Alexandre Floriani Ramos

Managing genetic diversity and society needs

2 Embrapa Recursos Geneticos e Biotecnologia ABSTRACT - Most livestock are not indigenous to Brazil. Several animal species were considered domesticated in the pre-colonial period, since the indigenous people manage them as would be typical of European livestock production. For over 500 years there have been periodic introductions resulting in the wide range of genetic diversity that for centuries supported domestic animal production in the country. Even though these naturalized breeds have acquired adaptive traits after centuries of natural selection, they have been gradually replaced by exotic breeds, to such an extent, that today they are in danger of extinction To avoid further loss of this important genetic material, in 1983 Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology decided to include conservation of animal genetic resources among its priorities. In this paper we describe the effort to genetically characterize these populations, as a tool to ensure their genetic variability. To effectively save the threatened local breeds of livestock it is important to find a niche market for each one, reinserting them in production systems. They have to be utilized in order to be conserved. And there is no doubt that due to their adaptive traits, the Brazilian local breeds of livestock can play an important role in animal production, to meet society needs.

Transfer of passive immunity and serum proteinogram in the first six months of life of Criollo Lageano and black and white holstein calves

The objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the transfer of passive immunity and the proteinogram in Criollo Lageano (CL) and Black and White Holstein (BWH) calves. Two groups were utilized with 13 Criollo Lageano and 10 BWH calves. Blood samples were collected for the measurement of total serum protein, electrophoresis of serum proteins, activity of the gamma glutamyl transferase, and concentration of IgG by the method of the zinc sulfate turbidity in periods between 24 and 36 hours of life, 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days. Statistical analysis was performed by ANOVA and Tukey test at 5% significance level, and correlations between variables were calculated. Variations of serum proteins followed a pattern of physiological behavior over the first six months of life and production of immunoglobulins was active earlier in BWH calves and slower in the Criollo Lageano, without causing any impact on their health. Gamma globulin in the first days of life (24-36h) was correlated with IgG (r=0.87 for CL and r=0.89 for BWH), PTS (r=0.91 for CL and r=0.92 for BWH), Glob (r=0.99 for CL and r=0.98 for BWH) and GGT (r=0.14 for CL and r=0.83 for BWH). It was concluded that there was no failure in the transfer of passive immunity in Criollo Lageano calves but this failure occurred in the BWH calves. IgG values estimated by the zinc sulfate turbidity and serum proteins were considered good indicators of the transfer of passive immunity in calves between 24 and 36 hours of life.

Análise de características reprodutivas indicadoras de puberdade em tourinhos Pantaneiro

EnglishThe Pantaneiro cattle are descendant from animals brought by settlers in the beginning of the colonization of Brazil. Ten months old Pantaneiro steers, raised under pasture conditions in Brazil, were used to study puberty. Monhtly measurement of scrotal circumference and testicular width and length were recorded. Semen was collected by eletroejaculation and evaluated according to physical and morphological aspects. Penile and prepuce detachment percentages were also evaluated. The ages of first spermatozoa presence in the ejaculate, first motile spermatozoa in the ejaculate, seminal puberty and detachment between penis and prepuce was studied. portuguesDescendentes de animais oriundos da Penin- sula Iberica, os bovinos Pantaneiros foram introduzidos no Brasil na epoca do descobrimento. Caracteristicas reprodutivas foram monitoradas em dez tourinhos, no intervalo de idade de dez a vinte meses, criados em pastagens nas condicoes de Brasil central com objetivo de determinar a idade a puberdade. Mensalmente eram mensuradas a circunferencia, o comprimento e a largura testicular. O semen foi coletado e os aspectos de morfologia e fisicos do ejaculado avaliado. Foi avaliada a idade do desprendimento entre penis e prepucio, do aparecimento da primeira celula espermatica, da primeira celula espermatica movel e da puberdade seminal.

Perfil bioquímico sérico de equinos clinicamente sadios da raça Campeiro

Amostras de sangue foram obtidas de 138 equinos registrados da raca Campeiro, com idade media de 9,7±5,4 anos, sendo 14 machos (10,15%) e 124 femeas (89,85%). Observaram-se valores medios da atividade serica de GGT: 13,73±4,08 U/L; AST: 246,34±72,87U/L; ALT: 5,13±1,18U/L; FA: 284,32±53,33UI/L; CK: 132,54±72,25U/L; LDH: 511,38±143,65U/L; e das concentracoes sericas de ureia: 38,65±12,62mg/dL e de creatinina: 1,24±0,24mg/dL. Os valores medios de AST, FA, ALT, ureia e creatinina foram semelhantes aos propostos na literatura para outras racas. Os valores de CK, GGT e LDH foram superiores aos comumente utilizados como referencias. Nao houve diferenca nas concentracoes de nenhum dos componentes sericos avaliados nas diferentes idades analisadas. Maiores valores medios nas concentracoes de ureia e menores de creatinina foram observados nas femeas em relacao aos machos, assim como a maior atividade serica de FA em femeas gestantes em relacao as eguas vazias. O perfil bioquimico serico de equinos sadios da raca Campeiro apresenta variacoes peculiares que devem ser levadas em consideracao na interpretacao de exames laboratoriais.

Growth curve of locally adapted pantaneiro cows raised under natural conditions

The objective of this study was to use morphometric and ultrasound evaluations to estimate the growth curve of the Pantaneiro cattle breed, raised in its natural habitat, aiming at the re-insertion of this breed in production systems. One hundred and three females, aging from months to 11 years, and raised on native pastures, were evaluated. The animals belonged to the Conservation Nucleus of Embrapa Pantanal, located in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso do Sul (Brazil). Weight, thoracic perimeter (TP), body length (BL), rump height (RH), height at withers (HW), hip height (HH), depth (DP), distance between the ilia (DI) (cm) and rib-eye area (REA) were measured. To relate the measurements with the age of the animals, the univariate regression model was used, assigning the variable response to gamma distribution. The Pearson correlation between variables was also estimated. The inflection point of the growth curve was 37 months for HH; between 38 and 39 months for TP and HW; between 40 and 41 months for DI, HH and DP; and 45 months for BL. The REA results could not fit in a statistical model. The majority of the variables presented a correlation above 60% among themselves, except for REA × Age, of 15.81%; REA × HW, of 34.44%; HH × Age, of 46.19; HH × DI, of 58.07%; REA × HH, of 24.57%; and REA × TP, of 39.9%. The cows showed maturity age at 40 months, which may have occurred because they were raised in natural farming conditions. In Pantaneiro cows reared in extensive systems only on natural pastures, the use of ultrasound is not effective to estimate the curve of muscular development, perhaps because this breed was not selected for weight gain.

Reproductive characteristics of Crioulo Lageano breed bulls (Bos taurus) at puberty

The aim of this research was to evaluate pubertal development characteristics of Crioulo Lageano breed bulls (n = 10) using morphometric measurements and semen analysis, to identify factors that can be used to estimate age at puberty in this locally adapted breed. Monthly measurement of body weight and fortnightly measurement of scrotal circumference, chest girth, testicular length, width, thickness, and volume were recorded for each of the 10 Crioulo Lageano breed bulls, which were between 10 and 20 months old. During this period, semen samples were collected every two weeks using electroejaculation method and analyzed physically and morphologically. The ages of the appearance of first spermatozoa in the ejaculate (FSE), the first motile spermatozoa in the ejaculate (FSEM), seminal puberty (PUB) and total detachment between glans penis and prepuce (DPP) were ascertained. Crioulo Lageano bulls reached puberty at 14.1 ± 2.0 months old with lower weight and larger testicles than those of other bovine breeds. Similarly, the period from FSEM to PUB was shorter and the period from FSE to FSEM was longer than those reported for other breeds. The most important characteristics studied in order to estimate puberty age in Crioulo Lageano bulls were the measures of testicular length, width, and volume. These parameters can be used as criteria to select young bulls as sires.

Produção de embriões em ovinos Morada Nova e Somalis Brasileira

Superovulatory response and embryo yield in 19 Morada Nova and 20 Somalis Brasileira ewes was analyzed. All animals were synchronized with the insertion of an intravaginal device (CIDR(r)) on Day 0, replaced by a new device on Day 7, which remained in place until Day 14 and superovulated with 133mg of porcine FSH (pFSH) in decreasing doses at 12h intervals from Day 12 until Day 15 of the treatment, and a single dose of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG, 200UI) on Day 14 (i.e., administered in CIDR removal). Fifty hours after CIDR(r) removal, females were inseminated by laparoscopy. All embryos were recovered by laparotomy 5 days after insemination. Sheep which responded to the superovulation protocol (P>0.05) included 74% of the Morada Nova ewes and 50% of the Somalis Brasileira ewes. Morada Nova showed better results (P<0.05) than Somalis Brasileira in number of ovulations (15.38 ± 5.24 vs. 10.56 ± 2.83), total structures (11.00 ± 7.55 vs. 3.33 ± 1.94) and embryo yields (6.79 ± 5.35 vs. 2.90 ± 2.18). Despite the high fertilization rate, degenerate embryo rate was high for both breeds, with an overall rate of 39% (57/145). In conclusion, superovulatory response and embryo yields in Morada Nova ewes were considered sufficient to justify the use of this procedure in genetic resources conservation programs. However, improvements to embryo quality and control of precocious regression of corpus luteum are necessary to produce better results in the MOET program, with minimal variations and maximum embryo yield in Morada Nova and Somalis Brasileira ewes.

Growth curve characterization of Crioula Lagena cows raised under natural conditions.

Morphometry and ultrasound of carcasses were used to estimate the growth curve of Criola Lageana cows, raised under natural conditions. A total of 111 cows, raised under extensively production system in Central Plateau of Santa Catarina, were evaluated. Morphometrics and ultrasound measurements were related with the age of the animals using the targeted univariate regression model, assigning the variable response to gamma distribution. The inflection points of the growth curve were 24 and 25 months for withers height and hip height, between 27 and 29 for weight, body length, rump length, thorax perimeter, depth and distance between ilea. For ribeye area (REA), inflection point was 18 months. The Crioula Lageana cows presented greater growth velocity around 27 months, showing good productive performance under the natural conditions of the Central Plateau of Santa Catarina.