ABSTRACT The use of compounds with antioxidant properties as a source of phelanoeid compounds is highly recommendable in the poultry industry. Therefore, the effect of Cichorium intybus L. herb on pathobiochemical indexes of chicken under heat stress was studied. After exposure to heat stress (from day 21 to day 42 of growth), hydroalcoholic extraction was provided to 270 broiler chicks randomly divided into six groups and placed in two distinct poultry houses (heat stress and normal conditions). The three groups were recipient group of Cichorium intybus L. (1); recipient group of vitamin C (2) and control group (3). The birds in one of the houses were exposed to heat stress conditions (35 °C for 8 hours) for a time period between 22 to 42 days and the birds in the other house were reared under normal conditions (20-22°C) for the same time period. Blood samples collected from the birds showed that Cichorium intybus L. herb caused significant decrease in uric acid, Triglyceride, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), total body clearance factors (CL- factors) and right ventricular failure index (RVF) and significant increase in K+ under heat stress condition (p< 0.05). Vitamin C caused significant decrease in uric acid, ALT, CL- factors and RVF index and significant increase in K+ and Na+ under heat stress condition (p< 0.05). A significant decrease in cholesterol and triglyceride in recipient group of Cichorium intybus L was observed compared to the recipient group of vitamin C under heat stress condition (p< 0.05). In a pathologic examination normal observations were in recipient group of Cichorium intybus L and recipient group of vitamin C compared to the control group. According to this study, use of Cichorium intybus L extract and vitamin C in chicken under heat stress induced improvement in liver, kidney activity and fat metabolism.

Two hundred and thirty-nine cattle from Gauteng Province in South Africa were tested for various pathogens causing reproductive diseases including bovine viral diarrhoea/mucosal disease (BVD/MD) virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis/infectious pustular vulvovaginitis (IBR/IPV) virus, Neospora caninum and Brucella abortus using various tests. For BVD/MD virus, 49.37 % tested positive, 74.47 % for IBR/IPV virus, 8.96 % for Neospora caninum and 3.8 % for Brucella abortus. The result for Brucella abortus is higher than the national average, possibly due to the small sample size. A high seroprevalence of antibodies to both BVD/MD virus and IBR/IPV virus was evident. These 2 viruses should be considered, in addition to Brucella abortus, when trying to establish causes of abortion in cattle. The clinical significance of Neospora caninum as a cause of abortion in Gauteng needs further investigation. One hundred and forty-three bulls were tested for Campylobacter fetus and Trichomonas fetus, and a low prevalence of 1.4 % and 2.1 % respectively was found in this study. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.