Search

This investigation aimed to study polymorphism of growth hormone (GH), growth hormone receptor (GHR), and insulin like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) genes and their associations with growth and carcass traits in Mazandaran native chicken. 200 male chicks were reared and slaughtered at 12 weeks of age. Traits including live weight at 4, 8 and 12 weeks of age, body weight and weights of heart, liver, gizzard, spleen, and abdominal fat, pH of meat, water holding capacity of the meat and intramuscular fat were recorded. Before dissecting birds, blood samples were collected and DNA was extracted. The frequency of alleles (+ and -) were determined to be 0.627 and 0.373 for GH locus, 0.715 and 0.285 for GHR locus, and 0.407 and 0.593 for IGF-1 gene locus, respectively. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium study using Chi-square test showed that the studied population was not in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Analysis of phenotypic and genotypic data showed a significant association between genotypes of GH gene and live weights at 8 and 12 weeks of age and carcass weight. Significant associations were found between the GHR gene with live weight at 12 weeks of age and carcass weight and also between IGF-1 gene with abdominal fat and intramuscular fat (P < 0.05). Generally, it can be concluded that GH, GHR and IGF-1 genes can be used as candidate genes for improving growth and carcass traits in Mazandaran native fowls.

This study was investigated to compare the effects of thyme extract (Thymus vulgaris) on performance, ruminal fermentation, cellulase enzyme activity and microbial protein synthesis in fattening lambs and goat kids. For this purpose, 15 kids (average initial BW of 17.3±1.2 kg, 3 month-old) and 15 lambs (average initial BW of 21.4±1.5 kg, 3 month-old) were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatment: 1) control (without thyme extract), 2) supplemented with 250 mg thyme extract, 3) supplemented with 500 mg thyme extract. Animals were housed in individual pens for 84 days. Experimental results showed that different levels of thyme extract had a significant effect on daily weight gain and feed intake in both species, so that in animals fed 250 mg of thyme extract was higher than the other treatments (P<0.01). Rumen pH was not affected by experimental treatments. The lowest NH3-N was observed in the treatment containing 250 mg of thyme extract (P<0.01). The total concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFA) as well as butyrate and acetate in ruminal fluid decreased significantly with increasing thyme extract; but propionate was increased in kids and lambs fed with 250 mg of thyme extract (P<0.01). Microbial protein produced in the rumen were significantly affected by experimental treatments (P<0.01). The activity of cellulolytic enzymes was not affected by the treatments. Our findings indicate that 250 mg thyme extract can be used in diet without adverse effect on lambs and kids. The lambs were also more affected by the thyme extract than the kids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Brasileira de Higiene e Sanidade Animal is the property of Associacao Cientifica dos Medicos Veterinarios do Ceara and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

No abstract available. Article truncated at 150 words. A 46-year-old Hispanic man with no known past medical history presents to his primary care physician for a progressively worsening “rash” located over his right thigh. Patient described the lesion as raised, scaly, and itchy. It has been “growing” for the past one year and started out as a small “pimple”. Patient denied any trauma to the effected region over this time period. Surgical history was significant for a splenectomy 15 years prior that was needed after a traumatic accident. He works in construction and lives in southern Arizona. He denied alcohol, tobacco and or illicit drug use. Patient has attempted to treat this skin lesion with over the counter hydrocortisone ointment with no relief. He denied any other associated symptoms including fever/chills, headache, vision changes, night sweats, weight loss, cough, shortness of breath, and or joint pains. Vital signs were stable upon presentation. Physical exam was entirely benign other ...

Most efficient animals in heat-stressed condition, intelligently regulate their metabolism for maximizing their productivity and fats play an important role in reducing heat stress in these animals but the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The effects of different fat sources on some blood metabolites and hormones and enzyme activities of heat-stressed lambs with different residual feed intake (RFI) were studied. In the preliminary trial, 48 male lambs of four different breeds (Zel, Dalagh, and their hybrids with Romanov; BW=16.87±0.55 kg) in a block randomized complete design used to assay RFI for 67 days. After that, 32 lambs of the same breeds as a block (BW=30.74±1.21 kg) with two different RFIs in heat stressed condition were used in a 2 × 4 factorial trail over 84 days. The treatments included four rations: 1) basal ration (control), 2, 3, and 4) rations supplemented with calcium soap fatty acids (FA), beef tallow, and canola oil, respectively. Dry matter intake (DMI) was high in control and high RFI groups (low efficient) (P<0.05). Lipid sources had significant effect on serum glucose, cholesterol, triiodothyronine (T3), and Insulin, pulse and respiration rate (P<0.05). No differences found between treatments for triglyceride, thyroxine (T4), lowdensity lipoprotein (LDL), and Very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL). Glucose concentration had strong correlation with the RFI (P<0.01). The Low RFI lambs (LRFI) had high T3 and low LDH levels. These lambs had high respiration and pulse rate (P<0.05). Lambs fed with fat supplemented rations had higher concentration of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) enzymes than control (P<0.01). Lipid supplementation in heat stressed lambs markedly alters glucose, cholesterol, T3 and respiration and pulse rate that independently of reduced dry matter intake (DMI) through coordinated changes in fuel supply and utilization by multiple tissues. Even more challenging the most efficient lambs (LRFI) had high physiologic rate and high activity for removing heat from tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in seed viability due to environmental conditions are crucial factors to preserve seed germination ability in equatorial zones. Influence of relative humidity (RH) and frozen storage on the seed viability, nutritional compositions, trace metals and macro-nutrients of three Onobrychis viciifolia varieties (Golpaygan-181, Orumieh-1763 and Gorgan- 1601) were investigated. Mean relative humidity of 84% hastened the loss of seed viability during 6 months, while frozen seeds at -20ºC only exerted a minimal deteriorative effect on the germination of seed and vigor index. HPLC profiles differed in peak areas of the two important alkaloids, Berberine and Sanguinarine, in ambient humidity compared with control condition. Accumulation of crude protein (CP) and dry matter digestibility (DMD) were enhanced under ambient humidity and frozen storage in seed cells. Relative humidity indicated positive effects on seed quality by crude fibre (CF) reduction. The atomic spectroscopy analysis confirmed the increment of trace metals ratio (Fe, Mn and Cu) and reduction of macro-nutrients ratio (Ca, P and N) in frozen storage after 6 months. Although vigor index and germination speed were lower in frozen storage seeds compared with control seeds, the notable results can be optimized in future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]