Cytokine Profiling and Puberty Enhancement Post Altrenogest Feeding in Prepubertal Murrah Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Heifers

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

Please consider my comments provided for better revision of your article.

Thanks. 

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Dear Sir

Thanks for your valuable review of the manuscript. I have tried my best to incorporate all the suggestions and comments that have been addressed. Still, if some changes are desired, I am ready to take up those.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The efficacy of several hormone regimens in promoting puberty and increasing pregnancy rates in prepubertal buffalo heifers was examined by the authors. The study presents intriguing findings that have the potential to offer an approach for enhancing buffalo reproductive productivity. Although this study is intriguing, several concerns were identified throughout the manuscript, necessitating the authors to make improvements before it can be considered.

Please see specific comment in file pdf.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Comments on the Quality of English Language

Author Response

the comments bare highly appreciated by you Sir. I have tried my best to answer these and incorporate the necessary changes in the text.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 3 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of progesterone supplementation and a co-synchronization protocol on cytokine (IFNγ, IL6, IL1, IL13, TNFα, and TGFβ) and Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels in prepubertal Murrah buffalo heifers. The study also aimed to assess the treated groups' ovarian follicular patterns and fertility outcomes.

This work is particularly interesting and valuable. The study focuses on prepubertal Murrah buffalo heifers, adding to the limited existing research in this specific population. Understanding the effects of progesterone supplementation and synchronization protocols on hormonal profiles provides valuable insights for optimizing reproductive management in buffalo heifers. The findings contribute to developing effective management strategies for improving fertility outcomes and reproductive efficiency in buffalo heifers, which can be beneficial for the agricultural and dairy industries.

However, some weaknesses are noticed. The abstract dives straight into the methodology and results without giving much background or context for the study. Readers might find it challenging to understand the significance of the study without a clear introduction explaining the importance of cytokines, AMH, and hormone profiles in prepubertal Murrah buffalo heifers. The abstract does not clearly state the main objective or hypothesis of the study. A clear research question or aim would help readers understand what the researchers intended to investigate or prove. The study mentions only 18 prepubertal Murrah buffalo heifers divided into 3 groups. Such a small sample size might limit the generalizability of the findings and raise questions about the study's statistical power.

Limited Statistical Information.

Some of the results are mentioned without clear interpretation or explanation of their significance. For instance, the abstract mentions a correlation between IFN-γ and progesterone but does not elaborate on the potential implications of this finding.

Addressing these weaknesses would improve the clarity, readability, and overall effectiveness of the paper. 

 

 

Author Response

Dear Sir

Thanks for the time to review and suggestions for improvement of the manuscript. I have tried to improve upon your suggestions and have incorporated necessary changes as commented.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Round 2

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Dear Authors,

Thank you for your effort in revising the manuscript. It seems a little improved, but I am still worried about the discussion part, where you have not tried to relate your findings with the literature. Of course, some results that can be linked to your study may not be available, but still, there is sufficient research on another ruminant that you can cite and relate to. The best example is, in line 113, you mentioned no study reporting Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNFα) in buffaloe calves and heifers, but other research reported similar results; see the link (https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2014.883318). So, I think these areas should be addressed thoroughly in the discussion as you claim you are the first to report such. I take several examples like that throughout if you may require. I would like to see these areas to be revised. 

Author Response

Thank you for your valuable suggestions for further refining the manuscript. We appreciate Reviewer 1's insightful comments from the second round and have addressed them with detailed justifications.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

Thanks for considering my comment in the manuscript and a few comments remain. Please clarify check and improve.

Good luck.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Your insightful comment on line 50 regarding [topic of comment] is appreciated. We have provided a detailed explanation in our justification response.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf