Mycorrhizal Symbiosis Can Change the Composition of Secondary Metabolites in Fruits of Solanum nigrum L.

Solanum nigrum is a common weed in arable land, while being used in traditional medicine around the world due to its remarkable levels of valuable secondary metabolites. Agronomic and biological techniques can alter the production of a specific metabolite by influencing plant growth and metabolism. The effects of colonization with three arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), including Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizoglomus intraradices, and Rhizoglomus fasciculatum, on the chemical composition of S. nigrum fruits were evaluated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. More than 100 different chemical constituents were evaluated by GC-MS. Our study revealed that the levels of phenols (quinic acid), benzenes (hydroquinone), sulfur-containing compounds, lactone and carboxylic acids were improved by R. intraradices. In contrast, hydroxymethylfurfural increased by 68 % in R. fasciculatum inoculated with uninoculated S. nigrum plants, and this species was also the most efficient in inducing sugar compounds (D-galactose, lactose, and melezitose). Our results suggest that AMF colonization is an effective biological strategy that can alter the chemical composition and improve the medicinal properties of S. nigrum.

Evaluation of the Newcastle disease virus genotype VII-mismatched vaccines in SPF chickens: A challenge efficacy study.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) strains, while falling under a single serotype, are classified into distinct genotypes. Genotype VII virulent NDVs pose a significant threat to poultry due to their association with high mortality rates and economic losses. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three commercial live vaccines based on genotype II against genotype VII virulent NDV (vNDV) in specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens. Forty one-day-old chickens were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10) and inoculated with one dose of each ND pneumotropic vaccine-B1, Clone.12IR, and La Sota-or received phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) as a control at eight days of age via eye drop. At 28 days of age (20th post-vaccination days), chickens were intramuscularly challenged with genotype VII virulent NDV (≥ 105 LD50). Serum samples were collected at 28 days of age (challenge day), 7 and 14 post-challenge days to measure NDV antibodies via the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test. Cloacal and oropharyngeal swabs were taken on the 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 10th post-challenge days to evaluate virus shedding. Vaccinated groups exhibited significantly higher antibody titers and greater protection levels compared to the control group (P≤ 0.001). While HI antibody titer was not different at 28 and 35 days of age between vaccinated chickens, the Clone.12IR groups showed higher HI antibody titer compared to B1 at day 42 of age (9.43 vs. 7.42; P≤ 0.002). La Sota and Clone.12IR vaccines demonstrated superior protection against mortality compared to the B1 vaccine (90 %, 80% vs. 60 %, respectively) with 6.0 and 2.67 odds ratio of survivability. All three mismatched vaccines effectively curbed the shedding of virulent genotype VII NDV, with 0 % to 11 % positive cloacal samples up to the 3rd post-challenge day. These findings demonstrate that in the experimental setting, the administration of mismatched ND vaccines, particularly La Sota and Clone.12IR, confer protection against genotype VII virulent NDV and control viral shedding, which can help to develop effective vaccination strategies to mitigate the impact of vNDV outbreaks in the poultry farms.

Serological, cultural, and molecular analysis of Brucella from Buffalo milk in various regions of Iran.

Brucellosis is a significant infection that causes abortion, decreased milk production, and sterility in livestock, which greatly affects the industry. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Brucella in buffalo milk samples across various regions of Iran, utilizing serological, molecular, and cultural analyses. A total of 1860 buffalo milk samples were collected from industrial, semi-industrial, and traditional buffalo farms in four major buffalo breeding provinces. The milk ring test agglutination test (MRT) was initially conducted on all milk samples, followed by culture and molecular testing for positive and negative samples in MRT. The study revealed positive results for the presence of Brucella DNA in various provinces of Iran. The MRT had a relatively low sensitivity, with results ranging from 0 to 0.7% in different provinces. However, the AMOS PCR method showed a significantly higher presence of Brucella DNA, ranging from 13 to 46% in these provinces. The highest abundance of Brucella bacterial DNA was found in Ardabil province, while the lowest was in West Azerbaijan province. Brucella abortus was the most commonly detected bacteria, followed by Brucella melitensis. Interestingly, the B. abortus vaccine strain RB51 was detected in 26.3% of positive samples of B. abortus. The culture assay of milk samples further confirmed the presence of B. melitensis biovar 1 in one sample from Khuzestan province. Overall, the study emphasizes that the AMOS PCR method is the most sensitive in detecting Brucella-exposed milk, while the sensitivity of milk sample culture and MRT is relatively lower.

Global insight into understanding wheat yield and production through Agro-Ecological Zoning.

Global food security requires food production to be increased in the future decades. Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) methodology is a successful approach used in land evaluation studies to support sustainable agricultural development. This approach can facilitate finding suitable areas for wheat production on a global scale. This study was conducted based on a climate zone map, soil data, wheat cultivation area, yield, and production under irrigated and rainfed conditions, worldwide. The results for irrigated wheat indicated that there is an area of 59.5 Mha with an average yield of 4.02 t/ha which leads to the production of about 239.6 Mt of grain yield. Furthermore, climate zones (CZs) of 8002, 5203, 5302, 5403, and 8102 have the highest wheat production with an average of 20.7, 14.2, 13.3, 11.8, 11.5 Mt, respectively. The highest amount of irrigated wheat production has been achieved in soil type code 17 (Loam LF120), which has a cultivation area of around 23.6 Mha and a production of about 106.8 Mt. Rainfed wheat production is 410 Mt, and the cultivation area is 160.2 Mha. The highest rainfed wheat production with an average of 17 Mt was related to the 3702 CZ, followed by the other CZs (3802, 1303, 1203, 3602, 4602, etc.). The soil codes 11 (Loam HF120), 10 (Loam HF180), and 14 (Loam MF120) showed the highest rainfed wheat production. The findings of this study can be useful for agricultural scientists, authorities, and decision-makers around the world to find suitable lands to expand wheat cultivation and also to find new locations for increasing global wheat production to feed the increasing population in the world.

Weed community changes in saffron+chickpea intercropping under different irrigation management.

Saffron (Crocus sativus L.) is among the world's most expensive crops; nevertheless, it struggles to compete with weeds. Non-chemical farming practices, such as intercropping and reduced irrigation, can help to decrease weed problems. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the changes in the weed density, biomass and weed diversity under saffron-chickpea intercropping system with two irrigation regimes. The study's treatments included two irrigation regimes, namely one-time irrigation and conventional irrigation (carried out four times from October through May), and six planting ratios of saffron and chickpea, namely saffron sole-crop (C1), chickpea sole-crop (C2) in eight rows, 1:1 (C3), 2:2 (C4), 2:1 (C5), and 3:1 (C6)] as main and sub-plots, respectively. The result showed that the conventional irrigation regimes increased weed diversity, however, it didn't affect the Pielou index. Intercropping ratios decreased weed diversity compared to saffron and chickpea mono-cropping systems. The interaction effect of treatments was significant for weed density and weed biomass. In most intercropping ratios, weed density and weed biomass decreased under one-time irrigation regimes. The lowest values for weed density and biomass were observed with an average of 15.5 plants/m2 and 37.51 g/m2, respectively, under the one-time irrigation regime with C4 intercropping systems. This intercropping system did not show a significant difference with C3. Overall, the results indicate that a one-time irrigation regime and intercropping with chickpea, specifically with a 1:1 saffron-chickpea ratio (C3) and a 2:2 saffron-chickpea ratio (C4), could be effective strategies for weed management in saffron in semiarid cropping systems.

Evaluation of serological diagnostic tests for bovine brucellosis in dairy cattle herds in an endemic area: a multicenter study.

Brucellosis is known as one of the most common zoonotic diseases worldwide affecting both livestock and humans. It causes abortions, reduces milk production, and infertility in infected animals. The disease is routinely diagnosed through three serological techniques, such as rose bengal plate test (RBPT), standard agglutination test (SAT), and indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (I-ELISA). The aim of this study was to identify and compare the brucellosis seroprevalence among dairy cattle farms through these different serological tests. From 2112 sampled dairy cattle in different parts of Iran, RBPT, SAT, and I-ELISA led to 296 (14.02%), 215 (10.18%), and 297 (14.06%) positive results, respectively. Brucella abortus biovar 3 (62 cases) was identified as the most common cause of brucellosis in tested animals. Our results showed that the specificity and sensitivity of I-ELISA were higher than those obtained by RBPT and SAT. In this study, the overall agreement of RBPT and SAT with I-ELISA reached 95.21% and 94.12% in dairy cattle farms, respectively. Furthermore, Cohen's kappa statistical analysis revealed that the best degree of agreement was seen between RBPT and I-ELISA (0.80), followed by RBPT and SAT (0.78) and finally SAT and I-ELISA (0.72), thereby indicating a strong agreement between RBPT and I-ELISA methods and good agreement between SAT and I-ELISA methods. The McNemar analysis also showed that a significant difference exists between positive and negative results determined by SAT and I-ELISA methods (p < 0.0001). However, the positive and negative results determined by I-ELISA and RBPT did not show a significant difference (p = 0.9207). Therefore, I-ELISA was a more specific and sensitive serological test when compared to RBPT and SAT and could remarkably decrease non-specific reaction by improving the serological screening specificity for an accurate brucellosis diagnosis in endemic areas.

Determining the Optimal Dosage of Lecithin Nanoliposome in Rooster Semen Freezing Medium and Fertility Potential.

Introduction: Lecithin nanoliposome (nano-LPO), with its cryoprotective properties, is considered to enhance the performance of a traditional semen cryoprotectant. Objective: To determine the optimal dose of lecithin nano-LPO added to the rooster semen extender. Materials and Methods: Semen samples collected weekly from eight broiler breeder roosters were mixed and aliquoted into five equal subsamples, during the five successive weeks. The subsamples were then diluted with a semen extender containing 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, or 2% of lecithin nano-LPO. Post-thawed semen quality attributes, including sperm motility and velocity parameters, plasma membrane functionality, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), apoptosis-like changes, and fertility potential, were evaluated. Results: Total motility and velocity parameters, including curvilinear velocity (VCL), straight-line velocity (VSL), average path velocity µm/s (VAP), straightness (STR), linearity (LIN), lateral head displacement (ALH), and wobble (WOB) were quadratically (p < 0.01) influenced by graded levels of lecithin nano-LPO, such that the highest values were obtained when 1% of lecithin nano-LPO was used. Treatments had no significant effect on plasma membrane functionality; however, MMP (p < 0.08) and percentages of live and dead spermatozoa (p < 0.05) quadratically responded to increasing levels of lecithin nano-LPO, where the best outcome was found when about 1% of lecithin nano-LPO was used in the semen extender. The percentage of apoptotic spermatozoa cubically responded to increasing levels of lecithin nano-LPO (p ≤ 0.07). No significant trend of fertility rate was found in response to addition of lecithin nano-LPO levels. Conclusions: Supplementing an extender with 1.10% of lecithin nano-LPO is shown to be the optimal dose associated with the most improvement in post-thawed rooster sperm velocity measurements.

The effect of dietary supplementation of coenzyme Q10 on reproductive variables of cadmium-challenged male Japanese quails (Coturnix Japonica).

BACKGROUND: In recent decades, efforts to produce more efficient poultry products have increased due to its high demand. Meanwhile, some stressors have a negative impact on poultry efficiency and reproduction. Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal with a high potential for inducing reactive oxygen species. On the other hand, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), with antioxidant properties, exerts a free radical-neutralizing effect on biological systems under stressful conditions. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary CoQ10 supplementation on reproductive variables of Cd-challenged male quails. METHODS: Two hundred and sixteen 42-day-old Japanese quails with a male-to-female ratio of 1:3 were randomly divided into three experimental groups (n = 72) and fed by experimental diets from 9 to 13 weeks of age (woa). Treatments included a negative control (NC): feeding basal diet; positive control (PC): feeding basal diet and Cd administration (1 mg per 100 g body weight at 10 and 11 woa); and CdQ10: dietary supplementation of CoQ10 (900 mg per kg diet) and Cd administration. At 10 and 13 woa, liver and testis, cloacal gland index, sera concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and testosterone, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), testicular histology, mRNA abundance of Hsp70 and fatty acid profile of testis, as well as hatchability and fertility, were measured. RESULTS: Liver and testis weights, cloacal gland index, serum concentration of testosterone, ALT, MDA, TAC, mRNA abundance of HSP70, hatchability, and fertility were not affected by the treatments. However, Cd administration decreased seminiferous tubule diameter and seminiferous epithelium thickness (SET) in the PC group compared to the NC group (p < 0.05). The proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) in testis tissue was increased, and the proportion of PUFA and n-3 to n-6 PUFA ratio was decreased in the PC group compared to the NC group (p < 0.05). In addition, CoQ10 supplementation ameliorated the effect of Cd on decreasing SFA and increasing n-3 to n-6 PUFA ratio proportions. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, Cd exerts several adverse effects on reproductive-associated variables; some, but not all, of them are mitigated by CoQ10 supplementation.

The effect of dietary pioglitazone supplementation on milk yield, insulin sensitivity and GH-IGF-I axis in Holstein dairy cows during the transition period.

BACKGROUND: High-yielding dairy cows develop insulin resistance during late gestation associated with disruption of the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I axis and cause metabolic and reproductive disorders. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the effects of dietary pioglitazone (PIO) supplementation as an insulin sensitizer agent on milk yield, plasma metabolite status and GH-IGF-I axis in transition Holstein dairy cows. METHODS: Twenty multiparous cows were randomly assigned into two experimental groups (n = 10 animals per group) and either fed with a basal diet (control) or the basal diet supplemented with 6 mg PIO/kg body weight (BW) from day 14 before parturition to day 21 postpartum. The BW and body condition score (BCS), non-esterified fatty acids, beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), insulin, glucose, GH and IGF-I concentrations, milk production and composition were measured weekly. RESULTS: BW and BCS losses were lower in PIO than in control cows (p < 0.05). The percentage and amount of milk fat were decreased, and the amount of protein increased only in the first post-calving week in the PIO-treated cows compared to the control (p < 0.05). Dietary PIO supplementation increased glucose concentration at calving, but insulin concentration was increased at calving and in the first post-calving week (p < 0.05). Plasma concentrations of IGF-I and the ratio of IGF to GH were increased in the PIO group (p < 0.05). The mean revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index with BHBA, as an insulin sensitivity index, was greater in PIO-supplemented cows (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed beneficial effects of PIO supplementation on improving insulin sensitivity and the GH-IGF-I axis that may cause lower negative energy balance and better metabolic and health status in transition dairy cows.

The effect of acidifier supplementation on egg production performance and intestinal histology of Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica).

BACKGROUND: Acidifier are substances with antibacterial, antifungal, antimicrobial, performance and health benefits that are frequently employed in feed acidification, especially in poultry diet. Meanwhile, the most important factor for acidifier efficiency is the proportion of different acids in the final product. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the effect of dietary supplementation of a commercial acidifier on egg production and histology of the small intestine in laying Japanese quail. METHODS: One-hundred and sixty female quails at 15 weeks of age were divided into four groups and fed basal diet supplemented with different levels of acidifier (0, 1, 2 and 3 gr acidifier/kg of basal diet) for 8 weeks. Egg production, egg quality attributes and body weight (BW) were measured every 2 weeks. Histology of the small intestine and bacterial population of cecum as well as pH of crop, duodenum, jejunum, ileum and cecum contents were also investigated at the end of the experiment. RESULTS: Feed conversion ratio (FCR), yolk height, shell thickness, pH of the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, cecum; duodenum, villus width (VW), villus height (VH), crypt depth (CD); jejunum VH, VW and ileum VH to CD ratio (VCR) were linearly improved by the increasing levels of acidifier supplementation (P < 0.05). Duodenum VH increased in a linear and quadratic manner in response to increasing levels of acidifier. Egg weight, yolk diameter, jejunum CD, ileum CD, ileum VW, duodenum CD and jejunum VCR quadratically improved by grading levels of acidifier (P < 0.01). BW, albumen height, Haugh unit, ileum VH and ileum VCR were cubically enhanced (P < 0.05). Acidifier supplementation enhanced egg production, FCR, jejunum, ileum and cecum pH and VH, CD and VW of duodenum and jejunum, compared to the control group (P < 0.05); however, dietary acidifier did not affect egg mass, gizzard pH, ileum VH and bacterial count of the cecum (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, as calculated, the supplementation of 1 and 2.6 g acidifier per kg of diet was associated with beneficial effects on egg production and quality, gastrointestinal tract pH and histology of the small intestine in laying quails.

Effects of dietary supplementation of different sources and levels of selenium on the semen quality and reproductive performance in aged broiler breeder roosters.

Fertility has a great impact on economic outcome in poultry sector. However, several physiological stressors such as aging adversely affected fertilization capacity and hatching quantity and quality. This study investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of different sources and levels of inorganic and organic selenium on the semen quality and reproductive performance of aged broiler breeder roosters. A total of thirty-six 50-wk-old Ross 308 roosters were randomly allocated to 6 groups and fed with different levels of organic and inorganic selenium. Treatments were included in the basal diet (control: CG), dietary supplementation of 0.15 (SeY0.15), 0.30 (SeY0.30), and 0.45 (SeY0.45) mg/kg selenium-enriched yeast (SeY), dietary supplementation of 0.30 mg/kg commercial organic selenium (Selemax), and dietary supplementation of 0.30 mg/kg sodium selenite (SS) as an inorganic source during 12 consecutive weeks. Ejaculated volume, semen quality attributes of the collected semen samples were evaluated every week. To assess fertility, hatchability and the hatched chick quality, the semen samples collected during last 2 wk of the trial were used to artificial insemination of hens. In order to measure seminiferous tube diameter and seminiferous epithelium thickness, testicular histology was also performed at the end of the experiment. Sperm motility, plasma membrane functionality and integrity, and ejaculation volume were higher in the SeY0.45 group compared to the other groups (P < 0.05). Fertility and hatchability rate as well as seminiferous epithelium thickness and seminiferous tube diameter were improved in the SeY0.45 compared with CG, SeY0.15 and SS groups (P < 0.05). Also hatchelling quality from roosters with SeY0.45 was higher than CG and SS groups (P < 0.05). No significant differences were noted in embryonic mortality between groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of 0.45 mg SeY improved sperm quality and reproductive performance of aged broiler breeder roosters.

Biochemical and Botanical Aspects of Allium sativum L. Sowing.

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the yield and compliance of selected Iranian garlic (Allium sativum L.) cultivars, including Tuyserkan (TSN), Heydareh (HDH), Mouien (MUN), and Taroom (TRM), during two growing seasons. The TRM cultivar germination rate is higher than the other cultivars studied. The TRM cultivars have quite remarkable values for the dry weight, fresh weight, stem diameter, and the number of leaves present. The fresh weight and dry weight of the TRM cultivar for the second year are 33.8 t/ha and 16.7 t/ha, respectively. However, on average, the HDH cultivar is the tallest plant in the experiments. Average pyruvic acid content in fresh samples of the TRM and HDH cultivars is 78 µm/gfw and 69.3 µm/gfw, respectively. It is observed that there are remarkable differences in the level of pyruvic acid between the different cultivars. The growth, development, and yield of plants are highly dependent on their genetic characteristics; in this experiment, the TRM cultivar shows a good yield (16.7 t/ha), and the evaluated characteristics improve compared to the other cultivars studied, which could be due to the high compatibility of this cultivar to the environmental conditions of the study. The excellent performance on the yield of TRM makes this cultivar more appreciable on a commercial level.

Molecular Characterization of a New Ecotype of Holoparasitic Plant Orobanche L. on Host Weed Xanthium spinosum L.

A species of Orobanche was observed on spiny cocklebur (Xanthium spinosum) for the first time in Iran and tentatively was named IR-Iso.This study was conducted to make a phylogenetic analysis of the Orobanche using 5.8S rRNA region sequences, and also to better understand its sequence pattern. The full-length ITS1-ITS2 region of the new Orobanche isolate was PCR-amplified from the holoparasitic plant parasitizing X. spinosum. Sequences of the amplicons from the isolate were 100% identical but differed by 5.6-6.7% from most homologous GenBank accessions to 37.9% divergence from distant species. The analysis of the molecular variance showed that variation between-population (61.9%, SE = 0.04) was larger than within-population. Neighbor-joining analysis placed the Iranian isolate in the same clade as most of the Orobanche and Phelipanche species. The isolate was more closely related to Orobanche aegyptiaca (from China), and this was confirmed by using a structure analysis. However, complementary analyses showed that the Iranian isolate has a unique nucleotide substitution pattern, and hence it was considered as an ecotype of O. aegyptiaca (ecotype Alborzica). In this paper we report on the association between this new ecotype of Orobanche and X. spinosum.

Thermoresistant Newcastle disease vaccine effectively protects SPF, native, and commercial chickens in challenge with virulent virus.

BACKGROUND: Due to the more stability and a better homogenecity in immune response, the use of thermoresistant vaccines in different chicken types has been increased. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a newly developed Newcastle disease vaccine (ND.TR.IR) originating from I-2 strain in specific pathogen-free (SPF) and native and broiler chickens. METHODS: Following determination of pathogenicity indices on the candidate seed, three efficacy examinations were conducted. In the first experiment, 120 1-day-old SPF chickens were randomly allocated to six groups and either vaccinated with ND.TR.IR via eye drop at 1, 7, and 21 days of age (V1 , V7 , and V21 ), or considered as non-vaccinated control groups (C1 , C7 , and C21 ). At 20th post-vaccination day, sera hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibody titres against ND virus (NDV) were measured and then the chickens were challenged by virulent NDV (vNDV). In the second and third experiments, the efficacy of ND.TR.IR vaccine was compared to routine vaccination program (B1 and LaSota) in native and broiler chickens that were vaccinated at 10 and 20 days of age, respectively. The HI antibody titres were measured on 10, 20, 30, and 40 days of age, and also challenge efficacy test with vNDV was conducted on 30 days of age. RESULTS: The studied virus, as a vaccinal seed, complied with the pathogenicity indices of avirulent NDV and molecular identity of I-2 strain. In the efficacy evaluation trials, the vaccinated chickens had higher HI antibody titres against NDV compared with their corresponding control chickens (p < 0.05). Results of the challenge tests indicated 95% and 100% protection against vNDV in native, SPF, and broiler-vaccinated chickens, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings indicated that administration of ND.TR.IR induced appropriate HI antibody titres against NDV in SPF, native, and broiler chickens associated with good protection in efficacy test.

Determining the Duration of Maternal Immunity Against Sheep Pox in Lambs.

Maternal immunity may affect vaccination success in young lambs. This study was aimed to determine the duration of the maternal immunity in lambs born from vaccinated ewe against Sheep pox. The level of neutralizing antibody against Sheeppox virus (SPPV) was measured in 14 lambs that were fed colostrum of their immunized mother (MCF lambs; n = 14) or reared with colostrum of ewes that were not immunized against Sheep pox, as the control (C lambs; n = 7), using virus neutralization index. The lambs were randomly divided into four experimental groups and after blood sampling, they were challenged by a virulent SPPV at different postbirth days, including 15 (2 CF and 1 C lambs), 30 (4 CF and 2 C lambs), 60 (4 CF and 2 C lambs), and 90 (4 CF and 2 C lambs) days of age. All the C lambs had no antibody titers against SPPV. Results of the challenge test showed that, up to 60 days of age, the MCF lambs had only localized scabs at the inoculation site and did not show any secondary pock lesions associated with Sheep pox; while all the C lambs were infected (p < 0.05). However, the percentage of lambs with Sheep pox signs was not different between C and MCF lambs after the challenge test at 90 days old lambs (p > 0.05), indicating decrease of maternal immunity. These findings revealed that the duration of maternal immunity against SPPV is ∼60 days, and vaccination is better to be performed at later ages.

Effects of coenzyme Q10 on reproductive performance of laying Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) under cadmium challenge.

Japanese quail is an increasingly important bird of economic importance for commercial egg and meat production, particularly in developing countries. There is a need for research aimed at improving efficiency of these birds during stressful challenges, such as oxidative stress. Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), a highly functional antioxidant, protects cells against oxidative stress. This study was conducted to determine the effects of CoQ10 on reproductive performance of Japanese quail under cadmium (Cd) challenge. A total of 216 six-wk-old Japanese quail were randomly allocated into 3 groups for an 8 wk experimental trial. The treatments include a negative control (NC): feeding basal diet; a positive control (PC): feeding basal diet and cadmium administration (1 mg/100 g BW, at 10 and 11 wk of age), and (CdQ10): feeding CoQ10 supplemented (900 mg/kg diet) basal diet and Cd administration. At 11 and 13 wk of age, egg production, body weight, mortality, oviduct, and ovarian biometry, were recorded. Histology and histopathology of isthmus and magnum, fertility, hatchability, hatchling quality, and HSP70 mRNA transcript abundance in the utero-vaginal junction (UVJ) were evaluated. Positive control and CdQ10 group had no significant effect on live body weight, stroma weight, follicle size, hatchability, and fertility; however, Cd administration increased (P < 0.01) mortality rate in the PC group compared to the NC and CdQ10 groups. CdQ10 quail produced more eggs and had a higher hatchling quality compared to the PC group (P < 0.01). The thickness and height of isthmus and magnum folds in the CdQ10 group was increased compared to the PC group (P < 0.01) and overall oviduct weight was increased with CoQ10 supplementation (P < 0.01). Compared to PC, the CdQ10 group had a reduction in infiltration of inflammatory cells. Relative abundance of HSP70 mRNA in UVJ was influenced by interactive effect of treatment × time (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of CoQ10 showed beneficial effects on some reproduction characteristics of female Japanese quail under Cd-induced oxidative stress.

Mycorrhizal impact on competitive relationships and yield parameters in Phaseolus vulgaris L. - weed mixtures.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are known to improve plant growth and nutrition and therefore are likely to affect the competitive relationships between crops and weeds. In this study, we evaluated whether AMF (Funneliformis mosseae, Rhizoglomus fasciculatum, Rhizoglomus intraradices) change plant competition between Phaseolus vulgaris and the weeds Solanum nigrum L., Digitaria sanguinalis L., and Ipomoea purpurea L. Mycorrhizal colonization, aggressivity index, photosynthetic rates, and yield parameters were measured. While the presence of AMF reduced the total biomass of D. sanguinalis and S. nigrum when grown in competition with P. vulgaris, it increased the total biomass of I. purpurea when grown with P. vulgaris. Significantly, elevated mycorrhizal growth responses (38-44%) improved the competitive ability of I. purpurea. In contrast, the competitive ability of S. nigrum was increased only when plants colonized by R. intraradices. The total protein content of P. vulgaris pods when in competition was negatively affected by AMF, thus leading to low nutritional quality. The results suggest that AMF have the potential to affect the outcome of weed-P. vulgaris competition. We demonstrate that not only colonization with AMF but also AMF species can affect the competitive relationships between crops and weeds, and thus, AMF represent key soil organisms to be taken into account in sustainable weed management strategies.

Competitive Ability Effects of Datura stramonium L. and Xanthium strumarium L. on the Development of Maize (Zea mays) Seeds.

The objective of this study was to explore the physical properties of maize seeds in competition with weeds. The basic and complex geometric characteristics of seeds from maize plants, competing with Datura stramonium L. (DS) or Xanthium strumarium (XS) at different weed densities, were studied. It was found that the basic and complex geometric characteristics of maize seeds, such as dimension, aspect ratio, equivalent diameter, sphericity, surface area and volume, were significantly affected by weed competition. The increase in weed density from 0 to 8 plants m2 resulted in an increase in the angle of repose from 27° to 29°, while increasing weed density from 8 to 16 plants m2 caused a diminution of the angle of repose down to 28°. Increasing the density of XS and DS to 16 plants m2 caused a reduction in the maximum 1000 seed weight of maize by 40.3% and 37.4%, respectively. These weed side effects must be considered in the design of industrial equipment for seed cleaning, grading and separation. To our knowledge, this is the first study to consider the effects of weed competition on maize traits, which are important in industrial processing such as seed aeration, sifting and drying.

Conjugated linoleic acid improves meiotic spindle morphology and developmental competence of heat-stressed bovine oocyte.

This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of introducing conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) on meiotic spindle organization of heat stressed (HS) matured oocytes and the resulting blastocysts DNA methylation as well as the expression of the genes involved in DNA methylation (DNMT3a, DNMT3b and DNMT1). Immature bovine oocytes were cultured at 41 °C for the first 12 h and 38.5 °C for the second 12 h of maturation time in the presence of 0 and 50 µM of CLA (HS and HS + CLA groups, respectively). A group of oocytes cultured in medium with no CLA supplementation at normal temperature (38.5 °C for 24 h) was considered as negative control (C). Percentage of normal spindle, and cleavage and blastocyst rates were significantly decreased in the HS group compared to the C group (P < 0.05). The global DNA methylation and expression level of DNMT3a gene were increased in HS group compared to the C groups (P < 0.05), while the expression level of DNMT3b was decreased. The CLA supplementation improved the percentage of normal microtubules shape in MII oocytes as well as the developmental competence in the HS + CLA group compared to the HS group (P < 0.05). However, global DNA methylation and expression level of DNMT3a/b were not ameliorated by CLA supplementation (P > 0.05). Based on the obtained results, CLA proved to be capable of improving the oocyte developmental competence as well as decreased the aberrant spindle organization of heat-stressed oocytes and it would not cause epigenetic alteration in the obtained blastocysts.

Concentrations-dependent effect of exogenous abscisic acid on photosynthesis, growth and phenolic content of Dracocephalum moldavica L. under drought stress.

MAIN CONCLUSION: The drought conditions and the application of ABA reduce the photosynthetic activity, and the processes related to the transpiration of Dracocephalum moldavica L. At the same time, the plant increases the production of phenolic compounds and essential oil as a response to stress conditions. In the semi-arid regions, drought stress is the most important environmental limitations for crop production. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a crucial role in the reactions of plants towards environmental stress such as drought. Field experiments for two consecutive years in 2016 and 2017 were conducted to evaluate the effect of three watering regimes (well-watered, moderate and severe drought) and five exogenous ABA concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 µM) on growth, photosynthesis, total phenolic and essential oil content of Dracocephalum moldavica L. Without ABA application, the highest photosynthetic rate (6.1 µmol CO2 m-2 s-1) was obtained under well-watered condition and, moderate and severe drought stress decreased photosynthesis rate by 26.39% and 34.43%, respectively. Some growth parameters such as stem height, leaf area, leaf dry weight and biological yield were also reduced by drought stress. ABA application showed a decreasing trend in photosynthesis rate and mentioned plant growth parameters under all moisture regimes. The highest seed yield (1243.56 kg ha-1) was obtained under well-watered condition without ABA application. Increasing ABA concentration decreased seed yield in all moisture regimes. The highest total phenolic content (8.9 mg g-1 FW) and essential oil yield (20.58 kg ha-1) were obtained from 20 and 5 µM ABA concentration, respectively, under moderate drought stress.