1,721,070 research outputs found

    Progress in nutritional and health profile of milk and dairy products: a novel drug target

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    There is an increasing focus on diet as a tool to maintain human health and prevent disease. Milk and milk products of ruminants are important source of fat and saturated fatty acids, which are not considered to be very favourable to human health, but are valuable sources of nutrients including bioactive fatty acids (FA), vitamins, and minerals, which can promote positive health effects. The nutritional characteristics of milk and dairy products are related to their composition, which depends on the source species, and varies due to numerous factors, among which the animal diet is the most important. An improvement in milk FA composition and other micronutrients can be reached through an animal feeding strategy. Natural pasture-based farming systems increase microconstituents that are beneficial to human health (CLA, PUFAs, n-3 FAs, antioxidants, vitamins A and E, and Se) and volatile compounds (flavour, and terpenes) in milk and cheese. There are still uncertainties about the health benefits of various milk FAs and other compounds; deep and extensive long-term clinical studies with humans are needed. The contamination of milk and dairy products by heavy metals or dioxins has dramatic negative consequences for human and livestock health and necessitates very urgent consideration and intervention

    Superovulatory response to gonadotrophin FSH/LH treatment and effect of progestin supplement to recipients on survival of transferred vitrified embryos in goats

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    Two experiments were carried out in goats to evaluate the effects of the FSH/LH ratio during treatment on ovarian response and embryo production (experiment 1) and the efficiency of progestin supplementation on pregnancy and the survival of vitrified embryos (experiment 2). In experiment 1, 30 goats were synchronized and allocated to 2 groups (n = 15) corresponding to the following superovulatory treatments with p-FSH (250 IU, over 3 days) having different doses of purified FSH and LH: (group A) control, FSH/LH ratio of 1, kept constant during treatment; (group B) FSH/LH ratio of 2 and daily FSH/LH ratio of 5.0:1.0:0.3 for the first, second, and third days of treatment, respectively. Ovarian response and embryo production were assessed 7.5 days after estrus. In experiment 2, 46 vitrified blastocysts from p-FSH-superovulated donors were transferred to 26 recipients (2 blastocysts per goat) 7.5 days after estrus. The recipients were synchronized with donors and allocated to 2 experimental groups (n = 13). Group C received progestin supplement as fluorgestone acetate (FGA) inserted into the vagina at the time of embryo transfer, replaced with a new one 16 days later, and maintained until the 45th day of pregnancy; group D, no treatment (control). Pregnancy was diagnosed by transrectal ultrasound scanning on Days 30 and 45 after estrus and followed to term. The results indicated that the increase in FSH/LH ratio from 1 to 2 with decreasing daily FSH/LH (treatment B) did not improve the superovulatory response. Superovulatory treatment A (control) advanced (P < 0.05) the onset of estrus and showed a higher ovulation rate compared to group B (14.9 vs. 10.9; P < 0.05). Fertilization rate, embryo yield, and mean number of transferable embryos in group A (7.5) were higher (P < 0.05) than those in group B (3.2). Recipient goats receiving progestin supplementation (group C) showed a higher (P < 0.05) pregnancy rate and embryo survival (kids born per embryos transferred; 69.3% and 73.1%) than the controls (group D; 23.3% and 19.2%). In conclusion, regimen A with FSH/LH ratio of 1 kept constant during the treatment gave the best ovarian response and embryo production. The progestin supplementation as FGA-pessary administered at embryo transfer time to the 45th day of pregnancy improved the pregnancy rate, kidding rate, and embryo survival of transferred vitrified embryos. Intravaginal progestin supplement has the potential to reduce the incidence of pregnancy losses during early pregnancy

    Evaluation of seasonal variations of semen freezability in Leccese ram

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    The experiment was carried out in Southern Italy (41degreesN latitude) to examine the effects of seasonal variations of semen freezability in Leccese ram. Semen from five rams, collected every 2 weeks for a whole year, was frozen in straws, using a system based on Tris-fructose egg yolk as extender to constitute semen doses of 100 x 10(6) Spermatozoa. Post-thaw survival and acrosomal status of cells were assessed by dual staining by Hoechst 33258 and FITC-PSA. Three different forms of fluorescence distribution were displayed indicating sperm without acrosome (unstained cells), sperm with damaged acrosome (cells with incomplete fluorescence over the head), sperm with widespread fluorescence (cells completely fluorescent). Motility and kinetic rating at thawing and after 1 and 3 h incubation (37degreesC) were also assessed. Semen frozen in summer and autumn, corresponding to the breeding season, showed the highest (P < 0.01) post-thaw survival of spermatozoa (41.7%) and the lowest (P < 0.01) incidence of spermatozoa with damaged acrosome. The positive influence of the summer-autumn period was expressed also on motility and kinetic rating of spermatozoa at thawing. The integrity of the acrosomal membrane was positively correlated (P < 0.01) with sperm viability before processing (r = 0. 32) and after thawing (r = 0.51). In conclusion, the results show that season exerts a significant influence on semen freezability in Leccese ram, with the best performance occurring the summer and autumn period, corresponding to the reproductive season in temperate zones
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