Masomeh Nasiroleslami; Mehran Torki; Alireza Abdolmohammadi
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplemental guanidinoacetic acid and betaine on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and thyroid hormones of broilers subjected to cold stress. Based on a 2×2 factorial arrangement, 384 day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb) ...
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This study was conducted to determine the effects of dietary supplemental guanidinoacetic acid and betaine on performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality and thyroid hormones of broilers subjected to cold stress. Based on a 2×2 factorial arrangement, 384 day-old male broiler chicks (Cobb) were randomly distributed between four experimental diets (with eight replicates) included basal diet (as control) and the basal diet supplemented with 1200 mg/kg guanidinoacetic acid; 600 mg/kg betaine and 1200 mg/kg guanidinoacetic acid + 600 mg/kg betaine. This trial was performed at the Animal Farm of Razi University (March 2015). In order to create cold stress, on 21th day all birds were subjected to a low temperature (12-15°C), which was remained constant until the end of the experiment. There was no significant effect of experimental diets on the chick’s performance, carcass characteristics, thyroid hormones and liver glycogen levels. Increased breast meat was observed in birds fed the guanidinoacetic acid-included diet. Significant increased L* and a* of meat color were detected in birds fed diets supplemented with guanidinoacetic acid and betaine. Decreased crud fat percentage of breast meat was detected in birds fed the betaine-included diet. The meat pH decreased by time. Increased meat pH was observed in birds fed the betaine-included diet. In conclusion, improved yield and decreased crud fat percentage of breast meat were observed in birds fed the guanidinoacetic acid- and betaine-included diets, respectively. Color indices of broiler breast meat was improved by diet supplementation with guanidinoacetic acid and betaine.
Abstract
A total of 96 semen samples were collected from Sanjabi breed sheep over two years and during autumn and spring seasons in order to investigate the leptin gene polymorphism and its relationship with the characteristics of sperm quality and testicular size. At the same time, the dimensions of length, ...
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A total of 96 semen samples were collected from Sanjabi breed sheep over two years and during autumn and spring seasons in order to investigate the leptin gene polymorphism and its relationship with the characteristics of sperm quality and testicular size. At the same time, the dimensions of length, width and scrotal circumference were measured and blood samples were taken from sheep jugular vein for extract DNA. PCR was performed using specific primers to amplify a 463bp fragment including exon 3 of leptin gene. After PCR and determining three GG, GT and TT genotypes in the studied samples, it was determined that leptin gene polymorphism had significant relation with individual motility (P<0.05) and motility spermatozoa in animals with GG genotype had the highest. sperm volume, sperm concentration, total sperm ejaculated, hypo osmotic swelling test (HOS), viability and sperm index, in animals with GG genotype had the highest (P<0.05). In animals with TT genotype mean of length and scrotal circumference and in GT genotypes also testicular width and volume were more compared to GG genotypes. These results showed of this leptin gene polymorphism in order to improving fertility in breeding programs of Sanjabi sheep had high heterozygosity, it seems that more studies in larger populations are needed to better understand the relation of other leptin gene polymorphisms on ram fertility.