Analysis of Physiological and Biochemical Indexes of White-tibetan Sheep at Different Months of Age

To study the physiological and biochemical indexes of White-tibetan sheep in plateau environment, we measured the physiological and biochemical inde- xes of White-tibetan sheep at 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18,21 and 24 months of age. The results showed that the body temperature, respiration and heart rate of White-ti- betan sheep at 3 - 24 months of age were （38.89 ±0. 56） - （39.83 ± 0.32） ℃, （26.00±6.67 ） - （58.64 ± 12.67 ） times/rain and （ 83.90 ± 7.64） - （111.36 ±7.46） times/rain, respectively. The blood physiological indexes of WBC, HCT and RDW-CV at 3, 6, 15 and 18 months of age were lower than those at 9, 12, 21 and 24 months of age. On the contrary, the indexes of RBC, MCV, MCH and MCHC at 3, 6, 15 and 18 months of age were higher than those at 9, 12, 21 and24 months of age, while HGB and PLT did not vary with months of age. For blood biochemical indexes, ALT, AST, TP, ALB, LDH and CHOL reached the maximums at 21 months of age, while ALP, PCHE and GLU reached the maximums at 3 months of age. Besides, the GLO and GA reached the maxi- mums at 18 and 24 months of age, respectively. The physiological and biochemical indexes of White-tibetan sheep followed certain rules in growth and development process, and might be affected by plateau climate and season.

Analysis of Physiological and Biochemical Indexes of White Suffolk Sheep,White-tibetan Sheep and Tibetan Sheep

In order to compare the physiological and biochemical indexes of different sheep populations in plateau area,we measured the physiological and biochemical indexes of White Suffolk sheep,White-tibetan sheep and Tibetan sheep in four seasons.The body temperature,respiration and heart rate of White Suffolk sheep,White-tibetan sheep and Tibetan sheep throughout the year were（38.96±0.23）-（40.80±0.74）℃,（27.20±7.73）-（74.56±10.91）times/min,and（83.10±2.42）-（106.25±7.07）times/min,respectively.The main blood physiological indexes of White-tibetan sheep were between those of Suffolk sheep and Tibetan sheep or close to that of Tibetan sheep,the indexes of WBC in summer,HGB and RDW-CV in autumn,RDW-CV in winter were close to that of White Suffolk sheep.The main blood biochemical indexes of White-tibetan sheep were between that of White Suffolk sheep and Tibetan sheep or close to that of Tibetan sheep,but the indexes of ALB in spring,AST in summer,ALP and CHOL in autumn,and ALP in winter were close to that of White Suffolk sheep.It revealed that the adaptability of White-tibetan sheep was prior to White Suffolk sheep,and tended to Tibetan sheep in the plateau environment.

Protein glycation:a wolf in sweet sheep’s clothing behind neurodegeneration

At the beginning of the 16th century,Paracelsus coined the maxim:“the dose makes the poison”.This principle can be applied to all living organisms,including organs and cells.The brain and its glial and neuronal cells are no exception.Even small compounds that are essential for the life of brain cells can become truly toxic when overdosed.

Etiological Agent, Pathogenesis, Diagnosis, Treatment, Measures for Prevention and Control of Caseous Lymphadenitis Disease in the Small Ruminants with Special Reference to Sheep

Caseous lymphadenitis (CL) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis (C. pseudotuberculosis) that is transmitted mainly by contact with contaminated exudate wounds. Caseous lymphadenitis affects different species of animals and is considered an occupational zoonotic disease. CL is responsible for important economic losses in the small ruminant industry, which include decreased production, damaged quality of milk and wool, reproductive disorders, total or partial confiscation of carcasses, and depreciation of the skin. Caseous lymphadenitis disease can present in two clinical pictures: a skin or superficial picture and a visceral or deep picture. The presumptive diagnosis of CL in the skin is based on the exploration of superficial lymph nodes. These have little value in diagnosing visceral CL, where the main sign is emaciation. The prevention and control of CL involve identifying the skin condition and debriding the abscesses. In addition to the treatment of superficial lesions, the animal facilities must be repaired and adapted. To avoid exposure of negative herds to CL, new animals must be subjected to observation to identify any of the clinical manifestations. Another form of control is vaccination, though only some countries have commercial vaccines. General information on the etiological agent and its characteristics can be used to improve the understanding of this disease.

Genomic signatures of selection,local adaptation and production type characterisation of East Adriatic sheep breeds

Background The importance of sheep breeding in the Mediterranean part of the eastern Adriatic has a long tradition since its arrival during the Neolithic migrations.Sheep production system is extensive and generally carried out in traditional systems without intensive systematic breeding programmes for high uniform trait production(carcass,wool and milk yield).Therefore,eight indigenous Croatian sheep breeds from eastern Adriatic treated here as metapopulation(EAS),are generally considered as multipurpose breeds(milk,meat and wool),not specialised for a particular type of production,but known for their robustness and resistance to certain environmental conditions.Our objective was to identify genomic regions and genes that exhibit patterns of positive selection signatures,decipher their biological and productive functionality,and provide a"genomic"characterization of EAS adaptation and determine its production type.Results We identified positive selection signatures in EAS using several methods based on reduced local variation,linkage disequilibrium and site frequency spectrum(eROHi,iHS,nSL and CLR).Our analyses identified numerous genomic regions and genes(e.g.,desmosomal cadherin and desmoglein gene families)associated with environmental adaptation and economically important traits.Most candidate genes were related to meat/production and health/immune response traits,while some of the candidate genes discovered were important for domestication and evolutionary processes(e.g.,HOXa gene family and FSIP2).These results were also confirmed by GO and QTL enrichment analysis.Conclusions Our results contribute to a better understanding of the unique adaptive genetic architecture of EAS and define its productive type,ultimately providing a new opportunity for future breeding programmes.At the same time,the numerous genes identified will improve our understanding of ruminant(sheep)robustness and resistance in the harsh and specific Mediterranean environment.

High-efficiency Embryo Cryopreservation Technology for Mutton Sheep

Embryo cryopreservation is an important part of embryo biotechnology.It plays a key role in the development of quality animal husbandry.However,the effect of in-vivo(in-vitro)embryo freezing of cattle and sheep in China has not reached an expected level,which limits the commercial application of embryo transfer technology.The technical bottleneck that needs to be broken through is that embryos are subject to mechanical damage and protective agent toxicity during freezing and thawing.This paper summarized the successful application of plant antifreeze protein in vitrification preservation of pig embryos,which makes this technology widely used in animal husbandry production,and is of great significance in accelerating the large-scale breeding of improved livestock and saving endangered animals.

A computational framework for improving genetic variants identification from 5,061 sheep sequencing data

Background Pan-genomics is a recently emerging strategy that can be utilized to provide a more comprehensive characterization of genetic variation.Joint calling is routinely used to combine identified variants across multiple related samples.However,the improvement of variants identification using the mutual support information from mul-tiple samples remains quite limited for population-scale genotyping.Results In this study,we developed a computational framework for joint calling genetic variants from 5,061 sheep by incorporating the sequencing error and optimizing mutual support information from multiple samples’data.The variants were accurately identified from multiple samples by using four steps:(1)Probabilities of variants from two widely used algorithms,GATK and Freebayes,were calculated by Poisson model incorporating base sequencing error potential;(2)The variants with high mapping quality or consistently identified from at least two samples by GATK and Freebayes were used to construct the raw high-confidence identification(rHID)variants database;(3)The high confidence variants identified in single sample were ordered by probability value and controlled by false discovery rate(FDR)using rHID database;(4)To avoid the elimination of potentially true variants from rHID database,the vari-ants that failed FDR were reexamined to rescued potential true variants and ensured high accurate identification variants.The results indicated that the percent of concordant SNPs and Indels from Freebayes and GATK after our new method were significantly improved 12%-32%compared with raw variants and advantageously found low frequency variants of individual sheep involved several traits including nipples number(GPC5),scrapie pathology(PAPSS2),sea-sonal reproduction and litter size(GRM1),coat color(RAB27A),and lentivirus susceptibility(TMEM154).Conclusion The new method used the computational strategy to reduce the number of false positives,and simulta-neously improve the identification of genetic variants.This strategy did not incur any extra cost by using any addi-tional samples or sequencing data information and advantageously identified rare variants which can be important for practical applications of animal breeding.

Phylogenetic Relationship and Molecular Divergence Dating Using SRY Gene Polymorphism about Four Ladoum Sheep Lineages in Senegal

Animal genetic resources are playing a vital role in livestock production and are essential to food security. The present study aims to contribute to a better understanding genetic local sheep breeds and to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships through the evolution of the SRY gene in four different lineages of Ladoum sheep raised in Senegal. After a brief analysis of genetic diversity, the phylogenetic relationships and molecular dating were inferred through haplotype networks and four phylogenetic reconstruction methods. The different haplotype networks are constructed with NETWORK ver. 5.0.0.0 using the Median-Joining method. Phylogenetic trees were reconstructed using neighbor-joining, maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. The robustness of the nodes in phylogenetic trees of the three first methods was assessed by 1000 bootstraps. For Bayesian inference, the posterior probability distribution of the trees was estimated by 4 MCMC chains. 5,000,000 generations were performed for each of the chains by sampling the different parameters every 1000 generations. Results show a low polymorphism. Haplotypic diversity is much higher than the average nucleotide divergence between all pairs of haplotypes. The majority and central haplotype indicates a close relationship between “Batling” and “Tyson” individuals. “Birahim” lineage is very distinct from the rest. Phylogenetic trees confirm two genetically separate clades between “Birahim” and the other lineages. The period of divergence between “Birahim” lineage versus the common ancestor of the other three lineages was 2504 years ago. The polyphyly revealed in “Birahim” lindicates that this lineage does not contain the common ancestor of all individuals who compose it. It could therefore be derived from two or more sheep breeds with a common ancestor, Ovis aries. The monophyletic clade appears to be a group including a common ancestor and all of its genetic descendants. This group, bringing together the other three lineages, is in the process of being structured into sub-lineages. This study is the first to show that there are only two genetic lines within ladoum sheep in Senegal.

Study on Breeding Practices and Reproductive Performance of Black-Head Somali Sheep under Traditional Management System: The Case of Awbarre District, Eastern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in the Awbarre district of the Fafen zone of the Somali regional state of Ethiopia. The objective of the study was to assess the breeding practices and reproductive performance of Black-head Somali sheep under a traditional management system. Purposive and simple random sampling techniques were used to select targeted kebeles and households, respectively. A total of 120 households were selected from four kebeles, each of 30 households, based on the production system and sheep population. Semi-structured questionnaires, group discussions, key informants interviews and field observations were used to generate the required data. The primary purpose of keeping sheep was for income generation, followed by saving as a future asset. The majority (89.2%) of the respondents separated male and female animals during herding. The selection criteria for breeding rams were appearance, growth, pedigree, and color while for breeding ewes were appearance, adaptability, pedigree, color, and lamb growth. The overall weaning age of Black-head Somali sheep in the study area was 3.7 months for both males & females. The castration of male sheep was common for the purpose of fattening, fattening with breeding control and breeding control as well. The castration is mainly performed during the summer and autumn and the methods of castration were both traditional and modern methods, the traditional castration method being the most important one in pastoral areas. The age of sexual maturity was 7.64 months for rams and 8.97 months for ewe’s male and female lambs in the pastoral area and 8.42 & 8.38 for rams & ewes in agro-pastoral and overall lambing interval was 11 months. On average, the ewe of Black-head Somali sheep in pastoral & agro-pastoral could produce 9.49 & 9.57 lambs, respectively in their lifetime. As the pastoralists and agro-pastoralists indicated the source of the breeding ram was their own, so the exchange of breeding ram is recommended to minimize the risk of inbreeding and further studies of on-farm performance investigation would be necessary to be carried out so as to understand the uniqueness of the breed better.

Effects of LPA on the development of sheep in vitro fertilized embryos and attempt to establish sheep embryonic stem cells

Lysophosphatidic acid(LPA)is a small molecule glycerophospholipid,which regulates multiple downstream signalling pathways through G-protein-coupled receptors to achieve numerous functions on oocyte maturation and embryo development.In this study,sheep in vitro fertilized embryos were applied to investigate the effects of LPA on early embryos development and embryonic stem cell establishment.At first,the maturation medium containing estrus female sheep serum and synthetic oviduct fluid(SOF)were optimized for sheep IVF,and then the effects of LPA were investigated.From 0.1 to 10μmol L^(–1),LPA had no significant effect on the cleavage rate(P>0.05),but the maturation rate and blastocyst rate increased dependently with LPA concentration(P<0.05),and the blastocyst morphology was normal.When the LPA concentration was 15μmol L^(–1),the maturation rate,cleavage rate and blastocyst rate decreased significantly(P<0.05),and the blastocyst exhibited abnormal morphology and could not develop into highquality blastocyst.Besides,the exogenous LPA increases the expression of LPAR2,LPAR4,TE-related gene CDX-2and pluripotency-related gene OCT-4 in sheep early IVF embryos with the raise of LPA concentration from 0.1 to 10μmol L^(–1).The expression of LPAR2,LPAR4,CDX-2 and OCT-4 from the LPA-0.1μmol L^(–1)to LPA-10μmol L^(–1)groups in early embryos were extremely significant(P<0.05),while the expression of these genes significantly decreased in 15μmol L^(–1)LPA-treated embryos compared with LPA-10μmol L^(–1)group(P<0.05).The inner cell mass in 15μmol L^(–1)LPA-treated embryos was also disturbed,and the blastocysts formation was abnormal.Secondly,the sheep IVF blastocysts were applied to establish embryonic stem cells.The results showed that LPA made the blastocyst inoculated cells grow towards TSC-like cells.They enhanced the fluorescence intensity and mRNA abundance of OCT-4 and CDX-2 as the concentration increased from 0 to 10μmol L^(–1),while 15μmol L^(–1)LPA decreased OCT-4 and CDX-2 expression in the derived cells.The expression of CDX-2 and OCT-4 in the blastocyst inoculated cells of LPA-1μmol L^(–1)group and LPA-10μmol L^(–1)group extremely significantly increased(P<0.05),but there was significant decrease in LPA-15μmol L^(–1)group compared with LPA-10μmol L^(–1)group(P<0.05).Meanwhile,the protein expression of LPAR2 and LPAR4 remarkably increased after treatment of LPA at 10μmol L^(–1)concentration.This study references the IVF embryo production and embryonic stem cell research of domestic animals.

Gait analysis in swine,sheep,and goats after neurologic injury:a literature review

Medical research on neurologic ailments requires representative animal models to validate treatments before they are translated to human clinical trials.Rodents are the predominant animal model used in neurological research despite limited anatomic and physiologic similarities to humans.As a result,functional testing designed to assess locomotor recovery after neurologic impairment is well established in rodent models.Comparatively,large r,more clinically relevant models have not been as well studied.To achieve similar locomotor testing standardization in larger animals,the models must be accessible to a wide array of researchers.Non-human primates are the most relevant animal model fo r translational research,however ethical and financial barriers limit their accessibility.This review focuses on swine,sheep,and goats as large animal alternatives for transitional studies between rodents and non-human primates.The objective of this review is to compare motor testing and data collection methods used in swine,sheep,and goats to encourage testing standardization in these larger animal models.The PubMed database was analyzed by searching combinations of swine,sheep,and goats,neurologic injuries,and functional assessments.Findings were categorized by animal model,data collection method,and assessment design.Swine and sheep were used in the majority of the studies,while only two studies were found using goats.The functional assessments included open pen analysis,treadmill walking,and guided free walking.Data collection methods included subjective behavioral rating scales and objective tools such as pressure-sensitive mats and image-based analysis software.Overall,swine and sheep were well-suited for a variety of assessment designs,with treadmill walking and guided free walking offering the most consistency across multiple trials.Data collection methods varied,but image-based gait analysis software provided the most robust analysis.Future studies should be conducted to standardize functional testing methods after neurologic impairment in large animals.

MicroRNA-370-5p inhibits pigmentation and cell proliferation by downregulating mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 8 expression in sheep melanocytes

In mammals,microRNAs(miRNAs)play key roles in multiple biological processes by regulating the expression of target genes.Studies have found that the levels of miR-370-5p expression differ significantly in the skins of sheep with different hair colors;however,its function remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the roles of miR-370-5p in sheep melanocytes and found that the overexpression of miR-370-5p significantly inhibited cell proliferation(P<0.01),tyrosinase activity(P=0.001)and significantly reduced(P<0.001)melanin production.Functional prediction revealed that the 3′-untranslated region(UTR)of MAP3K8 has a putative miR-370-5p binding site,and the interaction between these two molecules was confirmed using luciferase reporter assays.In situ hybridization assays revealed that MAP3K8 is expressed in the cytoplasm of melanocytes.The results of quantitative RT-PCR and Western blotting analyses revealed that overexpression of miR-370-5p in melanocytes significantly inhibits(P<0.01)MAP3K8 expression via direct targeting of its 3′UTR.Inhibition of MAP3K8 expression by siRNA-MAP3K8 transfection induced a significant inhibition(P<0.01)of melanocyte proliferation and significant reduction(P<0.001)in melanin production,which is consistent with our observations for miR-370-5p.Target gene rescue experiments indicated that the expression of MAP3K8 in melanocytes co-transfected with miR-370-5p and MAP3K8-cDNA(containing sites for the targeted binding to miR-370-5p)was significantly rescued(P≤0.001),which subsequently promoted significant increases in cell proliferation(P<0.001)and melanin production(P<0.01).Collectively,these findings indicate that miR-370-5p plays a functional role in inhibiting sheep melanocyte proliferation and melanogenesis by downregulating the expression of MAP3K8.

Effects of Antimicrobial Peptides on Production,Slaughter Performance and Blood Routine of Tan Sheep

[Objectives]This study was conducted to analyze effects of antimicrobial peptides added to the diet of Tan sheep on their production, slaughter performance and blood composition. [Methods] Ninety two four-month-old Tan sheep were randomly divided into two treatment groups according to their body weight, 46 in each group. The control check group(CK) was feed with conventional diet, and the experimental group was fed with the addition of antimicrobial peptide on the basis of the conventional diet, with the added amount of 2.5 g/sheep per day. The experimental period was 60 d. [Results] The incidence rate was 75.06% lower in the experimental group than in the CK. The average daily weight gain per sheep was 11.27% higher in the experimental group than in the CK(P<0.05). The feed conversion ratio was 8.45% lower in the experimental group than in the CK(P<0.05). The average daily gross profit per sheep was 12.12% higher in the experimental group than in the CK. For slaughter performance, the data difference of each item was not significant. The PH at 45 min and 24 h after slaughter was within the normal range of fresh mutton. The cooked meat percentage and water loss rate showed no significant differences(P>0.05). The marbling ranged from 2.45 to 2.50, indicating that the fat content was moderate, and the difference between groups was not significant(P>0.05). The flesh color ranged from 3.00 to 3.15, between light red and bright red, belonging to the normal color of mutton, and the difference between groups was not significant(P>0.05). The shear force was between 2.50 and 2.65, without a significant difference between groups(P>0.05). The white blood cells, lymphocytes and platelets in the experimental group were lower than those in the CK(P<0.01). The erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the erythrocyte group were higher than those in the CK(P<0.05). The neutrophils and monocytes in the experimental group were lower than those in the CK(P<0.05). [Conclusions] This study provides a technical basis for the rational use of antimicrobial peptides and their application in ruminants.

西藏羊和白-藏杂交羊外周血IFN-α、IgG和IL-2的研究

为了解西藏羊和白萨福克羊与西藏羊的杂交后代羊生长发育中免疫因子的分泌特点和免疫学特征,以西藏羊和白-藏杂交羊为研究对象,应用ELISA方法检测0.5、1和1.5岁外周血中干扰素(IFN-α)、免疫球蛋白G(IgG)和白细胞介素-2(IL-2)的质量浓度,分析其变化规律。结果表明:随年龄的增长,藏公羊IL-2呈逐渐降低的趋势,而藏母羊呈逐渐升高的趋势(P<0.05);藏杂交公羊和藏母羊IgG含量都呈逐渐降低趋势,藏公羊下降较明显(P<0.05);藏公羊IFN-α的含量逐渐降低,0.5岁与1岁之间下降趋势明显(P<0.05),而藏母羊变化不大。随年龄的增长,白-藏杂交羊公羊和母羊IL-2含量先降低再升高;白-藏杂交羊公羊IgG含量变化不大,母羊则是先升高后下降趋势,且1岁和1.5岁之间下降明显(P<0.05);白-藏杂交羊公羊IFN-α的含量逐渐降低,而母羊是先升高后下降。

安徽省牛羊布鲁氏菌病监测工作现状调研

为全面了解安徽省牛羊布鲁氏菌病监测工作现状,通过实地走访和书面调研相结合方式开展了为期3个月的调研。调研发现:安徽省牛羊布鲁氏菌病流行率总体较低(0.22%),但各年份的个体阳性率有差异;在种畜场、商品代饲养场、散养户以及屠宰场、交易市场等场点均检出阳性样品;有3个地级市未建设市级兽医实验室,9个县级实验室没有正式运行,实验室现有人员平均配备数量只达到了实际需要的60%左右;全省各级兽医实验室工作经费普遍不足,缺少稳定来源;人间布鲁氏菌病病例数量和地域范围整体呈上升和扩大趋势,病例以养殖相关从业人员为主。总体来看,安徽省牛羊布鲁氏菌污染面较广,兽医实验室监测能力不足,对高危职业人群的布鲁氏菌病防护宣传不到位。因此,在全省牛羊饲养业稳定发展的形势下,应持续加强牛羊布鲁氏菌病监测和对高危职业人群的防护宣传,重视兽医实验室经费投入和专业技术人员配备,以确保布鲁氏菌病监测工作顺利开展,稳定提升重点地区重点环节的监测能力。

MSTN基因编辑湖羊胫腓肌的转录组分析

[目的]本文旨在探索肌肉抑制素基因(myostatin,MSTN)调控肌肉生长发育的分子机制。[方法]以3月龄MSTN基因编辑湖羊(试验组)和野生型湖羊(对照组)胫腓肌为对象,采用PCR和Western blot方法验证MSTN编辑湖羊编辑形式,在此基础上开展转录组测序和分析,并用real-time PCR方法对差异表达基因进行结果验证。[结果]对照组和试验组共有149个差异表达基因,其中65个基因上调,84个基因下调,GO注释和KEGG富集分析表明,差异表达基因显著富集在氧化磷酸化、果糖和甘露糖代谢、生热作用、FOXO和AMPK信号通路,表明MSTN基因可能通过以上信号通路参与湖羊生长发育调控。[结论]MSTN基因编辑湖羊可能通过FOXO和AMPK、氧化磷酸化、果糖和甘露糖代谢、生热作用等与动物代谢相关的信号通路调控其生长发育。

不同热解温度稻壳生物炭对羊粪堆肥腐熟度及温室气体排放的影响

为优化羊粪堆肥腐熟度与温室气体减排协同的技术工艺参数,以2种不同热解温度制备的稻壳生物炭为堆肥辅料,与羊粪、食用菌渣混合,进行了43 d的堆肥试验。设置了3个处理,羊粪与食用菌渣质量比9∶1混合体作为预备物料,在预备物料上分别添加450、650℃热解的稻壳生物炭(占预备物料质量百分比15%)为BC450、BC650处理,在预备物料上添加未热解炭化的稻壳(与稻壳生物炭同等体积)为CK处理。监测了堆肥温度、腐熟度指标(NH_(4)^(+)-N/NO_(3)^(-)-N、EC值、种子发芽指数)、温室气体(CH_(4)、CO_(2)、N_(2)O)排放的变化动态,分析了不同热解温度稻壳生物炭对堆肥腐熟度与温室气体减排的协同效果。结果表明:添加450、650℃热解的稻壳生物炭,缩短了堆肥体NH_(4)^(+)-N/NO_(3)^(-)-N、T值、EC值及种子发芽指数达到腐熟度推荐值的所需时间,与CK处理相比,BC450、BC650处理的腐熟周期分别缩短了15.0%、32.5%;羊粪堆置43 d后,BC450、BC650处理的综合温室效应较CK处理分别显著降低了6.56%、24.36%,且BC650处理综合温室效应比BC450处理显著降低了19.05%(P<0.05);添加稻壳生物炭对羊粪堆肥腐熟度及温室气体减排具有协同促进作用,建议优选650℃制备的稻壳生物炭。

饲喂复合益生菌对湖羊粪便微生物多样性的影响研究

为研究饲喂复合益生菌对湖羊粪便微生物多样性影响,试验选取4月龄、体重(34.6±0.65)kg的湖羊40只,按照“体重相近”原则随机分为对照组(CG组)和益生菌组(EG组),每组20只。CG组和EG组分别饲喂全混合日粮,全混合日粮+复合益生菌,试验期60 d。试验结束后,每个处理随机选取10只湖羊,采集直肠末端粪样,利用16S rDNA技术进行测序分析。结果表明:(1)饲喂复合益生菌可以显著降低湖羊的腹泻率(P<0.05)。(2)按OTU聚类分析,EG组OTU(599个)高于CG组(466个),且EG组的Ace指数、Chao1指数和Shannon指数均显著高于CG组(P<0.05),Simpson指数两组差异不显著(P>0.05)。(3)门水平上,EG组厚壁菌门、拟杆菌门、螺旋菌门、疣微菌门和纤维杆菌门的相对丰度高于CG组,变形菌门低于CG组,但差异不显著(P>0.05);属水平上,两组优势菌属为UCG_005菌属、未分类的毛螺菌属、理研菌科RC9粪肠属和拟杆菌属,EG组高于CG组,但差异不显著(P>0.05)。(4)LEfSe分析结果显示,EG组较CG组有显著差异的7个,以颤螺菌属和理研菌科为主。综上所述,在本试验条件下,饲喂复合益生菌可以有效改善肠道微生物群落结构,促进肠道微生物的代谢功能。

发酵中药和油莎豆复合物对湖羊生长性能及血清抗氧化和免疫指标的影响

【目的】研究发酵中药和油莎豆复合物对湖羊生长性能、血清抗氧化及免疫指标的影响,为新型饲料添加剂的开发提供依据。【方法】选取体重相近、健康状况良好的育肥湖羊40只,随机分为2组:对照组和试验组,每组20只。对照组湖羊饲喂基础饲粮,试验组湖羊在基础饲粮中添加2%复合发酵物,预试期7 d,正试期42 d,在正试期第0、42天分别称重,计算平均日增重;记录日采食量,计算料重比;在试验第1、21和42天颈静脉采血并分离血清,测定湖羊血清中抗氧化指标和免疫指标。【结果】试验组湖羊的终末体重、平均日增重及平均日采食量均显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比,在试验第21天,试验组湖羊血清中过氧化氢酶(CAT)、总抗氧化能力(T-AOC)活性及免疫球蛋白G(IgG)、γ干扰素(INF-γ)含量分别提高了2.75%、3.46%、7.28%和4.55%(P<0.05),丙二醛(MDA)含量降低了12.72%(P<0.05);在试验第42天,CAT、T-AOC活性及IgG、INF-γ含量分别提高了3.17%、3.67%、9.77%和11.91%(P<0.05),MDA含量降低了15.10%(P<0.05)。【结论】在本试验条件下,饲粮中添加2%发酵中药和油莎豆复合物能有效改善湖羊的生长性能,提高抗氧化和免疫机能,可作为一种新型饲料添加剂应用到畜牧生产中。

湖南省2023年5—6月跨省调入饲养用牛羊追溯调查与布鲁氏菌病监测

为评估分析外省份调入湖南省饲养用牛羊引入布鲁氏菌病(以下简称“布病”)的风险,对“湖南省动物卫生监督信息平台”2023年5—6月跨省调入饲养用牛羊开展监测排查,并就其来源、去向及布病检测结果等进行调查统计。结果显示:全省共调入饲养用牛羊270批次12850头/只,涉及19个省/自治区/直辖市,其中13个省份为原布病防控一类地区;有164批次牛羊来源于布病免疫区,占60.74%;有96批次牛羊实际用于继续饲养,占35.56%;采集牛羊血清样品1396份,检出布病抗体阳性7份。结果表明,湖南省存在牛羊布病输入性风险,应加大调运监管力度,减少牛羊布病从高风险地区向低风险地区传播的风险。