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A field application of the Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) in Italy has been limited because thefeed bank is based on North American feedstuffs and still few laboratories are able to analyze feeds as requested by theCNCPS. Moreover, the standardization of analytical procedures is still not homogeneous among laboratories. This workwas carried out to establish a first database for feeds commonly used in Italy, providing nutritionists and producers anaccurate and current feed composition, also indicating methods and apparatus for analytical procedures potentially availablefor routine analysis. A total of 909 samples of hays, silages and raw materials (protein feeds, cereals and by-products)were analyzed through 1999 and 2002; analysis included protein solubility and degradability, protein fractions,structural carbohydrate fractions and the calculation of neutral detergent structural carbohydrates. When possible, averagedata were compared with those included in the feed bank of CNCPS ver. 3 and with those obtained by another Italianlaboratory. The main differences were observed in chemical composition of forages and silages, whose composition largelydepends on environmental conditions and physiological stage; protein feeds, cereals and by-products showed somedifferences in crude protein, soluble protein and protein fractions even in feeds of national origin.The intent to modify the feed bank values of CNCPS for establishing an Italian data base of feeds will require a collaborativestudy of many laboratories not only for forages, hays and silages samples - whose composition is greatly dependenton environmental factors and agronomic techniques - but also for protein fractions, whose values are largely influencedby even small changes in analytical techniques.

The hearts of 235 white sturgeons originating from an intensive farm system were examined in detail. Skin, muscle and abdominal viscera did not show any pathological features, except for the presence of liver and epicardial fat. All sturgeons had high levels of epicardial fat and 70% showed important variations in colouration, which was from grey/brownish to blackish. Histopathological examination revealed lymphocyte infiltrates, around the blood vessels as small focal lesions near the intercellular spaces, or as thin strips along the borders of fat tissue. In severe cases, heavy lymphoid infiltrates and proliferative lesions were evident and fatty tissue was replaced by inflammatory and proliferative tissue. The underlying myocardium was rarely affected. A diagnosis of infiltrative and proliferative steatitis is postulated. Moreover, a high percentage of the livers showed steatosis. Aetiology is still unknown, but the authors envisage a nutritional imbalance linked with oxidised fat intake.