Cloning of Buffalo, a Highly Valued Livestock Species of South and Southeast Asia: Any Achievements?
Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a major source of milk, meat, and draught power in many developing countries in Asia. Animal cloning holds a lot of potential for fast multiplication of elite buffaloes and conservation of their valuable germplasm. Although the progress of buffalo cloning has been slow in comparison to cattle or pig, several breakthroughs were reported in buffalo cloning such as the production of cloned calves from somatic cells isolated from over one-decade old frozen-thawed semen or from urine-derived cells. Since the initiation of buffalo cloning, several approaches have been tried to refine nuclear transfer protocols. This has resulted in increasing the blastocyst production rate and improving their quality leading to an increase in live birth rate. In this review, we discuss current developments in buffalo cloning, its challenges, and the future roadmap.
Cloning of breeding buffalo bulls in India: Initiatives & challenges
The term animal cloning refers to an asexual mean of reproduction to produce genetically identical copies of any animal without the use of sperm. In India, the cloning of buffalo is well established and clones of the Murrah, the best dairy breed of buffalo, have been produced. The most acclaimed example is the restoration of progeny-tested breeding bull by isolating somatic cells from frozen doses of semen, which were stored for more than a decade in the semen bank. Buffalo bull cloning is considered the best available option to reproduce declared proven bulls and their semen would contribute to accomplishing the demand of ever-growing frozen semen, which is the prime requirement of conventional breeding. This article highlights the importance of buffalo bull cloning and its current status in India.
Clinical chemical values and variations in Rasa Aragonesa ewes and lambs
Reference values of biochemical parameters in serum of Rasa Aragonesa ewes and their physiological variations were determined. Total proteins were 53.0–80.0 g/l, glucose 2.17–5.13 mmol/l, cholesterol 0.83–2.31 mmol/l, total bilirubin 1.85–6.49 μmol/l, urea 3.15–10.39 mmol/l, GGT 36–93 U/l (37°C), ALAT 11–33 U/l (37°C) and ASAT 71–209 U/l (37°C). Ewes were divided into three groups: A, 1- and 2-year-old ewes; B, ewes 3 and 4 years old; C, older ewes. Age had significant influence (P<0.05) on ASAT only during pregnancy, with higher levels for younger ewes. Blood parameters in lambs were determined at 5–10 d of life (nursing), 25 to 30 d of life receiving their mother's milk and 80–90 g of feed; and 45 to 50 d of life, weaned, receiving only solid feed. Serum urea and ALAT tended to increase with age, whereas total protein, globulins, cholesterol and GGT decreased with age. These values are of practical importance in the diagnosis of diseases and metabolic disorders in Rasa Aragonesa ewes and lambs under field conditions.