A study was conducted to investigate the serum progesterone (SP(4)) profiles and duration of estrous cycles in the farmed Formosan sika deer (FSD; Cervus nippon taiouanus) during the major breeding season. Five parous, open and non-milking hinds were allotted to collect peripheral blood samples twice weekly for P(4) measurement by radioimmunoassay beginning at the initiation of the rutting season indicated by rutting behaviors of the sexually mature stags. The hinds were polyestrous as proved by cyclic changes of SP4 levels. After the presumptive estrus shown by the lowest concentration of SP(4) (0.20+/-0.01 ng/ml), this ovarian hormone markedly elevated on day 7 of the cycle (1.67+/-0.11 ng/ml), reached plateau (3.15+/-0.16 ng/ml, P<0.01) during days 11 to 18, and then declined to the basal levels in the subsequent estrus. It is concluded that mean duration of the estrous cycle in FSD during the major rutting season is 19.3 days with a range of 17 to 21 days, and that the patterns of circulating progesterone profiles during the estrous cycles of the FSD are similar to those of other deer species so far investigated.
Formosan gem-faced civets are classified to be endemic sub-species of Paguma larvata in Taiwan. Little about their reproductive physiology has been reported. This study was designed to characterize the ovarian activity throughout the year and define ovarian cycle length and the lengths of its component phases. Serum samples were collected for enzyme immunoassay (progesterone and estradiol) from seven captive civets twice weekly for 1 year. Meanwhile, periodic changes in external genitalia (vulva swelling) and vaginal cytology were examined and recorded. Results showed estrous cycles exhibited two types: 18-day (18.5+/-1.1, n=64) and 28-day (27.6+/-1.0, n=28) as shown by progesterone and estradiol fluctuations and corresponding changes in vulva morphology and vaginal cytology. Both types showed a similar 7-day follicular phase, peaking progesterone at Day 7. The 18-day cycle type prevails in the spring and summer whereas the 28-day cycle type is significant in the autumn. In summary, female gem-faced civets are polyestrous (approximately 13 cycles/year), and non-typical seasonal breeders, with follicular phase and two distinct durations of luteal phases (diestrus) cycling throughout the year, but the frequency of ovarian cycles was remarkably gradually decreased from September to February of next year. Zoo Biol 0:1-11, 2007. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The quality characteristics of velvet antlers obtained from Formosan sambar deer (Cervus unicolor Swinhoi) (SDVA), harvested from 63 to 81 d during the velvet antler growth period, were evaluated by investigating the relationships between antioxidant levels; including content, activity, and content/activity ratios, and physical properties; including shear force values, color, and Ca content. The hardness of samples from base velvet antler sections increased, and that the color of these samples tended to become reddish-yellow (redder and more yellow), suggesting that the Ca content in the base section of the sample was not ossified yet. Samples from the upper sections of velvet antler showed higher superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) content (3.91 to 1.50 mg/mL, 2.53 to 0.90 mg/mL, and 3.95 to 1.58 mg/mL, respectively) than did samples from the middle and base sections (p<0.05). The activity and content/activity ratios of GPX measured in the upper section were also found to be significantly greater than in the middle and base sections (p<0.05). We further observed that the content and activity of GPX was significantly and negatively correlated with Ca content, shear force values, and the content/activity ratio of this antioxidant (p<0.01). The study findings may serve as a reference index for quality evaluations of velvet antlers of Formosan sambar deer in future.
Abstract:The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the Formosan sambar (Rusa unicolor swinhoei) was obtained by DNA sequencing based on PCR fragments amplified by 26 primer pairs designed by ourselves. The results indicated that the mtDNA is 16,505 bp in size. This is the first report on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence analysis of the Formosan sambar and the sequence was deposited in the GenBank database under the accession number DQ989636. The complete mitochondrial sequence included the following gene sequences: 12S and 16S rRNAs, 22 tRNAs and 13 protein-coding genes. The base composition of the sequence was as follows: A, 33.51%; T, 28.97%; C, 24.07%; and G, 13.46%. The mitochondrial D-loop region was also analyzed for comparative purposes in the Formosan sambar and 13 other species within the Cervidae family using neighbour-joining method. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that there are two separate groups, a European type and an Asian type, within the Cervidae family. The D-loop sequences of mtDNA of 24 Formosan sambar animals were compared, and the results showed that the Formosan sambar can be divided into two clades.
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