Abstract
Background:
Cattle and buffaloes can contract cysticercosis, an infection of the muscles brought on by Taenia saginata larvae. Despite having a global spread, cysticercosis is more prevalent in impoverished nations due to impaired hygiene standards. It has been discovered that Taenia saginata cysticercosis routine visual diagnosis is not very effective, especially in mild infections. Therefore, a more trustworthy in vivo test might be used as an alternative in slaughterhouses and epidemiological studies. Biochemical assays are possibly utilized as an alternative to detect cysticercosis inside a topical environment.
Aim:
Investigating serum biochemical alterations in cattle with cysticercosis was the goal of the current research. As a further method of diagnosis, it was also determined how Cysticercus bovis affected pro-inflammatory cytokines and histopathology.
Methods:
Blood samples from 42 slaughtered cattle (21 healthy and 21 sick animals) were taken from Assiut abattoir. Using an ELISA and spectrophotometer, respectively, their serum's pro-inflammatory cytokines and biochemical profile were evaluated. These cattle were chosen between March 2023 and February 2024.
Results:
A percentage of 4.6% of the 455 cattle examined after being slaughtered had T. saginata cysticerci infections. All values in the serum biochemistry were considerably different (P<0.01), whereas the majority of biochemical parameters increased significantly (P<0.01) in infected animals. In contrast, there was a substantial (P<0.01) decline in HDL-c, SOD, CAT, and GSH. On the other hand, procytokine inflammatory indices for both TNF-α and IL-1β indicated a substantial increase (P<0.001) in infected cattle. Additionally, the histological results revealed significant alterations in the tissues of infected livestock.
Conclusion:
This has been inferred cysticercosis possesses negative impacts on cattle's plasma biochemical profiles, indicating the field applicability of biochemical measures in outbreaks of bovine cysticercosis. Pro-inflammatory cytokine indices and histological changes could be included as further indicators of T. saginata cysticercosis in cattle.

Key words: Taenia saginata, Cysticercus bovis, Cattle, Serum enzymes, Pro-inflammatory cytokine