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In this article the JEWELFISH Study Group members were missing in the Acknowledgements. The collaborator names are corrected in the supplementary material and the complete list is given below. In Table 1, footnote symbol ‘g’ was incorrectly written as ‘f’ in the entries Non-sitters—2 (14)g and Sitters-12 (86)g under column Onasemnogene abeparvovec of section Motor function, n (%)f. The original article has been corrected.

The use of modern prolific lines of rabbit does in intensive production systems leads to an increase in productivity but also causes a rise in several problems related to the does' health status. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the litter size on the metabolic, inflammatory and plasma amino acid profile in rabbit does. The blood of 30 pregnant does was sampled on the 27th day of pregnancy. The does were retrospectively grouped according to the number of offspring into a high litter size group (HI, does with ≥ 12 kits; n = 16) and a low litter size group (LO, does with ≤ 11 kits; n = 14). Data were subjected to Pearson's correlation analysis. Further, data were analysed in agreement to a completely randomized design in which the main tested effect was litter size. The linear or quadratic trends of litter size on parameters of interests were post hoc compared by using orthogonal contrasts. In addition, compared with the LO group, the HI group had lower levels of glucose (-5%; P < 0.01), zinc (-19%; P < 0.05), albumin (-6%; P < 0.05) and total cholesterol (-13%; P < 0.07), but the total bilirubin level was higher in the HI group (+14%; P < 0.05). Regarding the plasma amino acids, the HI group had lower concentrations of threonine (-15%), glycine (-16%), lysine (-16%) and tryptophan (-26%) and a higher level of glutamic acid (+43%; P < 0.05) compared with the LO group. The exclusively ketogenic amount of amino acids was lower (P < 0.06) in the HI (55.8 mg/100 ml) does compared with the LO does (56.8 mg/100 ml). These results show that a few days before delivery, rabbit does that gave birth to a higher number of offspring had a metabolic profile and an inflammatory status that was less favourable with respect to does who gave birth to a lower number of offspring. Moreover, the plasma amino acid profile points out that there was an enhanced catabolic condition in the rabbit does with a high number of gestated foetuses; it

The purpose of this study was to optimize the conditions of a previously proposed enzymatic method used to estimate in situ undigested neutral detergent fiber (uNDF). We used a multi-step enzymatic approach, in which samples were first solubilized in NaOH solutions as a preincubation (PreInc) phase. After rinsing, samples were incubated (24 h at 39°C) in a buffered solution (pH 6) containing hemicellulase, cellulase, and Viscozyme L enzymes (Sigma-Aldrich s.r.l., Milan, Italy), followed by incubation (24 h at 39°C) in a buffered solution (pH 5) containing xylanase. Two sets of experiments were performed: a calibration trial (that tested different PreInc conditions on 9 selected forages) and a validation trial (that verified the results by testing multiple samples of 6 different forage types and a group of fibrous by-products). In the calibration trial, samples (300 mg in Ankom F57 filter bags; Ankom Technology Corp., Fairport, NY) were preincubated at 39°C in a 0.1 M NaOH solution for 90, 180, or 240 min, or in 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, or 2.0 M NaOH solution for 90 min. The results indicated that the best PreInc method, in terms of intra-laboratory repeatability and estimation of reference in situ values, was 90 min in a 0.2 M NaOH solution. Thus, we used this PreInc condition to determine enzymatic uNDF of 257 samples in the validation trial. Although the selected method generally had good accuracy in predicting in situ uNDF, inconsistencies were noted for certain forage types. Overall, when enzymatic uNDF was used to predict the in situ uNDF of all samples, the regression was satisfactory (intercept = 7.098, slope = 0.920, R2 = 0.73). The regression models developed for alfalfa hays, corn silages, and small grain silages had also acceptable regression performances and mean square error of prediction (MSEP) values, and the main sources of MSEP variation were error due to incomplete (co)variation and random error. Even when R2 values were >0.70, the MSEP value of the regre

The study was performed on forages (n = 8), nonforage fibrous feeds (n = 10), and crop residues (n = 2). Samples were characterized for in situ NDF degradability (NDFD) at 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 240 h of ruminal incubation. Then, samples were characterized for enzymatic NDFD by adopting a multistep enzymatic method consisting of a preincubation (PreInc) phase followed by enzymatic incubation (EnzInc) steps. In the PreInc phase, samples were incubated in a NaOH solution for 0, 30, 60, or 90 min. Then, in the EnzInc phase, samples were first incubated in a buffered enzymatic solution containing hemicellulase, cellulase, and Viscozyme L enzymes. Then, samples were incubated in a xylanase-buffered enzymatic solution. These 2-step EnzInc lasted for a total of 16 (8 h for the first enzymatic step + 8 h for the second enzymatic step), 32 (16 + 16 h), or 48 h (24 + 24 h). The enzymatic NDFD coefficients were increased by increasing both PreInc and EnzInc incubation times, and no PreInc × EnzInc interaction was observed, except for ryegrass hay. On average, enzymatic NDFD increased (P < 0.05) by 0.35, 0.54, or 0.68, respectively, for 30-, 60-, or 90-min PreInc compared with 0-min PreInc. The enzymatic NDFD increased (P < 0.05), on average, by 0.11 in 32-h EnzInc or 0.16 in 48-h EnzInc with respect to 16-h EnzInc. Enzymatic NDFD were used to predict in situ NDFD coefficients by adopting single regression equations. High coefficients of regression (R2> 0.80, P < 0.05) and low errors of prediction were measured when specific enzymatic conditions were performed to predict in situ NDFD at intermediate (from 24 to 48 h) ruminal incubation. Generally, worse regression performances were obtained when enzymatic NDFD were used to predict in situ NDFD evaluated after shorter or longer incubation times. The direct prediction of the rate of NDF degradation was not possible using enzymatic NDFD coefficients. Even if the proposed multistep enzymatic metho

BACKGROUND: To investigate corn silage fermentative quality, a principal factor analysis was carried out on a database consisting of 196 corn silages sampled from the core, lateral and apical parts of silo feed-out face and characterised by 36 variables. Eleven principal factor components (PCs) were retained and interpreted. Two PCs were related to chemical and digestibility variables; four PCs were characterised by end-products associated with clostridia, heterolactic, homolactic or aerobic fermentations; two PCs were associated with mycotoxins produced by Penicillium roqueforti or by Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium spp., while three PCs explained ensiling procedures adopted to store corn silages. RESULTS: Lower (P < 0.05) yeast or mould counts and greater (P < 0.05) aerobic stability were measured in core than in peripheral samples. Excluding PCs related to ensiling procedures, other PCs were able to predict microbiological counts, aerobic stability or biogenic amine content as verified by multiple linear regression analysis. Based on these results, several corn silage quality index calculations were computed by using a summative equation approach in which different PCs as well as diverse relative weights multiplying each PCs were combined. To compute definitive index calculation, only PCs explaining clostridia, heterolactic and homolactic fermentations were used with relative weights of 30%, 50% and 20%. CONCLUSIONS: The new proposed fermentative quality index was highly correlated to parameters related to corn silage fermentative quality, such as microbiological counts, aerobic stability or biogenic amines and it properly discriminated well- and poorly preserved forages.

In the present work, Grana Padano (GP) and Trentingrana (TN) cheeses at different ripening time were in vitro digested. To study calcium uptake and utilization, the intact digestates (selected doses that do not alter cell viability and TEER) were administered to Caco2/HT- 29 70/30 cells, cultured on a semipermeable membrane in transwells, as a model of human intestinal epithelium. Intact digestates as well as the whole basolateral solutions (miming the passage of digestates through intestinal cells before reaching the blood flow and bone) in parallel were further administered to human osteoblast-like cells SaOS-2 to study the extracellular bone matrix formation. GP and TN in vitro digestates promoted calcium uptake and extracellular bone matrix formation independently of both the cheese type and its ripening period (13, 19 or 26 months). For the first time, the present study reports the ability of whole digestates of GP and TN cheeses to improve intestinal calcium absorption and bone matrix formation in vitro. Once fully explored at bone level, this finding could better support the role of cheese in ameliorating calcium deficiencies and associated diseases in vivo.

Intensive dairy farming systems have been blamed of negative impact on environment and landscape, contributing to reduction of plant biodiversity, alterations of soil integrity, excessive use of fertilizers and water for irrigation and pollution (EC, 2000). In most Mediterranean Countries, irrigation water for agricultural purposes exceeds 50% of total national water requirement, particularly during summer (Wriedt et al., 2008). Global climate change and competition among agricultural, domestic and industrial water users will unavoidably intensify problems of water scarcity in the Mediterranean regions (Goubanova and Li, 2007; IPCC, 2007; Rodriguez Diaz et al., 2007).

Objectives High Ca content is one of the most important characteristic of dairy products, According to some Authors dairy products have a better Ca digestibility compared to plant foods and this characteristic has been related to the inclusion of Ca in the caseinophosphopeptides (CPP). Because ripening time and lysozyme can affect peptide pattern we decided to study the effect of these two factors on in vitro Ca digestibility. Experimental methods 20 samples of Grana Padano produced with lysozyme and 17 samples produced without lysozyme (total 37 samples), aged between 11 and 25 months were obtained from 2 different cheese-factories. In vitro Ca digestibility (dCa) was determined using the methods of Perales et al (J Agric Food Chem, 2005, 53: 3721). Molecular weight (MW) of peptides was determined by exclusion chromatography and CPP were determined by HPLC-MS. Analysis of variance was carried out with SAS 9.1 using GLM procedure of the SAS 9.1. The correlation between variables was performed with the PROC CORR of SAS 9.1. Results The dCa (%) at ripening time of 12, 15-20 and > 20 months were: 71.75, 76.10, 86.04 for Grana Padano and 73.21, 63.70, 62.59 for lysozyme-free cheese. In Grana Padano dCa and aging were positively related (r2 = 0.27; P<0.05). Since Ca is almost entirely associated with caseins, the difference in dCa could be due to a different proteolysis mediated by the presence of lysozyme as reported by Sforza et al. (Eur J Mass Spectrom, 2004, 10: 421). In the range of MW from 1000 to 2500 D, we observed an higher number of Ca-binding sequences in lysozyme containing cheese compared to Trentin Grana and this fact could explain the different result. Furthermore dCa in lysozyme containing cheese was positively correlated to the concentration of peptides having MW in the range 1000-1500 D and 1500-2500 D. Conclusions A larger number of cheese samples is necessary in order to better describe the effect of ripening and lysozyme addition on Ca digestibility

The aim of this study was to assess Ca digestibility using in vitro and in vivo methodology (rats). The tested foods were: cheese (Grana Padano; Emmentaler), soybean-based products (tofu; burger; milk; yogurt), and legumes (peas; beans). Ca digestibility was found to be high in Emmentaler (84.3%), Grana Padano (83.6%) and tofu (80.3%), with significantly lower values for soya burgers (64.1%) and soya milk (60.6%). The lowest values were detected in peas (49.6%) and beans (31.4%). Poor correlation was found between in vivo and in vitro data. The current RDAs have been established on the basis of 30% Ca digestibility, a value which reduces the risk of calcium deficiency but underestimates the contribution of dairy products. The adoption of specific, instead of general, digestibility values for each food might improve the accuracy of dietary formulations. This will require considerable efforts to develop simple and reliable in vitro methods to assess foods.