Czech Journal of Animal Science, 2010 (vol. 55), issue 5

Circadian rhythms of redox states and total locomotor activity in dairy cattle

C. Giannetto, F. Fazio, A. Assenza, G. Caola, P. Pennisi, G. Piccione

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2010, 55(5):183-189 | DOI: 10.17221/306/2009-CJAS  

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...

Superovulation following follicular synchronization with GnRH at random stages of the oestrous cycle in heifers: oocyte competence and in vitro embryo production

H. Kohram, V. Vahedi, A. Farahavar

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2010, 55(5):190-194 | DOI: 10.17221/228/2009-CJAS  

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...

Associations between the bovine PPARGC1A gene and milk production traits

I. Kowalewska-Łuczak, H. Kulig, M. Kmieć

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2010, 55(5):195-199 | DOI: 10.17221/101/2009-CJAS  

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 ≤...

Association analysis of PPARGC1A mutations with meat quality parameters in a commercial hybrid pig population

T. Erkens, S. De Smet, K. Van den Maagdenberg, A. Stinckens, N. Buys, A. Van Zeveren, L.J. Peelman

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2010, 55(5):200-208 | DOI: 10.17221/263/2009-CJAS  

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...

Effect of dietary supplementation of some antioxidants on growth performance, carcass composition and breast meat characteristics in quails reared under heat stress

H. Imik, M. Aydemir Atasever, M. Koc, M. Atasever, K. Ozturan

Czech J. Anim. Sci., 2010, 55(5):209-220 | DOI: 10.17221/147/2009-CJAS  

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:...