The Cundinamarca Department is located in the Colombian Andean region, and features a variety of bovine production systems dedicated to milk, beef or dual-purpose production in cold, warm and temperate climate areas, respectively. This paper analyses the sustainability of a sample of 35 farms (12 dual-purpose, 13 milk production and 10 beef production) located in some of its municipal areas using MESMIS methodology, which evaluated indicators related to social, environmental and economic factors of the systems during 1 year, grouping them by their productivity, adaptability, equity, self-management and resilience. For productivity, adaptability and equity, the dairy systems scored higher than dual-purpose and beef systems, whereas for the indicators of self-management, stability and resilience, the dairy systems scored lowest, while dual-purpose systems were the best. The indicators of economic sustainability increased in proportion to the intensification of the production system, availability of agricultural machinery and added value, resulting in the best scores being obtained by the dairy system and the worst by the beef system. For social sustainability indicators, the best score was obtained by dual-purpose systems, with dairy systems scoring the lowest, while dairy systems scored highest for environmental indicators. The results could be used to endorse public policies to promote the generation of sustainable agricultural systems.

Background and Aim: Osteosarcoma (OSA) is the most common bone tumor in canines and humans. This study aimed to assess the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Colombian propolis samples on a canine OSA cell line (OSCA-8) by evaluating the expression of BCL-2, BAX, CASPASE 9, CASPASE 8, and TNFR1 genes involved in the apoptosis pathway. Materials and Methods: After treating the cells with five Colombian propolis samples (Usm, Met, Fus, Sil, and Caj), we evaluated cell viability and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release. Early and late apoptosis was determined by flow cytometry using annexin V/propidium iodide. Furthermore, the effects of three selected samples on gene expression were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: The Colombian propolis samples reduced OSCA-8 cell viability and increased LDH release. All samples induced apoptosis significantly and upregulated BCL-2 and CASPASE 8 expression. Usm and Sil increased BAX expression, Met and Sil induced CASPASE 9 expression, and Usm increased TNFR1. Conclusion: Colombian propolis samples exhibited cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on canine OSA cells, and CASPASE 8 upregulation indicated apoptosis induction by the extrinsic pathway.

The aim of this document is to analyze the bovine production systems in the Department of Cundinamarca (Colombia) as an initial part of the strategic plan to implement sustainable and efficient technological proposals in this region of the Andes. Descriptive and productive agricultural data related to bovine production of the 116 municipalities were analyzed using a multivariate analysis method (principal component, cluster and variance analysis). The information contained quantitative variables regarding three topics: general information (geographical, cadastral and productive), a municipal bovine inventory, and productive information about the cattle farms. The analysis enabled us to generate three clusters of bovine production systems as follows: Cluster 1, representative of the dual-purpose activity, made up of 48 medium-climate municipalities, of which 64.6% of the municipal farms correspond to dual-purpose production with an average farm size of 5.2 ha, a carrying capacity of 1.2 UGM/ha and milk production per cow of 7.75 L/d; Cluster 2, made up of 36 cold-climate municipalities dedicated mainly to dairy production on farms (65.9%) of approximately 3.8 ha, with a carrying capacity of 2.3 UGM/ha and milk production per cow of 14.34 L/d.; and Cluster 3, made up of 32 warm-climate municipalities dedicated mainly to beef production on farms. In this cluster, 66.6% of the farms correspond to beef production of approximately 8.5 ha, with a carrying capacity of 1.2 UGM/ha and milk production of 6.35 L/d. Colombia’s climatic diversity and the wide range of bovine livestock activities are among the main strengths that make up the system’s advantages. However, the low technological development in the majority of the bovine livestock farms, which is related to variables such as low carrying capacity, as in Clusters 1 and 3 and with the low employment generated by bovine production in Colombia, are opportunities to improve the livestock industry. It is advisable to continue working to obtain data on important aspects of the system such as technology, nutrition, reproductive management (including artificial insemination), the economy and environmental and social aspects, in order to delve deeper into the sustainability of productive systems.

Para caracterizar la raza Normando en Colombia se utilizó el análisis multivariado que permitió la identificación de 4 grupos dentro de la raza a partir de 1186 datos de hembras registradas. El grupo minoritario fue el número 1 (8,2 % de la población muestreada), mientras el grupo mayoritario fue el 3 (53,0 % de la población). Destaca el grupo 2 con vacas con lactancias ajustadas promedio de 5608,4 kg y con intervalo entre partos (IEP) de 433,4 días y edad al primer servicio de 28 meses. El 80,6 % de los animales pertenecientes a este grupo se encontraron en sistemas productivos intensivos suplementados. En el grupo 3, se encuentran animales con lactancias ajustadas de 3317,9 kg, y los mejores parámetros reproductivos: IEP de 399,2 días, y edad al primer servicio de 25,7 meses. El 48,3 % de las vacas pertenecientes a este conglomerado se encuentran en sistemas productivos extensivos mejorados, y el 49,9 % en sistemas intensivos suplementados. El sistema predominante de ordeño para este grupo es el doble de tipo manual al cual pertenece el 71,9 % de la población.

Para caracterizar la raza Normando en Colombia se utilizó el análisis multivariado que permitió la identificación de 4 grupos dentro de la raza a partir de 1186 datos de hembras registradas. El grupo minoritario fue el número 1 (8,2 % de la población muestreada), mientras el grupo mayoritario fue el 3 (53,0 % de la población). Destaca el grupo 2 con vacas con lactancias ajustadas promedio de 5608,4 kg y con intervalo entre partos (IEP) de 433,4 días y edad al primer servicio de 28 meses. El 80,6 % de los animales pertenecientes a este grupo se encontraron en sistemas productivos intensivos suplementados. En el grupo 3, se encuentran animales con lactancias ajustadas de 3317,9 kg, y los mejores parámetros reproductivos: IEP de 399,2 días, y edad al primer servicio de 25,7 meses. El 48,3 % de las vacas pertenecientes a este conglomerado se encuentran en sistemas productivos extensivos mejorados, y el 49,9 % en sistemas intensivos suplementados. El sistema predominante de ordeño para este grupo es el doble de tipo manual al cual pertenece el 71,9 % de la población.