Background: Tupaia belangeri is increasingly recognized as an essential animal model in neuroscience, metabolic disorders and emerging infectious diseases due to its close phylogenetic relationship to primates and its small body size. Phenotypic traits are crucial for studying biological systems. Tree shrews are widely used in environmental adaptation research due to their genetic diversity and phenotypic polymorphism. The measurement of its physical indicators and skull provides a new perspective for exploring the adaptive characteristics of different tree shrew populations. Establishing population-specific morphometric reference values is therefore essential for standardizing veterinary dosing and ensuring translational reliability when tree shrews are used as models for metabolic, neurodegenerative, or emerging infectious diseases. 
 
Methods: To elucidate the phenotypic diversity of the Tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri) and its relationship with environmental factors, the present study measured the body shape and skull indicators of 134 individuals across 12 regions. 
 
Result: The results showed that there had significant phenotypic differences between different geographic populations, with inter population variation significantly greater than intra population variation, indicating that differentiation mainly occurs between populations. Especially Daxin population (T. b. tonquinia) and the Hainan population (T. b. modesta) had larger body mass and length, whereas the Kunming population (T. b. chinensis) was relatively smaller. Environmental factor analysis revealed significant correlations between latitude, altitude, annual average temperature, atmospheric pressure and precipitation with the morphological traits of tree shrews, with altitude had the most significant impact on phenotypic differences. The clustering and principal component analysis results also confirmed the geographical differentiation of the tree shrew in morphological studies. The research findings emphasized the role of environmental factors in shaping the phenotypic diversity of the tree shrew and provide important insights into the evolution and ecological adaptation of this species, which was of great significance for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. 
&nbsp;

Phenotypic Diversity of Tree Shrews (Tupaia belangeri) with Implications for Biomedical Animal Research

Moringa [Moringa oleifera (Lam.) Moringaceae] is a fast growing, deciduous, drought tolerant and tropical perennial tree. Moringa oleifera is called as a &ldquo;Miracle Tree&rdquo; due to not only its nutritional and pharmacological properties but also utilized as biofuel, water purifier and cosmetic industry. Every part of Moringa oleifera is a storehouse of essential nutrients. Edible parts of the plant includes the whole leaves, immature green fruits or seed pods, flowers and roots. Mature seeds yield 38-40 per cent edible oil called ben oil. Cosmetics such as anti-ageing creams, hair care products, face creams, aromatherapy oils and massage oils use moringa oil. Fresh Moringa leaves was collected from Department of vegetable science, Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur. The KAU Moringa variety Anupama was selected for the study during the period of 2018-2020. Moringa is indeed a miracle tree with enormous potential which is yet to be explored for therapeutic and commercial applications.

​Moringa- The Miracle Wellness Tree: A Review

Background: Euchresta tubulosa is a medicinal plant in the Fabaceae family, traditionally used in Chinese herbal medicine for treating ailments such as sore throat and esophageal cancer. Despite its pharmacological importance and endangered status, no complete chloroplast genome data had been reported for this species or its genus prior to this study. Chloroplast genomes, being highly conserved and maternally inherited, serve as powerful tools for species identification, phylogenetic inference and genetic diversity assessment in plants. 
 
Methods: Fresh leaves of E. tubulosa were collected and genomic DNA was extracted using the cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) method. High-throughput sequencing was carried out on the Illumina NovaSeq6000 platform. Clean reads were assembled into a complete chloroplast genome using NovoPlasty, with a related species as the seed reference. Genome annotation was performed using DOGMA and validated manually. Codon usage patterns were analyzed using RSCU values and simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified with MISA software. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed using PhyML, based on complete chloroplast genome sequences from 14 related species. 
 
Result: The assembled chloroplast genome of E. tubulosa measured 153,960 bp and exhibited a typical quadripartite structure, comprising a large single-copy region (LSC), a small single-copy region (SSC) and two inverted repeats (IRs). The overall GC content was 36.3%. A total of 127 genes were identified, including 44 related to photosynthesis, 72 involved in self-replication, 5 with other biological roles and 6 hypothetical or unknown genes. Codon usage analysis revealed 31 codons with RSCU &gt; 1, showing a strong bias toward A/U-ending codons. A total of 109 SSR loci were detected, the majority of which were located in intergenic spacer regions. Phylogenetic analysis clearly positioned E. tubulosa as an independent lineage within the Fabaceae, supported by high bootstrap values. The genomic information provided by this study lays a foundation for future research in molecular taxonomy, phylogenetics and conservation of this endangered medicinal plant.

Features and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Chloroplast Genome of the Medicinal Plant Euchresta tubulosa

<div>Background: Vicia L. is rich in protein and can be used as a good forage, green manure, etc., but its classification is chaotic, which is not conducive to breeding and utilization. The purpose of the study is sequencing the nrDNA ITS region the chloroplast region (matK, rbcL and trnL-F) of the Vicia species of subgenus Vicilla of Vicia to resolve taxonomic contradictions. 
 
Methods: Collecting seeds from the National Herbage Germplasm Conservation Centre of China (Beijing, China) and the germplasm bank of wild species (Kunming, China). The seedlings were cultivated in greenhouse as experimental materials. The nrDNA ITS region and the chloroplast region (matK, rbcL and trnL-F) were sequenced in 17 Vicia species of subgenus Vicilla of Vicia. Maximum parsimony (MP), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) for all the data sets were used to estimate the individual and multilocus phylogenetic trees are used in this study and the result showed a highly-resolved phylogeny of the Vicia species.&nbsp; 
 
Result: V. amurensis, V. costata and V. tibetica belong to section Vicilla. Sections Cassubicae, Americanae, Variegatae and Lenticula were monophyletic groups. The sections Vicilla, Cracca and Amurense appeared polyphyletic. Treatment of sections Lenticula and Ervumin a separate subgenus Ervum was not supported. The research evaluated the phylogenetic position of the subgenus Vicilla species and provides a theoretical basis for the precise classification of the subgenus Vicilla and the genus Vicia.</div>

<div>Phylogenetic Relationships in Vicia Subgenus Vicilla (Fabaceae) Based on Combined Evidence from DNA Sequences</div>

<div>Background: Porcine cysticercosis, caused by Cysticercus cellulosae a larval stage of adult Taenia solium, is a zoonotic parasitic disease where pigs harbour intermediate stage&nbsp; and human being acts as a definite host. The people of north eastern region of India are mostly non-vegetarian and consumption of pork is very much preferred by the people of this region. Hence,it is essential to detect C. cellulosae infections in pork. But traditional method of detection of C. cellulosae by post mortem examination of pork has disadvantages like need of expert and may be over lookedin case of light infections. Molecular diagnosis have been reported to be highly specific and sensitive for its diagnosis. Keeping in view of the above, the present study on molecular detection of&nbsp; larval cestode C. cellulosae of pigs was undertaken. A study on phylogenetic relation of C. cellulosae of pigs or human Taenae solium of this region was done to know its relation with other parts of the world, as not yet done so far.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: A total of 654 pig carcasses in 17 market places of three prime districts of state Arunachal Pradesh, India were examined to detect Cysticercus cellulosae of pigs. The cysticerci samples were obtained manually from the infected muscles and organs of the infected pigs that were preserved in phosphate buffer saline until DNA extraction. Stool samples of human patients who attended out-patient department (OPD) of Community Health Centers, Nursing homes and District etc. of study area of Aunachal Pradesh, India were collected randomly and examined by salt flotation technique for the presence of T. solium eggs. The segments of tapeworm voided by patientswere then identified for species identification and T. solium segments were collected in normal saline solutions (NSS) after clearing the debris and faecal materials. Genomic DNA extraction from 3-4 numbers of cysticerci and T. solium segments collected from affected human being were extractedusing a spin column kit (D Neasy tissue kit: QUIGEN).The technique polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with published primers were used for molecular detection of C. cellulosae and to get molecular (PCR) products of T. solium for further study. The mitochondrial gene cytochrome b oxidase subunit was amplified by PCR. The PCR products were purified, sequenced and phylogenetic tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining method. 
 
Result: The present study recorded a PCR amplification of cytochrome b oxidase genes with a definite product size of 1068 bp from DNA extracted from C. cellulosae and T. solium. The product size obtained from C. cellulosae will be helpful for meat inspection by molecular detection of&nbsp; C. cellulosae infections in pork. The present finding signifies that the same genomic isolate of both the larval cestode and adult parasite of T. solium is prevailing in the study areas. The neighbors-joining phylogenic tree shows close similarity of the present isolates with that prevailing in other South East Asian countries and thus it can be assumed from the present finding that the same genotypic isolate of T. solium parasite is prevalent in the whole of South East Asian region.</div>

​Molecular Detection and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Genotype of Larval Cestode Cysticercus cellulosae of Pigs and Taenia solium of Man

Background: The mitochondrial genome serves as a pivotal molecular marker for delving into systematic relationships and adaptive mechanisms. The genus Eothenomys (Cricetidae: Arvicolinae) has consistently attracted attention due to its similar biological characteristics and the analysis of its mitochondrial genome offers a fresh perspective for comprehending the phylogeny and adaptation within Cricetidae. 
 
Methods: We sequenced and analyzed the entire mitochondrial genome of E. olitor and utilized the 13 PCGs derived from this genome to delineate the phylogenetic relationships within the Cricetidae and further evaluated the evolutionary rate of each PCG. 
 
Result: The findings revealed that the mitochondrial genome of E. olitor was 16,351 bp in length, including 13 PCGs with ATN initiation codons, 22 tRNAs, 2 rRNAs and 1 D-loop. Apart from the nad6 and 8 tRNAs positioned on the J-strand, the majority of the genetic elements were situated on the N-strand. The phylogenetic examination yielded a robust phylogenetic tree for Cricetidae, but the placement of some genera remained contentious, which needs more integrative and effective data. Among of them, E. olitor was a sister of E. chinensis and Eothenomys was monophyletic. Moreover, a selective analysis showed that evolutionary rates are significant differences among the 13 PCGs. Among these genes, atp8 a high evolutionary rate, while cox1 has a low. This research uncovered the mitochondrial genome analysis of E. olitor, offering valuable perspectives the phylogeny and adaptation within Cricetidae.

Phylogenetic Insights from the Mitochondrial Genome of Eothenomys olitor (Thomas, 1911): A Cricetidae Perspective

Background: The Karacadağ Mountains are of extinct volcanic origin and cover a large area in the triangle between Diyarbakır (Center, Nar and Ergani districts), Şanlılurfa (Siverek and Viranşehir districts) and Mardin (Derik district). Agricultural activities are limited due to the stony structure of the region; therefore, small animal husbandry is intensively practiced in the villages of the region. Mahalli goats, which are morphologically new domestic goats, are distinguished from other domestic goats by their spiral horn structure. They are not only resistant to cold weather conditions, but also resistant to diseases. Therefore, present study aimed to determine the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of Mahalli goats in Diyarbakır region. 
 
Methods: The study was carried out at Şanlıurfa, Harran University of Agricultural Faculty, Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology and Molecular Genetics, in 2019-2020. Out of 24 Mahalli goats, forward and reverse primers were used to amplify the 598 bp region over the mtDNA D-loop region encompassing the 481 bp most variable region (HVR1). Analysis of goat D-loop sequences revealed 481 regions of 0.378 G+C, 97 polymorphic regions and 19 haplotypes. The phylogenetic analysis of Mahalli goats was carried out using molecular genetic techniques. 
 
Result: As a result of data analysis, both haplotype diversity (HD) and nucleotide diversity (ND) were calculated to be 1.000&plusmn;0.0039 and 0.0375&plusmn;0.00209, respectively. The genetic distance between the haplotypes of Mahalli goat ranged from 0.003 to 0.087 and the genetic distance between the haplotypes of Mahalli goat and other domestic goat breeds in Turkey ranged from 0.016 to 0.027. All 19 haplotypes used in this study were represented in the lineage A phylogenetic tree.

A Mitochondrial DNA-based Molecular Phylogenetics Study of the Mahalli Goat as a New Animal Genetic Resource in Southern Anatolia in Turkey

<div>Background: India ranks first in global livestock production and it is an important subsidiary enterprise that support more than 75 per cent of the rural community. But fodder production is not well practiced in our country and animals generally consume naturally grown grasses and shrubs which are of low quality in terms of protein and available energy. Hence, there is an urgent need to look for new fodder resources that are sustainable in nature and cover our fodder deficit. Keeping the above in view, the present study has been proposed to evaluate the predominant tree fodders and shrubs of Southern Kerala as a quality livestock feed. 
 
Methods: The study was conducted in College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Thiruvananthapuram during January-September, 2020 to assess the nutritional value of predominant tree fodders and shrubs in Southern Kerala as a quality feed for cattle. Ten different fodder trees and shrubs that locally fed to the cattle viz., Agathi (Sesbania grandiflora), erythrina (Erythrina indica), Drumstick (Moringa oleifera), Coconut (Cocos nucifera), Glyricidia (Glyricidia maculate), Matti (Terminalia elliptica), Subabul (Leucaena leucocephala), Cassava (Manihot esculenta), Banana (Musa acuminate) and Mango (Mangifera indica) were selected and analysed for proximate composition, crude fiber and mineral status. 
 
Result: The result revealed that mean values for dry matter, crude protein, crude fiber, ether extract and total ash in tree fodders were 37.07&plusmn;4.02, 18.52&plusmn;1.72, 18.56&plusmn;2.07, 4.68&plusmn;0.51, 8.72&plusmn;0.66, respectively. The study also proved that Sesbania grandiflora (Agathi) is nutritionally superior to other tree fodders with high crude protein (25.24%) and lower crude fiber (8.43%) content. The Neutral Detergent Fiber content of fodder tree leaves varied from 17.34- 65.32 per cent and that of Acid Detergent Fiber from 11.10-48.69 per cent. Phosphorus and potassium status of top feeds comes under the range of 0.26-0.93 per cent and 1.0-2.7 per cent respectively. However the highest amount of Calcium as well as magnesium was found in Moringa oleifera (2.75 and 0.60 per cent respectively).</div>

​Nutritional Evaluation of Predominant Tree Fodders and Shrubs of Southern Kerala as a Quality Livestock Feed

<div>Background: Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) oil is an essential oil that is steam distilled from the leaves of the tea tree, native to Australia. The oil has fresh and pleasant odour and some medicinal properties of odour eliminating as well as antibacterial and antiseptic action. Tea tree oil has found increasing use in certain consumer products including cosmetics. Tea tree oil components will vary depending on the growing environment including air and sunlight conditions.&nbsp; 
 
Methods: The present study on estimation and seasonal variation on essential oils from different plant parts of tea tree was carried by hydro distillation method. 
 
Result: The study reveals that, the needle leaves and flowers have the higher oil content of 2.30% and 2.25% respectively. The effect of months on different plant parts showed that the oil recovery from needle leaves and flowers were higher during the month of July and August.</div>

<div>Study on Estimation and Seasonal Variation of Essential Oil in Tea Tree by Hydro Distillation Method&nbsp;</div>

<div style="text-align: justify;">The study was conducted on 106 E. coli isolates to determine the phylogenetic group, serotype and carriage of Class 1 integrons in isolates and ascertain their association along with other parameters with vital disease measures in broiler flocks affected with colibacillosis. Out of 32 isolates of which &ldquo;O&rdquo; antigen was characterized, serogroup O2 comprising of 12 (37.5%) isolates was most prevalent in the present study. Most of the isolates (85/106; 80.19%) belonged to phylogenetic group B2. Mean apparent morbidity, mortality and case fatality rate (CFR) were 3.77%, 2.32% and 61.49%, respectively. There was significant difference in number of outbreaks reported in different age groups (p&lt;0.0001). Also, there was significant association between phylogenetic group and age of outbreak due to E. coli (p=0.024). Comparatively, no significant association was observed between age of outbreaks and serotypes (p=0.980). There was significant association between various disease measures and E. coli isolates affiliated to various phylogenetic groups and serotypes. All the measures (apparent morbidity, mortality and CFR) of disease were highest in outbreaks due to isolates of phylogenetic group B2 and serogroup O20. However, the measures were not significantly affected by the presence of integrons in the E. coli.</div>