Cryopreservation of semen and artificial insemination have an important, positive impact on cattle production, and product quality. Through the use of cryopreserved semen and artificial insemination, sperm from the best breeding bulls can be used to inseminate thousands of cows around the world. Although cryopreservation of bull sperm has advanced beyond that of other species, there are still major gaps in the knowledge and technology bases. Post-thaw viability of sperm is still low and differs significantly among the breeding bulls. These weaknesses are important because they are preventing advances both in fundamental science of mammalian gametes and reproductive biotechnology. Various extenders have been developed and supplemented with chemicals to reduce cryodamage or oxidative stress with varying levels of success. More detailed insights on sperm morphology and function have been uncovered through application of advanced tools in modern molecular and cell biology. This article provides a concise review of progress in the cryopreservation of bull sperm, advances in extender development, and frontiers using diverse techniques of the study of sperm viability. This scientific resource is important in animal biotechnology because with the advances in discovery of sperm fertility markers, there is an urgent need to improve post-thaw viability and fertility of sperm through enhanced cryopreservation for precision agriculture to produce food animals to ensure food security on the global scale.

The fatty acid composition of the lipids of some newly isolated thermophilic and thermotolerant fungi in the Mucorales has been compared with that of some psychrophilic and mesophilic Mucor species. For each species the fatty acid composition varied with the age of the culture and the temperature at which it was grown. The optimum growth temperatures were found to be 40°–50° for the thermophilic and thermotolerant species, 20°–25° for the mesophiles, and 10°–20°forthepsychrophiles. The lipids of the mesophilic and psychrophilic fungi examined had similar degrees of unsaturation. At 28° the degree of unsaturation of the lipids of thermotolerant species was not significantly different from those of psychrophiles and mesophiles, but thermophilic species were significantly less unsaturated. At higher temperatures the degree of unsaturation of thermotolerant and thermophilic species fell, until at 48°, they had similar degrees of unsaturation.

The objective of the current study was to determine the fatty acid composition of sperm from Holstein bulls with different freezability (Good and Poor; n = 12). Fatty acids were extracted from frozen sperm in 1:2 (v/v) chloroform–methanol solvent, fractionated into neutral and polar fractions, and composition determined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. Thirty-four fatty acids were quantified and their concentrations and percentages within each lipid fraction were calculated. Overall, saturated fatty acids (SFA) were predominant, accounting for 71 to 80% of fatty acids in neutral and polar lipid factions. There were marked differences in fatty acid composition between the lipid fractions (P < 0.001). The branched chain fatty acid (BCFA) concentration (15 to 18 µg) was almost twice as much as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) concentration found in the polar lipid fraction (8 to 9 µg; P < 0.001). Sperm with different freezability phenotypes only had a few differences in 22:0, 18:1 cis 9, and 14:0 13-methyl fatty acids (P ≤ 0.011). These results are significant because they reveal key understandings of fatty acid composition of sperm membrane and lay a foundation for the manipulation of membrane integrity, fluidity, and stability to advance the assisted reproductive technologies.

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Developing a deeper understanding of biological components of sperm is essential to improving cryopreservation techniques and reproductive technologies. To fully ascertain the functional determinants of fertility, lipidomic methods have come to the forefront. Lipidomics is the study of the lipid profile (lipidome) within a cell, tissue, or organism and provides a quantitative analysis of the lipid content in that sample. Sperm cells are composed of various lipids, each with their unique contribution to the overall function of the cell. Lipidomics has already been used to find new and exciting information regarding the fatty acid content of sperm cells from different species. While the applications of lipidomics are rapidly evolving, gaps in the knowledge base remain unresolved. Current limitations of lipidomics studies include the number of available samples to analyze and the total amount of cells within those samples needed to detect changes in the lipid profiles across different subjects. The information obtained through lipidomics research is essential to systems and cellular biology. This review provides a concise analysis of the most recent developments in lipidomic research. This scientific resource is important because these developments can be used to not only combat the reproductive challenges faced when using cryopreserved semen and artificial reproductive technologies in livestock such as cattle, but also other mammals, such as humans or endangered species.

The fatty acid composition of some thermotolerant strains of Dactylaria gallopava isolated from coal spoil tips has been compared with that of the type strain of D. gallopava, the original isolation of which was from diseased turkey poults. In addition, the fatty acids of the mesophilic fungi Dactylaria ampulliforme and Scolecobasidium spp. were analyzed. The scolecobasidia and D. gallopava had the same qualitative fatty acid pattern, though quantitatively there were differences, the scolecobasidia having more highly unsaturated lipids than D. gallopava. D. ampulliforme contained the triply unsaturated γ-linolenic acid and eicosatrienoic acid, and in this respect differed from the scolecobasidia and D. gallopava, which appeared unable to synthesize trienoic acids.

The human population is ever increasing while the quality and quantity of natural resources used for livestock production decline. This calls for improved product efficiency and the development of improved and sustainable cattle production methods to produce higher quality products to satisfy the demands of both the modern and transient world. The goal of this review was to summarize the interactions, challenges, and opportunities in cattle production relating to their endocrine system, and how reproductive hormones and others impact economically important traits, animal welfare, and human health. A comprehensive literature search was conducted with a focus on analysis of natural hormones and the use of exogenous hormone administration for reproduction, growth, and development of beef and dairy cattle. Hormones regulate homeostasis and enhance important traits in cattle, including fertility, growth and development, health, and the production of both meat and milk products. Reproductive hormones such as testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, and related synthetics like trenbolone acetate and zeranol can be strategically utilized in both beef and dairy cattle production systems to enhance their most valuable traits, but the impact of these substances must account for the welfare of the animal as well as the health of the consumer. This scientific review provides a comprehensive analysis of the bovine endocrine system’s impact on food animals and product quality which is vital for students, researchers, livestock producers, and consumers. Although important advances have been made in animal science and related technological fields, major gaps still exist in the knowledge base regarding the influence of hormones on the production and welfare of food animals as well as in the public perception of hormone use in food-producing animals. Filling these gaps through transformative and translational research will enhance both fundamental and applied animal science to feed a growing population.

Almost 10% of U.S. youth are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and while this disorder is not a learning disability, these youth are often labeled academically as “at-risk”. While equine assisted activities and therapy (EAAT) has shown to promote an emotionally safe learning environment for at-risk youth, these programs are often limited and hard to locate, particularly within a rural setting. On the other hand, horse breed associations offer activities for all youth and can be located throughout all U.S. states, and while these programs do not have a therapeutic focus, they are accessible. Therefore, the objective of this study was to utilize a survey instrument to determine the benefit of participation in horse breed association youth programs for youth with ADHD. A survey instrument was developed with 6 fixed response questions consisting of 5 multiple choice questions and one question formatted as a rating scale with a list of 10 life skills for participants to rate. Paper surveys were distributed at various association-sponsored activities in 2021. Participants (n=58) included the following: 1) parents of ADHD youth that had participated or were participating in breed association youth activities or 2) individuals with ADHD that had participated as a youth in these activities. The majority participated in these programs &gt;5 years (67%) with &gt;2 horses (78%). As for tangible returns, the most common were trophies/ribbons (52%) and the least common was scholarships (17%). Respondents were in overwhelming agreement, either responding “somewhat” or “definitely yes”, that these programs had impacted academic (55%) and career (60%) goals. As for development of life skills, all skills reported improvement through participation with “respect” having the highest rating. While EAAT has shown promise for youth with ADHD, breed association youth programs may be an alternative or complimentary approach in working with youth with ADHD.