By using OPU-IVF-ET technology to create a pregnancy from embryo of an older, superior Pakistani buffalo , a Chinese company was able to successfully preserve the breed.
By using OPU-IVF-ET technology to create a pregnancy from embryo of an older, superior Pakistani buffalo , a Chinese company was able to successfully preserve the breed.
According to Dr. Qaisar Shahzad, technical manager of buffalo embryo production at Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan), “We obtained eggs from a “Nili Ravi” buffalo, the grandmother of a young buffalo that produced a world record of 28.3 kilograms of milk during a competition held at the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.”
He claimed that the Pakistani buffalo had grown old and had not produced an offspring in the previous four years (20 years). This buffalo provided four eggs, which were harvested using ultrasound-guided OPU, and two embryos were born as a result. At Ibrahim Dairy Farm in Faisalabad, one embryo was transferred to a younger buffalo, and pregnancy resulted.
After implanting the embryos in eight buffaloes at this farm, a total of six pregnancies were produced, while the outcomes from other farms are still pending, according to Dr. Qaisar.
Dr. Qaisar explained the significance of the findings by stating that the breed of a “super” buffalo had been preserved. “It will allow us to breed numerous buffaloes with superior traits similar to the donor.
A healthy buffalo can also have 4–5 young during her lifetime. However, we are able to have about 15 calves per year thanks to the OPU-IVF-ET. “This will help to increase milk production and increase the population of animals of superior breeds ” he said.
Embryos are transferred into other buffaloes using the OPU-IVF-ET (Ovum Pick-Up, In-Vitro Fertilization, Embryo Transfer) technique, which involves taking egg cells from a buffalo (or other superior breed animal).
OPU-IVF-ET stands for Oocyte Pick-Up, In-Vitro Fertilization, and Embryo Transfer, and it is a technology used in assisted reproductive technology (ART). OPU-IVF-ET technology can be applied to animals, specifically in the field of animal breeding.
This technology can be used to produce high-quality offspring with specific desirable traits, such as disease resistance or improved production efficiency.