Abstract:Fat tailed sheep breeds are known for their adaptation to nutritional stress, among other harsh production conditions. Damara sheep, native to Southern Africa, have recently been exported to other areas of the world, particularly Australia, aiming to produce lamb in semi-arid regions. Damaras have a unique hanging fat tail, a fat depot able to be mobilized under nutritional stress. In this article we perform an in-depth characterization of the fatty acid profiles of the fat tail in underfed and control Damara … Show more
“…Previous studies with the same animal groups suggest that the Damara breed has a unique lipid metabolism, mostly due to the putative contribution of the fat tail as supplier of odd and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) to the muscle40. However, it is also suggested that this tolerance to feed restriction could also be due to some kind of peculiarities in rumen activity40. Specifically, if the Damara breed has some digestive adaptation that can increase the efficiency of fibre digestion, the acetate-propionate ratio will be affected4041.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, it is also suggested that this tolerance to feed restriction could also be due to some kind of peculiarities in rumen activity40. Specifically, if the Damara breed has some digestive adaptation that can increase the efficiency of fibre digestion, the acetate-propionate ratio will be affected4041. Indeed, in the present study, levels of acetate in the liver of the restricted group was lower than in the growth group.…”
Sheep are a valuable resource for meat and wool production. During the dry summer, pastures are scarce and animals face Seasonal Weight Loss (SWL), which decreases production yields. The study of breeds tolerant to SWL is important to understand the physiological mechanisms of tolerance to nutritional scarcity, and define breeding strategies. Merino, Damara and Dorper sheep breeds have been described as having different levels of tolerance to SWL. In this work, we assess their liver and muscle metabolomes, and compare the responses to feed restriction. Ram lambs from each breed were divided into growth and feed restricted groups, over 42 days. Tissue metabolomes were assessed by 1H-NMR. The Dorper restricted group showed few changes in both tissues, suggesting higher tolerance to nutritional scarcity. The Merinos exhibited more differences between treatment groups. Major differences were related to fat and protein mobilization, and antioxidant activity. Between the Damara groups, the main differences were observed in amino acid composition in muscle and in energy-related pathways in the liver. Integration of present results and previous data on the same animals support the hypothesis that, Dorper and Damara breeds are more tolerant to SWL conditions and thus, more suitable breeds for harsh environmental conditions.
“…Previous studies with the same animal groups suggest that the Damara breed has a unique lipid metabolism, mostly due to the putative contribution of the fat tail as supplier of odd and branched-chain fatty acids (BCFA) to the muscle40. However, it is also suggested that this tolerance to feed restriction could also be due to some kind of peculiarities in rumen activity40. Specifically, if the Damara breed has some digestive adaptation that can increase the efficiency of fibre digestion, the acetate-propionate ratio will be affected4041.…”
Section: Discussionmentioning
confidence: 99%
“…However, it is also suggested that this tolerance to feed restriction could also be due to some kind of peculiarities in rumen activity40. Specifically, if the Damara breed has some digestive adaptation that can increase the efficiency of fibre digestion, the acetate-propionate ratio will be affected4041. Indeed, in the present study, levels of acetate in the liver of the restricted group was lower than in the growth group.…”
Sheep are a valuable resource for meat and wool production. During the dry summer, pastures are scarce and animals face Seasonal Weight Loss (SWL), which decreases production yields. The study of breeds tolerant to SWL is important to understand the physiological mechanisms of tolerance to nutritional scarcity, and define breeding strategies. Merino, Damara and Dorper sheep breeds have been described as having different levels of tolerance to SWL. In this work, we assess their liver and muscle metabolomes, and compare the responses to feed restriction. Ram lambs from each breed were divided into growth and feed restricted groups, over 42 days. Tissue metabolomes were assessed by 1H-NMR. The Dorper restricted group showed few changes in both tissues, suggesting higher tolerance to nutritional scarcity. The Merinos exhibited more differences between treatment groups. Major differences were related to fat and protein mobilization, and antioxidant activity. Between the Damara groups, the main differences were observed in amino acid composition in muscle and in energy-related pathways in the liver. Integration of present results and previous data on the same animals support the hypothesis that, Dorper and Damara breeds are more tolerant to SWL conditions and thus, more suitable breeds for harsh environmental conditions.
“…Given the transforming influence of beekeeping on concepts of ownership, sedentism and exchange among East African foragers, the juxtaposition of images of bees with those of sheep in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg should not be dismissed as an irrelevance in the context of the adoption of livestock-keeping by indigenous hunter-gatherer groups in southern Africa. A recent paper by Alves et al (2013) finds that the tail fat of the Damara sheep has a distinct chemical structure linked to a unique type of lipid metabolism. A similar marking of wild goods is described by Bleek (1928: 37) for the Naron (Nharo), among whom 'a man who finds an ostrich nest with one or two eggs, sticks his arrow in the ground close by as a sign of ownership'.…”
Section: Azania: Archaeological Research In Africa 17mentioning
“…This may be because of the role of the fat tail in maintaining the animal's condition, whereby ewes can mobilize fat depot when exposed to nutritional stress. 13 Moreover, the effects of nutrition on gonadotropin release are not very acute unless a severe nutritional restriction occurs in ruminants. 24 The slight decrease in dominant follicle and corpus luteum diameters observed in 50% restricted ewes was similar to that observed in llamas fed 40% and 70% …”
Section: Follicle Growth and Ovulation Ratementioning
confidence: 99%
“…Since fat depot able to be mobilized under nutritional stress. 13 Where, lipid was mobilized from the fat tails of sheep exposed to starvation in the form of free fatty acids. 14 The purpose of this study was to determine effects of feeding a half-maintenance diet for 30 days on growth dynamics and competence of preovulatory follicles, ovulation rate, body weight, metabolic changes, hormonal, and antioxidant markers in synchronized mature fat-tailed cyclic Barki, Rahmani, and Ossimi ewes.…”
This study aimed to determine the impact of feeding a half-maintenance diet on ovulation rate, metabolic status, and antioxidant status of three native breeds of fat-tailed sheep under Egyptian conditions. Estrus was synchronized with two doses of cloprostenol 11 days apart. The number of preovulatory follicles and corpora lutea were evaluated by transrectal ultrasound. Total antioxidant capacity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), total cholesterol, insulin, and glucose were measured in serum. Breeds and treatments were used as fixed factors using univariate general linear model; within-treatment (control, restricted), simple one-way analysis of variance and within-breed, independent samples t-test were used. The results revealed significant effect of treatment (P=0.001) and breed (P,0.046) on ovulation rate. Glucose, total antioxidant capacity, and total cholesterol increased, but insulin decreased, due to the dietary restriction. LDH and SOD levels increased due to the dietary restriction. Restricted ewes had insignificantly decreased body weight, but the amount and percent of decrease compared to initial body weight was significantly high in restricted Rahmani ewes and low in Barki ewes. In conclusion, fat tail helped ewes of different breeds could withstand adverse nutritional conditions for 1 month with minimal effects on body weight, ovulation rate, and metabolic and antioxidant status.
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