Animal Science Journal最新文献

Glutamic acid (Glu) and fat are recognized as primary flavor components in meat. This study aimed to determine the discrimination threshold of an untrained panel for Glu and fat in meat. Thirty-two untrained panelists were recruited among research institute employees. First, triangle tests were performed using chicken broth supplemented with Glu at concentrations of 10, 50, 110, and 200 μg/ml and broth without Glu supplementation (control). The Glu supplementation test did not distinguish between Glu-supplemented broth and the control. Thus, the discrimination threshold for Glu in chicken broth was determined to be >200 μg/ml. Second, triangle tests were performed using chicken oil-emulsified broth at concentrations of 43, 129, 387, and 1160 μg/ml and broth without chicken oil supplementation. The probability of choosing the correct sample in the triangle test for each chicken oil concentration was calculated. The probit regression analysis estimated the discrimination threshold for chicken oil in chicken broth to be 341 μg/ml among untrained panelists. Although the number of untrained panelists recruited in this study was limited, our results provided useful findings for evaluating and improving meat quality utilizing Glu and fat content.

Management of storage period is essential for meat. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique for predicting storage period in pork loins using a compact impedance-measuring device. Eight measurement positions were placed on pork loin block meat from five fattening pigs, and impedance values at frequencies of 2 and 100 kHz, modified K values (mK values), which are derived from nucleotide-related substances were collected during storage ranging from 0 to 14 days. We developed regression equations using the storage days or mK values as the objective variable and both the impedance ratio (2 kHz/100 kHz) and the 100 kHz impedance value as the explanatory variable for one-position measurements, obtaining the coefficients of determination of 0.80 and 0.79, respectively. These results indicated that the compact impedance-measuring device can be used to predict the storage days of pork loins. In this study, we developed a simple technique for predicting pork loin storage period using a compact impedance-measuring device that can be applied nondestructively in the meat processing industry.

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of free and nanoencapsulated garlic essential oil (GEO) on performance, serum biochemistry, and immune functions. Broiler chickens (900 males 1-day-old, Ross 308) were randomly assigned to six treatment diets (0, 75, or 150 mg/kg free GEO and 0 [containing chitosan], 75, or 150 mg/kg nanoencapsulated GEO) in a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement of treatments. The inclusion of nanoencapsulated GEO with a concentration of 75 mg/kg significantly increased the growth performance (p < 0.05) of the birds fed the diet containing free GEO (75 mg/kg). Also, GEO nanocapsules significantly reduced serum total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) compared to the control diet (p < 0.05) (42 days), sheep red blood cell (SRBC) antibody titer (35 and 42 days), heterophilus (H): lymphocyte (L), and H ratio, 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) (42 days) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the findings show that the amount of 75 (mg/kg) of the nanoencapsulated GEO, compared to the free GEO, causes more growth performance and strengthens the immune system of broiler chickens.

Heat stress (HS) reduces dry-matter intake and causes negative energy balance (EB) in Holstein cattle, with consequent deterioration in milk production and wellness. Therefore, the effects of HS can be detected more directly from imbalances in EB than from the consequent changes in production or health traits. EB can be monitored by metabolism-related traits such as predicted EB (PEB), the fat-to-protein ratio (FPR), or β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in milk. We examined the days on which HS effects on the test-day PEB, FPR, or milk BHB were the greatest in first lactation. We collected weather records and test-day records. We considered the fixed effects of herd-year, test month, calving age, days in milk, temperature–humidity index (THI) from any one of test day to 14 days prior (15 models per trait), and random effects of animal and residuals in the models and compared the deviance information criterion (DIC) between models for each trait. For PEB, FPR, and milk BHB, the model gave the lowest DIC when including the effect of THI 1, 1, and 0 day before the test day. We observed that HS caused a decrease in PEB and an increase in FPR and milk BHB.

Sustainability in beekeeping depends on identifying the factors affecting honey and beeswax yields (HY and BWY) - key products - and accurately predicting these yields. Therefore, this study aimed to predict HY and BWY using a classification and regression tree (CART), eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) and Random Forest (RF) algorithms, and thermal image processing in Apis mellifera. In this study, 13 colonies of 6 different breeds raised in 10-frame Langstroth hives were used. The effects of independent variables were predicted using data mining algorithms and 15 performance metrics for the effectiveness of the algorithms. Colony power (CP), thermal temperatures (T_min, T_max, and T_mean), breed, a*, b*, red, green, saturation, and brightness impacted HY and BWY in different algorithms, but not birth year of queen, L, hue and blue. As a result, XGBoost, CART, and RF demonstrated high predictive performance, respectively. Due to their higher predictive performance, XGBoost and CART algorithms could predict HY and BWY using CP, thermal temperatures, and image values. These techniques could be useful for producers to monitor production quickly and non-invasively without threatening colony welfare.

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of supplementing the diets of Comisana ewes with rumen protected methionine and lysine (RP-ML) for a duration of 60 days on quantitative–qualitative production of milk, antioxidant parameters of milk and blood, biochemical parameters of blood, and lambs' growth performance. Two groups of 15 ewes with equal average body weight were considered for the trial. The control group was administered a standard diet (Control, C) and the experimental group the standard diet supplemented with 1.5% lysine and 1.0% methionine (Treated, T). Results showed that RP-ML supplementation positively influenced milk yield, fat and protein content, and casein (p < 0.01). Furthermore, lambs of the T group, compared with those of the C group, showed a 15% higher growth rate during the suckling period of 42 days. Finally, the total antioxidant capacity of milk, measured by ferric reducing antioxidant power and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzotiazolin-6-sulfonic acid assay, was significantly lower in T groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results showed that the integration of RP-ML in ewes could be a valid strategy in order to improve their performances but further investigations are necessary to define the right concentration to be administered to the animals.

This study was designed to investigate the degree of long-term effects by measuring cortisol and aldosterone concentrations in the growing hair including lipid which is absorbed from the blood of six female Holstein calves by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The total number of calves used was 18 (three seasons). Three comparative factors were used: region (back and chest), hair color (black and white), and season (summer, winter, and spring). The hair cortisol of the back region (white color) was higher than the other region and color (p < 0.05). The measured value in the spring season (back region) was significantly higher than that in the summer (chest region) (p < 0.05). Although there has been no report on the hair aldosterone until now, it was possible to measure the concentration in the present study. The hair aldosterone of the back region was higher than the chest region (p < 0.01), and the white hair color was higher than the black hair color (p < 0.05). The measured value in the spring season was also significantly higher than that in the summer season and the winter season (p < 0.01). This result suggested the changes are affected by the hair region factor, the hair color factor, and the changing meteorological conditions.

Hoof disorders are crucial factors leading to dairy cattle culling. These disorders are difficult to detect, diagnose, and record, causing animal health problems and serious economic losses. The coronet score is a new hoof health indicator developed by the Dairy Herd Improvement Program of Japan. This score is assigned on a 5-point scale and can easily be determined by examining the degree of redness and swelling around the hooves. To determine whether coronet scores can be used to genetically improve hoof health, we investigated non-genetic factors in the score, developed a genetic analysis model, and estimated genetic parameters. Coronet scores were collected from 1280 herds in 28 prefectures once a month from 2014 to 2021. Furthermore, 1,598,878 test-day records of 94,951 cows from the first- to third-parity and pedigree information of 216,416 individuals were used in the analysis. Results revealed that herd size, parity, age, test month, and lactation stage influenced the coronet score. Additionally, the heritability of the coronet score estimated via the herd-test-day model was 0.027, and genetic trends deteriorated in sires and cows. Overall, we demonstrated that coronet score is a heritable trait, suggesting that hoof health could be genetically improved by selection for coronet score.

The influence of post-ovulatory corpus luteum (CL) and first-wave dominant follicle (1DF) location on pregnancy establishment in cattle remains controversial. This study aimed to reveal the relationship between CL and 1DF positioning, pregnancy outcomes, and blood steroid hormone levels following artificial insemination (AI) in Holstein cattle. Data from heifers (n = 163) and cows (n = 69) with optimally timed AI, defined as ovulation within 24 h post-AI, were analyzed to determine associations between CL (left/right ovary) and 1DF (ipsilateral/contralateral to CL) locations and conception rates. Plasma progesterone (P₄) and estradiol-17β (E₂) concentrations were measured five days post-insemination. In heifers, neither CL (p = 0.24) nor 1DF location (p = 0.44) affected conception rates. Cows with left-sided CL tended to have higher conception rates than those with right-sided CL (p = 0.08). Relative 1DF location did not affect conception in cows. The location of CL and 1DF did not affect plasma P₄ and E₂ concentrations or the ratio of plasma E₂ to P₄ in heifers or cows. These findings suggest a trend towards improved conception rates in cows with CL located on the left ovary post-AI, regardless of 1DF location. The mechanism should not be associated with systemic ovarian hormones.

Pigs (Sus scrofa) have been expected to have organs transplanted to humans, but porcine endogenous retrovirus (PERV) is one of the risks because the PERV has the possibility to get infected with human cells. Therefore, the pigs are required to have as low a PERV copy number as possible. In this study, firstly, we investigated the estimates of heritabilities for the PERV copy numbers in the Vietnamese native breeds. Genomic heritabilities for four genes on PERV were estimated using the restricted maximum likelihood method with the genomic relationship matrix. The genomic heritability estimates of these genes ranged from 0.27 to 0.71, indicating that it would be possible for these genes not to follow the normal Mendelian inheritance. Secondly, we bred the pig population to reduce the pol gene number and estimated the heritability for the number. Despite the high heritability estimate for the pol gene (0.59), little improvement was progressed after selection for reducing the gene number in the three generations. In order to reduce the PERV copy numbers from the pig genome, it would be difficult to adapt only conventional breeding technology, and we need to consider using another technology like genome editing.