529 results on '"Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale"'
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2. Feedback thinking in dairy farm management: system dynamics modelling for herd dynamics
- Abstract
Systems perspectives and system dynamics have been widely used in decision-making for agricultural problems. However, their use in dairy farm management remains limited. This work demonstrates the use of systems approaches and feedback thinking in modelling for dairy farm management. The application of feedback thinking was illustrated with causal loop and stock-and-flow diagrams to disentangle the complexity of the relationship among farm elements. The study aimed to identify the dynamic processes of an intensive dairy farm by mapping the animal stocks (e.g., heifers, lactating cows, dry cows) with the final objective of anticipating the expected milk deliveries over a long time period. The project was conducted for a reference dairy farm that was intensively managed with a herd size of >2 500 cattle heads, which provided monthly farm records from Jan 2016 to Dec 2019. Model development steps included: (i) problem articulation with farm interviews and data analysis; (ii) the development of a dynamic hypothesis and a causal loop diagram; (iii) the development of a stock-and-flow cattle model describing ageing chains of heifers and cows and subsequent calibration of the model parameters; (iv) the evaluation of the model based on lactating cows and milk deliveries against farm historical records; and (v) the analysis of the model results. The model characterized the farm dynamics using three main feedback loops: one balancing loop of culling and two reinforcing loops of heifers’ replacement and cows’ pregnancy, pushing milk delivery. The model reproduced the historical oscillation patterns of lactating cows and milk deliveries with high accuracy (root mean square percentage error of 2.8 and 5.2% for the number of lactating cows and milk deliveries, respectively). The model was shown to be valid for its purpose, and applications of this model in dairy farm management can support decision-making practices for herd composition and milk delivery targets.
- Published
- 2023
3. In vitro aflatoxins recovery after changing buffer or protozoa concentrations in the rumen fermentation fluid
- Abstract
This study simulates in vitro the effects of (i) rumen acidity and (ii) change in rumen protozoa numbers on the recovery of aflatoxins (AFs). Two 24-h fermentation experiments were carried out using the same batch in vitro fermentation systems and substrate (dried corn meal) containing 11.42, 2.42, 7.65 and 1.70 µg/kg of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 respectively. In Experiment 1, two buffer concentrations (normal salts dosage or lowered to 25%) were tested. Buffer reduction decreased gas production (730 vs. 1101 mL, p < 0.05), volatile fatty acids (VFA) and NH3 concentrations in the fermentation liquid (39.8 vs. 46.3 mmol/L, and 31.7 vs. 46.5 mg/dL respectively, p < 0.01). Recovery of all four AFs types was higher (p < 0.01) in the reduced buffer fermentation fluid, both as a percentage of total AF incubated (73.6% vs. 62.5%, 45.9% vs. 38.1%, 33.6% vs. 17.9% and 18.9% vs. 6.24% for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 respectively) and as amounts relative to VFA production (163.4 vs. 123.5, 22.1 vs. 15.7, 48.8 vs. 22.5 and 6.16 vs. 1.86 ng/100 mmol of VFA, for AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 respectively). In Experiment 2, Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni extracts (S) or a Camphor essential oil (Cam) were added to fermenters and compared to the control (no additives, C). S and Cam addition resulted in a 25% reduction (p < 0.05) and a 15% increase (p < 0.05) in protozoa counts respectively, when compared to C. Both plant additives slightly reduced (p < 0.05) AFB1 recovery as a percentage of total AFB1 incubated (68.5% and 67.7% vs. 74.9% for S, Cam and C respectively). Recoveries of all other AFs were unaffected by the additives. In conclusion, the rumen in vitro AFB1 recovery (63%–75%) was higher than other AFs (3%–46%) and the acidic fermentation environment increased it. In our conditions, changes in protozoa numbers did not affect AFs recovery.
- Published
- 2023
4. Effects of ensiling time on corn silage starch ruminal degradability evaluated in situ or in vitro
- Abstract
Accurate measurements of concentration and ruminal degradability of corn silage starch is necessary for formulation of diets that meet the energy requirements of dairy cows. Five corn silage hybrids ensiled for 0 (unfermented), 30, 60, 120, and 150 d were used to determine the effects of ensiling time on starch degradability of corn silage. In addition, the effects of grind size of silage samples on 7-h in vitro starch degradability and the relationship between in vitro, in situ and near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) starch degradability were studied. In situ disappearance of corn silage starch increased from 0 to 150 d of ensiling, primarily as a result of an increase in the washout or rapidly degraded fraction of starch, particularly during the first 60 d of ensiling. When analyzed in vitro and by NIRS, ensiling time increased corn silage starch degradability either linearly or to a greater extent during the first 2 mo of ensiling. Differences in in situ starch disappearance among corn silage hybrids were apparent during the first 2 mo of ensiling but were attenuated as silages aged. No differences among hybrids were detected using a 7-h in vitro starch digestibility approach. Results from the in vitro subexperiment indicate that 7-h in vitro starch degradability was increased by reducing grind size of corn silage from 4 to 1 mm, regardless of ensiling duration. Fine grinding corn silages samples (i.e., 1-mm sieve) allowed distinguishing low- from medium- and high-starch degradability rated hybrids. Correlations among in situ, in vitro and NIRS measurements for starch degradability were medium to high (r ≥0.57); however, agreement among methods was low (concordance correlation coefficient ≤0.15). In conclusion, ensiling time linearly increased degradation rate of corn silage resulting in greater in situ starch disappearance after 150 d of ensiling. Reductions in grind size from 4 to 1 mm resulted in greater in vitro starch degradability, regardless of e
- Published
- 2023
5. The environmental impact of permanent meadows-based farms: A comparison among different dairy farm management systems of an Italian cheese
- Abstract
The environmental impact of dairy production is heavily influenced by milk farm efficiency, farm characteristics, and farming activities, such as feed management. The existing research on the environmental impacts of the dif- ferently managed dairy farm systems is often in contrast and difficult to be compared. Thus, the present study aimed to assess the environmental impacts of milk used for the same cheese by comparing four dairy farm sys- tems different for feed management choices, geographical area, herd size and milk productivity. A Life Cycle As- sessment was performed following the Product Environmental Footprint methodology using primary data collected in 70 farms and one average cheese factory. The results showed that the raw milk production phase was the most significant contributor to the environmental impacts of cheese production. The self-produced feed and purchased feed resulted as the main hotspot processes, covering 64–77 % of the total impact. In fact, among the four different farm systems, the Permanent Meadows Farms showed the best environmental perfor- mance, with the lowest values registered for 14 of 19 impact indicators. Similar impacts were observed for the North Italy Representative Farms, while Small Plain Farms disclosed the highest outcomes, resulting most impacting than the Mountain Farms. Results demonstrate that different feed management choices can affect the final cheese impact and could be considered by private and public policies focused on green transformation objectives.
- Published
- 2023
6. Survey on the occurrence of silage volatile organic compounds in the Po Valley - Italy
- Abstract
The volatile organic compounds (VOC) are the fermentation products and used to assess the quality of ensiled forages. The study aimed to monitor the VOC concentrations in silage and haylage by GC/FID system and to reveal the relationships among these different end-fermentation products by carrying out a multivariate analysis. Forty-six compounds were quantified by GC/FID system in a single chromatographic run. The average repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of variation obtained on standard solutions, composed by 0.1 mL/L of each VOC (solution A) or volatile fatty acids (VFA, solution B), were 0.028 and 0.017 (absolute value), respectively. The average repeatability and reproducibility coefficients of variation obtained on silage samples were 0.026 and 0.027, respectively. Mean values of recovery obtained on the standard solutions at different concentration levels of compounds were in the range 0.95–1.04 (absolute values), and no effect of analyte concentration was observed on recovery. When multivariate analysis was carried out on whole database, 7 factors were retained and they explained 0.50 of the total variability. The factors were interpreted for their biological meanings, based on specific VOC loading on each extracted latent structure. Alfalfa haylage and ryegrass silage were characterized by higher contents of valeric and butyric acids, methyl and ethyl butyrate, 2,3-butaneldiol, 1-butanol, and 2-butanol compared with the other fermented products. Except for mixture crop silage, all the fermented products containing legume crops had higher levels of 2-methyl-1-propanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenyl ethanol, and methanol and lower contents of ethanol, ethyl lactate, and ethyl acetate compared with the other fermented products. Silage containing grass crops had higher levels of acetic and lactic acids, and 1,2-propanediol respect to the other investigated products. The most part of the investigated fermented products were charac
- Published
- 2023
7. Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: Technological, Nutritional, Environmental, Market, and Social Challenges and Opportunities
- Abstract
There is a growing awareness that fostering the transition toward plant-based diets with reduced meat consumption levels is essential to alleviating the detrimental impacts of the food system on the planet and to improving human health and animal welfare. The reduction in average meat intake may be reached via many possible ways, one possibility being the increased consumption of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). For this reason, in recent years, hundreds of products have been launched on the market with sensory attributes (i.e., taste, texture, appearance, and smell) similar to their animal counterparts; however, these products have often a long list of ingredients and their nutritional values are very different from animal meat. The present review aims to highlight the main opportunities and challenges related to the production and consumption of PBMAs through an interdisciplinary approach. Aspects related to the production technology, nutritional profiles, potential impacts on health and the environment, and the current market and consumer acceptance of PBMAs are discussed. Focusing on the growing literature on this topic, this review will also highlight research gaps related to PBMAs that should be considered in the future, possibly through the collaboration of different stakeholders that can support the transition toward sustainable plant- based diets.
- Published
- 2023
8. Dietary brown seaweed and plant polyphenols in hyperprolific sows: Productive performance, blood parameters and antioxidant status
- Author
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Raffaella Rossi, Telma Tucci, Alessia Giordano, Pierangelo Moretti, and Carlo Corino
- Subjects
Laminaria spp ,lactating sow ,Animal Science and Zoology ,haematochemical parameters ,natural antioxidant ,Settore VET/03 - Patologia Generale e Anatomia Patologica Veterinaria ,performance ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,oxidative stress markers - Published
- 2022
9. Adverse Effects of Fusarium Toxins in Ruminants: A Review of In Vivo and In Vitro Studies
- Author
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Antonio Gallo, Martina Mosconi, Erminio Trevisi, and Regiane R. Santos
- Subjects
reproduction ,immune system ,milk ,Settore AGR/18 - NUTRIZIONE E ALIMENTAZIONE ANIMALE ,zearalenone ,deoxynivalenol ,General Engineering ,Settore AGR/19 - ZOOTECNICA SPECIALE ,fumonisins ,gastrointestinal function - Abstract
With an increased knowledge of the mechanism of action of Fusarium mycotoxins, the concept that these substances are deleterious only for monogastric species is obsolete. Indeed, most mycotoxins can be converted into less toxic compounds by the rumen microflora from healthy animals. However, mycotoxin absorption and its conversion to more toxic metabolites, as well as their impact on the immune response and subsequently animal welfare, reproductive function, and milk quality during chronic exposure should not be neglected. Among the Fusarium mycotoxins, the most studied are deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisins from the B class (FBs). It is remarkable that there is a paucity of in vivo research, with a low number of studies on nutrient digestibility and rumen function. Most of the in vitro studies are related to the reproductive function or are restricted to rumen incubation. When evaluating the production performance, milk yield is used as an evaluated parameter, but its quality for cheese production is often overlooked. In the present review, we summarize the most recent findings regarding the adverse effects of these mycotoxins with special attention to dairy cattle.
- Published
- 2022
10. Alternative Feed Formulations Impact Growth Performance, Flesh Quality and Consumer Acceptance of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)
- Author
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Gabriella do Vale Pereira, Luis E. C. Conceição, Filipe Soares, Jessica Petereit, Bela H. Buck, Johan Johansen, Jorge Dias, and Filippo Faccenda
- Subjects
Alternative diets ,Settore AGR/18 - NUTRIZIONE E ALIMENTAZIONE ANIMALE ,Emerging ingredients ,Ocean Engineering ,Processed animal proteins ,emerging ingredients ,processed animal proteins ,sustainable feeds ,alternative diets ,Water Science and Technology ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,Sustainable feeds - Abstract
This trial aimed to assess the growth performance of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed novel formulations, evaluate fish welfare status, and determine flesh quality as part of the evaluation of sustainable feeds. A control diet containing fish meal and soy products (CTRL) was compared to: a diet with processed animal proteins (PAP); a diet without PAP (NoPAP); a PAP diet lower in protein (PAP−); and a NoPAP diet higher in protein (NoPAP+). Groups of 50 fish, weighing 58.84 ± 1.39 g (IBW), were allocated to 20 tanks and fed with formulated diets ad libitum over 91 days. Better growth performance was observed after the experiment in fish fed the NoPAP+ diet when compared to other diets. Protein retention was higher in CTRL diets than in PAP and PAP− diets. Protein and phosphorous digestibility were lower in fish fed PAP− diet. Diets did not influence the texture analysis. However, sensory analysis revealed higher acceptance for fish fed the NoPAP diet when compared to the PAP diet. Lysozyme was higher in the NoPAP diet than in other treatments. In addition, long-term predictions using FEEDNETICSTM software suggest some of these alternative formulations may be economically sustainable. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that the new formulations are viable options for trout farming.
- Published
- 2023
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11. MODERN ANIMAL NUTRITION IN THE ERA OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
- Author
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Fumagalli, F.
- Subjects
Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2023
12. Occurrence of Polyphenols, Isoflavonoids, and Their Metabolites in Milk Samples from Different Cow Feeding Regimens
- Author
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Gabriele Rocchetti, Francesca Ghilardelli, Martina Mosconi, Francesco Masoero, and Antonio Gallo
- Subjects
Settore AGR/18 - NUTRIZIONE E ALIMENTAZIONE ANIMALE ,General Engineering ,food and beverages ,equol ,hippuric acid ,isoflavonoids ,soybean ,foodomics ,Settore CHIM/10 - CHIMICA DEGLI ALIMENTI - Abstract
In this work, milk samples collected in a cohort of intensive dairy farms of the Po Valley (Italy) were screened for their (poly)-phenolic profile to check the occurrence of phenolic metabolites of biological interest. The selected dairy farms were previously classified on the basis of their cow feeding system, considering the utilization of corn silage as the main ingredient of the rations. Overall, ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap analyzer, followed by unsupervised and supervised statistics, allowed identifying clear different phenolic distributions in the milk samples. Accordingly, a great variability in the phenolic profiles of the different milk samples was observed, with two main phenolic clusters outlined by the unsupervised hierarchical clustering approach and not fully correlated to the nutritional strategy considered. The variables’ importance in the projection approach allowed selecting the most important metabolites, resulting in samples’ discrimination. Among the most discriminative compounds, we found phenolic metabolites (such as hippuric acid and 4-hydroxyhippuric acid), followed by lignans (such as enterolactone) and isoflavonoids (such as equol and O-desmethylangolensin). Taken together, our findings suggested that both the feeding systems and the ability of dairy cows to process parent phenolic compounds were the main factors providing the final (poly)-phenolic profile of the milk samples. Future targeted and ad hoc studies appear of great interest to evaluate the potential biological effects of these compounds on cow health.
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- 2022
13. Feeding and Rearing Strategies for Heavy Pigs: Effects on Growth Performance, Feed Efficiency, and Dry-Cured Ham Meat Quality Traits
- Author
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Malgwi, ISAAC HYELADI
- Subjects
Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2023
14. Metagenomic approach to rumen, intestine and milk in relation to the environment and quality of products: the summer Alpine transhumance as case study
- Author
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Secchi, G.
- Subjects
Settore AGR/15 - SCIENZE E TECNOLOGIE ALIMENTARI ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2023
15. Chemometric Approaches to Analyse the Composition of a Ewe’s Colostrum
- Author
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Massimo Todaro, Giuseppe Maniaci, Riccardo Gannuscio, Daniela Pampinella, Maria Luisa Scatassa, Todaro Massimo, Maniaci Giuseppe, Gannuscio Riccardo, Pampinella Daniela, and Scatassa Maria Luisa
- Subjects
General Veterinary ,correlations ,colostrum composition ,dairy ewes ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione E Alimentazione Animale ,dairy ewe - Abstract
Colostrum is a major source of immunity in lambs and, in general, in all newborn ruminants. It allows the transfer of antibodies from the ewe to the lamb, and it becomes the exclusive source of nutrients for a newborn. Among the most significant Pearson correlations, the positive correlation between the Brix refractive index (Brix) and protein (0.90) should be noted. Both parameters (protein percentage and Brix) were then positively correlated with the percentage of fat (0.38 and 0.41), urea (0.81 and 0.67), calcium (0.39 and 0.29), and magnesium (0.58 and 0.59), as well as the yellowness (0.78 and 0.75). Somatic cell count (SCC) and pH, parameters which are indicators of subclinical mastitis, were positively correlated (0.49), and SCC was positively correlated with sodium (0.37) and negatively correlated with potassium (−0.28). Among the macroelements in colostrum—calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium—the correlations were largely positive. With respect to the colour parameters, yellowness was negatively correlated with lightness (−0.41) and redness (−0.45). The factor analysis split the total of variance into three latent factors. The first factor was named “Colostrum quality of grazing sheep” because it was positively correlated primarily with SCC, pH, Poly Unsatured Fatty Acids (PUFA), and the sum of the omega-3 Fatty Acids (FAs). The second factor, named “Good quality colostrum”, was positively correlated primarily with the refractive index, protein and fat percentages, urea content, phosphorus, Mono Unsatured Fatty Acids (MUFA), and yellowness. The third factor was positively correlated primarily with calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium, and it was therefore termed “Mineral component of colostrum”. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed that the protein percentage, calcium, and magnesium were able to explain more than 85% of the Brix refractive index, which remains a good parameter for simply evaluating the nutritional quality of sheep colostrum at the level of a farm.
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- 2023
16. Sheep habit during hand milking, and relations between the incorrect hand milking procedure and mammary health
- Author
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Mignacca SA, Mancuso I, Ducato B, Rando F, Migliore S, Todaro M, Scatassa ML, Mignacca SA, Mancuso I, Ducato B, Rando F, Migliore S, Todaro M, and Scatassa ML
- Subjects
Ewe habit ,Hand milking ,Mammary health ,Statistical analysis ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione E Alimentazione Animale - Abstract
This study aimed: (1) to evaluate the relation between the incorrect hand milking and mammary health; (2) to test the hypothesis of the ewe habit in the workstation, of their choice, during the milking. Teat moisturization with foam milk collected from the milk tank represents a high-risk factor because potentially contain mastitis-causing bacteria previously released from affected ewes. Moreover, it was found that sheep are routinary animals by habit during hand milking.
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- 2023
17. FUNCTIONAL FEED ADDITIVES FOR ANIMAL HEALTH
- Author
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Dell'Anno, M.
- Subjects
Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2023
18. E-Nose Technology for Mycotoxin Detection in Feed: Ready for a Real Context in Field Application or Still an Emerging Technology?
- Author
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Luca Ferrari, Federica Cheli, MATTEO OTTOBONI, Francesca Fumagalli, Sharon Mazzoleni, and Luciano Pinotti
- Subjects
electronic nose ,feed safety ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,mycotoxins ,Toxicology ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Abstract
Mycotoxin risk in the feed supply chain poses a concern to animal and human health, economy, and international trade of agri-food commodities. Mycotoxin contamination in feed and food is unavoidable and unpredictable. Therefore, monitoring and control are the critical points. Effective and rapid methods for mycotoxin detection, at the levels set by the regulations, are needed for an efficient mycotoxin management. This review provides an overview of the use of the electronic nose (e-nose) as an effective tool for rapid mycotoxin detection and management of the mycotoxin risk at feed business level. E-nose has a high discrimination accuracy between non-contaminated and single-mycotoxin-contaminated grain. However, the predictive accuracy of e-nose is still limited and unsuitable for in-field application, where mycotoxin co-contamination occurs. Further research needs to be focused on the sensor materials, data analysis, pattern recognition systems, and a better understanding of the needs of the feed industry for a safety and quality management of the feed supply chain. A universal e-nose for mycotoxin detection is not realistic; a unique e-nose must be designed for each specific application. Robust and suitable e-nose method and advancements in signal processing algorithms must be validated for specific needs.
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- 2023
19. Tobacco Seed-Based Oral Vaccination against Verocytotoxic O138 Escherichia coli as Alternative Approach to Antibiotics in Weaned Piglets
- Author
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Luciana Rossi, Matteo Dell’Anno, Lauretta Turin, Serena Reggi, Angela Lombardi, Giovanni Loris Alborali, Joel Filipe, Federica Riva, Pietro Riccaboni, Eugenio Scanziani, Paola Dall’Ara, Eugenio Demartini, and Antonella Baldi
- Subjects
Microbiology (medical) ,pig ,drug resistance ,molecular farming ,Biochemistry ,Microbiology ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,antibacterial ,post-weaning ,Infectious Diseases ,Escherichia coli ,Pharmacology (medical) ,edible vaccine ,engineered plants ,toxin ,Settore VET/05 - Malattie Infettive degli Animali Domestici ,General Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics ,Settore VET/03 - Patologia Generale e Anatomia Patologica Veterinaria - Abstract
Post-weaning diarrhoea and enterotoxaemia caused by Escherichia coli are serious threats in the pig (Sus scrofa domesticus) livestock industry and are responsible for economic losses related to mortality, morbidity and stunted growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an engineered tobacco seeds-based edible vaccine in O138 Escherichia coli-challenged piglets throughout a multidisciplinary approach. Thirty-six weaned piglets were enrolled and randomly divided into two experimental groups, a control (C; n = 18) group and a tobacco edible vaccination group (T, n = 18), for 29 days of trial. At days 0, 1, 2, 5 and 14, piglets of the T group were fed with 10 g of the engineered tobacco seeds line expressing F18 and VT2eB antigens, while the C group received wild-type tobacco seeds. After 20 days, 6 piglets/group were orally challenged with the Escherichia coli O138 strain (creating four subgroups: UC = unchallenged control, CC = challenged control, UT = unchallenged tobacco, CT = challenged tobacco) and fed with a high protein diet for 3 consecutive days. Zootechnical, clinical, microbiological, histological and immunological parameters were assayed and registered during the 9 days of post-challenge follow up. At 29 days post-challenge, the CT group displayed a lower average of the sum of clinical scores compared to the CC group (p < 0.05), while the CC group showed a higher average sum of the faecal score (diarrhoea) (p < 0.05) than the CT group. A decreased number of days of shedding of the pathogenic strain was observed in the CT compared to the CC group (p < 0.05). Specific anti-F18 IgA molecules were significantly higher in the CT group compared to the CC group’s faecal samples during the post-challenge period (p < 0.01). In conclusion, edible vaccination with engineered tobacco seeds showed a protective effect on clinical symptoms and diarrhoea incidence during the post-challenge period, characterized by a limited time of pathogenic strain shedding in faeces.
- Published
- 2023
20. Circular Feed Production and Consumption in the Context of Smart Animal Nutrition
- Author
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Luciano Pinotti
- Subjects
Animal response ,Ex-food ,Former food ,Alternative feed ingredients ,Logistics ,Nutrients ,Digestion kinetics ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,Former food products ,Microbiological safety ,Leftovers ,Bakery by-products ,Cooking ,Digestibility ,Feeding stuffs ,Gut health - Published
- 2023
21. Assessment of genetically modified maize MON 87419 for food and feed uses, under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA-GMO-NL-2017-140)
- Author
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Mullins, E., Bresson, J.-., Dalmay, T., Dewhurst, I.C., Epstein, M.M., Firbank, L.G., Guerche, P., Hejatko, J., Moreno, F.J., Naegeli, H., Nogue, F., Rostoks, N., Serrano, J.J.S., Savoini, G., Veromann, E., Veronesi, F., Ardizzone, M., De Sanctis, G., Federici, S., Fernandez Dumont, A., Gennaro, A., Gomez Ruiz, J.A., Goumperis, T., Lanzoni, A., Lenzi, P., Lewandowska, A., Camargo, A.M., Neri, F.M., Papadopoulou, N., Paraskevopoulos, K., and Raffaello, T.
- Subjects
genetic engineering ,DMO ,GM ,import and processing ,maize (Zea mays) ,MON 87419 ,PAT ,Veterinary (miscellaneous) ,Plant Science ,Microbiology ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Parasitology ,Food Science - Published
- 2023
22. Protective effect of phytogenic plus short and medium-chain fatty acids-based additives in enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli challenged piglets
- Author
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Valentina Caprarulo, Lauretta Turin, Monika Hejna, Serena Reggi, Matteo Dell’Anno, Pietro Riccaboni, Paolo Trevisi, Diana Luise, Antonella Baldi, Luciana Rossi, Caprarulo, Valentina, Turin, Lauretta, Hejna, Monika, Reggi, Serena, Dell'Anno, Matteo, Riccaboni, Pietro, Trevisi, Paolo, Luise, Diana, Baldi, Antonella, and Rossi, Luciana
- Subjects
Feed additive ,Pig ,General Veterinary ,Phytochemicals ,Alternatives to antibiotics ,Escherichia coli ,Fatty acids ,Feed additives ,General Medicine ,Phytochemical ,Fatty acid ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,Settore VET/05 - Malattie Infettive degli Animali Domestici ,Alternatives to antibiotic - Abstract
Post Weaning Diarrhea (PWD) is the most important multifactorial gastroenteric disease of the weaning in pig livestock. Phytogenic (PHY) natural extracts are largely studied as alternatives to antibiotic treatments in combating the global concern of the antimicrobial resistance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the protective effect of innovative phytogenic premix with or without short and medium chain fatty acids (SCFA and MCFA) in O138 Escherichia coli challenged piglets. Twenty-seven weaned piglets were allotted into four groups fed different diets according to the following dietary treatments: CTRL (n = 13) group fed basal diet, PHY1 (n = 7) fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.2% of phytogenic premix, PHY2 (n = 7) fed the basal diet supplemented with 0.2% of phytogenic premix added with 2000 ppm of SCFA and MCFA. After 6 days of experimental diet feeding, animals were challenged (day 0) with 2 × 109 CFU of E. coli and CTRL group was divided at day 0 into positive (challenged CTRL + ; n = 6) and negative control group (unchallenged CTRL-; n = 7). Body weights were recorded at -14, -6, 0, 4 and 7 days and the feed intake was recorded daily. E. coli shedding was monitored for 4 days post-challenge by plate counting. Fecal consistency was registered daily by a four-point scale (0–3; diarrhea > 1) during the post-challenge period. Tissue samples were obtained for gene expression and histological evaluations at day 7 from four animals per group. Lower average feed intake was observed in CTRL + compared to PHY2 and CTRL during the post-challenge period. Infected groups showed higher E. coli shedding compared to CTRL- during the 4 days post-challenge (p p = 0.066). In conclusion, dietary supplementation of PHY plus SCFA and MCFA revealed encouraging results for diarrhea prevention and growth performance in weaned piglets.
- Published
- 2023
23. In vitro effects of different levels of quebracho and chestnut tannins on rumen methane production, fermentation parameters, and microbiota
- Author
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Battelli, M., Colombini, S., Parma, P., Galassi, G., Crovetto, G. M., Spanghero, M., Pravettoni, D., Zanzani, S. A., Manfredi, M. T., and Rapetti, L.
- Subjects
condensed tannins ,digestibility ,hydrolysable tannins ,methane ,microbiota ,ruminants ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2023
24. Case study of Life Cycle Assessment and sustainable business model for sea urchin waste
- Author
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Federico Zilia, Luigi Orsi, Michele Costantini, Doriana Eurosia Angela Tedesco, and Michela Sugni
- Subjects
Environmental Engineering ,Circular economy ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,Settore BIO/05 - Zoologia ,Settore SECS-P/08 - Economia e Gestione delle Imprese ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Environmental Science (miscellaneous) ,Life Cycle Assessment ,Settore AGR/10 - Costruzioni Rurali e Territorio Agroforestale ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,Waste management ,Sustainable business model ,Settore AGR/01 - Economia ed Estimo Rurale - Published
- 2023
25. Restoring Activity of Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum L.) on Serum Biochemical Parameters, Oxidative Status, Immunity, and Performance in Poultry and Other Animal Species, Poisoned by Mycotoxins: A Review
- Author
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Guerrini, A. and Tedesco, D.E.A.
- Subjects
feed additives ,Settore VET/07 - Farmacologia e Tossicologia Veterinaria ,silymarin ,bioactive compounds ,animal health ,phytoextract ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2023
26. Plant-Based Meat Alternatives: Technological, Nutritional, Environmental, Market, and Social Challenges and Opportunities
- Author
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Giulia Andreani, Giovanni Sogari, Alessandra Marti, Federico Froldi, Hans Dagevos, and Daniela Martini
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alternative proteins ,consumer acceptance ,flexitarianism ,meat analogs ,sustainability ,SGDs ,Settore AGR/18 - NUTRIZIONE E ALIMENTAZIONE ANIMALE ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,WASS ,Urban Economics ,Settore AGR/15 - SCIENZE E TECNOLOGIE ALIMENTARI ,Consument & Keten ,Settore AGR/01 - Economia ed Estimo Rurale ,Settore MED/49 - Scienze Tecniche Dietetiche Applicate ,Consumer and Chain ,SDGs ,Food Science - Abstract
There is a growing awareness that fostering the transition toward plant-based diets with reduced meat consumption levels is essential to alleviating the detrimental impacts of the food system on the planet and to improving human health and animal welfare. The reduction in average meat intake may be reached via many possible ways, one possibility being the increased consumption of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs). For this reason, in recent years, hundreds of products have been launched on the market with sensory attributes (i.e., taste, texture, appearance, and smell) similar to their animal counterparts; however, these products have often a long list of ingredients and their nutritional values are very different from animal meat. The present review aims to highlight the main opportunities and challenges related to the production and consumption of PBMAs through an interdisciplinary approach. Aspects related to the production technology, nutritional profiles, potential impacts on health and the environment, and the current market and consumer acceptance of PBMAs are discussed. Focusing on the growing literature on this topic, this review will also highlight research gaps related to PBMAs that should be considered in the future, possibly through the collaboration of different stakeholders that can support the transition toward sustainable plant-based diets.
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- 2023
27. Bovine Colostrum Supplementation Modulates the Intestinal Microbial Community in Rabbits
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Stella Agradi, Paola Cremonesi, Laura Menchetti, Claudia Balzaretti, Marco Severgnini, Federica Riva, Bianca Castiglioni, Susanna Draghi, Alessia Di Giancamillo, Marta Castrica, Daniele Vigo, Silvia Clotilde Modina, Valentina Serra, Alda Quattrone, Elisa Angelucci, Grazia Pastorelli, Giulio Curone, and Gabriele Brecchia
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Settore VET/07 - Farmacologia e Tossicologia Veterinaria ,General Veterinary ,Settore VET/04 - Ispezione degli Alimenti di Origine Animale ,Bacteroidetes ,Firmicutes ,caecum ,microbiota ,nutraceutical ,Settore VET/01 - Anatomia degli Animali Domestici ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Settore VET/02 - Fisiologia Veterinaria ,Settore VET/05 - Malattie Infettive degli Animali Domestici - Abstract
BC is a nutraceutical that can modulate intestinal microbiota. This study investigates the effects of BC diet supplementation on luminal and mucosa-associated microbiota in the jejunum, caecum, and colon of rabbits. Twenty-one New Zealand White female rabbits were divided into three experimental groups (n = 7) receiving a commercial feed (CTRL group) and the same diet supplemented with 2.5% and 5% BC (2.5% BC and 5% BC groups, respectively), from 35 (weaning) to 90 days of age (slaughtering). At slaughter, the digestive tract was removed from each animal, then both content and mucosa-associated microbiota of jejunum, caecum, and colon were collected and analysed by Next Generation 16SrRNA Gene Sequencing. Significant differences were found in the microbial composition of the three groups (i.e., beta-diversity: p < 0.01), especially in the caecum and colon of the 2.5% BC group. The relative abundance analysis showed that the families most affected by the BC administration were Clostridia UCG-014, Barnesiellaceae, and Eggerthellaceae. A trend was also found for Lachnospiraceae, Akkermansiaceae, and Bacteroidaceae. A functional prediction has revealed several altered pathways in BC groups, with particular reference to amino acids and lactose metabolism. Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes ratio decreased in caecum luminal samples of the 2.5% BC group. These findings suggest that BC supplementation could positively affect the intestinal microbiota. However, further research is needed to establish the optimal administration dose.
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- 2023
28. An observational study to verify the influence of different nutritional corn silage-based strategies on efficient use of dietary nutrients, faecal fermentation profile, and profitability in a cohort of intensive dairy farms
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A. Gallo, C. Valsecchi, M. Masseroni, A. Cannas, F. Ghilardelli, F. Masoero, and A. S. Atzori
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Settore AGR/18 - NUTRIZIONE E ALIMENTAZIONE ANIMALE ,income over feed cost ,high moisture corn ,feed efficiency ,food and beverages ,Animal Science and Zoology ,milk quality ,SF1-1100 ,methane production ,Animal culture - Abstract
Sixty-six dairy farms (as average, 167.0 ± 106.5 milking cows and milk yield of 31.4 ± 5.1) were visited to identify different nutritional approaches adopted in dairy cows diet formulation. Forage, TMR, faecal, and milk samples from lactating herds were collected and diet composition, in vitro methane production, in vivo nutrient digestibility, faecal fermentation profile and milk yield and milk quality were characterised. A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied and six nutritional approaches in diet formulation corresponding with six different clusters (CL) were identified. The CL discriminated the farm feeding choices in the following nutritional strategies, based on high use of: (i) high moisture corn (HMC) and legume silage, (ii) compound feed, (iii) corn and soy meals, (iv) HMC and soy meal, (v) corn meal and protein compound feeds, or (vi) HMC and protein compound feed strategies, respectively for CL1 to CL6. The milk yield tended (p = .061) to differ among CL. The greatest (>1.60) feed efficiency was calculated for CL1 and 5, whereas the lowest (
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- 2022
29. Amaranthus grain as a new ingredient in diets for dairy cows: productive, qualitative, and in vitro fermentation traits
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Serena Calabrò, Marianna Oteri, Alessandro Vastolo, Monica Isabella Cutrignelli, Massimo Todaro, Biagina Chiofalo, Fabio Gresta, Calabrò, Serena, Oteri, Marianna, Vastolo, Alessandro, Cutrignelli, Monica Isabella, Todaro, Massimo, Chiofalo, Biagina, Gresta, Fabio, Calabro, S., Oteri, M., Vastolo, A., Cutrignelli, M. I., Todaro, M., Chiofalo, B., and Gresta, F.
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Amaranthus ,Nutrition and Dietetics ,Amaranthus cruentu ,quality trait ,volatile fatty acids ,Amaranthus cruentus, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, quality traits, rumen fermentation, seed yield, volatile fatty acids ,Amaranthus hypochondriacus ,Fatty Acids ,Amaranthus cruentus ,seed yield ,quality traits ,rumen fermentation ,Diet ,Fermentation ,Seeds ,Amaranthus hypochondriacu ,Animals ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione E Alimentazione Animale ,Cattle ,Edible Grain ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Food Science ,Biotechnology - Abstract
Background: In recent decades, grain amaranths have attracted attention due to their valuable combination of nutritional traits, with higher protein and oil content than conventional cereals. Before they can be proposed as an unconventional ingredient in animal feed, many aspects still need to be investigated from field production to nutritive value. The present research aimed to study the agronomic traits, proximate composition, and digestibility/degradability, fatty acid profile, antioxidant activity, and total phenolic content of two grain amaranth species, Amaranthus cruentus and Amaranthus hypochondriacus (for a total of six accessions), grown in a Mediterranean environment. Results: Both species showed seed yields comparable to or higher than the traditional cereal crops in the same environment. On the whole, A. cruentus resulted in a higher seed production than A. hypochondriacus. Mexico and Montana accessions, both belonging to A. cruentus, showed the highest yield (3.73 t ha-1 , on average). Few differences emerged in nutritive value between species and accessions: the Illinois accession of A. cruentus showed the best performance in terms of in vitro degradability and gas production, but not for volatile fatty acid production; the fermentation kinetics was slowest in the Illinois accession and fastest in the Montana accession of A. cruentus and the India accession of A. hypochondriacus. Conclusion: From a health perspective, the Nebraska accession of A. hypochondriacus represents the best accession, with the lowest saturated fatty acid content and the highest polyunsaturated fatty acid content. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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- 2022
30. Assessment of genetically modified soybean MON 87701 for renewal authorisation under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 (application EFSA-GMO-RX-021)
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EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO), Mullins, Ewen, Bresson, Jean-Loui, Dalmay, Tamas, Crawford Dewhurst, Ian, Epstein, Michelle M., Firbank, Leslie George, Guerche, Philippe, Hejatko, Jan, Moreno, F. Javier, Naegeli, Hanspeter, Nogué, Fabien, Rostoks, Nils, Sánchez Serrano, Jose Juan, Savoini, Giovanni, Veromann, Eve, Veronesi, Fabio, Camargo, Ana M., Goumperis, Tilemachos, Lewandowska, Aleksandra, Raffaello, Tommaso, and Streissl, Franz
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renewal ,Articles 11 and 23 ,MON 87701 ,Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 ,soybean ,Veterinary (miscellaneous) ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Parasitology ,Plant Science ,Microbiology ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,Food Science - Abstract
Following the submission of application EFSA-GMO-RX-021 under Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 from Bayer CropScience LP, the Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms of the European Food Safety Authority was asked to deliver a scientific risk assessment on the data submitted in the context of the renewal of authorisation application for the insect-resistant genetically modified soybean MON 87701, for food and feed uses, excluding cultivation within the European Union. The data received in the context of this renewal application contained post-market environmental monitoring reports, a systematic search and evaluation of literature, updated bioinformatic analyses and additional documents or studies performed by or on behalf of the applicant. The GMO Panel assessed these data for possible new hazards, modified exposure or new scientific uncertainties identified during the authorisation period and not previously assessed in the context of the original application. Under the assumption that the DNA sequences of the event in soybean MON 87701 considered for renewal is identical to the sequences of the originally assessed event, the GMO Panel concludes that there is no evidence in renewal application EFSA-GMO-RX-021 for new hazards, modified exposure or scientific uncertainties that would change the conclusions of the original risk assessment on soybean MON 87701.
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- 2022
31. OMICS APPROACHES FOR OMEGA-6/OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID RATIO IN PIGS
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Manaig, Y.J.
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transcriptomics ,proteomics ,omega-6 ,pigs ,polyunsaturated fatty acid ,miRNA ,omega-3 ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2022
32. Diet supplemented with olive cake as a model of circular economy: Metabolic and endocrine responses of beef cattle
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Arianna Bionda, Vincenzo Lopreiato, Paola Crepaldi, Vincenzo Chiofalo, Esterina Fazio, Marianna Oteri, Annalisa Amato, and Luigi Liotta
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Global and Planetary Change ,Ecology ,circular economy ,Settore AGR/17 - Zootecnica Generale e Miglioramento Genetico ,Horticulture ,Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,beef cattle ,olive cake ,olive by-products ,Settore VET/02 - Fisiologia Veterinaria ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Food Science - Abstract
IntroductionIntegrating by-products into livestock diet represents a great opportunity for implementing the concept of circular economy while reducing feed costs. Olive cake (OC) is considered an agro-industrial waste, but the high content of valuable metabolites makes it a promising feed integration. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of OC integration in beef cattle diet on different blood parameters.MethodsForty-eight young growing fattening Limousines-−24 bulls (body weight 350 ± 15 kg) and 24 heifers (280 ± 10 kg)—, aged 240 ± 20 days, were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 dietary treatments: concentrate at 0% (Control group: CTR), 10% (Low-olive cake group: L-OC), or 15% (High-olive cake group: H-OC) of OC inclusion. Blood samples and body weights were collected before administrating the supplemented diet (0 d), at the end of the stocker growing phase (56 d), and at the end of the fattening (147 d). After being slaughtered, animal carcasses were weighted. A linear regression model was fitted for each blood parameter with the 0 d as covariate and diet, time, sex, diet × time, and diet × sex as fixed effects.ResultsIn males, body weight was highest in CTR, but carcass weight was similar in all the groups. All the blood parameters were within physiological ranges, independently from the animal diet. CTR group showed the highest alanine aminotransferase (ALT, P = 0.0027) and creatine kinase (P = 0.0119), whereas total bilirubin (P = 0.0023) was higher in H-OC than in CTR. Moreover, ALT was highest in CTR at 56 d, becoming similar in all the groups at 147 d (P = 0.0280). Instead, the increase observed in total cholesterol from 56 to 147 d was lower in H-OC compared with CTR and L-OC (P = 0.0451). A significant effect of diet × sex interaction was observed on triglycerides, urea, liver enzymes, and insulin. These data support the OC inclusion of up to 15% of the concentrate with no detrimental effect on beef cattle metabolic status.DiscussionIn conclusion, OC can be considered as a component in beef diet giving an opportunity to improve agriculture sustainability.
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- 2022
33. VALUTAZIONE NUTRIZIONALE DI DIETE E ADDITIVI NELL'ALIMENTAZIONE DEL CANE
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Rovere, N.
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Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2022
34. Chestnut extracts decrease the in-vitro digestibility and polyphenol bioavailability of soy-based nutrients but protect the epithelial barrier function of pig jejunum segments after digestion
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Tretola, M., Silacci, P., Sousa, R., Colombo, F., Panseri, S., Ottoboni, M., Pinotti, L., and Bee, G.
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Ussing chamber ,pig ,hydrolysable tannins ,polyphenols ,intestinal integrity ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2022
35. FRESH AND DEHYDRATED SULLA FORAGE IN DAIRY EWES FEEDING: EFFECTS ON FEED UTILIZATION, OXIDATIVE STATUS AND PROPERTIES OF MILK AND CHEESE
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PONTE, Marialetizia, BONANNO, Adriana, and BAGARELLO, Vincenzo
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polyphenol ,Settore AGR/19 - Zootecnica Speciale ,dehydrated sulla forage ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione E Alimentazione Animale ,fatty acid ,condensed tannin ,healt properties ,dairy ewe - Published
- 2022
36. Role of enniatins as emerging mycotoxins and their association with deoxynivalenol in plant, insect, animal and human systems
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Pasquali, M., Saracchi, M., Agazzi, A., Ederli, L., Bellezza, I., Romani, R., Beccari, G., and Covarelli, L.
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Settore AGR/12 - Patologia Vegetale ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale - Published
- 2022
37. An Eight-Year Survey on Aflatoxin B1 Indicates High Feed Safety in Animal Feed and Forages in Northern Italy
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Luca Ferrari, Francesca Fumagalli, Nicoletta Rizzi, Elisa Grandi, Serena Vailati, Michele Manoni, Matteo Ottoboni, Federica Cheli, and Luciano Pinotti
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Aflatoxin B1 ,Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis ,Food Contamination ,Mycotoxins ,Toxicology ,maize ,AFB1 ,Animal Feed ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,aflatoxins ,mycotoxins ,animal feed ,monitoring program ,Aflatoxins ,Animals - Abstract
Aflatoxins (AFs) remain the main concern for the agricultural and dairy industries due to their effects on the performances and quality of livestock production. Aflatoxins are always unavoidable and should be monitored. The objective of this paper is to bring to light a significant volume of data on AF contamination in several animal feed ingredients in Northern Italy. The Regional Breeders Association of Lombardy has been conducting a survey program to monitor mycotoxin contamination in animal feeds, and in this paper, we present data relating to AFB1 contamination. In most cases (95%), the concentrations were low enough to ensure compliance with the European Union’s (EU’s) maximum admitted levels for animal feed ingredients. However, the data show a high variability in AF contamination between different matrices and, within the same matrix, a high variability year over year. High levels of AFs were detected in maize and cotton, especially in the central part of the second decade of this century, i.e., 2015–2018, which has shown a higher risk of AF contamination in feed materials in Northern Italy. Variability due to climate change and the international commodity market affect future prospects to predict the presence of AFs. Supplier monitoring and control and reduced buying of contaminated raw materials, as well as performing analyses of each batch, help reduce AF spread.
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- 2022
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38. Effect of a peat-based feed additive and sow parity on the performance of suckling piglets: a case study
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This study was conducted to evaluate the benefit of a peat-based additive in reducing the neonatal diarrhoea of piglets, according to sow's parity. From five consecutive batches, a total of 100 Large White x Landrace sows [50 primiparous (PR) and 50 multiparous (ML)] were randomly allocated to the control (CTR) or treated (TRT) group. The peat additive was provided to TRT piglets from the day of birth to day 7 of life (6 g/day/head). Overall, PR group resulted in lower piglets performance with higher enteric disease incidence compared with ML group. Compared with ML, PR sows had lower BCS at weaning (P < .001), fewer total piglets born, lower average piglet weaning weight (P < .01) and higher incidence of deaths due to enteric disease (P < .05). Regardless parity, TRT group showed a fewer number of litters affected by enteric disease (P < .05). No significant interaction between sow parity and treatment was observed.
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- 2022
39. Occurrence of Polyphenols, Isoflavonoids, and Their Metabolites in Milk Samples from Different Cow Feeding Regimens
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In this work, milk samples collected in a cohort of intensive dairy farms of the Po Valley (Italy) were screened for their (poly)-phenolic profile to check the occurrence of phenolic metabolites of biological interest. The selected dairy farms were previously classified on the basis of their cow feeding system, considering the utilization of corn silage as the main ingredient of the rations. Overall, ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry using an Orbitrap analyzer, followed by unsupervised and supervised statistics, allowed identifying clear different phenolic distributions in the milk samples. Accordingly, a great variability in the phenolic profiles of the different milk samples was observed, with two main phenolic clusters outlined by the unsupervised hierarchical clustering approach and not fully correlated to the nutritional strategy considered. The variables’ importance in the projection approach allowed selecting the most important metabolites, resulting in samples’ discrimination. Among the most discriminative compounds, we found phenolic metabolites (such as hippuric acid and 4-hydroxyhippuric acid), followed by lignans (such as enterolactone) and isoflavonoids (such as equol and O-desmethylangolensin). Taken together, our findings suggested that both the feeding systems and the ability of dairy cows to process parent phenolic compounds were the main factors providing the final (poly)-phenolic profile of the milk samples. Future targeted and ad hoc studies appear of great interest to evaluate the potential biological effects of these compounds on cow health
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- 2022
40. Effects of bacterial inoculants on the microbial community, mycotoxin contamination, and aerobic stability of corn silage infected in the field by toxigenic fungi
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This study aimed to evaluate the effects of inoculants on the microbial community and mycotoxins contamination of corn silage during aerobic exposure. Whole-crop corn infected with or without mycotoxigenic fungi were ensiled with Lentilactobacillus buchneri (LB, 1.0 × 106 cfu/g fresh weight (FW)), Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP, 1.0 × 106 cfu/g FW), or LBLP at 1.0 × 106 cfu/g FW each. The concentration of acetic acid (AcA) (P < 0.05) in LB and LBLP silages was higher than in control (C) and LP of non-fungal infection (NFI) silages. The fungal infection resulted in a larger increase of zearalenone (ZEN, P = 0.01), fumonisin B1 (FUB1, P = 0.02), and fumonisin B2 (FUB2, P = 0.02). The relative abundance (RA) of Issatchenkia in NFI was higher (P < 0.001) than FI silages, whereas the RA of Kazachstania (P < 0.001), Zygosaccharomyces (P = 0.047), and Candida (P = 0.025) in NFI were lower than these of FI silages. The aerobic stability was improved by the application of LB and LBLP as compared with the C of NFI silages. The LB and LBLP had the potential to improve aerobic stability and alleviate mycotoxins contamination of non-fungal infected corn silages. Graphical Abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]
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- 2022
41. Environmental impacts of cow’s milk in Northern Italy: Effects of farming performance
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A Life Cycle Assessment was conducted on 55 dairy farms located in Northern Italy to investigate the effect of dairy farming performance on the environmental impact of milk production. Feeds used in diet formulation were analyzed for nutrients contents by near-infrared reflectance technique, and the real composition was used to estimate methane emissions from enteric fermentation and manure handling. The functional unit was 1 kg of fat and protein corrected milk at the farm gate. The results were expressed according to the Product Environmental Footprint (PEF) method version 2.0 for 19 impact indicators through SimaPro® software v9.0.35. Five main data categories were considered: water used on the farm, off-farm feeds, energy resources, on-farm feeds, and bedding materials. Dairy farms were ranked into high-, mid-, and low-performing herds according to the average milk yield (>32.6; 25.4–32.6; <25.4 kg milk/cow/d; respectively). Statistical analysis between groups of herds was performed using JMP (JMP® Pro 15.2.0). The environmental impacts of indicators were lower (P < 0.05) in high-performing herds compared with low-performing herds and lower (P < 0.05) for climate change, climate change-biogenic, climate change-fossil, photochemical ozone formation human health (POCP), and eutrophication terrestrial when compared with mid-performing herds. Similar values among groups were observed for acidification, ionizing radiation human health, and ozone depletion potential indicators. The off-farm and on farm feeds categories had the highest share of value of impact indicators. The enteric fermentation and manure handling significantly contributed to greenhouse gas emissions, whereas particulate matter formation and POCP were mainly related to barn management. Results from this research could be helpful in the dairy sector through the completeness of the expected impact indicators evaluated by the PEF method.
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- 2022
42. Altitudinal Distribution Patterns of Phyllosphere Microbial Communities and Their Contribution to Silage Fermentation of Kobresia pygmaea Along the Elevation Gradient on the Tibetan Plateau
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The study aimed to reveal altitudinal distribution patterns of phyllosphere microbial communities and silage fermentation of Kobresia pygmaea along the elevation gradient on the Tibetan Plateau. The K. pygmaea was individually collected from 2,500, 3,000, 4,000, 4,500, and 5,000 m above sea level (a.s.l.) on the Tibetan Plateau and ensiled for 60 days, respectively. The phyllosphere bacterial diversity increased while fungal diversity decreased along the elevation gradient, and bacterial and fungal richness showed a unimodal distribution with peak abundance at 4,000 and 3,000 m a.s.l., respectively. After 60 days of ensiling, the bacterial and fungal community composition changed but did not exhibit clear altitudinal distribution patterns. All K. pygmaea underwent a weak fermentation indicated by pH above 5.0 and low ratio of lactic/acetic acid (LA/AA). The S5000 and S3000 showed the highest and lowest pH, respectively. Although Lactobacillus dominated S4000 after 60 days of ensiling, S4000 still exhibited poor fermentation quality as well as silages from the other four regions. The higher ammonia N concentrations in S3000 and S4000 than the other silages were consistent with the detectable butyric acid in S3000 and S4000. The silage fermentation of K. pygmaea collected from five regions exhibited poor fermentation quality, thereby inoculating lactic acid bacteria to K. pygmaea before ensiling is highly recommended to improve fermentation quality on the Tibetan Plateau.
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- 2022
43. A Preliminary Study to Classify Corn Silage for High or Low Mycotoxin Contamination by Using near Infrared Spectroscopy
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Mycotoxins should be monitored in order to properly evaluate corn silage safety quality. In the present study, corn silage samples (n = 115) were collected in a survey, characterized for concentrations of mycotoxins, and scanned by a NIR spectrometer. Random Forest classification models for NIR calibration were developed by applying different cut-offs to classify samples for concentration (i.e., mu g/kg dry matter) or count (i.e., n) of (i) total detectable mycotoxins; (ii) regulated and emerging Fusarium toxins; (iii) emerging Fusarium toxins; (iv) Fumonisins and their metabolites; and (v) Penicillium toxins. An over- and under-sampling re-balancing technique was applied and performed 100 times. The best predictive model for total sum and count (i.e., accuracy mean +/- standard deviation) was obtained by applying cut-offs of 10,000 mu g/kg DM (i.e., 96.0 +/- 2.7%) or 34 (i.e., 97.1 +/- 1.8%), respectively. Regulated and emerging Fusarium mycotoxins achieved accuracies slightly less than 90%. For the Penicillium mycotoxin contamination category, an accuracy of 95.1 +/- 2.8% was obtained by using a cut-off limit of 350 mu g/kg DM as a total sum or 98.6 +/- 1.3% for a cut-off limit of five as mycotoxin count. In conclusion, this work was a preliminary study to discriminate corn silage for high or low mycotoxin contamination by using NIR spectroscopy.
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- 2022
44. Milk metabolome reveals pyrimidine and its degradation products as the discriminant markers of different corn silage-based nutritional strategies
- Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 6 different feeding systems (based on corn silage as the main ingredient) on the chemical composition of milk and to highlight the potential of untargeted metabolomics to find discriminant marker compounds of different nutritional strategies. Interestingly, the multivariate statistical analysis discriminated milk samples mainly according to the high-moisture ear corn (HMC) included in the diet formulation. Overall, the most discriminant compounds, identified as a function of the HMC, belonged to AA (10 compounds), peptides (71 compounds), pyrimidines (38 compounds), purines (15 compounds), and pyridines (14 compounds). The discriminant milk metabolites were found to significantly explain the metabolic pathways of pyrimidines and vitamin B6. Interestingly, pathway analyses revealed that the inclusion of HMC in the diet formulation strongly affected the pyrimidine metabolism in milk, determining a significant up-accumulation of pyrimidine degradation products, such as 3-ureidopropionic acid, 3-ureidoisobutyric acid, and 3-aminoisobutyric acid. Also, some pyrimidine intermediates (such as l-aspartic acid, N-carbamoyl-l-aspartic acid, and orotic acid) were found to possess a high discrimination degree. Additionally, our findings suggested that the inclusion of alfalfa silage in the diet formulation was potentially correlated with the vitamin B6 metabolism in milk, being 4-pyridoxic acid (a pyridoxal phosphate degradation product) the most significant and up-accumulated compound. Taken together, the accumulation trends of different marker compounds revealed that both pyrimidine intermediates and degradation products are potential marker compounds of HMC-based diets, likely involving a complex metabolism of microbial nitrogen based on total splanchnic fluxes from the rumen to mammary gland in dairy cows. Also, our findings highlight the potential of untargeted metabolomics in both foodomics and foodomics-based studie
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- 2022
45. Dairy Sheep Grazing Management and Pasture Botanical Composition Affect Milk Macro and Micro Components: A Methodological Approach to Assess the Main Managerial Factors at Farm Level
- Abstract
Simple Summary Studies on the management factors that affect milk components at the farm level are important for understanding how to transfer the results from experimental study. Plant phenological stages and partially fresh herbage intakes affect the lactose and milk fatty acid profile. The botanical composition of the grassland partially affects the milk's phenol content. A few small relationships between plant phenols and milk colour could be of interest to explain the changes in milk colour parameters. The fatty acid profile, vitamins A and E, cholesterol, antioxidant power colour and the phenols profile of Sarda sheep milk from 11 commercial sheep flocks managed under permanent grassland were investigated. In each farm, the structural and managerial data and milk samples were collected during four periods (sampling dates, SD): January, March, May, and July. Data from the milk composition (fat, protein, casein, lactose, and somatic cell count), 68 fatty acids, 7 phenols, 1 total gallocatechin equivalent, ferric reducing antioxidant power, vitamins A and E, cholesterol, degree of antioxidant protection, and the colour (b *, a * and L *) were analyzed by multivariate factorial analysis using a principal component analysis approach. A proc mixed model for repeated measurement to point out the studied factors affecting significant macro and micro milk composition was also used. Only the first five components were detailed in this paper, with approximately 70% of the explained variance detected. PC1 presented the highest positive loadings for milk lactose, de novo FA synthesis and the BH intermediate, whereas OBCFA had negative loadings values. The PC2, LCFA, UFA, MUFA, vitamins E, and DAP showed positive loadings values, while SFA had a negative value. The PC3 showed a high positive loading for total phenols and non-flavonoids. PC4 presented a high positive loading for the milk macro-composition and negative values for n-3 FAs. The PC5 is characterized by high posi
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- 2022
46. Adverse Effects of Fusarium Toxins in Ruminants: A Review of In Vivo and In Vitro Studies
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With an increased knowledge of the mechanism of action of Fusarium mycotoxins, the concept that these substances are deleterious only for monogastric species is obsolete. Indeed, most mycotoxins can be converted into less toxic compounds by the rumen microflora from healthy animals. However, mycotoxin absorption and its conversion to more toxic metabolites, as well as their impact on the immune response and subsequently animal welfare, reproductive function, and milk quality during chronic exposure should not be neglected. Among the Fusarium mycotoxins, the most studied are deoxynivalenol (DON), zearalenone (ZEN), and fumonisins from the B class (FBs). It is remarkable that there is a paucity of in vivo research, with a low number of studies on nutrient digestibility and rumen function. Most of the in vitro studies are related to the reproductive function or are restricted to rumen incubation. When evaluating the production performance, milk yield is used as an evaluated parameter, but its quality for cheese production is often overlooked. In the present review, we summarize the most recent findings regarding the adverse effects of these mycotoxins with special attention to dairy cattle.
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- 2022
47. Carbon footprint of raw milk for direct human consumption produced in Po Valley: Data input uncertainties and effect on output variance
- Abstract
A survey on 61 dairy farms in the Po Valley was carried out using an LCA approach to identify milk production's carbon footprint (CF) at the farm gate, with 1 kg of fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM) as a functional unit. Data were collected and grouped into five main categories: feed purchase, in farm feed production, energy & resources, enteric fermentation, and livestock manure. The CF calculation was conducted according to IPCC guidelines 2006. Dairy herds were classified into three groups according to quartiles for the number of lactating dairy cows: small (< 87), medium (between 87 and 270), and large herds (> 270). The overall CF was 1.19 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM, and the major contribution was from enteric fermentation (43.3%), feed purchase (29.1%), and manure handling (14.6%). Small farms have shown a higher CF (1.35 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM) than medium and large herds (1.13 kg CO2-eq kg−1 FPCM, on average). A Monte Carlo simulation analysis showed a high contribution to the variance of CF due to feed purchase, mainly from proteic extra EU and cereals. Results could help plan mitigation initiatives in less performing herds.
- Published
- 2022
48. Effects of several commercial or pure lactic acid bacteria inoculants on fermentation and mycotoxin levels in high-moisture corn silage
- Abstract
Effects of 3 commercial lactic acid bacteria (LAB) inoculants and 6 single strains of LAB on fermentation and levels of aflatoxins and other mycotoxins in high-moisture corn (HMC) silage were examined. Corn plants were inoculated with Aspergillus flavus at silk emergence and wet corn kernels were harvested at black layer stage (dry matter [DM]: 704 ± 5.0 g/kg). Samples were ground and ensiled directly (control group, CTR) or after treatment with one of the 9 LAB inoculants. The commercial inoculants contained Lentilactobacillus (Lent.) buchneri LB1819 and Lactococcus lactis O224 (SiloSolve FC; Chr. Hansen A/S, Hørsholm, Denmark), applied at a final dose of 250,000 CFU/g or 1,250,000 CFU/g (SiloSolve FC1x and SiloSolve FC5x, respectively); and Lent. buchneri and Lactiplantibacillus (Lac.) plantarum (Pioneer brand 11B91, Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Des Moines, USA) applied at a final dose of 250,000 CFU/g. One pure strain of Levilactobacillus (Lev.) brevis DSMZ 20054, two pure strains of Lac. plantarum (LP ATCC 8014 and LP PB) and three of Lacticaseibacillus (La.) rhamnosus (LR ATCC 7469, LR LR7 and LR RI) were also applied at a final expected dose of 250,000 CFU/g. Wet corn kernels were ensiled in 20 L mini-silos, compacted to a density of 389 kg DM/m3, and stored at room temperature. Conditions before ensiling were pH 5.87 ± 0.169, and (log10 CFU/g) of 7.68 ± 0.473 for LAB, 5.71 ± 0.121 for molds and 6.81 ± 0.341 for yeasts. The mini-silos were opened after 30 or 120 days. From day 30–120 days, levels of acetic acid, propionic acid and 1,2 propanediol increased (P < 0.05) in the SiloSolve FC1x, SiloSolveFC5x and Pioneer 11B91, and in LR LR7 groups. During this time, butyric acid level increased 5-fold in CTR; by two to three-fold in pure strains groups; and only slightly in the three commercial inoculants and the LR LR7 (P < 0.05). Aerobic stability increased (P < 0.05) with storage time from 32 to 97 h, and the commercial inoculants and LR LR7 groups ha
- Published
- 2022
49. An observational study to verify the influence of different nutritional corn silage-based strategies on efficient use of dietary nutrients, faecal fermentation profile, and profitability in a cohort of intensive dairy farms
- Abstract
Sixty-six dairy farms (as average, 167.0 ± 106.5 milking cows and milk yield of 31.4 ± 5.1) were visited to identify different nutritional approaches adopted in dairy cows diet formulation. Forage, TMR, faecal, and milk samples from lactating herds were collected and diet composition, in vitro methane production, in vivo nutrient digestibility, faecal fermentation profile and milk yield and milk quality were characterised. A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied and six nutritional approaches in diet formulation corresponding with six different clusters (CL) were identified. The CL discriminated the farm feeding choices in the following nutritional strategies, based on high use of: (i) high moisture corn (HMC) and legume silage, (ii) compound feed, (iii) corn and soy meals, (iv) HMC and soy meal, (v) corn meal and protein compound feeds, or (vi) HMC and protein compound feed strategies, respectively for CL1 to CL6. The milk yield tended (p =.061) to differ among CL. The greatest (>1.60) feed efficiency was calculated for CL1 and 5, whereas the lowest (<1.45) for CL 2. The CL2 and 5 had the highest feed costs (i.e. 0.24 or 0.22 €/kg of milk, respectively). Interestingly, the high use of HMC or steam flaked corn resulted associated to higher farm performances. Particularly, HMC and legume silage (CL1), HCM and soy meal (CL4) and HCM and protein compound feed (CL6) nutritional strategies resulted more efficient and profitable, having the greatest feed efficiency, protein and starch degradability as well as income over feed costs. Differentiate carbohydrates in dairy cow diets seems highly convenient.HIGHLIGHTS Six different nutritional strategies were identified based on use of single ingredients and a great variability in both economic and feed efficiency was observed for dairy farms clustering into different groups The use of high moisture ear corn in substitution of corn meal increased dry matter intake, feed efficiency, milk yield and lactose co
- Published
- 2022
50. NUTRITION AND IMMUNITY: MOLECULAR APPROACHES
- Author
-
AVILA MORALES, G.D.L.A.
- Subjects
apoptosis ,pigs ,miRNAomics ,milk exosomes ,immunity ,citrus pectin ,conjugated linoleic acid ,Settore AGR/18 - Nutrizione e Alimentazione Animale ,cows ,chickens ,nutrition ,PUFA ,monocytes ,chemotaxis ,ROS production ,proteomics - Published
- 2022
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