The objectives of this study were to validate a non-extractive RIA for seminal testosterone and quantify the hormone using a solid-phase commercial kit, and study the correlation between testosterone in seminal plasma and sperm characteristics. Parallelism showed a correlation index r = 0.992 (Y = -5.47 + 1.073X; R2 = 0.985), indicating that the non-extractive method presented is indicated particularly for assessment of testosterone when establishing comparisons between samples. Overall mean (±SD) of testosterone level was 0.60±0.65 ng/mL. Correlation was only found […]

The industry has made available in the market a series of substances (nutraceuticals) which intent would be to optimize the use of nutrients in some metabolic paths, influencing positively reproductive performance in animals. However, the response to the use of nutraceuticals varies according to the animal. As the organism is highly complex and in order to achieve a perfect activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, an ideal interaction in molecular basis is needed, where the nutraceuticals can have their direct action. […]

Twelve Nellore of three sexual categories (four heifers, four bulls and four steers) averaging 15 months of age and body weight of 235, 249, and 239 kg, respectively, were assigned to a completely randomized design with a 2 × 3 factorial arrangement (two levels of concentrate – 25 or 50% and three sexual categories) to evaluate intake, partial and total digestibility of nutrients, microbial protein synthesis and ruminal metabolism. The collection of ruminal fluid was done before and at 2, […]

The objective of this trial was to investigate the effects of increasing dietary crude protein levels on N balance and metabolizable protein requirements for maintenance in Nellore heifers, bulls and steers averaging 16 months of age and body weight of 254.8, 285.1, and 265.6 kg, respectively. Animals were blocked by sexual category (heifers, bulls and steers) and randomly assigned to treatments in three replicated 4 x 4 Latin squares. Diets contained the following CP levels: 7, 10, 13, and 15%. […]

The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between complementary (hiposmotic, thermo-resistance and acrosome reaction tests) and conventional evaluations (physical and morphologic aspects) of bovine frozen/thawed semen and conception rates. Average values for spermatic motility evaluated by thermo-resistance test were of 53.48% (post-thawed), 43.69% (60 minutes), 35.88% (120 minutes) and 33.04% (180 minutes). The percentage of reactive cells observed for the hiposmotic test was 37.89%. Average intensity was observed for post-thawing spermatic motility, positively correlated to hiposmotic test […]

Partial or total data, from several works, on nutritional requirements of bovine, were utilized. In all the experiments, the comparative slaughter technique was used, with the slaughter of a representative sample of the experimental animals at the beginning of the feeding period and the determination of the empty body composition. The fat, protein, energy, Ca, P, Mg, Na and K contents retained in the animal body of each breed group were estimated by regression equations of the logarithm of protein, […]