showed reduced intervals from the calving to resumption of ovarian activity, first behavioural oestrus and resumed cyclicity earlier. Keywords