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Several edible agro-industrial co-products have been studied as unconventional ingredients in ruminant diets to reduce the environmental impact of food production chains. When the chemical profile of co-products is characterised by the presence of bioactive molecules, they represent a promising tool to modulate rumen microbiota activity. In the Mediterranean area, the olive oil production chain generates olive oil pomace and olive tree leaves post-milling that are animal edible bio-waste. Two in vitro trials were carried out to investigate the effect of olive oil pomace and olive tree leaves as dietary ingredients on rumen fermentation and microbiome ecology. Two experimental diets, respectively containing olive oil pomace or olive tree leaves, and the related control diets, formulated to be isoproteic and isoenergetic, were fermented and then collected after 6h and 24h. Olive oil pomace increased the content of C18:1 c9 and C18:3 c9c12c15. Considering the microbial communities, the genera Butyrivibrio, Fibrobacter, and Pseudobutyrivibrio were less abundant, while Christensenellaceae_R-7_group, Manheimia, Uruburuella were more abundant in rumen liquor fermented with olive oil pomace. Similarly, the diet containing olive tree leaves increased the content of C18:1 c9 and C18:3 c9c12c15 and decreased the abundance of Pseudobutyrivibrio and Rikenellaceae_RC9_gut_group. Data reported in this study showed that the two by-products deriving from the olive oil production chain are effective in modulating microbial community in a selective manner.

Specific characteristics of the eggs from nucleus populations of Ancona (AN), Bianca di Saluzzo (BS), Bionda Piemontese (BP), Livorno, Mericanel della Brianza (MB), Mugellese (MU), Siciliana (SI) and Valdarnese (VA) chicken breeds kept in University Research Centres across Italy were evaluated. The physical characteristics considered were whole egg weight and shell, yolk and albumen proportion. The chemical characteristics considered were dry matter (DM), ash and protein content of the yolk and albumen, and the yolk fat. Among the breed groups evaluated in this study, BS and BP produce large eggs that are rich in total crude protein and lipids, with abundant egg whites. MB and MU produce small eggs with a high yolk percentage. AN and SI hens produce medium-small-sized eggs. The heaviest yolks were observed in AN eggs, and the highest shell percentage was found in SI eggs. LB and VA produce medium-large-sized eggs with low yolk lipid content.

Intensive poultry rearing needs preventive strategies against diseases, several of which are little or not containable by vaccinations. Short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SMCFAs) and chestnut tannin (CHT), both by-products of two different industrial production chains, are very effective antimicrobials. The inclusion level of these additives in the diet is fundamental because a detrimental effect on the gut microbiome can occur if the dose is too high, compromising the animal welfare and performance. Hence, the aim of this trial was to test the effect of a blend (BL; 1:1, w/w) of SMCFAs (fatty acids from C4:0 to C9:0) and CHT extract (CTE) as feed additive in broiler feeding. One hundred one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were randomly assigned to 5 dietary treatments (4 replicates; 20 pens; 5 animals per pen): control diet (CON), FAS diet (with 1.5 g/100g on dry matter (DM) of SMCFAs), CTE diet (with 1.5 g/100g on DM of CHT extract), BL1 diet (with 1.5 g/100g on DM of BL), and BL2 diet (with 3.0 g/100g on DM of BL). Among the parameters evaluated (weight gain; feed intake; feed efficiency; dressing out), the only differences were observed for the feed intake. In particular, the feed intake of CON (2.876 kg), FAS (2.773 kg), CTE (2.882 kg), and BL1 (2.858 kg) were comparable while the feed intake of BL2 (2.717 kg) was lower than the other diets except for FAS which was similar (p = 0.0010). The microbial community in the caecum was described by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons and was similar between the treatments both in terms of alpha-diversity and beta-diversity. The results of this trial evidenced that no detrimental effect on growth performances or on gut microbiome occurred when birds were fed the blend of SMCFAs and CHT extracts at the inclusion levels tested in this study.HIGHLIGHTS Short- and medium-chain fatty acids and chestnut tannins are alternatives to conventional antimicrobials Natural antimicrobials improve the sustainability of poultry production Short- and medium-chain fatty acids and chestnut tannins did not alter the gut microbiota of broiler

Abstract In recent decades, the food system has been faced with the significant problem of increasing food waste. Therefore, the feed industry, supported by scientific research, is attempting to valorise the use of discarded biomass as co-products for the livestock sector, in line with EU objectives. In parallel, the search for functional products that can ensure animal health and performances is a common fundamental goal for both animal husbandry and feeding. In this context, camelina cake (CAMC), cardoon cake (CC) and cardoon meal (CM), due valuable nutritional profile, represent prospective alternatives. Therefore, the aim of this work was to investigate the antioxidant activity of CAMC, CC and CM following in vitro digestion using 2,2′-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), Ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. Total phenolic content (TPC) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, actively involved in modulating antioxidant properties, were also studied. Further, a peptidomic analysis was adopted to substantiate the presence of bioactive peptides after in vitro digestion. The results obtained confirmed an interesting nutritional profile of CAMC, CC and CM and relevant antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activities. In particular, considering antioxidant profile, CM and CC revealed a significantly higher (10969.80 ± 18.93 mg TE/100 g and 10451.40 ± 149.17 mg TE/100 g, respectively; p

Abstract Background Dietary supplements based on tannin extracts or essential oil compounds (EOC) have been repeatedly reported as a promising feeding strategy to reduce the environmental impact of ruminant husbandry. A previous batch culture screening of various supplements identified selected mixtures with an enhanced potential to mitigate ruminal methane and ammonia formation. Among these, Q-2 (named after quebracho extract and EOC blend 2, composed of carvacrol, thymol, and eugenol) and C-10 (chestnut extract and EOC blend 10, consisting of oregano and thyme essential oils and limonene) have been investigated in detail in the present study with the semi-continuous rumen simulation technique (Rusitec) in three independent runs. For this purpose, Q-2 and C-10, dosed according to the previous study, were compared with a non-supplemented diet (negative control, NC) and with one supplemented with the commercial EOC-based Agolin® Ruminant (positive control, PC). Results From d 5 to 10 of fermentation incubation liquid was collected and analysed for pH, ammonia, protozoa count, and gas composition. Feed residues were collected for the determination of ruminal degradability. On d 10, samples of incubation liquid were also characterised for bacterial, archaeal and fungal communities by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA and 26S ribosomal large subunit gene amplicons. Regardless of the duration of the fermentation period, Q-2 and C-10 were similarly efficient as PC in mitigating either ammonia (−37% by Q-2, −34% by PC) or methane formation (−12% by C-10, −12% by PC). The PC was also responsible for lower feed degradability and bacterial and fungal richness, whereas Q-2 and C-10 effects, particularly on microbiome diversities, were limited compared to NC. Conclusions All additives showed the potential to mitigate methane or ammonia formation, or both, in vitro over a period of 10 d. However, several differences occurred between PC and Q-2/C-10, indicating different mechanisms of action. The pronounced defaunation caused by PC and its suggested consequences apparently determined at least part of the mitigant effects. Although the depressive effect on NDF degradability caused by Q-2 and C-10 might partially explain their mitigation properties, their mechanisms of action remain mostly to be elucidated.

Abstract We compute the one-loop corrections to gg → $$t\overline{t }H$$ up to order $$\mathcal{O}\left({\epsilon }^{2}\right)$$ in the dimensional-regularization parameter. We apply the projector method to compute polarized amplitudes, which generalize massless helicity amplitudes to the massive case. We employ a semi-numerical strategy to evaluate the scattering amplitudes. We express the form factors through scalar integrals analytically, and obtain separately integration by parts reduction identities in compact form. We integrate numerically the corresponding master integrals with an enhanced implementation of the Auxiliary Mass Flow algorithm. Using a numerical fit method, we concatenate the analytic and the numeric results to obtain fast and reliable evaluation of the scattering amplitude. This approach improves numerical stability and evaluation time. Our results are implemented in the Mathematica package TTH.

Phomopsin A (PHO-A), a potent mycotoxin produced by the pathogenic fungus Diaporthe toxica, is a growing international concern due to the high toxicity and prevalence in lupin plants, a vital source of food and feed. This hexapeptide mycotoxin has raised health concerns for both animals and humans, prompting regulatory bodies to set maximum allowable levels in lupin products.Different analytical methods have been developed for PHO-A detection, including Enzyme-Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with different detectors; they often lack sensitivity and selectivity required to meet maximum regulatory limits (MRL). In this work, we present a robust and sensitive method for PHO-A quantification and determination, developed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).This method incorporates a selective clean-up step using Micro Solid Phase Extraction (µ-SPE) to efficiently purify samples, ensuring a rapid, efficient, and selective recovery of PHO-A from the complex lupin matrix. The clean-up step not only helps in achieving lower detection limits but also minimizes matrix effects and contamination. The proposed method was validated following international guidelines, demonstrating reliable recovery, matrix effects, linearity, accuracy, and precision.Additionally, this method was successfully applied to artificially contaminated Lupinus albus L. samples, confirming the suitability for assessing PHO-A contamination. This analytical approach fills a critical gap in the literature by providing a specific, sensitive, and selective method for PHO-A analysis, contributing to the safety of lupin products and field monitoring.

The ATLAS and CMS collaborations at the LHC have recently announced evidence for the rare Higgs boson decay into a Z boson and a photon. We analyze the interference between the process gg→H→Zγ induced by loops of heavy particles, which is by far the dominant contribution to the signal, and the continuum gg→Zγ QCD background process mediated by light quark loops. This interference modifies the event yield, the resonance line-shape and the apparent mass of the Higgs boson. We calculate the radiative corrections to this interference beyond the leading-order approximation in perturbative QCD and find that, while differing numerically from the corresponding effects on the more studied gg→γγ signal, they are generally rather small. As such, they do not impact significantly the interpretation of the present measurements of the H→Zγ decay mode.

ABSTRACT: Exposure to air and light lowers the meat quality of chickens, which is mainly determined by the color alteration and accumulation of detrimental products from lipid oxidation. This study tests the effects of 2 supplements rich in polyphenols, Oxilem (OX) and OxiGem (OG), on broiler Ross 308 performance and meat quality in comparison to a control group (C). A total of 105 one-day-old Ross 308 male chicks were allocated to 21 pens and randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 treatments. The trial lasted 42 d. Individual live weight and feed intake per pen were recorded. Proximate analysis, color, cholesterol content and cholesterol oxidation products (COPs), fatty acids (FAs), volatile aldehydes profile, and secondary oxidation products of meat FAs were determined, with analyses for detecting oxidative alterations conducted on breast burgers preserved for 7 d at 4°C. Birds fed OG grew 7 g/d more than those receiving OX, reaching a higher final weight. After slaughtering, meat from the OX group had a higher yellow index compared to C. After 7 d of air and light exposure, the influence on the color parameters of the OG and OX burgers was significantly less pronounced than that of C. Secondary oxidation products of the FAs of the burgers were not significantly affected by the diet regimens. In addition, OX and OG burgers exhibited lower amounts of volatile aldehydes, triol and COPs. These results confirm the effectiveness of OX and OG supplementation against lipid oxidation at the inclusion level used in this trial.

Cancer, a complex array of diseases, involves the unbridled proliferation and dissemination of aberrant cells in the body, forming tumors that can infiltrate neighboring tissues and metastasize to distant sites. With over 200 types, each cancer has unique attributes, risks, and treatment avenues. Therapeutic options encompass surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormone therapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or a blend of these methods. Yet, these treatments face challenges like late-stage diagnoses, tumor diversity, severe side effects, drug resistance, targeted drug delivery hurdles, and cost barriers. Despite these hurdles, advancements in cancer research, encompassing biology, genetics, and treatment, have enhanced early detection methods, treatment options, and survival rates. Adenosine receptors (ARs), including A1, A2A, A2B, and A3 subtypes, exhibit diverse roles in cancer progression, sometimes promoting or inhibiting tumor growth depending on the receptor subtype, cancer type, and tumor microenvironment. Research on AR ligands has revealed promising anticancer effects in lab studies and animal models, hinting at their potential as cancer therapeutics. Understanding the intricate signaling pathways and interactions of adenosine receptors in cancer is pivotal for crafting targeted therapies that optimize benefits while mitigating drawbacks. This review delves into each adenosine receptor subtype’s distinct roles and signaling pathways in cancer, shedding light on their potential as targets for improving cancer treatment outcomes.

Enterococci are part of the natural flora of the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, including humans, birds and invertebrates. They can cause infection, mainly among hospitalized patients, as well as acquire and transfer antimicrobial resistance genes. The present study allowed the isolation of 98 Enterococcus (73.47% E. faecium, 23.47% E. faecalis, 3.06% E. avium) strains from 120-day-old healthy chickens that had never been treated with antimicrobials. Their antimicrobial resistance was evaluated by the agar disk diffusion method; high-level aminoglycoside (streptomycin and gentamicin) and vancomycin resistance were established using the microbroth dilution method. The highest percentages of resistant isolates were detected with quinupristin–dalfopristin (88.78%), rifampicin (64.29%), tetracyclines (45.92%), and enrofloxacin (41.84%). High percentages of susceptible strains were found with teicoplanin (100%), amoxicillin–clavulanic acid (97.96%), nitrofurantoin (94.90%), ampicillin (92.86%), chloramphenicol (90.82%), and linezolid (88.78%). About 60% of the strains were classified as MDR (multidrug-resistant). Moreover, PCR was carried out to investigate genes encoding for tetracyclines resistance determinants: tet(M), tet(L), tet(O), tet(K), and Int-Tn. Genes were detected in 68 (69.38%) strains: 36 were shown to be resistant with the agar disk diffusion method, while 28 were intermediate, and 2 were susceptible. The present study showed that chickens never treated with antimicrobials potentially harbor enterococci having phenotypic and genotypic characters of antimicrobial resistance.

Abstract In this paper we consider signal-background interference effects in Higgs-mediated diphoton production at the LHC. After reviewing earlier works that show how to use these effects to constrain the Higgs boson total decay width, we provide predictions beyond NLO accuracy for the interference and related observables, and study the impact of QCD radiative corrections on the Higgs width determination. In particular, we use the so-called soft-virtual approximation to estimate interference effects at NNLO in QCD. The inclusion of these effects reduces the NNLO prediction for the total Higgs cross-section in the diphoton channel by about 1.7%. We study in detail the impact of QCD corrections on the Higgs-boson line-shape and its implications for the Higgs boson width extraction. In particular, we find that the shift of the Higgs resonance peak arising from interference effects gets reduced by about 30% with respect to the NLO prediction. Assuming an experimental resolution of about 150 $$\textrm{MeV}$$ MeV on interference-induced modifications of the Higgs-boson line-shape, our NNLO analysis shows that one could constrain the Higgs-boson total width to about 10–20 times its Standard Model value.

The use of alternative feed ingredients from the Agro-industry could be an efficient tool to improve the sustainability of dairy cow production. Since the richness in polyphenols, olive oil pomace (OOP), produced during olive oil milling, seems a promising by-product to ameliorate milk’s nutritional value. The aim of this study was to test the use of OOP produced by means of a new technology (biphasic with stone deprivation) in dairy cow feeding strategy to evaluate the effect on animal performances, rumen microbiota, biohydrogenation processes and milk quality by a multidisciplinary approach. Forty multiparous Italian-Friesian dairy cows, at middle lactation, were randomly allotted into two homogenous groups and fed respectively a commercial diet (CON) and the experimental diet (OOPD) obtained by adding OOP to CON as partial replacement of maize silage. The two diets were formulated to be isoproteic and isoenergetic. The same diets were tested also in an in vitro trial aimed to evaluate their rumen degradability (% DEG). The dietary supplementation with OOP did not affect DM intake, rumen % DEG and milk production. The milk’s nutritional quality was improved by increasing several important functional fatty acids (FAs; i.e., linoleic acid, conjugated linoleic acid, oleic acid, vaccenic acid). This finding was related to a decrease in rumen liquor biohydrogenation rate of unsaturated FAs. The stochiometric relation between volatile FA production in the rumen and methanogenesis suggested that OOP lowers the methane potential production (CON = 0.050 mol/L vs OOPD = 0.024 mol/L, SEM = 0.005, P = 0.0011). Rumen microbiota and fungi community did not be strongly altered by OOP dietary inclusion because few bacteria were affected at the genus level only. Particularly, Acetobacter, Prevotellaceae_UCG-004, Prevotellaceae_UCG-001, Eubacterium coprostanoligenes, Lachnospira, Acetitomaulatum, Lachnospiraceae_NK3A20 group were more abundant with OOPD condition (P

Sustainable-forage production is globally increasing, especially in marginal areas where the edaphic conditions for plant growth are not optimal. Soil salinization influences the symbiotic interaction between alfalfa and rhizobia. The efficiency of different symbiotic pairs (Sinorhizobium meliloti—Medicago sativa) was evaluated in relation to NaCl application (100 mM) on two different alfalfa cultivars (Marina and Etrusca) and 21 S. meliloti strains isolated in Algeria. At 100 mM NaCl, it was observed that there was a higher variability of plant dry weight compared to the control. The strains able to improve plant growth at 100 mM NaCl were different and specific for each alfalfa cultivar, highlighting that (symbiont) G × (host) G interaction is magnified under stressed (saline) conditions (E). Three strains were then identified as candidate inoculants for M. sativa cv Marina and used for an in-field experiment with induced stress (no irrigation), together with S. meliloti GR4 (a highly competitive strain). In-field experiments, showed a high variability, and a significant difference of plant biomass was observed only for those inoculated with S. meliloti GR4. Obtained results suggest that multiple traits should be considered for inoculant-strain selection, and for an efficient translation from lab to field, it requires extensive comprehension of the mechanisms driving G × G × E interaction.

Abstract We compute mixed QCD-electroweak corrections to the neutral-current Drell-Yan production of a pair of massless leptons in the high invariant mass region. Our computation is fully differential with respect to the final state particles. At relatively low values of the dilepton invariant mass, m ℓℓ ∼ 200 GeV, we find unexpectedly large mixed QCD-electroweak corrections at the level of −1%. At higher invariant masses, m ℓℓ ∼ 1 TeV, we observe that these corrections can be well approximated by the product of QCD and electroweak corrections. Hence, thanks to the well-known Sudakov enhancement of the latter, they increase at large invariant mass and reach e.g. −3% at m ℓℓ = 3 TeV. Finally, we note that the inclusion of mixed corrections reduces the theoretical uncertainty related to the choice of electroweak input parameters to below the percent level.

Biofilms represent an evolutionary form of life, which translates from life in free-living cells to a community lifestyle. In natural habitats, biofilms are a multispecies complex, where synergies or antagonisms can be established. For example, Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas fluorescens are associated with a dual-species biofilm that is widespread in dairy plants. In food plants, multiple strategies are devised to control biofilms, including natural compounds such as essential oils (EOs). In this respect, this study evaluated the effectiveness of Thymbra capitata (L.) Cav. EO and Cinnamomum zeylanicum (CEO) against a dual-species biofilm of L. monocytogenes and P. fluorescens, mimicking dairy process conditions. Based on Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations results, the EOs concentration (10 µL/mL) was chosen for the antibiofilm assay at 12°C on polystyrene (PS), and stainless steel surfaces for 168 h, using a Ricotta-based model system as culture medium. Biofilm biomass was assessed by crystal violet staining, and the planktonic and sessile cells were quantified in terms of Log CFU/cm2. Results showed that CEO displayed the greatest antibiofilm activity, reducing significantly (P