Aggregation and Innovation in rural tourism: tourist destination of the "hundred country houses"

This paper aims at analyzing particular network organizational systems which consider strategic aggregation as the core of the value generation processes. It will analyze the new organization of the rural area in a macro dimension through a “cultural-tourist route” realized with the cooperation of public and private operators, strongly stimulating and innovative, formed by ancient country houses, woods, ravines, archeological parks and rupestrian settlements. For the analysis on desk, the search for theoretical models and managerial tools useful to the territory operators will take place in studies of Destination Management; while on field analysis will be conducted by questionnaire in order to investigate about the advantages of country houses aggregation and multistakeholders offer systems. The questionnaire will be administered to a sample of ten country houses, most of which are agricultural and zootechnical firms, located in the rural tourist destination of Crispiano and Grottaglie, with more than a hundred country houses, in the Ionian area. Following the Destination Management literature, this research will highlight the attitude towards cooperation among local operators, rural communities, country houses, public institutions, which aims to enhance the tourist system made of attractors, tangible and intangible resources for the purpose of competitiveness of the destination

Oxidative Stability And Quality Traits Of n-3 Pufa Enriched Chicken Meat

A total of 360 broilers, female Cobb 500, were fed from 21 d to slaughter (46 d) a commercial diet supplemented with 0, 0.5 or 1% Schizochitrium sp. marine algae, as dietary source of n-3 PUFA. Meat with the highest n-3 PUFA content showed a reduced lipid stability, particularly in breast, while the organoleptic properties evaluated in drumsticks were not affected by the dietary treatment. Breast colour was deeper in the group receiving the highest algal supplementation

oxidative stability and sensory and functional properties of eggs from laying hens fed supranutritional doses of vitamins e and c

Abstract This study evaluated the effects of two dietary doses of vitamins E and C supplemented separately and together, on the content of vitamin E in the yolk, on the lipid stability of fresh and stored eggs, and on their sensory and functional properties. Hy-Line Brown hens (n = 216) received a basal diet for 8 wk supplemented with 100 or 200 mg DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (E100 or E200, respectively)/kg, 500 or 1,000 mg ascorbic acid (C500 and C1000, respectively)/kg, or 100 mg DL-alpha-tocopheryl acetate plus 500 mg ascorbic acid (E100+C500)/kg, whereas the control group received no supplementation. Fresh eggs and eggs stored 30,60, and 90 d at 4 C or stored 28 d at room temperature were analyzed for vitamin E content and TBA-reactive substances (TBARS). We also evaluated functional properties of fresh and cooked eggs and sensory properties of boiled and scrambled eggs. The yolk content of vitamin E depended on the level of dietary addition and decreased after 90 d of storage at 4 C or after 28 d at 25 C. Vitamin supplementation had no effect on fresh or refrigerated eggs, whereas 4 wk of storage at room temperature increased TBARS in the control and the group supplemented with the highest doses of vitamins. Ascorbic acid improved Haugh units and elasticity of albumen gels, whereas cohesiveness and hardness of yolk, albumen and whole-egg gels were not affected by dietary treatment. Panelists were not able to distinguish treated eggs from control eggs

Slaughter performance and meat quality of Milanino chickens reared according to a specific free-range program

ABSTRACT The study aimed to characterize meat quality traits of Milanino chickens reared according to a specific free-range farming program. A total of 120 birds was reared straight-run in outdoor pens (8 m2/bird) from 35 d of life and fed ad libitum a low (16%) protein diet. At 180 d of age, 20 birds (10 birds/sex) were slaughtered, and carcass weight data were recorded. After processing, carcasses were refrigerated at 4°C for 24 hours. Then, the right breast and thigh with skin were collected and color parameters, pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), and chemical composition were determined. The left breast and thigh were stored at −20°C until cooking loss and tenderness evaluation. Milanino was confirmed to be a heavy breed with a sexual dimorphism in relation to adult body weight. A high general carcass yield was recorded. Milanino meat was characterized by high protein and low fat contents compared with the standard broiler meat. Differences in meat composition were recorded according to the sex: females presented higher values of dry matter (breast and thigh), protein (breast), and fat (breast and thigh) contents. The meat with skin presented an intense luminosity, and this trait was higher in the females. The muscle color was characterized by high redness and yellowness indices with differences according to the sex: Higher yellowness index was observed in female carcasses, while higher redness index was detected in male breast samples. The pH muscle values were similar to those reported in other autochthonous breeds. WHC values did not show variation between sexes. In contrast, cooking loss values recorded in thigh samples were lower in males compared to females. The degree of tenderness of Milanino meat was not affected by the sex. However, the potential loss of water and the toughness in Milanino meat were low compared to other local chicken breed meat. The present results support the breeding of Milanino chickens for meat production according to its specific straight-run free-range system

Risk of Salmonella transmission via cryopreserved semen in turkey flocks

To investigate the possibility to carry pathogen bacteria in turkey flocks via cryopreserved semen, research was carried out 1) to investigate the microbial contamination of fresh and frozen thawed turkey semen and 2) to evaluate the effect of the freezing-thawing process on the survival of 3 serovars of Salmonella spp. experimentally inoculated in turkey semen. Five pools of semen diluted 4-fold were cooled, added with 8% of dimethylacetamide as a cryoprotectant, and aliquots of 80 μL were directly plunged into liquid nitrogen to form frozen pellets. Mesophilic viable counts, total and fecal coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, enterococci, Campylobacter spp., and Salmonella spp. were investigated on fresh and thawed samples. Further, 5 pools of diluted semen were each divided into 3 subsamples, inoculated with 7.8 ± 0.2 log cfu·mL ―1 of Salmonella Liverpool, Salmonella Montevideo, and Salmonella Braenderup, respectively, and cryopreserved before to assess the postthaw viability of Salmonella spp. strains. Fresh semen was highly contaminated by all of the saprophytic bacteria investigated and the cryopreservation process reduced the amount of mesophilic viable count and total coliforms (P < 0.05) and fecal coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, and enterococci (P < 0.01) by about 1 log cfu·mL ―1 . Conversely, neither Campylobacter spp. nor Salmonella spp. were found as endogenous bacteria in semen. In the inoculated semen, both Salmonella Liverpool, Salmonella Montevideo, and Salmonella Braenderup colonies were recovered postthaw, showing a significant reduction of 2.03 ± 0.28, 3.08 ± 0.22, and 2.72 ± 0.23 log cfu·mL ―1 , respectively, compared with the fresh semen (P < 0.001). In conclusion, the cryopreservation process allowed us to obtain a low reduction of microbial count both in endogenous saprophytic bacteria and artificially inoculated Salmonella spp. strains; therefore, the possibility of Samonella spp. transmission to flocks through the use of infected cryopreserved semen does exist

Comparative Pigmentation Efficiency of High Dietary Levels of Apo-Ester and Marigold Extract on Quality Traits of Whole Liquid Egg of Two Strains of Laying Hens

This trial was carried out to compare the effect of the dietary supplementation of high doses of either synthetic pigment ethyl ester of β-apo-8'-carotenoic acid (apo-ester) or natural pigments, mainly lutein and zeaxanthin, extracted from Tagetes erecta, on egg quality of hens laying brown shell eggs (ISA Brown) and white shell eggs (Hy-Line White W-36). The hens of each strain were divided into 6 groups and fed a corn-soybean basal diet supplemented either with 40, 60, and 80 ppm of apo-ester (APO) or with 120,180, and 240 ppm of marigold extract (MAR). Egg pigmentation rose linearly and significantly (P < 0.01) as the dietary levels of apo-ester increased, but this did not occur when MAR supplementation was used. The amount of /3-carotene equivalents in whole liquid egg of MAR treatments was almost constant with varying pigment dietary dose and was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than in APO treatments. In both hen strains, whole liquid egg redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) were higher with APO supplementation. The egg component weights were highly affected (P < 0.01) by the hen strain, with yolk:egg ratio higher in the Hy-Line. The trial confirms that in spite of the higher level of MAR supplementation, APO has a better efficiency in whole liquid egg pigmentation. The ISA Brown hens showed a better ability to absorb dietary carotenoids than did the Hy-Line White

Strategies to improve the postharvest management of flat oyster (Ostrea edulis) from aquaculture using the short-term storage and package in an innovative closed-circuit system

This study aimed to improve postharvest management of flat oysters reared in a longline system in the mid Adriatic Sea, using short-term storage and package in an innovative closed-circuit system. For the trial, 870 oysters were employed, divided into three experimental groups (A, B, and C), N = 270 oysters each group, whereas the remaining 60 oysters were used for the 2 controls. Each group differed in relation to the time spent in the depuration tank and the time of packaging: group A was packed and immediately transferred to the cell; group B was depurated in a tank for 48 h, then packed and transferred to the cell; group C was depurated in a tank for 48 h and then packed, depurated for another 24 h and transferred to a cell. Samples of each group were sampled at different times of permanence in cell (t0) up until 12 days (t12) for biomorphometric, sensorial, nutritional, and microbiological analysis. Although the nutritional and sensorial quality of the oysters was more pronounced in group A, B and C groups also showed good results. In these two groups, thanks to the use of the modern water recirculation system the quality and safety of oysters was improved by reducing the presence of sludge and eliminating fecal contaminants completely than A treatment and seawater control. These results were also confirmed by the tank control, where a more extended depuration period positively influenced the same parameters emphasizing the importance of the adequate depuration processes in oyster productio

Cryobank of Mediterranean Brown Trout Semen: Evaluation of the Use of Frozen Semen up to Six Hours Post-Collection

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of different cold-storage time intervals between collection and semen-freezing on both fresh and cryopreserved semen motility parameters and the post-thaw fertilizing ability of Mediterranean brown trout semen. The ejaculates were split into six aliquots and stored on ice from 1 to 6 h, until freezing. Fresh and post-thaw sperm motility was evaluated by a Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis system, whilst the fertilizing ability was assessed by in vivo trials. In fresh semen, at 3 h of storage, a significant decrease of total motility, linear movement (STR, LIN) and beat cross frequency (BCF) was recorded, whilst the amplitude of lateral displacement of the spermatozoon head (ALH) underwent a significant increase. In frozen semen, no significant difference was observed for all the motility parameters evaluated, except for the total motility between 1 and 6 h of storage and the duration of sperm movement between 1 and 5 h. Cold-storage time did not significantly affect the percentage of live embryos following the use of frozen semen. In conclusion, our results showed that, if necessary, the Mediterranean brown trout semen can be frozen even until 6 h post-collection without losing its fertilizing ability

Free-Range Rearing Density for Male and Female Milanino Chickens: Growth Performance and Stress Markers

The Milanino is a heavy Italian chicken breed and represents an important genetic resource for alternative production systems. Due to the absence of standard management guidelines for local chicken breeds, this study aims to determine the space requirement to achieve a good equilibrium between growth performance and stress response in Milanino chickens reared according to a separate-sex free-range program. A total of 140 birds (70M:70F) were reared in outdoor pens from 75 to 235 d of life according to the following experimental groups (35 birds/group): (M2) males in 2 m(2)/bird; (F2) females in 2 m(2)/bird; (M10) males in 10 m(2)/bird; (F10) females in 10 m(2)/bird. Growth performance and stress condition were recorded. Bird density affected male body weight, that was higher at the lower density of 10 m2/bird. In contrast, females showed a consistent growth rate irrespective of the bird density suggesting lower space requirements. An overall good adaptability of the breed to the separate-sex free-range system was found, irrespective of both sex and bird density. Moreover, the stress markers values assessed at the end of the growing period suggest the ability of Milanino birds to respond well to environmental stressors. The results provided in this report will be implemented into free-range management guidelines for meat production in the Milanino breed: the separate-sex rearing is recommended during the growing period in outdoor pens and the bird density has to be planned according to the sex

Finding an effective freezing protocol for Turkey semen: Benefits of ficoll as non-permeant cryoprotectant and 1:4 as dilution rate

The present study aimed to find an effective cryopreservation protocol for turkey semen through the combined use of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and three non-permeant cryoprotectants (NP-CPAs), sucrose, trehalose, and Ficoll 70. In addition, the action of two dilution rates (1:2 and 1:4) were also investigated. Semen was processed according to two final dilution rates and the following treatments: Tselutin extender (TE)/DMSO (control), TE/DMSO + sucrose or trehalose 50, 100, 200, or 400 mM, and TE/DMSO + Ficoll 0.5, 0.75, 1, or 1.5 mM. In total 26 different combinations treatments were achieved. The diluted semen was filled up into straws and frozen on liquid nitrogen vapor. The post-thawing sperm quality was assessed by analyzing motility, membrane integrity, osmotic resistance, and DNA integrity. The results obtained revealed a significant effect of NP-CPA concentration on total and progressive motility, on most of the kinetic parameters, on membrane integrity and DNA integrity, while the post-thaw quality was less affected by dilution rate. The highest post-thaw quality for all sperm quality parameters assessed except curvilinear velocity (VCL) and DNA integrity were found in semen frozen with 1 mM Ficoll/1:4 (p &lt; 0.05). Our findings provide an important contribution for the identification of a reference procedure for turkey semen cryopreservation, in order to create the first national avian semen cryobank