This study examined the differences in the chemical composition, particularly fatty acids, of the lipid extracted from the fibre of bucks, does and castrated goats. The study provides a more detailed understanding of the chemical composition of buck fibre lipid and how it varies throughout the year, and also details the effect of body region and nutrition on the production and chemical composition of lipid from buck fibre. Lipid was extracted with either petroleum ether (non-polar) or chloroform/methanol azeotrope (polar) and analysed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The more polar solvent system extracted larger amounts of lipid and more of each individual fatty acid. The following buck specific ethyl branched fatty acids were identified: 2-ethylhexanoic, 4-ethylhexanoic, 2-ethyloctanoic, 4-ethyloctanoic, 6-ethyloctanoic, 2-ethyldecanoic, 4-ethyldecanoic, 2-ethyldodecanoic, 6-ethyldodecanoic, 4-ethyldodecanoic, 2-ethyltetradecanoic, 6-ethyltetradecanoic, 4-ethyltetradecanoic, 2-ethylhexadecanoic and 4-ethyloctadecanoic acids. Of these buck specific fatty acids only 4-ethylhexanoic (T), 4-ethyloctanoic, 4-ethyldecanoic, 4-ethyldodecanoic, 6-ethyldodecanoic (T), 4-ethyltetradecanoic, 2-ethylhexadecanoic (T) and 4-ethylhexadecanoic acids have been previously identified or tentatively identified (T) in buck fibre extracts. This shows that the chemical composition of buck fibre lipid is more complex than previously reported, and that it may be more difficult than previously thought to artificially duplicate the odour of the buck. Buck fibre samples had lower average concentrations of 2-methylpropanoic, 2-methylbutanoic, iso-pentadecanoic, anteiso-pentadecanoic, iso-hexadecanoic, anteiso-heptadecanoic, iso-octadecanoic and anteiso-nonadecanoic acids as compared with fibre samples from does, spayed does, or wethers that were castrated at one month of age. The reduced concentrations of these fatty acids in buck fibre extracts were likely to be due to the synthesis of ethyl branched derivatives of iso and anteiso fatty acids. Buck fibre samples had higher concentrations of benzoic acid as compared with fibre samples from does, spayed does, or wethers that were castrated at one month of age. The significance of these results is that non buck specific fatty acids may also make a contribution to the odour of bucks. When fibre samples were collected at various times throughout the year, it was found that the bucks had increased amounts of lipid and ethyl branched fatty acids in fibre samples shorn from March to September, as compared with fibre samples shorn in November and January. The increase in the amount of lipid and ethyl branched fatty acids corresponded with both the rutting period of the buck and the period when the buck odour was increased. This suggests that ethyl branched fatty acids could be pheromones. The variation in lipid content and fatty acid composition was also examined between fibre samples collected from different body regions of the buck during April, as alterations in sebaceous gland activity around the neck during rutting have been reported. It was found that the average amount of lipid in the neck region of the bucks was not statistically higher than the average amounts in the midside and hind regions. However, the ethyl branched fatty acid concentrations were statistically higher in the fibre from around the neck as compared with the fibre from the other body regions, which is consistent with the odour of the buck being most pronounced around the head and neck region. The lipid content and composition of fibre samples from bucks fed high and low quality diets (lucerne and pangola grass, respectively) was examined to determine the effect of nutrition on buck specific components. The high quality diet increased the amount of lipid and ethyl branched fatty acids in fibre samples collected in April from the neck, midside and hind regions, as compared with fibre samples from the corresponding body regions from bucks fed the low quality diet. Thus it may be possible for the pheromone levels of bucks to be increased by simply providing them with good nutrition. The lipid content and ethyl branched fatty acid concentrations of fibre samples increased earlier in the year for the lucerne fed bucks as compared with the pangola grass fed bucks. The lucerne fed bucks had increased concentrations of ethyl branched fatty acids in fibre samples shorn during December to June (6 months) whereas the pangola grass fed bucks had increased concentrations of ethyl branched fatty acids in fibre samples shorn during April to August (4 months). These observations show that good nutrition can result in both the earlier production of ethyl branched fatty acids and an extended period when ethyl branched fatty acids are produced. This suggests that nutrition can be used to manipulate pheromone levels in the buck. The period when the ethyl branched fatty acids were increased corresponded with the period when the plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone concentrations, odour and sebaceous gland volume of the bucks were increased, which supports the assumption that ethyl branched fatty acids are involved in odour production and act as pheromones.

Submitted by (edna.saturno@ufrpe.br) on 2016-12-13T16:26:26Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Jadilson de Araujo Silva.pdf: 1354251 bytes, checksum: a051656805c0d4274e5b9a9651d266a6 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-13T16:26:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jadilson de Araujo Silva.pdf: 1354251 bytes, checksum: a051656805c0d4274e5b9a9651d266a6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-31 / In the Agreste of Pernambuco, Brazil, although many forage species are used in the pastures formation, such as pangola grass (Digitaria pentzi Stent.), sabi grass [Urochloa mosambicensis (Hackel) Dandy] and the capim-de-raiz (Chloris orthonoton Doell), there are few studies on the growth and productive responses in these plants when managed under grazing. Such studies are of great importance because it represents the starting point for understanding the responses of these plants, as well as its adaptive mechanisms, the management of pasture and semiarid environment. The objective of this study was evaluate the structural characteristics and animal performance on pasture deferred formed by grass aforementioned under nitrogen fertilization (0, 80 and 100 kg / ha) and managed under intermittent grazing in semiarid Agreste of Pernambuco. The grazing cycle was 42 days, with 14 days of grazing and 28 days of rest. The animals used in the experiment were sheep with average live weight of 25 kg. The experimental design was randomized block with split plots. In the pre-grazing, the capim-de-raiz presented had higher total forage density (102.30 kg DM/cm/ha) than the sabi grass (73.86 kg DM/cm/ha). For total forage mass and leaf blades mass, the sabi grass had lower forage and leaf blades mass (4257.67 and 1572.00 kg DM/ha) than the pangola grass (6185.48 and 2371.57 kg DM/ha) and capim-de-raiz (6153.92 and 2181.50 kg DM/ha). Regarding the effect of N levels on the structural characteristics of the pre-grazing, it was found that nitrogen fertilization of 80 kg/ha/year resulted in a smaller pasture height, greater total forage and leaf blades mass, as well as higher total forage density. In the post-grazing, forage density was higher for the pangola grass (97.89 kg DM/cm/ha), while the level of 160 kg N/ha/year provided less forage density when compared to the absence of nitrogen fertilization. As for animal performance, the pangola grass provided greater weight gain per animal and per hectare, with averages of 0.19 kg LW/animal/day and 8.3 kg LW/ha/day, respectively. The pangola grass showed better structural characteristics under grazing and provided greater animal performance when compared to capim-corrente and capim-de-raiz. Nitrogen fertilization with 80 kg/ha/year provided favorable structural characteristics in grasses. Although affect the structural characteristics of grasses under grazing, nitrogen fertilization did not affect animal performance. / No Agreste de Pernambuco, apesar de muitas espécies forrageiras serem utilizadas na formação das pastagens, tais como o capim-pangolão (Digitaria pentzi Stent.), capim-corrente [Urochloa mosambicensis (Hackel) Dandy] e o capim-de-raiz (Chloris orthonoton Doell), há carência de estudos sobre as respostas no crescimento e produtivas destas plantas quando manejadas sob pastejo. Tais estudos assumem grande importância, pois representa o ponto de partida para o entendimento das respostas destas plantas, bem como de seus mecanismos adaptativos, ao manejo da pastagem e ao ambiente semiárido. Objetivou-se avaliar características estruturais e desempenho animal em pastagens diferidas formadas pelas gramíneas citadas acima sob adubação nitrogenada (0, 80 e 100 kg/ha) e manejadas sob lotação intermitente no Agreste semiárido de Pernambuco. O ciclo de pastejo foi de 42 dias, com 14 dias de pastejo e 28 dias de descanso. Os animais utilizados no experimento foram ovinos SRD inteiros, com peso vivo médio de 25 kg. O delineamento experimental foi blocos ao acaso em parcelas subdivididas. No pré-pastejo, o capim-de-raiz apresentou maior densidade de forragem total (102,30 kg de MS/cm/ha) do que o capim corrente (73,86 kg de MS/cm/ha). Quanto a massa de forragem total e de lâminas foliares, o capim-corrente apresentou menor massa de forragem (4257,67 e 1572,00 kg de MS/ha) do que o capim pangolão (6185,48 e 2371,57 kg de MS/ha) e o capim de raiz (6153,92 e 2181,50 kg de MS/ha). Em relação ao efeito dos níveis de N sobre as características estruturais no pré-pastejo, foi verificado que a adubação nitrogenada de 80 kg/ha/ano proporcionou menor altura do pasto, maior massa de forragem total e de lâminas foliares, bem como maior densidade de forragem total. No pós-pastejo, a densidade de forragem total foi maior para o capim-pangolão (97,89 kg de MS/cm/ha), enquanto o nível de 160 kg de N/ha/ano proporcionou menor densidade de forragem total quando comparado à ausência de adubação. Quanto ao desempenho animal, o capim-pangolão proporcionou maior ganho de peso vivo por animal e por área, com médias de 0,19 kg de PV/animal/dia e 8,3 kg de PV/ha/dia, respectivamente. O capim-pangolão apresentou melhores características estruturais sob pastejo e proporcionou maior desempenho animal quando comparado ao capim-de-raiz e ao capim corrente. A adubação nitrogenada com 80 kg/ha/ano proporcionou características estruturais favoráveis nas gramíneas. A adubação nitrogenada, apesar de afetar as características estruturais das gramíneas sob pastejo, não influenciou o desempenho animal.