Background and objectives: Today, medicinal plants and phytobiotics that contain flavonoids, alkaloids, and essential oils are widely used in animal feed. These additives have many benefits, including increasing liver function and preventing certain diseases. The liver is one of the organs that plays a key role in insulin-mediated regulation of metabolism as well as in glucose, whole-body, and lipid homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed powder consumption on insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) gene expression in the liver tissue of growing lambs.Methods: Three groups (including 0, 10, and 20 g/kg dry matter of fennel) of animals, with 10 animals in each group, were studied. The Pfaffl method was applied to assess the real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) output.Results: Mixing fennel into the feed of lambs increased the weights of their testis and gallbladder and decreased the weight of their liver in comparison to feed without fennel. It was also found that by increasing the fennel level in the feed, the expression level of IGF1 in the liver increased significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusions:Fennel had a useful effect on the expression of IGF1 in the liver tissue of sheep and may be applied to their diet to attain better liver function.

1 Інститут тваринництва НААН, смт. Кулиничі, Харківський р-н., Харківська обл., 62404, Україна 2 Інститут розведення і генетики тварин ім. М. В. Зубця НААН, вул. Погребняка, 1, с. Чубинське, Бориспільський р-н, Київська обл., 08321

Considering the importance of maintaining the genetic diversity in native animals, this study conducted to analyse genetic diversity in dromedary populations in the north of Kerman province, Iran, using eight autosomal microsatellite markers. Eighty-one blood samples were collected from five different populations and DNA was extracted. The highest and the lowest allele number and effective alleles were shown in YWLL08 (21 and 4) and VOLP32 (14.97 and 3.11), respectively. The expected heterozygosity varied from 0.778 in Sahra-e Jahad population to 0.847 in Nogh population. The test for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium showed significant deviations in most loci. The mean multilocus FST value (0.057) suggested that differentiation is moderate between populations. From total genetic diversity, only 6% were due to differentiation among populations, while the remaining 94% corresponded to differences among individuals within each population. The results of the current study indicated that the Camelus dromedarius populations in the north of Kerman province have a relativity high genetic variation and the data could be useful for designing the breeding strategies and conservation. The degree of variability demonstrated implies that studied populations are rich reservoirs of genetic diversity that must be preserved. A future direction to our study can be studying all of the Iranian Camelus dromedarius populations to better evaluate the level of inbreeding and establish the appropriate conservation strategies aimed to avoid losses of genetic diversity.

Genetic progress in a herd of animals is due to the selection of four categories of pedigree animals: fathers of sires, mothers of sires, fathers of cows and mothers of cows. Extremely important role in genetic improvement of a herd plays selection of the sires for insemination of breeding stock which become the potential parents of cows. The selection of sires’ mothers, sires’ and cows’ parents provides 90-95% of the effect of selection in animal population, and massive selection of cows’ mothers only 5-10%. The main selection trait in а herd is milk production, therefore with the purpose of analyzing the effectiveness of selection by this trait defined pedigree value of 4 categories of pedigree animals, which influenced on the pace of improvement of the populations. Therefore, to accelerate genetic improvement of dairy cattle populations is necessary to increase the magnitude of the genetic benefits of parental animals and reduced generation intervals, which is the aim of our research. The average annual genetic progress through selection of four categories of pedigree animals in the herd of Holstein breed is 61.2 kg of milk per cow per year and the pace of genetic improvement of the herd – 0.81 %. In the population of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy breed, these figures are respectively 43.2 kg of milk and the pace of genetic improvement of the herd – 0.62 % Much more opportunities in raising the rate of genetic improvement can be achieved through the introduction of genomic (GS) or marker-assisted selection (MAS). Under the terms of the genomic breeding, final estimation of pedigree value of sires is carried out during 2.5 years in the contrast with traditional breeding, which involves the time for 5 years. Experts estimate the cost from the use of GS or MAS compared with conventional breeding are up to 92%, and the efficiency of selection is improved two times. Taking into account that data of productivity of animals are associated with genes of economically useful traits, the topical issue is the selection of the optimal polymorphic marker systems for their introduction into practice of breeding and assessment of genetic structure of cattle breeds. On the basis of our results of studies of the effect of QTL – gene, the complex model genotype for the selection of animals for the purpose of increasing milk yield in animals of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy breed is like this: CSNSАВ, GHLL, βLGАВ, Pit-1АВ; Holstein – CSNS AB, GHLV, βLGАA, Pit-1АВ. Comparison of model genotypes of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy and Holstein shows that there are differences in the combination of genotypes contributing to the best development of traits. Thus, the mass fraction of the protein, the model genotypes are identical at 75% in both breeds: by the yield, quantity of milk fat and protein and total milk fat and protein model genotypes match by 50%. Due to implementation of genomic evaluation and breeding of dairy cattle, the valuation period of pedigree animals was reduced significantly. Unlike conventional breeding, the introduction of genomic selection will reduce the genetic interval in the population of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy breed of sires’ fathers by 4.5 years, sires’ mothers by 4.6 years, cows’ fathers by 4.6 years and cows’ mothers by 2.9 years. In the population of Holstein cattle generation interval of sires’ fathers is reduced by 4.3 years, sires’ mothers by 4.5 years, cows’ fathers by 4.5 years, and cows’ mothers by 2.7 years. The results of our studies show that the rate of genetic improvement of dairy cattle population in the main breeding traits can be improved through the selection of animals by QTL-complexes. Thus, the selection of breeding stock based on a comprehensive model of genotype on yield gave an opportunity to improve pedigree value of the maternal cows at 155 kg compared to traditional breeding, and in the population of Holstein cattle at 246 kg. Only these factors allow genetic progress in milk yield in the population of Ukrainian Black-and-White Dairy cattle by 128.5 kg, which is 2.9 times more than the value of the actual genetic progress and in the population of Holstein cattle – 183.2 kg, which is three times more compared to the actual value of genetic progress for milk yield in this population. The contribution of the cows’ mothers to genetic progress increases. So, if at conventional breeding, the contribution of this category of pedigree animals was negative (-4.9%), selection on QTL complex is 3.2% and in the population of Holstein cattle 12%. If you apply the selection of other categories of pedigree animals (sires’ fathers, mothers and parents of sires) on QTL-complexes, which contribution in the genetic improvement of populations is 88.0–96.8%, the rate of genetic improvement of dairy cattle populations will greatly increase. Conclusion. To accelerate genetic improvement of dairy cattle populations it is necessary to use molecular genetic markers that control metabolic processes in the body.