Infrared thermography may be an alternative technology for measuring the amount of CH produced and has the advantages of low cost, speed and efficiency in obtaining results. The study's objective was to determine if the infrared thermography is adequate for predicting the emission of CH in hair sheep and the best time after feeding to carry out the measurement. Twelve Santa Inês lambs (females, non-pregnant, with twelve months old and mean body weight of 39.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHaemonchus contortus is known for its high pathogenicity in sheep, and the uncontrolled use of anthelmintics resulted in the emergence of multiple drug-resistant populations. Breeding sheep for gastrointestinal nematode resistance is a sustainable alternative to reduce dependence of anthelmintic drugs, and differences in the degree of resistance between breeds have been reported. Here we compare two sheep breeds (Santa Ines and Ile de France), concerning the differences in innate and adaptive immune response involved in the resistance against H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFComplex cross-talk occurs between gastrointestinal nematodes and gut symbiotic microbiota, with consequences for animal metabolism. To investigate the connection between methane production and endoparasites, this study evaluated the effect of mixed infection with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis on methanogenic and methanotrophic community in rumen microbiota of lambs using shotgun metagenomic and real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The rumen content was collected from six Santa Inês lambs, (7 months old) before and after 42 days infection by esophageal tube.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRes Vet Sci
March 2024
"Exploring AMH Levels, Homeostasis and Primordial Follicle Activation in Pubertal Infected Sheep on a High Protein Diet ". The first activation wave of ovarian primordial follicles is part of the onset of puberty and fertility. Abomasal helminth infection may cause an undesirable delay in puberty manifestation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSanta Ines (SI) and Ile de France (IF) sheep are known to be resistant and susceptible to Haemonchus contortus infection, respectively. Several studies have shown some genes as potential biological markers for sheep resistance against gastrointestinal nematodes using molecular tools, including transcriptomic analysis. In this study, we sequenced the polyadenylated RNA of the abomasal tissue of SI and IF suckling lambs to identify mucosa-specific transcript alterations between breeds artificially infected with H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAntibiotics are present in the environment, primarily due to their release through wastewater treatment plants, agricultural practices, and improper disposal of unused medications. In the environment, these drugs can be bioaccumulated by organisms and transferred along the food chain. This is a problem when considering the consumption of fish meat.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVet Parasitol
March 2023
Phosphorus (P) is one of the main minerals present in the animal body and exerts crucial functions in the organism. P is present at all cell membranes and integrates the structure of bones, being necessary its supplementation in ruminants due to the deficiency of this mineral in the pastures. One of the principal factors that compromise its metabolization are gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study aimed to evaluate histological, digestive and postabsorptive physiological parameters in Santa Ines lambs infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis and fed different levels of phosphorus. Therefore, eighteen Santa Ines, castrated male, six-month old, healthy lambs (initial body weight 22.4 ± 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHaemonchus contortus is the most important gastrointestinal nematode in small ruminant systems worldwide and has developed resistance to several drugs, including ivermectin (IVM). IVM is not only a veterinary drug but also a safe, broad-spectrum, antiparasitic drug used in humans. One of the main IVM-resistance mechanisms in H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrevious studies have illustrated that different bioactive legume fodders containing condensed tannins might represent one of the options for integrated sustainable control of gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) in ruminants, which may help address the worldwide development of resistance to synthetic anthelmintics. More recently, impetus has been given to assess the potential antiparasitic activity of less conventional resources, represented by different agro-industrial by-products (AIBPs). This review presents in vitro and in vivo results obtained with a range of tannin-containing AIBPs of various geographical and botanical origins, namely AIBP of nuts, temperate and tropical barks, carob, coffee and cocoa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe evaluated Haemonchus contortus (HC) and Trichostrongylus colubriformis (TC) infection on the ruminal microbial community of Santa Ines lambs to better understand the pathophysiology of parasite infections and the interactions among gastrointestinal nematodes and gut resident microbiota. In this study, 18 six months of age lambs were maintained for 34 days in individual pens divided into three treatments that included animals infected with HC and TC, and control (infection-free). Haematological, ruminal parameter and microbial nitrogen absorbed by pune derivatives, as well as enteric methane emission (CH), were analysed, and the rumen microbial taxonomic and functional profile assessed by shotgun metagenomics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Vet Res
November 2021
Background: The ewe lamb nutritional and physiological state interfere with the ovarian environment and fertility. The lack or excess of circulating nutrients reaching the ovary can change its gene expression. A protein deficiency in the blood caused by an Haemonchus contortus abomasal infection is detrimental to the organism's development during puberty.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis review details the negative effects of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infection in sheep phosphorus metabolism and direct and indirect impacts from high excretion from susceptible animals, as well as the advantages offered by precision feeding as potential strategies to mitigate loss. In sheep infected with T. colubriformis there is a high reduction in P bioavailability, because of depression in the absorptive capacity of this mineral, affecting the absorption and recycling of P to the digestive tract, causing mineral deficiency.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of this study was to evaluate if the cottonseed intake during gestation and lactation affects the ovarian population in ewes and lambs. Therefore, 39 ewes were evaluated during 10 months under two treatments: Cottonseed and soybeans. The quantification of ovarian follicular dynamics was analyzed by ultrasound and the determination of progesterone and estradiol levels was interpreted by radioimmunoassay.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) bagasse is the by-product from industry (BCI), generated during manufacturing of cassava flour; this material has significant amounts of carbohydrates consisting in a potential energy source for ruminants. We hypothesized that the inclusion of BCI in the diets may lead to fermentation parameters equivalent to those of conventional feedstuff such as tropical grasses or grains; therefore, we aimed to evaluate ruminal fermentation parameters of BCI in in vitro conditions. Three different substrates were prepared: 100% BCI (BCI diet), 100% tifton (Cynodon spp.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDuring specific times of the year, especially dry seasons, tropical forages typically have poor nutritional value due to high contents of neutral and acid detergent fibres, and low crude protein in their composition, which may reduce productivity of ruminant livestock production and lead to increased enteric methane (CH ) emissions per unit of generated product in forage-bases systems. In order to increase fibre degradability and the efficiency of energy utilisation from low-quality forages, exogenous fibrolytic enzymes have been studied. In this assay, we evaluated the effects of increasing dose levels of fibrolytic enzymes extract (FEE) produced by Trichoderma reesei on in vitro rumen organic matter degradability, fermentation parameters, total gas and CH production of tropical forages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClimatic variables can trigger physiological, biochemical, haematological and hormonal alterations that influence the maintenance of homeothermy and can affect production and productivity in sheep. Different mechanisms are responsible for tolerance to heat stress (HS) including coat and skin colour, body size, fat distribution, physiological reactions and not just coat type (hair/wool). This review looks at physical, physiological, molecular and genetic aspects of heat tolerance in sheep and how they affect hair and wool sheep.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Bras Parasitol Vet
June 2020
This study aimed to evaluate the effects of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infection on the hemato-biochemical parameters, feed digestibility, and nitrogen balance in Santa Inês lambs. Eighteen three-month-old Santa Ines castrated male lambs (16.9 ± 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study was carried out to evaluate the effects of tannin supplementation on ruminal microbiota of sixteen lambs infected and non-infected with Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus colubriformis. Animals were fed with hay, concentrate and supplemented with Acacia mearnsii (A. mearnsii).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Reproductive capacity can be altered by challenges experienced during critical periods of development, including fetal development and early neonatal life. Gossypol is a polyphenolic compound, commonly found in cotton seeds, that impairs male reproduction. Here, we investigated whether the exposure to gossypol in utero and during lactation alters male reproductive function in sheep.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe use of cotton co-products in animal feed is restricted by the presence of gossypol, which is a toxic and highly reactive molecule of complex minerals. In mammals, part of the offspring phenotype is influenced by dam nutrition. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of ewe diet, with and without cottonseed (gossypol), on the testicular development of lambs from birth to weaning through the assessment of lamb live weight (LW), macro and histological morphology of testes, and mass fraction of chemical elements by neutron activation analysis (NAA) and microprobe X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as the multielement distribution map in the testes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFExp Parasitol
December 2019
Gastrointestinal nematodes are a main problem for ruminant production, reducing animal performance and increasing environmental impact per unit of animal product generated. Tannin supplementation may lead to positive results regarding aspects such as parasitic infections and methane (CH) emissions. Therefore, the objective of this experiment was to evaluate the effects of the condensed tannins (CT) extract made of powdered Acacia mearnsii bark (PAB) on nutrition, parasitic status and CH emissions in sheep artificially infected with Trichostrongylus colubriformis and Haemonchus contortus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of Trichostrongylus colubriformis infection on digesta passage rate, rumen fermentation and lamb performance. Eighteen three-month-old Santa Ines castrated male lambs (16.9 ± 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChromium (Cr) is a micromineral that is involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, ammonia, and nucleic acids; thus, its supplementation can influence the nutritional status of ruminants, and consequently, colostrum profile, since this secretion depends on products secreted by the mammary gland and elements of the maternal bloodstream. The present study investigated the influence of supplementation with Cr bound to organic molecule on the nutritional, immune, and antioxidant quality of ewe colostrum. Thirty-two multiparous Santa Ines ewes (55.
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