Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: C. Giannetto Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Experimental Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Laboratory of Veterinary Chronophysiology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Author-Name: F. Fazio Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Experimental Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Laboratory of Veterinary Chronophysiology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Author-Name: A. Assenza Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Experimental Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Laboratory of Veterinary Chronophysiology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Author-Name: G. Caola Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Experimental Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Laboratory of Veterinary Chronophysiology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Author-Name: P. Pennisi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Agronomic and Agrochemical Sciences and Animal Production, Section of Animal Production, University of Catania, Catania, Italy Author-Name: G. Piccione Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Experimental Sciences and Applied Biotechnology, Laboratory of Veterinary Chronophysiology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy Title: Circadian rhythms of redox states and total locomotor activity in dairy cattle Abstract: We want to study the circadian rhythm of dROMs and anti-oxidative power in dairy cattle during dry period and the possible involvement of the circadian organization of rest/activity cycles in the fluctuation of redox state. For this purpose we recorded TLA in five clinically healthy Bruna Italian dairy cattle by means of an actigraphy-based data logger, Actiwatch-Mini®. Blood samples were collected every 3 hours over a 48-hour period for the assessment of free radicals (dROMs) and the antioxidant power: antioxidant barrier (Oxy-ads) and thiol-antioxidant barrier (SHp). All animals were in the same productive period (dry) and they were housed in the same stable under natural photoperiod and ambient temperature. One-way repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine a statistical significant effect of time on the studied parameters. A trigonometric statistical model was applied to characterize the main rhythmic parameters according to the single cosinor procedure. A significant effect of time on all studied parameters was observed. They showed a diurnal acrophase and different degrees of robustness of rhythms. In conclusion, we can claim that there is a synergism between the dROM circadian rhythm and the circadian rhythm of anti-oxidative power. These rhythms do not have any implication for the issue of causation with the TLA circadian rhythms. Keywords: dairy cattle, free radicals, oxidative power, total locomotor activity, daily rhythm Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 183-189 Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/306/2009-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/306/2009-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201005-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:55:y:2010:i:5:id:306-2009-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: H. Kohram Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of veterinary Medicine, Shahid Chamsan University, Ahvaz, Iran Author-Name: V. Vahedi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Author-Name: A. Farahavar Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran Title: Superovulation following follicular synchronization with GnRH at random stages of the oestrous cycle in heifers: oocyte competence and in vitro embryo production Abstract: The objective of this study was to develop a superovulatory program based on the synchronization of follicular waves with GnRH which could be applied regardless of the stage of the oestrous cycle. In this experiment, GnRH was given to 30 heifers in lactation between Days 0 and 7 (n = 13), 8 and 12 (n = 12), 13 and 16 (n = 5) of the oestrous cycle. Twenty-four heifers were used as controls and did not receive any GnRH. All follicles ≥ 6 mm were punctured 4 days after GnRH treatment in treated animals and between Days 8 and 12 of the oestrous cycle in control heifers. Two days after the follicular puncture, all heifers were superstimulated with 160 mg Folltropin-V given twice daily over 2 days. Oocytes were collected 42 h after the last FSH treatment. The oocytes were subjected to IVM/IVF and the developmental competence of embryos was compared. In vitro production of embryos was affected only by the stages of the oestrous cycle when the GnRH treatment was given and not by the GnRH treatment. No difference (P > 0.1) in the mean number of oocytes, cleavage and embryo production was noted between the control animals and the animals treated with GnRH in the late phase of the oestrous cycle. The mean number of blastocysts was higher (P < 0.05) in heifers treated with GnRH in the mid and the late phase of the oestrous cycle than in the early phase. In conclusion, the in vitro production of embryos was compromised in the present study with heifers following the follicular synchronization with GnRH. This procedure is advantageous for the in vitro production of bovine embryos since the spontaneous oestrus is eliminated. However, more investigations are needed to increase the competence of oocytes obtained following this procedure. Keywords: heifer, oocyte, GnRH, oocyte competence Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 190-194 Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/228/2009-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/228/2009-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201005-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:55:y:2010:i:5:id:228-2009-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: I. Kowalewska-Łuczak Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland Author-Name: H. Kulig Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland Author-Name: M. Kmieć Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Animal Breeding, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Szczecin, Poland Title: Associations between the bovine PPARGC1A gene and milk production traits Abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate associations between PPARGC1A genotypes and haplotypes and milk production traits. The study included 181 Jersey cows. The genotypes were identified by the PCR-RFLP method. The frequencies of the most common alleles were as follows: T - 0.63 (c.1892T>C) and A - 0.88 (c.3359A>C). The frequency of the most common haplotype was TC/AA - 0.558. The results showed that there were no statistically significant associations between the individual genotypes of both SNPs and milk traits; however, individuals with the CC/AC haplotype produced significantly (P ≤ 0.05; P ≤ 0.001) less milk and had a significantly (P ≤ 0.001) higher protein content in milk. Keywords: cattle, PPARGC1A gene, PCR-RLP, milk traits Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 195-199 Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/101/2009-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/101/2009-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201005-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:55:y:2010:i:5:id:101-2009-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: T. Erkens Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium Author-Name: S. De Smet Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Production, Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: K. Van den Maagdenberg Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Production, Laboratory for Animal Nutrition and Animal Product Quality, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium Author-Name: A. Stinckens Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, K.U. Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium Author-Name: N. Buys Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, K.U. Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium Author-Name: A. Van Zeveren Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium Author-Name: L.J. Peelman Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Nutrition, Genetics and Ethology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium Title: Association analysis of PPARGC1A mutations with meat quality parameters in a commercial hybrid pig population Abstract: Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PPARGC1A) is a promising candidate gene for selection on meat and carcass quality traits in the pig industry. In the pig, several SNPs have been reported in both coding and regulatory regions of this gene, some of which were associated with fat characteristics, but none of these associations have been confirmed and many SNPs have not yet been evaluated. Therefore, 18 PPARGC1A SNPs were genotyped in 65 slaughter pigs of a commercial hybrid population and used in an association analysis with multiple muscle and carcass traits. Several SNPs located in the 3'UTR and exon 8 and 9 of PPARGC1A were significantly (P < 0.05-0.001) associated with various carcass composition, tenderness and muscle fibre traits. They could potentially serve as DNA selection markers, if their impact was to be confirmed by a functional analysis. Keywords: association analysis, carcass composition, meat quality, pig, PPARGC1A, SNP Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 200-208 Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/263/2009-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/263/2009-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201005-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:55:y:2010:i:5:id:263-2009-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: H. Imik Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey Author-Name: M. Aydemir Atasever Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey Author-Name: M. Koc Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biology, Faculty of Art and Sciences, Bozok University, Yozgat, Turkey Author-Name: M. Atasever Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ataturk University, Erzurum, Turkey Author-Name: K. Ozturan Author-Workplace-Name: 9th Army cops "A" Type Food Control Detachment Commandery, Erzurum, Turkey Title: Effect of dietary supplementation of some antioxidants on growth performance, carcass composition and breast meat characteristics in quails reared under heat stress Abstract: This research investigates the effects of adding vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin E+C, and alpha lipoic acid to feed rations for Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) exposed to heat stress. The aspects studied were growth performance, carcass composition and breast meat characteristics. Five groups of quails, containing 50 birds each (250 Japanese quails: 150 female and 100 male) were used. The 21-days-old birds were fed for a period of 21 days, and they were kept in a controlled environment with a temperature of 34˚C between 08:00 and 17:00 and a temperature of 24˚C for the remaining part of the day. The five groups under study included: a control group without any additive (BS), a group fed diets with vitamin E (BSE), with vitamin C (BSC), with vitamin E+C (BSEC) and with lipoic acid (BSLA). The supplement additions to the diets did not affect the growth performance and carcass composition of the birds. The TBA (malonaldehyde) value of the BS group was significantly higher (P < 0.001) than in the other groups. L*, a*, and b* values in muscle samples, superficialis pectoralis muscle (SPM) and deep pectoralis muscle (DPM), were determined. In the samples from the SPM, the L* value of the BS group was higher than in the BSC group; the a* value of the BSE group was higher than in the BS group; and the b* value of the BSC group was higher than in the BS group (P < 0.05). In the samples from the DPM, the L* value of the BS group was higher than in the BSEC group (P < 0.05); the a* values of the BSE and BSEC groups were higher than in the BS group (P < 0.05); and the b* values of the BSC, BSEC and BSLA groups were higher than in the BS group (P < 0.01). In the microbiological analysis of meat, total aerobic mesophilic bacterial counts of the BS and BSE groups were higher than the counts in the BSC, BSEC, and BSLA groups (P < 0.01); coliform bacterial counts were higher in the BSE group than in the BSC group (P < 0.05); and lactic acid was higher in the BSE and BSEC groups than in the BSC and BSLA groups (P < 0.01). In conclusion, the supplemented antioxidants did not exhibit any significant effect on growth performance, but they significantly decreased lipid oxidation in the meat. Keywords: quail, vitamin E, vitamin C, lipoic acid, growth performance, meat quality Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 209-220 Volume: 55 Issue: 5 Year: 2010 DOI: 10.17221/147/2009-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/147/2009-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201005-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:55:y:2010:i:5:id:147-2009-CJAS