Goat farming in Pakistan depends on indigenous breeds that have adapted to specific agro-ecological conditions. Pakistan has a rich resource of goat breeds, and the genetic diversity of these goat breeds is largely unknown. In this study, genetic diversity and population structure were characterized from seven indigenous goat breeds using the goat 50K SNP chip. The genetic diversity analysis showed that Bugi toori goats have the highest inbreeding level, consistent with the highest linkage disequilibrium, lowest diversity and long run of heterozygosity segments. This indicates that this breed should be prioritized in future conservation activities. The population structure analysis revealed four fairly distinct clusters (including Bugi toori, Bari, Black Tapri and some Kamori) and three other breeds that are seemingly the results of admixture between these or related groups (some Kamori, Pateri, Tapri and White Tapri). The selection signatures were evaluated in each breed. A total of 2508 putative selection signals were reported. The 26 significant windows were identified in more than four breeds, and selection signatures spanned several genes that directly or indirectly influence traits included coat colour variation (KIT), reproduction (BMPR1B, GNRHR, INSL6, JAK2 and EGR4), body size (SOCS2), ear size (MSRB3) and milk composition (ABCG2, SPP1, CSN1S2, CSN2, CSN3 and PROLACTIN).

The Tibetan cashmere goat is one of the main goat breeds used by people living in the plateau. It exhibits the distinct phenotypic characteristics observed in lowland goats, allowing them to adapt to the challenging conditions at high altitudes. It provides an ideal model for understanding the genetic mechanisms underlying high-altitude adaptation and hypoxia-related diseases. Our previous exome sequencing of five Chinese cashmere breeds revealed a candidate gene, DSG3 (Desmoglein 3), responsible for the high-altitude adaptation of the Tibetan goat. However, the whole DSG3 gene (44 kbp) consisting of 16 exons in the goat genome was not entirely covered by the exome sequencing. In this study, we resequenced all the 16 exons of the DSG3 gene in ten Chinese native goat populations. Twenty-seven SNP variants were found between the lowland and highland goat populations. The genetic distance (FST) of significant SNPs between the lowland and highland populations ranged from 0.42 to 0.58. By using correlation coefficient analysis, linkage disequilibrium, and haplotype network construction, we found three non-synonymous SNPs (R597E, T595I, and G572S) in exon 5 and two synonymous SNPs in exons 8 and 16 in DSG3. These mutations significantly segregated high- and low-altitude goats in two clusters, indicating the contribution of DSG3 to the high-altitude hypoxia adaptation in the Tibetan goat.

The current study investigated the effects of phytochemicals genistein and/or hesperidin dietary supplementation on immunity and haematology of growing broilers. A total of 360 1-day-old broiler chicks (Arbor Acres, mixed sex) were randomly assigned to six treatment groups, namely T0, control; T1 and T2, supplemented with 5 and 20 mg of genistein and hesperidin; while T3, T4, and T5 diets contained 5, 10, and 20 mg of genistein þ hesperidin (1:4) mixture, respectively, per kg of diet. The white blood cell count was significantly (p < .01) increased in T1, T2, T4, and T5 compared with the control (T0) group. The haemoglobin concentration significantly (p < .01) increased in the T5 group, while mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration was significantly (p < .05) higher in T4 compared with the T0 group. Antibody titres against Newcastle disease significantly (p < .01) increased in T1, T2, T3, T4, and T5 compared with the T0 group. Similarly, all phytochemicals treated groups exhibited an increase (p < .01) in antibody titres against Avian Influenza virus, as compared with the controls. At the same time, the supplemented groups had significantly (p < .01) higher neutrophil adhesion rate and cutaneous basophil hypersensitivity test representing the cellular immune response than the controls. In conclusion, supplementation with both phytochemicals, genistein and hesperidin, positively influenced the immune parameters and haematological profile of growing broilers, thus might be considered as feed additives in broiler industry. ARTICLE HISTORY

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