Influence of Donor Cells on the Efficiency of Cloned Ỉ Pig Production

In this study, we investigated the effects of donor cell on the efficiency of producing cloned Ỉ pigs, an endangered Vietnamese breed. Cloned Ỉ pig embryos were generated using somatic cell nuclear transfer technology (SCNT). The results demonstrated that pregnancy, farrowing, and piglet production rates of Ỉ pig fibroblasts (ID:6004) at the 5th and 6th passages were significantly higher compared with those observed at the 4th and 7th passages. Under the conditions of this study, no significant effect of donor cell sex or cell lines on the efficiency of cloned Ỉ pig embryo transfer was observed. The pregnancy, farrowing, and piglet production rates did not differ significantly between donor cell groups of male and female origin (p > 0.05). Similarly, no significant differences were observed in pregnancy rates, farrowing outcomes, or one-week survival of live cloned piglets among the three donor cell lines (IDs: 6004, 9154, and 9157) (p > 0.05). These findings contribute to improving the efficiency of the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) technique in efforts to conserve the critically endangered Vietnamese Ỉ pig.