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\hypersetup{pdftitle={Delineation of the Culturable Normal Microflora of the Intestinal Tract of the Grasscutter (\textit{Thryonomys swinderianus})},pdfauthor={Mohammed Yaro, Phyllis Addo, Anna-R Barnes},pdfsubject={Tropentag 2010: Abstract},pdfkeywords={Gastrointestinal tract, grasscutter, normal microflora},pdfpagemode=None,colorlinks=true}
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\begin{document}
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\parbox[b]{13.4cm}{\centering \large{\textbf{Tropentag, September 14-16, 2010, Zurich}}\\[1ex] \Large{``World Food System  ---\\A Contribution from Europe''\\[2ex]}}
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\begin{center}
\Large{\textbf{Delineation of the Culturable Normal Microflora of the Intestinal Tract of the Grasscutter (\textit{Thryonomys swinderianus})\footnote{\textbf{Contact Address:} Mohammed Yaro, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Animal Science, Kwabenya, Ghana, \mbox{e-mail}: \email{moyaro2000@yahoo.com}}\\[0.8ex]}}
\normalsize{\textsc{Mohammed Yaro$^{1}$, Phyllis Addo$^{2}$, Anna-R Barnes$^{3}$}}
\end{center}
\begin{itemize*}
\item[]{\small{\textit{$^{1}$Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Animal Science, Ghana}}}
\item[]{\small{\textit{$^{2}$University of Ghane, Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research, Animal Experimentation, Ghana}}}
\item[]{\small{\textit{$^{3}$University of Ghana, Dept. of Animal Science, Ghana}}}
\end{itemize*}
\index[author]{Yaro, Mohammed}
\index[author]{Addo, Phyllis}
\index[author]{Barnes, Anna-R}
\begin{center}
\vspace{1.1cm}
\textbf{Abstract}
\begin{abstract}
\normalsize{
The grasscutter meat is widely recognised as a source of animal protein in West
 Africa in general, and Ghana in particular. Despite the apparent
 potential of the grasscutter, attempts made to domesticate it have been
 militated against by high mortality caused by various factors including
 diseases. It is in this light that this work seeks to initiate a novel
 chapter in the study of the health of the grasscutter by first



documenting its normal microflora in the gastrointestinal tract using the culture. 



Fresh faecal samples were collected under anaerobic conditions from 36
 healthy grasscutters (neonates, weanlings, subadults and adults) for a
 period of six months. The normal GIT microflora isolated in the 1-week, 2-week, 3-week and 4-week old grasscutters were similar in composition and they comprised:
 \textit{Staphylococcus} species, \textit{Bacillus} species, \textit{Bacillus cereus}, \textit{Escherichia
 coli }and \textit{Klebsiella} species in the aerobic cultures. \textit{Peptostreptococcus} species and Bacteroides\textit{ }species were identified in the anaerobic
 cultures. 



Unexpectedly, \textit{Candida albicans} grew profusely on both aerobic
 and anaerobic cultures throughout the one month life of the neonates.
 Analysis of the weanlings, subadults and adults showed that GIT
 microflora had similar composition as that of the neonates but also had
 in addition, \textit{Enterobacter} species from the aerobic cultures, and
 \textit{Corynebacteria} species and \textit{Clostridium perfringens} from the anaerobic
 cultures. The sex of grasscutters did not constitute any statistically
 significant source of variation in the populations of the cultivable
 aerobic GIT normal microflora. The age of the grasscutter, with the
 exception of staphylococcus species, significantly influenced the
 populations of all other cultivable aerobic GIT normal microflora
 identified ($p < 0.01$). 



The study identified varying levels of
 correlations both negative and positive among populations of the
 cultivable aerobic GIT normal microflora, except \textit{Enterobacteriaceae} and
 \textit{Bacillus cereus} that were not correlated. \textit{Bacillus cereus} isolation



particularly is of significance as it is a documented causative
 organism of food poisoning in humans and has not been reported in any



normal microflora study reviewed. The findings of this novel study will
 provide the impetus for meaningful studies into microbial disease and



the possible use of probiotics in grasscutter farming.



}

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\end{abstract}
\end{center}
\noindent \textbf{Keywords:} Gastrointestinal tract, grasscutter, normal microflora
\index[key]{Gastrointestinal tract}
\index[key]{Grasscutter}
\index[key]{Microflora!normal}
\end{document}