J. B. Lourenço Junior

Assessment of surface temperatures of buffalo bulls (Bubalus bubalis) raised under tropical conditions using infrared thermography

This paper aimed to evaluate the surface temperatures of buffalo bulls using infrared thermography, considering four distinct anatomical parts over time, and to correlate surface temperatures and thermal comfort indexes. The humid tropical climate (Koppens Afi) was predominant in the research station where the experiment was performed and the trial lasted from April to August. Ten bulls (n=10) were evaluated every 25 days (morning: 6:00-9:00; afternoon: 12:00-15:00) and the parameters assessed were respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), and the thermograms of surface temperature for orbital area (ORB), right flank (RF), left flank (LF) and scrotum (SCR). Climatological data was continuously monitored and the Temperature and Humidity Index (THI) and the Index of Comfort of Benezra (ICB) were calculated. The average values of THI were ≥78, and significant differences between shifts were observed (P<0.05). The ICB ranged from 1.96 to 2.25 and significant differences were observed for shifts and throughout the months (P<0.05). The averages of surface temperatures were RT=38.2±0.5°C, ORB=36.1±0.8°C, LF=33.5±2.5°C, RF=35.4±1.7oC and SCR=33.3±1.1°C, which exhibited significant differences for shifts and throughout the months (P<0.05). Positive correlations were obtained between THI and ORB (0.72), RF (0.77), LF (0.75) and SCR (0.41) (P<0.0001). The maximum temperature of ORB showed the highest correlation with RT (0.58, P<0.0001). Therefore, the surface temperatures are subject to climatic variations and increase throughout the day, due to the variation in thermal comfort indexes, and the maximum ORB temperature was the parameter most related to rectal temperature. Lastly, the results indicate that IRT may be a useful non-invasive and accurate tool to detect the variations in ORB, LF, RF and SCR temperature in buffalo bulls.

Desempenho e características de carcaças de cordeiros suplementados com diferentes níveis de resíduo de biodiesel

Diet supplementation with biodiesel residues of confined lambs, utilizing 25 sheep, without definite breed pattern (WDB), male, castrated, with average weight of 20kg was studied. The experimental design was random blocks, with 5 repetitions per treatment and a split plot scheme toward biometrics data. The experiment lasted 70 days. The diets were composed of 34% of roughage and 61% of concentrate, based on corn, soy, mineral and 5% of oil palm kernel or biodiesel residues, in increasing percentages - zero, 25, 50, 75 and 100%. The animals were slaughtered at the end of the experiment for carcass evaluation. Significant effects (P<0.05) of percentage inclusion of residues were observed for the performance and biometrics variables demonstrated in the crescent linear effect of the regression equations, as well as for the hot carcass weight (HCW) - with an average of 14; 15.92; 16.14; 16.42 and 18.02%; and the cold carcass weight (CCW) - with an average of 13.12; 14.78; 15.06; 15.70 and 17.25% for diets, respectively, containing 0, 25, 50, 75, 100% of palm kernel biodiesel residues. The palm kernel biodiesel residue utilization in feeding growing lambs is an alternative to increase the energetic density in their diets.

Adição de óleo de palma na dieta sobre a lipidemia e a qualidade do sêmen de bubalinos (Bubalus bubalis)

O estudo visou investigar o efeito da suplementacao dietetica com oleo de palma sobre o perfil serico lipidico e as caracteristicas seminais de touros bubalinos (Bubalus bubalis), bem como suas correlacoes. Doze touros foram alocados no Grupo CONT (n=5) ou Grupo OLEO (n=7) e receberam alimentacao isoproteica composta por silagem de milho e concentrado (milho triturado, farelo de trigo e ureia), com proporcao volumoso/concentrado de 50%, durante 130 dias (Periodos 1 e 2). Diferencialmente, oleo de palma foi adicionado ao concentrado (2% MS) do Grupo OLEO. Semen e sangue foram colhidos quinzenalmente. Houve aumento nas concentracoes sericas de colesterol, HDL e lipidios totais nos animais do Grupo OLEO, enquanto o periodo influenciou nas taxas de colesterol, LDL, lipidios totais e VLDL (P<0,05). Houve decrescimo no turbilhonamento e discreta reducao na integridade de membranas nos animais do Grupo OLEO (P<0,05). Correlacoes significativas foram encontradas entre triglicerideos e defeitos menores (r=-0,412; P=0,006), LDL e defeitos totais (r=-0,333; P=0,030), lipidios totais e defeitos menores (r=-0.366; P= 0,017), lipidios totais e defeitos totais (r=-0.309; P= 0,046), e VLDL e viabilidade espermatica (r=0,381; P=0,012), apontando efeitos positivos da maior lipidemia na morfologia e na viabilidade espermatica. O uso de oleo de palma alterou o perfil lipidico serico, mas nao favoreceu per se os parâmetros seminais relacionados com o potencial de fertilidade dos touros.

Carcass quality of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) finished in silvopastoral system in the Eastern Amazon, Brazil

Avaliou-se a influencia da dieta sobre a qualidade de carcaca de bufalos mesticos das racas Murrah e Mediterrâneo, alimentados com concentrado tradicional - milho/soja - ou residuos agroindustriais - tortas de coco e dende. Os animais foram sacrificados em abatedouro comercial, e realizadas analises fisicas e fisico-quimicas na carcaca, apos 24 horas, e de cor e textura instrumentais no musculo Longissimus dorsi, apos 48 horas de resfriamento. Os animais suplementados com a torta de dende adquiriram melhor conformacao de carcaca e acabamento de gordura, e observaram-se diferencas (P<0,05) no percentual de gordura na carcaca e na espessura de gordura de cobertura.

Testicular thermoregulation, scrotal surface temperature patterns and semen quality of water buffalo bulls reared in a tropical climate

This study evaluated the capacity of thermoregulation and its consequences on the scrotal surface temperature patterns and semen quality of buffalo bulls raised in a wet tropical climate. Eleven water buffaloes were evaluated in the rainiest, in the transitional and in the less rainy season. Air temperature and humidity were consistently high, but the animals did not show thermal stress in any season. The scrotal temperature gradient of buffalo bulls using infrared thermography was described, and three parallel and decreasing thermal bands were characterised. Sperm quality (n = 176 ejaculates) was maintained in normal parameters over the periods. Pearsons coefficients showed that sperm volume and progressive motility were negatively correlated with ocular globe, epididymal tail and minimum scrotal temperatures (p < .01). Sperm membrane integrity was negatively influenced by increases in epididymal tail and minimum scrotal temperatures (p < .01). Ocular globe temperature also showed positive correlation with rectal, spermatic cord, and epididymal tail temperatures (p < .01). Therefore, even under high temperature and humidity, the thermoregulatory system was effective in preventing heat stress and the normality of scrotal surface temperatures, spermatogenesis and sperm maturation were maintained.