Effect of nutritional level and ejaculation order on the reproductive efficiency of male goats and the potential use of Arnica montana homeopathy on the in vitro maturation of bovine oocyte

Foram realizados três experimentos, independentes entre si, com vistas a estudar temas associados à eficiência reprodutiva de caprinos e bovinos. Foram objetivos, respectivamente: 1) estudar o efeito da oferta de uma dieta em nível de manutenção, em comparação com a ingestão ad libitum, sobre o comportamento sexual e a qualidade seminal do sêmen criopreservado de machos caprinos; 2) comparar a qualidade seminal do primeiro e do segundo ejaculados de machos caprinos do sêmen fresco e criopreservado; e, 3) a adição do homeopático Arnica montana 6 CH ao meio de maturação de oócitos bovinos submetidos ou não ao estresse térmico. No primeiro experimento, foi fornecida uma mesma dieta padrão em manutenção (n = 5) e ad libitum (n = 5) a dez bodes jovens da raça Alpina. Foram avaliados parâmetros nutricionais, fisiológicos, biométricos, histológicos e espermáticos pós-descongelação. Nesse estudo, o fornecimento da dieta em manutenção resultou em menor (p 0,05) quanto à síntese de testosterona, comportamento sexual, marcadores de estresse oxidativo no testículo, turbilhonamento, motilidade, vigor, concentração espermática, integridade funcional da membrana plásmática, termorresistência, integridade das membranas plasmática e acrossomal, presença de espécies reativas de oxigênio (ERO) e peroxidação lipídica da membrana plasmática. Portanto, o fornecimento da dieta em manutenção não compromete a capacidade reprodutiva de caprinos jovens, podendo, ainda, reduzir custos de produção. No segundo experimento, foram comparadas as qualidades seminais do primeiro e segundo ejaculados frescos e congelados de machos caprinos jovens por citometria de fluxo. O primeiro ejaculado apresentou maior porcentagem (p 0,05) quanto à cor, aspecto, volume, turbilhonamento, motilidade, vigor, concentração espermática, termoresistência, reatividade no meio hiposmótico, integridade das membranas plasmática e acrossomal, presença de ERO e peroxidação lipídica da membrana plasmática. Entretanto, apesar de demonstrarem qualidade seminal similiar, os ejaculados apresentaram diferenças quantos aos fatores que comprometem a viabilidade espermática pós-congelamento. No terceiro experimento, foi avaliado o efeito da adição do homeopático Arnica montana ao meio de maturação in vitro (MIV) de oócitos bovinos submetidos ou não ao estresse por calor (EC). O experimento foi dividido em duas etapas: com ou sem EC. O controle (sem estresse) consistiu em maturação a 38,5 °C por 24 h, enquanto no EC a maturação foi procedida a 41 °C por 12 h seguidas de 12 h a 38,5 °C. Exceto pelo tratamento controle, em ambas as condições foram adicionados aos meios de MIV álcool (veículo homeopático, 30 % v/v) ou Arnica montanahomeopática 6 CH. Foram avaliados presença de ROS nos meios de MIV, configuração da cromatina dos oócitos, taxas de clivagem e formação de embriões no sétimo dia de cultivo (D7), classificação embrionária e total de células nos blastocistos. Na maturação na ausência do EC, a Arnica montana 6 CH reduziu (p 0.05) for testosterone synthesis, sexual behavior, oxidative stress markers in the testis, gross motility, sperm motility, sperm vigor, sperm concentration, reactivity to hyposmotic medium, thermoresistance, plasma and acrosomal membrane integrity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) presence and lipid peroxidation of the plasma membrane. Therefore, the maintenance diet supply does not compromise the reproductive capacity of bucks, and can also reduce production costs. The writing and formatting of this article were done according to the standards of the Animal Reproduction Science Journal, for which it will be submitted. In the second experiment, the seminal qualities of the fresh and frozen ejaculates of young bucks were compared by flow cytometry. The first ejaculate presented a higher percentage (p 0.05) regarding color, appearance, seminal volume, gross motility, sperm motility, sperm vigor, sperm concentration, thermoresistance, reactivity to hyposmotic medium, plasma and acrosomal membranes integrity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) presence and lipid peroxidation of the plasma membrane. However, despite showing similar seminal quality, the ejaculates presented differences by the factors that compromise the post-freezing sperm viability. The writing and formatting of this article were done according to the standards of the Animal Reproduction Journal, for which it will be submitted. The third experiment was evaluated the effect of homeopathic Arnica montana addition to maturation medium in vitro (IVM) of bovine oocytes submitted to heat stress (HS) or not. The experiment was divided into two stages: with or without HS. The control (without HS) consisted of maturation at 38.5 °C for 24 h, while the HS maturation was proceeded at 41 °C for 12 h followed by 12 h at 38.5 °C. Except for the control treatment, in both conditions the IVM medium were supplemented with alcohol (homeopathic vehicle, 30 % v/v) or homeopathic Arnica montana 6 CH. The presence of ROS in the IMV medium, oocyte chromatin configuration, the rates of cleavage and embryo formation on the seventh day of culture (D7), embryonic classification and total cells in blastocysts were evaluated. During maturation in the absence of HS, the Arnica montana 6 CH reduced (p < 0.05) the rates of cleavage and blastocysts in D7 in relation to the other treatment. However, in the presence of HS, Arnica montana6 CH presented the highest (p < 0.05) blastomere count among all treatments. The HS resulted in lower embryo rates in D7 and expanded blastocysts than the other treatment (p < 0.05). Therefore, homeopathy presented a different response whensubmitted or not to HS, being detrimental to oocyte maturation and embryonic development in the absence of stress, but beneficial in the presence of HS, demonstrating thermoprotective potential in IVM of bovine oocytes.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológic

Creep-feeding supplementation of diets with detoxified castor meal to lambs

Dados que sugiram níveis de substituição do farelo de soja pelo farelo de mamona são escassos para alimentação de cordeiros em creep-feeding em pasto. Objetivou- se, neste trabalho, avaliar a substituição do farelo de soja por farelo de mamona destoxificado, quanto ao consumo e digestibilidade, sobre o ganho de peso, rendimento de carcaça, parâmetros fisiológicos e urinários; a eficácia do uso do creep-feeding; e, possíveis danos tissulares decorrentes da inclusão de farelo de mamona. Foram utilizados 43 cordeiros machos, com peso médio inicial de 7,95 kg, dos 15 aos 75 dias de vida, obtidos pelo cruzamento de carneiros raça Dorper com ovelhas Santa Inês. O delineamento estatístico empregado foi o em blocos casualizados, onde a blocagem foi em função da data de entrada no experimento. Foram empregados cinco tratamentos, sendo, sequencialmente: sem suplementação; com suplementação, mas sem adição de farelo de mamona; e níveis gradativos de substituição do farelo de soja pelo farelo de mamona destoxificado (33, 67 e 100 %). Os procedimentos estatísticos, contraste, média e erro-padrão da média, foram conduzidos por intermédio do programa Mixed Procedure (PROC MIXED), utilizando-se o pacote estatístico SAS (9.3), adotando-se α = 0,10. A substituição do farelo de soja por farelo de mamona destoxificado, nas condições do experimento, não compromete significativamente o desempenho dos animais, enquanto o uso de creep-feeding afeta positivamente, sendo o ganho dos animais suplementados superior ao controle. A ingestão de farelo de mamona destoxificado acarreta aumento linear do número de eosinófilos. O consumo de concentrado influencia negativamente a espessura do epitélio das papilas do saco ventral do rúmen.Results to suggest replacement levels of soybean meal by castor meal are scarce for feeding lambs in creep-feeding on pasture. The main point is, therefore, to evaluate the substitution of the soybean meal for the detoxified castor meal, highlighting the feeding and digestibility, the weight gain, the carcass yield and physiological and urinary parameters; the effectiveness of the creep-feeding use; and possible tissue damage due to the inclusion of the castor meal. For this trial 43 male lambs were employed, with average initial body weight of 7.95 kg, from 15 to 75 days old each, obtained by crossing Dorper to Santa Inês sheep. The lambs were distributed following a randomized blocking design, where the block was the day of entering the experiment. Five treatments were applied, those being, sequencially: without supplementation; with supplementation but without the use of castor meal; and with gradual levels of substitution of the soybean meal for the castor meal (33, 67 e 100%). The statistic procedures, contrast, mean and standard mean error, were performed via the program Mixed Procedure (PROC MIXED) being used the SAS (9.3) statistic package, adopting α = 0,10. It was concluded that the substitution of the soybean meal for the detoxified castor meal does not compromise significantly the animals’ development, while the use of creep-feeding affects it positively, being the gain of the supplemented animals superior to that of the control. The detoxified castor meal intake leads to a linear increase in the number of eosinophils. The concentrate intake negatively influences the thickness of the epithelium of the papillae of the ventral bag of the rumen.Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerai

Do live or inactive yeasts improve cattle ruminal environment?

This research was conducted to investigate the effect of live and inactive sugarcane yeast on beef cattle voluntary intake, apparent digestibility of nutrients, ruminal pH, volatile fatty acids (VFA) concentrations, and ruminal ammonia. Five rumen-cannulated Nellore heifers were distributed in a 5×5 Latin square design, with five experimental periods of 15 days, with seven days for adaptation to the additives and the remaining days for data records and sampling. Total mixed ration (TMR) was composed by corn silage (20%) and concentrate (80%) based on corn and soybean meal. Five treatments were evaluated: without additive use (negative control; NC); chemical buffer addition – 0.71% in concentrate DM of sodium bicarbonate and 0.18% of magnesium oxide (positive control, PC); 10 g/day live yeast (LY); 15 g/day of inactive yeast (IY15); and 30 g/day of inactive yeast (IY30). Sugarcane yeasts were directly infused in rumen immediately after morning and afternoon feed supply. Feed additives did not affect voluntary intake, nutrient digestibility, and sorting behavior of animals. However, heifers from all treatments presented preferential intake of fibrous fraction of diet, especially those from NC and IY15. Nitrogen balance, VFA concentrations, and blood parameters were not influenced as well. Sodium bicarbonate and magnesium oxide led to greater ruminal pH than yeast, and IY15 presented greater pH than IY30. Ruminal ammonia was increased by the use of additives. Active and inactive yeasts are not recommended as feed additives for bovines fed diets with 80% of concentrate since it allows animals to select fibrous particles from TMR, and no representative gain in ruminal parameters and digestibilities are guaranteed

Effect of phase-feeding crude protein on performance and carcass characteristics of crossbred beef bulls: an application to reduce nitrogen compounds in beef cattle diets

Beef cattle (24) with an average initial body weight of 417 ± 54 kg were assigned in a 2 × 2 factorial design with six repetitions. The factors studied were two levels of CP: 11 (low CP) or 13 % (high CP) in the initial feedlot phase (days 1–36) and in the final phase (days 37–72). After 36 days, half of the bulls fed with each level of CP were selected to reverse the CP level. No interaction was observed (P > 0.05) between the level of protein in the initial and final phases on the intake of the nutrients evaluated. There was no effect (P > 0.05) of the protein levels in the initial and final phases on intake of dry matter, organic matter, CP, non-fiber carbohydrates, and total digestible nutrients. No differences were observed among treatments (P > 0.05) for average daily gain (X = 1.99 kg/day) and carcass traits. We conclude that it is possible to feed Holstein-Zebu crossed bulls with an average daily gain of approximately 2 kg using a fixed level of 11 % CP during the entire feedlot period, and this diet is economically viable and environmentally sound