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A study was undertaken to assess the incidence of subclinical mastitis in crossbred cows of Villupuram district by using direct microscopic Somatic cell count (SCC). For this purpose sixty eight crossbred cows positive for subclinical mastitis (SCM) as per IDF (International Dairy Federation) criteria were randomly allotted in to two treatment groups. The cows in T1 group were subjected to post milking teat dip with one per cent Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution immediately after milking. The cows in T2 group were sprayed with TEAT PROTECT sprays. Sixteen healthy cows were kept as control group and udder was washed with plain water. The treatments were carried out for 30 days. Udder health status was determined by recording the parameters viz. somatic cell count (SCC), average daily milk yield, udder colony count and teat colony count.  The results revealed that TEAT PROTECT spray is superior to Potassium permanganate in curing SCM of crossbred cows.

Background: Osteopontin plays a crucial role in fertilization and subsequent embryonic development. Methods: The fresh semen samples were collected from crossbred Jersey and Haryana breeding bulls. The proteins in the seminal plasma and sperm membrane were precipitated and analysed by SDS-PAGE followed by western blotting. Based on the concentration of osteopontin in the seminal plasma, the bulls were grouped as high (≥20 pg/ml), medium (10-20 pg/ml) and low (≤10 pg/ml) OPN groups. Result: Total 13 and 14 different proteins were identified in the seminal plasma and sperm membrane, respectively. The sperm velocity parameters (straight line velocity and straightness) and functional membrane integrity showed significant difference among high, medium and low OPN groups. Significant difference (P less than 0.05) was observed in malondialdehyde, SOD and glutathione reductase levels. Bulls which are having high osteopontin concentration in the semen had less sperm abnormality, less apoptotic cells, better resistance to cryopreservation, less damaged chromatin and higher conception rate (64.80±1.09) than bulls having low osteopontin concentration in their semen. Therefore, osteopontin may be a valuable protein marker to predict fertility in bulls.

The present study was conducted to ascertain whether the role of kisspeptin in promoting in vitro development of preantral follicles was through the regulation of P450 aromatase gene expression and steroidogenesis in sheep. Accordingly, the cumulus cells and oocytes were collected from different development stages of preantral follicles grown in vivo and cultured in vitro in TCM199B (Group I), TCM199B + KP (10 μg/mL) (Group II) and Standard medium + KP (10 μg/mL). To measure the steroid (Estradiol‐17β; E2 and Progesterone; P4) synthesis through ELISA, spent culture medium was collected separately from the same in vitro groups. E2 synthesis in the spent medium collected from all the three groups showed an increasing trend from PFs' exposed to respective culture media for 3 min to 2‐day culture stage but decreased thereafter till 6‐day culture stage. This is followed by a sharp increase in E2 concentration in the spent medium collected after in vitro maturation. However, P4 synthesis in group III followed increased pattern as the development progressed from PFs' exposed to culture medium for 3 min to in vitro maturation stage. The steroid production was observed at all stages of in vitro development in altered supplemented conditions. The steroid synthesis in the spent medium was highest in the 6 day cultured PFs' in Standard medium + KP matured in vitro for 24 h. Therefore, supplementation of kisspeptin along with other growth factors promoted steroid production in cultured preantral follicles far better than in other media.