Application of the cDNA-AFLP method for studying gene expression in Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 exposed to 134.2 kHz electromagnetic field

AbstractMany biological effects related to the exposure of cells and tissues to electromagnetic fields have been reported in the literature, including those influencing DNAs and RNAs structure and ..

Effects of feeding raw or extruded linseed on the ruminal ecosystem of sheep

Polyunsaturated fatty acids affect bacterial and protozoal population, inducing important modifications in rumen metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of linseed extrusion on in situ ruminal degradability and microbial number and distribution. Six ruminally fistulated sheep were divided in 3 groups and fed one of the following diets according to a replicated Latin square design: (a) control, based on mixed hay and maize grains; (b) as in (a) plus 130 g of grounded raw linseed; (c) as in (b) except that the linseed was extruded. Extrusion decreased linseed dry matter and fat degradabilities. There was a marked reduction of total protozoal population in sheep fed supplemented diets. No effects were observed between groups on bacterial concentration, hay dry matter and NDF in situ degradabilities

Dietary integration with oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) essential oil improves growth rate and oxidative status in outdoor, but not indoor, reared pigs

The effects of a diet supplemented with oregano essential oil on performance, oxidative status, pork quality traits and sensorial properties were evaluated. In two studies, 72 pigs in indoor or outdoor conditions were assigned to either a control diet or an identical diet supplemented with 0.2% oregano essential oil. Pigs reared outdoor showed lower live weight, average daily gain and average gain:feed ratio compared to indoor pigs. The oregano supplementation improved the growth performance of the outdoor‐ but not the indoor‐reared animals. The serum oxidative status was influenced by the diet. A higher oxidative stability was observed in the oregano‐supplemented groups. As for the rearing conditions, the data suggest that after an initial adapting period, the free‐range farming systems could be better tolerated by pigs. Meat derived from pigs reared outdoor showed higher pH and a* values. Lightness was influenced by both the diet and the rearing conditions. The control group reared indoor showed shear force values higher than both supplemented groups, while no differences were detected with the control group reared outdoor. In the consumer test performed under blind conditions, the oregano groups achieved higher consistency scores compared with the control. Under informed conditions, the meat derived from the oregano‐supplemented pigs reared outdoor received the highest scores for consistency and overall liking regardless of the rearing system. The same result for the overall liking score was obtained in the expectation test. The data obtained showed that dietary oregano essential oil can be effective in reducing performance losses due to the outdoor‐rearing system, increasing the oxidative status of the animal and oxidative stability of the meat, without modifying the meat quality traits and improving consumer perceptions of the meat quality

Dietary oregano (Origanum vulgare L.) aqueous extract improves oxidative stability and consumer acceptance of meat enriched with CLA and n-3 PUFA in broilers.

Abstract The effect of a dietary oregano aqueous extract on meat fatty acid profile, quality, and consumer acceptance in chickens fed a diet rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was evaluated in 3 consecutive trials. For each trial, 171 day-old Ross 308 chicks were randomly divided in replicates of 19 birds each and assigned to one of 3 experimental diets: 1) basal control diet, 2) basal diet supplemented with 0.2 g/kg of oregano aqueous extract, and 3) basal diet supplemented with 150 ppm of vitamin E (as positive control). To better analyze the antioxidant activity of both oregano and vitamin E, all the experimental diets were enriched with a fatty acid supplement consisting in a mixture of PUFA at the same dose (1.16 %) in both starter and finisher feeds. Oregano supplementation positively influenced (P Results obtained in the present study allow stating that using oregano aqueous extract in diets enriched with PUFA can represent a valid solution to increase live weight of chickens, improve resistance to oxidation of meat, and positively influence consumer perception of poultry meat

Farm efficiency related to animal welfare performance and management of sheep farms in marginal areas of Central Italy: a two-stage DEA model

The development of specific actions to increase animal health and welfare is indicated as a strategy to improve the efficiency and sustainability of many livestock systems, including sheep farming. In this paper, efficiency measures are provided to confirm the hypothesis that farms that are higher-performing in terms of animal welfare and management are also more technically efficient. A two-stage Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) approach was adopted with the following twofold objectives: 1) to evaluate the efficiency and super-efficiency of 76 meat-producing sheep farms situated in marginal lands in central Italy, through DEA and Super-DEA (S-DEA) models; and 2) to assess the influence of animal welfare and management indicators on technical efficiency values through the application of a Tobit regression model. An overall efficiency performance varying within a range of 0.44–1 was estimated, with an average value of 0.80, implying a potential increase of 20% in terms of output production from both management and scale improvements. The ‘pure’ technical inefficiency was found to contribute three times more than scale inefficiency in determining the overall technical inefficiency. Adopting a more extensive farming system and increasing replacement rate were found to affect negatively the efficiency scores. On the other hand, having less than 5% of animals with body condition score beyond acceptable limits, presence of access control structures, well managed lambing pens, and dedicated feed stocking areas resulted in a positive influence on efficiency. Improvements in animal welfare aspects did not appear to be farm-scale-dependent.Highlights DEA and Super-DEA models were applied to assess sheep farm technical efficiency in Central Italy. An overall potential 20% increase in output production was estimated. Animal welfare factors were found to significantly affect efficiency performance

Effects of Goji berries supplementation on the productive performance of rabbit

Abstract Recognized by the traditional medicine and recent scientific research studies, Lycium barbarum berries (Goji berries) have beneficial effects on human and animal health. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of Goji berries on the productive performance of rabbits. One month before insemination, 60 New Zealand White does were randomly assigned to one of the following 3 dietary treatments: commercial standard diet (C); C supplemented with 1% Goji berries (LG); and C supplemented with 3% Goji berries (HG). After weaning up to 91 days of age, 15 randomly selected rabbits/group were fed the same diet as the mothers (C, LG, and HG). Non-pregnant and lactating does of C group showed the highest feed intake (P < 0.01), although no significant differences in body weight (BW) were observed between groups. Nutritional treatment did not affect the offspring's feed intake. However, the rabbits fed with Goji supplementation showed not only higher mean BW both during growth (P < 0.001) and at slaughter (P < 0.01), but also better feed conversion ratio (FCR; P < 0.01) than the control group. Rabbits of LG group showed the best performances in the pre-weaning period which was probably related to the highest milk production of the LG does (P < 0.001). Indeed, LG group showed lower pre-weaning mortality (P < 0.05), higher litter size (P < 0.05), and higher litter weight (P < 0.05) at day 18 as well as higher litter size at weaning (P = 0.05) compared to C group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates that a low percentage of dietary supplementation with Goji berry improves both reproductive and productive traits of rabbits. Although further studies are needed, our study paves the way for the use of Goji berries in the rabbit nutrition

Dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 positively affects performance and intestinal ecosystem in broilers during a campylobacter jejuni infection

In poultry production, probiotics have shown promise to limit campylobacteriosis at the farm level, the most commonly reported zoonosis in Europe. The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effects of Saccharomyces supplementation in Campylobacter jejuni challenged chickens on performance and intestinal ecosystem. A total of 156 day old male Ross 308 chicks were assigned to a basal control diet (C) or to a Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii CNCM I-1079 supplemented diet (S). All the birds were orally challenged with C. jejuni on day (d) 21. Live weight and growth performance were evaluated on days 1, 21, 28 and 40. The histology of intestinal mucosa was analyzed and the gut microbiota composition was assessed by 16S rRNA. Performance throughout the trial as well as villi length and crypt depth were positively influenced by yeast supplementation. A higher abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) annotated as Lactobacillus reuteri and Faecalibacterium prausnitzii and a lower abundance of Campylobacter in fecal samples from S compared to the C group were reported. Supplementation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae boulardii can effectively modulate the intestinal ecosystem, leading to a higher abundance of beneficial microorganisms and modifying the intestinal mucosa architecture, with a subsequent improvement of the broilers' growth performance