Sheep farming in Iran can be a great source of income for marginal and landless farmers. Animal genetic diversity is required to facilitate rapid adaptation to changing breeding objectives. Hence, the objective of this research was to measure the genetic polymorphism of five microsatellite markers in 14 sheep types in Iran. The high degree of variability demonstrated within these sheep implies that these populations are rich reservoirs of genetic diversity that must be preserved.

Bovine mastitis, a prevalent and complex infectious disease, can result in significant dairy cattle losses. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play important roles in regulating innate and adaptive immune responses. The results in this paper show that the expression of miR-144-5p and miR-130b-5p in mastitis-infected mammary tissue was significantly downregulated and upregulated, respectively, compared to healthy tissue. Our findings may provide a method for the treatment of mastitis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the energy status of Holstein dairy cows during different stages of lactation by investigating the fatty acids in milk and rumen as well as serum biochemical parameters. We sampled 12 Holstein cows. Our main results show reduced saturated fatty acids and increased mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids around day 30 of lactation, which indicates a negative energy balance. We suggest the possible use of milk fatty acids as indicative of energy status.

We tried to figure out whether it was possible to produce high-quality lamb meat the whole year by taking advantage of seasonal pastures. We reared lambs in winter, spring–summer and autumn. Average daily gain, carcass weight and dressing percentage increased in winter lambs. Carcass fatness decreased in spring–summer and autumn lambs which suckled their dams and also grazed in seasonal pasture. Meat from spring–summer lambs was not appreciated by the panellists in the sensory evaluation.

One novel coding SNP was found in exon 1 of pig TMEM95 gene, namely NC_010454.3:g.341T > C, which was significantly associated with testis measurement traits at 15 days of age in the LW population (p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant relationship was found between this A47A polymorphism and testis weight at 40 days of age in LW population (p = 0.047). These results could contribute to breeding and genetics programs in the pig industry via DNA marker-assisted selection (MAS).

The aim of present study was the analysis of differences in expression profiles of ovine genes related to lipid metabolism (LPL, ACACA, SCD) depending on feeding system and tissue type (fat, liver). The genes expression measurement showed that supplementation of diet with an addition of fresh grass or red clover modified the expression of all genes in fat tissue. The nutrigenomic regulation of analyzed genes confirmed that these genes play a critical role in regulation of lipid metabolism.

We report on results of a 30-year cooperation between Hungarian and German scientists on reproductive research in female pigs. Several new techniques such as endoscopy and embryo transfer were used to study endocrinology, the ovulatory process and fertilization in pigs. The research was further focused on indigenous Hungarian Mangalica pigs to highlight particularity and support the renaissance of this native pig breed. This bilateral cooperation was broadened to non-European fatty pig breeds.

Biological processes underlie all livestock traits. Biomarkers are molecular components of the biological processes showing differential expression associated with the phenotype of the trait. Biomarkers enable the monitoring, diagnosis, and prediction of changes in meat quality related to external stimuli and interactions with the genotype. We review the development of biomarkers for meat quality of pigs in diverse pig breeds, environments, and pork production chains.

This work identified SNPs in the growth- and development-related ATBF1 gene in cattle. Five novel SNPs were found in 644 cattle. The results found that SNP1, SNP2, and SNP3 and the combined genotypes SNP1–SNP3, SNP1–SNP4 and SNP2–SNP5 were significantly associated with growth traits in Qinchuan and Jinnan cattle. These findings indicate that the bovine ATBF1 gene has marked effects on growth traits, and the growth-trait-related loci can be used as DNA markers for MAS breeding programs in cattle.

Ear tags may result in an inflammatory response due to the wound created when they are inserted into the ear. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ear tags on the likelihood of infection using infrared thermography and to evaluate the effect on the welfare of the lambs. Infrared thermography can be recommended as a tool to determine this type of stress and consequently allow a better evaluation of animal welfare.

The impact of polymorphisms of the calpain 1 (CAPN1), calpastatin (CAST), leptin (LEP) and growth hormone receptor (GHR) on carcass characteristics and meat quality traits in 400 purebred Holstein bulls was examined using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism method. In the current study, the CAPN1, CAST and GHR genotypes confirmed significant associations with important traits in adequate numbers of animals.

Ascites is a metabolic disorder in chickens. Hypoxemia and oxidative stress are specific characteristics in birds that develop ascites. We hypothesized that purslane, as one natural source of antioxidant and antihypoxic compounds, would attenuate the incidence and/or severity of T3-induced ascites in broilers. Supplementation of purslane powder to diet improved antioxidant status and attenuated the symptoms of ascites. However, it could not prevent the decrease in growth performance.

Fungal supplementation especially with the fungus C. crassa could improve antioxidant status and physiological conditions of heat-stressed broilers. Such dietary supplementation may, therefore, be beneficial for ameliorating the adverse effects of heat stress in broiler chickens.