BREED-, AGE- AND GENDER-RELATED FEATURES OF BLOOD LYSOZYME ACTIVITY OF GOAT KIDS

Valentin Semerdjiev, Lilian Sotirov, Penko Zunev, Tsonko Maslev

Abstract: In 2005-2006 75 doelings and 79 bucklings from the Bulgarian Dairy breed (BDB) reared in the Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture Troyan and the Experimental Farm of the Trakia University - Stara Zagora, BDB x Toggenburg and BDB x Anglo-Nubian crosses, as well as local crosses reared in Bogomilovo, Stara Zagora were studied. Blood samples were aseptically obtained in the morning prior to feeding from the jugular vein. The activity of lysozyme was assayed by the method of Lie (1985). It was obtained that lysozyme activity of 3-month-old doelings from all the studied breeds was highest in
the spring, then decreased in the summer at the age of 6 months and thereafter increased together with advancement of age in the autumn and winter. Bucklings also exhibited highest lysozyme concentrations during the spring and lowest ones in the summer, with elevated levels in both autumn and winter parallel to growth and development. Breed-related differences were not statistically significant between the age of 3 to 9 months but there was a tendency towards highest lysozyme activity in Anglo-Nubian doelings and male BDB?Anglo-Nubian crosses - 0.335 ± 0.055 for doelings and 0.306 ± 0.044 for bucklings.

Keywords: Bucklings; doelings; lysozyme; seasons

Date published: 2023-02-01