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This study aims to explore the potential of ethanolic extracts of propolis from different regions in Morocco as a means of combatting microbial infections. Specifically, we investigate the antimicrobial activity of these extracts against five distinct microbial strains and analyze the correlation between this activity and the polyphenol and flavonoid content of the extracts. The inhibitory effects of the extracts on Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans were evaluated by measuring the inhibition diameters, followed by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) and the minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC). The study revealed that the ethanolic extract of Moroccan propolis displayed potent antibacterial and antifungal activity, with a greater sensitivity towards Staphylococcus aureus. The extracts' antimicrobial activities were correlated with the concentration of flavonoids and polyphenols present in them. The results also suggest that propolis collected from Rabat and Agadir exhibited more substantial antimicrobial potential than that collected from Settat or Marrakech. Overall, the findings of this study provide valuable insights into the possibility ofMoroccan propolis as an antimicrobial agent.

In regions facing extreme heat, livestock encounter formidable challenges in dissipating environmental heat, leading to recurrent and severe heat stress episodes throughout the year. This review delves into the physiological impacts of climate change on sheep and goat production, with a focus on economic viability, milk and meat yields, reproductive performance, and thermoregulation. In arid and semi-arid regions, sheep and goats are particularly vulnerable to elevated temperatures, experiencing reductions in body weight, average daily gain, growth rates, and reproductive impairments. Besides, the combination of heat and humidity further undermines animals' immune systems, rendering them more susceptible to diseases and stress. However, goats demonstrate resilience and adaptive advantages over sheep in mitigating heat stress effects, rooted in their unique physiological, morphological, and behavioral adaptations. Leveraging these adaptive traits offers opportunities for sustainable livestock farming within intensifying climatic challenges, emphasizing the necessity of proactive management strategies to safeguard livestock welfare and promote economic viability.

Maintenir la biodiversité et des systèmes de production durables dépend grandement de la préservation des ressources génétiques animales. La présente revue analyse les progrès réalisés dans le domaine de l'application de la biotechnologie de la reproduction pour la conservation de la race ovine INRA 180. Le focus est fait sur l'évaluation des performances de reproduction et sur l'exploration des diverses biotechnologies de reproduction telles que le traitement du sperme, l'induction de l'ovulation et l'insémination artificielle. L'article analyse les facteurs qui affectent les performances de reproduction et le succès des techniques de reproduction assistée. Les orientations futures de la recherche, notamment l'insémination artificielle, la production d'embryons in vivo, le transfert d'embryons et la cryopréservation des gamètes et des embryons, sont également discutées. Cette revue offre des informations précieuses pour préserver efficacement la race INRA 180 en exploitant la biotechnologie de la reproduction.

The objective of this study is to determine and compare the accuracy of two tests for early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cattle by measuring pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG), the Rapid Visual Pregnancy Test (Ubio quickVET; VPRT) and the commercial ELISA-PAG test (Bovine Pregnancy Test DG29®). Blood samples were collected from 180 cows between 28 and 35 days after artificial insemination (AI) to quantify the concentrations of PAG in each sample. Both tests were performed on plasma within two days after blood collection. Transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS) was performed for pregnancy diagnosis after 40 ± 3 days post-AI as a gold standard. Results indicated that the sensitivity (Se) of the VPRT and DG29 for diagnosing pregnant cattle were 90% and 100%, respectively. The specificity (Sp) of the two tests for diagnosing non-pregnant animals was 90.2% and 82%, respectively. The accuracy of both tests was 94% and 90%, for DG29 and VPRT respectively. The ability of both tests to distinguish between pregnant and non-pregnant cows was excellent. This implies that the VPRT test could be considered more accurate than the PAG-ELISA test and TRUS on days 28–35 after AI. The VPRT test, therefore, can be used as an alternative to the PAG-ELISA test with some constraints that need to be considered.

Abstract. This study aimed to evaluate the biochemical parameters of Boujaâd sheep under Moroccan semi-arid conditions during pregnancy and postpartum stages in pregnant (P) ewes compared to non-pregnant ewes (NP). Blood samples were collected from 24 healthy Boujaâd ewes (59 ± 4.2 kg) enrolled in the current study. From (1 to 30 days), these samples were collected daily; from day 30 onwards, they were gathered at three-day intervals. Blood samples were taken from the jugular vein to be analyzed for glucose, cholesterol, total protein, creatinine, urea, and triglycerides. In the present study, no significant difference was observed before synchronization in all parameter studies between pregnant ewes (P) and non-pregnant ewes (NP) (P>0.05). The results showed the lowest glucose level in pregnant ewes during all pregnancy stages, while total proteins, urea, and triglycerides showed the opposite trend. During early pregnancy (18-30 days), the cholesterol levels were lower in P compared with NP ewes, whereas no difference was found from 30 days to parturition. Creatinine was higher in pregnant ewes during early pregnancy (18-30 days). In comparison, there was no statistically significant (P>0.05) variation in creatinine levels between the P and NP ewes after 30 days of gestation. To conclude, marked changes accompanied specific biochemical parameters. The biochemical parameter indicating a clear difference is triglycerides, which may indicate an early pregnancy diagnosis in sheep considering the exact day of mating or artificial insemination in animals.

The aim of this study was to see how chilled sperm quality is affected by ejaculation frequency and its correlation to seminal plasma composition in INRA 180 rams. Five rams were collected at high (HFE) and low frequencies (LFE). For the high frequency, the rams were collected three times on the same day every three days for 18 days. In the low frequency collection, three consecutive ejaculates were collected once a week for four weeks. Ejaculates were collected at 20-minute intervals in either HFE or LFE. Semen characteristics, concentration of total protein, lipid, cholesterol and fructose in seminal plasma were assessed. Semen samples were extended in skim milk-based extender at 15 °C, then evaluated at different storage times (0, 8, and 24 h). Fresh sperm quality parameters, seminal plasma composition, and stored sperm quality were shown to be higher in LFE than in HFE and in the first and second ejaculates than in the third one. After 24 h of storage, sperm quality was correlated to seminal plasma components. In conclusion, the frequency of ejaculation has an effect on the fresh and stored semen quality as well as on seminal plasma composition in INRA 180 rams.

This study was conducted in two steps to evaluate the influence of freezing methods and natural extracts on cryopreserved ram sperm quality. Initially, the research compared the effects of two freezing methods: liquid nitrogen (LN2) versus −80 °C, on post-thawed ram semen on total and progressive motilities and velocity parameters. Experiment I revealed no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the LN2 and −80 °C freezing methods, indicating similar effects on the analyzed parameters. Experiment II aimed to examine the influence of Spirulina platensis (SP) and Salvia verbenaca (SV) extracts added to egg yolk extender on cryopreserved sperm quality, utilizing the −80 °C freezing method. Various concentrations (1.25, 3.75, 6.25 and 8.75 µg*mL−1) of acetone (Ac-SP and Ac-SV) and hexanoic (Hex-SP), as well as methanolic (MeOH-SV) extracts, were added into the extender. A thorough assessment of post-thawed sperm quality parameters, encompassing motility, velocity parameters, viability, membrane integrity, abnormality and lipid peroxidation was conducted. The outcomes demonstrated that 1.25 and 3.75 g*mL−1 of Ac-SP and Hex-SP and 1.25 µg*mL−1 of AC-SV and MeOH-SV increased the post-thawed ram sperm quality. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the antioxidant properties of SP and SV extracts, highlighting their potential to protect cryopreserved sperm cells from oxidative stress at −80 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of age (2.5 years vs 6 years) and extender (skim milk vs tris egg yolk) on the storage of liquid semen at 5°C. Semen was collected weekly from Boujaâd rams and extended to a final concentration of 0.8 x 109 spermatozoa/ml. Sperm quality assessment included total and progressive motility, viability, morphology, membrane integrity and lipid peroxidation assay. Sperm quality was assessed at 0, 8 and 24 hours of storage. Sperm quality decreased over time. There was a significant interaction between age, storage time and extender for progressive motility. Older rams had the significantly lower quality of sperm after storage. Skim milk preserved motility better than Tris-egg yolk. While Tris-egg yolk preserved membrane integrity and inhibited lipid peroxidation. In conclusion, the age of rams should be taken into account for artificial insemination programs using liquid stored semen. Also, type of extender should be selected based on the desired effect.

The objective of this work was to compare the effect of eight extenders (Skim milk, INRA96®, Tris Eggs Yolk, Triladyl®, Ovipro®, Andromed®, Optixcel®,and Duragen®) on ram sperm motion parameters. Two experiments were carried out to determine the effect of extenders on ram sperm preservation at 15°C (Experiment 1), or at 5°C (Experiment 2). Semen was collected using an artificial vagina weekly for 10 weeks from two breeds (INRA180, n=4, on Monday and Boujaâd, n=4, on Friday). Aliquots were extended in each extender to a final concentration of 0.8 × 109 spermatozoa/ml and stored at 15°Cor 5°C for 24 h. Motility and kinematic parameters assessment were performed using a CASA system. Sperm motility and kinematic parameters decreased significantly over time of storage in all extenders and storage temperature. The overall CASA parameters were affected by extenders in different manners depending on breed and storage temperature. Skim milk, Duragen®, and INRA96® provided the best CASA results.

This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of Duragen® and skimmed milk (SM) extenders on the quality parameters, bacterial load and fertilization ability of stored ram semen. A total of 50 ejaculates from Sardi rams (n = 5) aged 2.5–3 years, were collected and stored in Duragen® and SM at 15°C. The motilities and velocity parameters generated by the CASA system were then evaluated at 0, 8 and 24 h of storage. Afterward, bacterial loads of sperm extended in Duragen® and SM were determined at 0, 5 and 24 h of incubation. In addition, ewes (n = 100) aged 2 years, have been chosen in the same herd. The selected ewes were then synchronized and inseminated using semen extended in Duragen® and SM and stored for 5 h at 15°C. The results revealed that total and progressive motilities, straight velocity (VSL), straightness (SRT), lateral head displacement (ALH) and beat cross frequency (BCF) were not affected by the extender type after 24 h of storage (p >.05). However, curvilinear velocity (VCL), velocity average path (VAP), linearity (LIN) and wobble (WOB) showed higher values in Duragen® compared with SM extender after 24 h of storage (p <.05). Bacterial loads were observed mainly in sperm stored in SM at 5 h (183 UFC/mL) and at 24 h (357 UFC/mL) of incubation. However, the only case showing a bacterial load in Duragen® is when the storage time attains 24 h (199 UFC/mL). Concerning fertility, sperm diluted in both extenders resulting in high fertility rates which reaches 66% and 73% for Duragen® and SM, respectively, with no statistical difference (p >.05). In summary, Duragen® extender decreased bacterial load in stored semen and maintained high ram sperm quality and fertility. These findings suggest that Duragen® extender could be used as SM alternative in ovine artificial insemination (OAI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted in two steps to evaluate the influence of freezing methods and natural extracts on cryopreserved ram sperm quality. Initially, the research compared the effects of two freezing methods: liquid nitrogen (LN2) versus -80 °C, on post-thawed ram semen on total and progressive motilities and velocity parameters. Experiment I revealed no significant differences (P > 0.05) between the LN2 and -80 °C freezing methods, indicating similar effects on the analyzed parameters. Experiment II aimed to examine the influence of Spirulina platensis (SP) and Salvia verbenaca (SV) extracts added to egg yolk extender on cryopreserved sperm quality, utilizing the -80 °C freezing method. Various concentrations (1.25, 3.75, 6.25 and 8.75 µg*mL-1) of acetone (Ac-SP and Ac-SV) and hexanoic (Hex-SP), as well as methanolic (MeOH-SV) extracts, were added into the extender. A thorough assessment of post-thawed sperm quality parameters, encompassing motility, velocity parameters, viability, membrane integrity, abnormality and lipid peroxidation was conducted. The outcomes demonstrated that 1.25 and 3.75 g*mL-1 of Ac-SP and Hex-SP and 1.25 µg*mL-1 of AC-SV and MeOH-SV increased the post-thawed ram sperm quality. In conclusion, this study emphasizes the antioxidant properties of SP and SV extracts, highlighting their potential to protect cryopreserved sperm cells from oxidative stress at -80 °C.