Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: A. Dalle Zotte Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Author-Name: M. Cullere Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Author-Name: L. Alberghini Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Author-Name: P. Catellani Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Padova, Italy Author-Name: G. Paci Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy Title: Proximate composition, fatty acid profile, and heme iron and cholesterol content of rabbit meat as affected by sire breed, season, parity order, and gender in an organic production system Abstract: The study evaluated the effects of sire breed (SB: Vienna Blue (VB) and Burgundy Fawn (BF)), parity order (P: 1 = nulliparous, 2 = primiparous, ≥3 = multiparous), slaughter season (SS: spring, summer), and gender (G: males, females) on the meat quality of rabbits reared under an organic production system. They originated from VB and BF sires mated with females derived from a mix of crossbreds (medium- to large-sized breeds). Rabbits were 46 ± 6 days old, they were housed in groups of five in collective cages, fed a pelleted diet, and slaughtered at a live weight of 2.8 ± 0.13 kg. The hind leg meat samples (from 30 VB and 28 BF crossbred rabbits) were divided into two sub-samples: one was freshly packed in plastic bags, and the other was freeze-dried. Samples were stored at -20°C until analysis. The fresh hind leg samples were analyzed for heme iron and cholesterol contents, and fatty acid (FA) profiles. The freeze-dried hind leg samples were analyzed for proximate composition. Moisture and protein contents were affected by SS. The hind leg meat of rabbits slaughtered in summer showed lower moisture (P < 0.01), higher protein (P < 0.01), and lower cholesterol (P < 0.05) contents than that of rabbits slaughtered in spring. Meat of rabbits slaughtered in summer had less C14:0 (P < 0.05) and C16:0 FA (P < 0.01) and a higher proportion of total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) (P < 0.001) due to n-6 FA (P < 0.01). The proportion of total saturated FA, C18:3 n-3 and C20:3 n-6 (P < 0.05), was influenced by gender. The BF crossbreed showed higher levels of total PUFA (P < 0.05) when reared in summer, primarily due to significant differences in C18:2 n-6 (P < 0.01) and C18:3 n-3 (P < 0.01). This study demonstrates that when rabbits are slaughtered in summer, their meat quality is better because the animals require longer time to reach the fixed slaughter weight; the meat is therefore characterized by a higher degree of maturity, with higher total PUFA and lower cholesterol contents. Keywords: Oryctolagus cuniculus, sire breed, rearing system, slaughter season, meat fatty acid profile, meat cholesterol content Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 383-390 Volume: 61 Issue: 9 Year: 2016 DOI: 10.17221/24/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/24/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201609-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:61:y:2016:i:9:id:24-2016-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: J. Krockova Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: S. Roychoudhury Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Life Science and Bioinformatics, Assam University, Silchar, India Author-Name: T. Slanina Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: G. Formicki Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology and Toxicology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Geography and Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: L.J. Binkowski Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Human Biology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Geography and Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: L. Ondruska Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Farm Animals, Animal Production Research Centre Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: N. Lukac Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: R. Kovacova Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: R. Stawarz Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Vertebrate Zoology and Human Biology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Geography and Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland Author-Name: P. Massanyi Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Sciences, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Physiology and Toxicology, Institute of Biology, Faculty of Geography and Biology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland Title: Lead induced alterations in rabbit spermatozoa motility and morphology in vitro Abstract: The aim of this in vitro study was to determine the effect of lead chloride (PbCl2) on rabbit spermatozoa motility and morphology. Lead concentrations in the medium ranged between 0.45 and 11.17 μg/ml; incubation time was 240 min (analyzed immediately after Pb addition followed by 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min), and temperatures of the culture environment were 22°C (laboratory), 4°C (refrigerator), and 37°C (incubator). Results were compared with a control group without Pb addition. After 30 min of culture at 22°C, a negative effect of Pb was noted as spermatozoa motility significantly decreased in groups with higher concentrations. After 120 and 240 min, a dose-dependent effect on spermatozoa motility was noted. At 4°C, spermatozoa motility analysis detected no significant differences between any of the experimental groups and control. At 37°C, a negative effect of Pb incubation on motility was detected at Times 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 in groups with high concentrations. At Times 120, 180, and 240 a significant decrease in spermatozoa motility was also noted in all experimental groups in comparison to control. The analysis of pathological spermatozoa at Time 240 revealed an increasing trend of morphological abnormalities after incubation with Pb. Across three temperature regimes an increase of morphological changes was noted, particularly in the group with the highest Pb concentration. The predominant morphological abnormalities were knob twisted flagellum, flagellum ball, separated flagellum, and broken flagellum. Knob twisted flagella represented the most frequent pathological changes in the experimental group with the highest Pb concentration. Results suggest that the inhibitory effect of Pb on spermatozoa motility parameters depends on the concentration, incubation time, as well as environmental temperature during incubation. Furthermore, a negative effect of Pb in vitro on spermatozoa morphology indicates possible reproductive problems under in vivo conditions, too. Keywords: reproductive toxicity, rabbit, Pb, temperature, sperm motility, morphological abnormality Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 391-406 Volume: 61 Issue: 9 Year: 2016 DOI: 10.17221/58/2015-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/58/2015-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201609-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:61:y:2016:i:9:id:58-2015-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: S. Andrei Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Author-Name: S. Matei Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Author-Name: D. Rugină Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Author-Name: L. Bogdan Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Reproduction, Obstetrics and Veterinary Gynecology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Author-Name: C. Ştefănuţ Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Title: Interrelationships between the content of oxidative markers, antioxidative status, and somatic cell count in cow's milk Abstract: Bovine mastitis is a major disease affecting dairy cattle worldwide. The milk collected from cows with different type of inflammation, including mastitis, is characterized by an increased number of somatic cells (SCC), especially polymorphonuclear cells (PMN). It was proved that the antibacterial activity of PMN generates reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide-derived metabolites. The accumulation of the reactive species correlating with a decrease in the antioxidant activity specific for milk can lead to oxidative and nitrosative stress. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant/oxidant status in normal cow's milk and in subclinical mastitis milk using three parameters: total antioxidant status (TAS); levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) - a degradation product of lipid peroxidation; and levels of proteins oxidation expressed as carbonylated proteins analyzed in the reaction with dinitrophenilhydrazine (DNPH). Subclinical mastitis was diagnosed using an electrical conductivity method and by determining the number of SCC in milk. Comparative analysis of TAS in normal and mastitis milk revealed extremely significant differences (P = 0.0005), the average of this parameter was lower for mastitis milk samples. The results describing the antioxidant status were correlated with those on lipid and protein oxidative degradation. The average level of MDA in mastitis milk was higher compared with normal milk, the mean difference was 40.69 nmol/ml. A similar variation was observed for DNPH, the mean difference was 191.24 µmol/ml. The levels of SCC, MDA, and DNPH were significantly higher in subclinical mastitis milk compared to milk from healthy cows due to the occurrence of oxidative stress state in subclinically inflamed mammary gland. Keywords: milk, mastitis, total antioxidant status, malondialdehyde, protein oxidation Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 407-413 Volume: 61 Issue: 9 Year: 2016 DOI: 10.17221/70/2015-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/70/2015-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201609-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:61:y:2016:i:9:id:70-2015-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: P. Svačina Author-Workplace-Name: South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Příborský Author-Workplace-Name: South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic Author-Name: M. Blecha Author-Workplace-Name: South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic Author-Name: T. Policar Author-Workplace-Name: South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic Author-Name: J. Velíšek Author-Workplace-Name: South Bohemian Research Center of Aquaculture and Biodiversity of Hydrocenoses, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Vodňany, Czech Republic Title: Haematological and biochemical response of burbot (Lota lota L.) exposed to four different anaesthetics Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the effect of four anaesthetics on haematological and biochemical blood profiles in burbot Lota lota L. Blood profiles of burbot were evaluated 10 min and 24 h after anaesthesia with tricaine methanesulfonate (MS 222) (100 mg/l), clove oil (33 mg/l), 2-phenoxyethanol (0.3 ml/l), Propiscin (1 ml/l) and compared to non-anaesthetized control. The tested anaesthetics had no effect on haematological profile of burbot. The exposure to clove oil, 2-phenoxyethanol, and Propiscin significantly (P < 0.01) influenced the level of ammonia and glucose. The level of lactate was significantly (P < 0.01) increased following anaesthesia with 2-phenoxyethanol and Propiscin. The levels of total protein, aspartate aminotransferase, and calcium were higher (P < 0.01) with clove oil, 2-phenoxyethanol, and Propiscin compared to control. The use of MS 222 showed the lowest effect on haematological and biochemical blood profile and is recommended as a suitable anaesthetic for burbot. Keywords: 2-phenoxyethanol, anaesthesia, clove oil, MS 222, Propiscin Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 414-420 Volume: 61 Issue: 9 Year: 2016 DOI: 10.17221/14/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/14/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201609-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:61:y:2016:i:9:id:14-2016-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: M.A. Elsayed Author-Workplace-Name: Biological Application Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo, Egypt Title: Effects of thermal manipulation during late incubation period on post-hatch thermotolerance in ostrich Abstract: The effects of thermal manipulation (TM) during late ostrich embryonic development on hatchability, body weight, biochemical and hormonal changes, and the ability of hatching chicks to cope with thermal challenge in days 6-8 of age were examined. At 35 days of incubation, two hundred fertile eggs were weighed and divided into two equal groups with five replicates. The first group was exposed to 36.5°C and 25% relative humidity (RH) (control), while the second group was exposed to 38.5°C and 45% RH for 3 h daily in days 35-37 of incubation (thermal manipulation). At days 6-8 of age, the hatched chicks from each treatment were randomly divided into two groups: control group (exposed to 32 ± 1°C), and thermal challenge group (exposed to 40 ± 1°C for 3 h daily). Hatchability rate was significantly lower with high incubation temperature as compared to the normal incubation temperatures. Embryonic TM and thermal challenge in days 6-8 of age reduced significantly total protein, albumin, and triiodothyronin concentrations and elevated uric acid, creatinine, triglycerides, and glucose concentrations as compared with the control. The level of corticosterone was significantly higher in the thermal challenge group as compared to the control. In conclusion, exposing the ostrich embryos to TM (38.5°C) during late embryonic development induced physiological changes that may represent epigenetic adaptation to TM. The same mechanisms are employed for increasing the ability to improve thermotolerance post-hatch. Keywords: ostrich embryo, heat stress, hatchability, blood biochemicals, epigenetic Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 421-431 Volume: 61 Issue: 9 Year: 2016 DOI: 10.17221/79/2015-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/79/2015-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201609-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:61:y:2016:i:9:id:79-2015-CJAS