Influence of pregnancy and presence of a CL on quantity and quality of bovine oocytes obtained from ovarian follicles aspirated post-mortem

Oxidative stress has been suggested to negatively affect oocyte and embryo quality and developmental competence, resulting in failure to reach full term. In this study, we investigated the effect of N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC), a cell-permeating antioxidant, on developmental competence and the quality of oocytes and embryos upon supplementation (0.1–10 mM) in maturation and culture medium in vitro using slaughterhouse-derived oocytes and embryos. The results show that treating oocytes with 1.0 mM NAC for 8 h during in vitro maturation attenuated the intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) (p < 0.05) and upregulated intracellular glutathione levels (p < 0.01) in oocytes. Interestingly, we found that NAC affects early embryonic development, not only in a dose-dependent, but also in a stage-specific, manner. Significantly (p < 0.05) decreased cleavage rates (90.25% vs. 81.46%) were observed during the early stage (days 0–2), while significantly (p < 0.05) increased developmental rates (38.20% vs. 44.46%) were observed during the later stage (from day 3) of embryonic development. In particular, NAC supplementation decreased the proportion of apoptotic blastomeres significantly (p < 0.05), resulting in enhanced hatching capability and developmental rates during the in vitro culture of embryos. Taken together, our results suggest that NAC supplementation has beneficial effects on bovine oocytes and embryos through the prevention of apoptosis and the elimination of oxygen free radicals during maturation and culture in vitro.

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Puparia Cleaning Techniques for Forensic and Archaeo-Funerary Studies

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12020104 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 104

Author(s):

Jennifer Pradelli ◽

Fabiola Tuccia ◽

Giorgia Giordani ◽

Stefano Vanin

Keyword(s):

Sodium Hydroxide ◽

Molecular Identification ◽

Sodium Hydroxide Solution ◽

Species Level ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Molecular Analyses ◽

Chemical Treatments ◽

Wrong Identification ◽

Physical And Chemical

Diptera puparia may represent both in forensic and archaeo-funerary contexts the majority of the entomological evidence useful to reconstruct the peri and post-mortem events. Puparia identification is quite difficult due to the lack of identification keys and descriptions. In addition, external substances accumulated during the puparia permanence in the environment make the visualization of the few diagnostic characters difficult, resulting in a wrong identification. Six different techniques based on physical and chemical treatments have been tested for the removal of external substances from puparia to make identification at species level feasible. Furthermore, the effects of these methods on successful molecular analyses have also been tested as molecular identification is becoming an important tool to complement morphological identifications. The results of this study indicate that cleaning via warm water/soap, the sonication and treatment with a sodium hydroxide solution are the best methods to achieve a good quality of the samples.

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Dystocia in a wild Western Tiger Snake (Notechis scutatus occidentalis)

Australian Zoologist ◽

10.7882/az.2021.043 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jari Cornelis ◽

Damian Lettoof ◽

Lucinda Lam ◽

Sam Loughridge ◽

Fabien Aubret

Keyword(s):

Adult Female ◽

Population Study ◽

Western Australia ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Veterinary Practice ◽

Anthropogenic Stressors ◽

Negative Effect ◽

Professional Assistance

ABSTRACT Dystocia in reptiles is the retention of ova or foetuses within the female due to the failure of the female to complete parturition or oviposition. This disorder is commonly observed in captive reptiles, but has rarely been reported in wild reptiles. We observed a large internal obstruction in an adult female Tiger Snake captured as part of an ongoing population study. We failed to palpate out the object in the field, so we took the snake to a veterinary practice for professional assistance. All non-lethal methods of extracting the object were unsuccessful so we euthanised the specimen and post-mortem dissection revealed five mummified stillborn young lodged in a sealed reproductive tract. Reproductive abnormalities are frequent in Tiger Snakes and large proportions of litters can be comprised of unfertilised eggs, fertilised aborted eggs and stillborn young, yet none of these observations ever resulted in dystocia. It is interesting that this observation occurred in a snake from Herdsman Lake, Western Australia, where the Tiger Snake population is subjected to many anthropogenic stressors. We cannot determine what caused this case of dystocia but suspect it may have been caused by some sort of negative effect onset by the quality of the environment.

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Effect of Pre-Slaughter Practises and Early Post-Mortem Interventions on Sheep Meat Tenderness and Its Impact on Microbial Status

Foods ◽

10.3390/foods11020181 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. 181

Author(s):

Carlos Álvarez ◽

Leonard Koolman ◽

Michael Whelan ◽

Aidan Moloney

Keyword(s):

Quality Trait ◽

Meat Tenderness ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Subsequent Aging ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Aging Period ◽

Sheep Meat ◽

The Impact ◽

Microbial Status

Tenderness, together with flavour, is the main quality trait that defines consumer acceptance of sheep meat. The factors affecting tenderness can be grouped as those influenced before slaughter, in the early post-mortem intervention and, finally, during the aging period. These factors have been extensively studied with respect to tenderness, but the impact of early post-mortem interventions and subsequent aging on the microbial quality of the final products has not been broadly reviewed to date. In this review, the authors summarize the most recent knowledge on lamb meat tenderness management and how such practices may impact the final meat quality, especially its microbial status. The impacts of pre-slaughter factors (age, sex, diet, genotype and transport) and post-mortem interventions (chilling regime, electrical stimulation, or hanging method), are described and comprehensively discussed.

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PSX-B-13 Effect of epidermal growth factor and prolactin on the quality of bovine oocytes aging in vitro

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab235.601 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 327-327

Author(s):

Ekaterina Shedova ◽

Galina Singina ◽

Irina Y Lebedeva ◽

Aleksandr Lopukhov

Keyword(s):

Growth Factor ◽

Epidermal Growth Factor ◽

Control Group ◽

Tunel Staining ◽

Apoptosis Resistance ◽

Prolonged Culture ◽

Epidermal Growth ◽

Bovine Oocytes

Abstract The evaluation of factors responsible for the protection of the oocytes attained the metaphase-II stage from aging is importance for successful in vitro embryo reproduction. The aim of the present research was to study dose-dependent effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and prolactin (PRL) on the quality of bovine oocytes after their aging in vitro. Bovine cumulus-enclosed oocytes (CEOs) were matured in vitro for 20 h in TCM 199 containing 0.2 mM sodium pyruvate, 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), 10 μg/ml FSH and LH. At the end of in vitro maturation, oocytes were transferred to TCM 199 supplemented with 10% FCS (aging medium) and cultured for additional 24 h in the absence (Control) and in presence of EGF (10 and 50 ng/ml) and PRL (20 and 50 ng/ml). After prolonged culture oocytes were used for apoptosis detection (TUNEL staining, n=251) and the state of chromosomes evaluation (Tarkowski’s cytogenetic method, n=359). The data from 3–4 replicates were analyzed by ANOVA. At the end of prolonged culture (24 h) the rate of apoptotic oocytes in the Control group was 47.4±8.5%. EGF at concentration of 10 ng/ml and PRL at both doses decreased this rate to 15.0–22.1% (p < 0.05). Furthermore, PRL (not EGF) reduced the frequency of abnormal chromosome modifications (decondensation, adherence, clumping) at concentrations of 20–50 ng/ml from 58.7±2.1% (Control) to 41.2±1.9 and 45.6±2.7% respectively (p < 0.01). Thus, EGF and PRL is able to maintain the apoptosis resistance of bovine oocytes during their prolonged in vitro culture as well as PRL have the decelerating effect on abnormal modifications of M-II chromosomes. The research was supported by RFBR (17-29-08035) and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia.

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PSVI-1 Improvement of gut morphology and meat quality of broiler chickens by encapsulated citral and cinnamaldehyde

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skz258.401 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽

pp. 195-195

Author(s):

Chongwu Yang ◽

Janghan Choi ◽

Marion Mogire ◽

Argenis Rodas-González ◽

Moussa S Diarra ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Performance ◽

Meat Quality ◽

Ph Value ◽

Basal Diet ◽

Positive Control ◽

Negative Control ◽

Intestinal Morphology ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Gut Morphology

Abstract This study investigated the effects of encapsulated citral (CIT) and cinnamaldehyde (CIN) on growth performance, intestinal morphology and meat quality in broilers. A total of 320 0-day-age male broilers (Cobb 500) were allocated 32 pens with 8 pens per treatment. The treatments included: 1) Corn-wheat-SBM basal diet (negative control); 2) basal diet with 30 ppm avilamycin premix (positive control); 3) basal diet with 50 ppm encapsulated CIT and CIN (CCL); 4) basal diet with 100 ppm encapsulated CIT and CIN (CCH). There were no significant differences between treatments in growth performance (P > 0.05) at each feeding stage. Additionally, birds had similar relative organ weights of heart, liver, spleen and bursa (P > 0.05). The higher ratios of villus height to crypt depth (VCR; P ≤ 0.05) were detected in broilers fed either CCL or CCH, with an average being 14.67 and 15.13 in the duodenum, and 15.13 and 13.58 in the jejunum, respectively. Regarding meat quality, a higher pH value (pH = 6.21) in the breast was observed in 24-h post mortem chickens fed CCL (P ≤ 0.05). No significant differences of pH were detected in the breast in 96-h post mortem birds. The breast color (redness, yellowness, and lightness) in either 24-h or 96-h post mortem chickens was not significantly different among treatments (P > 0.05). No change in purge loss (%) was observed in the breast after 48 h. The severity of white striping (WS) or woody meat (WB) was higher in the positive control (WS = 0.58; WB = 0.15) than in other treatments (P ≤ 0.05). In conclusion, dietary treatment with encapsulated CIT and CIN improved gut morphology and meat quality of broilers by increasing VCR in the small intestine and reducing the severity of WS/WB in the breast, respectively, without affecting growth performance.

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Camel Meat Production, Structure, and Quality

Handbook of Research on Health and Environmental Benefits of Camel Products - Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-1604-1.ch012 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 263-284

Author(s):

Isam Tawfik Kadim ◽

Msafiri Mbaga ◽

Ghada Ahmed Ibrahim ◽

Ikhlas Ahmed Nour

Keyword(s):

Subcutaneous Fat ◽

Meat Products ◽

Quality Characteristics ◽

Meat Production ◽

Post Mortem ◽

Semiarid Environment ◽

Camel Meat ◽

Meat Market ◽

Arid And Semiarid

This chapter aimed to discuss population, meat production, and quality characteristics of camels. Camels are considered environmentally friendly and well adapted to the desert's harsh arid and semiarid environment due to their high movability, adequate fodder demand, and water regulation. Camels are most populous in the East Africa and Middle East. Although approximately 250,000 camels are annually slaughtered in many countries and camels as a producer of meat is becoming much more significant, camel meat market has not yet developed. In 2019, the global camel meat production in Africa was leading with 419,933 tonnes production, followed by Asia (210,000 tonnes) and Europe (179 Tonnes). An important feature that characterizes camelid meat products is the low level of intramuscular and subcutaneous fat compared to red meat sources. Pre- and post-mortem factors should be carefully considered to improve camel meat quality characteristics. According to the health aspects and quality of camel meat, it can be successfully marketed alongside cattle, dear, sheep, and goat.

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Effect of Hyaluronan on Developmental Competence and Quality of Oocytes and Obtained Blastocysts fromIn VitroMaturation of Bovine Oocytes

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2014/519189 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2014 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jolanta Opiela ◽

Joanna Romanek ◽

Daniel Lipiński ◽

Zdzisław Smorąg

Keyword(s):

Dna Fragmentation ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Developmental Competence ◽

Meiotic Maturation ◽

Nuclear Maturation ◽

Significant Difference ◽

The Mean ◽

Bovine Oocytes

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of hyaluronan (HA) during IVM on meiotic maturation, embryonic development, and the quality of oocytes, granulosa cells (GC), and obtained blastocysts. COCs were maturedin vitroin control medium and medium with additional 0.035% or 0.07% of exogenous HA. The meiotic maturity did not differ between the analysed groups. The best rate and the highest quality of obtained blastocysts were observed when 0.07% HA was used. A highly significant difference (P<0.001) was noted in the mean number of apoptotic nuclei per blastocyst and in the DCI between the 0.07% HA and the control blastocysts (P<0.01). Our results suggest that addition of 0.035% HA and 0.07% HA to oocyte maturation media does not affect oocyte nuclear maturation and DNA fragmentation. However, the addition of 0.07% HA during IVM decreases the level of blastocysts DNA fragmentation. Finally, our results suggest that it may be risky to increase the HA concentration during IVM above 0.07% as we found significantly higherBaxmRNA expression levels in GC cultured with 0.07% HA. The final concentration of HA being supplemented to oocyte maturation media is critical for the success of the IVP procedure.

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360 EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF IN VITRO-MATURED BOVINE OOCYTES BY SEDIMENTATION WITH PERCOLL

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv19n1ab360 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 295

Author(s):

K. Yotsushima ◽

M. Shimizu ◽

H. Kon ◽

Y. Izaike

Keyword(s):

Specific Gravity ◽

Simple Method ◽

Serum Free ◽

Class A ◽

Serum Supplementation ◽

Before And After ◽

Class C ◽

Bovine Oocytes

A simple method to evaluate the quality of in vitro-matured bovine oocytes is available for development of an in vitro embryo production system. Oocyte quality relates closely to oocyte fatty acid composition and mitochondrial distribution. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the quality of cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) and serum supplementation in IVM medium on the distribution of bovine oocyte specific gravities by sedimentation with Percoll before and after IVM. COCs were aspirated from abattoir-derived ovaries and were classified as classes A to D by the morphology of their cumulus cell layers as follows: class A, compact and more than 3 layers thick; class B, compact but <3 layers; class C, partially naked and <3 layers; and class D, naked or expanded. The classified COCs were cultured in TCM-199 supplemented with 0.1% BSA, 5 µg mL−1 insulin, 10 µg mL−1 transferrin, and 10 ng mL−1 transforming growth factor-α (M199-BITT) for 22–24 h. To evaluate the influence of serum supplementation, oocytes from classes A and B were also incubated in M199-BITT as serum-free culture or TCM-199 supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum as serum-supplemented culture. Percoll solutions were prepared by diluting Percoll with PBS supplemented with 0.3% BSA, 1 mg mL−1 glucose, and 0.2 mM sodium pyrvate to 20, 17.5, 15, 12.5, 10, 7.5, and 5% solutions. After removal of cumulus cells, denuded oocytes were put on the surface of Percoll solution for 3 min, and the precipitated oocytes were transferred to stepwise high density solution. The percent of Percoll solution just before buoyancy was considered as the oocyte specific gravity value. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA. Oocytes from class A had the highest specific gravities before and after IVM in all classes (Table 1). After IVM, oocyte specific gravities from classes A and C were higher than those of oocytes before IVM (class A: P < 0.05, class C: P < 0.001). The specific gravities of in vitro-matured oocytes cultured in serum-free medium were higher than those cultured in serum-supplemented medium (15.3 ± 0.3%, n = 71, and 14.0 ± 0.3%, n = 58; P < 0.01). These results show that the specific gravity was affected by the morphological quality of COC, and the culture conditions for IVM may profile the metabolic activity of oocytes during IVM. Table 1.Specific gravities of the bovine oocytes classified by morphology of COC before and after IVM

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