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PubMed2006

Effects of egg yolk and cooling rate on the survival of refrigerated red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) epididymal spermatozoa.

Egg yolk is a common component to sperm refrigeration for most of the deer species, the role of which is to protect sperm membranes against cold shock. In addition, there have been many studies of conservation of ejaculated semen from stags, but few have been reported for epididymal spermatozoa. This work was designed to investigate the combined effects of cooling rates (slow: 0.23 degrees C/min vs rapid: 4.2 degrees C/min) from room temperature to 5 degrees C, and egg-yolk concentration (0, 5 or 20%) in the extender on the survival of Iberian red deer epididymal spermatozoa refrigerated at 5 degrees C. Heterospermic sperm samples were diluted to a final sperm concentration approximately 400x10(6) sperm/ml with a Tris-citrate-fructose (TCF)-egg-yolk diluent. Sperm quality was in vitro judged by microscopic assessments of individual sperm motility [sperm motility index (SMI)], and of plasma membrane (hypo-osmotic swelling test) and acrosome (NAR) integrities. Our results first showed that the presence of egg yolk in the extender significantly improves (p=0.01) the viability and sperm motility after sperm dilution. In addition, acrosome and plasma membrane integrities post-refrigeration did not differ significantly between cooling procedures; however, the SMI differed significantly between cooling procedures (slow: 46.6% vs rapid: 50.0%; p=0.01). Our results also showed that sperm quality was significantly (p<0.01) affected by the combined effects of egg-yolk concentration and cooling procedure, being rapid cooling with 20% of egg yolk the most suitable combination for epididymal sperm refrigeration. In conclusion, egg-yolk improved red deer epididymal spermatozoa characteristics after dilution. Rapid cooling protocol using TCF with 20% egg-yolk significantly improved sperm motility of red deer epididymal spermatozoa after cooling.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Effects of adult-derived carbohydrates, amino acids and micronutrients on female reproduction in a fruit-feeding butterfly.

It is generally believed that butterflies (and other holometabolous insects) rely primarily on reserves accumulated during the larval stage for reproduction, whereas the carbohydrate-rich adult diet is thought to mainly cover energy requirements. In at least some species though, realization of the full reproductive potential is extensively affected by post-eclosion nutrition. While the importance of carbohydrates is fairly well understood, the role of adult-derived amino acids and micronutrients is controversial and largely unknown, respectively. We here focus on the effects of different adult diets on female reproduction in the tropical, fruit-feeding butterfly Bicyclus anynana (Nymphalidae). Carbohydrates were the most important adult-derived nutrients affecting reproduction. Adding amino acids, vitamins or minerals to sucrose-based solutions did not yield a reproductive output equivalent to that of fruit-fed females, which showed the highest performance throughout. This suggests that either not yet identified compounds of fruit substantially contribute to reproduction, or that resource congruence (the use of nutrient types in a specified ratio) rather than any specific nutrient component is of key importance. Apart from adult income, realized fecundity depended on egg size and longevity, with the former dominating when dietary quality was low, but the latter when quality was high. Thus, the egg size-number trade-off seems to be affected by female nutrition.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed2001

Reproductive impairment of sea urchins upon chronic exposure to cadmium. Part I: Effects on gamete quality.

Successful reproduction is a determining factor for species survival. Pollution may impair reproductive success of adults through effects on gamete quality. Reproductive impairment of the sea urchin Anthocidaris crassispina upon chronic (4 weeks) exposure to 0.01 and 0.1 mg l-1 Cd2+ was investigated. Criteria used for assessing gamete quality included sperm motility, egg morphology, fertilization rate and dynamics of first cleavage. A dose-response relationship was found between Cd2+ levels and changes in sperm motility, and percentage fertilization. Sperm motility, measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis, indicated that percent motile sperm, velocities, and percent sperm with normal trajectory were significantly affected by chronic exposure to > or = 0.1 mg l-1 Cd2+. A decline in sperm motility was also accompanied by a decrease in fertilization success of sea urchin sperm. Width/height ratio of sea urchin eggs was not affected by cadmium, but larger egg sizes were found when sea urchins were exposed to 0.1 mg l-1 Cd2+. Male sea urchins exposed to Cd2+ produced poorer quality sperm, as indicated by a lower percent fertilization and lower cleavage rate, implying that male sea urchins were more sensitive than females to chronic Cd2+ exposure. Results of the present study provide an explanation of reproductive impairment in marine invertebrates upon chronic exposure to Cd2+.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The distribution of hatching time in Anopheles gambiae.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the ecological differences between the molecular forms of Anopheles gambiae and their sibling species, An. arabiensis might lead to understanding their unique contribution to disease transmission and to better vector control as well as to understanding the evolutionary forces that have separated them. METHODS: The distributions of hatching time of eggs of wild An. gambiae and An. arabiensis females were compared in different water types. Early and late hatchers of the S molecular form were compared with respect to their total protein content, sex ratio, development success, developmental time and adult body size. RESULTS: Overall, the distribution of hatching time was strongly skewed to the right, with 89% of the eggs hatching during the second and third day post oviposition, 10% hatching during the next four days and the remaining 1% hatching over the subsequent week. Slight, but significant differences were found between species and between the molecular forms in all water types. Differences in hatching time distribution were also found among water types (in each species and molecular form), suggesting that the eggs change their hatching time in response to chemical factors in the water. Early hatchers were similar to late hatchers except that they developed faster and produced smaller adults than late hatchers. CONCLUSION: Differences in hatching time and speed of development among eggs of the same batch may be adaptive if catastrophic events such as larval site desiccation are not rare and the site's quality is unpredictable. The egg is not passive and its hatching time depends on water factors. Differences in hatching time between species and molecular forms were slight, probably reflecting that conditions in their larval sites are rather similar.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The effect of four levels of ascorbic acid and two levels of calcium on eggshell quality of forced-molted White Leghorn hens.

The present experiment evaluated the effect of four levels of ascorbic acid (0, 100, 250, and 500 ppm) and two levels of calcium (3.0 and 3.5%) on the productivity and eggshell quality of molted Single Comb White Leghorn hens, housed four per 30.5 cm wide x 45.7 cm deep cage. The 4 x 2 factorial treatment combinations were randomly assigned to eight blocks of cages. Egg production increased (P < .06) an average of 5% for the levels of 250 and 500 ppm ascorbic acid. No differences were observed for feed consumption, egg weight, and shell thickness for the different levels of ascorbic acid or calcium in the diet. An increase (P < .01) was observed for specific gravity, as the levels of ascorbic acid increased. Increasing the level of calcium from 3.0 to 3.5% increased (P < .01) specific gravity from 1.073 to 1.075. Shell weight increased (P < .01) with the higher levels of ascorbic acid (250 and 500 ppm). No interactions were observed between the levels of ascorbic acid and calcium. Results suggest that supplementing ascorbic acid to molted laying hens can be beneficial to egg production and eggshell quality.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1985

[Evaluation of laying-hen feed with varied vitamin E and antioxidant supplementation].

In two experiments with 1,250 laying hybrids the influence of the elimination of vitamin E and antioxidant supplements to the laying hen feed was tested. With mixed feed according to official quality requirements but without vitamin E and antioxidant supplements laying hens achieved the same laying performance and individual weight as the control group. There was no influence on feed consumption, feed expenditure per 100 g egg, mortality, development of body weight, the tensile strength of the eggs and the fat quality of the body either. Vitamin E content in the yolk increases with the growing vitamin E content in the feed. The vitamin E requirement norm of laying hens for consumer egg production is achieved at a native vitamin E content of 7 mg/kg laying hen feed. The supplement of synthetic antioxidant is unnecessary.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1989

Effect of supplementary dietary phosphorus on the reproductive capacity and bone integrity of broiler breeder males fed a corn- soybean diet.

A 16-wk study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary phosphorus on the reproductive capacity and bone integrity of broiler breeder males (BBM). Forty-five Arbor Acres BBM 32 wk of age were randomly divided into 3 treatments receiving either 0, .05 or .13% supplemental P. Each treatment had three replicates with five birds/replicate. Males were housed in individual cages. Birds were provided with 110 g feed/bird per day of corn-soybean meal diet containing approximately 12.4% CP and providing 3,260 kcal ME/kg. Birds were ejaculated weekly and their reproductive capacity evaluated by determining semen volume, sperm per ejaculate, intact sperm cells, and fertility and hatchability of fertile eggs. Bone integrity was evaluated by tibia bone ash at the end of the experiment. No significant treatment differences (P greater than .05) were observed among any criteria of semen quality, hatch of fertile eggs, bone integrity and body weight change. The results from this study indicate that BBM kept in cages, from 32 to 48 wk of age, can be maintained on a corn-soybean meal diet containing no supplemental P and with a daily intake of 300 mg total P/bird, without affecting their reproductive capacity and bone integrity.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed2006

Studies on the effect of supplementing boar semen cryopreservation media with different avian egg yolk types on in vitro post-thaw sperm quality.

Fertility after insemination of cryopreserved boar semen is currently below that of fresh semen. In an attempt to improve the post-thaw motility and acrosome integrity of boar sperm, semen was frozen using an adapted Westendorf method in which the chicken egg yolk was replaced by either duck or quail egg yolk. The different composition of the yolk types, particularly the amount of cholesterol, fatty acids and phospholipids, were thought to potentially afford a greater level of protection to sperm against damage during freezing and thawing. Sperm frozen in medium containing chicken egg yolk displayed higher motility immediately after thawing, but there was no difference in the motility of sperm frozen with different types of egg yolk 3 or 6 h after thawing and maintenance at 37 degrees C. Sperm frozen in media containing chicken or duck egg yolk had a higher proportion of intact acrosomes immediately after thawing than sperm frozen in medium containing quail egg yolk, but 6 h after thawing and maintenance at 37 degrees C the sperm that had been frozen in medium containing chicken egg yolk had a higher proportion of intact acrosomes than the sperm frozen in media containing duck or quail egg yolk. Analysis of the composition of the different yolk types showed that the basic components of the yolks were similar, but the ratios of fatty acids and phospholipid classes differed. Duck egg yolk had more monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) than chicken egg yolk, which had more MUFA than quail egg yolk. Duck egg yolk contained more phosphotidylinositol (PI) than chicken or quail egg yolks and quail egg yolk contained more phosphotidylserine than either chicken or duck egg yolks. The differences in post-thaw motility and acrosome integrity of boar sperm when frozen in media containing the different types of egg yolk may be due to the variation in composition.

Acrosome↗
PubMed1997

Improving eggshell quality at high temperatures with dietary sodium bicarbonate.

Two experiments were conducted that confirmed the hypothesis that a dietary bicarbonate supplement will improve eggshell quality in hens at high temperatures as long as feed is consumed during the period of eggshell formation. End-of-lay hens were maintained on continuous light at temperatures of 30 and 35 C. Individual egg weights and shell quality measures for each hen were calculated as a proportion of the initial values determined during an acclimatization period at 25 C. Improvements in shell breaking strength in both experiments were observed as a result of supplementing control diets with 1% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3). This response to NaHCO3 was not a reflection of a reduced rate of lay or egg mass output, as these were similar or inferior on the control diets. Similar feed intakes on the control and NaHCO3 diets indicated that the response was not related to differences in calcium intakes. Supplements of zinc methionine and ascorbic acid proved to be inferior to NaHCO3. Improvements in egg weight were associated with the introduction of continuous lighting.

Acclimatization↗
PubMed1986

Performance of White Leghorn hens in response to cage density and the introduction of cage mates.

Hens reared at densities of 344 and 516 cm2/bird produced significantly fewer hard-shelled (HS) and shell-less (SL) eggs than hens reared at a density of 1031 cm2/bird. Soft-shelled (SS) egg production was not affected by the density treatment. A decline in ovulation rate would account for the decrease in total hen-day production in response to the higher density treatments. To determine if the introduction of new cage mates would cause hens to lay fewer eggs with poorer shell quality, the performance of hens with visitors was compared with those with nonvisitors. Visitors were introduced monthly for 13 months. Visitors vs. nonvisitors showed no significant difference with regard to HS, SS, and SL egg production, feed efficiency, mortality, egg weight, and specific gravity.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of hydrogen peroxide disinfection during incubation of chicken eggs on microbial levels and productivity.

Hatchery sanitation has a significant impact on chick quality. The proper use of disinfectants is essential. Aerosol bacterial counts, egg moisture loss, hatchability, chick quality, and broiler productivity were measured in eggs exposed to hydrogen peroxide fogging and compared with eggs not exposed to disinfectant during the incubation period. Hydrogen peroxide was also evaluated in the presence of a severe challenge with Staphylococcus aureus-contaminated eggs. A significant reduction was found in aerosol bacterial counts within the hatcher when incubators were fogged with 3% hydrogen peroxide when compared with water-fogged machines even in the face of high bacterial challenge. Eggs exposed to hydrogen peroxide lost a significantly greater amount of moisture during incubation, but hatchability was not affected. The use of hydrogen peroxide as a hatchery sanitizer did not affect broiler livability, body weight, or feed conversion but did reduce the incidence of retained yolk sacs in 42-day-old chickens.

Aerosols↗
PubMed2001

Dicofol residues in eggs and carcasses of captive American kestrels.

American kestrels (Falco sparverius) were fed diets containing 0 (control), 1, 3, 10, and 30 microgram/g (wet wt) of Kelthane. Residues of dicofol and its metabolites were then analyzed in the eggs and carcasses of females. Significant differences occurred among treatments for residues of both p,p'-dicofol and p,p'-dechlorodicofol (DCD) in both eggs and carcasses and for p,p'-dicholorbenzophenone (DCBP) in eggs. Residue concentrations increased with increasing treatment exposure. Residues of p,p'-dicofol, p,p'-DCD, and p,p'-DCBP in eggs were significantly correlated with eggshell quality parameters. Significant correlations also occurred among contaminants in eggs and for individual contaminants between eggs and carcasses. The lowest-observed-dietary-effect concentration for eggshell thinning was 3 microgram/g, whereas 1 microgram/g may be considered to be near a no-observable-adverse-effect concentration. Concentrations of dicofol in potential prey items and eggs of wild birds generally have been lower than dietary-effect concentrations or concentrations in tissues or eggs associated with eggshell thinning and reduced reproductive success.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Cheesecake: a potential vehicle for salmonellosis?

This study was conducted to investigate the potential hazard of Salmonella Enteritidis surviving during the preparation and baking of cheesecake. Batters prepared with standard- and reduced-fat ingredients were inoculated with a 5-strain cocktail of S. Enteritidis (10 and 10(6) CFU/g) and were then baked according to a typical cheesecake recipe. After baking, the cheesecakes were refrigerated overnight before the survival of S. Enteritidis was determined either by direct plating or after enrichment. Samples (approximately 25 g each) were aseptically cut from the center, mid (6.35 cm from edge), and side (2.54 cm from edge) area of each cake for microbiological analysis. Proximate compositions (fat, moisture, protein, ash, pH, and water activity) of both raw batter and final baked cheesecakes were also determined. S. Enteritidis was able to survive baking of cheesecake when batter was inoculated with a high population (10(6) CFU/g) of S. Enteritidis regardless of whether standard-or reduced-fat ingredients were used. Three of nine standard- and four of nine reduced-fat cheesecake samples contained viable S. Enteritidis. In addition, one sample contained viable S. Enteritidis population detectable by direct plating (approximately 10 CFU per g of cake). This sample was taken from the center of a standard-fat cheesecake that was inoculated with a high population (10(6) CFU/g) of S. Enteritidis. Results of this study suggest that cheesecake prepared with eggs of low microbiological quality or cheesecake improperly handled or stored could serve as a vehicle for salmonellosis.

Carbohydrates↗
PubMed2006

Conditions of transfer and quality of food.

Many factors contribute to the production of safe foods of animal origin. Initiatives for an integrated approach to food safety recognise the importance of optimising transportation conditions to ensure on-farm interventions are preserved. Physical, microbial, and environmental hazards during the transportation process may adversely affect the safety and quality of meat, poultry, and egg products. Additionally, the stress level in animals can be raised by transportation conditions, potentially causing increased pathogen shedding in carrier animals which exposes other animals to possible contamination. The physiological effects of stress on animals can reduce the quality of meat, poultry, and egg products produced by the animals, thus decreasing the economic value of the animal. Increased globalisation of markets provides an incentive for transportation standards of food animals within a country as well as transportation standards between countries.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1999

Comparison of egg hatchability and in vitro survival of goose embryos of various origins.

Hatchability of 69,324 fertilized eggs of White Italian geese from the WD1 maternal strain, selected for egg production, and of 25,226 eggs from the WD3 paternal strain, selected for weight gain, were compared. A significant difference was noted, but its magnitude varied during the reproduction season. Mean results for the WD1 strain (80.9%) were always higher (P < 0.01) than those of WD3 strain (75.8%). To determine the causes of this difference, goose eggs from WD1, WD3, and the Kuban (K) strain that demonstrate high reproductive performance (egg number, fertility, and hatchability) were incubated in a laboratory scale incubator. Embryonic mortality and egg weight loss during incubation were determined. Best hatchability (78.5%) was noted in eggs from K goose strain and the weight loss attained 10.9% of the initial egg weight, until Day 25 of incubation. With the higher egg weight loss in Strains WD1 (11.8%) and WD3 (13.2%), hatchability was diminished to 67.3 and 65.5%, respectively. Better hatchability resulted from lower mortality up to Day 6 of incubation and, especially, between Days 7 and 25 of incubation. The differences found in the egg weight losses and in embryonic mortality suggest a need for adjusting the incubation technique to the particular goose genotype. Embryo cultivation in vitro in plastic containers made the comparison of embryo survival possible, because the interaction of incubator microclimate by eggshell quality was eliminated. The results noted due to strain were ranked in the following order: K, WD1, and WD3. The experimental findings suggest that, apart from that of shell quality effect on various egg weight losses during incubation, there appear to be other factors that cause differences in hatchability of the goose strains studied.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Pinworm prevalence in California elementary school children, and diagnostic methods.

The pinworm prevalence among 302 children tested in 1980 in five Southern California elementary schools was determined to be 11.6%. The range was 7.3-15.4%. In a 1982 study involving 158 children in six schools, the prevalence was 21.6% (range 11.1-38.9%). The results of these studies are compared with those of a similar prevalence study done in the same area and in some of the same schools during the 5-year period 1960-1964. The prevalence for the earlier period, involving 700 children in six schools, was 34.6%, and ranged from 29.2-43.0%. A new, flexible, plastic pinworm slide was used in the 1980 and the 1982 studies. In the 1982 study, this diagnostic method was evaluated and compared for efficiency and use against the standard cellulose tape/glass slide. The two are equally effective in picking up eggs, and in reading quality. The plastic slide is easier to use and does not break.

California↗