The association of medroxyprogesterone to the Ovsynch protocol for the fixed time artificial insemination of cyclic buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in the Eastern Amazon

O presente estudo visou avaliar os efeitos da associação da medroxiprogesterona (análogo sintético da progesterona) ao protocolo Ovsynch sobre o crescimento folicular, a ovulação e a taxa de concepção de búfalas criadas na Amazônia Oriental (Tracuateua-PA). Vinte e sete fêmeas adultas (G1 n=14 e G2 n=13), cíclicas, sem bezerro ao pé e com ECC 3,5 foram submetidas a Ovsynch. Os animais do G2 receberam 60 mg de medroxiprogesterona entre D0 e D7 (D0=início do tratamento). A ultra-sonografia ovariana foi realizada nos D 0, 7, 9 e 10. O contingente de folículos pequenos diferiu no D7 (G1: 4,57±0,60 versus G2: 6,54±0,67; P=0,05). Tempo e tratamento influenciaram o diâmetro folicular no D7. O crescimento do folículo dominante entre D7 e D9 foi maior nos animais tratados (G1: 2,05±0,49 mm/dia versus 3,48±0,41 mm/dia; P<0,05). Mais animais do G1 ovularam precocemente (35,71% versus 30,77%), porém isso não afetou as taxas de concepção (G1: 50,00% e G2: 30,77%; P>0,05). Os achados sugerem que a medroxiprogesterona (1) aumenta recrutamento folicular e retarda o crescimento dos folículos com diâmetro maior que 5,0 mm entre D0 e D7; (2) sua retirada incrementa em 1,7 vezes o crescimento folicular do D7 ao D9; (3) pode contribuir para a ovulação de folículos maiores e, em tese, para maior formação de tecido luteínico; (4) não promove ovulação precoce após o Ovsynch; (5) não eleva as taxas de concepção após sincronização de fêmeas cíclicas e com bom escore corporal, devendo ser avaliada para uso em fêmeas acíclicas ou com ECC mais baixo.The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the association of medroxyprogesterone with the Ovsynch protocol on the follicular growth, ovulation, and conception rate of buffaloes in the Eastern Amazon (Tracuateua-PA). Twenty-seven cyclic, non-lactating females (G1 n=14 and G2 n=13) with a 3.5 BCS were synchronized with the Ovsynch. Animals from G2 received a supplementation of 60 mg of medroxyprogesterone from D0 to D7 (D0=starting day of treatment). Ultrasonography evaluation on ovaries was realized on Days 0, 7, 9, and 10. A significant effect of treatment on follicle number was observed on D7 (G1: 4.57±0.60 versus G2: 6.54±0.67; P=0.05). Time and treatment influenced follicular diameter on D7. The growth of the dominant follicular was increased from D7 to D9 on treated females (G1: 2.05±0.49 mm/day versus 3.48±0.41 mm/day; P<0.05). G1 animals (35.71% versus 30.77%) ovulated comparatively earlier than their G2 counterparts, but this did not affect the conception rates (G1: 50,00% and G2: 30,77%; P>0,05). The findings suggest that medroxyprogesterone: (1) increases follicular recruitment and inhibits the growth of follicles whose diameter was larger than 5.0mm from D0 to D7; (2) the withdrawal of medroxyprogesterone speeds up follicular growth 1.7 fold from D7 to D9; (3) would probably contribute to the ovulation of larger follicles thereby forming more luteal tissue; (4) does not stimulate early ovulation after Ovsynch; and (5) does not elevate the conception rate after the synchronization of cyclic females with good body condition, and should be evaluated for the utilization in acyclic/reduced BCS females.Embrapa Amazônia OrientalBanco da Amazôni

EFECTO DE LA SUPLEMENTACIÓN ALIMENTICIA CON FUENTES LIPÍDICAS SOBRE LA GANANCIA DE PESO Y NIVELES DE TESTOSTERONA SÉRICA EN TOROS BUFALINOS / EFFECT OF NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTATION WITH LIPIDS ON WEIGHT GAIN AND TESTOSTERONE LEVELS OF WATER BUFFALO BULLS

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar el uso de concentrados a base de torta de copra y torta de palmiste en la suplementación de toros bufalinos mantenidos en pastoreo rotacional intensivo y comprobar su efecto sobre el peso corporal, el perímetro escrotal y los niveles de testosterona sérica. Quince búfalos (457,8±98,3 kg y 3,2±1,3 años) fueron tenidos en pastoreo (Panicum maximum vr. Mombaza) y recibieron suplementación diaria (1% del peso corporal) en comederos individuales. Los animales fueron asignados aleatoriamente en tres tratamientos: Control (n = 5; concentrado convencional, a base de maíz y salvado de soya), T1 (n = 5; concentrado a base de torta de copra) y T2 (n = 5; concentrado a base de torta de palmiste). El experimento duró 252 días, subdivididos en 9 periodos de 28 días (P1 a P9). El consumo de la ración fue controlado diariamente, el peso corporal y el perímetro escrotal cada 28 días (P1 a P9), y los niveles de testosterona plasmática cada 14 días (P7 a P9). La ganancia de peso promedio varió de 0,92 a 0,97 kg/animal/día. El peso corporal y el perímetro escrotal promedio no mostraron diferencias (P>0,05). Los animales del T2 presentaron niveles medios de testosterona más elevados (2,2 ng/mL) frente a Control (1,8 ng/mL) y a T1 (1,6 ng/mL) (P0.05). Animals in T2 had higher average levels of testosterone (2.2 ng/mL) compared to Control (1.8 ng/mL) and T1 (1.6 ng/mL) (P<0.05). Positive correlations were observed between body weight and testosterone levels (r = 0.58; P<0.0001) and between testosterone and scrotal circumference (r = 0.16; P<0.02). In conclusion, the new dietary supplements promoted performance similar to the conventional concentrate, considering the body weight gain and the testicular biometry in young buffalo bulls. However, the use of palm kernel cake was more efficient in raising serum testosterone levels

Nutrient intake, digestibility, performance, carcass traits and sensory analysis of meat from lambs fed with co-products of Amazon oilseeds

Introduction:The increase in availability and nutritional composition of oilseed co-products has made it essential to study the use of this biomass.Methods:The objective of this work was to investigate the effects of including oilseed cakes on intake and digestibility, performance, carcass characteristics and meat sensory in feedlot lambs. Twenty-four crossbred Dorper × Santa Inês lambs, with initial body weight of 30 ± 1.3 kg, male, castrated, aged 4–5 months, were distributed in a completely randomized experimental design with four treatments (diets) and six replications (animals), confined in individual stalls for 70 days.Results:The inclusion of tucuma cake (Tuc) reduced dry matter intake (p &lt; 0.01) and diets with cupuassu cake (Cup) and palm kernel cake (Palm) reduced dry matter digestibility (p &lt; 0.05). The Tuc diet also provided the lowest final body weight (p = 0.02); lower average daily gain (p = 0.03); lower feed efficiency (p = 0.03) and lower carcass weight (p &lt; 0.01). However, diets did not influence carcass yield (%), fat thickness (mm) and loin eye area (cm2; p &gt; 0.05). Meat from lambs on the control diet was rated as less fibrous and more tender (p &lt; 0.05).Conclusion:The inclusion of tucuma cake does not influence digestibility, but reduces intake, performance and influences carcass characteristics and meat texture. Diets with cupuassu cake or palmiste cake reduced digestibility, however, intake, performance and carcass characteristics were similar to the control diet

Methane emission, intake, digestibility, performance and blood metabolites in sheep supplemented with cupuassu and tucuma cake in the eastern Amazon

The use of co-products as a feed supplement for ruminants makes livestock sustainable and optimizes the use of available areas and animal performance. Furthermore, when cakes are used, the residual fat composition can influence ruminal metabolism and methane (CH4) production. This study aimed to assess the effects of a diet containing cupuassu (CUP; Theobroma grandiflorum) and tucuma (TUC; Astrocaryum vulgare Mart.) cakes on intake, digestibility, serum metabolites, performance, and CH4 emissions in confined sheep in the Amazon. Approximately 28 animals, Dorper-Santa Inês, castrated, with an average initial live weight (ILW) of 35 ± 2.3 kg, were distributed in metabolic cages, in a completely randomized design, with four treatments and seven replications: (1) Control (C40), without the addition of Amazonian cake and with 40 g of ether extract (EE)/kg of dietary dry matter (DM); (2) CUP, the inclusion of the CUP cake and 70 g of EE/kg; (3) TUC, the inclusion of the TUC cake and 70 g of EE/kg; and (4) Control (C80), without the addition of Amazonian cake and with 80 g of EE/kg of dietary DM, with roughage to concentrate ratio of 40:60. The use of the TUC cake as a feed supplement reduced the intake of DM, crude protein (CP), and EE compared to the inclusion of the CUP cake (p &lt; 0.05); however, it increased the intake of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) by 32% (p &lt; 0.01). The highest averages of DM (732 g/kg) and CP (743 g/kg) digestibility were presented in C40, while the highest digestibility of NDF was presented in TUC (590 g/kg). Albumin levels stayed above and protein levels were below the reference values, and the C40 diet also obtained below results for cholesterol, triglycerides and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) (P &lt; 0.05). Sheep fed CUP (91 g) and TUC (45 g) had lower daily weight gains (DWGs) than those fed with diets without the inclusion of cakes (C40 = 119 g; C80 = 148 g), and feed efficiency (FE) was also lower in CUP (84) and TUC (60) diets than in C40 (119) and C80 (137) diets. CH4 emissions were lower in animals fed TUC (26 L/day) and higher in C40 (35 L/day); however, TUC resulted in higher CH4 emissions in grams/body live weight (BW) gain/day (353 g/BW/day) vs. 183 g/BW/day (C40), 157 g/BW/day (C80), and 221 g/BW/day (CUP). The supplementation with cakes did not improve intake, digestibility and performance, did not compromise blood metabolites and did not reduce the enteric CH4 emission in confined sheep in the Amazon; however, the use of CUP cake showed similar results to the control treatments and did not increase CH4 emissions, as occurred with the inclusion of TUC cake

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost