Reproductive Performance of Rabbit Does Artificially Inseminated via Intravaginal Administration of [des-Gly 10, d-Ala6]-LHRH Ethylamide as Ovulation Inductor

This study was aimed to evaluate the reproductive performance of rabbit does artificially inseminated (AI) with a GnRH analogue [des‐Gly10, d ‐Ala6]‐LHRH. ethylamide to induce ovulation by intravaginal administration, delivered in the seminal dose. In a preliminary experiment, 39 does were divided into three groups (n = 13) that, at the time of AI, received the following ovulation induction treatments: (i) control group: 20 μg of gonadorelin administered intramuscularly; (ii) 25 μg of the GnRH analogue added to the seminal dose; (iii) 30 μg of the GnRH analogue added to the seminal dose. Fertility did not differ between the three groups (control: 80.6%, group 2: 82.8%, group 3: 73.3%). In a second experiment, a large‐scale field trial was conducted to test the use of 25 μg of the GnRH analogue [des‐Gly10, d ‐Ala6]‐LHRH ethylamide delivered in the seminal dose (n = 270) against 20 μg of gonadorelin administered intramuscularly. Fertility was higher (p < 0.05) when ovulation was induced by intravaginal administration of the GnRH agonist (91.1% vs 85.6%). Prolificacy or mortality at birth was never affected by the ovulation induction treatments. In a third experiment, two groups of does [control group (n = 39): ovulation was induced using 20 μg of gonadorelin administered intramuscularly; treatment group (n = 40): ovulation was induced using 25 μg of [(des‐Gly10, d ‐Ala6)‐LHRH ethylamide added to the seminal dose] were inseminated at 42‐day intervals for five successive AI cycles, to test the response to the GnRH agonist after repeated intravaginal administration to the same animals. Fertility and prolificacy were not influenced by the ovulation induction treatment neither there was an interaction between treatment and parity. The last experiment was aimed to determine whether it could be possible to add the GnRH agonist to the semen in the AI Center, just after semen collection and dilution, or it would have to be added in the farm, immediately before AI. Kindling rates did not significantly differ when ovulation was induced by intramuscular injection of gonadorelin (84.5%) or when the GnRH agonist was added to the seminal dose just at the moment (93.8 %) or 24 h before AI (90.4 %), but it was significantly lower when the hormone was added to the semen 32 h before AI (76.3 %). Prolificacy, however, was not influenced by the ovulation induction treatment.     

Characterization of plum procyanidins by thiolytic depolymerization

The phenolic compounds of 'Green Gage' (GG) plums ( Prunus domestica L.), "Rainha Claudia Verde", from a 'protected designation of origin' (PDO), in Portugal, were quantified in both flesh and skin tissues of plums collected in two different orchards (GG-V and GG-C). Analyzes of phenolic compounds were also performed on another GG European plum obtained in France (GG-F) and two other French plums, 'Mirabelle' (M) and 'Golden Japan' (GJ). Thiolysis was used for the first time in the analysis of plum phenolic compounds. This methodology showed that the flesh and skin contain a large proportion of flavan-3-ols, which account, respectively, for 92 and 85% in GJ, 61 and 44% in GG-V, 62 and 48% in GG-C, 54 and 27% in M, and 45 and 37% in GG-F. Terminal units of procyanidins observed in plums are mainly (+)-catechin (54-77% of all terminal units in flesh and 57-81% in skin). The GJ plums showed a phenolic composition different from all of the others, with a lower content of chlorogenic acid isomers and the presence of A-type procyanidins as dimers and terminal residues of polymerized forms. The average degree of polymerization (DPn) of plum procyanidins was higher in the flesh (5-9 units) than in the skin (4-6 units). Procyanidin B7 was observed in the flesh of all GG plums and in the skin of the Portuguese ones. Principal component analysis of the phenolic composition of the flesh and skin of these plums obtained after thiolysis allowed their distinction according to the variety and origin, opening the possibility of the use of phenolic composition for variety/origin identification.     

Composition of phenolic compounds in a Portuguese pear (Pyrus communis L. var. S. Bartolomeu) and changes after sun-drying

The composition of phenolic compounds of a Portuguese pear cultivar (Pyrus communis L. var. S. Bartolomeu) was determined by HPLC after thioacidolysis. The average concentration of phenolic compounds in pear harvested at commercial maturity stage was 3.7 g per kg of fresh pulp. Procyanidins were the predominant phenolics (96%), with a mean degree of polymerization (mDP) of 13-44; hydroxycinnamic acids (2%), arbutin (0.8%), and catechins (0.7%) were also present. The most abundant monomer in the procyanidin structures was (-)-epicatechin (99%), which was found as extension and terminal units; (+)-catechin (1%) was found only as a terminal unit. Sun-drying of these pears caused a decrease of 64% (on a dry pulp basis) in the total amount of native phenolic compounds. Hydroxycinnamic acids and procyanidins showed the largest decrease; the B2 procyanidin was not found at all in the sun-dried pear. Less affected were arbutin and catechins. In the sun-dried pear, the procyanidins with high mDP became unextractable in the solvents used.     

Polyphenol profiles of French cider apple varieties (Malus domestica sp.)

The cortex of 14 French apple varieties (12 cider and 2 juice varieties), one English cider variety, and one dessert apple (i.e., Golden Delicious) were studied for their polyphenol composition. Total polyphenols were assayed by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, and the precise polyphenolic composition (monomeric catechins, proanthocyanidins, hydroxycinnamic acids, and dihydrochalcones) was obtained by HPLC following thiolysis. ESI-MS and ESI-MS/MS analyses showed that chlorogenic acid and p-coumaroylquinic acid were methylated under the conditions of thiolysis. Depending on the variety, the global polyphenol concentration varied from 1 to 7 g per kilogram of fresh cortex. Cider varieties globally showed a higher polyphenol concentration than the dessert apple Golden Delicious, bitter varieties being the more concentrated. The proportion of the polyphenol classes varied greatly from one cultivar to another. For all varieties, procyanidins were always the predominant class. They were mainly constituted of (-)-epicatechin units with a small proportion of (+)-catechin as a terminal unit. The average degree of polymerization ranged between 4.2 and 7.5 depending upon the variety with an exception for the sharp varieties Guillevic and Avrolles which showed significant concentrations of procyanidins with DPn of 40 and 50, respectively.     

Characterization and estimation of proanthocyanidins and other phenolics in coffee pulp (Coffea arabica) by thiolysis-high-performance liquid chromatography

Fresh and 3-day-old coffee pulp of the Arabica variety were analyzed for polyphenol composition followed by characterization by two different methods. The first method consisted in subjecting coffee pulp powder to direct thiolysis. For the second method, coffee pulp was subjected to successive solvent extractions, followed by thiolysis. Quantification of phenolic compounds was then achieved by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of thiolysis products. Four major classes of polyphenols were identified: flavan-3-ols (monomers and procyanidins), hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols, and anthocyanidins. Differences in concentration of procyanidins were observed between fresh and 3-day-old coffee pulp. Constitutive units were mainly epicatechin, representing more than 90% of the proanthocyanidin units, with average degrees of polymerization in the range of 3.8-9.1. Monomer to hexamer units of flavan-3-ols from fresh coffee pulp were separated by normal-phase HPLC. Molecular size of oligomeric proanthocyanidins was obtained by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Results obtained confirm the presence of oligomers of the flavan-3-ol (-)-epicatechin.     

Infertility in a Dog due to Proximal Cytoplasmic Droplets in the Ejaculate: Investigation of the Significance for Sperm Functionality In Vitro

A 4-year-old Basque Shepherd male dog was presented for breeding soundness evaluation after the dog failed to impregnate the three bitches he had mated. Clinical examination showed no anomaly of the reproductive system. Semen evaluation showed normal sperm count (640 x 10(6)), 80% had progressively motile spermatozoa, and 96% had morphologically abnormal sperm of which 84% had proximal cytoplasmic droplet and 12% had proximal droplet plus other anomaly. A zona pellucida-binding assay, using canine oocytes derived from frozen-thawed ovaries, was performed in order to investigate the zona-binding ability of dog spermatozoa with proximal cytoplasmic droplets. For the zona pellucida-binding assay, ovaries were thawed and minced in phosphate-buffered saline + 0.4% bovine serum albumin, the oocytes recovered were divided into two groups of 35-40 oocytes to be, respectively, used with the infertile dog and with a control fertile dog. Spermatozoa were capacitated in Canine Capacitating Medium (CCM) at 38.5 degrees C and 5% CO(2) in air for 2 h before oocyte insemination. Groups of five to six oocytes placed in 45 microl droplets of CCM were incubated for 1 h. Afterwards, 5 microl of CCM containing 25,000 spermatozoa were added to each droplet and co-incubated for 2 h before fixation and evaluation of the complexes. After oocyte insemination, sperm motility and viability were evaluated: the sample from the infertile dog had 85% sperm motility with fast and linear progressive movement, and sperm viability of 92%. The sample from the control dog showed 40% sperm motility with fast and highly curvilinear and erratic movement, high degree of sperm agglutination and sperm viability of 32%. For the infertile dog the mean number of bound spermatozoa/oocyte was 0.33 whereas for the control dog it was 1.80. It was concluded that dog sperm with proximal cytoplasmic droplets seem to lack normal capacitating ability in vitro, and consequently, they may have reduced capacity to bind to the zona pellucida of canine oocytes.     

History of atmospheric lead deposition since 12,370 (14)C yr BP from a peat bog, jura mountains, switzerland

A continuous record of atmospheric lead since 12,370 carbon-14 years before the present (14C yr BP) is preserved in a Swiss peat bog. Enhanced fluxes caused by climate changes reached their maxima 10, 590 (14)C yr BP (Younger Dryas) and 8230 (14)C yr BP. Soil erosion caused by forest clearing and agricultural tillage increased lead deposition after 5320 (14)C yr BP. Increasing lead/scandium and decreasing lead-206/lead-207 beginning 3000 (14)C yr BP indicate the beginning of lead pollution from mining and smelting, and anthropogenic sources have dominated lead emissions ever since. The greatest lead flux (15.7 milligrams per square meter per year in A.D. 1979) was 1570 times the natural, background value (0.01 milligram per square meter per year from 8030 to 5320 (14)C yr BP).     

The use of toltrazuril for the prevention of coccidiosis in piglets before weaning

SUMMARY: To determine the efficacy of toltrazuril as a prophylactic treatment for coccidiosis in piglets caused by Isospora suis (I suis) , a single 1.0 mL dose of toltrazuril was administered orally to 1056 piglets between 3 and 6 days of age, in 5 piggeries. Prophylactic treatment of piglets reduced the occurrence of coccidiosis in litters from 71% to 22%. The number of antibacterial treatments given and the number of piglets affected per litter were also significantly reduced, resulting in some improvement in growth rates to weaning. The severity of diarrhoea was significantly reduced, as was the amount of oocyst excretion. The number of days that piglets excreted oocysts in the faeces was reduced from 4.9 days to 2.5 days. The detection of J suis in piglets with diarrhoea was reduced from 84% in the untreated piglets to 6% in the piglets given the prophylactic treatment.