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ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effect of detoxified castor meal on the reproductive performance, metabolic stress, milk production, and kid development in peripartum goats. The diet of the animals were with (DCM, n= 20) or without (WDCM, n= 21) detoxified castor meal during the entire gestation and until weaning, 60 days post-birth. No differences were observed in the gestation period, litter size, rate of multiple births, and mortality between the two groups. The postpartum plasma concentrations of progesterone remained below 1ng/mL in all animals, thus, confirming the absence of active corpora lutea. The thickness of sternum adipose tissue and loin area, levels of urea and cholesterol, milk production, and daily weight gain in the kids were low in the DCM group when compared to those in the WDCM group (P< 0.05). To conclude, the use of detoxified castor meal in peripartum goats resulted in lower level of performance in the kids because of reductions in the amount of milk received from their mothers during lactation. In addition, the diet containing detoxified castor meals was not efficient in recovering from the loss of stored body reserves able to initiate the recovery of the cyclic activity of the goats.

A expressão de RNAm para leptina, receptor de leptina (obRb), adiponectina, receptor de adiponectina (AdipoR1) e resistina foi avaliada por meio da técnica de PCR em tempo real, em tecidos ovariano, hipofisário, adiposo do omento e da região perirrenal, em ovelhas alimentadas sem farelo de mamona ou com farelo de mamona detoxificada durante 14 meses. O tipo de dieta não afetou os níveis de RNAm para leptina, obRb, adiponectina, AdipoR1 e resistina nos diferentes tecidos avaliados (P>0,05). Nos tecidos ovariano e hipofisário, não foi verificada a expressão da adiponecina e da resistina, respectivamente. Como consequência, pode-se concluir que o farelo de mamona detoxificada pode ser utilizado como fonte proteica na dieta de ovelhas, sem afetar a expressão do gene resistina e dos genes leptina e adiponectina, bem como de seus receptores.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of GDF-9, IGF-I, and GH alone or combined on preantral follicle survival, activation and development after 1 and 7 days of in vitro culture. Either fresh (non-cultured) or cultured ovarian tissue was processed for histological and fluorescence analysis. For all media tested, the percent of normal follicles was greater when compared to minimum essential medium supplemented (MEM+) alone, except when ovarian tissue was cultured with GDF-9/IGF-I or GDF-9/GH (P < 0.05). Fluorescence analysis showed that the percent of viable follicles after 7 days of culture was similar for non-cultured tissue and for all treatments tested. The percent of primordial follicles was reduced (P < 0.05) and there was a significant and concomitant increase in the percent of intermediate and primary follicles in all treatments tested after 7 days of culture when compared to non-cultured tissue. After 7 days of culture, the highest percent of intermediate follicles was observed with IGF-I/GH (61.3%), and the highest percent of primary follicles was achieved with IGF-I (57.7%). After 7 days of culture in MEM+ containing GDF-9, IGF-I and GH alone or in all associations, a significant increase in follicular diameter was observed when compared to MEM+ alone and non-cultured tissue. In conclusion, GDF-9, IGF-I and GH alone or in combination maintain preantral follicle survival and promote primordial follicle activation. Nevertheless, the data showed that IGF-I/GH and IGF-I alone are efficient in promoting the transition from primordial to intermediate follicles and from intermediate to primary follicles, respectively.