The Opuntia effect upon the out-of-season embryo implantation rate in goats: Corpus luteal number, corpus luteal diameter and serum progesterone concentrations

Luteogenesis and Embryo Implantation Are Enhanced by Exogenous hCG in Goats Subjected to an Out-of-Season Fixed-Time Artificial Insemination Protocol

The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible effect of two doses of hCG (100 and 300 IU) applied at two different times (7 and 14 d) after a fixed-time artificial insemination protocol (FTAI) upon some variables involved in the embryonic implantation rate in goats during the natural deep anestrous season (April, 25° north). The experimental units considered crossbred, multiparous, anovulatory goats (n = 69, Alpine, Saanen, Nubian x Criollo), with average body weight (43.6 ± 5.7 kg) and body condition score (1.86 ± 0.28 units) located in northern-semiarid Mexico (25° N, 103° W). Once the goat's anestrus status was confirmed, goats were subjected to an estrus induction protocol. Upon estrus induction confirmation, goats (n = 61) were subjected to a FTAI procedure. Immediately after the FTAI, the goats were randomly distributed to five experimental groups: (1). G100-7 (n = 13) 100 IU, hCG 7 d post-FTAI, (2). G100-14 (n = 12) 100 IU hCG, 14 d post-FTAI, (3). G300-7 (n = 12) 300 IU, hCG, 7 d post-FTAI, (4). G300-14 (n = 12) 300 IU hCG 14 d post-FTAI, and (5). Control group, CONT (n = 12) 0.5 mL saline, 7 and 14 d post-FTAI. The response variables conception rate (39.36 ± 0.23), fertility rate (27.96%), prolificacy rate (1.1 ± 0.29 kids), ovulation rate (0.74 ± 0.20 corpus luteum) corpus luteum diameter (10.15 ± 0.59 mm), embryo number (1.58 ± 0.20), and embryo implantation rate (48.96%), did not differ between treatments. However, while the variables fecundity rate (67%), embryo efficiency index-1 (33.99 ± 0.20%), and embryo efficiency index-2 (27.94 ± 0.30%) were favored by the G300-14 treatment, the corpus luteum area was favored (p < 0.05) by both G300-7 (113.30 ± 0.19 mm²) and G300-14 (103.04 ± 0.17 mm²). Such reproductive strategy emerges as an interesting approach, not only to enhance the out-of-season reproductive outcomes, but also to boost one of the main rulers defining the global reproductive efficiency of a heard, namely, the embryo implantation efficiency.

Genotypic differences relative photochemical activity, inorganic and organic solutes and yield performance in clones of the forage cactus under semi-arid environment

Plants with the crassulacean acid metabolism commonly present good adaptation to arid and semi-arid environments, but it highly depends on the type of species. In this study, chlorophyll fluorescence, the concentration of inorganic and organic solutes and the productive performance were evaluated along with their relationships in different clones of the genera Opuntia and Nopalea. The experiment was conducted from 2016 to 2018. Four clones of genus Opuntia were evaluated: 'Orelha de Elefante Mexicana' (OEM), 'Orelha de Elefante Africana' (OEA), V19 and F8; and two clones of genus Nopalea: 'IPA Sertânia' and 'Miúda'. The experiment was arranged in a randomised block design, with six treatments and three replications. The following parameters were measured when harvesting: initial, maximum and variable fluorescence; the quantum yield of PSII (Fv/Fm); light-induction curves of the photochemical parameters (ΔF/Fm', qP, NPQ and ETR); the chlorophyll and carotenoid content; carbohydrates; the sodium (Na⁺) and potassium (K⁺) content; morphometry; and dry matter accumulation. The values for the effective quantum yield of PSII (ΔF/Fm') and the alterations in photochemical quenching were higher in the OEM clone (P < 0.05). There was a difference between clones for non-photochemical quenching, with the F8 clone having the highest values. The Fv/Fm was 0.87 for the OEM. 'IPA Sertânia' obtained the greatest Chl a/b, and the highest values for carbohydrate concentration were found in the OEA clone. The OEM clone showed the greatest accumulation of K⁺, in addition to a higher cladode area index and greater dry matter accumulation. The results of this study show the high physiological tolerance of the forage cactus to a semi-arid environment, which varies according to the clone.

Periconceptional nutrition with spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) improves metabolomic profiles and pregnancy outcomes in sheep

We tested whether periconceptional nutrition with cladodes from the cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica, with or without protein-enrichment, improved the metabolomic profile and reproductive outcomes of adult female sheep. Sixty Rambouillet ewes of similar body weight were randomly allocated among three nutritional treatments that were fed during the breeding period (34 days): Control (Control; n = 20), Opuntia (Opuntia; n = 20) and protein-enriched Opuntia (E-Opuntia; n = 20). There were no effects of treatment on body weight but assessment of urine samples indicated that, for 76 metabolites, the Control and Opuntia groups differed completely (P < 0.05), whereas there was overlap between the Control and E-Opuntia groups. It appears that, in Opuntia-fed and Control-fed sheep, different functional groups are activated leading to changes in the metabolism of glucose, tyrosine, methane, and glycerolipids. Fertility and reproductive rate tended to be higher in the Opuntia (70% and 95%) and E-Opuntia (90% and 110%) groups than in the Control (55% and 65%), and an orthogonal contrast revealed the difference between Control and Opuntia to be significant for both reproductive variables (P < 0.05). We conclude that nutritional supplementation with Opuntia cladodes, with or without protein enrichment, increased fertility rate and reproductive rate of female sheep, without any accompanying increases in body weight. Our observations suggest that the reproductive responses to Opuntia do not simply reflect a response to good nutrition, but might be caused by specific metabolites/metabolomic pathways, perhaps by an activation of the metabolism of glucose, methane, tyrosine and glycerolipids. There are few reports relating these metabolomic compounds with the metabolism of the sheep, let alone with reproductive efficiency. The novelty of these discoveries suggests that we need further research into the mechanisms through which nutrition affects the reproductive system.

The Opuntia Effect Improves Dam-Kid Metabolic Markers, Augments Colostrum Quality and Enhances Kid-To-Dam Behavioral Interactions in Crossbred Goats and their Offspring under Semiarid-Rangeland Conditions

The possible effect of protein-enriched Opuntia cladode supplementation during the pre- and post-partum stages (-25 days to +15 days; day 0 = kidding) upon dam-kid metabolic status, colostrum-milk quality, and some behavioral kid-to-dam interaction in goats managed under rangeland extensive conditions was evaluated. Multiparous crossbred goats (n = 30), homogeneous regarding live weight (LW; 55.9 ± 1.03 kg) and body condition score (BCS; 2.5 ± 0.2 units), were randomly assigned to (1) protein-enriched Opuntia (PEO; n = 10; 29.8% crude protein (CP), 2.2 Mcal ME kg-1), (2) non-enriched Opuntia (NEO; n = 10; 6.4% CP, 2.1 Mcal ME kg-1), and (3) control (CON; n = 10, non-supplemented). The PEO and NEO goats were individually supplemented with Opuntia cladodes (250 g day-1; 09:00-10:00 a.m.; 25 days pre- and 15 days post-partum); then, all groups grazed in a marginal rangeland (10:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m.). LW, BCS, and blood samples to quantify serum glucose (GLU) levels were collected weekly from day -25 up to day +15 in both dams (pre- and post-partum) and kids (post-partum). At 4h and 8h post-partum, kid-to-dam behavioral tests were performed; approaches (APRO, units), animal-to-animal contact (ACONT, s), latency-to-contact (LCONT, s), and high (HPB) and low (LPB) bleats were registered. The response variables LW (58.2 ± 3.5 kg), GLU from does (66.4 ± 3.3 mg/dL), colostrum fat (12.3 ± 1.15%), non-fatty solids (20.9 ± 2.1%), density (64.4 ± 7.0%), and protein (8.1 ± 0.8%), as well as milk density (31.2 ± 1.7%) and protein (3.9 ± 0.3%), favored the PEO group. Moreover, the dam-to-kid 4 h LPB (34.5 ± 4.6 frequency), as well as kid-to-dam 8 h LCONT-own (100 ± 35.5 s) and LPB (25.2 ± 6.9 frequency) also favored the PEO group. To conclude, peripartum supplementation with protein-enriched Opuntia cladodes emerged as a key alternative to enhance the dam-kid metabolic status, to improve colostrum quality and some milk components (density and protein), as well as to expand the kid-to-dam bond in goat production systems under marginal extensive conditions.