Phytoestrogens and fatty acids in forage and bovine milk

The overall aims of the studies underlying this thesis were to investigate effects of key factors on the concentrations and composition of phytoestrogens and fatty acids in forage species, and effects of differences in their concentrations and composition in forage on their concentrations in bovine milk. In each of the spring cuts, the total isoflavone concentrations in red clover were higher at Umeå than at Skara. At Umeå, the concentration decreased with later cutting time, but at Skara there were no differences between the cutting times. The most abundant isoflavone found in red clover were formononetin, followed by biochanin A. In the summer cuts, the total isoflavone concentration decreased with a longer regrowth interval at Umeå, but this variable was not affected at Skara. Concentrations of each of the analysed isoflavones were considerably higher in red clover than in birdsfoot trefoil. Secoisolariciresinol was only found in birdsfoot trefoil. Meadow fescue had in general higher concentrations fatty acids than timothy. The concentrations of all fatty acids in the grasses decreased with increasing lateness of cutting time in spring cuts. In general, concentrations of C18:0 and C18:1 were higher and concentrations of C16:0, C18:3 and total fatty acids lower in red clover than in birdsfoot trefoil. The concentration of almost all fatty acids decreased with later cutting time. There were correlations between leaf blade proportions, α-tocopherol, β-carotene and protein concentrations, and the fatty acid concentrations. Two similar silage feeding experiments were conducted in which dairy cows were fed silage mixtures. In both experiments, the concentrations of all isoflavones were higher and those of mammalian lignans lower in milk from cows on the red clover-grass diets than in milk from cows on the birdsfoot trefoil-grass or white clover-grass diets. However, the largest observed difference in milk phytoestrogen contents was in the equol concentration. For the fatty acids, the proportions in the milk and recoveries of C18:2n-6 and C18:3n-3 were higher on the red clover diets than on birdsfoot trefoil-grass or white clover-grass diets. Shortening the regrowth interval increased the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids in milk. Supplementation with α-tocopherol increased milk α-tocopherol concentrations but did not affect milk fatty acid composition

PhytoMilk: Effects of botanical composition and harvest system of legume/grass silage on fatty acid, α-tocopherol and β-carotene concentration in organic forage and milk

Red clover and high proportion of forage in dairy cow diet increases the concentration of bioactive substances in milk, e.g. unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants. In the present experiment twenty-four Swedish Red dairy cows were fed three silages in a Latin Square design to study the effect of silage botanical composition and harvest time on milk fatty acid, α-tocopherol and β-carotene concentration. The silages were red clover/grass silage (mixture of first and second cut), red clover/grass silage (mixture of first, second and third cut) and birdsfoot trefoil/grass silage (mixture of first and second cut). Botanical composition and harvest system affected silage vitamin and fatty acid concentration with higher concentrations of α-linolenic acid, α-tocopherol and β-carotene in red clover/grass silage (mixture of three harvests). Milk linoleic and α-linolenic acid concentration was higher with the two red clover diets but α-tocopherol, β-carotene and retinol concentration was not affected

Sustainable Mobility in an Ecological Economics Perspective - some problems with relating sustainable development to transport.

I artiklen diskuteres hvordan begrebet bæredygtig udvikling kan gøres operationelt i forhold til transport. Udgangspunktet tages i forskningsretningen økologisk økonomi, som har opstillet en række principper og kriterier for bæredygtighed. Det vises at transportudviklingen pt er i konflikt med de fleste af disse principper. Der er dog behov for at opstille mere konkrete kriterier og indikatorer. EU-Kommssionen har lanceret begrebet "bæredygtig mobilitet" som policy målsætning. Begrebet kritiseres for at være upræcist, blandt andet fordi det ikke hviler på nærmere overvejelser om sådanne principper, kriterier og indikatorer. Begrebet synes også at tage mobilitet og transportvækst som givet

PhytoMilk: Effect of silage botanical composition and harvest system on organic milk composition

The effect of silage botanical composition and harvest system on organic milk composition was studied in a feeding trial. Twenty-four Swedish Red dairy cows in mid lactation were allocated randomly to three treatments in a 3×3 Latin square design with each period of three weeks. The treatments were birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.)/grass silage in two-cut system (B, 16 % birdsfoot trefoil), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.)/grass silage in two-cut system (R2, 42 % red clover) and red clover/grass silage in three-cut system (R3, 38 % red clover). Milk samples from the last week in each period were analyzed for fat and protein concentration. Milk yield was 28.7 ±1.0, 30.3 ±3.2 and 28.6 ±1.4 kg ECM day-1 (mean and SD) for treatment B, R2 and R3 respectively. Milk fat concentration was 5.00 ±0.38, 4.75 ±0.01 and 4.98 ±0.25 g 100 g-1 milk and milk protein concentration was 3.62 ±0.19, 3.54 ±0.08 and 3.57 ±0.09 g 100 g-1 milk for B, R2 and R3 respectively. Harvest system and botanical composition of silage does not seem to affect milk yield or composition

Fytoöstrogener i foder och mjölk – vad påverkar halterna?

Fytoöstrogener är ett samlingsnamn för östrogenliknande ämnen som finns i växter, t ex i baljväxter som klöver och lusern. Inom djurproduktionen beror intresset för fytoöstrogener på de effekter som de kan ha på t ex fertiliteten hos får. Det finns även en stor marknad för humana preparat, ofta baserade på rödklöver, som används som behandling under klimakteriet istället för syntetiska östrogentillskott. Fytoöstrogener delas in i olika grupper baserat på kemisk struktur. De största grupperna är isoflavoner, som finns i vallbaljväxter som rödklöver, och lignaner, som finns i både baljväxter och spannmål. Daidzein och formononetin är exempel på isoflavoner i vallväxter och de kan med hjälp av vommikrober metaboliseras till equol. Secoisolariciresinol och matairesinol är exempel på lignaner som på liknande sätt kan omvandlas till enterodiol och enterolakton i vommen

Security-first thinking and educational practices for young children in foster care in Sweden and England: A think piece

While the education of looked after children has attracted considerable policy attention in Europe and North America, and globally the early education of preschool aged children is the subject of substantial investment, the early education of young children in foster care is neglected in both research and policy. This paper is a cross-national think piece to stimulate research and debate about young children in foster care. We present findings from two studies, one in England and one in Sweden, exploring foster carers’ views and practices with young children. We argue that there is a perceived tension, in foster care policy and practice, between education and emotional wellbeing such that young children's attachment relationships and sense of security is privileged over their engagement in educational practices. Attachment relationships are a necessary but insufficient condition for optimal development of fostered children

Ryttarens rotation av bäcken och överliv vid ridning i trav

The aim of this study was to determine the basic movements of the riders' pelvis and upper body when riding in trot seated. The study was preformed at a treadmill with seven high level dressage horses and their riders. The movements of the horse and rider were captured with a motion analysis system (ProReflex®) and also recorded on video. The horses were ridden in collected trot, 3.0 m/s. An experienced dressage teacher evaluated the video recording of the horses and riders. The rotation of the saddles and riders are measured in three directions: rotation around the x-axis, (roll), rotation around the y-axis (pitch) and rotation around the z-axis (yaw). The pelvis of the rider is lowered on the left side during the stance phase of the left diagonal and on the right side on the stance phase of the right diagonal. The rotation of the upper body was asymmetric in the stance phase of the left diagonal for three of the riders. The saddles pitching movement is in accordance with the trunk of the horse. When the withers of the horse are at the lowest position, the saddle is most rotated forward. When the withers are at the highest position at midstance, the saddle is rotated backwards at the most. The pelvis of the rider is rotated backward at the beginning of the stance phase. It rotates forward until the second half of the stance phase and then backwards until the beginning of stance phase of the next diagonal. The upper body of the rider rotates backward during the first half of the stance phase and forward during the second phase and the swing phase. The rider and the saddle rotate to the left during the stance phase of the left diagonal and to the right during the stance phase of the right. The average score for the seat of the riders were 6 when they were evaluated by a dressage teacher. The asymmetries that were seen in the measurements could not be detected on video. The results indicate that the pitching of the rider is a passive movement with purpose to reduce the impact when the horse lands on the ground. Correlations were seen between the roll and yaw of the pelvis, when the pelvis was lowered on one side it was also drawn back on the same side. The evaluation of the video shows the importance of combining modern techniques with the skills of people with long experience of evaluation of riders and horses to get the best results of research.Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka grundläggande rörelser ryttarens bäcken och överliv gör vid ridning i trav vid nedsittning. Försöket utfördes på rullmatta med sju välutbildade dressyrhästar med respektive ryttare. Hästarnas och ryttarnas rörelser registrerades med ett rörelseanalyssystem (ProReflex®) och ekipagen videofilmades även. Hästarna reds i samlad trav, 3,0 m/s. En erfaren dressyrlärare utvärderade videoinspelningen av ekipagen. Rotationen av ryttarnas bäcken och överliv samt sadeln beräknades och vissa jämförelser med hästens rörelser gjordes. Rotationen mättes i tre riktningar: rotation runt x-axeln (roll), rotation runt y-axeln (pitch) och rotation runt z-axeln (yaw). Ryttarens bäcken sänks på vänster sida under vänster diagonals understöd och på höger sida under höger diagonal. Sadeln roterar runt y-axeln i takt med hästens bål. Då hästens manke är som lägst, i samband med starten av understödet för respektive diagonal, är sadeln som mest roterad framåt. Då hästens manke är som högst, under mitten av understödsfasen, är sadeln som mest roterad bakåt. Fasförskjutningar och asymmetrier i hästens rörelser ses även i sadelns rotation. Ryttarens bäcken är som mest roterat bakåt i pitch 5-10 % in i steget. Det roterar sedan framåt till andra halvan av understödet för att sedan rotera bakåt till början av nästa diagonals understöd. Överlivet roterar bakåt under den första halvan av understödet och roterar framåt under den andra halvan och under svävmomentet. Ryttaren och sadeln roterar till vänster i yaw under vänster diagonals understöd och roterar till höger under höger diagonal. Ryttarna fick medelbetyget 6 för sitsen när videoinspelningen utvärderades. De asymmetrier som sågs i mätningarna kunde inte uppfattas på video. Ryttarens pitch verkade vara en passiv rörelse med syfte att dämpa stöten då hästen landar. Det sågs samband mellan bäckenets roll och yaw, då ena höften sänks vrids den även bakåt. Genom att kombinera tekniska hjälpmedel med personer med lång praktisk erfarenhet av att granska ekipage nås den bästa utvärderingen av ryttare och häst