Endocrine disrupter action in ruminants: A study of the effects of Ipomoea carnea in adult male goats

Ipomoea carnea is a toxic plant in Brazil and other tropical countries that often poisons livestock; its primary toxin is swainsonine. Some substances that interact with the endocrine system have been called endocrine disruptors (EDs). Considering swainsonine's mode of action, it is feasible to hypothesize that this compound could act as an ED. Bisphenol A (BPA), an estrogen-mimic, is considered a classical ED in rodents. This study aimed to evaluate the possible ED actions of I. cameo and BPA in male goats. Seventeen adult male goats were divided into three homogeneous groups: control (C, n = 5); IC (n = 6, received 5.0 g/kg body weight of freshly harvested I. cornea per day), and BPA (n = 6, received 25.0 mg/kg body weight of BPA per day). The experimental period was 120 days. During the experiment, blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 days for biochemical and hormonal evaluations. On the same days, semen samples were collected for andrological evaluation, and scrotal circumference and testicular consistency were determined. The males were castrated on day 121, and fragments of testicle and epididymis were collected for histopathological evaluation. A decrease in serum T3 and T4 was observed in the IC group as well as an increase in the number of sperm with morphological alterations. In the BPA group, reduced serum 14 and a decreased percentage of sperm with plasma membrane integrates were observed. A histopathological examination revealed the vacuolar degeneration of Sertoli cells and areas of laminar patterns of calcium deposits in the IC group and vacuolar degeneration in the rete testis in the BPA group. These results indicate that both I. cameo and BPA are potential EDs in goats. This study emphasized the susceptibility of livestock to ED actions. We also demonstrated the action of I. cameo acting as EDs in the endocrine and reproductive systems. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Morphological traits and type of dairy goats registered in Brazil from 1976 to 2009

Data from 2439 goats of the Saanen, Alpine, Anglo Nubian and Toggenburg breeds recorded from 1976 to 2009 by the Association of Goats and Sheep Breeders of Minas Gerais were used in principal component analysis. After consistency of data, six morphological variables (thorax perimeter, body length, withers height, height, width and length of the rump) and 12 variables related to breed standard score and fitness (breed characteristic, head, palette and topline, feet and legs, dairy type, body capacity, udder, rear and front ligament, udder texture, teat and final score) were analyzed. Based on the magnitude of the eigenvalue (lower than 0.7), eleven variables considered redundant were discarded, resulting in reduced costs of technician labor to evaluate the animals. Maintenance of records on height, length, rump width, breed characteristic, dairy type, front ligament and udder texture is recommended.

Ocorrência da infecção por Cryptosporidium spp. em cabritos (Capra hircus)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Physiological and production response of dairy goats bred in a tropical climate

The aim of this work was to determine the adaptability of Saanen and A1/2Saanen x A1/2Anglo-Nubian (A1/2SA1/2AN) goats bred in tropical climates. The study included 30 goats, 15 Saanen and 15 A1/2SA1/2AN. The data was collected during the rainy and dry seasons. During the whole experimental period, the environment variables were recorded, as well as rectal temperature (RT), superficial temperature (ST), respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) and milk production (MP). The adaptability coefficient (AC) was calculated for both genotypes. The averages were evaluated by ANOVA at 5 % probability. There was a genotype and period of year effect, as well as the interaction genotype x period of year. Pearson's simple correlation analysis was then carried out between milk production and physiological and environment variables. There was a statistical difference (p < 0.05) between the seasons for RT, ST and RR. RT, RR and HR were lower for A1/2SA1/2AN than Saanen goats, regardless of the season. MP was greater in the dry season (p < 0.05) (2.52 A +/- 0.50 kg/day for A1/2SA1/2AN and 2.41 A +/- 0.38 kg/day for Saanen) than the rainy season (2.17 A +/- 0.27 kg/day for A1/2SA1/2AN and 2.28 A +/- 0.53 kg/day for Saanen). The MP correlations were very significant (p < 0.05), however low and negative, where it was higher when correlated with RR in Saanen goats. Under the conditions of the present study, it is concluded that the goats were influenced by climatic factors, where the rainy period was more likely to cause thermal stress in the animals.

A comparative study of production performance and animal health practices in organic and conventional dairy systems

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Energy and protein requirements of male and female saanen goats

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Atividade enzimática no solo e dinâmica de carbono e nitrogênio em pastos de capim-tanzânia sob índices de área foliar residual

Pós-graduação em Zootecnia - FCAV

Produção e qualidade do leite e da carne de caprinos anglo nubianos suplementados com óleos vegetais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Entre nativos e exóticos: a mestiçagem na construção de uma nova identidade na caprinovinocultura dos sertões

In the Northeastern Semiarid of Brazil, dynamic among creators of goats and sheep native and exotic bring a range of meanings. In addition to actual trade disputes, conflicts are waged in the realm of ideas, revealing different values and interests around the racial origin of these animals. Between these two segments lies most of the small farmers and the traditional Semiarid sheep and goat raising, based on the use of animals breed, arising from the dynamics of spontaneous crossings, own extensive creations characterized by reduced control over the herds, state which shows a marked contrast to the first two segments. Given that their influence on a traditional creations can result in improved production of small farmers, linked to different social sector research and extension have turned their efforts to construct possible arrangements that are satisfactory to the reversal of historical problems of the region, especially the use of animal miscegenation as a strategy for change. It focuses on the work of these actors, the forms of interaction between them, fulfill the role that ideas, values and attitudes in the face of the possibilities for sheep and goat raising that region.

Trabalhadores hóspedes: herders, borregueros ou peões nas montanhas rochosas dos Estados Unidos e Canadá

In the contemporary world and in the globalized farm labor market, employ temporary immigrants workforce become current in economic developed countries. With governmental support, nations as United States and Canada incite and lawful the foreign entrance for occupy jobs and functions that are not fulfilling by native born, consolidating the displacement of a cheap labor force that stays legally for a certain season in these countries. This article brings up primal subjects about a small and hidden group among farm immigrants, the herders, sheepherders and goat herders in northAmerica Rocky Mountains loneliness. Further to provide an initial theoretical instrumental for the reflections about these workers, we intend to localize them within migration theme and the conflict between capital and labor in these days, in its neoliberal context and struggle forms. For such, we used reflections about labor and migration, also different kind of documents about herders in both countries.

Entre bois e cabras: uma visão histórica sobre mentalidades e valores nos sertões

A culture of resistance in the semi-arid, expressed by mentalities and values, goes against the economic potential of sheep and goat raising, considered as an inferior activity when compared to the cattle raising, historically linked to social status and prestige. This paper attempts to shed light on aspects that make possible to clarify the roots of the cognitive apparatus that supports this view, resorting to it to the production of relevant authors dealing with the issue of displacement of colonizer and livestock in the hinterlands. Ultimately, it seeks evidence of the influence of the historical process of economic and social organization of space on the present.

Caracterização epidemiológica de brucelose e leptospirose de pequenos ruminantes dos estados do Sergipe, Bahia, Ceará e Paraíba

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV

Monitoração dos parâmetros reprodutivos e perfil sorológico do herpesvírus caprino tipo 1 e do herpesvírus bovino tipo 1 em rebanhos caprinos dos estados de São Paulo e Minas Gerais

Pós-graduação em Medicina Veterinária - FCAV

Abacate (Persea americana Mill.) na alimentação de cabras: produção, composição e perfil de ácidos graxos no leite e parâmetros ruminais

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

State of the art on animal embryonic chimeras

Embryonic chimerism is generally used in basic research and in vivo diagnosis of undifferentiated embryonic stem cells (ESC), mostly using mice embryos, although there have been reports in the literature on using rat, rabbit, sheep, chicken, primate, bovine, goat and pig embryos. Several techniques can currently be used to produce chimeric embryos, including microinjection, co-culture with ESC, fusion and aggregation. Although microinjection is the most commonly used method in mice, the mere aggregation of embryos with ESC may result in viable chimeras and be as efficient as microinjection. In mice, this chimerism technique has been shown to have the advantage of aggregating embryos in different stages of development with different ploidy, in addition to using ESC in the tetraploid complementation assay. Compared to other techniques for producing chimeras, the aggregation technique is a cheaper, faster and easier methodology to be performed. Moreover, aggregation can be simplified by chemically removing the zona pellucida with pronase or acidic Tyrode’s solution and be enhanced by using the Well of the Well culture system in combination with adhesion molecules, such as phytohemagglutinin. The most commonly used stages for chimerism by aggregation are those that precede the full compaction of the morula. In these stages, embryos have low-tension adherent junctions at the tangential point between two blastomeres. During the embryonic development of mice, the inner cell mass differentiates into epiblast and hypoblast. These layers will originate the fetal tissues and a portion of the extraembryonic tissues (yolk sac, allantois and amnion), whereas the trophectoderm (TE) gives rise to the chorion. A functional TE is essential for the complex molecular communications that occur between the embryo and the uterus. Embryos produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer, such as commercial cattle clones or endangered species, are subject to large fetal and neonatal losses. Hence embryo complementation with heterologous TE could be of assistance to decrease these losses and might as well assist development of high-value embryos in other approaches.