EFFECT OF PRE-COPULATORY TREATMENT WITH AQUEOUS LEAF EXTRACT OF Spondias mombin ON GESTATIONAL CHARACSTERISTICS OF RABBITS

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-87
Author(s):  
A. A. OLOYE ◽  
N. OBI

Fifteen plurigravida rabbits weighing between 2.0 and 2.6 kg were used for the study of gestational characteristics after pre-copulatory oral administration of aqueous leaf extract of Spondias mombin. The fifteen does were divided into three groups of five does per group. Four untreated reproductively proven bucks kept separately in different cages were used for copulation. Dosages administered were 400mg/kg and 800mg/kg for groups A and B respectively while distilled water was served to control group C. Mating, pregnancy diagnosis using ultrasound and determination of birth parameters were conducted subsequently at the end of extract treatment. Average litter size,birth weight and gestation length observed in all dosage groups had statistically similar values (p≥0.05).However, it is worth noting the relatively higher values of average litter size in 800mg/kg dosage group and control (5.60±0.40) compared to 400mg/kg group (5.40±0.75) and the highest birth weight value recorded for 800mg/kg (46.63±3.55) compared to 400mg\kg group (45.30±3.22) and control (42.38±3.74). It was concluded that pre-copulatory administration of aqueous leaf extract of Spondias mombin at dosages as high as 800mg/kg to rabbit does not have deleterious effect on its prolificacy and does have pro-fertility tendencies.        

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 270 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.S.A. Camargo ◽  
J.H.M. Viana ◽  
A.A. Ramos ◽  
W.F. de Sa ◽  
A.M. Ferreira ◽  
...  

Gir cattle are a popular zebu dairy breed in tropical and subtropical regions because of their tolerance of heat stress and resistance to tick-borne disease. The use of in vitro embryo production (IVP) technology may help accelerate genetic improvement of this breed. However, in general, IVP systems have been implicated in the production of large offspring and a greater proportion of male calves. Natural breeding results in newborn Gir calves weighing around 25 kg despite the fact that dams may weigh over 500 kg. It is unknown whether in vitro-produced Gir embryos also result in large offspring. The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of in vitro embryo production on gestation length, birth weight, and sex ratio in Gir cattle. COCs were harvested by oocyte pickup from mature non-lactating Gir cows and in vitro-matured in TCM 199 medium (Gibco, Sao Paulo, Brazil) with 10% inactivated estrous cow serum for 24 h under 5% CO2 at 38.5°C in air. Gir spermatozoa were obtained through the swim-up method and co-incubated with oocytes in Fert-TALP media (Parrish JJ et al. 1988 Biol. Reprod. 38, 1171–1180) with 10 μg/mL heparin (Sigma, Sao Paulo, Brazil) and 6 mg/mL fatty acid-free bovine albumin (Sigma) for 18 h in 5% CO2 at 38.5°C in air. Presumptive zygotes were co-cultured with their own cumulus cells in CR2aa medium (Wilkinson RF et al. 1996 Theriogenology 45, 41–49) with 10% fetal calf serum in humid atmosphere of 5% CO2 at 38.5°C in air. Fresh Day 7 blastocysts were transferred to synchronized B. indicus × B. taurus crossbred recipients. Data of gestation length, birth weight, and gender ratio from 26 IVP calves (IVP group) were recorded and compared to data obtained from Gir calves produced by artificial insemination or natural mating (n = 24; control group) using ANOVA or chi-square analysis. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in gestation length between pregnancies of the IVP and control groups (mean ± SEM, 285.4 ± 1.5 vs. 284.4 ± 1.1 days, respectively). IVP and control calves showed similar (P > 0.05) weight at calving (29.6 ± 0.9 vs. 26.9 ± 1.2 kg for IVP and control male calves, and 27.0 ± 2.5 vs. 25.2 ± 0.5 kg for IVP and control female calves, respectively). The percentage of male calves was greater (P < 0.05) in the IVP group than in the control group (76.9% vs. 43.4%, respectively). IVP calves did not show abnormalities associated with Large Offspring Syndrome, such as breathing difficulty and perinatal death. These data suggest that in vitro production may affect the development of Gir embryos, biasing the sex ratio in a manner similar to previously reported for in vitro-produced embryos from Bos taurus breeds. This work was supported by FAPEMIG and CNPq.


1974 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 249-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Bradford ◽  
C. S. Taylor ◽  
J. F. Quirke ◽  
R. Hart

SUMMARYIn an egg-transfer experiment, seven breeds of sheep differing widely in mean mature ewe weight were used: Oxford Down, 96 kg; Borderm Leicester, 77; Finnish Landrace, 55; Southdown, 52; Tasmanian Merino, 42; Welsh Mountain, 34; and Soay, 22. Body weight and gestation length of recipient ewes are briefly examined. Of 60 recipient ewes, 95% became pregnant. Embryo survival averaged 69% and appeared to be independent of breed of embryo. Litter size of Welsh Mountain, Border Leicester and Finnish Landrace ewes each given four eggs averaged 2·6, 2·9 and 2·9 respectively so that most of the normally observed breed differences are mainly due to differences in ovulation rate. Observed birth weights were in general agreement with those predicted from litter size and donor and recipient ewe weights. The maternal capacity of Finnish ewes was close to average. Litter size affected survival mainly through its effect on birth weight. For Oxford lambs in litters of 3 to 5 from Finnish recipients, birth weight was 42% that of normal single-born Oxfords and only 42% survived. For Soays the corresponding values were 59% for birth weight and 85% for survival. Finnish lambs were exceptionally small at birth but had the highest viability of all breeds. Lamb mortality was higher for males (18%) than females (9%) especially in large litters (26 v. 11%) but about the same in both sexes for Finnish lambs.


Author(s):  
N Fetherstone ◽  
N McHugh ◽  
T M Boland ◽  
F M McGovern

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the ewe’s maternal genetic merit and country of origin (New Zealand or Ireland) on ewe reproductive, lambing and productivity traits. The study was performed over a four year period (2016 to 2019) and consisted of three genetic groups: high maternal genetic merit New Zealand (NZ), high maternal genetic merit Irish (High Irish) and low maternal genetic merit Irish (Low Irish) ewes. Each group contained 30 Suffolk and 30 Texel ewes, selected based on the respective national maternal genetic indexes; i.e. either the New Zealand Maternal Worth (New Zealand group) or the €uro-star Replacement index (Irish groups). The impact of maternal genetic merit on reproductive traits such as litter size; lambing traits such as gestation length, birth weight, lambing difficulty, mothering ability, and productivity traits such as the number of lambs born and weaned were analyzed using linear mixed models. For binary traits, the impact of maternal genetic merit on reproductive traits such as conception to first AI service; lambing traits such as dystocia, perinatal lamb mortality and productivity traits such as ewe survival were analyzed using logistic regression. New Zealand ewes outperformed Low Irish ewes for conception to first AI (P&lt;0.05) and litter size (P=0.05). Irish ewes were more likely to suffer from dystocia (6.84 (High Irish) and 8.25 (Low Irish) times) compared to NZ ewes (P&lt;0.001); birth weight and perinatal mortality did not differ between groups (P&gt;0.05). Lambs born from NZ ewes were 4.67 (95% CI: 1.89 to 11.55; P&lt;0.001) and 6.54 (95% CI: 2.56 to 16.71; P&lt;0.001) times more likely to stand up and suckle unassisted relative to lambs born from High or Low Irish ewes, respectively. New Zealand and High Irish ewes had a greater number of lambs born and weaned throughout the duration of the study compared to their Low Irish counterparts (P&lt;0.001). New Zealand ewes tended to be more likely to survive from one year to the next compared to Low Irish ewes (P=0.07). Irish ewes of high maternal genetic merit outperformed their Low counterparts in total number of lambs born and weaned per ewe, but performance did not differ across other traits investigated. This highlights the importance of continuous development of the Irish maternal sheep index to ensure favourable improvements in reproductive, lambing and productivity traits at farm level. Overall, results demonstrate the suitability of NZ genetics in an Irish production system.


Author(s):  
E. B. Umoren ◽  
T. A. Kolawole ◽  
I. Wopara ◽  
O. G. Adebayo ◽  
B. Ben-Azu ◽  
...  

Background: The extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa commonly known as Sobo is widely consumed for its nutritional and health benefits. This study investigated the effect of aqueous leaf extract of  H. sabdariffa on anemic condition caused by phenylhydrazine in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty (30) rats used for this study were divided into three groups of 10 rats each. Group 1 received distilled water and served as control. Group 2 received phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg, i.p.). Group 3 was treated with phenylhydrazine (40 mg/kg, i.p.) 30 minutes prior to administration of (200 mg/kg, p.o.) aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa (Sobo) once daily for 14 days. At the end, 2 ml blood samples were collected through cardiac puncture into clean sample bottles containing ethylenediamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA) for hematological analyses. Results: Sobo significantly increased (P<0.05) hemoglobin (Hb) concentration and packed cell volume (PCV) in the phenylhdrazine-treated rats. Also, Sobo significantly (P<0.05) increased total white blood cell (TWBC) in phenylhydrazine administered rats. However, the extract did not produce any significant effect on mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) relative to control and anemic groups. Conclusion: The findings from this study revealed that the aqueous extract of H. sabdariffa demonstrates anti-anemic effect in rats treated with phenylhydrazine, suggesting its ethno-pharmacological beneficial effect in anemic conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (04) ◽  
pp. 464-467
Author(s):  
Ngozi a ◽  
◽  
N. Omeke ◽  
Haruna M. Ndahi ◽  
◽  
...  

Given the medicinal importance of the avocado plant in alternative medicine,the present study aimed to study the effect of the phytochemical content of P. americana leaf extract on the hematological system of albino rats. Albino rats were obtained andclustered into sixgroups,with five rats per groupsimultaneously were assigned experimental and control. The rats in the experimental group were administered with varying doses of the prepared aqueous extract of P. americanawithin the period of the study. The rats in the control group were administered with other substances such as water and feed for the study period.The hematological system of the experimental animal was assessed after the administration of the extract, and it was observed that the aqueous extract of P. americana leaf recorded no significant adverse effect on the hematology system of the experimental study animal.


2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-23
Author(s):  
M. M. Vasilyeva ◽  
I. P. Moshurov ◽  
L. Yu. Grivtsova ◽  
N. N. Tupitsyn ◽  
N. A. Kozlov ◽  
...  

Background. A new strategy of breast cancer management is required for effective disease prevention and control. Immunotherapy is one of promising options.Objective: to evaluate the effect of immunoadjuvant polyoxidonium on pathmorphological changes in breast tumors.Materials and methods. The study was performed in 75 patients with breast cancer: 50 patients received polyoxidonium in a neoadjuvant regimen (main group), 25 patients did not receive polyoxidonium (control group). Polyoxidonium at a dose of 12 mg was administered intramuscularly 1 time per day on the days 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7 before surgery; on the day 8, radical mastectomy was performed in patients of both groups, followed by histological examination and determination of the grade of therapeutic pathomorphosis of the tumor.Results. The proportion of cases with grade I therapeutic pathomorphosis was 58 %, grade II therapeutic pathomorphosis – 6 %. Pathomorphosis in metastatic lymph nodes was observed in 22.7 % of cases.Conclusion. The anti-tumor effect of polyoxidonium was confirmed on the basis of the induction of pathomorphosis of the tumor tissue of breast cancer.


Toxins ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 351 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara De Santis ◽  
Francesca Debegnach ◽  
Elisa Sonego ◽  
Gianmarco Mazzilli ◽  
Francesca Buiarelli ◽  
...  

Mycotoxins exposure by inhalation and/or dermal contact is possible in different branches of industry especially where heavily dusty settings are present and the handling of dusty commodities is performed. This study aims to explore the validity of the biomonitoring as a tool to investigate the intake of mycotoxins in a population of workers operating in an Italian feed plant. Serum samples were collected for the determination of aflatoxins B1 (AFB1), AFB1-Lysine adduct and ochratoxin A (OTA). A method based on liquid–liquid extraction coupled with high resolution mass spectrometry determination was developed and fully validated. For AFB1, a high number of non-detected samples (90%) was found and no statistical difference was observed comparing workers and control group. None of the analyzed samples showed the presence of AFB1-Lysine adduct. For OTA, the 100% of the analyzed samples was positive with a 33% of the samples showing a concentration higher than the limit of quantification (LOQ), but no statistical difference was highlighted between the average levels of exposed and control groups. In conclusion, the presence of AFB1 and OTA in serum cannot be attributable to occupational exposure.


1992 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
NM Fogarty ◽  
DG Hall ◽  
PJ Holst

The effect of moderate undernutrition in mid pregnancy on lamb birth weight and survival of single- and multiple-bearing ewes is reported. A total of 1220 ewes of 3 crossbred types with different fecundity, Booroola Merino x Dorset (BD), Trangie Fertility Merino x Dorset (TD) and Border Leicester x Merino (BLM), were examined over 2 years. The treatments were low (L) and high (H) nutrition at pasture for 4 weeks from about day 75 of pregnancy. Ewe liveweight of the L group at the end of the treatments was 5 kg lower in 1984 and 8 kg lower in 1985 (P<0.01) than the H group. The differences were smaller by late pregnancy and post-lambing. The L treatment increased (P<0.01) birth weight by 0.16 kg in 1984 but had little effect in 1985. Litter size had the greatest effect on birth weight (P<0.01). Ewe crossbred type and lamb sex effects were also significant (P<0.01), although they tended to be reduced for higher order births. Nutritional treatment had no effect on gestation length. Ewe liveweight at joining and weight gains before and after the treatment period significantly affected birth weight and accounted for the large difference in birth weight between years (0.7 kg). Ewe weight gain during the treatment period in mid pregnancy had no significant effect on lamb birth weight. Nutritional treatment in mid pregnancy had no effect on lamb survival. Litter size significantly affected lamb survival, although inclusion of birth weight in the model reduced the effect. Weather conditions, as measured by chill index, significantly (P<0.01) affected lamb survival in 1984 but accounted for less variation in 1985 (P<0.05). Lamb survival for ewes was ranked BLM > TD > BD. Maximum survival was achieved at birth weights of 4-5 kg from BD and TD ewes and 5-6 kg from BLM ewes. The L treatment reduced (P<0.01) ewe greasy fleece weight by 0.15 kg but did not affect staple strength. Plasma glucose concentration at the end of treatment was lower (P<0.01) for L ewes, but there was no difference between L and H ewes in late pregnancy. Glucose declined with increasing fetal number. Plasma B-hydroxybutyrate concentration was lower for the H group than for L, and also for BLM than TD and BD ewes (P<0.01).


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 185
Author(s):  
E. Mullaart ◽  
B. Landman ◽  
J. S. Merton

Animals derived by ovum pickup-in vitro production (OPU-IVP) have a higher birth weight compared with animals derived by AI (Wagtendonk et al. 2000 Theriogenology 53, 575–597). It has been suggested that this higher birth weight is the result of epigenetic changes such as aberrant methylation and gene expression pattern, which are caused by the presence of serum in the culture medium (Wrenzycki et al. 2004 Anim. Reprod. Sci. 82–83, 593–603). The present study aimed to investigate whether the higher birth weight, possibly caused by epigenetic changes, is a permanent characteristic that is transmitted to the offspring. We therefore monitored the birth weight of calves born after insemination of OPU-IVP-derived animals. Ovum pickup-IVP was performed according to routine procedures. Immature COC were recovered by OPU. The COC were matured in vitro in TCM-199 supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS)/LH/FSH. Subsequently, matured oocytes were fertilized with frozen–thawed gradient-separated semen and further cultured for 7 days in TCM-199/10% FCS on a BRL monolayer (CoCul group) or in SOFaaBSA (SOF group). First-generation OPU-IVP animals were produced from oocytes collected by OPU of AI-derived animals. The second generation was produced by inseminating OPU-IVP animals. Calves generated by inseminating AI animals were used as a control group. Birth weights of control AI, first-generation, and second-generation calves were analyzed by using restricted maximum likelihood (Genstat 9.1). Model Birth Weight: *Fixed: Parity Recipient + Sex + Gestation Length + Year + Embryo Type (AI, first, or second generation) + Culture System (CoCul or SOF). *Random: Sire + Barn. The results (Table 1) clearly show that the first-generation (OPU-IVP) calves had, on average, a 3.4-kg greater birth weight than the AI calves. The second-generation calves, however, had approximately the same birth weight as the calves in the AI control group. Our results indicated that the high birth weight of OPU-IVP-derived calves is not a permanent characteristic that is transmitted to their offspring. Previous studies have demonstrated that the fertility of OPU-IVP-derived animals is in the normal range (Wagtendonk et al. 2000 Theriogenology 53, 575–597). Table 1. Birth weight (least squares means ± SE) of AI calves (control), first generation OPU-IVP-derived calves, and second generation AI derived calves from OPU-IVP mothers


2012 ◽  
Vol 40 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 28-33
Author(s):  
ME Hossain ◽  
S Chakma ◽  
MM Khatun ◽  
M Hasanuzzaman ◽  
MY Miah ◽  
...  

The study was undertaken for a period of 60 days to investigate the production systems of swine in Rangamati and Khagrachari districts, Bangladesh. Production systems, particularly housing, feeding, breeding, disease prevalence, vaccination, bio-security, marketing, socio-economic condition and constraints of pig production were investigated during the study period. It was found that the propensity of rearing pig differed significantly (P<0.01) among the pig owners. Pigs were reared mostly by poor and landless peoples (54.7%) followed by marginal (32.1%), medium (9.4%) and large (3.8%). Rearing systems were also different (P<0.01) and the mean figures were 43.4% for free range, 24.5% for tin shed housing , 20.8% for fencing and 11.3% for girth tethering systems. The average litter size, birth weight, post-weaning weight and weaning period were 9.3, 1.72 kg, 9.0 kg and 40.8 days respectively. Prevalence of diseases differed (P<0.01) and most prevalent diseases were diarrhea (35.8%), coccidiosis (20.8%), pneumonia (17.0%) and hemorrhagic septicemia (13.2%). The economic benefits generated from farming were selling of piglets.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v40i1-2.10787Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2011. 40 (1-2): 28-33


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