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AbstractMountain dairy products are recognised as high-quality food but there are still few studies concerning the effects of seasonality and herd management on the profile of bioactive compounds in cheeses. This study was planned to assess the effect of season (summer versus winter) and feeding management (pasture versus integration) on fatty acids (FAs) profile, anti-hypertensive (ACE-IA) and anti-oxidant properties (ABTS-SA, FRAP), total thiol (SH) and phenolic (TP) contents of cheeses from two dairy cow farms (Farm A and Farm B) located in Piedmontese Alps (Italy). Cheese samples collected in the farms were submitted to an integrated analytical approach and the results were processed by full factorial ANOVA and PCA. The trends observed from the FAs profile confirmed the beneficial influence of supplying fresh forage to lactating cows. The ACE-IA was higher in summer than in winter cheese but depended upon the farm factor. Among the indicators of antioxidant activity, only the ABTS-SA was affected by the season, even though with significant differences between the farms. The TP content did not show any clear pattern, but it was higher than the values described in the literature. The PCA of all the data showed that several FAs and the ABTS-SA gave relevant contributions to clearly group the cheese samples according to the production season or farm. In conclusion, alpine cheese exhibited high nutritional quality under the consumers’ health standpoint, and the identification of the healthier summer cheeses for traceability or labelling purposes, can be obtained.HighlightsSeasonality and herd management practices affected the nutritional quality of cheese produced in two dairy farms in Piedemontese Alps.Lipid quality was affected by the feeding strategy, with the greater improvements obtained by pasture grazing or fresh grass consumption in the barn.ACE-inhibitory activity and anti-oxidant properties were influenced by both seasonality and farm of origin, with the best values measured in summer cheese.

AbstractThe expected future demand for highly nutrient animal food products will push the animal production system to search for new sources of high-quality protein feedstuffs. In this scenario, economic and environmental issues will have to be considered while reducing the competition with the plant-based human food chains. Legume grains and some oilseed cakes, by-products from the oil industry, are the main protein sources for ruminants and terrestrial monogastrics such as pigs and poultry. Their relevant role will hold in the next decades, but it is necessary to increase the diversification of sources that can be grown profitably throughout the world, including European countries. Microalgae are a promising source of protein and other nutrients for animal feeding. However, an amazing richness of biologically active substances makes these organisms very interesting as feed ingredients, as their role go far beyond the supply of nutrients. Due to the limited usage of microalgae as human foodstuffs or food ingredients, low competition between microalgae-based feed and food chains is predictable. This review aims to synthesise current knowledge on minor pulses and other protein-rich plant products and microalgae, as alternative ingredients to the conventional animal protein sources, focussing on their production, availability, and nutritional values. Points of strength, weakness, opportunity and threat related to the use of these protein sources in animal feeding are separately analysed through a SWOT approach to underlie future needs in terms of research and/or technological development that could help valorise these nutrient sources as feed ingredients.

AbstractThe world cow milk production will reach between 810 and nearly 1,000 Mt in 2050, implying changes in dairy farm management as well implications in environmental impact, especially as far as greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions, and nitrogen and phosphorus excretions are concerned. The future dairy farms will need to become smarter, profitable, and high yielding to continuously improve the sustainability of milk production. Among western countries, the Italian dairy industry has good performances both for milk yield and quality. Most of its milk is used to produce highly exported PDO cheeses with high added value. It could represent a model to study the impact of accelerated phenotypic trend on technical and environmental challenges. Assuming a constant average increase of milk yield equal to the actual phenotypic trend (+128 kg per cow and per year), the production of the current best cows (20t/head year−1) will become the average herd performance of the intensive dairy farms in 2030. Thus, maintaining the current Italian milk production (equal to 12.1 Mt), the higher milk production per head would cause a reduction of the environmental impact of 11.4% and 60.1% for GHG, 9.1% and 36.0% for N, 15.8% and 52.6% for P considering two scenarios of present phenotypic trend or 20t/head year−1, respectively. To cope with this challenge, technical suggestions for breeding and feeding the 20t dairy cow are given.HighlightsCurrent top Italian cows represent the 2030 average of dairy herdsGenomics and management will drive the productivity successEfficiency will reduce dairy environmental impact

AbstractThis paper reviews current knowledge on two feedstuffs, that is, insect meal and fish by-products, as alternatives to conventional animal protein sources. After an introductory part that highlights the need for sustainable development of animal production, the alternative protein sources are discussed. In particular, after providing some indications on their production and supply focussing on EU, a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was performed to identify the key factors that could help or impair the development of both protein sources production sectors. Finally, future perspectives are presented. The use of processed animal proteins derived from insects in farmed fish feeding is recognised by the EU legislation that authorises the use of proteins from seven insect species and the allowed substrates to rear insects. Insects have several advantages in nutritional value and the amino acid composition of their proteins generally meet animal requirements for good growth and health. The SWOT analysis indicated that insect meals can be considered as feed functional ingredients with beneficial properties that depend on the insect species, rearing system adopted, and the substrate used for their growth. Insects are expected to be increasingly used as a replacement for conventional animal-derived proteins, especially in aquafeeds. In the section regarding fishery and aquaculture by-products, the potential use of raw materials obtained during seafood processing is discussed. Peptides and amino acids recovered from as hydrolysed proteins can be used in animal feeds to partially substitute conventional protein feedstuffs thus providing nutrients, bioactive compounds and feed additives for animals. The SWOT analysis identified opportunities and weaknesses. Both the alternative protein sources are promising alternative feed ingredients for livestock production.HighlightsThe sustainable development of animal production sector needs alternative protein sources for feeds formulation.Insects and fishery- and aquaculture by-products represent optimal alternative protein sources.A SWOT analysis has identified the key factors for the development of both protein sources production sectors.

AbstractThe effects of dietary vitamin E supplementation on the susceptibility to lipid oxidation and colour of the Longissimus thoracis(LT) muscle aged in vacuum packaged conditions for 3 or 14 days were studied. For this purpose, Charolais cattle were fed on a diet providing daily 60 mg (control) or 5500 mg of vitamin E per animal (supplemented) for 30 and 60 days before slaughter. Dietary vitamin E supplementation increased the liver vitamin E content, but not in the LTmuscle of treated animals. The vitamin supplementation for 30 and 60 days has shown non-consistent effects in reducing cholesterol oxidation products of vacuum-packed aged meat. However, the vitamin E supplementation for 60 days was effective on Lightness stability in LTmuscle during vacuum-packed ageing. Overall, from the practical standpoint, this study suggests that supra-nutritional supplementation up to 60 days may not increase the vitamin E content of Charolais LTmuscle giving little, if any, benefits on meat colour and cholesterol oxidation. However, the present study suggests that it would be interesting to determine in which extent specific oxy-sterols are related to the meat colour and whether colour parameters can be useful for predicting the formation of cholesterol oxidation products along the industrial meat production chain.

AbstractQuality parameters of grassland and pasture samples collected during a three-year period at two environmentally and geographically different areas were analysed by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS). Chemical analysis for crude protein (CP), crude fibre (CF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and crude ash (ASH) carried out on two-thirds of the samples were used in calibration processes. The remaining one-third of the data was used to validate the best calibrations obtained. Samples selection is discussed. Different math pre-treatments (derivative, gap, primary smoothing and secondary smoothing), light scattering correction methods and calibration algorithms were tested to achieve the better predictive performances. We obtained the best results using different regression algorithms to correlate spectral information to chemical data. For CP (R2= 0.94, SEP=1.3), NDF (R2= 0.95, SEP = 2.14) and ADF (R2= 0.92, SEP=2.06) Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models fit chemical data better than Mean Partial Least Square (MPLS) regression. A molecular basis explanation of wavelengths selected was carried out. MPLS models worked well for CF (R2= 0.93, SEP=1.57), and ASH (R2= 0.95, SEP=1.17) while poor calibrations were obtained for ADL using both algorithms. To confirm the reliability of the models developed, uncertainties of predictions were compared with findings on nutritional variations and animal performances.

AbstractThe study was aimed at assessing the effects of conventional and homeopathic treatments on metabolic status and immune response in late pregnant goats. Administration of an antichetogenic preparation and of Echinacea purpureain homeopathic dilution did not exert unequivocal effects on metabolic status, but improved some immunological parameters of periparturient goats.