Effects of castration and slaughter age on the fatty acid composition of ovine muscle and adipose tissue from two breeds

peer-reviewedFatty acids (g/100 g total fatty acids) in M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum (LTL) and total branched chain fatty acids (μg/g fat) in subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) of rams and castrates from Scottish Blackface (SB) or Texel × Scottish Blackface (T × SB) lambs, slaughtered at mean ages of 196, 242, 293, 344 or 385 days were determined. Lambs were fed pasture prior to a 36-day finishing period on a barley/maize-based concentrate ration. The intramuscular fat content (IMF; %) was higher (P < 0.001) in castrates than in rams and in SB compared to T × SB lambs (P < 0.001). The proportions of c9-C18:1 and total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) were higher (P < 0.001) in LTL of castrates than rams. The proportions of C18:2n-6 and total n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) were lower (P = 0.001) in LTL of castrates compared to rams related to differences in IMF content. The proportions of C14:0, C16:0, c9-C18:1 and total MUFA were higher (P < 0.05), while the proportions of C18:2n-6, C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3, total PUFA, n-6 and n-3 PUFA were lower (P < 0.05), in SB than in T × SB lambs, which was related to differences in IMF content. There was a higher (P < 0.001) proportion of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) c9,t11-C18:2 in LTL from SB compared to T × SB. The effects of slaughter age on the proportions of fatty acids in LTL did not show a clear trend. The concentration of 4-methylnonanoic acid was higher (P = 0.002) in SAT of rams than castrates, particularly in older lambs. Despite the differences in the muscle fatty acid composition due to gender, slaughter age or breed of lambs, the ratio of n-6/n-3 PUFA (≤3.11) was within the dietary recommendation of <4.0 for human health

Effect of castration and age at slaughter on sensory perception of lamb meat

peer-reviewedThis study assessed the effect of castration and slaughter age (196–385 days old) on sensory quality of lamb meat from two sheep breeds (Scottish Blackface, SB; Texel x Scottish Blackface, TxSB). Results obtained using a trained sensory panel showed small but statistically significant differences due to castration, with rams having higher scores for Intensity of Lamb Aroma, Animal Smell/Farm Smell, Woolly Aroma, Rancid Aroma, Manure/Faecal Aroma, Sweaty Aroma and Off-flavours. SB lamb had higher scores for Intensity of Lamb Aroma, Lamb Flavour, Lamb Aftertaste, Tenderness and Juiciness. Age effects on sensory attributes were not linear and significant age × gender interactions were observed. The number of samples considered “extreme” in undesirable flavour attributes was higher among rams and T × SB animals. The impact of the sensory differences on consumer acceptability of lamb remains to be established

Effect of finishing diet and duration on the sensory quality and volatile profile of lamb meat

peer-reviewedAnimal production factors can affect the sensory quality of lamb meat. The study investigated the effect of diet composition and duration of consumption on the proximate analysis, volatile profile and sensory quality of lamb meat. Ninety-nine male Texel × Scottish Blackface lambs were raised at pasture for 10 months before being assigned in groups of 11 to one of the following treatments: 100% Silage (S) for 36 (S36), 54 (S54) or 72 (S72) days; 50% Silage - 50% Concentrate (SC) for 36 (SC36), 54 (SC54) or 72 (SC72) days; 100% Concentrate (C) for 36 (C36) or 54 (C54) or 72 (C72) days. A trained sensory panel found Intensity of Lamb Aroma, Dry Aftertaste and Astringent Aftertaste to be higher in meat from lambs on the concentrate diet. Discriminant analysis showed that the volatile profile enabled discrimination of lamb based on dietary treatment but the volatile differences were insufficient to impact highly on sensory quality. Muscle from animals in the S54 group had higher Manure/Faecal Aroma and Woolly Aroma than the SC54 and C54 groups, possibly related to higher levels of indole and skatole. Further research is required to establish if these small differences would influence consumer acceptability.The financial support of the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (project 11/SF/310) and of the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programme (award 2013058) is gratefully acknowledged

Effect of forage to concentrate ratio and duration of feeding on growth and feed conversion efficiency of male lambs

peer-reviewedRations (dry matter basis) for spring born male lambs consisting of concentrates ad libitum (CON), 50:50 (50% concentrate:50% forage) and forage ad libitum (FORG) were evaluated across feeding periods of 3 durations (36 d, 54 d and 72 d). Lambs on CON diets were offered ad libitum access to concentrate along with 400g of fresh weight silage (daily), while 50:50 diets were offered 0.9 kg and 3.0 kg of concentrate and silage, respectively. Lambs on FORG were offered ad libitum access to 25.5% dry matter silage. These rations were fed to 99 spring born male Texel cross Scottish Blackface lambs which were assigned to a 3 × 3 factorial arrangement. Lambs were slaughtered following completion of their respective treatments. Lambs fed CON diets had greater ADG, FCE, and carcass weight (P < 0.001) and carcasses with greater conformation score (P < 0.001) than lambs fed 50:50 or FORG diets. Duration of feeding had no effect on production variables across all three concentrate inclusion levels. It was concluded that the inclusion of concentrates is needed to adequately finish lambs fed indoors. Feeding lamb’s 50:50 diets resulted in modest responses and may be a viable option for finishing lambs or to maintain growth in lambs when the cost of concentrate feed is high relative to the financial return on the lamb meat

Effect of breed and castration on production and carcass traits of male lambs following an intensive finishing period

peer-reviewedThe practice of crossbreeding using a terminal sire and the use of intact rather than castrated animals has the potential to increase the productivity of lambs produced from the hill sheep sector. The objective of this study was to compare the production and carcass characteristics of purebred Scottish Blackface (SB) and Texel cross Scottish Blackface (TXSB) ram and wether lambs fed on a concentrate diet and slaughtered at different ages. Two hundred spring born male lambs (average birth age ±SD 9.53 d) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two breeds SB (n=100) and TXSB (n=100)) and two sexes (wether: n=100 and ram: n=100)). Lambs were harvested following a 36 d ad libitum concentrate indoor finishing period. The study was carried out over five harvest batches between October and April. The mean ages of the lambs at harvest (n = 40, 20 TXSB and 20 SB lambs) in October, November, January, March and April were 196, 242, 293, 344 and 385 days, respectively The TXSB lambs were heavier at slaughter than SB lambs (P < 0.001) and ram lambs were heavier at slaughter than wether lambs (P < 0.01). Improved average daily gain (ADG) (P < 0.001), lower feed conversion ratio (FCR) (which was calculated by dividing total feed intake by total weight gain) (P < 0.001) and higher feed intake (P < 0.05) were recorded in TXSB lambs with consistency across the five harvest time points. Rams had greater ADG (P < 0.001) and FCR (P < 0.05) compared to wether lambs and no differences were observed between sexes for feed intake. The TXSB (P < 0.001) lambs had higher (P < 0.001) dressing percentages compared to SB while wether lambs had greater dressing percentages compared to rams. The TXSB lambs had heavier carcass weights (P < 0.001) with higher conformation grades (P < 0.001) and less fat cover (P < 0.001) than SB lambs while ram lambs had heavier (P < 0.001) carcasses than wether lambs. There was greater fat cover on the loin muscles of SB (P < 0.001) and wether (P < 0.001) lambs compared to TXSB and ram lambs, respectively. The results from this study suggest that TXSB lamb’s offer hill sheep farmers a potential strategy for improved lamb production efficiency, while ram lambs offer lamb finishers increased growth rates, higher FCR and produce a more desirable carcass than do wether lambs

Προτάσεις στρατηγικής προώθησης προορισμών μέσω της διερευνητικής ανάλυσης δρομικών αγώνων: μία προσέγγιση μικτής μεθόδου των παραγόντων που επηρεάζουν την εξομάλυνση της τουριστικής εποχικότητας

The purpose of the present study is to gain a clear understanding of the factors related to sport (running) events that could contribute to the extension of the tourist season, leaving a sustainable imprint on the destination. The fulfilment of this objective is a necessity both for the planning of the marketing strategy for tourist destinations by organizations in charge of this task and for the proper management of the tourist product by local authorities. Tourism seasonality is an issue of great importance in academic literature given that it is a phenomenon that affects the majority of tourism destinations. It is usually recognized as a problem or difficulty with negative economic and socio-cultural impacts during the non-peak season and negative environmental consequences during the peak season. The role of tourism in the Greek national and economic development is central; yet, the phenomenon of seasonality has slightly been approached. Although tourism seasonality will never be eliminated, various initiatives have been suggested by literature, one of which is utilizing events as a strategic approach to combat seasonality.The extensive literature review of the current thesis identified a research gap in the area of small-scale sport events and their role in seasonality mitigation; although events are a common strategy to mitigate seasonality, in-depth and longitudinal research is needed to investigate their characteristics. Based on these issues, the writer of this thesis took the opportunity to propose a model which would focus on the identification and empirical documentation of factors that influence seasonality mitigation and expansion of the tourist season through the organization of small-scale running events. In order to achieve this goal, the following methodological steps were implemented:-The application of a systematic survey of the area of tourism seasonality was provided and the different approaches regarding its smoothing strategies were presented. According to the gaps detected in the results returned, special attention was paid to small-scale sport events as a tool to combat seasonality. Also, the basic concepts of sustainability were analyzed. The absence of a reliable theoretical model that would describe the elements and the factors which may influence tourism seasonality mitigation within the successful organization of a small-scale sport event was acknowledged.-The perceptions of local professionals and running event organizers from all around Greece and some regions of Cyprus were analyzed; the findings drew attention to seasonality mitigation issues relating to road races. Emphasis was given on synergy with respect to sustainability in tourism. The outcomes of the qualitative research revealed five main themes (seasonality, road race, local professionals, synergy, sustainability) as the basis of the empirical research. A Delphi method approach was used to evaluate the results and ensure their reliability and validity.-The research problem was delimited and the basic research hypotheses were formulated; the dependent and independent variables of the proposed theoretical model were identified. -The quantitative research was based on the ‘road races and extension of the tourist season’ questionnaire which was distributed to the local authorities (332 Greek municipalities). The validity of the hypotheses was examined through the widely accepted PLS-SEM analysis; out of the 23 general hypotheses, 12 were finally accepted. -A set of conclusions and management proposals resulting from the research effort were formulatedAs a conclusion, the tourism seasonality phenomenon is experienced in almost all countries and destinations in the world. Since sport tourism industry has demonstrated its strength by maintaining a steady growth rate and by increasing its popularity among travelers over the past decades, despite the recent health crisis, it is becoming increasingly important to introduce special events during off-season in order to cover the gap. This thesis has demonstrated that it is possible to understand the constructs that relate to a running event during low-season and the importance of identifying the attributes that influence the organization process of a sport event. There are currently no seasonality and small-scale events research publications and only a limited number of some journals have published issues that combine seasonality and (primarily) large events-related articles. This study has identified the need for future research that extends beyond the needs of the sports tourism industry. This thesis has contributed to the theoretical basis for such research and has provided new tools and methods to support this endeavor. Hopefully, the present thesis will facilitate the continuing study of seasonality phenomenon on both a global and regional level, and will thus, contribute to shaping the future of the event tourism industry.Σκοπός της παρούσας μελέτης είναι να αποκτηθεί μια σαφής κατανόηση των παραγόντων εκείνων που σχετίζονται με αθλητικές εκδηλώσεις (και συγκεκριμένα δρομικούς αγώνες) που θα μπορούσαν να συμβάλουν στην επιμήκυνση της τουριστικής περιόδου, αφήνοντας ένα βιώσιμο αποτύπωμα στον προορισμό. Η εκπλήρωση αυτού του στόχου αποτελεί αναγκαιότητα τόσο για τον σχεδιασμό της κατάλληλης στρατηγικής μάρκετινγκ των τουριστικών προορισμών από φορείς που είναι επιφορτισμένοι με αυτό το έργο όσο και για τη σωστή διαχείριση του τουριστικού προϊόντος από τις τοπικές αρχές.Η εποχικότητα του τουρισμού αποτελεί ένα ζήτημα μείζονος σημασίας στην ακαδημαϊκή βιβλιογραφία δεδομένου ότι είναι ένα φαινόμενο που επηρεάζει την πλειοψηφία των τουριστικών προορισμών. Συνήθως αναγνωρίζεται ως πρόβλημα ή δυσκολία με αρνητικές οικονομικές και κοινωνικο-πολιτιστικές επιπτώσεις κατά τη διάρκεια της περιόδου χαμηλής τουριστικής έλευσης και με αρνητικές περιβαλλοντικές συνέπειες κατά την περίοδο αιχμής. Ο ρόλος του τουρισμού στην ελληνική οικονομική ανάπτυξη είναι κεντρικός. Ωστόσο, το φαινόμενο της εποχικότητας έχει ελάχιστα προσεγγιστεί. Αν και η εποχικότητα του τουρισμού δεν θα εξαλειφθεί ποτέ, η βιβλιογραφία έχει προτείνει διάφορες πολιτικές αντιμετώπισης, μία εκ των οποίων είναι η διοργάνωση εκδηλώσεων ως στρατηγική προσέγγιση για την καταπολέμηση της εποχικότητας.Η εκτενής βιβλιογραφική ανασκόπηση της παρούσας διατριβής εντόπισε ένα ερευνητικό κενό στον τομέα των αθλητικών εκδηλώσεων μικρής κλίμακας και τον ρόλο τους στον μετριασμό της εποχικότητας. Αν και η διοργάνωση εκδηλώσεων αποτελεί μια κοινή στρατηγική για τον μετριασμό της εποχικότητας, εντούτοις απαιτείται εις βάθος και διαχρονική μελέτη για τη διερεύνηση των χαρακτηριστικών των εκδηλώσεων αυτών. Με βάση τα προαναφερθέντα, η συγγραφέας αυτής της διατριβής βρήκε την ευκαιρία να προτείνει ένα μοντέλο που θα επικεντρωνόταν στον εντοπισμό και την εμπειρική τεκμηρίωση των παραγόντων εκείνων που επηρεάζουν την εξομάλυνση της εποχικότητας και την επέκταση της τουριστικής περιόδου μέσω της οργάνωσης δρομικών αγώνων μικρής κλίμακας.Για την επίτευξη αυτού του στόχου ακολουθήθηκαν τα εξής μεθοδολογικά βήματα:- Εφαρμόστηκε συστηματική βιβλιογραφική επισκόπηση της τουριστικής εποχικότητας και παρουσιάστηκαν οι διαφορετικές προσεγγίσεις που αφορούν τις στρατηγικές εξομάλυνσής της. Σύμφωνα με τα κενά που εντοπίστηκαν στα αποτελέσματα της επισκόπησης αυτής, δόθηκε ιδιαίτερη προσοχή στα αθλητικά γεγονότα μικρής κλίμακας ως εργαλείο για την καταπολέμηση της εποχικότητας. Επίσης, αναλύθηκαν οι βασικές έννοιες της βιωσιμότητας. Αναγνωρίστηκε η απουσία ενός αξιόπιστου θεωρητικού μοντέλου που θα περιγράφει τα στοιχεία και τους παράγοντες που ενδέχεται να επηρεάσουν την εξομάλυνση της τουριστικής εποχικότητας στα πλαίσια μίας επιτυχούς διοργάνωσης αθλητικής εκδήλωσης μικρής κλίμακας.- Αναλύθηκαν οι αντιλήψεις των τοπικών επαγγελματιών του τουρισμού και των διοργανωτών δρομικών αγώνων ανά την Ελλάδα και από ορισμένες περιοχές της Κύπρου. Τα ευρήματα επέστησαν την προσοχή σε ζητήματα εξομάλυνσης της εποχικότητας που σχετίζονται με αγώνες δρόμου. Έμφαση δόθηκε στη μεταβλητή συνέργεια σε σχέση με τη βιωσιμότητα στον τουρισμό. Τα αποτελέσματα της ποιοτικής έρευνας αποκάλυψαν πέντε βασικά θέματα (εποχικότητα, αγώνας δρόμου, τοπικοί επαγγελματίες, συνέργεια, βιωσιμότητα) ως βάση της εμπειρικής έρευνας. Χρησιμοποιήθηκε η προσέγγιση της μεθόδου των Δελφών για την αξιολόγηση των αποτελεσμάτων και τη διασφάλιση της αξιοπιστίας και εγκυρότητάς τους.- Οριοθετήθηκε το ερευνητικό πρόβλημα και διατυπώθηκαν οι βασικές ερευνητικές υποθέσεις. Εντοπίστηκαν οι εξαρτημένες και οι ανεξάρτητες μεταβλητές του προτεινόμενου θεωρητικού μοντέλου.- Η ποσοτική έρευνα βασίστηκε στο ερωτηματολόγιο «Δρομικοί Αγώνες και Επιμήκυνση της Τουριστικής Περιόδου» το οποίο διανεμήθηκε στους τοπικούς φορείς (332 Ελληνικούς δήμους). Η εγκυρότητα των υποθέσεων εξετάστηκε μέσω της ευρέως αποδεκτής ανάλυσης PLS-SEM. Από τις 23 γενικές υποθέσεις, οι 12 έγιναν τελικά αποδεκτές.- Διατυπώθηκε ένα σύνολο συμπερασμάτων και προτάσεων διαχείρισης που προέκυψαν από την ερευνητική προσπάθεια.Συμπερασματικά, το φαινόμενο της τουριστικής εποχικότητας εκδηλώνεται σχεδόν σε όλες τις χώρες και τους προορισμούς παγκοσμίως. Δεδομένου ότι η βιομηχανία αθλητικού τουρισμού έχει επιδείξει τη δυναμική της διατηρώντας ένα σταθερό ρυθμό ανάπτυξης και αυξάνοντας τη δημοτικότητά της μεταξύ των ταξιδιωτών τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες, παρά την πρόσφατη πανδημία, καθίσταται ολοένα και πιο σημαντική η εισαγωγή ειδικών εκδηλώσεων κατά τη διάρκεια εκτός σεζόν, προκειμένου να καλυφθούν το κενό που επιφέρει η εποχικότητα.Αυτή η διατριβή έδειξε ότι είναι δυνατό να κατανοηθούν οι έννοιες που σχετίζονται με ένα δρομικό αγώνα κατά τη διάρκεια της περιόδου χαμηλής τουριστικής έλευσης και ότι είναι σημαντικός ο εντοπισμός των χαρακτηριστικών που επηρεάζουν τη διαδικασία οργάνωσης ενός αθλητικού γεγονότος. Επί του παρόντος δεν υπάρχουν δημοσιεύσεις που να σχετίζονται με την τουριστική εποχικότητα και τις εκδηλώσεις μικρής κλίμακας και μόνο ένας περιορισμένος αριθμός περιοδικών έχουν δημοσιεύσει άρθρα που συνδυάζουν την εποχικότητα και τις μεγάλες εκδηλώσεις.Επιπλέον, αυτή η μελέτη έχει εντοπίσει την ανάγκη για μελλοντική έρευνα που θα εκτείνεται πέρα από τις ανάγκες της βιομηχανίας αθλητικού τουρισμού. Η παρούσα διατριβή παρείχε τις θεωρητικές βάσεις για μια τέτοια έρευνα και προσέφερε νέα εργαλεία και μεθόδους για την υποστήριξη αυτής της προσπάθειας. Ας ελπίσουμε ότι η παρούσα θα διευκολύνει τη συνεχή μελέτη του φαινομένου της εποχικότητας τόσο σε παγκόσμιο όσο και σε περιφερειακό επίπεδο και, ως εκ τούτου, θα συμβάλει στη διαμόρφωση του μέλλοντος της βιομηχανίας του τουρισμού εκδηλώσεων

Exploring professionals' perceptions of tourism seasonality and sports events: a qualitative study of Kissavos marathon race

Local tourism professionals entail those who strongly face the personal and financial difficulties of tourism seasonality. The main purpose of this paper is to examine the local tourism professionals' perceptions of a small-scale sports event, which is held in the off-season. Through the study of Kissavos Mountain Race - a small-scale running event that is held annually in the region of Agia Larissa - the contribution of such an event to seasonality mitigation is investigated. Accordingly, this study aims to describe how the local professionals of this mountainous village understand and interpret the relations between sustainable small-scale sports events and seasonality aspects. An exploratory study was designed to address the local professionals’ opinions regarding the effectiveness of the running event in mitigating seasonality as well as their willingness to support similar actions. Through a literature review on seasonality tourism, sustainability, and minor events, a semi-structured interview guide was created and twenty-five local tourism professionals were interviewed. Subsequently, data that reflect their perceptions of events and seasonality were collected. Based on the analysis of the replies, the respondents believe that the sports event impacts seasonality mitigation but only in conjunction with other actions. Most of them also converge on a strategy that would not only include the needs of visitors but also the authorities’ ongoing support of their businesses. On this basis, it is recommended that local and regional tourism managers use a variety of combination tools to smooth out seasonality. From a practical viewpoint, this study draws attention to the perspectives of local professionals and allows tourism policymakers to understand the market’s characteristics and needs. As it would be interesting to apply this investigation in different seasons for different areas, this study ultimately contributes to the tourism field by examining the contribution of a small-scale event to seasonality mitigation via a local stakeholder approach

Effect of Alternative Protein Feeds on the Content of Selected Endogenous Bioactive and Flavour-Related Compounds in Chicken Breast Meat

: Currently, soybean meal constitutes the main protein source for poultry production. However, the environmental and social issues related to soybean production are calling for more sustainable protein sources that can offset soybean requirements in animal production. Hermetia illucens larvae and the microalga spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) have proven to be effective alternatives to soybean meal for poultry production. In this study, the effect of 100% replacement of soy with partially defatted Hermetia illucens larvae and spirulina on the contents of selected endogenous bioactive (anserine, creatine and carnosine) and flavour-related (inosine and inosine-5´-monophosphate, IMP) compounds in chicken breast meat was evaluated. The results showed that the spirulina-based diet lowered the levels of anserine, carnosine and creatine compared to the control diet (3.3 vs. 4.1 mg/g, 0.15 vs. 0.72 mg/g and 1.49 vs. 2.49 mg/g, respectively) while IMP levels tended to be higher in spirulina-fed samples. Compared to the control group, Hermetia illucens-fed samples showed a lower content of bioactive peptides (anserine: 3.6 vs. 4.1 mg/g; carnosine: 0.39 vs. 0.72 mg/g; creatine: 2.03 vs. 2.49 mg/g), albeit to a lesser extent than the spirulina treatment group

The Effect of Algae or Insect Supplementation as Alternative Protein Sources on the Volatile Profile of Chicken Meat

: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in the volatile profile of meat from chickens fed with alternative protein diets (such as algae or insect) through two different trials. In Trial 1, broiler chicken at one day of age were randomly allocated to three experimental groups: a basal control diet (C) and two groups in which the soybean meal was replaced at 75% (in the starter phase) and 50% (in the grower phase) with partially defatted Hermetia illucens (HI) larvae or Arthrospira platensis (SP). In Trial 2, broiler chickens were housed and reared similar to Trial 1, with the exception that the experimental diets replaced soybean meal with either 100% partially defatted HI or 100% SP. In both trials, chickens were slaughtered at day 35. Per group, 10 chickens were submitted to volatile analysis by using solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Results in both trials showed that levels of several lipid-derived compounds were found to be lower in chickens fed an HI diet, which could be linked to a possibly lower level of polyunsaturated fatty acid content in HI-fed chicken. In addition, the dietary treatments could be discriminated based on the volatile profile, i.e., the substitution of soy with HI or SP distinctively affected the levels of flavor compounds