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To find out the effect of reducing energy intake during dry period on milk production, udder health, and body condition, the experiment was conducted on 14 Jersey crossbred cows during whole dry period and continued up to 120 days of lactation. Reduction in energy intake was done during far-off period for each dry cow of treatment group as compared to control group. Statistically analyzed data revealed that overall significantly (P < 0.01) lower DMI and WI were recorded in control than treatment group. Overall significantly (P < 0.01) higher total milk production was found in treatment than control group. Overall significantly (P < 0.01) lower milk SCC, MCMT, pH, and EC were found in treatment than control group. Nonsignificant difference in milk fat, SNF, total solid, total protein, and fat:protein ratio was found. Overall significantly (P < 0.01) better quality milk (MBRT) was found in treatment than control groups. BCS during dry period and at calving was significantly (P < 0.01) different between groups. Significantly (P < 0.01) higher plasma NEFA concentration was estimated in control than treatment groups in all stages. No significant difference was found for plasma concentrations of glucose, urea, and total protein. The coefficients of correlation indicated significant (P < 0.01) correlation among BCS, milk production, milk SCC, MCMT, pH, and EC. It can be concluded that reducing energy intake during far-off dry period can lead to achieve optimum BCS at calving. Suitable BCS at calving was beneficial to get higher milk production with improved quality, better maintenance of udder health and body condition of Jersey crossbred cows at tropical lower Gangetic region.

Cryopreservation is one of the most important aspects of frozen semen technology and livestock breeding. Uses of candidate molecular markers in selection strategies for male fertility are well recognized. The present investigation targeted two microsatellite markers (BM1500 and UMN 2008) for association with semen quality variables and freezing capacity in Frieswal (HF×Sahiwal) crossbred bulls of Indian origin. Of the different alleles at the polymorphic locus BM1500, the 136bp allele was associated with greater (P<0.05) post-thaw motility percentage (PTM) while the 134 allele was associated with less (P<0.05) PTM. The 134/134 genotype at the polymorphic locus, UMN2008 was associated with greater (P<0.05) post-thaw motility while there was no allele effect on PTM. When combined genotypes UMN2008/BM1500 were analyzed, the 134/134-136/136genotype had the greatest (P<0.05) association with PTM. The present study is an initial report on the potential use of these markers as male reproductive biomarkers for improving semen freezing capacity in bulls., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mammalian circadian locomotor output cycles kaput (CLOCK) gene encodes a transcription factor that affects both the persistence and the period of circadian rhythms. Earlier reports suggested that CLOCK gene might be associated with male infertility in human. Present investigation, for the first time, reports that CLOCK gene expresses differentially between good and poor quality crossbred bull semen. The relative expression of CLOCK was significantly (p < 0.05) higher among good quality bull semen than motility-impaired ones. Clusterins (CLU) are series of genes associated with a variety of physiological activities including spermatogenesis, apoptosis and degenerative disease conditions. In the present context, we also investigated that the expression of CLU gene was significantly (p < 0.05) higher among motility-impaired crossbred bull semen compared to the good quality one., (© 2015 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.)

Although some of the studies earlier reported that bovine semen parameters are associated with some candidate markers genes, but scanty of reports available regarding the effect of allelic variation in Y specific microsatellite markers on semen quality parameters in bulls. In the present study we have targeted three Y specific microsatellite markers (INRA126, INRA 189 and BM861) for their association ship analysis with some semen quality parameters among Frieswal (HF × Sahiwal) crossbred bulls of Indian origin. The polymorphic loci of INRA 126, bulls with 182 and 184 alleles had significantly (P<0.01) higher semen volume as compared to 186 allele, however, 186 allele showed significantly (P<0.01) higher concentration per ml of semen compared to 182 and 184. Interestingly our study also revealed that number of sperm/ejaculate is also significantly (P<0.05) higher in 184 allele compared to 182 and 186. Similarly, association analysis of INRA 189 major three alleles also revealed a significant difference in semen volume and concentration. Allele 89 and 96 having significantly (P<0.01) higher volume compared to 86, whereas allele 86 having significantly (P<0.01) higher concentration per volume of semen than 89 and 96. Again after association of two major alleles (160 and 164) of BM861 loci with semen parameters revealed no significant difference with any of the semen quality parameters chosen here. Therefore the present study may be for the first time revealed that the Y chromosomal microsatellite alleles are important male reproductive biomarkers for improving semen quality traits in bulls., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Mature spermatozoa contain thousands of mRNA transcripts. These untranslated mRNA may perhaps serve as a "footprint" of spermatogenesis since many of them might directly or indirectly be involved in fertilization, early embryo cleavage, poor semen quality and fertility. In this study, we tried to isolate high-quality RNA from mature spermatozoa and to monitor the expression profile of protamine 1 (PRM1) and protamine 2 (PRM2) gene in ejaculated spermatozoa of normal (good, % initial progressive motility: 57.61±1.41, n=9) and motility impaired (poor, % initial progressive motility: 18.45±1.61, n=8) crossbred Frieswal (HF×Sahiwal) bulls semen using real time quantitative PCR. Semen samples were subjected to discontinuous (45:90) Percoll gradient centrifugation, specifically to eliminate damaged spermatozoa and contaminating somatic cells. Total RNA was extracted from sperm pellets and cDNA was synthesized. Furthermore, the absence of contamination of germ cells, epithelial cells and leucocytes in all the RNA extractions was tested by RT-PCR targeting specific molecular markers like KIT, CDH1 and CD4, respectively. The presence of transcripts like PRM1, PRM2, DAZL, and PPIA were demonstrated in ejaculated spermatozoa using appropriate PCR primers without RNA amplification. Expression of PRM1 and PRM2 genes were evaluated by real time quantitative PCR using TaqMan chemistry, where PPIA was used as internal control. The cDNA synthesized from normal buffalo testicular tissue was served as positive control. The good quality semen producing group showed significantly higher level of PRM1 mRNAs expression as compared to the poor quality semen producers (P<0.05) indicating putative role of the gene and semen quality parameters especially initial progressive motility. However, PRM2 transcript levels were not significantly different between the groups (P>0.05)., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In vitro embryo production is a valuable tool for understanding early mammalian development, therapeutic applications, excellent source for research in the field of developmental biology and production of valuable animals. The purpose of this study is to improve the production of in vitro cattle embryos using fibroblast and platelet derived growth factor as media supplement. Methods: Ovaries were collected from local abattoir in 0.9% saline (30-35C) supplemented with antibiotics. Cumulus oocyte complexes were aspirated, washed 5-6 times and placed in maturation media supplemented with growth factors and cultured in 5% CO2 incubator at 38.5C with maximum humidity. After 24 h oocytes were co-incubated with in vitro capacitated sperms for fertilization for 15-18 h and then presumptive zygotes were cultured for embryo development. Cleavage was observed after 40-42 h and embryos were cocultured with oviductal cells for 7-9 days. Result: The highest cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were 55.93±4.75, 57.06±4.78, 51.24±4.12 and 3.26±1.53, 2.42±1.02, 2.70±1.17 in FGF (1ng ml-1), PDGF (10 ng ml-1) and in combination of FGF and PDGF (1ng ml-1 each) respectively. It can be concluded that PDGF (10 ng ml-1) enhanced cleavage rate and FGF (1ng ml-1) enhanced blastocyst formation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]