Advances in Animal Fertility Preservation—Second Edition

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 1351

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Guest Editor
Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Unit of the National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research/ Instituto Nacional de Investigação Agrária e Veterinária, Quinta da Fonte Boa, 2005-048 Vale de Santarém, Portugal
Interests: physiology; reproduction; assisted reproductive technologies; animal genetic resources characterization and conservation; gametes and embryo metabolism; cryobiology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The preservation and sustainable management of animal genetic resources are critical for the global maintenance of biodiversity, food security, and population livelihoods. A concerted effort, including the establishment of international and national goals and strategies allied to local interventions, is urgently needed for the conservation of animal genetic diversity. Currently, most of the indicators of the state of biodiversity are in decline. This decline is global and is not slowing down. On the contrary, the extinction of species and breeds, including domestic animals, continues to increase. Germplasm preservation and assisted reproductive technologies are currently envisaged as critical tools for the conservation and management of animal genetic resources and for fertility preservation. However, germplasm quality is one of the key limiting factors in both male and female fertility. This Special Issue presents an excellent opportunity to show novel strategies, therapies, and lines of research in progress that have revealed different possibilities in the conservation of animal genetic resources, the preservation of germplasm, and the improvement in the quality and developmental competence of gametes and embryos.

Dr. Rosa Maria L. N. Pereira
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • animal genetic resources conservation
  • assisted reproductive technologies
  • germplasm
  • cryopreservation
  • development
  • pregnancy

Published Papers (2 papers)

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14 pages, 1556 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Selected Factors on Changes in Locomotion Activity during Estrus in Dairy Cows
by Mária Mičiaková, Peter Strapák and Eva Strapáková
Animals 2024, 14(10), 1421; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14101421 - 9 May 2024
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Abstract
The objective of this study was the evaluation of the locomotion activity of heifers and Holstein dairy cows during estrus. We have analyzed the locomotion activity using the Heatime RuminAct device on 180 cows (32 heifers and 148 dairy cows) and we evaluated [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was the evaluation of the locomotion activity of heifers and Holstein dairy cows during estrus. We have analyzed the locomotion activity using the Heatime RuminAct device on 180 cows (32 heifers and 148 dairy cows) and we evaluated a total of 633 estrus cycles during the reference period of 3 days before estrus, 3 days after estrus, and on the day ofestrus occurrence. The datawere analyzed using the DataFlowTM II program. The locomotion of cows was expressed in the units of locomotion activity in 24 h (u.24 h−1). During the reference period of 3 days before estrus, the cows showed locomotion activity of 558 u.24 h−1, with an increase in locomotion activity on the day of estrus of 836 u.24 h−1, and, during the reference period of 3 days after estrus, the level of locomotion activity decreased to 537 836 u.24 h−1, which is a similar level of locomotion activity to the reference period before estrus. Through the statistical analysis, we evaluated the impact of parity, lactation stage, milk yield, and individuality on changes in locomotion activity during estrus and throughout the reference period, and we found a significant effect of parity (F = 13.41, p < 0.001) on changes in the locomotion activity of dairy cows during estrus. Based on these results, this research offers fresh perspectives on assessing specific factors affecting the locomotion activity of dairy cows during estrus through the practical application of electronic systems for estrus detection on dairy farms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Fertility Preservation—Second Edition)
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13 pages, 4925 KiB  
Article
Fertility and Insemination Characteristics of Sperm Storage Tubules in Old Thai-Native Hens
by Theerapat Kheawkanha, Vibuntita Chankitisakul, Maruay Pimprasert, Wuttigrai Boonkum and Thevin Vongpralub
Animals 2024, 14(5), 694; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050694 - 23 Feb 2024
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Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the effects of sperm concentration (150–250 × 106 spz/dose) and insemination frequency (once, twice, and thrice weekly) on fertility and sperm storage tubule (SST) characteristics. The SSTs were classified into five categories: namely, SSTs having an unscorable (SST1), [...] Read more.
We aimed to evaluate the effects of sperm concentration (150–250 × 106 spz/dose) and insemination frequency (once, twice, and thrice weekly) on fertility and sperm storage tubule (SST) characteristics. The SSTs were classified into five categories: namely, SSTs having an unscorable (SST1), empty (SST2), low (SST3), medium (SST4), and high (SST5) sperm count after insemination. The results showed that only insemination frequency affected the fertility rate (p < 0.05). The highest fertility was found in the thrice-weekly insemination group; however, this rate was not significantly different from that for the twice-weekly insemination group, except on day 7, while the once-weekly insemination group showed the lowest fertility rate (p < 0.05) from day four onward. On day 1, the SST characteristics showed no differences among the various insemination frequencies. On day 4, the SST2 and SST3 categories increased in the once-weekly insemination group (p < 0.05), while the SST4 and SST5 categories decreased compared to the twice- and thrice-weekly insemination groups (p < 0.05). On day 7, only the thrice-weekly insemination group maintained a level of SST5 category tubules like that measured on day 1 (p > 0.05). In summary, the insemination dose of 150 × 106 sperm was enough for fertilization, and thrice-weekly insemination was the appropriate frequency in old Thai native hens for maintaining a high sperm density in the SSTs throughout the week. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Animal Fertility Preservation—Second Edition)
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