Small Ruminant Research最新文献

The study aimed to investigate the effects of using the ram's platelet-rich plasma (PRP) as a supplement on the quality, functionality, antioxidant activity, and in vivo fertilization of freshly diluted and frozen-thawed ram semen. Nine Ossimi rams were involved in the analysis, which comprised 162 ejaculates. Each ejaculate was segmented into five parts and mixed with a Tris-based extender containing varying concentrations of autologous PRP (ranging from 0% to 10%) for both freshly diluted and frozen-thawed semen. The evaluation encompassed sperm viability, motility, kinetics, functional traits, antioxidant enzyme activity, lipid peroxidation content, and in vivo fertility. Results showed that supplementing with 5% PRP in both freshly diluted and frozen-thawed semen led to increased total and progressive motility of sperm, improved sperm kinetics and functional characteristics, and enhanced viability compared to the control groups. Notably, concentrations of PRP at 5% and 7.5% reduced malondialdehyde levels while increasing total antioxidant capacity, glutathione reductase, and superoxide dismutase levels compared to the groups supplemented with 10% PRP and the control groups. Furthermore, the in vivo fertilization rate of ram semen significantly improved with 5% PRP supplementation compared to the control groups for both freshly diluted and frozen-thawed semen.

In conclusion, the study suggests that incorporating 5% autologous PRP into seminal extenders can protect Ossimi ram sperm and enhance in vivo fertility for freshly diluted and frozen-thawed semen.

This is the first wide-scale study to reveal next-generation sequencing-based and comprehensive study to reveal genetic diversity, population structure, and phylogenetic relationships of some of Türkiye's indigenous fat-tailed sheep breeds. A total of 80 animals belonging to Akkaraman (AKR), Güney Karaman (GKR), Morkaraman (MKR), and Karakaş (KRK) sheep breeds were genotyped with genome-wide of 296.097 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) data recovered from double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq) libraries processed by Illumina HiSeq X Ten instrument. Minor allele frequency (MAF) ranged from 0.311 (MKR) to 0.316 (AKR and GKR). Observed heterozygosity (H_O) values were higher than expected values (H_E) across all populations with a mean of 0.307. Negative inbreeding coefficient (F_IS) values were observed in four sheep populations varying between −0.034 (AKR) to −0.060 (MKR). Cross-entropy criterion-based ADMIXTURE analysis demonstrated that four Anatolian sheep breeds were represented by two ancestral populations in which GKR and AKR were distinct, while KRK and MKR were mixed populations. Genetic distance-based tree, discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC), and ADMIXTURE analyses confirmed that GKR, which is believed to be derived from the AKR breed, has become genetically different from other sheep populations. Moreover, no migration from and into the GKR breed was detected, while a migration edge was drawn from the KRK and MKR clade into the AKR breed by the TreeMix algorithm. This study confirmed that high-density SNP data obtained from advanced next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms are efficient in genetically distinguishing animal breeds, even varieties. It is recommended that further NGS-based studies could be carried out to better characterize different indigenous livestock populations raised in Türkiye.

Dromedary camel fibers have long been utilized to make clothes, tents, ropes, mats, and carpets, however, only a minority of these fibers are currently used to produce textiles. Dromedary fiber classification based on quality traits is essential to investigate its textile potential. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to (1) develop a classification protocol for dromedary camel fibers based on crimp (i.e., shape), (2) investigate the characteristics of each fiber class using length, diameter, and medulla (i.e., the innermost hair layer) and (3) determine which fiber class is most suitable for the textile industry. Fiber samples were obtained from the mid-torso of 32 Arabian Peninsula camels of different types. Five crimp categories were identified (straight, C-shaped, wavy, ringed, and kinky). Across all crimp categories, the average length ranged from 20.20 – 43.93 mm whereas the mean fiber diameter ranged from 29.74 – 72.11 μm. Percent medullation extended from 68% to 100% with noticeable variation between crimp categories. Overall, fiber traits significantly differed between the crimp categories. Kinky hair was particularly distinct from the other crimp categories. The kinky crimp category is the most suitable dromedary fiber for the textile industry because its fibers are long, fine, and has the lowest percentage of medullated fibers. Hence, we recommend that selective breeding programs and genetic studies focus on the production of dromedaries with kinky hair fibers.

The Plasmodium parasites transmitted through the bites of infected Anopheles mosquitoes cause malaria in humans. Despite extensive research on the malaria parasite in ungulates, its occurrence in goats in Indonesia, particularly in the Kaligesing and Girimulyo border areas, has yet to be reported. This study aimed to investigate the presence of malaria parasites in goats from these regions. We collected 81 blood samples from goats of different ages and sexes. Blood samples were drawn from the jugular vein and preserved using EDTA tubes. We evaluated the overall clinical status of the goats by monitoring their rectal temperature and capillary refill time (CRT). Microscopic analysis was carried out by observing blood smears under a microscope, but the Plasmodium parasite was not detected. Next, we employed a molecular method to detect Plasmodium DNA using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method that targeted the cytochrome C oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. The results confirmed the presence of Plasmodium DNA in 5 out of the 81 samples tested. The obtained data were analyzed descriptively, and Wilson’s confidence interval method was used to calculate confidence limits for the sample proportions. This study provides the first molecular detection of previously undocumented malaria parasites in goats within the Girimulyo region of Kulon Progo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Identifying Plasmodium sp. using molecular techniques highlights the need for continued surveillance and management strategies to prevent the spread of malaria in animals and humans.

The objective of this randomized controlled vaccine field trial was to determine the effectiveness of a commercial respiratory bacterin, Ovipast™ Plus, administered to feedlot lambs at weaning, approximately 8 wk of age, to improve animal health, growth performance, and carcass traits. Lambs were weaned, weighed, and sorted into groups by sex and the previous Ovipast™ Plus vaccination status of their mother, because this is stage 2 of that ongoing trial (Gardner et al., 2023). Lambs born to vaccinated ewes were vaccinated with the Ovipast™ Plus bacterin and revaccinated 3–5 wk later. Lambs born to unvaccinated ewes were not vaccinated. During the growing and finishing phases of the trial, vaccination did not reduce pneumonia treatment rates, crude or pneumonia specific mortality rates, or improve growth rates. Vaccinated lambs had a lower carcass fat cover (P < 0.001) and a 1.33 times increased odds of yielding a Grade 1 carcass compared to unvaccinated lambs (P = 0.01). Vaccination reduced carcass fat cover and improved yield grades, but it had no beneficial effect on disease rates or growth performance, suggesting a limited economic benefit of vaccinating lambs post-weaning, which were borne from ewes vaccinated with Ovipast™ Plus during gestation.

Pistachio (PW, Pistacia vera L.) wastes are a collection of favorite materials that are produced in the pistachio processing factories, in combination with its industry derivatives of clusters, soft hull, leaves, hard shell, and kernel. Two experiments were carried out; in the 1st one, the chemical and mineral compositions, in vitro ruminal-digestive fermentation activities, and buffering capacity parameters were determined for PW and its derivatives. For the 2nd experiment, the nutritional effects of an aluminosilicate (AS) and polyethylene glycol (PEG), at 10 g/kg dietary dry matter (DM), on PW-based diets were investigated. However, forty Mahabadi male goat kids [5 months, 22 ± 2.0 kg body weight (BW)] were randomly divided into the four experimental diets: control (a basal diet without PW); PW (replaced 40 % of control ingredients with PW); PW + PEG (PW diet + 10 g PEG/kg DM); and PW + AS (PW diet + 10 g AS/kg DM). Crude protein content, dry matter digestibility (DMD), gas production, and metabolizable energy were increased (P < 0.001) in kernel rather than other treatments. Hard shell exhibited the lowest (P < 0.001) DMD and/or organic matter digestibility (at 24 and 96 h), and highest (P < 0.001) neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and iron concentrations. In leaves, total phenolic and tannins, calcium, magnesium, and manganese had the highest (P < 0.001) concentrations versus other PW derivatives. Soft hull has the greatest (P < 0.001) acid-base buffering capacity among the evaluated derivatives. Dietary supplementation with 40 % PW decreased (P < 0.001) dry matter intake, final BW, average daily gain, nutrient digestibility, ruminal total volatile fatty acids, propionate, and acetate, but with an increase (P < 0.001) in those parameters in PW + PEG and PW + AS diets. Blood urea nitrogen and total protein decreased (P < 0.05) by dietary PW. The inclusion of 40 % PW in the diet reduced the growth performance and diet nutritive value, but improved plasma antioxidant status (total antioxidant capacity: and malondialdehyde). Addition of PW in goat kids’ diets with PEG or AS improved the digestibility and ruminal fermentation activities and enhanced growth performance. In conclusion, it is recommended to use PW at the dietary level of 40 % in fattening goat kids, provided that it is accompanied by adding AS or PEG to the diet.

Diarrhea in alpacas is a clinically significant condition and the primary cause of morbidity in neonatal Peruvian alpacas. This study aimed to correlate early diarrhea in crias of alpaca with changes in the microbiota community. A total of 19 alpacas (aged 1–2 months) were collected, including nine with a health condition and ten healthy ones. Fecal samples were obtained under sterile conditions and their DNA was extracted. Sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was conducted in the Illumina platform, followed by bioinformatics analysis. Reduced microbial diversity was evident in alpacas afflicted with diarrhea, delineating contrasting microbial compositions in comparison to their healthy counterparts. The study characterized the predominant bacterial classes and phyla within the gut microbiota, with Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobiota, and Bacteroidota collectively constituting approximately 80% of the total bacterial population. Substantial disparities in these microbial compositions were observed between the two groups, a variance that appeared to be influenced by both age and the health status of the alpacas. The bacterial class Verrucomicrobiae exhibited a significant presence within the group of alpacas suffering from illness. Furthermore, specific pathogenic species such as Clostridium spiroforme, Blautia, and Bacteroides fragilis were detected in significantly higher proportions among the afflicted alpacas. The functional diversity across the two groups was also found to be markedly different, a distinction that is graphically represented in a heat map illustrating the fifty principal differential KEGGs. This study provides valuable insights into the role of gut microbiota in alpaca health and may have implications for veterinary care and management.

To counteract the negative effects of phytotannins, ruminants host a diverse community of bacteria that break down tannins. These bacteria not only possess tanninolytic activity but also have other functional relevance which has not been properly examined. Therefore, the present study was conducted to isolate and characterize tannin degrading bacteria (TDB) with possible fibrolytic activity from rumen of sheep fed tannin-rich diet. Based on the development of a clear zone on tannin-enriched agar plates, a total of 24 isolates were screened as tannin hydrolyzing bacteria. Majority of the isolates were gram positive cocci. The isolates could tolerate phenolic monomers such as ferulic acid, gallic acid, vanillic acid up to 30 mM and pyrogallol up to 10 mM however, the isolates failed to grow in presence of syringic acid, p-coumaric acid and p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Highest tannase activity was observed in isolate TDB23 while, lowest in isolates TDB2 and TDB5. In terms of fibrolytic activity, maximum endoglucanase, exoglucanase, and FPase activity was observed in isolate TDB9. In vitro digestibility of Prosopis cineraria leaves was considerably enhanced by inoculation of isolate TDB23 followed by TDB9. Therefore, the screened isolates demonstrated promising tannin and fibre degrading potential which can be further explored as direct-fed microbial in ruminants for effective utilization of tannin-rich fibrous feeds.

Mycoplasma capricolum subsp. capripneumoniae (Mccp) is a dreadful pathogen of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP). Mccp local strains have recently been isolated from naturally infected goats in northern areas of Pakistan. In this study, we established an in-house indirect ELISA (iELISA) based on whole-cell proteins (WCP) of local Mccp strains for the detection of anti-Mccp antibodies. Serum samples from naturally (n=500) and experimentally infected (n=20) and non-infected animals (n=100) were used for the establishment of iELISA. The specificity and sensitivity of the iELISA were determined using a commercially available competitive ELISA (cELISA) kit as a reference standard. The cut-off value (OD₄₅₀) was found 0.53 by ROC analysis. As indicated by a kappa value of 0.88 and 96.66% agreement, both assays showed perfect agreement. An iELISA based on WCP of local Mccp detected seroconversion in experimental goats 7 days post-infection (dpi). The iELISA revealed a sensitivity of 90.83% (95% CI: 83.77%, 95.55%) and a specificity of 92.31% (95% CI: 84.79%, 96.85%) and has no cross-reaction with related mycoplasma epidemic diseases. For both inter-assay and intra-assay precision, the iELISA percentage coefficient of variation (%CV) was 4.8% and 1.74%, respectively. In conclusion, this in-house iELISA based on local Mccp-WCP was determined as a sensitive and specific assay for the diagnosis of Mccp infection.

Ultrasonography was used to determine the subcutaneous backfat deposition of Boer goat castrates and does from weaning until one year of age. Logarithmic regressions of subcutaneous backfat measurements were constructed using body weight and age as inputs. The logarithmic regression of subcutaneous backfat deposition with bodyweight had a moderate to good fit, with Boer goat does displaying a better fit (R²=0.70) than castrates (R²=0.65). The logarithmic regression of subcutaneous backfat with age indicated a good fit for both sexes (R²=0.85). Castrates and does displayed similar rates of subcutaneous backfat deposition. The models proposed here will enable producers to estimate the subcutaneous backfat depth of Boer goat castrates and does with reasonable accuracy and can be utilized as benchmarks in precision Boer goat rearing applications, such as predicting an appropriate slaughter weight.