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The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of supplementing epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), fetal bovine serum (FBS), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) in different combinations in a maturation medium (MM) comprising TCM-199 + 5 μg/mL 17-β estradiol + 5 μg/mL ovine-luteinizing hormone (oLH) + 5 μg/mL pure follicle-stimulating hormone (pFSH) + 100 μM/mL cysteamine containing the best concentration of leptin among 10/20/25/30 ng/mL on in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent vitrification of matured goat oocytes. The IVM of oocytes was carried out in a CO2 incubator for 27 h at 38.5 °C. The percentage of oocytes with cumulus expansion and polar body extrusion was found to be highest in 25 ng/mL leptin at 47.37% and 15.63%; rates of 66.67% and 28.57% were obtained when supplemented with 50 ng/mL IGF-I + 10 ng/mL EGF in medium containing 25 ng/mL leptin as compared to the other media. The in vitro matured oocytes were vitrified in 5 M ethylene glycol + 5 M propylene glycol with 0.5 M sucrose in TCM-199 + 20% FBS using liquid nitrogen. The highest percentage of morphologically intact in vitro matured oocytes following vitrification was obtained in medium containing 25 ng/mL leptin (89.29%). It was concluded that addition of IGF-I + EGF with 25 ng/mL leptin in MM yielded a higher rate of maturation of oocytes, and supplementation of 25 ng/mL leptin in MM resulted in a higher rate of morphologically intact vitrified oocytes, indicating the efficiency of leptin for cryotolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study was undertaken to know the socio-economic status of women pig farmers, pig rearing system, feeding management, annual income from piggery and constraints faced by women farmers and involvement and contribution of women in backyard piggery in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji district under North bank plain zone of Assam. A total of 577 women farmers involved actively in pig farming were randomly selected and interviewed with a standard questionnaire. Involvement of married (40.9%) and middle aged women (26-35 years) with formal education adopted piggery through low input traditional management practices for fattening purpose (49.04%). The management system followed was scavenging system (47.05%). Kitchen waste and leftover of local rice beer along with rice bran were the common feeds offered to pigs. The major constraints to women involvement in pig farming was found to be inadequate capital (37.43%) followed by high cost of medication and commercial ration (28.94%) and pre-occupation with household chores (17.67%). The average age at puberty of pig (16.55±0.11 months) was longer. The average weight gain (2.31±0.01 kg/month), litter size at birth (10.57±0.13) and litter size at weaning (5.76±0.14) were poor. It was found that 70% of the women farmers could generate medium level of annual income (40-50 thousand) followed by 19.5% with high level income (>50 thousand). The study recommended that easy access to credit facilities from the financial institution and improve technical skills on pig farming may increase the level of involvement and help in doubling the annual income of the women piggery farmers. Backyard piggery may act as way of women empowerment in rural areas and enhance the socio-economic status of the women in piggery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]