Targeted glutamate supply boosts insulin concentrations, ovarian activity, and ovulation rate in yearling goats during the anestrous season

The neuroendocrine regulation of the seasonal reproductive axis requires the integration of internal and external signals to ensure synchronized physiological and behavioral responses. Seasonal reproductive changes contribute to intermittent production, which poses challenges for optimizing goat product yields. Consequently, a significant objective in seasonal reproduction research is to attain continuous reproduction and enhance profitability in goat farming. Glutamate plays a crucial role as a modulator in several reproductive and metabolic processes. Hence, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of exogenous glutamate administration on serum insulin concentration and ovarian function during the out-of-season period in yearling goats. During the anestrous season, animals were randomly located in individual pens to form two experimental groups: (1) glutamate (n = 10, live weight (LW) = 29.1 ± 1.02 kg, body condition score (BCS) = 3.4 ± 0.2 units) and (2) control (n = 10; LW = 29.2 ± 1.07 kg, BCS = 3.5 ± 0.2), with no differences (p < 0.05) regarding LW and BCS. Then, goats were estrus-synchronized, and blood sampling was carried out for insulin quantification. Ovaries were ultrasonographically scanned to assess ovulation rate (OR), number of antral follicles (AFs), and total ovarian activity (TOA = OR + AF). The research outcomes support our working hypothesis. Certainly, our study confirms that those yearling goats treated with exogenous glutamate displayed the largest (p < 0.05) insulin concentrations across time as well as an augmented (p < 0.05) out-of-season ovarian activity

Connectedness between Intensive and Extensive Ruminant Production Systems: Using Dairy Cow Feed Leftovers to Generate Out-of-Season Bio-Economic Indices in Goats

Founded on a circular economy perspective, the possible effect of targeted supplementation with leftover feed from dairy cows (i.e., intensive system) upon the productive economic performance of crossbred–rangeland goats (i.e., extensive system) in northern arid Mexico was assessed. Multiparous goats (n = 38) with similar body condition score (BCS) and body weight (BW) were randomly assigned during the deep anestrus season (i.e., March–April, 25° N) into two groups: (1) the control-non-supplemented group (CONT; n = 19; BCS: 1.76 ± 0.06; BW: 44.3 ± 2.5 kg) and (2) the supplemented group (SUPL; n = 19; BCS: 1.76 ± 0.07; BW: 43.7 ± 1.8 kg). While the SUPL group received 400 g goat d−1 of dairy cow feed leftovers prior to grazing, both groups went daily to the rangeland (i.e., ≈8 h). The study considered an experimental period of 36 d with an experimental breeding of 11 d (d0–d10). Previously, on days −20, −10, −1 preceding the male-to-female interaction, the anovulatory status of goats was confirmed through ultrasonographic scanning. Prior to mating, the males were separated from goats and treated for a period of 3 weeks (i.e., every 3rd d) with testosterone (i.e., 50 mg i.m.). The response variables evaluated considered goats induced to estrus (GIE, %), goats ovulating (GO, %), ovulation rate (OR, units), pregnancy rate-1 (PRd36, %), pregnancy rate-2 (PRd50, %), embryo mortality-d50 (EMO, %), potential kidding index-d50 (PKId50,%), kid weight at birth simples (KWBS, kg), potential litter efficiency at birth (PLEB, kg), and potential litter efficiency at weaning (i.e., d21 post kidding), either expressed as kg head−1 (PLEW1) or USD head−1 (PLEW2). Although no differences (p > 0.05) occurred for GIE and PRd50, increases in the phenotypic expression of OR (1.42 vs. 0.73), PRd36 (68.4 vs. 36.8), EMO (23.0 vs. 0), PKId50 (74.7 vs. 26.8), and KWBS (4.1 vs. 3.3) occurred (p p p > 0.05) regarding BW, BCS, and serum glucose concentrations between experimental groups. Furthermore, applying the main research outcomes from this specific study toward the large-scale goat production system in the Comarca Lagunera—one of the largest dairy goat production hubs in The Americas—denoted promising expectations, either from an economic or productive–reproductive standpoint. Certainly, goat producers from the region would increase their potential annual income just from the sale of kids by close to 250%; that is from MUSD 1.1 to 3.9. This result should reduce food insecurity and economic stress, as well as enhance the livelihoods of the goat keepers and their families

Supercritical CO2 Foaming of Thermoplastic Materials Derived from Maize: Proof-of-Concept Use in Mammalian Cell Culture Applications

Background: Foams are high porosity and low density materials. In nature, they are a common architecture. Some of their relevant technological applications include heat and sound insulation, lightweight materials, and tissue engineering scaffolds. Foams derived from natural polymers are particularly attractive for tissue culture due to their biodegradability and bio-compatibility. Here, the foaming potential of an extensive list of materials was assayed, including slabs elaborated from whole flour, the starch component only, or the protein fraction only of maize seeds. Methodology/Principal Findings We used supercritical CO2 to produce foams from thermoplasticized maize derived materials. Polyethylene-glycol, sorbitol/glycerol, or urea/formamide were used as plasticizers. We report expansion ratios, porosities, average pore sizes, pore morphologies, and pore size distributions for these materials. High porosity foams were obtained from zein thermoplasticized with polyethylene glycol, and from starch thermoplasticized with urea/formamide. Zein foams had a higher porosity than starch foams (88% and 85%, respectively) and a narrower and more evenly distributed pore size. Starch foams exhibited a wider span of pore sizes and a larger average pore size than zein (208.84 vs. 55.43 μm2, respectively). Proof-of-concept cell culture experiments confirmed that mouse fibroblasts (NIH 3T3) and two different prostate cancer cell lines (22RV1, DU145) attached to and proliferated on zein foams. Conclusions/Significance: We conducted screening and proof-of-concept experiments on the fabrication of foams from cereal-based bioplastics. We propose that a key indicator of foamability is the strain at break of the materials to be foamed (as calculated from stress vs. strain rate curves). Zein foams exhibit attractive properties (average pore size, pore size distribution, and porosity) for cell culture applications; we were able to establish and sustain mammalian cell cultures on zein foams for extended time periods

Two different prostate cancer cell lines attach and proliferate on zein foams.

<p>A portion of the porous surface of a wpTPZ foam as observed by confocal microscopy at 20X (A) before cell seeding, and (B) 22RV1 cells after seven days of growth. Prostate cancer cell lines cultured on wpTPZ attach, proliferate, and develop into tree-like structures on the edge of wpTPZ foams: (C) 22RV1 cells observed at the third day of culture (24X; stereoscopic microscope); (D) Du145 cells observed at the third day of culture (24X; stereoscopic microscope).</p

Relevant indicators of the quality of foams obtained by supercritical CO₂ expansion in slabs derived from thermoplasticized starch plasticized with urea/formamide (TPSuf foams) and thermoplasticized zein (TPZ foams).

<p>¹Pore size is expressed as the projected area of the pore as determined by image analysis of electronic microscope micrographs.</p><p>²Higher ratios of Thickness/Surface expansion indicate more spherical pores.</p><p>Relevant indicators of the quality of foams obtained by supercritical CO₂ expansion in slabs derived from thermoplasticized starch plasticized with urea/formamide (TPSuf foams) and thermoplasticized zein (TPZ foams).</p

Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) micrographs of transverse cuts of slabs made from whole flour or starch/zein blends after exposure to CO₂ supercritical foaming:

<p>(A) TPBM120 slab (3000X magnification); (B) TPBM120 slab (6000X magnification); (C) Mix[TPZ&TPSsg] slab (1500X magnification); (D) Mix[TPZ&TPSsg] slab (3000X magnification), (E) Mix[TPZ&TPSuf] slab (3000X magnification), and (F) TPmBM slab (1500X magnification).</p

Scanning electronic microscope (SEM) micrographs and pore size distributions of foams.

<p>Foams made from (A) starch slabs thermoplasticized at 135°C and 50 rpm using urea/formamide as a plasticizer (sample TPSuf); observed at 1500X, and (B) at 2000X magnification. Foams made from zein slabs thermoplasticized at 75°C and 50 rpm (sample TPZ); observed at (C) 1500X, and (D) 2000X magnification. (E) The cumulative distribution of pore sizes, as calculated by image analysis of SEM micrographs, is presented for TPSuf foams (blue line) and Z foams (yellow line). Pore sizes are expressed in terms of projected areas ([=] μm²). The frequency distribution of pore sizes calculated by image analysis of SEM micrographs is presented for (F) TPSuf foams, and (G) TPZ foams.</p

Schematic representation of the experimental treatments and materials derived from them:

<div><p>TPZ: thermoplasticized zein; TPS: thermoplasticized starch; TPBMx: thermoplasticized blue maize (x is a suffix that indicates extrusion temperature); TPmBM: thermoplasticized chemically modified blue maize (as described in materials and methods); Mix[TPS_y+TPZ]^a: thermoplasticized blends of TPS and TPZ (80:20 wt/wt).</p> <p>The y subindex indicates the plasticizer used to produce TPS. ^aBlends were produced using the close mode compounding described in materials and methods. Plasticizers used where sg (sorbitol-glycerol); uf (urea-formamide); and PEG400 (poly-ethylene glycol with m.w. = 400 Da).</p></div

Maize-derived thermoplastic were produced by (A) thermo-extrusion in a twin conical screw mini extruder (Haake MiniLab, Thermo Scientific, USA) followed by thermopressing at 20 MPa for 4 min in a P300P press (Collin, Germany).

<p>(B) Slabs of these plastics were subjected to supercritical CO₂ foaming, which occurred in two stages: (C) diffusion and solubilization of CO₂ molecules within a solid material matrix at supercritical conditions, and (D) a sudden drop in pressure allows the formation of CO₂ bubbles within the material.</p

Processing conditions used to elaborate maize derived bioplastics later exposed to CO₂ supercritical foaming conditions.

<p><b>Plasticizers:</b> Peg400: polyethylene-glycol 400; uf: urea/formamide; sg: sorbitol and glycerol mixture (1.4:1 wt/wt).</p><p><b>Bioplastics:</b> TPZ: thermoplasticized zein; TPS: thermoplasticized starch; TPBMx: thermoplasticized blue maize (x is a suffix that indicate extrusion temperature); TPmBM: thermoplasticized chemically modified blue maize (as described in materials and methods); Mix[TPS_y+TPZ]^a: thermoplasticized Blends of TPS and TPZ (80:20 wt/wt). The y subindex indicates the plasticizer used to produce TPS. ^aBlends were produced using the close mode compounding described in materials and methods.</p><p>Processing conditions used to elaborate maize derived bioplastics later exposed to CO₂ supercritical foaming conditions.</p