The effect of ensiled paulownia leaves in a high-forage diet on ruminal fermentation,methane production,fatty acid composition,and milk production performance of dairy cows

Background:The use of industrial by-products rich in bioactive compounds as animal feeds can reduce greenhouse gas production.Paulownia leaves silage(PLS)was supplemented to dairy cows'diet and evaluated in vitro(Exp.1;Rusitec)and in vivo(Exp.2,cannulated lactating dairy cows and Exp.3,non-cannulated lactating dairy cows).The study investigated the PLS effect on ruminal fermentation,microbial populations,methane production and concentration,dry matter intake(DMI),and fatty acid(FA)proportions in ruminal fluid and milk.Results:Several variables of the ruminal fluid were changed in response to the inclusion of PLS.In Exp.1,the p H increased linearly and quadratically,whereas ammonia and total volatile fatty acid(VFA)concentrations increased linearly and cubically.A linear,quadratic,and cubical decrease in methane concentration was observed with increasing dose of the PLS.Exp.2 revealed an increase in ruminal p H and ammonia concentrations,but no changes in total VFA concentration.Inclusion of PLS increased ruminal propionate(at 3 h and 6 h after feeding),isovalerate,and valerate concentrations.Addition of PLS also affected several populations of the analyzed microorganisms.The abundances of protozoa and bacteria were increased,whereas the abundance of archaea were decreased by PLS.Methane production decreased by 11%and 14%in PLS-fed cows compared to the control in Exp.2 and 3,respectively.Exp.3 revealed a reduction in the milk protein and lactose yield in the PLS-fed cows,but no effect on DMI and energy corrected milk yield.Also,the PLS diet affected the ruminal biohydrogenation process with an increased proportions of C18:3 cis-9 cis-12 cis-15,conjugated linoleic acid,C18:1 trans-11 FA,polyunsaturated fatty acids(PUFA),and reduced n6/n3 ratio and saturated fatty acids(SFA)proportion in milk.The relative transcript abundances of the 5 of 6 analyzed genes regulating FA metabolism increased.Conclusions:The dietary PLS replacing the alfalfa silage at 60 g/kg diet can reduce the methane emission and improve milk quality with greater proportions of PUFA,including conjugated linoleic acid,and C18:1 trans-11 along with reduction of SFA.

Development of anthracnose disease resistance and heat tolerancechili through conventional breeding and molecular approaches:a review

Chili(Capsicum annuum L.)is the popular spicy vegetable crops belonging to family Solanaceae.Chili peppers are known for their pungency characteristic due to the presence of capsaicinoids that classifies them into hot or sweet pepper.Chili is used as spices,folk remedies for diseases,vegetables,and coloring agent showing a diverse role in human’s life.However,its production is hampered by different biotic stress and abiotic factors.Similarly,the unavailability of high yielding varieties,high temperature,and disease incidence,particularly,anthracnose disease,are the major constraints responsible for the low production of chili pepper.The advents of molecular markers,advancement in quantitative trait loci by classical genetic analysis,and conventional breeding have shown the number of genes for many important and major traits.While the newly developed genotyping technologies and nextgeneration sequencing have led to the discovery of molecular basis for economic important characters in the chili genome and generate large scale data for genomic resources.Based on this background,this review summarizes progress in the development of anthracnose disease-resistant and heat-tolerant chili genotypes through conventional breeding and molecular approaches.This review would help plant breeders in understanding the phenotypic and genetic make-up of capsicum genotypes and provides opportunities for pyramiding two respected genes with the help of diversified phenotypic and molecular marker evaluation.

Effect of age on quality of fresh and frozen-thawed semenin White Italian ganders

Aim: To comparatively evaluate the fresh semen quality of 1, 2 and 3-yr-old White Italian ganders (Anser anser L.) and the susceptibility of spermatozoa to freezing-thawing procedure. Methods: Semen was collected by dorso-abdominal massage every 2 days-3 days from three groups of ganders: 1-yr-old (n=11), 2-yr-old (n=7) and 3-yr-old (n=9). In the pooled fresh semen samples, the following parameters were evaluated: the ejaculate volume, the blood or fecal contamination and the motility, concentration and morphology of spermatozoa. Sperm motility andmorphology were evaluated in the frozen-thawed semen. Semen diluted with EK extender was frozen in straws in a computerized freezing unit with 6 % dimethyl-formamide to -140℃ at a rate 60℃/min and then transferred into the LN2 container. Straws with semen were thawed in a water bath at 60℃. Results: The ejaculate volume decreased with the age (0.21 mL for 1-yr-old, 0.18 mL for 2-yr-old and 0.14 mL for 3-yr-old ganders); the sperm concentration increased with the age (327×10^6 mL^-1 for 1-yr-old, 431×10^6mL^-1 for 2-yr-old and 547×10^6 mL^-1 for 3-yr-old ganders);the number of live - normal sperm was significantly (P<0.01) lower in the 1-yr-old than that in the 2- and 3-yr-old ganders (26.61%, 41.54 %and 35.9 %, respectively). The percentage of normal cells survived the freezing-thawing process was 37.7 %, 43.3 % and 40.9 % for 1-, 2- and 3-yr-old ganders, respectively. Conclusion: Freezing and thawing processes more significantly (P<0.01) affected the motility, viability and morphology of spermatozoa in semen of 1-yr-old ganders in comparison with older males. ( Asian J Androl 2003 Jun; 5:89-93 )

GLP1 and GIP are involved in the action of synbiotics in broiler chickens

Background: In order to discover new strategies to replace antibiotics in the post-antibiotic era in meat-type chicken production, two new synbiotics were tested:(Lactobacillus salivarius IBB3154 plus galactooligosaccharide(Syn1) and Lactobacillus plantarum IBB3036 plus raffinose family oligosaccharides(Syn2).Methods: The synbiotics were administered via syringe, using a special automatic system, into the egg air chamber of Cobb 500 broiler chicks on the 12 thday of egg incubation(2 mg of prebiotics + 105 cfu bacteria per egg).Hatched roosters(total 2,400) were reared on an experimental farm, kept in pens(75 animals per pen), with free access to feed and water. After 42 d animals were slaughtered. Blood serum, pancreas, duodenum and duodenum content were collected.Results: Syn2 increased trypsin activity by 2.5-fold in the pancreas and 1.5-fold in the duodenal content. In the duodenum content, Syn2 resulted in ca 30% elevation in lipase activity and 70% reduction in amylase activity.Syn1 and Syn2 strongly decreased expression of m RNA for GLP-1 and GIP in the duodenum and for GLP-1 receptors in the pancreas. Simultaneously, concentrations of the incretins significantly diminished in the blood serum(P < 0.05). The decreased expression of incretins coincides with changed activity of digestive enzymes in the pancreas and in the duodenal content. The results indicate that incretins are involved in the action of Syn1 and Syn2 or that they may even be their target. No changes were observed in key hormones regulating metabolism(insulin, glucagon, corticosterone, thyroid hormones, and leptin) or in metabolic indices(glucose,NEFA, triglycerides, cholesterol). Additionally, synbiotics did not cause significant changes in the activities of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in broiler chickens. Simultaneously, the activity of alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transferase diminished after Syn2 and Syn1, respectively.Conclusion: The selected synbiotics may be used as in ovo additives for broiler chickens, and Syn2 seems to improve their potential digestive proteolytic and lipolytic ability. Our results suggest that synbiotics can be directly or indirectly involved in incretin secretion and reception.

Dietary Coleus amboinicus Lour. decreases ruminal methanogenesis and biohydrogenation, and improves meat quality and fatty acid composition in longissimus thoracis muscle of lambs

Background:Methane production and fatty acids(FA)biohydrogenation in the rumen are two main constraints in ruminant production causing environmental burden and reducing food product quality.Rumen functions can be modulated by the biologically active compounds(BACs)of plant origins as shown in several studies e.g.reduction in methane emission,modulation of FA composition with positive impact on the ruminant products.Coleus amboinicus Lour.(CAL)contains high concentration of polyphenols that may potentially reduce methane production and modulate ruminal biohydrogenation of unsaturated FA.This study aimed to investigate the effect of BAC of Coleus amboinicus Lour.(CAL)fed to growing lambs on ruminal methane production,biohydrogenation of unsaturated FA and meat characteristics.In this study,the in vitro experiment aiming at determining the most effective CAL dose for in vivo experiments was followed by two in vivo experiments in rumen-cannulated rams and growing lambs.Experiment 1(RUSITEC)comprised of control and three experimental diets differing in CAL content(10%,15%,and 20%of the total diet).The two in vivo experiments were conducted on six growing,rumen-cannulated lambs(Exp.2)and 16 growing lambs(Exp.3).Animals were assigned into the control(CON)and experimental(20%of CAL)groups.Several parameters were examined in vitro(pH,ammonia and VFA concentrations,protozoa,methanogens and select bacteria populations)and in vivo(methane production,digestibility,ruminal microorganism populations,meat quality,fatty acids profiles in rumen fluid and meat,transcript expression of 5 genes in meat).Results:CAL lowered in vitro methane production by 51%.In the in vivo Exp.3,CAL decreased methane production by 20%compared with the CON group,which corresponded to reduction of total methanogen counts by up to 28%in all experiments,notably Methanobacteriales.In Exp.3,CAL increased or tended to increase populations of some rumen bacteria(Ruminococcus albus,Megasphaera elsdenii,Butyrivibrio proteoclasticus,and Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens).Dietary CAL suppressed the Holotricha population,but increased or tended to increase Entodiniomorpha population in vivo.An increase in the polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA)proportion in the rumen of lambs was noted in response to the CAL diet,which was mainly attributable to the increase in C18:3 cis-9 cis-12cis-15(LNA)proportion.CAL reduced the mRNA expression of four out of five genes investigated in meat(fatty acid synthase,stearoyl-CoA desaturase,lipoprotein lipase,and fatty acid desaturase 1).Conclusions:Summarizing,polyphenols of CAL origin(20%in diet)mitigated ruminal methane production by inhibiting the methanogen communities.CAL supplementation also improved ruminal environment by modulating ruminal bacteria involved in fermentation and biohydrogenation of FA.Besides,CAL elevated the LNA concentration,which improved meat quality through increased deposition of n-3 PUFA.Highlight·Coleus amboinicus Lour.(CAL)into sheep diet decreased CH4emission.·CAL did not reduce nutrient digestibility,but inhibited the methanogen community.·CAL increased ruminal propionate proportion and decreased acetate/propionate ratio.·CAL elevated n-3 fatty acid concentration in ruminal fluid and meat.·Supplementation of CAL improved some meat quality traits.

Effect of Dietary Urea Molasses Multi-Nutrient Cake (UMMC) on Productive and Reproductive Performance of Rabbit

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effect of dietary supple-mentation of urea molasses multi-nutrient cake (UMMC) on productive and reproductive performances of rabbit. In Experiment-I, 80 rabbit does (age 24 weeks) were randomly assigned into four dietary treatment groups (T0, T1, T2 and T3) to investigate the effect of UMMC on the reproductive performances whereas in Experiment-II, 112 young rabbits (age 5 weeks) were also randomly assigned into another four dietary treatment groups to investigate the effect of UMMC on the productive performance. The rabbits of four dietary treatment groups (T0, T1, T2 and T3) in both experiments were fed 0%, 4%, 6% and 8% urea containing UMMC, respectively. The results revealed that the dietary supplementation of UMMC increased (P < 0.05) live weight of pregnant does, conception rate, litter size, and litter weight and individual kit weight at weaning. On the other hand, UMMC supplementation reduced (P < 0.05) the kit mortality, though it did not affect the gestation period, litter size, litter weight and individual kit weight at birth. Dietary UMMC supplementation also improved (P < 0.05) the productive performances of growing rabbits in terms of live weight gain, feed conversion ratio and performance index by almost same amount of feed intake. On the contrary, blood parameters (Hb, PCV and ESR) were not affected by the UMMC except for red blood cell and white blood cell counts, but were within their normal range indicating the safe use of UMMC. UMMC also increased (P < 0.05) the fecal bacterial population. Production cost of UMMC was around 0.19 USD less in each kg of feed than the commercial pellet. In both of the experiments rabbits fed 6% urea containing UMMC showed best result than control and other treatment groups as well.

Sex chromosomes behavior and G-banding treatment of male meiosis in nuptial gift-giving spiders of the family Trechaleidae

Preliminary genetic studies in Trechaleidae spider family show high variation in sex chromosomes and high heterocigocity,suggesting high chromatin plasticity.The trechaleids Paratrechalea ornata,Trechalea bucculenta and Trechaleoides biocellata are present in Uruguay.Males offering nuptial gifts during courtship have been reported in P.ornata and T.bucculenta but not in T.biocellata.Nuptial gifts are an inherited trait probably highly affected by environmental factors,which play an important role in gene expression.We hypothesize that this trait could be associated with tissue-specific genes existing in G-bands.We investigate the male meiosis in these 3 species,their sex chromosome system and the effects of G-banding on their chromosomes,and elucidate genetic differences among them.Meiotic stages of the 3 species were submitted to Giemsa-staining and G-banding treatments.We observed a haploid number of n=11 in P.ornata and n=13 in both T.bucculenta and T.biocellata.Males from the 3 species presented an X_(1)X_(2)0 sex chromosome system,which is suggested as ancestral in Araneae.In P.ornata and T.bucculenta,both sex chromosomes were together and aligned in parallel until the segregation during anaphase I.In contrast to these species,sex chromosomes of T.biocellata usually remained distant from each other until diakinesis when they were observed associated in parallel disposition.Interstitial G-bands were similar in P.ornata and T.bucculenta,and they both differed from those in T.biocellata.The special behavior of sex chromosomes in T.biocellata as well as the different G-banding pattern of this species suggests the existence of novel modifications in this species.