الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION AND AIM OF THE WORKOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
 |  | from | 226 |  |  |
| | | from | 226 | | |
Abstract
The present work was conducted to assess and evaluate the impact of salinity in drinking water and salt tolerant plant (Alfalfa) on the histological, histochemical and ultrastructural characteristics of the hair follicle and other integumental structures of Shami male goats under arid conditions in south Sinai, Egypt.
The field work of the present study was carried out at South Sinia Research Station (Ras Sudr), South Sinai Governorate belonging to the Desert Research Centre (DRC), Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Egypt.
Twenty-eight Shami male goats (2.0-2.5 months old with an average body weight of 13.02 ± 0.34 kg) were assigned randomly into equal four groups (each of 7 animals). The first group (G1) was served as control fed berseem (Trifolium alexandrnum) hay and drank fresh water (247 ppm), the second group (G2) fed berseem (Trifolium alexandrnum) hay and drank saline water (6000 ppm), the third group (G3) fed salt-tolerant plant (alfalfa) and drank fresh water and the fourth group (G4) fed salt-tolerant plant (alfalfa) and drank saline water. All groups were offered concentrate feed mixture (CFM) and roughages (60%:40%) to cover their maintenance and productive requirements according to Kearl (1982). Water was available to all groups daily. Samples from roughage and CFM were taken monthly to determine their chemical composition according to the standard methods of A.O.A.C. (1995).
Chemical analyses were done in the Animal Production Lab of South Sinai Research Station, while the histological measurements were done in the Central Lab of DRC.
The main results could be summarized as follows:
1. It was clear from the present results that the thickness of the primary follicles is greater than that of the secondary follicles.
2. There is a significant effect (p<0.05) in SW group, STP group, and the interaction between groups on the external diameter of the primary hair follicles; where groups drink saline water ( G2 then G4) have the lowest values and freshwater groups ( G1 then G3) have the highest values.
3. For the internal diameter of the primary hair follicles, the difference between treatments has no significant effect, where saline water groups have the lowest value (G4 then G2) and freshwater groups (G3 then G1) have the highest.
4. Using of SW in drinking, exhibit lower dimension of wall follicles than using FW. where the mean values were found to be 83.5, 71.13, 54.94 and 50.61 µm for (H*FW)/ G1, (STP*SW)/ G2, (STP*FW)/ G3 and (H*SW)/ G4, respectively.
5. Fibres which produced from primary follicles, showing a thicker diameter in groups feeding H more than that feeding STP. Also, fibre diameter of groups which, drinking SW showed a thicker diameter than that drinking FW.
6. The dimensions of the secondary follicles took the same trend of the primaries where, the mean values of the external diameter were 65.34, 58.20, 51.72 and 62.65 µm for ”FW*H”, ”FW*STP”, ”SW*H” and ”SW*STP”, respectively.
7. The overall mean values of the internal diameter __ of the secondary follicles __ recorded the highest value in STP groups and the lowest one at FW groups.
8. In case of wall thickness, the highest value (36.94 µm) was recorded in the group drank fresh water (FW*H) while, the lowest one was 26.02 µm in the group drank saline water (SW*H).
9. The finest fibre was recorded in groups feeding hay where G1 and G2 have mean values 15.02 µm and 15.52 µm respectively.
10. For the fibre length, there was no significant effect between the four groups. where the group fed on STP and drank SW (G4) has the highest value and the group fed on Hay and drank SW (G2) has the lowest one.
11. For S/P ratio, the interaction between the four groups showed highly significant (p<0.05) effect and the group feed on STP and drank FW (G3) is the most active one.
12. For the fibre types, no significant difference was found between the four different groups; the group fed on STP and drank SW (G4) has the highest percentage of medulla thickness.
13. Analysis of the skin using ICAP revealed that there is a significant effect (p<0.05) in the elements: Zn, Sr, Pb, and Ni between the four groups.
14. Analysis of the hair using ICAP, showed that there is a significant effect (p<0.05) between four groups in the elements: Cr, Mn, Ni, Pb and Si.
15. The distribution of general carbohydrates in the different hair follicle sheaths, for both primary and secondary follicles, was dominant in the outer root sheath.
16. The outer root sheath of both the primary and secondary follicles has a higher content of general proteins than the inner ones. Also, the outer and inner root sheath of secondary follicles has a higher concentration of general proteins than those of the primary follicles.
17. Total dissolved salts (Ca, P, Na, and K) increased in saline water compared to fresh water (5980 and 274 ppm of TDS for saline and fresh water, respectively).
18. The results of chemical composition showed that alfalfa compared to Berseem hay, has higher percentage of nitrogen-free extract (average 50.49 vs. 41.3%), ether extract (average 2.51 vs. 1.38%) and crude protein (average 18.82 vs. 14.5%), while decreased in crude fibres (average 20.63 vs. 28.20%) and ash content (average 7.55 vs. 11.61%) .
19. The minerals concentrations increased in alfalfa than in Berseem hay, where Na (1.4 vs. 0.7%), K (1.72 vs. 1.24%), Ca (0.962 vs. 0.682%) and P (0.666 vs. 0.233%), respectively.
20. Electric conductivity (Ec) was higher in saline water than in freshwater (9.96 vs. 0.53 µs/cm), respectively.
21. The pH value was almost similar in both saline and fresh water, with values being 7.23 and 7.63, respectively.
22. Body weight changes in all the animal groups were nearly the same all over the experimental period.
23. Higher roughage and concentrate intake was reflected on the total dry matter intake which was higher in ”FW*STP” (G3) followed by ”SW*H” (G2) then ”FW*H” (G1), and ”SW*STP” (G4).
24. The highest drinking water intake was observed in groups fed on hay (G1 and G2), while the lowest values were observed in groups fed on STP (G3 and G4).
25. In an overall conclusion, the study has indicated the potential use of salt-tolerant plants and/or the drinking of saline water in salt-affected land (arid and semi-arid regions) with no effect on the animal`s skin and hair follicles, its health and productivity.