Influence of Environmental Temperature on Milk Production in the Italian Mediterranean Buffalo

The purpose of this study is to verify the influence of ambient temperature on the percentage of subjects with decreased production, compared to what was recorded in the previous 7-10 days. The data processed in the 2017-2020 period was studied in a company in the lower Caserta area that raises 3000 animals per year, of which 1300 are dairy. All this was possible thanks to the daily collection of production data recorded in the milking parlor, using RFID technology, and then transferred to management software, essential for the farmer for problem-solving decisions. The buffalo is of tropical origin, and there are many factors that influence the production of the Italian Mediterranean buffalo, first of all, seasonality, temperature, health, or the combination of all these elements. For these reasons, it seemed appropriate to focus our attention on the influence of ambient temperature on production. In the first three years of observation, it emerged that as the ambient temperature decreases, the percentage of subjects that recorded a drop in production compared to the previous figure increases. However, this was not found in 2020, when the covered structures were equipped with permanent bedding consisting of straw. This shows that it is important to guarantee the state of well-being so as not to penalize the production of milk for the PDO buffalo mozzarella, which represents an interesting source of income

Current Trends in Buffalo Milk Production

Between 1961 and 2018 on the total number of dairy ruminants, the percentage of buffaloes and the quantity of milk produced by them had an increasing trend from 3.7% to 5.2% and from 5.4 to 15.7%, respectively; this value on the world total "cow milk + buffalo milk" rose to 18.64%.In the Asian continent, buffaloes' incidence on the total number of dairy ruminants increased slightly (from 10.2% to 11.7%) while the percentage of cattle fell from 38% to 26.4%. In the same period, the percentage of buffalo milk decreased from 44.6% to 36.9%, while cow milk shares increased from 55.4% to 63%.The percentage of milk produced in Pakistan, India, Nepal (after 2010), and especially in Egypt showed a downward trend. In Italy, the trend has always been increasing.The market price of buffalo milk in developing countries does not compensate for costs which are 15% higher than cow's milk, if only the cost of feeding is considered, and increases to 40% when the difference in kg of milk equivalent between the two species is about 900 kg per lactation. A reduction of the production gap between the two species is difficult to be achieved because the genetic improvement of dairy cattle is performed in industrialized countries with higher financial support. Therefore, a marketing effort is needed to make well-differentiated buffalo products with specific and well-received sensory properties. In this regard, it should also be noted that δ-valerobetaine, a bioactive molecule beneficial for human health, is present in buffalo milk and meat in higher quantities than in cow's milk

Considerations on the Breeding and Weaning of Buffalo Calf

The buffalo calf is more challenging to adapt to the transition from breast milk to other substitutes that favor weaning.Growth in the pre-weaning period is affected by the amount of reconstituted milk consumed. When the quantity of reconstituted milk consumed is low, the weaning weight is also low. The gap between the latter and the optimal weight will never be eliminated because the species cannot perform compensatory growth, such as cattle. There is a delay in reaching an optimal live weight to start puberty. The age at first birth is, in fact, lower in those countries that leave all the milk to the calf for meat production or as happens in Italy where there is a suitable milk substitute.In Italy, it has been verified that calves taking almost ad libitum quantities of cow's milk weigh more than 140 kg at 4 months and have their first birth at the age of 22-26 months. As adults, they have an almost zero percentage of vaginal or uterine prolapse.In further experiences on 3672 heifers, it was possible to verify "ex-post" that the calves that had taken a more significant quantity (150 kg vs. 105) of milk substitute had shown age at the first birth in advance of about 6 months (28, 5 versus 34).Future investigations should verify the effect of weaning birth and not just the cost of weaning.Age at first birth is not only an economic parameter, but it is useful for an early evaluation of bulls in progeny tests

An application of the integrative method for extending part lactation milk record in Mediterranean Italian buffalo reared in Caserta province

This study was performed on 21,622 lactation of Mediterranean Italian dairy buffalo recorded by AIA with ICAR standard from 1992 to 1996 in Caserta province. The extending of lactation was performed using integrative methods (Pilla et al., 1979), taking into account the effect of lactation number per day, calving order and month of calving. The results showed that the obtained coefficient was able to extending the lactation at 270 days with good approximation also beginning from a part –lactation of 90 days. In this case, the correlation coefficient between real and estimate milk yield varied from 0.91 to 0.93 in the considered groups. Moreover, the percentage of difference between real and estimated average milk yield is not over 5%

Influence of γ-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase activity on in vitro fertilisation of bovine frozen/thawed semen

AbstractThe aim of this work was to evaluate whether the residual amount of γ-glutamyl-transferase (GGT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in bovine sperm after freezing/thawing is correlated with fertility parameters, including blastocyst rates after in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The enzyme activities were determined in both spermatozoa and supernatant after centrifugation. While ALP was only correlated with sperm viability, GGT activity was correlated with sperm motility (rs = .4; p < .05) both in sperm and supernatant. Interestingly, GGT activity was also correlated with cleavage (rs = .5; p < .05 and .8; p < .01, for sperm and supernatant respectively) and blastocyst (rs = .6 and .9, for sperm and supernatant respectively; p < .01) rates obtained after IVF. These results suggest that GGT could play an important role in the protection of sperm against oxidative stress and could be considered a reliable marker to assess frozen/thawed sperm quality in bovine

Detection of Brucella abortus DNA and RNA in different stages of development of the sucking louse Haematopinus tuberculatus

Background: Brucellosis is considered the world’s most widespread zoonotic infection. It causes abortion and sterility in livestock leading to serious economic losses and has even more serious medical impact in humans, since it can be a trigger to more than 500,000 infections per year worldwide. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of Haematopinus tuberculatus, a louse that can parasitize several ruminants, as a new host of brucellosis. Louse specimens were collected from seropositive and seronegative water buffaloes and divided in 3 developmental stages: adults, nymphs and nits. All samples were separately screened for Brucella spp. DNA and RNA detection by Real Time PCR. In particular, primers and probes potentially targeting the 16S rRNA and the Brucella Cell Surface 31 kDalton Protein (bcsp31) genes were used for Real Time PCR and buffalo β actin was used as a housekeeping gene to quantify host DNA in the sample. A known amount of B. abortus purified DNA was utilized for standard curve preparation and the target DNA amount was divided by the housekeeping gene amount to obtain a normalized target value. A further molecular characterization was performed for Brucella strain typing and genotyping by the Bruce-ladder, AMOS-PCR and MLVA assays. Data were statistically analysed by ANOVA. Results: Brucella abortus DNA and RNA were detected in all developmental stages of the louse, suggesting the presence of viable bacteria. Data obtained by MLVA characterization support this finding, since the strains present in animals and the relative parasites were not always identical, suggesting bacterial replication. Furthermore, the detection of Brucella DNA and RNA in nits samples demonstrate, for the first time, a trans-ovarial transmission of the bacterium into the louse. Conclusions: These findings identified H. tuberculatus as a new host of brucellosis. Further studies are needed to establish the role of this louse in the epidemiology of the disease, such as vector or reservoir

Bioaccumulation of Trace Elements in the Muscle of the Blackmouth Catshark Galeus melastomus from Mediterranean Waters

Environmental pollution, particularly in the marine environment, has become a significant concern due to the increasing presence of pollutants and their adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. This study focuses on the bioaccumulation of trace elements in the muscle tissue of the blackmouth catshark (Galeus melastomus) from different areas in the Mediterranean Sea. Trace elements are of interest due to their persistence, toxicity, and potential for bioaccumulation. This research aims to assess the distribution and accumulation of trace elements in the muscle tissue of G. melastomus and investigate their potential impact on the deep-sea environment of the Mediterranean. The focused areas include the Ligurian Sea, the northern and central Tyrrhenian Sea, the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ionian Sea, the Pantelleria Waters, and the Gela Waters. Samples were collected following established protocols, and trace element analysis was conducted using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The study provides data on the concentrations of 17 trace elements, namely aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, zinc, selenium, strontium, lead, chromium, iron, barium, bismuth, and uranium. The findings contribute to a better understanding of trace element bioaccumulation patterns in elasmobranch species, specifically G. melastomus, and highlight the potential risks associated with chemical contamination in the Mediterranean Sea. This research emphasizes the importance of studying the impacts of pollutants on marine organisms, particularly those occupying key ecological roles, like sharks, to support effective conservation and management strategies