Extension of the equilibration period up to 24 h maintains the post-thawing quality of Holstein bull semen frozen with OPTIXcell®.

Semen cryopreservation in bovine livestock is well established, but logistics often require deviations from standard protocols. Extending the equilibration time to the following day is convenient in many situations. To improve our knowledge of the effects of this modification, we studied the post-thawing and post-incubation (4 h, 38 °C) sperm quality after freezing with 4 or 24-h extension in the OPTIXcell extender by using an ample panel of analyses: CASA for motility; flow cytometry for viability, physiology, oxidative stress, and chromatin parameters (DNA fragmentation, chromatin compaction, and thiol groups status); and spectrometry for malondialdehyde production.

Single layer centrifugation (SLC) for bacterial removal with Porcicoll positively modifies chromatin structure in boar spermatozoa.

The storage of boar semen samples at 17 °C for artificial insemination (AI) doses enables the proliferation of the bacteria, making antibiotics necessary. This can contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This study tested bacterial presence and sperm chromatin structure after using a low-density colloid (Porcicoll) as an antibiotic alternative to eliminate bacteria.

and as Non-Seasonal/Seasonal Models for the Role of Melatonin Receptors in the Spermatozoon.

Melatonin is crucial in reproduction due its antioxidant, hormonal, and paracrine action. Melatonin membrane receptors (MT/MT) have been confirmed on spermatozoa from several species, but functionality studies are scarce. To clarify their role in ruminants as reproductive models, bull (, non-seasonal) and red deer (, highly seasonal) spermatozoa were analyzed after 4 h of incubation (38 °C, capacitating media) in 10 nM melatonin, MT/MT agonists (phenylmelatonin and 8M-PDOT), and antagonists (luzindole and 4P-PDOT).

Melatonin affects red deer spermatozoa motility and physiology in capacitating and non-capacitating conditions.

Melatonin affects sperm physiology, possibly through membrane receptors. Effects were tested at low concentrations (1 pM, 100 pM, 10 nM and 1 µM) in red deer epididymal spermatozoa as a model for high-seasonality species. Samples were incubated with melatonin as uncapacitated or capacitating conditions (heparin) and evaluated for motility and physiology (flow cytometry).

Organosolv and ionosolv processes for autohydrolyzed poplar fractionation: Lignin recovery and characterization.

Biomass fractionation plays a major role in the search for competitive biorefineries, where the isolation and recovery of the three woody fractions is key. In this sense, we have used autohydrolyzed hemicellulose-free poplar as feedstock to compare two fractionation processes, organosolv and ionosolv, oriented to lignin recovery. The recovered lignins were then characterize by different techniques (NMR, GPC, TGA).

Effect of Season and Parity on Reproduction Performance of Iberian Sows Bred with Duroc Semen.

The Iberian pig is an autochthonous breed from the Iberian Peninsula highly valued for its meat. The sows are often bred as Iberian × Duroc crossings for increased efficiency. Since sow parity and season affect the reproductive performance, we evaluated two-year records from a commercial farrow-to-finish farm (live, stillborn, and mummified piglets after artificial insemination, AI).

The Suinfort Semen Supplement Counters Seasonal Infertility in Iberian Sows.

Suinfort, a commercial semen supplement demonstrated to increase fertility and litter size in commercial sows, was tested to improve reproductive performance in Iberian sows. A total of 1430 Iberian sows were artificially inseminated (AI) with semen from Duroc boars and assigned by parity to receive the seminal additive Suinfort containing 2 IU oxytocin, 5 µg lecirelin, and 2 mM caffeine (SF; = 1713 AI), or to serve as non-supplemented controls (CON; = 2625 AI). CON showed a lower fertility comparing to winter for spring ( = 0.

Cold-Shock Test Is a Practical Method for Selecting Boar Ejaculates Yielding Appropriate Seminal Plasma for Post-Thawing Supplementation.

Artificial insemination (AI) with cryopreserved semen is still unreliable for extensive pig industry application. Adding seminal plasma (SP) could improve post-thawing quality, but its suitability could vary. We applied a simple cold-shock test (CST, 5 min at 0 °C) on neat semen for classifying ejaculates ( = 63) as resistant or sensitive, obtaining two SP pools (CST-resistant: SPr, sensitive: SPs).

Acidic depolymerization vs ionic liquid solubilization in lignin extraction from eucalyptus wood using the protic ionic liquid 1-methylimidazolium chloride.

Protic ionic liquids have been proposed as effective solvents for the selective extraction of lignin from wood. In this work, the protic ionic liquid 1-methylimidazolium chloride has been used to extract lignin at different biomass loadings, temperatures, and times to understand the influence of treatment severity on the lignin dissolution mechanism. The maximum lignin recovery (82.

Melatonin Non-Linearly Modulates Bull Spermatozoa Motility and Physiology in Capacitating and Non-Capacitating Conditions.

Bull spermatozoa physiology may be modulated by melatonin. We washed ejaculated spermatozoa free of melatonin and incubated them (4 h, 38 °C) with 0-pM, 1-pM, 100-pM, 10-nM and 1-µM melatonin in TALP-HEPES (non-capacitating) and TALP-HEPES-heparin (capacitating). This range of concentrations encompassed the effects mediated by melatonin receptors (pM), intracellular targets (nM-µM) or antioxidant activity (µM).

A novel semen supplement (SuinFort) improves sow fertility after artificial insemination.

The objective of this study was to determine effects of a novel seminal supplement, SuinFort, on fertility of multiparous sows. For 2 years, a total of 1159 sows were assigned to be artificial inseminated (AI) either with semen supplemented with the additive (2 IU oxytocin, 5 μg lecirelin, 2 mM caffeine, n = 830 AI) or with no supplementation (Control, n = 2422 AI). The supplement was included 15 min before insemination.

Effect of Oxytocin, Cloprostenol or Buserelin in Semen Doses on Sow Fertility.

During the periods January to April, May to August, and September to December in two consecutive years, sows were assigned at breeding to receive semen doses supplemented with 87 µg cloprostenol (PG; = 158), 5 IU oxytocin (OT; = 154), 2 µg buserelin (GN; = 93), or served as non-supplemented controls (CON; = 605). Sows were inseminated at the detection of estrus, and again 24 h later, but only the first inseminations were supplemented. Compared to CON, only buserelin increased pregnancy and farrowing rates ( ≤ 0.

Some toxic metals (Al, As, Mo, Hg) from cow's milk raised in a possibly contaminated area by different sources.

Milk can be considered as an indicator of the degree of environmental contamination of the place where it is produced and this is especially important when assessing its content in toxic metals. Therefore, 36 bovine milk samples from 7 farms with a semi-extensive grazing system were analysed, located in Asturias (Spain), in an area with high probability of being highly contaminated due to a mining zone, with important industrial activity and near high-density highway traffic. The samples were lyophilised to achieve total dehydration, further analysed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).

Combining autohydrolysis and ionic liquid microwave treatment to enhance enzymatic hydrolysis of Eucalyptus globulus wood.

The combination of autohydrolysis and ionic liquid microwave treatments of eucalyptus wood have been studied to facilitate sugar production in a subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis step. Three autohydrolysis conditions (150 °C, 175 °C and 200 °C) in combination with two ionic liquid temperatures (80 °C and 120 °C) were compared in terms of chemical composition, enzymatic digestibility and sugar production. Morphology was measured (using SEM) and the biomass surface was visualized with confocal fluorescence microscopy.

Seminal plasma applied post-thawing affects boar sperm physiology: a flow cytometry study.

Cryopreservation induces extensive biophysical and biochemical changes in the sperm. In the present study, we used flow cytometry to assess the capacitation-like status of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa and its relationship with intracellular calcium, assessment of membrane fluidity, modification of thiol groups in plasma membrane proteins, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, viability, acrosomal status, and mitochondrial activity. This experiment was performed to verify the effect of adding seminal plasma on post-thaw sperm functions.

Synthesis and protective effects of coumarin derivatives against oxidative stress induced by doxorubicin.

The use of doxorubicin (DOX) in the treatment of solid tumors is limited by cardiotoxicity essentially due to oxidative stress generation. The aim of this study was to identify coumarin derivatives displaying a protective antioxidant activity without affecting DOX antitumoral efficiency. A set of eighteen coumarinic derivatives was synthesized.

Prevalence and risk factors associated with the presence of peripheral neuropathy in patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Objectives: To determine the frequency and risk factors associated with peripheral neuropathy in a population of patients with hepatitis C virus infection.

Methods: Cross-sectional study. Electrophysiological assessment included bilateral motor and sensory conduction studies of four limbs.