Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Věra Skřivanová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Eva Tůmová Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Michaela Englmaierová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Darina Chodová Author-Workplace-Name: Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Miloš Skřivan Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Title: Do rearing system and free-range stocking density affect meat quality of chickens fed feed mixture with rapeseed oil? Abstract: Recently, consumers have paid an attention to animal-friendly meat. The aim of the study was to evaluate the meat quality of breast muscles in indoor and free-range chickens with respect to the stocking density of outdoor chickens (8.3 or 4.15 birds per m2) fed feed with rapeseed oil. The free-range chickens reached 96 and 97% of the final live weight of the indoor chickens and their feed : gain ratio was by 7 and 9% higher. The pasture intake had a small effect on the breast meat quality and was presumably associated with rapeseed oil in the basal diet which strongly influenced meat monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acid content and reduced the effect of pasture. The free-range system and lower stocking density led to an increase in muscle fibre cross-sectional area and diameter and a higher meat shear force (P = 0.003). Concerning the meat sensory properties, the total acceptability of the meat of free-range chickens with a lower stocking density was found to be lower compared with the other groups.esults indicate a minor effect of the rearing system and free-range stocking density on chicken meat quality, and also that meat quality in experiments with free-range housing can be affected by a fat source in basal diet. Keywords: chicken, housing, fat source, breast meat Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 141-149 Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/79/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/79/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201704-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:4:id:79-2016-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Konrad Górski Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Endocrinology, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jabłonna, Poland Author-Name: Małgorzata Hasiec Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Endocrinology, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jabłonna, Poland Author-Name: Marlena Zielińska-Górska Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Neuroendocrinology, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jabłonna, Poland Author-Name: Ferenc Fülöp Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Research Group for Stereochemistry, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary Author-Name: Tomasz Misztal Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Endocrinology, The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jabłonna, Poland Title: Up-regulation of oxytocin receptor gene and protein in the sheep anterior pituitary by a dopamine derivative (salsolinol) Abstract: Specific oxytocin receptors (OTR) have been identified in the anterior pituitary (AP), and their expression has been shown to change in relation to the animal physiological stage, whereas salsolinol (a derivative of dopamine) has been shown to stimulate the synthesis and release of oxytocin (OT) in lactating sheep. In the present study, the expression of both OTR mRNA and OTR protein in the AP were examined by real-time quantitative PCR and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, either in anestrous or lactating sheep 48 h after weaning lambs. Moreover, the effect of salsolinol administered via an intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion was tested in additional sheep at the same physiological stages. The i.c.v. infusions of Ringer-Locke (control) and salsolinol solutions were carried out from 10:00 to 15:00 h in a serial manner, i.e. five 30-min infusions at 30-min intervals. We observed both OTR gene and OTR protein expression in the AP, in both anestrous and lactating sheep, but it was significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) higher in the AP of lactating animals compared to anestrous animals. Salsolinol i.c.v. treatment in anestrous sheep evoked a significant (P < 0.05) increase in both OTR gene and OTR protein expression compared to control animals. In contrast, salsolinol did not affect either OTR gene or OTR protein expression in lactating sheep. In conclusion, the expression of OTR in the sheep AP is upregulated by salsolinol. The effect of salsolinol was more pronounced in non-lactating sheep, with a reduced response due to ongoing OTR expression in lactating animals. Increased expression of OTR in the AP of lactating sheep may be related to the stimulation of pituitary lactotrophs by OT following the release of prolactin during suckling. Keywords: oxytocin, sheep, lactation Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 150-156 Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/30/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/30/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201704-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:4:id:30-2016-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ningbo Chen Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Fengqiao Wang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Nongqi Yu Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Yuan Gao Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Jieping Huang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Yongzhen Huang Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Xianyon Lan Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Chuzhao Lei Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Hong Chen Author-Workplace-Name: College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, P.R. China Author-Name: Ruihua Dang Title: Genetic variations of the bovine MX1 and their association with mastitis Abstract: The primary agent of mastitis is a wide spectrum of bacterial strains; however, viral-related mastitis has also been reported. The MX dynamin-like GTPase 1 (MX1) gene has been demonstrated to confer positive antiviral responses to many viruses, and may be a suitable candidate gene for the study of disease resistance in dairy cattle. The present study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity of the MX1 gene in Chinese cattle breeds and its effects on mastitis in Holstein cows. First, polymorphisms were identified in the complete coding region of the bovine MX1 gene in 14 Chinese cattle breeds. An association study was then carried out, utilizing polymorphisms detected in Holstein cows to determine the associations of these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with mastitis. We identified 13 previously reported SNPs in Chinese domestic cattle and four of them in Holstein cattle. A novel 12 bp indel was also discovered in Holstein cattle. In addition, haplotype frequencies and linkage disequilibrium of four SNPs detected in Holstein cows were investigated. Analysis of these four SNPs in Chinese Holstein cows revealed two SNPs (g.143181370 T>C and g.143182088 C>T) significantly (P < 0.05) associated with somatic cell score (SCS). The results indicated that SNPs in the MX1 gene might contribute to the variations observed in the SCS of dairy cattle. Therefore, implementation of these two mutations in selection indexes of the dairy industry might be beneficial by favouring the selection individuals with lower SCS. Keywords: MX dynamin-like GTPase 1, polymorphism, marker assisted selection, disease resistance, viral infection, somatic cell score Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 157-167 Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/97/2015-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/97/2015-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201704-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:4:id:97-2015-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Andrea Lauková Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Monika Pogány Simonová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Ľubica Chrastinová Author-Workplace-Name: National Agricultural and Food Centre, Lužianky, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Anna Kandričáková Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Jana Ščerbová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Iveta Plachá Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Klaudia Čobanová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Zuzana Formelová Author-Workplace-Name: National Agricultural and Food Centre, Lužianky, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Ľubomír Ondruška Author-Workplace-Name: National Agricultural and Food Centre, Lužianky, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Gabriela Štrkolcová Author-Workplace-Name: University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Košice, Slovak Republic *Correspoding author: laukova@saske.sk Author-Name: Viola Strompfová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Physiology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovak Republic Title: Beneficial effect of bacteriocin-producing strain Enterococcus durans ED 26E/7 in model experiment using broiler rabbits Abstract: From the aspect of probiotic properties and bacteriocins, Enterococcus faecium belongs to the most frequently studied species among enterococci. This study deals with testing the strain of the species Enterococcus durans ED 26E/7 in broiler rabbits. The strain ED 26E/7 isolated from ewes lump cheese produces an antimicrobial substance durancin. Forty-eight post-weaned rabbits (aged 5 weeks) of both sexes were divided into experimental group (EG) and control group (CG) per 24 animals each, and kept in standard cages, two animals per cage. EG group rabbits were additionally administered the ED 26E/7 strain (500 µl/animal/day) into water for 21 days. CG group rabbits were fed a commercial feed. The experiment lasted 42 days. Faeces and blood samples were taken on days 0-1 (experiment onset), 21 (after a 3-week application), and 42 (3 weeks after ED 26E/7 strain cessation). On days 21 and 42, rabbits were slaughtered and caeca and appendix were sampled. The rabbits' digestive tract was found to be sufficiently colonized by the strain ED 26E/7; the antimicrobial effect was demonstrated in caecum and appendix (e.g. decrease in coliforms). Reduction of Eimeria sp. oocysts in EG compared to CG rabbits was detected on day 21, when also a significant (P < 0.05) increase of phagocytic activity in EG was registered. Values of glutathione-peroxidase were lower in EG than in CG rabbits on day 21 implying that the ED 26E/7 application had not evoked oxidative stress. Biochemical blood parameters and quality of meat were not negatively influenced. First time tested in animals, E. durans ED 26E/7 seems to be a new candidate for use in rabbits husbandry. Keywords: enterococcal species, influence, rabbit, gut microbiota, physiological parameters, meat quality Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 168-177 Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/21/2016-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/21/2016-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201704-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:4:id:21-2016-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Wenjing Jiao Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: Qingquan Ma Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: Xiting Lv Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Author-Name: Anshan Shan Author-Name: Zhongyu Li Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Nutrition, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, P.R. China Title: Gene expression and tissue distribution of β-defensins in Chinese Min pigs and Landrace pigs Abstract: β-Defensins are a major group of mammalian antimicrobial peptides and play an important role in innate and adaptive immunity due to their antimicrobial, chemotactic, and regulatory activities. In this study, the tissue distribution of porcine β-defensin (pBD-1, pBD-2, and pBD-3) gene expression was determined using real-time polymerase chain reaction in 14-day-old Chinese Min pigs and Landrace pigs. The results showed that in the two breeds, pBD-1 and pBD-2 were primarily expressed in the tongue and kidney, respectively. The pBD-3 genes in Min pigs and Landrace pigs were abundant in the heart and tongue respectively. The mRNA expression levels of the three peptide genes in most tissues were much higher in Min pigs than in Landrace pigs. Collectively, higher defensin gene expressions were observed in some organs and tissues of Min pigs, presumably related to their higher resistance to disease. Keywords: antimicrobial peptides, swine, mRNA abundance Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 178-183 Volume: 62 Issue: 4 Year: 2017 DOI: 10.17221/84/2015-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/84/2015-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-201704-0005.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:62:y:2017:i:4:id:84-2015-CJAS