Effects of Different Cytoprotectants Combination on Sperm Survival, Fertility and Embryo Development in Amur Sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii)
Xiujuan Zhang,
Jinge Ma,
Linmiao Li,
Haiying Jiang,
Jinping Chen
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 4, July 2018
Pages:
51-57
Received:
4 August 2018
Accepted:
4 September 2018
Published:
13 October 2018
Abstract: Development of artificial propagation technology is becoming increasingly important in sturgeon aquaculture whether species recovery efforts or commercial production. The cryopreservation technique of high-quality semen collected during the spawning season could extremely improve reproductive efficiency for year-round availability, especially for off-season use. However, the cryopreservation technique of sperm in Amur sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) has not been effectively developed. In the present study, we firstly tested the cryopreservations combination effects of three cryoprotectants, including methanol, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and propylene glycol (PG) and fresh yolk (Y) addition on sperm motility, fertilization and embryo development in Amur sturgeon. The results indicated that sperm motility was still more than 60% in the MT group but that of the control group was sharply decreased to 4.5% after 72 h of in vitro storage (4°C). The post-thawed sperm motility analysis showed that there was no significant difference between the MT+DMSO group and MT group, but the fertility rate in the MT group was significantly higher with a value of 42.30±2.57(%) than any other experimental groups, including the MT+DMSO group (P<0.05). Meanwhile, we also found that there was no significantly positive effect on post-thawed sperm motility with Y addition. Interestingly, although the results showed that the MT+DMSO group and MT group had similar effects on the post-thawed sperm motility, the MT+DMSO group had higher hatching rate compared to any other tested groups, including the MT group. Meanwhile, we also found that PG as cryoprotectant was unsuitable for sperm cryopreservation of Amur sturgeon. In conclusion, our results provides invaluable basis in further studies for the optimization technology of artificial propagation in Amur sturgeon.
Abstract: Development of artificial propagation technology is becoming increasingly important in sturgeon aquaculture whether species recovery efforts or commercial production. The cryopreservation technique of high-quality semen collected during the spawning season could extremely improve reproductive efficiency for year-round availability, especially for o...
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Regional Assessment of the Virtual Water of Sheep and Goats in Arid Areas
Ke Zhang,
Chao Li,
Wen Bao,
Mengmeng Guo,
Qi Zhang,
Yuxin Yang,
Qifang Kou,
Wenrui Gao,
Xiaolong Wang,
Zhaoxia Yang,
Yulin Chen
Issue:
Volume 6, Issue 4, July 2018
Pages:
58-66
Received:
13 August 2018
Accepted:
29 August 2018
Published:
13 October 2018
Abstract: The increased consumption of livestock products is likely to put further pressure on the world’s freshwater resources, an agricultural virtual water strategy will alleviate the water resources pressure of livestock husbandry, especially in arid areas. The research on the virtual water requirement of living animals is still blank in China. Most of the researches on the virtual water of animal products in China adopt foreign data and there is some error with the actual situation in China. In this study, the virtual water requirements of sheep and goats (n=80) in North China were evaluated and validated. Factors that affect animals’ virtual water requirements and the water supply for sheep and goat management were analyzed. We found that the virtual water productivity in sheep at five growth stages (40-day-old [D40], 6-month [M6], 12-month-old [M12], 24-month-old [M24], and 36-month-old [M36]) was lower than that in goats. The amount of virtual water requirements was 496.07 m3 from birth to M36 in sheep and was 217.14 m3 in goats. The water consumes were estimated to be 9 019.4 m3 /t in sheep and 4 825.3m3 /t in goats. The virtual water requirement for feed accounted for more than 99% of the total water consumption. Daily water consumption in rams is larger than that in ewes. We found that the crop type and yield, the proportion of high water consumption feed raw material in complete diet pellets, as well as the flock structure are the three major factors influencing virtual water demand in animals. Our results provided strategies to reduce water consumption in animal husbandry industries in arid areas, and further show that the crop import trade strategies can be used to increase the import of high water-consuming crops, instead of the virtual water consumption of the sheep and goat industry output, thereby alleviating the pressure on local water resources.
Abstract: The increased consumption of livestock products is likely to put further pressure on the world’s freshwater resources, an agricultural virtual water strategy will alleviate the water resources pressure of livestock husbandry, especially in arid areas. The research on the virtual water requirement of living animals is still blank in China. Most of t...
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