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ABSTRACT: Sri Lanka has approximately 0.32 million buffaloes experiencing stagnant growth over the last few decades. MOET would be a better approach for the rapid multiplication of existing genetically superior buffalos. The objective of the study was conducted over 15 months to establish MOET for buffalos to improve milk production and the genetic value of their population in Sri Lanka. Superovulation (n=10) of buffalos was conducted using a modified, FSH-based standard protocol. Three artificial inseminations (AI) were conducted in 12 hrs. intervals from the estrous with imported Murrah semen. At the embryo flushing, 18 embryos were collected using a retrograde flushing technique. Out of that, Compacted morulae (n=3), Morulae (n=12), Damaged (n=2), and Degenerating oocytes (n=1) were identified while classifying those into 'Excellent' (n=4), 'Good' (n=8), Fair (n=2), Poor (n=3) and Degenerated/Unfertilized (n=1) categories. A set of embryos (n=6) were cryopreserved under vitrification technology for 6-8 months. One pregnancy in each fresh (n=8) and frozen (n=6) embryo transfer was reported at day 56 of post-insemination. However, those were terminated before the term. The study highlights the feasibility of MOET for buffalo population expansion in Sri Lanka. Optimizing MOET would be an important biotechnological tool to expedite the expansion of the buffalo population while providing genetically superior buffalo calves to the farmers in Sri Lanka.

The present study analyses the effect of age at first calving (AFC) on future fertility and productivity in Murrah buffaloes. The data of 314 buffalo heifers of animal farm section, ICAR‐CIRB, Hisar were collected over a period of 9 years from 2010 to 2018. The buffalo heifers were categorized into six groups according to the AFC named as 30–35, 36–41, 42–47, 48–53, 54–59 and 60–65 months. The influence of AFC on standard lactation milk (SLMY), peak yield (PY), days in milk (DIM), calving to first service, service per conception, calving to conception interval (CCI) and calving interval till fifth lactation were studied. The study revealed poor productive traits in buffalo heifers calved at younger age (30–35 months) during first parity. The productive value positively corresponded with increase in AFC. During successive lactations, higher mean milk yield (SLMY and PY) was found in groups with 36–41, 42–47 and 48–53 months. The mean number of services per conception was lower in buffalo heifers with 36–41 and 42–47 months following first calving till fifth lactation. Similarly, the said groups had lower mean calving to first service, CCI and CI up to fifth lactation. The survival rate was higher in heifers with AFC 36–41, 42–47, 48–53 and 54–59 months than with AFC 30–35 and 60–65 months. The buffalo heifers with 36–41 and 42–47 months of AFC had higher survival rate and better productive and reproductive traits till fifth parity in the current study. The study concluded that a minimum ideal AFC of 36–41 months yielded the highest productive gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffaloes have great potential to be developed as one of the main dairy animals in Sri Lanka because of their higher adaptability to local conditions compared to European dairy cattle breeds. Processing dairy products such as curd, cheese, and yoghurt from buffalo milk has several advantages due to its greater quantities of total solids, solid-nonfat, and protein. However, milk composition and coagulation properties largely depend on the breed. Therefore, this research aimed to investigate the milk composition of three major buffalo breeds in Sri Lanka. The milk of the Lanka buffalo contained 18.1% total solids, 10.7% solid non-fat (SNF), 7.5% fat, 4.9% protein, 4.9% lactose, and 0.9% minerals. The milk of the Murrah crossbreed contained 15.4% total solids, 10.1% SNF, 5.3% fat, 4.2% protein, 5.1% lactose, and 1.1% minerals. The milk of the Nili-Ravi crossbreed contained 16.6% total solids, 10.2% SNF, 6.4% fat, 4.1% protein, 4.9% lactose, and 1.1% minerals. The results indicate that milk composition varies among the Introduction The milk production of the world is supplied by only breeds in which the milk of the Lanka buffalo has significantly higher amounts of total solids, SNF, and fat. Protein, lactose, and mineral contents do not vary signiticantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents a comparative analysis of the physio-chemical properties of milk from three different buffalo breeds in Haryana, namely Murrah, Nilli-Ravi, and Surti. The study aimed to evaluate various parameters including fat content, solid not fat (SNF), total solids, protein content, density, lactose content, titratable acidity, freezing point, pH, and specific gravity. A total of 60 buffaloes, 20 from each breed, were selected for the study, and milk samples were collected twice a day, in the morning and evening. The analysis revealed significant differences among the three buffalo breeds in terms of their milk composition. The Murrah breed exhibited the highest fat content (8.02), while the Nilli-Ravi had the lowest (8.14). For SnF values, Murrah shows highest values of 9.41 and Surti buffalo shows lowest 8.78. Similarly, variations were observed in other parameters across different breeds. These results can assist in breed selection for improved milk production, processing, and product development. Furthermore, the data obtained can serve as a valuable resource for dairy industry stakeholders, regulatory bodies, and researchers in the field of dairy science and technology. Future studies could explore the relationship between physio-chemical properties and milk yield, as well as investigating the impact of these variations on the processing and quality of dairy products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total milk production of India is 209.96 MT out of which 45% is contributed by the indigenous buffalo and due to their high producing virtue, the prevalence of mastitis is 5–20%. Despite the increasing level of technological advancement, mastitis is still an issue of concern for dairy industry in India as well as across the world. Therefore, the present study aimed to identify the SNPs and associate them with the incidence of clinical mastitis in Murrah buffalo using the ddRAD sequencing approach taking mastitis incidence data of 96 Murrah buffaloes. A total of 246 million quality controlled reads were obtained with an average alignment rate of 99.01% and at a read depth of 10, quality controlled SNPs obtained were 18,056. The logistic regression model was used and a total of seven SNPs were found significantly associated (p < 0.001) with mastitis incidence and seven genes were identified viz., NCBP1, FOXN3, TPK1, XYLT2, CPXM2, HERC1, and OPCML. The majority of them were having tumor suppressing action, related to immunogenetics or glycolytic and energy production. Conclusively, the SNPs identified in this study may be useful for future studies on mastitis incidence in Murrah buffalo and the SNP associations can be further validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and unbiased assessment of genetic parameters of milk and milk composition traits play an important role in formulating breeding program for genetic improvement of Murrah buffaloes. In this study, data spread over 28 years were utilized to estimate genetic parameters of traits viz., 305 d milk yield (305MY), 305 d fat yield (305FY), 305 d solid not fat yield (305SNFY), milk fat percentage (fat%) and solid not fat percentage (SNF) percentage (SNF%) in Murrah buffaloes kept at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal. Bayesian multiple-trait analysis was done using animal model and Gibbs sampling to estimate (co)variance components. Posterior means of heritability and posterior standard deviation for 305MY, 305FY, 305SNFY, fat% and SNF% were 0.18 ± 0.05, 0.17 ± 0.05, 0.18 ± 0.05, 0.07 ± 0.03 and 0.15 ± 0.06 and posterior means of repeatability estimates along with posterior standard deviation for corresponding traits were 0.33 ± 0.04, 0.32 ± 0.04, 0.33 ± 0.04, 0.14 ± 0.02 and 0.30 ± 0.04, respectively. Estimates of genetic correlation varied from −0.080 (305MY and fat %) to 0.999 (305MY and 305SNFY). Permanent environmental correlations varied from −0.060 (305MY and SNF%) to 0.999 (305FY and 305SNFY). This study indicated that all considered traits except fat% have ample genetic variability which can be exploited for selection and genetic improvement of Murrah buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selection of Murrah buffaloes based on production, reproduction, and health traits play an important role in sustainable genetic improvement. With the aim to construct an index comprising of production, reproduction and health traits of Murrah buffaloes, the production and reproduction data during a 50-year span (1971–2020) and for health traits data of 27 years (1994–2020) were analyzed. Various three, four, five, and six trait combinations of production, reproduction, and health traits were explored for construction of performance indices. The income and expenditure method was used to calculate relative economic values (REV) for traits under consideration. A total of 37 performance indices were constructed using a multi-trait combination of production, reproduction, and health traits. Out of 37 indices, the (ADMY-PY-DO-AFC-FF) based index was identified as the best, with 78%, 2%, and 20% weightage given to production, reproduction, and female fertility, respectively. Furthermore, when REVs of traits were increased by 25% and 50%, there was no change observed in the relative importance of traits in the best index, indicating that the index was robust to substantial increases in economic values. Therefore, it is recommended that the above constructed composite selection index can be employed in selection of female buffaloes to achieve sustainable genetic gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dietary mix and host species have both been shown to have a significant impact on rumen microbial diversity, enteric methane emission and animal performance. The goal of this study was to see how the roughage concentrate ratio 70:30 (Low concentrate; LC) vs 40:60 (High concentrate; HC) and the host species crossbred cattle vs buffalo affected rumen microbial diversity, enteric methane emissions and nutrient utilization. Dry matter intake (kg/d) and dry matter percent digestibility were considerably (p < 0.05) higher in the HC ration and buffalo compared to LC ration and crossbred cattle, respectively. Both dietary mix and host species had a substantial (p < 0.05) impact on intake of various nutrients, including organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), ether extract (EE), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Increased concentrate proportion in the ration improved nitrogen balance, resulting in increased average daily gain and considerably reduced methane (g/d) output (p < 0.05). Furthermore, 16S rRNA genes were sequenced using Oxford Nanopore Technology (ONT) and subsequently annotated using the Centrifuge workflow to uncover ruminal bacterial diversity. Firmicutes was considerably (p < 0.01) greater in the LC diet, whereas, Bacteroidetes was higher in the HC ration. Genus Prevotella dominated all rumen samples, and buffalo fed LC ration had significantly (p < 0.01) higher Oscillospira abundance. At the species level, simple sugar-utilizing bacteria such as Prevotella spp. and Selenomonas ruminantium predominated in the crossbred cattle, but fibrolytic bacteria such as Oscillospira guilliermondii were statistically (p < 0.01) more abundant in the buffalo. Overall, dietary mix and host species have both been shown to have a significant impact on rumen microbial diversity, enteric methane emission and animal performance, however, host species remained a major driving force to change ruminal community composition as compared to roughage concentrate ratio under similar environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the impact of methionine at different concentrations (2.0 mM and 2.5 mM) on the seminal parameters before and after cryopreservation of extended Murrah bull semen. Thirty-six ejaculates, collected with the aid of an artificial vagina twice a week from six Murrah bulls, were included in the study. Each ejaculate was diluted in a Tris-citric-acid-fructose-egg-yolk-glycerol (TFYG) extender keeping 80 million sperm per mL and split into three equal aliquots, which were supplemented with methionine {0.0, 2.0 and 2.5 mM; Treatment C, T1 and T2, respectively), filled in 0.25 mL straws, cooled to and equilibrated for 4 h at 4° C, and then frozen in LN2 vapour. Frozen straws were thawed at 37°C for 30 seconds in a water bath for the post-thaw evaluation. Sperm motility, percent live sperm, sperm abnormalities, in-vitro fertility tests (HOST and CMPT), and enzyme leakage (AST, ALT) were evaluated at both post-dilution and post-thaw stages. The results revealed that the addition of methionine, at both 2.0 mM and 2.5 mM concentrations significantly (P<0.05) improved sperm motility, sperm livability, and HOS-positive spermatozoa. Further, the sperm abnormalities and enzyme leakage were significantly (P<0.05) lower in methionine-treated groups than in control group. The results were the best with 2.5 mM methionine supplementation. In conclusion, the study showed that methionine at a concentration of 2.5 mM exhibited superior protection of sperm structures and functions as compared to 2.0 mM methionine and the control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen healthy Murrah buffalo calves of either sex aged 6-8 months, maintained at Buffalo Research Station (BRS), Venkataramannagudem (Andhra Pradesh, India), were randomly selected and housed in three separate pens for a period of 90 days, from August 2022 to October 2022. Calves of first, second and third group were reared on concrete flooring (T1), rubber mat flooring (T2) and soil flooring (T3), respectively. The overall mean rectal temperature (°F) differed significantly (P < 0.01) and followed a trend T3 < T1 < T2. The overall mean pulse rate and respiration rate also differed significantly (P < 0.01) and followed a trend T3 < T2 < T1. The overall mean skin health score of T1 (1.52 ± 0.04) was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than T3 (1.29 ± 0.04) and T2 (1.36 ± 0.05), which were statistically similar. The overall mean heel erosions of T1 (0.64 ± 0.07) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than T3 (0.33 ± 0.07) but didn't differ from T2 (0.48 ± 0.08). In the last fortnight, the average hoof concavity score of T1 (1.00 ± 0.01) was significantly (P = 0.05) higher than T3 (0.33 ± 0.21), but didn't differ significantly from T2 (0.50 ± 0.22). The average hoof overgrowth score at the end of study was significantly (P = 0.05) higher in T3 (1.00 ± 0.01) than T1 (0.33 ± 0.21), but didn't differ significantly from T2 (0.50 ± 0.22). It was concluded that rubber mat and soil flooring is better than concrete flooring as they maintain the vitals in normal range and cause less damage to the skin and hoof health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was designed to deduce the effect of parity and calving season on the resumption of ovarian cyclicity in post-partum Murrah buffaloes. For this study, 102 Murrah buffaloes (primparous: 21; pluriparous: 81) calved between August 2015 and February 2016 were examined by transrectal ultrasonography. The first group of buffaloes between 26- days post-partum were taken and thereafter animals calved every next 10 days were grouped and added. Animals thus progressed and adjudged in 26-35, 36-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66-75, 76-85 and 86-95 days post-partum with an average of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90 days post-partum, respectively. The day of second examination at 10 days interval of first group of animals also had first examination of second group and the same was followed for all study groups till cyclicity was confirmed in all study animals. In this investigation, 40.20, 65.69 and 81.37 % buffaloes resumed cyclicity within 30, 60 and 90 days post-partum, respectively. Significant (p < 0.0001) difference in resumption of cyclicity between primiparous and pluriparous buffaloes was observed. Onset of cyclicity in pluriparous buffaloes (37.24 ± 1.83 days post-partum) differed significantly (p = 0.0001) than primiparous (59.61 ± 6.10 days post-partum). Also, the onset of cyclicity was evident (p < 0.0001) during pre-breeding (n = 60) and resumption of ovarian cyclicity showed a significant trend (p < 0.0001) in relation to days post-partum. In summary, resumption of ovarian cyclicity differs significantly with parity and season of calving in post-partum Murrah buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study was conducted to estimate the association of age at first calving (AFC) with first lactation traits as well as lifetime performance traits in Murrah buffaloes. Methods Data on first lactation and life time performance of Murrah buffaloes (n = 679), maintained at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India during the period 1983 through 2017, were deduced to calculate heritability estimates, genetic and phenotypic correlation of different first lactation and lifetime traits. The univariate animal model was fitted to estimate variance components and heritability separately for each trait, while bivariate animal models were set to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits under study. Results The heritability was high for first peak milk yield (FPY, 0.64±0.08), moderate for AFC (0.48±0.07) and breeding efficiency (BE 0.39±0.09). High genetic correlations of first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY) with first lactation standard milk yield (FLSMY, 305 days or less), FPY, and first lactation length (FLL) was seen. Likewise, genetic correlation of AFC was positive with FLTMY, FLL, first dry period (FDP), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI), herd life (HL) and productive days (PD). Significant phenotypic correlation of FLTMY was observed with HL, productive life (PL), PD, total lifetime milk yield (LTMY), standard lifetime milk yield (standard LTMY). Moreover, positive genetic and phenotypic correlation of FPY was observed with HL, PL, PD, total LTMY and standard LTMY. Conclusion This study reports that AFC had positive genetic correlation with FDP, FSP, FCI, and unproductive days while, negative association of AFC was observed with FLSMY, PL, total LTMY, standard LTMY, and BE. This suggests that reduction of AFC would results in improvement of lifetime performance traits.

Buffalo is the second source of milk in the world, and its milk is rich in nutritive components. It is well-known that breed influences milk composition. This work aimed to compare the detailed milk composition of three buffalo breeds (Murrah, Nili-Ravi, and Mediterranean) housed under the same environmental conditions. Mediterranean buffalo milk showed a significantly higher content of fat, protein, and some fatty acids. Moreover, the milk from the Mediterranean breed was characterized by the highest content of sphingomyelin (SM), cholesterol, and lanosterol. However, the Murrah buffalo milk contained the highest amount of total unsaturated fatty acids, phosphatidylinositol, and whey proteins. Furthermore, the Nili-Ravi buffalo milk was characterized by the highest content of total saturated fatty acids, phosphatidylglycerol, squalene, lathosterol, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, and casein fractions. Nevertheless, the lactose and amino acid profiles of the milk remained almost similar across the three buffalo breeds. The generated results in this study enable a comprehensive understanding of the milk constituent variability that is linked to buffalo breeds, which may support the acquirement of essential scientific knowledge on milk ingredient–processing interactions that will offer a foundation of knowledge for Chinese dairy processors in terms of milk processability and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel study on identification of critical heat stress zone (CHSZ) taking 20 years data was carried out in Indian buffaloes considering the effect of temperature humidity index-THI on milk production and composition traits. More than 3 lakh daily milk yield records (DMY); 9864 records each of monthly test day fat% (MTDF%) and SNF% (MTDSNF%) and meteorological data were collected from ICAR-NDRI and ICAR-CSSRI, Karnal, respectively. THI model [THI = (0.55× Tdb + 0.2× Tdp) × 1.8 + 32 + 17.5] by National Research Council in 1971 was used for computing THI. The year was classified into: Heat Stress Zone (HSZ) and Non-Heat Stress Zone (NHSZ) based on the trends of rising THI and declining milk production and composition traits. For DMY, NHSZ was 1st October to 9th April and HSZ was 10th April-30th September. For composition traits, October-March was NHSZ and April-September the HSZ. Within the HSZ regression analysis was conducted to find the zone where maximum drop in traits occur per unit rise in THI. A maximum decline in DMY 92.20 gram was observed during 15th August-14th September; identified as CHSZ for DMY. Similarly, maximum drop in MTDF% (b = −0.052) and MTDSNF% (b = −0.0114) observed during July-August, considered as CHSZ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The objectives of this work were to estimate the genetic parameters for the traits longevity (LG) and accumulated milk yield at 305 days (MY305) using a bitrait animal model and the single-step GBLUP method and estimate the genetic gain for LG through direct and indirect selection for MY305. We used 4,057 records of first lactations of Murrah dairy buffaloes, collected between 1987 and 2020, belonging to six Brazilian herds located in the states Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, and São Paulo and 960 animals genotyped using the 90K Axiom Buffalo Genotyping (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Santa Clara, CA) to estimate the genetic parameters. The heritability estimate was 0.25 for MY305 and 0.13 for LG. The genetic gain for LG was 0.13 months under direct selection, and 0.14 months under indirect selection, which results in a relative selection efficiency of 11% under selection for MY305 compared with the direct selection. The genetic correlation between the two traits was 0.77, indicating that animals with genetic potential for high MY305 tend to live longer. The genetic trends for MY305 and LG were 0.22 kg/year and 5.20 days/year, respectively, indicating a positive response, which reaffirms its relationship with the high genetic correlation between the two traits.

The DNA methylation events mark a major epigenetic change in the genome, reflecting non‐genetic disease developments and varied phenotypes. The water buffalo is a dairy production animal with wide agro‐climatic distribution in India. Breed‐wise the coat color of water buffalo varies from ash‐gray to jet black. A typical pigmentation pattern is found in one of the breeds of North India, Nili Ravi, with variedly distributed white patches. The DNA methylation pattern could potentially reveal the epigenetic factors responsible for the pigmentation patterns. To address this question, the DNA isolated from the skin tissues of Nili Ravi with varied white pigmentation and black Murrah buffaloes was subjected to reduced representation bisulfite sequencing. DNA methylation analysis revealed, 68.44%, 63.39%, and 47.94% of the promoter regions were hypermethylated in Nili Ravi over‐white versus Murrah, Nili Ravi under‐white versus Murrah, and Nili Ravi under‐white versus Nili Ravi over‐white, respectively. Major genes identified to be differentially methylated among over‐white and under‐white skin tissues in Nili Ravi included TBX2, SNAI2, HERC2, and CITED1. Overall the results have indicated differential methylation patterns to be potentially involved in hyper or hypopigmentation in Nili Ravi and Murrah buffaloes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Present study was planned to assess dietary supplementation of rumen protected methionine (RPM) peripartum on blood profile and postpartum reproductive outcome in 18 multiparous Murrah buffaloes. Animals were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups of 6 each, and fed diets supplemented with RPM 20 g day-1 (Group 1); 10 g day-1 (Group 2), and standard control diet (Group 3). RPM feeding was introduced from day 30 prepartum till day 60 postpartum. Progesterone, estradiol, IGF-I, and biochemical parameters were estimated starting day 21 prepartum to day 57 postpartum. Size of dominant follicle and corpus luteum were assessed across the treatment days postpartum. Progesterone concentration varied from 0.32±0.06 to 3.85±0.44 ngml-1, 0.41±0.05 to 2.03±0.12 ngml-1, and 0.35±0.08 to 1.82±0.11 ngml-1 in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Corresponding estradiol levels ranged from 16.00±1.09 to 243.16±4.67 pgml-1, 13.16±0.60 to 228±5.06 pgml-1, and 13.66±0.66 to 218.9±4.36 pgml-1 and IGF-I from 77.83±8.81 to 149.50±4.69 ngml-1, 77.33±2.95 to 128.41±3.85 ngml-1, and 62.66±2.20 to 124.50±5.57 ngml-1 in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Variations in blood glucose, BUN and creatinine were observed across the days in all the treatment groups. Estrogen to progesterone (E/P) ratio varied (p<0.05) among the treatment groups. Lower values of E/P in Group 1 were depictive of estrogen dominance, whereas higher E/P in Group 3 signified dominance of progesterone. Conception rates in Groups 1, 2 and 3 were 83.33%, 50.00% and 33.33%, respectively. Varying (p<0.05) progesterone and estradiol levels were indicative of positive role of dietary RPM. Dietary RPM improved follicular structures and increased production and reproduction outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was conducted to estimate the association of age at first calving (AFC) with first lactation traits as well as lifetime performance traits in Murrah buffaloes. Methods: Data on first lactation and life time performance of Murrah buffaloes (n = 679), maintained at Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Research on Buffaloes, Hisar, India during the period 1983 through 2017, were deduced to calculate heritability estimates, genetic and phenotypic correlation of different first lactation and lifetime traits. The univariate animal model was fitted to estimate variance components and heritability separately for each trait, while bivariate animal models were set to estimate genetic and phenotypic correlations between traits under study. Results: The heritability was high for first peak milk yield (FPY, 0.64±0.08), moderate for AFC (0.48±0.07) and breeding efficiency (BE 0.39±0.09). High genetic correlations of first lactation total milk yield (FLTMY) with first lactation standard milk yield (FLSMY, 305 days or less), FPY, and first lactation length (FLL) was seen. Likewise, genetic correlation of AFC was positive with FLTMY, FLL, first dry period (FDP), first service period (FSP), first calving interval (FCI), herd life (HL) and productive days (PD). Significant phenotypic correlation of FLTMY was observed with HL, productive life (PL), PD, total lifetime milk yield (LTMY), standard lifetime milk yield (standard LTMY). Moreover, positive genetic and phenotypic correlation of FPY was observed with HL, PL, PD, total LTMY and standard LTMY. Conclusion: This study reports that AFC had positive genetic correlation with FDP, FSP, FCI, and unproductive days while, negative association of AFC was observed with FLSMY, PL, total LTMY, standard LTMY, and BE. This suggests that reduction of AFC would results in improvement of lifetime performance traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quality of spermatozoa at post-thaw stage depends on many factors including the level of lipid per-oxidation (LPO) and the antioxidant profile of the ejaculates at fresh stage. Thus, the present investigation was done to evaluate discard rate of semen ejaculates at fresh and post-thaw stages in association with various semen quality parameters in Murrah buffalo. A total of 79 ejaculates from seven Murrah buffalo bulls formed part of the study. Following application of rigorous prescribed selection criteria it was observed that 17.72% (14/79) ejaculates were discarded at fresh stage due to poor quality. The initially selected ejaculates were processed for cryopreservation as per the minimum standard protocols. The study show satisfactory results for 31 (47.69%) samples for inclusion in the further AI programme (discard rate of 52.31% (34/65) at post thaw. The mean post-thaw motility (PTM; %) of the passed ejaculates was found to be 44.2±1.0. In conclusion, study results show efforts to minimize LPO and enhance total antioxidant capacity (TAC) at various processing stages shall play a vital role in reducing discard rate of the semen samples in buffalo bulls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Buffalo is the second source of milk in the world, and its milk is rich in nutritive components. It is well-known that breed influences milk composition. This work aimed to compare the detailed milk composition of three buffalo breeds (Murrah, Nili-Ravi, and Mediterranean) housed under the same environmental conditions. Mediterranean buffalo milk showed a significantly higher content of fat, protein, and some fatty acids. Moreover, the milk from the Mediterranean breed was characterized by the highest content of sphingomyelin (SM), cholesterol, and lanosterol. However, the Murrah buffalo milk contained the highest amount of total unsaturated fatty acids, phosphatidylinositol, and whey proteins. Furthermore, the Nili-Ravi buffalo milk was characterized by the highest content of total saturated fatty acids, phosphatidylglycerol, squalene, lathosterol, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol, and casein fractions. Nevertheless, the lactose and amino acid profiles of the milk remained almost similar across the three buffalo breeds. The generated results in this study enable a comprehensive understanding of the milk constituent variability that is linked to buffalo breeds, which may support the acquirement of essential scientific knowledge on milk ingredient–processing interactions that will offer a foundation of knowledge for Chinese dairy processors in terms of milk processability and innovation.

Background: The evaluation of bull fertility essentially involves semen analysis and conception rates among inseminated females. The conventional evaluation is relatively imprecise, time consuming and subjected to individual variations, while computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA) is a quite faster, precise and objective tool to identify differences in sperm motility and velocity/kinematics attributes and avoids subjective errors. The present study was planned to evaluate and compare the CASA traits of fresh and frozenthawed semen of Gir and Murrah bulls in Tris extender without and with different antioxidant additives by adopting Biovis CASA. Methods: The semen ejaculates with >75% initial motility from 3 Gir and 3 Murrah bulls were split-diluted at 100 million sperm per ml using Tris-citrate-fructose-yolk-glycerol (TFYG) extender without (control) and with three antioxidant additives, viz., Mifepriston (10 µg/ml), Sericin (5 mg/ml) and Taurine (4 mg/ml), were filled in French mini straws and frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour using a programmable biofreezer. The freshly diluted and frozen-thawed semen samples were assessed for sperm motion characteristics, velocity/kinematics using Biovis CASA. Result: The mean percentages of total motile spermatozoa, irrespective of additives, in freshly diluted and frozen-thawed semen were 85.50±0.92 and 48.76±1.69 for Gir bulls and 85.03±0.72 and 52.61±1.46 for Murrah bulls, respectively. The mean total motile as well as rapid and slow progressive motile sperm percentage were significantly enhanced by fortification of TFYG extender with Mifepristone than in control extender, while values for Sericin and Taurine were intermediary and statistically similar to Mifepristone. The per cent decline in total motile sperm due to freezing-thawing was more or less same in both the breeds for all the extender additives, being lowest in Mifepristone supplemented extender in cattle (32.27 vs 48.81%) and buffalo (31.27 vs 43.14%) semen. The rapid and slow progressive motile sperm also followed the same pattern. The values of VAP and VCL were significantly (p<0.05) higher and VSL lower in Murrah than Gir breed at post-thaw stage. The overall mean linearity (%), straightness (%), beat-cross frequency (hz), lateral head displacement (µm), wobbling index (%), dancing velocity (µm2/s) and dancing mean (µm2/s) of sperm were higher in Murrahs than in Gir semen with significant (p<0.01) difference at post-thaw stage. The fortification of extender with Mifepristone improved all these traits at post-thaw stage compared to other additives and control TFYG extender. The per cent decline in these traits due to freezing stress was much lower in buffalo sperm than the cattle sperm particularly with Mifepristone fortification. It was concluded that freezing-thawing stress adversely affected the motion and kinematics of both cattle and buffalo sperm and that Tris extender fortified with antioxidant additives, particularly Mifepristone @ 10 µg/ml, protected sperm from adverse effect of dilution and cryopreservation with improved post-thaw sperm quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the fatty acid (FA) composition and compare FA-based nutritional indices/ratios of colostrum and milk obtained on the 30th, 60th, and 90th day of lactation from 27 Murrah and 18 "Murrah × Carabao" crossbred buffaloes. The major saturated FA (SFA) in colostrum and milk is palmitic acid (C16:0), comprising 32-33% by weight of total FAs. Other important SFAs - myristic acid (C14:0), stearic acid (C18:0), and lauric acid (C12:0) - were lower (P < 0.05) in colostrum than in milk. Oleic acid (C18:1-n9c), a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), is the second most abundant FA in colostrum (28.5%) and milk (18.0-18.8%). Arachidonic acid (C20:4-n6, AA) is the dominant polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) in colostrum (0.92%) and milk (0.42-0.45%). Conjugated linoleic acid (C18:2-c9t11, CLA) was higher in colostrum (0.64%) than in milk (0.14-0.16%). Colostrum and milk had a very low PUFA/SFA ratio (0.02-0.06: 1). The linoleic acid (C18:2-n6, LA) to a-linolenic acid (C18:3-n3, ALA) ratio was higher in colostrum (3.21: 1) than in milk (0.62-1.55: 1). The omega-6 (LA and AA) to omega-3 [ALA and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6-n3, DHA)] or n-6/n-3 ratio was more balanced for milk (1.76-2.34: 1) than colostrum (3.37: 1). Colostrum had lower atherogenicity (2.53 vs. 4.50-4.66), lower thrombogenicity (2.68 vs. 4.48-4.59), and higher health-promoting index (0.39 vs. 0.21-0.22) than milk. The hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic (h/H) ratio was higher for colostrum (0.64: 1) than milk (0.34-0.36: 1). Except for AA, the FA composition of colostrum and milk were not significantly different between Murrah and "Murrah × Carabao" crosses (P > 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 9 months pregnant Murrah buffalo with cervico-vaginal prolapse was presented and it was treated by epidural anaesthesia along with rope truss technique followed by administration of Ceftiofur sodium @ 2.2mg/kg IM for 5 days to prevent secondary infection and herbal remedies arjun bark and hadjod. The case was recovered uneventfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to determine factors affecting phenotypic characteristics related to milk production and reproductive efficiency of dairy buffalo. Phenotypic records of 2,459 Murrah, Mediterranean and crossbred buffaloes from the Embrapa Eastern Amazônia herd, from 1969 to 2013 were used. Traits included: total milk production during lactation (TMP), milk production corrected for 305 days (P305); cow weight at calving (CW), fat milk percentage (F), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), calf birth weight (BW), as well as lactation (LP) and service periods (SP). Most traits were affected by genetic group as well as year and season or interaction between them. Genetic group affected F, CI, SP and CW. Very young and older cows showed poorer production traits. There was interaction between season and year for F, CI and CW. Correlations traits were generally medium to low. The principal component analysis showed that higher fat milk percentage was associated with higher percentage of Murrah breed, longer lactation period and older cows. Phenotypic characteristics in buffaloes reared in the Brazilian Amazon were significantly affected by genetic and management factors. This information can be used to help build sustainable production systems for the region and guide farmer decisions.

Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias 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.)

Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias 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.)

Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias 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.)

Copyright of Revista Cientifica de la Facultade de Veterinaria is the property of Universidad del Zulia, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias 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.)

Murrah breed of buffalo is an excellent dairy germplasm known for its superior milk quality in terms of milk fat and solids-not-fat (SNF); however, it is often reported that Indian buffaloes had lower lactation and fertility potential compared to the non-native cattle of the country. Recent techniques, particularly the genome-wide association studies (GWAS), to identify genomic variations associated with lactation and fertility traits offer prospects for systematic improvement of buffalo. DNA samples were sequenced using the double-digestion restriction-associated DNA (RAD) tag genotyping-by-sequencing. The bioinformatics pipeline was standardized to call the variants, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) qualifying the stringent quality check measures were retained for GWAS. Over 38,000 SNPs were used to perform GWAS on the first two principal components of test-day records of milk yields, fat percentages, and SNF percentages, separately. GWAS was also performed on 305 days' milk yield; lactation persistency was estimated through the rate of decline after attaining the peak yield method, along with three other standard methods; and breeding efficiency, post-partum breeding interval, and age at sexual maturity were considered fertility traits. Significant association of SNPs was observed for the first principal component, explaining the maximum proportion of variation in milk yield. Furthermore, some potential genomic regions were identified to have a potential role in regulating milk yield and fertility in Murrah. Identification of such genomic regions shall help in carrying out an early selection of high-yielding persistent Murrah buffaloes and, in the long run, would be helpful in shaping their future genetic improvement programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An investigation was conducted to identify polymorphism in mannose-binding lectin 1 (MBL1) gene and its effect on udder health and performance traits in dairy cattle and buffalo of India. Candidate single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) c.2534G > A of MBL1 gene was genotyped by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP). All the possible genotypes for SNP c.2534G > A (GG, AG, and AA) were observed in the studied population. However, Sahiwal cows revealed dimorphic pattern (AG and GG). The effect of targeted SNP on incidence of mastitis was evaluated and found to be significant. Animals with GG genotype were less susceptible to clinical mastitis and had comparatively lower somatic cell score (SCS) in Hardhenu cattle (P < 0.01) and Murrah buffalo (P < 0.05). Animals having GG genotype also exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) lower age at first calving (AFC). AG genotyped Murrah buffalo animals revealed significantly higher second lactation milk yield (P < 0.01). GG genotype with SCS and AFC could therefore be exploited as a promising candidate marker for the genetic improvement of udder health and AFC in dairy animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Murrah breed of buffalo is an excellent dairy germplasm known for its superior milk quality in terms of milk fat and solids-not-fat (SNF); however, it is often reported that Indian buffaloes had lower lactation and fertility potential compared to the non-native cattle of the country. Recent techniques, particularly the genome-wide association studies (GWAS), to identify genomic variations associated with lactation and fertility traits offer prospects for systematic improvement of buffalo. DNA samples were sequenced using the double-digestion restriction-associated DNA (RAD) tag genotyping-by-sequencing. The bioinformatics pipeline was standardized to call the variants, and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) qualifying the stringent quality check measures were retained for GWAS. Over 38,000 SNPs were used to perform GWAS on the first two principal components of test-day records of milk yields, fat percentages, and SNF percentages, separately. GWAS was also performed on 305 days’ milk yield; lactation persistency was estimated through the rate of decline after attaining the peak yield method, along with three other standard methods; and breeding efficiency, post-partum breeding interval, and age at sexual maturity were considered fertility traits. Significant association of SNPs was observed for the first principal component, explaining the maximum proportion of variation in milk yield. Furthermore, some potential genomic regions were identified to have a potential role in regulating milk yield and fertility in Murrah. Identification of such genomic regions shall help in carrying out an early selection of high-yielding persistent Murrah buffaloes and, in the long run, would be helpful in shaping their future genetic improvement programs.

Genomic selection has been widely implemented in many livestock breeding programs, but it remains incipient in buffalo. Therefore, this study aimed to (1) estimate variance components incorporating genomic information in Murrah buffalo; (2) evaluate the performance of genomic prediction for milk-related traits using single- and multitrait random regression models (RRM) and the single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction approach; and (3) estimate longitudinal SNP effects and candidate genes potentially associated with time-dependent variation in milk, fat, and protein yields, as well as somatic cell score (SCS) in multiple parities. The data used to estimate the genetic parameters consisted of a total of 323,140 test-day records. The average daily heritability estimates were moderate (0.35 ± 0.02 for milk yield, 0.22 ± 0.03 for fat yield, 0.42 ± 0.03 for protein yield, and 0.16 ± 0.03 for SCS). The highest heritability estimates, considering all traits studied, were observed between 20 and 280 d in milk (DIM). The genetic correlation estimates at different DIM among the evaluated traits ranged from −0.10 (156 to 185 DIM for SCS) to 0.61 (36 to 65 DIM for fat yield). In general, direct selection for any of the traits evaluated is expected to result in indirect genetic gains for milk yield, fat yield, and protein yield but also increase SCS at certain lactation stages, which is undesirable. The predicted RRM coefficients were used to derive the genomic estimated breeding values (GEBV) for each time point (from 5 to 305 DIM). In general, the tuning parameters evaluated when constructing the hybrid genomic relationship matrices had a small effect on the GEBV accuracy and a greater effect on the bias estimates. The SNP solutions were back-solved from the GEBV predicted from the Legendre random regression coefficients, which were then used to estimate the longitudinal SNP effects (from 5 to 305 DIM). The daily SNP effect for 3 different lactation stages were performed considering 3 different lactation stages for each trait and parity: from 5 to 70, from 71 to 150, and from 151 to 305 DIM. Important genomic regions related to the analyzed traits and parities that explain more than 0.50% of the total additive genetic variance were selected for further analyses of candidate genes. In general, similar potential candidate genes were found between traits, but our results suggest evidence of differential sets of candidate genes underlying the phenotypic expression of the traits across parities. These results contribute to a better understanding of the genetic architecture of milk production traits in dairy buffalo and reinforce the relevance of incorporating genomic information to genetically evaluate longitudinal traits in dairy buffalo. Furthermore, the candidate genes identified can be used as target genes in future functional genomics studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linear type traits are important in terms of reflecting breed standards and in giving information about the developmental ability of the animals. For data analysis, principal component analysis (PCA) is most important technique when variables are correlated. The aim of present study was to make linear type traits unrelated and reduce their number to the extent which could be used in explaining body conformation in Murrah buffaloes. Measurements were recorded on a total of 81 adult Murrah buffaloes maintained at Buffalo Farm, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar for 11 linear type traits (top wedge angle, rump slope, rump width, hip bone distance, navel flap length, brisket distance, height at wither, body length, skin thickness at neck region, skin thickness at ribs region and skin thickness at rump region). Phenotypic correlations were calculated for considered traits and significant positive correlations varied from 0.26 to 0.67 in the present study. All 11 linear type traits were subjected to varimax rotated PCA with Kaiser Normalization to explain body conformation of Murrah buffaloes. Principal component analysis resulted into four components which described 69.522% of total variation and out of this, first component explained 28.678% variation. The communality ranged from 0.882 (rump slope) to 0.390 (naval flap length) and unique factors ranged from 0.118 to 0.610 for 11 different linear type traits. It was concluded that PCA was effective to reduce the number of variables required to explain the body conformation in Murrah buffaloes.

Present study was conducted to investigate breeding efficiency (BE) in Murrah and Nili-Ravi buffaloes maintained at ICAR-CIRB Hisar and sub campus Nabha, Punjab, respectively. A total 5955 production and reproduction records of 679 Murrah and 501 Nili-Ravi from the year 1983 to 2017 were utilized to calculate BE using Wilcox and Tomar methods. The effects of various non-genetic factors like age at first calving, season of first calving, period of first calving and lactation completed on BE was studied. The results indicated that the overall leastsquare means for BE in Murrah and Nili-Ravi were estimated as 80.09 to 82.97% and 79.57 to 82.50% by Wilcox method while it was 76.62 to 78.12% and 76.04 to 77.73% by Tomar method, respectively. Both Wilcox as well as Tomar method indicated that the effect of season of first calving was highly significant on BE in Murrah and Nili- Ravi buffaloes with highest BE in rainy and lowest in winter season. A change in BE due to period of calving depends on the management practices followed during that particular period of time. Breeding efficiency linearly increased with the increase in number of lactations. Therefore, our efforts should be towards improvement in breeding efficiency that leads to better reproductive performance, thereby improve overall efficiency of the dairy farm.

Characterization of autozygosity is relevant to monitor genetic diversity and manage inbreeding levels in breeding programs. Identification of autozygosity hotspots can unravel genomic regions targeted by selection for economically important traits and can help identify candidate genes for selection. In this study, we estimated the inbreeding levels of a Brazilian population of Murrah buffalo undergoing selection for milk production traits, particularly milk yield. We also studied the distribution of runs of homozygosity (ROH) islands and identified putative genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL) under selection. We genotyped 422 Murrah buffalo for 51,611 SNP; 350 of these had ROH longer than 10 Mb, indicating the occurrence of inbreeding in the last 5 generations. The mean length of the ROH per animal was 4.28 ± 1.85 Mb. Inbreeding coefficients were calculated from the genomic relationship matrix, the pedigree, and the ROH, with estimates varying between 0.242 and 0.035. Inbreeding estimates from the pedigree had a low correlation with the genomic estimates, and estimates from the genomic relationship matrix were much higher than those from the pedigree or the ROH. Signatures of selection were identified in 6 genomic regions, located on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 16, and 18, encompassing a total of 190 genes and 174 QTL. Many of the genes (e.g., APRT and ACSF3) and QTL identified are related to milk production traits, such as milk yield, milk fat yield and percentage, and milk protein yield and percentage. Other genes are associated with reproduction and immune response traits as well as morphological aspects of the buffalo species. Inbreeding levels in this population are still low but are increasing due to selection and should be managed to avoid future losses due to inbreeding depression. The proximity of genes linked to milk production traits with genes associated with reproduction and immune system traits suggests the need to include these latter genes in the breeding program to avoid negatively affecting them due to selection for production traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Murrah is the world famous milch breed of buffaloes. The aim of present study was to study the variability in body conformation traits as well as to assess the relationship of body conformation traits with production and reproduction performance of Murrah buffaloes. The measurements on 81 lactating Murrah buffaloes maintained at Buffalo Farm, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Hisar were recorded for 11 morphometric traits, viz. top wedge angle, rump slope, rump width, hip bone distance, navel flap length, brisket distance, height at wither, body length, skin thickness at neck region, skin thickness at chest region and skin thickness at flank region and their means along with standard errors were 46.9±0.5 degree, 13.0±0.6 degree, 17.7±0.3 cm, 47.0±0.4 cm, 1.8±0.1 cm, 24.3±0.5 cm, 138.5±0.4 cm, 148.9±0.8 cm, 6.7±0.1 cm, 9.0±0.2 cm and 11.3±0.2 cm, respectively. Additionally, four performance traits namely first lactation milk yield, age at first calving, service period and calving interval were also recorded and their means were found to be 2934.4±95.9 kg, 42.8±0.6 months, 141.7±9.9 days and 446.6±12 days, respectively. The top wedge angularity and hip bone distance had significant positive correlations with first lactation milk yield (0.42 and 0.52 respectively). Highest (0.86) and significant correlation was observed between service period and calving interval. The results suggest that Murrah buffaloes with higher top wedge angularity and wider hip bone distance are better in milk production and these traits can be used for selection of high producing buffaloes in the absence of milk records under field conditions.

This study aimed to evaluate passive immunity transfer in healthy buffalo calves. Colostrum samples from heifers (without previous calving) and primiparous and pluriparous dams and blood samples from their offspring were obtained at calving, before colostrum intake, and at 24, 48, and 72 h after calving for determination of serum activities of gammaglutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase and serum concentrations of total protein (TP), immunoglobulin A (IgA) and IgG, and lactoferrin. The results were analyzed as repeated measures, and differences were considered statistically significant at P ≤ 0.05. Considering that the buffalo calves were born hypogammaglobulinemic (4.23 ± 0.33 mg/ml) and, at 24 h, the mean serum concentration of IgG was 34.5 ± 1.48 mg/ml, passive immunity transfer was successful. Moreover, colostrum IgG concentrations at 0 h were correlated with serum IgG concentrations at 24 h in buffalo calves. Additionally, TP concentrations were highly correlated with IgG in both colostrum at calving and blood in calves at 24 h. TP is recommended as a reliable indirect parameter to evaluate both colostrum quality and passive immunity transfer in buffalo calves.

An experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of dietary supplementation of Lactobacillus acidophilus on blood biochemical profile, antioxidant activity and plasma immunoglobulin level in neonatal Murrah buffalo calves. The 90 day trial was conducted on 24 neonatal Murrah buffalo calves randomly divided into 4 dietary treatments, viz. CON (basal diet alone), T1 (basal diet + L. acidophilus as a fermented milk @ 100 mL/calf/day having 108 CFU/mL), T2 (basal diet + L. acidophilus as a fermented milk @ 200 mL/calf/day having 108 CFU/ml) and T3 (basal diet + L. acidophilus as a fermented milk @ 300 ml/calf/day having 108 CFU/mL). Supplementation of probiotics improved the plasma glucose level in T2 and T3 as compared to CON. Total protein (TP), plasma albumin (A), plasma globulin (G) and A:G ratio did not change with the supplementation of probiotic in calves. Total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels in plasma remained same in all the 4 groups. Total antioxidant (TA) activity was higher in T2 and T3 as compared to CON, whereas it was intermediate in T1. Super oxide dismutase (SOD) activity was significantly higher in T1, T2 and T3 groups as compared to CON whereas catalase and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity remained same in all groups throughout experimental period. The total plasma immunoglobulin and plasma IgG remained uninfluenced in all the groups. In conclusion, supplementation of L. acidophilus improved energy metabolism and antioxidant capacity in neonatal Murrah buffalo calves.

In the present review, an attempt has been made to explore Murrah buffalo, an important milch breed for its performance, genetic parameters, constraints and future scenario. In India, price of milk is decided on basis of fat percentage and buffalo milk fetches more money compared to cow milk to dairy farmers. Production and reproduction performances are among most important considerations to determine the profitability of any dairy farm. The production, reproduction and functional traits of Murrah buffaloes as reported by different workers at different organized farm were reviewed. Literature revealed that the 305-days lactation milk yield, 305-days lactation fat yield, 305-days lactation SNF yield, 305-days lactation total solid yield, peak yield, Fat %, SNF %, lactation length, dry period, age at first calving, service period, conception rate, pregnancy rate and calving interval varied from 1365±03 to 2086.17±44.66 kg, 118.3 to 167.38±4.46 kg,185.5±3.4 to 198.88±5.05 kg, 336.2±6.1 to 360.61±9.25 kg, 9.96 to 11.13±0.44 kg, 6.84% to 8.17%, 9.36% to 9.76%, 267.15 to 321.62 days,121.68 to 250.5 days, 1202 to 1618.83 days, 135.79 to 308 days, 68.80%, and 428.30 to 559.6 days, respectively in Murrah buffaloes. Heritability and repeatability estimates for the production, 38% reproduction and functional traits of Murrah buffaloes were also reviewed. Breeding, feeding, health and housing management practices have much impact on production and reproduction performance of animals and ultimately influence the economy of dairy farmers. Constraints in all these aspects are the obstacles to implement better animal husbandry practices in dairy animals and these should be overcome by taking suitable measures.