Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran: 5 (4)

Open Access Article

1 - Allelic Polymorphism of Calpastatin Gene (CAST) in Khalkhali Goats: A Possible Marker for Meat Tenderness
ا. زارعیان جهرمی M. رنجبری س. خالقی&rlm;زاده س. احراری ا. احراری م. قوی&rlm;پیشه

Calpastatin (CAST) is a specific inhibiter of Calpains, playing a role in meat tenderization and myogenesis. In the present study the polymorphism of the CAST gene ofKhalkhali goat in Azerbaijan province in Iran was investigated by polymerase chain reaction and restrict More

Calpastatin (CAST) is a specific inhibiter of Calpains, playing a role in meat tenderization and myogenesis. In the present study the polymorphism of the CAST gene ofKhalkhali goat in Azerbaijan province in Iran was investigated by polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism technique (PCR-RFLP). Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood samples collected from 200 Khalkhali goats. A 1552 bp in the region between exons 6 and 7 of the CAST gene was amplified by standard PCR, using the locus specific primers. Two alleles (A and B) and three genotypes (AA, BB and AB) were observed. The frequencies of the observed genotypes were49.7, 0.09 and 41.4 for AA, BB and AB, respectively. Allele frequencies were 0.705, 0.295 for A and B, respectively. The average heterozygosity for CAST gene was 0.416 and the expected heterozygosity was 0.417. For homozygosity these numbers were 0.91 and 0583, respectively and the chi-square test showed significant (P<0.01) deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for this locus in this population. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

2 - Structures, Functions and Expressions of GnRH and GnRH Receptor in Peripheral Reproductive Organs and Their Regulation by Estradiol-17β
اچ.ب. سیفتسی

Studies have shown that estradiol-17β (E2) regulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and GnRH receptor expression in hypothalamus and pituitary. Several studies have shown that GnRH and its receptor are also expressed in peripheral reproductive organs and lit More

Studies have shown that estradiol-17β (E2) regulates gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and GnRH receptor expression in hypothalamus and pituitary. Several studies have shown that GnRH and its receptor are also expressed in peripheral reproductive organs and little is known about their regulations. In this study, GnRH and GnRH receptor structures, functions, their peripheral expressions and regulations by E2 were reviewed. Several in vivo and in vitro conducted studies indicate that E2 decreases the expression of GnRH mRNA and regulates GnRH receptor expression in a time dependent manner. Nevertheless, the exact mechanism has not been clearly explained yet. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

3 - Investigation of Differences in Biochemical and Mineral Composition of Urine between Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Crossbred Dairy Cattle
م.م. خان اس. پراساد اف.آ. خان اچ.پ. گوپتا

Dairy farmers have been longing for simple and economical methods of early pregnancy diagnosis. Urine based biochemical and mineral assays could be one of those methods, owing to the ease of sample collection and relatively simple and economical assays involved. However More

Dairy farmers have been longing for simple and economical methods of early pregnancy diagnosis. Urine based biochemical and mineral assays could be one of those methods, owing to the ease of sample collection and relatively simple and economical assays involved. However, basic information on changes in urinary composition during early pregnancy in cattle is lacking. This study was designed to evaluate the differences in biochemical and mineral composition of urine between pregnant and non-pregnant dairy cattle. Urine samples were obtained from crossbred dairy cows, classified retrospectively as pregnant or non-pregnant (n=12 in each group), based on transrectal palpation and ultrasonography at 60 days post insemination, and assayed for glucose, total protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc and copper. Sampling was done every 3 days beginning on the day of insemination (d 0) until d 27. Analysis of data on concentrations of the various variables between pregnant and non-pregnant cows indicated significant (P<0.05) differences in urinary concentrations of total protein, glucose, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper between the two groups at one or more of the sampling days. Moreover, within each group, there were significant differences in concentrations of the studied components across various days of the estrous cycle or pregnancy. Results of the present study indicate marked quantitative differences in biochemical and mineral composition of urine between pregnant and non-pregnant cattle. This information can serve as a basis for devising simple, easy-to-use and cost effective pregnancy diagnosis kits for use in dairy cattle. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

4 - Thermoregulatory Mechanisms of Jersey Adult Cattle and Calves Based on Different Body Sites Temperature
ی. بدخشان م.ر. محمد‪آبادی

In this experiment six healthy adult dairy Jersey cattles and eight calves (aged 4-6 months) were selected to measure temperature of different body skin sites, rectal temperature, respiration and heart rates during summer and winter. Body sites maximum and minimum tempe More

In this experiment six healthy adult dairy Jersey cattles and eight calves (aged 4-6 months) were selected to measure temperature of different body skin sites, rectal temperature, respiration and heart rates during summer and winter. Body sites maximum and minimum temperature in calves during summer belonged to the ear, forehead, right flank, abdomen (38.4-38.9 ˚C) and carpus (32 ˚C). This was also true for the foreleg, abdomen, tail (38-38.15 ˚C) and tarsus (33.9 ˚C) of cattle, respectively. The minimum body temperature of all these animals was detected in the carpus and tarsus. Correlation coefficient was significant between rectal and tail temperatures (r=0.61; P<0.01). Also, there was significant correlation of respiration rate with abdomen, dewlap, neck, tail and rump temperature, but maximum coefficients were related to respiration rate with ear, forehead and tail temperature (r=0.8-0.91; P<0.01). Heart rate had maximum correlation with ear and forehead as well. It is concluded that both abdomen and tail and also other body sites, such as ear and neck, had significant role in body heat loss. Cattle heat dissipation to the environment is through the skin of their tail and ear and these have a higher correlation with respiration, heart rate and rectal temperature. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

5 - Reproductive Performance of Friesian-Holstein Cows at Sebele Research Station in South Eastern Botswana
اُ.ر. مادیبلا و. ماهابیل

Retrospective data from Sebele Dairy Farm were analysed for reproductive performance of Friesian/Holstein cows. Three hundred records from 1989 to 1995 were used. The herd was zero grazed and the data was analysed for age at first calving (AFC), calf birth weights (BW), More

Retrospective data from Sebele Dairy Farm were analysed for reproductive performance of Friesian/Holstein cows. Three hundred records from 1989 to 1995 were used. The herd was zero grazed and the data was analysed for age at first calving (AFC), calf birth weights (BW), calving interval (CI), days open (DO), calving rate (CR), reproductive wastage (RW) and calving difficulty (CD); dystocia, after-birth retention and misrepresentation of foetus) and calving weights (CW). The effects of year of calving (YOC) and year of birth (YOB) were tested. The year of calving affected age at first calving (P<0.05) whereby in 1989/90 and 1990/91 cows were younger than the rest of the years. Calving weight at first calving was significantly affected (P<0.01) by year of calving. YOC had an effect (P<0.05) on both calving interval and days open. CW and CR were significantly affected (P0.05) was observed for BW and CD. The year of birth of cows (YOB) had an effect (P<0.05) on age at first calving and it also significantly affected (P<0.01) CW of first calving heifers. Heifers born in the 1980’s had lower live weight at calving than those born in the 1990’s. Age categories (1=20–39 months; 2=40–69 months and 3=>70 months) tended (P=0.062) to influence the birth weights of calves. As cows’ age increased, birth weights of their calves decreased. However, age category did not affect (P>0.05) calving interval or days open. Male calves were heavier (P<0.05) at birth than females (38.7±1.3 kg vs. 36.8±0.7 kg). CW was lower for heifers than for cows and represented 84% of the cows’ weights. Heifers had higher (P<0.01) CR than cows (100 vs. 64.9%), however RW was higher (P<0.01) for heifers than cows (25.0 vs. 11.0%). RW was significantly correlated with birth difficulty (r=0.50; P<0.001). It seems that a low temperature-humidity index in the month of conception resulted in higher CR nine months later. It is recommended that when cows are zero grazed, feed quality should be assured by nutrient balancing and should not affect performance between years. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

6 - Genetic and Economic Aspects of Applying Embryo Transfer in Traditional and Genomic Evaluation in Iranian Holstein Dairy Cattle
آ. بوستان ا. نجاتی-جوارمی ا. رضوان نژاد ع. مجتهدین

Embryo transfer (ET) in Holstein dairy cattle became an important commercial enterprise after the introduction of non-surgical recovery technique. Embryo transfer could increase the reproductive rate of genetically superior cows. The objectives of the present study were More

Embryo transfer (ET) in Holstein dairy cattle became an important commercial enterprise after the introduction of non-surgical recovery technique. Embryo transfer could increase the reproductive rate of genetically superior cows. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the use of ET in Iranian Holstein dairy cattle to increase selection intensity on the dam side, economically; estimate its impact on genetic improvement with and without using genomic information and compare genetic improvement of ET with its costs. In the present study, the economic value (EV) of two strategies was calculated. In the first strategy, 10% of superior heifers, cows in parity 1 and 2 were assumed to be donor. In the second strategy heifers were not assumed as donors. The results showed that the average loss per individual in population applying ET was US$51.7 and US$46.5, for strategy 1 and 2, respectively. The average genetic superiorities of progenies produced with strategy 1 for net merit (NM$) were US$54.25, US$64.17 and US$71.27 using traditional evaluation, genomic evaluation with 3 k chip and genomic evaluation with 50 k chip and with strategy 2 were US$68.14, US$84.04 and US$87.21, respectively. In conclusion for each strategy using each method of breeding value estimation, genetic gain resulted from ET could justify the economic loss of it. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

7 - Incidence, Production and Economic Losses of Clinical Mastitis in Egyptian Holstein Cows
ام.اس. ال-ترابانی ام.آ. علی

This study utilized daily records of 2000 Egyptian Holstein dairy cows. The productive, reproductive and economic data during a whole lactation season were recorded for healthy and mastitis cows. Two risk factors for mastitis were included, parity and season of calving. More

This study utilized daily records of 2000 Egyptian Holstein dairy cows. The productive, reproductive and economic data during a whole lactation season were recorded for healthy and mastitis cows. Two risk factors for mastitis were included, parity and season of calving. Mastitis cows had significant (P<0.05) decreased average daily milk yield (26.25 kg) and 305 day milk yield (8006 kg) compared to healthy cows (28.95 and 8829 kg, respectively). Mastitis cows recorded higher calving interval compared to healthy one (413.7 vs. 352.2 days). There were significant (P<0.05) increases in total variable costs and total costs of mastitis cows compared to healthy cows. Significant differences (P<0.05) were recorded for partial and collective efficiency measures, veterinary supervision as percent from costs, where high estimates were calculated for mastitis cows (0.89 and 0.80, respectively). Also the total veterinary management as percent from total costs showed more increase in mastitis cows compared to healthy contemporaries (4.22 vs. 2.68%). The mastitis cows recorded decreased total returns / total cost % versus healthy cows (108.7 vs. 121.4%). Finally, it could be concluded that mastitis had detrimental effects on the productive and economic efficiency of the dairy farms. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

8 - Genetic and Phenotypic Trends of Productive and Reproductive Traits in Iranian Holstein Dairy Cattle of Isfahan Province
Z. آقاجری ا. آیت اللهی مهرجردی ر. طهماسبی م. مقبلی

Productive and reproductive traits have great importance in international dairy cattle breeding objectives. Production, reproduction (days open and calving interval) and pedigree data of Iranian Holstein dairy cattles were collected between 2002 and 2012 from 47 herds i More

Productive and reproductive traits have great importance in international dairy cattle breeding objectives. Production, reproduction (days open and calving interval) and pedigree data of Iranian Holstein dairy cattles were collected between 2002 and 2012 from 47 herds in Isfahan province. The data set consisted of 30179 records from 18837 registered IranianHolstein dairy cattles. Single trait repeatability animal model was used to estimate genetic parameters by restricted maximum likelihood procedures. Estimates of heritability of milk, fat and protein yields were 0.30 ± 0.014, 0.065 ± 0.0089 and 0.083 ± 0.0098 respectively and also these value for calving interval (CI) and days open (DO) were 0.074 ± 0.0094 and 0.023 ± 0.0057 respectively. Low heritability for reproductive traits indicates the importance of using available relatives’ information for selection of these traits. Average increase in breeding value for milk, fat and protein over the 11 years period were 130, 0.22 and 0.09 kg/year, respectively. The means of breeding value of DO increased by 0.08 d/year from -0.17 d in 2002 to 0.58 d in 2012 and for CI decreased irregularly by -0.01 d/year from 0.05 d in 2002 to -0.03 d in 2012. In general, all traits showed negative phenotypic trends for the studied period. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

9 - Estimates of Repeatability and Heritability of Productive Trait in Holstein Dairy Cattle
ز. عرفانی اصل ع. هاشمی م. فرهادیان

Dairy cattle breeding programs have been based in the selection for traits related to milk production. In this research a data set of 63 herds of East Azerbaijan province Holstein cattle, collected during 2002-2013 by the Iranian Animal Breeding Center was used to estim More

Dairy cattle breeding programs have been based in the selection for traits related to milk production. In this research a data set of 63 herds of East Azerbaijan province Holstein cattle, collected during 2002-2013 by the Iranian Animal Breeding Center was used to estimate the repeatability and heritability of three traits of economic importance. Genetic parameters for first three lactations of Holstein cows were estimated using repeatability models. Single-trait repeatability models were fitted for milk, fat and protein yields. The model contained milk frequency and herd-year-months of test-days (HTD) as fixed effects; effect of animals were the random effects. The estimated heritabilities in first three lactations for milk yield were 0.154, 0.263 and 0.334, for protein yield 0.134, 0.166 and 0.274 and for fat yield 0.059, 0.083 and 0.052. The estimated repeatability in first three lactations for milk yield were 0.475, 0.847 and 0.898, for protein yield 0.398, 0.479 and 0.678 and for fat yield 0.198, 0.281and 0.279. The results imply that milk traits for Holstein dairy cattle in east Azerbaijan, Iran are more heritable. Therefore, these traits can be employed by breeders as selection criteria in developing effective genetic improvement programs. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

10 - Estimation of Genetic Parameters for Milk Production Trait in Holstein Cows of the Mazandaran Gavdasht Herd Using Test Day Records
ش. قره‪ ویسی ر. عبدالله‪پور

Random regression models (RRM) are used for genetic estimations of milk traits in dairy cows. RRM utilize data on traits that are repeated during the time, such as milk trait, which allows of the evaluation of the test day production information. In this study, to estim More

Random regression models (RRM) are used for genetic estimations of milk traits in dairy cows. RRM utilize data on traits that are repeated during the time, such as milk trait, which allows of the evaluation of the test day production information. In this study, to estimate genetic parameters for milk production trait, test day records (TDR) were collected from the first lactation of Holstein cows from a Mazandaran Gavdasht herd during the years 2001 to 2012. The data included 14150 TDR of milk production trait of 1460 Holstein cows. Analysis of TDR was performed using the DFREML software. The random regression was fitted according to the Legendrepolynomials model from days of lactation. The minimum of heritability (0.04) was estimated for the early lactation period and increased in the late of lactation, about the month 9 of lactation to its peak (0.29). The phenotypic variance was not same during the lactation period and it was too much in the early and late of lactation. The maximum of genetic variance was at the month 10 (19.81) and the minimum at the early of the lactation period (2.51). The residual variances were constant. The maximum of the genetic and phenotypic correlations were observed between adjacent days for milk production trait. Using TDR, accuracy of genetic parameter estimation was increased. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

11 - Genetic Analysis of Milk Yield in Iranian Holstein Cattle by the Test Day Model
ی. نادری N. امام جمعه کاشان ر. واعظ ترشیزی م. امین افشار

Using monthly test day records the genetic parameters of Iranian Holstein cattle in first lactation were studied. Data of 277400 test-day milk records from 65320 cows and 2210 sires were analyzed by an animal random regression model using restricted maximum likelihood m More

Using monthly test day records the genetic parameters of Iranian Holstein cattle in first lactation were studied. Data of 277400 test-day milk records from 65320 cows and 2210 sires were analyzed by an animal random regression model using restricted maximum likelihood methodology. The model included herd-test-date, interaction between year-season of calving, days in milk (linear and quadratic) and dam age (linear and quadratic) as fixed effects and random regression coefficients for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects. The average of 305 days milk yield was 9760 (±1324) kilogram. Differences of milk yield among provinces were significant (P<0.05). The average of heritability estimates of milk was 0.50. The genetic correlations between adjacent test-day records were high and decreased with increase in interval between tests. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

12 - Calculation of Inbreeding Depression Effects on Subclinical Mastitis Using Three Different Models
س. نقشینه س.ع. رافت غ.ع. مقدم م. ابراهیمی ج. شجاع

Pedigree information of 3972 Holstein cows and bulls, from 1961 to 2008, was used to calculate inbreeding coefficients and their effects on production traits and subclinical mastitis of dairy farm cows inAzerbaijan province,Iran. Inbreeding was included in a linear mixe More

Pedigree information of 3972 Holstein cows and bulls, from 1961 to 2008, was used to calculate inbreeding coefficients and their effects on production traits and subclinical mastitis of dairy farm cows inAzerbaijan province,Iran. Inbreeding was included in a linear mixed model as a class variable. Data were analyzed using the PROC MIXED of SAS by MIVQUE method. Results showed that average inbreeding coefficients were inferior in total population and inbred cows (0.8 and 1.3% in total population and inbred cows, respectively). Although the rate of inbreeding coefficients was low, inbreeding had decreasing effects (P<0.01) on milk, fat, and protein yields, while increasing effects (P<0.01) on prevalence of subclinical mastitis. Furthermore, animals with inbreeding coefficients between 0.59 to 1.11%showed a reduction in milk, fat, and protein yields by 2.4, 2 and 2%, respectively; whereas, animals with inbreeding coefficients between 1.11 and 1.75% showed a reduction in milk, fat, and protein yields by 2, 3.7 and 2.7%, respectively. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

13 - Dual Promoter Vector Construction for Simultaneous Gene Expression Using Spliced Overlap Extension by Polymerase Chain Reaction (SOE-PCR) Technique
م.ه. سخاوتی م. طهمورث‪پور ط. عباسی-دلوئی س. یوسفی ع.ا. خبیری ر. اکبری E. شکاری

There are two different co-expression systems including bicistronic; dual-vector or two-promoter to express two different genes simultaneously and also to study protein-protein interactions. Bicistronic system has disadvantages e.g. compared with two-promoter system. In More

There are two different co-expression systems including bicistronic; dual-vector or two-promoter to express two different genes simultaneously and also to study protein-protein interactions. Bicistronic system has disadvantages e.g. compared with two-promoter system. In this paper, a simple method based on spliced overlap extension by polymerase chain reaction (SOE-PCR) technique was demonstrated for construction of two-promoter vector to express two genes equally. To construct two-promoter vector, two pairs of mega-primer containing enzymatic restriction sites, T7 promoter, Lac operator and ribosome binding site (RBS) sequences were used in SOE-PCR. The constructed vector can be used in order to co-expression of other genes properly in a variety of bacterial expression hosts. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

14 - Association of Bovine Lactoferrin Gene with Mastitis in Frieswal Cattle
پ. شارما اس.ان.اس. پارمار ام.اس. تاکور د.اس. نایوریال ر. رنجان

ThirtyFrieswal lactating cows were screened for clinical and subclinical mastitis and subsequently classified into healthy, subclinically affected and clinically affected groups each group comprising of 10 cows. Polymorphism of cow lactoferrin (LTF) gene promoter was de More

ThirtyFrieswal lactating cows were screened for clinical and subclinical mastitis and subsequently classified into healthy, subclinically affected and clinically affected groups each group comprising of 10 cows. Polymorphism of cow lactoferrin (LTF) gene promoter was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). The results showed that LFT gene promoter was polymorphic among different groups which indicated that its polymorphism was correlated to mastitis infection. The allelic frequency of C and G allele was 0.42 and 0.58 and they were associated with clinical and subclinical mastitis. It was found that LTF gene polymorphism and mastitis are highly associated with each other. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

15 - Evaluation of Moringa Foliage (Moringa oleifera) as Goat Feed
ن. سولتانا ا.ر. آلیمون کا.اس. هوکیو م. بابا جی. حسین

Thirty five growing male goats (6.98±0.86 kg BW) were divided into five equal groups with seven animals in each group. The five dietary treatments were consisted of varying proportions of Moringa foliage (Moringa oleifera) and napier grass (Pennisetum purpurium); More

Thirty five growing male goats (6.98±0.86 kg BW) were divided into five equal groups with seven animals in each group. The five dietary treatments were consisted of varying proportions of Moringa foliage (Moringa oleifera) and napier grass (Pennisetum purpurium); T1 (100% Moringa foliage); T2 (75% Moringa foliage+25% napier grass); T3 (50% Moringa foliage+50% napier grass); T4 (25% Moringa foliage+75% napier grass) and T5 (100% napier grass) (control). The experiment was arranged in complete randomized design to evaluate the feed intake, nutrient digestibility and live weight gains of Bengal goats fed napier grass mixed with different levels of Moringa foliage. The dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and ash contents of the diets increased as the proportion of Moringa foliage increased and the reverse was seen for organic matter (OM) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) content. The DM intake was significantly (P<0.01) higher in sole Moringa diet than napier-Moringa foliage mixture and sole napier diet. Crude protein intake increased with higher inclusion level of Moringa foliage in the diet. The DM and OM digestibility of goats was significantly (P<0.01) higher in sole Moringa foliage diet than in other experimental diets. The CP digestibility was increased linearly with increasing level of Moringa foliage in the diet. Nitrogen retention was significantly (P<0.01) higher in sole Moringa and Moringa-napier mixture diets than in the sole napier grass diet. The mean daily average live weight gain followed a similar trend as the nitrogen retention which revealed that the nitrogen retention of all treatment groups was above the maintenance level of the animals. It is concluded that Moringa foliage can be replaced in goat diet up to 75% in napier grass based diet. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

16 - The “Male Effect” Onestrous Synchronization and Reproductive Characteristics of Female Markhoz Goat during the Breeding Season
م.م. معینی و. محمدی چپ‪دره م. سوری

One hundred female Markhoz goats (42±5 kg) were used to investigate the ‘male effect’ on estrous synchronization and reproductive characteristics of female goat during the breeding season. This was carried out in three separate experiments. In the fir More

One hundred female Markhoz goats (42±5 kg) were used to investigate the ‘male effect’ on estrous synchronization and reproductive characteristics of female goat during the breeding season. This was carried out in three separate experiments. In the first experiment, forty female goats were used in 4 groups with different distance from the male goats (i.e. source of pheromone secretion); A1 (1 meter), A2 (12.5 meters), A3 (25 meters) and A4 (50 meters). In the second experiment, thirty female goats were synchronized using CIDR in three groups in the presence or absence of male goats; B1 (the presence of male goat with females during synchronization), B2 (sudden introducing of male goat to females goat during the time of removal of CIDR) and B3 (no male goat during synchronization). In the third experiment, thirty female goats were used in 3 groups; C1 (male goat permanently was presented near to the females during the experiment), C2 (sudden introducing of male to females) and D or control group (no male before mating). The results showed the effect of male goat on estrous synchronization, causing reproductive cycles in early breeding season and increasing incidence of estrous (P<0.05). The male effect improved fertility and kidding rates (P<0.05). Male effect was more pronounced when the distance of unlike sexes decreased (P<0.01). Male effect was also more effective, with sudden introducing of male to female goat (P<0.01). The male effect was more efficient when compared with synchronized female by CIDR in onset of estrous (P<0.05), and increased serum estrogen concentration in the follicular phase (P<0.05). Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

17 - Utilization of Date by Product on Sheep Feeding: Its Ruminal Degradation, Nutrient Digestibility and Its Effect on Sheep Growth
م. تقی نژاد رودبنه س.ر. ابراهیمی-محمود‪آباد ه. قریشی م. کاظمی-بنچناری

This study was conducted in two separate experiments. Four rumen-cannulated sheep were allocated in the first experiment to evaluate date by-product (DBP) and date seed (DS) nutrients degradation in rumen. In experiment two eighteen fattening lambs were allocated in thr More

This study was conducted in two separate experiments. Four rumen-cannulated sheep were allocated in the first experiment to evaluate date by-product (DBP) and date seed (DS) nutrients degradation in rumen. In experiment two eighteen fattening lambs were allocated in three different treatments (6 animals/treatment) to evaluate DBP effects on animal performance and nutrients’ digestibility. Three experimental treatments were as follow; 1) control group (C, diet without DBP inclusion), 2 and 3) diets with DBP at two inclusion levels of 10(DBP10) and 20(DBP20) %, respectively. The performance trial lasted 90 days. The results of degradation kinetics showed that both wash out fraction (a) and potentially degradable fraction (b) were greater in DBP compared to DS for dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradation. Effective degradability for DM, OM and NDF was differed between DBP and DS in all measured passage rate times. Results of the performance trail revealed that inclusion of 20% DBP decreased daily gain (DG) and hence increased feed conversion ratio (FCR; 7.1, 7.7 and 8.6 for C, DBP10 and DBP20, respectively). Daily gain was 210, 200 and 160 g/d for C, DBP10 and DBP20; respectively showing that inclusion of 20% decreased gain but the inclusion of 10% had an acceptable gain compared to control treatment. The diet cost was decreased by inclusion of DBP. Considering the degradation rate of DBP in rumen and also the performance trial results, it could be suggested that limited inclusion of DBP in sheep diet could decrease dietary costs and improve economic efficiency without reducing gain or efficiency in intensive lamb fattening system. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

18 - Polymorphisms in Melanocortin Receptor 1 Gene in Goat Breeds: A Window for Coat Color Controling Mechanism
آ. جوانمرد ب. عارف نژاد ر. عبداللهی آرپناهی م.ح. مرادی

The broad goal of this research was to examine the nature of the Melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) locus on the coat color phenotype of seven goat breeds with different color coat. Blood samples were collected from five Iranian indigenous (Khalkhal, Markhor, Naeini, Najdi More

The broad goal of this research was to examine the nature of the Melanocortin receptor 1 (MC1R) locus on the coat color phenotype of seven goat breeds with different color coat. Blood samples were collected from five Iranian indigenous (Khalkhal, Markhor, Naeini, Najdi and Tali) and two exotic (Cashmere and Saanen) goat breeds. Polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique and DNA sequencing were used to detect polymorphism of theMC1Rgene. Digestion of polymerase chain reaction products with EarI revealed two alleles of A and B and three genotypes of AA, AB and BB. The observed allele size was similar to previous reports. The genotype and gene frequencies for each breed were determined and shown to be variable among the breeds. In the goat breeds with black / brown coat color, AA genotype showed a higher frequency than white color goat breeds. In this aspect, Tali had only AA and AB genotypes and Cashmere had AB and BB genotypes. Comparison of genotype frequencies using χ2 test showed significant (P<0.01) differences between colored and white coat phenotypes. The Lys226Arg (A676G) mutation of the MC1R was verified by sequencing distinguished the B allele from the A allele. The phylogenetic tree also separated these breeds into two clusters, including exotic breeds with white / yellow coat color and indigenous breeds with black/brown phenotype. A replacement mutation was verified in Lys to Arg at position 676 bp. In conclusion, the results of this study confirmed the previous findings onMC1R gene as a useable tool for breed identification and white mohair marketing and production. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

19 - Bayesian Estimates of Genetic Relationships between Growth Curve Parameters in Shall Sheep via Gibbs Sampling
ن. قوی حسین-زاده

The objective of this study was to estimate variance components and genetic parameters for growth curve parameters in Shall sheep. Studied traits were parameters of Brody growth model which included A (asymptotic mature weight), B (initial animal weight) and K (maturati More

The objective of this study was to estimate variance components and genetic parameters for growth curve parameters in Shall sheep. Studied traits were parameters of Brody growth model which included A (asymptotic mature weight), B (initial animal weight) and K (maturation rate). The data set and pedigree information used in this study were obtained from the Animal Breeding Center of Iran and comprised 4020 growth curve parameters of lambs from birth to 400 days of age during 1982 to 2012. Marginal posterior distributions of parameters and variance components were estimated using TM program. The Gibbs sampler was run 300000 rounds and the first 60000 rounds were discarded as a burn-in period. Posterior mean estimates of direct heritabilities for A, B and K were 0.13, 0.15 and 0.19, respectively. Estimates of direct genetic correlation between growth curve parameters were 0.41, -0.30 and -0.31 between A-B, A-K and B-K, respectively. Residual correlations between growth curve parameters varied from -0.57 (between A-K) to 0.62 (between A-B). Also, phenotypic correlations between growth curve parameters varied from -0.48 (between B-K) to 0.30 (between A-B). The low estimates of heritability obtained in this study implies that although genetic selection could be partially affected on the growth curve parameters, much of the improvement in these parameters could be attained by improvement of production environment rather than genetic selection in this breed of sheep. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

20 - Effects of Adding Ethanol Extract of Propolis and Cumin Essential Oil to Diet on the Performance, Blood Parameters, Immune Response and Carcass Traits of Broiler Chicks
م. ترکی ژ. سلطانی ح. محمدی

This study was conducted to determine the effects of adding ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) and cumin essential oil (CEO) to diets of broiler chicks on the performance, blood parameters, immune response and carcass traits. A total of 240 day-old Ross-308 broiler chick More

This study was conducted to determine the effects of adding ethanol extract of propolis (EEP) and cumin essential oil (CEO) to diets of broiler chicks on the performance, blood parameters, immune response and carcass traits. A total of 240 day-old Ross-308 broiler chicks were randomly allocated to four treatments with six replicates and 10 birds in each replicate in a completely randomized design. Each of four iso-caloric and iso-nitrogenous corn-soybean-based experimental diets including control, diet with 0.2 g/kg EEP, diet with 0.8 g/kg CEO and diet with 0.2 EEP g/kg as well as 0.8 g/kg CEO were offered to the birds during a 6-week trial period. Body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), feed intake (FI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were determined throughout starter and grower periods (1-21 and 22-42 days of age, respectively). Plasma levels of albumin, cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), triacylglyceride (TG), uric acid, glucose and leukocyte profile were determined on day 42 of age. At the end of the experimental period, carcass traits were also determined. Diet inclusion of EEP and / or CEO significantly improved BW, BWG and FCR. The birds fed diet containing EEP at 0.2 g/kg had significantly lower plasma concentration of glucose compared to the control group. The use of EEP or CEO significantly decreased plasma concentration of cholesterol compared to the control group. The use of EEP or CEO also increased plasma concentration of albumin compared to the control group. Diet inclusion of EEP and/or CEO did not significantly influence the antibody titters against Newcastles vaccine at 31 and 41 days of age, H/L ratio and also carcass characteristics. Results of this study showed that EEP and CEO can be used in diets of broiler chickens at 0.2 g/kgand 0.8 g/kg, respectively with positive effects on performance and blood parameters. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

21 - Effect of the Replacement of Soybean Meal by Rubber Seed Meal on Growth, Economics and Carcass Characteristics of Broiler
ام.جی. خاتون ام.ز. کریم جی.ب. داس ام.کا.آی. خان

The experiment was to study the effects of replacing soybean meal by rubber seed meal on growth, economics and carcass characteristics of broiler. A total of 150 day-old commercial broiler (Cobb-500) was reared for a period of 35 days. There were five treatments includi More

The experiment was to study the effects of replacing soybean meal by rubber seed meal on growth, economics and carcass characteristics of broiler. A total of 150 day-old commercial broiler (Cobb-500) was reared for a period of 35 days. There were five treatments including T0 (without rubber seed meal), T1 (10% rubber seed meal), T2 (20% rubber seed meal), and T3 (30% rubber seed meal) and T4 (40% rubber seed meal) and each dietary treatment group consists of 30 chicks under two replicated pens (R1 and R2). Chickens had freely access to feed and water thought the experiment. Body weight was taken at weekly basis. Feed was measured from each replication at weekly interval for the determination of feed intake of birds. At the end of the experiment the carcasses quality was studied. At the age of 5th week, the average body weight and body weight gain of the broilers were not significantly (P<0.05) differed between the treatments. Significant differences were found in feed conversion ratio (FCR) value between treatments and highest FCR was found in T2 (1.656±0.055) where used 20% of rubber seed meal (RSM) than others. There was no toxic or detrimental effect of rubber seed meal found in broiler production. The highest dressing percentage (60.51±0.097) was found in T1 (10% RSM) and the lowest (54.40±1.166) was in T4 (40% RSM). Therefore it could be concluded that, soybean meal might be replaced by the RSM at 10-20%. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

22 - The Impact of Different Levels of Vitamin E and Selenium on the Performance, Quality and the Hatchability of Eggs from Breeding Japanese Quails
م. عباس‪زاده مبارکی م. اقدم شهریار

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of vitamin E and selenium (Se) supplementation on the performance, egg quality and hatchability of eggs from Japanese breeding quails. The experiment was conducted over a 60 day period using 135 quails in a com More

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the impact of vitamin E and selenium (Se) supplementation on the performance, egg quality and hatchability of eggs from Japanese breeding quails. The experiment was conducted over a 60 day period using 135 quails in a completely randomized design (CRD) with two levels of vitamin E and two levels of selenium (80 mg/kg of vitamin E+0.2 mg/kg organic selenium and 160 mg/kg vitamin E+0.4 mg/kg organic selenium). For each treatment, 3 replicates were considered. Each replicate included 15 quails (12 females and 3 males). Experimental results indicated that feed intake, shell thickness, the weight of egg whites and the percentage of egg hatchability stored for 7 days were significantly affected by the treatments (P<0.05). However, it was found that the treatments of the study did not have significant impacts on other features, i.e. egg production percentage, feed conversion ratio, egg shell percentage, yolk weight percentage, international quality unit (IQU), Haugh unit, percentage egg hatchability in 10 days storage. The results of the experiments revealed that the use of vitamin E and selenium (160 mg/kg of vitamin E+0.4 mg/kg organic selenium) had the highest impact on performance traits, percentage hatchability and egg quality traits. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

23 - Effect of Artichoke (Cynara scolymus) Leaf Powder on Performance and Physicochemical Properties of Frozen Meat of Japanese Quail
ف. صمدی ف. عباسی ص. صمدی

This study evaluated the effects of artichoke leaf powder on growth performance and physicochemical properties of Japanese quailfrozen meat after 3 monthstorage. A total of 240 Japanese quail chicks (1 d old) were raised over a 42-d experimental period. The experiment w More

This study evaluated the effects of artichoke leaf powder on growth performance and physicochemical properties of Japanese quailfrozen meat after 3 monthstorage. A total of 240 Japanese quail chicks (1 d old) were raised over a 42-d experimental period. The experiment was performed as a completely randomized design with 4 replicates of 15 quails in each, using a 4 × 2 factorial arrangement with diet and gender as main effects. Four dietary treatments were formulated by addition of 2 levels (1.5 and 3 percent) of artichoke leaf powder and 300 mg/kg vitamin E to the basal diet. Results showed that supplementing basal diet with artichoke leaf powder and vitamin E significantly affected growth performance parameters at 21 d of age, but body weight (BW) was the only growth performance which was affected by dietary treatments at 42 of age. Dietary treatments significantly affected only thiobarbituric reactive substances (TBARS) value of thigh meat. Vitamin E dietary treatment reduced TBARS value of thigh meat compared with control (P<0.05). The main effect of diet was statistically significant only for b* index of breast meat. In this regard, dietary 1.5 percent artichoke leaf powder resulted in higher b* values of breast meat when compared with control. The lightness values of thigh and breast meats and also redness value of breast meat were affected by gender (P<0.05). In general, this study showed that supplementing basal diet of Japanese quail with artichoke leaf powder did not improve growth performance, but has potential to improve oxidative stability and meat quality. In addition, vitamin E showed an improvement in growth performance at 21 d of age and oxidative stability of thigh meat at 42 d of age. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

24 - Effect of Varying Protein Levels and Preservation Methods and Duration on Egg Production Performance and External Egg Qualities of Japanese Quails in a Semi-Arid Environment
ن. موحامد اس. آلتینه آ. ابوبکر یو.ام. چاف ام.ام. میکایلو

The study was conducted to determine the effect of varying protein levels and preservation method on external egg qualities of Japanese quails. A total of 180 birds were randomly allotted into three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated s More

The study was conducted to determine the effect of varying protein levels and preservation method on external egg qualities of Japanese quails. A total of 180 birds were randomly allotted into three dietary treatments in a completely randomized design (CRD) replicated six times. A factorial arrangement of 3 × 4 × 4 which involves 3 protein levels (15, 20 and 25% crude protein), 4 storage methods and 4 time intervals was designed to determine the effect of storage methods on external egg quality characteristics. The birds were fed diets containing 15, 20 and 25% crude protein in treatment 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The trial lasted for 10 weeks during which egg production, egg weight and external egg qualities were monitored. The egg weight, hen day and hen house egg production were significantly higher for quails fed diet containing 25% crude protein. There was significant effect of protein level on egg width, height and shell thickness (P<0.05). However, there was no significant effect of preservation on egg height, shell thickness and shell index. However, significant effects were observed in egg weight and shell area when the eggs were immersed in oil and stored at room temperature (P<0.05), Results indicated that length of preservation has no significant effect on Haugh unit, shell weight, shell index and shell area. However, egg weight was lower at week 0, other storage intervals remain the same. Storage time was found to be significant for all the traits observed. Refrigeration and immersion in oil and stored at room temperature provide significant (P<0.05) value for Haugh unit, indicating a minimal loss in quality. It was concluded that increasing dietary protein level of 25% will increase the production performance and internal egg quality of Japanese quails. Refrigeration and immersion in oil provided the best method for storage of eggs of the Japanese quails. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

25 - Effects of Euphorbia hirta and Acidifiers Supplement on Resistance of Broiler Chickens against Salmonella enteritidis Infection: Oral Challenge Model
س.ر. هاشمی آ. زولکیفلی ه. داوودی م. هیر-بجو ز. زونیتا

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Euphorbia hirta and acidifiers supplement on resistance of broiler chickens against Salmonella enteritidis infection. A total of 120 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatmen More

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of Euphorbia hirta and acidifiers supplement on resistance of broiler chickens against Salmonella enteritidis infection. A total of 120 day-old male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to 3 dietary treatments. 1) basal diet, 2) basal diet supplemented with 2 g/kg organic acid (OA) and 3) basal diet supplemented with 7.5 g/kg E. hirta (EH7.5). At d 3, all chicks were inoculated by 1 mL S. enteritidis (1.5×108 cfu/bird). Cloacal swabs were taken from the inoculated chicken on d 2, 10, 17, 23 and 28 post inoculation and the chicks were killed for microbiological examination on d 7, 14 and 28 after challenge. At seven and 14 days after challenge, the number of S. entritidis was significantly (P<0.05) higher in control group than the other groups and the rate of ceca enumeration dropped significantly (P<0.05) after 14 days in birds fed with OA compared to the EH7.5 diet. At 10 d after challenge, EH7.5 and OA treatments were significantly reduced in S. entritidis shedding compared with the control group (P<0.05). Cloacal S. entritidis shedding was not observed after 17 days post challenge in OA, as well as 23 days post challenge in OA and EH7.5 groups. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrated that feeding of both EH7.5 and OA could successfully control S. enteritidis infection in broilers. However, based on S. entritidis cecal colonization and S. entritidis cloacal swabs, it is inferred that OA appeared to be more effective than EH7.5 inclusion in the diet on controlling salmonelosis in broilers. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

26 - Comparision of Direct and Indirect Response to Selection for Breast Weight in Japanese Quail
م. خالداری ح. قیاسی

This study was carried out to investigate the direct and indirect responses to selection for four-week body weight (4 week body (wk BW)) and four-week breast weight (4 week breast weight (wk BRW)) and to determine the genetic contribution of reminder founders to the las More

This study was carried out to investigate the direct and indirect responses to selection for four-week body weight (4 week body (wk BW)) and four-week breast weight (4 week breast weight (wk BRW)) and to determine the genetic contribution of reminder founders to the last generation. A total number of 351 birds were equally allocated to three lines, including two selected lines (S1 and S2 for BW and breast weight, respectively) along with a control (C) line. Total net genetic improvement for BW and BRW in S1 and S2 lines were 31.6, 7.6 and 28.0 and 7.3 g, respectively. Genetic correlations between 4 wk BW and carcass traits (0.85 to 0.95) and phenotypic correlations (0.43 to 0.93) were positively high in S1 and S2 lines. The mean percentage of inbreeding for population and inbred birds in S1 and S2 lines were 0.95, 7.75 and 0.64 and 11.3, respectively. The number of retained founders to the last generation of S1 was more than S2. However, more balance genetic contribution to the last generation was outlined by the founders in S2 line. The BW can be used as a selection criterion to improve the carcass traits because there is a strong correlation between BW and carcass traits, selection for BW is easier to record and also its improvement costs are lower than selection for BRW. Meanwhile, long term response to selection is needed to preserve alleles from the lowest contributed founders. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

27 - Genetics of Body Conformation and Feed Efficiency Characteristics in a Control Line of Rhode Island Red Chicken
آ.کا. داس اس. کومار آ. رحیم

This investigation aimed to assess genetics of body conformation and feed efficiency traits in a control line of Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken taking single hatched out pedigreed 100 chicks at Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, India. Data was analyzed by lea More

This investigation aimed to assess genetics of body conformation and feed efficiency traits in a control line of Rhode Island Red (RIR) chicken taking single hatched out pedigreed 100 chicks at Central Avian Research Institute, Izatnagar, India. Data was analyzed by least squares analysis of variance. Least squares means of chick weight (CW), body weight (BW), shank length (SL), keel length (KL), breast angle (BA), body weight gain (WG), feed intake (FC) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were estimated at various weeks of age. Sex had significant effect on BA at 4th week, SL at 12th week, SL and KL at 16th week; males being better than females throughout the ages, but sex did not show any significant effect on any feed efficiency traits; though males performed better than females almost at all ages. Sire had significant effect on CW, KL at 6th week, SL, KL and BA at 12th week, BW and BA at 16th week. Sire also affected (P<0.05)WG at 8th week and FC throughout the ages; but not FCR at any age. FC also varied (P<0.05)among the feeding groups at 4th and 12th weeks. All the traits excluding FC were heritable at variable magnitude. The estimates of genetic (rG) and phenotypic (rP) correlations coefficients were positive in trends and high in magnitude uniformly among all the intra-week body weights and body conformation traits. The rG estimates were also positive in trends and variable in magnitude at different weeks of age excepting at 16th week among various feed efficiency traits excluding WG vs. FC which could not follow any uniform trend throughout the ages. The rP estimates were positive between FC and FCR and negative between FCR and WG excepting at 8th and 6th week, respectively. These findings may be helpful for improvement program of the chicken line. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

28 - Sequencing and Molecular Analysis of ATP 6 and ATP 8 of Mitochondrial Genome in Khorasanian Native Chickens
ا. افشاریان م.ر. نصیری

In order to perform breeding programs and improve production of native chickens, preserving genetic diversity in different areas of Iran is important due to the reduced available population. Genome sequencing is considered the most functional approach to determine the p More

In order to perform breeding programs and improve production of native chickens, preserving genetic diversity in different areas of Iran is important due to the reduced available population. Genome sequencing is considered the most functional approach to determine the phylogeny relation between close populations. The aim of the present study was the evaluation of the phylogeny and genetic nucleotide sequences of ATP 6 and a partial region of ATP 8 fragments in mitochondrial genome of khorasanian native chickens. For this purpose, blood samples were randomly collected from6 khorasanian native chickens and after DNA extraction the ATP 6 and partial region of ATP 8 fragments with the length of 867 bp were amplified using specific primers. Sequencing was don according to Sanger method and based on automate system. The phylogeny tree and matrices of the genetic distances between khorasanian native chickens and other breeds for ATP 6 and ATP 8 of mitochondrial genome were drawn using the same sequences of mitochondrial genome in other available breeds in NCBI database. Results showed no haplotype difference between the studied samples sequences. Phylogeny test results revealed hat khorasanian native chicken were similar to native chicken in Laos, White Leghorn and White Plymouth Rock. Further more, the lowest genetic distance was observed between khorasanian native chicken with Phasianus colchicus and Tragopan caboti for the ATP 6and Columba livia and Francolinus pintadeanus for the ATP 8 genes. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

29 - Performance and Measures of Stress in Lambs Weaned at 45 and 90 Days
م.ه. علی م.ع. نوروزیان ا.ع خادم

A study was conducted to evaluate effects of age at weaning on various growth characteristics and stress measures of Zandi lambs. The lambs were weaned at 45 and 90 days of age. The body weights and average daily gain (ADG) were monitored during the experimental period More

A study was conducted to evaluate effects of age at weaning on various growth characteristics and stress measures of Zandi lambs. The lambs were weaned at 45 and 90 days of age. The body weights and average daily gain (ADG) were monitored during the experimental period and 5 months of age. Cortisol, glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and lamb behavior (agitation, vocalization) were recorded before and after weaning. After separation, lambs weaned at 45 d of age had greater agitation scores and bleats. Furthermore, serum cortisol, glucose and BUN concentration were higher for lambs at a weaning age of 45 d. The ADG and weaning and 5-months weights were similar. The results of the present study indicated that there is no significant difference in the growth traits of Zandi lambs, weaned at 45 or 90 days of age, and suggested that lamb could be weaned at 45 days of age. Manuscript profile

Open Access Article

30 - Genetic Polymorphism Detection of the Exon 1 Region of Acetyl-CoA Carboxylase Alpha Gene in Iranian Mahabadi Goat Breed
س. جوزی شکالگورابی ح. مرادی شهربابک م. عباسی فیروزجائی آ. قربانی

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase α (ACC-alpha) is considered as the key regulatory enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis. ACC-alpha gene is located on Caprine chromosome 11 and is polymorphic in many goat breeds. In the current study, we aimed to find possible single nuc More

Acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase α (ACC-alpha) is considered as the key regulatory enzyme in fatty acid biosynthesis. ACC-alpha gene is located on Caprine chromosome 11 and is polymorphic in many goat breeds. In the current study, we aimed to find possible single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the exon 1 region of the ACC-alpha gene in Iranian Mahabadi goat breed. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of 150 Mahabadi does. The exon 1 region of the ACC-alpha gene was amplified to produce a 390 bp fragment. The PCR products were analyzed by both polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) techniques. RFLP was performed utilizing HinfI endonuclease enzyme. No polymorphism was observed after digestion of the PCR products using HinfI. However, SSCP of the PCR products revealed two conformation patterns at the exon 1 region of goat ACC-alpha gene with frequencies of 86% and 14%, respectively. Sequencing the observed conformation patterns presented more than 10 SNPs compared with its reported squences in the exon 1 region of ovine ACC-alpha gene. Most observed polymorphic sites did not follow the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Sequence results indicated more similarity in the exon 1 of the ACC-alpha gene among indigenous sheep and goat breeds. Manuscript profile

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