Intravital Staining as Method to Assess Embryo Quality

During the last few years our group has focus on assessing mammalian embryos viability in order to improve methods currently used in different assisted reproductive techniques: embryo transfer procedures, in vitro embryo production, cultivation, and cryopreservation techniques. Besides morphometric characterization of in vivo and in vitro produced embryos, after embryo recovery/fertilization and during the in vitro cultivation we also applied different intravital staining tests. Fluoresceine diacetate (FDA) is a non fluorescent analog of fluoresceine, which can easily penetrate the cell membrane of the living cells and under cellular esterase activity is hydrolyzed to fluoresceine, which emit green fluorescence while exposed to a fluorescence source of 494-518 nm wave length

Morphometric Characterization of Mouse Embryos Obtained by In Vitro Fertilization

In vitro embryo production is a biotechnology with great potential for acceleration of the genetic progress for animal species, but in the same time it’s an important tool for research. Although there is considerable progress in the improving this technique, there is still a difference between the morphology of in vitro and in vivo produced embryos. Because of this, scoring of in vitro obtained embryos is difficult, since the majority of the existent systems for scoring embryo quality are based on information obtained from morphological parameters from in vivo produced embryos (Erenus et al., 1991, Hnida C., et al., 2004). The aim of this paper was to obtain embryos by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and morphometric characterize them. For in vitro fertilization we used the protocol described by Nagy A. (2003). The morphometric parameters taken in consideration were: the zona pelucida thickness, inner diameter, outer diameter, inner and outer perimeter of the embryo. The measurements were made with Quick Photo Micro 2.2 software

Eco-Physiological Aspects of the Traditional Milk (Slow) Food in Banat and its Eco-Bioeconomic Impact

In Banat are 80 officially registered traditional products. The milk and derived products is the traditional food. Drink milk products from all major species: cow, buffalo, sheep, goat. There are a large number of traditional recipes, some 150 years old. Mostly these recipes were lost, including the food that uses milk as ingredient. In supermarkets there are products, which are labeled as being “traditional food” but their taste and quality are still different from the true traditional recipes, because those old recipes are almost completely lost or “disobeyed”. A well-known example of losing traditional recipes is the “Vinga” chocolate. Vinga is a small multiethnic community situated in Banat, in the plain area, and this is the place where back in 19th century a chocolate factory was built, the taste of that chocolate being similar to the Swiss or Belgian one. After 1947, when factories in Romania were nationalized, the owner of this particular factory, Mr. Drascovici, the only person who knew the entire recipe, didn’t want to disclose it to anyone. Thus, the “Vinga chocolate” is nowadays only a memory of Vinga’s elders, whereas the youth is not really interested in traditional food. Dairy products are traditionally eaten in Banat and their consumption has increased with 48-51 % from 1990 to 2010. The raw product is milk, which comes from cows and sheep, but also goats and buffalo females. Butter is used daily but also for certain cakes, such as the famous cakes made after German recipes. Lard is also used in the making of pastry

Researches Regarding the Existence of Phenotypic Correlations between Different Body Measurements in Females from Romanian Mioritic Shepherd Dog

Romanian Mioritic Shepherd dog, was selected from a natural population breed in Carpathian Mountains. The aim of this paper was to estimate the correlation coefficients between 6 characteristics, based on individual values from 23 females from Romanian Mioritic Shepherd dog breed. The animals were registered in the Romanian Mioritic Association Club from Romania.  Following the analysis of the obtained phenotypic correlation coefficients, we concluded that between the height at withers and length of the body; height at withers and length of the head; length of the head and length of the skull, the correlations are strongly positive and between the other characters taken into study the correlations are average and weakly positive or weakly negative

Phenotypical Performances of Lipitzan Horse Breed Offspring from Sambata de Jos and Beclean pe Somes Studs

The biological material was represented by a number of 86 male and 101 female offsprings from Sambata de Jos stud and 47 males and 25 females from Beclean pe Somes stud, born between 2001 and 2005. We observed by direct measurements, the evolution of withers height, thoracic perimeter and cannon-bone perimeter at the ages of 6 months, 12 months, 2 years and 3 years. We calculated the average and dispersal indices for these traits, the differences between sexes and studs using ‘STUDENT’ test. At 6 months of age all the offspring are included in breed parameter respecting the withers height with values of 126.18-132.16 cm; 141.35-144.25 cm at 1 year of age; 145.9-154 cm at 2 years of age; and 155.35-156.9 cm at 3 years of age. The significant differences are observed at 1 year of age between the males and the females from Sambata de Jos stud, as well between the two studs. We can conclude that all the analyzed offspring belonging to the two studs are included in European Lipitzan standard breed, and the differences observed are influenced by the strain origin and welfare conditions

Aspects Regarding Bull Cow Mothers and

Analysis of performance data regarding the conformation traits (withers height, body weight, thoracic perimeter), including the traits that concur to milk production (total milk production per normal lactation, fat percent, total fat amount from milk), in cow mothers of bulls, candidate cow mothers of bulls and active population of Romanian Spotted Simmental breed from Harghita region, allow us to ascertain the followings: Analyzing the waist line trait in VMT we can conclude that it presents values between 140.40 cm and 142.00 cm, which are over welling the average value of Romanian spotted breed (136-138 cm Velea 2004). The thoracic perimeter as conformation and morphoproductive type indicator in the VMT effective has values between 199,4 cm and 208.4 cm. The cow mothers of bulls from Covasna county are in framed in the massive type for body weight, having average values between 509.40-762.60 cm. Analyzing total milk amount in VMT and CVMT from Covasna county, during the period 2004-2007, we claim that the average production in the Ist lactation in VMT is comprised between 6793 kg in 2005 and 7503.5 kg in 2004. This lactation presents easily higher values in CVMT, on the same generation. The performances differences from one generation to another one could be assigned to the realized effect of selection by using high value male reproducers, and also to the conditions of the growing technology. The same aspects are maintained for the IInd lactation, IIIrd lactation and over it

Eco-physiological Aspects of the Traditional Meat (Slow) Food in Banat and its Eco-Bioeconomic Impact

During the last few years numerous specialists have urged a return to traditional food, which is often complicated. One of the main conditions in order to obtain traditional products is to have qualitative raw ingredients. These ingredients are still obtained from certain animal breeds, but many of these breeds are on the verge of extinction. The so-called “Slow Food Culture” is beginning to spread in Banat as well, through authorities’ propaganda for traditional products. In Banat are 80 officially registered traditional products. The present paper connects Nicolas Georgescu-Roeger’s world-wide-known paradigm of improving the agricultural efficiency to Lester Brown’s more recent Eco-Economy–Building an Economy fo the Earth paradigm. The paper also presents a new point of view about a possible new paradigm of sustainable rural bioeconomics. The level of animal production indicates the progress of countries towards a sustainable society. As far as animal production is concerned, Romania is placed among the last within the EU countries. That fact is demonstrated by the number of livestock per 100 ha of land. To achieve a sustainable animal production in Romania, as far as cattle and sheep breeding is concerned, it is necessary to increase the average area of land per family up to 25–30 ha and to build up cooperatives of land owners to provide technical services for their members. The pig and poultry industries must be supported financially. As far as the EU market is concerned, the buffalo products, lean mutton and branded traditional animal products are of prime importance