PREVALENCE OF SARCOCYSTS AND IT’S ASSOCIATED CHEMICAL CHANGES IN CATTLE'S MEAT IN ALEXANDRIA GOVERNORATE

PREVALENCE OF SARCOCYSTS AND IT’S ASSOCIATED CHEMICAL CHANGES IN CATTLE'S MEAT IN ALEXANDRIA GOVERNORATE

AMANY FARAG ZAYED^*; KAREMA MOHAMED EL-BAKRY^** and ENAS A.H. FARAG^***

* Food hygiene ** Parasitology *** Biochemistry and food deficiency. Animal Health Research Institute, Alexandria         and Banah

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                                            ABSTRACT

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Key words:  Sarcocysts, Oesophagus, PH.

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INTRODUCTION

Parasitic diseases were the most important serious problem among animal. It is not only affected general health condition of the animals but it could been also a zoontic diseases transmitted to human being . Sarcocysts infection is common in buffaloes worldwide as nearly all adult buffaloes are infected with some Sarcocysts species in certain countries as India(Dubey et al., 1989). Sarcocystis species are the most common parasites of domestic ruminants thatutilize vertebrates as both intermediate host and definitive host. (Guclu et al., 2004).

Some species  of Sarcocysts can be severely pathogenic to farm animals, causing anorexia, weight-loss, abortion and even death. But perhaps because Sarcocysts are so common they have frequently been regarded as innocuous. Even in the USA and UK, many cases of abortion in farm animals go undiagnosed, and it is only now that sarcocystosis is being implicated as potentially of economic importance to the farm industry. In many cases however, the major effect is likely to be subclimcal, seen in farm animals only as a reduction in live weight gain (Herbert and  Smith, 1987).

Man may be involved as final or intermediate host in the life cycle of several Sarcocystis which infect man. Sarcocystis suihominis and S.hominis infect man as a final host while S.lindermanni as an intermediate host (Jae-Woong et al., 1988).

Sarcocystis hominis is only mild pathogenic in humans, causing nausea, stomach pain and diarrhea(Dubey et al., 1989). Theprevalence of intestinal sarcocystosis in humans is low andis only rarely associated with illness (Ronald, 2004)

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Sarcocysts remains viable for long periods of time and that proper heating and freezing may be effective controls and considered harmless in cooked meat, nevertheless a low prevalence can be included among quality parameters as an indication of good sanitation of the meat (Gabrieleet al., 2006).

Carcasses heavily infected with Sarcocysts are totally rejected, but that of light infection, can pass for human consumption after partial trimming without restriction.

The question raised is that is this meat pass for human consumption after partial trimming of the parts contained the Sarcocysts have the same quality of meat obtained from healthy non infected animals?

This study aimed to determined the prevalence of Sarcocyst in different Alexanderia abattoirs and to compare the quality of meat from infected and non infected animals using chemical parameters.

MATERIALS and METHODS

1- Collction of samples:

A proper system of identification were adopted with carcasses of 172 cattle at 4 of a local abattoirs in Alexandria to facilitate the through routine post mortem examination aiming to reveal the infection with macroscopic cysts. Muscular samples were excised and submitted to the lab for further investigation. Each carcass was represented by a group of muscle samples from tongue, oesophagus, cervical (sloat), diaphragm and heart muscles.

2- Preperation of samples:

Muscular samples with macroscopically visible Sarcocystswere identified  according to(Soulsby, 1986), then cut from other muscular  tissues mentioned.  

3- Histopathological examination:

The samples were fixed in neutral buffered 10% formalin, processed by standard histological techniques, sectioned at 5 mm. stained by haematoxylin and eosin, and examined by light microscope for the presence of Sarcocysts. The differentiation between the microscopic species was based on the morphological criteria (size and cyst wall) described by(Dubey et al., 1989).

4- Chemical Examination:

1- Determination of pH was carried out as outlined by (Pearson, 1984)

2- Determination of protein percentage was carried out as outlined by (AOAC, 1980).                        

3- Determination of fat percentage was carried out as outlined by (AOAC, 1980)

4- Determination of ash percentage was carried out as outlined by (AOAC, 1980)

5- Determination of moisture percentage was carried out as outlined by (FAO, 1986).    

RESULTS

Macroscopical examination:

Macroscopic cysts appeared grossly as spindle shaped white or creamy in color. Cysts measured 10.0–45.0 mm length &1.5-7.0 mm width. Fig. (1-4)

Histopathologic features:

Stained smears revealed banana shaped bradyzoites (Sarcocyst Fusiformis.). The submitted sections contained few intermyofibrillar protozoal cysts. The diameter of every cyst ranged from 2-4 mm and was lined by a thick wall  (100 microns) (fig.5).  The cyst contained myriads numbers of nucleated banana-shaped zoites (Fig.6).

The incidence of macroscopic Sarcocyst Fusiformis in slaughtered animals in abattoirs at Alexandria Governorate were represented in Table (1). The incidence of macroscopic  Sarcocyst Fusiformis  in some organs including tongue, esophagus cervical muscles, diaphragm and heart were shown in Table (2).

Chemicals analysis of meat  infected with Sarcocysts:

Table (3) show that total fat % were significantly lower in infected samples than non-infected one.Data recorded in (Table 4) revealed highly significant reduction in the total protein percent in meat samples infected with Sarcocysts Fusiformis. in comparison with non-infected meat samples. Data in (Table 5) revealed that the ash % was higher in infected samples than non infected ones. Results recorded in From the results recorded in (Table 6) there is highly significant increase of the pH value in infected meat samples. (Table 7) showed that the moisture percent were significantly higher in infected samples than non-infected ones.

Table 1: Incidence of macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis. in slaughtred cattle at different abattoirs at Alexandria Governorates.

Table 2: Prevalence of macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis. in different muscular tissues  of slaughtered cattle (n= 69).

Table 3: Statistical analytical results of fat percent in the examined cattle^,s organs non-infected and infected with macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis.      

  ** highly significant difference

Table 4:Statistical analytical results of protein percent in the examined non-infected and infected cattle^’s organs with macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis.

** highly significant difference

Table 5: Statistical analytical results of ash percent in the examined non-infected and infected cattle^’s organs with macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis.

** highly significant difference

Table 6: Statistical analytical results of pH values in the examined cattle^’s organs non-infected and infected with macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis.

** Highly significant difference

Table 7: Statistical analytical results of moisture percent in the examined cattle^’s organs non-infected and infected with macroscopic Sarcocysts Fusiformis.

** Highly significant difference

Macroscopical finding of  Sarcocysts in different tissues :-    

             Fig. (1) Sarcocyst in cervical muscle                  Fig. (2) Sarcocysts in Oesophagus

                                                 Fig. (3) Sarcocysts in diaphgram

Microscopical features:

Specimen: Skeletal muscles

     Fig. 4: (Skeletal muscles) A protozoal cyst lined   Fig. 5: Higher magnification of fig. 1 to show

                 with a thick wall (arrow) and myriads of             the wall (arrow) and the Banana-shaped

                    protozoal zoites (arrow head). HE=100.             zoites (arrow)  HE=100                         

DISCUSSION

Results recorded in Table (1) revealed that macroscopic Sarcocystis were reported in 69 out of 172 (40.12%) of slaughtered cattle in different abattoirs at Alexandria Governorates,El-Sayed, (2010)reported17.2% of infection with macroscopic Sarcocysts in slaughtered cattle at the age of 2-3 years old, and 68.1% of infection with macroscopic Sarcocysts at  the age over 5 years old.  

Table (2) showed the highest percent of infection in organs with macroscopic Sarcocysts in oesophagus (36.4%) and the lowest in the heart (13%). A similar results were obtained by Latif et al. (1999); Vercruysse et al. (1989) and Yassien et al. (2006).   

Macroscopic cysts appear grossly as spindle shaped white or creamy in color. Cysts measured 10.0–45.0 mm length &1.5-7.0 mm width. Stained smears revealed banana shaped bradyzoites.( Sarcocysts Fusiformis) this results was in  agreement with (El-Sayed, 2010).

A highly significant reduction were reported in the total protein percent in meat samples infected with Sarcocysts Fusiformis in comparison with non-infected meat samples, these findings might be attributed to the adverse effect of such parasite on muscles constituents resulting from oedema and mayositis which lower muscular protein (Alan and Mac, 1996).

A highly  significantly lowering in fat %  in Sarcocysts infected infected animals compared to those of the non infected ones were recorded. Those finding was due to weakness and loss of appetite of infected animals consequently excessive utilization of body fat (Dubey et al., 1982).

Ash % was highly significantly increased in Sarcocysts infected cattle compared to those of non infected. This may be attributed to the relative decrease in the dry matters (protein, fat) in infected animals as a result of lipolysis and proteolysis and consequently increase in the inorganic matter concentration which is considered the main component of ash (Awad,  and  Georgy, 1984).

A highly significant increase in the moisture percent were reported in Sarcocysts infected cattle compared to those non infected ones These finding was related to excessive loss of fat and protein which play an important role in accumulation of fluid in the tissue (edema) Mostafa and Yasein, (2010).

A highly significant increase in the pH values were demonostrated in Sarcocysts  infected cattle compared to those of non infected cattle. These finding is partially due to an increase of moisture concentration and a weak muscular contraction as a result of parasitism. These weak muscular contraction due to formation of lactic acid by glycolysis (Robert et al., 1991).

From the previous results it could be concluded that parasitism with Sarcocysts increase the moisture percent and pH value, lower its protein and fat percentages. These serious effects greatly lower the meat quality and may render it completely unfit for consumption.

Advise

From this study we can advise that:-

- Prevent carnivore fecal contamination of bedding, feed and water.

- Dog and cats should be kept out of livestock housing and feed storage buildings.

- Prevented food animals from ingesting sporocysts stage which may present in contaminated bedding, feed and water.                         

- Prevent dogs/cats from eating uncooked meat

- Treatment with anticoccidial drugs (amprolium, salinomycin, halofuginone) may be attempted in the intermediate host

- Treatment is not necessaryfor the definitive host.

- Good personal hygiene such as hand washing with soap and water after handling raw  meat.

- When such preventative measures cannot be assured and meat might be harboring  cysts, it should be frozen for at least 2 days at -20°C or thoroughly cooked at 70°C before consumption to kill infectious bradyzoites. These measures will prevent of intestinal stages where human might serve as definitive hosts (Fayer and Dubey, 1985;  Srivastava et al., 1986 and Daryani et al., 2006).

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