Cumulus–Oocyte Communications in the Horse: Role of the Breeding Season and of the Maturation Medium

Horse is a seasonal breeder and information on oocyte quality outside the breeding season is very limited. Ovaries obtained at the slaughterhouse are a convenient but often limited source of oocytes in this species. As the low quantity of ovaries leads to an intensive use of all available material, it would be useful to know whether ovaries collected during the non‐breeding season are suitable for in vitro maturation (IVM). In an attempt to characterize the effect of season on oocyte quality, we investigated the permeability of the gap junctions (GJ) present between cumulus cells and oocytes because of their important role in oocyte growth and maturation. We also compared the effect of supplementing the maturation medium with bovine serum albumin (BSA) or oestrus mare serum (EMS). A total of 645 oocytes isolated from 158 and 154 ovaries collected during the breeding and the non‐breeding season, respectively, were used in this study. Oocytes were matured for 30 h in TCM 199 supplemented either with 10% EMS or with 4 mg/ml BSA. The presence of permeable GJs between cumulus cells and oocytes was investigated with the injection of a 3% solution of the fluorescent dye Lucifer yellow into the ooplasm. No differences in efficiency of oocyte retrieval or oocyte meiotic competence were detected between oocytes collected during the breeding and non‐breeding season. The vast majority (90%) of the oocytes collected during the breeding season had fully functional communications with their surrounding cumulus cells but such communications were completely interrupted in 55.3% of the oocytes collected during the non‐breeding season. During the non‐breeding season, the proportion of oocytes whose communications with cumulus cells were classified as closed or intermediate at the end of maturation was lower in the group matured with BSA than with EMS (71.4 vs 97.7, p < 0.05). The same trend, although not statistically significant, was observed during the breeding season also. The presence of BSA caused an incomplete cumulus expansion during both seasons. Our data indicate that oocytes collected during the non‐breeding season do not show any meiotic deficiency but lack active communication with the surrounding cumulus cells at the time of their isolation from the ovary. No data are available at present for determining the consequences on the developmental competence even if data from other species suggest that this is likely.     

CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR ATTRIBUTES OF CATFISH NUGGETS: PRICE,BREADING COLOR,COOKING METHOD,AND COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

Marketed as the “nugget” in the seafood trade, the belly flap of the catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) is a residual portion with minimal value due to its elevated fat content and unsightly black peritoneal membrane. To ameliorate these shortcomings, a variety of marinated and breaded nugget formulations were developed and screened in the laboratory. Four of these were evaluated further for organoleptic traits using consumer sensory panels. Next, an in-store conjoint survey was conducted in 13 supermarkets in eight cities in the southern United States to elicit consumers' preferences for price ($3.28/kg, $10.12/kg, $16.51/kg), color of breading (light, medium, dark), cooking method (fried, baked), and country of origin (United States, China). Cluster analysis suggested three consumer segments: a price-sensitive segment, a U.S.-origin segment, and a dark-breading segment. Membership in the segments was related to age, ethnicity, and education. Unusually strong preferences for higher prices and country of origin were investigated in detail.