Abstract
Background and Aim:Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica are two commonly reported liver flukes that cause fascioliasis in ruminants. Among the members of the genus Fasciola, F. hepatica was identified in the study area. Fascioliasis is a major disease that affects the production of livestock by causing liver damage. F. hepatica has developed advanced mechanisms to trick, elude, and alter the host immune response, similar to an extrinsic stressor. These mechanisms consequently affect the animals’ physiological and metabolic functions in vivo and postmortem changes, which have significant influences on animal welfare and meat quality development. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the current prevalence of cattle fascioliasis at abattoirs in El-Kharga city, New Valley Governorate, Egypt, and to investigate the changes in serum biochemical and immunological parameters and oxidative stress factors due to Fasciola spp. infection in terms of meat quality and immune response.Materials and Methods:A total of 226 cattle were inspected for the presence of Fasciola spp. The liver of each cattle was examined by making several incisions for detecting adult Fasciola spp. in El- Kharga. The blood samples were collected to analyze the changes in serum biochemical and immunological parameters and oxidative stress factors.Results:Of the 226 cattle, 38 (16.81%) were positive for F. hepatica at the postmortem examination. Cattle infected with F. hepatica had highly elevated serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, urea, and creatinine levels. Immunological cytokine profiles showed significantly increased serum interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and transforming growth factor-beta levels and a significantly decreased interferon-γ level. Furthermore, oxidative stress profiles showed significantly increased serum malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels and significantly decreased total antioxidant capacity and reduced glutathione level.Conclusion:This study demonstrated that F. hepatica infection alone is an oxidative stress factor that affects slaughtered animals, leading to biochemical and metabolic alterations in the early postmortem period.
Highlights
Fascioliasis is a parasitic disease caused by the liver flukes Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, which are digenetic trematodes identified in most regions worldwide [1,2]
Cattle infected with F. hepatica had highly elevated serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, γ-glutamyl transferase, urea, and creatinine levels
Serum biochemical parameters profile in Fasciola-infected cattle samples if compared to control group evidenced a significant increase in serum ALT (30.85±1.24 vs 16.98±0.49, p
Summary
Fascioliasis is a parasitic disease caused by the liver flukes Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, which are digenetic trematodes identified in most regions worldwide [1,2]. The General Organization of Veterinary Services in Egypt has estimated that Fasciola spp. accounts for 30% of loss in milk and meat production [3]. These parasites infect the liver of cattle, due to which the animals are orderly condemned (i.e., officially declared unfit) on inspection at Copyright: Nasreldin and Zaki. F. hepatica has developed advanced mechanisms to trick, elude, and alter the host immune response, similar to an extrinsic stressor These mechanisms affect the animals’ physiological and metabolic functions in vivo and postmortem changes, which have significant influences on animal welfare and meat quality development. This study aimed to determine the current prevalence of cattle fascioliasis at abattoirs in El-Kharga city, New Valley Governorate, Egypt, and to investigate the changes in serum biochemical and immunological parameters and oxidative stress factors due to Fasciola spp. infection in terms of meat quality and immune response
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