Special Issue "New Strategies to Manage Reproduction in Sheep- Starting with Embryos and Sperm"

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2022.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Laura Falchi
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: reproduction; fertility; spermatozoa; cryopreservation; artificial insemination; MOET; oocyte; embryo production
Dr. Maria Teresa Zedda
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Section of Obstetrics and Ginecology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
Interests: reproduction, fertility, spermatozoa, cryopreservation, artificial insemination, MOET, oocyte, embryo production

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

The rate of genetic improvement in the sheep breeding industry is limited by the poor uptake of techniques that are almost consolidated for other species. The main obstacles lie behind a “female factor”, the convoluted anatomy of the sheep cervix, and a “male factor”, the poor resistance of ram semen to cryopreservation. The cervical lumen of the sheep does not allow the passage of catheters employed for uterine semen deposition and embryo transfer procedures (i.e., flushing and transfer of embryos). This implies the need to proceed with laparoscopy and surgical approaches. On the male side, frozen thawed ram semen has a short lifespan, being vulnerable to oxidative stress with consequent loss in fertilizing ability.

In recent decades, many strategies have been designed to overcome the limited diffusion of reproductive techniques for the ovine species, but reliable, consistent, and sustainable solutions are still far from being found. Recent developments in artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and semen storage lay the ground for future research in this challenging branch of animal reproduction.

This Special Issue of Animals is open to original research papers that cover current issues in ovine reproduction, with a special focus on novel approaches to improve reproductive efficiency in this species.

Dr. Laura Falchi
Dr. Maria Teresa Zedda
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All papers will be peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ovine
  • artificial insemination
  • spermatozoa
  • embryos
  • MOET
  • synchronization
  • LOPU
  • cervix
  • fertility
  • ovulation

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

Article
Toxic and Microbiological Effects of Iron Oxide and Silver Nanoparticles as Additives on Extended Ram Semen
Animals 2021, 11(4), 1011; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11041011 - 03 Apr 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 482
Abstract
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of iron oxide (Fe) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on ram semen. A skim milk extender without antibiotics was used as a diluent of 21 ejaculates (8 rams; 2–3 ejaculates/ram). The groups of [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of iron oxide (Fe) and silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) on ram semen. A skim milk extender without antibiotics was used as a diluent of 21 ejaculates (8 rams; 2–3 ejaculates/ram). The groups of control (C; semen without NPs), Fe NPs (3.072 mg Fe3O4/mL semen), and Ag NPs (2.048 mg Ag-Fe/mL semen) were incubated (15 °C; 30 min), and then a magnetic field was used for NPs’ removal. Standard microbiological procedures were performed for all groups. Post-treated samples were stored (15 °C) for 24 h, and sperm variables (kinetics by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA); viability; morphology; HOST; DNA integrity) were evaluated at 6 and 24 h. Semen data were analyzed by a mixed model for repeated measures and microbiological data with Student’s t-test for paired samples. At 6 h of storage, VCL and rapid movement-spermatozoa, and at 24 h, total/progressive motility and amplitude of lateral head displacement (ALH) were significantly decreased in group Ag compared to control. In group Fe, progressive/rapid movement-spermatozoa were significantly lower compared to control after 24 h of storage. Only in group Ag was a significant reduction of total bacterial count revealed. In conclusion, the examined Fe NPs demonstrated slight antibacterial effect, while the examined Ag NPs provided higher antibacterial properties accompanied by cytotoxicity. Full article
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