Considerable improvements in sheep multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET)protocols have been made; however, unlike for cattle, MOET is poorly developed in sheep, and thus has not been broadly applicable as a routine procedure. The tightly folded nature of the ewe cervix, the inconsistent ovarian response to various superovulatory treatments, and the requirement of labor to handle animals, particularly during large-scale production, has limited the implementation of successful MOET in sheep. Moreover, several extrinsic factors (e.g., sources, the purity of gonadotrophins and their administration) and intrinsic factors (e.g., breed, age, nutrition, reproductive status) severely limit the practicability of MOET in sheep and other domestic animals. In this review, we summarize the effects of different superovulatory protocols, and their respective ovarian responses, in terms of ovulation rate, and embryo recovery and transfer. Furthermore, various strategies, such as inhibin immunization, conventional superovulation protocols, and melatonin implants for improving the ovarian response, are discussed in detail. Other reproductive techniques and their relative advantages and disadvantages, such as artificial insemination (AI), and donor embryo recovery and transfer to the recipient through different procedures, which must be taken into consideration for achieving satisfactory results during any MOET program in sheep, are also summarized in this article.

Widespread environmental contamination caused by huge amounts of wastes generated by human activities has become a critical global concern that requires urgent action. The black soldier fly (BSFL) has gradually been used to treat different wastes due to high efficiency and low cost. However, little information is available regarding the treatment of mixed wastes by BSFLs. The impact of BSFLs on conversion of cow manure (COM) and pig manure (PM) via the incorporation of wet distiller grains (WDG) was assessed. Results demonstrate that the waste reduction rate was increased by 20% by incorporating 45% WDG to COM and PM. The bioconversion rate of BSFLs in COM and PM also increased from 1.20 ± 0.02% and 0.92 ± 0.02% to 10.54 ± 0.06% and 10.05 ± 0.11%, respectively. Total nitrogen content and δ¹⁵N/¹⁴N ratios of WDG + COM and WDG + PM were found to be significantly lower than those of COM and PM alone (p < 0.01). The organic matter changes during manure degradation were further analyzed by combing ultraviolet–visible spectrum (UV–vis) with excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy techniques and fluorescence area integration (FRI) method. The UV–vis spectra results indicate that the addition of WDG to manures resulted in the decreased aromaticity and molecular weight of the waste. EEM spectra demonstrated that the accumulative P_i,n values of regions III and V in COM, COM + WDG, PM, and PM + WDG were 58%, 49%, 52% and 63%, respectively. These results not only provide new insights into the potential of mixed wastes for BSFL treatment but also contribute to the basis for the formulation of effective management measurements that reduce and/or reuse these wastes.

Non-antibiotic feed additives are nowadays increasingly used in animal feed industry as more and more reports are surfaced on antibiotic resistance. This study quantified the effects of enzymes and yeast supplementation, individually or in combination, on growth performance, diet digestibility, carcass quality, and ileum morphometry of fattening rabbits. Forty-eight indigenous male weaned rabbits (age, 37 ± 2 days; average body weight (ABW)) 340 ± 3.2 g) were assigned into four dietary treatments (16 replicates; 3 rabbits/replicate)). The four diets were (i) a basal (control) diet (without additives), containing concentrate (75% of the feed) and wilted mulberry leaves (25% of thetotal feed); (ii) basal diet plus enzyme blend (driselase-1®; cellulase, amylase and protease; 2 g kg-1 feed); (iii) basal diet with the addition of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (dry yeast TR 100; 2 g kg-1 feed); (iv) basal diet with the addition of mixture of the enzymes blend and S. cerevisiae (1 g each kg-1 feed). All rabbits had ad-libitum access to clean drinking water and experimental diets, with 16 h light for seven-weeks. The results revealed that all additives improved (P < 0.05) weight gain (WG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) but did not alter feed intake than the control group. Although all additives increased (P < 0.05) neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility, the dry matter digestibility (DMD) was increased (P < 0.05) only by the addition of enzymes blend. Furthermore, all additives increased (P < 0.05) carcass yield without any negative effects on meat physical (pH, water release and cooking loss) and chemical (moisture, protein, fat and ash) properties (P < 0.05). Moreover, villus height and crypt depth values were improved (P < 0.05) with the incorporation of additives. This study demonstrates that addition of enzymes blend and yeast-based additives alone or in combination in rabbit diet improved nutrients digestion and intestinal health, which subsequently improved their growth and carcass quality.

Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (PATA) of Punjab-Pakistan are comprised of hilly mountains with small ruminants as a sole source of income. In this study, farming practices, productivity, health and the economic value of sheep were evaluated in PATA through a survey of farmers (n = 138) holding 11,558 heads of sheep. Out of a total population, 87% were non-descriptive flocks, and 9% and 4% were purebred flocks belonging to the Kajli and Thali populations, respectively. Sheep flocks were mainly (86%) reared under the traditional production system and had a delayed onset of puberty. There was low influence of season on the reproduction, and the majority of flocks (78%) were bred throughout the year. The lack of proper vaccination and poor management exposed the flocks to bacterial, viral and parasitic infections, which lead to high mortality in lambs (~22%) and adults (~32%). The share of sheep in farmers livelihood was 42%, and only 20% of producers’ living standard was improved with sheep farming, but the rise in rearing more sheep was quite low (20%). Although the livestock department arranged farmers’ training, the majority of farmers (83%) never participated in training and had no knowledge of modern technologies. Collectively, the traditional sheep production systems, poor management, lack of vaccination, marketing channels and farmers training hampered the sheep rearing and producers’ livelihood in the PATA of Punjab-Pakistan. However, developing model livestock farms, conducting farmer training, establishing a viable market for dairy products, and introducing subsidy policy interventions can improve the sheep farming in these areas.

As a member of the PIKs family, PIK3C3 participates in autophagy and plays a central role in liver function. Several studies demonstrated that the complete suppression of PIK3C3 in mammals can cause hepatomegaly and hepatosteatosis. However, the function of PIK3C3 overexpression on the liver and other organs is still unknown. In this study, we successfully generated PIK3C3 transgenic pigs through somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) by designing a specific vector for the overexpression of PIK3C3. Plasmid identification was performed through enzyme digestion and transfected into the fetal fibroblasts derived from Diannan miniature pigs. After 2 weeks of culturing, six positive colonies obtained from a total of 14 cell colonies were identified through PCR. One positive cell line was selected as the donor cell line for SCNT for the construction of PIK3C3transgenic pigs. Thirty single blastocysts were collected and identified as PIK3C3 transgenic-positive blastocysts. Two surrogates became pregnant after transferring the reconstructed embryos into four surrogates. Fetal fibroblasts of PIK3C3-positive fetuses identified through PCR were used as donor cells for SCNT to generate PIK3C3 transgenic pigs. To further explore the function of PIK3C3 overexpression, genotyping and phenotyping of the fetuses and piglets obtained were performed by PCR, immunohistochemical, HE, and apoptosis staining. The results showed that inflammatory infiltration and vacuolar formation in hepatocytes and apoptotic cells, and the mRNA expression of NF-κB, TGF-β1, TLR4, TNF-α, and IL-6 significantly increased in the livers of PIK3C3 transgenic pigs when compared with wild-type (WT) pigs. Immunofluorescence staining showed that LC3B and LAMP-1-positive cells increased in the livers of PIK3C3 transgenic pigs. In the EBSS-induced autophagy of the porcine fibroblast cells (PFCs), the accumulated LC3II protein was cleared faster in PIK3C3 transgenic (PFCs) thanWT (PFCs). In conclusion, PIK3C3 overexpression promoted autophagy in the liver and associated molecular mechanisms related to the activation of ULK1, AMBR1, DRAM1, and MTOR, causing liver damage in pigs. Therefore, the construction of PIK3C3 transgenic pigs may provide a new experimental animal resource for liver diseases.

Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) provide multiple processing-defined fractions for food and food-contact applications. This review evaluates four major fractions: (1) proteins for nutritional and techno-functional applications, (2) lipids for formulation, (3) peptide-rich fractions with candidate bioactivities, and (4) chitin/chitosan for food-contact materials. Protein fractions have the broadest direct food application evidence, while translation requires food safety validation and consumer evaluation across sensory response stated willingness and indirect food pathways.