Influence of milking number and frequency on milk production in Martina Franca breed asses

Two experiments were carried out in Martina Franca asses in order to study milk yield and udder healthy conditions in relation to daily milking number and frequency. Experiment I - A total of 15 asses were subdivided into three groups (N.5) corresponding to: one milking per day, after a 3 hour interval from foal separation by dams (Group A); three milkings per day with 3 hour frequency (Group B); three milkings per day with 2 hour frequency (Group 3M). Experiment II - Evaluation was made of the effect of a schedule of 6 milkings per day with frequency of 2 hours on milk yield (Group 6M; N. 5), compared to Group 3M). Healthy udder conditions in relation to the number of milking per day was monitored in 3M) and 6M) Groups, by somatic cell count. Average yield per milking was highest (P<0.01) following 3 rather 1 milkings per day and with milking frequency of 3 hours rather than 2 hours (P<0.01). A schedule of six milkings per day did not improve mean milk yield and determined an increase in somatic cell count compared to 3 daily milkings regimen (63.2 vs 17.5 x 1000/mL; P<0.05)

Post-thaw survival and acrosome integrity of spermatozoa of Leccese rams frozen in different seasons with a milk-egg yolk extender

The influence of the period of semen collection on post-thawing survival, motility and acrosome integrity of spermatozoain Leccese rams was studied throughout an entire year. The year was divided into the seasons: winter and spring (firstsemester) and summer and autumn (second semester). Semen from 5 adult rams was collected every two weeks by artificialvagina and frozen according to a freezing system based on milk-lactose egg yolk to constitute semen doses of 400x 106 spermatozoa. At thawing, survival and acrosomal status of cells were assessed and the motility of the sperm andtheir kinetic rating (scale 0 to 5 score) were determined at thawing (0 h), and after 1 and 3 h incubation (37° C).Semen collected during the first semester (winter – spring) of the year showed the highest (P<0.01) proportion of postthawlive spermatozoa, with the maximum value in winter (P<0.01), and the best acrosomal status of spermatozoa, consideredas both total proportion of spermatozoa with acrosome break down and spermatozoa without acrosomes.Acrosome integrity was positively correlated (r = 0.32; P<0.01) with post-thaw sperm viability.Motility of spermatozoa at thawing was not influenced by the period of semen collection. However, after 3 h incubationsperm motility was higher (P<0.01) during the first semester of the year, without a difference between winter and spring.A marked individual ram effect was found on freezability of semen.The results provide evidence that the period of semen collection can influence freezability of spermatozoa in Lecceserams. The best characteristics of spermatozoa were observed during the first semester of the year, corresponding to thesexual hypoactivity season for this breed

Comparative characteristics of DNA polymorphisms of κ-casein gene (CSN3) in the horse and donkey

The aims of this study were to assess the genetic variability in the exon 1 of the κ-casein gene in four Italian horse populations (Italian Saddle horse, Italian Trotter, Italian Heavy Draught horse, and Murgese horse) and in a sample of Martina Franca donkey by estimating genotype, allele and haplotype frequencies, as well as several population genetic indices. Genotyping of the selected polymorphisms was performed using the PCR-RFLP technique with two restriction enzymes: PstI and BseYI aimed to discover the presence of c.-66A&gt;G and c.-36C&gt;A polymorphism, respectively. Both these loci were found to be polymorphic in horses with some differences depending on the breed. No genetic variability was observed in Martina Franca donkey breed. In the equine species no selective pressure for milk purpose was performed, therefore the polymorphisms at milk protein loci were mainly considered as result of natural selection or as indirect consequence of selection oriented to increase body size or to improve conformation. From this point of view these two single nucleotide polymorphisms and particularly the c.-36C&gt;A one could be useful instruments for population studies

Fatty acid composition of light lamb meat from Leccese and Comisana dairy breeds as affected by slaughter age

Forty lambs of two Italian dairy breeds were used to study the effects of slaughter age and breed on meat fatty acid composition. Lambs were subdivided into four groups (n. 10) according to a factorial scheme of two breeds (Leccese and Comisana). ×. two slaughter ages (45 and 60 days). The lambs were fed maternal milk supplemented with hay and concentrate from the 30th day to the slaughter. Leccese lambs at 45 days exhibited a FA profile more compatible to nutritional requirements for human health. They displayed a lower SFA proportion, a higher UFA/SFA and MUFA/SFA ratios than Comisana. The delay of slaughtering age at 60 days improved FA composition in Comisana lambs which had lower SFA content, AI and TI indexes and higher UFA/SFA and MUFA/SFA ratios and n-3 PUFA content than in Leccese. In both the breeds, the slaughter age at 60 days improved the CLA content

Fatty Acid Composition and Hedonic Ratings of Meat from Light Lambs of Leccese Breed in Relation to Slaughter Age

Twenty lambs from Leccese local breed were used to investigate the effect of two slaughter ages (45 vs 60 d) on fatty acid composition and hedonic ratings of meat. The lambs, born as singles in spring, were subdivided into two groups (n. 10) corresponding to the slaughter ages of 45 and 60 d. The animals received their mother's milk and a supplementation of hay and concentrate from 30 d to slaughter. The increase to 60 d of slaughter age resulted in higher proportion of lauric acid (C12:0; P<0.05), pentadecanoic acid (C15:0; P<0.01) and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; P<0.05), and lower proportion of stearic acid (C18:0; P<0.05) and linoleic acid (C20:3 n-6; P<0.05). Using a none-point hedonic scale, consumer test showed that meat from lambs slaughtered at 60 d received a higher hedonic scores (P < 0.01) as well as higher scores for tenderness (P < 0.05), flavour (P < 0.05), and juiciness (P < 0.001) than meat from lambs slaughtered at 45 d. These findings might be useful to characterise lamb meat of local origin in relation to its nutritional traits and market perspectives connected to consumer acceptability

Short communication: Determination of lactoferrin in Feta cheese whey with reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Abstract In the current paper, a method is introduced to determine lactoferrin in sweet whey using reversed-phase HPLC without any pretreatment of the samples or use of a separation technique. As a starting point, the most common HPLC protocols for acid whey, which included pretreatment of the whey along with a sodium dodecyl sulfate-PAGE step, were tested. By skipping the pretreatment and the separation steps while altering the gradient profile, different chromatographs were obtained that proved to be equally efficient to determine lactoferrin. For this novel 1-step reversed-phase HPLC method, repeatability was very high over a wide range of concentrations (1.88% intraday to 5.89% interday). The limit of detection was 35.46μg/mL [signal:noise ratio (S/N)=3], whereas the limit of quantification was 50.86μg/mL (S/N=10). Omitting the pretreatment step caused a degradation of the column's lifetime (to approximately 2,000 samples). As a result, the lactoferrin elution time changed, but neither the accuracy nor the separation ability of the method was significantly influenced. We observed that this degradation could be easily avoided or detained by centrifuging the samples to remove fat or by extensive cleaning of the column after every 5 samples

Exploring the Effect of Ultrafiltration/Diafiltration Processing Conditions on the Lactoferrin and Immunoglobulin G Content of Feta Whey Protein Concentrates

In this paper, the production of powder enriched in lactoferrin (Lf) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) from untreated feta cheese whey is studied. More specifically, the influence of transmembrane pressure (Δp) and temperature on flux and separation ability during ultrafiltration combined with continuous diafiltration is investigated. Two different types of membranes were used, a spiral polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) (molecular weight cut-off [MWCO 75 kDa) and a set of 18 cylindrical PVDF membranes (MWCO 100 kDa). For the production of the whey powder, two drying methods were compared: spray and freeze drying. All combinations lead to powder with high total protein content and with a notable content in these two bioactive proteins. However, cylindrical membranes (at a temperature of 20C and a transmembrane pressure of 4 bar) in combination with freeze drying resulted in the highest yield from whey into Lf and IgG and excellent sensory characteristics. Practical Applications Whey powder enriched in the multifunctional proteins lactoferrin and immunoglobulin G have very large potential both as nutrition additives and for pharmaceutical purposes. The systematic study of the parameters affecting all unit operations involved leads to the most efficient and cheapest production. In order to achieve this, the methodology was kept as simple and low cost as possible. This way, a strong tool could be created for the utilization of the cheese-making by-product whey, which still causes large environmental problems

MUSiC : a model-unspecific search for new physics in proton-proton collisions at root s=13TeV

Results of the Model Unspecific Search in CMS (MUSiC), using proton-proton collision data recorded at the LHC at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb(-1), are presented. The MUSiC analysis searches for anomalies that could be signatures of physics beyond the standard model. The analysis is based on the comparison of observed data with the standard model prediction, as determined from simulation, in several hundred final states and multiple kinematic distributions. Events containing at least one electron or muon are classified based on their final state topology, and an automated search algorithm surveys the observed data for deviations from the prediction. The sensitivity of the search is validated using multiple methods. No significant deviations from the predictions have been observed. For a wide range of final state topologies, agreement is found between the data and the standard model simulation. This analysis complements dedicated search analyses by significantly expanding the range of final states covered using a model independent approach with the largest data set to date to probe phase space regions beyond the reach of previous general searches.Peer reviewe

Search for new particles in events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum in proton-proton collisions at root s=13 TeV

A search is presented for new particles produced at the LHC in proton-proton collisions at root s = 13 TeV, using events with energetic jets and large missing transverse momentum. The analysis is based on a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 101 fb(-1), collected in 2017-2018 with the CMS detector. Machine learning techniques are used to define separate categories for events with narrow jets from initial-state radiation and events with large-radius jets consistent with a hadronic decay of a W or Z boson. A statistical combination is made with an earlier search based on a data sample of 36 fb(-1), collected in 2016. No significant excess of events is observed with respect to the standard model background expectation determined from control samples in data. The results are interpreted in terms of limits on the branching fraction of an invisible decay of the Higgs boson, as well as constraints on simplified models of dark matter, on first-generation scalar leptoquarks decaying to quarks and neutrinos, and on models with large extra dimensions. Several of the new limits, specifically for spin-1 dark matter mediators, pseudoscalar mediators, colored mediators, and leptoquarks, are the most restrictive to date.Peer reviewe