BIOCHEMICAL-STUDIES IN EXPERIMENTAL ASPERGILLOSIS IN GOATS - MOISTURE-CONTENT AND PROTEIN-CONTENT IN TISSUES

Biochemical alterations, viz, moisture and protein contents in tissues , were studied in 25 (including 8 lactating) goats. They were inoculat ed with 5 ml spores of Aspergillus fumigatus (i/v, 7 goats), intratrac heally (i/t,10 goats) and intramammarily (i/m, 8 goats). Control anima ls (6:2 in each group) were similarly inoculated with 5 ml sterile pho sphate bufferd saline (PBS) in their respective route of inoculation. Generalised and pulmonary aspergillosis, pulmonary aspergillosis and m ycotic mastitis developed in i/v, i/t and i/m groups respectively. All goals of i/v group died between 1 to 11 days post-inoculation (DPI) b ut 2 goals each were killed in different interval in i/t and i/m group s, as there was no mortality. Moisture content decreased on the 3 DPI in the lungs, kidneys and heart of i/v group; in the lungs of i/t grou p and in the udder of i/m group. Moisture in liver and brain did not d ecrease in i/v group and all other tissues except in the lungs of i/t group and in the udder of i/m group. The decrease of moisture content and protein content were associated with pathological lesions in the a bove organs as a result of aspergillosis.