Effects of diet on casein and fatty acid profiles of milk from goats differing in genotype for αS1-casein synthesis

This study investigated the interactions between nutrition and the genotype at αS1-CN loci (CSN1S1) in goats, evaluating the impact of fresh forage-based diets and an energy supplement on the casein and fatty acid (FA) profiles of milk from Girgentana goats. Twelve goats were selected for having the same genotype at the αS2-CN, β- CN, and κ-CN loci and differing in the CSN1S1 genotype: homozygous for strong alleles (AA) or heterozygous for strong and weak alleles (AF). Goats of each genotype were divided into three groups and, according to a 3 × 3 Latin square design, fed ad libitum three diets: sulla fresh forage (SFF), SFF plus 800 g/day of barley (SFB), and mixed hay plus 800 g/day of barley (MHB). The SFB diet led to higher-energy intake and milk yield. The energy-supplemented diets (SFB, MHB) reduced milk fat and urea and increased coagulation time. The fresh forage diets (SFF, SFB) increased dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) intake and milk β-CN. Diet had a more pronounced effect than CSN1S1 genotype on milk FA profile, which was healthier from goats fed the SFF diet, due to the higher content of rumenic acid, polyunsaturated, and omega-3 FAs. The AA milk had longer coagulation time and higher curd firmness, higher short- and medium-chain FAs (SMFA), and lower oleic acid than AF milk. Significant diet by genotype interactions indicated the higher milk yield of AA goats than AF goats with the higher-energy SFB diet and the lower synthesis of SMFA in AF than in AA goats with the SFF diet

Persistence of wild Streptococcus thermophilus strains on wooden vat and during the manufacture of a traditional Caciocavallo type cheese

The present work was undertaken to evaluate the influence of the wooden dairy plant equipment on the microbiological characteristics of curd to be transformed into Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese. Traditional raw milk productions were performed concomitantly with standard cheese making trials carried out in stainless steel vat inoculated with a commercial starter. Milk from two different farms (A and B) was separately processed. The wooden vat was found to be a reservoir of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), while unwanted (spoilage and/or pathogenic) microorganisms were not hosted or were present at very low levels. All microbial groups were numerically different in bulk milks, showing higher levels for the farm B. LAB, especially thermophilic cocci, dominated the whole cheese making process of all productions. Undesired microorganisms decreased in number or disappeared during transformation, particularly after curd stretching. LAB were isolated from the wooden vat surface and from all dairy samples, subjected to phenotypic and genetic characterization and identification. Streptococcus thermophilus was the species found at the highest concentration in all samples analyzed and it also dominated the microbial community of the wooden vat. Fourteen other LAB species belonging to six genera (Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus and Weissella) were also detected. All S. thermophilus isolates were genetically differentiated and a consortium of four strains persisted during the whole traditional production process. As confirmed by pH and the total acidity after the acidification step, indigenous S. thermophilus strains acted as a mixed starter culture

Tuning of dye optical properties by environmental effects: a QM/MM and experimental study

The present work is aimed to a deeper investigation of two recently synthesized heteroaromatic fluorophores by means of a computational multilayer approach, integrating quantum mechanics (QM) and molecular mechanics (MM). In particular, dispersion of the title dyes in a polymer matrix is studied in connection with potential applications as photoactive species in luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs). Molecular dynamics simulations, based on accurate QM-derived force fields, reveal increased stiffness of these organic dyes when going from CHCl3 solution to polymer matrix. QM/MM computations of UV spectra for snapshots extracted from MD simulations show that this different flexibility permits to explain the different spectral shapes obtained experimentally for the two different environments. Moreover, the general spectroscopic trends are well reproduced by static computations employing a polarizable continuum description of environmental effects

Toward the design of alkynylimidazole fluorophores: computational and experimental characterization of spectroscopic features in solution and in poly(methyl methacrylate)

The possibilities offered by organic fluorophores in the preparation of advanced plastic materials have been increased by designing novel alkynylimidazole dyes, featuring different push and pull groups. This new family of fluorescent dyes was synthesized by means of a one-pot sequential bromination–alkynylation of the heteroaromatic core, and their optical properties were investigated in tetrahydrofuran and in poly(methyl methacrylate). An efficient in silico pre-screening scheme was devised as consisting of a step-by-step procedure employing computational methodologies by simulation of electronic spectra within simple vertical energy and more sophisticated vibronic approaches. Such an approach was also extended to efficiently simulate one-photon absorption and emission spectra of the dyes in the polymer environment for their potential application in luminescent solar concentrators. Besides the specific applications of this novel material, the integration of computational and experimental techniques reported here provides an efficient protocol that can be applied to make a selection among similar dye candidates, which constitute the essential responsive part of those fluorescent plastic materials

Geophysical monitoring of Stromboli volcano: insight into recent volcanic activity

Stromboli is an open conduit strato-volcano of the Aeolian archipelago (Italy), characterized by typical Strom-bolian explosive activity, lasting for several centuries, and by the emission of huge amounts of gas. The normalactivity of Stromboli is characterized by some hundreds of moderate explosions per day. Major explosions, whichlaunch scoria up to hundreds of meters from the craters, lava flows and paroxysmal explosions, which producelarge ballistic blocks, sometimes take place. During the effusive eruption in 2002 - 2003, which caused a tsunamiwith waves of about 10 meters high along the coasts of the Island, the monitoring system was enhanced. In 2006INGV has added two Sacks-Evertson borehole volumetric dilatometers to the surveillance system, in order to mon-itor changes in the local strain field by measuring areal strain. Today we have a large amount of geophysical dataand observations that allow us to better understand how this volcano works. After a period of low explosive activitystarted in mid-2014, Stromboli has shown a more intense explosive activity in the last few months. During the re-cent phase of increased activity, the geophysical monitoring system detected four major explosions occurred on 26July, 23 October, 1 November and 1 December 2017, respectively. The current phase of reawakening of Strombolivolcano has led the Italian civil protection authorities to decree the "attention" alert level (yellow) on the Island.PublishedVienna, Austria1IT. Reti di monitoraggio e sorveglianz

ORGANIC SHEEP MILK PRODUCTION AND QUALITY BY USE OF LEGUME GRAINS AS DIETARY SUPPLEMENT

The aim of this study was to evaluate the sheep milk yield and quality as affecting by concentrate dietary supplements prepared on farm by mixing locally produced barley and legume grains, used as alternative to a commercial feed. A total of twelve milking ewes, averaging 92±9 days in milking and 56±6 kg of live weight, were housed in individual pens and divided homogeneously into four groups. Each group was fed ad libitum with a grass-legume hay and received, according to a 4x4 Latin square design with periods comprised of 21 days, one of the following isonitrogenous concentrates: 500 g chickpea and 300 g barley (CP); 450 g faba bean and 350 g barley (FB); 550 g pea and 250 g barley (PE); commercial feed mixture containing maize and soybean meal (CF). The ewes intake of concentrates based on legume grains was higher than that of commercial feed (702, 702, 678 vs. 587 g/d SS for CP, FB, PE and CF, respectively; P0.001). Comparing the different protein sources, the FB and PE increased milk yield in comparison with CP (710, 718 vs. 654 g/d for FB, PE and CP, respectively; P0.001), whereas CF gave intermediate milk level (677 g/d). FB and PE diets improved also the efficiency of dietary protein utilization for milk casein synthesis in comparison with the other diets (96, 99 vs. 89, 88 g casein/kg crude protein intake for FB, PE, CP and CF, respectively; P0.001). Being the same protein intake, these results from FB and PE seem to be attributable to their better amino acid composition, and also to their higher degradability favouring the balance between dietary energy and protein in the rumen for the microbial protein synthesis. Moreover, the diet induced variations in milk fatty acid (FA) profile, especially regarding some healthy polyunsaturated FA. Indeed, compared with FB and PE concentrates, CP increased, similarly to CF, milk contents in linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6 c9 c12) (2.24, 2.25 vs. 1.54, 1.42 % FA for CF, CP, FB and PE, respectively; P0.001), rumenic acid (CLA, C18:2 c9 t11) (0.63 vs. 0.32 vs. 0.25, 0.23 % FA for CF, CP, FB and PE, respectively; P0.001) and total unsaturated FA (24.87, 23.80 vs. 17.19, 16.81 % FA for CF, CP, FB and PE, respectively; P0.001), and improved the value of health promoting index (0.30, 0.28 vs. 0.17, 0.17 for CF, CP, FB and PE, respectively; P0.001). These results demonstrated how, in comparison with CF, the concentrates based on the legume grains were well palatable for the milking ewes and their use did not lead to a milk yield reduction or a worsening in milk composition and clotting ability

L’impiego alimentare di orzo germinato nella produzione di latte ovino biologico

Food use of barley sprouts in organic sheep milk production. Hydroponic forage, used when fresh forage is scarce, represents a good alternative feed for milking ruminants, also in organic farming systems, where it can reduce the forage/concentrate ratio. This study evaluated the effect of barley sprouts (BS) in the diet on nutrients utilization and milk production from organic ewes. Eighteen ewes were divided into 3 groups and fed with 3 diets. Animals was fed with hay ad libitum and supplemented by: 0.6 kg/d of concentrate and 4 kg/d of BS (B100); 0.9 kg/d of concentrate and 2 kg/d of BS (B50); 1.2 kg/d of concentrate (C). Supplied and residual feeds and milk yield were recorded and sampled. Data were processed by mixed model. BS resulted richer in protein and fiber than barley grains, while the NSC, and starch in particular, were reduced. DM intake of ewes increased as BS amount increased in the diet (4230 vs. 4013 vs. 3760 g/d DM in B100, B50 and C; P<0.001). Diet affected milk yield, which was higher in B100 than in other groups (1348 vs. 1253 and 1254 g/d in B100, B50 and C; P<0.01), whereas it did not influence the main components and the coagulation properties of milk. BS based diets, compared to control diet, contributed in reducing milk urea, increasing blood glycemia and improving BCS of ewes. However, these results need further investigations for evaluate the convenience of investment for producing hydroponic forage, especially if it could be compensated by the increase in milk yield

Effect of farming system and cheese making technology on quality traits and fatty acid profile of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese at different ripening time

The Caciocavallo Palermitano is a typical stretched curd cheese made from cow milk, mainly in the Western Sicily. The aim of this investigation was to verify the influence of farming system and cheese making process (traditional with wood tools and natural endemic flora vs. innovative with modern stainless steel tools and selected lactic bacteria) on qualitative characteristics, including fatty acid (FA) profile, of Caciocavallo Palermitano at different ripening time. Cheeses were obtained from bulk milk from two farms: one extensive rearing a local breed fed at pasture and one intensive rearing a specialized dairy breed fed mainly hay and concentrate. Milk and cheese properties and FA profile were greatly affected by farming system: feeding cows exclusively at pasture seemed to promote a more health cheese FA profile. Also the cheese making process significantly influenced the quality of cheese; indeed, traditional technology led to a production of cheese higher in fat and with a more cohesive and yellow paste. The results of this study highlight an influence of both farming system and cheese making technology on the quality characteristics and FA profile of Caciocavallo Palermitano cheese