The present study was undertaken to evaluate the protective effects of Hydroethanolic leaves extract of Persea americana (HEPA) against Antouka Su-per® (AS) induced hepatotoxicity in male Japanese quail. In total, 40 immature male Japanese quails aged 28 days were used and divided equally into 5 groups. The groups were designed as the control group (received only a 10 ml/kg of distilled water) and the AS group (75 mg/kg b.w). Other three groups received AS (75 mg of AS/kg b.w) plus HEPA (50, 100, and 200 mg/kg b.w/day respectively) by the oral route. After 60 days of the experiment, the crushed liver was performed to obtain homogenate. The protective effects of HEPA on the biochemical parameters, oxidative stress biomarkers and histology changes in the liver were evaluated. The results indicated that AS treatment caused significant alterations in the clinical signs and behavior. It induces the increase in the content of Urea, Creatinine, Protein, AST and ALT in liver tissues and serum. The activities of enzymatic oxidative stress markers such as Superoxide Dismutase (SOD); Catalase (CAT) and Total Peroxidase (POD) also showed significant perturbations in AS-treated quails.

Livestock health is a vital production factor in all production units. In the developed world, a lot of resources are invested in preventive measures unlike in the developing countries where resources are geared toward curative methods of livestock health care. Smallholder livestock production is an important sector of Cameroon’s economy, therefore for a sustainable production there should be a good livestock health care system. In Cameroon, livestock production is entrusted to poor, old and illiterate’s farmers with their indigenous methods of keeping livestock healthy and productive. For Cameroon to increase production, ethno veterinary medicine, which is adapted and affordable to smallholder breeders, should be developed for a sustainable smallholder production. Over 90% of the materials used in ethno veterinary medicine are from plants, hence there is an urgent need to conserve and propagate the medicinal plants already identified for fear of extinction due to random harvesting. Since ethno veterinary plants will be continuously used by smallholder livestock producers, there is a need to development ethno veterinary gardens for a sustainable use and conservation of these plants’ species for future generations. More research is needed to evaluate and validate the ethno veterinary properties of these plants’ preparations through collaboration between the ethno veterinary practitioners and researchers.

The soil and agricultural products pollution by nickel represents an important public health risk in agrarian areas such as the Dschang in Cameroon. This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive toxicity and oxidative stress potential of nickel chloride in male guinea pig. Four groups of adult male guinea pigs were orally treated with nickel chloride at doses of 0, 17.50, 26.25 and 52.50 mg/kg bw for 90 days. At the end of the experimental period, all animals were sacrificed, and blood samples and vital organs were collected for different analysis. Treatment of male guinea pigs with 52.50 mg/kg nickel chloride resulted in increased kidney weight and volume and decreased weights of the sex accessory glands (seminal vesicle + prostate + coagulating glands), epididymis and vas deferens. The 52.50 mg/kg dose of nickel chloride decreased (p<0.05) the animal’s sperm mobility, number and viability, while it increased (p<0.05) sperm micro and macrocephalies. Assessment of biochemical parameters of toxicity revealed increase (p<0.05) of serum creatinine and aminotransferases activities in the nickel chloride-exposed guinea pigs (52.50 mg/kg). The nickel chloride (52.50 mg/kg) also promoted oxidative stress, through decrease (p<0.05) of superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, as well as increase (p<0.05) in lipid peroxydation. In addition, histology of testis revealed disrupted germ cell arrangement, decreased concentration of sperms in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules and degraded germinal epithelium in the animals exposed to nickel chloride. In conclusion, results obtained in this study revealed that nickel chloride perturbs male reproductive system and induced oxidative stress.