The study describes the in vivo activity of Lactobacillus casei in malnourished Giardia lamblia-infected BALB/c mice. By experimentation, it was found that daily administration of the probiotic 7 days before inoculation with Giardia trophozoites in malnourished mice efficiently reduced both the severity and duration of giardiasis. More specifically, excretion of Giardia cysts and trophozoites counts were reduced, while faecal lactobacilli counts increased significantly in probiotic-fed malnourished mice, compared with control mice. Interestingly, it was also observed that oral feeding of the probiotic to malnourished mice abrogated all the anthropometric and biochemical anomalies. Histologically, morphological and cellular alteration of microvillus membrane integrity revealed that probiotic administration ameliorated the mucosal damage in malnourished, probiotic-inoculated, Giardia-infected mice compared with the severe microvillus atrophy, œdematous and vacuolated epithelial cells, and ileitis in malnourished Giardia-infected mice. The results clearly show the antigiardial effect of the probiotic in vivo by modulating the gut cells to inhibit the colonization and multiplication of Giardia trophozoites, thus reducing the severity and duration of murine giardiasis.

The present study describes the in vivo ameliorating effect of Lactobacillus casei supplementation in renourished Giardia intestinalis infected BALB/c mice. It was observed that daily administration of probiotic 7 days prior to Giardia-infection to renourished mice, efficiently reduced the excretion of Giardia cysts and trophozoite counts, along with significant increased fecal lactobacilli counts compared with Giardia-infected mice. It was also observed that oral feeding of probiotic to renourished-Giardia-infected mice abrogated all the anthropometric and biochemical anomalies. Histologically, morphological and cellular alteration of microvillus membrane integrity revealed that probiotic administration further ameliorated the mucosal damage in renourished-probiotic-Giardia-infected mice compared to severe microvillus atrophy, oedematous, vacuolated epithelial cells and ileitis in renourished-Giardia and Giardia-infected mice. Thus, it is suggested that probiotic used as the functional food helps in restoration of anthropometric, biochemical alterations and atrophied gut by enhancing the goblet cells and reducing the giardiasis.

AbstractThe present study was designed to delineate the effect of Giardia duodenalis in malnourished and renourished BALB/c mice. Control and renourished mice were fed with a standard pellet diet while malnourished mice were fed with a low protein (4.3 %) diet both before and after being challenged orally with actively growing G. duodenalis trophozoites. It was observed that malnourished mice had a greater severity and longer duration of Giardia infection compared with renourished mice. These malnourished mice also had less body mass but higher cyst and trophozoite counts. Malnourished mice infected with Giardia had significantly decreased level of total serum proteins, albumin, globulins, hemoglobin, leukocyte, and differential leukocyte counts compared with renourished mice. From the data it is concluded that protein malnutrition profoundly affects the anthropometric and physiological parameters of the body indicating greater susceptibility and severity of the disease.

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Generation mean analysis of brinjal lines, GL 401 × BR 104 (CROSS I), GL 401 × W 230 (CROSS II) and W 230 × RMO 1142 (CROSS III) six generation of three crosses viz. highlighted the involvement of epistatic interactions (duplicate) for most of the qualitative traits. However, the number of fruits per plant in CROSS I & III and fruit girth, calyx length, and yield per plant in CROSS II confirmed the occurrence of complementary epistasis. Mainly, additive effect for fruit girth, non-additive effect for calyx length, calyx width, peduncle girth, fruit weight, and fruit length, and both types for peduncle length, number of fruits /cluster, number of fruits/ plant, and yield/ plant were experienced. Additive × dominance or dominance × dominance type of interactions were more prevalent than additive × additive type of interactions for different traits. Cluster bearing was monogenic dominant and green color of calyx as well as peduncle was dominant over purple with the duplicate type of epistasis. Fruit shape was dgenic with incomplete dominance. Fruit color displayed digenic control in CROSS I & II and tri-genic ratio in CROSS III with incomplete dominance of purple and green pigmentations producing variable color intensity in homozygous or heterozygous conditions.