LH peak and ovulation in buffalo cows treated for oestrus synchronisation using two different hormonal schedule

Since oestrus behaviour in buffalo is frequently scarcely clear and the oestrus signs, even when showed, are not reliable, ovulation can not be predicted. Furthermore high individual variability of the oestrus signs – LH peak interval was observed both in spontaneous and hormonal induced oestrus (Moioli et al., 1998; Barile et al, 1998)

Assessment of different functional parameters of frozen-thawed buffalo spermatozoa by using cytofluorimetric determinations

Flow cytometry is a useful tool that provides an accurate, objective and rapid evaluation of semen quality. The use of this technique could significantly improve the quality of buffalo semen samples used in artificial insemination. This study was carried out to evaluate, by flow cytometry, frozen-thawed buffalo spermatozoa quality parameters such as: sperm viability by SYBR-14/propidium iodide staining; mitochondrial function by JC-1 potentiometric probe; sperm chromatin stability (SCSA) by acridine orange and acrosome reaction by FITC-PNA staining. Semen samples from 5 Italian Mediterranean buffalo bulls were used. Sperm viability was not different between bulls and ranged from 33.4 to 43.6%. A consistent rate (55.1±10.8%) of sperm cells showed high mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψhigh), with no significant differences between subjects. SCSA differed significantly between the 5 buffalo bulls, moreover data showed high stability within each buffalo. DNA fragmentation indexes (DFI), such as %-DFI, -DFI, SD-DFI, were 11.2±8.6, 153.3±24.6 and 81.6±21.2, respectively. Regarding acrosome reaction (AR), the percentage of acrosome-reacted live (ARL) and acrosome-reacted dead (ARD) spermatozoa was 0.3±0.2 and 15.3±5.5 respectively. This functional parameter differed significantly between buffalo bulls and showed high stability. Following to Ca2+ ionophore A23187 for 3 hrs, AR significantly differed between subjects and was characterized by an increase of both ARL (10.8%) and ARD population (22.0%). The present study indicates that flow cytometry could be a useful tool for a quick multiparametric evaluation of sperm quality in buffalo. In particular, SCSA and AR resulted sperm functional parameters sensitive enough for the diagnosis of frozen-thawed semen fertilizing potential

Induzione dell'estro in bufale acicliche. Nota I: percentuale di ciclicità

The oestrus induction during anestrus period (spring-summer) in buffalo is important not only for artificial insemination but essentially to produce milk during spring-summer season

Effect of two different source of forage on the organic matter digestibility in Mediterranean Italian Buffalo cows

The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of two different source of forage (haysilage and hay) during the lactation on organic matter digestibility (OMD) in buffalo cows. Lactating buffaloes (n = 40) at 29.6 days in milk (DIM) were equally divided as function of previous milk yield into Group 1 (meadow hay, n = 20) and Group 2 [haysilage (Lolium multiflorum), n = 20]. The diets were isoenergetic [0.92 milk unit forage (MUF) on dry matter basis] and isoproteic (16.2 % crude protein on dry matter basis) and administred as total mixed ration (TMR). From all the buffaloes, for each group and in two sampling time (first sampling, DIM = 74.0 and second sampling, DIM = 129.0) the faeces were collected in order to evaluate the in vivo digestibility. Overall the trial, the subjects fed haysilage showed higher OMD than those fed hay (66.1 vs 45.7; P<0.01), moreover the in vivo digestibility was affected by the DIM, in particular in the group fed hay (40.6 vs 53.4; P<0.0001, respectively). This work underlines the importance of the administration of the haysilage (Lolium multiflorum) as source of high quality forage because it gives, overall the lactation, more nutritive principles compared with meadow hay

Effect of intensive or extensive systems on buffalo heifers performances: onset of puberty and ovarian size

The aim of this work was to determine the effect of intensive feeding (IF group) or pasture system (PS group) on the onset of puberty and on the ovarian size in buffaloes. The trial was carried out on 26 prepubertal 8-months old buffalo heifers weighing a mean of 134 kg (n =13 per group). The heifers were weighed monthly and, starting from the 13th month of age, blood samples were collected every 10 days to determine the concentration of plasma progesterone by RIA. Heifers were considered to have achieved puberty and cyclic ovarian activity when plasma progesterone levels exceeded 1 ng/ml for two samples with a lower intermediate value. After two cycles, the heifers were naturally mated. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed every twenty days to follow changes in size of ovaries and in follicles number. Significantly higher (P<0.001) gains were obtained by IF system (870 g/d) than PS one (620 g/d) but the mean age at puberty was the same in both groups ( 599d vs 610d, respectively). Within 21 months 8 (IF group) and 10 heifers (PS group) showed cyclic ovarian activity. Ovarian size increased with age in both groups; however, the length of the right ovary and the number of follicles tended to be higher in IF vs PS group

Effects of different diets on milk yield and quality of lactating buffaloes: maize versus sorghum silage

Sixteen pluriparous lactating buffaloes were divided in two groups homogeneous for parity, lactation stage, milk yield and weight. The diets assigned to two groups, based on maize silage (M group) and sorghum silage (S group), had the same energy-protein level (0.90 Milk FU/kg DM and 155 g/kg DM of crude protein). Five records of milk yield and quality during lactation were carried out. The physical-chemical characteristics (pH, fat, protein, lactose and urea), somatic cell count, coagulation properties and nutritional parameters (cholesterol, alfa tocopherol, 13 cis and trans retinol and 13 cis/trans retinol ratio) were analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using a factorial model. The average daily milk yield during experimental period was similar: 9.29 and 9.55 kg respectively in M and S groups. Fat and protein content were not different, while the urea content was significantly different varying from 39.13 mg/dl in M group to 45.55 mg/dl in S group. The coagulation properties, the estimated Mozzarella yield, somatic cell count and the nutritional parameters analysed were not different between the two groups. These results indicate that the sorghum silage diet utilised did not affect the milk yield and quality, then it could be adopted in lactating buffaloes