Influence of seasonality on the comfort supplied by different materials used as cubicle flooring for dairy cows

The comfort provided by four different cubicle floorings was evaluated with a preference test in relation to winter and summer seasons. The test showed that polyethylene vinyl acetate and polypropylene vinyl acetate mats were preferred during winter, while solid manure and wood shavings assured more comfort than inorganic floorings during summer period. Results obtained suggest that the resting comfort of cubicle floorings may be evaluated also in relation to environmental microclimatic patterns

Characterization of the cellular damage induced by Aflatoxin B1 in sea bream (Sparus aurata Linnaeus, 1758) hepatocytes

Gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) is one of the most intensively farmed fish spe- cies in the Mediterranean, greatly studied for the relevant economic value, although its sensitivity to Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) has to be investigated, yet. The aim of this study was to perform an in vitro evalua- tion of cytotoxic potential of AFB1 on S. aurata hepatocytes in order to grade the range of AFB1 toxicity, and the boundary between acute and long-term toxicity. Primary monolayer cultures of hepatocytes from S. aurata juveniles were treated with a wide range of concentrations from 5x103 ng/ml to 2x10 2x10-5 ng/ml of AFB1 for a different period of exposure (24, 48, 72 hours). The cytotoxic activity was characterized by MTT reduction assay. After each exposition hepatocytes were examined for morphologic alterations and apoptosis induction. AFB1 exposure significantly reduced cell viability in a dose- and time-depend- ent manner. Dose-response curves obtained after 24, 48 and 72 hrs revealed that prolonged exposure times lead to a significant increase of the toxicpotencyofAFB toxic potency of AFB AFB1. Ourresultsdemonstratethat Our results demonstrate that S. aurata hepatocytes are highly sensitive to AFB1 exposure. Such scientific findings could provide new insights to investigate the real impact of aflatoxin on marine farmed fish

Carcass and meat quality of “Leccese” breed lambs suckling from ewes fed diets containing vegetable by-pass protein

It is considered necessary to supplement the majority of dietary proteins for the rearing of goats and sheep (Pulina et al., 1990; Robinson, 1987). In ruminants, 70 % of protein requirement is satisfied by cytoplasmic synthesised protein, while the remaining 30 % is provided by the regular diet. In juvenile animals, when the rumen is not completely developed (Donkin et al., 1987; Thaler et al., 1992), bacterial proteins are not sufficient to satisfy the protein requirements. Naturally available sheep diet is deficient in the proteins required and contributes to low efficiency in protein utilisation in these species (Corino et al., 1995; Rossi et al., 1991)..