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Animals
Special Issues
Breed Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology of Small Ruminant
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Breed Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology of Small Ruminant

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 May 2024 | Viewed by 5679

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Federica Turri

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Agricultural Biology and Biotechnology, National Research Council, Via Einstein, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Interests: Biodiversity; animal reproduction; collection of epididymal sperm; semen collection; multiparametric semen analysis; assisted reproductive technologies; animal genetic resources characterization and conservation; breed preservation; cryobiology; cryobanking.
Dr. Koray Tekin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Division of Reproductive and Artificial Insemination, Ankara University, Ankara 68100, Turkey
Interests: Semen cryopreservation; embryology; assisted reproductive technology
Prof. Dr. Calogero Stelletta

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Medicine, Production and Health, University of Padova, 35122 Padova, Italy
Interests: assisted reproductive technology; neuro endocrinology; thermology; andrology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Animal genetic resources are eroding quickly, both in wild and domestic species. To overcome this phenomenon, in recent years, there has been major interest in developing assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) and cryobanking for the conservation of animal genetic resources.

Many endangered livestock breeds, especially in goat and sheep species, are farmed around the world in remote or marginal regions where ARTs and the cryopreservation of farm animal genetic resources are not feasible due to the lack of facilities (AI centers and laboratories) and expertise in the area of semen and oocytes collection.

Considering that both preserving small ruminant breeds and maintaining them in marginal areas are presently priorities for agricultural and rural development policies around the worlds, new insights and key points concerning the assisted reproduction of these species are needed.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the latest scientific achievements in the application of ARTs supporting small ruminant breed conservation, including for example donor selection and management, novel oocyte and sperm recovery and purification methods, gametes preservation protocols for the conservation of animal genetic resources (e.g., freeze drying process), in vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, embryo development and transfer, ultrasonography, and estrus synchronization and detection.

Dr. Federica Turri
Dr. Koray Tekin
Prof. Dr. Calogero Stelletta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • small ruminants
  • endangered species
  • animal genetic resources conservation
  • cryopreservation
  • assisted reproductive technologies
  • sperm
  • oocyte
  • embryo

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4909 KiB  
Article
Short- and Long-Term Storage of Non-Domesticated European Mouflon (Ovis aries musimon) Cumulus–Oocyte Complexes Recovered in Field Conditions
by Letizia Temerario, Vincenzo Cicirelli, Nicola Antonio Martino, Alice Carbonari, Matteo Burgio, Lorenza Frattina, Giovanni Michele Lacalandra, Annalisa Rizzo and Maria Elena Dell’Aquila
Animals 2024, 14(5), 807; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14050807 - 05 Mar 2024
Viewed by 757
Abstract
Reproductive biotechnologies can be used as a supporting tool, through gamete conservation and in vitro embryo production, in the preservation of invaluable and irreplaceable animal genetic resources. In the present study, immature mouflon cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) collected from ovariectomized female ovaries underwent short- [...] Read more.
Reproductive biotechnologies can be used as a supporting tool, through gamete conservation and in vitro embryo production, in the preservation of invaluable and irreplaceable animal genetic resources. In the present study, immature mouflon cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) collected from ovariectomized female ovaries underwent short- or long-term conservation (24 h maintained in Earle’s/Hank’s (EH) medium or vitrification) under field conditions and afterwards transported to the laboratory where they were cultured for in vitro maturation (IVM) and assessed for oocyte meiotic competence and bioenergetic–oxidative status. Utilization of both storage techniques led to COC morphology preservation, as well as cumulus expansion and oocyte meiotic resumption after the IVM procedure. Quantitative bioenergetic–oxidative parameters were reduced in vitrified oocytes compared with EH ones. Immature COC storage needs to be optimized in both domesticated and non-domesticated sheep as a part of the strategy to avoid the loss of valuable genotypes of these animal species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breed Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology of Small Ruminant)
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14 pages, 1781 KiB  
Article
Melatonin Administration Enhances Testicular Volume, Testicular Blood Flow, Semen Parameters and Antioxidant Status during the Non-Breeding Season in Bafra Rams
by Melih Akar, Mesut Çevik, Adem Kocaman, Cumali Kaya, Burcu Esin and Stefan Björkman
Animals 2024, 14(3), 442; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14030442 - 29 Jan 2024
Viewed by 884
Abstract
Our objectives were to investigate the effects of exogenous melatonin on testicular volume (TV), testicular blood flow (TBF), and semen quality in Bafra rams during the non-breeding season. One group of rams (MEL, n = 5) received a 36 mg melatonin implant twice, [...] Read more.
Our objectives were to investigate the effects of exogenous melatonin on testicular volume (TV), testicular blood flow (TBF), and semen quality in Bafra rams during the non-breeding season. One group of rams (MEL, n = 5) received a 36 mg melatonin implant twice, with 30 days in between, while the other group (CON, n = 5) served as the control. TBF, TV, and semen quality parameters were determined at three-week intervals starting three weeks before until twelve weeks after the first melatonin implant. Testicular blood flow was determined in the supratesticular (STA) and marginal testicular artery (MA) using color Doppler ultrasound. Semen was collected and evaluated, and the total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidative status (TAS) was determined using an ELISA. The MEL group had increased (p < 0.05) TV between the sixth and twelfth week after the start of treatment. Overall, the MEL group had lower resistance and pulsatility indexes (p < 0.05) between the third and ninth week, although there was no difference (p > 0.05) between the two groups in most semen quality parameters. However, TAS concentrations increased (p < 0.05) in the MEL group compared with the CON. The results of this study show that exogenous melatonin in the non-breeding season significantly increased both TBF and TV in Bafra rams. Therefore, giving rams implants with 36 mg melatonin twice at least one month prior to the non-breeding season is expected to improve testicular size and function and reproductive capacity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breed Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology of Small Ruminant)
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18 pages, 3584 KiB  
Article
New Strategies for Conservation of Gentile di Puglia Sheep Breed, an Autochthonous Capital of Millennial Tradition in Southern Italy
by Letizia Temerario, Davide Monaco, Antonella Mastrorocco, Nicola Antonio Martino, Sándor Cseh, Giovanni Michele Lacalandra, Elena Ciani and Maria Elena Dell’Aquila
Animals 2023, 13(14), 2371; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13142371 - 20 Jul 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1178
Abstract
Gentile di Puglia (GdP) is an autochthonous sheep breed of Southern Italy included among ovine breeds threatened by genetic erosion and extinction risk, which have been given attention by local and international institutions, thus emphasizing the need for germplasm conservation actions. In the [...] Read more.
Gentile di Puglia (GdP) is an autochthonous sheep breed of Southern Italy included among ovine breeds threatened by genetic erosion and extinction risk, which have been given attention by local and international institutions, thus emphasizing the need for germplasm conservation actions. In the present study, two assisted reproduction approaches, finalized for GdP conservation, were performed: (1) on-farm reproductive efficiency evaluation, expressed as pregnancy rate (PR), twin pregnancy rate (tPR), and body condition score (BCS), for three consecutive breeding cycles and (2) pre-pubertal lambs’ immature cumulus–oocyte complex (COC) retrieval, vitrification, in vitro maturation (IVM), and assessment of meiotic stage and bioenergetic-oxidative status compared with those of other Italian and European commercial breeds. PR and tPR were progressively reduced over time. In all clinical examination times, BCS was significantly lower in nonpregnant ewes compared with pregnant ones. Fresh GdP pre-pubertal lamb COCs achieved meiotic maturation and showed healthy bioenergetic–oxidative status after IVM. Vitrification reduced the oocyte maturation rate in all groups. However, mature oocytes retained their cytoplasmic maturity, expressed as a mitochondria distribution pattern and activity, indicating promising developmental competence. In conclusion, clinical- and biotechnological-assisted reproduction approaches can support conservation strategies of GdP and other local sheep breeds in Southern Italy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breed Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology of Small Ruminant)
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15 pages, 1747 KiB  
Article
Reproduction of Sheep through Nuclear Transfer of Somatic Cells: A Bibliometric Approach
by José Roberto Vazquez-Avendaño, César Cortez-Romero, Ángel Bravo-Vinaja, Demetrio Alonso Ambríz-García, Alfredo Trejo-Córdova and María del Carmen Navarro-Maldonado
Animals 2023, 13(11), 1839; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13111839 - 01 Jun 2023
Viewed by 1803
Abstract
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a reproductive biotechnology with great potential in the reproduction of different species of zootechnical interest, including sheep. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published on the application of SCNT in sheep [...] Read more.
Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is a reproductive biotechnology with great potential in the reproduction of different species of zootechnical interest, including sheep. This study aimed to carry out a bibliometric analysis of scientific papers published on the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction during the period 1997–2023. The search involved the Science Citation Index Expanded and Social Sciences Citation Index databases of the main collection of the Web of Sciences with different descriptors. A total of 124 scientific papers were analyzed for different bibliometric indicators using the VOSviewer software. Since 2001, the number of SCNT-related papers that have been published concerning sheep reproduction has increased and it has fluctuated in ensuing years. The main authors, research groups, institutions, countries, papers, and journals with the highest number of papers related to the application of SCNT in sheep reproduction were identified, as well as the topics that address the research papers according to the terms: somatic cell, embryo, oocyte, gene expression, SCNT, and sheep. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Breed Preservation and Assisted Reproductive Technology of Small Ruminant)
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