• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1527-1533
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• 2001

Garole is a prolific, rare, less known and small size Indian sheep breed found in low and humid Sunderban region of West Bengal. Although information on stored Garole ram liquid semen upto 24 h is available, but there is a need to further investigate the short-term and long-term preservability of Garole ram semen for extensive utilization of this valuable germplasm by artificial insemination. The aim of the present study was to apply computer-assisted sperm analysis technique for assessing the motion characteristics of Garole ram semen stored (i) in liquid state at refrigeration temperature for short-term preservation upto 48 h and (ii) in frozen state at $-196^{\circ}C$ for long-term preservation after packaging in mini straws. Short-term preservation had a significant effect on motility (p<0.01) as the motility progressively decreased from 90.1% at 0 h to 85.5% and 73.2% after 24 and 48 h of storage, respectively. Although the decline in rapid moving sperms was also significant (p<0.01) on storage but the decrease was more pronounced at 48 h as compared to 24 h of storage period. Storage of chilled semen had also a significant effect on % linearity (p<0.05), % straightness (p<0.01), sperm velocities (p<0.01), amplitude of lateral head displacement (p<0.01) and beat frequency (pO.Ol) of spermatozoa. The replication had a significant effect for all the variables except average path and straight line velocity. However, the interactions of short-term storage and replication were non-significant for most of the variables except % of medium moving sperms, sperm velocities and beat frequency. On long-term preservation of Garole ram spermatozoa under controlled conditions the mean post-thaw recovery of 70.4 and 71.4% motile spermatozoa was achieved having 48.8 and 48.9% of rapidly motile spermatozoa, respectively in both the replicates. The effect of replication on cryopreservation was significant (p<0.05) on amplitude of lateral head displacement and beat frequency, but there was no significant effect on motility, rapidly motile spermatozoa, linearity, straightness and sperm velocities of frozen-thawed spermatozoa. It can be concluded from these results that an average 70% motility can be achieved on storage of Garole ram semen in chilled liquid state upto 48 h or in liquid nitrogen after freezing under controlled conditions in straws. However, further studies are required to evaluate the fertility of short-term and long-term preserved Garole ram semen for extensive use of this prolific sheep breed.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.9
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• pp.1233-1242
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• 2011

The in vivo digestibility of mulberry leaves (Morus alba) and the effects of the partial replacement of cotton seed with fresh mulberry leaf in rations on the performance of growing Vietnamese cattle was investigated. For the in vivo digestibility trial, twenty castrated rams of Phanrang breed (a local prolific breed) with an initial weight of 23-25 kg, were first assigned to four groups according to weight and then randomly assigned to one of four dietary treatments to determine digestibility of nutrients in mulberry leaves (M. alba), natural Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and buffalo grass (Panicum maximum cv. TD 58). All forages were cut and chopped daily before being offered (at 120% maintenance) to the sheep. In the feeding trial, 20 Laisind (Vietnam yellow cows${\times}$Red Sindhy bulls) crossbred bulls averaged 18 month old and 184 kg were used to investigate the effect of partial replacement of cottonseed in the diet by mulberry leaves on live weight gain and feed conversion rate. The experiment was a randomized complete block design with four levels of fresh mulberry leaves which varied from 0 to 15% of total dietary dry mater and five animals per treatment over an 84 day period. The in vivo digestion trial showed the superior quality of mulberry leaves compared with the grasses. Chemical analysis indicated that mulberry leaves had the highest CP and the lowest NDF contents (22.3 and 31.1% DM, respectively) among the four forages tested. Digestibility of DM and OM of the mulberry leaf (66.4 and 71.8%, respectively) was also the highest but that of CP (58.2%) and NDF (58.4%) was the lowest of the four forages evaluated (p<0.05). Consequently, the ME value and therefore net energy (NE) and unit feed for lactation (UFL) values of the mulberry leaves, which was estimated from chemical composition and digestibility values, were the highest among the forages investigated in the present study. Results of the feeding trial showed no treatment effect on average daily gain (ADG) of the cattle. The values were 554, 583, 565 and 568 g/d for animals in the diets of 0, 5, 10, and 15% mulberry leaves inclusion, respectively. Total DM intake of the animal was not affected by the treatment when expressed as kg/animal/d. However, when adjusted for metabolic weight of the animal the DM intake was reduced (p<0.05) as whole cottonseed was replaced by mulberry leaves in the ration. When the level of mulberry leaves in the ration increased from 5 to 15% of dietary DM at the expense of whole cottonseed, CP and ME intakes of the cattle were significantly decreased (p<0.05) and the feed to gain ratio reduced by 8 to 14% as compared with the control diet (p<0.05). Mulberry leaf is a good feed ingredient for ruminants because of its high level of crude protein and high digestibility of nutrients and energy. Mulberry leaves can be efficiently used as a source of protein supplement to replace cottonseed, a more expensive animal feeds ingredient, in the diet for Vietnamese cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.15 no.9
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• pp.1257-1262
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• 2002

The objective was to identify the appropriate form of progesterone, which exhibits compact reproductive responses in Awassi ewes during mid to late seasonal anestrous period. Forty-eight Awassi ewes were randomly allocated into four groups to be treated with 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP), 30 mg fluorogestone acetate (FGA), 40 mg FGA, or 600 mg progesterone sponges. After a 12 day period, sponges were removed and ewes were administered i.m. with 600 IU PMSG (d 0, 0 h). Five harnessed Awassi rams were turned-in with the ewes to detect heat. Ewes were checked for breeding marks at 6 h intervals for 5 days. Blood samples were collected from all ewes for analysis of progesterone concentrations. Pretreatment (d -13 and -12) progesterone concentrations were ${\leq}0.2ng/mL$ among all ewes and were indicative of seasonal anestrous period. On d 0, progesterone concentrations were elevated to $1.4{\pm}0.1ng/mL$ in ewes received progesterone sponges only and were higher (p<0.0001) than those (${\leq}0.2ng/mL$) administered MAP or FGA sponges. Progesterone concentrations returned to their basal values of <0.2 ng/mL within 24 h of sponge removal and were similar (p>0.1) among all ewes. Incidence of estrus was similar (p>0.1) among the four groups and occurred in 75% (9/12), 82% (9/11), 67% (8/12) and 58% (7/12) of the ewes receiving MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges, respectively. Estrous responses occurred 14.7, 20 and 13.6 h earlier in progesterone-sponge-treated ewes than those of MAP- (p<0.04), 30 mg FGA- (p<0.01) and 40 mg FGA-treated (p=0.06) ewes, respectively. Induced estrus conception rates were 50% (6/12), 55% (6/11), 50% (6/12) and 42% (5/12), out of which 4/6, 4/6, 3/6 and 3/5 lambed 151 days following d 0, and were similar (p>0.1) among ewes of the four treatment groups. Ewes that returned to estrus 16 to 20 days following d 0 were 5/12, 5/11, 6/12 and 4/12 ewes treated with MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges, respectively, and all lambed 169 days later. Overall lambing rates were 75% (9/12), 82% (9/11), 75% (9/12) and 58% (7/12) ewes treated with MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges, respectively. Results demonstrate that applications of MAP, 30 mg FGA, 40 mg FGA and progesterone sponges Awassi ewes were equally effective in induction of estrus and tended to favor both types of FGA and MAP in overall lambing rates over progesterone sponges during the seasonal anestrous period.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.59 no.8
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• pp.17.1-17.13
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• 2017

Background: Omega-3 long-chain (${\geq}C_{20}$) polyunsaturated fatty acids (${\omega}3$ LC-PUFA) confer important attributes to health-conscious meat consumers due to the significant role they play in brain development, prevention of coronary heart disease, obesity and hypertension. In this study, the ${\omega}3$ LC-PUFA content of raw and cooked Longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) muscle from genetically divergent Australian prime lambs supplemented with dietary degummed crude canola oil (DCCO) was evaluated. Methods: Samples of LTL muscle were sourced from 24 first cross ewe and wether lambs sired by Dorset, White Suffolk and Merino rams joined to Merino dams that were assigned to supplemental regimes of degummed crude canola oil (DCCO): a control diet at 0 mL/kg DM of DCCO (DCCOC); 25 mL/kg DM of DCCO (DCCOM) and 50 mL/kg DCCO (DCCOH). Lambs were individually housed and offered 1 kg/day/head for 42 days before being slaughtered. Samples for cooked analysis were prepared to a core temperature of $70^{\circ}C$ using conductive dry-heat. Results: Within raw meats: DCCOH supplemented lambs had significantly (P < 0.05) higher concentrations of eicosapentaenoic (EPA, $20:5{\omega}3$) and EPA + docosahexaenoic (DHA, $22:6{\omega}3$) acids than those supplemented with DCCOM or DCCOC; Dorset sired lambs contained significantly (P < 0.05) more EPA and EPA + DHA than other sire breeds; diet and sire breed interactions were significant (P < 0.05) in affecting EPA and EPA + DHA concentrations. In cooked meat, ${\omega}3$ LC-PUFA concentrations in DCCOM (32 mg/100 g), DCCOH (38 mg/100 g), Dorset (36 mg/100 g), White Suffolk (32 mg/100 g), ewes (32 mg/100 g) and wethers (33 mg/100 g), all exceeded the minimum content of 30 mg/100 g of edible cooked portion of EPA + DHA for Australian defined 'source' level ${\omega}3$ LC-PUFA classification. Conclusion: These results present that combinations of dietary degummed crude canola oil, sheep genetics and culinary preparation method can be used as effective management tools to deliver nutritionally improved ${\omega}3$ LC-PUFA lamb to meat consumers.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1001-1006
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• 2024

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Codonopsis pilosula polysaccharide (CPP) on the motility, mitochondrial integrity, acrosome integrity rate, and antioxidant ability of sheep sperm after preservation at 4℃. Methods: Semen from healthy adult rams were collected and divided into four groups with separate addition of 0, 200, 400, and 1,000 mg/L CPP. Sperm motility was analyzed using the Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis software after preservation at 4℃ for 24, 72, 120, and 168 h. Sperm acrosome integrity rate was analyzed by Giemsa staining at 24, 72, and 120 h, and mitochondrial membrane integrity was analyzed by Mito-Tracker Red CMXRos. The total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content of spermatozoa were measured after 120 h of preservation. Results: The sperm viability and forward-moving sperm under 200 mg/L CPP were significantly higher than that in the control group at 72 h (61.28%±3.89% vs 52.83%±0.70%, 51.53%±4.06% vs 42.84%±1.14%), and 168 h (47.21%±0.85% vs 41.43%±0.37%, 38.68%±0.87% vs 31.68%±0.89%). The percentage of fast-moving sperm (15.03%±1.10% vs 11.39%±1.03%) and slow-moving sperm (23.63%±0.76% vs 20.29%±1.11%) in the 200 mg/L group was significantly higher than control group at 168 h. The mitochondrial membrane integrity of the sperm in the group with 200 mg/L CPP was significantly higher than those in the control group after storage at 4℃ for 120 h (74.76%±2.54% vs 65.67%±4.51%, p<0.05). The acrosome integrity rate in the group with 200 mg/L (87.66%±1.26%) and 400 mg/L (84.00%±2.95%) was significantly higher than those in the control group (80.65%±0.16%) after storage for 24 h (p<0.05). CPP also increased T-AOC and decreased the MDA concentration after preservation at 4℃ (p<0.05). Conclusion: Adding CPP could improve the T-AOC of sperm, inhibit lipid peroxidation, and facilitate semen preservation.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.271-278
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• 1995

The objective of the present study was to investigate the inhibitory effect of physiologically pulsatile pattern of testosterone(T) on luteinizing hormone(LH) in wethers. To do this, 3 separate experiments were conducted. Infusion rates and patterns needed to produce normal T secretory profiles found in intact rams were established in Experiment 1, the time-course of the suppressive effect of T on circulating LH concentrations was determined in Experiment 2, and the effectiveness of a pulsatile versus a constant pattern of T to suppress LH secretion in wethers was compared in Experiment 3. In Experiment 1, three different doses(25, 50 or $100{\mu}g$) of T were injected intravenously to animals to do pharmacokinetic analysis of T. Elimination rate constant, volume of distribution, and total body clearance of T averaged $0.18min^{-1}$, 0.531/kg BW, and 0.091/min/ kg BW, respectively. In Experiment 2, three different doses(192,384, or $768{\mu}g/kg/24h$) of T were infused at 4h intervals for 3 days into animals to evaluate the time course of the inhibitory effect of T on mean LH concentration. As duration of T infusion increased, mean LH concentrations gradually reduced. Mean LH concentrations were significantly lower at day 2 or day 3 than at day 0. However, mean LH concentrations did not differ between day 0 and day 1 or between day 2 and day 3. In Experiment 3, animals were subjected to two different intravenous infusion regimens for 3 days: constant T($768{\mu}g/kg/24h$) and pulsatile(one pulse every 4h) T($768{\mu}g/kg24h$). Blood samples were collected at 10-min intervals for 4h both prior to infusion and during the last 4h of the infusion. Mean LH was more suppressed(p=0.045) by constant T than by pulsatile T. LH pulse amplitude was not affected by constant T or pulsatile T. LH interpulse interval was increased more(p=0.034) by constant T than pulsatile T.