VETERINARSKI ARHIV 68 (6), 199-204, 1998

ISSN 0372-5480
Printed in Croatia

Blood characteristics of the Nigerian local duck (Anas platyrhynchos). I. Red blood cell characteristics

Johnson O. Oyewale*, Funsho O. Olayemi, and Samson A. Rahman

Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria

* Contact address:
Dr. Johnson O. Oyewale,
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria,
Phone: 234 2 81 03 168; Fax: 234 2 81 03 118;
E-mail: library@kdl.ui.edu.ng

OYEWALE, J. O., F. O. OLAYEMI, S. A. RAHMAN: Blood characteristics of the Nigerian local duck (Anas platyrhynchos) I. Red blood cell characteristics. Vet. arhiv 68, 199-204, 1998.

ABSTRACT

The red blood cell characteristics of young (8-10 week-old) and adult (52-80 week-old) Nigerian local ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were determined. The young birds showed greater values for haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin and red blood cell osmotic fragility than the adult birds. However, the packed cell volume, red blood cell count, mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration were similar in the two groups of birds. All the foregoing parameters that were studied did not differ significantly between sexes in the adult birds.

Key words: red blood cells, duck, Anas platyrhynchos, haematology, Nigeria

Introduction

In our earlier study (OYEWALE and AJIBADE, 1990), the osmotic fragility of red blood cells of adult White Pekin ducks of both sexes in the Nigerian tropical environment was determined. It was of interest to extend this study to Nigerian local ducks (Anas platyrhynchos), which are reared extensively on ranges in towns and villages in this country. There is only one report available on red blood cell and white blood cell values of adult male and female Nigerian local ducks (OLUFEMI and FATUNMBI, 1980). In this paper, the red blood cell characteristics of young and adult Nigerian local ducks are reported.

Materials and methods

Fourteen healthy adult (52-80 week-old) (7 males and 7 females) and 10 healthy unsexed young (8-10 week-old) Nigerian local ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) were used in this study. The birds were purchased from a local market in Ibadan, Nigeria and housed in deep litter pens at the University of Ibadan Teaching and Research farm for 4 weeks prior to commencement of this study. During this period they were provided with water ad libitum and with a commercial poultry diet (14.5% protein; 4.8% fat; 7.2% fibre; 8% ash; 0.8% calcium, Bendel Feed and Flour Mill Limited; Nigeria). The birds were dewormed using piperazine (17% w/v) (Piperazine Wormer; Pfizer Products Plc, Ikeja, Nigeria) at 0.7 g/l of drinking water (single dose). They also received the coccidiostatic drug, sulfadimidine sodium (Vetacox; Associated Pharmaceutical Products Limited, P.O. Box 5571, Lagos, Nigeria) for 3 days at 0.2 g/l of drinking water per day. In addition, the ducks received vitamin and amino acid supplements (Vitalyte; Laboratorios Hipra, Avda, La Selva S/N 17170 Amer, Girona, Spain) at 0.5 g/l of drinking water daily for 3 days.

Blood was collected from the jugular vein of each healthy bird into a bottle containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. Red blood cells (RBC) were counted using a haemocytometer. Packed cell volume (PCV) was estimated by the microhaematocrit method and haemoglobin (Hb) concentration by the cyanmethaemoglobin method. Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were calculated from the values of RBC, PCV and Hb (SCHALM et al., 1975).

The osmotic fragility of red blood cells was determined as previously described (OYEWALE, 1991a) using a 1% phosphate-buffered sodium chloride (NaCl) solution of pH 7.5 at 30 °C, except for the NaCl concentration (0.0-0.8%) used in the present study (see Figs. 1 and 2). With regard to haemolysis in distilled water (0% NaCl) as 100%, the percentage of haemolysis in each NaCl concentration was evaluated.

Fig. 1. Osmotic fragility of red cells of male and female adult Nigerian local ducks. Each point is the mean ±SD for 7 birds.

Fig. 2. Osmotic fragility of red blood cells of young and adult Nigerian local ducks. Each point is the mean ±SD for 10 young or 14 adult birds.

Data obtained were statistically analysed by Student's t-test.

Results

Table 1 shows that the values of RBC, PCV, Hb, MCV, MCH and MCHC did not differ significantly between sexes in adult ducks. As shown in Table 2, the Hb and MCH values of adult ducks were significantly higher (P<0.05) than those of young ducks, although the RBC, PCV, MCV and MCHC values did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Table 1. Red blood cell values (mean ±SD) in adult male and female
Nigerian local ducks

Table 2. Red blood cell values (mean±SD) in young and adult Nigerian local ducks

No significant differences appeared between males and females in the red blood cell fragility of the adult ducks at the various NaCl concentrations used (Fig. 1). However, the fragility of red blood cells in the young ducks was significantly greater than that of the adults at NaCl concentrations of 0.8% (P<0.02), 0.7% (P<0.05), 0.6% (P<0.05), 0.5% (P<0.02) and 0.4% (P<0.05) (Fig. 2).

No significant differences appeared between males and females in the red blood cell fragility of the adult ducks at the various NaCl concentrations used (Fig. 1). However, the fragility of red blood cells in the young ducks was significantly greater than that of the adults at NaCl concentrations of 0.8% (P<0.02), 0.7% (P<0.05), 0.6% (P<0.05), 0.5% (P<0.02) and 0.4% (P<0.05) (Fig. 2).

Discussion

The higher Hb, PCV and RBC values in adult males than in adult females reported in our earlier study with White Pekin ducks (OYEWALE and AJIBADE, 1990) and in guinea-fowl (OYEWALE and OGWUEGBU, 1986), domestic fowl (NEWELL and SHAFFNER, 1950; MARCH et al., 1966), quail (NIRMALAN and ROBINSON, 1971) and geese (HUNSAKER et al., 1964) disagree with the present findings in adult Nigerian ducks, where no sex differences appeared within these parameters. The present observations, however, agree with similar findings in pigeons and peafowl (OYEWALE, 1994) and in ring-necked pheasants (BOND and GILBERT, 1958).

Our observations that the values of PCV, MCV and MCHC were similar in young and adult Nigerian ducks are in agreement with the findings in guinea-fowl (OYEWALE, 1991b). However, increases in PCV (geese and quail) and MCHC (quail) with age were reported by HUNSAKER et al. (1964) and NIRMALAN and ROBINSON (1971). The MCH in Nigerian ducks was greater in adult birds than in young birds, as in guinea-fowl (OYEWALE, 1991b), but in starlings (PALACOLS et al., 1984) and quail (NIRMALAN and ROBINSON, 1971), the reverse appeared to be the case.

The mean RBC count in adult Nigerian ducks (1.85x1012/l) was lower than the values found in adult Australian ducks, Anas superciliosa (2.80x1012/l) by NICE et al. (1957) and in adult White Pekin ducks (2.85x1012/l) by OYEWALE and AJIBADE (1990). While the values of PCV reported for adult White Pekin ducks were 36.40-43.60% (OYEWALE and AJIBADE, 1990) and 47% (DIDISHEIM et al., 1959), our mean value for adult Nigerian ducks was 36.57%. Our value was similar to the PCV reported by BOND and GILBERT (1958) for adult Canvasback and Redhead diving ducks (37%), but was lower than their value for adult Mallard and Black diving ducks (43%). The Hb values reported for adult White Pekin ducks (11.89-15.10 g/dl) by OYEWALE and AJIBADE (1990) and for adult Canvasback and Redhead diving ducks (18.00 g/dl) by BOND and GILBERT (1958) were lower than the value obtained here for adult Nigerian ducks (22.14 g/dl).

The finding that the osmotic fragility of red blood cells of adult males and adult females was similar, as observed in the present study in Nigerian ducks (Fig. 2), has also been reported in White Pekin ducks (OYEWALE and AJIBADE, 1990), pigeons (OYEWALE, 1994), guinea-fowl (OYEWALE, 1988) and in humans (GODAL et al., 1980). However, in turkeys (OYEWALE and AJIBADE, 1990) and domestic fowl (MARCH et al., 1966), adult male birds showed greater red blood cell fragility than adult females. According to OYEWALE and AJIBADE (1990), the osmotic fragility of duck red blood cells is greater than that of domestic fowl, but is similar to that of guinea-fowl.

OYEWALE, (1991b) found that in guinea-fowl the red blood cells of younger birds were less osmotically fragile than those of older birds. This disagrees with our findings in Nigerian ducks, in which the red blood cells of young birds were observed to be more osmotically fragile than those of adults. Our present observation in ducks agrees with a similar finding in turkeys (OYEWALE and AJIBADE, 1990).

References

BOND, C. F., P. W. GILBERT (1958): Comparative study of blood volume in representative aquatic and non-aquatic birds. Am. J. Physiol. 194, 519-521.

DIDISHEIM, P. K., K. HATTORI, J. H. LEWIS (1959): Haematologic and coagulation studies in various animal species. J. Lab. Clin. Med. 53, 866-875.

GODAL, H. C., A. T. ELDE, N. NYBORG, F. BROSSTAD (1980): The normal range of osmotic fragility of red blood cells. Scand. J. Haematol. 25, 107-112.

HUNSAKER, W. G., J. R. HUNT, J. R. AITKEN (1964): Physiology of the growing and adult goose. I. Physical characteristics of blood. Poult. Sci. 5, 249-256.

MARCH, B. E., V. COATES, J. BIELY (1966): The effects of oestrogen and androgen on osmotic fragility and fatty acid composition of erythrocytes in the chicken. Can. J. Physiol. Pharm. 44, 379-387.

NEWELL, G. W., C. S. SHAFFNER (1950): Blood volume determination in chickens. Poult. Sci. 29, 78-87.

NIRMALAN, C. P., G. A. ROBINSON (1971): Haematology of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). Brit. Poult. Sci. 12, 475-481.

OLUFEMI, B. E., O. O. FATUNMBI (1980): Haematological study on clinically normal Nigerian ducks (Anas spp.). IRCS Medical Science. Experimental Animals: Haematology 8, 87.

OYEWALE, J. O., S. O. OGWUEGBU (1986): Haematological studies on the guinea-fowl (Numida meleagris). Bull. Animal. Hlth. Prod. Afr. 34, 61-65.

OYEWALE, J. O. (1988): Some aspects of the haematology of the guinea-fowl (Numida meleagris galeata Pallas). PhD. thesis. University of Ibadan, Nigeria.

OYEWALE, J. O., H. A. AJIBADE (1990): Osmotic fragility of erythrocytes of the White Pekin duck. Vet. arhiv 60, 91-100.

OYEWALE, J. O. (1991a): Osmotic fragility of West African Dwarf sheep and goats: Effects of temperature and pH. Brit. Vet. J. 147, 163-170.

OYEWALE, J. O. (1991b): Osmotic fragility of erythrocytes of guinea-fowls at 21 and 156 weeks of age. Vet. arhiv 61, 49-56.

OYEWALE, J. O. (1994): Further studies on osmotic resistance of nucleated erythrocytes: Observations with pigeon, peafowl, lizard and toad erythrocytes during changes in temperature and pH. J. Vet. Med. A 41, 62-71.

PALACOLS, L., J. PALOMEQUE, M. RIERA, T. PAGES, G. VISCOR, J. PLANAS (1984): Oxygen transport propeties in the starling, Sturnus vulgaris L. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 77A, 255-260.

SCHALM, O. W., N. C. JAIN, E. J. CARROLL (1975): Veterinary Haematology, 3^rd ed. Lea and Febiger. Philadelphia.

Received: 16 March 1998
Accepted: 26 October 1998

OYEWALE, J. O., F. O. OLAYEMI, S. A. RAHMAN: Osobitosti krvi domace nigerijske patke (Anas platyrhynchos). I. Osobitosti eritrocita. Vet. arhiv 68, 199-204, 1998.

SAZETAK

Utvrdivane su osobitosti eritrocita mladih (8-10 tjedana) i odraslih (52-80 tjedana) domacih nigerijskih pataka (Anas platyrhynchos). Mlade patke pokazivale su vise prosjecne vrijednosti hemoglobina, prosjecne kolicine hemoglobina po eritrocitu i osmotske osjetljivosti eritrocita, nego odrasle patke. Hematokrit, broj eritrocita, prosjecni volumen eritrocita i prosjecna koncentracija hemoglobina u litri eritrocita bili su slicni u obje skupine pataka. Niti jedan od istrazivanih pokazatelja nije se znacajno razlikovao s obzirom na spol odraslih pataka.

Kljucne rijeci: eritrociti, patka, Anas platyrhynchos, hematologija, Nigerija