World Rabbit Science - Vol. 26 (2)-2018https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1048442024-03-29T00:11:26Z2024-03-29T00:11:26ZAbstracts of the 29th Hungarian conference on rabbit productionConferences, Congresses, Symposiums..., Abstracts,https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1050892023-11-21T11:52:18Z2018-07-03T07:03:45ZAbstracts of the 29th Hungarian conference on rabbit production
Conferences, Congresses, Symposiums..., Abstracts,
[EN] Around 100 participants took part in the 29th Hungarian Conference on Rabbit Production at Kaposvár, organised by the University of Kaposvár, the Hungarian Branch of the WRSA and the Rabbit Production Board. This is the largest and most popular event for rabbit breeders in Hungary. Twelve papers were presented by senior and young scientists. Topics of the papers covered all areas of rabbit production (production, housing and welfare, reproduction, genetics, nutrition, meat quality). Full papers are available from the organiser (matics.zsolt@ke.hu) on request.
2018-07-03T07:03:45ZIdentification and profiling of microRNA between back and belly Skin in Rex rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)Zhao, BohaoChen, YangMu, LinHu, ShuaishuaiWu, Xinshenghttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1050862023-11-21T11:52:18Z2018-07-03T06:58:17ZIdentification and profiling of microRNA between back and belly Skin in Rex rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)
Zhao, Bohao; Chen, Yang; Mu, Lin; Hu, Shuaishuai; Wu, Xinsheng
[EN] Skin is an important trait for Rex rabbits and skin development is influenced by many processes, including hair follicle cycling, keratinocyte differentiation and formation of coat colour and skin morphogenesis. We identified differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) between the back and belly skin in Rex rabbits. In total, 211 miRNAs (90 upregulated miRNAs and 121 downregulated miRNAs) were identified with a |log2 (fold change)|>1 and P-value<0.05. Using target gene prediction for the miRNAs, differentially expressed predicted target genes were identified and the functional enrichment and signalling pathways of these target genes were processed to reveal their biological functions. A number of differentially expressed miRNAs were found to be involved in regulation of the cell cycle, skin epithelium differentiation, keratinocyte proliferation, hair follicle development and melanogenesis. In addition, target genes regulated by miRNAs play key roles in the activities of the Hedgehog signalling pathway, Wnt signalling pathway, Osteoclast differentiation and MAPK pathway, revealing mechanisms of skin development. Nine candidate miRNAs and 5 predicted target genes were selected for verification of their expression by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. A regulation network of miRNA and their target genes was constructed by analysing the GO enrichment and signalling pathways. Further studies should be carried out to validate the regulatory relationships between candidate miRNAs and their target genes.
2018-07-03T06:58:17ZThe effect of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the meat quality of rabbitWang, ZhaomingHe, Z.Gan, X.Li, Hongjunhttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1050852023-11-21T11:52:19Z2018-07-03T06:52:29ZThe effect of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the meat quality of rabbit
Wang, Zhaoming; He, Z.; Gan, X.; Li, Hongjun
[EN] We investigated the effect of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the quality of rabbit meat. Twenty-five Hyla rabbits were slaughtered using standard commercial procedures. A freeze-thaw procedure—i.e., seven days frozen at –18°C followed by thawing at 4°C for 12h— was repeated 5 times, and 9 Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles were randomly selected at pre-set cycles (0, 1, 2, 3, and 5). The Longissimus lumborum muscles were used to determine meat quality parameters, while the Longissimus thoracis muscles were used for chemical analysis. During the repeated freeze-thaw process, muscle pH, redness, hardness, and water holding capacity gradually decreased, whereas meat lightness and yellowness gradually increased. The amount of total volatile basic nitrogen significantly increased (P<0.05) and exceeded the threshold value for frozen meat after 5 repeated freeze-thaw cycles. The metmyoglobin proportion, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and protein carbonyl content in rabbit meat samples increased with a higher number of freeze-thaw cycles (P<0.05), and the proportions of these compounds were positively correlated. During the repeated freeze-thaw process, extractable haeme iron levels significantly decreased (P<0.05), and non-haeme iron levels markedly increased (P<0.05). An sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis analysis indicated that the degradation of both water- and salt-soluble proteins was more prevalent in samples subjected to higher numbers of freeze-thaw cycles. Additionally, a principal component analysis identified good correlations between physicochemical properties (TBARS, protein carbonyl levels and metmyoglobin content) and quality parameters (thawing loss, redness, lightness and hardness). Taken together, we conclude that the repeated freeze-thaw process can strongly affect rabbit meat quality as well as its physicochemical properties.
2018-07-03T06:52:29ZThe effects of hydrolysed sorghum on growth performance and meat quality of rabbitsHernández-Martínez, Carlos AlbertoTreviño-Cabrera, Griselda FabiolaHernández-Luna, Carlos EduardoSilva-Vázquez, RamónHume, Michael E.Gutiérrez-Soto, GuadalupeMéndez-Zamora, Gerardohttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1050832023-11-21T11:52:19Z2018-07-03T06:44:24ZThe effects of hydrolysed sorghum on growth performance and meat quality of rabbits
Hernández-Martínez, Carlos Alberto; Treviño-Cabrera, Griselda Fabiola; Hernández-Luna, Carlos Eduardo; Silva-Vázquez, Ramón; Hume, Michael E.; Gutiérrez-Soto, Guadalupe; Méndez-Zamora, Gerardo
[EN] The effect of sorghum hydrolysed by Trametes maxima CU1 and Pycnoporus sanguineus CS2 was evaluated on growth performance traits and rabbit meat quality. A total of 24 unsexed New Zealand rabbits, weaned at 20 d of age, were allocated to 2 treatments: T1 (diet including 300 g/kg of non-hydrolysed sorghum) and T2 (diet including 300 g/kg of hydrolysed sorghum by Trametes maxima CU1 and Pycnoporus sanguineus CS2). Rabbits of group T2 did not have significantly different (P>0.05) feed intake compared to those in T1. Carcass traits were also not significantly different (P>0.05) between the 2 groups. The pH, water-holding capacity, colour and cooking loss of the longissimus lumborum were not different (P>0.05) between treatments, whereas the pH of the rabbits biceps femoris was higher in T2 (6.21; P<0.05) than in T1 (6.14). Meat hardness and gumminess in T2 were lower (P<0.05) in comparison to meat from T1. Thus, sorghum hydrolysed by Trametes maxima CU1 and Pycnoporus sanguineus CS2 contributed to a better rabbit meat texture.
2018-07-03T06:44:24ZHumoral immune response to different routes of myxomatosis vaccine applicationManev, I.Genova, K.Lavazza, A.Capucci, L.https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1050822023-11-21T11:52:18Z2018-07-03T06:37:28ZHumoral immune response to different routes of myxomatosis vaccine application
Manev, I.; Genova, K.; Lavazza, A.; Capucci, L.
[EN] The aim of our study was to monitor the dynamics of the serological response to different application routes of live attenuated myxomatosis vaccine. The study included 42 Californian breed rabbits, aged 3 mo, of both sexes. They were separated into 7 groups: 6 experimental and 1 control. All experimental groups were vaccinated on day 0 with a single dose of myxomatosis vaccine (min 103.3 tissue culture infective dose 50 [TCID50], max 105.8 TCID50). Three of the groups were injected with monovalent attenuated myxomatosis vaccine using different types of application: intradermal (i.d.), intramuscular (i.m.) and subcutaneous (s.c.). The other 3 groups were injected with bivalent attenuated vaccine against myxomatosis and rabbit haemorrhagic disease; again the routes of administration were i.d., i.m. and s.c.. There were no clinical signs or serious side effects after vaccination. The serological response was evaluated on days 7, 15 and 30 with a monoclonal antibody based-competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA). More rapid and potent humoral response was detected in groups with i.d. inoculation in comparison to i.m. and s.c. routes. Vaccination with monovalent vaccine against myxomatosis induced higher antibody titre in comparison to bivalent vaccine. Our study showed that the vaccine application route and the type of vaccine used influence the speed and intensity of antibody response.
2018-07-03T06:37:28ZBehaviour and reactivity of female and male rabbits housed in collective pens: effects of floor type and stocking density at different agesTrocino, AngelaFiliou, EiriniZomeño, CristinaBirolo, MarcoBertotto, DanielaXiccato, Gerolamohttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1048482023-11-21T11:52:18Z2018-06-29T10:45:00ZBehaviour and reactivity of female and male rabbits housed in collective pens: effects of floor type and stocking density at different ages
Trocino, Angela; Filiou, Eirini; Zomeño, Cristina; Birolo, Marco; Bertotto, Daniela; Xiccato, Gerolamo
[EN] At 33 d of age, 376 crossbred rabbits of both genders were housed in sex-mixed groups in 16 open-top collective pens (1.68 m2) in a factorial arrangement, with 2 types of flooring (wooden slats vs. plastic grid, W vs. P) and 2 stocking densities (12 vs. 16 animals/m2). Behavioural recordings (time budget), reactivity towards unknown humans (tonic immobility and human approach tests) and environment (open-field and novel object tests) and hair and faeces sampling for corticosterone analysis were performed during the 8th wk of age and at a pre-slaughter age (during the 11-12th wk of age). The effects of age and gender were also taken into account. Rabbits housed in W pens rested more in the crouched position (41.4 vs. 35.5% of the observed time) (P<0.001) and showed lower allogrooming (P=0.05), running (P<0.01) and biting pen elements (P=0.01) than those housed in P pens. The percentage of rabbits that interacted with humans during the human approach test (24.0 vs. 48.1% of rabbits in the pen; P<0.01) and number of rabbit-object contacts during the novel object test (on av. 50.4 vs. 87.2; P<0.001) were lower for rabbits in W pens compared to those in P pens. During the open-field test, the percentage of rabbits that spontaneously entered the arena was lower for rabbits from W pens than for those from P pens (60.0 vs. 72.5%; P<0.05). Finally, the hair corticosterone level was higher in the former than in the latter rabbits (on av. 14.0 vs. 12.5 ng/g; P<0.05). As the stocking density increased, only the time spent resting increased (66.7 to 69.1% observed time; P<0.01), and the percentage of rabbits that spontaneously entered the arena during the open-field test decreased (73.8 to 58.8%; P<0.01). When age increased, the rabbits were less active at the reactivity tests and interacted less with an unknown object or person. Differences according to gender were weak. In conclusion, the wooden slatted floor challenged the welfare of growing rabbits as it constrained their movement, conditioned their reactivity towards a new environment, and increased their stress level, whereas the increase in stocking density did not impair rabbit welfare.
2018-06-29T10:45:00ZThe effects of low levels of aflatoxin B1 on health, growth performance and reproductivity in male rabbitsSun, YawangDong, GuozhongE, GuangxinLiao, MinTao, LinLv, Jingzhihttps://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1048472023-11-21T11:52:19Z2018-06-29T10:22:40ZThe effects of low levels of aflatoxin B1 on health, growth performance and reproductivity in male rabbits
Sun, Yawang; Dong, Guozhong; E, Guangxin; Liao, Min; Tao, Lin; Lv, Jingzhi
[EN] This study investigated the chronic effects of relatively low exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on the growth performance, immune situation and reproduction in male rabbits. Bucks (n=32, 4.82±0.22 kg) were individually assigned to 4 treatments (8 replicates each) using a randomised complete block design. Four diets containing 0, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.1 mg AFB1/kg, were provided to bucks for 8 wk. Growth performance and semen quality were measured. Blood, organ and tissue samples were collected to measure haematological indices, liver function, organ weights and immune parameters. Compared to control, AFB1-contaminated diets reduced body weight and average daily gain (P<0.05), altered certain haematological indices and liver function with decreased monocytes percentage and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, and increased plateletcrit and albumin (P<0.05), slightly impaired reproductive parameters with enhanced ratio of morphologically abnormal sperm cells at early stage and reduced post-stage acrosome integrity, testis weight and serum testosterone concentration (P<0.05), decreased immune function with reduced relative liver weight (%) and tumour necrosis factor-α levels in serum and liver tissue, and increased serum 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, bucks fed diets with relatively high AFB1 (0.05 and 0.1 mg AFB1/kg) had reduced red blood cell and haematocrit (P<0.05) in contrast with the low AFB1 group (0.02 mg AFB1/kg). In conclusion, diets containing 0.05 and 0.1 mg AFB1/kg had negative effects on bucks’ growth performance, haematology, reproductivity and immune function, whereas diet containing 0.02 mg AFB1/kg had only minor effects on the parameters measured.
2018-06-29T10:22:40ZNutritive value of sun-dried common reed (Phragmites australis) leaves and its effect on performance and carcass characteristics of the growing rabbitKadi, S.A.Ouendi, M.Bannelier, C.Berchiche, M.Gidenne, T.https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1048462023-11-21T11:52:19Z2018-06-29T10:15:17ZNutritive value of sun-dried common reed (Phragmites australis) leaves and its effect on performance and carcass characteristics of the growing rabbit
Kadi, S.A.; Ouendi, M.; Bannelier, C.; Berchiche, M.; Gidenne, T.
[EN] The nutritive value and potential use of sun-dried common reed (Phragmites australis) leaves (CRL), for growing rabbits was studied by comparing 3 diets (regression method) containing an increasing incorporation rate of CRL: 0% (control, CRL0), 15% (CRL15) and 30% (CRL30) in substitution for the control diet (356 g neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and 197 g crude protein (CP)/kg). Three groups of 37 rabbits (individually caged) were fed the 3 diets ad libitum from weaning (35 d, mean weight: 722±142 g) to 77 d of age. The faecal digestibility of the diets was measured between 42 and 46 d of age in 10 rabbits per group. CRL can be considered high-fibre roughage, as it contained 64% of NDF (38% of ADF and 10% ADL) and 10.2% of CP. The digestible energy (DE) content of CRL calculated by regression was null (–1.8±0.29 MJ/kg as fed). CP digestibility reached 29%, corresponding to a digestible crude protein concentration of 29.0±5.6 g/kg as fed basis. The fibre digestibility was reduced with CRL incorporation. Dietary incorporation of CRL impaired the rabbit growth (34.2 vs. 31.5 g/d during the period 35-77 d without CRL or with CRL (CRL15 and CRL30), respectively; P=0.002). Consequently, feed conversion was impaired with the high incorporation rate in feed (30%). Health status or main slaughter traits were not affected by CRL incorporation rate. Thus, the sun-dried common reed leaves had a poor nutritive value for growing rabbits and it can be considered a high-fibre feedstuff, interesting to supply low digested fibres (cellulose) and lignin.
2018-06-29T10:15:17ZGenetic structure of a small closed population of the New Zealand white rabbit through pedigree analysesSakthivel, M.Balasubramanyam, D.Kumarasamy, P.Raja, A.Anilkumar, R.Gopi, H.Devaki, A.https://riunet.upv.es:443/handle/10251/1048452023-11-21T11:52:18Z2018-06-29T10:06:06ZGenetic structure of a small closed population of the New Zealand white rabbit through pedigree analyses
Sakthivel, M.; Balasubramanyam, D.; Kumarasamy, P.; Raja, A.; Anilkumar, R.; Gopi, H.; Devaki, A.
[EN] The genetic structure of a small population of New Zealand White rabbits maintained at the Sheep Breeding and Research Station, Sandynallah, The Nilgiris, India, was evaluated through pedigree analyses. Data on pedigree information (n=2503) for 18 yr (1995-2012) were used for the study. Pedigree analysis and the estimates of population genetic parameters based on the gene origin probabilities were performed. The analysis revealed that the mean values of generation interval, coefficients of inbreeding and equivalent inbreeding were 1.49 yr, 13.23 and 17.59%, respectively. The proportion of population inbred was 100%. The estimated mean values of average relatedness and individual increase in inbreeding were 22.73 and 3.00%, respectively. The percentage increase in inbreeding over generations was 1.94, 3.06 and 3.98 estimated through maximum generations, equivalent generations and complete generations, respectively. The number of ancestors contributing the majority of 50% genes (fa50) to the gene pool of reference population was only 4, which might have led to reduction in genetic variability and increased the amount of inbreeding. The extent of genetic bottleneck assessed by calculating the effective number of founders (fe) and the effective number of ancestors (fa), as expressed by the fe/fa ratio was 1.1, which is indicative of the absence of stringent bottlenecks. Up to 5th generation, 71.29% pedigree was complete, reflecting the well maintained pedigree records. The maximum known generations were 15, with an average of 7.9, and the average equivalent generations traced were 5.6, indicating a fairly good depth in pedigree. The realized effective population size was 14.93, which is very critical, and with the increasing trend of inbreeding the situation has been assessed as likely to become worse in future. The proportion of animals with the genetic conservation index (GCI) greater than 9 was 39.10%, which can be used as a scale to use such animals with higher GCI to maintain balanced contribution from the founders. From the study, it was evident that the herd was completely inbred, with a very high inbreeding coefficient, and the effective population size was critical. Recommendations were made to reduce the probability of deleterious effects of inbreeding and to improve genetic variability in the herd. The present study can help in carrying out similar studies to meet the demand for animal protein in developing countries.
2018-06-29T10:06:06Z