Blood profile of prevalent sheep breeds in Nigeria: A case study of Ikorodu Local Government Area of Lagos State, Nigeria

The role of the environment in the survivability of an animal is paramount and blood profiles are part of the indices for measuring the health status. Therefore, a study was carried out to determine the blood profile of prominent indigenous breed of sheep (Ram) viz: West African Dwarf, Yankasa, Balami and Ouda breeds reared in Ikorodu Local Government. A total of 20 rams were used comprising of five rams per breed, with average age of 2½ years weighing 31.13±4.8 kg. Blood samples were carefully collected from the rams into labeled sterile bottles containing EDTA for haematological examination and another set of bottles containing Lithium Heparin was used to collect blood for the serum biochemical analysis. Haematological parameter assessed were Packed Cell Volume (PCV), White Blood Cell (WBC), Red Blood Cell (RBC), while the biochemical parameters investigated were Total protein (Tp), Albumin, Glucose, Creatine Cholesterol, and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP). PCV was significantly (p<0.05) highest (32.25%) in Yankassa and lowest (26.25%) in Ouda. Yankasa had statistically (p<0.05) the higher 11.66g/dL Hb, followed by WAD (10.00), Ouda (9.60) and lower (9.20) in Balami. RBC (x10/ml) was significantly (p<0.05) higher in WAD (3.72) than other breeds and lowest in Ouda (3.11). MCV (fl) value was significantly lower in Yankasa (75.83) than other breeds and higher in Ouda (83.60). MCH (pg) was statistically (p<0.05) highest (30.89) in Yankasa and lower (26.93) in Balami. Yankasa had significantly(p<0.05) the higher (8673.00) Total WBC (mm3), followed by WAD (8453.25), Balami (6814.25) and least in Ouda (6718.75). Total protein was significantly (p<0.05) the higher (53.76) in WAD ram and lower (43.76) in Ouda. Yankasa ram recorded significantly (p<0.05) the higher Albumin content (5.45), glucose level (48.87), ALP (129.71) and significantly the least creatine (0.63) while significantly (p<0.05) the least values for Glucose were in Ouda (44.83), Albumin content and Alkaline phosphatase in Balami (4.33, 104.87 respectively). Cholesterol value was significantly the higher (93.22) in WAD and lower (79.70) in Balami. Results revealed significant differences in haematological and serological indices tested though all values obtained were within the normal range for sheep. Le rôle de l'environnement dans la survie d'un animal est primordial et les profils sanguins font partie des indices de mesure de l'état de santé. Par conséquent, une étude a été menée pour déterminer le profil sanguin de la race indigène de moutons (bélier), à savoir: les moutons nains d'Afrique de l'Ouest (WAD), Yankasa, Balami et Ouda élevés dans la collectivité locale d'Ikorodu. Au total, 20 béliers ont été utilisés comprenant cinq béliers par race, avec un âge moyen de 2 ans et demi pesant 31,13 ± 4,8 kg. Des échantillons de sang ont été soigneusement prélevés sur les béliers dans des flacons stériles étiquetés contenant de l'EDTA pour un examen hématologique et un autre ensemble de flacons contenant de l'héparine de lithium a été utilisé pour collecter du sang pour l'analyse biochimique du sérum. Les paramètres hématologiques évalués étaient le volume de cellules emballées (PCV), les globules blancs (WBC), les globules rouges (RBC), tandis que les paramètres biochimiques étudiés étaient la protéine totale (Tp), l'albumine, le glucose, la créatine cholestérol et la phosphatase alcaline (ALP). Le PCV était significativement (p <0,05) le plus élevé (32,25%) à Yankassa et le plus bas (26,25%) à Ouda. Yankasa avait statistiquement (p <0,05) le taux d'Hb le plus élevé de 11,66 g / dL, suivi de WAD (10,00), Ouda (9,60) et moins (9,20) à Balami. Les globules rouges (x10 / ml) étaient significativement (p <0,05) plus élevés chez WAD (3,72) que chez les autres races et plus faibles chez Ouda (3,11). La valeur MCV (fl) était significativement plus faible à Yankasa (75,83) que dans les autres races et plus élevée à Ouda (83,60). MCH (pg) était statistiquement (p <0,05) la plus élevée (30,89) à Yankasa et inférieure (26,93) à Balami. Yankasa avait significativement (p <0,05) le plus élevé (8673,00) WBC total (mm3), suivi des moutons nains d'Afrique de l'Ouest, (8453,25), Balami (6814,25) et inférieur à Ouda (6718,75). La protéine totale était significativement (p <0,05) la plus élevée (53,76) chez les moutons nains d'Afrique de l'Ouest, et la plus faible (43,76) chez Ouda. Le bélier Yankasa a enregistré de manière significative (p <0,05) la plus haute teneur en albumine (5,45), le niveau de glucose (48,87), l'ALP (129,71) et significativement le moins de créatine (0,63) tandis que de manière significative (p <0,05) les valeurs les plus faibles pour le glucose étaient à Ouda (44,83), teneur en albumine et phosphatase alcaline chez Balami (4,33, 104,87 respectivement). La valeur du cholestérol était significativement la plus élevée (93,22) chez les moutons nains d'Afrique de l'Ouest et la plus basse (79,70) chez Balami. Les résultats ont révélé des différences significatives dans les indices hématologiques et sérologiques testés bien que toutes les valeurs obtenues se situent dans la plage normale pour les moutons.

PSVIII-2 Genetic diversity analysis of hybrid Karachaev goats (Capra hircus) population using microsatellite marker data

The Karachaev goat is an indigenous breed that possesses unique features including significantly less fat deposition in the body compared to sheep and cattle, ability to graze at an altitude of up to 1200 meters and to produce fertile hybrids with wild relatives. To understand the genetic diversity and population structure of hybrids between domestic Karachaev goats (Capra hircus) and The West Caucasian tur (Capra caucasica) 143 individuals were analyzed using 10 microsatellites panel. Sample were analyzed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations on an automatic sequencer, ABI 3130XL genetic analyzer (Applied Biosystems). Genetic diversity was calculated using GenAlEx 6.503 software. Genotyping of ten microsatellite loci in hybrid forms of Karachaev goats and turs detected 106 alleles in total. Na values ranged from five (INR063) to seventeen (SRCRSO008), averaging 10.6 alleles per locus across the 10 loci. All loci were polymorphic. The average number of alleles was 10.6 alleles per locus. This is higher than the similar indicator obtained by Kharzinova et al. (2019) in populations of Soviet wool, Tajik wool, Orenburg downy, Alpine and Zaanen dairy breeds of goats, studied using the panel of same 10 STR-markers (9.3 loci). Other key indexes of genetic diversity could be found in table 1. The values of the coefficient FIS suggest the absence of related mating in the herd. Information on genotypic variability of Karachaev goats hybrid forms obtained here will contribute into the breeding programs improvement and to preservation of existing native breeds.

Local Ancestry to Identify Selection in Response to Trypanosome Infection in Baoulé x Zebu Crossbred Cattle in Burkina Faso

The genomes of crossbred (admixed) individuals are a mosaic of ancestral haplotypes formed by recombination in each generation. The proportion of these ancestral haplotypes in certain genomic regions can be responsible for either susceptibility or tolerance against pathogens, and for performances in production traits. Using a medium-density genomic marker panel from the Illumina Bovine SNP50 BeadChip, we estimated individual admixture proportions for Baoulé x Zebu crossbred cattle in Burkina Faso, which were tested for trypanosome infection by direct ELISA from blood samples. Furthermore, we calculated local ancestry deviation from average for each SNP across 29 autosomes to identify potential regions under selection in the trypanotolerant Baoulé cattle and their crossbreds. We identified significant deviation from the local average ancestry (above 5 and 10% genome-wide thresholds) on chromosomes 8 and 19 in the positive animals, while the negative ones showed higher deviation on chromosomes 6, 19, 21, and 22. Some candidate genes on chromosome 6 (PDGFRA) and chromosome 19 (CDC6) have been found associated to trypanotolerance in West African taurines. Screening for FST outliers in trypanosome positive/negative animals we detected seven variants putatively under selection. Finally, we identified a minimum set of highly ancestry informative markers for routine admixture testing. The results of this study contribute to a better understanding of the genetic basis of trypanotolerance in Baoulé cattle and their crossbreeds. Furthermore, we provide a small informative marker set to monitor admixture in this valuable indigenous breed. As such, our results are important for conserving the genetic uniqueness and trypanotolerance of Baoulé cattle, as well as for the improvement of Baoulé and Zebu crossbreds in specific community-based breeding programs.

The genetic diversity of the Vietnamese H’mong dog breed based on mitochondrial HV1 analysis

The H'mong docked tail is indigenous breed of dogs distributed in mountainous area of northern Vietnam. These dogs possess positive characteristics such as intelligence, agility, good health, good shape, human friendliness, ease of training and fully meet the criteria of a war dog. We had studied the diversity and origin of Vietnamese H’mong dogs based on the molecular data of the mitochondrial HV1 region. A total of seventy individual dogs were sampled from Lao Cai, Ha Giang and Hai Phong provinces of northern Vietnam and were sequenced. Among the targeted dogs, 29 haplotypes were recorded and divided into four main groups: A, B, C and E. In our study, nine new haplotypes were recorded and all of them belong to haplotype group A. Group A was the most common with 24 haplotypes (82.76%) followed by C, E and B with 2 (6.9%), 2 (6.9%) and 1 haplotypes (3.4%) respectively. The genetic variations in the H'mong dogs were high with nucleotide diversity (Pi = 0.03179), haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.95648) and average number of nucleotide differences (Kt = 5.18384) and the p-genetic distances range was from 0.2 to 2.9%. This study has provided a valuable platform for breeding and conservation and management of the species in Vietnam.

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF NEPALESE INDIGENOUS BREEDS OF CHICKEN IN RELATION TO EGG PRODUCTION PERFORMANCE

Indigenous poultry (Gallus domesticus) is one oldest domesticated bird contributing 55% of total poultry production in Nepal. The indigenous breeds of poultry of Nepal are Sakini, Ghanti Khuile (Naked Neck), and Puwakh Ulte. Sakini is the most adapted indigenous breed of Poultry of Nepal, covering more than 50%. At present, various kinds of literature including journals, research reports, annual reports, proceedings, and master thesis regarding the egg production performance of indigenous breeds were reviewed mainly aiming the comparative evaluation of indigenous breeds of chicken of Nepal with respect to the egg production performance. Egg weight (EW), Egg production per year, Clutch per year, Hatchability, and Age at first laying were the parameters compared. The egg production per year of Sakini and Ghanti Khuile was higher than that of Puwakh Ulte. Also, the hatchability of Sakini was significantly higher than that of Naked Neck. This was due to high feathers in Sakini as compared to Naked Neck. Sakini matures earlier than others and start laying earlier. However, there was not much difference in the egg weight of the indigenous breeds. The clutch per year and of Sakini and Ghanti Khuile was also not significantly different. Sakini starts laying eggs earlier than Ghanti Khuile and Puwakh Ulte. There is a need for increased researches in the indigenous breeds besides Sakini and diseases are major constraints reducing the returns to farmers. Government and concerned agencies should step up and help the farmers to maximize the returns.

Red Chittagong Cattle: An Indigenous Breed to Help Tackle the Challenges of Modern Animal Production Systems

Modern livestock selection is rapidly condensing the indigenous cattle gene pool. This trend limits the options for future genetic selection to benefit both animal well-being and farmer challenges. Here we reveal the potential of Red Chittagong cattle (RCC), a native genotype of Bangladesh, for tackling these current and pending challenges. Red Chittagong cattle are reddish in color and small in size with mature bulls and cows weighing 342 and 180 kg from birth weights of 16 and 14 kg, respectively. Whilst low mean levels of milk production of 618 L across a 228-day lactation are recorded so are high levels of milk protein (3.8%) and fat (4.8%) with offered feed types typically low in nutritive value, particularly crude protein. However, one in five cows under farm condition yield &gt;1,000 L/lactation. Alongside high levels of milk protein and fat, other key features of this breed include resistance to common diseases and parasites with a high level of adaptation to agro-ecological conditions. As opposed to other indigenous breeds, there is currently high genetic variation in the RCC population, and associated variation in productive and reproductive traits highlighting the opportunity for development through long-term breeding programs alongside improved management conditions. Such efforts would enable this breed to become a global resource for tackling the challenges of modern animal production systems. In addition, further work is required to reveal the demographic distribution of the breed, potential production levels through the provision of improved diets and the mechanisms enabling disease resistance and digestibility of feeds.

EFFECT OF SEASON ON PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF THREE BREEDS OF CATTLE RAISED IN SUDAN SAVANNA ZONE

This study was conducted to test the effect of season and breed on thermoregulatory parameters of three Nigerian indigenous breeds of cattle raised in Sudan Savanna Zone. A total number of nine (9) cattle aged between 4-5 years were used for this study. Data were taken for sixteen weeks across two seasons; Cold and Hot Season from three indigenous breed of cattle. Rectal temperature was recorded using digital thermometer, pulse rate was determined using stethoscope and respiratory rate was determined by counting of the respiratory movements of flank area. Data of ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded on daily basis and temperature humidity index was calculated. All data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance using SAS software. Seasons significantly (P < 0.05) affect all the thermoregulatory parameters of with hot seasons having the highest values. Breed influenced (p<0.05) all the parameters measured. Red Bororo had the highest rectal temperature, while Sokoto has the least rectal temperature. Higher respiratory rate was recorded in SokotoGudali. Respiratory Rate of White Fulani are statistically similar with both Red Bororo and SokotoGudali, but Respiratory Rate of Red Bororo cattle has significantly difference (P<0.05) with SokotoGudali breeds of cattle. Pulse rate differs significantly (P<0.05), SokotoGudali recorded the highest rate and the least rate was observed in White Fulani cattle. It was concluded that Season affect all the thermoregulatory parameters and all the tested parameters were higher during hot season and SokotoGudali react more to thermal stress than Red Bororo and White Fulani

Bacterial Lipopolysaccharide Activates Toll-Like Receptor 2 and Toll-Like Receptor 4 Gene Expression in PBMC of Vechur Cattle

Vechur cattle, an indigenous breed of Kerala and it is the smallest cattle breed in the world. They are highly disease resistant. The occurrence of mastitis is very Rare in this breed as compared to crossbred cattle. Rearing of these Vechur breed is more cost effective as they require less feed. Therefore, characterisation of factors involved in the immune system of these breeds might provide an insight into the mechanisms involved in the variation in disease resistance. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are part of the innate immunity, can recognize the particular pathogens through Pathogen Associated Molecular pattern s (PAMPs) and play important roles in host defense. TLR2 and TLR4 important TLR mediate the responsiveness to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Since Vechur cattle are less susceptible to mastitis, in vitro expression assay of TLRs were accessed by challenging the Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (PBMC) with bacterial LPS. Treatment of PBMC with LPS, significantly increased TLR2 and TLR4 genes expression (p≤0.01) in Vechur cattle breed when compared with that of control and crossbred cattle. Among the two TLRs studied, the relative expression of mRNA in Vechur cattle was relatively higher for TLR2 (6.90) than TLR4 (4.24). The higher expression of TLR 2 and TLR 4might contribute maximum innate immune response against the mastitis bacteria in Vechur cattle.

Lipid Metabolism and Microbial Profiles Between Shaziling and Yorkshire Pigs

Background: Shaziling pig, a Chinese indigenous breed, has been classified as a fatty pig model, while the lipid metabolism and gut microbial development in Shaziling pigs were rarely reported. Methods: Here, we compared the metabolic and microbial profiles at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 210, and 300 days of age between Shaziling and Yorkshire pigs. Results: Predictably, there were marked difference in the liver lipids (i.e., cholesterol, glucose, and low density lipoprotein) and the expressions (i.e., SREBP1/2, LXRα/β, DGAT1/2, and FABP1-3) between Shaziling and Yorkshire pigs. Bacteria in the ileal digesta and mucosa were further analyzed, and the results showed that Shaziling pigs had a higher α-diversity and the abundances of probiotics, such as Lactobacillus_johnosonii, Lactobacillus_amylovorus, and Clostridium_butyricum. 35 differentiated metabolites were identified in the mucosa between Shaziling and Yorkshire pigs, which were enriched in the carbohydrate, protein, glucose and amino acid metabolism and bile acid biosynthesis. Furthermore, 7 differentiated microbial species were markedly correlated with 35 metabolites, indicating the role of gut microbiota in host metabolism. Conclusions: In conclusion, Shaziling pigs exhibited different metabolic and microbial profiles compared with the Yorkshire pigs, which might contribute to the diverse metabolic phenotypes.