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China Reports Breakthrough in Buffalo IVF
Two female buffaloes, which became pregnant via in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology at a local institute in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region recently gave birth to three test-tube calves, including twins.
Another seven female buffaloes, which also conceived through the same technology, are expected to give birth soon, said Huang Youjun, a research fellow with Guangxi Buffalo Institute under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
This is the first time a female buffalo which conceived via IVF technology has had a multiple birth. The world's first test-tube baby buffalo was born in India in 1990.
Huang said his institute obtained buffalo embryo last year and transplanted these into 20 female buffaloes, of which, 12 have become pregnant. Two of the 12 pregnant buffaloes gave birth in August this year after 310 days of pregnancy, and the remaining will soon give birth.
Huang claims they have achieved a successful fertilization rate of 28.1 percent, higher than the internationally accepted success rate of 23 to 24 percent, and have a transplant success rate of 60 percent.
The rate of buffalo twins is 20 percent, compared with 0.09 percent under natural conditions, according to Huang.
Yang Bingzhuang, head of the institute and also an associate researcher, said the successful research program will speed up the production of fine-bred buffaloes, and will be of value in developing industries related to buffaloes.
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