Bovine colostrum whey: Postpartum changes of particle size distribution and immunoglobulin G concentration at different filtration pore sizes

Bovine colostrum, as vital as it is for calves, is also a valuable source of functional components with rich health benefits for humans. Bovine colostrum whey consists of a large number of bioactive proteins and peptides. The most abundant of these is IgG. Particle size distribution (PSD) is an important feature of many of the processes in the dairy food industries. Despite this, scientific literature on PSD of colostrum whey is scarce. The goal of this research was to describe bovine colostrum whey PSD with an emphasis on postpartum milking time, filtration (pore size 450, 100, and 20 nm), IgG concentration, and lactation number. For this purpose, 4 postpartum milking colostrum samples were sequentially milked from 46 Holstein cows at 12 ± 1 h intervals. Colostrum whey was prepared by renneting and diluted (1:200) for PSD analyses by a Malvern Zetasizer Nano ZS (Malvern Instruments Ltd., Malvern, UK). Immunoglobulin G concentration of these diluted colostrum whey samples were analyzed by an Octet K2 (Molecular Devices LLC, San Jose, CA) system. Linear mixed model analysis revealed significant effects of filter pore size, postpartum milking, and lactation on colostrum whey IgG concentrations. The percentage of particles in the size interval 5 to 15 nm (the hydrodynamic diameter of IgG is around 10 nm) had an intermediate positive correlation (r = 0.50) with IgG concentration. Furthermore, we showed that PSD was associated with IgG concentration, postpartum milking time, and lactation number. The PSD measurement results showed the mean hydrodynamic diameter of 100 nm pore size filtered colostrum whey to be around 10 nm. This, with the IgG concentration results, suggests that even though the size of IgG is around 10 nm, a 100 nm pore size is adequate for membrane-involved IgG separations. In terms of energy efficiency of the filtration process, the use of a larger filter pore size can make a remarkable difference, for example, in pressurizing and cooling costs. Our work contributes to the development of sustainable and widely available colostrum-derived food and feed supplements.This work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 810630 “ERA Chair for Food (By-) Products Valorisation Technologies of the Estonian University of Life Sciences (VALORTECH)” and the Estonian University of Life Sciences research and development base financing (P170195VLTQ). The authors declare no conflict of interest

Approbation of the model for evaluation of drivers prone to risky driving (Estonian and Russian samples)

The article presents the results of approbation of the questionnaire, that allows evaluating drivers’ inclinations to taking various risks while driving. This questionnaire was developed at NPO Estonian Traffic Behaviour Development Centre, basing on PhD thesis “Evaluation of the effectiveness of a primary preventive program “Clear Picture…!?” to increase traffic safety” by G. Meinhard. Translation of the questions into Russian was performed for Russian-speaking Estonian citizens. The underlying diagnostic model of the questionnaire was implemented into a state program for preventive work with traffic offenders in Estonia in 2014. In the research AUDIT (as a part of the questionnaire) aimed at investigation of attitude towards alcohol consump tion was first used with the Russian sample. The sample included 635 drivers: 465 were Estonian citizens (15,5% females, 84,5% males) and 170 Russian citizens (38,8% females, 61,2% males). All the research participants had the history of multiple speed violations, as well as the other traffic rules violation. Some of the participants underwent medical checks for drunk driving. The results showed that the questionnaire scales, used in this diagnostic model, are highly consistent: Cronbach’s alpha ranges from 0,75 to 0,90 that proves reliability of this instrument. The exception is “Evaluation of driving threats and risks” that has Cronbach’s alpha in the range from 0,54 for the Russian sample. The article provides the first publications of the results of using this questionnaire with the Russian sample. These results can be applied to further investigations of inclination towards unsafe driving among Russian drivers as well as for implementing the underlying diagnostic model into the practice of screening and psychological counselling to prevent traffic accidents in Russia

Genetic differentiation among commercial and native cattle breeds

vo

Genetic parameters for milk coagulation properties in Estonian Holstein cows.

The objective of this study was to estimate heritabilities and repeatabilities for milk coagulation traits [milk coagulation time (RCT) and curd firmness (E30)] and genetic and phenotypic correlations between milk yield and composition traits (milk fat percentage and protein percentage, urea, somatic cell count, pH) in first-lactation Estonian Holstein dairy cattle. A total of 17,577 test-day records from 4,191 Estonian Holstein cows in 73 herds across the country were collected during routine milk recordings. Measurements of RCT and E30 determined with the Optigraph (Ysebaert, Frepillon, France) are based on an optical signal in the near-infrared region. The cows had at least 3 measurements taken during the period from April 2005 to January 2009. Data were analyzed using a repeatability animal model. There was substantial variation in milk coagulation traits with a coefficient of variation of 27% for E30 and 9% for the log-transformed RCT. The percentage of variation explained by herd was 3% for E30 and 4% for RCT, suggesting that milk coagulation traits are not strongly affected by herd conditions (e.g., feeding). Heritability was 0.28 for RCT and 0.41 for E30, and repeatability estimates were 0.45 and 0.50, respectively. Genetic correlation between both milk coagulation traits was negligible, suggesting that RCT and E30 have genetically different foundations. Milk coagulation time had a moderately high positive genetic (0.69) and phenotypic (0.61) correlation with milk pH indicating that a high pH is related to a less favorable RCT. Curd firmness had a moderate positive genetic (0.48) and phenotypic (0.45) correlation with the protein percentage. Therefore, a high protein percentage is associated with favorable curd firmness. All reported genetic parameters were statistically significantly different from zero. Additional univariate random regression analysis for milk coagulation traits yielded slightly higher average heritabilities of 0.38 and 0.47 for RCT and E30 compared with the heritabilities of the repeatability model

Maternal and paternal genetic variation in Estonian local horse breeds in the context of geographically adjacent and distant Eurasian breeds

201

Badania regularności występowania fosforu w glebach uprawnych

A high content of phosphorus (P) in the soil cover of agricultural landscape may cause (in connection with P leaching and emission) a high risk of P outflow from agro-ecosystems and its inflow into the water of rivers, lakes and sea. P concentration, which controls the primary productivity in agro-ecosystems, is at the same time the key factor of eutrophication of water bodies. The continual testing of P content in soil enables to recommend the optimal doses of fertilizer application and therefore enables to minimize the pollution risk to both: agro-ecosystems (by excessive P content) and water bodies (by avoiding their eutrophication). The aim of this work was to compare the results of soil plant available P analysis by ammonium acetate-lactate (AL), and calcium acetate-lactate (CAL), and Mehlich3 (M3) methods and distribution of soils into different soil P status classes. The distribution into classes is affected by the physical parameters of soil. This analysis shows that distribution into classes depends on the soil P content and also on the method of determination.Wysoka zawartość fosforu (P) w glebie krajobrazu rolniczego może stanowić przyczynę (w połączeniu z wymywaniem oraz emisją) wysokiego zagrożenia P w wodach rzek, jezior i mórz, a pochodzącego z ekosystemów rolniczych. Zawartość P kontrolująca produkcję pierwotną agroekosystemów stanowi czynnik eutrofizacji zbiorników wodnych. Ciągła kontrola zawartości P w glebie pozwala rekomendować stosowanie optymalnych dawek nawozów, a tym samym zminimalizować ryzyko zanieczyszczeń zarówno agroekosystemów (o podwyższonej zawartości P) i zbiorników wodnych (poprzez unikanie ich eutrofizacji). Celem pracy było porównanie zawartości w glebie P dostępnego dla roślin oznaczonych trzema metodami analitycznymi: octanowo-mleczanową (AL), wapniowo octanowo-mleczanową (CAL) i Mehlicha (M3) i sklasyfikowania gleb pod kątem zawartości P. Wykazano, że rozmieszczenie P w poszczególnych glebach wpływa na ich właściwości fizyczne. Stwierdzono zależność zawartości P od klasy gleby oraz metody oznaczenia P

Influences of various factors on cows’ entrance order into the milking parlour

This study investigates the stability of the milking order of cows entering into the milking parlour of a commercial dairy herd, and changes to this order consequent to a change in health status and a change in the membership of the group of cows being milked. In large herds it is difficult for stockmen to monitor all cows closely. If changes in the milking order are indicative of health or other problems, the monitoring of any changes in the order could alert stockmen to such problems. This could therefore be a tool to add to the parameters collected routinely in precision livestock farming (PLF). The milking process of 692 cows, in seven different feeding groups, over a period of six months, was monitored. The milking order was found to be stable within days, and across days, but was more variable within milking sessions. Cows with mastitis (P < 0.001) entered the parlour later than when they were healthy. Cows with metritis entered into the milking parlour earlier than usually(P < 0.05). When new cows entered a group they fitted into a stable position within the parlour entrance order within two days. There were no effects found of parity, age, days in milk, milk production or milking duration on the milking order. It is concluded that theregular monitoring of milking order, and flagging of changes in this order could be a useful tool in the early identification of the presence of disease in cow