Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Nicole Lebedová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Tersia Needham Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science and Food Processing, Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jaroslav Čítek Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Monika Okrouhlá Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Kateřina Zadinová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Kamila Pokorná Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Roman Stupka Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Title: Comparison of two muscle fibre staining techniques and their relation to pork quality traits Abstract: This study compared two histochemical staining methods of muscle fibres and evaluated their relationship with the meat quality traits of two high-value porcine muscles. Immunohistochemical (IHC) and adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) staining was used to assess the cross-sectional area and proportion of fibre-types I, IIa, IIx and IIb in the samples of longissimus lumborum (LL) and psoas major (PM) muscles collected one-hour post-mortem from 25 crossbred pigs [Large WhiteSire × (Landrace × Large WhiteDam)] at an average age of 152 days. Muscles differed in all fibre parameters, except the proportion and relative area of type IIx fibres. The LL muscle exhibited greater fibre cross-sectional areas of all fibre types, higher proportions of type IIb/IIB, and lower proportions of I and IIa fibres than the PM muscle in both staining techniques. These two muscles also differed marginally in moisture, crude protein and intramuscular fat content. The PM muscle showed a low correlation between fibre types and chemical composition, but the LL muscle showed moderate correlations between fibre CSA and area composition for moisture and ash content. After IHC staining, an increase in LL eye muscle area and drip loss were correlated with lower proportions of type I fibres, while a greater proportion of type IIx fibres resulted in increased LL eye muscle area and moisture content. Furthermore, a higher CSA of all fibre types in the LL decreased redness (a*) and moisture content of the muscle. Results showed that IHC is more appropriate than ATPase staining for the assessment of relationships between muscle fibre parameters and meat quality traits in pigs. Keywords: ATPase activity, histology, immunohistochemistry, muscle fibre type, myosin heavy chain isoform Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 193-204 Volume: 65 Issue: 6 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/23/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/23/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202006-0001.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:65:y:2020:i:6:id:23-2020-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Błażej Nowak Author-Name: Anna Mucha Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland Author-Name: Wojciech Kruszyński Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland Author-Name: Magdalena Moska Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology and Animal Science, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland Title: Phenotypic correlations between reproductive characteristics related to litter and reproductive cycle length in sows Abstract: The study estimated phenotypic correlations between reproductive traits in sows classified as maternal (Polish Large White, Polish Landrace, and Yorkshire) and paternal (Duroc, Berkshire, and Hampshire) components, kept on farms located in Poland and in the United States. Altogether, it used data on 736 litters from 196 sows to analyse traits related to litter and reproductive cycle length. The former included litter size, the numbers and the percentages of piglets born alive, stillborn, and weaned; the latter included gestation length, lactation length, and the lengths of weaning-to-conception, farrowing-to-conception, and farrowing intervals. The strongest positive correlations between the litter-related traits were those between litter size and the number of piglets born alive (0.90), the number and the percentage of piglets born alive (0.88), the numbers of piglets born alive and weaned (0.78), and litter size and the number of weaned piglets (0.68); the strongest negative correlations were between the percentage of piglets born alive and the percentage (-0.95) and the number (-0.82) of stillborn piglets. Among the traits related to reproductive cycle length, the strongest positive correlations were those between the length of weaning-to-conception interval and the lengths of farrowing-to-conception (0.96) and farrowing (0.97) intervals, and between the length of farrowing-to-conception interval and farrowing interval (0.98). Gestation length and lactation length were weakly negatively correlated (-0.25). Correlation coefficients between the traits related to litter size from one side and reproductive cycle length from the other were low and mostly statistically non-significant, suggesting that using phenotypic correlations can help improve economically important reproductive traits, but only within the two above-mentioned groups of traits. Keywords: pigs, litter size, farrowing interval, phenotypic correlation, PCA Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 205-212 Volume: 65 Issue: 6 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/108/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/108/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202006-0002.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:65:y:2020:i:6:id:108-2020-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Daniela Pasotto Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Agripolis, Legnaro, Padova, Italy Author-Name: Liesel van Emmenes Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Agripolis, Legnaro, Padova, Italy Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa Author-Name: Marco Cullere Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa Author-Name: Valerio Giaccone Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Agripolis, Legnaro, Padova, Italy Author-Name: Elsje Pieterse Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa Author-Name: Louwrens Christiaan Hoffman Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa Author-Workplace-Name: Centre for Nutrition and Food Sciences, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI), The University of Queensland, Health and Food Sciences Precinct, Coopers Plains, Australia Author-Name: Antonella Dalle Zotte Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, Agripolis, Legnaro, Padova, Italy Title: Inclusion of Hermetia illucens larvae reared on fish offal to the diet of broiler quails: Effect on immunity and caecal microbial populations Abstract: Hermetia illucens (black soldier fly, BSF) larvae meal has shown to be a good protein source in monogastric animal diets, but published data regarding its immunomodulatory properties is limited. For this purpose, a study has been conducted to evaluate the effects of larvae meal on selected immune parameters and caecal bacterial counts of broiler quails. Hermetia illucens larvae were reared on two substrates (100% chicken feed, BSF-M, or 50% chicken feed + 50% fish offal, BSF-F) in order to manipulate the fatty acid profile of larvae meal by increasing the long-chain omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids which are known for their immunomodulatory properties. For immunological purposes, a total of 60 birds were randomly allocated to three dietary treatment groups (n = 20/treatment): control quail diet (CON), or quail diets including 10% of BSF-F or BSF-M larvae meal. Blood was collected 27 and 37 days after the trial commenced to determine the humoral immune response, serum lysozyme concentrations, serum bactericidal activity and protein fractions of the serum. The dietary inclusion of BSF-M meal resulted in an increased secondary humoral immune response compared to the CON treatment group (P < 0.01). Quails in the BSF-F treatment had significantly higher serum lysozyme activity compared to quails in the CON and BSF-M treatment group. Both larvae meals significantly increased cell-mediated immunity on day 37 (P < 0.001) but they had no effect on serum bactericidal activity. Both larvae meal sources resulted in higher α2-globulin levels on both sampling days, whereas γ-globulin levels were significantly lower in quails with the BSF-F treatment on day 27. Dietary treatments had no significant effect on caecal bacterial counts. In conclusion, the present study showed that the larvae meal had immunostimulatory effects in quails, but the rearing substrate of larvae strongly influenced the immunostimulatory properties of the larvae meal. Keywords: insect meal, black soldier fly, humoral immunity, cellular immunity, lysozyme, bactericidal activity, serum protein Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 213-223 Volume: 65 Issue: 6 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/60/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/60/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202006-0003.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:65:y:2020:i:6:id:60-2020-CJAS Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Luboš Vostrý Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Hana Vostrá-Vydrová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Nina Moravčíková Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding Biology, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Author-Name: Barbora Hofmanová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Jana Rychtářová Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Karolína Machová Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Name: Michaela Brzáková Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Genetics and Breeding, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czech Republic Author-Workplace-Name: Institute of Animal Science, Prague-Uhříněves, Czech Republic Author-Name: Radovan Kasarda Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding Biology, Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Nitra, Slovak Republic Title: Monitoring of genetic diversity in autochthonous Czech poultry breeds assessed by genealogical data Abstract: Czech local poultry breeds face high risks of extinction. Because these populations are closed, they are more likely to lose genetic diversity. The aim of this analysis was to determine the loss of genetic diversity in three Czech autochthonous poultry breeds. Pedigree data from a total of 1 932 Czech Gold Speckled Hens, 325 Czech White Geese and 111 Czech Crested Geese registered in studbooks between 2000 and 2018 were evaluated. Data were analysed to determine the major factors that affect the genetic variability of these breeds. The average numbers of equivalent complete generations ranged from 2.53 to 4.82. The effective numbers of founders were from 29 to 59, representing from 43% to 62% of the total number of founders. The effective number of ancestors was estimated in the range of 21 to 41. The average inbreeding coefficient and relatedness coefficient (in parentheses) for the reference populations were 2.0% (6.5%), 1.9% (4.9%) and 2.1% (9.3%), respectively. The results showed that the effective population size derived from the rate of inbreeding ranged from 46 to 108 and if derived from the rate of coancestry it ranged from 35 to 74. With regard to these results, the analysed breeds showed a high probability of allele loss and consequent loss of genetic diversity. Keywords: inbreeding, structure of population, chicken, goose Journal: Czech Journal of Animal Science Pages: 224-231 Volume: 65 Issue: 6 Year: 2020 DOI: 10.17221/80/2020-CJAS File-URL: http://cjas.agriculturejournals.cz/doi/10.17221/80/2020-CJAS.html File-Format: text/html X-File-Ref: http://agriculturejournals.cz/RePEc/caa/references/cjs-202006-0004.txt Handle: RePEc:caa:jnlcjs:v:65:y:2020:i:6:id:80-2020-CJAS